Aseh maat ve emor harbeh

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  • in reply to: Jewish Israel #2153297
    in reply to: Jewish Israel #2144115

    A couple questions:

    1) Does the Torah give a Beis Din have the authority to punish people for private behavior, meaning not b’farhesia?

    2) Does the Torah require a beis din to investigate and pass judgment *all* suspected violations of the Torah within its authority (rather than having discretion to enforce where it seems likely to have good results)?

    If the answer to either of these questions is “no”, then it would be incorrect to state that the Torah requires a beis din to force people to be frum.

    in reply to: BLM RIOTS VS. JAN. 6 PROTEST #2097222

    To be clear, I have no love for BLM or Antifa or any of the other thugs, and their actions should not be minimized. But it’s easy to look in retrospect and say that the storming of the capitol was no big deal because only a couple people got killed and the only damage was to public property, when actually we are very lucky that’s all it was. It could easily have been worse, but that outcome was avoided because the capitol police showed restraint against the rioters and got the lawmakers out before they were seriously threatened. History has shown that attacks on centers of government power usually result either in anarchy and violence (Rwanda for example) or in a government crackdown on freedom and consolidation or power (the burning of the Reichstag for example). So while we were lucky in January 2021, I think the potential negative consequences were even worse than those of the BLM riots.

    in reply to: BLM RIOTS VS. JAN. 6 PROTEST #2097163

    Smerel wrote :”Given the choice between the capital riots happening again or the BLM riots happening again I’ll take the capital riots any day.”

    I think you are actually doing the same thing that you (correctly) accuse the liberals of doing, by having a different standard depending on one’s political beliefs. Why do I say that? Because I think if BLM stormed the capitol in January 2017 to prevent Trump’s inauguration, you would agree that it was worse than other riots.

    in reply to: BLM RIOTS VS. JAN. 6 PROTEST #2096619

    Thought experiment: what would have happened if BLM and Antifa rioters had attacked the Capitol in similar fashion?

    in reply to: BLM RIOTS VS. JAN. 6 PROTEST #2096620

    n0mesorah:
    “See the committee for misuse of capitol letters.”

    “Capitol” letters – hahahahaha!
    See the committee for “pun”-ishable offenses.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091783

    Aaq – that’s a good point

    in reply to: Global warming #2091772

    “You don’t know enough about anyone here to be worrying about yeshivos based on their posting.”

    You’re right, actually. I accept that.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091768

    “3. If Torah is eternal and was and continues to be true (which I believe), why do Torah scholars have so much to say about it? Maybe it’s too complicated for me. I am not as smart as I pretend to be.”

    Because eternal and true does not mean simple or easy to grasp. If understanding science requires an inquisitive mind, the Torah all the more so.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091760

    “ujm’s comment confirms that his yeshivah did not do an adequate job teaching science”

    Why do you jump to blame the Yeshivos? Not everyone went to Yeshiva and not everyone who went to Yeshiva took full advantage. And not everyone who learns science gains critical thinking skills to go along with it, and vice versa.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091738

    Yeshivos come in many varieties, but I’m actually more worried about the quality of hashkafa education than the science education in Yeshivos, judging by some of the posts I see here that seem to misinterpret key ideas like Bitachon and hishtadlus and to confuse political concepts with Torah concepts. Before we start worrying about reconciling science with Torah (not reconciling Torah with science, chas v’sholom), let’s first make sure we understand what the Torah actually says.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2091707

    It sound like maybe the religious beliefs caviat is also about protecting women having abortions before 40 days, where there is more room for leniency in halacha, especially since this was in the context of a law banning abortion from the moment of conception.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091373

    Thank you TS, at first it sounded like you were making an argument based on Torah hashkafa, but you clarified that your belief that global warming is sheker is based on your belief that scientists are dishonest and lest trustworthy than their critics, which whether correct or not, is a political judgment that the Torah does not require one to make.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091117

    Ujm, haha you’re so funny. A won’t even try to match your incredible wit.

    in reply to: Global warming #2091098

    TS Baum, what you say is interesting, but it seems to negate the whole concept of hishtadlus. It’s like as if someone said “Hashem gave us tobacco for us to use in our avoidas Hashem and it would be neglectful not to use it this amazing stuff that Hashem gave us, so I’m going to keep smoking five packs a day and Hashem will take care that my lungs stay healthy just like He has my whole life until now.” On the surface it sounds like Bitachon in Hashem but it actually is not at all what the Torah had in mind.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090700

