העורך Editor

Don’t Call It Terror!

So, another murder of a Jew by a non-Jew in Israel. Ho hum. What I don’t understand is the attempt by “rightists” to get this or that murder declared as a nationalistic crime. Why? All this does, is encourage more of the same. If it’s “terror”, a prisoner exchange is all it takes for the state to free the man to murder more Jews (surprise, surprise!). Criminal murderers, on the other hand, are not exchanged. (Although, hey, perhaps the Arabs decide who they want back. I don’t know.)

The same thing occurs with “Jewish Terror“. Instead of making vandals pay the owner for the paint to cover graffiti, the state actually reads the graffiti and checks whom>who, where.

Of course, “terror” should not exist as a legal category. Murder ought to be punished the same way, regardless of uniforms or mind-reading, or electoral calculations.

And Decriminalize Jewish Self Defense Now!

Pulverizing the Prohibition to Pass Before People Praying

I heard in the name of one of the Achronim one may pass in front of someone praying Shmoneh Esrei (at least בשעת הדחק, which means: when you want to), since today no one has perfect Kavanah, even during Avos. This was quoted in the name of Shut Tzitz Eliezer vol.7 23:6, but he doesn’t say that at all (read it here on HebrewBooks). But it appears someone said it.

Now, first of all, this nonsense is far worse than it appears. What this means is no one need pray at all, since our prayers are all invalid. This is a misunderstanding of the Gemara (even assuming the description of reality is correct). But what’s worse, is the need to find a Heter, at all.

Now, I can understand why the Achronim felt the need to search for a Heter for holding on to Chametz on Pesach since circumstances actually changed from the time of Chazal. The law disallowing alcohol production for non-Jews, but not Jews, did not exist in Naharda’ah. So if a valid sale could be constructed whereby nothing changes, the quest would be validated. Now, as it happens, it cannot be, but the attempt was still valid.

But here, what has changed from the time of Chazal? I assume there were Jews whose prayer took more time, and Jews whose prayer took less time then, too.

מוסר מהי?

אתר זה מתנגד לשיטת המוסר. וכאן שואל הבן: הלא “מוסר” כתוב בתנ”ך ושנוי ומשולש בראשונים, אז כיצד ניתן להתנגד אליו?!

אלא מאי? המילה “מוסר” רצונו לומר עידוד לשמירת מצוות. מוסר היינו חיזוק הקיים בלבד, אך הוסב לשימוש כמערכת של “חיובים” חדשים הבאים, מטבע הדברים, על חשבון המצוות שכבר ניתנו. ועיין פירוש הרש”ר עה”ת כאן.

הרי זה ככינוי אמונת ע”ז בשם “אמונת היחוד”, נמצא הכופר בע”ז כופר ביחוד השם…

רש”י בבראשית כבר מזכיר את הפטנט:

“אז הוחל, לשון חולין, לקרא את שמות האדם ואת שמות העצבים בשמו של הקב”ה לעשותן אלילים ולקרותן אלהות”.