Monday, February 10, 2025

Hagaon reb dov landau: "the limud tora saved us on simchat tora"

 https://www.kikar.co.il/haredim/srfjvd

They [soldiers] also act not necessarily for rescue, but for the honor of the state. They kill people for the sake of honor. What am I supposed to say? I’m not very familiar with all the details; others can explain this better. They accuse each other, and they’re all telling the truth... all of them are telling the truth. Telling bachurim about all this isn’t simple, but this is the reality of salvation."

Rosh Yeshiva: "So what should be done in such a situation? I don’t know what would have happened at the beginning of the state if they had established a UN-administered government here—it would have been a great situation. There’s a letter from the Brisker Rav from back then, a political letter against Shertok—[later] Sharett—a letter from 1948 sent abroad.

It was possible to live well without a state, together with the Arabs. If we go even further back, we could have done as R. Chaim Sonnenfeld did—show them respect. It was quite good when the Arabs ruled here. That was the best situation. The Arabs were in charge, they were respected, no one interfered with them, they brought money into the land—the Arabs love money."

Teacher Trump

 https://yated.com/teacher-trump/

Trump was the ultimate akshan, hardening his heart and continuing to fight and fight until he succeeded in defeating them, embarrassing them, and now finally dismantling their designs to use the power of government to subjugate the people.

We must learn from Trump. Certainly, in this area, he must be our teacher. Remember, be an akshan. No matter what the yeitzer hara throws at you, no matter how difficult the nisayon, you can overcome it, and when you do, you will be so much more powerful as a result.

If you don’t believe me, just ask Trump.

Top haredi leader calls for Arab rule over Israel, says Zionism brought 'disasters'

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-841327

Rabbi Dov Landau, head of the Slabodka Yeshiva and one of the Lithuanian community leaders, called for the Arabs to rule Israel as they had in the past, haredi media reported Friday.

Reminiscing, he said, "It is possible to live well with the Arabs without a state."

He advocated for Arab rule over Israel, saying, "It would be quite good if the Arabs ruled here; the best situation, [if] the Arabs would rule, they would respect them (Zionists), not interfere with them, bring money to the country - the Arabs love money."

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Cheating on the N.Y. Regents exams

Igros Moshe (CM II:30) You had heard that the yeshivos permit their students to cheat on the Regent Exams in order to falsely indicate they are ready to graduate and receive their diploma.  This is prohibited not only according to secular law but also according to Torah. It is not only deception which is also prohibited but is also actual theft.  That is because when he seeks employment in the future and the job usually requires high standards of secular education. When he shows his diploma as proof of his competence and the employer relies on it as proof of competence to hire him  – this is actual theft. Do not make the rationalization to say that since there is no reason that the job actually needs this level of education it doesn’t matter because it still is lying about your qualifications.. Even if it is not really needed the employer wants it and would fire the person who deceived him.  In general it is prohibited to lie even if it is not relevant. Furthermore if he knows you are a liar, he will not rely on you for anything. It will also cause others to suspect yeshiva students of being dishonest and possibly cause other frum Jews to lose their jobs because of suspicions of their dishonesty. In addition if he wants a high level of education – it might in fact be needed for this job so there is no justification for lying even if you think it will benefit Torah study. Because one is also prohibited to steal for the sake of learning Torah. Even if you desire to learn only Torah you should not be worried that by spending time mastering secular knowledge it will interfere with your Torah knowledge and you won’t accomplish as much as a Torah scholar. The truth is that this is not bitul Torah. Not mastering secular studies is simply laziness if you study it in a manner that you don’t master the material. That is because you still need to go to class and you are simply wasting the time.  Furthermore you are getting accustomed to not learning the material and you are developing lazy study habits. 

However it is clear that what you have heard about yeshiva students cheating on exams is false and comes from those that hate the yeshivos and wish to destroy them and they makeup baseless evil claims. It is known that yeshiva students are superior also in secular studies to public school students. Don’t pay attention to these false rumors even if they appear in a well known newspaper of those that hate Torah and Fear of G-d. You can say with confidence that these claims are lies made up by those that hate Torah and Judaism. 

Donald Trump Is Not the Victim of ‘Lawfare.’ He’s a Crook.

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/donald-trump-is-not-the-victim-of-lawfare-he-s-a-crook/ar-BB1kCiOz?

One of the reasons Republicans were so reluctant to accept Donald Trump’s nomination in 2016 is that he was quite obviously a crook. “His business record reflects the often dubious norms of the milieu: using eminent domain to condemn the property of others; buying the good graces of politicians — including many Democrats — with donations,” editorialized National Review. Marco Rubio lambasted him as a “con artist.” The Wall Street Journal editorialized about Trump’s deep ties to the mafia and his fulsome praise of its work. (After Trump won the nomination, the Journal spiked a second editorial about his mob links.)

“Lawfare” means using the law as a weapon to get Trump. Conservatives ranging from the Trumpiest wing of the movement to the most Trump-skeptical — the ones who used to attack him as a crook — have all employed this term to describe the entire range of Trump’s legal problems, from his New York fraud conviction to his indictments in New York and Atlanta to both of Jack Smith’s federal cases.

The advantage of this catchall term is that it allows Trump’s defenders to ignore the specifics of Trump’s misconduct, or at least to analyze it in a highly selective way. There are indeed a couple instances in which Trump has faced legal challenges that are questionable (the attempt to disqualify him from the ballot based on the 14th Amendment) or downright weak (Alvin Bragg’s indictment over hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels). Conservatives tend to focus obsessively on these cases, and “lawfare” is a permission structure that allows them to use these cases to ignore or discredit the others, where Trump’s behavior is impossible to defend.

Musk Demands Judge Who Blocked DOGE at Treasury Be Impeached

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/musk-demands-judge-who-blocked-doge-at-treasury-be-impeached/

Elon Musk demanded the impeachment of the federal judge who blocked his federal spending task force from accessing the payment systems at the Treasury Department.

“A corrupt judge protecting corruption,” Musk tweeted in the early hours of Sunday morning. “He needs to be impeached NOW!”

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled Saturday that special government employees and officials outside of the Treasury ought to be prohibited from accessing systems that contain sensitive information, effectively booting out Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the process.

Trump Enrages Christian MAGA By Naming ‘Heretic’ Pastor to White House

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-enrages-christian-maga-by-naming-heretic-pastor-paula-white-cain-to-white-house/

The president signed an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office and chose Pastor Paula White-Cain, his ally and spiritual advisor, to lead it.

White-Cain, 58, is a megachurch preacher from Florida who has endorsed biblical interpretations that some evangelical Christians believe go too far.

She is a proponent of “prosperity theology,” which teaches that God rewards the truly faithful with material wealth and personal success.

Critics say that by blaming financial woes on a lack of faith, prosperity theology can be used to exploit vulnerable churchgoers. Many Christians consider it a form of heresy, according to The New York Times.

Danon calls on UN's Guterres to condemn Hamas's 'cruel, inhumane' hostage treatment

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-841248

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, wrote an official appeal to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, calling on him to condemn Hamas's "cruel and inhumane treatment" of the hostages following the release of three Israelis on Saturday.

Released hostages Or Levy, Eli (Eliyahu) Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami returned in critical condition, appearing starved after spending 491 days captive, and were said to have lost some 30% of their overall weight.

