Who Knows What R. Soloveitchik Would Say?

Arutz Sheva has a response by R. Sholom Gold to R. Aharon Lichtenstein's open letter (RTF format) to R. Avraham Shapira about the Disengagement.R. Lichtenstein wrote:For example, what would the esteemed rabbi recommend to one of the students of Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevy Soloveichik, o.b.m., who vigorously determined that there is absolutely no transgression involved in handing over parts of Eretz Israel to the nations of the world considering the question of pikuach nefesh [saving of a life in mortal danger], and also established that the opinions of military and political figures may even be taken into consideration.R. Gold objects:There is no person alive who can state with any degree of certainty what Rabbi Soloveichik would say if he were alive today. There is absolutely no comparison at...

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John Johnson's Questionable Methods

John Kremer, noted author and speaker on book marketing, publishing and writing, raised the issue of the ethical appropriatenes of John H. Johnson's early promotions of his magazines...We asked Rabbi Aaron Levine, author of the forthcoming Moral Issues of the Marketplace in Jewish Law, for his analysis of the scenario. This is his response...Continued on the Sefer Ha-Hayim bl...

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The Evacuation Tragedies

The devastation in, and now total evacuation of, New Orleans is nothing short of horrifying.The connection between this evacuation and the recent evacuation of Jews from Gaza has tempted some to consider this a divine punishment. While the attempt to find significance in this seemingly meaningless tragedy is commendable, there seem to me to be no reasonable midah ke-neged midah connection at all between the two events. However, perhaps one message to extract from this incredible tragedy is how bad things can really get. Being forcibly evacuated from your community for political reasons with which you disagree seems to me to pale in comparison...

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Ri from Orleans

An occasional name we find in the Tosafos commentary on the Talmud is R. Yosef (Ri) from Orleans. He was a twelfth century student of R. Ya'akov (Rabbenu Tam) and is mentioned in Tosafos to the tractates Shabbos, Yevamos, Bava Basra, Zevahim and Hullin. However, on two occasions we find something quite unusual happening. In Tosafos to Yevamos 25b (top), an explanation is given in the name of the Ri from Orleans. In Tosafos to Makkos 6a (sv. nirva), the same answer is attributed to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor. Similarly, the same explanation is given in Tosafos to Hullin 112b (sv. ve-dagim) by Ri from Orleans and in Semak (no. 205) by R. Yosef Bekhor Shor.Because of this, Victor Aptowitzer (Mavo Le-Ra'avyah, ch. 8 sv. R. Yosi br' Yitzhak pp. 351-352 n. 2) cites scholars who debate whether R. Yosef...

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R. Aharon Lichtenstein is an Outdated, Anti-Modern, Lithuanian-Talmudo-Centric Closet Haredi but a Really Nice Guy

I initially set aside Dr. Alan Brill's review in The Edah Journal of R. Aharon Lichtenstein's books because its title, "An Ideal Rosh Yeshiva," made it seem overly praiseworthy, the kind of review that rarely adds insight. It was only after I finally read it that I realized that the title was a left-handed compliment -- the presumably intended implication is that he is a great yeshiva dean but as a thinker or communal leader, not necessarily so great. Dr. Brill proceeds with a careful analysis of R. Aharon Lichtenstein's thought as presented in the two volumes of Leaves of Faith (I & II) published to date and the one volume of By His Light. While Dr. Brill's writing is a bit winding and unfocused, and contains way too many offhand technical references for a popular work, his point is very...

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Reflections on a Reunion

I'm a sucker for nostalgia and went to an unofficial 15-year high school (Modern Orthodox, co-ed) reunion last night. Probably less than a third of the grade showed up, but I had a great time. Here are some random thoughts running through my head that I probably should keep to myself but lack that kind of discretion.I remember saying that when you have friends whom you haven't seen in years, you're getting old. At this point, I have friends whom I saw after not having seen for years and then again did not see for years.Too many people were kvetching about how tired and worn out they are (myself included). It's not old-age; it's lack of exercise. Get to a gym every once in a while and you won't feel that way.People outgrow their dorkiness (myself excluded). I was surprised how everyone who...

