Avi K

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  • in reply to: Women Learning Gemara #2019041
    Avi K
    Participant

    DY, who proved it? Please cite sources.

    RE, tell that to Judge Freier. Anyway, she did not have to listen as it pertains to her life and livelihood.

    in reply to: Married Women Shaving Their Hair Off #2018325
    Avi K
    Participant

    isaacmalul. you’re welcome.

    Avira, read my post again. I wrote that Rav Sternbuch and Rav Ovadia wrote that. I did not write that Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote it.

    ujm, none of us, including you, is on Avraham Avinu’s level. Besides, that is aggadata, and aggadata is not to be taken literally. I pity your wife.

    Regarding the Zohar, the Gra says that there is only one machloket between it and the Gemara (regarding whether it is permissible to walk behind a person who is davening). All other supposed machlokot are misinterpretations. For example, the Zohar says very harsh things about a man who pulls off even one strand of his beard. Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains that it is referring to someonewho shaves with a razor.

    in reply to: Married Women Shaving Their Hair Off #2017948
    Avi K
    Participant

    Rav Sternbuch (Teshuvot V’hanhagot 2:692) and Rav Ovadia (Yabia Omer Y.D. 4:1) say that here is no halachic source for this custom. Rav Moshe ruled (IM EH 1:59 that a husband can prevent her from doing so, as it makes her repulsive to him (see Nazir 28b and Shabbat 64b).

    in reply to: Planes over Jerusalem #2017937
    Avi K
    Participant

    Ujm, are you in the group that wants asylum in Iran? It was an air show.

    in reply to: No apology yet from Bennet on Uman Libel #2010064
    Avi K
    Participant

    There have been many forged vaccination certificates in these circles. BTW,
    Rav Ovadia blasted those who desert their families and go to Uman. Not to mention giving parnassa to people who have a statue of Chmielnitzki ym”s in the middle of their capital and even have a city named after him.

    in reply to: The Lace Sheitel thread #2009473
    Avi K
    Participant

    RE, both Rav Moshe and Rav Soloveichik said not to divorce a woman over this as today many frum women are, unfortunately, not careful in this matter. In Lithuania, it was very uncommon for women to cover their hair. Custom may impact the halacha. Why should women who have never married not have to cover their hair? An erva is an erva. The only answer the poskim give (although the Aruch haShulchan is unhappy with it) is that it is not the custom.

    Avi K
    Participant

    On the contrary, the women passed on antibodies to their babies. Regarding safety, see “The COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know” put out online by Johns Hopkins University.

    in reply to: Where is the line between halacha and dinas dimalchusa #2007275
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira, RCK doesn’t say anything. He just learns. His grandson Yanky is the one who does the talking. In any case, your issues are well known here. Just out of curiosity, would you say that the Israeli government is legitimate for the purpose of taking money, such as what it gives to Torah institutions and avereichim?

    CS, Rabbi Weiss’ role model in this is MLK. If you read “Letter from a Birmingham jail” you will see that he (and Rabbi Weiss) accepted the fact that they would have to go to jail. MLK was also worried about anarchy. In any case, there is a clear difference between protesting a law one considers unjust and breaking a law for personal convenience or profit.

    in reply to: Where is the line between halacha and dinas dimalchusa #2007005
    Avi K
    Participant

    correction: the citation from Baba Batra is the Rashbam.

    in reply to: Where is the line between halacha and dinas dimalchusa #2007002
    Avi K
    Participant

    Dina d’malchuta dina is far more than monetary matters(@ujm, many poskim rule that monetary laws have the power of minhag hamedina). According to the Chatam Sofer it includes anything that is enacted for public safety and welfare. A modern example would be traffic laws. There are a number of online articles on the subject.

    According to Rambam, Rabbenu Tam (Or Zerua, Piskei Bab Kaam 447), the Shulchan Aruch (CM 369,6), and Rav Ovadia (Yechavei Daat 5,64) it does apply in Eretz Yisrael. The Rashba (Baba Batra 54b d”h v’amar) says that it has nothing to do with land ownership. Anyone who lives in a country implicitly accepts its laws.

