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pba: if you think the army is bad for your kids’ ruchniyus, would you have them do Sherut Leumi or some other type of service that is in lieu of military service? I believe serving on Magen David Adom qualifies, would you encourage them to do something like that?
Joseph, yes, I believe it was the Chofetz Chaim. He also used to study all the halachos regarding doing the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash. He said that as a Kohen, he’d be expected to serve in the Beis HaMikdash, so he needed to know how!
I was also told by R’ Yaakov Bender shlita that R’ Nosson Wachtfogel zt”l kept a packed bag for when Mashiach would come. One time, a bochur was practicing blowing shofar in the dormitory. For years, R’ Nosson used to stay in the dormitory during the week, and he was there when the bochur started blowing. The bochur recounted how a few seconds after he blew the shofar, R’ Nosson came running down the stairs, carrying his special bag, asking, “Is it the shofar of Mashiach??? Is he here???”
newbee: While I hear your point, I don’t think it’s a good comparison. You buy a lotto ticket knowing the odds are so slight, but you say, “Hey, it’s only a dollar to play!” With Mashiach, we should have more belief than that!
We should start a Purim Torah thread.
Your premise is flawed. The davening says it’s a mashul. It’s not saying a man is like cheres, it’s saying it’s a similar concept.
Joseph, you say “most poskim”. Yet Avi K just quoted R’ Ovadia Yosef who seemed to say otherwise.
Thank you PAA.
I only saw R’ Aharon in person once, and even then, I didn’t hear a shiur from him. I saw him walking out of a shul in Teaneck, NJ. Someone told me who he was, and I was shocked. So unassuming, without a large escort, wearing a black hat with the brim down. How many Roshei Yeshiva are like that now? His anivus was outstanding. When R’ Amital zt”l asked him to become Rosh Yeshiva of Gush Etzion (as R’ Amital felt that he himself wasn’t worthy of the position), he initially refused. He only agreed on the condition that R’ Amital be co-Rosh Yeshiva with him. R’ Amital agreed to stay as Rosh Yeshiva along with R’ Lichtenstein zt”l.
R’ Yosef Eliyahu Henkin zt”l wrote the following letter:
I was shocked to read in Chomoteinu of Cheshvan 5719 the slanderous notion that we are required to give our lives (limsor nefesh) to frustrate and resist the efforts of the State of Israel in its struggle against those who would rise up against them. This was stated as a p’sak din based on what we learn that Israel is restricted from rebelling against the nations (Ketubot 111a)…
Now all the rabbis who were opposed to Zionism and the establishment of a state took up that position until the time that it was officially founded. Once the state was declared, anyone who plays into the hands of the nations of the world even where there is no imminent danger, is clearly a moseir and rodeif. All the more when there is danger to destruction of life in so doing… Surely, those who recently emigrated must be very weary of the state’s efforts to strip them of their Torah way of life, but to proclaim that anyone who aids the state is a rodeif, well such talk is the severest form of redifa.
Clearly, R’ Henkin felt that after the state of Israel was established, things changed. Not only that, but he even said those who oppose it are considered rodfim!
Again, if you actually do some research, you may actually find the source!
Joseph: Wait, you mean you don’t accept a quote from an anonymous person on the internet? Wow, yet you expect others to accept the stuff you write?
All the things I posted have sources. If you do some research you may even find it yourself!
Here are some things that Rabbonim said/wrote about R’ Kook zt”l:
R’ Isser Zalman Meltzer once said to R’ Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, “We are Gedolim – until we reach the doorknob of R’ Kook!” He also once said that he wished he could daven Neilah with the same kavanah that R’ Kook davened Mincha every day.
R’ Berel Soloveitchik once spoke against Zionism, and was asked, “What about R’ Kook?” He replied, “He is a Gadol!”
R’ Shabsai Rappaport said that he was once by his grandfather, R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l, when R’ Moshe was writing a teshuva which argued on the Tzitz Eliezer. R’ Rappaport showed R’ Moshe something that R’ Kook had written on the subject, and R’ Moshe said he was not surprised, because R’ Kook “was a gaon of gaonmim!”
R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l said that when he used the term Maran, or Der Rav, it referred to R’ Kook zt”l. He asked R’ Kook to be the sandek at the bris of his son, R’ Shmuel. As R’ Hutner did, R’ Auerbach had a picture of R’ Kook hanging in his sukkah. Someone once published a book about R’ Yitzchak Elchonan Spektor which had some derogatory remarks about R’ Kook. R’ Auerbach assured buying the book until the comments were removed, and met personally with the author to encourage him to change it.
in 1923, at a conference of Rabbonim in Vienna, one Rav made derogatory remarks about R’ Kook. The Chofetz Chaim stood up and said, “You insulted the Mora D’Asra of Eretz Yisrael!” and left the conference. He refused to return. Before he left to return home, many people came to bid him farewell, including the group with the Rav who had made the comments. The Chofetz Chaim refused to speak with him, saying, “I will not say ‘Shalom’ to those who caused dispute with the Rav of Yerushalayim! He is holy and pure, and anyone who insults his kavod will not go unpunished!”
