Kuvult

I was actually gonna start my own post (I still might) but here goes nothing.
The belief that “Antisemitism is NEVER our fault.” is not true.
Sometimes knowingly or not we bring it upon ourselves due to our actions or behavior.

This reminds of one time in Shul the Ruv was explaining about not specifically listening to music for enjoyment during these time periods.
A man asked, “Can I listen to talk radio if some of the commercials might have music?”
The Ruv almost choked but managed to answer respectfully.
Very often a production with sight & sound needs filler sound or it just doesn’t flow. A pointless narrator would take away from the film while silence would as well. So some music is played during this time to improve the production & better your experience. It’s not played for musical enjoyment.
There doesn’t need to be a heter because there’s no issur in the first place.

1. Thank you for sharing the “Chumrah of the week”
What difference does it make whether one appreciates Tisha B’Av or learns something by listening to a Shiur or watching a movie? There are a few excellent speakers or story tellers that really know how to affect people &/or get them to think about doing better in deficient areas of their lives. Since these people can’t be everywhere at once what is wrong with using modern technology to share the message with a larger audience?
2. If on Tisha Bav you’re watching a movie about the Churban or the Holocaust or how to rebuild the Bais Hamikdash through Achdus but instead your mind is consumed not by the deep message but by the sight of a “young women” on the screen you need serious psychological help.

If you want to see how it’s done look no further than President Abraham Lincoln.
He declared Baltimore to be under Martial Law (no rights or due process). The Supreme Court ruled the power to declare Martial Law is given to Congress so Lincoln’s declaration was null & void. Lincoln’s response was to ignore the ruling. The grandson of Francis Scott Key (author of The Star Spangled Banner) wrote an editorial asking how under the “Balance of Power” Lincoln could ignore the Supreme Court?
For this editorial he was thrown into Ft. McHenry for 14 months (no charges, judges, jury’s, lawyers or bail). Upon release he wrote a book about his experience as a political prisoner. The 2 editors that printed his book were arrested & thrown into Ft. McHenry. Dozens of newspapers that weren’t pushing Lincoln’s narrative were shut down with some editors fleeing & others jailed. Thousands in Baltimore were jailed without ever being charged or seeing a judge. Weapons were confiscated, searches were done without warrants, & mail was opened & read.
In an attempt to cut off the political & physical power of Baltimore he had arrested (without charges) the Mayor, entire City Council, US Congressman representing Baltimore, the Chief of Police, Board of Police Commissioners, & (there were too many to jail) fired all 800 Police officers.
That’s not even the tip of the iceberg of what Lincoln illegally did & all it took was for Lincoln to tell the North, “True I may be overstepping my authority BUT I’m doing it to save the Union.”
The only way this could happen again in America is if it’s done under the guise of “Saving America” or “For the greater good”

Ujm,
Please enlighten us what physical characteristics are different between a Yid & a Goy. Just like many believe the Gemarah asked experts in the field questions to understand I suggest you first meet with Doctors (Jewish or non) to get their expert opinions on these physical differences.

I forget where but seem to remember where later Rabbanim told us when it comes to curing illnesses to NOT follow the health advice found in the Gemarah but to follow what modern doctors say.

I know I’ll get a lot of pushback but trying to come up with “Creative” answers often takes away from it.
Many people I know believe when it comes to explaining, expounding & setting down the definitive answers about Torah we of course yield to Chazal.
But, when it comes to issues like scientific understanding the Rabbanim were working with the best information they had at that time & in that location. Buvel was a province in the Persian empire. When a modern day halachik issue arises our (reliable) Poskim first learn the details from doctors &/or scientists. Why would it have been different back then? They were consulting with Non-jewish experts & basing their decisions on that information.
I know this offends some people but I’ve never gotten a good answer to, “How does errors in scientific knowledge take away from Chazal being the definitive source when it comes to Torah?”

Gadol,
The old & tired FDR slander.
What should he have done?
Wait, don’t tell me, bomb the railroad tracks? (Which was both virtually impossible & would’ve changed nothing).

I sit on my porch watching the kinderlach play looking out for any breaches in proper conduct. With a yard stick in hand I observe & observe some more. A kid eating their 3rd icepop today, WHACK! Don’t you know the war in Israel only permits 2 ice pops a day?
A boy playing basketball for 10 minutes, WHACK! Don’t you know the war in Israel only permits 8 minutes of basketball?
One boy was riding by so when he got close I stuck my yard stick into his front tire. He flew like a drunk chicken & hit the ground like a sack of bricks. One thing is certain. If he ever gets released from the hospital he won’t ride his bike while Israel is at war.
It’s been tougher lately to do my duty since I’m wearing my court ordered ankle bracelet monitor. But I am allowed to stand on my porch where I can at least use a megaphone to tell them the correct way to act.

