DaMoshe

Why can’t I answer it?

Country Yossi and the Shteeble Hoppers! In the Year…

Some of your words are slightly off, but it’s still recognizable as Country Boy.

Here’s a hint: the album came out in 1992, and was second in a series.

Dash: In order to (properly) season a pan, it needs to be heated in an oven. I don’t know how factory seasoning is done, but my Rav said a self-clean should be enough no matter how it’s done.

Dash, my Rav told me that’s enough.

PAA: I agree with that.

Wow, 2 posters here have reached common ground!!! This calls for a celebration!!!

Patur Aval Assur: So if the study shows that there may be correlation, and more research is needed, it would seem the Chassam Sofer would hold not to do metzitzah b’peh. He wrote that if there’s even a minute danger (which the study shows there is), we should not follow kabbalah on it. Doing metzitzah with a glass tube would seem to be the preferable method from a halachic standpoint!

DY: Actually, bris milah has changed somewhat through the generations. Most notable was the addition of periah about 2,200 years ago. People were trying to get Jews to undo their bris by stretching the remaining skin. Rabbonim added periah to the bris, so that there wouldn’t be any skin left to stretch.

DY: Metzitzah clearly is medicinal. The Chassam Sofer says so straight out.

If we follow scientists over Chazal with regard to medicine, then why is there any arguments about metzitzah? Metzitzah is done for medical reasons, isn’t it?

I think everyone needs to get involved in this thread! The power of the CR compels you!

When I was in Darchei Torah, the Kaliver Rebbe once came to Far Rockaway for a few days. Many bachurim went to see him. The Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Altusky, called everyone together and spoke against it. He said that we have our own Rabbeim, and we should be speaking to them more than we do. They aren’t just for giving a shiur! We don’t need a chassidish Rebbe to give us a bracha, our own Rabbeim could do so! He said it’s an insult to our Rabbeim.

I had one Rebbe in Darchei who I was very close to, and I used to speak with him all the time. He actually approached me and told me I should go see the Kaliver Rebbe, and I’d benefit from it. I was hesitant after R’ Altusky’s speech, so I went to R’ Altusky. He told me that he knew I was close with this Rebbe, and if the Rebbe felt I should go see the Kaliver Rebbe, then I definitely should – that would be derech eretz, to listen to my Rebbe!

So I went to see him. It was an amazing experience!

Fast forward a bunch of years. I was married. I’ve written before that my wife and I did not have an easy time having children. At that time, our doctor had just told us to stop with our treatments and start looking into adoption. We were devastated. Then I saw a sign in shul that the Kaliver Rebbe was going to be visiting a community not far from ours. We made an appointment to go see him.

We walked in and sat down at the table where he was. Before we could say a word, he asked, “Nu, so what are the doctors saying? Why can’t you have children?” We explained the medical situation to him. He said, “This is a very complex case! I don’t know enough about the medical side to even ask many questions, let alone offer some advice. Just keep davening! I will daven also, and I give you a bracha that you should have hatzlach in your treatments! Don’t give up!”

We went back to our doctor. He told us, “If you don’t want to give up, that’s fine. I did some research. There’s a certain type of surgery which may help in your case. But beware – it’s risky! It can help, but it can also eliminate any chance of you ever being able to carry a pregnancy! I don’t do this surgery myself. The best doctor is in NYC. It’s Doctor [so-and-so]. Go see him.”

We made the appointment. He agreed the surgery could help, but said, “Before we do the surgery, I’d like to try one more IVF cycle with you, if you don’t mind.” We agreed.

We then got a call from the Rebbe’s assistant. The Rebbe wanted to know where we were holding. We told him we’d be doing an IVF cycle with this doctor before attempting surgery. He said, “Keep davening, and so will I!”

Baruch Hashem, from that IVF cycle we have 2 beautiful children, a boy and a girl. We actually informed the Rebbe about the bris (no invitations to a bris!) but he was unable to come. It helped with a question – we didn’t know who to make the sandek – the Rebbe or R’ Bochner from Bonei Olam. In the end, the Rebbe couldn’t come, and R’ Bochner was in Eretz Yisrael, so my Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Bender shlita, was the sandek.

