Words of Prayer

I'm not one to normally quote Heschel, but Richard John Neuhaus quotes this great story from Abraham Joshua Heschel:Heschel had a great appreciation of the embodiment of truth in tradition. He was fond of telling the story of a woman who approached him in the synagogue, complaining that the service did not say what she wanted to say. "Madam," he responded, "you have it precisely backwards. The idea is not for the service to say what you want to say but for you to want to say what the service say...

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New Feature

Readers can now sign up for the Hirhurim Yahoo Group to receive new Hirhurim posts as either individual e-mails or daily diges...

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Slifkin's Big Lie

Last night, R. Natan (Nosson) Slifkin spoke in Brooklyn on the subject of "The Terror of Dinosaurs: Confronting the Challenges of Creation, Dinosaurs, and the Age of the Universe." During his speech, he said that everything he was saying can be found in his book. I may be mistaken, but I think I heard something that is not in his book The Science of Torah.R. Slifkin asked why God created the dinosaurs. What was the point of creating and then destroying them, long before people came onto the scene? Good question! This can, and has, been asked about the vast universe and the extensive ecosystems in far corners of the earth that only experts know even exist.[WARNING: Spoiler here. Don't read this if you are going to hear R. Slifkin speak on this topic.]R. Slifkin had an excellent answer about...

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Pesak and Heresy

R. Hayim Elazar Shapira, the Munkaczer Rebbe in the early twentieth century, was asked about studying kabbalah. He answered (Minhas Elazar 1:50) that in this pre-messianic era we must study it, especially one who desires to. However, he adds, the proper way to go about doing this is to first study the important introductory works such as Sha'arei Orah and Shomer Emunim. He cautions, though:But in the end of Shomer Emunim, regarding Providence, one should skip [this section]. It is forbidden to read it. May [the author's] Master forgive him for this stumbling block, that he made generalities and details about Providence, with specifics against our belief in Individual Providence from God on every single detail. However, the rest of his book is pleasant and appropriate to enlighten...This is...

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Spectator Sports

Avodah Zarah 18b (Soncino translation): Our Rabbis taught: One should not go to theaters or circuses because entertainments are arranged there in honor of the idols. This is the opinion of R. Meir. But the Sages say: Where such entertainments are given there is the prohibition of being suspected of idolatrous worship, and where such entertainment is not given the prohibition is because of being in 'the seat of the scornful.'According to the Sages, there are two reasons to prohibit attending theaters and circuses: 1) the idolatrous practices that were attendant at ancient celebrations, 2) Moshav letzim, "the seat of the scornful," which is a phrase taken from the first verse of Psalms. This latter reason seems to apply even when there is no idolatrous aspect to the proceedings (see the Rashash's...

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Slifkin in Brooklyn II

Reminder: Rabbi Natan Slifkin will be speaking tonight and tomorrow night at the Young Israel of Flatbush, Ave. I & Coney Island Ave. at 8pm (more info here).I will BE"H be there both nigh...

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Abortion IV

Haaretz has an article about the new issue of Tehumin.An article that appears in the latest volume of the halakhic journal, Tehumin, argues to the contrary: "Most poskim [halakhic arbiters] in our generation have permitted the aborting of a fetus, even when there is no danger to the mother." The author of the article, Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel, a former mashgiah ruhani (spiritual mentor) at the Sha'alabim hesder yeshiva, argues, "It is incorrect to state unequivocally and authoritatively that the ban [on abortion] is absolute," and that in a case of a disagreement among poskim, it is appropriate in this case to follow those with a permissive approach.Among the prominent poskim who in certain cases permitted aborting a fetus that will develop a severe illness is the late head of the Mercaz Harav...

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The Spies and the News

I saw that R. Yehuda Henkin (Hibah Yeseirah on Numbers 13:31, in the back of Bnei Banim vol. 2 p. 67) has a very interesting insight into the story of the Spies. The Spies returned from touring the land of Israel and reported to Moses and the nation (Numbers 13): 27 Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us...