Trump's America—Land of Cruelty and Vengeance

 https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-americaland-cruelty-vengeance-opinion-2027498

Yet, for all his talk of "making America great again," it's evident that Donald Trump's version of greatness has nothing to do with leadership or moral rectitude. Trump's definition of greatness rests solely on the notion of power. To Trump, a great nation is not one that leads the world, but one that ignores its suffering in pursuit of self-interest.

Trump goes beyond simply promoting callousness, he relishes it. And now he's made this self-centered philosophy a cornerstone of our politics. Rather than extend helping hands to the world, we've made one hand into a stop sign and the other into a fist. "America First," we constantly hear from Trump's MAGA crowd; in truth they mean "America only."

Yet, as cruel and terrible as Trump has been and will undoubtedly continue to be, what's even worse is the fact that so many millions of Americans embrace his ideology, believing, as the antagonist Gordon Gekko once said that greed is good, and that our first and only priority is to look out for ourselves. If that means abandoning our allies, so be it. If it means mischaracterizing DEI efforts to maintain white hegemony, also OK. And if it means cutting off crucial medications to other countries, that's not our problem, they reason.

The MAGA world doesn't take issue with Trump going after political opponents or people in the Justice Department he doesn't like either because, as they see it, the world is a harsh and corrupt place, and no one else would do any different. They race to Trump because they see him as their glorious leviathan—the monster whose wings they can take shelter under to feel powerful. He justifies their every negative notion about the world, and for that they love him.

What they're all missing is that truly great nations are compassionate nations, and right now we're pretty far from greatness.

Trump Administration Hands Putin Three Major Wins

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-putin-sanctions-wins-2028230

Donald Trump's move to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been welcomed by the Kremlin, it has been reported, amid a suite of measures by the new U.S. administration which could play into Vladimir Putin's hands.

Trump's executive order to impose sanctions on the ICC, comes in a week in which Attorney General Pam Bondi halted a federal law enforcement effort to combat secret influence campaigns by Russia and other adversaries.

The U.S. Justice Department is also disbanding an effort to enforce sanctions and target oligarchs close to the Kremlin.

DOGE Staffer Resigns Over Racist Posts

 https://www.wsj.com/tech/doge-staffer-resigns-over-racist-posts-d9f11a93?mod=hp_lead_pos3

A key DOGE staff member who gained access to the Treasury Department’s central-payments system resigned Thursday after he was linked to a deleted social-media account that advocated racism and eugenics.

Musk vows to rehire deputy who apparently joked about annihilation of Israel and Gaza

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/musk-vows-to-rehire-deputy-who-apparently-joked-about-annihilation-of-israel-and-gaza/

 US tech billionaire Elon Musk said Friday he was reinstating a deputy who quit a job giving him access to the sensitive personal data of millions of Americans after the staffer was linked to a racist social media account.

Marko Elez, 25, resigned from Musk’s self-styled Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Thursday when The Wall Street Journal uncovered a welter of offensive posts on the account, including a boast from last July stating, “I was racist before it was cool.”

Musk — US President Donald Trump’s close confidante and point man on spending cuts — asked his 216 million X followers if he should reinstate “@DOGE staffer who made inappropriate statements via a now-deleted pseudonym.”

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Surgeon removed wrong organ then covered it up, widow alleges in suit

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/02/05/florida-surgeon-wrong-organ-lawsuit/

Thomas Shaknovsky removed a man’s liver instead of his spleen, and then the Florida hospital repeatedly lied about it, the lawsuit claims.

It’s Trump’s World and Kanye West Is Free to Post What He Wants

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/its-trumps-world-and-kanye-west-is-free-to-post-what-he-wants/

In the space of 11 hours, Kanye West broke almost every taboo.

Through 57 posts, the polarizing rap mogul launched an incredibly offensive machine-gun tirade of attacks on Jews, gays, feminists, the overweight, the mentally challenged, the woke, and other rappers. He supported Diddy. He lionized Adolf Hitler.

This time last year, there would almost certainly be serious consequences for any one of these posts.

“Ye” has a voice and now it is unfiltered. Elon Musk has other matters on his mind. He has made it clear he has no intention of censoring anybody on his X platform.

Amid the flurry of insults, West leaves his followers in no doubt that he is not backing down this time.

“If I get taken off of streaming services it’s only going to make me richer,” he wrote in one of his later, lower-case tweets. “Any and every control tactic you have at this point only makes me richer.”

Trump questions whether Time Magazine ‘still in business’ after Musk cover reveal

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5134297-donald-trump-time-magazine-elon-musk-influence/

President Trump weighed in on Time Magazine’s reveal of a cover featuring tech billionaire Elon Musk, seemingly mocking the outlet that named him its “Person of the Year” in 2024.

Asked on Friday if he had a reaction to the photo illustration of Musk behind the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk, Trump shook his head.

“No,” he said during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, “Is Time Magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that

Health Ministry: Hostages suffering severe malnutrition; Herzog: Crime against humanity

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/herzog-emaciated-hostages-a-crime-against-humanity-victims-group-evokes-holocaust/

The three hostages who were freed from Gaza on Saturday morning are suffering from “severe malnutrition” and lost significant body weight during their 491 days in captivity, the Health Ministry said on Saturday evening, after initial medical checks in the hours following their release.

“These are difficult scenes,” Health Ministry representative Dr. Hagar Mizrahi said at a press conference from Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where two of the released hostages were beginning their recovery.

The three hostages freed by Hamas — Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 — looked emaciated and unsteady on their feet as they were released by the terror group, 16 months after they were kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri and the Nova music festival.

Foreign Minister: 'The only ones starving in Gaza are the hostages'

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403603

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar posted a video accusing Hamas of starving the hostages released today, claiming they looked dangerously emaciated while the Hamas forces appeared well-fed.

''For over a year, the international community has danced to the tune of the false propaganda of so-called starvation in Gaza but the images we saw today don't lie - Hamas terrorists and other Gaza residents look perfectly fine

Israel Shows 'Shocking' Images as Three Hostages Released by Hamas

 https://www.newsweek.com/israel-shows-shocking-images-three-hostages-released-hamas-2028237

They were also made to pose holding certificates and speak in an apparently staged interview by Hamas militants, where they reportedly called for Israel to stop the war and stick to the ceasefire.

Photos of the event were released later in which all three men are visibly thin and frail.

Responding to the images, Netanyahu said: "We will not gloss over the shocking scenes that we saw today."

Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington

 https://time.com/7213409/elon-musk-us-government-trump/

The standoff at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue was not much of a spectacle. On the first day of February, a handful of men working for Elon Musk had come to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a few blocks from the White House, demanding full access to its headquarters. The agency’s staff refused. No guns were drawn. No punches thrown. Nobody involved the police. But in these early days of the Trump Administration, perhaps no other scene revealed more clearly the forces reshaping America’s government.

On one side stood an institution with a 64-year history, a $35 billion budget, and a mission enshrined in federal law. On the other stood Musk’s political wrecking crew. They identified themselves as members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a collection of temporary staffers with no charter, no website, and no clear legal authority. Its power derives from Musk, the wealthiest person on the planet, who has been deputized to dismantle vast swaths of the federal bureaucracy—slashing budgets, gutting the civil service, and stripping independent agencies of the ability to impede the President’s objectives.



Powerless! Trump stopped by judge’s nationwide ban, as ‘Pres. Musk’ hype breaks ‘law of power

Friday, February 7, 2025

Federal Workers Sue Trump Over USAID: 'Unconstitutional and Illegal'

 https://www.newsweek.com/federal-workers-sue-trump-usaid-2027654

The lawsuit on Thursday marked the latest in a series of legal actions that federal workers have filed against the Trump administration over a host of issues, including President Donald Trump's executive orders, the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE's) access to sensitive payment and employee systems, and the White House's offer of deferred resignations to more than 2 million government employees.

