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According to the Rambam, in his Hilchos Avoda Zara, no form of Kishuf/Magic/Witchcraft ever existed in any humans days.
“It was the Democrat Party that tried to stop blacks from voting, disenfranchising blacks, creating Jim Crow in the South.
The Republican Party, which never hurt Jews, is the party that fought hard to enfranchise blacks and strongly fought against the Democrat Party politicians who tried to stop blacks from voting.
Just as the Democrats considered the blacks to be their slaves in the South, the Democrats today consider themselves owners of the blacks and their vote.”
That was true during the slavery and reconstruction eras. Afterwards, as the democrats in the north became more and more liberal, the southern democrats shifted into the republican party – the biggest turning point was probably during the presidency of LBJ.
In short, it has more to do with the republican party being originally made of what we would nowadays think of as liberals, who then shifted to the democrat party and vice versa.
Litvishechossid –
Your asking a very odd question – you seem to have an assumption that there is a preset specific level of technology a society “should” achieve at a certain point- but why should that be the case in the first place?
Technological progress is also not always specifically linear – there have been periods of time when technological advances have been forgotten by generations after the ones that made the advances, there have been countries at one time that were significantly more advanced then the others in the same time.
Furthermore, technology builds on itself. Especially (in my opinion) technologies that facilitate better communication. It’s why in the current time something invented in Japan (for example) can quickly spread around the world, whereas new advances made 400, or 1000, or 10,000 years ago would have taken much longer to spread (assuming they did at all). Inventions like the printing press, the telephone, and the internet; policies like standardized public education and increased admission to higher education, have helped increase the general level of knowledge of a large part of society far more then societies without those technologies or policies had,. With the result that we have now far more competent people working on new technologies then ever before. Furthermore, with the industrial revolution and similar “events,” vaccinations and general lifespan extension (including much reduced infant mortality rates, which is a major factor when looking at average lifespans of then versus now) decreasing the amount of people solely focused on survival or things like food production, there is an exponentially increasing amount of people working on technologies now then there were before.
Technology and advances build on themselves, it’s a large part of why things seem to advance technologically speaking so much faster now then they used to. The exponential growth of the human population, and the increased growth of people who survive infancy/childhood and go on to pursue higher education is a large part of it (as well as an increasing weight being placed on scientific, rational discovery – the peer review system comes to mind).
Also, you mention some examples of how you think technology now is bad and how you could improve it – the problem is, that’s all relative. It’s based on what you know and what you can imagine. Many technologies (for example) from sci fi shows in the 1950s (to name a few: cellphones/smartphones, tablets, bluetooth, video calling) have actually become normative features of every day life now, and as technology increases and time goes on, that pattern will repeat. Technologies we found futuristic just 60 years ago will seem normal and possibly even backwards now, while new ides will keep coming of how things can be better. I don’t imagine any point at which that will stop, when we say “ok, everything we can ever imagine is now existing.” There will always be some way to think of things as being more advanced – and that’s a good thing, because that itself is what leads to advancement.
I’d be willing to bet that I am probably the most left-wing/radical/liberal person on this forum (assuming my meager amount of time and posting spent here qualifies me to be “on this forum”)
This isn’t something I’ve ever really had to worry about,
As I do not wear a hat for shachris (or, for that matter, ever really).Divri hayamim:
You listed 2 examples of countries there. that does not by any means come close to saying that “societies that are murderous are often kind to animals” just that those specific ones were.
And just because a horrific society does something, that doesn’t automatically make it wrong. Or are you going to tell me worshiping God is wrong because societies that did also murdered millions, oftentimes in Gods name?
And i would definitely not classify a society like nazi germany, which killed and tortured millions because they didn’t think they deserved the same treatment as others, with a supporter of “assisted suicide’ where the whole reasoning behind it is to try and help those who are so in pain that life itself has no meaning to them anymore. you can certainly argue that she’s wrong, and that there are better, less permanent ways to help them, but to imply that allowing assisted suicide is an equivalent to nazism is, I believe, a serious wrong.
I feel the need to say….i mostly vehemently disagree with practically everything I’ve ever seen of Rav Avigdor Miller’s writings and opinions… this is the nicest thing I have ever seen attributed to him.
There is only one person I can really say I hate with all my heart – and he is a jew. I don’t hate him for his being a Jew though, more for the actions he has taken and the reasons he has done them (which I know better then anyone else).
