Comments on: Rabbi Lookstein Prays for Obama at Inauguration Events

By: iggy9718

iggy9718 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:14:31 +0000

i would like to remind everybody all the rabannim assured going on the internet so before you criticize someone make sure your not doing anything wrong

By: squeak

squeak — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:20:34 +0000

#30, I know of the psak you are referring to, and I know which church you had to go to to vote (sorry you weren’t in the Moeller Hall district). But don’t generalize beyond what was paskened. You were allowed to go to the church to vote. Don’t add to that. One may not benefit or APPEAR to benefit from the Church or its grounds. I know of another psak that allowed one to use a porta-bathroom on church grounds but not to go inside to use one, because of appearances.

By: veryinteresting

veryinteresting — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:14:30 +0000

It is not becoming of the writer of this article to make a distinction of “modern orthodox” to imply we all know that “real” orthodox person would not want to be a well wisher for the President of the United States unless he were a republican goy.

By:

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:45:34 +0000

@Thinking out loud,

I posted a link to a website where you can listen to Rav Gifter’s shiur, but for some reason it didn’t make it through the moderators. Just google the following: “diversity in orthodoxy” gifter

@IsraeliYid,

It was a prayer service not a prayer breakfast, held at the Washington National Cathedral.

By: proud of KAJ WH TIDE

proud of KAJ WH TIDE — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:56:50 +0000

All of the above are correct. The issur is not on the building itself,one may go in for voting if that is where the polling place is,but NOT in the ‘sanctuary’ itself. We do NOT daven/pray for the person,but for the institution,the government,not thr governing person .but the Presidency.Joining a group of non-Torah people in prayer
or organizations has been assered by our gedolim/rabbonim.

By: Matisyohu28

Matisyohu28 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:01:40 +0000

Even if it was not in the sanctuary(there is a shita, a very widely-used one, which would only asser going to the sanctuary itself), this would be assur for many reasons – hischabrus im reshoyim comes to mind, as well as making it seem like judaism is just another religion to be lumped into one pile of dogma with other ‘faiths’(read: avodah zara), indistinguishable from the latter – showing solidarity, or cooperation with frei groups like reform and their ilk is assur, kal vechomer avodah zara like hinduism(which actually is worshipping etzem idols) – I dont know what this rabbi was thinking, but whatever his cavana was, this was surely wrong. We dont have to judge him lechaf zchus or chov – dont judge him at all, just judge the actions – it was assur, no need to get into his personality or the like.

By: Thinking out loud

Thinking out loud — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:43:36 +0000

Thank you SCES for at least providing some (albeit minimal) information as to what #23, Anonymous was thinking (to himself).

It is important to say what you mean, in order to prevent a chillul Hashem. When one takes on a public issue, they can not afford to be vague, and leave room for all kinds of misunderstanding.

A difference of opinion, a machlokes l’shem shamayim, or a Ta’us B’cheshbon are all possibilities.

Lifnai Iver Lo Sitain Michshol!

By: ir

ir — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:37:53 +0000

It was about 25 years ago that Haskal Lookstein was one of the originators of a new strand in the modern orthodoxy world called “centrist” orthodoxy. Just the mere fact that a delineation was created implies that there is a distinction, and that the hashkafas, are not the same.

By: Thinking out loud

Thinking out loud — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:34:22 +0000

#23 Anonymous:

I do not believe that your comment is l’toeles.
I could be wrong… even though I am NOT a Rosh Yeshiva

Please elaborate on what it is you are trying to accomplish by posting that here. Or come up with something that is not a random invitation for people to start raising motzi shem ra due to lack of information.

It appears to me that your comment is a clear violation of hilchos lashon hara… and will cast aspersions on the very gadol you obviously respect.

By: SCES

SCES — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:26:51 +0000

#23 just beat me to it there is a tape intitled diversity of orthodoxy by R’Mordechai Gifter ZT”L in which he takes care of this apikores who wrote an article in the ny times attacking R’Shach ZT”L