Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.12) ) Question: What is typically the reason to become a doctor? Answer The reason that people want to become doctors in modern times and even in previous times more than two hundred years for the sake of parnossa is not because it is fitting for his nature. Rather it is typically for the high status that it is perceived by ordinary Jews and non Jews. Medicine is inherently not only parnossa but also high status. Thus it has no connection to the view of Chovas Halevavos that everyone has an innate desire for a specific type of job or business. Therefore he says if a person is strongly attracted to a particular type of work and he can do it competently he should do it for the sake of parnossa. This rule only applies to a profession that a person is naturally attracted to do. and not for external reasons of great honor and wealth that it produces. The reason it is not a natural profession because the world was not created with a need for it since people initially did not become sick. Even though death was decreed on the first day immediately after Adam ate from the HaDaas, nevertheless there was no sickness until Yakov prayed for weakness. And still there was no sickness until Elisha who prayed for a cure.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Judge gives Trump admin two weeks to prove they aren't in contempt of court
The U.S. judge gave Trump lawyers two weeks to outline what, if any steps it has taken to facilitate the release of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month
Trump and Judiciary in Escalating Standoff Over Wrongfully Deported Migrant
Judge demands more answers from government about what it has done to facilitate migrant’s return
Donald Trump Tries to Run Harvard
Many of his demands on the school exceed his power under the Constitution.
The real stakes in Trump’s confrontation with Harvard
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/13/politics/trump-universities-research-economy-nih-cuts/index.html
Supporters of university research see another threat: the administration’s repeated moves to deport foreign students, including several for political viewpoints they expressed about the Israel-Hamas war. “If you are a smart kid in India or China, you are going to ask: ‘Why am I going to go to the United States?’” Kenney said.
These pincer moves have divided academic administrators, with some schools conceding to the administration’s demands (such as Columbia) and others pledging to fight them (Princeton). But the implications of these cutbacks will reverberate far beyond campus walls.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Obama calls Trump's freeze of Harvard funding 'unlawful'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0w2656x33o
President Donald Trump is freezing more than $2bn (£1.5bn) in federal funds for Harvard because it would not make changes to its hiring, admissions and teaching practices that his administration said were key to fighting antisemitism on campus.
Obama, a Harvard alum, described the freeze as "unlawful and ham-handed".
He called on other institutions to follow Harvard's lead in not conceding to Trump's demands.
"Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect," Obama wrote on social media.
White House: Abrego Garcia deportation to El Salvador ‘always going to be end result’
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5249835-abrego-garcia-deportation-el-salvador/
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed exasperation over media coverage of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national whom administration officials acknowledged in a court filing they mistakenly deported. Officials have since changed their tune on that matter, and the lawyer who wrote of the “administrative error” has since been put on leave.
Leavitt also indicated Abrego Garcia would simply be deported again if he was returned to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia’s family has asserted he is not a member of MS-13 like the government has claimed, but rather fled from El Salvador as a teen to escape gang violence. The government’s assertion is based on a tip from a confidential informant claiming he was involved with the gang in New York, though Abrego Garcia has never lived there.
The Supreme Court last week determined the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia. So far, there’s been no indication that the administration has taken any action that could help lead to his return.
Medical education Difference in time of Rishonim anf Modern Times
Igros Moshe (YD IV #36.12) Question: How can the study of medine be prohibited since a number of Rishonim were doctors? Answer You need to know that those Rishonim who were involved in medicine did not go to medical school or college. They were self educated from books or they served an apprenticeship with a renown doctor in his house. . In addition they studied only medicine and did not need to learn other subjects. As a consequence they lost very little time from Torah study. This approach is not relevant today since it requires attending medical school and studying subjects other than medicine. and that also has to be done at medical school. All of this requires interruption of Torah study and to remain there most of the day with people who have no connection at with Torah. Consequently the study of medicine today is not relevant to most of those who want to be bnei Torah and also talmidei chachomim. Even if you can find individuals who are talmidei chachomim and also doctors in reality they have not achieved their full potential in Torah. In addition even in the field of medicine they have not accomplished their full potential unless medicine is their principal focus in which case eventually there will be a degradation of their Torah knowledge. Even though it is possible that there will be unique individuals who as doctors will also be genuine Torah scholars this is clearly not relevant for everyone and one should not assume automatically that he will be able to accomplish this level. .
