Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz: OPEN ORTHODOXY – A DIFFERENT APPROACH

OPEN ORTHODOXY – A DIFFERENT APPROACH
By Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz
Agudas Achim North Shore Congregation Chicago, Illinois

Open Orthodoxy has taken the Jewish world by storm.  The recent call by its progenitor for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to take a "pluralistic" view of conversion, acceptance of the conversions to Judaism performed by all denominations of Judaism, has evoked a great deal of critiscm among the ranks of Orthodoxy.  May I suggest that there is an overiding issue for all Jewry to consider when evaluating the merits of this burgeoning movement in American Judaism or any Jewish religious movement for that matter.  I believe this issue has been lost in the many critiques of Open Orthodoxy grounded in Halachah, Jewish law.  This issue is, for me, the foundational issue when considering any approach toward Torah observance.

"This, however, does not mean that we are not permitted to try to elicit the moral and philosophical teachings inherent in the Halachah; indeed, we may even be obliged to do so… The opposition to such speculation, to which the author refers, was of course due to the fact that some people, in the name of the Rambam and after, let philosophical interpretations affect  halachic decisions, or even used them to play down halachic considerations altogether. This attitude is wrong even if the philosophical interpretations in themselves represent sound Torah doctrine; and it is even more disastrous if the philosophical ideas are at variance with it. Yet this approach is fundamental to Conservativism (Reform altogether rejects Halachah); and has unfortunately affected some prominent modern Orthodox writers, (see Rabbi Emanuel Rackman, "Sabbath and Festivals in the Modern Age," and studies in Torah Judaism, editor, L Stitskin [New York: Yeshiva University Press, 1969], whose thrust is summarized by the editor: "observances and mitzvot…must be related to some metaphysical construct and a set of values in order to be meaningful" and must be developed in the light of these insights. Rabbi Rackman himself states that "the modern Orthodox would like to see more halachic decisions that include consideration of the teleology of the Commandments and not just the formal rule" ["modern orthodoxy"]."

This quote by Rabbi Joseph Elias in his comprehensive commentary on the "Nineteen letters" by Rabbi S.R. Hirsch is an attempt by the author to bring further clarity to Rabbi Hirsch's critique found in his eighteenth letter regarding the Rambam's utilization of Greek and Arab philosophy in explaining Judaism.   Writing in 1979, Rabbi Elias encapsulates a problem that has grown ever more acute during the last nearly half a century.  To understand this more fully consider this statement of Rabbi Hirsch found in the forward to his magnum opus, Horeb.   "There will be two schools of study engaged in the exposition of the Divine law…One school will concern itself with the comprehension of the utterances regulating our practical conduct… and its knowledge will be derived almost exclusively from the tradition which transmits the oral and written Divine utterances and the regulations of the Sages. The other school will concern itself with reflecting on and pondering these laws, and its sources of knowledge will be the more or less illuminating power of insight which dwells in each individual religious thinker... All that springs from the second school has no power to bind and can claim recognition only in so far as it conforms with what is contained in the work of the first school… The first school serves as a standard regulating the second."   Rabbi Hirsh, the standard bearer of German Orthodoxy in the nineteenth century, had to contend with a Reform movement that, even many years later, presenting its view of Judaism in the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885 still viewed the moral and ethical laws of Torah as eternal and binding.  "…We recognize in the Mosaic legislation a system of training the Jewish people for its mission during its national life in Palestine, and today we accept as binding only its moral law, and maintain only such ceremonies as elevate and sanctify our lives, but reject all such as are not adapted to the views and habits of modern civilization."

Today we are confronted with a Jewish American community that has largely accepted the ever evolving philosophies of society regarding morals and ethics. For example:   1-equality = sameness - This rejects the concept of role playing as evidenced in Judaism by its assigning different tasks to the  individual by virtue of his\her age, sex and lineage,  2- sexual liberation – Understood as expressing and living out one's inner perceived feelings or lusts no matter how vulgar or bizarre, and expecting acceptance and endorsement by society as a whole, 3- honesty and integrity – Understood as having value and merit only in terms of  avoiding being caught. Once caught the individual is only required at best to utter a prefunctory mea colpa, to clean his\her ethical and moral life's slate anew, 4- Interpersonal relationships - evaluated by what one receives rather than by what one gives to another, 5- my body=my right – Juxtapose this classical pagan view with the Jewish concept which sees the physical body as a keli, a vessel loaned to us by G-d to "house" the G-dly element He "breathes" into us – the soul - and you have a clear understanding of the current conflicts in American society regarding, euthanasia, abortion, modesty in general and sexual modesty in particular, and a host of other issues.   I could go on and on.  Rabbi Hirsch would shed an ocean of tears for today's Orthodox Rabbi who must contend with this contemporary reality.   It is to me an imperative for the rabbinate in terms of the pulpit, ministry and education in general to accentuate at every turn the Divine nature of Torah. We must imbue within our community a sense of reverence and awe for the Torah as the instrument by which we, through its fulfillment, connect with the metaphysical, with the eternal, with the Divine; litrerally joining with G-d in the ongoing process of creation.  "for in His goodness he renews each and every day the act of Creation" (liturgy – morning service)  Too often even our coreligionists, as in Rabbi Hirsch's day, judge the Torah by its teological underpinnings as understood by human intellect.

Torah Lishma – Torah observed because it is the ultimate and absolute truth in life – the Divine Will, as our Chazal (Sages) teach us, is essential for today's Jewish community's spiritual devotion.  We must answer the Why-why bother, before we can even begin to answer the how-the particulars of Torah observance. And the why is answered by understanding that Torah observance is the only method available to the finite human being to be part of and even influence the infinite.   The main "calling" of the Orthodox Rabbinate in our day should be to  affirm in every way possible the Divine, eternal nature of Torah for the Jewish and general communities. Once understood, the true work of Tikun Olam, the establishment of a peaceful and functioning world, can become the dominant and positive collective effort of humanity as a whole.  

Women's Aliyyot and K'vod Hatzibbur - 3

Note:
I would like to commend my Haveir R Michael Azose with Birkat Hazzaq uVaruch! For his patient assistance.
Note - this is not meant to imply that he concurs with any of my conclusions... :-)
* * * * *

Here is a summary of my approach.
For the sake of illustrating my method - let's set aside the BeHaG's Sheetah about women's obligation re: Megilat Esther. And so I am using the case of Women reading the Megilah to help illustrate the case of Women's Aliyot.
Q: May a woman read Megilat Esther for a man?
A: Yes - even as per Rashi and Tosafot, and certainly as per Rambam.
Note: There is also the potential- as per the sugyah in B'rachot - that "Tavo Alav M'eirah" would apply to this case as it does for Birkat Hammazon, but we cannot be certain....

Q: May she recite the B'rachah on Megillah for a man?
A: YES! But, as above, "Tavo Alav M'eirah" is even more likely to apply here re; the recitation of Birkot Megillah by a woman for a man, than just the reading of the Megillah alone would. Because B'rachot more closely resemble Birkat Hammazon as opposed to just reading Scripture.
Q: What about women reading Megillah for for a mixed Tzibbur?
A: Technically, a woman may, no doubt. However, here instead of applying "Tavo Aleihem M'eirah", we might choose to apply "It's Not K'vod haTzibbur" instead.
There are a number of possible reasons as to why we might shift the terminology in this case. The common concept, Tzad Hashevah, here is that both are technically permitted yet both are "frowned upon".
---
Now, let's address Women's Aliyot directly.
Either
Model #1
Women's Aliyot were always technically permitted, and yet always had the problem of K'vod Hatzibbur. And so nothing has changed from day one.
Or
Model #2
It used to be OK for women to get an Aliyah. However, in the wake of the Takkanah that added 2 B'rachot for each aliyah, a new problem emerged parallel to women reciting Birkat Hammazon for a man. In this model, it was these added B'rachot that first triggered the issue of K'vod Hatzibbur, just as Birkat Hammazon had previously triggered "Tavo Alav M'eirah" when a woman recited it for a man.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Women's Aliyyot and K'vod Hatzibbur - 2

Source Material:
1. B'rachot re: a wife Bensching for her husband

מסכת ברכות פרק ג

דף כ,ב גמרא


ת"ש באמת אמרו בן מברך לאביו
ועבד מברך לרבו
ואשה מברכת לבעלה
אבל אמרו חכמים תבא מארה לאדם שאשתו ובניו מברכין לו

2. Re: Alliyot for Women

סכת מגילה פרק ג
דף כג,א גמרא 
ת"ר הכל עולין למנין שבעה ואפילו קטן ואפילו אשה
אבל אמרו חכמים אשה לא תקרא בתורה מפני כבוד צבור

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Awe in Mitzvot

To be honest, my daughter's recent Hollywood and Sinai review at http://www.nishma.org/articles/movies/osage.html got me thinking. We are commanded to perform various mitzvot but, in meeting these obligations, how often do we think about our ability to meet such demands? The very fact that there is a command immediately seems to imply that the ability to meet the requirement is inherent -- but is this necessarily so? Perhaps the real challenge of the command is to meet this requirement of getting ready.

