oomis

According to halacha,Shmendrick, your post notwithstanding, the child of a Jewish woman is a Jew, poshut. What you quote is not the accepted p’sak. Perhaps the tosfos refers to a Jewish MARRIED woman who has a baby with a non-Jew. Normally such a relationship with a Jewish man would result in mazeirus for the child born from that union. When a NON-married woman has a baby with ANY man, that child is not a mamzer, is (s)he? Or am I mistaken? (I do want to know, I am not being sarcastic).

LOL, my son asked me why Romney was using Yiddish expressions.

DASH, I have come across that “known in the State of California” line on a few things. What precisely does it mean, besides the obvious? Did they do testing ONLY in California, and some geniuses there who apparently never travel outside of California, have issued a stern advisory on those products?

i really feel privileged to be communicating with you, oomnis!”

Wow, my sheitel no longer fits!!!!!! (thank you, most humbly) I feel privileged to be able to communicate en masse with so many people who otherwise are not those with whom I was so likely to come in contact. This is a wonderful place to get to know an eclectic group of frum people, and I appreciate the diversity. I have learned a great deal. here from all of you. It’s really true that mekall melamdai hiskalti.

Thanks to all those who gave answers about the animals getting to various parts of the world after the mabul.

I read that the non-kosher animals all went on the Ark themselves, but the kosher ones had to be gathered together and brought on by Noach.

My engaged head is starting to swell, I fear. But I do thank you for those very kind words, and humbly acknowledge the sentiment behind them. You are right about one needing to recognize one’s positive attributes, as long as we also recognize that they come from Hashem l’chatchilah, and then we get to improve upon them, as He directs us to.

dhl144 — GOOOD for you!!! You have come to realize that dating should and CAN be fun. The more you enjoy the time spent with your date, the more easily conversation will flow thereafter. It doers not have to be an expensive first date, just something you can enjoy doing together. Bowling IS fun. So are the aquarium and zoo (though the weather is starting to be a little cool for that). I personally always enjoy mini-golf. The idea is to do SOMETHING, not just sit in a hotel lounge (which btw, seems so seamy and unsavory, when one considers the pritzus that typically is going on in hotel bars and rooms). Why would any Yeshivah recommend that type of potentially unwholesome environment for a date?

In a shiur which my Rov gives early Sunday AMs on Rav Dessler’s writings), he told us that it was not that the people made fun of Noach because they didn’t believe a flood was coming. On the contrary, the DID believe, and therefor built strong homes and fortresses to protect themselves. But they laughed at that foolish Noach spending 120 years building an Ark out of the flimsiest wood and a little tar, thinking it could possibly withstand a torrential downpour. That’s where the derision lay. And boy were they ever shocked when his flimsy vessel held his family and all those thousands of species of animals safe from the Mabul, as their own reinforced “safe houses” broke apart and they all drowned.

It is very interesting to me, as my rov pointed out in R’ Dessler’s teachings, that Noach who was called “ish tzaddik” was not a baal chessed UNTIL he was forced to do daily chessed in caring for all the animals. A tzaddik will give tzedaka to whomever ask him. A baal chessed will go out looking for people to whom he can give tzedaka. That’s why Noach was not in the same league as Avraham Avinu, the paradigm of chessed. It also explains why Noach actually made a tikkun Olam through the chessed of taking care of the animals. His act was one of giving. The “chamas” (which is quoted as the ultimate straw that broke the camel’s back, resulting in Hashem’s decisiion to cleanse the world through the Mabul), were people’s repeated acts of rationalized “gezel,” of stealing from each other. That taking, was why the world needed to be destroyed. It merited being renewed through Noach’s act of giving on a daily all-day basis.

After seeing it used twice here, i gotta ask. Isn’t it called tea essence?? “

It probably originates from the word “essence,” but is simply referred to as tea “sense” (could it be Yiddish for essence?)