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Exodus Chapter 1

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already. 6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.א ואלה, שמות בני ישראל, הבאים, מצרימה: את יעקב, איש וביתו באו. ב ראובן שמעון, לוי ויהודה. ג יששכר זבולן, ובנימן. ד דן ונפתלי, גד ואשר. ה ויהי, כל-נפש יצאי ירך-יעקב--שבעים נפש; ויוסף, היה במצרים. ו וימת יוסף וכל-אחיו, וכל הדור ההוא. ז ובני ישראל, פרו...

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Tehillim 49:18

I received this e-mail. The story sounds dubious and I have changed it to remove the name of the man it discusses. However, I'll add that my mother-in-law and her family left the USSR in 1967, just as the Six Day War was breaking out. Because of the war, their plane was not allowed entry into America and landed in another country, where this deceased man's family picked these total strangers up from the airport right before Shabbos and allowed them to stay in their home until the situation could be resolved.An extremely wealthy Orthodox Jew passed away this summer, leaving 1 billion dollars. He left two wills, directing that one be opened immediately and the second be opened at the Shloshim (after 30 days).Among the instructions left in the first will was a request the he be buried with a...

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Seeking Truth

R. Michael J. Broyde on truth-seeking:[W]hen I look back at my experiences at YU, I see that a number of different people at a number of different times reinforced to me a sense of the complex mission of YU. That complex mission was to truth-seek, and not to be content with half-truths or incomplete truths (never mind to be repulsed by falsehood).No single person sold me on that mission -- but many shared it with me. I still remember speaking to R. Michael Hecht (an unsung hero of Yeshiva, if there ever was one) when I was in eleventh grade about a complex topic that I was troubled by. He turned to me and said "truth seeking is complex, and a lot of hard work. Think about this topic some more and then we can speak again." It was then that I began to understand that frequently the goal of YU...

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Metzitzah VI

From The NY Times:[New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden] said the department regarded herpes transmission via oral suction as "somewhat inevitable to occur as long as this practice continues, if at a very low rate"...Defenders of oral suction say there is no proof that it spreads herpes at all. They say that mohels use antiseptic mouthwash before performing oral suction, and that the known incidence of herpes among infants who have undergone it is minuscule. (The city's health department recorded cases in 1988 and 1998, though doctors in New York, as in most states, are not required to report neonatal herpes.) Dr. Kenneth I. Glassberg, past president of the New York section of the American Urological Association and director of pediatric urology at Morgan Stanley Children's...

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Ur of the Chaldeans

Dr. Charlie Hall asked about how Abraham could have lived in Ur of the Chaldeans when the Chaldeans did not exist in that part of Mesopotamia until much later. The following is from Victor P. Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: Genesis Chapters 1-17, pp. 363-366:Scholars debate the precise identification of Ur of the Chaldeans from which Abram moved. The excavations of Sir Leonard Woolley at Ur in the 1920s and 1930s have led many to assume that the Ur from which Abram departed in the Sumerian Ur, that is, the great city in Lower Mesopotamia located on the Euphrates...Other scholars have challenged this identification and suggested that Abram's Ur is to be located in Upper Mesopotamia [cf. Speiser, Genesis, p. 80; Stigers, Commentary on Genesis, pp. 133-134]. Before...

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Torah Tour of the Bronx Zoo II

Reminder about the tour this Sunday. There are still some spots op...

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Metzitzah V

(Continued from here: I, II, III, IV)I don't know how I missed this release from the RCA, dated June 7, 2005:It is well known that there is a dispute among poskim regarding the obligation to engage in metzitza be'peh. Four major viewpoints exist, and we provide some sources for each below. More complete reviews are summarized in many sources, including Nishmat Avaraham, Vol. 2., Yoreh De'ah 263:8 (p. 176) and 264:5 (pp. 182-183), and elsewhere.The first view is that of Tiferet Yisrael (Commentary to Mishnah Shabbat 19:2), who regards metzitza as strictly a medical matter. The Talmud requires metzitza to avoid medical danger. Even though Tiferet Yisrael affirms that doctors in his day stated that this danger no longer exists (in keeping with the principle of nishtaneh ha'teva) and that, to...

