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Honest rabbis often tell precocious youth not to be alarmed when finding strange thoughts in the Achronim (here are some examples). Then some of them go out and loudly say so on the internet…

Here’s one example:

A compilation on Bein Hazmanim called “Vayehi Benso’a” goes into the laws of Pas Akum, known for their extensive kulos, and finds a new find.

The author mentions the distinguished responsa Chikrei Lev (Y.D. 24). Without going into the famous Nesivos 234 (No shogeg in Derabbanan: ואפשר דאף דבאיסורי תורה אפילו אוכלן בשוגג צריך כפרה ותשובה להגין על היסורין, מ”מ באיסור דרבנן א”צ שום כפרה וכאילו לא עבר דמי, תדע דהא אמרינן בעירובין דף ס”ז בדרבנן עבדינן עובדא והדר מותבינן תיובתא, ואילו היה נענש על השוגג היאך היו מניחין לו לעבור ולקבל עונש…), he says there is no need to inform someone the bread he wishes to eat is Pas Akum. He learns this from a Niddah not needing to inform her husband she has just drunk directly from the cup he wishes to drink, Harchakos-wise.

Ummm…

Read it all here.

שמקריבין אע”פ שאין בית.

Rabbi Yitzchak Brand heard so directly from his Gabbai.

I’m not saying Jews need permission (and neither does this self-described U.S. vassal state), I’m just quoting.

(For more on Rabbi Morgenstern, see here.)

The difference between “Orthodox” Judaism and its variants is in degree, not kind. We see the same attempt to destroy halacha observance everywhere.

Here’s an example from Ohr Somayach’s website:

Bubby Didn’t Eat Bugs

by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz

The problem lies mainly in what Rabbi Y. Spitz chooses not to say:

For example, regarding what appear to be specks on the peel of a citrus fruit, there is some halachic debate over whether one has to assume that they actually are insects[2]. Another leniency (known as the Shittas HaKreisi U’Pleisi) is perhaps an insect born inside a food item does not maintain the full halachic status of a bug, and might be considered nullified[3]. Also, it is worthwhile to note that according to virtually every halachic authority, anything that cannot be seen by the naked eye (including miniscule and microscopic insects) are not considered present[4].

But that isn’t the topic. The point relates to bugs which can be observed under contrast. And as for the Iggros Moshe mentioned in footnote #2, see our previous article where we explained what he actually said.

In fact, many great poskim and gedolim over the generations worked tirelessly to find any sort of justification to allow the eating of many foods. In those days, especially in the summer, many foods including basic wheat and grain were extremely prone to insect infestation, and the deplorable storage conditions did not help matters. These gedolim included Rav Yonason Eibeshutz, Rav Shlomo Kluger, the Ksav Sofer, the Mishkenos Yaakov and the Aruch HaShulchan[5]. Others, including the Yad Yehuda[6], tried to give eitzos to lessen the odds of eating bugs.

Their collective reasoning was (loose translation) “to find merit for Bnei Yisrael to save them on the Day of Judgment, and, Heaven forbid, to say that all of Bnei Yisrael would stumble on such a great sin, as it is a near impossibility to find any food, especially in the summer days, that has no trace of any sort of insect, and it is almost impossible to properly check.”

Yes, and the same is true for Shtar Shabbos, etc. Should we bring back everything for which a “Limmud Zechus” was found?! And if not, why not?

Rav Moshe Feinstein[7] zt”l was asked near the end of his life about prohibiting a certain type of fruit due to a possible insect issue. Rav Moshe responded that it may not be publicized that this fruit is prohibited; as aside for the fact that there were lenient opinions to rely upon (in that specific situation), “it is prohibited to spread rumors about earlier generations, who could not have possibly been stringent on these issues, as they were unaware of them”.

Rav Moshe’s thrust and main point was not that people from earlier generations were not culpable, even though they may have been eating non-kosher; rather it was that even if it is assumed that the halacha generally follows the more stringent opinion, we may not publicize that certain issues are assur (prohibited). Rav Moshe was teaching us that is preferable to rely on a lenient opinion (and saying that previous generations had what to rely on as well) than to say that something is definitely assur, and cast negative aspersions on previous generations – whom, without any doubt, were on a higher spiritual level than we are, especially as they are at least one step closer to Har Sinai.