I also want to comment as SL”Ch mentioned, if one believes that someone’s poseik paskened “wrong,” it really behooves us to not criticize immediately, but to say we do not understand the p’sak. Several years ago I made mention of something here and was immediately attacked by a few posters who basically called me a mechalleles yom tov (not in those terms). A couple of (must be older, of my own generation) posters came to defend my position (with raayos), but the others were adamant that I was doing the wrong thing. It was of no interest to the naysayers, that my Rov, a well-known and respected Poseik ZT”L, was the one who personally instructed me in doing what I did (something which frum people were able to still do at one time decades ago, but no longer may). They were going for blood. I ALMOST lost my temper then, but I believe I remained true to my belief that one may disagree without being disagreeable.

The bottom line is one may not have all the pertinent facts, and as learned as one may be, another person’s Rov may be even more so and know of legitimate heterim of which you are unaware, or even that the halacha is not precisely as you believe it to be. That is why we have rabbonim.

Stop second-guessing everyone’s halachaic authorities, and be concerned with how well you follow your own Rov’s piskei halacha. At the very least, don’t tell someone his Rov is wrong, though there is nothing wrong with expressing that you hold differently. While rabbonim can and do sometimes err (possibly due to not being given all the facts crucial to coming up with a final p’sak), most follow a specific m’halach, and know what they are saying and doing when asked a Shailah.

I meant to ask – can anyoen explain to me how after the mabul the animals that are native to very specific regions of the world (i.e. polar bears) got off the teiva and arrived at their respective new habitats? Were the continents all connected?

Caffeine pills do NOT make it for me. I love the taste of a really good cup of coffee. It’s like a symphony of flavor.

The coffeee brewed as I describe with double strength grounds,with water added to bring it to the proper reconstitution, tasted INFINTELY better than instant coffee.

Bribery is bribery, no matter who does it. Pollard and Rubashkin should be freed, because they have not been treated justly, but cruelly.

I have never EVER seen bochurim seated with married women, unless they were their sons or brothers.

I’m not sure everyone would agree that it’s permissible to use on Shabbos as it is not “heat brewed” during the process. “

I only brewed my coffee (prior to Shabbos) the same way I would brew it for my morning cup, with boiling water poured through the grounds, but at double the amount of coffee that I would normally use (i.e., 1/4 cup rather than 1/8 cup of ground coffee to every six oz. of water). By making it double strength, it could then be diluted the next day, just like with my tea.

Oomis1105, what about a man (especially, a bochur) sitting next to other people’s wifes who are very or very,very mekushat (fancy sheitels, lots of make-up, fancy outfits etc.)? “

When was the last time you noticed that happening at a wedding? (btw, the correct Hebrew word is Mekushetess, as mekushat is loshon zachar – just sayin’).

And if a man is sitting with his own wife at a mixed table, it is highly unlikely he will have the opportunity to be staring at someone else’s. But if he IS, that is HIS failing, for not learning a little self-control. As to sitting NEXT to another woman, that is easily remedied by only men sitting next to each other and only women next to each other, except to their own spouses. So I sit next to my husband, our male friend sits next to him, his wife sits next to her husband, the next wife at the table sits next to her, her husband next to HER, and so forth.

My sister was told by her mother in law to buy her children shabbos shoes before a chasuna, and her mil said she would pay, but my sister refused. And you know somehting, she was right. “

Why do you believe it is correct to stand on ceremony and not allow a Bubby to buy pretty shoes for her aineklach l’kovod a simcha? It brings great joy to grandparents to buy such items for their grandchildren. I bought my granddaughter her first pair of dressy Shabbos shoes (and several thereafter), and had such nachas to see her wearing them. I love to buy special occasion items for my grandchildren. They know it’s from Bubby and Zaydie, and they really appreciate it. Even if you believe it is not for the right reason (in your opinion), a daughter-in-law (OR DAUGHTER) shouldn’t take away such a simple pleasure from her MIL. It creates hurt feelings – and for what purpose???? Just expressing my own feelings as a loving bubby.

