Atah V’chartanu, the bet sans dagesh. Chazzanim should pay attention to detail. B’hatzlachah.

The advice that a niddah should avoid looking at or holding a Sefer Torah is kabbalistic, not halachic. Hence the difference of opinion on this matter.

“…killed his seven year old son. Rav Schwab insisted to the family that they stay happy lekavod Shabbos.”

I imagine that this type of emotional response is possible. It is also inhuman.

1. She is your ex-fiancee, and is no longer part of your life.

2. Don’t manage other people’s lives. Manage your own.

3. Don’t say anything to anyone.

A comprehensive family tree of chassidus is virtually impossible due to the overlap in the past few generations.

However, there is a very useful map starting with the Ba’al Shem Tov, giving a good view of the spreading of chassidus in Europe following the Maggid Dov Ber of Mezritch. It can be found in the book “????? ????????, ?? ????? ????? ????, ??????? ??????? ???? ?????, ??????? 2000? ????

It’s on page 125.

In addition, a well known and very detailed beginning family tree of chassidus (approximately till the mid 1800s)is in the Israel Museum’s exhibit on chassidus. Maybe you can find a link to it online. Hatzlachah.

Dear eman,

Right you are, my typo, it is indeed Hamburger. I have the sefer, and found reading it very interesting and thorough.

Sam2;

Don’t be so quick to admit error. The Rambam died in 1204. R’ Moshe Taku died shortly before, and maybe years before 1234.See Auerbach’s Ba’alei Hatosafot, pages 424-425 where he proves 1234 as the latest possible date of R’ Moshe Taku’s death. According to Auerbach, Wikipedia (1290) is mistaken. I believe Auerbach, maybe the greatest authority on the ba’alei hatosafot. The overlap therefore with the Rambam is significant, and your theory has not been disproven by any means.

The source in the Machzor Vitri may be found in Pirkei Avos, perek 3, mishnah 14. In the Nirenberg edition of Shimon Halevi (Ish) Horowitz , 1923, it can be found on page 514.

It should be remembered that in those times, fierce polemics existed between the Jews and Christians, and often still with the Karaites. Much of what was written was affected by those theological battles. Therefore, it is a mistake to draw conclusions as to apikorsus generally, and who is an apikores individually. Be careful what accusations are made,the apikorsus sword is double edged.

???? ?????? ?????? ???, ??”?, ????? ?”? ??”?

My opinion is that if one normally shaves every day, he must also shave on every day of chol ha’moed.

Sam2: As long as you were expressing halachic opinions, I was able to admire you from a distance. Although I disagree with some of your psakim, given your young age, your halachic knowledge is very impressive, and I think you have great potential. Please keep it up.

That said, your narrowmindedness in defining kedusha and hashkafic opinions on Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael has made me skeptical about you. If you intend to grow into an American halachic technocrat, you’ll be just fine. But if you have greatness in mind, you’ll have to come to Israel and spend some quality and quantity time here. Speak with great people with great minds and listen carefully to them. I’ll point you in the right direction if needed. Your hashkafic and historical knowledge is currently limited and is in serious need of breadth and depth.

I say all this with minor disappointmnt but still with tremendous respect. As an old man, I admire young minds full of love of Torah and kavod habrios. But there’s more to the story than encyclopedic knowledge of modern day psak. I wish you hatzlachah.

I met him 20 years ago. We discussed our family connections and mutual relatives.

I suggest that we replace many of our gedolim with new ones. After all, I have access to pictures of them on the beach with girls, and of their wives with their hair uncovered.

Rav Lichtenstein’s thoughts on any topic are important because when the Godol Hador gives a sichah (not a shmuess, at least to my knowledge that term has never been used in that yeshiva), his words are worth listening to. And yet, Rav Lichtenstein is not the only Rosh Yeshiva, there are others ,they all give sichot and shiurim, and they have varying hashkafos on many issues. One of the distinct features of this yeshiva is that different voices and opinions are heard and respected, some say to a fault. Given, it is not for everyone, but no yeshiva can make that claim. Someone who goes for the quality of learning will not be disappointed. No single person’s hashkafah need affect the learning, and so I think that this discussion of MO is irrelevant.