This is perhaps what should really be the essence of the present debate over women and tefillin. While the issue does not exactly parallel this issue of mitzvah, it should cause us to reflect on this very issue. Women are not commanded in the mitzvah. What this should perhaps one to consider is the very challenge of the mitzvah. Men, who are commanded, must push themselves to meet the requirements even if they are not truly able. A woman has no such requirement -- so why push oneself to meet a challenge for which one is not ready. This is not to say that the men are; it just that men have to push themselves to do so. How often do men approach the putting on of tefillin with trepidation and awe in the chance that they really are not able to perform this mitzvah correctly? Do they have the choice not to then perform the mitzvah? No -- but the woman who refrains from putting on tefillin because of the trepidation and awe could remind us of this.

I compare this to the statement of Ramban in arguing that there is not Biblical mitzvah to pray. The Torah simply allows us to pray -- otherwise one would think it highly inappropriate for one to approach God with one's individual requests. Who are you to stand before the Almighty? The Torah thus says its okay -- but only after you recognize the awe-some ness of the matter.

Mitzvot are not like spiritual candy for one to get a spiritual lift. They are serious directives from God to be approached seriously with awe, trepidation and self-introspection of personal ability. This is important to recognize even as we feel we may have no choice but to perform the mitzvah now as best we can -- which we must still do. Be cautious, though, of extending it.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Women's Aliyyot and K'vod Hatzibbur -1

Background:

Partnership minyan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partnership_minyan
* * * * * 

«Rabbi Daniel Sperber -

Rabbi Sperber agreed with Rabbi Shapiro's argument that the baraita in Megillah 23a indicated that the Sages instituted "we do not call a woman" as a later prohibition, and that calling a woman was originally permitted. »

«Rabbi Mendel Shapiro -

Rabbi Shapiro's analysis focused on a Baraita in the Babylonian Talmud stating that:

The Rabbis taught (teno) that anyone can be numbered among the seven [called to the Torah on Shabbat], even a minor, even a woman. But the Sages said that we do not call a woman to the Torah because of Kevod HaTzibur (the dignity of the congregation). (Megillah 23a).
Rabbi Shapiro's primary argument, based on the language of this baraita as well as traditional commentaries to it, was that women were only discouraged from performing public Torah reading based on a social concern for the dignity of the congregation ("Kevod HaTzibur"). »

I would like to expound on several Talmudic Passages

Just thinking out loud...

Let's say that at one time women indeed COULD have aliyyot. And that later on, it became Assur to do so -due to K'vod Hatzibbur.

So what changed? Could it be that it changed when Hazal introduced 2 B'rachot per Oleh, instead of just 2 for the entire Laining? K'vod Hatzibbur is thus a policy in order to avoid women saying B'rachot for men.

BE"H:

Part 2:
Some Talmudic Sources.

Part 3:
Expansion and Clarification of my approach, focusing upon Shas.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Hollywood and Sinai: August: Osage County

The latest installment of Nishma's movie review column, Hollywood and Sinai, is now available at our website.

To read Dodi-Lee Hecht's latest piece

To Be A Parent – The Unending Task
A Review of August: Osage County

please visit http://www.nishma.org/articles/movies/osage.html

Don't Overlook Purim Katan

It is the subject of the last simun in Orach Chaim:
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 697.

Purim Katan Sameach
Rabbi Ben Hecht 

For Some, Halacha Makes Conceiving Tough

A somewhat interesting article about something that most do not know about. See
http://forward.com/articles/157819/for-some-halacha-makes-conceiving-tough/?p=2

There is much to discuss on a variety of matters.  One should note, though, that the Halacha is not totally silent on this matter and there are other solutions offered by poskim including one from Rav Moshe Feinstein that lessens the necessary 5 day count from the start of menstruation prior to the counting of the seven clean days. As many women with this problem also have short periods this is viable solution.

Rabbi Ben Hecht 

The Partnership Minyan

Partnership minyan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partnership_minyan

Partnership Minyanim | Torah Musings
http://www.torahmusings.com/2013/01/partnership-minyanim/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Jewish Tribune: The Motivation of Connection

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is noted for his solid support for of Israel. His commitment because of shared values must specifically be recognized.

For further on this, please go to http://www.jewishtribune.ca/religion/2014/02/11/the-motivation-of-connection.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Woody Allen Speaks Out

«TWENTY-ONE years ago, when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn't give it a second thought. We were involved in a terribly acrimonious breakup, with great enmity between us and a custody battle slowly gathering energy. The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn't even hire a lawyer to defend myself. It was my show business attorney who told me she was bringing the accusation to the police and I would need a criminal lawyer.

I naively thought the accusation would be dismissed out of hand because of course, I hadn't molested Dylan and any rational person would see the ploy for what it was....»

Woody Allen Speaks Out - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/woody-allen-speaks-out.html?_r=0

Mobile:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/woody-allen-speaks-out.html?_r=1&referrer=


There are 3 versions to every story.
The 2 versions of the 2 litigants, and the truth

Kol Tuv,
RRW

The Soda Stream Story

Can Private Enterprise Build Bridges, where Governments are building Walls?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl85AL1l0H0
 
Kol Tuv,
RRW

Prostitution in Canada

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Canada

Prostitution in Canada is legal as there are no laws prohibiting the exchange of sex for money. On the 20th December 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada found the laws prohibiting brothels, public communication for the purpose of prostitution, and living on the profits of prostitution to be unconstitutional...

I know, as a Canadian, the discussion continues as to what will be -- but this is the situation as it is today.  It is something to think about -- what does it say about the social fabric of North American society? On the other hand, Rambam does state, in the Moreh, that prostitution is not a violation of the Noachide Code.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Two Types of Religious Hostilities

I was looking at the Pew Report on Religious Hostilities (http://www.pewforum.org/2014/01/14/religious-hostilities-reach-six-year-high/) and something dawned on me -- there are really two distinct issues here. There is hostility toward religion in general and than there is a hostility toward a specific religion. The two are distinct because of the motivation. The former may be based on a challenge to the concept of a deity in general -- pitting atheist against theist -- while the second may be based on a challenge of one's religious views against another's -- pitting theist against theist. These are two very different constructs.

To be honest, I only briefly skimmed the report and I don't know if the report acknowledges this distinction let alone discusses it. I may only be highlighting something that is already identified. If not, though, it is something that does need to be. It impacts us in a very specific way for not identifying this distinction also does not identify any potential specific negativity in relating negatively to Jews.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

The Splintering of Orthodoxy - R Eliyahu Safran

«A leader without a community is a stray voice in the wind.  A community without a leader is little more than a mob.  The relationship between a leader and community brings to mind two stories.  The first is of a poor simpleton who was befriended by a millionaire lover of music who happened to have a private orchestra.  One day, the simpleton asked to be assigned a position in the orchestra. Astonished, the rich man exclaimed, "I had no idea you could play an instrument."

"I can't," the simpleton replied.  "But I see you have a man there who does nothing but wave a stick around while the others are really working hard, playing. His job I can do."

How many of us are like that simpleton, believing that leaders do nothing more than "wave sticks around"?  How many of us believe that it is only the orchestra, the community that does the work?

The second story also concerns an orchestra.  During rehearsal, everything seemed to be going perfectly.  Gorgeous music filled the hall as 150 skilled musicians responded to the maestro's guiding hands.  Suddenly, in midst of a fortissimo passage, the conductor rapped the music stand.  Music fell to silence.  "Where is the piccolo?" he demanded.

The piccolo player had missed his entry, and even in the exalted fullness of the orchestra's playing, the maestro heard what was missing. 

Trained, seasoned and sensitive leaders keep their eyes and ears attuned to the role and mission of every community member. Only when everyone plays together, closely watching and following the leader's direction, is there perfect harmony.

And such a performance deserves thunderous applause!»

Open Orthodoxy: How to Lead; How to Follow - Judaism - Israel National News

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/14493#.UvQDHpuwHQU


Ish, Kol Hayyashar b'Einav Ya'aseh 

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Mussar: Treat Your Spouse as Yourself

From Derech Emet -

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky taught:
 
A person by nature does not
think about his own faults.  

[So] 
He must think similarly of his wife
that she is the nicest, smartest,
beautiful, and perfect woman in the world. 
 
And she should have the same
thoughts for her husband.
 
[I understand this to mean that
since one tends to not find one's own faults
therefore one should treat one's spouse as faultless, too.]


CHRONOLOGY:
Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzsky was a leading Orthodox Rabbi,
born in Lithuania in 1891 CE,
died in USA in 1986 CE.
 
