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@1: what “stimulus money” are you talking about?
@whichever mod said “hi”: Hi!
Well, then, you’ll be glad to know that NPR is NOT funded by tax dollars, but by donations, corporate sponsors, and grants that they have to compete for.
And the funding from federal grants (which, again, they have to compete with others for) only amount to about 2% of their overall revenue.hi luna!!
@ Pekak and Reb Eliezer
The House, which is supposed to be “representative” is just a skewed in favor of states with smaller populations, which tend to also vote Republican.“In addition the United States of America is not a pure democracy rather it a Republic of States.
The reason being was the Founders of this country feared what they called the “tyranny of the majority”.In other words they feared that the majority would seek to force the minority to live on their terms.”
So instead the minority get to force the majority to live on their terms?
Because that’s what is happening.
California has a population of 39.51 million vs 762,062 in North Dakota. But each state has the same number of senators. So while it looks like Republicans have more people supporting them (because they control more states) it’s just that the Democrat-leaning population is disproportionately concentrated in fewer areas. Democrats in the Senates have fewer seats but represents more Americans and Republicans have more seats while representing fewer Americans. Which leads to the minority enforcing their will on the majority.Language changeth ov’r timeth and we nay longeth’r speaketh liketh Shakespeare
mishnayosyid- plenty of frum women use (tzanua) photos of themselves or their families for their WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. It’s entirely your mother’s choice whether or not she wants to use a profile picture.
N0mesorah- I understand that it’s difficult, I didn’t say that it isn’t. But these young man do have (limited) access to teahcers, mentors, and partners to learn with and help them grow despite the hardships of the pandemic.
My issue with the OP is over-dramatic “we have it the worst” mindset. It’s a huge slap in the face to people sitting shiva, people who have lost friends and family, people who are out of work and don’t know how they’re going to put food on the table.
Feeling disconnected and unable to grow in Torah study is legitimate and I don’t mean do invalidate his experiences. But he, and other like him, are not “karbanos”, they are not “getting hit” harder than anyone else, and they certainly don’t have it worse than so many others.“Right now, we are the Korbanos getting hit harder than anyone else in Klal Yisroel”
Seriously? Yeshiva Bachurim unable to sit in the beit midrash is a sad thing, but you are from “korbanos”. You can learn on the phone with a chavruta or via zoom with an entire shiur. Is it the same? No. Is your Torah learning worth the lives of all the people will die due to large gatherings taking place too soon? Absolutely not!It’s beyond self-centered to think that you’re getting “hit harder than anyone else in Klal Yisroel”! What about the young children orphaned by COVID-19? What the widows and widowers? What about the students mourning the deaths of their teachers? It’s a chutzpah to say you are being hit harder than they are!
Grow up.
“the crisis in the frum community has been over for many weeks now”- the number of covid-19 cases are down due to rigorous social distancing. If we start opening shuls/schools/camps too fast and too soon then numbers will rise.
Camps are great, but not necessary. And under the current circumstances, possibly deadly.Are camps safe? Probably not.
Will they open anyway? They probably will.
Anyone who sends their kids to camp this summer will basically be taking place in a big experiment that could go horribly wrong. Or wonderfully right. I don’t know. But I tend to follow the precautionary principle, which means that MY kids won’t be going.If a rabbi rules that XYZ is assur, but according to the medical knowledge and experience of a doctor, doing XYZ is necessary to preserve the lives of people in that congregation, I would 100% expect the doctor to publicly object. Especially if the Rabbi’s ruling was made publicly and the lives of many people are at stake.
Rabbis, as wise and learned as they are, are still human. They are fallible. And most of them are not medical experts. It could be that the doctor understands some aspect of the situation that the rabbi does not.Why is listening to doctors a lack of kavod Torah?
When your child has a high fever you don’t call your rabbi asking about the correct dosage of Tylenol. You call your pediatrician. Rabbis are experts in their field, but having smicha doesn’t mean you become public health expert. And during a pandemic we should give more weight to the knowledge and experience of doctors. They know what they’re doing.
