WolfishMusings

Why is it that in the theator do you make sure to have your phone off and wont dear talk to the guy next to you for fear of the audience reaction, and in the shul you will screw your nose if someone gives you a stare for talking?

Don’t try answering this question.

Answer: I don’t talk in shul unless it’s necessary for the davening* (and then I’ll do it as softly as possible). Therefore, no one stares at me for talking.

In general, my shul is very quiet during davening. I can’t remember the last time we actually had to “shush” someone.

The Wolf

(*Example: telling my son during the Yom Tov davening that we don’t say this piyut or do say that one.)

At best, without anything else, swimming is a form of “Kalus Rosh”.

In what manner is swimming “Kalus Rosh?”

The Wolf

Wolf, read my previous post. I think it wraps up the entire issue nicely.

I’m sorry…. but I think you’ll have to spell it out for me. I fail to see how your post (which largely goes on about fathers and daughters) addresses the point of whether or not swimming with one’s own wife is forbidden or not.

The Wolf

Wolf – What specifically causes you to believe you are a low-life heretic>

It’s simply how I feel about myself sometimes — nothing more, nothing less.

The Wolf

There are halachic restrictions on a shoita (intellectual handicap) and a deaf person.

As for intellectual handicaps, it depends on how functional they are. Obviously, someone who is incapable of leading the davening or receiving aliyos should not do so.

As for deafness, there are, to my knowledge, no halachic disabilities (vis-a-vis davening) on deaf people that should exclude them for shul activities. There *are* exclusions on deaf-mutes (a mute person, deaf or not, should obviously not lead the davening), but not on people who are only deaf.

There is also some literature that even deaf-mutes today are not the equivalent of deaf-mutes in earlier generations since they can now be educated.

The Wolf

craziest combination of names given to one person i know someone i promise this is true his name is, here it goes! Peleh Yoeitz Ai-l Gibor Avi Ad Sar Sholom this is a posuk in the navi (i think yeshaya) hows that for an uncommon jewish first name(s)

You understand, of course, that in Biblical times, the rationale behind name-giving wasn’t the same as it is now. And that particular case was as different as name giving today as apples are to stellar quasars.

The Wolf

EDITED

And then there are people who declare anything that inconveniences them to merely be a discardable “chumra”.

And then there are people who will declare anything they want to enforce, whether a personal preference or chumra to be an actual indispensable halacha.

The fact of the matter is that both types exist and one needs a rav whom they can shailos to help them navigate between the two.

The Wolf

MG: What is your idea of “inclusiveness”? Does this extend to the idea of women leading prayer “minyan’s” Rabba/Weiss style?

I thought it was crystal clear from the OP that he was talking about inclusiveness vis-a-vis the mentally and physically handicapped. There’s no reason to bring in side issues just to stir up controversy.

In our shul, we have a few adults who are high-functioning Down’s syndrome sufferers. They daven for the amud, receive aliyos and otherwise participate as full members of the shul.

The Wolf

Sinning “in this regard”, is no less a sin than sinning “in regards” to kashrus or stealing.

Very well, so I’m a sinner because I don’t potch my kids with a strap. If that’s the case, then I’m happy to be a low-life, worthless sinner in whatever regard.

Does that now make me a heretic, since I am now stating that I will NEVER observe this halacha?

The Wolf

you are a bad father

Very well, so this bad parent will amend:

So, Helpful, you discipline your kids with a strap. I’ll be happy to be a heretical, low-life, worth-less-than-garbage sinner in this regard.

The Wolf

The S”A says you should discipline your children with corporal punishment. Only during the 3 weeks you shouldn’t do so.

In fact the S”A tells parents and rebbeim what kind of strap to use on the children.

So, Helpful, you beat your kids with a strap. I’ll be happy to be a heretical, low-life, worth-less-than-garbage sinner in this regard.

The Wolf

What kind of midget is anyone here to argue with the Shulchan Aruch.