SOURCE:
Flatbush Hakhel Event Emphasizes the Importance of a Partnership by Daniel Keren,
The Flatbush Jewish Journal,
2014 January 16, page 58


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Jew in the Box

I am not sure how to respond to this -- on many levels. What do you think of this?
Please see:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2013/04/05/exp-lead-jew-in-a-box.cnn

Does this objectify the individual, personal Jew?
What do you think of these individuals Jews speaking for Jewry and/or Judaism?

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Frum Divorce

Someone just sent me some information about this organization, specifically wishing to let me know, for purposes of distribution, of a Shabbaton they are sponsoring next week.

As I really know nothing about the organization -- only hearing about it in the last few minutes -- I cannot really give an opinion on it. There is a need, though, for such an organization and, as such, I felt I should, at least, let people know about it and this upcoming Shabbaton.

As such,please check out Frum Divorce at http://www.frumdivorce.org/

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Rambam: Why is the Brit Milah on the 8th Day?

Guest Blogger:
David Joseph Mescheloff
*****

The Rambam suggests
(Moreh, Part 3, near end of Chapter 49)
three reasons why berit milah is to be done on the eighth day (see below).
The third is so that it is before parents have bonded sufficiently with their new child to make cutting him unthinkable to them....
Here is what the Rambam wrote there:
שלמות המצוָה הזאת והנצחתה מתגשמות בכך שהמילה נעשׂית בגיל הקטנות. בזאת יש שלוש חוכמות80. הראשונה - שאילו השאירו את הקטן עד שיגדל, אולי לא היה עושׂה. השנייה - שאין הוא כואב כמו שכואב גדול, בגלל רכּוּת עורו ובגלל חולשת דמיונו, כי גדול חושב לנורא וקשה את הדבר שהוא מדמה שיקרה, לפני שהוא קורה. השלישית - שהוריו של קטן מקילים בערכו בשעה שנולד81, כי עדיין לא השתרשה אצל הוריו הצורה הדמיונית המחייבת לאהוב אותו; מפני שאותה צורה דמיונית גוברת רק על-ידי מגע ישיר. היא גְדֵלָה עם גדילתו. אחרי-כן מתחילה אותה צורה דמיונית לפחות וגם להימחות. שכּן אין אהבת האב והאם את הנולד בשעה שהוא נולד כאהבתם אותו כשהוא בן שנה, ואין אהבת בן שנה כאהבת בן שש. לכן, אילו השאירו אותו שנתיים או שלוש, היה זה מחייב ביטול המילה בגלל חמלת האב ואהבתו אותו. אבל בשעת לידתו צורה דמיונית זאת חלשה מאוד, ובמיוחד אצל האב שהוא המצוּוה בְּמִצְוָה זאת.
המילה היא בשמיני כי כל בעל-חיים חלש מאוד ולח ביותר בשעה שהוא נולד. כביכול הוא עדיין בבטן עד תום שבעה ימים. אז הוא נמנה בין מי שיש להם מגע ישיר עם האוויר. הלא רואה אתה שגם בבהמות הושׂם לב לעניין זה: [כן תעשֹה לשוֹרך, לצאנך:] שבעת ימים יהיה עם אמו; [ביום השמיני תִּתְּנוֹ לי] (שמות כ"ב, 29). לפני כן הוא, כביכול, נֵפֶל. כן הוא לגבי האדם. כעבור שבעה הוא נימול. הדבר הפך קבוע, ולא נתת דבריך לשיעורין82.
You can see this in context at:

http://press.tau.ac.il/perplexed/chapters/chap_3_49.htm
Best wishes,
David Mescheloff

Kol Tuv,
RRW

M'tzitzah B'Feh Controversy

N.Y. newborn contracts herpes from controversial circumcision rite February 2, 2014 12:16pm

«(JTA) — A newborn in New York contracted herpes from a controversial Jewish ritual circumcision rite.

The baby boy is undergoing treatment for neonatal genital herpes, according to the Forward, contracted through metzitzah b'peh, in which the ritual circumciser places his mouth directly on the child's circumcision wound to draw blood away from the cut.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a health alert about the baby's case on Jan. 28. The baby was treated for the genital rash five days after his circumcision.

At least 11 boys contracted herpes from the practice between 2004 and 2011, according to New York City health officials. Two died from the disease and two others suffered brain damage, the officials said.»

N.Y. newborn contracts herpes from controversial circumcision rite | Jewish Telegraphic Agency
http://www.jta.org/2014/02/02/news-opinion/united-states/n-y-newborn-contracts-herpes-from-controversial-circumcision-rite?utm_source=Newsletter+subscribers&utm_campaign=f1a3530ea3-JTA_Daily_Briefing_1_31_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dce5bc6f8-f1a3530ea3-25401257

\

RCA Position Statement on M'tzitzah:

Many Jewish legal authorities have ruled that direct oral suction is not an integral part of the circumcision ritual, and therefore advocate the use of a sterile tube to preclude any risk of infection. The RCA has gone on record as accepting the position of those authorities. Nevertheless, the RCA respects the convictions and sensitivities of those in the Orthodox Jewish community who disagree with this ruling and joins in their deep concern about government regulation of religious practices. The RCA urges these groups to voluntarily develop procedures to effectively prevent the unintended spread of infection. "


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Sages of the Talmud

New Search Tool

Sages of the Talmud | Search Page
http://www.joshua-parker.net/sages/

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Can the Holocaust be told using just one word: Jew? - Rabbi Benjamin Blech

«it is beyond my comprehension to become aware of an attempt to tell the story in a way that echoes the very crime it is meant to condemn, in a sense to perpetuate the mindset that permitted the Shoah to happen.

The book is predicated on a gimmick. In its 1250 pages, there is no plot, no narrative, no characters and in fact no words other than one. The word is "Jew," and it is repeated six million times. That is all. Nothing else.»

Six Million Jews
http://www.aish.com/ho/i/Six-Million-Jews.html?mobile=yes


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Loans and interest in Judaism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wiki Link -
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism

The prohibition that a Jew should not charge a Jew interest on a loan and the practicality of this prohibition in a modern world, three answers by Rabbi Samuel Barth, Rabbi Richard Wolpoe, and Rabbi Laura Geller

RRW:
Looks like. I finally made it to Wikipedia - in a external reference.

Alternate JVO link for Smartphones
http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/question.php?id=328&cprg=%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearchtxt%3Dinterest%26what%3DA

Kol Tuv,
RRW

The Late Pete Seeger and Yiddishkeit

«In 1950, Seeger and his vocal quartet "The Weavers" hit the charts with "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena," an arrangement of a Hebrew song written in 1941 by Issachar Miron (born Stefan Michrovsky in Poland) and Yechiel Chagiz. The original lyrics went, "Go out, go out, go out, girls, and see soldiers in the moshava (farming community)." In the Weavers' version, the words describe joining a celebration, dancing a hora, and otherwise feting the new statehood of Israel. Then, in key moments for the assimilation and acceptance of Israel in American culture, Lee Hays, the Arkansas-born cavernous bass singer of the Weavers, would step forward and warn the audience that they would be hearing the original words in Hebrew. Seeger, slim as a whippet in middle age, would step forward picking at a banjo and in a New England cracker-barrel accent, sing the folksiest Hebrew imaginable.

Seeger was backed by two other singers in the Weavers who were born closer to the idiom: Ronnie Gilbert (born 1926) a creamy-voiced contralto with the earth mother quality of a soloist in a Slavic choir, natural enough considering that her parents were East European immigrants, garment workers who settled in New York City. The fourth member of the Weavers was Fred Hellerman, born in Brooklyn in 1927 to a Latvian Jewish family. Of the Weavers, Hellerman would have the most lasting artistic ties with Jewish culture, later conducting two hit albums, "Theodore Bikel Sings Jewish Folk Songs" (1958) and "Theodore Bikel Sings More Jewish Folk Songs" (1959). It was Hellerman who suggested the group's name, after a 19th century play by the German author Gerhart Hauptmann about an 1840s uprising by Silesian weavers worried about being replaced by mechanization during the Industrial Revolution.f»

Pete Seeger's Yiddishkeit – Forward.com
http://m.forward.com/articles/191792/pete-seegers-yiddishkeit


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Yeshiva University News » Seforim Sale 2014

«Students Present Seforim Sale February 3 to 23; 
North America's Largest Jewish Book Sale will Benefit Victims of Sandy

The students of Yeshiva University will present their annual Seforim Sale, North America's largest Jewish book sale, from February 3 to March 3 in Belfer Hall, 2495 Amsterdam Ave on YU's Wilf Campus in Manhattan. The sale—operated entirely by YU students—supports various initiatives, including student activities on campus and undergraduate scholarships.»

http://blogs.yu.edu/news/tag/seforim-sale/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

On Changes to Halachah, and Minhag

There is a phenomenon or a pattern that seems in vogue in many circles nowadays, especially those who see Judaism as a set of Holy Tomes..

