WolfishMusings

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  • in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684440
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I don’t believe they excluded other forms of genesis as well. This is how I recall it.

    Then why can you kill them on Shabbos? The point was that they don’t reproduce normally, so killing them is permitted.

    If some reproduce normally and some don’t, then I would think you have a safek (did this particular louse come from an egg?) and you would have to apply the rule of safek d’oraissa l’chumra.

    I also am not so sure “lice” is the correct translation of the organism that is being referred to.

    I have never heard of “kinnim” being referred to as anything other than a louse.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684439
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    We are talking about Chazal. So focus your comments/response regarding infallibility on Chazal.

    Sorry… but I ascribe infallibility to one Being only… and it’s not Chazal.

    (yeah, I know, that makes me a heretic…)

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mathematical Expressions in Sefira Counting #941747
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    The proper way of describing today’s day of the Omer without being Yotze (so that you can still count with the brocho) is to say “yesterday was the 16th day.”

    Yes, Volvie, I know that. Except here, I did not initiate the conversation — my son did.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mathematical Expressions in Sefira Counting #941741
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    No, I understand that. The question really is, what if someone (for whatever reason) were to say “Today is six times six plus six days…?”

    IOW, since there is no requirement to say it in Hebrew, can we construe “six times six plus six” to be the same as saying “forty two?”

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684434
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    and that is a greater gift than flowers that die at teh end of the week

    Why does it have to be either/or? Why can’t I honor my mother during the year AND bring her flowers on Mother’s Day?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684432
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    From the best I can recall, I believe it has something to do with Chazal referring to lice in a halachic sense, and some people asking the question assuming they were referring to it in a scientific sense.

    But what does that mean?

    How are lice in the “halachic sense” different than lice in the “scientific sense?”

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684430
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    So, qa, what *is* the answer? How were they not wrong if they say that lice don’t come from eggs?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684428
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    QA,

    You’re missing the point here.

    Chazal say that lice do not come from eggs.

    However, we have actually seen lice come from eggs. This isn’t “theory” or “wishful thinking.” It has actually been observed.

    That being the case, if you’re positing that one day Chazal will be proven correct, how will you explain all the observations that we have of lice actually hatching from eggs?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684426
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Rav Breil said it is certain that the rabbinic science is more accurate than the science of the scientists, and even if currently it appears one way, the rabbinic view will eventually be proven correct.

    Volvie,

    I’m curious how you reconcile this with areas where we *know* Chazal to have been wrong. The prime example, I suppose, is lice. Chazal say they don’t come from eggs, but lice has been observed to come from eggs. If, at some future point, Chazal are proven to be correct, how does that explain the observations that we have seen that lice do, in fact, come from eggs?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684425
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    there is no point in “celebrating” mother’s day. do it on her birthday. this is totally chukas hagoy and has absolutely no meaning

    What if it means something to her? Mother’s Day means something to my mother, and I made sure to see her (even though I see her quite often since she only lives two blocks from me).

    Likewise, I know that Father’s Day means something to my father – and as such, even though I see him regularly during the year (he lives quite a bit further away than my mother does), I will make it a point to drive out and see him on Father’s Day.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684422
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Oomis,

    Well said. I couldn’t agree more.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684421
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    In my opinion there are 3 American holidays that Jews should observe: THanksgiving, Mother’s DAy, and FAther’s Day.

    Grada,

    Is there any reason your list did not include Independence Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

    I would think that we should have a great deal of HaKaras HaTov for the opportunity that we have here in the United States to live our lives according to the dictates of the Torah as, perhaps, never before in the long history of our exile.

    And, likewise, I would think you would want to honor those who died to help secure that freedom for you and honor those living veterans who have worked towards those same goals.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684395
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Chazal recognized that it would not be healthy for us to be in constant state of mourning throughout the year and therefore designated a small period of time during which to express mourning (and many hold that they also confined all future communal mourning to be observed during this period). They established a specific day (or weeks, as it were) only to limit our mourning to a healthy amount of time.

    Fine. Substitute Torah Learning and Shavous — Yom Kippur and repentence — Pesach and remembering the Exodus.

    Same questions apply.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Reading Teacher/Specialist #928529
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Many schools work with graduates to help with placement. Have you tried the alumni affairs office of your school?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684390
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Volvie,

    Putting aside the Torah/Science issue (which I didn’t really want to get into anyway) perhaps we can get back to the subject at hand – Mother’s Day.

    Specifically, I refer you back to the previous question…

    You said:

    You need to take your proverbial head out of the golus sand to see the light.

