Always_Ask_Questions

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  • in reply to: Inflation reduction act #2114604

    RebE I don’t have to read him as I don’t agree with him

    I am stunned hearing this from such a tzadik. I hold the same position regarding Einstein, never agreed with him on anything.. Surely MF heard all bala batishe explanations before doing his Nobel prize winning research.. and note that there is way less inflation in the world after his theories got accepted. I would be interested in your opinion after you read MF. Some of his writings are quite accessible. Not saying that he is always right. He has an early paper comparing two similar sized economies, Hong Kong and Israel. His conclusion was that Chinese capitalism worked better than Israeli socialism. Of course, things changed in the long term,

    in reply to: A I Stone versus Tyrwhitt or Brooks Brothers #2114600

    Don’t buy shirts better than your spelling, it is geniva daas for future mehutonim. That’s a real dilemma

    in reply to: road trip minyanim #2114598

    I sometimes have a minyan near me, 10 minutes by boat.. are there any kulos allowing getting there on shabbos!? A non jew rowing? Having food posted on the other side before shabbos?

    in reply to: Roshei Hayeshiva #2114597

    Common, cultures merge. Someone chashuv wrote already 40 years ago saying that Lakewood is litvishe teachers with Hungarian students.

    in reply to: Ancient religions to Judaism #2114596

    Avraham sent some kids to the East with gifts and -maybe- told them not to eat cows so that Jews have enough

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2114478

    I find it very useful when people put they/them on the resume so that I can toss theirs without having an awkward interview as in this thread

    in reply to: Roshei Hayeshiva #2114477

    It is not always about quantity… 24000 early students of r Akiva were less successful than the later 5.

    I heard a similar story about r Schwab refusing to give kibudim to non shomer shabbos people, majority of the congregation left, but modern Baltimore grew out of remaining small shul.

    in reply to: school memories #2114472

    Menachem, I had nothing to do with this but it is indeed ironic that Shlomo was not able to apply his approach to his own son… I wonder if there are any perushim on this

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2114466

    Jackk, are you claiming that because you were cheating by less than a perutah, we should still consider you an honest person? Unfortunately your claim is not valid because you are cheating again saying you cheated by less of a penny as you were off by 1.6 pennies

    in reply to: Inflation reduction act #2114462

    RebE, and who is your source so that I could review? Or is this your reading of Milton Friedman?

    in reply to: Was Hordus a Jew? #2114055

    MDG, as mentioned above, a Jew always have heirs. If there are no children, you go generation up to children of person’s father and check brothers, then children of grandfather – uncles, then grand-uncles. Thus, everyone has heirs unless someone in the chain is a ger. Then, I believe the property becomes hefker and whoever grabs it, has it. In the case of Hashmonaim, they are kohanim, so there are no gerim there.

    Maybe Cohanim now can join together and claim to themselves the ruins of everything Herod built.

    in reply to: “Frum” female singers on YouTube #2114054

    I aalso lways use quotes around “frum” – because most people are using the word to improperly look down at some undefined mass of observant Jews who “ain’t frum”. To appreciate, I never heard someone who excels in chesed, or tzedoka, or middos be called “frum” because of that, it is usually based on more trivial things, like levush or limiting food choices. As in: “a driver stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road, I did not know he is so frum”

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2114053

    We have halakha that your local poor come first with concentric cirlces of increase of “local”, with EY adding priority. Many people say that their place of birth and yeshiva are their “locals”. But, this is of course, presuming have some credibility. I don’t use levush to jusge people either way – nor presuming that they must be tzadikkim if they dress like some T’Ch or judging them to be presumptuous for daring to dress like the Rov. But you can usually see middos by how people talk and act.