Here is an illustrative story -

Once upon a time, an intelligent Jew named "Adam" was marooned on a desert island. Adam missed intellectual stimulation. Miraculously, someone parachuted to him a library of solid, classic Halachic texts, Shas, Rishonim, etc. Adam - having no distractions - went on to master these texts and became an expert poseik. Eventually Adam got wi-fi and people started emailing him questions and he gave answers based upon solid sources.

Assuming was both intelligent and intellectually honest, what's missing from this process? Wouldn't expertise on Halachic texts be sufficient to become a world-class poseik?

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Mussar: Satan and Political Correctness

The Sheidim were in a PANic

Sheidim: with this political correctness, we have no more fun. There is no one left to HATE! EG No More:
1. Racial Hatred
2. Ethnic Hatred
3. Gender Hatred

We can no longer make fun of the handicapped and the disadvantaged, those who look different, the obese, etc. All are now vigilantly protected! We're almost completely out of the HATE business!

Satan: Not to Worry. It's still politically correct to hate -
1. Traditionalists
2. The wealthy, the privileged, the "1%"
3. The Religious, especially the right wing Religious
4. The Politically Conservative, Republicans in the USA - especially Sarah Palin, Dick Cheny, George W. Bush - the Tories in the UK, the PC's In Canada, etc.

Thank the Devil - there are plenty of people left to bash and to demonize!

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Rav Kook's Alternate to Hatikvah

HaEmunah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HaEmunah

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Baruch Dayan HaEmes: Rabbi Louis Ginsburg z"l, RIETS Class of 1948

From RIETS Rabbinic Alumni

We regret to inform you of the passsing of our chaver,

Rabbi Louis Ginsburg z"l
RIETS Class of 1948
Husband of Chanah Rivkah (Helen) Ginsburg.*
Father of Yehudit (Arlene) Gross, Moshe Ginsburg, Shmuel Ginsburg, and Esther.
(*Mrs. Ginsburg is being told of the petira after the shloshim.)

Rabbi Louis Ginsburg was a pulpit rabbi serving in synagogues including Edmonton's Beth Israel (the "Family Shul") and Congregation House of Jacob in Utica, NY.  In Utica, he was also the chaplain to the city and state police department as well as the city fire department. Additonally, he served as president of the American chapter of the Religious Zionists of America and was an officer of the local region of the Rabbinical Council of America.` Rabbi Louis Ginsburg was one of the Founding Fathers of NCSY and the Founding Director of the Upstate New York "Har Sinai" and New Jersey Regions. Rabbi “G” was a major influence on thousands of NCSYers and served as the first Advisor to the NCSY Ben Zakkai Honor Society from its founding in 1965 until his aliya in 1973.
`Read more here.

He passed away on Sunday morning and was buried on Har Zeytim. 

May Hashem comfort the family with all those who mourn for Zion and Jerusalem.

* * * * *

I remember him well. 
He was very beloved by the exuberant teens 
and he was very active behind the scenes.
 
He was a pioneer in Keiruv in North America, and he will be missed
 
Y'hee Zichro Baruch.

Kol tuv,

RRW 

Anti-Rabbanut Op-Ed

From The New York Times:

Rein in Israel's Rabbinate

The Chief Rabbinate should give religious choice to Israel's diverse communities.

NYTimes.com: Rein in Israel's Rabbinate
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/opinion/rein-in-israels-rabbinate.html


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Are 9/11 Truthers Anti-Semites?

«We have here all the requisite elements: A greedy Jew, proximity to the crime, motive. It is precisely the high visibility of Larry Silverstein as an ideal villain that makes me hesitate to implicate him in the crime. His alleged complicity is simply too obvious. It is difficult to believe that a person implicated in planning arson would take out a lease of the building six weeks before the crime and announce his agreement publicly. It is even more difficult to believe that a smart businessman, such as Silverstein, would risk the electrical chair in a criminal enterprise whose outcome he could not foresee. It is far more probable that Silverstein was framed into leasing the World Trade Center by the real plotters, precisely because he is greedy, because he is Jewish and because his ties to Israel. More to the point: Silverstein was not in a position to manage the hijacking exercises conducted by the military on the morning of 9/11, not in a position to steer airplanes against buildings and not in a position to wire WTC 7 within hours to demolish the building. Whatever his alleged role in 9/11, if any, the coordinators of Operation 9/11 did not sit in his office, but presumably in the Pentagon, led by Donald Rumsfeld. Larry Silverstein, however, represents an ideal bogeyman.

The fact that Mr. Silverstein did not demonstrate any interest in investigating the demise of the Twin Towers he had leased, is no evidence of malfeasance: In that he acted like most Americans, who till this day do not wish to ask questions and know the truth.

Dov Zakheim is another such ideal bogeyman. He is an ordained rabbi who made it to a high position in both government and private business. He worked in the Pentagon between 1985 and 1987.»

Are 9/11 Truthers Anti-Semites? An Interview With Elias Davidsson By Dr. Ludwig Watzal
http://www.countercurrents.org/watzal221213.htm


-----------------------------------------
Shalom and Best Regards,
RRW

MISTAKES are always forgivable
If you have the courage to admit them.

JVO: Leap Year

Jewish Values Online (jewishvaluesonline.org) is a website that asks the Jewish view on a variety of issues, some specifically Jewish and some from the world around us -- and then presents answers from each of the dominations of Judaism. Nishmablog's Blogmaster Rabbi Wolpoe and Nishma's Founding Director, Rabbi Hecht, both serve as Orthodox members of their Panel of Scholars.

This post continues this series on the Nishmablog that features responses on JVO by one of our two Nishma Scholars who are on this panel. This week's presentation is to one of the questions to which Rabbi Hecht responded.

* * * * *
Question: Why is there a Jewish leap year this year? (2014?)

Rabbi Hecht's answer

To answer this question, it is first important for one to understand that the general concept of a month originated with the lunar cycle -- the amount of time it takes for the moon to circle the earth -- and the general concept of a year originated with the solar cycle -- the amount of time it takes for the earth to circle the sun. In that it takes the moon approximately 29.5 days to complete its cycle and it takes the earth approximately 364.25 days to complete its cycle, a standard of 12 months in a year developed – but this is not exact. This is the issue with the Jewish calendar that leads to the need for a leap year.

Some calendars were established with the solar cycle as the base, with months determined by simply dividing the year by 12. This is the case with our conventional Western calendar of 12 months with, generally, more days in a month than are in the lunar month. The result is that our months are not connected in any way with the movement of the moon. A new moon may fall on any day of a month.

Other calendars use the lunar cycle as the base with the years simply consisting of 12 lunar months. This is the case with the Moslem calendar with a year consisting, as such, of fewer days than the solar year. The result is that this yearly cycle is not connected with the movement of the sun, resulting in no month specifically being tied to a certain season. While January of a conventional calendar will always be in the winter, a Moslem month may, at times, be in the summer and, at other times, be in the winter.

The challenge with the Jewish calendar is that while it defines its months clearly by the lunar cycle, the Torah’s further insistence that the holidays be in certain seasons – such as Passover in the spring – demand of us to also consider the solar year. Simply, the Hebrew month of Nissan must always be in the spring. The result is that 7 times in 19 years, an additional month – the leap month of Adar 1 – has to be added to the Jewish calendar to bring the holidays in line with the seasons. These leap years consist of 13 months and we are presently in one of these leap years.

The further question you asked, though, was: why was this year specifically a leap year? The fact is that originally, the determination of a leap year was made by the Sanhedrin (or a committee thereof) judicially as per the need. See Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:1; Rambam, Sefer HaMitzvot, Aseh 153 (with Ramban); and Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 4. As those who made such decisions had a strong knowledge of astronomy, the idea that leap years had to occur 7 times in 19 years must have been known and would be considered a factor in making such decisions. It is generally understood, though, that in times when the Sanhedrin functioned the decision on a leap year was made judicially in response to need and in the year in which the extra month would be added.

We have a tradition, though, that towards the end of the 4^th century, Rabbi Hillel HaSheni, the Nasi [President] of the Sanhedrin at that time, in response to a concern for persecution of the Jews, computed a calendar that would establish the future dates for observance of the holidays. This calculation included the formula of leap years 7 times in 19 years. Our present Jewish calendar is the product of this calculation and so it was effectively mandated, in this manner, that this year would have an extra month, i.e. be a leap year.

To be honest, however, this does not really fully answer the question. The further question may be: why did God create the lunar and solar cycle in this way thus necessitating such calculations? Often, when we ask questions, we assume the facts about reality to be a given and then ask for an explanation of the response. That is the simple way of addressing a question such as this one: Given the astronomical reality and the needs within the Jewish calendar to both incorporate the lunar month and the solar seasons, what was done to accommodate these requirements? The challenge is that we also believe that God is the One Who created these lunar and solar cycles – so we may then wonder: why did He not create them to be more aligned? Why did God create the world in such a manner that the calendar would demand such mathematical and judicial dexterities? This is a question that I now leave you with.

