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What Trump has done for Jews:
1. Appointed strong friend of religious freedom to SCOTUS.
2. Apparently going to appoint another one.
3. Appointing others to lower courts.
4. Moving embassy to Jerusalem
5. Cancelling Iran deal
6. Appointing Nikki Haley to UN
7. Getting out of anti-Israel “Human Rights” Council.What has Trump actually done that is in violation of the sheva mitzvot? OK he is not a choir boy. Neither was Salazar but the head of Portugal’s Jewish community supported him because he denounced antisemitism in general and Nazi racial in particular and saved Jews.
Laskern, actually their parents abandoned them. They could have taken them back but did not.They are then kept in excellent conditions with no one being hidden.
Coffee Addict, it makes them feel less bad about themselves.
Bachurs might get too excited during arguments with their chevrutot.
Laskern, why not?
Toi, it is a machloket between Rabbi Natan and Rabbi Meir (Horiot 13b). As we generally do not pasken like Rabbi Meir one-to-one against another Tanna it seems that either R. Elya’s yetzer hara succeeded or the storyteller’s yetzer hara succeeded (the Divrei Chaim said that if a chassid tells you he something with his own eyes maybe he once heard it).
1. Toi, we are dealing with people who either have undergone giur or are children of those who have (the main Beta Israel aliya occurred almost forty years ago although there were aliyot before and after). The Eida does not recognize anyone outside their own little circle as being real observant Jews.
2. I saw three hechsherim on Barkan wine: Rabbanut, Badatz Bet Yosef (established by Rav Ovadia – the Bet Yosef is machmir on the percentage of water allowed and once at a wedding RO said “shehakol” on the wine) and Chug Chatam Sofer (Chareidim, mainly Chassidim and mainly in Petach Tikva and Bnei Brak). As Barkan is sold internationally I presume that the other two are non-Israeli and thus do not appear on Israeli labels.
3. I have already listed the kullot that come from this chumra. Scroll up.
DY,
1. Read the first part on the previous page “הצריכם להצילם יש גירותם קודם גם אבל
נפשות ש״ספק ישראל, . Thus he says that the people who do not want to mekarev them even before giur l’chumra are racists.
2. Please cite where Rav Moshe says that. He may have been referring to a situation where the treif ingredient is listed on the package (FDA regs require that it be listed if it is at least 1%).
3. What about chillul Hashem, causing hatred, safek inui gerim and not loving them? IMHO the Badatz’ action is chassidut shel shtut
4. According to Barkan CEO Col. (Res.) Erez Wiener “The Badatz [Edah Haharedit] is a body that uses the commercial power it has accumulated in order to establish criteria that are not always halakhic and consistent. Many times they are meant to preserve the status of Badatz,” says Wiener, and tells of his story with the members of the Edah Haharedit.
“I turned to them about a year ago and we wanted to examine a commercial possibility, because I do not have a kashrut problem. I have five kosher seals and I feel at peace and confident in drinking my wine and selling it as kosher, but this was a commercial consideration and we turned to them, we were in a sort of negotiation process over the large monetary demands and we had reached an agreement, and then they got into all sorts of demands to move people from their jobs, because this one is not religious enough and that one is doesn’t have enough fear of Heaven and all sorts of criteria that I did not like, and in the end I accompanied them politely to the door and gave up on this kashrut.” [Arutz 7]According to the Jerusalem Post, the chief kashrut supervisor at the Barkan Winery, Yosef Promovitch, told Yediot Aharonot that “there are Ethiopians who know that they are Jews – who have undergone conversion – and there are Ethiopians who are not, who are questionable.”
The Barkan supervisor added that as a blanket rule, workers of Ethiopian origin could not touch wine. “The Badatz is not willing to accept Ethiopians.”Chad, that is a well-known story. Obviously, it was not really necessary. BTW, when two bachurs from Radin were accused of spying for the Germans during WW1 (then the German Army was very good to the Jews and even appointed an Orthodox rabbi as the liaison) the CC testified and their non-Jewish lawyer told some stories about his honesty. One of the judges asked if he believed all of them. He replied “No. But they don’t tell such stories about you or me”.
