Avi K

MDD, your seifa erases your reisha. The shiur of talmud Tora is keriat shema twice daily (Menachot 99b). In fact, Hashem aslos cries on one who canot learn but learns Netziv says (Heemek Devar Devarim 10:12) that diferent people have different jobs in Olam HaZeh. Some must devote their lives to learning, others to public service, others to regular jobs. A person who is in one group is almost forbidden to do the job of someone in another group. How does one know? By trial and error. If he learns for a while in high school and sees that he does not have what it takes or if he needs to do other things as well he should not go into yeshiva gedola.He is not only wasting himself and not doing his personal job but also wasting resources that could go for those who have futures as talmidei chachamim.

Choppy, Shammai lived during the time when EY had a puppet government – which had an army. Rashbi lived under an occupier and would have been very happy with an army that would have been able to throw them out (see Shabbat 33b after he left the cave for the second time). The Rambam, the Chatam Sofer and the Chafetz Chaim lived in Galut and relied on Goyish armies (although the CC advocated military service so that Jews would know what to do when we got our own state).

CG, the incidennt I described in fact happened in Bene Beraq but I am also an observer of the Yerushalkayim scene. Ltvaks speak Hebrew or English (there is a large immigrant population)except for a few who are old enough to have learnewd with European-born rabbanim. Chassidim are divided.Most speak Hebrew but some, especially in Mea Shearim speak Yiddish for political reasons.In any case, one can easily get along in either city without knowing a word of Yiddish.

Goq, it was more than stupid. You took Hashem’s name in vain (Rav Ovadia is even machmir on “oh my gosh”).

Choppy and Derszogger, the exact citation is 560:25. This is what he says:??? ????? ???”? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??.

Only songs with immodest content are prohibited.He does not mention niggunim without words although if the tune will remind a person of the filthy content that would obviously also be assur even just for himself (as the MB goes on to say).

Health, I find it interesting that you curse during parashat Balak.

Health, let the dead language (if it’s a language) rest in pieces (considering all of the different dialects). Speak the language of the Hebrewman, the living language of a living people.

Gavra, declaring the State in the face of American and British warnings (and the timidity of some of BG’s advisors) was the pivotal action. The rest was just making it official. Same with Jul. 4. The war was not won until Cornwallis surrendered on Oct. 19, 1781 – after the war turned around with French intervention (masterful diplomacy by Ben Franklin – who says older people cannot learn new professions?).

KFB, Israel’s existence obviates the old image of the Jew as a homeless wanderer (according to their theology as a punishment for not accepting their AZ). It’s existence is a source of pride that saved and is saving Am Yisrael from complete assimilation. If you connect to Israel in some way you are connecting to the organism known as Am Yisrael, which only exists in EY, despite living in one of the Lands of Tuma (as per Chazal) and, according to the Zohar by extension Tora and Hashem.You are also connecting to a part of yourself as EY is a part of us, not a foreign country.

All Jews should celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut. Jewws in EY especially because we have all the benefits, opportunities and challenges (what’s life without challenges?) of having an independent state. Jews in the Lands of Tuma (as per Chazal) because according to many, including Rav Soloveichik and Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky, without Israel there would have been almost total assimilation due to the national depression in the wake of the Holocaust.

As for the US ID, America is a fine country and in many ways the Israel of the Goyim (this is far beyond the scope of this or any post) but it is not ours.

Someone once theorized that the Gregorian chants were stolen from the Levi’im in the Bet HaMikdash.

Toi, as a matter of fact, there is a cat which evry so often appears out of nowhere and runs up to me to be petted. This has been going on for ten years so I have decided to name it “Gilgul”.However, I don’t understand your distinction between Yerushalmi and non-Yerushalmi cats.

RSRH, in light of the Supreme Court decision in Zelman, state constitutional provisions could be interpreted to allow vouchers to be used for yeshivot.

