by Joel Rich From R’ Asher Weiss recognizing the realities of the world we live in: ולכאורה עדיף שנאמר בפה מלא דאף שלפי ההלכה יש צד להקל אוסרים אנו כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה ולעשות סייג לתורה, בכח שיש בידינו. ולבי נוטה יותר לדרך זו, דחיים אנו בתקופה שכל אחד חכם בעיניו יותר מחכמת שלמה, ואם נגבב סברות להחמיר ...

by Joel Rich Looking for a list of serious Torah U’Madda (if you’ve been reading these posts for a while you probably have a good idea what I mean) communities in Aretz which include a retiree age demographic. ~ ~ ~ Article is a bit dense but he’s trying to answer the question we’ve discussed – why should one feel ...

by Joel Rich I had the pleasure of being on the Tayelet overlooking har habayit with thousands of Ethiopian relatives celebrating Sigd (see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigd ). How could you not cry seeing the words of the prophets having come to life? Rationalist Judaism: The Kezayis Revolution! Me-the issue at hand is symptomatic of a deeper dialectic imho – is Halacha ...

by Joel Rich Interesting – the Chinuch’s strong position on Lo Tasur even post smicha/Sanhedrin is consistent with his view that there is a requirement on the tzibbur (mitzvah 491) to establish batei dinim with wide ranging powers in all Jewish communities (daat atzmi). ~ ~ ~ Do you believe that HKB”H never gives one a test they can’t pass ...

by Joel Rich Henry Abramson Essential Lectures http://jewishhistorylectures.org/history-of-the-jewish-people-i-his-155/   “Essential lectures” are a series of short review lectures. There are longer lectures available on quite a few topics. I’m still looking for an on-line in-depth series on Jewish history or specific portions thereon.   Also, if you’ve listened to any Mada related series you think I’d find interesting, please let ...

by Joel Rich If you had to choose one thing for your community to work on, what would it be? How are you trying to accomplish it? ~ ~ ~ From a recent WSJ review of Rabbi Sacks’ “Not in God’s Name” – “According to Mr. Sacks, the fact that the Rabbis “heard” hidden meanings in the text implies that ...

by Joel Rich Given that astrology was the “science” of the times, does it stretch the imagination to say that Chazal were in a reason rather than revelation frame of mind when they reported and operated on the basis of such things? ~ ~ ~ “Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, ...

by Joel Rich Interesting series – I say mah navu maaschea (how wondrous are your works O’Lord) and Professor Sapolsky becomes an atheist!!  He seems to see predispositions due to chemistry, genetics et al as a challenge to free will, I’m not sure why.  (We can channel our predispositions/circumstances.)   You can convert long youtubes to mp3 here:    http://2conv.com/   ...

by Joel Rich Question: Everyone quotes the Mishkenot Yaakov’s 10% for miyut hamatzui (material minority), yet later in his tshuva he says “kol davar shenireh l’enayim shehu matzui tadir zeh shmo asher yikru lo miyuta dshicha”. So what’s the real deal? ~ ~ ~ If Simchat Torah is of relatively recent origin, so it would seem must be the “minhag” ...

by Joel Rich I was asked to provide a list of (me-possible) mitzvot which were considered kiyumit. Does anyone know of such a list? ~ ~ ~ Does your shul ever do an after action review of anything (e.g. how did people feel about yamim noraim services?)? if so, how? Rabbi Nosson Rich -Mishna Berura Yomi: Hilchos Netilas Yadayim 167-6 ...