1. Actually the oomot haolam recognized that EY (including Ever haYarden) is our at the San Remo Conference.
2. So far as the situation in Chul is concerned, it could be that the Trump Court (he is getting to nominate under Justice and with Breyer almost 80 and Ginzberg already 85 he might get to pick two more).
DY,
1. Read it again. Rav Moshe was talking about before giur. He said that they should be mekareved and then undergo giur l’chumra. He said that some people do not want to because they are black.
2, The Ethiopians in question have undergone conversion or are children of converts.Dull & Yitczchok, for a non-Jew the night follows the day. Therefor, if a non-Jew keeps Shabbat but soes melacha on Motzash he is in the clear.
Ran, true but he cannot dance a two weddings. If they are safek mamzerim there is at least a safek if he is Jewish. As I have previously posted, stam yaynam is rabbinic so the we are lenient. One who says differently is disagreeing with Chazal and all Savoraim, Gaonim, Rishonim and Achronim who came before him.
I just read on the Arutz-7 Hebrew site that the CEO of Barkan says that the Badatz representatives with whom he originally negotiated also decided that non-Ethiopian Jews they don’t like are not observant enough. What if someone opens bottles on Shabbat? Will his wine also be disqualified. Maybe the Rabbinut should retaliate and disqualify someone who does not say Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut.
Rav Moshe explicitly accused those who reject the Ethiopians of racism. The Badatz wants to dance at two weddings. They say that they are safek mamazerim and have to convert. If they are safek Jews then we are lenient regarding rabbinic prohibitions. Unless of course they think that they are holier than Chazal (see my post of June 27, 2018 7:15 am).
Neville, I have news for you. According to some opinions much of our wine can be touched by non-Jews as pasteurization counts as cooking.
Apushatayid, the Sephardim are mostly right n that. Both the leftists and the Ashkenazi Chareidim discriminate against tem. Very few Sephardim are accepted into Ashkenazi Chareidi yeshivot and very few have been on the Supreme Court (although Ayelet Shaked is changing things).
Stam yaynam is a rabbinic prohibition and thus we are lenient with a doubt. Anyone who disagrees is a heretic (Pitchei Teshuva YD 116:10)
As for the general question, a chumra can often lead to a kula and thus a chillul Hashem. For example, singing zemirot loudly until very late or having many guests that cause noise in the hallway late at night. Rav Yisrael Salanter railed against such people.
What about Yekke tales? I will start (even though I am only a quasi-Yekke – my father’s father’s parents were from Czernowitz). I was offered NIS180 shekels off my first purchase if I took a certain supermarket chain’s credit card. I took the card and my first purchase came to NIS180.01 which is the same for charging purposes as $180.00. The cashier was amazed. “How did you do that?” .
Chaim Eliezer, maybe the hooligans who fly El Al will earn from this. BTW, once the Chafetz Chaim had to send a letter by messenger. He bought a stamp and ripped it up so as not to cause the Polish post office a loss.
It’s, the Gemara there says that when it comes to murder there is no such thing for Jews either. In contrast, see Chullin 15b מנהג אבותיהן בידיהן. I also heard that there is a difference between mishpatim and chukkim regarding לא יאמר אדם אי איפשי ללבוש שעטנז, אי אפשי לאכול בשר חזיר, אי איפשי לבוא על הערוה, אבל (יאמר) איפשי ומה אעשה ואבי שבשמים גזר עלי כך.(Siifra Kedoshim 10).
Laskern,
1. You are putting words in my mouth. I was extending your sheeta.
2. Borrow? What if you have no realistic expectation to be able to repay? I have already quoted sources that someone who does that is a rasha. Maybe that sin alone will cancel some good decrees.Laskern,
1. According to your view one should not ask for a scholarship. Commit to pay the entire tuition and hope that Hashem will provide.
2. We see from Yaakov Avinu that a sin can cancel a good decree (shema hachet yigrom). Hashem Himself gave Shmuel a cover story so that Shaul would not kill him.
3. There is no dispute. The Maharshal does not say that he has no means to repay. He just does not have cash at hand but he has collateral. The Gra says that no one will lend to him. Perhaps this is because he is known to be a deadbeat. In fact, it is prohibited to lend to him because of lifnei iver (the Chafetz Chaim discusses this in Ahavat Chesed).Laskern, the Aruch haShulchan says (OC 242:44) that is only if someone has a business where the natural order of things is for there to be ups and downs. However, if someone has a fixed income he should not. In fact, someone who borrows not knowing how he will not be able to repay is a rasha (Rambam Hilchot Malveh v’Loveh 1:3) and according to the Rav Soloveichik in the name of the Brisker Rav he is a thief.
