WolfishMusings

While I fully agree with the point of the ad (talking during davening and laining is a pet peeve of mine), I’m curious about the bottom line where it states:

“KEEPING QUIET IN SHUL IS A ZECHUS FOR PARNASSAH, SHIDDUCHIM, REFUOS & YESHUOS”

I’m curious how remaining silent in shul is a zechus for these things any more than keeping any other mitzvah.

Or is this just another example of using these as “incentive” to get people to follow the proper path?

The Wolf

I think the ring I gave Eees had “18KT” or “24KT” (or something like that) engraved on the inside. 🙂

The Wolf

I grew up in a home with a smoker — so you’d think I’d be used to it — but I can’t stand the smell. I would have serious considerations about marrying a smoker. Fortunately, Eeees feels the same way that I do about smoking.

The Wolf

1) those who segregate more, if anything, have less of a shidduch problem. Think chassidim.

I’m not sure that you can attribute the “ease” of marriage among chassidim to greater gender separation.

I think it’s far more attributable to the fact that the chosson/kallah have very little input into the process — something that does not apply to the rest of the Jewish world.

However, if you compare like situations (i.e. ones where the chosson and kallah are the primary decision makers and not the parents), I’m not so sure that your rule would apply.

The Wolf

How can there be self-help “groups”?

Because they teach you how to help yourself.

When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

Nothing. Cheeses can’t talk.

why isn’t the number 11 pronounced onety one?

Google “etymology eleven”

The more you study, the more you know. The more you know, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know… so why study?

Because as long as the percentage you forget is less than the percentage that you gain when you study, you’re still ahead of the game.

Otherwise it’s like asking “To make money, I have to go to work, but to get to work, I have to spend money, so why bother working?”

If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

Whatever they want. Just don’t ask what humantarians eat.

If a man with multiple personality disorder threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

No

The Wolf

Most of the time I have a bagel, it’s toasted, buttered and then covered with tuna fish. I guess I’m completely out of the religion.

The Wolf

Actually, I’m quite fat… and I know why. It’s not because I’m slovenly or an undisciplined bum. It’s because I eat too much and don’t exercise enough.

The Wolf

Is the concentration not better when you see the words in front of you? I find myself spacing out when I dont daven from a siddur.

So, for you, strictly davening from the siddur works best. For other people, they may find it easier/better to close their eyes. To each their own.

The Wolf

It take 3/4 of the House and Senate to pass an amendment Then 2/3 of the states must ratify it.

Actually, I believe it’s the other way around. The amendment has to pass Congress by a 2/3 majority and then 3/4 of the state legislatures need to ratify it.

The Wolf

Wolf, why isn’t it logical to differentiate between minor extras and major extras? Again, I’ll take the liberty of making an assumption, but I would guess that you do the same with your discretionary spending. You may add mayonnaise to your tuna, but I doubt you dine in Le Marais daily.

On the contrary, it’s NOT logical to make the distinction. The OP’s position seems to be that it’s wrong to spend money on unnecessary things when it could be applied to other, more beneficial things (i.e. people in tzaros). If so, then *any* discretionary spending is wrong and the only difference between his example and mine is a matter of degree — but the fact remains that they are both wrong. One may be wrong to a larger degree than the other, but they’re both wrong (based on the OP’s premise).

The Wolf

wanderingchana:

Alas, wanderingchana has not posted here in over a year.

The Wolf

This term is only a reference to a woman whose husband is lost with his whereabouts unknown. Not the politicized definition it has been used in recent times by some folks.

Words change meaning over time and sometimes a word that meant something in one context can mean something else in another context.

Or, let’s put it this way…

Does it bother you when people refer to the braided bread we eat on Shabbos as “challah?” After all, we all know that challah is *really* the dough given to the Kohen.

The wolf

As an aside, OP, why did it take you 3.5 years to finally post something? 🙂

The Wolf

No one can point a finger at me. I go up for a few shabbosim to my in law’s bungalow

The OP can. Do you spend money on gas to go up? Or on a train or bus ticket? If so, the OP’s complaint to you is just as valid. The only difference in your case is the degree of spending — but the fact remains that the OP would probably tell you to give the money you would otherwise spend on gas/bus/train etc. to those who “have so many tzaros ?”

