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MW, I was told this by a rav who has relatives who learn there. He is more reliable in my eyes than you. Of course, if someone does not want to take the stipend he need not take an exam.Even more so if he pays tuition. However, even then two exams are required for admission. I think it is fairly obviously that someone who is obviously goofing off will be asked to leave. In fact, I personally was told by two people that their rabbanim in yeshiva katana told them to go acquire professions as they were not up to par in learning.
As for every Jew being obligated to learn Torah, would you tell someone not to put on tefillin, do kibud av v’em, daven (unless he learns like Rashbi and his colleagues) so that he can learn more? See “Does Torah Study Override Army Service?” by Rav Eliezer Melamed. Of course, just as there are some soldiers who do other non-combat roles there can be some soldiers who sit and learn full-time. However, they must make some contribution to the army.
MW, that is only guys who are really learning and a situation where they are not needed. However, if guys are just lolling about they should serve. If they have time toriot they are not learning at the proper level (Rav Tzvi Yehuda would not allow talmidim to lend their names to political discussions). Rav Nachman Kahana suggested a solution. Have exams at different stages. Those who pass get a deferment. Those who don’t don’t (and BTW, when they instituted exams in Lakewood many guys lost their stipends). Guys at the higher levels will give shiurim to soldiers. IMHO, they should show their lishma and concern for Klal Yisrael by dedicating their learning to the success of the IDF and saying the mishe berach for the soldiers and the state (I don’t see how anyone can object to asking Hashem to give our political leaders wisdom).
Yekke, I am proud of those girls. http://www.hebrewbooks.org/rambam.aspx?sefer=14&hilchos=83&perek=7&halocha=4&hilite=
Nisht, if you had scrolled a bit up you would have seen my post. Rav Moshe’s opinion on peanuts is in Iggrot Moshe, OC 3:63
If you google “רב ליאור קטניות” you will see some good leniencies. Don;’t forget, it is a minhag not even a d’rabbanan. In fact, some Rishonim thought that it is a foolish minhag and opposed it.
Rav Moshe allowed peanuts as it was not known in medieval Europe ((Iggrot Moshe, OC 3:63). Many also allow soya for this reason. So why not corn? BTW, many, including Rav Kook are lenient about kitniyot oil.
Yekke,
1. On the contrary, joining the IDF is avodat Hashem.
2. On the contrary, much has been written. The Tzitz Eliezer wrote a set called “Hilchot Medina”. Rav Herzog wrote several books. There have been many articles in “Techumin” and other Torah journals.Lilmod, fighting our enemies is a Torah obligation. So is engaging in civilian rescue (e.g. people who get lost while on tyulim). While there is much that needs to be fixed (including in each one of us) there is much that is done according to Halacha. In fact, Rav Asher Weiss mentioned in several shiurim that he receievd questions from the IDF that were relevant to the shiur.
Apushatayid, not only that, the do those things in their own neighborhoods. This shows that the protests are not against the IDF per se but an attempt to take over.
Lilmod, see “How Does the IDF Celebrate Passover?” on the IDF blog. Do you really think that a soldier would dare to bring a roll to the seder right in front of the rav of the base? A soldier brought a ham sandwich onto the base for private use. At first he was given 21 days in the stockade. After a certain radio personality reported it it was reduced to confinement to the base (also not very pleasant). Once a secular officer caught a soldier about to treif up a utensil. He told him that if he did he would be assigned to clean every utensil on the base.As for the “required hashgacha”, not having a Badatz hashgacha does not make it treif. There is no right to compel others to accept chumrot.
Regarding guys going OTD in the army, guys go OTD in many places. They also became closer in many places. Both the OU and hesder yeshivot have programs in cooperation with the IDF.
Lilmod,
1. Who are these anonymous poskim? Rav Ovadia (Yechaveh Deah 5:4) says the opposite. Not only that he says that one cannot say “kim li” (I hold like others) as both Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 3:8 – where he says that a violator can even be executed by the government for minor offenses such as failing to make turn when instructed or violating house arrest) and the Mechaber (CM 369:6). Rav Shlomo Ishun even goes so far as to say that if taxes must be raised because of evasion the evaders are guilty of robbery (see העלמת מס by Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed on the Betel yeshiva website).