JJ, suppose Hashem decides that if you will work a certain amount you will earn a certain amount?
We are required to do hishtadlut. The decree might even be conditioned on it. Chazal say that one should save one third, invest one third in land and one third in a business (Baba Metzia 42a). One should also supervise one’s workers (ibid 29b). Both Rav Moshe (IM OC 2:111) and Rav Ovadia (Yehaveh Daat 3:85) advise buying life insurance.
It doesn’t matter. Even if the person asked explicitly being that he has no right to commit suicide there is no right to kill him if he asks. See Physician – Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach by Rabbi Yitzchok Breitowitz. Note that David ordered the ger Amaleki executed for killing Shaul at the latter’s request.
There is even a machloket regarding someone who gives permission to hit him. Some say that the hitter is over on a lav (Responsa Chavat Yair 163, Shulchan Aruch HaRav 5 Hilchot Nizkei HaGuf 4, Chazon Ish CM 19:5) being that a person is not the owner of his body, Hashem is. Others say that he is not over (Responsa Mahalbach Kuntras HaSemicha Kuntras Rishon d”h od, Minchat Chinuch Mitzva 48 Ot 3 as this is a matter of monetary damages and, in the case of parents, their personal honor).
RY, unfortunately I am not a prosecutor so I cannot. However, as an astute observer as well as a zaken (zeh kanna chochma) I can offer an opinion. Who are you to defend him?
The Rogochover says that murder is so heinous that we even execute an insane person (ubiarta et hara mikirbecha). Rav Zilberstein disagrees. Rav Moshe, in a letter to then NY Gov. Hugh Carey (IM CM 2:68) says that someone who kills because of a cruel nature should be executed because of tikkun hamedina.
Of course, every measure must be taken to be sure that the right person is executed. However, giving him life imprisonment means that the public will have to pay for his upkeep his whole life, he can commit crimes in prison, escape, etc.
So far as a psychopath is concerned, Rambam says (Guide 1:7) that he is not really human but a sheid. Thus it would seem that he should be put down as is a mad dog.
Time, if you have some you can listen to Rav Nota Schiller explain the importance of baseball.
MDG, for that matter many Ashkenazim say that Hashem was captured (נשבה לאבותינו instead of נשבע) c”v.
I guess your rabbi does not know Yiddish so well. A shmuess is actually a שיחה (in English a discussion or talk) – and is so translated in Israel. There is even a book םכ Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz’ talks called שיחות מוסר
Time, “shmuess” is actually Ashkenazic Hebrew – שמועות.
Time, actually Rav Ovadia accepted them as Jewish and even allowed an Ethiopian girl to marry a cohen based on Responsa Radbaz 7:5 and 4:1290. The Chief Rabbinate decided to require giur l’chumra (no beracha) because of lack of documentary evidence for the time since. Declaring them safek goyim would also remove the possibility of mamzerut as their gerushin is not halachic (neither is their kiddushin so according to Rav Moshe it would not matter). Being that their practices are not in line with normative Judaism in general they do not fit my statement.
Neville, there was only an advantage to be gained by lying when they requested exit visas and help from HIAS. Once settled in America there was no longer a need to pretend.
Igor, not only Russians. Now because of cultural assimilation it is not so true. However, in my generation (I am 64) it was pretty to easy to tell if someone was Jewish. In fact, in NYC one could also tell if someone was Irish or Italian.
Midwest, cite your sources. If a person comes to us, tells us he is Jewish and keeps mitzvot we believe him unless there is reason to suspect him. See נאמנות אדם על יהדותו by הרב עקיבא כהנא.
In many European countries records go back a very long time. In fact, the Nazis ym”s would investigate a person’s lineage back 150 years before letting him into the SS. Today there are professionals who can trace a person’s ancestry using immigration and other records, both in the US and Europe.
As for your friend, how did the wife feel about converting and remarrying him? I know of cases of mixed marriages where this happened and in one case even attended the sheva berachot after their remarriage.
