Tanis (21a) Ilfa and R. Johanan studied together the Torah and they found themselves in great want and they said one to another, Let us go and engage in commerce so that of us may be fulfilled the verse, Howbeit there shall be no need among you. They went and sat down under a ruinous wall and while they were having their meal two ministering angels came and R. Johanan overheard one saying to the other, Let us throw this wall upon these people and kill them, because they forsake life eternal and occupy themselves with life temporal. The other angel replied: Leave them alone because one of them has still much to achieve.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Yad Moshe Hebrew being reprinted
After many months of waiting my printer just said he will be able to reprint my sefer
Not clear when it will be available again in the stores. The English version is still available from Amazon in paperback.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Steamed bread – mezonot or hamotzi?
https://dinonline.org/2018/11/02/steamed-bread-mezonot-or-hamotzi/
There’s a certain type of bread roll made in Asian cuisines called Bao, also known as steamed buns or baozi. They can either be stuffed with something, usually meat or sliced and used like a sandwich.
I’ve asked my Ashkenazi chavruta, who then asked another Rav about this and they could not come up with a reason why it could be considered mezonot. And when dining in kosher restaurants that serve such items at least one has told people it’s mezonot and others have said it’s hamotzi and one should wash.
Top Rabbi Says Rumors Are False, He DOES Oppose Rabbi Melamed’s “Peninei Halacha” Seforim
In a video, Rabbi Ariel clarified that the letter that he signed last week was in fact referring to Rabbi Melamed, and contrary to the rumors, he is against not only the new writings of the Rabbi but also the Peninei Halacha series.
In the video Rabbi Ariel said, “My position is that even with new issues that arise [in halacha], there is an established tradition in Klal Yisrael, which is accepted from generation to generation. And one must follow those who use the ‘Derech Hamelech’ of accepted psak.”
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed: Understanding the 'Heter' of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356288
Before Pesach, an evening of study and a siyyum of the books ‘Peninei Halakha’ took place in Efrat. I was privileged to have Rabbi Riskin shlita, the rabbi of the city for decades and the founder of Ohr Torah Stone participate in the evening, wishing to strengthen my halakhic position,
Israel might be about to recognise virtual weddings instead of civil marriage
A district court in Lod, an Israeli city, ruled Friday that Israel’s Interior Ministry is required to recognise the marriages of couples who use a virtual wedding service provided by Utah County in Utah.
If the decision stands, it would mean that couples who do not want to or cannot have an Orthodox Jewish wedding could get the benefits of marriage without leaving Israel, as they are currently required to do.
Those include LGBT+ couples, interfaith couples, and couples in which one partner is not recognised by one of the established religious authorities and couples who are committed to non-Orthodox Judaism.
Israeli court recognizes online civil marriages as valid
https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/07/11/israeli-court-recognizes-online-civil-marriages-as-valid/
MK Avi Maoz, head the Noam faction – an extremist faction known for its hardline anti-LGBTQ, anti-Reform positions – slammed the ruling, telling Kan 11 News that the court is "ignoring policy that has been in effect for decades. It's unthinkable that judges in Israel undermine the Jewish state and carry out a quiet coup to make Israel a people's state. God willing, this will be rectified soon," he said, alluding to the Nov. 1 general elections.
The concept of "a people's state" negates Israel's character as a Jewish state, stresses the need for absolute equality for all ethnic groups and denominations and advocates said equality be expressed by all state symbols, institutions and laws, in a way meant to create a unified national identity for all Israeli citizens.
Outsider status?
The Seforim blog just publish their list of sources including blogs
https://seforimblog.com/?lctg=77901787
Blogs
Blogs are generally not formally peer-reviewed and are generally written more informally and conversationally, but are often a great resource. With the shift from blogs to social media, many blogs have shifted to Facebook, and to a lesser extent Twitter and Reddit. (E.g., Mississippi Fred McDowel no longer posts on “On the Main Line”, but does on Facebook..) Blogs are far less active than they were. There are a lot of Facebook groups, which I’m less familiar with, and technically have to be added to and aren’t indexed by Google unfortunately (“walled gardens“, vs. “open platforms”).
- The Seforim Blog
- The Talmud Blog. Focuses on Talmud.
- Rationalist Judaism. Focuses on relationship of science and Judaism, besides for contemporary politics and hashkafa.
- Kavvanah.blog- The Book of Doctrines and Opinions
- Jewish Studies @ CUL . A blog affiliated with Columbia University, focused on Hebrew Bibliography.
- Footprints Blog – Tracing Jewish Books Through Time and Place . A blog affiliated with Columbia University, focused on Hebrew Bibliography.
- Safranim .
- Am Hasefer (עם הספר). The blog of Rambam Library of Tel Aviv, focused on Hebrew Bibliography.
