Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Novominsker Rebbe publicly discusses child molesting at Aguda Conference

The following is a link to a recording of this year's Aguda Convention. Between minutes 31-35 the Novominsker Rebbe publicly announces that it is time to take the issue out from under the rug. While he places the main responsibility on parents  and does not acknowledge any responsibility of the yeshivos or community - accept to praise the Aguda and Torah uMesora for producing behavioral standards for teachers in conjunction with their lawyers and  fighting against the Markey Bill -  it is clearly a small step forward that is long overdue.

2010_Thur_Night_Session_01 - 01 - Track 1.mp3 9.55 MB

Chinuch: Divine Providence applies only to man

Chinuch (#169): There are some groups that believe that Providence applies to every living creature - both man and animal. There are also those who extend Providence further and say it applies to every entity in the world - living or non-living. In other words they say that the smallest entity only moves as response to G-d’s will and decrees. They go so far as to say that even when a single leaf falls off a tree that G-d decreed that it should fall. That it is impossible that its falling be delayed and advanced by an instant. However such a belief is ridiculous - extremely far from human intelligence. There are also evil groups that assert that there is no such thing as Providence for anything in the world whether for people or the rest of living creatures. This view is the view of heretics and it is evil and bitter. However we Jews believe that Providence applies to living creatures only in general – other than man. In other words, the different species are sustained so that the species themselves don’t become extinct. In contrast we believe that regarding man that there is Providence for each and every person which varies according to his deeds. This teaching we know by tradition passed down by the great sages - as well as many verses that teach these principles.

Child Abuse:October 17 JBAC program - corrected audio links

Latest medical reversal: High levels of Vitamin D & calcium not needed!


NYTimes

The very high levels of vitamin D that are often recommended by doctors and testing laboratories — and can be achieved only by taking supplements — are unnecessary and could be harmful, an expert committee says. It also concludes that calcium supplements are not needed.[...]

Child Abuse:October 17 JBAC program in Chicago- audio & video download links

Received the following announcement with permission to post

Rabbi Eidensohn,

A
ll the video files are on You Tube.  Search on "JBACChicago" (one word). Some of the content will not show up unless you create a You Tube Account and are logged in.

anyone who is having technical difficulties to contact us at chicago.awareness@gmail.com,


Here are the links to the audio versions of the files.  These are stored so anyone who has the link below can access them.  They can be downloaded (right click on link) or played directly from where they are (left click on link):

Download link                                                           Filesize
http://boxstr.net/files/6909461_5zqo9/01_Dorron_Katzin_intro.mp3            2 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909462_gtdvn/02_Vivian_Skolnick_intro.mp3         10 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909463_8ulgt/03_Elliot_Pasik_intro.mp3            23 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909464_fbvjv/04_Rabbi_Gedalia_Dov_Schwartz.mp3    22 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909465_sfeca/05_Mark_Weiss.mp3                    25 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909466_hnylq/06_Pinny_Taub.mp3                    33 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909467_qpszc/07_Patricia_Sudendorf.mp3            14 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909468_nsjfq/08_Vivian_Skolnick.mp3               20 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909469_cbxm3/09_Rabbi_Mark_Dratch.mp3             25 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909470_ofhd1/10_Asher_Lipner.mp3                  19 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909471_9oiul/11_Rabbi_Moshe_Soloveichik.mp3       15 MB
http://boxstr.net/files/6909472_0gnig/12_Elliot_Pasik.mp3                  23 MB


Here are the links to the video versions of the files.  They can be downloaded, but not streamed, from this location.  People who want to stream without downloading should use You Tube.

Download link                                                            Filesize     Min Sec

http://boxstr.net/files/6910153_aqqoi/01_Dorron_Katzin_intro.mp4            36 MB       01:22

http://boxstr.net/files/6911461_7mxac/02_Vivian_Skolnick_intro.mp4         180 MB       06:53

http://boxstr.net/files/6911462_lohmu/03_Elliot_Pasik_intro.mp4             69 MB       02:38

http://boxstr.net/files/6911463_agtlg/04_Rabbi_Gedalia_Dov_Schwartz.mp4    411 MB       15:46

http://boxstr.net/files/6911504_4gyfy/05_Mark_Weiss.mp4                    474 MB       18:14

http://boxstr.net/files/6911525_umkxz/06_Pinny_Taub.mp4                    622 MB       23:56