The suit was filed shortly after the Trump administration proposed a plan to drastically cut USAID staff across the globe, which would leave the agency with less than 300 workers, compared to the thousands it had before Trump took office. USAID is responsible for distributing billions of dollars in foreign assistance to war-torn countries and populations facing poverty and disease.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit described Trump and his administration's actions as "unconstitutional and illegal," adding that they have "systematically dismantled" USAID.

The Early Verdict on Tariffs: Bad Economics, Better Politics

 https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/the-early-verdict-on-tariffs-bad-economics-better-politics-2d0bebb7?mod=hp_lead_pos5

With Donald Trump’s return to power has come an upswell of enthusiasm for tariffs and arguments in their favor: They’ll usher in an economic “golden age,” don’t cause inflation, are paid by foreigners instead of Americans, and are an effective cudgel in political disputes.

Most economists disagree, but who listens to economists these days? To test these claims we need “natural experiments”: events where the effect of tariffs isn’t confounded by other stuff like promised cuts to taxes and regulations. The 72 hours in which Trump was on track to hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs is one such experiment.  

‘Sovereign Wealth’ for Politicians

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/sovereign-wealth-fund-donald-trump-executive-order-scott-bessent-a3bcf648?mod=hp_opin_pos_0

All the reasons Trump’s government investment fund is a very bad idea.

Now here’s an idea: Leverage federal assets to create a new investment fund for the political class to invest in whatever it pleases, including private companies. What could possibly go wrong?

The answer is plenty, which is why President Trump’s proposal Monday to create a new sovereign wealth fund deserves to die in Congress. His executive order included scant details. But it said the fund would “promote fiscal sustainability,” “establish economic security for future generations, and promote United States economic and strategic leadership internationally.” More likely, it would take resources from the private economy, fund political boondoggles, and mess with the business decisions of private companies.

Trump support can't replace focus on Israel's internal security - editorial

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-841053

If US President Donald Trump’s grand statements of a plan to transfer 1.8 million Palestinians from the uninhabitable Gaza Strip hadn’t been said this week, public discourse would have focused much more than it had on a terrifying number: Seven. 

Six Arab Israelis were killed in criminal violence incidents in the span of 24 hours between Sunday and Monday this week, with one more on Tuesday in what police suspect was a revenge hit.

Israel Police said last week that it was launching what it called a “large-scale” operation to combat crime in the sector; these seven deaths came one week later. 

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Haredim hold prayer meeting in Stamford Hill in protest of bill threatening Yeshivas

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-840911

In response to the UK's proposal of a bill that they claim may threaten Jewish yeshivas and Torah education, thousands of Haredi Jews gathered for an Atzeres Tefillah (prayer gathering) in Stamford Hill, London, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC) said in a statement.

The bill in question, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, has passed its second reading in the House of Commons and has progressed to the Committee Stage. It seeks to ensure that all children who are home-schooled or taught outside a school setting are registered by local authorities. 

Haredi campaigners have expressed fear that this would lead to state interference in yeshivas and force them to teach secular subjects or subscribe to the national curriculum, according to the Jewish Chronicle

Trump's triple loss: Trade 'war' surrender, court defeat, Mideast occupation debacle

The tariff wars have begun - buckle up

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8975dx1pe3o

Don't mess with Canada - that's the private message to the US from the very top of Ottawa's political system. Just like nearly a century ago with the infamous American Smoot-Hawley tariffs, Canada got its retaliation in to Donald Trump's import taxes very quickly.

While the White House is claiming Canada's pledge to spend $1.3bn (£1bn) on a border protection plan has given it diplomatic victory in its battle over fentanyl traffic, there was very little conceded that was not already planned by America's northern neighbour.

Crucially, both Mexico and Canada were undeterred by a clear threat in Trump's executive orders that any retaliation would lead to higher tariffs on imports into the US.

After consulting each other, Canada and Mexico instead both negotiated a month's pause with Trump.

Canadian lawmaker on Trump tariff delay: ‘He choked’

 https://thehill.com/policy/international/5127802-canada-trump-tariffs-delay/?tbref=hp

Canadian Member of Parliament Charlie Angus said President Trump “choked” as his tariff plan for Canada was ultimately delayed before going into action.

“He blinked,” Angus told MeidasTouch, highlighted by HuffPost. “He choked.”

Just days after Trump signed an executive order that imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canada, he reached an agreement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold the tariffs for a month.

Angus noted the Canadian people are much more united than American citizens currently, and the country is ready to go “pound for pound” with the U.S. if Trump plunges the countries into a trade war.

DOGE to Make 'Rapid Safety Upgrades' to Air Traffic Control: Elon Musk

 https://www.newsweek.com/doge-rapid-safety-upgrades-air-traffic-control-elon-musk-2026875

In a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report obtained by the Associated Press, officials say one air traffic controller was overseeing both helicopter traffic and planes arriving and departing Reagan National at the time of the collision. The FAA report said the personnel configuration was "not normal" but that overall staffing was typical.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

How Trump arrived at his stunning idea to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/05/politics/how-trump-decided-gaza-strip-take-over/index.html

Sending US troops to the region would be in stark contrast to Trump’s long-held critique of nation building and foreign entanglements. He was among the sharpest critics of Republican orthodoxy of national building during the George W. Bush administration.

“We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America’s vital interests,” Trump told West Point cadets in 2020. “It is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of.”

Kipa in office

Igros Moshe (CM I #93) ובדבר אם מותר לקבל עבודה במקום שיצטרך ללכת בגילוי ראש, פשוט שמותר דאינו מחוייב להפסיד ממון בשביל זה דאינו איסור ממש אף מדרבנן אלא הוא מנהג טוב, שודאי לא חמור מבטול עשה שאינו מחוייב להפסיד סך גדול, ומניעה מליקח עבודה שהיא עיקר פרנסתו הוא כהפסד גדול. ואף להט"ז שסובר שבזה"ז הוא אסור מצד חק עכו"ם שא"כ הוא לאו שיש לאסור אף במקום הפסד ממון, הא לבד שאין דינו ברור הנה תלוי דבר זה להט"ז בהמקומות ובמדינה זו ודאי אין זה משום חק עכו"ם דרובן אינם זהירים בחוקיהם. אבל ודאי רק במקום עבודתו שע"ז הם מקפידין יהיה רשאי אבל כשיצא לחדר אחר וכ"ש כשיצא לשוק יהיה אסור אף אם ילעיגו עליו כיון שלא יפסיד משרתו ועבודתו בשביל זה.

Igros Moshe (CM I #93)  Is it permitted to get a job at a place which requires that he not wear a kip and go bare headed? It is clearly permitted since one is not obligated to lose money in order to wear a kipa! That is because  there is no actual prohibition  even as a rabbinic decree to go bare headed but it is only a good custom.  It definitely is not worse than nullifying a positive command which does not require sustaining a loss of a lot money to avoid.  Therefore avoiding taking the job which is the basis for his parnossa is considered a large financial loss.  Thus even according to the Taz who says not wearing a kipah violates the Torah prohibition of following non Jewish practices which would require sustaining a large financial loss to avoid.  However this prohibition is is not clear. And this  would also seem to depend on the specific place and country. In America ,  going bare headed is definitely not goyish custom, since most people don’t go bare headed to show they are goyim. But it would be permitted only at the office where they are strict about this.  But going to another place  and especially in public it would be prohibited to go bare headed  even if people will laugh at him since there is no longer a financial loss of losing his job.by wearing a kipa there.

