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In my local yeshiva, the question WAS asked to the Rosh Yeshiva ZT”L. the answer was yes, except for the bizyonos like welfare which are only used by the really bad off and gives you a bad feeling by taking it.
The Real Unemployment Rate, which includes people who have given up trying to find jobs, now stands at 17.5%. Nobody will be running stories on people taking money and not looking for jobs.
Sherry, are you saying the chashuva rabbonim who run the kashrus agencies are machshil the rabbim with their acceptable liquor lists? Oh Sherry, my emunas chachamim holds on. Of course, I’m more than happy to find a reason to buy cheap blended scotch, but I won’t be machmir on others until the gedolim who run the kashrus agencies agree with your chiddush.
MM, My comments were not aimed at Cherrybim, and my apologies to Cherrybim if Cherrybim thought they were.
Music was an integral part of the avodah in the beis hamikdosh. Music can inspire and elevate. Rav Shach ZT”L said that he should have sang more zemiros by his Shabbos table, which would have given his kids more geshmak than Divrei Torah. Rabbi Twerski from Milwaukee says singing in shul is a key part of giving people warm memories of shul. I used to feel so uplifted when I was a child in shul and the chazzan sang Menzelefsky’s Mimkomcha. I once passed by someone getting into his car Friday night, and he was singing “Shalom Aleichem”. Rav Yisroel Grossman does kiruv by walking into pubs full of Israelis during elul and singing Sephardi selichot, which gets jaded, pleasure-seeking secular Israeli youths crying. The Orchos Tzaddikim (shaar ha’ahavah)says one should sing zemiros to develop a dveyjus to Hashem. All of this is perfectly true.
That said, I don’t get my oneg Shabbos or Oneg Yom tov from listening to someone drey a kup and trying to show off his voice. There are some for whom that is their Oneg Shabbos, especially the chazzan. but it’s not mine. Assuming the chazzan follows halacha, I have no religious objection to it. But it’s not my cup of compote. Al taam va’reach…
Cherrybim, can you site a source for that? Litvishe davening has always been with a minimum of musical accompaniment. My Rosh Hayeshiva ZT”L loved listening to chazzanus tapes, but didn’t want it uring davening, as he felt it detracts from davening. In the olden dayd, the choir leader would have his back to the aron and the choir would wear those scarf tallises. then they would all go out and be mechalel Shabbos together. The chazzan like Cantor Rosenblatt who wasn’t mechallel Shabbos was a rarity. This fake Judaism fools nobody. How uplifting can it be if they can go out afterward and be mechalel Shabbos? (I also find myself wondering how someone such as yourself, who sincerely believes chazal made up the megilla as part of a petty vendetta against the Hasmonean kings, can speak of singing and being uplifted by the words of those selfsame chazal.)
One of the big changes of young Israel was they made davening participatory and made it more appealing to the masses. Chassidish davening is like that too. This is music for the “amcha”. I’m not a big fan of this either, actually. I’m davening in a shteeble, everyone is singing and clapping, and suddenly they stop the singing and yell “oomine!” That’s kaddish?
Master cantor chazzanus is a type of performance art. I’ll take kavanah over performance art any day. Obviously, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur’s “scarbova” chazzanus is on a different plane. Those are ancient melodies going back hundreds of years, with a power to move that matches nothing else.
No real halachic reason. I just don’t get my Oneg Shabbos or Oneg Yom tov from listening to someone drey a kup and pretend to be Pavarotti. Rosh Hashanah and Yom kippur are different, as those are days in which you are supposed to spend as much of the day as possible in shul. But for Shabbos and Yom tov, give me a Litvish Yeshivish minyan any day.
There’s an old joke where a little boy goes to synagogue and sees a prominently displayed plaque covered with names and depictions of flags, military vehicles, etc. The cantor looks down at the boy and says, “These are the names of those who died in the service”. The boy looks up fearfully at the cantor and says, “Shacharis or mussaf?”
The mishna says “Tov sheberofim legehinnom”- the best of doctors are going to Hell. This is in the last mishna in seder nashim, and you can often hear a pshetel on this when someone is making a siyum.
Hatzalah guys are also involved in saving lives. So a kollel guy who’s on Hatzalah would make everyone here happy, correct?
Once some mekubal came to me and asked me for a donation for his kabbalah yeshiva. I told him, “I gave in a previous gilgul”. He responded, “I remember, you were just as cheap then”.
Ha’adam lo nivra ela lehisaneig al Hashem uleihanos miziv shechinaso- Man was created in order to rejoice from Hashem and to get pleasure from the shine of his shechina”. But after the sin of Adam Harishon, this can no longer happen in olam hazeh. Thus we must learn Torah and do mitzvos. Iy’s the man’s job to learn torah and do mitzvos. In most cases, it’s the man’s job to support his family as well. For the yechidim who are toraso umnaso, they are allowed to support their family with tzedakah.
