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I am dreading going back to the old shuls and seeing new yartzhiet plaques.
Dear Rava,
If we would be in a nursing home we could be seeing it a lot.This is the best way to discuss conspiracies! Why ruin it with politics?
Dear Milhouse,
There never was a theory that someone got it from a bat at the wet market. The pangolin was suspect number one.Dear Health,
Anthrax is not a good candidate as a stealth bio weapon. it is not known for human to human transmission to occur. There is a reliable vaccine.Dear Coffee,
Police give out summonses, they are not political. Poor men in blue, they serve as Democrats and die as Republicans.Bottom line – The sequencing of the coronavirus genomes will tell the story. Wait 3 years.
Dear YWN,
I think it is in order of when they were added to the gemara tome. each one used to be printed separately. As bindings improved, more mefarshim were added.Dear Joseph,
Do not ask me, I have no idea. Three other possibilities, that I came across at some point.
4) From eating stray dogs.5) Humans encountered bats in caves outside Wuhan.
6) It came from outside China in October.
It gets weirder.Dear Rava,
This is not a matter of belief. How many people think, is a valid question.Dear Joseph,
I am for vaccination. (I even convinced two people to vaccinate.) However I would be hesitant to use a vaccinate for an understudied virus, that was expedited for immediate use. There will not be enough for everyone anyway. It may be rationed to control outbreaks. Then they may have a choice to quarantine until it is passes, or to take the shot.Dear Ubiquitin,
I read what you wrote carefully. I understood that the heart could be functioning mechanically – not reflexively. If I got that wrong it changes a lot. Assuming I didn’t, my point was that zero function of brain stem reflexes by itself could never be an actual way to determine death, because if the major (heart or lungs) organs are working, that is proof of some brain activity. The possibility of having life without the major organs is zero, even with a functioning brain stem. Since the patient is not breathing, the only question is how to view the mechanical heart. That is not a question of brain function, as the brain can function (albeit in a meaningless manner) without the heart or lungs. The whole question revolves around a vent and the mechanical impulse of the lungs. Not the brain. Even though the brain is where the measuring takes place, it is the major organs that are being measured. If there is medical brain death without apnea, than I am completely wrong.This thread came up on a google search. These days are loooong gone! Let them mock the mechitza, it is not going anywhere. Where is the kefira in not; or the slightest obligation to defend Orthodoxy? I would have said, “that’s great! Bring her to my shul, and I’ll find a place for you to sit with her!” It is not a jewish thing to worry about theology. Just look at how few of you are willing to back up your own theologies.
Dear Ubiquitin,
Please enlighten me. From what I understood, medical ethicists sounded the alarm in the early 1960’s that modern medicine may be able to declare a death based on lack of brain activity alone. (Without major organ failure.) By the mid 1970s experts concluded that this was purely hypothetical, and has no standing in scientific reality. Today every brain death protocol gives heart and lung failure as criteria for brain death.Dear Just,
Until our poskim become Sanhedrin sitting in the hewn chamber, at best we are shogeg. Which translates to mistaken. 1) Where did Hashem say anything in regards to poskim? There mitzvah of limud hatorah applies double to the applications of the Torah. 2) Did we ask our poskim? Or due to a total lack of straight-forward thinking before and during this crisis, some of us focused on minyanim as the only topic of debate. The Rabbonim acting on the available medical information, are doing what they can to control those that cannot take responsibility for themselves. 3) What do we have to lose? I thought the only reason to attempt porch minyanim was the dire need for the koach of T’fillah B’tzibbur.Dear Common,
He will win. There is no reason to bring the case. Maybe a wise judge will deny standing.Dear Ovadia,
From what I met , there are unique and very intelligent yungerliet there. Bochurim too. But it is not a requirement. They leave you alone, you can think what you want or not at all. Rabbi Drillman and Rabbi Feldman moved to Lakewood. I think Rabbi Drillman commutes for the week.Dear Joseph,
Can you list a source for that? Or just tell us any random five hospitals.If a reporter sends you an e-mail and you do not investigate, you will end up in the news and lose your job.
