Avi K

Yytz, I have not seen the exact letter or what RTY wrote so I cannot comment. However, in later years he very much de-emphasized his father’s Chassidic influences. You are correct though that anyone can call himself a Breslover (just as anyone can call himself a Chabadnik). This is also a negative as a Chassidut without a rebbe is like a ship without a captain. This leads to all sorts of distortions (e.f. NaNachs and Yechis) who reflect badly on the whole group. BTW, when someone suggested forming a network of “Batei Avraham” Rav Kook said “don’t make Kookistim”. He believed that all groups in Troah have some truth and one should take from all.

G, Rav Shteinman was obviously not feeling well. In any case, he is a daat yachid.

BY, we do not pasken directly from a mishna. Sometimes there are contradictory mishnayot. Sometimes it is not l’halacha.

CA, please cite your source.

Yytz, if the grave has the kedusha of EY why not live there already? Besides, they are giving parnassa to a people who antisemitic cruelty even shocked the SS ym”s. They even have a city call Chmielnitzky and a statue of him ym”s in the center of Kiev. Moreover, as Rav Kook pointed out, EY has the greatest tzaddikim of all time – the Avot and Emahot. According to RN’s sheeta that is at least double kedusha. BTW, both
Rav Ovadia and Rav Mazuz blasted them for going on Rosh HaShana and leaving their families.

Wolf, the Kotzker said that the world is a mashal and the nimshal is money. The Ukrainians profit. Tour operators profit. Airlines profit. A few years ago some breslovers wanted to reinter Rabbi Nachman in EY, which he certainly would have wanted. The Ukrainian government adamantly refused. There was a similar promo about Rabbi Elimelech’s grave and within EY there is Amuka (Yonatan ben Uziel’s grave).

Takes, they learned Torah. They made aliya.

AJ, putting something in the law that is not there would be a new high in judicial activism. I doubt very much if the conservatives Trump has appointed would go anywhere near that far.

Laskern, in that case, anyone who criticizes anyone is guilty of incitement. You should make aliya and join a leftist movement the way you wave that bloody shirt. However, I definitely do not suggest that you give up your day job.

DY &Takes, the leaders of the Peleg explicitly incite their followers. An analogous situation would if c”v someone who habitually agrees with DY would allegedly threaten someone. Clarence Brandenburg said much worse things but was cleared by SCOTUS (Brandenburg v. Ohio 395 U.S. 444 (1969)).

Sometimes Hashem does give a test that is to hard for reasons we do not know. On a lesser scale, failure can be positive as it directs a person away from where he should not go.

For what crime should they be implicated? If you mean “implement” it is a machloket between Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 9:14) and Ramban (Bereisheet 34:13 at the end).

Yanky, which definition of rasha do we use? According to Rambam (Hilchot Teshuva 3:1) he is someone whose aveirot outweigh his mitzvot. According to the Mechaber (SA CM 34:2-3) he is someone who has knowingly violated any halacha and not done teshuva . The Baal haTanya (Likutei Amarim c. 11) has a more general definition that we cannot know: someone whose animal soul is more powerful than his divine soul. It would seem that many frum Jews at least fit the Mechaber’s definition: those who cheat on their taxes, run scams, say lashon hara for starters.

As for members of other movements and their leaders, the former are all tinokkot shenishbu. Even most of the leaders are in that category. I once heard a Conservative (if I remember correctly she was clergy) ask why it matters how many melachot one does with one action being that one can only be killed once. Apparently she never even heard of a chattat.

1, actually in The Communist Manifesto Marx also predicted that the state will wither away. Rambam, at the end of Mishna Torah says that about the time of Mashiach

ובאותו הזמן לא יהיה שם לא רעב ולא מלחמה ולא קנאה ותחרות שהטובה תהיה מושפעת הרבה וכל המעדנים מצויין כעפר ולא יהיה עסק כל העולם אלא לדעת את ה’ בלבד ולפיכך יהיו ישראל חכמים גדולים ויודעים דברים הסתומים וישיגו דעת בוראם כפי כח האדם שנאמר כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ה’ כמים לים מכסים

Thus it would seem that there will be no need for states except perhaps as cultural groupings. However, until that time there will need to be states. How extensive depends on the moral level of the world and individual nations as the Netziv says ( He’emek Devar on Devarim 17:14):

It, while some of the Hilltop Youth are indeed anarchists (and, in fact, they are dropouts from the religious educational system) some allegedly want to overthrow the government and substitute a “Torah” kingdom (although so far as I know they have not decided which of them will be the King).

Knaidlach,

1. What about someone who does not want to be called a Yid, either because he wants to leave knows that the word is often a pejorative, wants to Jargon to philologists or is a proud non-Ashkenazi?

2. See Pitchei Teshuva YD 116:10 that there is an opinion that someone who does not accept an observant Jew’s word that his food is kosher is a heretic as he opposes Chazal, who said that a single witness is believed regarding prohibitions. As for his kashrut not being up to “your standard”, what about one’s standard in ben adam l’chaveiro, avoiding mechzi k’yuheira, etc.?