“flummoxed” (SUCH A GREAT WORD)

Do we know each other???? That is the exact word I used to describe how Obama looked in the debate when Romney cornered him.

“oomis, you always have great posts and this one’s included. thanks. I’ll try the open ended questions and see how it goes.”

Thank you. And your member name notwithstanding, I myself am enough of a yenta to want to know how it goes on your next date. Here’s hoping you have a wonderful time!

I believe that however the spin docs will try to save this debate, that Obama showed a singular lack of leadership, and Romney SHOULD have called him on it. If my embassy is attacked and R”L people are murdered in the attack, THAT is not an act of terror. It is an act of WAR. The President took his sweet time in reacting appropriately (still hasn’t, btw)and in calling a spade a spade. He did NOT say this was an act of terror when he was in the Rose Garden. He said the US will not tolerate a terrorist act (paraphrasing a bit). Meanwhile, that is PRECISELY what he is doing, through his astonishing failure to take immediate action, but going out and campaigning at fund-raisers in the aftermath of this tragedy.

There is a fine difference between saying an act of terror has just been committed against our nation, and saying that we will not tolerate acts of terror. One, informs the people of something crucial to the public knowledge, something which the president and his representatives did not do. The other, merely spouts more useless rhetoric. And that is exactly what Obama did in the Rose Garden, as well as in the debate last night. He merely mouths old and tired sound bytes. And that is as effective as his “bite” will ever be.

I would also like to address the incredible chutzpah and bias-showing of the moderator. It was clear she favors Obama (I could not care less about that, it is her right to prefer whichever candidate she wishes), but she repeatedly interrupted Romney, never gave him the extra time she kept promising to give him to complete certain thoughts (and we have subsequently learned that Obama was in fact given 4 minutes more than Romney to speak, which means Romney was entitled to 2 minutes of rebuttal that he was not given), and she interjected on the Benghazi issue with what is turning out to be misleading and misdirected information.

Did anyone find it appalling that as with Joe Biden, the President was alternating between smugly grinning and looking daggers? I find it hard to believe that ANY rov would suggest voting for such a sonei Yisrael. I can’t wait to hear his foreign policy debate. Maybe he will have an asnwer for how he was able to find time to appear on The View and Letterman, when he had no time to meet with a world leader such as Netanyahu. I wonder what he would have done had Achmedinejad requested the pleasure of his company.

Remind yourself that he might be nervous also. He is JUST a guy, not a malach. Think about all the ways that you are special, and then show him that positive side of you. Most of all, remember it’s just a date. Try to enjoy the time spent getting to know him better, by asking good questions with open-ended answers (no yes or no questions).

Taster’s Choice FR (but I am a diehard REAL coffee maker, and will only drink instant if forced to (like on Shabbos). Otherwise I make my own fresh coffee, with a one cup drip (Melitta)and filter, lighten it with half and half, and add a little Sweet and Low.

Sam: What she is describing above constitutes dancing”

Only by the greatest stretch of imagination and suspension of one’s disbelief.

A man in the presence of an unwell 90 year old woman who is not dressed properly cannot daven. The likelihood that he will feel any sort of physical attraction is just not there. The fact that this doesn’t make sense to you, or anybody else, doesn’t change anything.”

OK, I shoulda, coulda, woulda, made an emoticon to show I was speaking tongue in cheek. Of course, what you said is correct. I was making fun of the fact that what most women do is not even remotely anything resembling dancing these days, (so the men are not actually watching females dance), but of course, the idea is they should not be watching them no matter HOW bad the so-called dancing is.

(Golfer, still nice to be appreciated, even when you disagreed with my ill-disguised attempt at humor). FTR, however, how do you explain the idea that on Tu B’Av, the young unmarried females specifically got all glammed up and danced in front of the single men (for purposes of shidduchim)?