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Beryl was a compromise after several of our most prominent (& not so prominent) Askanim got involved.
The original name was, “Abraham Israel Sheqelsteinmoneygrabber”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).Ujm,
That’s a very Meikel position to take. I sleep on a bed of nails with a large gong next to my head that rings every 15 minutes.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?Ujm,
Keeping the Emperor was not out of “Good will” It was out of necessity for a peaceful Japan.
Japanese culture during WWII said you either come back victorious or you die trying. Unless commanded by a higher up you never surrender. The only life that matters is the life of the Emperor. This is how they had Kamikaze pilots. This is why we took so few Japanese POW’s. US soldiers found hundreds of Japanese soldiers that committed suicide together because they were unable to fight but surrender was not an option. The last Japanese soldier to surrender was in 1974!!! Yes, a soldier hid out in the Philippines for almost 30 YEARS after Japan surrendered because he was never ordered to surrender. Even when told he refused to surrender until they found one of his officers who ordered him to surrender.
It’s very different than America but this was their mindset.
If the Japanese people were left leaderless in a culture of “Die trying” & “Never surrender” we’d still have US soldiers dying in Japan.
(If you don’t believe me read about Elias Zacarias, a Jewish Naval Officer from Pensacola, FL, who explained this to the Administration & B’H they listened.)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.B’H I’m from a community where the Shul Rabbanim, Schools or President of the Vaad Harabanim (City Rav) have enough sechel not to discuss or endorse any candidate.
They remind the Kehilla of the importance of voting but never who to vote for.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.
I’ve been buying my religious clothing in Brooklyn for over 50 years & (when paying cash;-) was never charged tax. In fact, in Brooklyn I’ve never paid tax on any purchase (hameyvin yuvin:-).
When living in Maryland I went to Cleveland during the winter.
None for me thank you.Read “Man’s Search for Meaning”
By Viktor Frankl, a Jewish Psychiatrist that bases it of his experiences in a Concentration Camp.It depends how important or pressing you view the situation to be.
I’m from a large Frum community. Not only did the very Chushiv Ruv who is President of the Vaad HaRabbanim encourage the broader community to go to the DC rally, he encouraged his (Yeshivish) Shul members to go & (actions speak louder than words) he went as well.I don’t know Polish but my Bubble taught me the Soviet Russia version. It’s much shorter than the original & goes like this:
Who knows none?
I know none.
None is our G-d in heaven & on earth.“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).Avira,
It IS normal to hold & deal with Kitniyos. There are products that are helpful & used all year around.
I’m truly confused.
I can teach my (old enough) child about Kosher Dairy
I can teach my child about Kosher Meat
I can teach my child about not eating them together.
But I can’t teach my child that Kitniyos can be used on Pesach but not eaten?
In your example, Chometz is Chometz & has no allowed use on Pesach.
Kitniyos is muttar in many ways on Pesach. So what “sensitivity” is there about not touching it?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.I was taught Hungarian Jews are superior to Eastern European Jews.
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?As my Ruv/Historian says, “When Moshiach comes we’re going to be very surprised whose grave we were Davening at.”
Many of these places weren’t noted as the grave of an important person until centuries later. As rightwriter said about Mordecai and Esther. How can there be such a dispute about them? Iran & Israel are not close. Surely we’d have a strong Mesorah (even without an exact location) whether they were buried in Persia or brought to E”Y for kevurah.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.
My Rebbi in a large OOT community (who started as a
Rebbe in a very OOT community) was a Talmid of R’ SF Mendlowitz & he told us you get married, you learn for a few years, then you go out & teach. Whether larger like Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland, etc. or smaller like Memphis, New Orleans, etc. it didn’t matter where, just go teach Torah.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.AAQ,
We may need something similar to this;
“The 1902 kosher meat boycott was a boycott of New York City kosher butchers on the part of American Jewish women in response to a coordinated increase in price of kosher meat from 12 to 18 cents a pound. This increase was significant enough that many Jewish families could no longer afford to buy meat. The protests, led mainly by immigrant Jewish women on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, though controversial in their often-violent tactics, were largely successful and resulted in the lowering of the price of meat to 14 cents a pound.”B”H I’m so removed from the NY area that my first thought was Bingo played for money usually to raise funds for a Volunteer Fire Department.