Joseph, it might do you some good to heed the words of the Chofetz Chaim zt”l!
R’ Chaim Kanievsky said recently that the police should be contacted immediately, without getting permission from a Rav first. He said doing so will save other people.
DY: But yet again, the ones who say that regarding Zionism, are the ones provoking the most sinah. Like I said, look at Ramapo, Bloomingburg, and other areas.
DY, most of the world approved of Israel when it was founded. It’s only in the past few years that it’s been condemned over and over by such a large amount of nations.
DY: True. But the point still holds true with Israel. When it was founded, most of the world supported it. It did not cause any new hatred. The Arabs already hated us beforehand. The hatred coming now is pure anti-semitism, not anti-Zionism. Not like what’s happening in Ramapo and Bloominburg. In those places, the Satmar people are claiming it’s anti-semitism, when it’s really anti-Satmar and preservation of the lifestyles of the original residents.
You missed the point. We don’t have to GIVE them a reason. They’ll find a reason no matter what. There’s plenty of anti-Satmar sentiment out there also – look at Ramapo and Bloomingburg. Why are Satmar giving them a reason???
R’ Hershel Shachter shlita quotes HaGaon R’ Soloveitchik zt”l on the Haggadah as follows:
Why do we speak about Arami oved avi? We are supposed to be speaking about Pharaoh and Egypt! What does Lavan have to do with it? R’ Soloveitchik said, it’s to tell us about hatred of Jews. The Egyptians made their excuses as to why they wanted to enslave us, but they were just excuses. We know Esav sonei Yaakov. The reasons are just excuses to justify the hatred, but they are not the cause of the hatred. The cause is the fact that Judaism exists, so they hate us.
According to this, to say that Israel causes global anti-semitism is 100% wrong. It may be the excuse quoted by many, but that’s all it is – an excuse. Global anti-semitism is caused by the fact that we are Jews, and they are not.
That’s so cute. You finally figured it out.
kj chusid: You’re correct. Do you sympathize with them? Is it because you think they deserve it, or are you just blinded by your hatred of other Jews who happen to have a different shittah than you?
R’ Pinchas Teitz zt”l, from Elizabeth, used a banana for karpas. I believe his son, R’ Elazar Teitz, does the same.
Joseph, I don’t know if that’s true or not. Either way, the event at YU was meant to mean those who have the urges, not those who act on them (although it didn’t exclude them.)
There is a mitzvah to live in Eretz Yisrael, whether you like the idea of a Jewish government or not. If you do what’s right, have emunah that Hashem will protect you. Hinei lo yanum v’lo yishan, shomer Yisrael.
42, that’s what I heard as well.
I believe Sefer Chassidim says that when one is davening for his father, he should not say “Please heal my father ploni ben plonis”, he should just use the name. Perhaps the reasoning behind it is the same for a kohen?
I was told by a Rebbe of mine (regarding this story) that the Chazon Ish studied certain parts of medicine. However, (as was spoken about in another thread,) he didn’t study it just for the sake of studying medicine. He studied it to better understand certain Gemaras and/or other parts of the Torah. Since that was why he studied medicine, it too was considered learning Torah.
Ivdu, I wrote a long post about the event, but it hasn’t been approved. I’m still seeing it highlighted in yellow.
Mods, do you think it can be reworded to be acceptable, or is it not worth trying with this topic?
EretzHaK: Yes, a number of students held a debate about it. I am not arguing with the Rabbonim who said it should not be held. But your claim that it “sought to legitimize homosexuality” should be explained.
The debate did not try to say that homosexual relationships are ok. It sought to bring light to issues that are occurring in the Jewish world. Like it or not, there are frum Jews who are gay. Many of them struggle with it, and are ashamed to admit it. This can lead to sever depression, and in some cases, even suicide. One of the organizers said they were trying to make people realize that if they are gay, it’s ok to ask for help and support. Without it, it’s extremely tough to live a frum life.
