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Malbim, here are some serious questions about Austin:
You say it is “fast growing”. How many frum families were in the community a year ago, and how many are there now?
What kind of Jewish schools are there in Austin?
You wrote that you’re looking for a Rav. How long has the community been without one? Having difficulty attracting a Rav isn’t making it look more attractive.
On the website for an Orthodox shul in Austin, Congregation Tiferet Israel, it mentions that the Rabbi is Rabbi Daniel Millner. A quick Google search shows that he is a YCT graduate. Would you say the community is YCT style?
What is the real estate market like there? If I wanted a 4 BR, 2.5 bath home, how much would it cost? What are the real estate taxes like?
Thanks in advance!
You must be new here. That’s been discussed many times here before.
Wow, you should start a thread about it!
dial427436, I think I’d move to that community instead of Austin!
Malbim, if the previous Rabbi made $500,000 and the Rabbi now is making $100,000, does that mean the next Rabbi will be making $25,000? Also, if the previous Rabbi was getting $500,000, why did he leave?
So instead of posting here, why don’t you go ask your Rav about it and see what he says? In the thread about the girl who wants the guy dating her to change his Rav, you wrote:
“Aseh Lecho Rav. You need one Rav who is your go-to for all life’s major questions. Do not deviate. And as your Rav what to do in this case.”
So where is your Rav? Wouldn’t this be a major question? Why not ask him?
Or, could it be that this user (who seems like Joseph) is really a troll?
moyshe, what are the ratios you’re using for it? How many potatoes and eggs, how much oil?
I found that for a 5 lb bag of potatoes, using 8 eggs works well for an overnight kugel. I also use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oil.
Put it in the oven on 500 degrees for about an hour. Then, lower it to 225 and put a pan filled with water on the lower rack. Cover the kugel and put it on the top rack. Leave it overnight.
Lots of things
Honestly, I’ve heard so many stories about gedolim claiming Mashiach will come, and I never had any verification of them – except in once case. The one case was when R’ Elya Svei said that Mashiach would come in 2009. My brother was there and heard him say it in Darchei Torah. Obviously, Mashiach did not come in 2009.
I heard that R’ Kaduri zt”l was told by the Chofetz Chaim that he’d see Mashiach come. I heard that many Rabbonim said Mashiach would come in the year 2000. I’ve heard many stories where someone had a dream where a rosh yeshiva who had passed away came and told him Mashiach was coming that year. None of these actually came true (yet), so why would I believe that this happened?
Yes, we have to believe that Mashiach can come at any time. We can’t, however, live our lives assuming that it will. We need to prepare for both possibilities.
I also don’t believe this story because Eicha is still part of the Torah, and the Torah is eternal – do you think the Torah will cease to exist when Mashiach comes? Chas v’shalom!
I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to be successful, you need to study for hundreds of hours – at least an extra hundred at home, on top of what your employer allows you to do at the office. If you want to learn for “significant” amounts of time every night, this profession is not for you.
Joseph, you’re wrong. If you’re summoned to a beis din, you go! Especially if the one calling was R’ Moshe zt”l.
In NY:
Brooklyn, Queens, Riverdale (part of the Bronx), Staten Island
In NJ:
Teaneck, Elizabeth/Hillside, Springfield, Linden
I usually don’t invite guests for Friday night in the summer, only in the winter. When Shabbos starts very late, I don’t like to make anyone miss out on their sleep by having a long meal. Many people work long hours during the week, and look forward to a good night of sleep on Shabbos.
pba: why do you think YCT guys think nothing is wrong with anything?
They think something is wrong with our mesorah.
They think something is wrong with those who believe Torah was given at Har Sinai.
They think something is wrong with those who don’t allow women to daven for the amud.
We need to differentiate between grilling a BBQ. They’re two different things!
Barbecue is using indirect heat to slowly cook things. It can be done using a grill, but not a propane one! It’s usually using wood chips to smoke the meat while slow cooking it.
Grilling is putting the food directly above the heat source and cooking it relatively quickly.
What most people here refer to as BBQ is not really BBQ! It’s just grilling.
Little Froggie: shame on you, misquoting the Marvelous Middos Machine! The village is called Mumbo Jumbo, not “Wookie Jookie Village”! It’s in the Congo.
