Rosenblum Revives/Reunites Rocking Rabbis (Hasc Concert 2014)

 

 



This year's Hasc Concert looks to be a good one.

Not since 1992 has the Diaspora Yeshiva Band/Rocking Rabbis under the direction of Avraham Rosenblum reunited to bring back the age of the 70's.

Avrohom Fried, Benny Friedman, Abie Rottenberg, Ohad, 8th Day and Baruch Levine will be joined by Nachum Segal and Yisroel Lamm in a sold out Avery Fisher Hall on January 12th, 2014.

Get your tickets now, as the cheapest seats are $100.00 and they will not last.

This looks to be a really fantastic fundraiser.

Wish I could join you.

Hoodied Hoods Hoodwink Hashem?

This blog oftentimes focuses on the changing effect of technology on our lives.

One drastic change has been the security camera. Up to a decade ago, the security camera was only for the rich and famous, or businesses. Today, one can hardly go anywhere without his/her actions and movements being recorded.

This is a tremendous development for law enforcement, as events can be recreated and prosecution is now much simpler.

Perpetrators now must worry that their actions will be recorded for prosecution.

Yet we who know that Hashem is always watching, fear not the camera. We fear the Lord.

And although Hoodied Hoods may Hoodwink those in the 'Hood, (and sit down to a beer with the president), they will not fool the Master of the World.

הודו להי כי טוב



Birthday Boy Blogger Bash

I can't believe it, but this blog now enters it's 5th year.

The anti-LH experiment has proven successful.

G-dfatherly Gangster Grants Gittin?

In one of my first posts, I discussed the idea that bloggers, with a few minutes of time can right the wrongs of many years of injustice.

Yet in that same post I cautioned that when the blogger gains too much power, they can abuse that power granted to them by their readership.

I am sure that there are those who feel that the current state of Gittin is unfair to women. Yet that does not give anyone the right to play G-d or G-dfather.

Certainly, causing a Chillul Hashem is most grotesque of all.

Beyond BT Buttresses Blogroll

BeyondBT.com has been around for eight years, which is a lifetime in the blogger community.

We founded Beyond BT in December 2005, with the goal of helping second stage Baalei Teshuva, those who’ve already made a commitment to a Torah centered life. With the help of our contributors and commentors over the years, we’ve published over 1,800 posts and 29,000 comments on issues of integration and spiritual growth.

While the posts generally do not cater to me, as they are geared toward Baalei Teshuva, they've recently added a column on the Parsha which "Plumbs the Depths of the Izhbitzer School". These Divrei Torah, adapted by one Rabbi Dovid Schwartz are worthwhile, as they require one to think. Additionally, the beautiful and rich translations, in a superb flowing and flowery English, are a pleasure to behold.

Chazak!

Maran Merits Million Man March (R' Ovadia Yosef ZTL)

Rav Ovadia Yosef passed away yesterday at the age of 93 and was accompanied by an estimated one million mourners to his final resting place in Jerusalem.

Rav Ovadia served as Chief Rabbi of Israel for many years, founded numerous Yeshivot, was a huge Baki, authored many seforim and was the spiritual mentor to countless Sefardim. He also founded the Shas party, and was influential in many an Israeli election.

I've been to many mass Levayos, among them Rav Moshe Feinstein ZTL and the Steipler Rav ZTL, but I was shocked at the sheer numbers of attendees by ROY's Levaya, and was wondering why he merited to have the largest funeral in Eretz Yisroel's history.

Perhaps the answer is that he single-handedly raised the banner of Torah among the Sefardim, giving them self-worth and equalizing them among their Ashkenazik brethren.

Yehi Zichro Baruch.

Viral Video Validates Values

A recent video that is running rampant on the web seemingly pokes fun at the Chassidic Rebbe who is distributing apples to his followers.

While I was initially taken aback, I think that perhaps there is merit for such behavior.

I recall the famous story of the holocaust survivor who complained to his Rebbe that he can't pray to G-d anymore, since while in the Concentration Camps, there were Jews who charged others for use of a precious Siddur. Replied the Rebbe, why focus on the fellow who charged? Why not focus on all those Heilege Yiddin who were willing to give up their food rations to be able to pray!

By the same token, we can be Dan LeKaf Zechut in the above video. Let us focus on how some Chassidim try to cleave to their spiritual mentor. while in my opinion they may be overzealous, at least they are not fighting over the apples, just going overboard in trying to retrieve them. Lehavdil, many adults at baseball games are overzealous in trying to catch foul balls, and oftentimes resort to fist fights.

And unlike a baseball, an apple can be eaten.