Icemelter, it didn’t happen. Not only that, it looks like Trump is going to ditch the PA. Meanwhile, his Press Secretary’s father is talking about buying a house in Efrat.

Joseph, then kal v’chomer, ben beno shel kal v’chomer we should add one for the success of the Israeli government. I appoint you to write it.

I have a friend who once said that he supported anarchism on condition that he be the Anarch. In any case, anarchism only seeks to eliminate the state. It does not necessarily eliminate other forms of authority. For example, anarcho-capitalists like Murray Rothbard think that insurance companies can do the job of protecting people from crime and volunteer militias from foreign invasions (of course, if there would be no states at all the latter would be irrelevant).

It,
1. IDK. in any case, a Jewish king is a constitutional monarch not an absolute monarch. He has checks and balances: the Sanhedrin, the nevi’im and the Bet haMikdash aristocracy. according to Radak (interestingly against Abarbanel) not only does one ignore a royal command contrary to a mitzva but the people have an obligation to rebel against a despotic king. In fact, according to the Yerushalmi (Horiot 3:2) the David was removed from office by the people.

2. Who says that they are considered low ranking presidents because of that? For that matter, who says that they are considered low ranking presidents?

It,

1. If a vet is not qualified for a job why would any sane employer hire him? The answer is job training. I would add that the student loan program should be junked as it only encourages bloated tuition fees and useless majors. The merit system should also be restored. CCNY was the gateway to the middle class for thousands of children of immigrants, mainly Jews, when it was a meritocracy. When Open Admissions went in in went down the tubes. In fact, I would restore the apprentice system, along with formal courses, for professions. Washington never attended college but was a surveyor. Lincoln never even earned a BA but was a successful lawyer. Truman also never attended college.

2. Abarbanel also opposed monarchy. He believed, based on bitter experience and the record in the Tanach, that it will always lead to despotism. He considered the republics of Venice and Florence to be models for government.

CTL,
Having multiple businesses also has a cost. I knew someone who owned a hardware store and then decided to open a second store. He was working so long that his marriage fell apart. Then both stores failed. A healthy work-life balance also makes one a better worker. In fact, according to Halacha an employee may not moonlight without permission as it could harm his performance.

It, do you consider the Baal haTanya to have been an apikoros c”v? Here is what he wrote (Iggerot Kodesh #22):

My dear friend….”Remember the days of old, understand the years of every generation” – has there ever been anything like this since the beginning of time?! Where, in all the books of the scholars of Israel, whether the earlier or later ones, have you ever seen such a custom instituted, to ask about a secular question, such as what to do in some mundane matter, even from the greatest of the early wise men of Israel, such as the Tannaim and Amoraim…but rather [people would turn to] actual prophets, such as there used to be, such as Shmuel the Seer, to whom Saul went to ask about the donkeys which his father had lost. But in truth, all matters relating to a person, other than something having to do with Torah or fear of heaven, are not apprehended other than through prophecy, and not by a wise man. As our rabbis have taught, “Everything is in the hands of heaven other than fear of heaven…” And when our rabbis zt”l said that people “derive benefit from him [from a talmid chacham] by advice and sound wisdom,” this refers to words of Torah, which is called “sound wisdom” [Translation from Rabbi Alfred Cohen in his article on Daas Torah]

Being that we do not have prophesy we must rely on professionals. For example, if we want to know if someone must eat on Yom Kippur we ask a doctor, even if he is not Jewish. Similarly, in matters of Economics we ask economists. The Halacha, as Rav Chaim David haLevi says, only sets the goals, not the means.

No. In fact, technically a worker can agree to accept any condition as in monetary matters a condition always applies – even against a Torah law. Secular law does not allow it and it may have a halachic status.

However, according to most economists it causes unemployment by pricing labor above the value of its production. It is also inflationary as there is more money. Both are functions of the Law of Supply and Demand. Thus it is counter-productive.

As for the restaurant owner in Seattle, maybe he would have another six without the raise. Or maybe he cut labor costs. You, laskern, have committed the logical fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this therefore because of this). Your statement is akin to someone saying “Hocus Pocus”, rain falling ,and then saying that the rain was caused by his statement.

BisBoy, the problem is that no one knows what is “extra” for him.

We are required to do hishtadlut. Chazal say that a man is obligated to teach his son a trade or profession and if he fails to do so he teaches him to rob and steal (Kiddushin 29a). In general, when something is given one must go out and get it. For example, a farmer must leave a corner of his field for the poor but they must come and collect what they need.

It, do you observe Tisha b”Av. If so you also are against being in galut.

Ubi, I wrote “a modified version”.  <edited>  although I see now that it is not exactly Rav Goren’s nusach. Basically, it changes עיר to מקדש (and therefore lashon nekeiva to zachar – for example, בניו rather than בניה).

Syag, Geula unfolds gradually (Yerushalmi Berachot 1:1). Since 5708 we have been in an increasing stage of Geula. As I live in EY I am not in Galut by definition (Rav Kook did say that there are some whose souls are in Galut even though their bodies are in EY but I hope that it does not apply to me). Thus, in my community we say a modified (by Rav Goren) nusach of “Nachem”.