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The fact of the matter is that Breslov was outed by all of the other Chassidic groups because of very puzzling statements attributed to Rabbi Nachman (he did not write any of his books – they were written in his name by his talmid Reb Natan). Among the charges were deviating form what had become traditional Chassidic views, thinking that he was Mashiach and claiming that he was greater than Moshe Rabbenu. Today the problem is magnified because anyone can call himself a Breslover and some subgroups have engaged in extremely questionable activities. While this is also true of Chabad to a certain extent they at least have an official bet din and organization which are very strong within the movement.
Joseph, do you have broad enough shoulders to disagree with Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 10:1)? If not, bring a source.
Rambam also distinguishes between two types of shogeg. A gentile who thinks that adultery is permitted is chayav but if he does not know that the woman is married he is patur.
LU, you are correct that there is a machloket but we have a general rule that where there is a safek d’rabbanan the halacha is lenient.
Joseph, actually there would be an interesting question regarding a gentile who thinks that he is a Jew (e.g. his mother’s mother’s mother did not convert properly and this fact was forgotten) and eats a ben pakua.
Joseph, what is authoritative? Rav Chaim David HaLevi, who was a Torah authority, said that the Torah does not dictate any particular form of government (as do Ibn Ezra and the Netziv on the mitzva to appoint a king) or economic system . Is that an authoritative statement that there is no authoritative statement?
LY, according to some opinions the halacha indeed does not apply in our time. Why do you have problems with the facts that poskim sometimes disagree and that there are halachic tools to deal with that in practical situations?
ZD, Schindler was perhaps a modern example of someone who acquires his world (to come) in a moment. He was indeed amoral and even was arrested twice for public drunkenness. Moreover, he joined the Nazi Party in the Sudetenland well before the munich agreement and spied for Germany. One of his survivors, Murray Pantirer said:
“He came to my house once, and I put a bottle of cognac in front of him, and he finished it in one sitting. When his eyes were flickering – he wasn’t drunk – I said this is the time to ask him the question ‘why’ ? His answer was ‘I was a Nazi, and I believed that the Germans were doing wrong … when they started killing innocent people – and it didn’t mean anything to me that they were Jewish, to me they were just human beings, menschen – I decided I am going to work against them and I am going to save as many as I can’. And I think that Oscar told the truth, because that’s the way he worked.”
After the war he was hounded by anti-Nazis as a former Party member and by Nazis as someone who saved Jews. Howvever, for what it is worth, he is buried in the Catholic cemetery on Har Zion.
Joseph, even political and economic issues? What about vaccinations?
LU, if you think that there are non-frum people who read this forum you are correct (I would also add the articles that emphasize that someone who was killed or injured is frum although this is a common thing – another site wrote that a certain person killed was Israeli while the YWN wrote that he was frum). On the other hand, if there are protesters who read this then it is a rebuke.
LU, as stam yainam is a rabbinic prohibition (as are the disabilities on non-observant Jews) a safek is l’kula (and here it is a d’rabbanan within a d’rabbanan). Certainly if you are in a situation where you might push the person further away you should be meikal. If you google “non-observant Jews wine” you will get a number of articles on the subject.
LU, on the contrary. The extremists are doing the chillul Hashem. Opposing them is a kiddush Hashem.
Little, only selling “kosher” phones to Jewish customers would open him up to fines for discrimination. Moreover, halachically it is muttar mi manafshach. If smartphones are muttar (and I know at least one rav who has one) it is certainly muttar. Even if it is not, being that there are many gentiles who sell the phones it is only a question of
מסייע לדבר עבירה. This is allowed in a case where the aveira has not yet been committed ( Netziv, Responsa Meshiv Devar 2:31-32). Even more so being that it is not at all clear that the customers will go into inappropriate sites.Mr. Crawley, he is not considered a gentile. He simply has a few legal disabilities in common with gentiles. However, his kiddushin would be a good kiddushin, to give just one example.
In any case, as i posted this does not hold true today.
Not only is it a chillul Hashem but it causes more chillul Shabbat as police will have to come. Not to mention throwing rocks it itself chillul Shabbat besides the fact that someone who does that is a potential murderer c”v.