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Article about Orthodox Blogs

Miriam directed me to an article in The Forward about Orthodox Jewish blogs. Fine, they don't have to mention Hirhurim. But to not mention the sensational and anti-authoritarian Godol Hador is simply mind-boggling. Granted, I'm boring and, despite objections by many readers, too frum. But he's got a story that fits perfectly with the perceived editorial agenda of The Forward! At least Dov Bear got mention...

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Philistines in Gaza

In an op-ed in today's NY Times, Dr. Benny Morris writes about the origins of the Philistines:In antiquity, Gaza was part of Biblical Pleshet or Philistia - the domain of the Philistines, a non-Semitic "sea people" hailing from the Greek isles who probably invaded and settled along the coast in the 12th century B.C. (more or less simultaneous with the arrival in the Holy Land of the Hebrews from the east).The implication here is that the Philistines did not live in the land of Israel prior to the Jewish conquest of the land, i.e. in the times of the Patriarchs and the Exodus. Yet, the mentions of Philistines in the books of Genesis and Exodus imply that they were.R. Shalom Carmy directed my attention to an answer given by the late Prof. Yehoshua Grintz. In a lengthy exposition on the subject...

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Religious Zionism XI

Frumteens is back from a mid-summer hiatus. On Zionism, the moderator writes this:The hashkofos are not the main problem at all. All the Gedolim who have discussed that have said that even if the Chofetz Chaim were running the State of Israel it would still be a problem. Although they often teach in Zionist institutions that objextions to the State were based primarily on the irreliosity of its founders or governors, that is patently false and a total misrepresentation of the traditional Torah stance on the matter, which leads to a situation where, when someone like yourself sees articulaed in simple English, in a forum to whic hyou have easy access, an accurate representation of the opponents of Zionism, you are surprised.Let's dissect this and point out some of the moderator's errors. First,...

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Talking Politics

May a Jew discuss politics? Not necessarily on Shabbos but any day. Why not? We read in last week's Torah portion "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (Deut. 6:7)The Gemara in Yoma (19b) states:"And you shall talk of them" -- of them you have permission to talk and not of other matters... Rava said: One who speaks mundane talk (sihas hullin) transgresses a positive commandment, as it says "And you shall talk of them" -- of them and not of other matters.If that is the case, perhaps we are not allowed to talk about mundane matters such as politics.R. Yitzhak Sorotzkin (Rinas Yitzhak Deut. 6:7) quotes...

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Special fund to help former residents of Gaza and Northern Shomron

OU is Collecting Funds to help Former Residents of Gaza and Northern ShomronThe Orthodox Union is collecting funds for families who were removed from their homes in Gaza and Northern Shomron, both for their short-term needs, and in order to help them rebuild their lives elsewhere. The funds will be distributed through the OU's Seymour J. Abrams Israel Center in Jerusalem.The staff of the OU Israel Center is actively involved in assisting these people, but funds are needed now. All funds collected will initially be spent on providing for these immediate needs, and subsequently for any long-term support that may prove necessary.Many of the families expelled from Gaza in the last few days have been put into crowded and inadequate living conditions. Some are being housed temporarily in hotels,...

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Downloading Music II

Following up on this post, the following article is of interest:R. Israel Schneider, "Jewish Law and Copyright" in Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, No. XXI, Spring, 1991, Pesach 57...

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Communal Prayer

I had been thinking about a post but Marvin Schick beat me to the topic. However, since my perspective is radically different from his, I'll offer it despite being late.Why do I pray? Because I have to; it's the halakhah. But more than that, I pray because directing my needs to God brings me closer to Him and strengthens my belief. However, the only reason I can pray is that I believe it works. I believe that God hears my prayers and sometimes, when He deems it proper, grants me my desires. It's happened in the past to me personally and to many I know; God has answered our prayers in the affirmative. Can I prove it? No. I have no evidence that these occurences were above statistical possibilities. That notwithstanding, I still believe that God answers prayers. If I did not, my prayers would...

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My Disengagement Dysfunction II

This article in, of all places, Haaretz says it all. Betrayed by all, not leastly by our own leadership.UPDATE: Two thought-provoking posts by the Out of Step Jew (I & I...

