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Joseph, you still do not understand the difference between a state and a regime?
Excellence, from the books of the chachamim Shimshon sinned with his eyes (Sotah 9b) and Yiftach was an am ha’aretz and gass ruach (Baba Batra 4a).
Womb with a View
by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky
[Yerushalayim]
The broader point is not merely that succumbing to the threats of violence and terror only rewards and encourages the bully but that Israel finds itself (again!?) at a crossroads. The friendly Trump administration enters with no illusions that peace is possible under present circumstances, and well aware that Israel is both a friend and cherished ally. The real question then becomes: what does Israel want?
People generally become so attached to the status quo that any attempt to change it, at all, evokes gasps of horror. (Change the one-China policy? Oy vey! Really?) Netanyahu has become adept at managing the status quo but strategic thinking is also in order. Life also cannot be put on hold pending a resolution of the Iran problem, and to assert that the embassy move should be postponed (forever) because Iran must be dealt with is a non sequitur. Nations can defend themselves, build homes, manage an economy and maintain a capital at the same time. And an American embassy in Yerushalayim would send a powerful message to the world, Arab and European, that the State of Israel exists, will continue to exist, and its just demands deserve recognition.
[Yerushalayim]
Mammele,
1. Karove lamalchut was used so that the ruling elite would respect the Jew. For example, court Jews were allowed to dress and cut their hair like gentiles despite the prohibition of “bechukoteihem” (the chachamim were allowed to set the parameters). See ????? ???? ??????? ?????? by Rav Yehuda Zoldan on the Bet-el yeshiva website (this is a wider version and discusses going into a church). As for those politicians who opted out of the Inaugurtion, it was for the explicit purpose of snubbing Trump as they are in denial about his election. This would have made the Kushners’ absence an even greater subject for the pundits.
Lightbrite, see “Hillary Clinton is a threat to religious liberty” by Marc A. Thiessen in the Washington Post. You can google “Hillary Clinton – Religious beliefs have to be changed” to see the video.
Litvos, so far as I know there are no more Jews in Iraq. There may be a handful in Syria. They belong in Israel.
Mammale, on the assumption that you are female would you have been machmir on not going to the hospital in an ambulance if you went into labor on Shabbat?
Tell me, when you wake up in the morning do you say “Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the frummest of them all?” Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair said about the donkey who would not eat non-tithed food even though it was exempt “????? ?????”.
As for the church issue, while I have reservations I can also see the other side. As I previously posted, there are heterim for someone who is karove lamalchut as these are rabbinic prohibitions.
Lightbrite, what would have been the thoughts of those who voted for Clinton when she carried out the “Civil Rights” Commission’s recommendation to set religious doctrine and tell religious groups whom they can appoint as clergy?
Rav Tzvi Yehuda found it difficult to celebrate the UN decision because they divided our land. Ramban says in his Sefer HaMitzvot that it is absolutely prohibited to allow any other people sovereignty over any part of Eretz Yisrael.
Yehudayona, right up to the election it seemed certain that Hillary would win. This would have been a black day for Israeland all traditionally religious Americans.
Mammele, they did hold fast to their beliefs. They asked a shaila and acted accordingly. IMHO their rav acted on solid halachic grounds as I previously posted.Bitachon does not, as the Chazon Ish says, mean standing in the middle of a highway and believing that you will not be hit by a car. It means that if you do your hishtadlut after something happens you havefaith that it was for the best.
Lilmod, why not let someone else do it? In any case, Jared Kushner did not become the President’s son-in-law. He became a businessman’s son-in-law. Hashem then made the latter POTUS in an open miracle. Ivanka certainly did not volunteer to be Trump’s daughter.
A time for ?, he said this well before the Sixties. What did he say that he was chozer from? As Rav Aharon was a staunch opponent of the Oslo agreements. I very strongly doubt your contention.
Lightbrite, America is galut. If you cannot live in Israel you should be sad.
Iacisrmma, a ger/giuret has the mitzva of kibbud av v’em for two reasons:
1. It would be a chillul Hashem not to owner them.
2. There is a mitzva to show gratitude for bringing one into the world.
As for putting themselves into a situation where they would have to do a relatively light violation, as I previously posted, why not ask why someone should be a doctor, nurse, paramedic, police officer, etc.?
