simcha613

R.T. that question exists even without the targum. A Cohen can’t remarry his divorced wife even if she didn’t marry someone in between.

zahavasdad- well according to R’ Schachter, sheidim has nothing to do with ayin hara.

For those who so ready to slash Rebbe’s salaries for more security, why don’t you suggest raising tuition instead? It’s okay for a Rebbe to sacrifice money for security but not the parents?

I saw one a few weeks ago that really bothered me. A person wrote that she was reading a sports book that she thought her nephew would appreciate so she gave him a copy. She hadn’t finished the book yet, and as she continued reading she came to a story of an athlete who was in a same gender relationship. Knowing that her nephew comes from a religious family and that his parents would not approve, she felt guilty that she gave him the book. She asked if she should tell his parents about the book.

The response was that censorship is usually unacceptable. She should not feel guilty and she should not tell the parents because the child should be free to explore new ideas without interference from his parents. In fact, the ethicist writes, it’s probably a good idea to lechatchilah expose him to areas that his parents would otherwise censor and again, there is no reason to feel guilty that she accidentally exposed him to new ideas.

PBA- one benefit of mixed seating is if man is invited to a chasuna of a friend and his wife won’t know anyone there, or vice versa. In such a situation either the wife wouldn’t go, or she would be stuck with people she doesn’t know. If the husband would want to go with his wife to such a wedding, mixed seating would make it a lot easier for her.

What’s pshat with the rakia separating the upper waters and the lower waters? Poshut pshat and the way Rashi seems to understand it is that the lower waters are the oceans and rivers and the upper waters is this (presumably floating) storehouse of water in the sky which is where rain comes from. From a scientific perspective this is not true. There is no storehouse of water in the sky. Rain is recycled from the oceans via the clouds. I’m okay with Rashi being incorrect about science, but how else can we understand this passage in the Torah?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I think this is an accurate summary of the arguements:

Argument 1 for Zionism- Having a Jewish run government in Eretz Yisroel is the beginning of the final geulah.

Argument 2 for Zionism- Since the founding of the medinah, there is been more Jews and Torah in Eretz Yisroel since around the destruction of the 2nd Beis Mikdash and we owe the medinah our hakaras hatov and support.

Argument 1 against Zionism- It is assur to have a Jewish run government in Eretz Yisroel until Mashiach comes. We are in golus and it is not our place to decide when it ends.

Argument 2 against Zionsim- Most of the government is not religious and some of the government is even anti religious. The government of Israel has an agenda to create a secular state in Israel and is prejudiced against Charedim and Frum Jews. We should not support such a government.

There is one basic difference between the Yeshivish/Charedi world and Modern Orthodoxy. The difference between the two has nothing to do with being meikil or machmir in halachah or interperting halachah to conform with secular society. It happens to be that many people who claim to be Modern Orthodox are more meikil in an effort to be more like modern society, but that’s not real Modern Orthodoxy. That’s an unfortunate result of what true Modern Orthodoxy was meant to be.

Basically everyone agrees that there are positive and negative things about secular society. The Charedi/Yeshivish world believes that the negative aspects of secular society are too great and therefore we should shut ourselves out to secular society unless it is absolutely necessary. Modern Orthodoxy believes that there is tremendous positive that exists in secular society and we should try our best to take advantage of those positives while keeping away from the negatives. Basically, an ideal Modern Orthox Jew is as shomer Halacha as a Charedi, values Torah as much as a Charedi, but feels a greater involvement in the secular world is a positive thing.

In terms of leaders- I guess the main leaders are the Roshei Yeshiva of YU like R’ Schachter and R’ Willig. Though, to be honest, while the Charedi world in general aren’t machshiv the Rabbanim of the Modern Orthodox world, the ideal Modern Orthodox Jews have tremendous respect and are influenced greatly by the Charedi Gedolim like R’ Elyashiv zatzal and R’ Kanievsky shlita. For example, in YU and many other Modern Orthodox yeshivos and shuls, there were hespedim this year for R’ Scheinberg zatzal, R’ Elyashiv zatzal and R’ Nosson Tzvi zatzal. I am not sure if the main Rabbanim of YU would get that same respect in a Charedi or Yeshivish yeshiva or shul.

Health- I don’t think that’s what the S”A meant. The Rama is clear that a woman is obligated to learn the practical things. The S”A however opens up that they get sechar for learning, but they don’t get as much sechar as a man because they aren’t obligated to do it! Obviously he is not talking about the practical areas, because they are obligated to learn those things and would get the same sechar as a man! The S”A meant she gets sechar for those areas of Torah where she isn’t obligated to learn like the non practical areas of Torah Sheba’al Peh, but it’s not allowed to be taught to her. How do we reconcile these two statements? I stand by what I said before. It can’t be imposed on women in general but a woman who is lishmah can learn and will receive sechar.

I heard a shiur a long time ago, so I don’t remember who said what- but I think it’s a machlokes- is it something that the Goyim do that’s based on something idolatrous? Or is it anything that the Goyim do that wouldn’t have been done in a shielded Jewish community? Nafka minos could be a male wearing a wedding ring or a momenet of silence after a tragedy. I think we (at least Ashkenazim) paskin like the former.

Lichorah he is only talking about Minchah and Ma’ariv during the week. No one wears a hat during Shacharis with their Talis and Tefilin. And on Shabbos, I think the Ramban says that davening with a minyan is D’Oraysa on Shabbos, so I find it hard to believe that R’ Chaim would say to be mevatel a D’Oraysa (according to some Rishonim) to wear a hat (especially since most married men don’t wear a hat during Shacharis with their tallis).

R’ Yosef Dov Soloveichik and the Brisker Rav

S”A 235:3- Lechatchila one must say Krias Shema at Tzeis (M”B- because of zrizin makdimin leMitzvos) and its zman is until Chatozs (M”B- and if you say it later then you are violating the words of the Chachamim) but if you violated this and delayed past chatzos, then you are yotzei as long as you say it before Alos (M”B- that’s if you did it on purpose but if you were oneis you can even be yotzei if you say it before Neitz).

You must say Krias Shema before Chatzos. Assuming you did that already (by davening Ma’ariv after Tzeis, or if you davened Ma’ariv at shkiah then by repeating Krias Shema some time after Tzeis), then you can say Krias Shma al Hamitah as late as you want until I assume Alos HaShachar.

For those who don’t accept the pre-nup- how can we protect women from men who want more than a Beis Din or secular court are willing to give them, and will not give their wife a get in order to get what they want?

Tomche- easier said than done. You have to look at the other side too. If you look through Chazal, you see the tremendous concern they had for agunos, and how they sometimes “cut corners” to protect them. The answer to the issue is not to ignore pre-nups, because unfortunately there are men who take advantage of the system and are willing to make women agunos for their own benefit. If according to major poskim that prenups do not create a get meuseh, and they protect women from becoming agunos, that also has to be taken into account. I don’t know the answer- safek mamzerim vs. agunos, but it’s not that simple.