Dear Joseph,
My understanding of the issue is, that the question was brought up among the Oilam HaTorah when it was a mere hypothetical. Modern medicine went on to all but conclude that brain death does not exist. Yet, it remained a somewhat serious halachic debate. I think Rav Bleich’s sefer finally put it to rest.Dear Rabbi,
I think calling kollelim a system, demeans them. At that point Yeshivaliet are free to grow any way they choose. I understand your thinking on kollelim to be democratic, that it is about the group growing and learning together. At this point in life, the Ben Torah has the tools to make unique contributions to the Oilam HaTorah. One should not be stifled because his chavrusa, rosh kollel, or everyone in the kollel disagrees with him.I think you may have missed my earlier complaint. If one reaches kollel, and still needs to be held by the hand to find their way around the beis medrash, they are probably better off in the outside world. They could learn how to guide themselves, and then return to the beis medrash.
I copied what i said before on this chat.
“I do not give two hoots for the Zionism, anti-Zionist debate. But this conversation makes clear what anti-Zionism is about.”
We could remember soldiers for the very fact that they do battle for the safety of those that will belittle their sacrifice.
I think Rav Shlomo Zalman and every other Gadol could approve of that.
Dear Just,
Is it possible that we can form a minyan based on a kula, but in Shamayim it does not have the effect of tefilla b’tzibbur?I wonder if the reporter did it on purpose.
Dear Reb Eliezer,
It looks like the journalist is getting a really good story. I wonder if he set the doctor up.Dear Akuperma,
We do not have herd immunity for the flu, even though we have been exposed to influenza pandemics for over 500 years. The leading drug for covid is remdesivir. It was designed for Ebola, and proved safe but ineffective. So, the cost of the drug was never covered. Any old drug that gets approved, will be after a very expensive study on it’s effect on coronaviruses. The demand will drive up the price even it turns out to be penicillin. Hydroxychloroquine has seen a major increase and decrease already.Dear Jdf,
The bankruptcy that Wuhan is facing is not because of international trade. (China leverages the currency and interest etc.) It is because a lack of commerce on the local level. People are not acting the same as they were before the virus. Shopping less, traveling less, and so on. No business = no rent = no mortgage = no property = no taxes = no services. It is pretty much an international formula. May Hashem replenish all our losses.Dear Joseph,
Probably because of kovod hatorah.If the discussion is about having a smaller or cheaper event, we know the results. It was attempted for two decades. For people who just go along with things, they call the hall or caterer and go from there. Those who innovate, will. Some will set expensive trends, and some will create better options. All those who need to follow or out do the next person, will only look at those who innovate flamboyant weddings. Though there is a chance that homemade weddings could become popular, in time they would be even more expensive than halls and caterers.
That coma is really bad.
Well it is a good headline “Lack of Kovod HaTorah leads to Brain death.”
Dear Reb,
I read it. It seems like there was an intense experience of true simchah. We still need to figure out what a jewish wedding is like. And, how the Torah looks at marriage. Now is definitely atime to focs on unruly behavior by our funerals. I always wondered why the Rabbonim spoke against hefkerus by chasunos, as opposed to levayos.Dear Old,
People who had a mild case of coronavirus are dead because they tried to take this concoction by themselves. One has to be monitored in a hospital setting.Dear Gadol,
The bleach is unnecessary. This chicken soup could be fatal with out it. And there is no medicinal benefit. There is data to back that up. Still, it is possible that the doctor has a healing touch with his stuff.Dear Haimy,
There are many other factors to consider. Wait ten years. if we still do not know, we can apply for a grant to commission a study.Dear Haimy,
We do not know. But the experts who study it, have some idea. Us not knowing or knowing is irrelevant. It will not be going on forever. Wuhan was under total lockdown for only 76 days. Their economy could recover very slowly now. But if they have another outbreak there, they will be bankrupt. Then they will have no recovery at all.Dear Rabbi,
I am very very very serious. Learning is not democratic. One has to learn according to their capabilities. We cannot afford the kollel for all mentality take over the Torah. If one does not have a chavrusa, or their chavrusa is not up to snuff, it is not an excuse. And for the record, with no system, there are far more limudim available. Even if they are not respected in our system. Of course we would still learn in a beis medrash. Just, those who know why they are there would be the majority. In the past, the world was less complicated. Rabbonim were able to work, minister to their kehillah, and learn what we now call a full day. Why does a disscussion about the value of learning Torah, always come back to finances?Dear Defend,
I was present by an argument on this topic. A yungerman, was espousing a very strong view against Chabad and the Rebbe etc. Then an older and very not opinionated member of our bais medrash passed by. He said he was learning in the Mir in E”Y when the Rebbe got sick. It was a well known story, that some bachurim eagerly told Rav Shach about the Rebbe’s stroke. the R”Y was aghast and immediately began saying Tehillim for him. And, he continued to do so until the Rebbe’s petirah.