The Wolf

I suppose the OP would also object to the $5 a day that I spend on the subway. What right to I have to squander that money when I am perfectly capable of walking to work? Granted, it’s about four hours each way, but why should my luxury and time-saving take precedence over the tzaros of so many other yidden?

The Wolf

My own interpretation — take it or leave it as you please:

The Israelite would soon leave the place where Korach, Dassan and Aviram were buried and could soon be forgotten. The staff, however, served as a permanent reminder.

The Wolf

Yes, Sam, that’s *exactly* what I was trying to say. Thank you.

Although why it’s acceptable when you say it and not when I say it is puzzling to me.

The Wolf

For rebuking him unnecessarily.

Despite the fact that I did so above, I normally don’t. Feel free to rebuke me for anything, real or imagined.

The Wolf

I’ve seen those flyers in shuls around here as well.

Talking during davening is one of my pet peeves. It bugs me to no end when people do it. Yes, I have plenty of things that I’m guilty of, but other than a quick “excuse me” (if I need to someone to move) or “sorry” (if I bump into someone) or something like that, I don’t talk during davening.

On the other hand, I don’t rebuke anyone for doing so either. I remember one time that I did do so and I immediately felt terrible for doing it. After that, I don’t rebuke anyone for that anymore.

The Wolf

According to the opinion that it was bit by bit (“megillah, megillah nisnah”) Moshe wrote down the Torah from Breishis until Matan Torah right then.

Well, not entirely as we have it today, of course. Even that portion was clearly amended by Moshe at some point before his death.

The Wolf

Why don’t people say amen after ahavas olam before krias shema?

I do.

The Wolf

I mean how did they accurately know at any given point of day what time it was with the nafka mina being shaos zmanios e.g. zman krias shema, plag hamincha etc.

Today, we tend not to take too much notice of astronomical phenomena (unless you have an interest in it). Back in the days before clocks, however, people had a much greater awareness of it. Most people were probably aware of the sun’s path across the sky and could judge just how far along it was at any particular time of the day.

If you know the path the sun is going to take, then it’s no great feat to know when it’s 1/4 of the way there (i.e. 3 hours) or at high noon (chatzos), etc.

Likewise, devices such as sundials could also provide similar information.

The Wolf

one thing thats always bothered me.. why do some holy women spend every spare second saying tehillim.

Ultimately, they do it for the same reason that anyone does anything — they get something out of it.

In this case, they probably receive a sense of spiritual fulfillment and perhaps feel closer to HKBH by doing so.

Why does that bother you?

The Wolf

silly response. Those are your words.

I didn’t really think that was your intention. But it could have been read into your words.

I was suggesting that we celebrate the fact that a person could reach such a high madraiga. Why don’t you complain to RSBY for killing poor innocents? ? Maybe he was chaiyiv misa for what he did? And, how do you know these were people working to support their families? perhaps they just wanted some extra cash ? We obviously do not know the exact meaning of this maasa ( although, of course he was told to stop or there would be no world left). But in my humble opinion it is brought down as a shvach of RSBY.

I humbly disagree. I think the story is both to the merit and detriment of RSBY.

To the merit, he got to spend those years learning with no interruptions. He was miraculously saved and supported for those years. All of those speak to the exceptional merit of RSBY.

However, it’s also true that during those years, he lost sense of the common man. The fact that he saw those who were hard at work supporting their families and putting bread on the table as deserving of death clearly shows that he lost sight of the plight of the common person who could not simply learn full-time and ignore their need for parnassah. He had to be ordered to return to the cave for another year until he was able to again comprehend the common man.

The Wolf

So should those who make bonfires do away with the practice? Should Ashkenazim stop eating latkes on Chanukah? Sefardim stop eating donuts? Should Chabad do away with Yud Tes Kislev? Fabrengens? Should we also do away with dates and pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah, wearing kittels on Seder night and Yom Kippur, making a siyum, drashos before mussaf on Shabbos, etc. because we cannot find them in Chummash?

Where on earth did you get the idea that my goal is to stop any (let alone all) minhagim?

My point was that if the sole reason to light a bonfire on L”B is becuase of the light that was revealed, then surely Shavuous is a better candidate.

The Wolf