Species do and have become extinct all the time without human intervention – including such famous examples as the Dinosaurs and many other animals that lived around that era and before.
Humans are not the only ecosystem disrupter, but do do humanity’s great numbers and ability to change their environment much more rapidly then just about any other animal, they have become the most damaging invasive species to practically all ecosystems ion land in recent (say, the last 400) years.
Not myself, but I did help a friend shop for and find a nice dress and several other articles of clothing she needed.
Also, Joseph, why did you include “zt’l” after the Rav’s name in a different thread but not in this one? Was there a significant reason, or just forgot/decided to later?”
I’ve received, given, and know of people giving and receiving presents for succos, pesach, purim, and shavuos as well…
So, just to be clear joseph, would you make the assumption that anyone who self-identifies as a femenist cannot be an orthodox jew?
Joseph (and anyone else who wants to answer) what criteria do you think a person has to meet to be considered “worthy of being moshiach” and why do you think those specific requirements?
Joseph, what makes you think Wolf was in South Carolina?
Joseph, would drinking and forcing others to drink a slow acting poison (that some might be strong or lucky enough to survive) be muttar b’halacha, and would it be a lesser or greater offense then being mechalel shabbos, in your opinion?
“Pigs are hypocrites. They have cloven hooves but do not chew the cud. They are kosher outside but not inside. In any case, there is only a prohibition against owning non-kosher animals whose meat is eaten. It is part of the gezeira against making business out of non-kosher meat(as opposed to selling meat that was later found to be tereif).”
-avik
First of all, pigs are born that way. They didn’t choose to be made that way, nor did they create the rules which allowed them to be this kind of exception.
Secondly, that would imply deception on their part to want to be eaten…which I highly doubt many, if any at all, would actually want. Do you want to be eaten?
Avi, as you say, pejorative tend to change with time. And in this time, “goy” is very often used as a pejorative. the vast majority of the times I’ve heard it used, are as a pejorative, and/or with derogatory intent.
Assuming the place that I live’s government allowed it, why wouldn’t I? Pigs are very intelligent, can be quite affectionate, and are clean animals that have made people very good pets and companions.
Key Man (OP): “I spent Shabbos with a family and they have (in my humble opinion) the strangest color system in their kitchen for marking milchig and fleishig. Blue – fleishig. Red – milchig
What colors do you use?
What about Parave?”
Wolf: “Whenever anyone says that any minhag or such is “universal,” it usually isn’t.”
heck, the OP proves it isn’t!
I would edge towards telling them the truth. Understanding and dealing with Death, whether it be that of a pet or person, is something they will have to do at some point over their lives. And I never liked providing false hope.
My parents told me when my first pet died. I am grateful they did and didn’t hide it.
Not quite, at least not the way I’d envision it…
Imagine Schar being a scale of 1-100.
Anyone who fulfills their potential gets 100 schar.
The fact that teh shoemaker “only” had to make shoes while the Torah Scholar “only” had to learn Torah is irrelevant, as long as they both fulfilled what they are supposed to do, they get 100 schar, and it is the same.
The reward is the same, the journey there is different.
Therefore, the man isn’t getting more schar then the woman, and the scholar isn’t getting more schar then the craftsman – which makes sense, as all are essential for the running of the society.
Flatbusher, why don’t you just ask the Bal Tefilah, Gabbai, or Rov of one of these minyanim that you are referring to after davening?
For me, whether or not I would want Moshiach to come would depend on what Moshiach coming would actually mean for the world and the people living on it, practically speaking.
And yes, I know I’m a terrible person for not wanting moshiach to come no matter what.
Whenever the issue of feminism is brought up with regards to women wanting to take on halachos given to men, often they are told (or the point is raised) that there are ‘separate but equal” roles for each gender. that just because a women is required to learn torah or where a talis, that doesn’t mean she is any less or has any less schar overall possible for her then a man.
To me, assuming the above points are true, this would be evidence to support the “different potentials” theory, because the same way a woman and a man might have different halachos, but could still be equally great in God’s eyes, a talmid Chacham and a Shoemaker could be equally great as well.
And is it called Moon because the cow that made it got tired of “moo” and decided to mix things up a bit?
Joseph, if you just (implied) that you didn’t know if the miracle (that all Jews visiting the Bayis fit inside comfortably) occurred during the Bayis Sheini (you said you’d have to look inside, implying you didn’t know and needed to double check)
And then you said that “it was still a nes that they all fit in.”