    CHOOSID, who decides what makes SENSE (please learn how to spell or get a spell check)?

    in reply to: Different levels of religious observance (frumkeit) #2005938
    Avi K
    Participant

    RE, who says? What I heard is that one should only eat pat Yisrael (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch).

    in reply to: Different levels of religious observance (frumkeit) #2005465
    Avi K
    Participant

    Rational, I once told this to someone from a Chassidic background and he took umbrage. He said that there has to be a pesak. If it’s kosher a jew has to eat it after making a beracha in order to elevate the animal soul. BTW, the Chafetz Chaim preferred glatt yosher.

    in reply to: wearing a yamulka in a professional setting #2005062
    Avi K
    Participant

    At one time in Europe as well as in America Jews did not walk outside bareheaded because no one did. A hat came with one’s suit. Workers wore caps. Jews did not work in non-Jewish offices so the subject did not start. In New York, I worked with several observant Jews who did not wear kippot at work. When I decided to start wearing one a black woman asked me if I had been “elevated”. Apparently, she thought that it was some kind of clerical garb.

    in reply to: Different levels of religious observance (frumkeit) #2005057
    Avi K
    Participant

    Shimon, have you taken a census? Of course, one can have a wide definition of slavery. Someone who cannot part from his cell phone and runs out of tefilla to answer it is a slave in a sense. According to slavery expert Siddharth Kara, out of 28.4 million slaves today (out of a world population of 7.674 billion – .37%) 18.1 million are actually indentured servants. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, slavery was practiced in every ancient civilization and slaves sometimes accounted for a very large percentage of the population.

    in reply to: Different levels of religious observance (frumkeit) #2004905
    Avi K
    Participant

    The Gra says that Jewish observance is like a ladder. If you try to jump a level you will fall. Rav Kook says that if a person tries to keep some chumra that is inappropriate for his spiritual level he will fall somewhere else to keep a general balance. Thus there was an אשת יפת תואר and slavery until humanity progressed to the point where these dispensations were no longer needed. Similarly, vegetarianism is not appropriate for our time but will be in the Messianic Age (see on this Rav Yosef Albo in “Sefer haIkarim” on the generation of the Flood).

    in reply to: Different levels of religious observance (frumkeit) #2004496
    Avi K
    Participant

    Hashem decides based on the person’s challenges, upbringing, etc. (Rav Dessler, “Kuntras Nekudat haBechira”).

    in reply to: Ahavas Yisrael for those in YU/the MO community (Ask me anything) #2004210
    Avi K
    Participant

    1. What is respectable garb differs according to time and place. Should Sephardim today wear fezes because at one time it was the mark of a man of standing?

    2. Many Orthodox men did not wear kippot at work or while engaging in secular studies. In fact, in Rav Hirsch’s school, the boys studied secular subjects bareheaded. In fact, originally it was only a middat chassidut. If you see old passport pictures, even talmidei chachamim have their heads uncovered as it was a requirement of the government (US passport regulations still say this but there is a religious exemption). The Cahfetzchaim also wore a cap as did Rav Kook when he was a rav in Latvia (after he came to Yerushalayim he changed to a spodik). I heard that Rav Moshe wore a straw hat in his bungalow colony

    in reply to: Ahavas Yisrael for those in YU/the MO community (Ask me anything) #2003870
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avirah, Hashem runs the world according to Nature. Moreover, there is free choice and there is personal responsibility. We are not fatalists like another religious group that says that all “is written”.

    Rabbenu Chananel says (Chagiga 5a)
    ופתרון יש נספה בלא וגו’ כגון אדם שהרג חבירו.