There’s a judge in Texas that has a side business that earns him some extra money. He hires illegals in America to sell sombreros at the border to new arrivals.
Gadolhadorah,
It is perfectly rational to believe many concepts in the Gemara were based on their knowledge at the time. Many Jews believe this. However, in the world of the ultras this is Kefira. I’ve heard this many times (with [poor] excuses for things that are obviously wrong) that everything Chazal said is 100% correct no matter how much it’ contradicts what we know today.
This is what happens when instead of appreciating our Chachomim for what they were we elevate them to Malachim/Niveim.This idea of moving millions of Arabs in The West Bank & Gaza to the Palestinian country of Jordan (or elsewhere) is pure nonsense.
What would you say if you were told you the land you live on is being given to Native Americans but don’t worry, we have a similar piece of land & house waiting for you in Calgary Canada. What’s the big deal? It’s also a democracy. They speak English. You can freely practice your religion. No big deal, Boro Park or Calgary same thing.With the backing & support of (the biggest & well-known) Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbanim, Poskim & Askanim I have been lobbying the powers that be in Washington on behalf of Kedushas Yisroel. There is an insidious plan to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
This will be a gross breach of tsnius. How will our Buchrim be able to shteig when there is pritzus literally in their pockets?
One Rosh Yeshiva said he will ban $20 bills at his Yeshiva.
Another one said he will expel any Talmid who is found with a $20 bill.
With all the PC about minorities I have been suggesting to politicians to replace Harriet Tubman with Tupac Shakur, Bill Cosby or OJ Simpson.My Kehilla B”H is moving in the Frummer direction.
This is very appropriate for Adar. The Ruv (& Posek of note) paskened we should no longer call it “Megillas E.” But stepping up another level of Kedusha we call it “Megillas Mordecai”
Our Ruv has also made changes to the Megillah taking out anything improper. Whether tsnius, mentioning women, Goyim, it’s gone. The beauty is at a regular pace it only takes 15 minutes to read the whole Megillah.Many girls will date a working boy. But they will only say yes if he can show he has at least $2 million dollars in the bank.
It looks like perpetual candidate H.T. is off his psych meds again.
Menachem Shmei,
I’m not talking as an outsider about a secular approach to who wrote the Torah.
I’m discussing the historical narrative of Chasidism based on how it was created & structured. Jews (inc. Chasidim) don’t live in a bubble. Chasidism didn’t start when it did by random chance. The world entered the “Modern Era” around 1,700. 2 factors were at play. The “Enlightenment” which questioned everything about the world including religion & “Emancipation” Jews lived in forced Kehillas were they were told how to live & how to practice. These 2 issues rocked the Jewish world to its core. The question was how to deal with this new world? Various methods developed. For instance “Reform” Judaism. In order to fit into this new & modern era we literally need to REFORM how Judaism is practiced.
Another modern movement was “Chasidism” It’s not a “coincidence” when it started. It was a direct reaction to what was going on in this new world. (Almost all) Chasidic sects existed based on 2 principles. 1. With the pull of the new ideas it’s not enough to be Jewish, to survive you need to be “Super” Jewish. Everything is taken to the next level to keep Jews from getting near any modernization. This dealt with Enlightenment. 2. Emancipation, where Jews were no longer forced to live as part of a real Kehilla that had the power to fine you, jail you, tax you, & tell you how to practice Judaism. Chasidism is a direct response to Emancipation by (re)creating the Kehilla albeit with less power & on a volunteer basis (which actually makes members more loyal). This model worked by have an all powerful (in the sect) Rebbe who can navigate the waters of modernization as one unified group. Take a govt decree, how can an individual fight them? They can’t. But if a Rebbe tells his thousands of followers not to do it there’s nothing much the govt (before Stalin) could do. This almost militaristic passive resistance is what enabled Chasidism to flourishing & attract many new members. This ONLY works when there is a Rebbe controlling & guiding his followers.