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2114052

    jackk, thanks for sharing. I felt so down for the guy thinking that the only positive thing going his way were covid tests ..

    in reply to: Inflation reduction act #2114045

    There is one and only one basic cause of inflation: too high a rate of growth in the quantity of money

    Milton Friedman

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113917

    You are a trustee fór the poor and should treat their money at least as careful as yours, maybe more. Shmuel’s father would keep money hidden in 3 layers, 2 of his and the middle of yotomim, protecting them on both sides – from genavim and from water.

    And it is easy to spend their money more efficient than your own, as there’s so much need … If you are buying house for yourself, you are limited to a neighborhood and your family members preferences. If you are looking to buy a house for poor people, you can invest where you can find a good property. If ny is overpriced, buy in Lakewood. If poor in Lakewood are getting free government food, buy food for poor in Florida. If you meet a person looking for help with a wedding, but looks suspicious, go to a gemach and find a worthy recipient. A possible argument against would be that Hashem sends you a mitzvah and you should do that rather than looking for a better one. So a need in front of you should have preference over slightly higher need in another place, as halakha says

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113764

    Dofi, great argument. Ujm, punishment is right in the Mishna – poverty and inability to give tzedoka

    in reply to: I don’t like Donald Trump, but… #2113762

    GH, you mention specific declassification regulations, my Dershowitzian argument is that president can use his own procedure. The only problem would be if he were to take anything after 1200 on the inauguration day or maybe after the new guy takes a shvuye. I think a ganav acquires movables when he picks it up with the intent to take it even while still on property of the baal habait. In this case, T was still baal habait lavan when he picked them up and had declassification powers.

    Again, if he were to sneak in later while new guy was sleeping at the wheel as usual, T would be hayav. I am sure this is discussed in halochos of renting real estate somewhere

    in reply to: The GOP: 1854-2007? #2113699

    AAQ> , but I think Dems attempts to federalize it as well as other issues will help here.

    Today’s FBI raid proves this point reviving Hillary and Hunter for elections. a great point, AAQ.

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2113698

    jackk, thanks for starting posting correct numbers.

    inflation in real life: I stopped by a retail non-Jewish grocery store (usually as all Jews I “don’t buy retail”), tried to pick up a 1.5 lb pack of chicken from the usual place, but the bottom park of the pack fell off! Turns out, they now sell thinner packages with 0.8 lb per pack… When I jokingly mentioned this shrinkage to the store employee, he claimed to “know nothing” about it. Next they’ll rename “chicken thighs” into “chicken thigh”.

    in reply to: Was Hordus a Jew? #2113696

    again, Antipater was the slave in question and he was not a king, but a powerful king-maker. There was no reason for him to fail given his political talents, so surely his owners had yiush.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113694

    common,
    as I understand old-days halakha, baaley tzedokah were responsible for checking out the recipients. So, this mishna may presume common practice (and seychel!).

    Maybe, there is more leeway if you give your own money. Still, a more detailed reference will be needed to make a decision.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113693

    > “Get a job!” yelled the rav,

    I actually observed the Rav always calmly getting a thick pile of money out of his table and giving to them, while I was hesitating (in deserving cases, he might announce who it is and why).

    I then asked whether to give in suspicious cases. He answered “give a dollar”. So, I don’t need to wonder any more how is a Rav in possession of such think pile of funds – these are all single dollars prepared for such cases.

    So, the halakha seems to be – do not over-indulge, but do not offend either.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113691

    Avram, re:educational system. Note that Bava Basra directly relates to the age of schooling. At least one of the methods tried during that period was to start at teen ages (and the result was that they did not listen to parents). So, they were not following Pirkei Avot. Maybe not surprising – avot misha is either by Yehuda b’ Tema or Shmuel HaKatan, both late tannaim who seemingly lived after the school experiments.

    I accept a possibility, as you say, that avot advice may be normative and BM2 period was an exceptional period. But so are other periods, especially current one. Modernity uprooted so much and created so many opportunities – including our capability to measure results. So, I would say Bava Basra experimental approach is so relevant.

