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DaMosheParticipant
Sam2: Thank you for the excellent response. I agree with what you wrote.
When I was in yeshiva as a teenager, YU was bashed all the time, along with Modern Orthodoxy as a whole. I once asked someone what was wrong with YU? I was told, “In YU, they learn Torah, but not properly. They treat it like any other college course. They take classes in math, science, reading, writing, and Torah! They don’t differentiate between them!”
When I got older, and actually did some research, I found this was a blatant lie. The supremacy of Torah is stressed again and again. So yes, many of the complaints (including many that people post here) are from misinformation.
It’s interesting to note that R’ Bender shlita used to be very opposed to YU. Probably about 7-8 years ago, I heard him speaking highly of it to someone. I was next to a Rebbe from the yeshiva, and I commented to him how surprised I was to hear R’ Bender say that. He replied to me, “R’ Bender’s views on YU changed drastically recently. You know why? He was stuck in traffic and needed to catch a minyan. The closest place was at YU. So he walked into the Beis Medrash, and saw what was going on there. Afterward, he said, ‘You know, I never really looked into it myself. I based everything on what people told me about YU. Maybe I should do some actual research on it!’ Well, he did the research, and now he actually has a high opinion of YU!”
DaMosheParticipantThank you, DY. You’re correct, I do disagree with you 🙂 I think that different hashkafos should be respected, as long as they don’t violate halachah. For example, I know many people who are Lubavitch. While I disagree with them, I still respect their hashkafos. However, if they are meshichist (which my Rav, along with many other Rabbonim, holds is a major problem halachically), I do not respect the hashkafah.
DY, if circumstances ever change, and you are able to come, you know how to reach me!
DaMosheParticipantAvram, you are correct. I wasn’t expecting to daven for the amud – in fact, it gets tiresome davening a lot! (Whenever I’d go to visit my parents for Shabbos or Yom Tov, the gabbai would ask me to daven for the amud. My father recently started davening at a new shul, so on Pesach I might not get asked – woohoo!) If nothing had been said, I would have been fine. I don’t mind not davening, but the reasoning was what bothered me. I would actually LIKE to daven for the amud in this shul now, just to show them that someone with a kippah srugah can daven nicely, with kavanah.
It reminds me of a time I davened at a yeshiva on Pesach. They asked me to daven for the amud. After davening, the Rosh Yeshiva came over to me, and asked, “Where did a Modern Orthodox man like you learn to daven such a davening? It sounded just like a yeshiva guy!”
I didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult!
DaMosheParticipantThank you DY. With all the conversations we have, I’ve never thought badly of you. In fact, I’d love to have you over for a Shabbos sometime! And yes, I mean that seriously.
DaMosheParticipantNo, I wasn’t mistreated otherwise in the shul.
DY, the point of the story in my original post was to bemoan the fact that there isn’t enough achdus and ahavas Yisrael. The story with my cousin only showed some of the issue.
As for hashkafic differences, that’s part of my problem. There are many people I have hashkafic differences with. But I don’t have a problem with them davening for the amud.
DaMosheParticipantCan you think of another reason?
DaMosheParticipantJoseph, yes, I think that someone wearing a colored shirt should be allowed to daven for the amud on Shabbos (assuming it’s a nice, respectful shirt – maybe a nice blue one, for example.)
Avram, he said it to me while walking to shul for Friday night davening. The fact is they said no to any time because of the kippah I wear. I’ve had times where I was asked to daven in a shul and they asked that I put the tallis over my head (which I usually do anyway when davening for the amud.) I have no problem with it. My issue is their assuming that someone with a kippah srugah is at a level that isn’t good enough for them.
DaMosheParticipantJoseph: I don’t think it’s reasonable. A person shouldn’t be judged on clothes. They should be judged on whether they are a good, frum Jew, with yiras shamayim.