Although it must be noted that many disagree with the above-mentioned leniencies, and the general halacha does not seem to rely upon them lchatchila, nevertheless, these very same hetterim are also what Rav Moshe declared are preferable to rely upon than to disparage previous generations. This should serve as “food for thought” to clarify the matter and to help quiet any doubts or concerns that were left about “Bubby eating bugs”.

This is a lie. Rabbi Feinstein wrote only a prohibition ought not to be publicized before the proper study, and that he was then indisposed, so he couldn’t study the topic properly himself (and that it seemed more likely to be permitted)!

See the text for yourself here. We have already explained the truth about so-called casting “negative aspersions on previous generations” in Rabbi Feinstein’s opinion as seen elsewhere.

Our Holy Forefathers Did Aveiros!

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Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive guide, rather a brief summary to raise awareness of the issues. In any real case one should ask a competent Halachic authority.

Will disclaimers work to save us all from Purgatory? And he works to simultaneously (at best) LOWER awareness!

Since we know history cannot end without true, national repentance, we know disgusting articles like this one must eventually decrease and be sidelined. But sooner is better than later, right?

Excerpt from a recent Hamodia article by Rabbi Avraham Chaim Carmell:

This is not an attempt to cut corners on the tried-and-tested Twelve-Step Program for alcoholics. Unlike the long journey of overcoming an addiction, this plan can be used when you need almost immediate results.

It was formulated by an acquaintance of mine as a way to resolve stressful situations. You could call it a segulah, I suppose, but it is explainable — at least in spiritual terms. He culled these points from various statements interspersed in the weekly talks of his Rebbe and has seen it work numerous times for himself and others.

You have mislaid something; just missed the last bus; a child hasn’t returned home. Go through the following four steps, with some level of sincerity:

1. I believe with complete faith that this situation has been sent from Heaven for my ultimate benefit.
2. I know that Hashem controls all events and am confident that I shall soon see a positive resolution.
3. I thank You, Hashem, for everything You have done for me, and in particular for the present problem.
4. I pray that I overcome this challenge without agmas nefesh, distress or suffering so as not be a cause of pain to the Shechinah. [Chazal tell us that whenever a Jew suffers, the Shechinah suffers with him (Chagigah 15b).]

My friend is a sofer. One of his colleagues had just completed his “last” sefer Torah. Due to a medical condition, he had changed to another means of earning an income. A dealer in STaM products had found him a community in America that bought the sefer Torah and were planning the hachnasas sefer Torah before Shavuos.

A week before Shavuos, he reappeared in the studio where my friend and other sofrim work. He explained that his dealer had already shipped to the U.S. all the yerios (sheets of written parchment, which are shipped independently and sewn together at the point of destination). Apparently, one yeriah was missing, and he had to rewrite it and get it to America in time for Shavuos.

My friend suggested he try his four-step plan, which his colleagues had all heard about. This sofer said he usually uses the “Ein od milvado” of the Nefesh Hachaim, but that requires concentration and focus and he didn’t have the peace of mind for that, so he agreed to go through the four steps.

At my friend’s urging, he asked the dealer to look one more time for the missing yeriah (although he had already overturned his office looking for it). Ten minutes later the phone rang. All the sofrim put down their quills in suspense to hear the conversation. They heard an excited voice: “The miracle happened! I found it!” What had happened is that sofrim usually send yerios wrapped around cardboard tubes (the type used for foil and the like) to ensure that they don’t get bent.

When the Rabbi of the shul requested to see a sample of the writing, the dealer asked for a yeriah to be sent to him. Since it was a single yeriah, the sofer had inserted it inside the tube rather than wrapping it around it. After scanning it, the dealer put it back inside. He had used the tube many times since, without realizing he had left a yeriah inside. Now it had suddenly occurred to him to check there!

It is this writer’s contention that the underlying secret behind all such segulos is the same. When things don’t go right, we tend to get caught up in the here-and-now technicalities of the problem. There is some physical factor or person causing us distress. The function of any segulah is to help us rise above the facts and remember that everything is in the Hands of Hashem.

This is not always so easy; the hard facts on the ground often seem insurmountable. The effort it takes generates a zechus that in many cases is what Hashem wants from us before He brings about the yeshuah (see Rabbeinu Yonah, Mishlei ch. 3).