They would do much better if they would invite the customers for a meal (I actually knew a couple who went to live in Tel Aviv and went to Dizengoff St of Shabbat nights and invited people to dinner).
Leviyitz and Joseph,
Rav Kook, in a letter to a rav whose sons became communists, compared the spirit of the times to an evil seductress (see Sanhedrin 26b with Tosafot d”h hechashud). I heard that Rav Scheinberg also said that today the forces of tuma are so strong that even a yeshiva bachur who goes OTD can be considered a tinok shenishba.
Rav Ovadia ruled that a Jew who does not keep Shabbat does not cause wine to be prohibited (Yabia Omer 1 YD 1).
Rav Asher Weiss also says that today a Jew who does not keep Shabbat is not necessarily considered to be like a goy. That would only be if he disconnects from the Jewish people (Rav Weiss said if he marries out).
Being executed by the government by is an atonement even without teshuva (Baba Batra 10b). As for their status in life, if someone it is very complicated. Rav Dessler says in Kuntras Nekudat HaBechira that the weights for mitzvot and aveirot are different for each individual according to each one’s spiritual level. It could be that if someone from a secular background only refrains from pork and shellfish Hashem considers him better than someone from a yeshivish background who relies on various leniencies. Moreover, one act can get a person into Olam HaBa (Avoda Zara 17a).
LB, I thought that the CR exists to allow people to vent their frustrations on their fellow Jews without suffering consequences. This is actually beneficial as a safety valve. However, it could be that it is more for the spectators. I think therefor I am (René Descartes ). Of course, we could all be pseudonyms for politicians.
Maybe no one here even exists. We were made up by magnates to attract people to read ads.
Akuperma, a business owner is so incompetent will be not be in business very long.
Gadol, you are correct regarding Orthodox Jews. Today’s NY times reported that a court officer with an obviously non-Jewish name was arrested for stealing fine payments. His ethnicity was not mentioned although it could easily be discerned from his name. However, I think that secular people expect “religious” people to be angels. Chazal discuss this (Yoma 86a).
Yytz, then you consider the stock market to be a leftist institution?
Joseph,
1. Marriage for gentiles is only an agreement to live together. Once one of them walks out they are considered divorced.
2. There has to be at least one witness to an act.
3. Ramban says regarding Shimon and Levy that Noahide judges may decline to hear cases because of fear. There is also an opinion that their judges have discretion to impose lesser penalties (Chelkat Yoav Tanyana 14 – and see Iggerot Moshe Choshen Mishpat 2:68 that even a murderer should not be executed if he killed in the heat of anger but only because of a cruel nature or disregard for the aveira or if there is a general disregard fore this).MW, IMHO it is because of the history of putting people in the back of the bus to express their supposed inferiority.
Huju, in fact after a big scandal involving a major tzedaka fund that operated in NY and NJ a frum accounting firm was hired to manage the fund. Really every fund should have an attorney and accountant (or someone who is both) to keep them on the right side of the law as well as prevent embezzlement.
It should also be noted that if the bus company was awarded the route by a public entity or receives subsidies it is subject to anti-discrimination laws. If not it may or may not have a religious exemption and the laws in Canada and the US might be different.
Once a woman deliberately sat next to an Ashkenazi rosh yeshiva. He changed his seat and there was a big argument. The next day she sat next to a Sephardi rodh yeshiva. He ignored her and she got off disappointed. A bochur who saw both incidents asked him about it. He said “Hu rav. Ani chacham”.
Joseph, one can establish gederim for himself but not for others. Even for himself he must be careful as an unwarranted chumra in one area can cause unwarranted kulot in other areas (e.g. children who refuse to eat it their parents’ homes because the parents’ level of kashrut is more lenient).
There is a general problem with people who think that stealing from the government or a company (I heard about a “frum” insurance company employee who helped people get payments even though they did not have policies – he actually thought that he was doing chesed) is not stealing. Rav Moshe thought differently and also prohibited cheating on the Regents exams (IM CM II:29-30).