Be careful! It’s the number one cause of drowning!
golfer: sm29’s post was somewhat poorly worded. It said, “There’s the Pico-Robertson area, but that’s MO, although you can try the LINK Kollel there for frum singles.” That seems to imply that MO isn’t frum. Personally, I figured it was poorly worded and nothing was meant by it, but I can see where PulsingFlower got it from.
zahavasdad: I actually do know a YCT graduate. We used to be neighbors and davened at the same shul. He ended up getting a job as a Rabbi somewhere and moved away.
He happens to be a very nice guy. I’ve written before that one thing we can learn from Avi Weiss is ahavas Yisrael. But I wouldn’t use him as my Rabbi, because hashkafically, I just don’t agree with his views.
The shul he went to is officially an Orthodox shul, but he told me that there were members who drove to shul on Shabbos. He also told me he planned to make it “the first Orthodox shul in NJ that has an official kiddush club, attended by the Rabbi.”
Chassidishe maaseh…
The fact that Hashem gave us Yerushalayim and the Kotel is a great gift. Yes, some people don’t treat it properly, but that doesn’t take away from the gift we received, and doesn’t take away from the hakaras hatov we must have.
It’s like the government funding yeshivos. Sometimes we hear that people affiliated with a yeshiva got in trouble for stealing funds. It creates a chillul Hashem. Does that mean we should be against the government for funding the yeshivos? Obviously not!
Let’s look at the good that Hashem gave us. If you have issues with the actions of some people, take it up with them. Don’t lose the appreciation of the gift from Hashem.
Mods: regarding the Har HaBayis, yes, most chareidi Rabbonim hold it’s absolutely forbidden. But there are some who hold there are certain areas we may go to (such as R’ Tendler). I’m not endorsing or attacking those opinions. It’s never been a question for me, so I never asked my Rav what he holds. But if ymbyi is a follower of a Rav who holds it’s allowed, then there is nothing wrong with him following that psak. If I was going to Israel and wanted to go onto the Har HaBayis, I’d ask my Rav what he holds, and would follow what he told me.
PBA: I find it interesting that the anti-Zionists (like HaKatan) will claim that things Rabbonim said before Israel was founded will never change, even if the circumstances change.
Yet in this case, you’re claiming that circumstances have changed since R’ Yaakov zt”l was dancing, and therefore we shouldn’t take a lesson from it.
Bump!
Chag sameach! Thank you Hashem for the wonderful gift you have given us!
When I was in 12th grade, my Rebbe told us, “It’s a big problem that many bachurim only learn Gemara, and skip Chumash! We’re going to have a seder every Friday just to learn Chumash with Rashi and Ramban.”
That’s a nice thought.
You’d think someone would have made a song about it…
I think I’ll go eat my weekly bowl of couscous.
oot for life: But why would the women be seeking attention?
I think there are a bunch of problems nowadays. The standards have gotten more and more strict in recent years. Many chumros are now presented as basic halachah. When you set the bar too high, it’s obvious that you won’t be happy with the result.
Another issue is the way tznius is taught. Girls in Beis Yaakov are being taught with a fire and brimstone method, instead of being taught the proper reasoning. These girls are taught to be tznius because they have to be, instead of wanting to be. I was once by my brother-in-law for Yom Tov, and was talking with my niece. She was about 7 years old at the time. She told me that she thinks tznius is the hardest mitzvah to keep. Is that how we want our children to view it?
When principals go around with tznius rulers, and stores have checklists in the dressing rooms, it means things have gone too far. Let’s teach our children about tznius properly, so that they’ll want to follow the guidelines. Let’s teach them what’s required, and what is a chumrah.
oomis: If it’s allowed, why would you not do it? Assuring something for yourself which is allowed is actually not permitted!
rationalfrummie: While I’m sure you thought your first line was funny (about being a YU musmach), it was actually insulting. Making jokes that imply YU musmachim look for kulos is just not funny at all.
Imagine the following scenario: You’re at work, and comment to a non-Jewish co-worker, “I bought a new computer yesterday. It was on sale, and I got a great price!” What if the co-worker responded, “That’s how the Jews are, always being cheap… just kidding!” Would you think it was funny, or would you be insulted?
The fact is that many posters here have posted hateful comments against YU people, accusing them of always looking for kulos, which simply isn’t true. Making jokes which refer to that falsehood is insulting, and is no different than the example I wrote above.
Accapella isn’t appropriate either. Many Rabbonim (including R’ Chaim Kanievsky, R’ Elyashiv zt”l, and R’ Belsky) have said you should not listen to them during sefirah.