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Aggada Index

Lamed directs us to an index of commentaries on Talmudic aggados by the Halacha Brura Institute.This is a great idea. However, looking at the list of books utilized in creating the index, and seeing that neither Moreh Nevukhim, Sefer Ha-Ikkarim nor Or Hashem were used, makes me question the list's val...

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New Azure

Azure is trying something new. In addition to putting its entire journal on its website, it has just started e-mailing advance PDFs of the journal to select contacts (I don't know how many are on the list, but I am). Very cool!I haven't had a chance to read it, but I'll post the table of contents below. Right now, three things look very interesting: An article by Natan Sharansky (one of the few living heroes the Jewish people has) about the political legacy of Theodor Herzl, an article by someone I don't know about Rosenzweig and Heidegger, and a letter from R. Aaron Levine about halakhah, globalization and Nike's business practices.Table of Contents:Ella Florsheim - Giving Herzl His DueAlain Finkielkraut - The Religion of Humanity and the Sin of the Jews: Europeans remake the Jews in their...

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The Sayings of Baruch

I wrote this a few months ago and submitted it to a magazine, and it was recently rejected. So here it is. Please do not insult the subject of this review in the comments. Thank you.The Sayings of Baruch: A Contemporary Experiment in Moral EducationA Review of Rabbi Baruch Simon's Imrei Baruch (Hebrew; Privately published, New York, 2004) [To order, call the Beigeleisen store: 718-436-1165]The educational obligations of a Jewish parent or teacher towards a child go far beyond merely teaching "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" and even past instruction in the study of Torah. In addition to the above, or perhaps prior to it, a young Jew must be...

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Format

I'm still trying to figure out why the blog has this big empty space in it.--Fixed, more or le...

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Professor Nahum Sarna

Menachem Butler reports that Prof. Nahum Sarna has passed aw...

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Life Insurance

From Bi-Mehitzas Rabbeinu Ha-Ga'on Rabbi Ya'akov Kamenetsky (Feldheim: 2005) by R. Moshe Tzvi Jacobs, p. 160:Over the years our rabbi held a life insurance policy worth $5,000 for his wife's sake. When he reached the age of 80, he calculated that, because of his age, it was not worth it for him to continue the policy. He cancelled the policy and gave his wife the money returned to him due to the cancellation. In addition to this, every year he also gave her the premium he would have otherwise paid to the insurance company.Readers should be wary about most books like this. However, this book comes with a haskamah from R. Shmuel Kamenetsky and, according to the introduction, was reviewed entirely by R. Daniel Neustadt, who married R. Ya'akov Kamenetsky's granddaughter and is the editor of the...

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Maharsha Index

I was in a bookstore today and saw what I think is a new book - Me'oros Ha-Maharsha (I can't remember the author's name and, bizarrely, it has no publication date). It is a topical index, really a collection of excerpts indexed to topic, of the Maharsha's voluminous commentary to the Talmud. I did not buy it (this time) but it seems that a book like that is way overdue. It should make for some interesting and important studies into the Maharsha's worldvi...

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Hagbahah

Let me offer readers the secret to a successful hagbahah, lifting of an open Torah scroll after (for Ashkenazim) completing its reading. Make sure that, before you lift it, the scroll is already open as much as you want it to be and completely taut. If you do that correctly, the actual lifting is a piece of cake.daat y adds: Also, pull the sefer Torah down some and then lift. (shorter lever-physics princip...

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Downloading Music

I have been asked a number of time to write about the downloading of music from the internet. So here are my thoughts, albeit not accompanied with the usual citations. The reason for that is that, more than most other posts, this is not something on which I want to give the impression of offering a definitive position. Ask your rabbi about this. The following are just my musings:I think the issue boils down to two points, the latter for which there are three positions.I. Dina De-Malkhusa DinaGenerally speaking, albeit with many details and exceptions, the law of the government is religiously binding on Jews based on the Talmudic principle of Dina De-Malkhusa Dina -- the law of the land is law. Since downloading music (without permission) is illegal, it should therefore be prohibited.However,...

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Limits of Orthodox Theology V

Following up from this post, it seems my review essay of Marc Shapiro's book is now available for free online: http://mj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/24/3/272....