The yungerman refused to accept the story. He said he would not even ask people who would know. I knew one person who had been in Ponovizh at the time. He confirmed the story. He added that whenever Rav Shach heard about any yid in pain he would say tehillim. A talmid brought his child to the doctor for a sick visit. Anytime he heard of a car accident. israeli soldiers. He added, that if Rav Shach was in his office, he was probably saying tehillim. Over a year later, I met the yungerman. He had been told the same thing.Dear Just,
The question is what causes what. Does the need for the activity of tefillah b’tzibbur cause the halachic allowance for porch minyanim, or; since this is a viable halachic minyan we activate it to achieve the great result of tefillah b’tzibbur. You seem to have said both. And they could both be true. But only one can be the justification for why we are having these minyanim.
If the only idea is that we need it so that our tefillos should be answered, I disagree. We are answered based on the merits of the tefillah. Creating minyanim solely for the purpose of having the koach of tefillah b’tzibbur is meaningless.We noticed Ebola in 2014 with two deaths total.
There are many legends of nurses having major success fighting illnesses with chicken soup. Just because chicken soup cannot be medically studied, it does not mean that Doctors deny these legends. It for sure does not mean that chicken soup holds more promise than medications.
Dear Rabbi,
I am referring to married men needing direction in what to learn and how to find a good chavrusa and so on. I am not questioning the pre-marriage set up. Once i set out on my own, I need to figure out how to spend my time learning. Otherwise, there are better ways for me to serve Hashem.Dear Common,
Your source is discussing where the Rav is your equal. (Nothing about voiding your own ideas.) In those days, questions were brought to the beis medrash. There was no concept of asking a Rov, until roman persecutions closed our Holy Places.
Taking advice on life issues is definitely recommended, but not from online comments. Do not misunderstand me. I very much would not make decisions alone. The issue was who has the say on porch minyanim. It was brought up eating on Y”K if the Rov says not too. It is known that if there is no Doctor, we rely on the advice of the indivdual who is ill. it does not mention to ask the Rov. The Rov should say to feed the ill whatever they request.Dear Common,
I would tell you to come to yeshiva and see for yourself. well, not these days. Maybe when I’ll be paying my daughter tuition, yeshivos will be about only learning Torah again.Dear Haimy,
There is something called a healing touch. Some doctors have a gift to deliver risky cures, with positive outcomes. Other doctors know they cannot replicate such successes, so they don’t attempt it. Doctor are not line online pundits, that attempt everything that comes across their radars.Dear Syag,
You did not answer. If it is explained to someone that they could die if they fast on Yom Kippur and the Rov tellls them to fast anyways, the Torah forbids them from fasting. The Rambam does not writes to follow the Yad. And Maran did not say to follow the Shulchan Aruch. Rav Moshe z’l even told other Rabbonim, that they do not have to listen to him in regard to eiruvin.Dear Rabbi,
If someone is married and on their own, they do not need anything in place to sit and learn. When it is your greatest value, you just do it. The yungerliet that survived Europe, sat and learnt for decades, with no systems in place. The RJJ alumni that chose yeshiva over college, assumed they could learn their whole life without kollel. Why would anyone defend kollel as a virtue, without a ‘Torah no matter what’ mindset?It is proper to remember all the soldiers who gave their life, so that we could spend our efforts convincing ourselves of our own opinions.