For Yom Kippur, if I knew the Baal Tefillah was a frum person, a yarei shamayim, and would inspire others in their tefillos, I wouldn’t care what he was wearing. Remember, however, that the halachah is that a person should dress respectfully when davening, as they are speaking to Hashem. I believe that a true yarei Shamayim usually wouldn’t be wearing such an outfit on Yom Kippur. However, if I knew the person to be a yarei Shamayim, it would pique my curiosity, and I’d likely ask him why he was dressed that way.
If you’re going to tell me that in Lakewood, they think that someone with a kippah srugah is not dressed appropriately, or is not a yarei Shamayim, it just proves my point.
DaMosheParticipantJoseph, I’d be just as upset about a colored shirt.
The Baal Tefillah took off his hat and put the talis over his head. Shabbos morning, married men usually don’t wear hats, as they have a talis on.
There is no excuse to have such a rule.
DaMosheParticipantLet me tell you a story that happened to me.
I have a cousin who lives in Lakewood, who I am somewhat close with. We learn together over the phone daily. A while back, we went to him for a Shabbos. Now, I’ve written here before that I daven for the amud frequently, including on the Yomim Noraim. My cousin has often commented to me that he really enjoys my singing, and hearing me daven for the amud.
As we were walking to shul on Friday afternoon, he said to me, “I would love to hear you daven for the amud. Unfortunately, it won’t happen. I asked the gabbaim this morning and they won’t allow it, because you wear a kippah srugah.”
This was a very large shul in Lakewood. Is this achdus???
DaMosheParticipantGamanit: If I fight with my sibling, it stays between us. I won’t go around holding up signs in the street proclaiming that I’m not like my sibling, and that I think my sibling is wrong.
DaMosheParticipantnolongersingle: Yes, in times of tragedy we band together. But what happens next week?
DaMosheParticipantI’m not sure where this happens. When my wife and I decided for the first time to stay home for a Chag, my mother told me how disappointed they were that we weren’t coming. She said they enjoy it when the children come.
DaMosheParticipantI was told it’s fine to have a hot plate turn on and off on a clock. The only issue would be if you want a hot/warm liquid item Shabbos morning. Liquid can’t be rewarmed, so it would need a continuous source of heat from before Shabbos starts.
I have my hotplate turn off at about 11:00 Friday night, then turn back on at about 8:30 Shabbos morning. I put two pans upside down on the top, and put my food on top of them before leaving to shul. Then, when I get home, the food is nice and warm for our meal.
DaMosheParticipantAgain, akuperma, as others already said, the “zionists” you speak of are long gone. The people running Israel today are not the same as those 70 years ago.
As for the chareidi parties only looking out for Chareidim, that’s a product of the Israeli system. When a party is small, and doesn’t have a chance at being a major party (major meaning a chance at being given the mandate in an upcoming election), there’s no need for them to look at everyone. People will vote for them based on who they mostly align with, along with their major issue. For example, let’s say the chareidi parties are likely to align with Likud, but they also stand for chareidi interests. Chareidim who feel strongly on these issues, and would rather see Likud in power instead of a leftist government would vote for the chareidi parties. This would help Likud get the mandate, and also shows that a large group feels strongly about chareidi needs. Only when a party gets much larger do they need to worry about the larger issues.
DaMosheParticipantPeople asked for the source of the Chazon Ish’s statement of two generations of full-time learning. I don’t know if it’s written anywhere, but my Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Bender shlita, once told me that the Chazon Ish said it.
DaMosheParticipantakuperma: You’re wrong when you say many if not most hareidim follow the views of the Satmar Rebbe. Unless, of course, you’re just referring to Satmar chassidim when you say “many”, as there are many of them.
The leading Rabbonim in Israel do not agree with it. After all, they tell people to run for office, vote, and participate in the running of the state. Most Rabbonim in the US share the same views as the Rabbonim in Israel. The only ones who are adamantly opposed to Israel are Satmar. I’d say Neturei Karta as well, but with the Satmar chassidim going down to protest Netanyahu recently, holding up signs for the world to see one Jew protesting against another, I now lump them together.
DaMosheParticipantThere are many things about Sarah Schenirer which are not taught to Beis Yaakov girls.
Her original lectures were attended by both men and women.