This has led to such tremendous chillulei Hashem that the IRS will not accept statements from yeshivot. Fortunately, the rabbinic leadership is responding with seminars featuring both poskim and frum attorneys on business ethics. Hopefully there will be a turnaround.
Yytz, the Communists also banned trade unions other than their figurehead unions. Moreover, Hitler ym”s railed against capitalism and encouraged cartels. Basically, fascist economic theory states that all economic activity must be directed by the state even though it remains nominally in private hands (dirigism).
As for workers’ participation in the economy, the fact of the matter is that the main shareholders in the US are employee pension funds. There is even an ideology called “libertarian socialism” which favors organization of businesses as workers’ cooperatives without government interference. Would you call this leftist or rightist?
She can become a talmidat chacham. See Sanhedrin 96a regarding the children of ammei aratzot.
Yekke, I already asked a rav that question. He did not have an answer. However, I contend that someone who does not believe in ethical monotheism has no inherent limits to what he will do. In fact, the most destructive war in history was started by two atheists, Hitler and Stalin ym”s. interestingly, a recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour shows that even most atheists consider atheists to be immoral (although it would seem to be that “amoral” would be more accurate.
Yekke, already in Volozhin he preferred to speak Hebrew. When Rav Charlap first came to his yeshiva he addressed RK in Yiddish. RK said “Being that you are new hear I will not be makpid on you. However, you should know that one does not address me in Jargon”. All of his letter to his son, brother and father were written in Hebrew. He did write to his mother in Yiddish but that was probably because she simply did not understand Hebrew.
One side are neveilot and the other are tereifot. The reds are terrorizing Jews on campuses and banning them from rallies and the fascists are are spreading antisemitism on websites and social media. A pox on both their houses.
Unless you are the shaliach tzibbur you have no obligation to daven at the tzibbor’s pace or to take a certain amount of time. Rav Chaim Soloveichik was known for daven “quickly”. On the other hand, many rabbanim daven “slowly” and have standing instructions not to wait for them so as not to inconvenience the rest. Speak to Hashem like you would speak to a king or other important person (think of a job interviewer).
Akuperma,
1. Secular Yiddish newspapers in the US either folded or went over to English years ago.
2. Yiddish and German grammar is not at all like English grammar. For example, Yiddish and German separate the prefix form the main verb in sentences and put the infinitive at the end (e.g. in German “I am beginning to learn German” is “Ich fange an, Deutsch zu lernen” – to begin” is “anfangen”.Joseph, wrong again. Most Jews in Israel are Sepharadim and bnei Eidot HaMizrach. the vast majority of French Jews are also Sepharadim.
RY, speakers of Swiss-German might understand a Yiddish speaker if he speaks slowly (so I was told by a Swiss-German speaker) but Germans would have a problem, especialy being that many Yiddish words are of Hebrew or Slavic origin (e.g. “bubbe” comes from the Russian “babuska” whereas in German it is “Oma”. See “Yiddish vs. German: An Experiment” online.
See also Megilla 13a that anyone who denies a”z is called a Yehudi.
Yekke, you can find his opinion in Bet HaBechira on href=”http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=40773&st=&pgnum=325&hilite=”>Baba Kama 113b .
This was also the opinion of Rav Kook (Iggeret 89), Maharatz Chajes (Tifferet l’Yisrael, Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (<Collected ritings v. 7 “Talmudic Judaism and Society”, Rav David Tzvi Hoffman (Fundamentals of Judaism edited by Jacob Breuer ch. 8 , Rav Yaakov Emden (on Pirkei Avot 4:13), Rav Aharon Soloveichik ( “Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind pages 139, 151) and Rav Nahum Rabinovich, and Rav Lichtenstein in the name of Rav Joseph Soloveichik (Laws of Medical Treatment on Shabbat by Rabbi Dov Karrol, who all say that gentiles who have an orderly society are considered gerim toshavim. RAS adds that the mitzva of קידוש השם only applies where there is an ethical imperative to so act (קדש עצמך במותר לך) – we do many things despite the fact that the other nations dislike them.
Yekke, you can find his statement here .
