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Vulcans’ have blue blood!
Actually, they have green blood.
(Also, as an aside, never use an apostrophe to denote a plural.)
The Wolf
To all those who have been bashing me mercilessly these past few days:
Do you really think my questions to you are “bashing” and “merciless?”
I didnt realize that you guys would make mountains out of mole hills out of that explanation I gave u guys.
Asking questions regarding your points is not “making mountains out of molehills.”
I was simply trying to explain to you close minded folk, that the concept of the rebbe being moshiach is a lot more complicated than you think
The fact that I asked you questions (rather than simply dismissed what you said) shows that I am not close minded at all. I’m willing to hear your explainations, but if you expect me to just accept it without thinking about it critically at all – *that* would be close-minded.
Your comments just go to show that opposition against Chabad has never ceased.
I have no opposition to Chabad. I just don’t believe the Rebbe is Moshiach. Asking you to defend your belief that he is Moshiach is not “opposition to Chabad” (unless, of course, you believe that any disagreement with your beliefs is opposition; but I don’t believe that to be so.)
So, again, I ask you to address my questions, without accusing me of being “close minded” and “in opposition to you.” Neither of those assertions is true.
The Wolf
Thanksgiving was the last chance for a family gathering before January 1.
I have no problems with people who celebrate Thanksgiving. The fact that we don’t do anything special “bo bayom” should not be construed as an objection to other people celebrating.
The Wolf
C”V! As you know, for years I’ve been calling him a tzaddik nistar. I often speak to him with the bakovedik title of Reb (and only because of his shunning being called Rabbi) despite he in his great anivus and tzidkus trying to discourage any honorifics.
Either I was unclear or you misunderstood me.
My point was that you often make the point that it’s a mitzvah (I believe you quote the Chofetz Chaim on this, but I could be mistaken) to hate a rasha. I did not mean to extend what you said beyond that. The rest (regarding the identity of the person I hate) was my commentary and not meant to be attributed to you at all.
My apologies if that was not clear.
The Wolf
Chochom,
Thank you for starting this thread. If I may, I have some questions about your comments:
The Rebbe did not have any children and therefore, there was no one to fill his place as Nosi Hador. Therefore, even after his death, he is still the Nosi Hador
I would argue with the idea that the Rebbe is or was the Nasi HaDor, for several reasons:
1. There is no actual position of Nasi HaDor.
2. But even if you just colloqueally mean that he was recognized as the leader of his generation, I would still disagree. While it is true that he was “a” leader in his generation, there are many Jews (both in the Orthodox world and without) who would not have recognized him as the pre-eminent leader of world Jewry.
3. From where do you draw this idea that if the Nasi HaDor has no selected successor that he retains the post eternally. This would not be the rule for an actual, literal king, so why should it be the rule for the Nasi HaDor? And, if applied universally, eventually most if not all movements would be leaderless, as eventually leaders do die without selected successors.and we believe that he is Moshiach. It is stated in Rambam somewhere – I’m not sure exactly where, but you could ask anyone – that it is the obligation of every Jew to fervently believe that their teacher is Moshiach.
With all due respect, I’m believe that you are mistaken on this. If such a text exists, I am certain that it probably says something along the lines of that you must treat your teacher as such, or should view him as such, but you cannot be commanded to believe that he is Moshiach. What if I know my teacher is a good man who can teach me things, but clearly does not have the knowledge or temperament to be Moshiach?
Of course, an even better question to ask is, what if my teacher is a Kohen? He cannot be Moshiach. Must I believe him to be so anyway in spite of the fact that he cannot be so.
Being that the Rebbe is our teacher we believe that he is Moshiach even though he past away 23 years ago. There are meforshim that say Moshiach can come from the dead,
There is a gemara that says that, but that does not mean that that gemara is unversally accepted.
therefore it is possible that the Rebbe passed away AND he is Moshiach, which automatically makes Chabad’s claim – that the Rebbe is Moshiach – less ridiculous.
The problem with the claim is not that he is dead, but that he did not fulfill the requirements as laid out.
It is a well known fact that the Rebbe is higher than nature. There are countless stories of him curing speech impaired, or deaf, or blind children, childless couples, and much more. Maybe I will post some miraculous stories below later, but the main point is that the Rebbe was an other – worldy person who was higher than nature. Therefore, discussions whether he passed away or not, are not for us to talk about because really, we don’t know. The Rebbe was a holy person whose death is something unknown to us and we cant decide what really happened.