    The Or haChaimhaKadosh says on Parashat Vayeshev
    פי’ לפי שהאדם בעל בחירה ורצון ויכול להרוג מי שלא נתחייב מיתה משא”כ חיות רעות לא יפגעו באדם אם לא יתחייב מיתה לשמים, והוא אומרו ויצילהו מידם פי’ מיד הבחירי ובזה סתר אומרו ונראה מה יהיו חלומותיו וגו’ כי הבחירה תבטל הדבר ואין ראיה אם יהרגוהו כי שקר דבר:

    I really wonder what is the purpose of your libelous screeds. Chazal say (Kiddushin 70b) that one who constantly disqualifies does so with his own blemish. Could it be that these are things you hate about yourself?

    As for the Holocaust specifically, Rav Soloveichik said that we cannot know why it happened but we can learn a lesson – that all Jews are in the same boat.

    As for learning, the Netziv (He’emek Devar on Devarim 19,12) says
    כי אם ליראה. על זקניכם כי אם ללכת בכל דרכיו ולאהבה אותו ולעבוד את ה׳ בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך. על המון עם ישראל כי אם לשמור את מצות ה׳ וגו׳. על טפכם נשיכם וגרך כי אם לטוב לך. ומכ״מ נאמרו כל אזהרות אלו יחד משום שנאמרה הפרשה בכלל קהל ה׳ שבהם נכללו כל אופני אנשים וכל המתבקש מכל א׳. וכמו כן עשה דוד המלך שביקש אחת מה׳. היינו לכל א׳ כראוי לו. ת״ח יהיו ישיבתם בית ה׳ לחזות בנועמו ולבקר בהיכלו. ומי שאינו מוכשר לכך והוא מהלך בעסקיו. כי יצפנו בסוכו ביום רעה. מי שהולך למלחמה עם אויביו בצור ירוממני. מכ״מ בכלל ישראל מתבקש כל זה והדבר מובן שיש אדם שפעם עומד בזה האופן והקב״ה שואל ממנו כך וגם הוא בקשתו כך ופעם הוא באופן אחר והרי הוא אז כאדם אחר כמותו:
    I can tell you that many MO shuls do have Torah learning. There are also many MOs who learn in battei midrash – together with black hatters. In fact, originally there was a sharp distinction between shuls, which were only for prayers, and battei midrash, which were only for learning.

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2003057
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira, the Ben Ish Hai includes the residents of EY in that aveira. Who is better a tamei bird (see Chullin 63b) who keeps Shabbat and kashrut or someone who does not but risks his life to defend the Jewish people (and how do you know what are his intentions – do you bochen kelayot v’lev?)? I don’t know. I also refer you to Reish Lakish’s statement about פושעי ישראל (Eruvin 19a). As for the nazis and kapos, if you could read English you would see that I differentiate between ahava and love. The former can also be expressed through executing a murderer.

    in reply to: Ahavas Yisrael for those in YU/the MO community (Ask me anything) #2003053
    Avi K
    Participant

    1. The Orthodox world is a continuum, not a discreet distribution. Really, we should follow Rav Kook and drop these labels. Even the term “Orthodox” is relatively new and was only used by Rav Horsch in order to establish a separate religious community under Prussian law. We should go back to tzaddikim/benoni’im/resha’im with the difference based on the weight of mitzvot vs. aveirot (Rambam Hilchot Teshuva 3,1) and the weights of different for each individual (Rav Dessler, Kuntras Nekudat haBechira). Do you know who will fare better in the Heavenly Court, someone with the problems you cited but is honest, or someone whom you consider frum but steals and cheats in business? The Sefat Emmet says on הווה דן כל האדם בכף זכות that if you look at everything about a person you will surely find something good.

    2. Demonization is multi=lateral. You, Avirah, demonize those with whom you disagree. For that matter, Litvaks and Chassidim make fun of each other and everybody makes fun of Yekkes. There are also the Ashkenazi/Sephardi issues.