Rav Kook wrote:
“אהבת הבריות צריכה להיות חיה בלב ובנשמה… להיטיב לעמים כולם… תכונה זו היא שמסגלת את רוחא דמלכא משיחא לחול על ישראל (מכשירה את ישראל לרוחו של מלך המשיח). בכל מקום שאנו מוצאים רמזי שנאה (כלפי הגויים), הרינו יודעים ברור שהכוונה רק על הרשעה, שהיא מרתקת (אוחזת) בחזקה את האיגוד של עמים רבים, גם בהווה ובייחוד בימים מקדם שהיתה זוהמת העולם יותר מסואבת. אבל עלינו לדעת כי נקודת החיים, אור וקודש, תמיד לא זזה מהצלם האלוקי שנחנן בו האדם בכללו, וחוננו בו כל עם ולשון…” (מידות ראי”ה אהבה סעיף ה’):
“…העיקר כדעת המאירי שכל העמים שהם גדורים בנימוסים הגונים בין אדם לחברו הם כבר נחשבים לגרים תושבים ….” (אגרות הראי”ה פט).
This was also the view of Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (The Collected Writings p. 225), Rav Yaakov Emden (on Pirkei Avot 4:13), Rav David Tzvi Hoffman (Fundamentals of Judaism ed. by Rav Jacob Breuer p. 182), Maharatz Chayes, and Rav Aharon Soloveitchik (Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind pp. 139 and 151. According to RAS the obligation of kiddush Hashem applies because there is a “deeper ethical responsibility” (קדש עצמך במותר לך). This follows from the fact that we do many things even though the other nations do not like them.
Avram, you should try to stop him. Throw something at him. Pepper spray him. The call the cops as he will undoubtedly try again.
Yekke and DY,
1. The Rema says that the “only” reason for having to return it is kiddush Hashem. Is that light in your eyes? May one compel a fellow Jew to do a kiddush Hashem?
2. Rav Menashe Klein disagrees with the Netivot ( <a href=”http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1878&st=%d7%92%d7%96%d7%9c&pgnum=373
“>Mishna Halachot 6:305)). This is also the view of Rav Ovadia (הלכה ליום רביעי כ”ט טבת תשע”ד). In any case, the Netivot himself says that the thief must pay for the object.3. The Chatam Sofer says (v. 6 Sukka 30) that the Rambam holds that one must return the object.
4. See also Yerushalmi Baba Kama 4:1 and Biur HaGra EH 28:5.
5. You have not addressed by citation of the Meiri nor have you addressed my other points.
How about putting them and the white nationalists on an island together?
According to Ramban even if there is no mitzva of hashava there might be an obligation of “keduushim tiyu” (see Be’er HaGola CM 348:5).
Trump is right. America is becoming polarized (see Antifa and the Alt-Right, Growing in Opposition to One Another in National Review – with antisemitism featured prominently on both sides (besides the BDS movement and its emphasis on “liberation politics”, the BLM movement has conflated antisemitism into its victimhood message, as has the toeva movement.
In fact, this is what characterized Germany at the end of the Weimer Republic period with frequent street battles between Nazis and Communists. On the other hand, I did hear that there is a tradition going back to Rav Chaim of Volozhin that Jews will never be persecuted as Jews in America. If America did not go fascist eighty years ago when all of the conditions were right it probably never will. Einstein, in fact, said this in response to Gödel’s assertion that the Constitution could be so interpreted.
Yekke,
1. Please cite your source for your contention that the thief does not have to return the object he stole from a goy. How else would he do teshuva?
2. The Meiri says that gentiles who have the rule of law are treated like Jews for these matters and Rav Hirsch and Rav Kook pasken like him.
3. The kiddush Hashem would be greater than the chillul Hashem, as it always is (Yerushalmi Kiddushin 4:1).
4. If he steals from a goy he will also steal from a Jew (Tanna d’Bei Eliahu and see Rema CM 388:12).
5. Many shoplifters have various mental issues that cause this behavior. If he is one of them you will be doing him a favor as he will be sent to rehab. It might even be an aveira on “al taamod la dam r’eicha” not to report him.