If you’re having a crisis of faith, call a rabbi. But don’t ask them for medical advice (unless they are also a licensed physician).Joseph:
Not sure where you’re getting your news from (although, I can probably guess) but Trump hasn’t “successfully prevented the coronavirus from becoming a worst case scenario” or “staved off an Italy or Spain like situation”
America has surpassed the death toll of Italy and Spain. And we are just barely reaching the peak. Hospitals are understaffed and not enough PPE is available. People will be denied ventilators , if hospitals haven’t started denying them already.
It’s great that we haven’t reached the predicted number of deaths, and I pray we never do, but the current death toll is too high to call the response from the US government a “success”.Performing CPR and attempting to resuscitate the patient results in the spread of the virus, since droplets are expectorated. Doctors and nurses performing such procedures do not have proper PPE and putting their lives at risk.
It’s not an easy decision and it wasn’t made lightly. If our doctors and nurses become ill from performing CPR they will not be able to save the lives of others may die themselves. The goal is to save as many people as possible and once someone becomes so debilitated from COVID-19 that they need to be resuscitated, it’s unlikely they would have survived much longer anyway.
Again, to make such a decision isn’t simple. But we need to focus on saving people who can be saved without increasing the risk to healthcare workers.he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there have been at least 34 million infected with flu this season, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths. So far, coronavirus has killed 27 people in the United States among 4,600 total cases nationwide.
“so far” being the operative word. The number of potential deaths is far more important to consider than the number of current deaths. Without a vaccine, viable treatment, or enough ventilators, this has the potential to be far deadlier than the flu.
@RebbeDebbie
Sounds a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.
You won’t vote for a “sodomite” but you’ll vote for man who has relations with women who are not his wife?
It’s extremely hypocritical to hold the Democratic candidates to a high moral and ethical standard while completely ignoring the moral and ethical shortcoming of our current president .
If morality is an issue on which you base your vote then you can’t vote for Trump with a clean conscience.Part of the issue, (PART- not the entire issue), is that once these kids are separated some of them get lost in the system. many are too young give social workers any identifying details (name, age, parent’s names) and when the time comes for the parent and child to be reunited, be it in the US or back in their home country, we have no idea which kid belongs to which parent.
Sometimes, officials don’t even know where the kid is. Some are sent detention facilities, others are sent to sponsor homes to be cared for and become unreachable.
Imagine being told that a government official lost your kid. Even if you’ve committed a crime, once you’ve “paid you dues” you deserve to get custody of you child again (provided there was no abuse). But we can’t give these children back to their parents because we have no way of “matching” them up. That’s part of what makes this so cruel.Neville:
There are incompetent men, just like there are incompetent women. Stupidity is gender neutral.
And I would love to end men’s suffrage just to troll the misogynists. Ruining a misogynist’s day is enough motivation for me to support something.Truth:
I think the section controlled by women would be taken seriously because they’d actually get stuff done. Men have been in control of governments all over the world for centuries and look at how much corruption and chaos exists.Addendum: if I need a psak to vote, do I also need a psak allowing me to walk on the street? What about a psak allowing me to wear shoes? Why not a psak halacha allowing me to take off my shoes at the end of the day?
I truly believe that halacha has a place in our lives. But I also think it’s absurd that some people need a psak halacha to tell them to get out of bed in the morning and if they can’t find a halachik source then they’ll stay in bed all day.Phil
Voting is an act that takes place in a secular democratic society. I don’t see why I need a psak halacha for such a thing- what could possibly be wrong with taking an active role in deciding the way policy and law are created in the city/state/country in which I live.
Also, Joe didn’t say ” Jewish women should abstain from voting”. He thinks ALL women should be forcibly stripped of this right. And there is a world of difference between those two statements.Men’s suffrage must end.
After hundreds of years it’s time to recognize that the experiment has failed.
War, violence, and destruction has been caused by men and I think it’s time we take away all of their rights and let women have a go.Joseph-
King has made comments defending white nationalism/white supremacy and one cannot separate white supremacy from the antisemitism since it is a major part of the ideology.
