Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky: Bean counting - Non-Jewish woman vs niddah?

 This was originally posted in September 22, 2008 see also halacha is not bean counting

Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky(Emes LeYaakov Parshas Yechi page 237): A practical example of zealousness which is not based on a correct reading of the halacha is found in the following question. A person has the choice of marrying a Jewish woman who doesn’t observe the laws of family purity or a non‑Jewish woman. Which is preferable? A student who has not properly served an apprenticeship with an experienced posek will say that it is obvious that the person should chose to marry the non‑Jewish woman. That is because sexual relations with a nidah is punished by kares while sexual relations with a non-Jew is only a violation of a negative commandment of the Torah which is not punished by kares. The truth is not this way. Rambam (Hilchos Issurei Bi’ah 12:7-8) states that even though sexual relations with a non-Jewish maidservant is only a rabbinic prohibition he rules that, "This sin [of sexual relations with a non‑Jew] even though beis din does not impose the death penalty should not be viewed as minor because there is a loss associated with it. Contrary to all other sexual transgressions in which the son of the relationship is still his son in every respect and has the status of a Jew – even if the child is a mamzer – but the child from a non‑Jewish mother is not his son as it says in Devarim (7:4): For they will turn away your son from following Me.” That means that the son has been removed from following after G‑d. This activity causes him to attach himself to non‑Jews which G‑d has separated us from them so that we would follow after Him and thus he is rejecting G‑d. “ It is clear from this that the person should choose the relationship with the Jewish woman even though she doesn’t observe the laws of family purity.

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[1] רב יעקב קמנצסקי (אמת ליעקב פרשת ויחי ע' רל"ז): דוגמא מעשית לקנאות שלא לפי הדין ניתן להביא מהשאלה הבאה: אדם שיש לו ברירה בין לישא בת ישראל שלא תשמור על טהרת המשפחה ובין לישא גויה, מה עדיף? התלמיד שלא שימש כל צרכו בודאי יאמר: הלא איסורי נדה הם בכרת, ואילו בעילת עכו"ם אינו אלא לאו בעלמא שאינו ענוש כרת, בודאי אם כן עליו לבחור בגויה. האמת היא לא כן. הרמב"ם, אף שדעתו היא שביאת שפחה אינה אלא מדרבנן, פוסק [הלכות מאיסורי ביאה יב:ז-ח] בזה"ל: עון זה אע"פ שאין בו מיתת בית דין אל יהי קל בעיניך אלא יש בו הפסד שאין בכל העריות כמותו שהבן מן הערוה בנו הוא לכל דבר ובכלל ישראל יחשב ואע"פ שהוא ממזר והבן מן הגויה אינו בנו שנאמר כי יסיר את בנן מאחרי מסיר אותו מלהיות אחרי ה' ודבר זה גורם להדבק בגוים שהבדילנו הקב"ה מהם ולשוב מאחר ה' ולמעול בו עכ"ל. ברור לפ"ז שעליו לבחור בבת ישראל אע"פ שהיא אינה שומרת טהרת המשפחה.

US rabbis boycott court that allowed priest-convert nuptials

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/07/01/us-rabbis-boycott-court-that-allowed-priest-convert-nuptials/

Leading rabbis published a sharp letter in which they declared that from today until they respond to their demand to fully clarify the matter, "the Beth Din Beth HaVaad of Lakewood is not presumed to be a valid rabbinical court, and there is no obligation to respond to summons from the court, and any document testifying to a rabbinical court action that might have been performed by one of the aforementioned judges is not presumed to be a valid rabbinical court action."

The story began when the groom, known as a member of a priestly family, became engaged to a bride who had undergone Orthodox conversion about two years before the engagement. The bride's mother underwent Conservative conversion in 2003, and the daughter underwent an additional "stringent" conversion years later. Jewish law clearly states that a Cohen is forbidden to marry a convert, so initially it appeared the marriage would not be possible.

Trump Envisions Jailing Obama as Tulsi Gabbard Threatens Prosecutions

https://time.com/7303912/trump-obama-jail-tulsi-gabbard-russiagate-hoax-prosecutions-democrats-republicans/

 Donald Trump, who openly campaigned in 2016 against Hillary Clinton on chants of “lock her up” but was ultimately persuaded to not pursue her prosecution, now appears to be fantasizing about throwing his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, in jail. And his Administration is actively taking steps in that direction.

The current President shared on his Truth Social platform on Sunday a video from TikTok user @neo8171 that starts with a montage of Democratic politicians, including Obama, saying, “No one is above the law,” to the tune of Luciano Michelini’s “Frolic” (made famous as the theme song of sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm). After about 40 seconds, the soundtrack changes to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” as apparently AI-generated video depicts Trump and Obama sitting in the Oval Office and FBI officers handcuffing Obama while Trump smiles and laughs. It ends with an AI-generated depiction of Obama pacing around a jail cell.

As MAGA world focuses on Epstein, Trump seeks focus on anything else

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/21/trump-epstein-distractions/

Over the past 48 hours, President Donald Trump has asked his Truth Social followers “How did [former USAID administrator] Samantha Power make all of that money?”