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Help Wanted

An intelligent, articulate and Jewishly well-educated person is needed for phone sales for major distributor of Jewish books. Involves calling bookstores across the country and describing books that are available for sale to the public, developing and maintaining relationships with customers, keeping track of communications and following up on orders.Required skills: Good phone skills, outgoing personality, understanding of basic Jewish concepts, ability to relate to Jews across the religious spectrum.Hours: Flexible. Part-time arrangement is available.Location: Brooklyn (Boro Park, near Flatbush)Salary: Commission-basedContact: Gil Stud...

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Prayer in English

R. Yehiel Mikhel Epstein, Arukh Ha-Shulhan, Orah Hayim 185:1-3:The grace after meals is recited in any language, as it says "And you shall bless the Lord your God" (Deut. 8:10) -- in any language that you bless (Sotah 33a). It seems to me that this is only when one does not understand Hebrew, and so it seems from the Jerusalem Talmud... In the prior generation, a wicked group outside of our country arose to pray and recite the grace after meals in the vernacular and their source is the Mishnah in Sotah "These are recited in all languages..." The great Torah scholars of that generation refuted their claims. I say that this wicked group did not understand at all the words of the sages of the Talmud. That Mishnah lists many things that are recited in any language and the Gemara adduces for each...

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The Torah Tour of the Bronx Zoo

Experience the Wild Side of Judaism...THE TORAH TOUROF THE BRONX ZOOFor adults and older childrenLed by Rabbi Natan Slifkin,the world-famous "Zoo Rabbi,"author of Nature's Song, The Scienceof Torah, and Mysterious CreaturesSunday, August 28th, 200510 am and 2 pmPrice: Adults $25, children $20(does not include admission)For schedule and registration (required),email zoorabbi@zootorah.comOnly 30 spots available!For details, see www.zootorah....

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Eating of the Forbidden Fruit

The Rambam (Moreh Nevukhim 1:2) explains the consequences of Adam and Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit in a way that has always been difficult for me to understand. Here is it in Friedlander's translation:Through the intellect man distinguishes between the true and the false. This faculty Adam possessed perfectly and completely. The right and the wrong are terms employed in the science of apparent truths (morals)... After man's disobedience, however, when he began to give way to desires which had their source in his imagination and to the gratification of his bodily appetites, as it is said," And the wife saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to the eyes" (Gen. iii. 6), he was punished by the loss of part of that intellectual faculty which he had previously possessed. He therefore...

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A Destroyed Synagogue

Mishnah, Megillah 3:3 (from here):And Rabbi Yehudah further said, If a synagogue has been destroyed, they may not eulogize within it, and they may not twist ropes within it, and they may not spread nets within it, and they may not spread produce on its roof, and they may not make of it a path, as it is written, "and I will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation" (Lev. 26:31) - their sanctity, even when they are desolate. If weeds grew in it, he may not pluck, on account of gri...

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My Disengagement Dysfunction

A few commenters seem to think that I've gone crazy over the Disengagement and they are probably correct. I just posted the following as a comment to a thread but decided to edit it and make it into a post. (Note that I'm adjusting the time on a previous post about a destroyed synagogue because I want it to be on top of the blog for the rest of the day)I guess this is me trying to deal with the mind-blowing tragedy I see unfolding that is hurting me so deeply. How did we get here and why are we here? This is something that haunts me constantly.I was just dragged against my will to a cocktail party that had CNN Headline News in the background with repeating footage of the Disengagement. It made me nauseous and I left as soon as I could. It's not just guilt of being here and not there, because...

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The Disengagement II

UPDATED: NAMES HAVE BEEN REMOVED. THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.I was asked in an e-mail about the following in my earlier post:How anyone can take seriously the pronouncements of holy Kabbalists in Israel, such as [deleted], who declared that the Disengagement will not take place, I don't know (I, II, III, IV).The question posed to me by this rabbi is:3 days after Tisha B'av you had to make these ridiculous comments? What exactly is your point?Very simple: Kabbalistic predictions about the future are misguided. They are either based on bad kabbalah, bad interpretations of good kabbalah, or total shams. How do I know that this was not based on a deep understanding of the Torah? Because it didn't come true, like anyone who can read a newspaper would have told you.Statements that something...