Igros Moshe (OC IV #2) 

אם מותר לילך בגלוי ראש לצורך פרנסתו. 

הנה בדבר שצריך מע"כ להשיג משרה שצריך להפגש עם בעלי המשרד שאומרים לו שיצטרך שם להוריד כובעו מעל ראשו ולישב בגלוי הראש בלא כיפה שקורין יארמולקע שאם ילבש שם כיפה לא יקבלוהו לעבודה שם, והמשתדל עבורו אומר שיהיה היזק גם לו על זה שהשתדל עבור אדם כזה שלדעתם לא יהיה מסוגל, ואחר שיתקבל אומרים לו שיוכל לישב שם עם כיפה, והוא צריך להמשרה לפרנסתו שם בדענעווער שלא מצוי להשיג משרה אצל אינשי שלא יקפידו על זה אם מותר. 


הנראה לע"ד דמותר דהא לדינא בגמ' ולרוב השיטות הוי גילוי הראש אף לילך בשוק רק מדת חסידות אבל כזו שכל אדם צריך להתנהג במדת חסידות עיין במג"א סימן צ"א ס"ק ג' והאריך במחצה"ש סימן ב' ס"ק ו' ומהרש"ל בתשובה שהביא הט"ז סימן ח' ס"ק ג' ובד"מ סימן ב' אות ב' שהביא כן מכלבו בשם הר"מ ואף להזכיר שם שמים בגילוי הראש כתב תה"ד בפסקים סימן ר"ג שאינו יודע כל כך איסור מפורש עיין שם ובהגר"א סימן ח' סעיף ב' האריך ואסיק שאף להזכיר הזכרה בראש מגולה אינו מדינא עיין שם, שלכן אף שכיון שכבר הנהיגו זה בכל ישראל לא גרע ממנהגי ישראל קדושים וודאי לא עדיף מעשה ממש דלהפסד גדול אינו מחוייב דאונס ממון הוא אונס לגבי מ"ע =מצות עשה= עיין בסימן תרנ"ו שיותר מחומש א"צ לבזבז על מצוה ובמג"א ס"ק ז' כתב בשם הרי"ו דעד עישור נכסיו חייב וגם ע"ז מביא בשם הב"י שאינו יודע מנין לו, וא"כ כ"ש בגילוי הראש שאינו עשה דתורה ואף לא עשה דרבנן אלא מנהג טוב שאונס ממון הוא אונס, והשגת משרה שהוא לפרנסתו הוא הפסד גדול יותר אף מחומש שאינו מחוייב. 

Ben Torah - Doctor?

 Igros Moshe (Y.D. IV  #36.15)

טו. אם כדאי להחשיב אלה שעזבו את הישיבה לבני תורה, משום החשש שמא יתקלקלו יותר 

ומש"כ מע"כ ידידי על מה שכתבתי בתשובה שם שאף מי שלא יתקלקל בבתי ספר של המדינה אבל איך שיהיה לא שייך שיהיה אף בן תורה, שח"ו יצא מזה קלקול לאלו שסוף סוף יכנסו לעסק פרנסה. וכוונת מע"כ הוא שיכנסו ע"י שתחילה יעזבו לימודם בהישיבה ללימודי חול בבתי ספר דהמדינה, ואם לא יתחשבו כבני תורה יתייאשו מלעלות יותר בתורה ויראה ולא יקבעו אף זמנים קטנים לתורה. אבל הא יותר תמוה מה שלא ראה מע"כ קלקול היותר גדול ע"י שיתחשבו לבני תורה, שכו"ע יאמרו שכיוון שגם אלו שעזבו לימודם בתורה ועסקו בלימודי חול הם מתחשבים בני תורה ותלמידי חכמים למה לן להתעמל בתורה ויראה. וחשש זה מצינו בגמ' מנחות דף צ"ט ע"ב, דעל מה שאמר ר' יוחנן משום רשב"י אפילו לא קרא אדם אלא ק"ש שחרית וערבית קיים לא ימוש, מסיק הגמ' ודבר זה אסור לאומרו בפני עם הארץ. ופירש"י שלא יאמר בק"ש סגי ולא ירגיל בניו לתלמוד תורה, ועוד גרע דהא אינשי שלמדו תורה ג"כ יאמרו כן. והכא לא שייך טעמא דרבא דפליג שם ואומר מצווה לאומרו בפני ע"ה, שטעמו הוא כדפרש"י דאדרבה ידעו מזה דאם משום קריית שמע נוטל שכר גדול כזה כי אז תצליח את דרכיך, אם היה עוסק כל היום כ"ש ששכרו גדול ומרגיל את בניו לתלמוד תורה, ל"א סברי דממה דעמלי רבנן וגרסי כולי יומא אף דמצי פטרי נפשייהו בקרית שמע, ששכר לימוד התורה גדול מאד. דהא כאן רואים שגם אלו שעזבו לימודם בתורה ולמדו לימודי חול ג"כ הא הם בני תורה ות"ח כמותם דהרי אלו שעוסקים כל היום בתורה נמי מחזיקין אותן לבני תורה ות"ח. 

אבל חשש זה דהם עצמן שבאמת ובעצם אינם בני תורה יגרעו כשלא יחשיבו אותן לבני תורה ות"ח, לא מובן. דכי מגרעין אותם מכפי שהם, שהם עצמן אין להם להחשיב עצמן במדרגה זו דבני תורה ות"ח, מאחר שאין לומדין התורה בקביעות כבני תורה. ואף כבוד הם רוצין יותר מאלו שישבחום יותר בהחכמה שמתפרנסין ממנה דהוא חכם וגדול ברפואה וכדומה, וחשוב גדול אצל רופאים וכדומה, משישבחוהו שהוא חכם בתורה, שלא יהיה לו כלום משבח זה ואפשר שיגרעו לו בשבח זה - שיאמרו שמסתמא אין במה לשבחו בחכמת הרפואה שלכן משבחין אותו בחכמת התורה, שאין זה עניינו וצורכו. ואם מצד יצה"ר דגאוה רוצה גם שישבחוהו בחכמת התורה, לא שייך שיתחייב זה לעשות רצונו ואין לחוש לזה. אלא אם נזדמן שכבר הוא גדול בתורה ממש, אז ודאי יש לכבדו מצד הדין, ואין לסלק זכותו - אף אם יש טעמים בזמננו שלא לכבדו בכיבודי התורה לתלמידי חכמים, שלא יגררו אחריו שיטעו לומר שגם הם יכולין להיות גדולים בתורה וגם לילך לבתי ספר של המדינה, להיות חכמים גם ברפואה וחכמות אחרות כדומה. דאין לגרוע זכותו בשביל חששות. 