    3. FYI, Rav Soloveichik established a mixed-gender school in Boston. For that matter, the Seridei Eish established a mixed-gender youth movement, Jeshurun, in Paris after the Holocaust and Rav Joseph Breuer established a mixed-gender branch of Ezra in Washington Heights. There is no choice in small communities or in communities where many children would otherwise be sent to public schools. Do you have a license to pasken? If so, it should be revoked. As for the topic of that debate, perhaps the team should have entered and given the Torah view. As for the opposing point of view, they are going to eventually encounter it. whether in college or at work (yes, people do talk in offices) so they should know what to answer, at least to themselves.

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002664
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira, I hope that you find a good therapist. Being expelled by the Land did a real number on you. It turned you into a spy. As for Rav Chaim Brisker, he did not say that the person is liable just that that is what he is. Similarly, someone who desecrates Shabbat because he does not know what it is is a Shabbat desecrator but he is not considered to be at fault. BTW, the Chabad rabbi of Budapest did accept Csanad Szegedi. He gave him a new mission to fight anti-Semitism. As I previously posted, executing a Nazi or kapo can also be a form of ahava as it enables atonement, or at least stops him from adding to his sins.

    Shimon Nodel, actually, leaving a spouse in order to stop making him or her miserable is a form of ahava, which is not necessarily the same as the English word “love”, as I previously posted.

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002460
    Avi K
    Participant

    Getting back to the O.P.’s question. The Tosefta (Sotah 5:11) says

    שנתקדשה לו מפני שהיא בושה מאביו מאחיו ומקרוביו לסוף שקוברה היה ר’ מאיר אומ’ הנושא אשה שאינה הוגנת לו עובר משם חמשה לאוין משם בל תקום ומשם בל תטור בל תשנא את אחיך בלבביך ואהבת לרעך כמוך וחי אחיך עמך ולא עוד אלא שמבטל פריה ורביה מן העולם

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002437
    Avi K
    Participant

    RE, apparently only for Jews (Yoma 69b). Among other nations, it exists right up to our time (e.g. Hinduism).

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002305
    Avi K
    Participant

    Rav Yaakov Emden, in his siddur, says that the intention is for the yetzer hara of a”z to be defeated.

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002290
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira,

    Did you read what I wrote about ahava? As for Rav Kook, he explained that the people to whom you are referring were did not have a complete knowledge of Torah and could not be put in this category. The Chazon Ish also says this. Even if they were, we would pray for them to do teshuva. This is far preferable and would be a great kiddush Hashem. The Mahaarl also interprets the beracha you mentioned in this manner. Why do you think that it wasShmuel haKatan who composed it?

    in reply to: Loving your spouse #2002087
    Avi K
    Participant

    Rabbi Hiyya says (Yevamot 63a-b) that one should even thank a problematic wife for saving him from sin. Hakarat tov is a fundamental good midda. Even dogs are grateful.

    RE,
    Who says that the reason for loving a ger is because we were gerim in Egypt? That is only a reason to make us sensitive to how they feel (I would extend this to making deprecating comments about other ethnic and religious groups). Rav Kook says that we should love all of Creation as an extension of loving HaShem.
    One must, though, define the meaning of ahava. There is a famous Mussar saying that asks why a person says that he loves fish. If he loves fish why does he kill them? He actually loves his tastebuds and stomach. The Hebrew word “ahava” is related to the Aramaic word “hav” (give). One is certainly required to give to one’s wife. One signed on it before the chuppa. This also explains how one can, as Rav Kook says, love resha’im while hating their sins. One gives to them by bringing them to do teshuva (see Berachot 10a). In a way, even capital punishment is a form of love as it enables atonement.

    in reply to: Shoftim – Shochad, Bribe #2001255
    Avi K
    Participant

    See Ketubot 105b.

    in reply to: Unexpected IRS deposit (8/18/2021) #2001254
    Avi K
    Participant

    Google “TAS Tax Tip: Got a Direct Deposit from the IRS, But Not Sure What it is For?”.

    in reply to: Ki Tzeitaei – How to fight the Yetzer Hara, Our Bad Inflinations #2000923
    Avi K
    Participant

    What are inflinations?