http://boxstr.net/files/6911708_pr6f9/07_Patricia_Sudendorf.mp4            268 MB       10:14

http://boxstr.net/files/6911709_ffw4k/08_Vivian_Skolnick.mp4               377 MB       14:28

http://boxstr.net/files/6913025_7pjsn/09_Rabbi_Mark_Dratch.mp4             482 MB       18:30

http://boxstr.net/files/6913026_5ta7q/10_Asher_Lipner.mp4                  368 MB       14:09

http://boxstr.net/files/6913617_ywrfa/11_Rabbi_Moshe_Soloveichik.mp4       289 MB       11:06

http://boxstr.net/files/6913618_8auhe/12_Elliot_Pasik.mp4                  436 MB       16:44


Sunday, November 28, 2010

Israel to build detention center for illegal immigrants


Haaretz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet approved Sunday a proposal to establish a detention center for illegal migrants on Israel's southern border with Egypt.

As the cabinet prepared to vote on the proposal, which was aimed at curbing the mass numbers of African migrants trying to enter Israel, Netanyahu clarified: "We will not detain refugees of war, but we must stop the massive entry of infiltrators."

"There is a swelling wave threatening Israeli jobs, a wave of illegal migrants that we must stop because of the harsh implications for Israel's character," Netanyahu added. [...]

The problem of social morality during the time of Yeshaya Hanavi:

From the essay "Social Injustice: When Leadership Fails " found here: http://www.marbitz.com/yeshaya.html

What is Social Justice?

Over and over again, as we have now seen, the prophet admonishes his people over their neglect for others - especially others left vulnerable by difficult lives. Clearly, the problem is more than just a relatively isolated weakness in Torah observance (as we might classify a failure to properly observe the laws of, say, kosher food), but stands directly and violently opposed to everything that a Jew is meant to be.

Overwhelmingly, Isaiah's rebukes are delivered in the context of the words "justice" and "righteousness" - משפט וצדק. Before properly understanding the larger subject, we should see if we can't achieve a better understanding of these words themselves.

(This discussion is drawn from "Collected Writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch" Vol IV, pp 69-70.) The verb "shafet" (שפט) means to bring something to its proper place. Its noun, "mishpat" (משפט) is hence a process which seeks (to paraphrase Rabbi Hirsch) the satisfactory fulfillment of justified demands. In other words, a human being has a right to his lawful property, status and dignity. When he is illegally deprived of these possessions, he has the right to demand their return. The institution of mishpat - justice - is the tool through which his claim should be addressed.

The noun "tzedek" (צדק), on the other hand, denotes the place where things belong. An act of "tzedaka" - righteousness - therefore, involves acting as one should; disposing of assets as God would have them disposed. Or, in Rabbi Hirsch's own words: "doing one's duty...in accord with the will of God...The fulfillment of the Torah...It takes into account the requirements, rather than merely the legal claims, of the person concerned."

Thus, mishpat acknowledges and promotes the legal rights of individuals when they come in conflict with each other or the state. While Tzedaka places the burden of Divinely-inspired perfection directly on the shoulders of each individual and each instrument of the state, regardless of the purely legal strengths or  weaknesses of their opponents' claims.

These principles, tzedek and mishpat, are what we mean by the phrase "social justice." Both of these together - the sense of responsibility towards the rights of our fellow human beings and the sense of obligation to the morality of God's Torah - form the only reasonable foundation for a Jewish community. Their absence is inherently corrupting of both communal and private life.

Now, in light of these tzedek and mishpat ideals, let's take another look at the prophet's particular criticism.  Nearly all of the examples from our list above involve abuse of privilege: members of society's powerful classes seeking to enhance their own positions at the expense of the poor and weak. There can be no doubt that crime is wrong no matter who commits it and no matter who is the victim. The poor may no more expect a court to wrongly tilt justice towards them than the rich (see Rashi to Deut. 1:17). But, nevertheless, Isaiah largely ignores the Robin Hoods of the Jewish world. While they, too, may be reprehensible thieves, they are not guilty of quite such a grievous form of oppression.  Tzedek and mishpat are primarily the responsibility of the powerful. Of leaders.

Who constituted the powerful classes of Isaiah's world? Kings and government officials, judges, the wealthy, large landowners and Torah scholars (for particular reference to Torah scholars and judges, see TB Shabbos 139a)...anyone whose social standing allowed him some control over others and who could call on highly-placed allies when needed. These are the people who are most tempted by crimes of power and it is to these people that Isaiah's message of social morality is addressed.