ומש"כ מע"כ ידידי מה שהרבה יראים ושלמים עוסקים באומניות חשובות ועכ"ז עיקר מגמתם בחיים הוא עסק התורה והמצוות - האם נימא שאינם בני תורה. למותר הוא להשיב כי כבר כתבתי שודאי הם אנשים כשרים, אבל לא שייך להחשיבם לבני תורה. אלא דהתורה נתנה קולא שליכא חיוב ממש על כל יחיד שיעשה תלמיד חכם. אבל בני תורה ותלמידי חכמים אין נחשבים אלא מי שמקיימין מצווה זו דלימוד התורה כראוי, שהוא להיות מוכתר בכתר תורה. דהוא דווקא כשלא יסיח דעתו לדברים אחרים, ולא יעסוק במלאכה וסחורה אלא כדי חייו. וכשלא אפשר לו בזה יצטרך לזון מן הצדקה. אבל בזמננו זה מאות בשנים שנוהגים היתר אף לכתחילה לקבל משרת רבנות בשכר, וכן משרות מגידי שיעור בישיבות גדולות וקטנות, יצטרך ליקח אחד ממשרות האלו. אבל אם ירצה דווקא להתפרנס שלא ממשרות אלו, אלא מאומניות שטרוד בהו כל היום, כי רוצה לחיות חיי עשירות, וכ"ש כשרוצה להתפרנס דווקא ממלאכת רפואה וההנדסה וכיוצא דווקא, שצריך לבטל לגמרי הרבה שנים אפילו עוד קודם שיהיה שייך להרוויח מזה כלום, ועוד צריך להשיג במתנה ובהלוואה על הוצאת הלימוד דחכמות אלו, לא שייך כלל לחשוב מזה למי שרוצה להיות בן תורה שיעשה בן תורה מזה. ודורות שכל בני ישראל היו בני תורה ותלמידי חכמים היו רק דור המדבר שלא עשו מלאכה כלל, והדור שנכנסו לארץ עם יהושע שכל ימיהם ראו הנסים, ודורו של חזקיהו המלך. אבל לא היו כולם בני תורה אף לא בדורות הכשרים כדורות של דוד ושלמה. ודורו של חזקיהו לא היו כל ישראל, אלא ב' השבטים שהיו תחתיו. 

Igros Moshe (YD III #82)

איסור לבטל מלימוד התורה לעסוק בלימודי חול בע"ה מע"כ ידידינו וחברים בדעה ובהעבודה להרביץ תורה בישראל גם במדינה זו שהיתה רפויה בלמוד התורה, ה"ה ראשי המתיבתות והמנהלים להגדיל תורה ולהאדירה עד ביאת הגואל במהרה שלמכון יסגא. 

הנה ידוע לעולם התורה מה שדברתי הרבה פעמים לפני בני התורה בענין למודי חול אשר לבני תורה וגם לבני הישיבות הקדושות אשר ראוין להתגדל שם בתורה וביראת ה' טהורה הרי עצם למודי חול אף כשליכא למודי כפירה וגם לא תערובות נשים, הוא איסור דמניחין חיי עולם שהוא איסור אף לאחר שנתגדלו בתורה במדרגה גדולה, עיין בתענית דף כ"א ע"א בעובדא דר' יוחנן ואילפא מתרי מלאכי השרת עיין שם, ואף שהיה שם לזמן קצר ולהכרח פרנסתו שהיו עניים גדולים להחיות עצמן ובני ביתם שמטעם זה לא נענש אילפא, אבל לבחורים ואברכים צעירים שעדיין לא למדו כל הצורך ובזה שיכניסו עצמן ללמודי חול הרי לא שייך שיגיעו למדרגת ת"ח שיודע התורה בדור הזה דצריך לזה כל כחות הנפש שחננו השי"ת בדעת ובהבנת הדברים, ויבזבז כחותיו גם ללמודי חול, ובמשך הזמן יעשו למודי החול אצלו עיקר בהכרח כי הרי כח עצת היצר שבשביל זה התחילו לבטל למוד התורה וללמד למודי החול באיזה משך זמן יאמר לו אחרי עבור קצת זמן שצריך יותר זמן ללמודי חול אם אתה חושב להתפרנס, ואפילו בלא זה לא שייך להתגדל בתורה ואפילו להיות קצת תלמיד חכם ובן תורה אי אפשר בגזילת הזמן וגזילת העמילות בכשרונותיו מתורה ללמודי החול, ותחת להתגדל ירד מטה מטה, ובפרט שברור שאחרי שיתעסק כבר בלמודי חול כשיראה שאלו שהולכין לקאלעדז דהמדינה מצליחין יותר בשלימותן מכפי שהן מצליחין ילכו לבתי ספר (לסקולס) דהמדינה שיש שם כל התועבות שבעולם, בעצת היצר שהוא רק לזמן קטן, והוא לא יתקלקל שם, אשר כל אחד מבין ויודע שאינו כן, אבל איך שיהיה לא שייך שיהיה אף בן תורה וכ"ש שלא שייך שיעשה תלמיד חכם. וגם כל בן תורה ולומד בישיבות הקדושות צריך להשים אל לבו חורבן התורה הגדול שנעשה בעולם שהוא חיוב גדול על כל לומדי תורה בהישיבות שישתדלו להיות גדולי תורה והוראה ויראי שמים תחתם שזה ענין מוכרח לכל קהל ישראל. 

סוף דבר הוא פשוט שאף ששתקינן ואין אומרין זה לכלל ישראל ואף לא לאלו השומרים תורת השי"ת הוא דבר האסור לבני תורה ובני ישיבות אשר כל אחד יכול להתגדל בתורה ולגזול הזמן והעמילות בהכשרונות מלמודי תורה ללמודי חול. ובדבר ענין פרנסה כבר ידוע כמדומני מה שאמרתי איזה פעמים שזהו עצת רשעים שהוזכר בריש תהלים, וכפי שאיתא בתענית שם /דף כ"א/ איכא ע"ז גם עונש גדול ח"ו ולהשומעים שלא לעזוב למוד התורה כלל אף לא לשעה יתברכו בהצלחה בתורה כרצונם וגם בכל עניני הגוף בכל הברכות. משה פיינשטיין. 

What Does It Mean to Be a Ben-Torah? (Part 1 of 2)

 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/philosophy/issues-jewish-thought/issues-education/what-does-it-mean-be-ben-torah-part-1-2

            I would like to address a fundamental question: What are the goals of a student in our yeshiva?  We can speak of this both in terms of his individual attainments and in terms of his contribution to the community.  Let us begin with the former.  The individual character we want to cultivate can be defined with reference to Rabbi Shimon ha-Tzaddik's famous saying (Avot 1:2):  "The world stands on three pillars:  on Torah, on avoda [worship], and on gemilut chasadim [kind deeds]."  If this is true of the macrocosm, of the world at large, it is no less true of the microcosm of the individual, the world which, according to the Mishna (Sanhedrin 4:5), each and every person constitutes.

Rand Paul recoils at Trump's Gaza takeover plans: 'I thought we voted for America First'

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rand-paul-recoils-trumps-gaza-takeover-plans-i-thought-we-voted-america-first

After President Donald Trump announced that America "will take over the Gaza strip," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pushed back against the idea, suggesting that the move would betray the "America First" principle Trump voters expected.

During his inauguration speech last month, Trump unequivocally declared that throughout his administration he will "put America first," echoing a longstanding pillar of his political philosophy, which he also expressed during his 2017 inaugural address.

But Paul is throwing a red flag in response to Trump's newly unveiled Gaza plans.

Trump Campaigned on Ending Foreign Entanglements. Now He Wants to Own Gaza.

 https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-campaigned-on-ending-foreign-entanglements-now-he-wants-to-own-gaza-15fb0c39?mod=hp_lead_pos2

President Trump campaigned on shrinking America’s role abroad. But since taking office, he has articulated a worldview that is at times closer to expansionism than isolationism.