When she got sick, she wrote in her diary, “For the first time in twenty-three years I did not daven be’tzibbur”. It seems she went to shul every day!
After she married, her husband said she was too religious for him, and divorced her.
DaMosheParticipantMy favorite part about it was the flyer advertising the event in Brooklyn on Monday night. They blurred out the faces of all the girls in front of the Beis Yaakov schools.
DaMosheParticipantThey are mostly known for giving a hechsher to many cheeses. R’ Saffra held of a kula of Rabbeinu Tam, which we usually don’t pasken according to. Someone posted online that they had emailed him about it, and his response said, “he did not hold cheese produced with microbial media to be cheese in the traditional understanding, since microbial coagulant did not exist at the time of the Shulchan Aruch. He said it is a different product, so the gezerah was not applicable to it.”
Someone else wrote that the Conservative movement didn’t even really approve of his hechsher.
March 15, 2015 1:24 am at 1:24 am in reply to: Newly discovered: Only known video of the Chofetz Chaim #1064097DaMosheParticipantThe title of the video is “Chofetz Chaim Video Originally Seen Years Ago With More Footage Not Released Yet “
March 13, 2015 6:50 pm at 6:50 pm in reply to: Newly discovered: Only known video of the Chofetz Chaim #1064095DaMosheParticipantSomeone sent me a link to a YouTube video, where the owner of the Living Torah Museum talks about the video. He says that there is more video that hasn’t yet been released, which shows the Chofetz Chaim selling his seforim. He says there is also video of R’ Shimon Shkop, but they are hesitant to release it. Why? Because the video is of a shiur he gave at RIETS, and the people who have the video feel it’s not respectful of R’ Shkop to show him teaching at RIETS.
March 11, 2015 4:59 pm at 4:59 pm in reply to: Rav Moshe Feinstein – a scion of Chasidishe stock #1063871DaMosheParticipantPAA: Interesting teshuva. Feif Un once posted the following story here http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/lack-of-ashkenaz-siddurim#post-316187 (I actually met the Rebbe who told it over, and he confirmed to me that it’s true):
Some bochurim (including my Rebbe) were traveling with R’ Aharon to a simcha. On the way, they stopped at a nearby shul to daven mincha. The shul davened nusach sfard. R’ Aharon asked if he could daven for the amud, and they said yes. He walked up, and davened nusach Ashkenaz.
Afterward, one of his students asked him why he did this, if the minhag hamakom was to daven sfard. He replied, “Minhag hamakom is proper at times, but this is the proper nusach!”
March 11, 2015 3:41 pm at 3:41 pm in reply to: Rav Moshe Feinstein – a scion of Chasidishe stock #1063862DaMosheParticipantcherrybim: One is viewed as a human being, and one is viewed as more than a human being. That was one of the Gra’s issues with chassidus – the deification of the Rebbe.
DaMosheParticipantThat may be true. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I don’t know what the rate of growth is in Lakewood. Do you mean the growth as far as actual people, as a percentage, or both? You may be surprised at the growth in some other communities!
Another area that is growing quickly is the Far Rockaway/Five Towns area. The Bayswater neighborhood has many young people moving in, as do Woodmere and Cedarhurst.
DaMosheParticipantJoseph, you say “all” the growth is in Lakewood for frum Jews. I disagree. In Teaneck, the frum Jewish population is growing by leaps and bounds. If you go a bit further South from there, you get to the Elizabeth area. There are a few communities there – Elizabeth, Hillside, Springfield, and Linden, all of which are growing. I know many people who moved to Florida. I believe the Boca area is growing nicely.
March 6, 2015 4:44 pm at 4:44 pm in reply to: Did Mordechai make a Chillul Hashem by breaking the law? #1063435DaMosheParticipantlol @ Sam Klein: “What can you reply back to Hashem by replying back to this message.”
This looks like one of those ridiculous Facebook posts I see all the time: “Only 1 in 10 people will repost this message. Show you care by posting it! If you don’t post this message to your status, it means you don’t care!”
DaMosheParticipantAnd how do you know he’s alive now?