I understand your special relationship with a Rebbe which you feel is above the natural world & that’s fine. But at the same time we live in this world & I stand by the reality that “There is no such thing as a Chosid without a Rebbe”Menachem Shomrei,
I’m not gonna write the history. I’m just gonna let you in on a (perhaps painful) secret.
We are not so different or special than any other groups in many areas.
I think everyone agrees we can look at 250 years of the US or 250 years of the Amish in America & see it’s history, society, customs, decisions & motivations but for some reason to many of us think we’re so “special” that Chasidism is above all these things. Well guess what? We’re not.Lostspark & Arso,
You need to understand the organization of a Chasidus. In Eastern Europe (& elsewhere) Jews have always lived in groups that had the “In” group & the “Out” group. This was part of the outside world as well with a hierarchy. There were even different sets of laws based on position in life. For example, if a peasant killed a noble they’d be put to death but if a noble killed a peasant they’d have to pay the family $5,000. So here you have a new form of Judaism that says if you (& it was voluntary) join this group & are not the Rebbe than you (learned or not, rich or poor) were equal to everyone else that wasn’t the Rebbe. In the world of Eastern Europe this was huge. But as you see it only works if there’s a Rebbe who is the “In” group making everyone else the “Out” group.
Also, while not necessarily the plan of the early Chasidic leaders, the different sects developed into top down authoritarian orgs. This is most important in keeping a cohesive group. The Rebbe says “Give money to this tsedaka.” Everyone does. More important, The Rebbe says, “No one is sending their kids to the new govt public school.” No one does & in that pre-Stalin era there wasn’t much the govt could do. This power of passive resistance only worked because it was a singular cohesive group acting as one.
Bottom line, if you study Chasidic history you clearly see it only works with a Rebbe. There may be splits within a sect like Satmar but that’s different. No Chasid in KJ thinks they can expand the Shul or start a new school without the blessing of the Rebbe.A (Frum Rabbi) history professor has said many times that, “There’s no such thing as a Chasid without a Rebbe.”
Chabad & Breslov may be around but none of their members can be considered “Chasidim” Baked into Chasidism is a Rebbe figure who leads & keeps the followers on the same page.
In the past if the govt enacted & enforced laws banning Chasidic garb what was the response? If the Rebbi said no one is changing no one changed. If the Rebbe said change, everyone changed.
What would happen with Chabads all over America if the govt banned Chabad garb with severe penalties? It would be a disorganized mess. This Rabbi says yes & this Rabbi says no. This Shaliach says no this Shaliach says all I need to do to continue reaching out to Yidden is make small changes? I’ll do it.
The Rabbi is right, “There’s no such thing as a Chasid without a Rebbe.”We should follow the Tzionim concerning Shabbos garb. Blue khaki pants, simple white shirt=no problem with Shatnez.
GadolH,
It was not a compliment. If a regular checker looks at 10 places on a suit he would look at 25. Also, some checking requires opening the clothing so going overboard is not a good thing.Unom,
It’s not a secret just most people have no interest in learning how to check for & identify Shatnez.
Also, there are different kinds of checkers. Where I’m from a Talmud asked the Rosh Yeshiva about a certain “Checker” & his response was, “That checker could find Shatnez in a head of lettuce.” It’s not just competency about Shatnez it’s knowing what & where there could be issues without going overboard & ruining the garment as well.Baltimore is very non-judgemental. There are Shuls that have a range of people ranging from very MO, Yeshivish & Chasidish.
All the Rabbanim (MO, Yeshivish & Chasidish) sit on the one & only Vaad Harabanim. They work together with mutual respect as one for the good of the entire Klal which shows the Kehilla openness, tolerance & Shalom with people who may not dress, look or live like you.The other issue lost to most these days is if you count according to Halacha Jan 1st is 8 days after Dec 25. Some Xtian denominations on Jan 1st celebrate the “Feast of the circumcision of J*s*s”