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Joseph, you’re correct that Floyd had a criminal past, was arrested for criminal behavior and, it seems, resisted his detainment. However, he was restrained by handcuffs and under the guard of 4 officers. While police have a need to subdue criminals and defend themselves, they also have a resonsibility to maintain a basic level of humanity, which includes prisoners not dying while under their power. Although an initial autopsy has seemed to indicate that Floyd didn’t die of asphysixiation, it seems improbable that his treatment by police didn’t contribute to his demise. That’s the issue – if the police had a hand in his death, to whatever degree, they are thusly responsible.
The white protesters are, almost universally, young people. They’re the product of an overly indulgent society, where personal responsibility is not the ideal, self-gratification is. Add to that the fact that popular culture has been heavily influenced by black liberation ideology and you have your answer.
It most likely depends on the circumstances – for some it can be a relief, for others a hardship.
CTLAWYER, it’s disappointing that you would cloud the issue. While the groups you cite were, indeed, anti-fascist forces, the group today commonly known as ANTIFA (often in all caps, sometimes ‘Antifa’) has nothing to do with WWII forces of freedom. To conflate the two – by saying “these [WWII forces] were the true ANTIFA…” – is, in my judgement, a severe disservice to the former. Today’s ANTIFA are at best practitioners of societal mayhem. The wordplay in your post accords them a shred of decency, which is highly unwarranted.
I object on principle that there are two someones, but zei g’bentsched.
As of now, 38 children in NYC are infected with a suspected COVID-19 related “pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome” with 9 further potential cases under investigation. So, it’s a bit cavalier to say confining them makes no sense. There is a clear risk. This might start the argument about statistics and how many are really at risk, but if you’re asked to look one of their parents in the eye and tell them that the risk was acceptable, expect some backlash.
n0mesorah, you’re quite mistaken. As before, your username says it all.
It is utterly inconsistent with Torah to espouse political views that are found on the modern political left. If one is such, or if he argues the point, by definition he is estranged from a true comprehension of the Torah.
Being “funny”, depending on what exactly is meant, can also mean a basic lack of seriousness, which is characteristic of being young. If you mean you were once frivolous and silly, you’ve lost nothing and gained maturity and sobriety.
To dismiss the bio-weapon theory out-of-hand is to be blind to the reality of the CCP. They are horrendously evil, at least equal to the Soviet Union in their monstrosity. They’re amoral and quite capable of anything. Human life is meaningless to them, so, unless you have inside knowledge of CCP policy, I’d be less quick to exonerate them.
Regarding the specific, Epoch Times video, presumably you’re voicing the concern that they’re funded by an anti-CCP group. While that’s certainly true, that doesn’t automatically mean the journalism in question is therefore biased and/or inaccurate. I suggest looking at the documentary and deciding for yourself. In my opinion, it’s both professional and well-researched.
Regarding #1, that this could have been a bio-weapon, it’s well-established that the Wuhan Instituite of Virology is under the auspices of the Chinese military. While this virus may not be a complete bio-weapon, it may not be natural. Although both Western intelligence and scientists have said this is a naturally occurring virus, there is some evidence that it’s not. Watch Joshua Phillips’, of the Epoch Times, documentary on the virus’ origins for investigation of this point; it can be found on youtube. Whether this was or wasn’t part of a Chinese bio-weapons program, it seems obvious its release was accidental.
My advice, for what it’s worth, is not to wait around. Clearly, this is a challenging time for almost everything, shidduchim included. However, if you come across an opportunity, or if there is some avenue you can pursue, don’t delay it for a second. Go for it and be matzliach!
Coronavirus or no coronavirus, the reality is that shaking hands is inherently unsanitary. Not only that, it may not even be a Yiddishe minhag. It’s something the goyim do and not even all goyim, at that. Look at the way Gedolim and Chassidishe Rebbes greet each other – it’s with minimal hand contact. It may well be that even that is something that is rooted in goyishe culture. Can’t be certain about that, but it’s entirely possible.
If you start to think about all the things you do with your hands, and all the things you touch, you realize hands can be quite unclean. Then, if you start to think about those same things on other people’s hands…it’s unpleasant, to say the least. I began washing my hands as soon as I entered my house years ago, long before today’s troubles. It’s because I realized that the outside world is filthy and was the last thing I wanted to allow into my home. I hadn’t graduated to avoiding handshaking, as it was socially rude, but now, the rules have changed. It’s for the best, I think.
Herd immunity in this case is a fruitless idea without a vaccine. Vaccines are, as you might know, an infusion of the very disease in question. Since there is no vaccine for CoV-2, the only way to achieve herd immunity is for the vast majority to become infected with it, which is a horrendous idea, as it has a high fatality rate. Without a vaccine, the only way forward is to stamp out the contagion through isolating ourselves from it, so that it dies out for lack of hosts.
At the Bris Bain HaBesarim, according to the pesukim, Hashem only said Avraham’s descendents would be strangers for 400 years (in golus, essentially), but not specfically where that would occur. It’s a strange occurrence that some think that means all 400 must be in Mitzrayim. Being a stranger implies one is not in authority or control; this was the condition of all the Avos, the Shvatim, etc., so the 400 figure can easily be understood to begin with Yitzchok’s birth, which was 400 years before the Yetzia. This is Rashi’s (based on Seder Olam) cheshbon and is the one that is simplest and most clear.