2. It think that they were pulling his leg. You and your brother are in good company though. I know an talmid chacham who has never been outside Israel. He actually believed an American who told him that there a red light is only a recommendation and not a law. I, in fact, know a rav whose sons and son-in-law have been in the army and he says the opposite. For that matter, I have a friend who did his miluim making a base kosher for Pesach (this is called מבצע פסח).
You are correct though that there is much room for improvement. The way to effect that is from within. Thus Rav Tau rebuked MK Smotrich for calling for guys to stop enlisting. The same goes for other areas of society. In fact, Rav Yaakov Ariel explicitly stated that it is a mitzva for those knowledgeable in both Halacha and secular law to become judges.
3. Many boys stop being frum in many places. Some stop in yeshiva because they are not suited for full-time learning but do not have any other alternatives in Chareidi society.
Is relating actual stories without mentioning any identifying info lashon hara? Does it matter if comes to correct hotzaat shem ra?
Apushatayid, suppose Rav Alef approves of the protests and Rav Bet says that they are assur. Suppose now that a police officer who follows Rav Bet arrests a protester who follows Rav Alef. Are they both right?
Lilmod,
1. Who says that they are not allowed to have a draft? On the contrary, it is a Torah obligation to join the IDF Rambam Hilchot Melachim (5:1-2 and 7:4).
2. The fact of the matter is that while there is room for improvement most aspects of the government ARE run according to Halacha. All public institutions are certified kosher. The IDF does not allow any chametz on bases during Pesach (tough on Druze, Bedouin and Circassian soldiers). All state-owned chametz is sold to a goy. All but essential government offices are closed on Jewish holidays including Chol HaMoed. Halacha has a quasi-constitutional (instead of a constitution Israel has a series of “basic laws”. I could go on and on but there are space limitations.Bramo, so why post news about Chutz laAretz? They do not interest those of us who live in Israel. In any case, there is no issue of lashon hara or chillul Hashem as, as ZD stataed, reports are all over the media.
Yekke, is reporting what a gadol says (leaving aside the question of who is a gadol)lashon hara as regards those who have difficulties with the statements/follow other gedolim?
Joseph, Rabbi Zvi Tau said on this “The IDF is excellent. The IDF gives its soul, unlike one politician who opened his mouth and said we would stop enlisting. Gentlemen, that’s not us.I am afraid that provocateurs will come to say such things and this will cause even greater forms of destruction. It will only add more fuel to the fire and weaken the people of Israel and the State of Israel and the IDF.”
YW, Yekke. My point was that people are complex. At one time a person stopped keeping mitzvot, in particular Shabbat, because he wanted out of the Jewish people (in fact, the only other option was to join the majority religion). That has not been true for two hundred years. Moreover, as Rav Kook pointed out, there are Jews who are violate mitzvot in their private sides but are tzaddikim in their public sides and vice versa. In fact, the word “rasha” has different meanings in different contexts. For eidut it is sufficient for him to have knowingly violated one prohibition (Choshen Mishpat 34:2-3). However, Rambam says (Hilchot Teshuva 3:1-2) that for his general status he is someone who has more aveirot than mitzvot by weight – and only Hashem knows the weights.
As for the wicked son, the fact of the matter is that he is present at the seder ( Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb points out this fact and says that he is not irretrievably lost). This shows that his kefira is actually l’teiavon (and Rambam says in his intro. to Perek Chelek that those who violate mitzvot l’teiavon will merit Olam HaBa after being punished) – Rav Asher Weiss says that he is simply hungry and wishes that Maggid will end already so he can eat. Many say that today there is a fifth son who is not even present because he has assimilated.
Yekke, see Chazon Ish YD 2, 16(http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14334&st=&pgnum=21) and 28 (http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14334&st=&pgnum=25). Rav Kook compared the spirit of the times to a seductress (see Sanhedrin 26b Tosafot d”h hechashud) and advised a rav whose sons became communists to continue to love them and help them financially. He further stated that secularists are not fully knowledgeable about Judaism and thus oppose a mistaken idea of it (see Tzitz Eliezer 8,15 that they do not understand the seriousness of chillul Shabbat). See also Meshech Chochma on Devarim 22,4:
לא תראה חמור אחיך כו’ ובמשפטים כתיב אויבך משום דבערבי פסחים אמר מי שרי לשנויי הא כתיב לא תשנא אחיך בלבבך, ומוקי בראה בו שעבר עבירה, וזה היה קודם העגל אשר היו כולם ממלכת גוי קדוש, אז הוה שרי לשנויי אם ראה בו עבירה, לא כן אחרי כל המסות אשר נכשלו בעונות, אם יראה אדם בחבירו חטא אם יפשפש במעשיו ימצא כמה מכשולים ופקפוקים, זה בפרט זה וזה בפרט זה, לכן אסור לשנוא איש כזה, רק מי שהוא בעצמו סר מרע וצדיק תמים בדרכיו, אבל קשה למצא כמותו וע”ז אמרו ראיתי ב”ע והמה מועטים, לכן כתיב אחיך.