He said he might scuttle a stadium deal if the Washington Commanders football team doesn’t change its name back to the Washington Redskins.

He highlighted a memo from his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that said Obama administration officials planned a “treasonous conspiracy in 2016” aimed at Trump. Emphasizing the point, he posted an AI-generated video of Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office.

During a fusillade of posts on the social network he owns, Trump even released a three-minute mash-up of clips that would seem more at place on-screen at a sports bar than in a president’s official feed: a woman snatching an approaching snake from the grass, a car sliding under a truck barreling along a highway, and no fewer than four people doing tricks on motorcycles and jet skis.

On Monday, Gabbard added another item to the list — announcing the release of hundreds of thousands of documents related to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Visiting the sick with a telephone call

Igros Moshe (YD I #223) Question Can the mitzva of visiting the sick be accomplished with a phone call? Answer While a phone call can accomplish the mitzva of visiting the sick, it is clearly not the best way of doing the mitzva fully.  Thus it should only be done if it is impossible to go in person. If he can go in person he is obligated to do so. So even though a major component of the mitzva is to pray for the sick and that can be done anywhere, the prayer is more likely to be better if he first sees the condition of the sick person. 

Mourner : Comforting over phone

Igros Moshe (OC Iv #40.11) Question: Can the mitzva of comforting a mourner be done with a telephone call? Answer The mitzva has two components. 1) Helping the living mourner who is deeply suffering by saying words that comfort him. In order to do that one is obligated to go to the house of the mourner where he is. 2) Helping the deceased as is decribed in Shabbos (152b).  Therefore the Rambam says that the mitzva of comforting mourners takes precedence over visiting the sick since it is providing kindness to  the living and the dead.  It seems to me that the first component can be accomplished with a telephone call while the second component can be done only by going to the house of mourning. Or the place of the deceased. However it is definitely better to comfort the mourner in person which gives honor to the mourner. In conclusion if it is possible he should go in person to the house of the mourner in oder to do the mitzva in the best manner. And not rely on a telephone call.  However if he can’t go for example if he is sick or involved in a different mitzva than he can at least utilize the phone. This is what I wrote concerning visiting the sick . It is permitted for the mourner to speak on the telephone for what he needs and thus there is no problem calling and speaking to him on the telephone. 

Honoring parents – commonsense vs mitzva

Netziv(Approbation to Ahavas Chesed): ….It says in Yevamos (79a): There are three inherent characteristics of the Jewish people – they are merciful, shy and they do acts of kindness to others. … Nevertheless there are explicit commands in the Torah to do acts of kindness such as Vayikra (25:35): You shall support your brother who has become poor, Shemos (22:24): Do not lend money with interest. The reason for this is to teach us that besides being obligated to do acts of kindness because we are human beings we have an addition obligation from the Torah – just as we have for all the mitzvos which we wouldn’t know from commonsense. The consequences of having both an inherent commonsense obligation as being part of mankind as well as an explicit command in the Torah is illustrated by the obligation to honor parents. The Torah command teaches that even though there is a command from commonsense that all of mankind is obligated to keep and receives reward for do it, nevertheless G‑d has in addition explicitly commanded us to do it as an aspect of the Torah (Shemos 20:11)… As a Torah mitzva honoring parents is a statute which must be done simply because it was commanded and not because it makes sense. For example if a non‑Jew fathers a child with a Jewish woman, than according to the Torah that child has a mother but no father. Therefore there is a greater obligation of honoring the mother than the father because the honor of the mother is dictated by not only commonsense but also from the Torah. …There are also consequences for lending money to a needy person. Even though it is clearly a commonsense obligation but it is also governed by Torah law. In this case the obligation from commonsense is inconsistent with the obligation of the Torah. The contradiction occurs in regard to charging interest. For example, in the case of a person whose life depends upon lending money with reasonable interest. From the commonsense point of view he still performs a great mitzva of lending money – even with interest – to sustain another person who desperately needs the loan. However the Torah specifically prohibits charging interest. Therefore according to the Torah a Jew would not be able to lend the money and thus he is prohibited from doing the kindness to the other person as well as sustaining himself. [This was explained in Harchev Davar - Bereishis 48:19 – concerning the Tabernacle at Shiloh…]

Ruach hakodesh is reason Biblical verses are omnisignificant - Netziv

Netziv(Kadmos HaEmek – She’iltos 2:2 -3): When there is some irregularity in the way a Torah verse was written, we find that our Sages often inferred information (derash) both for the subject of the verse and unrelated matters…. And surely this is true for Agada, mussar and ethical lessons – even when there is no obvious connection to the verses. Not only is this true for Torah but also for Biblical verses in Prophets and Writings which were put in writing through prophecy or ruach hakodesh. They are interpreted (drash) both according to the context and not according to the context. According to the context that means when the verse can be understood in a variety of ways. To say that all ways are true is an inherent property of something written with ruach hakodesh. An example of saying that interpretations which are not according to the context are also included in the verse is that of Rabbi Akiva who asks how do we know that a ship is spiritually pure? He answers from Mishlei(30:19),  “The manner of a ship in the midst of the ocean.” He says just as the sea is spiritually pure so is the ship. ...  And similarly we find with the words of Agada concerning the Shunamite woman and Elisha (Berachos 10b) that one who provides hospitality to a talmid chachom in his home is as if he brought a Tamid sacrifice. It  is clear that the Shunamite woman had no thoughts about a Tamid sacrifice when she provided hospitality to Elisha. What was asserted in the gemora is based on the idea that the words of a prophet can be broadly interpreted. This understanding of the Biblical verses is like a hammer striking a rock which sends out sparks both in its place and out of its place – to places where the one striking the rock never imagined they would fall. In a similar manner the verse alludes to many issued and principles even regarding matters which are not related to the verse at all. .