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Responsible Leadership

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner instructs youth to refrain from resisting the expulsion, saying, "Victory is not everything."(Taken from this heart-rending photo ess...

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The Disengagement

I finally understand the point of Gush Katif residents remaining in their homes. They are demonstrating to the world their love of the land of Israel and that they won't leave without a struggle (a struggle but not a fight). The images and sounds emerging from there are heart-wrenching. May they see comfort in the near future.How anyone can take seriously the pronouncements of holy Kabbalists in Israel who declared that the Disengagement will not take place, I don't know (I, II, III, IV). If he/they had meant it as a mere rhetorical flourish, like saying "We shall not be moved" when everyone knows that you will be moved, then I could understand. But that's not what it seems like to me (nor to this foolish lady).And, finally, unfortunately, prayer does not always help (I, II, III, IV, ...

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Language Purity

R. Moshe Eisemann, of the Ner Yisrael yeshiva, is also associated with the Kishinev Yeshiva. In order to help support the Kishiniev Yeshiva, R. Eisemann has taken to writing into book form a number of his famously thought-provoking lectures.He added the following brief explanatory note to the beginning of his most recent book that serves as a victory to language purists:For this book I have made a small change in style, which I want to explain to you.In the earlier books I wrote in a kind of "yeshivishe" English, freely using Hebrew expressions as part of the text. There are, however, people who are not fluent Hebrew readers who have been frustrated by this intrusion of a second language. I have been asked a number of times to stick to English.So, at the cost perhaps of losing a little "heimishkeit,"...

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A Call To Teshuvah

From TorahWeb:A Call to TeshuvaA fast day is a time for teshuva (repentance), especially bein adam lachaveiro (in the realm of interpersonal relationships). "Surely this is the fast I choose: to break open the shackles of wickedness, to undo the bonds of injustice, and to let the oppressed go free, and annul all perversion. Surely, you should break your bread for the hungry and bring the mourning poor to your home..." (Yeshaya 58:6-7)Aveilus (mourning) is also a time for teshuva. "One who does not mourn as the Sages commanded is a cruel person. He ought to fear, worry, scrutinize his actions and repent." (Rambam Hil. Aveilus, 13:12).Aveilus and ta'anis (fast day) converge on Tisha Be'av. Thus, Tisha Be'av is a time for personal and communal introspection and teshuva.This year as Tisha Be'av...

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Thank You Sir, May I Have Another Hundred Thousand IV

Just noting another milestone in terms of hits.(I, II, I...

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Tisha B'Av and Havdalah

From the Ezras Torah calendar:DEPARTURE OF SHABBOSMAARIVThe Chazzan says: "Baruch Hamavdil Bein Lechol" without mentioning the Divine Names. He removes his shoes before beginning Borchu. The congregation removes their shoes after Borchu. (We remove the curtain from the Aron HaKodesh, we dim the lighting, and we sit on the floor or on a low stool. We do not sit on regular chairs or benches until after midday. We recite Maariv in a low and subdued voice; Shemonah Esrei with Atah Chonantanu; Kaddish Tiskabel after Shemonah Esrei; when we see candle-light (before the reading of Lamentations) we make the full Bracha Borei Me’oiri Ha'aysh. The rest of Havdalah is not made until Sunday night after the Fast. We have a public recitation of Eichah -- the Book of Lamentations, followed by several Kinos...

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Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai

Amram Tropper, in an article (PDF) on Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in the new issue of JSIJ, begins with this question:In a famous rabbinic legend, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai flees besieged Jerusalem, surrenders to the Romans and heartens the Roman leadership by predicting their military success and Vespasian’s promotion to emperor. This very same legend, in three of its four versions, also describes how Vespasian enabled Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai to establish a rabbinic academy in Yavneh, the academy that would come to be viewed retrospectively as the central core of the burgeoning rabbinic movement. Thus the foundation myth of Yavneh, the story designed to describe the providential establishment of the rabbinic academy in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem, risks depicting its central...

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Orthodox Salaries

According to this report (PDF) (p. 10) by Jacob Ukeles, 73% of Orthodox Jewish households in the New York area have household incomes below $100,000 and 52% below $50,000. Is this before tax? If this is even remotely accurate, it kind of makes you wonder how the vast majority of Orthodox parents can afford tuiti...