College and secular Studies
Igros Moshe (YD III #82) Question: What is the significance of secular studies for yeshiva students? Answer It is well known in the Torah world what I have stated on many occasions to bnei Torah concerning secular studies. Not only bnei Torah but also to yeshiva students who are capable of growing in Torah and pure fear of G-d. Secular study even if it doesn’t have any heretical ideas or co-ed classes is prohibited since it means neglecting eternal life which that alone is prohibited even after growing in Torah to a very high level as is seen from the gemora in Tanis (21a) concerning Rav Yochanon and Ilfa. However for yeshiva students and young kollel men who haven’t achieved sufficient mastery of Torah and nevertheless are involved in secular studies, it is not possible for them to develop properly in Torah studies in this generation since that requires exclusive devotion to Torah.to understand it properly and he is squandering his abilities on secular study. An addition problem is that eventually secular study becomes his main concern. That is inevitable since his yetzer advises him to increasingly ignore the study of Torah so he has more time to devote for secular studies which he needs for parnossa. Even if this doesn’t happen it is still impossible to grow properly in Torah or even be a partial Torah scholar and ben Torah if he is stealing time and effort from his Torah studies in order to study secular subjects. Consequently instead of growing in Torah he is constanting diminishing. This is especially true after it is clear that those who go to college are more successful. This success causes people to go to schools in which there are all the abominations in the world. People rationalize that it is only for a short time and that he won’t be corrupted there even though everyone knows the rationalizations are not true. Irregardless anyone who is involved in secular studies can not even be a ben Torah and surely not a talmid chachom. Furthermore every ben Torah and yeshiva student needs to be aware of the great destruction of Torah by secular studies because of the great obligation for Torah study and growing to be a godol in Torah, halacha and fear of G-d. Consequently it is plainly and simply prohibited for bnei Torah and yeshiva students who are capable growing in Torah and instead they steal time and effort for secular studies, despite the silence and that this is not told to all Jews and not even to all religious Jews. Concerning parnossa, I have already said many times that this is the advice of the wicked that is mentioned at the beginning of Tehillim. This also results in great punishment. Those that listen and don’t desert Torah at all should be blessed with success in Torah according to their desires as well as all material things and all blessings.
ICE Realize They Arrested Wrong Teen, Say 'Take Him Anyway'
https://www.newsweek.com/merwil-gutierrez-ice-wrong-teen-el-salvador-2059783
Federal immigration authorities apprehended a 19-year-old in New York despite realizing he was not the intended target.
The young man, Merwil Gutiérrez, was later deported to El Salvador's notorious super prison, despite his family's insistence that he has no gang ties or criminal history.
Coed school
Igros Moshe (Y.D. I #137): Question: Is it permitted for young boys and girls to be taught together? Answer Coeducation, for even the youngest children, is surely something that would not please our Sages. While small children experience neither temptation nor lewd thoughts, we must still train them to distance themselves from women. Yet when they study together, they become accustomed to closeness. They will remain accustomed to this when they grow up, as well, when they do face temptation, and the danger of lewd thought. Therefore, although there is no risk of breaking any prohibition now, our educational duty still stands." I am willing to be lenient in an emergency, where an all-girl school cannot be formed, and the alternative is public school." which teaches neither faith nor good deeds. Better that very young children, regarding whom the prohibition does not apply, should be educated in schools founded by the God-fearing, even if boys and girls study together. It is clear and simple that if there is any chance of founding an all-girl school, it must be done. Of course, slightly older children are legally forbidden'" to study either religious or secular subjects in such a school.
Igros Moshe (YD II #104) Question: Is it permitted for young boys and girls to be taught together? Answer You obviously don’t need me to answer this question but merely to reinforce your view since you say there is a dispute even from some religious Jews who don’t realize that there are concerns. Therefore I am writing that my view is this is prohibited and I have previously ruled that this is from the age of six in some places However there are those who claim that there is no problem because there is no lust for the opposite sex at this age. Nevertheless there is an obligation of chinuch which means to accustom them to behave now in staying away from the opposite sex because they will need to do it later. However when they learn together as children they become accustomed to be with the opposite sex so that this will continue even when they are older when they will have lust for the opposite sex. So even though there is no problem of prohibited sin now when they are little children but there is a an obligation of chinuch. There in fact is a dispute about the nature of chinuch whether the behavior needs to be exactly the way it will be when they grow up or only similar. So those who are lenient say that since young children don’t have lust there is not even a mitzva of chinuch. However I hold that it is prohibited to teach boys and girls together even when very young. In America there is a question of what age is considered a child. Some want to say this means even at the age of 9 or 10 they are still children. While it is clear that even young boys and girls should not be taught together, there are some places that I have agreed that they can be lenient and have coed classes . That is because it is impossible to have a separate school for boys and girls and that would result in the children going to public school. Therefore it is obviously better that they learn in a religious school even if the classes are coed for young children.