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1998736
    Avi K
    Participant

    Abba_S, Korach also used “common sense” (Rav Soloveichik called it the “common sense rebellion against Torah authority”). The chances of an animal infecting a person with COVID-19 are very low. Even if this were not so, the vast majority who get the viruses would not be affected or only slightly affected. That is why epidemiologists agree that it is at least theoretically possible. Whether or not this is a practical possibility depends on people. If you have not gotten the jab get it!

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1998430
    Avi K
    Participant

    Resident mortal, NYC is only making a recommendation. I guess it depends on how machmir one wants to be. In any case, I would not go by the People’s Republic of California.

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1998414
    Avi K
    Participant

    .לא ראינו אינה ראייה

    There are a number of articles online. Google “recovered people getting corona”.

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1998270
    Avi K
    Participant

    I just checked the numbers. Breakthrough cases were only 3% of those fully vaccinated. Nationwide, the percentage of breakthrough cases is less than .08% of those fully vaccinated. A little of 1% of those fully vaccinated who tested positive died. The vaccines work.

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1998263
    Avi K
    Participant

    For that matter, how many were asymptomatic?

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1997968
    Avi K
    Participant

    Besides, vaccinated people have very mild symptoms if any.

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1997965
    Avi K
    Participant

    Resident, vaccinated people can indeed transmit the disease but the chances are much less as are the number of people they infect. That is why in the US there is no mask requirement for those who have been vaccinated. In Israel there still is because the government wants to be extra careful.

    in reply to: I’m considered an anti Vaccinator #1997654
    Avi K
    Participant

    Rav Asher Weiss gave a whole shiur on the general subject of inadvertent killing someone after a bachur wrote asking what teshuva he had to do after infecting people who died. He brought down Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s teshuva (Mahadura Tanina 3) regarding someone who caused a wagon accident in which two people were killed. Among the things the person had to do was fasting every Mon and Thurs for a year, not to any simcha other than his children’s weddings, send an orphan to yeshiva until age 19, and then send another until age 18, and establish a kollel where the avereichim will learn for illuy neshmot the niftarim and say kaddish.

    Getting the jab is no big deal unless you have a specific medical issue. If you have recovered you might only need one. I am shocked that people who are machmir on any little minhag are so meikal on nefashot.

    in reply to: 1984 warning becoming reality 2021 #1997075
    Avi K
    Participant

    Anti-vaxxers, as opposed to those who have real medical conditions that preclude getting the jab, are doing a great deal of damage. I refer the O.P. to Jacobson vs, Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905).

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996693
    Avi K
    Participant

    1. You have your continents mixed up. In Asia it is good. In Germany it is terrible.
    2. Rav Hirsch has been dead for over 140 years. Even with live rabbis, there are arguments over what they said. There are even arguments in the Gemara over what a certain rabbi said with each person swearing that he is correct.
    3. Austritt was forming a separate religious community recognized by the Prussian government. The reason was practical. The Reformers who controlled the established community did not want to maintain the mikva or provide kosher food.
    4.Today there are two Americas. The Obamanation, which you mentioned, and the traditional “Leave it to Beaver” America. I agree with you about the former but not the latter. IMHO, this is why the left is anti-Israel and anti-Semitic and the right (other than a few nuts who cannot possibly be called conservatives) pro-Israel and pro-Jewish.
    5. BTW, Rav Azriel Hildesheimer also advocated studying general culture. In his seminary talmidim were required to also earn university degrees. Among them were Rav Soloveichik, who earned a doctorate in philosophy and the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, who studied mathematics, physics, and philosophy

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996695
    Avi K
    Participant

    Run from Corona? Are you vaccinated?

    in reply to: Jews’ flight from city per racist attacks in Israel #1996636
    Avi K
    Participant

