Repeating a Rabbi’s Own Words Is Not Lashon Hara!

The Rationalist Judaism blog quotes Rabbi Henkin to this effect, responsa Bnei Vanim 3:18, titled פרסום דברים שאינם לכבוד מי שכתבם:

Rabbi Henkin gives three reasons. His first two don’t always apply. But his third reason is universal and obvious: When someone intentionally publicizes his thoughts, he cannot forbid those who disagree with him from discussing his words with their own thoughts.

[A reader has pointed out that the words “with their own thoughts” are my own interpretation, but not explicit in the original. This is true.]

That’s my excuse for half of this site.

Capitalism Doesn’t Help the Rich, but the Poor!

Industrial progress, mechanical improvement, all of the great wonders of the modern era have meant relatively little to the wealthy. The rich in Ancient Greece would have benefited hardly at all from modern plumbing: running servants replaced running water. Television and radio? The patricians of Rome could enjoy the leading musicians and actors in their home, could have the leading actors as domestic retainers. Ready-to-wear clothing, supermarkets — all these and many other modern developments would have added little to their life.

The great achievements of Western capitalism have redounded primarily to the benefit of the ordinary person. These achievements have made available to the masses conveniences and amenities that were previously the exclusive prerogative of the rich and powerful.

― Milton Friedman, Free to Choose

A Reminder of the Wondrous Six-Day War

[A serious graduate student at Tel Aviv University related:] He had been a non-commissioned officer in the tank regiment which took Nablus, an Arab stronghold to the north of Jerusalem. As the regiment rolled into the city, guns swiveling the turrets, treads chewing up the stones, the entire Arab population came out cheering and waving flags. The Nablusians had been listening to the Arab radio which had just announced that Tel Aviv was in flames, its streets red with flowing blood. What also deceived these people was that the Israeli tanks did not invade (כצ”ל) Nablus from the east but from the west, the rear of the city. The Nablusians thought these tanks belonged to an Iraqi expeditionary force.

They kept cheering[…] until they saw the Mogen David. Then they stopped cheering and went home.

The Israelis – Portrait of a People, NY 1972, by Harry Golden, p. 85-86

זמן תפילת שחרית

שלחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן פ”ט:

זמן תפלת השחר, מצוותה שיתחיל עם הנץ החמה, כדכתיב: ייראוך עם שמש. ואם התפלל משעלה עמוד השחר והאיר פני המזרח, יצא. ונמשך זמנה עד סוף ד’ שעות שהוא שליש היום. ואם טעה, או עבר, והתפלל אחר ד’ שעות עד חצות, אע”פ שאין לו שכר כתפלה בזמנה, שכר תפלה מיהא איכא. הגה: ואחר חצות אסור להתפלל תפלת שחרית (ב”י בשם הרשב”א פרק תפלת השחר), וע”ל ריש סי’ ק”ח.

…

ועיין משנה ברורה.