I didn’t make myself clear before, so I will now.

If you have been in Bet Shemesh, you know that the school is legitimate and legal and the students and their parental escorts pose no moral, spiritual or physical threat to anyone. If you have never been in Bet Shemesh and are not familiar with what and where this school is, then with all due respect, put a lid on it, you are clueless. You sound worse than stupid and you are making a fool of yourself.

The discussion about modern orthodoxy is irrelevant to Yeshivat Har Etzion, located in the village of Alon Shvut in the Gush Etzion area, halfway from Yerushalayim to Hevron.

The Yeshiva is a hesder yeshiva for Israelis, with a contingent of Americans and other foreigners who come to learn for a year, two, or more. There are no secular studies, although there are many shiurim in non-talmudic areas of Torah. Again, the yeshiva is an Israeli yeshiva for Israelis, and not an American yeshiva plunked down in Israel.

While the roshei yeshiva have their own personal hashkafos, the learning is learning in the Litvish tradition, and it is top-notch, period. Therefore the discussion on whether Rav Lichtenstein Shlita, or any of the other three Roshei Yeshiva (not American)are MO is irrelevant.

Whoever studies there has chosen well. Hatzlachah.

The “Otzar Dinim u’Minhagim of Eisenstein explains the history and use of the secular year and why it is permitted, though he does not specifically mention the date of Jan. 1. See page 240, under “Minyan Hashanim”.

In regards to the OP, it should be noted that tragedies occur and always have. Relatively speaking, we the Jews have never had it as good as we do now. It is cause for thanks, and not for anguish.

I respectfully request an explanation regarding not doing melachah as if it’s shabbos. Does this include borrer? Writing two letters? Making a cup of tea without kli shlishi? It makes no sense.

To be fair, I carefully read the Chochmos Adam. He absolutely emphasizes intent, namely , that the issur is when someone says “because he (the goy o.m.)dresses like this, I will dress like this, etc…. The examples he gives are plentiful, and all of them are directly related to a desire to be like the goy, or when the goy demands that the Jew be like him, in which case the issur is stricter.

According to the “nose-ring-is-assur point of view, a bigger problem is with human hair or synthetic sheitels that portend to imitate goyish hairstyles. After all, there can be no real Jewish hair styles for women, they cover their hair! Therefore, all sheitel styles are ipsi facto imitating the goyim and should be assur..

This way of thinking is of course nonsense, as no Jewish woman picks a wig style in order to “look like the goyim”. So too, I see nothing inherent in nose piercing that indicates that a woman who chooses to do so is doing so “to be like the goyim”. Same with almost everything we do, whether it be ear piercing, nose piercing, clothes, makeup, nailpolish or whatever else. It’s all permissible.

Naming has a long history in kabbalah-oriented texts, especially among the chassidei ashkenaz of 800 years ago. As time went on, it accrued more and more mystical significance, especially among the chassidim after the 1700s. In the past few generations, and still today, it has attained the status of mythical, life-defining proportions. In my opinion, this emphasis has been exponentially exaggerated and needs to be put into normal perspective.

It is ok to name a male after a female and a female after a male. One name is ok, two is ok, three is ok, and so on. The name does not determine the future of the child. One should name a child with seichel and consideration for others. Past that, it doesn’t really make a difference.

I haven’t seen a picture of a person dressed as Santa Claus wearing tefillin, nor do I care to. I think it’s in poor taste, but not assur. I have seen a picture of a trail of sibling children from Me’ah She’arim on Purim all dressed as Santa, walking down the main street in that neighborhood. I found that amusing, but also not assur. I am sure they had no clue what they were wearing.

To me it is obvious that hair/dressing/talking like goyim is a dynamic issur that changes its nature and scope depending on time, place and cultural norms and expectations. In my opinion, one has to have real intent to “be like a goy and not like a Jew” in order to transgress. The Chochmas Adam emphasizes the intent here and not a specific action. The principle of the Chochmas Adam applies, but the details have changed. Again I maintain that nowadays one must try very hard to violate this commandment, and this would be quite rare. A nose ring,therefore ,is muttar.