    Also, Ketubot 50 discusses ages and seems to suggest that 6 and then 10 or even 12 are _earliest_ ages to teach, that is, one should not force a younger kid. This is discussed in Usha, so it is post-BM2 when things got even worse …

    He could have easily found a way to dismiss her without showing his attitude …

    As Berdichever would say – look Eibishte how honest are your children, they’ll risk a lawsuit but will not lie! Hopefully, after this story, more nashei hayil from Bnei Brak will get jobs at Ichilov and Tel-Avivians
    will start changing their attitudes when they encounter these nurses.

    in reply to: Roshei Hayeshiva #2113689

    Avira > rather a university which has a judaic studies program.

    I don’t think this is how they see themselves. I heard one of their leaders saying, not sure how seriously, that they fashioned one of their advance learning programs as an Masters degree to placate parents and so that law schools do not ask question – what did you do for these 2 years?!

    As 1 says, other yeshivos also give transcripts. YU happens to on a more expensive side and a more advanced program.

    in reply to: I don’t like Donald Trump, but… #2113688

    Well, previous surveillance warrants against Trump’s people are now known to be deeply flawed. But then they expected those warrants to stay in secret court. So, hopefully, this one was more legit.

    I presume when Dershowitz will be defending Trump, he will use a Talmudic argument: as President can declassify any document, then any document he took with him are by definition declassified, as him taking the documents shows his intent to declassify.

    But for those who are wondering what is in those 10 boxes, you came to the right place! Last time I was at Trump place, I had a chance to peak into his safe while he was distracted pouring liquor. So, here is a list of what was in the safe:
    – love letters from Dear Leader
    – Hillary’s emails, neatly wiped, in a big envelope with return address: Kremlin
    – Hunter’s memo on how to fight corruption in Ukraine
    – password to twitter account
    – wedding pictures, several separate envelopes
    – Obama’s letter to the new President, pleading with him not to lose to Biden
    – Presidential seal with a note to give it to Biden in case Biden remembers he needs it

    in reply to: Was Hordus a Jew? #2113283

    Chaylev,
    this is an interesting tosfos, but historically speaking Yidden at the time did not learn tosfos, But the logic is relevant: one might assume that the owners gave hope already for Antipater, who might have been haughtly inside, but politically astute – stayed in the secondary position. Even Herod himself was very sensitive politically – he did things for Jews and for Romans, so we are talking about owners not being despaired about like fifty years. Imagine if Qaddafi were your slave – do you think you would not have an yiush for 40+ years he was in power?

    in reply to: The GOP: 1854-2007? #2113265

    Roe is a result of decades of conservative efforts, and culminating thanks to focus and cooperation between Trump and McConnell, despite all odds. Disregard immediate confusion and media outrages, the issue will move into state politics and courts and will play out itself accordingly. Roe v Wade in Google Trends web search spiked on June 27 and was back to nothing one week later. Possible danger is that conservatives who were motivated by Roe v Wade will now stop coming to vote, but I think Dems attempts to federalize it as well as other issues will help here.

    There was an influential paper published about 2000 explaining how Hispanics are growing and will make this country fully Democratic in 20 years. 20 years passed and, gasp, Hispanics are voting R-

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2113260

    jackk,> Current gas prices. Florida 3.76 National 4.05

    I hope you have an innocent explanation but your numbers copied from AAA site are off:
    Florida 3.776 National 4.059 or rounded as you did: 3.78 and 4.06
    numbers are updated daily and show “down” trend, so even they were updated between your and my posts, they were higher before.

    Can’t trust a dem even on a penny … now do you understand why people are checking silverware when dems distribute hundreds of billions of dollars

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2113261

    jackk > I doubt anyone is going to vote Republican, who isn’t already a Republican, due to inflation.

    I don’t think you appreciate how inflation affects majority of people., outside of your affluent circle. Inflation is very regressive, it hits people who spend most of their income on necessities and do not have assets that appreciate, like housing and stocks.