Firstly, I do not believe it is well known that this is true, but let’s put that aside for a moment. Even if the above is true, curing the sick and helping the childless conceive are NOT the requirements of Moshiach. Those are well laid out in the Rambam and the Rebbe, of blessed memory, did not fulfill them.
I hope I have helped you guys to gain some clarity on this controversial topic. Thank you, for anyone who reads this article and lets all prepare to great Moshiach – whoever he is – with acts of goodness and kindness and that will help hasten his arrival, hopefully speedily in our days, Amen.
Amen!
The Wolf
I celebrate Thanksgiving, but not in the way you think.
We don’t have a feast or turkey or anything on Thursday night (I don’t like turkey anyway). However, since I have off from work that day and the next and I enjoy cooking, I spend two days cooking and making big meals for family and guests to come for the seudos of Shabbos.
So, if you view Thanksgiving positively, you could say that I’m putting the day off to good use. If you view Thanksgiving negatively, you can say that I’m polluting my Shabbos Kodesh with it. I’ll let you decide which one is appropriate.
The Wolf
Who?
If it’s all the same to you, I am not going to identify him. He knows who he is and he knows exactly why I hate him. And no, there is no real chance at changing this. He is a horrible person who is a rasha and (as Joseph often likes to point out), it is a mitzvah to hate him.
The Wolf
Not that there should be machlokes, but the two are not mutually exclusive. You could have arguments over both (or neither).
The Wolf
Any metziahs this year?
I don’t know. I don’t shop on Black Friday. I spend it (every year) cooking for Shabbos.
The Wolf
Yes. There is a Jew that I hate, so, I suppose, I am an antisemite.
The Wolf
That title is reserved solely for the oldest surviving son of the sovereign.
I need to clarify this statement — The title of Duke of Cornwall is reserved for the oldest surviving son of the sovereign who is the heir apparent. If Charles pre-deceases Elizabeth, the title does not go to William (who is not Elizabeth’s son) or to Andrew (who is the eldest surviving son, but not the heir apparent.
The Wolf
Why aren’t you asking your dentist these questions?
The Wolf
The first time I met my father-in-law was when he was sitting shiva, so no, I did not eat.
The Wolf
A problem with her using the title of “Dutchess of Cornwall” is that Charles daughter in law inherits that title.
Actually, that’s not true.
If Charles predeceases his mother, William will not become Duke of Cornwall. That title is reserved solely for the oldest surviving son of the sovereign. However, if the next in line is not the oldest surviving son (as in this case) the Dukedom would merge with the crown until the Queen dies, whereupon William would become King and George would become Duke of Cornwall.
However, even if this were a normal dukedom, it would still not be a problem. The widow of a Duke is still styled as a Duchess, even if her daughter in law legally acquires the title. So, consider this scenario:
Prince Phillip dies and Charles inherits the title Duke of Edinburgh. Camilla, by marriage becomes the Duchess of Edinburgh (in addition to her other titles). If Charles then dies before ascending the throne, William becomes Duke of Edinburgh and Catherine becomes Duchess of Edinburgh. However, even so, Camilla could still be styled “Camilla, Duchess of Edinburgh” as a dowager duchess.
The Wolf
Wolf: We disagree about the likelihood of Camilla officially and publicly using her title of Queen.
That’s fine. Ultimately, time will tell whether you are correct or I.
The Wolf
Of course the queen (technically, she’s the Queen of the United Kingdom, not the Queen of England) is married. Where do you think her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren came from?
Also, since she is the Queen, he did not get the title “king” but remained “Prince”.
Phillip was a Prince of Greece and Denmark since birth, but renounced those titles upon naturalization as a British citizen. When he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, he was no longer a prince. He was not a prince again until 1959 when Queen Elizabeth made him a Prince of the United Kingdom.
Charles, Prince of Wales, will become the next King. At that time, Camilla, currently the Princess of Wales and Prince Charles’ wife, will become Queen Camilla.
Technically correct. When Charles ascends the throne, Camilla will (absent an Act of Parliament) be Queen, just as she is now, legally, the Princess of Wales (although she does not use the title). However, it is unlikely that Camilla will use the title of Queen in public, and will likely be styled “Princess Consort” as per the announcement. Nonetheless, despite that, she will legally be Queen.