As for the murderer, there is a major difference between someone who is over on chukkim and someone who is over on mishpatim. What about someone wo does not keep Shabbat but is honest, gives tzedakka and refrains form lashon hara vs. someone who keeps Shabbat but is over on the others?
PETA’s letter to Yasser Arafat
February 3, 2003
Yasser Arafat, President
Palestinian National Authority
Ramallah, West Bank
Palestinian Authority1 page via facsimile: 972 7 282 2365
Your Excellency:
I am writing from an organization dedicated to fighting animal abuse around the world. We have received many calls and letters from people shocked at the bombing in Jerusalem on January 26 in which a donkey, laden with explosives, was intentionally blown up.
All nations behave abominably in many ways when they are fighting their enemies, and animals are always caught in the crossfire. The U.S. Army abandoned thousands of loyal service dogs in Vietnam. Al-Qaeda and the British government have both used animals in hideously cruel biological weaponry tests. We watched on television as stray cats in your own compound fled as best they could from the Israeli bulldozers.
Animals claim no nation. They are in perpetual involuntary servitude to all humankind, and although they pose no threat and own no weapons, human beings always win in the undeclared war against them. For animals, there is no Geneva Convention and no peace treaty—just our mercy.
If you have the opportunity, will you please add to your burdens my request that you appeal to all those who listen to you to leave the animals out of this conflict?
We send you sincere wishes of peace.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
President, PETAUbiquitin, on the other hand we say “Modim anachnu lach”. “lach” is the feminine “you”.
Winnie,
1. The point is that they are even “correcting past gender bias” in regards to animals.
2. Not only Israelis. Some Americans refer to cars as “she” as they are unpredictable (this is also why hurricanes were only named after women). BTW, there is a Hebrew version of “Who’s On First” on-line (hu is he, hi is she, mi is who, die is enough and I will add dag is fish) and there is also a video of former Major Leaguer Chin-lung Hu on First Base with the announcer saying “Hu’s on First”.What is really funny is that the new trend to use “she” for a generic person has been extended to animals (“your dog barks because she is lonely”). However, they seem to be coming around to our view as they refer to Hashem as “It”.
The Peleg HaYerushalmi is a terrorist organization that has called for the death of the head of the IDF branch for yeshiva students. It should be outlawed and its leaders imprisoned for incitement. Their words definitely fall under the “clear and present danger” test.
I know someone who told a smoker that smoking is assur. The smoker blew smoke in his face.
Neut, so how do we use Russian and Polish folk music for our zemirot?
Lilmod, it depends on how short. According to the Mishna Berura only the upper arm needs to be covered. One could push the envelope and add a tefach (someone told me that Rav Brovender even paskened that l’maaseh). Just out of curiosity, how well did the girls do on the test?
Lilmod, I do. The proof is that when the level of Jewish education went up so did the level of observance. If you ask these girls and women why they dress this way they will tell you that that is the custom (מינהג has the same letters as גהינם). They simply do not realize that hey are violating the Halacha.
How about writing on the shirt “I &hearts Tneniut”? How about teaching girls and women hilchot tzeniut?
Rav Soloveichik went to his wife’s grave even though Briskers do not do do. When asked he replied that he could not do otherwise.
A certain bachur was very nervous about the test for a shidduch with the rosh yeshiva’s daughter. His friends told to just let the father talk and then say “Maybe it’s the opposite”. When the father set forth his sheeta the boy said “Maybe it’s the opposite”,. The father said “Maybe” and then set forth an opposite sheeta. He later told his daughter that the boy was an illui.
Rambam also praised Galen as the greatest doctor of all time.