AY, the State did no such thing. Some people who worked for it did those things. In fact, Rav Soloveichik pointed out that the establishment of the State saved Jews from mass conversion. Missionaries were using the Holocaust as proof that Hashem had divorced us c”v.They even accosted him during his travels between Boston and NY. The great kiddush Hashem that was the establishment of the State shut them up and gave renewed pride to faltering Jews. It is impossible to deny the miracles that Hashem has given to us in all of the wars, the ingathering of exiles, the tremendous economic progress of the past decades. One is ungrateful to a person is considered worse than a dog. How much more so one who ungrateful to Hashem.
Lilmod, there are also frum people who are not orthodox. Rather they are orthoprax but do not believe. Why do they keep mitzvot? To avoid problems with their friends and families, because the community is a safe space, etc. For that matter, what about someone who is glatt kosher but not glatt yosher? What about people who are careful about what goes into their mouths but not what comes out (the Chafetz Chaim complained about this).
Utah, how many times do I have to explain the difference between a government and a state?
Symbolism is also very important. We are sick of being told what to do in our capital as if it is not ours.
Jews should support the State of Israel (and live in it) as it is the beginning o our redemption and the world’d redemption. As for violence, over eighty years agothe Arabs threatened violence if we did not give them the Kotel. Rav Kook and Rav Sonnenfeld stood firm against the British ym”sand weak-kneed Jews and there was no violence over it. Moshe Sharett warned that there would be violence we would be thrown out of the UN if we declared Yerushalayim to be our capital. BG said”OOM shmoom” (OOM is the Hebrew acronym for the UN) declared it our capital and nothing happened.
Tell me, Joseph. Are you sorry in retrospect that Trump won? Look at the violence to which it led. In fact, why don’t you assimilate so as not to be subjected to violence?
CTL, I think you mean libertarian as liberals in the US (in Israel “liberal” means “classical liberal”) are collectivists who pick and choose which rights to “give”. However, if you look at what libertarians are saying about government intervention you might rethink that.
He should make aliya. With his fighting spirit we can use him in the IDF.
I wonder how much coverage the Republicans could have added to the revised plan with the $221 million Obama gave to terrorists three hours (!) before leaving office (hopefully the new plan will include caps on malpractice awards so that medical personnel will not have to pay enormous insurance premiums and order unnecessary tests to cover themselves – two major causes of expensive health care in the US). Unfortunately the election came down to who is the bigger rasha. Someone whose negligence caused the deaths of American diplomats, treated the PM of Israel like a vassal and demanded that he not build in our capital, compromised national security through use of an unsecured server, made a career out of lying and other unethical behavior and stated explicitly that the Federal government should dictate religious doctrine (the so-called Civil Rights Commission also wants to dictate who can be clergy) vs a vulgar egomaniac. Not very much on the sidelines violent opponents of the new administration (who also sent anti-Semitic tweets to Rabbi Hier and have vowed to destroy Israel) led by someone who expressed her desire to blow up the White House.
May Hashem grant Mrs. CTL a refuah sheleima and may He bring American Jewry home in a good way.
I think that as reported the heter makes perfect sense, especially after seeing videos ofthe rampaging anti-Trump hooligans. Assuming that the driver is not Jewish it is at most an issur d’rabbanan of amira l’akum. This is allowed even in situations that are not life-threatening. If a non-Jew told the non-Jewish driver to drive them it is even easier. If there was a security deal in the car and there were more non-Jews than Jews it is even easier as we might be able to say that the melacha was done for their benefit.
As for copy-cats, your complaint should be against those who advertised the heter. However, it could also be that the discussions in frum social media will make people more aware of the fact that the Halacha is not black and white but shades of gray. Knowing that one has a shaila is also very important. According to the version in the Midrash Rabba, when Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair’s talmidim pointed out that animal fodder is exempt from terumot and maaserot he said “hachamor machmir”.
Lightbrite, according to Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 8,11) a righteous Noahide is someone who keeps the sheva mitvot because Hashem said so. A wise Noahide keeps them because he thinks that it is proper.
How about this, MW? If Reuven says LH about Shimon he gets all of Shimon’s aveirot. Causing someone to say LH is “lifnei iver”. So if Shimon causes Reuven to say LH about him Reuven gets that too.
Yehudayona, who says that hey were not required as part of the First Family?
DY, do you only do things if you need the money?
Joseph, there are often differences between what poskim say in public, where the pesak is general, and in private where it is individual.
Lilmod, in the army one only salutes an officer wen he is in uniform as the respect is for the uniform. L’havdil elef alfei hevdalim, when Ben-Gurion was PM Rav Tzvi Yehuda was restrained in his criticism. Once after BG resigned RTY blasted him. When his talmidim asked about he said “When he was PM I had to show respect for his office. Now he is just another apikoros”.
