העורך Editor

I was going to write a short book review, but my time is up (it’s past time, actually!), so I will simply say this:

Most Seforim on this topic, aside from being shallow and deceptive, as explained within, are not written with the beginner in mind. If you want to get into the sugya, start with the new Sefer published on Hyehudi.org here, by our newest contributor, Yissachar Dov Kramer.

Mazel Tov to the author, and may he merit writing many more Torah works!

P.S. For the modesty aspects, I recommend this.

See the Meshech Chochma on Tetzave (Shmos 29:26), s.v. “Vehanafta… lecha lemana”, about why the expression “Mishlo’ach Manos” implies “Useful”.

We have written about the Is-Ought problem before because many of our modern intellectual errors stem from ignoring it.

Some have said to me the Ramchal seems to disagree, at least partially, in the famed quote from Derech Etz Chaim:

ואם היתה הידיעה רחבה ועומדת על לב בני האדם לא היו חוטאים לעולם, אך לא היה אפילו היצר קרוב אליהם ושולט עליהם, כמו שאינו שולט במלאכים. ולהיות שהקדוש ברוך הוא רצה שהאדם יהיה בעל יצר, שיוכל להיות מנוצח או נוצח בשיקול אחד, לכן שם בהם הידיעה, אך סגורה כגחלת, ושתוכל להתפשט כשלהבת, והבחירה ביד האדם. וחכמינו זכרונם לברכה, אמרו (בבא בתרא עח ב): “על כן יאמרו המושלים בואו חשבון” (במדבר כא כז), “המושלים” – אלו המושלים ביצרם, “בואו חשבון” – בואו ונחשוב חשבונו של עולם! כי מי שאינו מושל ביצרו, לא ישים עצמו לזה לעולם – אך המושלים ביצרם הם יעשו את הדבר הזה, וילמדוהו לאחרים לעשות אותו.

But no.

First of all, there are stories of even angels sinning in many ways. Second, Long Live the conditional “If”!

And it’s unclear the knowledge strength is what keeps angels from sinning; the Chicken and Egg problem. In other words, since possessing a surpassing awareness of the full truth (enlightenment, in other words) is impossible to those stuck in a more physical body than that of the angels, the Ramchal may as well have said we need daily sessions to overcome the body itself.

So אין אדם חוטא אלא אם כן נכנס בו רוח שטות, but knowing the mechanics of the atom bomb or the state or human weakness doesn’t mean you can stop it.

It’s like when inspirational speakers imply “if” one had true Emunah one would shed not a tear upon the passing of his close relatives. Sure, maybe, but so what?! One cannot be alive and have perfect Emunah, any more than one can perceive Hashem (um, wait, is that the same thing?):

ויאמר לא תוכל לראת את פני, כי לא יראני האדם וחי.

This might be a religiously-inspirational tautology, but no more.

“They say” the Amshinover Rebbe remembers the “whole” Torah, (as it says of Chassidim Harishonim in Brachos 32b: וכי מאחר ששוהין תשע שעות ביום בתפלה תורתן היאך משתמרת ומלאכתן היאך נעשית אלא מתוך שחסידים הם תורתם משתמרת ומלאכתן מתברכת). I don’t know if that’s true, but he certainly knows plenty (see the comments interspersed within the Halachic work on marital intimacy, “Mishkan Yisrael” and his commentary on the Chassidic “Avodas Yisrael” I think).

You said there was a story. That’s why I clicked. Where is the story?

I was just about to tell it!

Anyway, I know a family where the parents one day asked the eldest son whether he wants to get married, and the son said no. You can imagine… Without investigating any further (and since they were going to consult with the Rebbe on other matters anyway), they brought up this frightening problem as well.

The Rebbe answered: He’s embarrassed.

Shulchan Aruch Even Ha’ezer 35:5:

יש מי שאומר שאם האב הרצה הדברים לפני הבן שהוא רוצה לקדש לו, ושתק הבן, והלך האב וקידשה לו, הרי זו מקודשת, דמחמת כיסופא דאב שתק ועשאו שליח לקדש לו. אבל באיניש אחריני, כהאי גוונא, הרי זו ספק מקודשת.

The man comes from the Republican wing of the monstrous bird of prey. He was never a Trump fan.

Here’s a brilliant excerpt from a pre-election interview:

“Do you think Donald Trump can win?”

“I do.”

“Are you gonna support him?”

“I am.”

“Does it cause you pause when you think about how divided this country is, and how he is causing such division? I mean, Republicans, in your party, are burning their voter registration cards. They’re saying, ‘Never Trump.'”

“Well, one thing I’m pretty calm about is that this is nowhere near the most divisive period in American history,” McConnell said. “But what protects us in this country against big mistakes being made is the structure, the Constitution, the institutions.

“No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don’t get to do anything you want to. So I’m very optimistic about America. I’m not depressed about the nature of the debate.”

From CBS News, here.

“If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal.” Remember these words, and you’ll never sweat an election.