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Course in Mussar

A new session of "The Course in Mussar" begins October 30, 2005. Registration is limited and now open.The curriculum of The Course in Mussar focuses on cultivating some of the most important soul-traits, including patience, gratitude, generosity, equanimity, silence, trust and truth.Here is what participants in previous sessions have said about their experience:"This Mussar Course has been a wonderful development for me. My heart and soul are both more aware, and for this I am grateful!" – Y.W., New Jersey"This work is truly food for my soul" – L.G., Marin, CA"This process has been incredibly rich, far exceeding my expectations." – T.L., Seattle, WA"The course is powerful and exactly what I need at this time in my life." – J.C., Winnipeg, MB The Course in Mussar...

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Belief

Last week, I was asked why I believe. So here are my thoughts:1. You have to differentiate between difficulties and doubts. There is no easy way to identify something as a doubt or a difficulty, but when you have enough difficulties they cumulatively turn into doubts. The more I learn Torah, the more truth I find and the less significant the difficulties that I have become. I believe in the general structure of Torah -- Torah She-Bi-Khsav, Torah She-Be-Al Peh, the need for commandments and a structure to conservatively develop halakhah over time (this last point is confusing and requires elaboration; I contend that almost everyone would agree with it if said in the right way). I see the profundity in even the most obscure aspects of Torah and the multiple ways of reading the Torah. I delight...

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Solomon and the Disengagement

There was an article a few days ago in Haaretz by Dr. Mordechai Cogan, an associate professor of Jewish History at Hebrew University. He points to an interesting, and briefly mentioned, biblical transfer of land from Jewish to Gentile control:[T]here is one recorded incident in which an entire section of land was transferred to foreign rule.King Solomon transferred "20 cities in the land of the Galilee" to Hiram King of Tyre (1 Kings 9:11-13), apparently in order to erase the debt he owed Hiram for his assistance in building the Temple. These were 20 cities with their land and their inhabitants - the entire Acre Valley up to Rosh Hanikra, which became the property of the Phoenicians. This was recorded in the Tanach without any criticism on the part of the writer of the chronicles of Solomon,...

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Slabodka and Secular Studies

In the current issue of Jewish Action, R. Pinchas Stolper reviews David Kranzler's biography of R. Solomon Schonfeld titled "Holocaust Hero." I flipped through my in-laws' copy of the book soon after it was published and found the following surprising fact:On page 30, Dr. Kranzler writes that in 1932 or 1933, R. Schonfeld was studying for semikhah in a yeshiva in Slabodka (I think Knesses Yisrael) and, simultaneously, studying for a doctorate in a nearby universi...

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Pseudo-Science

I finally received the newest issue of Jewish Action. Don't they know that bloggers should be at the top of their mailing list, not the bottom? R. Yitzchok Adlerstein (a contributing editor to JA, by the way) seems to have beaten me to the punch on an interesting exchange in the magazine which, oddly enough, has not been uploaded to the magazine's website.A letter-writer, Howard Shapiro in the name of R. Chaim Eisen, makes some strong points against Dr. Nathan Aviezer's approach of reconciling Torah and science:Since we can only observe "customary conjunction" (i.e., correlation) but can never definitively establish causality, the ultimate causes of natural phenomena must remain scientifically unknowable. Historically, this conclusion had been manifest repeatedly, as one hypothesis supersedes...

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Judeo-Christian Bioethics

Eric Cohen has an opinion piece in the current issue of First Things titled "A Jewish-Catholic Bioethics?" Basically, he argues that we Jews should be following the Catholic position on bioethical issues.He starts off with this:The term "Judeo-Christian" has entered our civic vocabulary for good reason. On many of the deepest issues of human life--the meaning of sex, the dignity of the family, the creation of human beings--Jews and Christians stand together against the secular image of man.My first reaction was, "Eh, no! We disagree with Catholics on those issues." Then I realized that what he meant was not that Jews and Catholics agree entirely on these issues, but that we disagree with secular approaches. OK. We all agree that we have to acknowledge God's and sanctity's roles in these matters....