DY, by voicing one’s opinion against a pesak someone received one risks being exposed a someone who does not know the diference between an alef and a swastika.
Lilmod, it is prohibited as LH to go straight to a public outcry. First you have to speak to the individual privately. In this case the Committee to Find Blemishes in Others (to use Rav Aviner’s term) is second-guessing the Secret Service, who know their business (and anyone with even a modicum of intelligence who saw the videos of what went on in the streets knows that they were right) and the rav who paskened.
Joseph, as it is a rabbinic prohibition there is flexibility. There are many heterim for someone who is karove lamalchut. A certain jailer who concealed his Jewishness so that he could save Jews was deemed by Eliahu to be worthy of Olam HaBa, according to the commentators without having to first go through Gehinnom (Taanit 22a). Presumably he had to go to the local bet a”z to keep up his disguise.
Some say that he was King Richard III. Some say that he was a siege engine used during the English Civil War.
Regarding Ivanka’s conversion, if when she went into the mikva she intended to keep everything she is Jewish. That is halacha pesuka. As Rabbi Lookstein followed the RCA’s GPS there should not be a question.
Regarding going to the church, I heard that the prohibition is marit ayin. As the Kushners were conspicuously not holding prayer sheets and this was even noted by a reporter that might not be a problem. Moreover, Chazal relaxed the rules in this area for people who are karove lamalchut. Of course, the armchair poskim can say that one does not have to be karove lamalchut. They can even denigrate talmidei chachamim. However, they should remember a few things:
One who denigrates Torah scholars is defined as a heretic, who has no portion in the World to Come (Sanhedrin 99b).
Jerusalem was only destroyed because of denigration of Torah scholars (Rambam, Hilchos Talmud Torah, Chapter 6).
Anyone who denigrates a talmid chacham has no cure for his malady (Shabbos 119b) – and there are many different interpretations of exactly what that “malady” is.
Assuming that the car was driven by a non-Jew it would only be a shevut. The room for a heter is then greater. If the Secret Service personnel are the majority then the question whether the car is being driven for them or the Kushners (even if the Kushners would walk the security detail would have to accompany them ). If for the security people then it is oovin d’chol or ziluta d’Shabbat (Rav Moshe says this about riding a bus where the Jew does not have to pay) which might even be easier to be waived.
Lilmod, maybe because “?? ???? ????” that is the proper answer in general.
Lightbrite, the question is whether he keeps anyone in check. When I knew him thirty years ago I had the distinct impression that he was personally frummer than he let on. In fact, he once commented that many people who started with him would no longer daven in HIR – and did not seem displeased. Today he is 72 and sort-of retired (he said that he would like to retire the word “retire”) and has turned over his shul to a younger man.
The word “gentile” ‘derives from Latin gentilis, which itself derives from the Latin gens … meaning clan or tribe” (Wikipedia). The word “goy” in Biblical Hebrew means “nation”. In fact, we are referred to as a goy kadosh. In Rabbinic Hebrew the word “goy” came to mean an idolater whereas a non-Jew who was not an idolater was called a ger toshav (without getting into the discussion regarding accepting them today). Ben Noach in the Gemara and Mishne Torah clearly is a general term for non-Jews. The Gemara (Megilla 13a) says that anyone who denies idolatry is called “Yehudi” (from meyahed – unite). In fact, the Gemara never refers to us a Yehudim (the use in Megillat Esther apparently refers to the fact that they were from Shevet Yehuda) but as Yisrael.
However, today the academic term “Noahide” has come to mean a non-Jew who has taken the sheva mitzvot upon himself. There are several Noahide organizations, each with its own website (you can google “Noahide” to find them).
Time, I do not know that Rav Dovid Feinstein holds. His father (IM, OC 2:80) held that it is permissible if the gentile is not instructed to operate the elevator. See also “Shabbos elevators: Rav Meir Triebitz’s Teshuva” where he even allows asking a gentile to push the button (although he does not wish to advertise this heter). In any case, you have no right to disparage people who are lenient as they have ample halachic grounds to do so.
Kitov,
1. I know someone who did not get married until age 57.
2. Women are exempt from peria v’rivia. This is halacha pesuka.
Lilmod, it depends. If a man knows that he cannot have children and this yetzer hara is not bothering him he is not required to get married.