Charles is only in direct line for the throne because his Great Uncle Edward VIII abdicated because he was not permitted to marry an American Divorcee (Wallis Simpson) and be King of England
Not true. Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor) ended up having no children, so had he married Wallis Simpson and kept the throne anyway, the only change would have been that George VI would never have become king and that Elizabeth would have ascended the throne in 1972 instead of 1952.
There are rumors that the Queen will bypass Charles and hand the Kingdom to William. I don’t know if she is legally allowed to bypass Charles…..
She is not. Succession is a matter of law set by Parliament (and the governments of the states where the British soverign is the head of state). The Queen has absolutely no say over who succeeds her.
George V absolutely did not want his oldest son to follow him on the throne. He was convinced that his son’s behavior was ruinous and that he would not last a year on the throne. As it turns out, he was correct, but there was nothing he could do to change the law regarding who his successor was. Succession is in the hands of Parliament and Parliament alone.
In fact, there is no provision in British law for the sovereign to abdicate. When Edward VIII wanted to abdicate to be able to marry Wallis Simpson, it took an Act of Parliament to allow it to happen. His final act as king as to give Royal Assent to His Majesty’s Abdication Act of 1936.
The Wolf (who’s done more than just a little reading on the subject).
Why is the title about speaking and the actual question about eating?
The Wolf
What do you want to know about photography?
The Wolf
Eees and I went for pizza on our first date.
The Wolf
FWIW, I did it this year. Other years, it’s been up to my wife, my kids or myself, depending on who was available.
The Wolf
Is there something wrong with drinking on simchas torah?
No more than there is the rest of the year. If it can be done in a responsible manner, without drunkenness, then by all means.
The Wolf (who does not drink).
In other words, he advocates enacting Biblical law into American law.
Allow me to correct that for you.
He advocates enacting Biblical law according to Christian understanding into American law.
Given Judaism’s long and horrific history under states that where Christian religious law was the basis for the law of the land, I find it utterly amazing that any Jew with any sense of Jewish history would favor any step towards basing the law of the land on Christian religious doctrine.
The Wolf
Tov is an adjective. Tuv is a noun.
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The Wolf
But are the rest of us really on his madreiga?!
You have to be on a certain madrega to love your wife?
The Wolf
Even if, for the sake of argument, it’s true, so what?
The Wolf
The Chareidi rate is about 2%.
I’d love to know how you came up with that figure (assuming it wasn’t just made up on the spot).
The Wolf
If a baby pulls on my beard, I let him. And if he pulls so hard that it’s too much, then I give him back to his parent.
The Wolf
FWIW, I wouldn’t even think of asking someone to move from my seat… even if I did arrive on time.
Yeah, I put potentially embarrassing someone over makom kavua.
The Wolf
We do the ones mentioned in the machzor… plus the lettuce-raisins-celery one.
The Wolf
I have yet to discover an instance in which someone contracted HIV via technology.
I believe that a syringe and devices used for blood transfusions are both forms of technology.
(Yes, I know that’s not what you meant…)
The Wolf
My learning skills (and my desire to learn) increased dramatically after I left yeshiva.
The Wolf
OK, and…?
The Wolf
One of my major fears in life is that I am actually severely mentally disabled (albeit somewhat high functioning, as I am capable of holding a job) but that everyone is hiding it from me.
The Wolf
Wolf: What flavor was the candy engagement ring, that you shared with her?
I don’t remember, largely because I didn’t share it with her. I gave it to her. She ate it.
The Wolf
The only reason Eeees and I are a couple is because she recognized me from a previous meeting and came over and said “hello.”
Not quite the same as her proposing, but the relationship did start because of her action, not mine.
The Wolf
(and, FTR, while I did formally propose, we both knew within about three weeks that it wasn’t a matter of “if” we were going to get married, but “when.” The proposal was really just a formality at that point.
Actually, all this could be solved by simply not having any women, including the Kallah, at the Chassunah. There is no reason for any of them to be there.
All you need to do is have a shliach accept the kiddushin for the bride. Have the chassunah and then, later on that night, after everyone has left, have the bride delivered to the chassan’s residence in the presence of two witnesses and watch them close the door. All done. True, you will not be able to recite sheva b’rachos after the seuda, but that’s not essential for the wedding to be valid. The marriage is 100% valid even if the couple never has a Sheva B’rachos.
So, let’s just ban all women (including brides) from weddings. That will solve all of Joseph’s problems.