I guess you’re right. Since I don’t hit my kids, I suppose that I am that sinning midget. I wasn’t aware that it was a sin to NOT hit your kids. Forgive me Lord, I’ll be sure to beat them daily from now on.*

The Wolf

* Yes, that last sentence was sarcasm… the rest was not.

Thire is an inen that you must always know that hashem is in the room with you. Since you would not do it in front of Rav Chaim Kanievsky so you shouldnt do it.

I know you don’t mean to compare R. Chaim to HKBH, but the way your post is worded…

Nonetheless, there’s lots of perfectly legitimate things that I wouldn’t do in front of R. Chaim (or other respectable people). For example, I would never go into my kitchen, take out the peanut butter, jelly and bread, prepare a sandwich and eat it in front of an odom gadol. Should I no longer eat sandwiches*?

The Wolf

(* No, I’m not talking about eating in general. But while I would eat a formal meal in front of [or, rather, with] an odom gadol**, I wouldn’t eat an informal one. Should I not be allowed to eat a PB&J sandwich?)

(** Not that R. Chaim or anyone else would want to eat a meal with a low-life heretic like me.)

when someone becomes incensed and defensive of opinions that are more machmir, it usually indicates that they feel in themselves that maybe the other opinion is actually correct and they are frightened of that thought. i dont mean you, just in general

That’s not really the issue here. I don’t have a problem with people who don’t wear shorts, drink only Cholov Yisroel, are makpid to always wear a hat/jacket by davening, keep Shabbos for 72 minutes, don’t hold by the local eruv* and so on. If that’s the way you want to go, all the more power to you – Chazak V’ematz!

My problem is when people come out and state that when you don’t follow such practices then you are doing something completely assur — as if there is no possible reason to permit. At this point, they are no longer machmir on themselves, they are (in essence) saying that if you do so, you are doing something wrong. *That’s* the point where I stand up and begin protesting. It has nothing to do with an insecurity in my position — it has to do with being told that I’m sinning when I’m simply not following whatever chumra the person is advocating.

The Wolf

* I, myself, don’t use the local eruv. But I would never tell someone else not to — that’s something that they have to decide for themselves.

The gospels cannot even agree among THEMSELVES as to what happened. Weren’t they written decades after the fact, anyway?

Yes, that’s true. The Gospels do disagree with each other about details of the events and they were written decades after the fact. But it’s still very difficult to believe that they would make a mistake of 200 years or so regarding who was ruling over Eretz Yisroel at the time.

It’s akin to someone today writing a story about the Depression and stating that the president at the time was John Adams. You may not know that Herbert Hoover was the president, but you certainly aren’t going to pick a president from 200 years earlier. Likewise, even if the authors of the Christian Bible got the identification of whoever ruled EY at the time wrong, it’s unlikely they’d pick someone who was off by 200 or so years.

The Wolf

In reply to WOLFISH, the sentence you quote is not my own chidush.You are a perfect example of what I said. I just was saying people should think before they make fun of frumkeit!

In no way did I make fun. I asked you a legitimate question. I’ll even ask it again in plainer terms:

In what way is a tie different vis-a-vis Chukas haGoy than shorts? Why are shorts assur (in terms of Chukas haGoy) and ties not?

The Wolf

people have to learn to be mikabel stop being stuck up admit that sometimes you are wrong

This phrase is exactly the problem. All it says is “I’m right, you’re wrong, I don’t have to explain it and you must now shut up and stop asking questions.”

The Wolf

use common sence

Translation: I can’t answer your question, so I’ll just dismiss it as nonsense.

and dont be like the people who cant accept

Translation: Just take what I say and don’t ask questions.

The Wolf

Nonetheless, holtzichfest, there are plenty of things that we do that were started by non-Jews. Take the wearing of ties for example.

Is wearing a tie assur due to the issur of Chukas Hagoy?

Or using a web browser? 🙂 Or is it your contention that Jews used web browsers well before non-Jews did?

The Wolf