    BTW, the Ben Ish Hai says learn from the fate of the spies that one who speaks badly about Eretz Yisrael is liable to כרת. Rav Meir Simcha and the Maharam Haggaz also have very sharp things to say about this. Rashi (Sanhedrin 110b) says
    תנו רבנן עשרת השבטים אין להם חלק לעולם הבא שנאמר ויתשם ה’ מעל אדמתם וגו’ — ואית דמפרשי עשרת השבטים אין להם חלק לעולם הבא היינו לימות המשיח, שלא יקבלם משיח עם שאר גליות לפי שספרו בגנות ארץ ישראל כדאמרן לעיל, כי מטו שוש וכו’, ובדבר הזה נענשו מרגלים:

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996542
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira, there is also “v’asita hatov v’hashar”. This, apparently, is behind the Be’er haGola’s famous statement. The Netziv says in his introduction to Sefer Bereisheet that the Avot werecalled yesharim because of this.

    You are wrong about Rav Hirsch. He believed in studying German culture as well as science and math. This was Torah im derech eretz. In his commentary on Pirkei Avot he writes

    “Derech Eretz includes everything that results from the fact that man’s existence, mission and social life are conducted on Earth, using earthly means and conditions. Therefore this term especially describes ways of earning a livelihood and maintaining the social order. It also includes the customs and considerations of etiquette that the social order generates as well as everything concerning humanistic and civil education.”

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996374
    Avi K
    Participant

    Ujm, geneivat daat (SA CM 228:6). See also B’er haGola CM 248:5.

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996295
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avirah, first of all, Rav Soloveichik earned a doctorate in philosophy. rav Kirsch himself studied philosophy as did Rav Kook, his son rav Tzvi Yehuda and one of his main talmidim, the Rav haNazir (Rav David haCohen). Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also studied it. He as well as many other rabbis, both in America and Israel quote non-Jewish and secular Jewish writers. Of course, someone who wants to study it should have a rav. This also depends on the branch of philosophy (logic, which is very mathematical in nature, is considered a branch of philosophy) and why one is studying it. Some just want to learn how to formulate arguments. In fact, when someone asked Bertrand Russell why he did not live according to his theories he replied that he was also a mathematician yet no one expected him to be a triangle.

    As for Rav Meiselman’s book, he is attempting to show that Chazal were not wrong about science. I personally have my doubts as to whether or not they meant their statements literally (the Ben Ish Hai seems to take them as metaphors and Rambam says that all the aggadatot were metaphors). However, it is clear that they interacted with non-Jews and even admitted when they were right (Pesachim 94b). Shmuel went to a debating club called Bei Avidan (Shabbat 116b) and had a number of conversations with a non-Jewish sage named Ablett.

    Avi K
    Participant

    Huju, this way neither suffers.

    Avi K
    Participant

    From an actuarial point of view, the girl should be 2-3 years older. That way they can expect to die together.

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1996137
    Avi K
    Participant

    It is very difficult to determine who took from whom. The story about Plato learning from Yirmiahu cannot be literally true as he lived about two hundred years later. However, it is known that when he was a young man he went to Alexandria in search of wisdom. He almost certainly learned from those in Yirmihau’s bet midrash. In the middle Ages Jewish and non-Jewish philosophers freely read each other’s books. In fact, there was a period when Ibn Gabirol was thought to be a Xtian, c”v, because the only extant edition of “Mekor Chaim” was in Latin.

    in reply to: Leave of Absence #1996138
    Avi K
    Participant

    Refuah sheleima.

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1995910
    Avi K
    Participant

    Always, RM learned Torah from Acher. This one cannot learn from an atheist or a non-Jew. However, one can certainly learn chochma. Does it matter what Pythagoras and Euclid believed?

    in reply to: Are you allowed to give Tzeddakah/charity to Non-Jews #1995723
    Avi K
    Participant

    Avira, that is why I used the Sephardic pronunciation of מצוות. I am half Ashkenazic and half Sephardic. That, BTW, reinforces my definition of Yiddish as creole German. “Fromm” means “pious” or “religious”. Perhaps, though, מדקדק or מקפיד would have been a better choice. BTW, “Yiddish” should be capitalized. There should also be a period after “all”.

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