The Wolf
moment of the sun’s transit
Transit of what?
The Wolf
I was away on vacation and only returned right before Shabbos, so please forgive me for not answering before now.
First of all, I was not in South Carolina. I have not set foot in South Carolina for at least 35 years. Oh and the sky was clear where I was.
As to your actual question —
First of all, you can’t state unequivocly that my picture will be the same as anyone else’s. There are two main ways to photograph a total eclipse. You can photograph a “big sun” where the sun is the only object in the frame. You would do this using a long lens (preferably at least 400mm). However, you could also capture a landscape shot with the total eclipse using a shorter lens. In such a case, my photo would almost certainly be different from anyone else’s (unless they happened to be standing right next to me).
As it is, I went with the “big sun” type of photo. Truth to tell, my primary goal was to experience the total solar eclipse. However, as long as I was there, there was no way I wasn’t going to try to photograph it as well.
As for it being similar to many people’s pictures, so what?
1. I enjoy the process of creating photographs, regardless if it’s the same picture as anyone else’s.
2. It presents a unique opportunity for me to photograph the sun in a way that most of us do not see it.
3. I don’t really care if other people take the same photograph. There are umpteen million photographs of the Empire State Building, and yet I shoot it anyway.
4. Even if my photo is the same as everyone else’s straight out of the camera, there are some techniques that I can use regarding bracketing, exposure blending or other methods that might make my shot just somewhat different than everyone else’s. Maybe that will work, and maybe it won’t — but if I don’t try, it’s an automatic failure.As for your concerns about experiencing the eclipse… have no fears on that account. I did not spend the entire two minutes of totality behind the camera. I spent quite a good chunk of it simply looking up at the sky with my bare eyes and marveling at this wondrous sight that HKBH has created that does not exist anywhere else in our solar system (and given the odds against the seeming coincidence between the sun’s and moon’s apparent diameters, perhaps anywhere else period) and feeling truly awed and inspired (so much so that I almost forgot to get the final bracketed shots I wanted to get).
The Wolf
Aardvarkian Cello.
The Wolf
WolfishMusings does your Rav say to make a bracha on a lunar eclipse? What’s his svara?
I don’t know. I did not ask.
However, if I had to guess, I’d say that the difference is that lunar eclipses are a lot more common* and less dramatic than solar eclipses and hence not “worthy” of a b’racha.
Ps – The MB brings down the Sefer Chasidim who says to fast when there’s a lunar eclipse.
Not when it occurs on Shabbos, Pesach or Sukkos, of course.
The Wolf
* Actually, they both occur with about the same frequency, but a lunar eclipse is visible all over the night side of earth (as opposed to a small area of the day side during a solar eclipse), and so any given spot on earth sees far more lunar eclipses than solar eclipses.
Wolf: You have a psak so you should do as you were told.
I certainly intend to.
I heard from Rabbi Dovid Heber that we do not make a brocha.
If you asked and were told that was your p’sak, then by all means, you should not make a b’racha.
The Wolf
I asked my rav, since I plan to be in the path of totality. He said to make a bracha of “oseh ma’aseh b’raishis.”
The Wolf
Begins on Aug. 21.
Why? Because of the eclipse? You do know that there are at least two solar eclipses EVERY year, right?
The Wolf
I will actually be in a location where the eclipse will be total on the 21st. Camera gear is ready to go.
The Wolf
Boy babysitter ? That’s weird never heard of such a thing
I guess I’m weird then. I babysat quite a bit back when I was teen (many, many years ago).
The Wolf
Whatever song means something to you and will elicit in you the emotions that you wish to have elicited at that time.
Mazal Tov!
The Wolf
It’s the type of community where, if you commit the grave sin of davening in a nearby nursing home so that elderly Jews can have a minyan, you will be subjected to intense harassment until they get rid of you, but if you attempt to burn down a home with a family sleeping in it, you will be welcomed back with open arms and celebrated when you are released from prison.
The Wolf
When someone’s car horn went off (and wouldn’t stop) at two in the morning, I called the police. I did not wake up my rav first to ask him if I was allowed to call the police.
If you believe that makes me a moser, so be it.
The Wolf
Are You an Apikores?
Yes. Next?
The Wolf
No big deal.
And any employer (barring certain well-defined cases where you probably need to pass an eye exam anyway) who would hire or not hire you on the basis of wearing glasses or not, is foolish and probably not someone I would want to work for anyway.
The Wolf