    “we have much bigger issues right now”

    Your right. Like the type of collars people wear on their bekishes. And flavors of cheesecake.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090682

    I realize my original question may have been unclear because I said “concerned” and people may have interpreted that is meaning “worried”. I agree it’s obvious we should never be worried about anything except serving Hashem (easier said than done, of course)

    in reply to: Global warming #2090681

    I’m hearing a lot of very good arguments for why we should not lose sleep over global warming and should focus on Torah and mitzvos. That should be an obvious given. Of course Hashem runs the world so we shouldn’t lose sleep over global warming just like we shouldn’t lose sleep over war or terrorists or earthquakes or elections.or anything else of this world.

    My question was whether there is a reason, aside from politics, that a frum Jew should take a position on the question of whether global warming is real or a hoax.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090609

    N0mesorah, thank you for telling me that you don’t own property in Miami Beach. Now that I know that, I realize I don’t need to be concerned about sea level rise.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090599

    Baum, I hope moshiach comes a lot sooner and /or it is Bubba maises because 15 degrees Celcius = 27 degrees Fahrenheit = 120 degree summer days in NY and growing bananas in Alaska

    in reply to: Global warming #2090593

    UJM, I’m understanding your argument to be that on the one hand you have goyish liberal media telling us that there is a scientific consensus that global warming is real, and on the other hand you have goyish conservative media saying that actually most of those scientists are liberals who are making things up to further their political agenda, and the rest of them are too afraid to say anything because it would ruin their career. And you trust the goyish conservative media more than the goyish liberal media, therefore you have no sofek that global warming is a hoax. Do I have this right?

    in reply to: Global warming #2090424

    “Dorah, it certainly seems that would be a step up from who you currently consult with or follow.”

    *BEDUM-CHINK* Cheap shot alert!

    in reply to: Global warming #2090408

    N0mesorah, why should people be concerned only for 15 years?

    Anyway it looks like the worst case scenario according to scientists would be about 4 degrees celsius average temperature rise by 2100 with average sea levels rising by about 4 feet. Obviously scientists have been wrong about lots of things and hopefully this is one if them, but if you suppose they were right, a 4 feet sea level rise would be bad news for anyone owning property in Miami Beach, Coney Island, or anywhere by the beach. A four degree C rise in temperature is the difference between the average temperatures for New York vs Atlanta, so it would be noticeable.

    Supposing the scientists are right and the worst case scenario happened, it doesn’t sound like the end of civilization, but it does sound like something it would be good to be prepared for.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090394

    Ujm, that would be a valid reason to have a sofek if global warming is a thing or not. But not a reason to believe 100 percent that it’s not a thing.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090391

    N0mesorah, I don’t understand your question.

    in reply to: Global warming #2090374

    What was Rav Miller’s reasoning?

    in reply to: Global warming #2090347

    Thanks Avira. It sounded like your argument was that we shouldn’t worry about global warming or other environmental problems because Hashem will provide what we need and it is our aveiros that cause problems in the world, not pollution. It sounds like you are saying that hishtadlus is unnecessary because Hashem runs the world. Of course Hashem does run the world, but if you take that argument to its logical conclusion, why bother trying to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, it’s our aveiros that give them power? Or why bother to vote, it’s our aveiros that are causing inflation, not Biden?

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2089658

    I don’t remember but it was discussed in a tshuva from one of the gedolei poskim. Maybe the yaavetz, but I’m not sure. I also don’t remember what the final psak was, but it was not as poshut as it might seem.

    I believe the tzitz eliezer was matir abortions for babies with Tay Sachs if I remember correctly, though this was controversial.

    in reply to: Solution to the Shidduch Crisis #2089642

    Gadolhadofi, it sounds like you might know the gemara better than I do. Please let me know which daf I should be looking on.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2089595

    “our bubehs and zaydahs* would be infinitely more shocked at the actual discussion that frum jews are having about baby killing. They’d recoil in horror at the shattering of skulls, dismemberment and brutal torture that abortion often entails. And they would scream “murderer!” Without getting into any shailos if it’s *really* murder or not.”