    Also, at the higher end, you will mostly notice (or not notice) decreasing quality of the things you buy. At the lower end, there is nothing to cut already, except raising prices.

    in reply to: GAS PRICES #2113225

    jackk, if I understand correctly, you point of posting prices is to show that they’ll be down soon and everything will be dandy by election day. I don’t think this will work – people just spend their vacation travelling during summer and they’ll remember that. Also, inflation is cumulative – prices went up and slowing down of further rate will not help people pay for groceries that increased in price.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113224

    > homeowners typically pay out $100,000-$200,000 in interest, and much of the interest is paid early in the life of the loan, which slows building the equity

    I think this is bad math. It does not matter in a long-term, when you pay just interest or principal. There is cost of capital that you pay as interest and you are paying it regardless. You are only losing when buying/selling often due to closing and related costs. So, it is often a good idea to buy house early in marriage. In olden times, Rambam recommended buying house before marriage, but in our times, you got to be ready that the bridge will not like the neighborhood, or the view from the windows, so you’ll need to move anyways.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113222

    Maybe a machlokes between Avram and CTLawyer may be explained by their surroundings. Avram gets more in-town poshute shnorrers who are trying to help their offspring. Ctlawyer may be getting more organized ones that travel between towns having lists of shuls, wealthy people, with netflix-type reviews from the previous visitors. The latter may either belong to organizations or be not-fully-vetted types.

    netflix: a friend with a local business pointed to me that once he gave a visitor more than usual amount, and the next week visitor insisted on exactly the increased amount.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2113218

    Avram > tannaim are passing down the mesorah

    Avrah, how do you explain Bava Basra 21 that explicitly describes the trial and error process that Tannaim (or earlier) used to come up with a working educational system?

    Maybe we can agree that yes they had a mesorah of what the goals are; that one should try; and one should not be shy of rejecting what does not work; and respect empirical research

    In general, note that some of the classical science was rejecting empirical approach in favor of nice-looking theories. There are a number of places where T’Ch are more empirical than Greeks. I read a paper about it but can’t recall the source right now.

    in reply to: Bein Hametzarim Trivia Question #2113216

    Menachem, agree, I know a haredi Rav who interacts frequently with non-observant Jews and when asked “are you a Zionists”, he answers – “yes, as in ‘hamehazir shechinato l’zion’ “. That is, he does not want to be negative on the idea, just does not support specific implementation.

    in reply to: Waze #2113152

    with radar detector, you are not warning the masses, just yourself. So, if you are driving correctly otherwise, you may hope it will protect you when there is some unfair play from police, such as putting a sudden 30mph sign on a 50mph road and waiting behind the corner. I am not sure it will help you though. His radar should see you same time your radar detector sees his radar. And you will waste your precious mind on anticipating being caught all the time. Much better is to go at a safe legal speed while learning from a tape. Then, when there is a traffic jam, you can say B’H, I can review this sugya for longer!

    in reply to: Inflation reduction act #2113150

    In this bill, the money is brought in and spent, or, more precise, spent and then possibly brought in. I mean, Pres Manchin made us feel better about this – it is 3x lower than the previous idea, and there is even something for mining and oil, I think. But, still if your main idea of raising funds is by spending more on IRS upfront in a hope they find something, this is somewhat desperate. As it is, they send insane notices to validate $0.02 and similar, what will be next.

    Ashkenazim in Northern Europe were not farmers, as Jews were usually not allowed to own land in Europe. So, they lived in dense towns and villages with non-Jews and communal kitchens readily available.

    in reply to: Roshei Hayeshiva #2113147

    +1 to those who nominate gedolim they are NOT following

    in reply to: Was Hordus a Jew? #2113146

    I think Yohanan Hurkanos converted Idumeans, whoever they were at a time, then Alexander Yannai and his brothers before him relied more and more on Idumeans for military support. Alexander also conquered and converted Greek cities in Yehuda and and Transjordan. Note that we have kosher converts at that time, not all were fake (Shemaya, Avtalyon). Alexander made Antipater, Herod’s father, a governor. Antipater played an intermediate when Alexander’s sons, Aristobolus and Hyrcanus, invited Pompey to resolve their competing claims to malchut. Antipater was mostly in charge with Hyrcanus being nominally a king (source: Berel Wein’s book).