Time, when Rav Charlap first came to Rav Kook’s yeshiva he addressed him in creole German. Rav Kook said “Being that you are new here I will not hold it against you. However, you should know that one does not address me in Jargon”. “Is there a mitzva to speak Hebrew ” by Rabbi ephraim Sprecher (online) where he quotes various sources, including RMF, as saying that there is such a mitzva. The Sheeta Mekubatzet even quotes the Raavad as saying that one might not fulfill the mitzva of talmud Torah in another language.
As for Rav Reuven’s alleged speech, it would certainly surprise Sephardic and Yemenite Jews (as would being called “Yidden”).
Shabbatai Tzvi did not institute saying Birkat Cohanim in Chul. This is the position of the Mechaber. The Gra and Rav Chaim of Volozhin also wanted to institute it but were unsuccessful.Winnie, many non-Jews have been fluent in Yiddish. James Cagney picked it up as a boy on the Lower East Side – and used it in two of his movies. Colin Powell learned it working for Jews. An immigrant from Russia once told me that when her mother was sitting in a park the Arab caretaker addressed her in Yiddish. He had worked for Jews as a boy in the Old city of Jerusalem.
Tie, kol hasoneh halachot kol yom. BTW, some Sephardic groups also had this pronunciation. Apparently it was widespread in ancient times as it passed into Ancient Greek (sabbaton), Latin (sabbatum), English (sabbath and sabbatical), Spanish and Italian (sabato) and Russian (subbota).
Yehudayona, I would add that if a married woman goes OTD her kids will probably be non-frum (as she would most likely get custody) and marry non-Jews. For the boys that means that their children will not be Jewish and therefore not mamzerim.
Nevile,
1. Here is the relevant passage from the SA:
כל ענייני הגר בין להודיעו המצות לקבלם בין המילה בין הטבילה צריך שיהיו בג’ הכשרים לדון וביום (תוס’ ורא”ש פ’ החולץ).
מיהו דוקא לכתחלה אבל בדיעבד אם לא מל או טבל אלא בפני ב’ (או קרובים) (הגהות מרדכי) ובלילה אפילו לא טבל לשם גרות אלא איש שטבל לקריו ואשה שטבלה לנדתה הוי גר ומותר בישראלית חוץ מקבלת המצות שמעכבת אם אינה ביום ובשלשה.ולהרי”ף ולהרמב”ם אפילו בדיעבד שטבל או מל בפני שנים או בלילה מעכב ואסור בישראלית אבל אם נשא ישראלית והוליד ממנה בן לא פסלינן ליה:So while there are opinions to the contrary the pesak of the SA is as I said (that is the stam).
Here is what the Taz says:
(ח) שטבל לקריו – פירוש: שידענו בבירור דבר זה, וכן באשה. ואז סלקה טבילה זאת אפילו לשם גירות, אף על פי שלא הזכיר בפירוש כן. וכן כתב הרי”ף, וזה לשונו: דאי לאו גיורא הוא – לא הוה טבל. פירוש: דאם לא היה בדעתו אז להיות גר – לא היה טובל גם לקרי. ומה שכתב בסעיף יא שאינו נאמן לומר “נתגיירתי ביני לבין עצמי” עד שיטבול בפני בית דין – התם לא ראינו ממנו שום טבילה לקרי. ועכשיו רוצה לטבול לשם גירות – ודאי צריך לכתחילה שלושה. ומורי ורבי חמי ז”ל כתב דנראה לו שהרי”ף הכי קאמר: מדטבל לקרי – שמע מינה שכבר טבל בפני שלושה, ולא משמע כן כלל. גם מדברי רש”י ור”ן מבואר כן בהדיא, דההיא טבילה לחוד סגי ליה אף אם לא היתה אחרת, וכמשמעות דברי הטור ושולחן ערוך.
2. Whosays we don;t pasken like them? In fact, who are “we”?
Joseph, Rav Chaim Brisker said the opposite. However, if you are really interested maybe you can join an elite IDF unit and volunteer for the most dangerous missions.
Kgh, I understood that the cherem on reading other people’s mail was because not having mail service they would entrust their personal letters to travellers (a merchant would have been very foolish to give a business letter to a competitor). The cherem was an extension of chezek reiah. The cherem on divorcing a woman against her will was to preserve marriages. In the heat of an argument a husband might divorce his wife. Basically it is an extension of the ger mekushar of cohanim. If he were in another port the get would not take effect until an agent could put it in her hands, which could have taken a very long time.