Clarification of the Rabbanut's Compromise

Guest Blogger:
R Reuven Tradburks
RCA Representative in Israel

What Elli Fischer correctly pointed out in his article
http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/opinion/and-now-chief-rabbinate-america
is that the Rabbanut debacle with R Avi Weiss [RAW] was over a very small issue.
The Rabbanut wants to make sure that people who marry are Jewish and hence permitted to marry.  That's it.  It is no different than when someone comes to a rabbi to get married.  That person too determines if they are Jewish.  How does he determine that?  Does one ask for a letter from another Orthodox rabbi?  Usually, we know the people, they are members of the shul, and we generally, in practice, do not do anywhere near the drisha v'chakira of the rabbanut.  Because we know most of the people.
The Rabbanut created its own straw man.  It tried to figure out what documentation it would require to establish Jewish status - because it does not know the people.  the halacha does not require edut from a musmach.  All it requires is that the person claiming to be jewish act as a Jew and say they are Jewish.  Rav Schachter pointed this out in his call on this subject for the RCA.  The Rabbanut added on a takana, that you need a letter from an Orthodox rabbi, serving in an Orthodox shul, who behaves in an Orthodox manner.  That is all what we would call good practices, but it is not the halacha.
If RAW were to submit a document saying the person is Jewish and that they were born Jewish, the RCA Beit Din would accept that.  Rav Schwartz and Rav Willig are both on record having said that.  It has nothing to do with our opinions about his behaviour in other areas. Just that they feel he has nemanut in this area.
So, the Rabbanut got itself in hot water by making up an arbitrary requirement for these letters.  Elli Fischer is correct - the rabbanut made a very narrow statement - that letters from RAW about the personal status of members of his shul would be accepted.
Now, some people are correct that there is an enormous amount of hyperbole that has resulted from this statement.  Because if you are requiring an Orthodox rabbi, then you just made a statement that open Orthodox rabbis are considered Orthodox rabbis.  Rather, what the rabbanut should have done is to make a much more specific statement; namely that they are only addressing the very narrow issue of writing letters of personal status stating that someone is Jewish.  That is all they are concerned with.  They have no interest in becoming involved in assessing the credentials of open Orthodoxy.
There are 2 issues that are getting tangled up, that I feel ought not to be.
• The first is the broad issue of how the RCA ought to approach the innovations and behaviours of Open Orthodoxy.
• The second is the much more narrow issue of helping jews who want to marry in israel.
The RCA agreement only deals with the second.  Our mandate is to help people who want to marry in israel.  the agreement allows us to do this.

Reuven Tradburks




Kol Tuv,
RRW

SAR principal explains decision to allow girls to wear tefillin at school minyanim

«While our community has adopted as normative the view that women refrain from this act, I see the range of rishonim who allow women to don tefillin as support to give space to that practice within our community. One can disagree with this decision on halakhic and public policy grounds. But the position is a coherent one and deserves careful consideration.»

SAR principal explains decision to allow girls to wear tefillin at school minyanim - The Jewish Star


http://www.thejewishstar.com/stories/SAR-principal-explains-decision-to-allow-girls-to-wear-teffilin-at-school-minyanim,4665

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Who Decides Mee Hoo Y'hoodi?

Rabbi Yehuda L. Oppenheimer:

«The first Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael in modern times, the sainted Rav Avraham Yitzchok Hakohen Kook zt"l, was an incredible scholar, saint and lover of Israel, one of the greatest Gedolim of recent times.  He was strongly opposed by the Chareidi world, who saw him as lending legitimacy to the Zionist movement, but nevertheless greatly respected by their leadership, particularly Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zt"l, Rav of the Eidah Chareidis.  He passed in 1935, which predated the War of Independence and establishment of Israel by 13 years. 

One of the most important roles of the Chief Rabbinate (Rabbanut) , had nothing at all to do with the Zionist movement, and is perhaps one of the main reasons that Rav Kook allowed himself to get involved in such a thankless office.   Under Turkish law, which was the law of the land before World War I and continued to a great extent through the Mandate period and until today, matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce are handled by each person's religious authority, rather than by the government.  Thus it is necessary for a Muslim to go the Waqf to register a marriage, for a Christian to go the Ecclesiastical Authority, and for a Jew to go to the Rabbanut.   There is no such thing as a secular marriage or divorce, it must be handled through the Religious Authority.  The religious authorities are quasi-governmental bodies that are overseen by the Ministry of Religions (plural) for each ethnic/religious group.»

Libi BaMizrach: Avi Weiss and The End Of The Chief Rabbinate
http://libibamizrach.blogspot.com/2014/01/avi-weiss-and-end-of-chief-rabbinate.html


-----------------------------------------
Shalom and Best Regards,
RRW

MISTAKES are always forgivable
If you have the courage to admit them.

Prominent Modern Orthodox High School Announces - Girls who want to wear Tefillin during davening would be permitted to do so.

«To be honest, my personal discomfort with the policy decision announced this week has less to do with strict halachic objection for which there are counterarguments, and more to do with an often neglected halachic value called mechzei k'yuhara.

Forget women and tefillin for a moment.  If a man wanted to wear tefillin the whole day as they did in the past, would we encourage him or frown upon the practice?  The Shulchan Aruch Ha'Rav written by the R' Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, says that since today the custom is not to wear tefillin other than during davening, to do so publicly is mechzei k'yuhara, smacks of arrogance and hubris.

There was once a student at YU who would walk through Washington Heights wearing his tallis and tefillin while going to daven.  A concerned individual asked Rav Schachter to intercede and encourage the young man to stop this practice that was drawing negative attention.  Rav Schachter related to us that he didn't want to embarrass the young man so he told him a story with the hope he would understand.  A man once asked a prominent posek if a particular practice was mechzei k'yuhara, appeared arrogant.  "No," said the posek, "it is yuhara mamesh, it is actually arrogant." 

Unfortunately, the young man did not get the message.»

Avoiding The Appearance of Religious Hubris - Rabbi Efrem Goldberg | Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
http://rabbisblog.brsonline.org/avoiding-religious-hubris/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Does The U.S. Now Have A Chief Rabbinate?

An article in support of the RCA by Elli Fischer

«The RCA, a professional institution, must nurture its relationship with Israel's Rabbinate.
...
There is a certain amount of irony in this arrangement. Although Rabbi Weiss has been a member of the RCA for decades, he has long criticized it for kowtowing to the demands of the Rabbanut. His insistence on the autonomy of every community rabbi led him to found the International Rabbinic Fellowship in 2006 and the now-defunct Fellowship of Traditional Orthodox Rabbis in the early 1990s. Yet the recent tussle over his status served to further cement the relationship between the RCA and the Rabbanut.»

http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/opinion/and-now-chief-rabbinate-america


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Is Henry Ford, a paranoid Anti-Semite, the right icon for anti-banking protest?

«...more importantly, Henry Ford is a strange choice as guru for a movement that prides itself on tolerance and inclusion.

Today's protesters seem to be unaware of the context in which the great automotive innovator discussed finance. Much of Ford's propaganda about banking was unabashedly anti-Semitic and so scurrilous that he was ultimately forced to retract it. In Ford's writings, his attacks on banking were indistinguishable from his attacks on Jews.

As Occupy Wall Street settles back in, the protesters might wish to reconsider whether they should be invoking the authority of a notorious bigot. Inclusion is an admirable motive, but including everyone has its limits.»

Henry Ford, Occupy Wall Street
Henry Ford: The Wrong Guru for Occupy Wall Street - Total Return - WSJ

http://blogs.wsj.com/totalreturn/2011/11/15/the-wrong-guru-for-occupy-wall-street/

-----------------------------------------
Shalom and Best Regards,
RRW

MISTAKES are always forgivable
If you have the courage to admit them.

Attitude of Gratitude

«TY for my rebbes, especially, Rav Gorelick Z"L

TY for my all my instructors, especially Dr. Robert Goldberg and Dr. Hyman Grinstein»

ThankYU

http://thankyouyu2014.blogspot.com/2014/01/rabbi-rich-wolpoe-thank-you-for-wide.html?m=1


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Beards in Jewish Law and Lore - 1

«Questions & Answers
Why don't chassidic men shave their beards?
By Menachem Posner

«The Torah1 forbids the "destruction" of specific parts of the beard. The Talmud2 interprets "destruction" as shaving with a razor.3 This prohibition also includes shaving with any implement which completely removes all the facial hair, but does not include trimming, or shaving with a scissors or other tool which does not provide the smooth shave provided by a razor.4

There are halachic authorities (including the Tzemach Tzedek, third Chabad rebbe) who opine that cutting any part of the beard, even without a razor-like implement, falls under the prohibition of cross-dressing.5 This opinion is especially followed by Chabad chassidim.
...
In addition, Kabbalah attaches great importance to the beard, teaching that the "thirteen locks" of the beard are representative of G‑d's thirteen supernal Attributes of Mercy. Growing a beard makes one a beneficiary of the bounty which originates from G‑d's compassion.»