We have a relative who’s a single mother, whose kids were not with her today. She was feeling sad about mother’s day. We drove 2 hours to take her out and cheer her up!
The difference is that you’re willing to acknowledge that other opinions can be valid, even if they’re not the opinions which you follow.
DY: No, I don’t hold that. I was speaking specifically about HaKatan. You and I disagree about plenty of things, yet I don’t think you’re brainwashed.
For bottles, we found that Dr. Brown were the best. Our kids were very gassy until we switched to them.
If you want a real jogging stroller, I’d recommend the Bob. My wife and I got the Bob double jogger as a gift (we had twins) and it was fantastic. It is on the heavy side and is large (it’s a double… what do you expect?) but it is high quality and is very rugged. It’s also expensive.
Honestly, nothing can really prepare you for having your first child. You’ll reach extremes of fatigue that you never knew existed. But it’s a huge brachah! B’sha’a tovah!
HaKatan: You asked, “Let us be clear: for someone who was brainwashed, to hate something, as part of their very identity, would you expect them to have any sort of good feelings towards any of that?”
That’s actually really funny, coming from you!
Getzel: In the USA (I can’t speak for other countries), you don’t get welfare so easily. You need to show that you’re trying to earn money. If you’re unemployed, you need to be trying to find work. If someone said, “I don’t want to work, I just want the government to take care of me!” they wouldn’t get anything. Their children would, but not the adults. Yes, there are people who lie and take advantage of the system. But the rules are that you should be trying.
In Israel, many chareidim are open about the fact that they don’t want to even try and earn a living for themselves. Why should the government pay for someone who isn’t willing to help him/herself?
Thank you!
HaKatan, on a day when we celebrate the open miracles that Hashem performed, I will daven especially for you (and no, not by V’lamalshinim. I will daven for you to do teshuva.
I honestly believe that when you eventually get judged by the beis din shel ma’alah, you will be held accountable for all the motzei shem ra you’ve said against millions of Jews. I have a lot of pity for you, for the punishment you will surely face.
I daven you that will see the error of your ways, and do teshuva – which includes asking for forgiveness from every person you’ve said lashon hara or motzei shem ra about.
Sam2: Regarding your last paragraph, I must offer one correction. R’ Ovadia Yosef zt”l was fine with people saying Hallel – he said it himself! He just held it should be without a bracha (you’re correct about 6:41).
I would correct the statement to say, “he was certainly not happy about those who say Hallel with a bracha.”
Froggie, one last thing: where in the Israeli Declaration of Independence does it say “we will be like all the nations, we will fight with our might”? Or were you referring to a different declaration?
DY: Let me clarify what I meant. When I said Yom Tov, I meant a chag, like the Shalosh Regalim, Purim, or Chanukah. Days which are either in the Torah or in Shas. Days which Froggie was referring to.
When I said holiday, I meant a holiday as celebrated around the world today. In the USA we have July 4th as a holiday (along with plenty of others.)
Please note that I am NOT saying Yom Ha’atzmaut is on the same level as July 4th. I purposely am not making a statement either way on that topic, as it will just dissolve into name-calling and other insults, against both posters here and major Rabbonim.
Froggie: you were trying to start an argument? How nice. During sefirah, when we should be working on ahavas Yisrael, you want to start an argument. I’m sure Hashem is very happy with you right now.
My mother always told me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”
DY: Oh no, I’m not getting into that now. There’s been more than enough arguing about Yom Ha’atzmaut, and I don’t want to bring it up again. Let each person do as their Rav says, and respect the rights of other to do the same, without any insults in either direction.
“Best” shiurim is all relative. It depends on the person and what kind of shiurim they need. If someone is a baal teshuva looking for inspiration, they wouldn’t gain much from a shiur by R’ Wachtfogel. A yeshiva guy might not enjoy a shiur by R’ Wallerstein.
For yeshiva guys looking for a yeshiva, there are 2 names I’ve heard from many people as far as giving the “best” shiur:
R’ Elya Ber Wachtfogel (South Fallsburg)
R’ Berel Shachar (Edison)
I know people who went to those yeshivos specifically to have them as a maggid shiur.
Personally, when I was in Darchei Torah, I loved R’ Wachsman’s shiur (although it was just for first year Beis Medrash). I’m told that R’ Altusky also gives a very good shiur, although I was never in his shiur, and can’t attest to it personally.