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Why Was The Second Temple Destroyed?

We have posted another item to Open Access, a timely essay by Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin about the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. This essay, posted just in time for Tisha B'Av, is an excerpt from Rabbi Henkin's 1999 book Equality Lost.The essay can be downloaded from the Open Access webpa...

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Answering Machine Messages

I once heard R. Feivel Cohen comment on the common message on answering machines "I'll call you back as soon as possible." Are you really going to call that person back as soon as possible? Isn't it likely that you might make a few detours and perhaps delay a little before returning the phone call? R. Cohen stated that he personally does not say on his answering machine that he will call the person back immediately.When I mentioned this to R. Daniel Z. Feldman, he wasn't too sure that this analysis is correct (note that this was just in conversation and he might have changed his mind after thinking about this further). After all, does anyone take the statement in that context literally? Does anyone expect you, after you hear the message, to immediately drop everything and return the call as...

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Duncan Hines To Become Dairy

I have received so many e-mails about Duncan Hines' recent decision to become dairy that I'm more than a little disappointed. Is this what it takes to get us outraged? Our favorite dessert becoming unavailable after a Shabbos meal? So eat a different cake or don't have any dessert at all!!!Come on, people. There are Jews being expelled from their homes (for good or bad reasons, depending on one's perspective) and we're kvetching about cake mix becoming dairy?(And about cake mix, this article adds an interesting perspective about it. In particular, I found this quote amusing:With added eggs and creative frosting, says Shapiro, cake mixes "still taste like a chemical plant, but it feels like you're doing something in the kitchen...

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Human Cloning

R. Michael J. Broyde, "Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnoisis, Stem Cells and Jewish Law" in Tradition 38:1 (Spring 2004), pp. 63-63:[T]he Jewish tradition would not look askance at the use of genetic engineering to produce individuals when they are created primarily to be of specific assistance to others in need of help. Consider the case of an individual dying of leukemia, in need of a bone transplant, who agree to participate in a cloning experiment with the hopes of producing another like him or who, in suitable time, can be used to donate bone marrow and save the life of a person (and even more so, the donor). The simple fact is that Jewish law and tradition view the donation of bone marrow as a morally commendable activity, and perhaps even morally obliatory such that one could compel it...

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Special Breaks

When in yeshiva, a friend (who I think is now a rabbi) told me that when he once went to return an overdue book to the library, the librarian told him that she was waiving the overdue fee. He had then argued that she had no right to waive the fee and that he wanted to pay it. She wasn't going to argue about it so accepted it. Was this friend correct that the librarian had no right to waive the fee?According to R. Yisroel Belsky, no. Employees are given a little leeway in giving customers extra or charging them less, in order to encourage the customer's use of the facilities. Specifically in regard to libraries, R. Belsky writes:It could be that the librarian may feel that you're such an excellent customer that he'll waive the fee... Still, if you feel that the person is causing a loss to the...

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Solving the Agunah Problem III

The new Edah Journal is out and it contains continued discussion of R. Michael J. Broyde's review in the previous issue of Dr. Aviad Hacohen's book Tears of the Opressed (original review essay - PDF, continued discussion - PDF). I was privy to this debate long before publication (R. Broyde was kind enough to thank me in his acknowledgments for my minimal contributions to his response). When I first saw this exchange, I hoped that the journal's editor would utilize his prerogative and strongly edit the back-and-forth. Unfortunately, his editing was minimal.In my opinion, Dr. Hacohen's response to the book review -- the very idea of an author responding to a review is more than a bit unconventional -- should have been confined solely to the contents of his book. He claims that R. Broyde misunderstood...

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Children and the Disengagement

Some poignant comments from Chayyei Sarah: I &...

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When Did Rashi Live?