Shouldn’t that be “IF they did all fit in, it would be a bigger nes”
Since you started by implying that you weren’t sure? Perhaps the nes did not occur during the second Bayis.
Or am I just misunderstanding something?
I suppose I am the liberal, bleeding-heart, who thinks he has more compassion then God/Torah/Chazal…
who doesn’t think it’s very nice to the chicken to swing it over and around in the first place, and considering money seems to be a perfectly acceptable Kapparos thing, that we shouldn’t do it at all (with a chicken).
Maybe they just don’t feel like wearing sunglasses…why assume it has to be some moral opposition to the concept?
First of all, the ‘Black Death” was made up of several kind of plagues, bubonic and pneumonic primary among them.
Secondly, people still catch and die from them, primarily in less well developed countries.
Why not just have the Gabbai stand up before Shmona Esrai and say something along the lines of “everyone, please remember to say…”
Serves the same purpose and doesn’t disturb people while they are trying to pray.
I would say, if we’re talking about “preferable things” that it would be “preferable:” to not have a “Shabbos Goy” at all.
Or is it perfectly fine and dandy for me to leave the TV on all Shabbos to the sports channel so I can watch the game?
Shopping, why don’t you try it and find out?
Oomis said:
“SIDI, that is appalling, and it is not the first time I have heard such a thing. Children in certain religious groups, need to have better derech eretz. Certainly it is obnoxious for them to call out “Sheigetz!” to a frum Yid who has a different hashkafa from their own (but who is nonetheless unquestionably frum).
And I will be even more controversial here, and say it is also appalling for them to direct that remark to a non-frum Yid. No Yid is a sheigetz, and the expression is meant to be disparaging.”
And I would extend that to any person, regardless of religious affiliation. The term is derogatory and as far as I have ever heard or seen, only used to insult someone, regardless of the literal meaning of the word or it’s original intention, it’s now just another “dirty” or ‘curse” word).
For the record, every single self-proclaimed “feminist” I have ever spoken too (and I’m friends with quite a few) has always said that feminism is about males and females having the same rights, respect, and potential.
The problem is while it might be true to say that (at least in the U.S.) INSTITUTIONALIZED sexism has been all but eliminated, in practice that is not necessarily the case.
Because “man” can refer to:
male vs. female
older male (physically) vs. younger male
maturity vs. immaturitty
whatever you define as ‘manly” vs. “unmanly”
or a male dragon.
I am one or more of those things, but not necessarily all of them. since I wasn’t sure in what sense it would be read, I decided to put it in quotes to signify that I wasn’t necessarily a man according to the readers perception of “man”
That would depend on the individual…
Lior, where in the Tohra does it say that it’s a women’s job to remain in the home, and a mans to go out in the world?
Both men and women are commanded to act “betznius.” So why are men able to be in the “limelight” and not women, should they choose to ?
Men can see colors. I’m a “man” and I can.
Both men and women should be able to run for office, and should do so if they feel they will do a good job representing their constituents.
Some men, but not all, are qualified to babysit. I am one of those who is not.
Men, in general, should indeed be allowed in the kitchen.
Men are really Jewish if they believe themselves to be so.
Men are allowed (as are women) to talk about gemara.
Men can (and do) get modern smicha and become rabbis.
The evidence that I have gathered does indeed point to the existence of men. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is still under discussion.
Men do have a sense of smell. I’m a “man” and I have a sense of smell.
– NOTE: These are all the opinions of My Own Kind of Jew and do not necessarily reflect anyone else’s opinion.
But Wolfishmusings isn’t Big and Bad!
He’s cute and fluffy…
Not to mention, the second it becomes obvious that Israel has become a theocracy, it will lose quite a bit of support from many of it’s current supporters (including the U.S)
Furthermore, even if an Orthadox Jew were to become Prime minister, that doesn’t mean the rest of the legislative bodies will be willing to go along with anything he or she might say.
It would also require the large amounts of people currently in Kollel to leave and start taking up full time agriculture, if the agrarian society is the one that arises, I doubt a million+ people contributing nothing to the growing or production of food could be supported easily by the rest.
-M
“Yes he was human, but no, that does not mean we need to feel we are able to relate to him.