March 3, 2015 2:18 pm at 2:18 pm in reply to: Newly discovered: Only known video of the Chofetz Chaim #1064077DaMosheParticipantI had a grandson of the Chofetz Chaim as a Rebbe when I was young. We asked him about the famous picture that’s on the cover of the seforim. He said, “My mother told me, ‘He looks like a nice frum Jew – but that’s not my father!'”
DaMosheParticipantYeah, I think it’s a prank because I’m showing up as my friend Feif Un!
So who REALLY is posting?
I’m DaMoshe, if you haven’t figured it out!
DaMosheParticipantDoes it matter if nobody is greater? The fact remains that R’ Lichtenstein shlita is a HUGE gadol.
He was a talmud of R’ Hutner zt”l as well as R’ Soloveitchik zt”l, both of whom were from the gedolei hador. He is a well-known Rosh Yeshiva. Does it matter if he’s the best, or “just” in the top 10 or top 20? Either way, he knows more than ANYONE who posts here in the CR, and is worthy of respect.
DaMosheParticipantGolemGorilla, the CEO of the company I used to work for liked to say, “If you’re buying watermelons for 2 dollars and selling it for 1 dollar, the answer is NOT buy a bigger cart!”
DaMosheParticipantRabbi Bender would not agree with Darchei being considered MO. They require black hats, velvet yarmulkas, and white shirts. I don’t know of any MO schools that require that.
R’ Bender is a visionary, who realizes that it’s unrealistic to expect boys to learn for a long time, and then be able to support a family. He makes sure the groundwork is there for when his talmidim need to go work. That should be the norm for all Jews.
February 13, 2015 2:35 pm at 2:35 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141254DaMosheParticipantLior: I don’t know. I never knew them. My father’s father never spoke about his parents. My mother’s father spoke about his father. He was a wine merchant. I don’t know much else.
As I posted earlier in the thread, I do know that R’ Hutner zt”l went to university in Berlin, which was a hotbed of apikorsis. The Novominsker Rebbe went to Brooklyn College.
February 13, 2015 12:01 pm at 12:01 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141250DaMosheParticipantDZ, I can’t speak for charlie, but my father went to college. His father went to college. My mother went to college. Her father began going for secular education, but was interrupted by the Nazis. Is that good enough for you?
February 11, 2015 4:40 pm at 4:40 pm in reply to: Genetically Engineered Animals and Kashrus #1119562DaMosheParticipantinquiring mind: Just to note, the offspring of a cross-breed is not always sterile. There have been Tigons who had their own offspring. You can look it up on Wikipedia for details, on the Tigon page.
February 11, 2015 1:22 pm at 1:22 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141232DaMosheParticipantDaya Zooger: While the income gap may be closing, that is only for those who have jobs. If you look at the unemployment numbers for January 2015, it says people with Bachelors degrees or higher have a 2.8 unemployment rate. Those with Associate’s degrees have a 5.2 rate. High school graduates with no college are at 5.4. And people who didn’t even finish high school are at 8.5.
So yes, once you find a job, you may make close to the same amount of money. But it’s far easier to find a job once you’ve graduated from college.
DaMosheParticipantWithout trying to give a psak, here’s my 2 cents:
I think there’s a big difference between working out as a bodybuilder, and working out just for your health. If your goal is to have huge muscles so you look good, it’s probably not a great idea. If you’re just doing it to stay healthy, I’d say not only is it allowed, it’s admirable!
I remember the following happening to me when I was in yeshiva:
Across the street from Darchei, there is a public baseball field. On Fridays in the spring, we used to go there after seder ended to play some ball. One Friday, I had changed into a T-shirt and had my glove in my hand, and was walking out from the yeshiva campus towards the field. Rebbetzin Reisman (the wife of R’ Yaakov Reisman, from the Agudah of Long Island) who was picking up her children, stopped me and told me, “I’m so happy to see you going to play ball! My husband always says that yeshiva bachurim need to remember their health! They need to take some time to exercise, even if it means stopping to learn for a little bit! Your health is more important!”