    And I responded:

    How is it that having a “Mother’s Day” is an excuse to “kick your mother to the curb” the other days of the year, but having Tisha B’Av is not an excuse to “kick mourning for the loss of the Bais HaMikdash to the curb?”

    I await your reply.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684386
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Volvie,

    So, once again, I ask you…

    If Chazal tell us that treatments that will work on a non-Jew may not work on a Jew (or vice versa), do you make sure that your doctor knows this and only prescribes the treatments that work on Jews? Does he prescribe different treatments for Jews and non-Jews?

    If (God forbid) you need to go to the ER, will you make sure to get a doctor who will give you the “right” treatment, rather than the one they learned in medical school for everyone else? Do you believe that Jews have died in ERs around the country solely because they were given medical treatments that would have otherwise worked on non-Jews?

    Does you pharmacist believe that medications he prescribes for non-Jews might be harmful to you? Does your dentist?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Paid Job Hunter #684284
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    and what if I’m looking for a position in Chinuch?

    Ah, but you did not specify. There may not be corporate recruiters for Chinuch.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Paid Job Hunter #684282
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    What you’re looking for is a headhunter. There are corporate recruiters in many fields who will match you with jobs for a fee (which is paid by the company, not the job searcher).

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Wifi Question #684330
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Wouldn’t 4 & 5 potentially run into the problem of Maris Ayin?

    Depends where. A McD located in a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, for example, may not be a problem as many people just sit at the tables to take a rest from driving even without buying anything (and it’s well known that this is the case).

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684381
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    BP,

    Again, having one day set aside as special doesn’t detract from any other day… just as having Tisha B’Av set aside for mourning the loss of the Bais HaMikdash doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t observe it other days as well.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Shidduch Issue in Israel #684593
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Parents like myself are pretty much forced

    No one forces you to do anything.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684380
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    the sale we have the combined weight of the Gemorah, the Chasam Sofer, and Rav Elyashev shlita.

    And although I don’t want to open up the whole Chazal/Science issue again, I do feel that this needs to be pointed out.

    What the Gemara thought about treatments is not relevant. The treatments mentioned in the Gemara are not used today, nor is the medical advice in general.

    The Chasam Sofer was not a doctor. He didn’t have access to advanced medical data.

    Rav Eliyashiv is not a doctor. I may go to him when I need advice on halachic matters. I will not go to him for a medical problem, a plumbing problem, an electrical problem, an investment question or a computer issue. Why? Because he’s not an expert in those fields.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684376
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Let’s see… on one side of the scale we have the opinion of “Wolfish” and on the other side of the sale we have the combined weight of the Gemorah, the Chasam Sofer, and Rav Elyashev shlita.

    Cute. But you didn’t answer the question I asked.

    Does your doctor follow this theory when prescribing treatments for you? Does your pharmacist? Your dentist?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684372
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    You need to take your proverbial head out of the golus sand to see the light.

    So, Volvie, instead of throwing around ad hominems, please explain it to me.

    How is it that having a “Mother’s Day” is an excuse to “kick your mother to the curb” the other days of the year, but having Tisha B’Av is not an excuse to “kick mourning for the loss of the Bais HaMikdash to the curb?”

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684371
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    He rules that we cannot assume that a medical treatment that was tested successfully on a Nochri will also be successful on a Jew.

    Do you go to a doctor who follows this theory? Does your pharmacist? Or your dentist? If not, aren’t you endangering your life since perhaps the treatments he learned in medical school will actually harm you instead of helping you?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684368
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    volvie, which KKK congressman proposed the legislation to create Mothers’ Day?

    Not that it matters. Mother’s Day is a good or bad idea regardless of the person who proposed it.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684365
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Volvie,

    I wasn’t comparing Mother’s Day to the other holidays… I was showing that your argument was bogus. Your contention was that having a “Mother’s Day” means that every other day is an “excuse to kick your mother to the curb.” IOW, having one day set aside to honor someone gives you license to treat them badly the rest of the year. I simply showed you that it’s simply not true, based on examples from our own calendar.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Mothers Day: Yes, Or No? #684360
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    When you have a “mother’s day”, every other day of the year is an excuse to kick your mother to the curb. Uch un vay, nebech, for the nochrim.

    When you have Yom Kippur, every other day of the year is an excuse to sin without worrying about repentence.

    When you have Tisha B’Av, every other day of the year is an excuse to forget about the loss of the Bais HaMikdash.

    When you have Shavuous, every other day of the year is an excuse to kick Torah learning to the curb.

    See how silly your argument is?

    Don’t you think it’s possible… just possible that people can honor their parents and yet still have a day set aside for just such a purpose?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Shavuos: Cheese-Cake Reason? #1156753
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    what is the reason for cheese cake ?