You’ll notice that I never made any claims about King’s statements being considered acceptable within the Republican party, CA said they didn’t know of a single elected Republican who is an anti-Semite and I pointed one out.Coffee addict-
“I don’t know any elected republican that is anti Semitic”
Rep. Steve King is an elected Republican that is unabashedly anti-SemiticCuriosity- I’m referring to the difference between a handgun which can hold fewer bullets and therefore hurt fewer people as opposed to a larger assault rifle type guns which can hold much larger magazines and have the capacity to hurt more people
IMHO, the best way to prevent future violence is to ban the larger guns capable of shooting multiple bullets in the span of a second or two. Smaller guns (pistols? I’m not really sure of the correct terminology) should be available to law enforcement and civilians as a means of protection as long as the gun owner has had extensive background checks and met with a psychologist to determine their mental fitness. Having a gun is a huge responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly
The reason I chose not to address the two men getting engaged is because I don’t anything about it and don’t feel I should comment.
I do know, for a fact, that the OU sat down with Rabba Sarah and told her that they don’t have any issues with her daily responsibilities.
Even if she changed her title she would still be doing the same things she is doing now. So I don’t understand why people have an issue with her title. If you don’t want want women rabbis you should protest her daily responsibilities. But the OU went over her those with her agreed that they had no problems with what she does.Arguing over her title doesn’t solve any issues. It’s semantics.
If the OU had a theological problem with the activities and responsibilities of these women they would have said so and they would have taken action. But they didn’t.DaMoshe- They specifically stayed away from “Rabbi” and used “Rabba” to differentiate.
“Sorry, not buying the “daas Torah” argument here.”
You don’t have to. You also don’t have to eat food with an OU on the package, go to shuls that are part of the OU, or have anything to do with the OU. That’s your decision. And the OU made a decision to allow HIR to remain part of the organization. No one is forcing you follow their ruling. You don’t have to daven in a place that has ordained women. But if other’s do, then that’s their choice and they have poskim that they’ve discussed this issue with.
There are two issues mentioned in the original post. One is the ordination of women and second is the congratulating two men on their engagement. While I can’t speak on the second issue, I have a lot to say on the first.
A few weeks(maybe months) ago representatives from the OU sat down with Rabba Sarah and other representatives from HIR. Together, they went over the daily duties of the female staff members and the OU came to the conclusion that the actions performed by these women are not out of line with orthodoxy. These women are proving counseling services, teaching classes, and overall doing things to better their community. They are not violating halacha and therefore have not been kicked out the of the OU. While many members on this site do not agree with Rav Avi Weiss on many issues this specific situation has been monitored by the OU and they have decided that HIR can remain part of the organization. If you don’t like it then don’t go HIR but a decision was made by people far greater than you or I.shopping- I know of a few people who post their poetry on blogs and there is also an online journal called the Jewish Literary Journal that publishes Jewish themed pieces.
In addition to free verse(which is by far my favorite form of poetry due to it’s lack of rules and the ability of the poet to create their own structure) I’ve written haikus, sonnets, terza rima, and skeltonic poems
Do you really think your rhetoric is changing anyone’s mind? Those of us on this forum who are Zionist will not be swayed by the words of an online troll and those who are not Zionist will either agree with you or ignore you. You’re not changing anyone’s view of Zionism.
I live in Israel, and I celebrated Aliya Day with my family. Israel is a country built by immigrants and they should be celebrated.
While I understand why you are not a Zionist I think it’s a terrible thing to tell people who are that they are doing something wrong. Because according to our poskim we’re not.
It is time for truth- yes, they do learn without artscroll. I personally have learned a few masechtot without needing the help of an artscroll. I did use a dictionary here and there for the more difficult or less common words but for the most part I have the skills to learn on my own. And so do the women who attend these schools
It is time for truth – MMY, TVA, Lindenbaum, Nishmat, and Migdal Oz to name a few. While the specific level of each of these schools is different all these places (and more) have serious beit midrash time
In many cases staying together simply isn’t an option and divorce would be beneficial to everyone involved. I grew up in a home where my parents’ personalities clashed and every single thing became a huge fight. My siblings and I wished that they would just get a divorce and end the misery. But because of the tabboo surrounding divorce they stayed married. This had a negative impact on me and my siblings and we all have trouble maintaining healthy relationships. On the outside we seemed liked a normal family and no one knew how much all of us suffered.