    Possibly, but the poskim in the times of our bubbes and zeidesand even before found it necessary to discuss this question in their shailos and tshuvos, because there are situations where there is a nafka mina. A famous one was a case where a woman knew that she was going to give birth to a mamzer and wanted to do tshuva for what she had done.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2089577

    On the other hand, there is the idea that when a prohibition is being treated lightly, it’s necessary to be extra strict, so maybe such a law would be a good idea. Tzarich iyun…

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2089567

    Ujm, I would be curious to know what the opinion of gedolei Yisroel would be on this. My guess is that there would be serious practical issues with enforcing capital punishment for a crime that a large portion of society doesn’t consider to be a crime at all. The result might be selective and unfair enforcement. Where it was enforced, political opponents of the law would turn executed offenders into martyr figures. It would be better to work on changing public opinion, from a practical standpoint.

    in reply to: Solution to the Shidduch Crisis #2089531

    Gadolhadofi,

    I think that method was used in only a few exceptional situations, and shouldn’t be taken as an example of how things were done then.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088550

    Philosopher, the gelolei haposkim put a lot of thought and argument into determining whether abortion is murder so I think the question is legitimate. But I think you are correct that it should be obvious to anyone straight-thinking person that it is terrible and immoral except in rare, extreme cases. I would also add that in a case where there is hefkerus and lack of respect regarding a particular mitzvah, it makes sense to be as machmir as possible, and this would be one of those cases.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088500

    Remember Chazal tell us it was gezel that ultimately caused the mabul, so stealing a candy bar is not a small aveira, and the fact that many people nowadays think it is just tells us how low things have fallen.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088498

    Obviously no court is enforcing the death penalty on 7 mitzvos bnei Noach today, but the fact that certain aveiros would be chayav misa should be a warning to us that they are more serious than we might have otherwise thought.

    If there were courts enforcing the death penalty on 7 mitzvos BN, it would be in the context of a society that has as a whole accepted those mitzvos and understands their severity, so the application of misa would be something that happens rarely and after a lot of deliberation, hence the Robespierre analogy does not fit. But the fact that the death penalty does not exist today in practice for 7 mitzvos bnei Noach (except for murder in some jurisdictions) should not lead us to think that prohibitions are less severe.

    in reply to: Solution to the Shidduch Crisis #2088298

    Moishekapoieh,

    I now and then meet people who are big proponents of your idea, and I suspect that most of them are motivated less by a desire to really help the shidduch situation and more by a desire to be imitate the goyim – as if the secular people with all their singles hangouts are so much more successful than us at getting married and staying married.

    Also, it’s cute how you insinuate that anyone who disagrees with you has a dirty mind – an argument I hear a lot from people who have dirty minds against anyone who advocates for tsnius. Nobody is concerned that singles events with ehrliche men and women is going to suddenly degenerate into debauchery, the concern is about singles wasting their time flirting with people they have no intention of marrying, which contrary to the beliefs of some, is not condoned by the Torah.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088188

    “Which means if it is a self-abortion, such as the over the counter or prescription medication she takes, the mother would be chayiv misa.”

    Correct.

    in reply to: Solution to the Shidduch Crisis #2088172

    The use of the term “side wife” in this discussion is a great example of why we have the cheirem of R Gershom.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088137

    “Why would it be more strict by a goy?”

    In Halacha, I believe it is because the prohibition for a Jew and the prohibition for a Ben Noach are derived from different psukim, but I don’t remember the details. I would suggest listening to some of the shiurim that discuss this topic. In hashkafa, I don’t know the answer and would be interested in learning, but I would be wary of having that discussion on this forum because it not such a politically correct topic and there are a lot of nuances, so it’s likely that some readers will be offended and take it the wrong way.

    in reply to: Is abortion Murder? #2088066

    There are some good shiurim on this on Torah anytime. Basically it’s a machlokes – I believe Rav Moshe Feinstein holds it’s murder to have an abortion after 40 days of pregnancy even though it is not chayav misa in Beis din and even though there is an exception for saving the mother’s life, which doesn’t exist by other types of murder. Other poskim, including Tzitz Eliezer hold that it is not murder, though still strictly ossur except in limited circumstances. Everyone agrees that that it is ossur under Sheva mitzvos bnei Noach. A Ben Noach who performs an abortion would be chayav misa whether it is murder or not, because misa applies to all Sheva mitzvos Bnei Noach. It’s also agreed, I believe, that where abortion is prohibited, only the person performing the abortion would be chayav. If the mother requested it but didn’t perform it, she would be chayav only for lifnei iver.

    in reply to: Communism 🐷💰 #2084844

    Marx deserves our admiration. He was a funny guy 🥸

    in reply to: Emunah based on falsehood #1083448

    In that case I think you would need to make a judgment based on your knowledge of your friend, whether he is already strong in emunah and would appreciate hearing the emes even if it bursts his bubble, in which case it might be good to tell him.