Yeshiva education causes low self-esteem & susceptibility to Internet addiction

Just noticed this haskoma that Rav Reuven Feinstein gave to "Bringing Out the Best" by Rabbi Roll. The book describes how to build self-esteem based on the wisdom of the Alter of Slobadka. What isinteresting is Rabbi Feinstein stating:
 "In yeshivos today there is literally a pandemic of low self-esteem. An outcome of this most horrible condition, is that once a person has achieved a state where self-worth and self-value are diminished, that person is literally open to all foreign pressures, both within and without our community. Once those pressures are given free reign, the outcome is without exception, negative."
I asked someone who is a principal about this and he said simply it is a serious problem in the litvishe yeshivas but not in the chassidic or Sefardic ones. He said it is an inherent result of the elitist philosophy that if you are not the best in learning you are nothing. He agreed that this is a reflection of the success of the view espoused by Rav Dessler in Michtav M'Eliyahu. See Rav Dessler - producing gedolim at expense of others. In the chassidic and sefardic yeshiva systems it is possible to have self-esteem in ways other than being the top guy in learning.

My question is since the pandemic of low self-esteem is apparently a direct and inevitable consequence of the yeshiva education itself than why is it being lamented? This is akin to the son who killed his parents and then pleads for mercy since he is an orphan. You can't deliberately develop an educational system that inevitably destroys self-esteem and then bemoan the fact that yeshiva kids go off the derech because they have low self-esteem.

This is related to my recent post about the dangers of the Internet. While the yeshiva world is warning of the huge danger that the Internet presents to our communities - they seem to be ignoring the risk factors which make people susceptible to Internet addiction. One of them happens to be low self-esteem.

In short, it is well within the capability of the yeshiva world to build up self esteem in their students and thus diminish the real dangers from the outside secular world - but they chose not to and instead focus on restricting access to the outside world. An exercise in futility.

Is Yoga avoda zara?


NYTimes

Yoga is practiced by about 15 million people in the United States, for reasons almost as numerous — from the physical benefits mapped in brain scans to the less tangible rewards that New Age journals call spiritual centering. Religion, for the most part, has nothing to do with it.

But a group of Indian-Americans has ignited a surprisingly fierce debate in the gentle world of yoga by mounting a campaign to acquaint Westerners with the faith that it says underlies every single yoga style followed in gyms, ashrams and spas: Hinduism. [...]

Friday, November 26, 2010

Falsely asserting that Rabbinic law is Torah law - to ensure compliance

Daas Torah page 209

Permitted

Chasam Sofer (Kovetz Teshuvos #58):
I wrote to you previously that “Innovation is prohibited by the Torah.” I did not write that Orlah or Kelayim…but innovation. That is because I understood from our Sages that it is required to be one who preserves the Torah. They warned against those who provide an opening and seek leniencies for the radicals of our people who desire them. If these radicals find a minute crack, they will greatly expand it into a breach…. Therefore, it is best to elevate and exaggerate the nature of the prohibition [and say that Rabbinic prohibitions are Torah prohibitions]… That is because due to our many sins there is a great increase today of people who say they have no concern with Rabbinic prohibitions since G-d did not command them… We find the wicked writing on Shabbos because they claim it is only a Rabbinic prohibition. They have no concern with anything which has been commanded only by our Sages and not by G-d Himself…

Prohibited


Maharetz Chajes (Darchei Hora'ah #6): I disagree with the Chasam Sofer’s ruling that one should say that a Rabbinic prohibition is a Torah prohibition i.e., to upgrade the nature of prohibitions. Even though we see our Sages viewed it permitted to frighten with their descriptions of the seriousness of prohibitions as we see in the Rambam (Sanhedrin 7:4)…They said that certain things are equivalent to murder and worshipping idols. Many other things they have described as deserving of the death penalty. All this is only to frighten and scare. However to say that a Rabbinic prohibition is really a Torah prohibition - the Rambam (Hilchos Mamrim 2:9) clearly states that this itself violates the Torah prohibition of adding to the Torah. Such a practice also violates the Torah prohibition of lying - even if it is done for a good reason. Our Sages were always very concerned to identify and keep separate that which is from the Torah and which are Rabbinical legislation - even if there were no practical halacha involved.