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Da'as Torah III

Before commenting, please read this excerpt carefully and keep in mind that the author is a brilliant Talmudic scholar, a successful rosh yeshiva and a profound thinker. In a short phrase, his answer is "Yes, but..."Previous posts on this topic can be found here, here and here.R. Aharon Lichtenstein, "Legitimization of Modernity: Classical and Contemporary" in Leaves of Faith (Ktav: 2004), vol. 2 pp. 294-298:[T]here are many apologists who contend that the primary issues are matters of haskafah [Jewish thought rather than practice], to which authority per se is far less relevant, and with respect to which classical sources are arguably self-sufficient. This brings us to the familiar shibboleth of da'at Torah. This concept is generally in disrepute among votaries of modern Orthodoxy, who have...

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Slifkin in Queens

In addition to his two appearances in Flatbush, R. Natan Slifkin will also be speaking at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills on Wednesday, July 6th at 8pm. Admission is tentatively set at $10.Please spread the wo...

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If I Were Called Before A Jerusalem Beis Din...

Let's say that I, living in Brooklyn, have a disagreement with someone living in Lakewood. He feels that I have acted improperly and, therefore, contacts a Beis Din (religious court) in Jerusalem and has them summon me to a civil trial. I believe that I have acted properly and question why he went to a Beis Din all the way in Jerusalem. Here are my options:1. I can assume, probably naively, that he went to a Jerusalem Beis Din, rather than one in Brooklyn, Lakewood or anywhere in between, out of some Zionist fervor and submit to their ruling. I would then have to fly out to Israel and stay there throughout the civil trial, hoping that they do not have some unusual policy that makes them more sympathetic to my litigant's claim in this particular case. Probably not the smartest move.2. The Rema...

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The Flood Narrative II

(continued from here)II. Bipartite Thematic ApproachesThere are essentially two ways in which to deal with the findings of source critics without accepting the conclusion that the passage has multiple sources. One is to deny the inference that there are needless repetitions and changes of style in the passage. The other is to embrace the duality in the narrative but to explain it in a way other than it being based on the redaction of multiple documents. We will present attempts at this latter approach first, and then efforts at the former.The earliest scholar I found to present such an approach is R. Meir Leibush (Malbim) Weiser.[3] He compares the two addresses by God to Noah (6:13-22; 7:1-5) and notes the different names of God and the different numbers of animals. He suggests that the two...

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Flatbush Eruv

The anti-Flatbush eruv sentiment is growing vocal, in response to a pamphlet recently published that advocates a "new" (about 2 years old) eruv in Flatbush. I received this expensive Hebrew/English, multi-page and multi-color anti-eruv pamphlet in the mail. And I live outside the "new" eruv! I also saw multiple copies spread out in the shul in which I learned on Shavu'os night, and the rabbi in my father-in-law's shul spoke against the eruv twice over the holiday.I took issue with some of his points, though. But I agree that if you did not use the old Flatbush eruv, like the majority of the "Black Hat" world who implicitly or explicitly accepted...

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Converts and Blessings

A convert is not technically descended from Jewish ancestors. Therefore, the Mishnah (Bikkurim 1:4) says that when a convert brings his first fruits to the Temple (i.e. Bikkurim), he does not recite the formula specificied in Deut. 26:3, 5-10 because it contains the phrase "I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us" (Deut. 26:3). Since, technically, this convert's fathers did not receive this vow from God. Therefore, even though he is a fullfledged memeber of the Jewish people, he cannot state an untruth.However, the Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilkhos Bikkurim 4:3) rules like R. Yehudah in the Talmud Yerushalmi, who states that a convert can recite this passage. The Rambam writes:A convert brings [the first fruit] and recites [the formula] since it says to Avraham...

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Slifkin in Brooklyn

Best-selling author R. Natan Slifkin will be speaking in Brooklyn at the end of June. Please spread the news.Perek Shirah: The Spiritual Secrets of Nature's SongTuesday, June 28th, 8 pm at the Young Israel of Ave. I in Flatbush (1012 Ave. I, near Coney Island Ave.)Admission: $10(download poster here - PDF, the poster now has the correct date)The Terror of Dinosaurs: Confronting the Challenges of Creation, Dinosaurs, and the Age of the UniverseWednesday, June 29th, 8 pm at the Young Israel of Ave. I in Flatbush (1012 Ave. I, near Coney Island Ave.)Admission: $10(download poster here - PDF, the poster now has the correct date)This is probably the last post until after the Shavu'os holiday. Enj...

