Joseph

Then I guess I was talking to the walls.

We have a number of comments making a distinction between those self-identifying as MO who don’t fully keep Halacha (in various different ways) and attribute their halachic non-compliance as being an “MO shitta” and those who self-identify as MO and do fully observe Halacha. But I think it is fair to say that a lot of those who were MO and fully committed to Halacha have over the years and decades stopped identifying as MO and identified more with and often joined chareidi communities and sent their children to chareidi yeshivos.

At this point I do think that a majority of self-identifying MO are what is called “Left-Wing MO” and what is called “Right-Wing MO” is a minority.

And, really, what reason would someone fully observant of all Halachas have to identify as MO rather than with a chareidi community? You have many chareidim who go to college, work rather than learn (some starting to work before they’re married and others later), etc.

DY, the RCA permitted Weiss to be a member for many decades. They never ended his membership and consistently accepted his renewals (until last year when Weiss announced, at his choosing, that he no longer renewed his membership by declining to pay the annual membership dues.)

And just because in the past men haven’t worn Hawaiian shirts with yellow polka dot pants on Simchas Torah doesn’t mean they can’t do that now to celebrate Yom Tov.

I was addressing Simcha’s point that “dancing is an appropriate way to celebrate Torah” by pointing out that on Simchas Torah the dancing is always done with the Torah. And women can’t dance with the Torah.

The relevancy of the comparison to wearing Hawaiian shirts and yellow polka dot pants is that these newly proposed formats for women to celebrate Simchas Torah are not how Jews celebrate Simchas Torah.

Why can’t men celebrate simchas Torah by wearing Hawaiian shirts, yellow pokadot pants and sandals?

I am going with Sam’s logical statements above, DM. Ask Sam your question.

Anyways, if you asked 100 chareidi rabbonim or poskim whether you may cheat on your taxes, you are highly likely to get 100 no’s. I can’t say with absolute certainty all 100 will say that because one or two might think you’re pulling his leg and give a hearty laugh instead.

How’d you get a copy of his deleted post?

Sam, so we finally agree that there are no chareidi halachic wrongdoers (tax cheats, violent, etc.), correct?

Jews died because of violence resulting of Jews ascending HH”B and Jews died from violence resulting from Grynspan’s act.

And, certainly, you cannot argue that the specific Jews who were murdered directly in response to the timing of the ascension to HH”B or directly in response to the timing of Grynspan’s murdering of a German diplomat, that those same specific Jews would have been murdered anyways if not for those actions by Jews. (Even if the Jew haters would have done it at another time anyways, it would not have been at that time resulting in the murder of those specific Jews at that time.) And even if we assume you’re correct and it would’ve happened at a later time, the “excuse” the haters used may have resulted in a greater ferocity or a larger number of victims than otherwise.

My guess is at this time it is best not to even give them an excuse

ubiquitin: Why is it “best not to even give them an excuse”?

You might prefer the singing of “a world famous professional entertainer” to the singing with the Torah. But the common Torah Jew prefers the Torah.

The point above really was that people do enjoy “merely” watching and listening as a spectator to something they enjoy.

Hopefully people enjoy the Torah at least as much as a professional entertainer. Otherwise Simchas Torah is not their thing. They might enjoy playing a board game or socializing with their friends or watching TV more than going to shul to watch Simchas Torah.

The fact that those are the people attending MO schools also says something, even if they are not the run-of-the-mill MOs.

What does it say?

I wonder why women have not commented on this topic.

Perhaps they aren’t bothered about this terrible issue. Perhaps they aren’t farbissine feminists. Perhaps they actually enjoy watching the men dancing with the Torah HaKedosha at least as much as you enjoy watching the singer sing at the concert you paid $150 per ticket.

Avi, you neglected to answer my question. Was your omission intentional or inadvertent?

Avi Weiss not only was always considered MO by himself as well as by others, but the premier MO rabbinic organisation, the RCA, has continually accepted him as an official MO rabbinic member of their fraternity for many decades.

Netanyahu today banned politicians from ascending to the HH”B. Is Netanyahu a raging leftist who sees a violent outcome when Jewish politicians ascend?

After he returned my shoes I had to air them out for three days to clear it of the odor. Did you notice anything unseemly in the air?

Do you jump on the stage to sing when you go to a concert? Do the people paying big bucks for the tickets not enjoy the show since they aren’t on stage?

I hear the Scots might try again to calling it quits with you Englishmen.

What will the new name be? The United Kingdom of England, Wales and Northern Ireland? Then again, Wales itself is part of England.

“What is the need for making up secondary reasons?”

Syag, Gedolei Yisroel, including Rav Eliashev, have explicitly and repeatedly cited antagonization resulting in anti-Jewish violence as one of the reasons it is forbidden to go up to the HH”B.

Police Close Har Habayis

“Five years ago on Sukkos, President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukka of Maran HaGaon Rav Elyashiv ZATZAL, where Rav Elyashiv called on the President to prevent Jews from visiting Har Habayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. Maran stated everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire.

Maran is quoted as explaining to the president that Halacha forbids going onto Har Habayis but today, it is more than this, it is an act that may lead to a religious war and bloodshed.”

I’m a scientist, so yes.

No tuition vouchers in the U.S. covers yeshivas or schools with religious studies.

A $500 Amazon gift card.

Famously, Brooklyn’s got its own accent.

Or accents.

Sam: It is without doubt that certain actions give the antisemites more motivation and impetus to act violently, which they do in response to specific activities they deem provocative even if objectively it might not be. That isn’t an excuse for a Jew to engage in an action that will result in violence against the Jews. Even if the violence is unjustified based on that action. In golus we lay low. Yes, we lay low and pray and wait for Moshiach.