Sam2

DY: That doesn’t make any sense. I agree that it’s not impossible to hold that there is an individual Chiyuv, but if you hold that you need a Melech, then you by definition can’t hold of an individual Chiyuv. Killing an individual Amaleki might be a partial Kiyum in Mechiyas Amalek, but even if it is it only stems from the general Chiyuv, which the Rambam holds is nonexistent without a Melech.

And I would have a heck of a problem with a Yeshivah student, even one of the Chassam Sofer’s caliber, Paskening a life-and-death Shailah on his own.

DY: It’s brought down in several Seforim, actually. Basically, one day he showed up to Yeshivah really happy. R’ Nosson Adler asked why. He answered that he saw a guy on the way, realized he was from Zera Amalek, and was Mekayem the Mitzvah of killing him. It’s clearly made up, but my point stands.

MA: Interesting. I wonder if Binyan Beis Hamikdash is Doche Tumah. We could say yes via Kal V’chomer, but there’s got to be an actual Makor one way or another. Tzarich Iyun. Either way, though, that doesn’t make it impossible Bizman Hazeh. That just means that we need a Parah Adumah first (or to raise kids in a way that ensures they never come in contact with a Meis).

DY: To lock someone in a room with no food is Gram Rechitzah. I’m pretty sure that’s an explicit Gemara in Sanhedrin. To lock someone in a room where he can find food (i.e. others can theoretically replace the feeding tube) may not even be that. It’s probably just Lo Sa’amod.

DY: Because he doesn’t die even close to immediately and because there is ample opportunity (at least several hours, probably more) to start feeding him again.

nisht: Removing a ventilator? Maybe. Removing a feeding tube? There is no way that that can be called Retzichah.

Again, I’m agreeing that lots of people can be Over and even Issurim Chamurim when they deny/don’t know Halachah. But being mistaken about Halachah is different than doing evil things. (Especially when there are some, albeit a tiny number, of Halachic authorities who held that brain death is considered death.)

MA: Do you spend time YEARNing for your Tefilin before you put them on in the morning?

Mammele: No, because they do have a set of beliefs. So they’ll stay within that. It might not be Frumkeit, but it will end up having limits. I see homosexuality falling before Taharas Mishpacha, but I hear your claim.

nisht: We’ve had this debate before. Either way, not knowing all of the intricate details of Hilchos Retzichah does not make one evil. (Oh, and removing a feeding tube is probably not Retzichah according to anyone. It is at absolute worst a Gram Retzichah and probably just an Issur of Lo Sa’amod Al Dam Rei’echa. Turning off a ventilator might be different and interesting, but I don’t want to have that debate now.)

Health: “Let me tell you something – I responded the way I did because you’re constantly defending Zionism & resort to lying! I posted previously – “Did you ever hear of Yemen and Iran? These have very strict Muslim rules, but the Jews there aren’t all enslaved or killed!

I wrote “ALL”. So before you respond to me – think about it. This way your post’s [sic] will be rational!”

You are very right. I apologize profusely. Life was so much better for Jews under Nazi Germany than under Zionist rule, wasn’t it?

DY: The opinion is evil. The person is not.

newbee: The Rama says that doing something that normally entails a Melacha (in this case, electricity) that is Mashmia Kol is Assur on Shabbos.

MA: I was clearly answering Torah’s question.

I find it hard to believe that one can come closer to Hashem by doing something that is in theory Assur.

Or, to say it better, I find it hard to believe that Chazal would Asser something that is supposed to bring us closer to Hashem.

Torah: Yes, it’s just pointless.

Joseph: According to the Rambam, probably because it’s worth it to be a partial wife of the king.

According to other Rishonim, I have no idea. Maybe for some people it’s an acceptable scenario. So they have the option, even though almost no one would ever want to.

njs: Where does the Rambam say that you can’t have children with a Pilegesh? He holds that only a Melech can have a Pilegesh, but where did you get what you said from?

Health: I don’t understand your logic. If you jump off a bridge and survive, does that mean that it’s always perfectly safe to jump off bridges?

ca: Sort of. But it’s always couched in Halachic terms. So if there is Mamash no Halachic basis for it, they won’t do it (yet). If they can find a rejected Shittah in the Rishonim, they haven’t been too hesitant to rely on it. I don’t think they’ve yet started relying on Shittos that are actually Yechidim, but we’ll see how long it takes for them to get there. They’re not Conservative yet. I hope that they never make it there, but it is looking more and more unlikely that they stay something that can pass itself off as “Orthodox”. Mark my words, within 5 years your average OO congregation will be wholly accepting of homosexuality, and that will be the end of that. Women Rabbis we could probably find a way to make our peace with (while strongly holding that we disagree with it) if they were 100% Halachah-observant. Yehi Ratzon that they will be. But practically, the chances of that happening are close to zero.

DY: I certainly hope there aren’t Sephardim in Ashkenazi Yeshivos eating non-BY meat, R”L.

ca: Nah. They’ve been more “halachic” than that so far. I don’t see that coming.

ca: No one OO has allowed driving on Shabbos. They’ve done plenty wrong to call them out on. There is no need to make up more.

pcoz: I have no idea how he reads the Gemara then. Because that’s not what the Gemara says.

pcoz: I dunno about that. Just look at Rashi and Tosfos there. It’s around 31a, right?

I have a very hard time understanding why Sefardim are allowed to wear hats on Shabbos.

Joseph: That’s not so true. There are Teshuvos from the times of the Rishonim that make it clear that the majority of Jews did not cover their heads, even when learning and making Brachos.

pcoz: That’s not what the Gemara in Kesubos says. The Hava Amina is that the Hagbaha is considered part of the Ma’aseh Achilah because it’s a necessary part of eating and therefore the Hagbaha and the Achilah is considered Chad Ma’aseh.

HaKatan: Please, don’t misrepresent the Rambam. What was the whole context of Iggeret Teiman, again?