As mentioned in a comment to an earlier thread, the standard dates given for Rashi's life are 1040-1105. However, Victor Aptowitzer (Mevo Ha-Ra'avyah pp. 395-397) questions the year accepted for Rashi's birth. He gives the following reasons for an earlier year of birth:1. An early source connects Rashi's birth in 1040 to the death of Rabbenu Gershom in that same year. However, it is not at all clear that Rabbenu Gershom died in 1040. It is possible that he died in 1028 and, therefore, the connection might remain with the year changed.2. There is a tradition that Rashi died at the age of 75. If we accept his date of death as 1105, his year of birth would be 1030.3. Rashi asked a number of question to R. Nassan, author of the Arukh. Rashi certainly would not have asked a question to a foreign...

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Messianic Meshugas

From NY Newsday:A new billboard on the West Side Highway and 44th Street proclaims "Moshiach" - Messiah - "Is Here" under a picture of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Crown Heights, the charismatic Jewish leader known as the Rebbe who died 11 years ago...Their foolishness makes us all look like idiots (or pseudo-Christians). To the outside world, Jews are all the same, especially if they are wearing black hats and have beards. This is my religion they are distorting!Compare with the prior post. Is this how the Messianic Era is supposed to be? A dead rabbi who needs the PR efforts of some women's group who believe that "publicly acknowledging Schneerson as the Messiah would hasten the process leading to the End of Days"...

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Visualizing the Temple

Do you believe that the Messiah will come? Can you picture it? What will life be like in the Messianic Era? How will a monarchy/theocracy function in the modern world? How will the Temple work in a world with advanced telecommunications and complex securities markets?It's hard to visualize it.R. Dr. Gidon Rothstein does us all a favor in presenting his vision of the transitional period at the onset of the Messianic Era in his recent book Murderer in the Mikdash. Set within the plot of an exciting murder mystery that takes place a few years after the arrival of the Messiah, while the world is still in transition, R. Rothstein's book outlines a...

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Why Do We Do Mitzvos?

I saw another blogger ask the question: Why do we do mitzvos?The primary answer, and not the one we give to people who are looking for something comforting or emotionally satisfying, is simple: Because God told us to.The rest is commenta...

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Hirhurim and Copyright

Due to a recent glaring violation of my copyrights to blog posts, let me make it clear that the little Creative Commons logo on the right, at the bottom of the archives links, describes the license given to readers in reproducing blog posts. To summarize, they are as follows:You are free to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work under the following conditions:1. You must attribute the work properly.2. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.3. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from me.Details available he...

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Rashi

Today is the nine hundredth anniversary of Rashi's passing.Some online biographies:Jewish EncyclopediaEncyclopedia BritannicaWikipediaAdditionally, as R. Haym Soloveitchik has pointed out (in his essay "Can Halakhic Texts Talk History?" [AJS Review 1978] and in his book Stam Yeinam, neither of which I have in front of me to give an exact citation or quote), there is no evidence that Rashi was a winemaker. Everyone in that time and place made their own wine. Could Rashi have been a winemaker? Yes, but for all we know he could also have been an egg salesm...

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These Are The Journeys

The weekly portion of Masei starts off with almost 50 verses listing the journeys of the Jewish people in the desert. Why the extensive list that some might find boring and uninformative?My old friend R. David Silverberg quotes the Rambam (Moreh Nevukhim 3:50), one of whose explanations is:The Torah feared that later generations might deny the miraculous nature of this experience by claiming that Benei Yisrael traveled a route either close to inhabited regions or equipped with necessary resources for survival. By specifying the particular route Benei Yisrael took during this period, the Torah makes it perfectly clear that they could not possibly have survived this journey without the Almighty's supernatural protection and provisions. For this reason God instructed Moshe to record in detail...

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Bloom County Classics V

(click on the image above to enlar...

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My Uncle's Favorite Joke

I actually don't know if this is my uncle's favorite joke, but he's told it to me so many times that I am taking the liberty of assuming that it is. For background, my uncle is a Holocaust survivor who still, every time he sees me, tells me stories about "The War" that I have yet to understand. He was in "the camps" (I think a labor camp) with someone who later become a YU rosh yeshiva, and has since left YU.Seymour and Hilda Rosenberg became very wealthy and decided to move uptown where they could consort with a more refined crowd. However, after the move, they found that they were not allowed into the finest clubs because they were Jewish. After much discussion, they decided to convert to Christianity. They made a big affair of their baptism and, after a nice dinner that was attended by...

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