Gadolhadorah

The statistical baselines are different in the U.S. and EY as to the percentage of the yiddeshe tzibur that is considered “frum” or “chareidi” and as others have noted, there are different metrics as to what actions/combination of actions would be deemed “going OTD” by the majority of members of the community. Thus,there is no concesnus as to what numbers goi into either the numerator or denomiator so hard to define comparable or relative statistics.

Anyone who followed Trump for his entire career knew what to expect. It was total stupidity for anyone to expect this guy with a history of lying, pandering to racial and white supremacist conspiracy theories,  messing over his business associates and sub- contractors, serial infidelity and sexaual abuse., etc, etc. to suddenly change whne he moved into the oval office. I have little sympathy for “progressive’ friends who keep waiting for him to “pivot’ to the center or begin acting in accordance with the norms of 200+ years of American History. You knew what you were going to get, you got it and will continue to get it until you offer a clearly preferable alternative to a few thousand voters in 5 or 6 swing states. Winning California, New York, Illinois or Massachusetts by a million more votes means ZERO in an electoral college system. Get Real Dems or get comfortable with 4 more years of the Trumpkopf.

Tone down the language please

Non-stop lying, vulgarity, bullying etc. would arguably be tolerable if he had not repeately placed the national security at risk by ignoring the guidance of advisors such as McMaster, Mattis, Tillerson, Kelly and even Bolton. instead, he continues to act in an irrational, narcissistic way, alienating our allies, cozying up to the world’s most despicable tyrants, with only his own reputation and political interests underlying his constantly changing policies. The “derangement” is with what he has done an continues to do, not with who he is. It would have been possible to pursue his policy agenda without so debasing the office of the Presidency.

There is a vast range of opinions here in the CR on what is “appropriate” based on one’s haskhafah. Likewise, there are really no normative “criteria” as to what constitutes a “Jewish” versus “Non-Jewish” book. Its clearly not based on the author (some of the major works of pritzus have been by Jewish writers). Its also not based on subject matter since most works on the “old testament” or “traditional values” are not written from a yiddeshe perspective. Its really something that each individual will have to decide (with input from his/her LRP as necessary) on a case-by-case basis.

I also have seen on many occasions where a shul or Simcha hall has signs on the front door WARNING their daveners/guests that cars illegally parked on nearby streets or blocking driveways will be TOWED, so anyone doing so has accepted the risk of his/her car being removed.

I am still not clear on WHY anyone would want a “mobile mikvah” as compared with using either a regular mikvah or finding some local body of water while travelling.

A Chassid and a Misnaged were sitting next to each other in front of an open Gemorah, shteiging together in chavrusa. Suddenly, the chassid looks over at the Misnaged and shouts excitedly “Do you see this???? Chazal bring down about R’ Yonason ben Uziel, that when he sat and learned,, any bird that flew over him burst into flames.'”
The Misnaged, apparently not impressed, responded, “So Nuuu, whats your point?”
The Chassid repeats again even more excitingly the inyan about R’ Yonasan…., “They said about Yonason ben Uziel, that when he sat and learned, any bird that flew over him burst into flames.”
Sitting stone-faced, the Misnaged responds, “Soooo……”
Exasperated at his chavrusa’s indifference, the Chassid explains, “Can you imagine the deveykus of this tzaddik?? He learned with such intensity and kavanah that a pillar of fire shot up out of the sefer before him and incinerated the birds flying over him! You are not impressed with this??”
The Misnaged finally responds, “Why would I be impressed with this?? What I really want to know whose birds they were and how the damages owed by R’ Yonasan to the owner would be determined?

Yehudahyona: If you get home at night and need to get into your driveway or if your wife needs to get the car out of the garage to pick up the kids at school, you generally don’t have the time or interest to research the ownership of the vehicle. Most frum yidden don’t have visible bumper stickers identifying them as such, for obvious reasons. Anyone with the chutzpah to park in rare case of an emergency, it would take the car=owner only a few seconds to leave a note on the windshield to explain the circumstances and a telephone number where the owner can be reached someone else’s driveway is either a fool or simply doesn’t care about the consequences. In the or letting the homeowner know that the keys are under the floormat in case it has to be moved. As other posters have noted, calling a tow company to move an illegally parked car from your driveway won’t place the owner in jail….just a trip to the impoundment lot to pick up his/her car.

Obviously, you cannot purposely damage or vandalize an illegally parked car but you certainly have a legal right to have that car towed so you can access your own driveway. Also, how would you know if the owner of that car is a yid with regard to any concerns over mesirah. Most state license plates don’t indicate that the owner has milah.

Many stories here on YWN come to mind, but one of my favorites was years ago If I recall correctly a rav who was furnishing an office in a yeshiva or some other facility in Connecticut purchased a used desk and inside the drawer found a large sum of cash. He was somehow able to track down the prior owner and return the money.

Devny: Apparently, it was your evil twin sister (the one who went to the MO seminary) and somehow obtained your hacked confidential information from a Ukrainian website and was able to deposit your father’s check in her bank account and make the purchase in your name. However, she was very sensitive to Reb Yosef’s concerns and your new Condo has its very own closet with a small window where you can be locked away but you will have a wonderful view of the beach. Closing is scheduled for Zois Chanukah.

Yes, but only those above the 8th grade.

There are few reliable statistics with and degree of granularity that would support assertions regarding net outward migration from frum neighborhoods in Brooklyn, especially by younger families with school-age children. There have been lots of anecdotal stories to that effect, linking the exodus to housing costs that had become beyond the reach of even younger families with working parents. Some Jewish welfare agencies do their own “surveys” but those results are not always reliable or may have some “agenda”. The 2020 census may actually provide the best resource in terms of reaching such conclusions.