DaMosheParticipantWhen it comes to tzedakah, my first priority is the school my kids attend. I’ll be honest. Many times I can’t afford the full tuition payments, and the school is extremely nice to us, and helps us with a scholarship. So when I have any extra money, I don’t give it to someone in kollel. I give it to the school.
If I have a lot of extra tzedakah money, I also give to Bonei Olam. I’ve written about the fertility treatments my wife and I went through. Bonei Olam was a tremendous help to us. I try to support them.
There’s a tzedakah organization which handles almost every need within my community, whether it’s help with medical bills, food, rent/mortgage, or anything else. I give them money when I can.
I also try to support the yeshiva I attended, Darchei Torah.
So supporting someone in kollel is not even really on the radar for me. I think my community comes first, then comes places I am somewhat beholden to. I’d then possibly consider a kollel. Unfortunately, right now, I don’t have that much money to give.
DaMosheParticipantYes, and I don’t like it much. The cookie dough is overpowered by the vanilla ice cream.
When I was younger, my mother would buy cookie dough ice cream. I’d melt it then eat just the cookie dough pieces.
DaMosheParticipantThe best is to eat the dough before the cookies are baked. Chocolate chip cookie dough is delicious!
DaMosheParticipantTorah learning is only one of three things which uphold the world. It’s straight out in a Mishna.
Everyone knows the joke – Torah, avodah, and gemillas chassadim. The husband learns, the wife works, and the parents give gemillas chassadim.
DaMosheParticipantMy shul has a base amount per family, plus a small amount per child. My membership this year came out to about $1,200.
The membership doesn’t just cover seats. They have youth groups every Shabbos and Yom Tov during Shacharis, where the youth leaders teach the children parts of Shabbos davening and discuss the parshah with them, so the parents can daven without being disturbed. There are groups for the kids on Shabbos afternoon. There is a kiddush and Seudah Shlishi in shul every week. The membership dues cover the bills the shul has.
February 6, 2015 3:02 pm at 3:02 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141203DaMosheParticipantDY, I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do. I’m just looking at what may realistically happen.
February 6, 2015 2:24 pm at 2:24 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141200DaMosheParticipantI think another issue that can come from letters like this is that people will lose their trust in their Rabbonim. When a Rav tells you don’t go to school, it’s better to be hungry, would you want to follow him, or find another Rav?
February 6, 2015 5:37 am at 5:37 am in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141189DaMosheParticipantR’ Hutner zt”l had a degree.
The Novominsker Rebbe went to Brooklyn College.
My Rosh Yeshiva’s father, R’ Dovid Bender zt”l had a degree in Accounting.
R’ Hutner and R’ Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz were going to open a joint yeshiva/college, but R’ Aharon Kotler insisted they abandon their plan.
February 5, 2015 7:32 pm at 7:32 pm in reply to: "Distance Your Path from It" � The Dangers of Academic Study #1141170DaMosheParticipantFirst off, I’d like to know where the letter was published. I haven’t found it on any other site yet.
If it proves to be real, I will make sure not to donate a penny to his yeshiva. After all, he wouldn’t want to take money I earned through going to college!
DaMosheParticipantzahavasdad, who was discouraging her?
DaMosheParticipantDY: Just because someone works doesn’t mean they don’t learn! I work full time. I also have a chavrusah every night, and attend other shiurim throughout the week. I don’t consider myself an ama’aretz.
DaMosheParticipantajwc: I’m not putting it down. I’m just saying that pushing people to do that, and saying it’s the only “proper” choice to make, is just wrong.
I have a cousin whose husband sits and learns all day. She works hard, but doesn’t make enough to support the family, so they rely on help from others.
My wife once asked her, “Doesn’t it get hard? Don’t you sometimes want your husband to help out financially?” She replied, “Oh, no! The greatest gift I can give him is to work hard all day so he can sit and learn! That’s the purpose of a good wife, to make sure her husband learns all day! It’s my greatest joy to give him that!”
Honestly, a response like that (and the manner in which she said it), sounded like a cult follower.
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