I know more than a few women with nose rings who are married. It’s really not an issue beyond personal taste.

The suggestion to say tachanun (in a place they didn’t) without putting the head down is an elegant way out; I like it, and I do it myself.

Tachanun after dark (or shkiah as per the misnagdim and minhag yerushalayim according to R’ Elyashiv) , according to kabbalistic sources , increases the aspect of “din”, and since nightime is already associated with “din”, the combination is regarded as too much; hence, no tachanun after dark.

A few more points. There are poskim who advise saying tachanun even without a Sefer Torah present, albeit without leaning.

According to many, the Yud Gimel Midos may be said without a minyan, providing they are read as if reading (leining) from the Torah.

I checked it out with a very knowledgable friend who grew up in very chassidishe circles. He laughed when I asked him why Chassidim don’t say tachanun and said it is simply because they finish too late.

I agree that it was silly of me to suggest shkiah as a limiting point for chassidim, they do indeed hold Rabbeinu Tam for the most part, and were never afraid of shkiah. But Wertheim’s book on chassidic minhagim mentions that many chassidim would daven two hours after shkiah, way past Rabbeinu Tam. Since tachanun after dark is a kabbalistic no-no, it seems that there was never enough daylight to say tachanun.

Also, since tachanun has never been a popular chassidic sport (rebbe’s yahrzeits, etc…), it is not surprising that it was totally disregarded at mincha as time went on.

Closing off, my friend was once caught by his father saying tachanun at mincha, and said to him, “What are you doing? Are you a mishigineh?” I rest my case.

P.S. I have not found this phenomenon of skipping tachanun at mincha mentioned in any official halachah sefer or minhag sefer. I’d be happy if someone found a source or at least an official explanation.

Sorry I got here so late, this quote is from a few weeks ago.

“…she also told us that some people have a problem with swimming because the shechinah is resting at the pool…”

I am having a difficult time understanding this, and I am resisting the temptation to ridicule. I’d rather an explanation as to what this means. Please.

On another note,if by any means Sam2 sees this, then please note that this is exactly what I am referring to in another unrelated post.

I have a custom not to reply to individuals, but since you seem to be a very learned young man, and your mentschlichkeit is unusually remarkable for this site, I’ll make an exception.

1. I do not advocate someone foresaking their minhag. However, if someone did not grow up with this minhag, I feel there is no reason to abide by it.

2. The main question in this sugya is whether one needs to have a hatarah in order to change their minhag, as the minhag becomes a neder. This question arises when the minhag is not mi’ikar hadin (that is, some say it is assur al pi din), but it is done for chumra or for prishus and the like.

3. One opinion is that this hatarah must be done. In that case, someone who totally separates fish and meat and wants to stop this practice would need a hatarah. So be it.

3. Another opinion is that if the minhag proves to have been a “ta’us”, no hatarah is necessary.

4. In my opinion, any custom which was thought to have been a sakanah and is now known not to be, can be considered a ta’us and one may decide on his own to stop the practice. Fish and meat would be considered to be in this category. It is not assur al pi din to use the same fork or plate for fish and meat. Rather, it was thought to be a sakanah, but it is not. Mentioning “spiritual sakanos” is a flight of fancy and I don’t consider that suggestion seriously.

In summary, anyone who practices this minhag and is comfortable with it should continue to do so. Anyone who did not practice this minhag need not begin to. Anyone who wants to stop practicing this minhag, or finds themselves in a situation where they cannot, may do so without a hatarah.

I understand the reluctance to stop practicing minhagim even when the original reason is no longer applicable. This attitude is generally a nice way to practice.

Nevertheless, if someone eats meat and gefilte fish from the same plate or with the same fork, I see nothing wrong with this practice. It is not a sakanah, and no research needs to be done. Certainly no more than research must be done to determne whether raisins in corn flakes is a sakanah, or bananas in jello. Let’s give credit to modern medicine, we all abide by its instructives.

The practice of removing all fish related items from the table before bringing meat is an unnecessary exagerration of this no-longer applicable minhag. If it is because “minhag yisrael kadosh”, then by all means do that. But those who do not practice this way are totally in the clear.