6. I do not suggest that you take physical action for various practical reasons. I once saw a girl get on the back entrance of the bus and start to proceed towards the rear. I gave her a look and she shamefacedly went to pay the driver.The problem in northern Alaska in the summer is that Shabbat begins and ends extremely late. I have a friend who is from Anchorage and when he went back for a visit he was told to keep it according to Seattle, which is the nearest organized Jewish community.
Yekke,
If they are Israelis it is not surprising that they speak Hebrew. Even those who speak Yiddish at home speak Hebrew as very few people outside Chassidic communities have any knowledge of Yiddish (Litvish rabbanim use Hebrew although sometimes they use the Litvish pronunciation). I personally was in a shiur given by an Israeli who learned in Kol Torah (Rav Shlomo Zalman’s yeshiva) and he odes not know Yiddish at all. Kol Torah was, in fact, the first Chareidi yeshiva (Rav Kook started his yeshiva beforehand) to go over to Hebrew (eighty years ago) and the Chazon Ish said that the language of instruction should be Hebrew because so few understood Yiddish (not to mention Sepharadim and bnei Eidot HaMizrach).
BTW, the Raavad is quoted by the Sheeta Mekubetzet as saying that it is doubtful if someone who does not learn in Hebrew fulfills the mitzva. One of the reasons why the Bnei Yisrael merited leaving Egypt was that they spoke Hebrew and not “Judeo-Egyptian”.
Mammele,
Even if they did know Yiddish they probably would have preferred English as they would have trouble expressing themselves in Yiddish. This is a common phenomena among children of olim.
Yekke, why do they refuse to speak English? What is so holy about pidgin German?
Joseph,
1. Where did you find that one about Yiddish being an “international language spoken by Jews”? Most Jews are Sephardic and DO NOT speak Yiddish. Most Ashkenazim also do not speak Yiddish except for words that crept int other languages.
2. What benefit does someone receive from knowing Yiddish? In fact, a case can even be made (@CTl) that it impedes learning German, which is an important language in international business (while most Germans, especially business people, can speak English there are imporatnt newspapers and magazines written in German. A person who starts with Yiddish must unlearn pronunciation differences. Moreover, much of Yiddish comes from Russian, Polish and Hebrew. One who does not believe that there are signicificant differences should watch a video on YouTube where two men translate English phrases into German and Yiddish respectively. In fact, when the Japanese Interior Minister interviewed a rosh yeshiva during WW2 he needed an interpreter despite being fluent in Yiddish.
Akuperma, how much are you paid to shill for our enemies? Rav Herzog paskened that the Third Commonwealth will not be destroyed – when Rommel ym”s seemed to be on the verge of conquering the entire Middle East. My prediction is that the PA will not survive Abbas. In fact, his new repressive measures might even implode it in his lifetime. The vast majority of Arabs want to leave. All that is necessary is to set up an international relocation fund that wil pay them to emigrate to countries that need immigrants. Canada, Australia, NZ, Brazil and Germany (despite all the refugees it has already accepted) are all up there. Thanks to the internet young Arabs can develop skill sets needed in these countries and even take professional exams by computer.
Health, while you are at it why would you call them for a host of other suspected crimes? Moreover, did you ever stop to think that maybe the neighbors are all victims? Did you ever hear of home invasions?
Satmar is irrelevant. A group in denial.
LU, there is also no time if you hear screams. If not for the prohibition of derisha el hameitim I would suggest that you ask Kitty Genovese.
LU, safek pikuach nefesh is also pikuach nefesh. In the case of the smoke you do not go to the house and investigate. You call the FD. Screams are another matter. Some people are simply screamers. They may be very nice people but they have a nervous problem and need to let it out. In fact, the who kill their whole families are often quiet types who never argue. Then one day they explode.
Joseph, you need a remedial English course. RY wrote that they SHOULD accept them. Once when I bought something in a supermarket the checkout lady asked if I wanted to join their customers’ club. I was tempted to say that I would not join a club that would accept me but I figured that she would not get it.
In any case, the subject of this thread is civil rights. Private institutions do not have to give any rights.