Joseph, Rav Soloveichik did not meet his wife either way. I know another rav who met his in Bnei Akiva (as did Rav Kahane). Rav Aviner and Rav Zalman Melamed have also endorsed Internet sites.
I am not up on current pop culture. However, secular Israel pop culture has traditionally been much better from a Jewish point of view than American pop culture, which is generally emptiness. Naomi Shemer, Yehoram Gaon and Arik Einstein in particular wrote very good songs. BTW, Einstein denied that he wrote “Hu Chazar b’Teshuva” about Uri Zohar. He said that he wrote it after he saw a TV show in which parents whose BT children cut off contact were interviewed.
The oldest record of Ashkenazi minhagim extant is Machzor Vitry,which was compiled by Simcha ben Shmuel, apparently of Vitry-sur-Seine southeast of Paris, who was a talmid of Rashi. The Rosh says that Ashkenazi minhagim go back to the Bayit Sheini. This is probable as the Jews in the Rhineland sent their questions to the Geonim of Eretz Yisrael whereas the Jews of Spain sent theirs to the Geonim of Bavel.
BTW, the question of Sephardic minhagim today was a major disagreement between Rav Ovadia on the one hand and Rav Mordechai Eliahu and Rav Shalom Messas on the other hand. The latter insisted that the different Sephardic communities should keep their own minhagim and, in fact, Rav Eliahu paskened according to the Ben Ish Hai (he was, in fact, a descendant of the BIH’s sister).
Lilmod, that is not a good example as it is a mitzva d’Oraita to thank Hashem for His great miracles. Regarding, Rav Ovadia, he did hold that but did not so much advertise it. Ashkenazi poskim, of course, disagreed. BTW, there is a small group centered in Givat Shaul that holds that we should go back to the old minhagim of Eretz Yisrael, including (they claim) keeping only one day of Rosh HaShana. BTW, Rav Shlomo Zalman camefrom a Chassidc background but davened nusach Askenaz as he leearned in the Etz Chaim yesiva. However, he defended nusach Sepharad against Rav Eliashiv’s pesak that EVERY AShkenazi must daven nusach Ashkenaz.
Geordie, Rav Eliashiv consulted with leaders in the secular world. However, not all groups addressed their questions to him. Chariedi Sepharadim, for example, asked Rav Ovadia.
Joseph, Rav Yaakov Ariel and Rav Dov Lior are two. Rav Eliezer Melamed is also up there.
ZD, \i think that the residents of Great Neck will be very surprised to discover that they live in Queens. Is there no Vaad of Nassau County?
To quote the late, great Yogi Berra, this is deja vu all over again (chochma b’goyim taamin). According to historians Yushki was actually born around 4 CE. Some say that there was no one Yushki but he is a composite of several preachers. In fact, at least one Yushki mentioned by Chazal (Sanhedrin 107b)could not have lived in the time of Pilate. Sanhedrin 67a mentions a Yushki who was Mary Magdalene’s son. Her husband was Pappas ben Yehuda (Gittin 90a) but there opinions that there was an earlier one than Rabbi Akiva’s cell mate.
Lilmod, what is the difference?
Joseph, a gadol hador must also have extensive secular knowledge or at least access to those who do. For example, before the Tzitz Eliezer paskened on listening to the radio on Shabbat he read a book on radio engineering and took a guided tour of the station with the chief engineer.
Randomex, Rav Herschel Schachter, Rav Gedalia Schwartz, Rav Mordechai Willig.
Nisht, machloket is minhag Yisrael. I new someone who was sitting and learning Gemara while waiting for a meeting. An elderly man approached him and excitedly asked if he wanted an argument. BTW, what do you think of Javad Zarif’s chiddush on Ahashverosh?
Nisht, I accept your concession of defeat. BTW, I find it very interesting that no one addressing the issue of their lack of a Jewish wedding ceremony (they were married in a church ceremony before his “conversion”). According to Rav Moshe that means that they were never halachically married so it does not matter if his gerut was valid or not.
As for your comments about “Uri ‘Tzedek” while one can agree or disagree with their positions (in general on economic issues I would put much more stock in the opinions of Rabbi Prof. Israel Kirzner’s and Rabbi Dr. Aharon Levine because of their expertise in both Torah and Economics). However, to call them “anti-religious” is hotzaat shem ra. Apparently you want to prove that Haman was right when he said that we are split up and scattered.