    Because they like it.

    Now, if you question is why have dairy meals on Shavuous, that’s a different question.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Wifi Question #684325
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    If I use McDonalds wifi (via the parking lot) does that cost them any money?

    Does that make it right? Do you know what McDonald’s policy is regarding Wifi?

    There are some places (and McD, for all I know, may be one of them) that allow anyone (actual customers or not) to use their Wifi. Others restrict it to customers.

    You really should find out what it is before you use their Wifi. The very fact that you asked the question shows that you care about the possibility of theft from them — which is good. That being the case, you should make sure that you have permission to use it even if you aren’t an actual paying customer.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Bombs, Threats. What is going on? #685083
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Planes being attacked. Times Square, Buses left on bridge. Shoes. Microwaves. No-fly list not working. Attempted terrorist attacks or scares popping out all over.

    What is happening? What is going on?

    Obama happened, that is what…

    All I said was Obama happened.

    I don’t recall saying what you stated, Wolf, so it’s kind of unfair to tell me what I make anything seem, would you not agree?

    Oomis, when someone states that a phenomenon is going on and asks “what happened?” and you say “Obama happened,” the implication is that Obama is (at least partly) the cause. Otherwise, what was the point of your statement?

    I didn’t vote for Obama either, but if McCain had won the election, many of the same problems would still exist.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Tuition Assistance Guidelines #684815
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I thought at the $100k level, the family gets healthcare from their job.

    That does not necessarily mean that the company pays 100% of the premiums… or even anywhere close to it.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Bombs, Threats. What is going on? #685080
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    No but I think that while Bush was in office, he used all his power to protect our country.

    That may or may not be true, but it’s really beside the point since Bush wasn’t going to be in office now regardless of how the election turned out.

    Oomis’ comment made it seem that this is all Obama’s fault and that had he not been elected, we wouldn’t have the problems mentioned in the OP. That is simply not true.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Segulos #1050806
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    $40,000/year could be considered wealthy.

    Just as a side point, one should not confuse income and wealth. While one may lead to the other, they are not the same. A person can have a very high income and yet be quite poor.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Bombs, Threats. What is going on? #685078
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Obama happened, that is what…

    Oh please. Do you think that if McCain won, the extremists would simply have given up?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Why Haven't the Melodies of Dovid HaMelech Been Preserved? #684024
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    That which wolfishmusings says notational systems did not exist in Dovid’s time is not accurate, in fact there are musical notes preserved from ancient Greece from just about that time.

    I may need to stand corrected on this. Some basic research indicates that there were musical notation systems at least in the latter days of the Bayis Sheini. (However, that they actually existed in the Bais HaMikdash is NOT a given.)

    That being said, however, the fact remains that we don’t have the “sheet music” of the day. So, even if it existed in the BhM (not a given) and even if it existed to this day (which is doesn’t) and even if it could be deciphered (also not a given), there’s STILL no guarantee that it wouldn’t drift. Once again, I point you to the example of laining. Even though we all use the same symbols, my darga may not be the same as someone else’s darga. My gairshayim is not the same as another’s gairshayim. Yes, they’re similar in the here and now, but they aren’t the same — and that makes them liable to drift over the centuries — much like the pronunciation of words can (and does) drift over the centuries.

    According to Rav Schwab ztl the tune of “ledovid boruch” sung in Breuer’s on motzai shabbos dates back to the beis hamikdash.

    WADR to Rav Schwab, I don’t know how he could possibly know that. He might be able to credibly claim that the present tune has its *origins* in a tune that came from the BhM (still quite a claim given the geographic, temporal and cultural differences), but to say that it is the tune they sung? I don’t know how he could possibly say that definitively.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: iPad — Kosher? #685928
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Oh son, your support is much appreciated.

    Kidding aside, if you go back to page 1, you’ll see I recommended *against* getting an Ipad.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: iPad — Kosher? #685926
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    rp- For every person who became a better Jew, (fill in the number) became a far worse Jew.

    0.1?

    Seriously, how do you know that more people became worse Jews because of Apple instead of better?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Why Haven't the Melodies of Dovid HaMelech Been Preserved? #684010
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Who says that none of the songs are preserved? I’ve heard that the tune which is sung during Birchas Kohanim goes back to the Beis Hamikdash.

    Source?

    And which tune? I’ve heard several different tunes used.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Why Haven't the Melodies of Dovid HaMelech Been Preserved? #684007
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Without a written notational system, something that did not exist in Dovid’s time, it is nearly impossible to preserve a melody.