Trump generated global shock waves Tuesday when he said the U.S. should take long-term control of Gaza, suggesting that Palestinians should be relocated while the enclave is rebuilt into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media that Trump would “Make Gaza Beautiful Again.”

Lawmakers skeptical of Trump’s bid for US control of Gaza: ‘A few kinks in that slinky’

 https://nypost.com/2025/02/05/us-news/lawmakers-skeptical-of-trumps-bid-for-us-control-of-gaza-few-kinks-in-that-slinky/

Members of Congress from both parties were stunned late Tuesday after President Trump announced plans for the US to “take over the Gaza Strip,” with lawmakers expressing skepticism about the unprecedented call for direct intervention in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Elder Republican statesmen in particular criticized Trump’s desire to “see a long-term ownership position” in the region, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) telling NBC News the proposal was “problematic at many, many levels.”

“We’ll see what the Arab world says,” he added.

Understanding the Heter of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein

 https://en.yhb.org.il/revivim1002/

A story that Rabbi Riskin told about Rabbi Moshe Feinstein * Even after his wife the Rebbetzin begged him to rescind his halachic permit of artificial insemination due to the terror of the zealots who threatened it and burned his books, he refused to change his mind, due to concern for barren women * Even when a child does not walk in straight paths and respect his parents properly, he should not be deprived of the inheritance on an equal footing with the rest of his brothers

Why Trump's Gaza talk 'flies in the face of how Trump views foreign policy'

Corruption by a ‘narcissistic sociopath’: George Conway details warnings of Trump autocracy

Not your money: 'Powerless' Trump watches as his attempted 'spending freeze' gets frozen!

Trump's 'stupidity problem' frustrates his efforts and emboldens his opponents

Any rational thing Dems say to Trump, Musk ‘bounces off the solid wall of stupidity’

Sorry Shoppers: Trump’s Tariffs Mean No Packages From China

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/sorry-shoppers-trumps-tariffs-mean-no-packages-from-china/

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced Tuesday it would temporarily suspend all inbound packages from China and Hong Kong until “further notice.” “Temporary Service Disruption: Effective Feb. 4, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend only international package acceptance of inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong Posts until further notice,” the alert read

Visionary or dreamer? The big question after Trump’s Gaza gambit

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjabtslykl#autoplay

At times, the press conference felt surreal. Was Trump laying out an implausible fantasy, or was he, as his supporters believe, a visionary reshaping the Middle East? Whether his plan for Gaza is viable remains to be seen, but for now, his latest grand proposal has ignited global debate.

Eight tough questions about Trump's Gaza takeover plan

 https://www.israelhayom.com

First. No Arab country has agreed to accept Palestinians from Gaza. Jordan, with its 2.39 million registered refugees, has no need or incentive to further burden itself with this historical headache (see: Black September). Egypt, for its part, neither wants nor likely has the ability to create a refugee crisis in Sinai, which could become a breeding ground for extremism and pose a threat to Israel across the border, and to the peace treaty itself.

Third. International law prohibits forcibly transferring a population unless there is a clear military necessity for a limited period (see: the IDF's evacuation of northern Gaza). It also prohibits changing the ethnic, religious, or racial composition of a population. Trump's plan envisions a permanent transfer. Even if there is a humanitarian aspect to the proposal, such as clearing unexploded ordnance and rebuilding infrastructure, it is doubtful whether the end goal, a permanent exodus that would turn Gaza into an international zone, justifies the means.

Seventh. On a related note, direct military involvement in Gaza would cost American taxpayers a fortune. Does the US currently have hundreds of billions of dollars available for this project? Has its economy suddenly become strong enough to withstand such an expense? This, after all, is the same economic vulnerability that helped propel Trump into the White House just three months ago.

Inside the Chaos, Confusion, and Heartbreak of Trump’s Foreign-Aid Freeze

 https://time.com/7211200/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-rubio/

Most of the people TIME spoke to about USAID, both from within and outside the agency, agreed that it would benefit from a bit of a shake-up. "There's real reform needed in the sector," says the official at the NGO. "Many of us have been advocating for that." Programs are duplicated. Some initiatives have outlived their usefulness or have led to dependency rather than the development outcomes that were intended. There is waste, and oversight is often difficult. The system tends to favor bigger Western organizations and not smaller, more nimble local agencies. "If there was a process through which all of these programs could be reviewed, I think that everyone would be rolling up their sleeves to have the programs reviewed," says one former senior USAID official. "But there is no such process." Others were more damning. “There are certainly things that could be done to improve USAID," says Rieser, "but these people, who know next to nothing about USAID’s programs or dedicated personnel, are not the ones to do it.”

Introduction to Toras Moshe

 I was asked to write this sefer by an avreich who realized that Rav Moshe’s teshuva regarding utilizing irreligious members for a minyan was based on Korach and wondered if were possible to write a sefer associating the parsha with Rav Moshe’s pesakim. He asked me because of the work I did with Yad Moshe – my topic index to the Igros Moshe. 

There is also the question of consistency.  For example "I asked Rav Dovid about an apparent contradiction in the Igros Moshe about the nature of Aluminum. Rav Moshe had poskened it was not a metal that required tevila but that it was a metal in an airplane to convey tuma from a meis. He acknowledged the problem but said the practical questions need to be answered even if it leads to contradiction."

Associated with this is an old history regarding the use of the Igros Moshe itself. I first started compiling citations to the Igros Moshe while living in Flatbush while I was working on my PhD in Psychology. I had a difficult thesis adviser who not only was very critical but she also took a long time to read revisions. In order to do the statistics, I had purchased a computer and found that there were long periods of inactivity. I had recently started studying the Igros and saw many things I would like to study in the future when I was finished with my degree. I typed the citations in my computer arranged it by different topics and sorted them alphabetically. As time went by I realized I had a lot of material. When others saw what I had produced they requested copies. I did this in English as this is my native language and it was easier to create relevant topics.  I eventually had enough material for a pamphlet and decided to print it as a paperback – which was the most affordable option. After I published it I was told by Rav Bluth, who was Rav Moshe’s shamash, that Rav Moshe had prohibited indexing or translating the Igros Moshe. 

This in fact is discussed in the Igros Moshe but it gets more complicated. After I was told my index was prohibited, my brother-in-law told me to contact his friend Rav Fuerst, who was also a close student of Rav Moshe. He told me that Rav Moshe was not against an index and that he in fact had at one time been working on one himself and when Rav Moshe found out about he said it was a good idea. I was told by a member of Rav Moshe’s inner circle that a number of years before someone (Rav Aharon Rakefet) had written a summary of the first five volumes in English as well as a Hebrew index to the Igros Moshe. Rav Moshe was against this not only because it was in English but it summarized the conclusions. In the letter that Rav Moshe sent to Rav Rakefet he even threatened to sue him in secular court if he dared publishing his summary.  Rav Moshe said in the Igros there is no one today who can create a new Shulchan Aruch.

An additional hurdle came when I received a phone call from Mordecai Tendler saying his father was upset that I indexed the Igros without permission from the family. In essence he claimed the Igros was family property. I consulted a lawyer who told me that they had no rights over indexing – even though it was common for the families of famous people to be overly possessive of what they thought were their rights. Eventually the issue was resolved simply by my agreement to notify them of a future edition. . 