Bar/bas mitzva Celebration
Igros Moshe (OC I #104) Question Can you celebrate a bas mitzva in the same way as a bar mitzva? Answer Under no circumstance should a bas mitzva be celebrated n the synagogue even at night! That is because the celebration of a bas mitzva is not considered a mitzva. It is especially problematic since the idea for this celebration is from the Reform and Conservatives. While if the father wants to make a celebration in his home it is appropriate but just understand this is not considered a mitzva at all but is no more than a birthday party. In fact if I had the power I would eliminate in America the celebration of a bar mitzva. Since as is well known this doesn’t bring anyone closer to Torah and mitzvos including the bar mitzva boy himself. In fact the opposite is true that many times it causes profaning Shabbos and other sins. However since the bar mitzva celebration has become the standard practice and in addition it is associated with mitzva it is difficult to stop it. Nevertheless with regard to the bas mitzva celebration it has no associated mitzva at all. So it is best to refrain from even celebrating it in the house even though it is not prohibited. Surely it is prohibited to be done in the synagogue even at night when people are not praying.
Igros Moshe (O.C. II #097): Question You asked why there is no meal for a bas Mitzvah who is 12 years old like is made for a bar mitzvah since she is now obligated to keep mitzvos? Answer Let me add and reinforce the question. Even though the girl does not give a speech and even if she did it means nothing since she is exempt from Torah Study nevertheless on the day of a bar mitzva the meal is a meal of mitzva even if the boy does not give a speech so it should also should be considered a meal of mitzvah on the day of Bas Mitzva? A possible answer is that it is not obvious with a girl that her status has changed and she is no longer a child. With a boy he is now counted as part of a minyan and is counted as part of three that require Zimun. In general If it not obvious that a change has taken place we don’t make a festive occasion or meal. Since the boy can now also say Berachos and prayers as well as the Hagada for others it is obvious his status has changed and that justifies making a festive meal. In contrast with a girl it is not obvious that her status has changed and thus we don’t make a festive meal.
Igros Moshe (OC IV #36) Question What is the significance of the celebration of a bas mitzvah Answer The meal for a bas mitzva is not a seudas mitzva (meal of mitzva) but is merely a birthday celebration and therefore it should not be done in the synagogue. However to make a kiddush in shul is the common practice in America as is the practice for all joyous occasions. It is also appropriate to say things in honor of the Simcha. However the speeches should not be made from the bimah in the shul but at the table where the kiddush is served. If it was already decided otherwise to make a more elaborate celebration and changing it to a simple kiddush is regarded as insulting and will cause disputes, then the original plans should be followed. But in the future make only a simple kiddush that would be made for other simchas. There should be no celebration which causes degradation and profaning Shabbos and other problems even for a bar mitzva even if the intent is to bring people closer to Torah and mitzvos. Even if this might be true for a particular girl, but for most girls it is best to avoid this new innovation of an elaborate bas mitzva but as I mentioned disputes need to be avoided
Rav has no portion in World to Come
Making of a Godol (pages 670-671) Upon hearing of a certain man's plans to become a shohet, R' Laib told him, "A shohet? Are you unaware that Avos de\Rabbi Nosson (36:5) lists a shohet among the seven who have no share in the World to Come'?!" The luckless fellow then said he would have to look for an alternate occupation. But R' Laib stopped him and said, "No, no, go ask the rav. Another of the seven is a rav, and he must have found some dispensation which may apply to you, too." [Another of my father's talmidim, present at the time, asked him what then was the heter for becoming a rav, and he replied, "When I took the job in Tzitevian,I thought to myself that if there were someone in the town better able to rule on halakhic problems than myself, I would resign, and if not, I was obliged to be the rav' ([My father meant to say that an obligation overrides the World to Come consideration.])
Avos de\Rabbi Nosson (36:5) שבעה אין להם חלק לעוה״ב ואלו הן לבלר וסופר וטוב שברופאין ודיין לעירו וקוסם חזן וטבח:
Shabbos (139a) It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei ben Elisha says: If you see a generation that many troubles are befalling it, go and examine the judges of Israel. Perhaps their sins are the cause, as any calamity that comes to the world comes due to the judges of Israel acting corruptly, as it is stated: “Please hear this, heads of the house of Jacob, and officers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. Their heads they judge for bribes, and their priests teach for hire, and their prophets divine for money; yet they lean upon the Lord, saying: Is not the Lord in our midst? No evil shall befall us” (Micah 3:9–11).