Everyone is at risk. Most hospitalizations in Wuhan were 64 and under. The problem is communal. It is not about what is better for the individual, even the majority of individuals. We have to stay home to protect the communal interests. Communities -especially ours- are pro life. Therefore, keeping people alive and healthy is tantamount with life itself. Saying that my money comes before someone’s life, is to undercut the meaning of life. Little can be done about the economic impact. Pandemics of this size temporarily disrupt almost all global demand. There is a lot of pain. And humans can only help each other. We cannot ignore it, or make it go away. There has been a major epidemic just about every year this century. A lot of healthcare and science was needed to control and end the majority of them. An opinion will not influence a virus. It takes a lot of data just to start. Relatively little was known about coranaviruses. The major doctors still say ‘I don’t know’ a lot. Why do so many of us here feel like we can answer this question???
May Hashem grant us salvation from all our suffering.
Dear Joseph,
You seem to have strong opinions, but you do not make your points. If we have to guess them, we will guess pointless reasons. [Because if we knew solid reasons for your opinions, we would not disagree with you.] Please respond with what your ideas are. And not why you disagree with mine.
1. Davening in shul is primarily a communal function. since ancient times, we make kiddush for everyone in shul. We have chazzaros hashatz for those that do not daven. We Teach the masses. We raise funds, and address the communities needs. Since communal activity has ceased, why would we come to the shul only to daven?
2. What does tefillah b’tzibbur mean to you. What specifically are we missing that we could have?
3. How would a yeshivah with a crowded beis medrash open? Who would take responsibility?
4. Businesses that are not essential will not gain much by being open. Who would go to a hotel, eat out, and so on? People do not have the money for extra shopping, either.
5. The determining factor is if hospitals risk becoming overwhelmed. If that would happen, we would end up in a much stricter lockdown. Would you take the risk?
6. Herd immunity is at least 75% This like a flu, not the measles. Mot people who are exposed, do not become infected. So you think we can get herd immunity within 2 years?
7. Coranaviruses have been known to infect humans for over 50 years. There is still no known immunity. Do you know this to be false?Dear Common,
If your son was done with yeshiva, and his Rebbe said he would grow by moving on, would face pressure from your friends and family to leave him in yeshiva?I could check back when I have girls going through their system. With boys, I see this in my group everyday. Boys are being told to move on or take a break from yeshiva. And their parents cannot overcome the pressure.
Dear Milhouse,
I “managed Shabbos without meat many times”. That is how I discovered what Shabbos is about. Let everyone enjoy their dream wedding. They have my pity. Because learning the Torah’s idea of marriage, is a far greater joy than marrige itself.Dear Joseph,
Thank you!P. S. Sam – I find that very helpful. But Ubiquitin changed my mind.
Send regards to Just!!!!!!!!
Dear Joseph,
Kollel is not a system. Someone who is married, and needs a system to learn all day……….. I am disgusted when my yeshiva friends are surprised to see working men, learning all day on legal holidays. Which leads to my point. If we are talking about to much materialism in kollel life today, then we missed the point. Someone who is learning Torah all day, does not see any merit in extra materialism. Which means that we are not being raised to learn all day. Only to stay in the Beis Medrash. Which is great. We could become the janitors and administrators of the kollel.Dear Syag,
Are you insinuating that the Torah wants us to follow a Rov, instead of looking out for ourselves? If so, please enlighten us. A lot of commenter had to back off their agenda, because they could not make that statement fit their case.Dear Just,
It does not work. There has to be a serious reason to have minyanim. You just dump people into a minyan and claim to have tefillah b’tzibbur. We can’t force Hashem to answer us. Especially, if there is no focus on both davening, and joining the t’zibbur.