There was also a sefer on Hilchos Shabbos which cited the psakim of Rav Moshe. Nonetheless Rav Moshe gave a haskoma to it.  Rav Moshe Goldberger who was Rav Moshe’s student asked about why he approved of the Kitzur dinim though he opposed translations and summaries of the Igros. Rav Moshe responded with a letter which was published in vol 8. That the problem was to detatch the psak from its source and reasoning. In fact Rav Moshe notes that a Rav can only posken on an existing case but that he was supplying the reasoning in the Igros and thus a person could use the reasoning to posken for themselves. He also, however, said that it might be possible to rely on his conclusions for future cases even without understanding his reasoning.  This raises the question of the meaning of utilizing the Igros Moshe. Is it to be viewed as receiving a psak from Rav Moshe or is it the psak of the reader? I have received conflicting responses from major rabbomim to this question. As a relevant side note Rav Moshe says that rabbinic journals are for the masses while the responsa literature is for serious rabbis. Realistically the Igros was widely read by yeshiva students much more than rabbinic journals.  In summary. Rav Moshe did not want his conclusions separated from the reasoning in the Igros and he believed that only serious scholars read the Igros Moshe.  It is interesting to note that in the more than 30 years I have been involved with the pesakim of Rav Moshe, the primary problem is not the masses reading the Igros, it is rabbis claiming in Rav Moshe’s name rulings that they either misunderstood or madeup and claimed falsely that Rav Moshe said it. This is one of the most important benefits of having an index to the Igros since the actual psak can readily be found. 

The concern to prevent the masses from gaining access to the Igros was reflected in my selling of my index. Rav Dovid Feinstein asked that it be kept behind the counter in the store and it only be sold to those who asked for it. He also told me that a Hebrew index was more appropriate than an English one so I translated it into Hebrew. That is why it is available in both Hebrew and English. Rav Rakefet said that because of Rav Moshe’s objections he did not follow through with publishing his index to the first five volumes, which in fact was in Hebrew carefully citing where it came from. He said he never went back to index the rest of the Igros and thus I had no competition.  When the additional volumes came out I indexed them even though there was some question about the seven eighth and nineth volumes. (See my interview with Rav Ephraim Greenblatt on my blog) When the sixth volume was published,  Rav Moshe was weaker and even had a pacemaker installed. Nevertheless he claims he supervised everything. Rabbi Meir Zlatowitz told me very bluntly, “Your job is to make an index to the Igros Moshe, the Feinstein family decides what is published in the Igros. “ Rav Berkowitz said it slightly differently. “While the first volumes are the letters and thus the actual words of Rav Moshe, in later volumes he is often quoted or paraphrased so you can’t necessarily make conclusions based on the phrasing or words used. I was also told that Rav Moshe rarely changed his views though he was said to alter the wording sometimes from what he wrote in a letter and what was published. I have told by a number of scholars that there are differences between the text in the original large volumes and the later small volumes. There are also those such as Rav Spira who have found variations between the American printing and the Israeli printing. Of course as Rav Moshe himself wrote in the Igros Moshe  there are many things said in his name that he never said, There are also many madeup stories such as the claim he vomited milk he drank after being informed it was not cholov Yisroel milk. Rabbi Rappaport (an editor of Igros Moshe) told me that he heard that Rav Eliyashiv wanted to ban one of the volumes published after Rav Moshe’s petira claiming that there was material being published that Rav Moshe obviously and deliberately omitted from his earlier volumes  He said he was able to show that the new material was consistent with earlier volumes and thus it was not banned

An additional point needs to be made regarding the use of the Igros Moshe. There are often competing claims regarding Rav Moshe’s true view. For example in the Igros he says it is permitted to use paper towels to cleanup spills on Shabbos. A student of Rav Moshe told me that Rav Moshe said it was prohibited. I asked a number of poskim. One said Rav Moshe changed his mind because the heter was a mistake. Another said the gold standard is what is in the Igros so unless I have a letter from Rav Moshe saying he changed his mind the original psak is authoritative. A third posek said simply that the nature of paper towels had changed originally they were harsh and not very absorbent but now they are like cloth and very absorbent. The heter was only for nonabsorbent towels. The obvious question is why didn’t Rav Moshe or his sons clarify the issues? In the yeshiva world there is not a high level of reliance on the Tendlers. On the other hand there is a problem that the Feinsteins don’t like getting involved in disputes. For example I was told that Rav Dovid was asked to clarify a number of issues such as time of death after Rav Moshe’s petira replied “Let them think whatever they want Feinstein’s don’t get involved in  disputes. This seems to explain Rav Dovid’s explanation cited by Rav Falk in in his sefer on modesty as well as his conduct in the Kaminetsky Greenblatt Heter. 

One of the most important issues arises in light of his almost universal acceptance as the posek – Was he Daas Torah? I was told that he had resolved a major dispute involving the Chassidic community by announcing with his ruling that it needed to be accepted because his view was Daas Torah!  I asked Rav Dovid Feinstein about this. He replied that he had never heard his father voice the claim that his view had the authority of  Daas Torah. In the Igros Moshe he wrote that it is not only possible to disagree with him but that there is nobody today that you can’t disagree with. He even said it was possible to disagree with the Chazon Ish and further sometimes even Rishonim concerning matters that their view has not gained wide acceptance. However I was told by a member of his family that when Rav Tendler his son in law proposed making a medical school to which Rav Moshe disapproved, he said "Since my view is accepted by the Jewish people and is Daas Torah I forbid it!"

While Rav Moshe did not claim he was Daas Torah or was infallible, where did his rulings come from. I once discussed this Rav Rottenberg who was a close student of Rav Moshe. He said “I once had a question regarding when to date the Kesuba. It was published in the Igros Moshe. Before the meeting with Rav Moshe I of course reviewed all the relevant sources. When I objected to Rav Moshe’s ruling he told me ‘if you review the sources you will see I am correct’ I of course had already done the review and I still disagreed. People claim that Rav Moshe poskened directly from the gemora. They are wrong, he poskened from Heaven.”

It is important also to know that there are many letters of Rav Moshe that still have not been published. He also gave individuals rulings which contradicted what he published. For example he says in the Igros that there is no justification for shaking hands with women, though I was told by a knowledgeable rabbi that he gave a heter to his brother who is a businessman. 

In general I have associated a teshuva with the verses used to support it in addition I have added additional material from other commentaries which I thought would be of interest. Obviously I have only included a small number of teshuvos. These are the ones I have received the most interest or are hard to find.  I also have typically omitted much of the esoteric reasoning. Thus it is important to read the Hebrew original to understand ir properly. My comments and conclusions are not to be viewed as authoritative sources. 

Interview with Rav Ephraim Greenblatt from 1990

 When I lived in Har Nof I met with Rav Ephraim Greenblatt in July 12 1990. I asked him questions regarding Rav Moshe and the Igros Moshe. He was very open with his comments. The question is whether I should publish them now. They might shock some while others will say this is well known or at least assumed. I have asked a posek and am waiting his decision. 

I just received psak that I should publish the interview.  which I will when I reformat it for greater readability.

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Reb Moshe believed that if you understood the gemora properly it was possible to posken directly from it. That the Shulchan Aruch itself was written for people that did not have time to learn the gemora properly. His avoidance of achronim was not because he didn't have the seforim but because he felt they were not necessary for him to posken. When confronted with a contradiction to his psak from the Yavetz he answered that his psak was meant to be from shamayim.

Reb Moshe told on himself that he had a strong temper by nature but that he worked on himself not to express it and to remain calm.