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To get a greater context of omnisignificance see the following article [fixed link]

Dr. Elman - Rebirth of Omnisignificant Biblical Exegesis

Wife is subordinate to her husband to the degree he is subordinate to G-d - Netziv

Netziv (Bereishis 2:24): Therefore a man should leave… and cleave to his wife. From that time on there is no way to get a help mate as intended by creation and according to how a man feels when he doesn't have a help mate - except by leaving his father and his mother and cleaving to his wife. And then they will be one flesh as he loves her since they are now as one being. As is stated in Yevamos (62b). And if he loves his wife as himself…[he will have domestic tranquility]. But even so she is not totally subordinate as the first woman who was considered to be part of Adam and but rather they will be one flesh. Just as he is concerned with his own good and he wants her to totally fulfill what he wants so it is with her that she wants her own good and that he will totally fulfill what she wants. Nevertheless it has already been established with the first woman and it has become part of the female nature that women remain helpers even though it is not like the original circumstances but rather is is like what happened after eating from the Tree of Knowledge as we will explain in Bereishis (3:2) and it is included in the sixth day of Creation. But it is only someone who merits it will get the love of his wife with total subordination as it was with Eve before the Sin. Because of this there were two manners of the cleaving of Adam and Eve in order that there be in future generations two different ways that a woman would be supportive of her husband. Therefore on the sixth day of Creation there were two ways that Eve loved Adam in order that that there should be two ways that a woman loves a man and as we explained that there are two different manners of serving G-d. All of this was done on the first day that they were created as we explained on verse 4. This created the nature of love of a woman and her life with her husband. This is like what Ben Azai said at the end of Kiddushin [(82a)] , "I was created to serve my Master and they were created to serve me." And to the degree that he serves G-d, will his wife serve him. Or alternatively she will serve him according to his mazel - as all events in the life of man happens according to Divine Providence according to his deeds. And this with either a good mazel or bad. Because this is the say G-d established His Kingdom in the world.

Ezer kenegdo - Netziv

Netziv (Bereishis 02:18.1)Ezer Kenegdo – We discussed the plain meaning. There is a well known medrash that Rashi cites which interprets this phrase to mean if he is deserving she will help him but if not she will be opposed to him. However even according to this medrash the wife as not created  to distress him so how is it possible to understand this phrase as being either a helper or opponent? It means the she should provide helpful opposition. For example if a person is prone to show anger and upset. If his wife supports and encourages him in this, even though at the time of anger he enjoys her agreement and support but later when he calms down he will be upset that his wife added fire and wood to his anger and upset and thus she actually was detrimental(kenegdo). In contrast if she would have opposed him initially and attempted to calm and placate him, even though it appears at that moment as opposition but she is in fact providing him with true help. The same can be said with all his other traits.Thus the meaning of ezer kenegdo is she should provide him with helpful opposition

Not saying until 120

Rav Moshe was opposed to the common statement that a person should live to 120 years. Rav Shurkin notes that Rav Moshe viewed it not as a positive wish but a restrictive negative one.

Scientists Warn: Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage

 https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-warn-popular-sugar-substitute-linked-to-brain-cell-damage/

New research indicates that erythritol, a sugar substitute commonly recommended for individuals with obesity or diabetes, may carry unexpected health risks.

MAGA fury

Tulsi Gabbard calls for Obama to be prosecuted over 2016 election claims

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/tulsi-gabbard-obama-2016-election-russia

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, has called for Barack Obama and former senior US national security officials to be prosecuted after accusing them of a “treasonous conspiracy” intended to show that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election win was due to Russian interference.

She said Obama and senior officials in his administration had “[laid] the groundwork for … a years-long coup” against Trump after his victory over Hillary Clinton by “manufacturing intelligence” to suggest that Russia had tried to influence the election. That included using a dossier prepared by a British intelligence analyst, Christopher Steele, that they knew to be unreliable, Gabbard claimed.

The attempt to return the spotlight back to the Russia investigation – long derided by Trump as a “hoax” – comes as the US president finds himself in the maelstrom of the lingering scandal over the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 while awaiting prosecution on sex-trafficking charges.

Gabbard’s nomination as national intelligence director was one of Trump’s most contentious. It drew criticism because of her lack of previous intelligence experience, having never even served on a congressional committee on the subject, and a track record of supportive comments about Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and repeating Kremlin talking points on the war with Ukraine.