Always_Ask_Questions

As Gemora says about whether to say brocha on water – “go and see”. I googled it and there are multiple sites that would seemingly ship HCQ to you. I did not verify whether the feds will stop the shipment.

Ammonia could be used for screening large events: sprinkle it near the main entrance, and then close the doors inside. Everyone who smells it and goes around through the backdoor, is allowed in.

It is in Eruvin and in Chassidus: a long short way that a kid asked about.

In halakha, you have to take care of other person’s sensitivity. You usually can’t say – I did not mean anything bad, it is he who is too sensitive. Online discussions have several extra challenges:

1) you don’t see the person and he does not see you. This also shows in emails between people who know each other. Usually, it is better to pick up the phone than to continue angry emails

2) you don’t know the person and he does not know you, so you make worst assumptions. This is similar also to books, but

3) this is written quickly and 4) we are not authorities that can claim respect l’hathila so many people do not apply l’tzad schut

general advice – if there is misunderstanding, it is not a big deal, both sides should adjust how theu read/write to make it into exchange of ideas rather than a meaningless flame war. If you are not improving in either writing or reading experience, time for self-review and ask someone else to give you an advice.

Hopefully, you’ll develop an ability to express yourself better and to read with more understanding/

I was wrong, court decision was overturn in June 2021

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court decision that concluded that FDNY must allow firefighters with a skin condition an accommodation to have beards. In doing so the court concluded in clear and unambiguous terms… and I quote: “An accommodation is not reasonable within the meaning of the ADA if it is specifically prohibited by a binding safety regulation promulgated by a federal agency.”

Goldilocks > Most of the frum residents of Rockland are pretty upset by the construction going on here.

let’s look halakhically: new construction should not ruin other residents, but can compensate for damage. Presumably, this is what town clerk is doing – developers pays for whatever damage he does to the town (what is it?). Really bad damage I can think of – building houses that will increase crime. Other than that – there will be more traffic? Think of all people who need housing and possibly of people who want to earn money building a house. You have to have a serious reason to limit them.

At the end, those woh feel strongly about this should start their own town, like new Square, and control what they want to do as a community.

Haleivi: A non-Jewish Talmid Chochom? When he converts, we’ll admire and love him

I would presume that “best bochur” already learned at least something. The fact that he is not Jewish will change quickly and he is not going to lose his memory that fast. So, it is clear already that this is going to be a good person. And, add there, those who actually were Jewish and are also bochurim. Obviously, he was there an only fUSSR bochur, otherwise he would have been vetted extensively.

Btw, we just had a series of articles about missionaries living “frum”, so this is not as bad.

So you would rather have this bochur manning Russian Ukrainian border on either side? Let’s say it is 1 in 100, should we not accept 100 immigrants for one Talmid chacham? And note that those 99 will also vote for right wing parties, putting recent party bilbul aside

By1212, Soviets would take a lot of time walking to Berlin without jeeps. I am open to evidence that operation overlord was to stop Stalin taking over Europe. What is it? Available evidence shows that Stalin pressed for the operation to start, and Churchill stalled first because he was afraid of losses and failure, and also tried to bargain for full access to nuclear development with an eye for postwar.

I once was told by a bad teacher in an unworthy subject that I was the worst among those passing the test. I bragged about it but then a friend claimed I am a liar because that was what HE was told! I was vindicated when we reconstructed the timeline of the test day and turned out I tested after him.

Those who lived in places where smoking was popular: can we estimate the timeline: when science showed the danger, when it became widely known, when teshuvos were written, when new smokers declined, when older smokers started quiting

I am concerned about possible hypocrisy when someone is careful NOT to return a lost item to H’sh not to strengthen a rasha or an idol worshipper, which is a worthy consideration, but really a minute effect for most list items. Are you equally concerned about list 10 minutes for learning, a bad word you said to your spouse, time you didn’t spend with your kid – each of these having a larger effect on the world than that lost item

A rosh yeshiva who, in my view, has impeccable manners, told me that he once met a prospective F-I-L who had even more impeccable manners, eating a sandwich with a knife & fork. Given that the shidduch did not happen, I presume that F-I-L was annoyed by the lack of manners of the future RY.

Ubi, apologize, took your words out of context

Ubi: Rambam Gezeila 11:3

Note also that Rambam refers to “reshaim olam”, so the issue seems to be not just avoda zara but maybe those who are hurting Jews or world in general? Not clear what would he say about Muslims.

Also, note as Avira said that S’A is not fully following Rambam here, but modern poskim seem to stress that possibility of Hillul Hashem or a chance for Kiddush Hashem really cover a lot of cases.

What is interesting in this case is that it is clearly not a mitzva of hiddur v. halakha – you can make a wrong decision both returning to an inappropriate person and not returning when appropriate.

> (which the goyim associate with global warming), being next to the ice machine may not be such a bad strategy

You might be sharing this spot with some Swedes enjoying sauna.

In today’s Taanit daf, one is allowed to be immodest and behave like a Talmid chacham in matters where he has a loss – such as not working around 9 Av. So, someone who behaves like a Talmid Chacham (dresses up) in matters where it brings positive attention to him, or do it as part of culture – should not get your preference in shidduch over a guy who is not showing off.

This is not to deny reasons Avira and others bring why it helps community to stay strong by dressing certain way. Just to say, that someone who is erleche and yashar without dressing up is not to be looked down upon.

I think Talmid Chacham has a priority in pidyon also

> my duty to tell you that its ok to show it in your flaw house but NOT on a date

1) if you do it at home, rest assured you’ll do it on the date. Maybe on the 3rd one.

2) Maybe you should demonstrate your manners now in order not to mislead the other side.

Historian, I agree that latest immigrants is a different issue and probably have more non-Jews – same as with Beta Israel, most Jews came first, intermarried and converted later on. There is less of emergency now and should be no excuse of not checking them out. We were talking about large aliya of 1990s – and later conversion (of them and their children)

Avira > why you don’t think it’s important to look different than the non Jews

I acknowledge we have many times when we dressed differently (from midrashim on Mitzraim to medieval Europe), we have cases when Jews apparently got dressed as non-Jews maybe with certain exceptions, such as red color. Both in certain parts of modern Europe, Spain, Sephardim, Italian Jews, Talmudic times. In some cases (Germany) dressing like non-Jews was a sign of assimilation, but not always. We discussed this even for Talmidei Chachamim, kal vehomer for the general community, even if you call the community “bnei torah”.

I listened to (just several minutes) “halakha” class from TorahAnywhere and it is similar in spirit to what Avira said – pointing differences between non-Jews and Jews, and briefly mentioning “kiddush Hashem” issues. I don’t know whether this is a representative class, but I hope those who learn this way understand that this is learning S’A, but not learning halakha l’Maase, without taking into account modern society and sensibilities in terms of Kiddush/Hillul Hashem and other subtleties of halakha.

> No one during the holocaust had a choice

While true in general, there were often choices to be made, although often unclear ones … first, there were choices to try to emigrate before WW2 to Palestine or US. Another example I saw in a book – 2 brothers with families who ran away from German Poland to Soviet in 1939. They were then offered Soviet citizenship “or else”. The one who accepted, stayed there until German came and perished … The one who refused was soon arrested en masse, sent to GULAG, was then recalled by reconstituted Polish Army, was able to make it to Persia and from there to Palestine.