I like chazzanus in a way…far away.
From another website:
Parshas Vayeira: Why Was The Generous Avrohom Frugal When It Came To The Water?
The Meforshim answer, the pasuk says, “Yukach Na” – “Let it be taken” – which Rashi explains to mean – “Al Yidei Shliach” – by means of a messenger. Since it was another person who would be carrying the water, Avraham was sensitive not to make him carry such a heavy load and therefore only offered the guests “a bit of water”. Eventhough he was busy with the Mitzvah of Hachnosas Orchim – Avraham teaches us that one cannot be “Frum on Yenim’s Cheshbon”
Josh31, Something is muttar unless you know it’s assur. I don’t recall you advocating chumros in the past. And you shouldn’t. Chumros inivitably lead to serious failures in other areas, as Rav Dessler ZT”L said. Halacha, however, is not a chumra. Cheating the government to get subsidies is a violation of gezel akum and a serious shanda.
The Torah did turn the klalah of work into a bracha that one gets nachas from his work. However, the ikkar is still Torah. Pirkei Avos says the world stands on Torah, Avodah (of Hashem), and gemilas Chasadim, not work, money, and fame. A person who works as a janitor is still working. However, it’s not the same thing as working as a top surgeon or lawyer, where one makes much more for his efforts. Everyone does get olam haba (except for apikorsim who deny the historicity of Tanach, but that’s for another thread.)However, someone who learns a little bit by sdaying krias shema does not get the same sechar as someoen who sepnds all of his day engaged in Torah and mitzvos. Even a working man is mechuyav to spend his down time learning.
Josh31, the amount of benefits taken by the working community illegally is a scandal. People taking benefits they are entitled to is NOT. Every penny they get from the government is another penny they don’t get from other sources. It’s a zeh neheneh zeh lo chaser.
Furthermore, the Igros Moshe (YD 2, 116 and YD 4:36 scattered throughout tha anafim- in middle of 11 right now) says that today, it’s perfectly permissible for a guy in learning to take tzedakah, either because the Rambam quoted above no longer applies due to Eis Laasos (Kesef Mishna, Maharshal, others), or because the Rambam was only talking in a case where someone’s depth of learning would be just as great even if they worked. The Eis laasos sevara is that today, it’s nearly impossible to work and still be osek beTorah to the level that is required, and it’s better for them to take tzedakah money than to work and have Torah forgotten in klal yisroel. This is especially true today, when most jobs are 9-5 or more, and with blackberries making people accessible 24/6. It’s impossible to work and focus on learning and become a Talmid chacham. He does say (YD 4, 34 or 35)that someone whose stay in yeshiva will be a detriment to himself or others (his heart is set on working etc) should work.
The chinuch roundtable from Parshas Bereishis discussed this. Many of them felt that women working outside the home was a machala and was causing much of today’s chnuch problems. however, it’s difficult even for working families to make ends meet on one income. We live in a difficult generation. No easy answers. Those who are zoche to be part of the “reishis” and in kolel must make sure they give their kids extra attention.
Interesting quote from the Yated (parshas Noach), in the middle of the article about Rav Yisroel Kanarek ZT”L from Peekskill (page 38):
He also accustomed himself to speak to the Bochurim in English because he felt that in that way he could have a much greater influence on them. He once said, “The reason many of the roshei yeshivah who came to America from before World War II were not as successful at transmitting the unique system of the European yeshivos to America, was because of the language barrier between them and the bochurim. The fact that they did not know English created a situation in which the they could not properly communicate with each other. Rav Aharon kotler was th only person who, by sheer power of his fiery personality, was able to penetrate and force his will on the American community despite the fact that he did not speak English.”
The Yated on parshas Noach has an interesting vignette in the article on Rav Shimon Shkop ZT”L, a maggid shiur in many yeshivas ( including Telz, Grodna, and YU). Some talmidim spent time talking to him in learning. They apologized for taking so much of his time. He responded that just like maaser is a segula for being rich, giving of one’s time to be melamed is a segula for acquiring knowledge. By giving, one gains.
I also heard from a rebbe of mine that Rav Shenur Kotler ZT”L, when he was very sick, made a mecha’ah against those claimed his father was against being Marbitz Torah. In other words, Rav Aharon Kotler ZT”L did NOT change his mesorah of being Marbitz Torah and helping the klal. Only later talmidim “shelo shimshu kol tzarcheihem” claimed such a thing.
Using a gun has serious consequences. Studies have found that much of the time, the gun owner is too afraid to use it, resulting in the gun being used against him by the assailant. you’re better off with a Taser X3. Very few accidental deaths, and you’re not afraid of using it in self defense.
The other question becomes pseudoHebrew words which are Yiddish am haratzus, like “Shabbosim”, “Brissim” and “zechusim”. Does one get a mitzvah for saying these words instead of Shabasos, Brisos and Zechuyos?
Cantoresq, door to door collecting is discussed in the gemara. It’s called “chozer al hapesachim”.
