Peacemaker

There is a dispute among poskim as to whether yichud is permissible between a parent and adopted child of the opposite gender over age 6 (?). Most poskim say no, but Rav Moshe is mattir.

What research do Chasidim do that Litvaks don’t do?

The Chasidish was is how yidden successfully got married for thousands of years and is still the best way today.

Sam2: What are the non halachic concerns of those that you referenced (S & TA)?

And who are the few poskim that do have halachic issues regarding kedushos of the retaining wall – and what are they?

Any Yid can give a bracha.

And there is good reason that men may have policies not to see women. It is rooted in Jewish Law.

Hi sm29, Would you be comfortable sharing a) what made you originally think you were right for each other and b) only later realize that wasn’t the case?

Hatzlacha

What makes you say answering amen is any more mandatory than laining?

So Rav Henkin holds children of a woman’s reform/conservative remarriage are mamzeirim? (Since there was no valid gittin for her first marriage.)

Yissacher: What is the rakia? (Please define it in detail.)

Regarding the idea that the scientists in the Gemorah were correct, see the Shitah Mekubetzes I referenced above.

RR: That photo does not clearly show Rav Elyashev doing that.

IOW, you are saying there is no such thing as a “scientific fact”. And that anything is subject to be revised or changed.

Well, that is precisely what I have been saying all along.

Here are some things that were once “scientific facts” that even scientists currently admit are no longer considered so:

And if the penalty IS more than halacha would require?

Secular law _does_ impose a penalty above and beyond what halacha imposes.

There used to be (and still may be – haven’t checked) a heimish guy who you paid about $700 and your traffic ticket disappeared.

The Shulchan Aruch and Rambam both say a woman should not leave her house too many times. (Rambam says twice a month; Shulchan Aruch doesn’t specify a number.)

If you look hard enough you may find Stalin had some “laudable qualities”. I still don’t think you would use such “qualities” with him as the example, as “laudable” as they may be. This woman was the lowest of the low. Even when she wasn’t committing the ultimate sin, she was known to go around all over in entirely immodest fashion.

Medrash Tehillim quotes Shmuel as saying he is an expert in the streets of Nehardea as much as he is an expert in the ‘streets’ of the heavens. The Medrash asks how Shmuel knew all of that, and it answers he knew it all through the Torah. It then quotes a R’ Hoshea as saying there is “space” between the upper waters and the firmament, and the Medrash asks how R’ Hoshea could know this unless he traveled to space. It answers, he knew it from the Torah.

Regarding Ptolmey himself, the Abarbanel (Shmos 12) quotes Ptolmey as being so impressed with the Jews’ astronomical calculations, that he said it proves the Jews had prophecy. In the Sefer Eretz Zvi (by Rav Aryeh Zvi Fromer ZTL, Rosh Yeshiva in Chachmei Lublin), quotes more such sources about Ptolmey.

We see already in the time of Moshe Rabbeinu women covered their hair and men weren’t allowed to see it, from the story of Ohn ben Peles’ wife scaring away Korach’s men with her hair, since she knew men aren’t allowed to see her hair.

Motivation of those pushing it. You can bet your last dollar they aren’t doing it because of S”A or Rosh. They are doing it for feministic reasons.

The majority of Achronim state that Chazal did not go by the scientific knowledge of their time.

The Rama in Toras HaOlah (1:2) states clearly that we assume rabbinic science to be infallible, and ancient rabbinic knowledge of astronomy complete. The Ramah has stated that we do not pasken like the Rambam here. As do the Maharal and the majority of our Torah authorities throughout the ages, as mentioned above.

Chida (Shem Hagedolim: “Seforim”:5:82) – There are a minority of Gedolim among us who disagree with Chazal because of their scientific knowledge, but they do not understand that Chazal had Eliyhau Hanavi informing them, and they had Ruach HaKodesh to inform them.

Maharal (Ber Hagolah 6) explaining why Chazal sometimes seem to contradict what science says:

[Chazal] [physical] descriptions, but rather the words of our sages refer to the essence, and have no relation to the outer, material matter.

The Chosid Yaavatz (Ohr Hachaim) says that Chazal knew science form a Mesroah that goes back all the way to the Neviim, who knew it from Hashem, without any effort at all.

Particularly interesting is a statement on this topic in the Aruch Hashulchan (EH 13). Quote: “I will tell you a great principle: Chazal, besides their holiness and wisdom in the Torah, were also greater scholars in the natural sciences those savants (“mischakmim”) who would argue against their pure words. And someone who disagrees with them testifies about himself that he does not believe in Torah she bal peh, even though he would be embarrassed to admit it outright.” Drashos Chasam Sofer Vol. 1 p.100b says Our prophets and sages know all the sciences much better than the scientists even though all they learn is Torah. This is because the One Who created nature informs our sages of the correct facts. This is what amazes the Nations, as it says, Am navon v’chacham hagoy hagodol hazeh! An identical interpretation to that of the Chasam Sofer’s explanation Am navon v’chacham is found in the Ramak (Sefer HapPardes 13:6) regarding astronomy.

What’s better about a suit costing $400 or more? It lasts longer or it looks better?

Sam: Hypothetically, if some posek somewhere issued a heter to wear a miniskirt (for arguments sake), you would be permitted to see that person?

Sam: The heter is very very far from universally being accepted. So if his posek doesn’t accept it, and as far as he is concerned it is unacceptable, he can’t rely on such a heter.

gavra and Sam: The OP wrote “potential boss”, so apparently she was not yet hired. And if she was, we go back to my original point of him being forced to choose between breaking halacha (since he can’t see her hair) or breaking secular law.