Time , that is what I have received from my rabbanim. In fact, Rav Shlomo Zalman has very strong rebuttals of the Chazon Ish’s opinion as Well as Rav Schmelkes’ opinion that it ismolid zerem. Among other rebuttals he says that closing a circuit is like closing a door. Moreover, it is not permanent so it cannot be a Torah prohibition. Regarding the issue at hand (in case you have forgotten, riding in an elevator that was activated by a gentile) see Rabbi Chaim Jachter’s on-line series of articles “The Use of Elevators on Shabbat” and “Non-Shabbos elevator on Shabbat” by Rabbi David Sperling (also on-line).
Yossi, I am an idea man not an educator.
Geordie, that is because it is written in Hebrew.
Lilmod, there is also a difference between telling someone not to go out with a particular person because of a halachic (e.g. cohen and gerusha) or personal (e.g. a health issue) reason. However, in the latter case the person must tell you the reason and you are not allowed to fully believe it but only to have a suspicion and seek to clarify it if you can. Unfortunately, it does happen that people exaggerate or even outright lie either to exact revenge or because of personal prejudices.
Joseph,
The SA says that he is only talking about a case where someone does not want to marry at all. However, if he says that he is waiting for a good shidduch the bet din does not interfere. He does not say anything about forcing someone to marry a particular girl. In fact, Yeshayahu did not force Chizkiahu to marry his daughter. He simply told him that if he did not agree to marry someone he would die. Chizkiahu then suggested the specific shidduch. In any case, the Rema says that today we do not interfere at all. Your kal v’chomer is not a kal v’chomer. Someone who does not want to marry at all at any time is violating a Torah mitzva. Someone who is waiting for the proper person or circumstances (in Lithuania it was common for men to postpone marriage until relatively late in life in order to learn full-time without financial pressures) merely wants to wait to do it properly.
As for marrying off the daughter without her permission and your “age old Jewish tradition”, Chazal say not to do either until she decides that she wants the guy. So far as I know, the only times it was actually practiced were during the Crusades, when no one knew if it would be possible later, and in Yemen, where girls whose fathers died were forcibly converted to Islam unless they were married.
Lilmod, what is the difference between telling him not to marry a certain girl and to marry a certain girl? Why should he ask a bet din? RJS obviously did not think that he was required to do so. This is a matter of the spiritual connection between the people themselves. Their lives, thieeir decision.
Yossi, in that case the later books of the Tanach as well as the Mishna and Gemaar are in lashon hakodesh mekulkelet (“lashon’ is feminine). Forexmple, the books of Daniel and Esther refer to the servant who brings food as a meltzar, which is Persian. “Sanhedrin” is Greek as is “hediot” (it comes form the same word as “idiot’). In any case, lashon hakodesh mekulkelet is still a form of lashon hakodesh. Yiddish is a corrupted form of German along with corruptions of Hebrew (e.g. “goniff” from “ganav”) and Slavic languages (e.g. “bubbi” from “babushka”). Thus many referred to it as “Jargon”.
Rav Moshe Soloveichik objected to his son’s choice. Rav Joseph Soloveichik wrote a very respectful letter whose bottom line was that he did not have to listen. RMS said that he was right. As for ruach hakodesh, that does not exist in our times except maybe one in a generation. Even then he does not pasken according to it. How many Jews perished because they were told not to leave Europe when they had the chance? There was a guy in Givat Shaul who was telling people who had been happily married for decades that according to ruach hakodesh they had to get divorced. Rav Mordechai Eliahu ran him out of town. There was another one in Maalot Dafna who claimed to check mezzuzot according to ruach hakodesh. Rav Yaakov Hillel tested him and found that he did not even know what the Shulchan Aruch says. Some have done much worse things which I doubt that the Moderator will allow to be mentioned. IMHO, it is absolutely prohibited to go to people like that.
Neville, I can take it and I can dish it out too. Be warned!
Lightbrite, TY for the commentary. Once when asked what he meant by something he wrote Agnon told his questioner to ask a certain literary critic so I am in good company. However, as an man ofd truth I must admit that I was referring to literally waving their fingers during a discussion. This is an expression in yeshiva circles for pilpul with nothing behind it. BTW, according to the Urban Dictionary “When you interface with any kind of computer that requires manual input (whether by keyboard, or a touchscreen) there is the chance for making a mistake. Such mistakes are playfully called ‘at Finger Disease’.”