Nisht,
1. Then the pesakim of those Charidi dayanim are ,in your opinion, completely null and void?
2. The rest is hotzaat shem ra. Who says that army service is considered enough? Who says that Rav Goren’s pesak was for political reasons (and how do you define that term)? What about the above mentioned Chareidi dayanim?
Ubiquitin, you have demonstrated nothing of the sort.
Ubiquitin, this is obviously lashon guzma. If Rav Goren paskened on something in agreement with the gedolim mentioned obviously they would not say that those pesakim are invalid. This in fact, has a long tradition.
The Maharshal wrote about the Migdal Oz:
?? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ????, ????? ??? ????? ???? (????? ???”? ?????), ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???’ ???? ????? ???? (??”? ????? ?”? ??’ ?).
The Raavad’s comments about Rambam are also famous.
See on this Chavat Yair 152 (generally printed after Sefer Chafetz chaim).
Parenthetically, once I wrote an article opposing the Carlebach Kabbat Shabbat and one of the rabbanim in my community wrote a blistering reply in which he called me a chutzpan. I was very pleased that he considered my writing worthy of a rebuttal.
I note that no one has answered my question about the carnival of retroactive cancellations of conversions.
Purim sameach.
Ubiquitin,
1. They do not say “all his pesakim” but “his pesakim”. Apparently they are only referring to this one case.
2. Only four gedolim signed. Rav Zolti also disagreed in print. I do not know of any other gadol (Rav Avraham Shapira, Rav Mordechai Eliahu, Rav Nebentzahl, etc.) who disparaged Rav Goren.
3. For a balanced discussion google “Rabbi Bleich the Langer case” and you will get a link to his article in “Contemporary Halachic Problems”.
4. I repeat my question. What about the recent wave of Charieidi dayanim invalkidating conversions?
Each group has it own gadol/im.
Ubiquitin, I did not see a search engine on the Aguda website nor did I find that quote on Google with the exception of your post. I did, however, find that the Aguda itself condemned the pesak. In any case, all it says is that the pesak was wrong. It does not say that he was disqualified as a posek.
As for the age of the Universe, has anyone actually read Dr. Schroeder’s article or the various explanations in “Challenge”? BTW, Rav Kook says that so far the Theory of Evolution is the closest secular theory to the kabbalistic description while adding a caveat that it may be replaced some time. He wrote (Shemonah Kevatzim 1:594):
?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ????. ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ?????, ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????, ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???”?, ??”? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ???, ?”? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????, ???? ?????? ???????. ?????? ???? ????? ???????, ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????, ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?????. ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ????, ??? ?????, ???? ????????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ????, ??”? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???????. ??????, ??? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??????, ??????? ?? ????? ????, ???? ???? ???? ???, ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?? ???, ?????? ???? ????, ?????? ??? ???? ???? ????.
See also “Rav Kook on Noah: The Age of the Universe” on the ravkooktorah website.
DY,
1. Borokovski was compelled to go through a gerut by his father-in-law, who had info that could have gotten him in trouble with the law, after marrying his wife in a church ceremony. There is no record of them having ever had a Jewish wedding. He continued to go to church and did not know where one puts tefillin and could not even complete the first verses of “Lecha Dodi” and “Shema Yisrael”. Interestingly, Chareidi dayanim today are quick to invalidate conversions simply because the rabbanim who performed the conversions are not part of their group.
2. Your comment about Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Moshe is hotzaat shem ra.
Joseph,
1. His conversion would only be invalid if he was an apikoros at the time of his conversion.
2. Did Rav Eliashiv change his mind after the Langer case? he resigned form the Rabbanut Supreme Rabbinical Court after Rav Goren annulled the conversion of a man who continued to go to church after his conversion and thus cleared his wife’s children from her second marriage (after #1 disappeared) from mamzerut? On what level does one have to believe that the age of the world is 5,777 years? Does the count start with the Big Bang, people starting to speak (that is to say, when they became peopel), when they started to write? Relative to what (see “Age of the Universe” by Dr. Gerald Schroeder on the Aish HaTorah website).
Lilmod, he did more than give his blessing. He financed it.
Joseph, are you saying that if a berit mila occurs during the sefira the baalei berit may not celebrate? The Torah obligation to thank Hashem for the state certainly pushes off the aveilut of the sefira, which is only a minhag.