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The Last Newsweek

I've been reading Newsweek for more than half my life. I started as a kid, reading my parents' copy. As I got older, and left home, I would take away all the accumulated Newsweeks with me when I would visit. My parents had long stopped reading it, but continued their subscription for me. I never read the whole issue, and sometimes didn't read anything. But for many periods in my life, it was my only source of news. Eventually, after I was married and had children of my own, my parents stopped their subscription and told me to get my own. So I did (actually, my wife did).I remember once in high school, a history teacher (Mr. Schweidel, who was not religious but also taught in Breuers and thought that Rabbi Schwab was the best rabbi since Moses) asked me what periodicals I read. When I answered...

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How Many Jews Left Egypt?

Some kid asked on Frumteens:We all no that Yetziat Mitzraim is a core foundation in Judiasm. So how is that scientists have found no reminants from the Jews leaving Egypt or traveling in the sinai desert? A mass exodus of at least 600,000 people would have greatly effected Egypt. Why are there no remenants or proofs that this happened? The desert is the best place to find such things b/c of the dry air, why have no archeological artifacts been discovered from the jews?What this says to me is that this person found an article or a website that points to the dearth of any evidence whatsoever of the multi-million exodus from Egypt and 40-year stay in the desert.To this question, the Moderator responded:There is actually tons of archeological and historical evidence of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Rabbi...

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Orthodox Rappers

This morning, I followed some links on Blog in D minor to two other blogs that discuss an Orthodox rapper who recently became a J4J. I now see that The Forward has an article on it also.Wow! There are Orthodox Jews who are rappers?Yes, that's my take-away from this story. I must be only a few years older than them, yet I had little clue that such a subculture existed within the Orthodox world.My only thought is... There is such a thing as combining Torah with contemporary culture, but hanging out in bars and clubs is not something an Orthodoxobservant (of any denomination) Jew should be doing. Peritzus, leitzanus, nivul peh, not to mention drugs and alcohol. Come on, guys. Get yourselves to a beis midrash, drop your ghetto slang and stop pretending that doing "shlock rock" to whatever music...

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Readership Vote

Are posts getting too long? Please answer in the commen...

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Former Chief Rabbi: Do Not Disobey Orders

According to Haaretz, Former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu publicly told soldiers to obey their orders to evacuate settlements, albeit "while crying, in tears and with a broken heart."Does this make him a zaken mamre (rebellious elder) for ruling against the Sanhedrin?(thanks to The Town Cri...

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Creativity and Individuality

R. Mordechai Willig on this week's Torah portion:The creativity of thought exhibited by the nesi'im serves as a model for the sublimation of the irrepressible human creative spirit for the service of Hashem. It is not necessary to deviate one iota from a specific and complex halachic norm, such as the divinely mandated nasi offering, to be innovative and individualistic...The Medrash (1:3) likens the flags to those of the angels. Am Yisroel yearned to have flags like the angels, and Hashem provided them so that each shevet should be individually recognizable like the angels. Each angel has a particular mission. Each member and shevet yearned for individuality and creativity in avodas Hashem, just as angels have individual missions. Hashem acceded to the request and confirmed the legitimacy...

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The Flood Narrative

I. Multiple Source TheoryThe flood narrative (Gen. 6:5-9:17) is considered by many to be the quintessential passage subject to division of sources according to the Documentary Hypothesis. Herman Gunkel called the analysis of this story "a masterpiece of modern criticism."[1] As we will see, there are clear distinctions between seeming repetitions of pieces of the narrative. This, it is claimed, is indication of an amalgamation by a redactor of multiple sources. This essay will explore other options and will suggest that the Documentary Hypothesis is not the simplest nor most plausible explanation of the evidence.Gordon Wenham[2] notes three main points that indicate different sources: 1) differences between the name of God used and other linguistic usages (e.g. whether the pairs of animals...

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