Why don't chassidic men shave their beards? - Questions & Answers
http://m.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/494236/jewish/Why-dont-chassidic-men-shave.htm


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Sobering Reflections

List of book-burning incidents - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_book-burning_incidents
 
Kol Tuv,
RRW

Haftarah -Scheduling of Shuvah and Dirshu

« In addition to the three haftarot of doom and the seven haftarot of consolation familiar to us, the Tosafot speak also of "two haftarot of repentance" belonging to this set of haftarot, namely Dirshu Hashem be-Himatzo that is read on Tzom Gedalya and Shuva Yisrael that is read this Shabbat.  This means that this entire set of haftarot constitutes a response to Tisha be-Av. 
The destruction of the Temple necessitates a two-fold response: 1) mourning over the loss of the Temple and the members of Israel who fell in battle; and 2) a process of repentance "in order to stir up the hearts and open the paths of repentance.  This should serve as a reminder of our own evil deeds and those of our forefathers that were as our present deeds to the point that they caused them and us these troubles, so that by remembering these things we should repent and do good."[1]
The first and immediate response to the destruction is consolation; it is urgently needed in order to revive Israel's dejected spirit and strengthen their broken hearts.  Following the great effort that was invested in this cause over the course of the summer, the time has come for the repentance that is required in the wake of the destruction as a repair of Israel's evil deeds that led to it.  We see then that reading the haftara of Shuva stems from a double obligation of repentance: a) the special obligation of repentance generated by the Ten Days of Penitence[2]; and b) an obligation of repentance in the wake of the destruction of the Temple, which is rooted in the laws of fasting, as is emphasized by the Rambam in the aforementioned passage.  Formulated in a slightly different manner, it might be argued that now that we have finished reading the haftarot of consolation, the time has come to act toward their realization and bring about the redemption.  This requires repentance and therefore we must deal with the issue of repentance in the haftarot that follow the haftarot of consolation.»

Torah on the Web - Virtual Beit Midrash
http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/haftara/54shuva.htm


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Our Children Need Our Love And Understanding, Not Our Retribution - R Eliyahu Safran

«Your son, whom you so proudly carried to his bris, is always your son.
Your daughter, light of your life from the moment you first held her, is always your daughter.

A parent's love for his or her child must be unqualified, as God's is for His people.  And yet… too often we are so brutally quick to judge our own children; and too often through the eyes of others, not even our own!»

New York - OpEd: Our OTD Children Need Our Love And Understanding, Not Our Retribution -- VosIzNeias.com
http://www.vosizneias.com/152713/2014/01/20/new-york-oped-our-otd-children-need-our-love-and-understanding-not-our-retribution/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Brief Bio of Rabbi Richard Wolpoe

Here is my brief bio:


Born in Hartford, CT in 1951

Attended Yeshiva of Hartford,* Graduating 9th grade in 1966.

Attended Mechina High School of Ner Israel Baltimore 1966-1968

Attended Ner Israel Yeshiva Colleg in Toronto, 1968-1971

Attended Yeshiva College 1971-1973 graduating with a BA in History

Attended RIETS and Bernard Revel Grad School 1973-1976, and 1981.

Served as Ba'al Korei and Ba'al Tefilah at Cong. Ados Israel Hartford, CT 1976-1981
Rabbi Cong. Beth Jacob of Astoria, 1984-1987

Served as Cantor of Cong. Ohav Sholaum of Inwood [Manhattan] from 1987 until its close in 2006.
In 1990, following the death of Rabbi Ralph Neuhaus, OBM, he also assumed the title of Rabbi.

Rabbi Wolpoe also taught parsha classes at Cong. Mt. Sinai 1996-2006 and earned Its Community Leadership Award.

He has been an instructor in Talmud,  Halachah, etc. in Teaneck since 2001

Since 2007 he has served as an assistant to the Chaplain at Care-One Teaneck. 

He resides in Teaneck, NJ with his wife Ramona.

------------------------

* Now known as the Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Harford in Bloomfield, CT

Der Ewige Jude

«If the international finance-Jewry inside and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations into a world war yet again, then the outcome will not be the victory of Jewry, but rather the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!»

The Yeemach Sh'mo-nick in 1939

http://www.holocaust-history.org/der-ewige-jude/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Tachanun - When an Avel during Shiva is Davening at Shul

Guest Blogger
R J Simcha Cohen

«In the event that an Avail during Shiva serves as a Shliach Tzibbur at a synagogue the Mishna Berura (MB) rules that the Shliach Tzibbur does not recite Tachanun but the congregation does. (MB 131:17)

The Shaar HaTziyyun notes that even though there are poskim  who disagree, "shomim l'hakail.
See-"Mourning  In Halacha "(Chapter 16:20)[Artscroll] who cites the ruling of the MB. Yet, in footnote (39)Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach [ZL} is cited as ruling that in the event the mourner is the Shliach Tzibbur Tachnun should not be recited at all.

Rabbi J. Simcha Cohen»

Comment:
During the Shiva for my Mom A"H, I served as Shatz one day, I followed the M"B above, namely I personally omitted Tachnanun while the Tzibbur recited it.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY: WORST AMERICAN CITIZEN OF THE 20TH CENTURY

«"Joe Kennedy is one of the biggest crooks who ever lived."

             - Sam Giancana

 "I helped Joe Kennedy get rich."

             - Frank Costello

"Joe always found great favor in Hitler. He would have loved to see him succeed."

             - Morton Downey, Jr.»

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY: WORST AMERICAN CITIZEN OF THE 20TH CENTURY | Steven Robert Travers | Blog Post | Red Room
http://redroom.com/member/steven-robert-travers/blog/joseph-p-kennedy-worst-american-citizen-of-the-20th-century-0


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Mussar: Humiliation

 
Hilchot De'ot, chapter 6, paragraph 8:

It is forbidden for a Jew [literally a man] to humiliate his fellow Jew
[even in private], how much more so in public.
 
CHRONOLOGY:
Rambam was born in 1134 CE in Córdoba, Spain and died in 1204 CE in Egypt. Many biographies have been written about him.
 
Kol Tuv,
RRW

RCA Rejects Chief Rabbinate Statement

«The RCA claimed that, even prior to this incident, it had been developing an alternate methodology that would "enable Jewish status letters to be written by its member rabbis and be endorsed in the United States, where the RCA is better informed and positioned to resolve matters in ways that will avoid the problems and embarrassments of these past weeks."»

http://www.jewishlinkbc.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=2356%3Arca-rejects-chief-rabbinate-statement&Itemid=562


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Great Expectorations - Questions

Re: Spitting in Shul

Background Sources:
1. S"A O"Ch 151:7
2. B'er Haggolah 30 citing both Bavli and Y'rushalmi
3. Ba'er Heiteiv 9
4. M"B 24
5. Sha'ar Hatziyyun 15

Summary of Sources:
1. M'chabeir one may spit in shul provided that -
A. Either One rubs it out with one's feet
B. Or that One spits into "guemmee" so it it is invisible.

2. Bavli Y'rushalmi permits

3.
A. Davka not during T'filah
B. The Arizal never allowed it even NOT during T'fillah

4.
A. Not during T'filah
B. One should be careful not lest chaveiro will be disgusted [citing Hagigah 5]
C. The Arizal was nizhar

5. The Arizal was apparently advocating Middat Hassidut because the G'mara permits it.
Then we wonder re: "Asheereem" who never spit in their homes, if so the same should apply to the shul or Beis Midrash

Questions:
1'. Due to sources 4B and 5 re: the well-to-do, would the heter of the Talmud no longer apply in our society, because we do not spit in our homes?

Or since the Talmud + S"A permit, it's still OK?

2'. Based upon 1B would using "spitoons" nowadays make it OK ?


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Speaking of Trees.. R Eliyahu Safran (and Dr. Seuss, too!)

«While his students presumed his behavior was a demonstration of chibat ha-aretz, his love for Eretz Yisrael, it was actually an act of hakarat hatov, gratitude.  Years before, prior to the war, his rebbe, Rav Chaim Ozer, had shown him which vegetation and grasses were edible – a lesson that had saved his life when the Nazis invaded Vilna and he escaped into the forest!»