How do you investigate someone on the spot and know if his son really is in the icu or he just married off 4 daughters?
You can’t investigate people on the spot, unless your community has the central tzedakah vaad. No letter, no tzedakah, guilt-free.
gaw, IIRC the meforshim there discuss giving it because of rachmanus. There is a befeirush gemara which says that if you had in mind to do a mitzvah but was ne’enas then you still get the sechar mitzvah. The Nefesh Hachaim elaborates on it and says you get 2/3 of the sechar mitzvah as long as you had in mind to do it leshmah. I will iu”h try to hunt it down later.
I once heard a vort from Rav Bruk ZT”L that Lavan called it yegar sahadusa, Yaakov Called it Gal Eid. Then Lavan called it Gal Eid. Yaakov stood up for lashon hakodesh, and Lavan acquiesced.
Cherrybim, if you had every reason to assume it’s a kosher esrog then yes. If it was based on peshiah then no. A human being in need of tzedakah, however, is not an esrog. Unless you know he’s lying, a diyun lekaf zechus is that he’s not, and you have a chiyuv to give him. Therefore, a ratzon hatov gives you a cheilek of the mitzvah. The vaadim help because then if someone doesn’t have a letter, raglayim ledavar he’s lying.
Lavan was called Lavan because he got the white shirts. Yaakov got the colored sheep. Hard to make white shirts from colored sheep.
The Shlah says that one should have a special white shirt for Shabbos. Mashma the rest of the week one should not wear white.
It’s no secret that Dovid Gabay picked lyrics for his hit song “Legabay” to be oponymous, meaning it is supposed to hint at his name as well. So I pulled out my michlol maaramrim upesgamim to see what other “legabay” words he could have used. Truth be told, it’s slim pickings. I saw 2 others. One was about when gold or silver is condsidered produce instead fo money for transactions, and not too inspiring. the other one was “legabay mili deavuha, katan hu”- a grown man, in regards to his father’s estate, is considered a minor. not that inspirational either, but it fits the tune…
“digidididatam datam, legabay miLI’ de’aVU’ha katan hu…”
Ktzoys is still laughing his head off at the humor thread he started which turned serious. A groyse shkoyach for the laugh!
Back to real Torah and mitzvos.
Orchos tzadikim recommends focusing on the good Hashem has given you. As a practical matter, he recommends setting aside some time every day to focus on the fact that Hashem loves you (and you love Hashem), and singing soulful tunes which increase your dveykus to Hashem.
This is truly one of those situations where “hamachmir yachmir leatzmo”. Why should someone suffer due to your chumra of not taking money?
There was a story recently where a business said he’ll follow the Torah in a certain aspect of his business if Rav Eliashiv Shlit”a guaranteed him hatzlacha. Rav Eliashiv Shlit”a refused to do so but said he will daven for him.
Such is a true gadol.
Many communities have vaadim set up to investigate collectors and ensure their veracity. This reduces the amount of colectors to the legitimate ones.
If you give tzedakah lishmah, you still get a cheilek the mitzvah for your ratzon hatov.
Koma, the Gemara in Sanhedrin says that Hashem offered the torah to the Jews in Hebrew and Aramaic. They chose Hebrew. the Artscroll (or is it Metsudah?) footnote by “veromamtanu mikol haleshonos” is that Hashem elevated Hebrew when he chose the Jews. Be that as it may, the seforim hakedoshim say that there is a special merit to Lashon Hakodesh, and the gemara paskens that Sifrei kodesh can only be written in lashon hakodesh or Greek. The Ramban can’t be contradicting all those gemaras. He still calls it lashon hakodesh. Furthermore, the medrash says the world was created in lashon hakodesh. It still is the holy tongue.
I have heard stories of people who bought houses to lower their tuition payments. After all, you have to pay your mortgage.
I have a friend who works in the business of helping people optimize themselves financially for college tuition. That means moving assets into IRA’s to lower available money, making you more eligible for need-based scholarships.
The government is the same way. They tax savings. Let’s say you invested $5,000 in a CD at 5% interest. They charge you 28% of the resulting $250 ($70) in taxes. That leaves you $180, or 4%. With typical inflation at a bit above 4%, you actually end up losing money.
Many people have also found it worthwhile to strategically walk away from a mortgage. Their house is so underwater financially it doesn’t pay to keep up the payments.
Many government programs create disincentives to switch jobs- the higher tax rates, loss of programs, etc. make it difficult to justify.
A famous archaeologist in the late 1800’s once paid tribe members a certain amount of money per bone fragment found. Sure enough, these enterprising tribesmen broke up the bone fragments into smaller fragments. Any human-based rules system is designed to be gamed, exploited, and loopholed legally.
He is still high from his dveikus to Hashem in the “tzila demehemnusa”, ie the sukkah. Shkoyach, APY, and we all be zoche to feel it! Not so easy in these dark days.