Your numbers are a bit out of date. In the US as of 3/13, there are 11,354 infections and 171 fatalities.
My sense of things is this: When Yidden are learning Torah and fulfilling Hashem’s ratzon, we evoke His rachamim and He sends bracha and shalom to the world. For what conceivable reason would He force us to stop learning Torah? There can only be one reason – Hashem, for whatever His purposes are – wants a milchama to occur.
When Yidden learn Torah well, it’s basically impossible for a war to happen. If, however, there must be a war (and it’s not because of our aveiros), then the Yidden need to cease from learning. So what does Hashem do? He selects a rasha nation as a shaliach to inflict a plague (since Hashem will not afflict us directly, as we are not committing unspeakable aveiros) on the world and Torah is forced to cease. When Torah learning ceases, Hashem becomes angry and, in this case, I believe, war will follow.
No, because Hashem brought Adam to Gan Eden after He created him. Our origin is either shamayim, for the neshama, or earth, for the body. One’s view of his true origin will reveal how he perceives himself.
Easy solution: Become a conservative. It’s the political philosophy most closely aligned with Torah.
The description fits more with someone mentally ill. Then there’s your paranoia.
The same sentiments were expressed about Ronald Reagan. While both Reagan and Trump were and are great presidents, it’s better not to idolize them.
UncleMo, spending a year in Eretz Yisroel, particularly immersed in Torah, is incomparable.
I felt the same way when Clinton was in office, that a President’s policies were the only relevant thing. Upon further reflection, it becomes obvious that in a society, every person’s conduct contributes to the atmosphere of the society, leading it further in one direction or another. A President has an outsize influence and his conduct, good or bad, will have that much greater an impact on the climate of society. It’s therefore in everyone’s interest that the President, whoever he is, should conduct himself in a respectable fashion, as his example will influence people. Since morals always tend to degrade over time, proper conduct is of profound importance.
Agreed that chesed usually trumps ruchnius, but this is more a matter of halacha than chesed.
Reb Eliezer – he let Rubashkin out of jail. That’s not embelmetic of someone “without empathy”.
“The prohibition is not having a certificate of marriage .” The Midrash Rabbah says not like you. It clearly states that the reason for the Mabul was that they began to make marriage contracts between men and between men and animals. It’s true delusion to argue for acceptance of toeiva, unless you’re not bothered by the cataclysm that certainly follows in its wake.
“Abortion and toeiva are annoying but aren’t our major problem.” That statement is true regarding abortion, but it’s completely false regarding toeiva. If you learn a lot of Chumash – or study history; just research what they hid from the public about what they found in Pompeii – you come to understand that one of the small number of things that Hashem is highly intolerant of is a breakdown of the moral order. When it goes too far, He steps in and when He does, it isn’t pretty. You can rely on the fact that the toeiva movement is/will be far, far worse for this country – and potentially Israel – than abortion has ever been, if they don’t put a stop to it.
To my mind, the big mistake with these protesters is that they are staging thier protests in the midst of the general public, who have no power or authority and who are just like the protesters – average citizens. The protesters thereby only aggravate and alienate the general public and do little or nothing for their cause. They ought to be protesting at the seat of government – block roads to the Kenesset, go to Netanyahu’s house, as well as every Minister who supports anti-Chareidi measures. That has two effects – it confronts the actual government authorities with the consequences of their actions and it generates support amongst the public, who are always somewhat inclined to resent the governent over some matter or another.
It’s disappointing to see Torah Yidden taking seriously what these days is called “climate change”. It’s nothing but deah acher, produced by human beings who quite simply do not believe in a Creator. Since they adopt that attitude – and since human beings are hard-wired to believe – they are forced to find some other thing to believe in, and this is what’s come out, just like the Eigel Zahav came out of the fire at Sinai.
Perhaps some of you are too young to know or remember, but in the 1970s, science was blaring in the media that a new ice age was approaching. Now they want people to believe that things are going to burn up. These people have no clue. When you dig into much of the research, you start to see falsified data, heavy uncertainty and computer climate models that don’t work and need to be redesigned. It’s all a lie.
Spend your time trying to understand a Gemara sugya or looking deeper into the Chumash. It’s the only thing that matters. Everything else is an illusion, at best, the yetzer hara trying to draw you away from Torah, at worst.
I heard a story once about a bachur in a Satmar yeshiva who did a truly outrageous aveira. It wasn’t specified in the story what he did, but apparently it was very bad. Everyone wanted him thrown out of the yeshiva. They went to Reb Yoel and asked if they should expel him. He said absolutely not – what would become of him if he was cut off from Torah. So he was allowed to stay and, long story short, many years later he’s a fine Yid with a fine family and a pillar of their community.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken a dimmer view of the idea of delaying marriage for any other than a highly compelling reason. In the first place, the mitzvah of p’ru u’r’vu is the first mitzvah in the Torah, which gives it a chashivus unlike any other mitzvah. Delaying any chiuv is a very serious matter and one needs a very good reason to do so, even more so with the Torah’s very first chiuv. Further, in the Mishnah, the age for marriage is 18. Nothing in nature has changed so much since then that it’s no longer applicable. Lastly, in delaying marriages, we run the risk of delaying the growth and responsibility of our children. So, without serious reason, there doesn’t seem to be much good that comes from not getting to the chuppah as quickly as sensibly possible.