Have you tried working with or making arrangements with the hospital clergy?
When my Mom was very sick in the hospital in Baltimore the Clergy was a Reform woman Rabbi. Seeing we were Frum she told us if we have any end of life questions she can call her go to Rabbi, Rav Heinemann to ask him about any issues.

I’ve been offered a seat by the Mizrach Vant many times & I’ve always refused. It’s not because I’m humble, it’s because there are so many advantages to sitting in the the back.
1. You can get away with a lot more talking.
2. You’re first to the Kiddush.
3. You don’t have to do the “walk of shame” to the front when you show up during leining.
4. The kids are usually in the back so it’s easier to get the Candyman to slip you something to nosh on during Davening.
Noticing the advantages of these seats (& my Ruv always figuring out how to increase the Shuls (& his) revenue) this year we started auctioning off the back row on Simchas Torah. As a sign of appreciation the seat comes with a custom made shtender with room for 2 full size bottles of booze & a micro-fridge for herring.
The only problem is the “Big Machers” who paid big money to sit by the Mizrach Vant are suing the Rabbi & Shul for false advertising claiming they were told they would be the most respected & looked up to members of the Shul while in reality it’s the “Boys in the back” with “some kind of business” (no one knows where the money comes from & any Ehrlich Yid doesn’t want to know, hameyvin yuvin).
Unable to find a Bais Din anyone involved could trust & not wanting to go to full blown Secular court they agreed to have the case heard by “Judge Judy” (being Jewish she will understand the complexities of Shul politics).

One of our favorite pastimes is to choose something with vague or no clear parameters & berate people for “going too far” (in our expert opinion).
You had a 7 piece band for your child’s chasuna? That’s totally insensitive. There’s a war going on, a 6 piece band would’ve been more appropriate in the current Matzav & that music the band played, the tempo was a little too fast considering what’s going on in E’Y.
My favorite from a women asking how we can dare eat “Artisanal” bread during the 9 days. Perhaps she should ask every Tanna & Amorah how they dared to eat artisanal bread during the 9 days.
As the saying goes, “Every Yid frummer than me is Meshuga & every Yid less Frum than me is a Goy.”
p.s. Do you think during WWII Yidden in America knowing family in Europe was lost or in dire straits didn’t still celebrate weddings & Bar Mitzvahs with music, dancing & fancy meals?

Each situation is different. “Harder then winning the war is winning the peace.”
Notice at the end of WWII the Emperor of Japan was left in power. This is because he was considered a G-d by the Japanese people. The Japanese are a very disciplined people that never give up. Without the Emperor telling them the war is over & it’s time for peace American soldiers would’ve faced generations of guerrilla warfare & terror attacks. (Interesting fact, it was a Jewish Navy officer that explained this to the administration who was going to treat Japan like they did the Nazis.)
He was known as U(nconditional) S(urrender) Grant but the Civil War did not end with an unconditional surrender. Grant understood Robert E. Lee was the most respected & valorized leader in the Confederacy. Grant understood if Lee said, “Boys, it’s over. It’s time to go home.” 98% of Confederates would listen & while there was some guerrilla warfare for a short time after the war it was on such a low level that it never posed a threat to the peace.
What works in one scenario doesn’t always work in a different one.

In my state “Confederate Memorial Day” is always the first Saturday in June (coming right up). I’m looking for Yidden that want to be named as Co-Plaintiffs & help with the legal fees to sue for discrimination regarding Jewish Confederate sympathizers inability to take part in the events.

When living in Maryland I went to Cleveland during the winter.
None for me thank you.

“Zera Abraham” are not the same as a regular Goy.
From what I understand, If they want to convert, they do not have to 1st be turned away. Perhaps the best term is “Honorary Jew” they of course don’t count for a Minyan or any other Jewish ritual but they are more welcomed than other outsiders (at least where I come from).

Avirad,
Why not? I should educate them about Shabbos, Tom Tov, Kashrus,, etc. but not that kitneyos is something that can be owned & used on Pesach but not eaten?
I’m totally missing what the issue is.

Who was worse the Nazis or the Soviets?
The Nazis sure killed a lot but at least many survivors or survivor’s children ended up as Jews.
While the Soviets so thoroughly stamped out Yiddishkeit that how many generations of Soviet Jews know nothing, will know nothing & have no interest in knowing anything about Yiddishkeit?

Total nonsense! You have some loud mouths that get the attention. If Biden had wanted this war could’ve gone very different from the beginning yet there was instead tremendous support from many in power including many Democrats. I’m not a fan of many democrat policies but let’s also be honest & not demonize all of them either.

A child is not always required to follow his father’s Minhagim.
My Zaidy was not Frum. My father learned in a Litvish Yeshiva so he puts on Tefillin on Chol Hamoed.
I asked my Rabbi about this & he told me where my family is from in Europe there is no chance they wore Tefillin on Chol Hamoed & that I should not.
My father and I have been in Shul together on Ch”H & he wore Tefillin while I did not & it was not an issue at all.