- Hagahot. Active 2005 – 2013.
- Giluy Milta B’alma (גילוי מילתא בעלמא). Masthead: “We present here new and interesting findings in Hebrew Manuscripts, and Genizah- We welcome posts in Hebrew or English.”
- On the Main Line. Blog of “Shimon Steinmetz/ Mississippi Fred MacDowell”.
- English Hebraica . Another blog of “Mississippi Fred MacDowell”. Masthead: “Chronicling Jewish and Jewish themed writing in the English language prior to the 19th century. interesting biographies, diagrams, translations, transliterations and descriptions of Jewish learning and theology from primary sources.” Active 2006 – 2007. Since then posts on Facebook and Twitter.
- What’s Bothering Artscroll? . Another blog of “Mississippi Fred MacDowell”. Active 2006 – 2008.
- Hollander Books Blog. Masthead: “A bookseller and his books, his very many books. And a few ideas.”
- Kol Safran. Masthead: “A librarian’s comments on books, copyright, management, librarianship, and libraries that don’t get the full article treatment.” Many posts on topics in Jewish bibliography, as well as visits to Jewish libraries.
- Musings of a Jewish Bookseller. Masthead: “On Jewish Books, Jewish Bookselling and Jewish Booksellers”
- Notrikon (נוטריקון). In Modern Hebrew. Masthead: ”A journey through the space of the written word, between books, periods and people … stops at different stations, who knows where we will end up.”
- Oneg Shabbat (עונג שבת). Blog of Prof. David Assaf. Many interesting posts on modern Jewish history, and on history of Hasidut.
- HaSafranim – Blog of Israel National Library (הספרנים – בלוג הספרייה הלאומית). In Modern Hebrew. Focuses on Hebrew bibliography, and topics related to Modern Israel.
- 7minim (מינים). Masthead: “This blog is intended to allow me, Tomer Persico, to comment briefly on this and that”. Has a number of posts on recent scholarly books on history of Kabbalah (though the blog mostly focuses on contemporary issues).
- HaZirah HaLeshonit – Ruvik Rozental (הזירה הלשונית – רוביק רוזנטל). Many posts on history of individual Hebew words, by a well-known and popular Hebrew linguist.
- Leshoniada (לשוניאדה). In Modern Hebrew. Focuses on Hebrew linguistics.
- Safa Ivrit (השפה העברית). In Modern Hebrew. Focuses on Hebrew linguistics. Not quite a blog, rather a wide range of short articles on sources of sayings and words.
Stanley Prusiner: 'A Nobel prize doesn't wipe the scepticism away'
A scientific truth triumphs not by convincing its opponents but because its opponents eventually die, said influential physicist Max Planck. For Nobel prize-winning neurologist Stanley Prusiner, the quotation is "so mean" that he doesn't like to use it. "But it is absolutely true," he says.
Making Sexual Assault Great Again
BS"D
U.S. Congress: Making Enemy Sexual Assault Great Again
DON'T DRAFT OUR DAUGHTERS - EVER!
July 12, '22 / 13 Tammuz, 5782 / Bolok (25:4)
by Binyomin Feinberg, former contributor, The Jewish Press
American congressmen of both parties are currently seeking to oblige young women to register for Selective Service, in preparation for a future Draft. A vote in the U.S. House of Representatives' Rules Committee is scheduled for today, Tues., on various amendments to the Defense budget, NDAA23.
One of the noxious amendments that needs to be defeated is 457, by Rep. Jackie Speier (D, CA). Speier apparently isn't satisfied with the Trump cave-in to the subversive Transgender movement, running the military as it were founded to serve as federal caretakers for those claiming gender dysphoria. (The Army has nothing better to do?) She wants to restore the Obama-era LGBT regime, wherein "Private Parts Don't Matter" altogether. However, in addition to that, there are other objections to 457. One is the fact that, in the hands of abusive politicians, her legislation will almost certainly be manipulated to advance expansion of Selective Service to women. And that's a concern that may actually have a chance of garnering the Democratic opposition vital to its defeat - if the Republicans don't snatch defeat from the hands of victory.
Floor votes in the House start this Wednesday, presumably continuing through Thursday. The public is advised to reach out to all Representatives, with somewhat of a priority given to those who sit on the Armed Services Committee (whose views may carry more weight by some people). I don't know the Senate schedule yet.
Specifically, concerned citizens would be advised to urge their own Congressman, and then their Senator, TODAY [and certainly by Wednesday], as follows:
"Please do everything in your power to stop ANY expansion of Selective Service to women. And, specifically, vote against the "Speier" Defense Budget Amendment - number 457, and anything at all similar."