I don’t really see much in the way of affirmative programs designed to introduce these immigrants (who unquestionably are yidden) to traditional yiddeshkeit but a lot of warnings about their being a threat to yiddeshkeit by embracing “reform” practices or simply posing as yidden while not have been megayer c’halacha.

“….Does Trump keep the Sheva Mitzvos to be Meshiach?

Well, lets consider them one by one. If I was a Trumpkopf, I’d hold off on the yellow flags for now.

Not to worship idols. Is worshiping oneself as the greatest narcissist in history considered idolatry?
Not to curse God. His increasingly frequent use of the G-D adjectives at MAGA rallies might raise questions?
To establish courts of justice. And question the legitimacy of judges he didn’t appoint? .
Not to commit murder. Not directly, but ask the Kurds in northern Syria.
Not to commit adultery, bestiality, or sexual immorality. Ask his first two wives or Melania about Stormy D.
Not to steal. Or at least not get caught as in enriching his hotels at taxpayer expense
Not to eat flesh torn from a living animal. Give him a pass given his preference for well done Big Macs

Much hatzlacha to both of you both in terms of building a bayis ne’man bayisroel and for contributing to the war Shidduch Crisis threads).

Think about the words from an old chassidish melody sung by a group called דריי הונט נאַכט

“….One is the loneliest number a yid will ever know….

LOTR92: The only public tours of the Medical Examiners’ offices are on the second and fourth Saturday of each month so not a good idea for a frum bochur to impress his beschert.

”…..I’m not saying you can’t talk to your guests if that what’s done in your community, but there still must be reserve when interacting with the opposite gender and many people have lost that reserve…”
Agreed, but what constitutes “reserve” is clearly a function of what might be considered in a social context, “mihhag hamokom”. I’m certain there is a vast difference as to what level of “reserve” is considered the norm or is appropriate as between a shabbos table at the home of a MO family versus that of a Chareidi or Chassidish family. My only hope is that to the extent possible and without jeopardizing your own shalom bayis, greater efforts be made to reach out to individuals who might otherwise be alone on shabbos notwithstanding their gender, age, maritial status or hashkafah.

Simplesense……Not everyone has the yichus to have a Gadolhadorah as their local rav/posek. Also, the original question/troll by Reb Yosef was rather thought-provoking.

Presumably, Reb Yosef will argue that In order to offset his obligation under the Ketubah to support the Rebitzen in the style she deserves, she was required under halacha to surrender all her property and earnings to Reb Yosef (along with with any profits she might make through investments, winning the lottery etc.). I could not find any place where chazal bring down whether that include a gift from her father for the specific purpose of purchasing a Florida condo?

Also, hopefully Reb Yosef will clarify my understanding that the Rebbitzen may NOT have been required to convey all of her property rights to her husband if she explicitly made clear her intention to support herself (Masseches Kessubos: 46b-47b]. Thus, the real estate agent, having been informed of Rebitzen Yosef’s declared self-supporting status correctly assumed he didn’t need Reb Yosef’s approval to take the deposit for the Condo.
The real questioni is whether Reb Yosef will be inviting his DR chevrusah down to Florida for Super Bowl weekend (at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami). And no, its on February 1st, a month after the Siyum in the Snow at Met Life Stadium on January 1st.

Reminder that one of the Mods wisely posted yesterday that a Trolling post can either seek to aggravate certain other posters or occasionally to solicit opinions on controversial issues.

Obviously, here Rev Yosef is really upset that he came home earlier this afternoon for Shabbos and discovered that Rebbitzen Yosef had purchased a new beachfront South Florida condo using funds that were a gift from her father, to get away from the cold weather (and possibly Reb Yosef as well) during the winter months. Outraged by this act of civil disobedience, Reb Yosef immediately called the real estate agent demanding a refund of the deposit but was politely told to engage in certain activities that cannot be repeated here on YWN. Thus, Reb Yosef is considering whether these funds (which were a gift to his wife from her father) immediately became marital property and thus HIS property and therefore the Florida real estate agent is mamash a ganov in accordance with hilchos Yosef.

More to come motzi Shabbos.

We say “THE Bronx” not just “Bronx”. We don’t say “The Brooklyn'” or “The Queens”. Likewise, certain acronyms or nomenclature just evolve and become the norm. In this case, obviously either work. If in doubt, try typing in “boro park” as your Uber destination and it will automatically redirect you to :”Borough Park’. Likewise, when sending mail to “The Bronx”, you don’t include “the” in the address line. Whats more important for Avram in Maryland is to know whether Owing Mill or Owings Mills or Silver Spring vesus Silver Springs and to know that the Uber driver will deposit him in Kensington( near Silver Spring(s)) rather than some Kensington in yena velt , 200 miles north near some place called Boro Park.

I agree with Prof Turley (the Republican’s witness at yesterday’s hearing). This whole charade regarding Ukraine, Biden Gulianni etc. was clearly inappropriate but not impeachable. Part of the problem is that Trump has so lowered the bar for what is considered “normal” behavior, its hard to get too excited about Ukraine in comparison a lot of his other “stuff”, which I won’t bother reciting here since everyone’s view are relatively locked-in. The matter should be settled at the ballot box in 2020.

Several great museums in the City where you can walk around (w/o worrying about the weather), engage in light conversation in a relaxed and quiet mode and where a few moments of silence wouldn’t be awkward and where both of you could react to the subject matter and thereby learn a bit about the other. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the new and expanded Museum of Modern Art, Hayden Planetarium (with the sky show), Museum of Natural History and the Jewish Museum are the more obvious venues. If its a nice day, the Bronx or Central Park Zoo or the Science Center in NJ are other options.