Time, by calling Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s sheeta, which is the consensus sheeta, aberrant you have put yourself beyond the pale, anecdotal statements notwithstanding.
CTL, I was not questioning anyone’s ethics. I was merely asking questions for my edification. You cannot know my tone as there is no tone in typing. I am sorry if you were offended.
Neville, look in the mirror when you write statements like that. if i am sometimes sharp I am only following a hallowed Jewish tradition. See on this Chavat Yair 152, generally printed after Sefer Chafetz Chaim.
It should be noted that Rav Ovadia does not say that he must divorce her. In fact, he says explicitly that the situation in our times could be reason to allow him to stay married to her.
CTL, we live to make problems. Someone told me that that is the difference between a rosh yeshiva and a rav. The former makes problems and the latter solves them. BTW, you might be interested in a series on the halachic aspects of law practice on the YU site by a rav named Mordechai Torczyner even if none of the pertain to your practice – I presume that you do not have much occasion to deal with bulls that gore cows either).
Lightbrite, I am not accusing him of anything. He mentioned it in connection with the halachic implications of his practice so I commented here. As I do not even know who he is or even exactly where he lives so I have no other forum.
Lilmod, Rav Moshe’s teshuva is in Iggrot Moshe Even HaEzer vol. 1. 114. Rav Ovadia disagrees (Yabia Omer vol. 3, Even HaEzer 21). So it would turn on who is muchzak (has possession ofthe asset) as in such a case we leave it with him or her. The Supreme Rabbinical Court (file 835204/1 – available on-line) in fact ruled that the husband is muchzak in the ketuba so here she would lose it. What an American bet din would do is another question as it is a machloket (see’Shiur #12: “Muchzakut” With Regard to the Ketuba Payment” by Rav Yair Kahn Translated by David Silverberg available on-line) However, the rabbinical courts here have accepted the Community Property Law as halachically binding as minhag hamedina. Thus they are both muchzak in matrimonial property. An interesting situation would be if she grabs the value ofthe ketuba before leaving as she might then be considered the muchzeket (see
????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???? – available on-line).
FuturePOTUS, to my understanding OO is not condoning acts but looking the other way. Is this different than looking the other way regarding people who commit financial crimes (also a toeva – Devarim 25:13).
CTL, in the case of Jews the wills may not be valid halachically. In such a case there might be a problem a gezel. there might also be an issue of ribbit regarding estate planning. Having non-Jewish juniors do it is not a solution, especially if they are your employees as there might be a rabbinic prohibition of amira l’akum (this does not only apply to Shabbat).
Iacisrmma, you would be surprised at how quickly small children pick up a language.
Joseph,
Actually the Sheeta Mekubetzet says that it the Raavad questioned if someone is yotzi talmud Torah in a gentile language (and Yiddish is not even a language but a corrupt form of German). A person who speaks in Lashon HaKodesh merits Olam HaBa, Geula and long life (Yerushalmi Shabbat 1:3). The Gra considered speaking it to be a mitzva and spoke it himself (Biur HaGra YD 245,10 and Responsa Divrei Yetziv YD 52-53) as did Rav Kook (in fact, when Rav Charlap first met him he addressed him in Yiddish and Rav Kook informed him that he was not to be addressed in “Jargon”).
The language one speaks influences one’s mind-set. Thus the more one speaks in Lashon HaKodesh the more kedusha he internalizes. Ezra very much lamented the linguistic situation in his time. However, we see from the Mishna and Gemara in later times talmidei chachamim spoke it although more so in EY (holy land, holy language). It could be that the Chatam Sofer means that the people in Tanachic times added words from other languages to express foreign concepts as did the Tannaim (who sometimes used Greek and Latin words).
Benignuman, Rav Moshe says (IM EH 1:114, 4:32) that that does not apply in a community where women disregard the requirement. According to “Nefesh HaRav” Rav Soloveichik held the same view.
One can ask a non-Jew to do an issur d’rabbanan for the sake of a mitzva or great need (SA OC 307:5). According to most opinions using electricity (other than incandescent lights) is such a prohibition. Some claim that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach even said that really there is no prohibition but minhag Yisrael is to be machmir.
So far as the extra weight question is concerned see “The Shabbat Elevator” by
Rabbi Yisrael Rozen (on-line). As for the sensor, if the non-Jew enters with the Jew and is first I would imagine that the Jew did not do anything (and the non-Jew did it for himself). See also “When May I Ask a Gentile for Help on Shabbos? Part II” by Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff (also on-line).