העורך Editor

When establishment Beis Dins are trying to pin something on you for Nidduy (excommunication), and you refuse to help destroy yourself, what do they do?

Excommunicate on charges of “contentiousness”, and call it a day.

As part of my sentence for “sedition” against the Oslo Accords government, I did community service in a state nursing home. One of the old gentlemen there told me his own story about a different gulag:

“When I went to first grade in the Stalin-era public school in Russia, I made sure never to ask permission from my teacher to let me use the bathroom. It was very important to me to be sure that when I would need to ask permission to go to the bathroom, she would believe me and let me leave the classroom. I knew that I would need to use this escape route when the state nurse would come to check the personal hygiene of the students. If she would find the tzitzit (ritual fringes) that I had under my shirt, she would report me to the authorities and my father would be sent to his death in Siberia.”

My friend in the nursing home told this story very matter-of-factly. But it gave me the goose bumps. I was in awe of the father who would risk his life for his faith and the little boy whose fear of Heaven made him truly free at the ripe old age of six.

A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.

― John le Carré

להלן מכתבו של הרב יהודה הנקין לרב גיל סטודנט על משיחיסטים ואלוקיסטים בליובאוויטש:

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מאתר Moshiach Talk, כאן.

והנה ספר “בקורת הגאולה” של הרב סטודנט בעצמו להראות שהרב מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן זצ”ל אינו המשיח:

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מאתר Moshiach Talk, כאן.

Reprinted with permission.

Myself, I was taught when you lack the requisite money, don’t even peek at the items for sale. As the Chazon Ish says in a letter, loans taken for personal consumption are physically and religiously destructive.

But this lesson doesn’t only apply to economics. Some people rely heavily on “Shalmei Nedarim” when studying Nedarim because “What other commentaries are there?!” It’s like an orphan who won’t go into business for himself because he can’t handle the facts of life.

There are barely any commentaries to elucidate the basic text of the Yerushalmi, so otherwise-intelligent Jews pretend the columns snaking around the page are anywhere near equivalent to Bavli commentaries. There is no Shach on Even Ha’ezer, so Beis Shmuel is studied just as closely. The same goes for Ayeles Hashachar on Zevachim, since there are too few commentaries on Zevachim (unless you like studying Ayeles Hashachar elsewhere, too), and so on.

Whatever happened to patience, hard-headedness, and good judgment? Not everything with Rashi script needs Genizah. Not everything which looks like Rashi is Rashi. Not everyone alive during the time period of the Rishonim was a “Rishon”, either.

And pardon the rudeness, but as they sing in Israel: וגם לתייש יש זקן. You would think that’s obvious, but common sense is not very common, because of some strain of Emunas Chachamim. The psychological strain of not living with Chazal doesn’t encourage people to grow but makes them fantasize about their rabbi being one of Chazal. (They won’t admit this, but this belief is demonstrated by their actions.)

You blindly rely on “Gedolim”? Good for you, and so do I; but don’t you have to find them first? As the Ba’al Koreh tries to tell you once a year — while you’re smacking your lips on Rabbi Meshulam Brandwein’s wonderful Gana Depilpelei — even if Moshe Rabbenu did pass away, that’s still no excuse for worshipping the Golden Calf.

Question: But, But… (Vayikra Rabba 11:8):

נמשלו ישראל לעוף מה העוף הזה אינו פורח בלא כנפים כך ישראל אין יכולים לעשות דבר חוץ מזקניהם

Right, so since it can’t handle the lack of real Semichas Chachamim the “wingless bird” should just jump off the roof? (And yet we can survive without the Beis Hamikdash just fine.)

Incidentally, sucking your thumb really does relieve hunger, psychologically…

Good to know.

You’re welcome.

If serving Hashem was a serious business, this wouldn’t happen. In the workplace, when a vital tool is missing, you get to sit around for a while. Is Torah study less serious than cleaning or web design or trading stocks? You lack written or oral guides to some text? Learn harder or learn Beki’us!

You prefer Torah examples? OK. Missing a hand? Exempt from Tefillin. A goy fully missing the Gid doesn’t require Hatafas Dam Bris for Geirus. Ill and fasting? A sinner. (Unless you’re a Brisker, in which case, never mind…)

The root problem is Judaism is just a plaything, so we feel: Why should anyone miss out because of Onnes or She’as Hadechak or more than Chomesh or Piku’ach Nefesh or… Instead of seeking God’s truth Lishmah, with enjoyment a helpful side-effect, they seek a religious high directly.

As the Chazon Ish says in Emunah Ubitachon 1:8 (and this deserves a separate discussion):

ואמנם בהיות האדם אוהב לחדש ולהרצות לפני קהל, נצברו הרבה שקרים בספרי התולדות, כי בן אדם אינו שונא את הכזב בטבעו, ורבים האוהבים אותו ומשתעשעים בו שעשועי ידידות, ועל החכם להבר בספורי הסופרים לקבל את האמת ולזרות את הכזבים, וכאן יש כר נרחב אל הדמיון…

Except for Breslov, genuine Chassidim (in the modern sense) prefer an “Avodas Avodah” over the details in the Shulchan Aruch for this same spurious spirituous spiritual Ta’avah of numinous Deveikus. So what if the hour or location render the prayer invalid?!

Eruvin 64a:

… שיכור אל יתפלל ואם התפלל תפלתו תועבה…

As the preachers say, correctly, it’s not Avodas Hashem but “Avodas Atzmo”. As we explained elsewhere, this is the idea behind Avoda Zara, as well. Yeshayahu Leibowitz would also use the “Frum is a Galach” expression (mentioned in the above link). And as for…

You know this post became a shpiel, right…?

I’ll stop then.

Too late! Everyone left.