The fact is, homosexuality itself is not wrong. Acting on those urges is what’s wrong. A regular person has urges to sin all the time, in all different areas. As long as you don’t act on them, you’re ok. Imagine if you were walking with a friend near a non-kosher restaurant. Your friend said, “Ah, that smells good. I wish I could taste the food! Oh well, it’s not kosher!” Why should that be any different than someone who is gay, who is trying to resist their own urges? If they ask for support and are instead made to feel like horrible people just for having these thoughts, do you think they’re likely to keep fighting in this area? Never mind about keeping the rest of the Torah!
We do need to show more support towards frum homosexuals. We need to encourage them, and help them resist the urges they have, as well as help them come to terms with the idea of not marrying, and likely being alone for much of their lives. That’s a scary thought I don’t wish on anybody.
HaKatan, given your stance on events where both genders are mixing, I’m curious what your take is on R’ Breuer zt”l’s opinion regarding weddings. R’ Breuer held that mixed seating was actually preferable. If one feels the need, however, to have separate seating, they should still try and have a mixed section for singles, as mitzvah goreres mitzvah, and it could lead to shidduchim.
The club he referred to was a small club started by a student in one of the grad schools (I forget which one). The school administration was opposed to it, but because they are an accredited university, they could not legally ban it, due to anti-discrimination and freedom-of-speech laws.
I would like to point out that unfortunately, many Yeshivas in the chareidi community (as well as communities themselves) have become molester-support clubs. (Mods, that was not a personal attack!)
I’ve attempted to call out what HaKatan is doing as wrong several times, with no response.
He refers to Modern Orthodoxy as TuMa, using his play on words to imply that MO is an impure belief. I reported that, and my post wasn’t approved, and no edit was made to his post. He’s been doing this for a long time now, and for some reason it’s always allowed. Why is it allowed? Why can he attack Modern Orthodoxy with impunity?
Mods, if you want to move this discussion to email, I’m more than happy to do so. You know how to contact me.
Mods, why is it that HaKatan is allowed to insult one of the biggest Rabbonim of the previous generation, a former member of the Moetzes, who was responsible for building one of the largest yeshivos in the world today? Yet any facts written about others are edited out?
About the CR mods I do shudder.
The same reason your other posts were deleted. Personal attacks are not allowed.
Ivdu: thank you. As I said, I didn’t know anything about it, and I was writing from a theoretical standpoint as well. I never read R’ Lamm’s book, so I can’t really comment on it.
Mods, not only do you ignore HaKatan’s posts insulting tens of thousands of Jews, but you also ignore my protests about them, and refuse to post them. You’re as bad as he is.
I never heard anything about R’ Lamm shlita making a brachah when entering a science lab. But if it is true, I would marvel at him.
When I took science classes in high school, one or two teachers would say, “Look at how wonderful Hashem’s world is!” But it wasn’t said often enough. In a math class I took in college, one professor showed us how calculus can be used to explain a Gemara.
If R’ Lamm feels he should make a brachah when entering a science lab, obviously he looks at science and thinks about it in terms of Torah. He uses science to help him understand his learning, and how wonderful the tevah that Hashem created truly is. I envy someone who looks at science that way!
When we learn “secular” subjects, but learn them in order to better understand the Torah, they are not secular! That learning then becomes part of learning Torah.
akuperma: So what do you mean when you say the OU is not MO for kashrus, but chareid? Are you saying that MO have lower standards of kashrus than chareidim do?
I wouldn’t say you’re correct. The OU is not makpid on cholov Yisrael, yoshon, or pas Yisrael. Many (if not most) chareidim are makpid on these.
I don’t know much about JLIC. I checked their website, and looked at the profiles of the educators for a bunch of the colleges. The men seem to be YU musmachim for the most part (there were one or two who got their smichah in Israel). I didn’t see any YCT or Conservative people listed.
Maybe the college students they work with are Conservative/YCT types, but isn’t the whole program about kiruv? Let them be mekarev the YCT and Conservative students!
I believe the kashrus division is officially headed by HaGaon R’ Hershel Schachter shlita and HaGaon R’ Belsky shlita.
Let him/her go. 39 topics started within one day? That’s a bit crazy.
I’m not sure where this happens. When my wife and I decided for the first time to stay home for a Chag, my mother told me how disappointed they were that we weren’t coming. She said they enjoy it when the children come.
I was told it’s fine to have a hot plate turn on and off on a clock. The only issue would be if you want a hot/warm liquid item Shabbos morning. Liquid can’t be rewarmed, so it would need a continuous source of heat from before Shabbos starts.
I have my hotplate turn off at about 11:00 Friday night, then turn back on at about 8:30 Shabbos morning. I put two pans upside down on the top, and put my food on top of them before leaving to shul. Then, when I get home, the food is nice and warm for our meal.