Now that I’ve written my whole story, I guess I realized I need a point. Yes, the Rebbe is a big tzaddik, and can help. But so can your own Rabbeim! If your Rebbe thinks you will benefit from a visit to a Rebbe, he will tell you so. You can even ask! But don’t insult your own Rav by skipping over him to go to a big name.

I asked my Rav about this recently.

Most cast iron pans and griddles are sold already pre-seasoned, and there is no hechsher on them 99% of the time. Therefore, even a new pan/griddle should be kashered. He said that to do it, it should just be placed into your oven when you’re running a self-clean cycle. Then you can tovel it, and re-season the pan/griddle however you like.

How would we know the scale of time for the ikvesa d’mishicha? People can say it is, but there’s no way to truly know. The time of Mashiach’s arrival is hidden. Rashi states that Yaakov Avinu wanted to tell the shevatim when Mashiach would arrive, and Hashem took away his ruach hakodesh. Do you think Hashem would allow us to know now the time of Mashiach’s arrival?

At the end of the day, we just need to prepare for the arrival of Mashiach every day – achake lo b’chol yom sheyavo. Could the tragedies be ikvisa d’mishicha? Sure, they could. But Rabbonim said at the time of tach tat that Mashiach was coming. It was said at the Holocaust. It was said after the 9/11 attacks. Who knows? Only Hashem, and He’s not telling us! All we could do it prepare ourselves, and pray for Mashiach to come!

At first I thought the whole thing was silly. But have you seen the numbers? As of this morning, they said that they’ve gotten over $94 million in donations since July 29th! In the same period last year, they got just over $2 million! So this thing is really working.

I would just like to mention that there is an Israeli company called Brainstorm which has a potential cure for ALS. It was used on the son of R’ Chaim Shmulevitz zt”l, R’ Rafael, who had an advanced case of ALS. He got it with a compassionate use exemption, and it worked for him! He had been in a wheelchair, unable to speak, and now B”H he’s walking and talking again!

It is currently in clinical trials in the US. So if you know anyone with ALS, tell them to look into it and see if they could get into the trial, or at least try for a compassionate use exemption. It can save their lives!

BarryLS1: It’s sad that you’re correct. Satmar needs to remember that Reb Yoilish himself was saved by a Zionist. Show some hakaras hatov!

I know of one real mekubal in NY. He’s the real deal. How do I know this? Because he doesn’t advertise what he does anywhere. He doesn’t ask for a penny from anyone. He lives with next to nothing, yet he’s the happiest person I know. But the thing that convinces me the most is that whenever I’ve asked him for advice, it was never some crazy response. Everything he told me had a source. He would quote Shas, Rishonim, Acharonim, and many different sifrei Kaballah. None of the solutions seemed like some crazy voodoo thing. It was just things you’d know should be done, but you might not think of it. For example, he once told me to have more concentration on certain parts of davening. Yes, we should all be concentrating intently while davening, but how many of us really are? So I was told to concentrate on one specific piece. Guess what? It helped with what I had asked about. I didn’t have to eat or drink anything crazy. I didn’t have to wear anything extra. I just needed to concentrate while speaking with Hashem. That’s the Torah way!

A real mekubal is someone who does it properly. It says Kaballah shouldn’t be learned until you’ve spent years learning everything else. A real mekubal should be extremely well-versed in Tanach, Shas, and Rishonim. Unfortunately, many of them aren’t.

I must have missed this thread when it was first started. I’m insulted! WIY said he doesn’t think anyone here is a genius. Well, I have actually taken a real IQ test, and I happen to be a genius.

Being a genius doesn’t necessary mean you’re well learned. Quoting from Shas and Tanach doesn’t mean you’re a genius.

Malbim: no, I’m happy where I live now. If one day I decide to move to Texas, it will probably be Houston. I have some extended family there, and when I asked someone about it, they actually gave me real answers instead of just telling me to come check it out myself.

Your refusal to answer questions makes it seem like you have something to hide.

It hasn’t burned it for me. I find that the top gets a bit crispy, and the eggs inside set well. Cooking at low heat can often cause the eggs to settle at the bottom. The high heat makes them set, but doesn’t cook the potatoes all the way. Then the low heat cooks it slowly. The water in the oven keeps it from drying out.