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PAA: This thread is about him, though, and he is an Apikores. This is not the place to debate technicalities of Apikorsus. We can start a different thread for that.
I accept that the end of that post was edited, but it was certainly no worse than some of the things other posters get away with saying.
HaLeiVi: Of course. No one takes any offense when the Rav is called the Grid.
bhe: I have asked many, many people who were around in his lifetime. His Talmidim almost all called him “The Rav” (R’ Schachter still famously refers to him as “Rabbi Soloveitchik”, but he’s a minority). His contemporary Rabbonim and Gedolim referred to him as Rav Yoshe Ber. His Seforim were published as Rav Yosef Dov HaLeivi.
His academic philosphical works were published as Rabbi Dr. JB Soloveitchik, because the academic convention of the time was to use initials like that. No one who learned from him dared call him that, as he was vociferously against using the same convention for Roshei Yeshivah (someone once related to me that he went on a 15-minute rant about Kavod HaTorah after hearing someone refer to the Sridei Eish as “Rav YY Weinberg”).
At some point, people decided that a great way to malign him would be to claim that he wanted to be referred to as “JB” because he cared about academic convention more than the Torah aspect of his life. It is a gross insult and blatant falsehood, though I guess when HaKatan insinuates that he was an Apikores and Machti Es HaRabim (because he says he changed the Mesorah to one of religion and Avodah Zarah mixed together), I really shouldn’t complain about the comparatively smaller insult of using a derogatory nickname.
(Edit)
This is far, far from the worst thing that Shmuly Yanklowitz has ever written. He is an actual Apikores, no question about it.
By the way, next time someone asks for an example of a HaKatan post that’s insulting, look no further than this thread.
(Oh, and for the bajillionth time I will protest the use of the name “JB”. He decried the fact that people in his time referred to Roshei Yeshivah that way. It is a gross insult to use the very same way he protected other Talmidei Chachamim against him.)
Doesn’t the Gemara say he had daughters?
It’s explicit in one of the collections of “T’shuvos” that people asked R’ Chaim and wrote. Someone asked him if it’s Muttar to smoke on Yom Tov. He said “Assur L’ashen”. While these collections are not always entirely reliable, it’s probably much more reliable than random stories.
Logician: If I had to guess, I would think Wolf is referring to the Passuk of eating the Man for 40 years in the Midbar. Pashtus is that Passuk was written after 40 years in the Midbar, not at Har Sinai.
I find it so, so ironic that the most ardent antizionist here is the one who is forced to say that the 6-day war was Kocho V’otzem Yad of Israel because he cannot admit that there was any Nes involved.
So over Shabbos, I realized a major problem with the R’ Chaim story: I think Pashtus in the Gemara (several places) is that we don’t Pasken that “Divrei Chalomos Ein Bahem Mamash”. At the very least, such a dream should have merited a Ta’anis.
Mods: I thought Zionism was gonna be an off-limits topic for now. There’s really no need to be called an Oved Avodah Zarah a few days before Shavuos.
That aside, I respectfully request (again) that the slur of “Yom HaAtzamos” not be let through. It is quite a disgusting slur (though no more offensive than the invective you let through from HaKatan). Still, if you let that through, then I expect to be allowed to use the n-word and other racial slurs. They’re really the same level.
HaLeiVi: Someone in the back of the Gemara points out that R’ Eliezer is only talking in theory about Lachem on Shavuos because he holds like R’ Yose that the Torah was given on 7 Sivan.
DY: What I’m getting at, of course, is that despite a gadol’s fallibility, he still has a better chance of being right than a non gadol, so why wouldn’t you avail yourself of that for important decisions?
You make an assumption that a Gadol has a better chance of being right even in non-Torah matters. Where does that assumption come from?
RF: The Rishonim ask that exact question (actually, the Gemara itself might ask but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t). The standard answer is that Sukkos and Pesach require 30 days because they have a lot of Halachos but everything else is just on its day.
If I recall correctly, and I probably don’t because I never saw most of it inside and haven’t discussed it in over 10 years now, the Meiri at the end of Megillah quotes a different answer (D’oraisa vs D’rabannan) and someone brings down that there is a Din D’Oraisa to learn Inyano Shel Yom but an additional Chiyuv D’rabannan to learn about things with lots of Halachos 30 days before as preparation.
nisht: It says nothing about a level of Kedushah. It’s that we (the women) had to be Tahor in order to receive the Torah and if they were with their husbands they could have become Tamei up to 3 days later.
DY: It’s a nice point, but I’m pretty sure R’ Shmuel Eliyahu is a Bar Hachi to argue. So other tremendous Rabbonim can fight it out all they want, but people have Al Mi Lismoch (unless it’s Mamash R’ Shmuel against the world, in which case presumably he would be Modeh himself).
HaLeiVi: I was once M’orer that that phrase shouldn’t be in the Hagaddah according to what we hold. It’s Rabban Gamliel L’shitaso, that Shoalin V’dorshin is only 2 weeks. We should hold a month and say “Yachol MiPurim”.