Different humans are on different levels, sometimes worlds apart. The people from tanach
(including David) were on a completely different level than we are on today.
“Anybody that says David sinned is mistaken” is a quote from chazal. It means that what we think were David’s sins are not really what they were at all.
Do I understand that?
No. But that’s the point.
I realize this doesn’t answer you’re question, but I am questioning your need to be able to “relate” to the people in Tanach.”
And so, functionally, it’s the same thing as saying they were Malachim. The whole point of emphasizing their humanity is to show that they were human (like us) and had the same sort of choices and internal trials as you could imagine any human having. that the tests given to them were actual TESTS, things that required not just physical, but mental and emotional exertion as well.
As for David, yes he sinned. He wasn’t some God-King, or some Malach of Hashem that could do no wrong. He was a human, prone to the same weaknesses and needs that drive all humans today.
(thats not to say that he had the exact same inner-trial as say I do, the same way you don’t have the exact same ones I do. But we do have relatable ones, that others can understand).
But he acknowledged that sin. And repented for it. And moved on. Just like we can.
The Torah doesn’t tell us stories about their lives for the sake of knowledge. The Torah is not a history book. It’s a text meant to teach us lessons about how to live our lives.
Avraham Avinu is their to show us how to be kindhearted people, yet to also show that Hashem comes before our own perceived notions of kindness. He passed a test that few would ever pass. He was the most loving, kind person around, yet he put that aside to follow Hashem’s will.
And he is something to look up to, to try and emulate. But even if we can’t perfectly match him, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. the point is the journey, not so much the destination.
As for David, he was the king. A prophet of Hashem. There was every reason to believe he would not be capable of such a sin, relating to such a base human desire. Yet he was.
The tanach wasn’t interested in telling us gossip. it wasn’t just telling us a fun story. It’s meant to teach us something.
Even David was vulnerable to such a thing. All the more sop to us.
Yet even David was repented and was forgiven. yet it wasn’t because of his previous status. It was because he sincerely felt bad about what he did, and did teshuva.
Or at least that’s the way I see things.
Personally, I try to avoid killing anything I can see – so yes, I do my best to avoid killing insects, other arthropods, or anything larger. I am guilty on not caring if I kill Bacteria however…
RebYidd, if you were to define “kosher” in the sense you’re using it in, it would help narrow down for us what you’re looking for.
Bookworm: The difference is in that one word “sentience.” If you are sentient, you are a “person.” If you are not sentient, then you are not a “person.”
of course, defining “sentience” is a very….difficult matter. Once of those things where you can point to it and say “that’s sentience!” but giving an actual definition is much harder.
Francorachel3
I think the best way you could do it is to be as modest as you can be yourself, and if ever someone asks about it, tell them exactly why (but don’t go out and tell them why without first being asked)
” During one of my conversations with him he told me, to my surprise, that he thinks that one of the most convincing proofs of Judaism is it’s gedolim.”
If this is what he thinks is one of the most convincing proofs, and he’s going OTD, or struggling, clearly it’s not working for him. Instead of trying to reinforce this, you’d probably be better off finding different/better reasons for him to stay religious.
“The gemara says that the only people with nevua today are retards.”
-First of all, even if that were true, that does not mean all people who are retards have nevua
-Secondly, keep in mind that when the gemara says “today,” the “today” it’s talking about is one, what, 2000+ years ago? SO maybe then that was the case, but not now, necessarily.
“Talk about silly… that’s one of the silliest comparisons I’ve seen on this board.
wolf, im honored. seriously.
First, of course, is the fact that I know what color tie I’m wearing because I chose it.
with your eyes closed? try it, tons more fun. (btw my original post was about undergarments but i think the mods werent so happy.)
But, second, and far more important, is that most people have more an emotional investment in a baby than in what tie they’re wearing.
and
notasheep- I don’t call it delayed gratification, because the feeling I get after giving birth and seeing whether it’s a boy or a girl is just amazing.
What i think both of you are saying is, regardless whether or not you believe delayed gratification makes sense, on a scale as large as this one its worth it. And my point is that either you believe delayed gratification is nonsense or you don’t.
I believe it is nonsense and Wolf doesn’t.”
//////////////////////////
It doesn’t really matter what you believe or not, or what he believes. What maters is that for whatever the reason, silly or not, Wolf is happier not knowing until they’re born and oyyoyyoy isn’t. it’s just a matter of preference.