"We will definitely score ANY vote to expand Selective Service to women in ANY WAY - even within the Defense Budget - as a vote for America's enemies to rape America's mothers, daughters, and granddaughters."
"The current Selective Service system was instituted in 1980 President Carter to support the Mujhadeen in Afghanistan, which ultimately backfired. If we don't eliminate Selective Service altogether - we certainly should not expand it to women."
There are decent prospects of success, if enough Republicans realize that the public recognizes that Selective Service is, in reality, the obsolete, toxic, and wasteful legacy of the most favored U.S. President of the Afghan Mujhadeen, Jimmy Carter (https://www.
As one organization articulated, "if it comes down to it - kill Selective Service - not our daughters."
~~~
The House Rules Committee members are:
Jim McGovern, Massachusetts, Chair
Norma Torres, California
Ed Perlmutter, Colorado
Jamie Raskin, Maryland
Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania
Joseph Morelle, New York
Mark DeSaulnier, California, Vice-Chair
Deborah K. Ross, North Carolina
Joe Neguse, Colorado (sinceMay 12, 2021)
Tom Cole, Oklahoma, Ranking Member
Michael C. Burgess, Texas
Guy Reschenthaler, Pennsylvania
Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congressional Switchboard:
202-224-3121
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q) Why shouldn't America draft women - Israel does it!
A) That's precisely why. The sign of an idiot is someone who repeats the same actions, expecting different results. The quintessentially anti-Torah Israeli female military draft has been a disaster for Israeli society, and for the military itself, especially since the Obama-era integration of women into mixed units with men. [These concerns are based largely on reportage of facts in pro-Israeli venues, both religious and secular sources.]
~~~
Related articles:
On Israel's female military draft:
Another illustrative resource:
The following is a link to a Guidebook ("pocketbook") provided by the pro-Israel organization "Chotam." It's an English guide for religious girls to avoid enlistment in the IDF:
This very publication is a stinging indictment of the Israeli Army Draft Office, and the antireligious Establishment behind its escalating crusade to rob religious (and traditional) girls of their legal entitlement to a religious exemption from military service. The very need to publish such a guide speaks volumes of the danger posed to the next generation of Jewish mothers by "fellow Jews." The professional, psychological warfare techniques that these 16- and 17-year-old girls need to be trained to defend against, all alone - without even legal counsel or a family member - are almost as outrageous as they are anti-Torah. These techniques indicate how intent the Israeli military is on drafting increasing numbers of religious girls, and to what depths they're willing to stoop to do so. Thus, unrelenting vigilance is required in identifying developing trends in the encroachment of the female draft on religious communities. Moreover, we need to undo the entire female draft ASAP, for ALL girls, not only those the Draft Office deigns to sanction as religious enough to be exempt from the "Mizron Tzahali" (="IDF Mattress") treatment. No other path will solve the problem.
###
Ramban:: Independent opinion in the matter of Kabbah is folly and the cause of great harm.
Sefer HaIkkarim (2:28.13) Nahmanides, has said by way of admonition that the words of the Cabalists can not be understood or known by any kind of reason or intelligence, but only through oral communication by a wise Cabalist to an intelligent person. Independent opinion in the matter is folly and the cause of great harm. This is what Nahmanides says in his commentary on the Pentateuch. To sum up, Take heed unto thyself and be very careful lest thou be caught and fall into their snare, for they forsake the paths of uprightness and walk in ways of darkness. For those who make a study of the Cabala independently, without having an oral tradition from a learned Cabalist, know and understand nothing and walk in darkness.
Why a year into the Biden presidency, the US remains a climate laggard
When Biden first assumed office, he immediately issued a temporary ban on new drilling permits, pending a review of how they should be evaluated. Numerous oil companies and states sued the government; a federal judge in Louisiana agreed with states that they would suffer significant damage from the pause in permitting, and overturned the ban.
AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsifies Biden stance on fracking
President Donald Trump is persisting with the myth that Democratic rival Joe Biden proposes to ban fracking. Biden doesn’t.
TRUMP: “One of the most important issues for Pennsylvania is the survival of your fracking industry. Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to abolish fracking. He’s a liar. He’s a liar.” — remarks Tuesday night at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
THE FACTS: That’s false. Biden has repeatedly pledged not to abolish fracking.
Fact check: Biden temporarily banned new oil and gas leasing on public lands
The claim: Biden is banning fracking
Our rating: False
We rate this claim FALSE, based on our research. A Facebook claim stating that Biden is following through with a fracking ban referenced an article from a conservative opinion website that notes the Biden administration's recent environmental action. Biden signed two executive orders placing a temporary moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on public lands and offshore waters, but he has not banned fracking. The president said he will not put an end to fracking in remarks released by the White House.
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