    Otherwise I would leave it alone because even though its a good midda to seek the emes, it’s not an aveira to believe in something that is not true but also not against Torah hashkafa, so I’m not sure it is worth causing him tzaar or risk shaking his emuna before he’s ready for it.

    in reply to: Emunah based on falsehood #1083446

    Also, although the Torah codes might be phony, I would not assume they are phony based on a conversation you had with a friend unless he is an accomlished mathematician who spent a lot of time researching the subject. But I agree they should not be used as a basis for emunah, since their truth is at least uncertain.

    in reply to: Emunah based on falsehood #1083445

    My advice would be to not tell your friend that his basis for emunah is false, but instead to try to help him grasp onto a more solid basis for his emunah. Sooner or later he will figure out on his own that his basis for emunah is not reliable, but it will be much better for him if he already has something else to hold onto when that time comes. To tell your friend now before he has a more solid basis for emunah would be like to take the jack out from under the car before you replace the tire.

    in reply to: Baltimore Riots #1074533

    It’s true that every community has its unique problems. New York deserves to be bashed because its unique problem is a widespread lack of middos, which really should overshadow any other problems. I know from experience that it’s an everyday occurance in NY to see people wearing yarmulkes or tichels as they make a beautiful kiddush Hashem by yelling at a waiter because the food wasn’t exactly right or honking at someone for waiting a half-second too long to go at a green light. I’m not saying that everyone there does that, but I have seen that it is commonly accepted behavior. Now, apparently, bashing an out-of-town community as it is going through a difficult week is also acceptable behavior for some New Yorkers. I’d much prefer the crime and the carpools, and even riots, rather than to raise children in a place where that kind of behavior is accepted.

    in reply to: Baltimore Riots #1074523

    cherrybim and 147, I also wholeheartedly supporty our decision to stay away from Baltimore. NY is a much better place for snobs.

    in reply to: EVERYBODY READ THIS!!!!!! #1072678

    Also, I once asked a rav a sheila about whether breaking the speed limit is a violation of dina d’malchusa. The answer I received was that violating traffic laws that are commonly enforced is a violation of dina d’malchusa. So driving 2 mph over the speed limit would not be a dina d’malchusa problem, but driving 12 mph over the speed limit probably would be.

    So those of you who care about following halacha but like to drive over the speed limit would be advised to consult your Rav before doing so.

    in reply to: EVERYBODY READ THIS!!!!!! #1072677

    Between thirty and forty thousand people die each year in motor vehicle accidents in the United States alone. In terms of loss of human life, that is the equivalent of ten September 11th attacks every year. And that’s not counting those who are seriously injured, or those in other countries. How many of us don’t know someone who was injured or worse in a car accident? The families of auto accident victims suffer no less and are no less innocent than the families of terror victims but they get a lot less attention. A large percentage of these deaths could be prevented if people would drive calmly and obey the law when it comes to speeding, tailgating, drunk driving, and obeying traffic lights.

    Would you feel embarrassed to be seen sending a donation check to Hamas? If so, you should be embarrassed to be seen driving aggressively or speeding. That includes driving 36 mph on a Brooklyn street, where there are inevitably many pedestrians, bicyclists, children, stopped cars, etc., and it certainly includes driving 100 mph or even 60 or 70 mph on a New York highway, where onramps are short, there are no shoulders, and visibility is often limited. Just because you think you are a skilled driver doesn’t mean that speeding won’t reduce your ability to avoid a serious accident if something suddenly happens on the road. Even though your intentions may be less evil than a Hamas terrorist, your actions cause just as much damage and you have just as much blood on your hands if you drive that way. Not to mention chillul Hashem if you are ticketed or get into an accident because of such driving.

    in reply to: Tragedy has fallen on all of us #1070857

    “It is the height of arrogance and stupidity.”

    Wow, civility has certainly taken a nosedive in the CR lately. Maybe people should consider taking a couple deep breathes before posting things.

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