    I’ve not done any research into the age of the melodies we use for things like the leining, so I may be mistaken, but it’s seems that they’ve survived hundreds if not thousands of years. If we could manage to pass them along generation to generation, why didn’t those of Dovid HaMelech get passed down, as well?

    You are mistaken. I’m not sure where the origins of the musical notes that we use in leining are, but it’s fairly clear that it has morphed and changed over time. I’ve been teaching leining to bar mitzvah boys for over 20 years and I can tell you that none of the boys I taught lein exactly the same way that I do — nor do I lain exactly the way my teacher did. Much as word pronunciation changes over time*, I would expect a musical “language” used by far fewer people to experience an even greater “drift” over the generation.

    The Wolf

    * An excellent book on language that covers, among other things, how word pronunciations in the English language have drifted over the years and locations is Bill Bryson’s “The Mother Tongue.”

    in reply to: The Anonymous School Vaad #684625
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Don’t parent’s deserve to know why their kids were not accepted in school, and don’t they have a right to appeal a decision???

    Assuming it’s an entirely private school, the answer to your questions are as follows:

    — Do you deserve to know why your kids aren’t accepted? Yes, you deserve to know. But we don’t always get what we deserve.

    — Do you have the right to appeal? No, you don’t. The school is free to set up whatever rules they like.

    That being said, if a school is showing you that they treat potential customers this badly, you’re probably better off that you weren’t accepted.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Talking While Driving #683927
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    how many times have u seen dogs on the lap of the driver and their heads out the drivers window??

    While the car was in motion? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

    zachkessin-ur first responability is driving the car?!how are u supposed to drive with a dog on ur lap?!

    He wasn’t disagreeing with you – he was saying that a driver shouldn’t be so distracted that s/he can’t concentrate on the act of driving — regardless of the source of distraction.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: iPad — Kosher? #685911
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Heh, if only. My mother has never been on-line in her life.

    Besides, I don’t call my mother “Mommy.” She’s been “Mom” for a looooooong time.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: iPad — Kosher? #685908
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Mommy,

    Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your own money… but since you asked:

    Generally speaking, as the parent of three teens, I feel that an Ipad is too much for a bar mitzvah present. Those things start at about $500.

    That being said, I am generally of the opinion that a gift should suit the occasion. A Bar Mitzvah is (or should be, anyway) a spiritual occassion, marking an important milestone in the young man’s religious life. As such, I’ve always felt that a religiously themed gift is the best way to go (although, I’ll admit, that I’ve often given cash as well when I didn’t have the time to look for something more appropriate).

    But that’s just my own $1/50.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Talking While Driving #683914
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    I know, but that’s because you were involved in the discussion. Not everyone reading this thread was. 🙂

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Talking While Driving #683912
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Just remember one things, when you are driving a car your first responability is to drive the car Everything else is second.

    Is it? Oh darn. I thought the first responsibility was to figure out if the car is driving down the road or if the car is stationary and the road is passing underneath. 🙂

    The Wolf

    (For those who don’t get my weird sense of humor — see this thread: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/physics-realativity )

    in reply to: Yeshiva Tuition #683893
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Chesedname,

    maybe that’s another solution have the state build a public school, where we’ll send our kids, have them pay the full cost, and we will rent the building for a few hours a day for anything we want, which will happen to be religious studies.

    Three questions about this proposed scenario — provided it’s even legal:

    1. Many parents send their kids to yeshiva not just to receive a Torah education but also to not have their kids subjected to outside influences. Sending them to a public school such as you proposed undermines that since you can’t have a public school for Orthodox Jews only. How are you going to address the concerns of parents to send their kids there?

    2. What are you going to do when a Jewish kid decides he doesn’t want to go to the after-school Jewish education. By law he can’t be forced to go.

    3. What are you going to do when a non-Jewish kid wants to join in? If it’s on public school grounds, I’m almost positive that you’d have to accept him.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Talking While Driving #683910
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    why do they have to wait until there is ‘enough incidences’for it to be brought to their attention?

    Because how are they supposed to address a problem before they know it is one?

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Yeshiva Tuition #683889
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Chesed,

    The tags you can use are listed below the reply box.

    Allowed markup: a blockquote code em strong ul ol li.

    You can also put code in between backtick ( ` ) characters.

    The Wolf

    in reply to: Yeshiva Tuition #683886
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    still don’t get tags?

    someone right apple i want to say orange

    i go to reply which is empty, copy and paste his apple and do this?

    <apple> ??

    No. To italicize something, do this:

    < em > your text here < / em > — and delete the spaces in the brackets.

    The Wolf

Viewing 50 posts - 6,901 through 6,950 (of 7,798 total)