fabie

Flowers – and so are other acts as well!

BTW Twisted, I have quite a lot of experience in this field, and have seen plenty of true abuse. Unfortunately, many of the actual cases of true abuse never get taken care of since the person being abused becomes accustomed to it. I remeber in a class we had for foster parents, their was a case of a child who said, “they missed the iron, which the father used to iron their back with.”

As I live in E”Y I’m unfamiliar with The Shalom Task Force, and as so I can in no way pass judgement about them. My comments regard those who listen to one side, and sometimes do more harm then good. I could give examples and write specifics, but I am also crystal clear that there are unfortunately numerous cases of actual abuse.

I have a few kneighbors there. Check out the school and other similar ones well before sending!

Feif Un – Very interesting statement of yours, since apparently you are more on the modern side then the Yeshiviish. I appreciate your statements about politics in general. Seems you are an independent thinker. Nice to see your flexibility!

I think you’re being naive. How do you expect to make a parnassah. Where do you plan on living? Do you know the cost of living. Do you have any friends and or acquaintances? Do you have any idea of how you will meet your future Kallah?

Charlie – There was no Shas party at that time, and the immigration from the former Soviet Bloc was 99% non-frum. The Ashkenazi frum have still been growing by the numbers.

RBS Aleph and Bet are completely different, as is the Kiryah. Every shul their has it’s own slice. My daughter(s) was very happy with the high school there, but commuting was a real pain. Plenty of politics, and extremely diverse, too much so. MO and Meah Shearim just don’t blend. Yes, loads of Anglo dropouts, but not 50%. There is an underground spying agency that reports the sem girls not playing by the ryles, but we didn’t have that problem fortunately.

That’s quite impressive!

How about trying to get a job as a cashier in a market or store. Pay is generally around minimum wage, you may need to stand, but you can usually get a job quite easily, and the math is done automatically.

Darchei Noam – That is a myth. Try looking at the mekores that were mentioned!

backticks

I really love this thread. Definitely a good start learning how to save money. Tutoring on the side as was mentioned here is a nice supplement as well.

Come over to my house and I will reward you with plenty of enriching deeds to do!

The Gedolim who banned it apparently didn’t like some of the things mentioned about Reb Aharon specifically, which apparently they had been told about what it said. I believe there was another Gadol as well who had some comments, which weren’t appreciated. I believe they considered those maasim to show lack of kavod.

My personal suggestion is to ask one of the Rabbonim who make those statements in person to get a clear understanding of what their opinion is, and abide by it.

My brother specifically asked Rav Sheinberg about the Shteinsaltz Gemoras, and he told him what was inappropriate, and why he banned it.

I haven’t read through this thread so I hope I’m not restating something. As a side suggestion, why can’t large frum communities create their own library, purchase a basement or appropriate facility, buy a few thousand books, and get a librarian.

Minyan Gal – No there isn’t. Al Gore needs our money, laughing all the way to the bank!

Unfortunately this business of crooked askanim is very common. I don’t know the details of this specific case, but I know how things work here – E”Y. One should always try to clarify as many issues as possible for himself.

RSRH –

What you don’t realize is, is the fact that no one is interested in allowing two roommates to file their taxes together, it’s only if they are engaged in sinful acts are they interested in equating their deeds to a holy marrital bind.

By all means propose a law allowing any two individuals to file joint taxes, whether they’re two roomamtes, mother and son, brother and sister, etc., but don’t create special rules for individuals doing sinful acts.

Charlie –

Is this what you’re referring to:

1. In 1627 Heller was called to the chief rabbinate of Prague. On account of the Thirty Years’ war the government imposed heavy taxes on the Jewish communities of Bohemia, including that of Prague,which had to pay a yearly tax of 40,000 thalers. As Heller was the chief rabbi he was compelled, against his will, to preside over the commission which had the task of apportioning that sum among the members of his communities. Although he acted with the greatest conscientiousness, some complained of unfair allotment. They accused Heller and the elders of the commission before the civil authorities of having spared the rich and laid the burden of the tax on the poorer people.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=574&letter=H

2. Several factors account for Heller’s imprisonment. His arrest marked the beginning of a brief Habsburg anti-Jewish campaign, encouraged by the Papacy. Heller also had enemies within the Prague Jewish community. On account of the Thirty Years’ War, the government had imposed heavy taxes on the Jewish communities of Bohemia, including that of Prague, which had to pay a yearly tax of 40,000 thalers. A commission headed by Chief Rabbi Heller unanimously voted to tax each Jewish family in Prague. The richer the family, the higher the tax. The burden fell mostly upon the rich merchants who could well afford to pay their assessments. However, they complained and demanded a reexamination of the decision. R’ Heller and his committee reviewed the problem and concluded that this approach was fair. The committee met with representatives of the merchants’ association to explain the sensitive situation facing the Jewish community of Prague. The irate merchants refused to deal with the Kahal which was responsible for delivering the money to the government. Instead, they decided to appeal to the government. In their petition they charged the Chief Rabbi with being an enemy of Christianity. Their proof: “His writings are filled with allegations against the religion of the country. R’ Heller was associated with the wealthy leader of the Prague community at that time, Jacob Bassevi, and bore the brunt of anger against him. Meanwhile, Bassevi, who was an ally of the great general Albrecht von Wallenstein, also had enemies at the Habsburg court, and the arrest of Heller played a part in larger political machinations there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom-Tov_Lipmann_Heller

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/heller1.html

Three different historical accounts, but none of them relate in any way to the discussion here!

SJS – Marriage is a religious concept that we take for granted, just like a week a month (moon) – in the Jewish-Islamic calendar, and burial. Refer to the Kuzari about these.

If two males or females can wed, why can’t two females to a male or vice-versa, and why can’t any two individuals make a covenant together.

Creating a legal agreement is one thing, binding that to traditional marriage is another.

Since I’ve been living in E’Y for quite along time, and we have enough of our own politics here, I am unfamiliar with him.

May I ask a simple question. Does he have support from any prominent Rabbonim-Gedolim, and does he have opposition from any prominent Rabbonim-Gedolim?

Thanks for your support!