    Does the fact that Rabbis criticized these conversions made them invalid? Were they treated as sofek as Samaritans? Anyone has sources for that? Bava Basra seems to treat him as ben eved, that would make him disqualified for malchut.

    in reply to: Liz Cheney for President #2113126

    moishe, step back for a second, and read some moderate Republicans, some of them like Trump as much as you do. Still, vast majority of them acknowledge that most of his policies were very effective. Some reasonable Dems also acknowledge that, even if they sometimes disagree with them. Note that some of these policies were achieved using “non-orthodox” approaches disregarding conventional advice. Furthermore, same and more people now see that people who criticized him are all hat and no cattle. For example, those who accused him of failing on covid policies because he tried to look macho, now do the same thing themselves and did not achieve as much as he did. same goes for ME policies, Russia, China, employment, etc. So, the question then becomes whether it is possible to find someone who will be as strong on results and with less personal negatives? Lots of Republicans are now talking like T trying to take that role, but, in my opinion, they are more likely to replicate negatives but not positives. I would say that people who were part of Trump’s team or supported his activities in some way (not necessarily all) have track record, such as Pompeo, Pence, Kushner, Mnuchin, Bolton. First two are also electable.

    in reply to: Waze #2112927

    As a little girl in Driving said to r Yehoshua when he tried following a path through a property: gazlanim like you made the path. Same for Waze spotting

    in reply to: Waze #2112921

    If someone here actually puts police locations into Waze or just pressing “no there”. I suggest asking a shaila, it may be lifnei ever or preventing police from catching mazikim

    in reply to: Waze #2112917

    Gadol, thanks for the update. I’ve been part of us-israeli joint projects and it ain’t easy

    in reply to: Waze #2112846

    while both belong to google, their system do not seem to sync. I think, Waze is more personalized and inventive: it will use your speed and try to schedule you going side (sometimes crazy) routes in an effort to save 60 seconds. Also, developed in Israel. I don’t know whether team is still there.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2112796

    When the Chatan was 18, how old was the kalah? 12? 14? From the biological point of view, this would maximize number of children better than having a 18yo chatan. Obviously we don’t do that, that means we value other factors in the marriage not just number of offspring.

    in reply to: Waze #2112792

    Indicating a hazard in Waze may save lives, but how is indicating a cop does!? You are helping someone who is driving dangerously to avoid being caught. Maybe putting a cop signal every couple of miles would really help. In fact, the best would be to put this signal in front of your own driving route.

    in reply to: The process of asking for money for a wedding #2112706

    Gadol, I presume that Mishna gives ages that would work for an average person, taking into account experience of that time. In a related example, bava basra lists multiple ways to educate kids- by parents, kohanim in yerushalaim, at regional centers, and for each explains why it didn’t work: not all parents were good teachers, too far to drive, teenagers wouldn’t listen, until coming up with the system that worked: local Rebbes in every town. It is mefurash here they didn’t have some magical wisdom what to do, they tried different systems, it took many years until Yehoshua Ben Gamla came up with the right solution . Dame thing with marriage: they saw marriages at 14 fail, and men at 20 doing wrong things so 18 it was
    Bavel was already different, where young man could marry and go learn after that away from family, different from EY

    in reply to: “Frum” female singers on YouTube #2112566

    To merge several topics – is it OK for an addicted person to collect money for youtube subscription? or netflix?

Viewing 50 posts - 4,401 through 4,450 (of 8,537 total)