Mod: There’s no Issur of being on Har HaBayis B’tumas Meis. There’s an Issur of being a Tamei Meis in certain parts of Har HaBayis. The discussion nowadays is whether we can tell which parts of Har HaBayis are allowed and which aren’t.
Nisht: … That’s not what it means. And you probably know that.
PBA: There are downsides to everything in life. There are even downsides to doing Mitzvos (that’s what the Gemara says- the good people are the ones who weigh the reward of doing the Mitzvah over the downsides and do it anyway). But we acknowledge in life that some things are so good that we, for the most part, ignore the downsides. We don’t complain about how much money an Esrog costs. So too we don’t complain about this.
And, even if you will say that we need to discuss this and point out the problems so we can solve them, can’t it be that you take one day out of the year to give a special Shevach for the Neis that occurred on that day? Complain about the Chillul Hashems 364 other days of the year. Chazal pointed out the errors that Beis Chashmonai made. That doesn’t mean they stopped celebrating Channukah.
Logician: It’s a long way from Mitrayim to late Bayis Sheni. Also, there’s only one case of a Jewish woman being M’zanah with a Mitri. We have no idea how many Jewish men were M’zaneh with Mitzriyos.
There’s nothing wrong with it, but if they do then they should probably use a more comprehensive genetic testing program than Dor Yesharim.
Meh. PBA is baiting people and people are taking the bait. There’s no need for this to happen in this (or any) thread.
I vote Popa starts a new thread titled, “In which I bait the Tziyonim”.
the plumber: You definition of Daas Torah and those who have it are a tautology (you have it because you are a Talmid Chacham who isn’t Krum- and the definition of Krum is not having Da’as Torah). Can you please define what Krum and Daas Torah mean in a manner that means something?
RF: Actually, it’s entirely untenable. We have so many Takanos and Dinim D’rabannan to avoid even a smidge of Pritzus because people are so easily Nichshal. How is it Shayach to say they were also M’taken something on the assumption that everyone were Tzadikim Gemurim.
the plumber: Being that Mashiach will be here in a few seconds, why do you have a job? Better yet, why do you eat? Moshiach will be here before you can die of starvation, so why waste time eating?
Maybe they could tell time during the day (via the Sun) and not at night?
It’ a Stirah in the Mishnah B’rurah.
daf: Actually, you’d have K’dei Hiluch 22 Amos (approximately 11 seconds).
Although the Sugya in the beginning of Pesachim should be a Ra’aya that they didn’t have anything so precise. Or, at the very least, you were never expected to be able to have access to it.
But infinitely less Halachic authority than someone who knows what he’s talking about.
Logician: Why is that problematic? Saying it’s evil to kill animals might be bad. Saying that we kill too many to satisfy our own Taivas doesn’t feel like a problematic Hashkafa. I don’t know if it’s true or not but it feels like just trying to become a person with more Rachamim and sensitivity. I don’t see how that can be a bad Hashkafa.
By your logic, any Chumra is a bad Hashkafa. That’s ridiculous. We’re Machmir not like Chazal all the time. Why should this be any different?
You mean a sundial?
nisht: The Halachic status of an Am Ha’aretz is all D’rabannan. The phrase “Am Ha’aretz D’oraisa” is nonsensical.
nem: That’s not what Rashi means. The Gemara says prevent your children from studying “Higayon”. Rashi explains Higayon as meaning Nach. The reason for this is that, in Rashi’s time, most people who learned Nach were the Catholics. Thus, being too involved in Nach could lead to intermingling with the knowledgeable Catholics, which we tried to avoid. (Fascinatingly enough, many of the Sephardic Rishonim translate “Higayon” there to mean philosophy.)
HaLeiVi: I’m not sure that what you’re saying has any bearing on what I said. I didn’t say he was privy to the Zohar. Just to some of the traditions contained therein. Did I use the word “many”? Maybe saying many was too much.
Some do, some don’t. Just like conservatives.
nisht: I’m not sure why you think that it’s not Tza’ar Ba’alei Chayim to transport chickens in too-small crates in very cramped spaces.
For the record, I made a long post about why there could still be a large amount of discomfort for the woman when the husband asked the Rav. I tried to use as much a Lashon Naki as possible, but apparently I couldn’t do a good enough job. But yes, it can be tremendously awkward for the woman knowing her Rav has answered her Maros Shailos.
No, because Rav and R’ Yochanan came first. Thus, whenever it was determined that Halacha is KR’ Yochanan in such a case, that determination is a majority against Rava who holds that it’s not applicable in this case. Thus, it’s Abaye and the consensus against Rava, so Abaye wins.
HaLeiVi: I was very, very Medakdek with the Lashon I used. I think Pashut P’shat is that there were traditions from R’ Shimon Bar Yochai which R’ Moshe De Leon was privy to. I think most agree that, Milah B’milah, the Zohar is his and not R’ Shimon’s, even if it wholly represents Shittas R’ Shimon. Thus, there shouldn’t be surprise when earlier Rishonim have access to some of those Kabbalistic traditions.