Ready, according to what I read that the Aguda acted in concert with another major religious organization to lobby Congress and HEW with Rav Moshe’s permission. Interfaith meetings are something else. Rav Soloveichik also opposed them saying that his talmidim were lawyers not theologians. What I meant about “all or none” is that a program that benefits yeshiva students must also benefit students in other religious schools. I not, it is in violation of the Establishment clause.As for Sheva Mitzvot, as I wrote many, such as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, actually say that we are obligated to preach them.

Zman, the source is Hilchot Talmud Tora 1:12. He talks specifically about an artisan and says that he should work three hours and learn nine hours. However, the Netziv (Heemek Devar Devarim 10:12) says it depends on the individual’s tafkid.

Health, just because a language is written in a different alphabet does not make it different. Western European languages were written in Gothic script until about 350 years ago. German continued to use it until aout 100 years ago. Are they now different languages? What about Judeo-Arabic, etc. which everybody agrees are dialects?

You can hold that Yiddish is a different language but I can hold that it’s a jargon. Go mekadesh a woman on condition that it’s a language and then you can bring me a pesak.

“Mama” is a goyish word as in “tante” (both are found in several European languages). So apparently “mama loshon” has a non-Jewish mother.

Sam2, Biblical Hebrew ceased with the end of the Biblical period. Mishnaic Hebrew is somwhat different – thus Chazal speak of “lashon Mikra” and “lashon chachamim”. As with every living language Hebrew evolved during both the Biblical and Mishnaic periods and is continuing to evolve.

Naysberg, in case you haven’t noticed Ben-Yehuda (who may have done teshuva on his last day, but that is another post) has been dead for 90 years. In that time Hebrew has developed.

I have had very bad experiences with filters. One blocks sites with names like “Middlesex County”. Another one apparently blocks all book purchasing sites as I was unable to get into a Judaica site.

However, I agree that if someone has a problem in this area he should get a filter. However, for one who does not it is a pain in the neck (see Nedarim 9b).

Let the dead language rest in pieces (considering all of the different dilaects).

There are discussions regarding the extent of the definition of “position of communal authority” (sarrara). Some say it only applies to positions which are held for life and passed on to the incumbent’s son (the first is not generally true in our time and the second has never been the rule except among Chassidic rabbis). Some say the degree of honor attached to the position is what counts (interestingly among them there are those who say that a ger may be a gabbai as gabbaim are not honored).

Ymb, are you serious? Who knows why Hashem let him live. Maybe He wanted him to first sweat about when the game would be up.

As for the State, it is necessary for us to fulfill our national mission of creating Hashem’s kingdom on earth and being a light unto the Nations. This takes time. One thing is certain, neither the British nor the Jordanians would give anything to yeshivot.I do not know where you live, but frum Jews who are unhappy with the present situation but do not at least vote have only themselves to blame.

Everybody, including the secularists, agrees that those elite few who are really learning should get deferments. The problem is that there are many who are registered but do not really learn (in Hebrew they are called “parparim” – butterflies – because they flit around). They certainly should go into the Army. In fact, the Chazon Ish said that someone who takes a deferment but does not really learn should be reported to the military authorities. Many would probably welocme the chance as they want to do the mitzva (Rambam Hilchot Melachim 5:1) but are pressured into not serving.

Sam, why are you only looking at the extremes? Yeshivat Ponevich flies the flag every Yom haAtzmaut and the National Religious Rabbanit Chana Shachor wrote that the message of “Dayeinu” is that we must thank Hashem for what he has given us even thoug there is more to go (and Rav Tzvi Yehuda said pn many occasions that there is still a long road ahead, as is stted in the Yerushalmi Berachotr 1:1 “the Geula comes slowly in stages”).

As for limud Tora giving the Army zechut to succeed, this is true. However, the Army enables limud Tora to exist (Sanhedrin 49a).If a person is capable of learning at a high level he should be learning. If he has a strong mida of gevura he should be in the Army. The vast majority should do some combination and then work while being koveia itim laTora.

I know a rav who, when he lived in Toronto, opposed wearing a tallit on the way to shul as he did not want people to think that Toronto was thir home.

Avi K, hands down. Also the most modest.