Is anyone here interested in living for kiddush Hashem?
Milhouse, who says that we pasken like the SA and the Taz? Look inside. Even two kosher Jews are sufficient. even an anan sahadei is sufficient.
Sinat chinam means hating someone because he has a different opinion or because he hurt you personally (this is the aveira of netira). Ahavat chinam is loving him because he opposes you. Rav Kook said that opposition comes to tell people where they are erring. The Mekor Baruch, in fcat, quotes the Tzemach Tzedek as saying that the Chassidim owed a debt of gratitude to the Gra for preventing them from becoming another heretical breakaway movement.
Smoking in the presence of others is assault.
DY, it depends on where in the US. I am from NYC. Before I made aliya I read a complaint in the Jerusalem Post international edition about Israelis pushing onto buses. My first thought was how else would they get on if it’s crowded? My second was that the complainer had obviously never changed trains at 125th St during Rush Hour.
What’s wrong with a Smartphone? One of the participants in one my shiurim has one and helps contribute info. What are those who think differently doing here?
1. The article is not antisemitic but is anti-Hasidic.
2. The Google definition of “insular” in this context is “ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.”
synonyms: narrow-minded, small-minded, inward-looking, parochial, provincial, small-town, shortsighted, hidebound, blinkeredIt sounds pretty derogatory to me. People should know about other people’s cultures and ideas if they are going to live among them. It will help to alleviate friction and will enable them to better argue their positions (this is found frequently in the Gemara – lesheetatcha).
Having said that, the Hasidim interviewed did not defend the eruv properly. They should have pointed out that someone who is not looking hard for it will not even notice it.
CA, then I did add to your post.
ZD, you are confusing the Communists and the Nazis. In the former Soviet Union a person’s id card included his nationality. The children of a mixed marriage were given their father’s (so Ivanov might be halachically Jewish whereas Rabinowitz is not). To add to the problem it was often possible to change one’s nationality and it was very advantageous to become a Russian. However, they did not right a “J” (in fat, the letter does not exist in the Cyrillic alphabet). They wrote “Yevrei” (Jewish), Russky (Russian), etc.
Changing one’s background also existed in Nazi Germany. A non-Jewish woman could testify in court that her Jewish husband was not the father of her child and make him an Aryan. Money and connections helped.
In any case, the problem will probably go away as the olim, especially those who are not Jewish, have formed a separate subgroup (I even hear children who were obviously born and educated here speaking to each other in Russian unlike children of other groups who generally speak in Hebrew among themselves. In addition, Russian families have a very low birth rate. Two kids is considered a large family. Many are also leaving for the US and Canada.
Whitecar, so when they go out into the world (college, job) and find out that there are some very decent non-Jews they will (as young people often do) decide that if that is a lie it’s all a lie. For starters, we should erase pejoratives like “shaigetz” and “shiksa”, which come form “shikutz”. Those who are not speaking in creole German should also eschew “shvartse”.
In any case, the subject of this thread is a non-starter. If someone is shomer mitzvot and it is known that (s)he went to the mikva for keri/nidda b’diavad (s)he is a kosher convert (SA YD 268:3 with Taz s”k 8).
Akuperma, actually intermarriage has only been widespread for two generations with the exception of pre-Nazi Germany where it was already two or three – and they assimilated completely into Xtian society.
ZD, why is that a problem? One the person learns a bit he will discover that he is not really Jewish and convert. I have several such friends.
CA, no we won’t. Mi shenitma nitma (once a mamzer has melded into the general Jewish community his problem is forgotten – SA EH 2:5). According to Rabbi Yossi even known mamazerim will be purified. Rabbi Meir disagrees (Kiddushin 72b). In a machloket between Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Meir we pasken like Rabbi Yossi.
The deformed movement is one big funeral.
Health, yes.
ZD, on the other hand in a liberal city the totalitarians will not even let you have gender-separate swimming hours. Even if they do so begrudgingly they make accept whomever identifies with the particular gender. Maybe someone should have a large job before he has a large family and not throw himself on the public l’chatchila.