To Speak for the Trees…(For Tu Bishvat) - Judaism - Israel National News
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/14379#.UtaJQZuwHQU


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Right/Left Controversy in Israel‏

With what is happening in Israel today with the various controversies that include the Rabbinate, it may be worthwhile to again re-visit an issue from the summer regarding Jonathan Rosenblum and MK Dov Lipman. While we are specifically directing you to the piece by Yitzchok Adlerstein, it should be noted that that was preceded by the following:

Original Piece
Dov Lipman - Bad Choice to Keynote RCA Convention » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry 
http://matzav.com/dov-lipman-bad-choice-to-keynote-rca-convention
 
Reaction 1A
Jonathan Rosenblum’s Hit Piece on Dov Lipman and the RCA | The Jewish Press
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/haemtza/jonathan-rosenblums-hit-piece-on-dov-lipman-and-the-rca/2013/06/16/
 
Reaction 1B
Will Jonathan Rosenblum Apologize to MK Rabbi Dov Lipman? | The Jewish Press
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/haemtza/will-jonathan-rosenblum-apologize-to-mk-rabbi-dov-lipman/2013/06/19/
 
JR's apology
An Apology and a Rebuttal to MK Rabbi Dov Lipman | Cross-Currents 
http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2013/06/20/an-apology-and-a-rebuttal-to-mk-rabbi-dov-lipman/
 

 * * * * *

 «Jonathan Rosenblum's piece was one of the shortest, but the single most valuable one to me, because it offered a compact summary of the problem, one that I will share with others outside our community. (Full disclosure: He's a good friend, and I usually value his opinions over my own.) It was non-hysterical, balanced, and full of recognition that, in his words, "we must address the human needs that are not being met." (Aside: I completely disagree with his criticism in a different piece of the RCA for inviting MK Dov Lipman. I may or may not put some of that disagreement in print. Some of the impetus has disappeared, now that the RCA has invited Jonathan to present the other side of the issue at their upcoming convention.)»

Answers to Questions and Questionable Answers | Cross-Currents
http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2013/06/17/answers-to-questions-and-questionable-answers/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Keeping Non-Profits up to date On Line

«Three out of four donors born from 1979 to 1994—a generation often referred to as "millennials"—said they were turned off when a nonprofit's Web site had not been updated recently. Six in 10 said they wanted nonprofits to share stories about successful projects and programs and appreciated information about an organization's cause and the people it serves.»

Young Donors Want Web Sites To Show Results - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
http://philanthropy.com/article/Young-Donors-Want-Web-Sites-To/140435/?cid=pt&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=en

------------------------------------------

I was a bit disappointed when I went to a federation website in July, 2013 and they had a review of successes during 2010! I missed be younger than I think!

Best Regards,
RW

Rabbis and Others: Beware of Abuse!

Here is a tidbit of information on this vast subject, shared with me by a friend. Whatever we can do here at Nishma to clean this up, is a plus for our society and for our children
Re: Sexual Abuse -

«Rabbis in the United States should know the degree to which his state's laws categorize him as a mandated reporter -

EG see p. 4 of the Child Welfare Information Gateway which summarizes the various state requirements, with detailed statues on subsequent pages.

NB: While New York State clergy are not mandated reporters, nevertheless, the RCA's position IS to require reporting suspected cases of child abuse to the proper authorities -

http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105641.»

May we all have a Genuine G'ulah - bimheirah b'yameinu
 
Best Regards,
RRW

London Beth Din Kashrut Kosher food in London

LBD's Kashrut division page:

http://www.kosher.org.uk/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Worldwide Celebration: Dirshu Daf Hayomi B’halacha Completes Chelek Hey Of Mishnah Berurah

«In the six years since its inception, Daf HaYomi B'Halacha has evolved into a worldwide program where thousands of individuals throughout six continents are bringing halacha learning into their daily lives and taking tests on it to ensure accountability.»

Worldwide Celebration: Dirshu Daf Hayomi B'halacha Completes Chelek Hey Of Mishnah Berurah | The 5 Towns Jewish Times
http://5tjt.com/worldwide-celebration-dirshu-daf-hayomi-bhalacha-completes-chelek-hey-of-mishnah-berurah/


Also

Dirshu Completes Chelek Hei of Mishna Berurah
http://jewishlinkbc.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=2169%3Adirshu-completes-chelek-hei-of-mishna-berurah&Itemid=584


Kol Tuv,
RRW

KosherGPS.com

For locating
Minyanim
Mikva'ot
Kosher Restaurants
Try:

http://www.kosherrestaurantsgps.com/

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Editions of the Mishna Berura - Oz v'Hodor vs. Dirshu

«Mishna Berura Oz Wehadar is very Makpid to bring every exact source in literally every citation. Mishna Berura Dirshu doesn't have that previous idea but it brings interesting interpretations and additions from the later and contemporary authorities on Halacha. –  Hacham Gabriel Oct 4 '13 at 21:36»

What is the difference between these two versions of the Mishna Berura?
http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/31469/what-is-the-difference-between-these-two-versions-of-the-mishna-berura


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Mussar: Why Only One Person?

Why did God begin the story of mankind by creating only one person? The Talmud answers so that no man should be able ever to say to his fellow man, "my father is greater than your father" (Sanhedrin 37a). We are all related. One father for all people on earth makes everyone brothers and sisters in the truest sense of the word.

Adam was not just one man – he was every man. Christian and Jew, black and white, American and Asian – we are all created by God "in his image." 

~ R Ben Blech 

Kol Tuv,
RRW

The New Month - A Lesson in Renewal - R Eliyahu Safran

«What self-respecting Jew would pass under the Arch of Titus?  It stood as physical confirmation of our defeat and degradation.  Little could Titus have known that in his arrogant declaration of conquest he preserved the seeds of Jewish rebirth.

Nearly two thousand years later, when the State of Israel was established, its government chose the seven-branched menorah as its national symbol. The menorah represented light, and Israel was determined to be a light and blessing to its people and to mankind.  There was only one problem.  No one knew what the Temple menorah actually looked like.  But then someone remembered – a true representation of it had been preserved on the Arch of Titus!»

The New Month - A Lesson in Renewal - Judaism - Israel National News
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/14329#.Usa0sJuwHQU

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Did Bet Shamai ever Reverse Themselves and Pasken Like Bet Hillel? An Answer

Courtesy of R DJ Mescheloff

Here's one case that appears with variations in different sources.  

Here it is as it is in the Yerushalmi (beitza 2:4):

"מעשה בהלל הזקן שהביא עולתו לָעֲזָרָה, וסמך עליה. חברוּ עליו תלמידי בית שמאי (ורצו למנוע אותו מלהקריב). התחיל מכשכש בזנבה, אמר להן: 'ראו נקיבה היא ושְׁלָמִים הבאתיה', הפליגן בדברים והלכו להן. לאחר ימים גברה ידן של בית שמאי וביקשו לקבוע הלכה כדבריהם, והיה שם בבא בן בוטא מתלמידי בית שמאי ויודע שהלכה כבית הלל. פעם אחת נכנס לָעֲזָרָה ומצאה שוממת, אמר יָשֹׁמּוּ (יהיו לשממון) בתיהן של אילו (בית שמאי) שהישמו את בית א-להינו. מה עשה שלח והביא שלשת אלפים טלאים מצֹאן קדר וביקרן ממומין והעמידן בהר הבית ואמר להן: 'שמעוני אחיי בית ישראל כל מי שהוא רוצה יביא עולות - יביא ויסמוך, יביא שלמים - יביא ויסמוך'. באותה השעה נקבעה הלכה כבית הלל ולא אמר אדם דבר".

David Mescheloff



Kol Tuv,
RRW

Did Bet Shamai ever Reverse Themselves and Pasken Like Bet Hillel?

Given - that in several instances Bet Hillel reversed themselves and eventually followed Bet Shamai -

Question - as far as we know, did Bet Shammai ever Reverse Themselves and Pasken Like Bet Hillel?

If so, where may that be found in the Mishnah, Tosefta, or Talmud?

Mishnah Yevamot -

מסכת יבמות פרק טו

טו,ב  בית הלל אומרין, לא שמענו אלא בבאה מן הקציר בלבד.  אמרו להם בית שמאי, אחת הבאה מן הקציר, ואחת הבאה מן הזיתים, ואחת הבאה ממדינת הים; לא דיברו בקציר אלא בהווה.  חזרו בית הלל להורות כדברי בית שמאי. 

[ג] בית שמאי אומרין, תינשא ותיטול כתובה; בית הלל אומרין, תינשא ולא תיטול כתובה.  אמרו להם בית שמאי, התרתם את הערווה החמורה, ולא תתירו את הממון הקל.  אמרו להם בית הלל, מצינו שאין האחים נכנסין לנחלה על פיה.  אמרו להם בית שמאי, והלוא מספר כתובתה נלמוד, שהוא כותב לה, שאם תינשאי לאחר, תיטלי מה שכתוב ליך.  חזרו בית הלל להורות כדברי בית שמאי.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Bet Hillel vs. Bet Shammai

Who makes for a better defense attorney or advocate - a lawyer that used to be a prosecutor, or one that is not familiar with how the DA works?

Who makes for a better tax preparer - a former IRS agent or one who only knows the basics of tax preparation?