Reb Moshe held that what he poskened was valid and he had no problem with his views being publicized. There were issues he felt however should not be made known to the general public such as his views on Hatzola returning on Shabbos which were eventually published in the Igros.

Reb Moshe viewed his main halachic work to be the Dibros Moshe not the Igros Moshe. He felt that it was necessary to have a record of his opinions available- the Igros Moshe. Reb Moshe was aware that non Talmidei Chachamim read the Igros.That is why he did not posken on Gas on Yom Tov there because of the possibility of confusing gas with electricity.

He mentioned that Reb Moshe always emphasized the importance of understanding Metzius to posken properly. He assumed that Reb Tendler was the source of medical issues and was surpirsed when I told him that Reb Tendler said that he was not the sole source of this.

He was not aware of Reb Moshe being against going to a doctor for preventitive check ups but said that it was possible that there was such a position since his uncle nevers goes to doctors.

There were times that Reb Moshe poskened on a personal level against the Igros. For example in Memphis, he allowed a short mechitza because he felt that that was all they would take and that he hoped that later it would be possible to increase the hight. Similarly he allowed mixed classes up to sixgrade for Memphis. He agreed that the level of observance today might mean that Reb Moshe would be more machmir l'maaseh than for tshuvah's from 40 years ago.

I asked that Reb Moshe's attitude towards psak be written down. He replied that his uncle Reb Notah Greenblatt would be the one to do that and that he would ask when he returns to Memphis. He said that there has been much talk about collecting stories and Hashkofa from Reb Moshe's talmidim but that no one is willing to take charge and get it done. He said he once asked Reb Moshe what had been decided at an Aguda Convention. He replied, like always that we should have another meeting next year. He said that he is planning to retire soon to Yerushalayim and that perhaps he would be able work on the project.

On a related point, he mentioned that he was recently in Lakewood and was asked to speak about Reb Moshe. When he said he wanted to learn something in the Igros, they told him that everyone know the Igros and that they wanted to hear some stories. He took out an Igros and asked them what Reb Moshe held on a particular Issue. He said that he got 20 different versions of something stated in the Igros.

Reb Moshe felt that there was nothing he could do to help a person with cancer. In general he would not accept a kvittel for such a person unless he felt it would upset the family.For other illnesses however he would pray for recovering.

It was not unusual for people to understand Reb Moshe in different ways. There for he always tried to taperecord his sessions with Reb Moshe. There were instances where he was able to demonstrate to people that they had misunderstood Reb Moshe's position from these tapes.

Validity of the Igros. There is a definite problem with the last two volumes. He has been told by a number of big talmidei chachamim that there is there are things written which are definitely not Reb Moshe's language. In addition the last couple of years in which Reb Moshe's replies were typewritten by Mordechai Tendler are not reliable. People also got confused when Mordechai Tendler said things and assumed that it was from Reb Moshe when in fact some things were not. 10 years ago when he went to get a Beracha for his son-in-law Reb Moshe had to send Mordechai Tendler out of the room because he kept answering their questions - not letting Reb Moshe reply. Mordechai Tendler felt that he knew Reb Moshe well enough that he could provide the same answer as Reb Moshe- which was not always true. The problem of editing -have words or sections left out - could easily change the meaning of a tshuva.

Reb Moshe used to write over a copy of his tshuva before sending out a reply. When he was asked why not let a bachor do the copying, he replied that copying provided a chance for chazora and that here were times that he changed the original ruling based upon his chazora.

Newspapers: Rabbi Tendler claimed that Reb Moshe read the newspaper regularly. He replied that he never saw Reb Moshe read a newspaper. Reb Moshe did buy Der Tag regularly from a poor Jew who used to come into M.T.J. but then he would put in on a bench. He said he only bought the paper to provide parnosa for the Yid and that anyone could take the paper.

When I told him the problem of time of death, he agreed it was a major problem. He agreed that Rav Tendler feels that he knows what Reb Moshe would have said and that there is no actual evidence to support his interpretation as being what Reb Moshe held or would have held.

Daas Torah - Was Rav Moshe ?

 One of the most important issues arises in light of his almost universal acceptance as the posek – Was he Daas Torah? I was told that he had resolved a major dispute involving the Chassidic community by announcing with his ruling that it needed to be accepted because his view was Daas Torah!  I asked Rav Dovid Feinstein about this. He replied that he had never heard his father voice the claim that his view had the authority of  Daas Torah. In the Igros Moshe he wrote that it is not only possible to disagree with him but that there is nobody today that you can’t disagree with. He even said it was possible to disagree with the Chazon Ish and further sometimes even Rishonim concerning matters that their view has not gained wide acceptance. However I was told by a member of his family that when Rav Tendler his son in law proposed making a medical school to which Rav Moshe disapproved, he said "Since my view is accepted by the Jewish people and is Daas Torah I forbid it!"

While Rav Moshe did not claim he was Daas Torah or was infallible, where did his rulings come from. I once discussed this Rav Rottenberg who was a close student of Rav Moshe. He said “I once had a question regarding when to date the Kesuba. It was published in the Igros Moshe. Before the meeting with Rav Moshe I of course reviewed all the relevant sources. When I objected to Rav Moshe’s ruling he told me ‘if you review the sources you will see I am correct’ I of course had already done the review and I still disagreed. People claim that Rav Moshe poskened directly from the gemora. They are wrong, he poskened from Heaven.”

Reb Moshe - (Artscroll biography 2nd edition 2011): There are people who maintain that talmidei chachom are not qualified to decide political matters that gedolei Yisroel should limit themselves to Torah and Halacha. Such people cannot be considered within the Torah camp. One might well say disregarding the advice of a talmid chachom is far worse than violating a commandment. One who violates a commandment because he is too weak to resist temptation at least knows that his action is wrong. By contrast, one who ignores the advice of a talmid chachom denies that a Torah scholar’s wisdom is superior. This is a far more serious breach (page 224).

Igros Moshe volume 8) "Active involvement of gedolei Torah in politics also in Israel aroused his opposition. He used to say that greatness in Torah is not combined with expertise in politics"

Igros Moshe (O.C. 1:109): This that you apologize for disagreeing with me in a halachic issue – this is totally unnecessary. That is because this is the way of Torah that it is necessary to establish the truth. Chas v’shalom to silence one who disagrees with you – whether he is being more lenient or more strict. [While there is a discussion about disagreeing in a formal court session Sanhedrin 36 where the court is deciding on the guilt or innocence…] it is not a problem to disagree with the gadol (greatest scholar) when he is saying something in the course of teaching the material or even if he is making a practical halachic ruling but he is not part of a formal court. We see this in many places in the gemora where students question their teacher’s view. … It is obvious in these cases the rulings were not part of a formal court session. Furthermore it is apparent that there is no one today who has the status of gadol for this law that no one can disagree with him… Therefore even if you consider me to be a gadol – it is permitted to disagree with me and consequently it is required that you express your opinion and there is no need to apologize. Nevertheless regarding the halachic question that was raised, my view -that I wrote that it is prohibited - is the correct one.

Igros Moshe(Introduction): And therefore I also found it appropriate to publish my teshuvos,  since I am merely clarifying the halacha and every talmid chachom and posek is able to examine my words and decide for himself whether to make halachic rulings in accord with my views. They can see that I did not blindly rely even on the writings of our great rabbis. I analyzed them with all my strength to understand their correctness - as we find stated by Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Similarly I request that all those who read my writings that they should carefully examine my words and only then [if they are acceptable] to make practical rulings in accord with them