To answer the original question, the Gemara (I think in Perek Chelek) goes through a list of many places where it’s hinted to in Torah Shbiksav.
DY: Not every Yoetzet is perfect, or even good. Neither is every Rav. I’ve seen many Ravs Pasken based on Amaratzus. It’s sad but a part of life. That’s why it would be good if the girl described in the OP is a Yoetzet. Hopefully she would be a good one. And your assumption a few posts ago is wrong. There are plenty of Chareidi women who feel uncomfortable forwarding certain Shailas through their husbands. In fact, if I’m informed correctly, the first proposed Yoatzot were for the Chareidi community. There are also many husbands who feel uncomfortable asking these Shailas because it’s already secondhand and, as much as they try to avoid it, the husband has a certain bias involved. And the least bias there is in presenting any Shaila the better.
Logician: The point is, 90+% of the “Shailas” asked in Niddah situations have a clear Psak that is meant to be given. That is what these Yoatzot are taught to “Pasken”. For real Shailas that require a Shikul HaDa’as and not just pointing out a Mareh Makom (as my R”Y used to be Mechalek), Yoatzot have a Rav they are supposed to forward them to. No system is perfect, but there is certainly just as much room for Yoatzot to “Pasken” the issues that they do just like an average Shul Rav Paskens even though he’s not holding in Kol HaTorah.
ezlev: I don’t know whether they exist and it doesn’t bother me. There were great Gedolei Torah that held that they don’t exist. There were many more Gedolei Torah who held that they do. There are philosophical theological issues involved in believing in Gilgulim. There are other philosophical theological issues that Gilgulim can explain. At the end of the day, I don’t know and I’ll probably never know. I do disagree with your statement, though, that denying them is denying a part of our Torah.
HaLeiVi: The Ramban mentions several ideas from the Zohar because it’s clear that he had many of the traditions that R Moshe De Leon used when he put together the final text of the Zohar. And well-played with Heshel. But I think charlie meant a detail within Gilgulim, not whether or not they exist at all.
OURTorah: A Yoetzet Halachah is a woman who spends several years learning Hilchos Niddah and has a broad knowledge of all the relevant Halachos and Sugyos. They do not Pasken debatable Shailos (they have a Rav/Posek they forward those on to) but anything that is black and white they can answer. The reason for this is that many women feel very uncomfortable asking detailed Niddah Shailos from a man and showing them Maros issues.
It also happens that, since Yoatzot are among the more knowledgeable women in a community, they will become teachers and lead classes for other women. However, that is not part and parcel of the job. It’s just a side-effect of being more knowledgeable.
The purpose is not to Pasken or be Rabbis. It’s to provide a more sensitive and Tznius alternative to a situation that is uncomfortable for many women (not to say that asking Niddah Shailos isn’t Tznius, but it certainly is in the eyes of many). There are many women who would just be Machmir on everything and make Taharas HaMishpacha an unbearable proposition because they are too uncomfortable to ask Shailos to a male Rav (or who would be incorrectly Meikil because they would guess because they’re too uncomfortable). Yoatzot provide a tremendous service to their communities by being available to answer such questions in a much less uncomfortable way.
ezlev: Sha’ar HaGilgulim was written by the Ari Z”L. I can’t tell you for sure, but find it highly, highly improbable that the Rambam believed in Gilgul. It didn’t really become popular in Jewish thought until the Zohar came out. R’ Saadya Gaon rejects the notion as a non-Jewish one.
OURTorah: You are not saying things that are false, but they are misplaced. Something tells me that you don’t really know what a Yoetzet is.
charlie: I know several, actually. They are well-meaning, certainly. I don’t think they wake up each morning saying, “How can I destroy Torah”. I do think, however, that even the most well-meaning of them wants to change Judaism because they feel it is too paternalistic, oppressive, homophobic, etc. I think they have a great love and appreciation for the Jewish community and what they think Torah is. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be in any Yeshivah at all. But the fact is, because of their distorted notions of right and wrong, what they have set out to do is to change Judaism from a Torah way of life-i.e. destroying Judaism.
PBA: A Yoetzet is not a Maharat. In fact, I would think that one of the basic differences between a Yoetzet and a Maharat is that a large Rov of people wanting to be a Yoetzet will be doing it to serve Klal Yisroel and a large Rov in Yeshivat Maharat want to destroy Klal Yisrael (by pushing a social agenda).
PF: Yasher Koach to your relative. Protests against Yoatzot nowadays are mostly political and, for the most part, the Halachic consensus is that there is no issue. She should just know the gravity of the job she is getting into.
I believe there’s a Yisrael Williger (maybe Shloime Dachs) song with that line.
There’s also a tune that Chabad kids say it to every morning in school and camp.
HaLeiVi: I’m not aware of that. I thought the earliest source was in the 1700s. I don’t think even the Talmidei Ari had a celebration. It’s just weird. The Chassam Sofer was very against the celebrations becoming popular. We apply B’nei Nevi’im when we don’t know what’s going on. If we can pinpoint how the Minhag improperly started (which, as far as I know, we can’t do here) then we would try to be Mevatel it.