WolfishMusings

I understood ICOT to mean that he thinks public opinion would be the determining factor. I disputed that. If I misunderstood ICOT, then I apologize.

Nope, I misunderstood you. I was mistaken as to whom you were responding to.

That’s why I generally either include a quote in my response, or I address the poster by name.

The Wolf

Wolf: I hadn’t seen you in a while. I thought you were burning already.

No doubt I will for the sin of helping my niece with her regents.

The Wolf

Where did the expression come from and what does it mean?

Google is your friend.

http://bit.ly/KFaXOp

The Wolf

(MODS: I know you normally don’t allow links, but I feel this deserves an exception.)

My niece took it today. I’ve been tutoring her for it.

(Yes, I know that by talking or otherwise interacting to my niece I am a horrible person who purposely disregards the boundaries of tznius and taharas hamachaneh.)

The Wolf

why not?

Why should I?

“Why not” is not enough of a reason to do it. I don’t do everything by default and then weed out what I shouldn’t do. I start with I won’t do and then add things I should and/or want to do.

The Wolf

I allow everyone (kids and adults) to sit before I do at a kiddush, se’uda shlishis, etc. I sit only once I’ve determined that there is a seat for anyone and everyone else who wants one, regardless of age, level of learning, communal position, etc.

and

“before Moshiach comes……. Zekeinim (old people) will stand Mipnei(Because of) Kitanim (Children under 13)

I’m glad that I’m doing my part to bring Moshiach.

The Wolf

I dont want to box you into a corner, but again, your statement that, “it’s a matter of practicality” is a bit shallow.

So, I’m shallow. That’s probably the nicest thing you* can say about me.

The Wolf

* I don’t mean “you” personally — I mean “anyone.”

I believe a far bigger determinant of how a child will treat his elders when he grows up is how he sees his parents treat *their* parents and elders.

The Wolf

What kind of statement is that in that if you are not going to eat OU, you will not have a lot to eat?

It’s a statement of practicality.

I expect that if the OP feels that the OU is unreliable, he should not only not eat OU products, but not eat anything/anywhere that relies on OU ingredients. This includes just about every restaurant and other kosher eating establishment in the US, as well as many food manufacturers whose mashgichim provide them with a list of approved products to use (most of which are probably OU certified).

If the OP truly feels this way, I expect him to do due diligence into every product before he buys it to determine if it contains any OU-supervised products. I also expect him to ensure before he goes anywhere to eat that they do not allow any OU products in their kitchens.

Good luck.

The Wolf

How about a recall?

My guess would be that the OU does not have the power to demand a recall.

In any event, if you’re going to avoid the OU, then you’ll have very few options to eat. The OU not only supervises OU foods and establishments (obviously), but is used by many, many other hechsheirim (both in manufacturing of foods and eateries) for ingredients and such.

just with basar b’chalav?

Oh, please. This is not a case of basar b’chalav — it’s not as if the chips themselves were cooked with meat — they’re still 100% kosher. In addition, very few, if any people, are going to cook their potato chips with meat.

The Wolf

She can’t decide that when they are getting divorced. She would have had to state that when they were first married.

Actually, she can decide that at any point in her marriage. However, it does not work retroactively, so deciding on it at the divorce is pointless.

The Wolf

If you Mesader Kidushin insists on it, move onto another Mesader Kiddushin.

Mine insisted on one. It’s called a Kesubah.

Yeah, I know… I’m a miserable filthy kofer so what does it matter what I do?

The Wolf

What do you think of a prenup in frum marriages?

Considering the fact that the Kesubah itself is a prenuptial agreement and, in previous times, it could be altered as either party saw fit with conditions (provided the minimum amount was provided for), I’d say there’s pretty solid grounds to say that they’re okay (provided, of course, they conform to Halacha in general).

The Wolf

Wolf -you just fell into this guy’s Farfrumta Kruma trap.

WADR, I disagree. I just took the opposite approach.

His approach is “one (wrong) look at the internet and you’re damaged for life.”

My rejoined to that is “maybe, but if so, then that applies for every aveirah. So don’t get so worked up over the internet since we *all* sin and therefore are *all* “damaged.”

It’s simply a variation of the “if everyone’s special then no one is” line of thought.

The Wolf

Probably your biggest sin is disregarding the fifth chelek of shulchan oruch.

I wouldn’t say that that’s the biggest sin I’ve done. However, I’ll admit to occasionally having a lack of common sense — just like everyone else.

The Wolf

But the stain on his neshamah remains.

And guess what? That applies to *every* sin.

I’ve done things that I regret my life. Things I regret very deeply. In those cases, I have long since apologized and the people involved have forgiven me many, many years ago. I have long done teshuva for those sins. And you know what? It still affects me to this day. I *still* think about the things I’ve done to them and feel guilty about it whenever it comes to mind. In other words, while the slate may (or may not) be clean in Heaven, *I* still feel it — because it means something to me all these years later.

If you commit any sin — it doesn’t matter which one — eat treif, commit murder, wear sha’atenz, insult a fellow human being, steal, not hear the megillah on Purim — take your pick — if that mitzvah truly means enough to you, you may never truly get over it. Your soul may always be burdened with the guilt of what you’ve done — even if God Himself has wiped it clean off of His books.

So, unless you’re a perfect human being who never sins, or unless sins mean so little to you that you can simply forget them, you’re argument regarding the internet is pointless — it applies to any and all sins.

The Wolf

I have never heard of any minhag to NOT have cheesecake on Channukah. Can you please state the source of this minhag?

The Wolf

Since last week there is a prominent sign posted in Rav Lieff shlita’s shul (the Agudah where the Flatbush Asifa will take place) with the above Psak Halacha (with those two words in big bold letters) of, and signed by, Hagaon Haadir Posek Hador Ba’al Shevet Halevi HaRav Shmuel Wosner shlit”a.

I was just there and saw no such sign. Perhaps it’s because I am a disgusting, miserable excuse for a human being and therefore items of kedusha (such as that sign) are invisible to me. But in any event, I saw no such sign — and I checked all the bulletin boards and walls.

The Wolf