I look back on that painful period in my life and can honestly say that a divorce would have been so much better than trying to “make the best of the situation”. Couples who, for whatever reasons, can’t stay married should get a divorce and ignore that nosy, nasty, judgemental people who think they know what’s best for someone else’s marriage.
Muslims are not the decendants of Yishmael. While ideologically they may be similar they are not genetically linked.
Bruria is a name that’s still in use
This name is already taken- No. I did not go to BJJ
Flatbusher- I worked hard in high school to get good grades which helped me get a scholarship from the school, I applied to various organizations that give girls learning in Israel scholarships, and I used some of my own money that I made from various jobs over the years.
I really wanted my year and worked hard to make it happen. It wasn’t handed to me.
I went to seminary in Israel and it was an amazing experience. I learned a tremendous amount. It was nothing like summer camp. I was in class Sunday- Thursday from 8:30 in the morning to 10 at night (12 on Thursday nights for mishmar). The learning I did in seminary built on my high school education and left me with an appreciation for Torah. It was definitely not a waste of time.
I work. I also keep halacha and make time to learn Torah. My parents work. They also keep halacha and make time to learn Torah. My grandparents work. They also keep halacha and make time to learn Torah. Please explain how we are any “less religious” just because we choose to put food on our table instead of relying on assistance from other people?
Mentch1- You’re a hypocrite. You’re using the internet, a secular creation, and typing in English, a language based off Greek and Latin. If you truly beleive in not borrowing from other cultures why aren’t you typing in Hebrew or better yet, why are you using the internet? You can’t reprimand those who interact with secualr culture when you’re doing it too.
Mentch1- Religiosity is a very large spectrum. The people you know who call themselves MO and the people I know who identify as MO can have vastly different levels of commitment. But as far as my experiences in a MO community I have found that a lot of my friends, teachers, and classmates had a strong commitment to halacha. They may not keep every single chumra but they do keep most halachot.
As far as my screen name- I think that it represents what modern orthodoxy is all about. I live as a Jew in the world around me and I am able to follow halacha while still enjoying the positive parts of secular culture.
Shopping- I keep it in my email so I can access it whenever I want. No matter where I am.
Joseph- I don’t feel it’s necessary to share everything with a spouse. Yes we are married, but we are still two distinct people. And not everything I write is meant to be shared with anyone. Be it a parent, best friend, or spouse. I’m a very private person and like to keep certain things to myself
No, I would not allow my spouse to read every single email of mine. Not because I’m trying to hide anything sinister
but because of the personal nature of some of my emails. I write a lot of deeply personal poetry and diary entries which I often save in my email that my spouse has no business reading
Rabbi of Crawley- I have so many issues with your premise that I don’t even know where to begin.
I guess a good place to start would be to let you know that I identify my practice of Judaism to be in the category of “Modern Orthodox”. My family and friends are Modern Orthodox. The high school I went to and the seminary I attended identify as Modern Orthodox. So I have a pretty good handle of Modern Orthodox hashkafa and practices.
Modern Orthodoxy is not an attempt to ” water down” halacha. It’s the chariedim or “yeshivish” that insist on taking the halacha above and beyond the basic rules. Which isn’t a bad thing. But you can’t tell others that a chumra is halacha. I keep all the halachot that I am obligated in and take upon myself the chumrot I
think will enhance my religious life.
You have no right to tell me that just because my conviction in God stems from a more rational approach instead of the “just believe” approach and that I choose to live a life that interacts with tje world around me that it has any less meaning and importance.
Also, I am a Zionist. I beleive in the State of Israel and I support it in whatever way I can. It is the only place that Jews are truly safe from persecution. In a time of real trouble it is not America, England, France or any other country that will save you. Despite what they say they all hate you for the simple reason that you were born a Jew. And when push comes to shove I beleive Israel will always be there to protect the Jewish people even when all others have abandoned us. The current religious situation is not ideal but it’s better than having no state at all.
The Torah was given to Man and it is our job to interpret it and live by it’s rules. I do not think that one interptation within orthodoxy is any more valid than the other. It is each person’s responsibility to find the path that is right for them. And neither you or I have have any right to tell another person that the path they have chosen is wrong. Only God can judge.
Bookworm120- was your doctor wearing a bow tie 😉
“Every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant”