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Msseeker, what he meant is that developing a healthy body also develops one’s spiritual abilities. We are a combination a guf and neshama and the health of one is dependent on the health of the other.
Derech, WE do hold by his deyot and sheetot. Your statement about non-acceptance is circular – you say that he is not accepted by those who do not acept him. BTW, by saying that his sheetot are irrelevant you are guaranteeing that in the end your sheeta will not be the Halacha (Eruvin 13b).
Regarding Yiftach, despite the fact that he had many drawbacks (and was strongly criticized by Chazal in the Gemara and Midrashim) was the leader Am Yisrael needed at the time (Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, “Reb Chaim’s Discourses” pg. 271 quoted in “Insights” by Rabbi Saul Weiss vol. 2 pg. 162 #708). So too Herzl, despite his shortcomings was the leader who was needed. Anyone who is a political leader in Am Yisrael, even the lightest of the light, is like the greatest of knights (Rosh HaShana 25b and see Maharsha).
When Rav Shlomo Zalman was a bachur he went every Shabbat to a public seuda shelisheet and derasha Rav Kuk held. Rav Kuk was also his messader kiddushin (and BTW was elected rav of Yerushalayim by a majority of the shuls and yeshivot). Rav Eliashiv, whose grandfather, the Leshem Shelo veAchlama, was Rav Kuk’s rebbe in nistar and whose father-in-law was Rav Kuk’s talmid-chaver Rav Arye Levine,called Rav Kuk a gaon olam.
Ethics are what the Halacha says they are. However, there is wisdom among Goyim and philosophers may have been mechaven to the emet. Rav Soloveichik, in fat, used philosophical concepts to explain Tora.
As for making people ethical, each person has inborn weaknesses. Halacha or philosophy might make an innately unethical person less unethical or it may give him terutzim that will result in a chillul Hashem. It can only make him ethical if he seeks to break his yetzer hara. Thus, the record holder for longest prison sentence in American history (845 years) is a “Chossid” who bilked an insurance company out of so much money that it went bankrupt causing thousands of people to lose their policies and annuities in addition to the stockholders who lost their investments and the employees who lost their jobs.
Ms, Yiftach bedoro keShmuel bedoro. Read Rav Kook’s hesped on Herzl, “Misped b’Yerushalayim” printed in “Maamarei HaRaya”.
Toi,
1. Only one of Herzl’s children was baptized. He committed suicide, apparently as a result of emotional problems, after leaving a note doing teshuva gemura on his apostasy. BTW, Rabbenu Gershom also had a son who was a meshumad (I presume to Natzrut although it is not specified). This is brought down in the Hagahot Oshri on Moed Katan Perek 3. So this proves nothing about the parents.
2.How do explain the talmudic principles “naval beresut haTora” .
Health, even their proponents call these buses “mehadrin”. This means more than what the Halacha requires.
Health,
1. We can say “yes”, “no” forever.
2. Many gedolim even endorse specific political parties. Not only to support yeshivot but to promote their interpretations of Judaism in general.
Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky said that those who know don’t say and those who say don’t know.
Longarkel, the Sheva Mitzvot do indeed imply that the life of an 18 year old Ben Noach is not necessarily greater than that of a 60 year old. The penalty for murder is the same. Not treating somebody might be different even for us. There are opinions to that effect regarding terminal patients where there is complete non-action (as opposed to “pulling the plug”).
Yit, Rav Leff holds that it is a mitzva to try to convince Goyim to keep the Sheva Mitzvot but kiruv among Jews comes first. He also cites dangrs and prohibitions involved in outreach among Gentiles (http://www.matityahu.org/RavLeffQA/viewquestions.asp?viewcat=15 [question 1247). On the other hand, The Lubavitcher Rabbi, Rav Morechai Eliahu and others encouraged people to do so and there are several rabbis who are involved with Bnei Noach organizations. It could be that Rav Leff would also not discourage dealing with these people as they have already accepted the Sheva Mitzvot and then letting them do kiruv among other Gentiles. Everybody agrees that someone who already deals with Gentiles has a mitva to be an exemplar.
Rabbi Chaim Friedlander said that there is no doubt as to its authenticity and that it is in completely from the Gra’s Tora. Rav Tzvi Yehuda (Kuk) also considered it to be a very important sefer and the 5754 edition has sevral introductions from rabbanei Yeushalayim . Even Rav Sternbuch admits taht the sefer “may” have been written by Rabbi Hillel Shklover (Rivlin) but that “inaccuracies” were put in. However, the sefer was first published by Rabbi Hillel’s descendants, who are such an illustrious family that one acquaintance of mine said that Yerushalayim has three eidot: Ashkenazim, Sepharadim and Rivlinim.
Longarkel, on the other hand Rabbi Chaim Friedlander said that there is no doubt as to its authenticity and that it is in completely from the Gra’s Tora. Rav Tzvi Yehuda (Kuk) also considered it to be a very important sefer and the 5754 edition has sevral introductions from rabbanei Yeushalayim . Even Rav Sternbuch admits taht the sefer “may” have been written by Rabbi Hillel Shklover (Rivlin) but that “inaccuracies” were put in. However, the sefer was first published by Rabbi Hillel’s descendants, who are such an illustrious family that one acquaintance of mine said that Yerushalayim has three eidot: Ashkenazim, Sepharadim and Rivlinim.
The Zohar says that each 1,000 years correspond to one day of
Creation. This is based on the pasuk Tehillim 90:4):
?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????
According to this we are now in Mincha Gedola of Erev Shabbat.
Consider a few facts:
Tzet HaKochavim(approx.) Ramban makes aliya
Netz (approx.) Gra and Baal Shem Tov
3 hours (keriat Shema) Rav Kuk born
4 hours (tefilla) Rav Kuk makes aliya
5 hours (biur chametz) Medinat Yisrael established
Chatzot Mass aliya from FSU
One of his talmidim, Rabbi Hillel Shklover wrote a book called “Kol HaTor”, which has been translated into English as “Voice of the Turtledove”. In it he speaks of two mashiachs: Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. The job of Mashiach ben Yosef is gathering in the exiles and building the material aspects of EY (Rav Kook sya in his eulogy for Herzl, “Misped b’Yerushalayim” printed in “Maamarei HaRaya”) thatt his leads to an antipathy towards Tora as Mashiach ben Yosef concerns himself exclusively with material matters (Rav Kook held that Herzl or the secular Zionist movement in general was Mashiach ben Yosef). The job of Mashiach ben David is buiding the spiritual aspect culminating in the Bet HaMikdash. He also says that the Gra said that in the time before Mashiach (ikveta d’Mashicha) the sin of the Spies will affect many who learn Tora and love Galut (see also “Em HaBanim Semeicha”, which has also been translated into English). He also states that whereas Mashiach ben Yosef will give way to Mashiach ben David he may or may not actually die depending on whether or not Am Yisrael davens for him. I do not know if he discusses the Holocuast but the Gemara states that a ruler will arise who decrees are worse than those of Haman (Sanhedrin 97b). This could refer to the designer of the Holocaust (see Megilla 6b that if not fore Hashem restraining them “Germamia” would destroy the world – Rav Yaakov Emden says that it is “our Ashkenaz” and the Gra says that it should read “Germania”) who decreed against both Jewish lives and Jewish religious practices and planned to also outlaw Natzrut because of its Jewish origins).
Squeak, actually on average women have better driving records than men.
Gregaaron, regarding the hydrant, if c”v there is a fire there is clear danger to life from the parked car. Alternate side regulations are for the purpose of facillitating streetcleaning so violators might be considered to be damaging the public. Regarding the rest, they are in the category of rodef. Moreover, from the Gemara (Baba Metzia 83b-84a) we see that while it is inappropriate for a talmid chacham an ordinary Jew may become a police detective and certainly one who apprehends criminals in the act or who have already been discovered (see Bet Yosef, citing the Responsum of the Rashba, Hoshen Mishpat 388).
Gavra, the Gemara at the end of Kiddushin sys that there is no profession without poverty or wealth so someone should not choose a lucrative profession but a clean and easy profession. Some interpret this to mean a profession with a minimum of moral dilemmas whereas others interpret to mean a profession that does not require a person to work, as the saying goes in Hebrew “metzet hachama ad tzet haneshama” (thus many frum Jews work in civil service postitons). However, you are right in saying that one has to normal hishtadlut. If he does not succeed he should at least learn to see where it takes him.
As for the time of Mashiach, Rambam says that at the end of Hilchot Melachim. However, IMHO it means that we will be a nation of think-tanks that will supply legal opinions to the Bnei Noach for money (thus they will support us without feeling that they are giving charity0.
Health, what about all the chillul Hashem, financial crimes, abuse, etc. in the “frum” community. Would you call them kofrim? Do you consider anyone but yourself to be at least a beinoni, at least according to Rambam (Hilchot Teshuva 3:3)? BTW, according to rav Kook, kefira comes about because of chesronot in the frum community in order to point out where the Orthodox are lacking.
Dash, that’s true. However, there seems to be an expectation of a faithful family relationship even among Benei Noach. If there is some kind of social expectation among them being unfaithful might be considered stelaing from his wife.
Health & Co., the State is the greatest beracha to Am Yisrael and the world in millenia. The government being the way it is is due to the fact that there are approximately 800K Orthodox Jews (more than 10% of the current population) who do not live here and therefore do not vote. If you are unwilling or unable to help at least stop whining and get out of the way!
The Gra argued with Rishonim. However, you have to be on his level or at least close. As for Achronim, you also have to be more or less on the level of the Acharon.
Bobcha, that is a halachic principle that applies to everyone (see, for example, Even HaEzer 4:30). I think that it is similar to a neder (in fact, the lashon of a neder is that something is prohibited to the noder like something the Tora prohibits). If he makes a clear mistake (taah b’devar Mishna) then it would be a mistake (similarly, it is possible to get out of a neder if one did not know a certain fact). I would think that it would only apply to the rav if he said that something is assur to you because it is generally assur (e.g. if he said that a certain food is not kosher) but not if he said that it is only assur to you or people in your situation (e.g. he ruled that a certain woman is a prohibited relative or you are a Cohen and he is a Yisrael and he ruled that she is prohibited to a Cohen).
HaKatan, no one disputes that a person who has a future in Tora, whether as a ram, rosh yeshiva or rav should learn full-time all his life. The problem is with the vast majority who do not. On the one hand, unless they are independently well-of or their wives have great professions (and even in the secular world their are couples where the wife makes much more then the husband and even “househusbands”) the are subjecting their families to financial and maybe even mental and physical distress unnecessarily and on the other hand they are draining resources (which are becoming more and more limited)that could be put to better use by giving real learners decent stipends.
Sam, Rav Ariel Cherlow of Yeshivat Petach Tikva has a discussion of this issue at edited, no links please.
In summary, there are a number of reasons to not only prohibit asking another rav but to prohibit him from allowing what the first rav disallowed such as the first rav’s honor, the fact that the questioner accepted whatever pesak would be given, the fact that it was as if he assured the action or the item 9shavia anafshei k’chaticha d’issura) although there are some instances where it is possible such as a rav who made a mistake in halacha pesuka (taah b’devar Mishna), there is a clear messoret against the pesak or there is the possibility of an appealate proceeding (this would seem to be limited to dinei mamonot).
BTW, once a couple in Vilna had a chicken question. The husband asked the av bet din, who paskened kosher, but while he was away the wife asked the Gra, who lived in their court, who paskened the opposite. When the husband told the av bet din, he said “with all due respect to the Gra, I am the av bet din and the Halacha in Vilna is like me. Tell the Gra that your wife will serve the chicken for dinner and he will join me there”. The Gra, in his great anava, agreed but when the wife served his portion she knocked over a chelev candle onto it. The Gra said “of course it is kosher as the av bet din paskened but I made it assur to myself so I was prevented from eating it”.(Rav Maimon, “Tolodot HaGra”)
Who is he and what exactly does he say? Does it depend on the learner’s level as opposed to what he could do in a profession (I know someone who is at the top of his and very much in demand as a lecturer but when he opens his mouth about Tora absolute nonsense comes out)? In nay case, he would certainly require the learner to learn full-time as if he were at a job with all the work ethics that entails. This alone would weed out a good many (in fact when a budget crunch forced the Lakewood yeshiva to downsize they simply gave out bechinot).
On the contrary, if he has done teshuva he should davka be the one (Yoma 22b). Otherwise he will not be able to understand the public (Rabbi Itamar ben Yisrael, “Mishmeret Itamar” Beshalach quoted by Rabbi Saul Weiss in “Insights” vol.1 pg.32 #47). However, if he has not done teshuva one should not vote for him (ibid in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye, “Tolodot Yaakov Yosef” Behalotcha).
The question also is if a person can rely on a clear heter where there is a clear opposite opinion.
Popa, the welfare system will not support someone at a decent level unless he is living alone in some very low-rent set-up.Even then, Chazal and all of the Rishonim and Acharonim presumed that one should be ashamed calling this “nehama d’kisufa” (bread of shame). Thus, the highest form of tzedakka is to give someone a job (Shach Yoreh Deah 249:7). Te proper exception is if someone has a pension or is otherwise financially independent (as was Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai when he began to learn full-time).
Health, name-caling is a cognitive bias. You can google it.
DaaasYochid, obviously “??? ???” means something which an intellectually honest person knows he cannot answer. I presume that you do not phone your rav when you wake up in the morning and ask if you should do netilat yadayim.
Longarkel, hevel verik.
1. The government has faults but is not anti-Tora and/or anti-Gd.
2. Living in EY oppposes the forces of secularism by denying them a free hand. Becoming a citizen and voting helps to improve things.
Crzybrit, throwing stones, setting fire to garbage dumpsters, spitting and shouting foul names is coming closer to Hashem?
Chassidish, look the Rav’s explanation that together they sap his strength so that he does not have the koach to do aveirot.
Popa, i look at he sources you cited and I do not to what you are referring. Can you be more specific.
Toi, after the Holocaust there was an urgent need to rebuild the Tora world that was destroyed. The only way to do that was to send everyone into kollel. As the Haredi population was very small this did not cause either internal problems from guys were were not suited for this or external problems from people whjo were unwilling and/or unable to support them. Today, the Tora world is greater than ever and the Haredi population is much larger. This is causing tremendous social problems among young people who are not suited for sitting and learning all day but do not have a socially acceptable alternative. In addition, the non-Haredi population is not willing to support such a large segment of the population which is not willing to work and sources inside the Haredi sector are drying up as the older generations that worked are leaving us and those who do work are feeling the pinch because of the world financial crisis.
Thus it is now necessary to “change the diskette” and go back to the traditional system of the vast majority working and only a small elite learning full-time for life. The rabbanim understand that and thus give haskama beshetika to Haredi job-training institutions. However, the extremists, who are simply sociopaths, react with violence to any suggestion of deviation from their party line (they even stoned Rav Eliashiv because he reached a compromise on moving graves to make room for a new road).Apparently some kind ofpush will have to come from both hte grassroots Haredim who are sick of poverty and constantly borrowing from one gemach to pay another and the outside world which will give them tough love (see Shach Yoreh Deah 249:7). This will have thew added benefit of allowing Tora institutions to pay decent stipends to those few who are suited just as, lehavdil, universities give generous stipends to research fellows (and, in fact, evn one of the Meretz MKs said that those few who are suited for kollelim should receive the same as doctoral candidates).
Sam, on the contrary derech eretz kadma laTora. The Netziv, in his introduction to Sefer Breisheet says that it is called “Sefer HaYashar” because the Avot even acted civilly to lowly idol worshippers – this laid the groundwork for Matan Tora. When Rav Yisrael Salanter’s granddaughter was looking for a shidduch he told her to first see if he is a mentsch. If he is also an ilui that is a bonus.
In the sense of work, there is a Chatam Sofer on Sukka 36a (which was censored by the anti-Zionists) that any work one does is a kiyum of the mitzva of building the Land. Even in Chutz laAretz, if there is no flour there is no Tora and if there is no Tora there is no flour. Similarly, if Yoav had not made war david could not have made justice (Tora) and vice-versa (Sanhedrin 49a). The point is taht there is a symbiotic relationship between Tora and Derech Eretz. Rav Asher Weiss asks how Yissachar could sell half of his reward for talmud Tora. He answers that by enabling Yissachar to learn half of the mitzva was Zevulun’s by right. Similarly, a bachur once came to the Chazon Ish and told him that his kalla was willing to support him on condition that she received half the reward for his learning (she wanted to put it in hte ketuba). The Chazon Ish told him that in that case she would get three-quarters.
M, I heard the opposite. The Satan tries to confuse us as to what we should do (hint, hint) but if we are doing what Hashem wants He helps us. My source in the menatime is a logical mind (sevara). Bli neder I will look for a prior source but I think that it is fairly obvious. Hashem controls the world – including the Satan. The Satan is only there to give us free choice. In any case there is a mitzva to conquer and settle EY according to all of the Rishonim (Pitchei Teshuva 75:6). See “Kol haTor” of Rabbi Hillel Shklover (one of the talmidei haGra who made aliya) that this and the physical building of EY is the job of Mahiach ben Yosef.
Correction: He’emek Devar Devarim 10:12
Bob, this refers to dinei mamonot and is a source for having an appeals court.
There is a yishuv of the famous machloket between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Shimon on this subject (Rav Ovadia and others) that Rabbi Shimon’s way is not for the majority but it is for a small elite (see also HeEmek Devar Devarim 10:14). Who is in which group? This is part of the general question of the individual’s avoda which each person must clarify.
If one takes in Shabbat early it is correct lechatchila to continue the meal until night as some poskim require this (Mishna Berura 267:5 and see Pri Megiddim 47:1 that that means after tzet hakokavim).
See Shemirat Shabbat KeHilcata 56:4 and footnote 18. The half-hour before tzet hakochavim rule is because of the general rule not to start a meal within half an hour before the obligation to do a mitzva (in tis case Havdala as well as Keriat Shema and Maariv) begins.
You’re not up to date. Reports of Rav Levanon’s resignation were greatly exaggerated.
The posek takes into account the dfferent opinions and their reasoning together with his hashkafa and the questioner’s personal situation. The Bet HaLevi, for example, would not answer a kashrut question until he had looked at the questioner’s shoes. The Maharshal had five pesakim for a given shaila: one for an ordinary Jew, one for a rich person, one for a poor person, one for a big tzaddik and one for himself.
Your experience is typical of the Lithuanian ramim and roshei yeshivot as opposed to the rav (In Lithuania, as opposed to Hungary, the rosh yeshiva almost never paskened. this was done by the rav/av bet din).
As for “rabbi shopping” really you should have one rav or at least one rav for an area of Halacha (e.g. Shabbat). However, I have heard of cases where even yeshiva men would not ask their roshei yeshivot shailot in particular areas as they were very machmir and even cases where a rav would tell a questioner to ask another rav he knew had a meikal tradition as he realized that the questioner needed a heter but he could not give it as he was bound by his tradition. What is definitely illegitimate is to ask another rav after being given a “no”.
A former Meretz Yerushalayim city councillor once said in an interview in “Besheva” that she left after she saw representatives of a Charedi party entering the Meretz city headquarters. When she asked what they were doing there she was told that both parties needed a confrontation as the press had been ignoring them. Perhaps this is why she only became partially closer to Judaism.
On the contrary, although the Chafetz Chaim obviously opposed secularism he supported the essence of Zionism in his time: buying land in EY and making aliya (Letters to his son Reb Ayeh Leb HaCohen pg. 43-44). The Gra, Chatam Sofer, Netziv, Avnei Nezer, Sefat Emmet and Ohr Sameach (who contributed to the JNF) also supported the essentials of Zionism.
It is a postive mitzva to establish a state as has already been proven here. This is a milchemet mitzva (obligatory war) as set forth explicitly by Ramban (Rambam apparently includes it in the mitzva of living here). The rest is up to succeeding generations.
Health,
1. Again I dispute oyur contention that most gedolim disagreed with Rav Kook.
2. Virtually all gedolim today hold that one should vote.
2cents, there is, in fact, a great difference of opinion among poskim regarding the palce of Kabbala in pesak. As for your reasons, they are in the realm of hashkafa. While hashkafa certainly effects pesak that is only where the halachic sources are equivocal. In any case, you certainly have no right to condemn those who do not follow your sartorial tastes as there is a wide variety in the halachic conmmunity – including talmidei chachamim and poskim.
m, I think that if the Jewish people or even a portion of it (Rav Soloveichik held that if c”v the Jews in Israel go down everybody else will) received a miraculous salvation three times there is a chazaka that Hashem is with us. Even once is good thing for which we are required to be joyful and give thanks.
What were the three?
1. In 5708 the British and Americans warned Ben Gurion that if he declared a state the Arabs would overrun it in a matter of days. The Britrish even tried to help by training and providing the officers for Jordan’s Arab Legion. In fact, Israel came out with more territory than the partition plan gave it including western Yerushalayim.
2. In 5727 everybody was expecting another Holocaust. There were plans to turn public parks into cemetaries. Eshkol broke down and cried during a radio speech. We regained the eastern part of Yerushalayim, Yehuda veShomron, Gaza (the fact that it was abandoned is another matter) and the vitally important Golan (after Rav Tzvi Yehuda’s prophetic Yom HaAtzmaut speech “Where is our Hevon? Where is our Shechem?”).
3. In 5734, Syrian tanks were poised to break the Israeli line, after which they would have had a clear field to Haifa. For some reason, their commander got the notion that they were being outflanked and order a halt.
Add to that, the fact that the new, poor state managed to absorb more immigrants than its pre-War of Independence population, albeit with problems but not the type that were predicted. Add to that the constant improvements in life here both materially and spiritually. If we can execute someone on a hazaka (for example thatt he person he struck is actually his father) how much more so should we give thanks for what we have (while davening and doing hishtadlut for more)?
Health, yes almost every gadol – with the exceptions of all those who supported him. You sound like the worker who came an hour late and said that he was almost on time.
If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. If you do not vote you are in effect voting for more secularism.
Health,
1. Weird? I hope that your English is deficient.
2. I was not talking about a seculr legal requirememnt (BTW, some countries do require voting. In Australia a person who refrains from voting without a good reason is fined.) As most rabbanim support some political party they obviously hold that it is a mitzva to vote.
Sam, from the gemara (Taanit 29b) it is clear that ????? was a type of special cleaning job. The only question is regarding the exact method. Some say that the garment was rubbed with a stone (Ritva and Aruch) whereas others say that special materials were used (Nimukei Yosef). According to both opinions the garment came out cleaner. Both opinions are brought by the Shulchan Aruch (OC 551:3). He goes on to say that being that today we do not launder with water alone all laundering is considered ?????.In Modern Hebrew ????? is ironing.
Health,
1. I dispute your contention about the rov. In any case, the Halacha is not always like the numerical rov. For example, many times we pasken like Rabbi Yossi against the Chachamim because “nimuko imo”.
2. Why does the Eida, Satmar, etc,. not go according to the rov who participate in Israeli elections?