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Dibros Moshe Kesubos Tshuva 3:6): You assert that it is correct to describe something as a Torah prohibition - when in fact it is fully permitted or only a rabbinic prohibition. You make this claim even though you know that the Rambam (Hilchos Mamrim 2:9) views it as a violation of the Torah prohibition of adding to the Torah. You claim that it is permitted when there is an emergency need to establish something and have people accept its validity. Your justification is from the fact that extra-legal punishments are permitted in emergency situations. However, when you give such extra-legal punishments and claim they are from the Torah, the Rambam rules that this is a violation of the prohibition of adding to the Torah. Everybody would agree that there is a prohibition to falsify that which was given at Sinai - whether for a leniency or restriction. The Yam shel Shlomo (Bava Kama 4:9) rules that such upgrading of the prohibition is a form of rejecting the Torah itself and in fact he requires martyrdom rather than to alter the status of a halacha…Obviously he views it as much more serious a transgression than the sin of adding to the Torah…Furthermore even when extra-legal punishment is given for emergency situations it is required that it be openly stated that this punishment is extra-legal…

Krav Maga: Israeli Self-Defense Goes Global


Time

Getting pummeled by three men with kicks, punches and jabs is not how I typically spend my vacation. Yet there I was on Military Base 8 defending myself from a trio of Israeli attackers. But my assailants — brothers Avi and Shlomi Moyal and Haim Sasson — weren't trying to rob me, they were simply doing their job: training me to protect myself via the increasingly hip Israeli self-defense technique known as Krav Maga.

Literally "close contact" in Hebrew, Krav Maga has its roots in 1930s Europe, where its founder, Slovakia-born Imi Lichtenfeld, developed the martial art to protect himself from anti-Semitic street gangs. A decade later, Lichtenfeld had immigrated to Israel, where he introduced his distinctive fighting system to the nation's then fledgling military, which made it part of its combat training. Today, Krav Maga is a veritable international phenomenon, with the Los Angeles–based Krav Maga Worldwide offering instruction to over 230 civilian affiliates in 17 countries and 500 law-enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. Embraced by the FBI and SWAT teams alike, Krav Maga is also a staple of high-end gyms across the globe, where a faster-paced and less-combative version provides a workout that could literally save your life. [...]

Absolute refutations and absolute answers are rare

Daas Torah page 206

Ramban (Introduction to Milchemes HaShem):
For those who look at my sefer, don’t say in your heart that all my responses to the Ba’al HaMeor are in my eyes absolutely correct and obviously true and would therefore force everyone to acknowledge them. For everyone who studies our Talmud is well aware that concerning disputes between the commentaries that there are no absolute proofs or absolutely unanswerable questions. In fact, in this area of wisdom, things are not clear and unambiguous as we find in mathematical proofs. The main effort is to show that one position is more likely and more reasonable than the alternatives - rather then to show that one is entirely correct and the other is entirely wrong.

Skeptic who also rejects truth worse than fool who believes everything

Daas Torah page 203

Rabbi Nachman (Sichos HaRan 103): It is better to be the fool who believes in everything’ (Mishlei 15:15). In other words, it is better to believe and have faith - even if you end up believing in stupidity and lies - if you at least also believe in the truth. This is far superior to the other extreme of being a cynical skeptic who successfully rejects stupidity and lies but at the same time also rejects the truth because of his reflexive skepticism and ridicule of all beliefs. This is what Chazal (Eduyos 5:6) say, ‘It is better that I be called a fool all my life and not be wicked for a moment before G﷓d’.

Maharal :Silencing questions & suppressing dissent indicates a weak religion


Daas Torah page 202

Maharal (Be’er HaGolah #7): One should not reject something which is against one’s views…especially if it is not presented as an attack on religion but is simply is an honest expression of the other person’s understanding of faith. Even if it is against one’s religious faith, he should not say, “Be quiet and shut your mouth.” Because if one silences sincere questions there will not be a clarification of that person’s religious understanding. In fact, such a person should be encouraged to speak and fully express how he feels. If sincere questions are silenced that is indicative that the religion is weak and needs to be protected from inquiry. This attitude is the opposite of what some people think. They mistakenly think that silencing questions strengthens religious faith. In fact however suppressing of dissent and questions indicates a weak religion. Thus, we find with our ancestors that even if they found something in books against religion they would not simply reject it…