Who makes for the more successful Martial Artist, one who knows only his own weapons? Or one who fully understands his adversary?

«p91 In order to achieve victory you must place yourself in your opponent's skin. If you don't understand yourself, you will lose one hundred percent of the time. If you understand your self, you will win fifty percent of the time. If you understand yourself and your opponent, you will win one hundred percent of the time.

--Tsutomu Oshima»

Zen in the Martial Arts - Jozef's blog
http://blog.kutej.net/2012/06/zen-in-the-martial-arts.html

----

And so Dear Reader, who makes for a Better Poseik? A Poseik who knows ONLY his own point of view? Or a Poseik who can empathize with both sides?

Halachah is like Bet Hillel. Perhaps meaning, we DECIDE Halachah based upon a "fair and balanced" process of evaluating both or multiple positions.
Because Bet Hillel articulated Bet Shammai's positions first, he could empathize with both positions.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

RCA - NY Post Headline Crossed a Line

RCA Deplores NY Post Headline in Stark Murder

«Jan 6, 2014 -- The Rabbinical Council of America, the largest Orthodox rabbinic association in America, strongly condemns the headline in the Sunday January 5, 2014 edition of the New York Post. In reporting on the kidnapping and gruesome murder of Menachem Stark, a Chassidic businessman who leaves behind a grieving wife and eight young children, the tabloid printed a headline that was as unacceptable and objectionable as it was inflammatory and provocative.

The headline, "Who Did Not Want Him Dead?", crossed the line of all human decency and implied justification of the victim's murder, violating the most basic tenets of ethical journalism.

We extend our condolences to the Stark family, and pray that this outrageous example of sensationalist journalism does not add to the pain of their loss.

We call upon the Post to issue a full apology.»

Rabbinical Council of America (RCA)
http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105785

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Nishma Policy: Agunot -- The Real Issue is Beit Din

NISHMA: Policy is devoted to analyzing policy issues within the world of Torah.

I have just posted the latest post, entitled Agunot -- The Real Issue is Beit Din, which contends that there is a major difficulty in how the agunah problem is being approached. We are not correctly presenting it within its context of an issue in beit din

I invite you to take a look...and comment.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

 

Reform Rabbinical Status in Israel

«The Religious Services Ministry released a statement saying, "As opposed to what has been published in the press, the Religious Services Ministry has not budgeted for Reform rabbis in 2013. The budget for Reform rabbis comes solely through the Culture Ministry."

Reform rabbis start receiving state-paid salaries
http://www.jpost.com/»


See -
http://tinyurl.com/ljol54m

And/Or

Religion and State in Israel: Religion and State in Israel - January 2, 2014

http://religionandstateinisrael.blogspot.com/2014/01/religion-and-state-in-israel-january-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/OhTY+(Religion+and+State+in+Israel)


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Good Riddance Day - R Benjamin Blech

«... What all of them shared was a cry of good riddance to those aspects of their lives they visibly wanted to discard, a commitment to keeping bad memories from interfering with the future.

Something like this has been part of Jewish tradition for thousands of years.

Jews are doubly blessed when it comes to New Years. We observe one in the fall, on Rosh Hashanah, commemorating the birth of mankind. We have another in the spring, when the calendar marks the month of Nissan, which the Torah refers to as the first month, because of its association with the Exodus from Egypt and the birth of the Jewish people. Passover is the holiday that commemorates this beginning, and it is preceded on the morning of the night of the Seder with a symbolic burning that resonates powerfully with the theme of Good Riddance Day.»

Good Riddance Day

http://www.aish.com/ci/s/Good-Riddance-Day.html?s=nb&mobile=yes

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Check out some New Links for Beit Hillel

https://www.facebook.com/BeitHillel.English

http://eng.beithillel.org.il/

https://twitter.com/BeitHillel_Eng

Kol Tuv,
RRW

RCA expresses its Gratitude to Canadian PM Harper

«Jan 2, 2014 -- The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) expresses its gratitude to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government for their principled and unyielding support of the State of Israel.

Prime Minister Harper and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird, have been resolute in defending Israel, pushing back against the stream of attack coming from those who wish to delegitimize the only democracy in the Middle East. In recent days, Canada called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to immediately dismiss its special investigator Richard Falk after he accused Israel of genocidal intentions against the Palestinians. Falk has a long history of unvarnished bias against the Jewish State.

Mr. Harper and Mr. Baird have shown moral vision and courage in taking the lead position against the outrageous, by turning Canada's back to the anti-Semitic hate-fest at Durban and to former Iranian President Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier wanting to be a Holocaust perpetrator. In standing in support of Israel, they have reflected the Canadian commitment to justice and balance that makes Canada a country in which diversity is a practical blessing, rather than a source of friction.

As we stand on the threshold of the year 2014, the more than 1000 rabbis of the RCA – located throughout Canada, the United States, Israel, and beyond – pray that Mr. Harper's principled stance will continue to be a light unto the nations, who will finally realize what Canada already knows: that Israel embraces the values of freedom, dignity, and democracy that are much-needed tools to heal a troubled world.»

Rabbinical Council of America (RCA)

http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105782

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Mussar: Selfies for the Selfish - Rabbi Eliyahu Safran

«Selfies represent, by definition, the antithesis of the humble, unpretentious soul, the characteristics that make us a TzelemElokim. Modesty? Hah! In a universe where nothing exists but ME! what need does one have for modesty? One religious leader in the Philippines observed, "We are selfish. It's all about I, me, myself. Like those who keep on taking selfie photos." He noted an, "…unnatural self-centeredness… in the smallest to the most powerful." »

For My Sake… | Rabbi Eliyahu Safran | Orthodox Union
http://www.ou.org/torah/article/for_my_sake#.UrnL7puwHQU


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Shabbat Protocols in Case of A Hurricane - OU.ORG

http://www.ou.org/resources/hurricanehalacha.htm

Or for other extreme weather conditions...

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Boston funeral home drops Orthodox burial society

«After Brezniak-Rodman announced that it would provide space for the new group, which has more than 100 volunteers, Rabbi Naftali Horowitz, who is known as the Bostoner Rebbe, sent a letter stating that the Chevra Kadisha of Greater Boston would continue operating there only "if we are the only one using the facilities." Allowing a nondenominational group to use the funeral home's facilities would "add great confusion regarding the standards which will be administered," the letter said.

Last week, Brezniak-Rodman confirmed that the Chevra Kadisha of Greater Boston had stopped working with the funeral home.»

Boston funeral home drops Orthodox burial society for Jewish alternative | Jewish Telegraphic Agency
http://www.jta.org/2013/12/26/default/nondenominational-burial-society-wins-access-to-jewish-funeral-homes?utm_source=Newsletter+subscribers&utm_campaign=2d7062f28d-JTA_Daily_Briefing_12_26_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dce5bc6f8-2d7062f28d-25953737

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Open Orthodoxy: Pushing the Envelope or Crossing the Line?

«Goldin responded to Lopatin in much the same way as he did when he spoke to JLBC at press time. He noted that the approach is not what sets Open Orthodoxy (OO) apart from Modern Orthodoxy (MO). Goldin, who, at times in the past has been considered left of the mainstream, feels that some of decisions on issues that the OO approach has made are pushing the boundaries, like recent decisions on partnership minyanim and gay individuals. "We do have to be sensitive to these issues," he said, "but some of the things we are hearing from proponents are already halakhically problematical."

Lopatin responded by saying that some of the stagnation in past approaches have been caused by fear, and that YCT is training their students to create open communities. Where do they draw the line? The emphasis needs to be inclusive. For example the daughter of a lesbian couple was celebrating her bat mitzvah, and one focuses on celebrating the child who was raised by two mothers as a family—just as they would celebrate a child at any other bat mitzvah.»

http://www.jewishlinkbc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2260:open-orthodoxy-pushing-the-envelope-or-crossing-the-line&catid=150:news&Itemid=562


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Universalism vs. Particularism

«Our calendar does not start counting years from the birth of Abraham, no matter how significant his life might be as our first patriarch. Nor do we claim that the past only becomes worthy of recognition from the time we became a people or even from the moment we received the Torah at Sinai. The year is now 5774. It is the number of years that frame the shared years of the human family.

But that is not the message of the calendar year 2014, whose meaning is steeped in a theological concept. 2014 chooses the birth of Jesus as the moment which offers all subsequent history meaning. By beginning the count of years with this event, there is a clear statement made: What happened before is insignificant.»

Michelangelo & the Meaning of the New Year
http://www.aish.com/ci/s/Michelangelo--the-Meaning-of-the-New-Year.html?mobile=yes

-----------------------------------------
Shalom and Best Regards,
RRW

Don't Make Assumptions, rather
find the courage to ask questions and communicate with others as clearly as you can, in order to avoid misunderstandings. This can completely transform your life.
~ d M Ruiz