Thursday, December 27, 2018

Trump's Triumphant Trip Trashed



It is simply amazing to watch the press trash the president's trip to US servicemen overseas.

First they complained how he doesn't visit the troops. Now that he has visited them, on his holiday, they claim that it is illegal for him to sign MAGA hats, that he got his army pay raise numbers wrong, that he identified members of the SEALS etc, etc.

Good work, Donald. Thanks for supporting the defense of our country.

Great Coup!

Friday, June 15, 2018

Graphic Genius Generates Gadlus - R' Meir Zlotowitz ZT"L





I was impressed with the recently published biography on Artscroll founder R' Meir Zlotowitz ZT"L.
Here are my thoughts:

1. Rabbi Yisroel Besser did an excellent job, capturing the essence of RMZ was all about. I really enjoyed his biography of R' Shlomo Freifeld, yet I noticed a significant maturity in his writing between these 2 bestsellers.

2. R' Dovid Feinstein attributes the Artscroll success to RMZ's selfless act of publishing the first Artscroll (Megillah) to perpetuate the memory of a friend who had passed away. (page 14)

3. RMZ mentioned to a friend early in his life that one day he would translate shas. This is somewhat contradictory to what is mentioned later that R' Yaakov Kamenetzky predicted that they would one day translate shas and when they are ready he would write a haskama. (page 47 and 94).

4. He received Smicha from R' Moshe Feinstein. (page 55).

5. He defended and was strongly unapologetic about publishing hagiographies. (page 84).

6. He dismissed one writer who claimed Rashi was incorrect about something and then rewrote Sefer Yonah himself. (page 86).

7. He cared very much about his workers, telling one unionizer that he insisted on AC even in places where it wasn't required. (page 117).

8. It was R' Aharon Shechter Shlita who came up with the catchphrase of "Elucidation" of the Talmud. (page 127)

9. It is an undeniable fact that the rolls of Daf Yomi learners swelled due to the Artscroll Shas.

10. He issued an industry unprecedented recall of the Sukkos Machzor, when it was found to contain mistakes.

11. He designed many of the fonts himself (see my discussion with S. regarding this point on my ArtScroll post). (page 194).

12. He was against the industry standard of producing books that fall apart so that users would need to buy new ones. (page 198)

13. He wouldn't go to shul late. If it was 8:35 and davening started at 8:30, he would go to the 9:00 minyan.

14. He encouraged R' Dovid Feinstein to go on vacation and would accompany him and serve him. (page 335)

Yehi Zichro Baruch

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Separate Swimming Sea Side!




For religious Jews in Brooklyn, who do not go to mixed beaches to swim, Councilman Chaim Deutch has announced separate swim dates.

Kudos to Chaim Deutch, someone who really cares about his constituents.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Patriotic President Prevents Philadelphia Protest





Executive Eschews Embroiled Eagles.

Friday, June 1, 2018

Trump Team Taps "To Try" Tablets, Tonics




Trump has done it again. He has approved the right to try life-saving drugs that have not been approved yet by federal agencies.

This has been another promise of his fulfilled. Trump and Pence strongly believe that giving hope to sick individuals trumps red tape.

"Right to try. That's such a great name," Trump said. "Some bills, they don't have a good name. Really. But this is such a great name, from the first day I heard it. Right to try. And a lot of the trying is going to be successful. I really believe that. I really believe it."

Monday, April 16, 2018

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Beer Buying Brouhaha Brewing






April 12, 2018
Better put down that pint of Guinness, and don’t even think about cracking a Corona. This month, some Orthodox rabbis are telling New York Jews they should stick to Budweiser — or not drink beer at all.

The unusual edict was made after the rabbis who keep watch on New York’s kosher food supply realized in the weeks before Passover that the owner of the city’s dominant beer wholesaling firm is Jewish.

“He’s 100% Yid,” said a rabbinic administrator at the Central Rabbinical Congress, a Kosher certification agency affiliated with the Satmar Hasidic sect.

That posed a problem for the rabbis, because while the New York beer magnate, Simon Bergson, is Jewish, he is not traditionally observant. Under certain complexities of Jewish law, that has led some Orthodox rabbis to rule that all the beer he owned during the week of Passover is not suitable for consumption by Jews.

Read more: https://forward.com/news/398518/orthodox-rabbis-order-jews-to-stick-to-budweiser-or-skip-beer/

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Caruana Challenges Chess Champion Carlsen



Not since 1972 has an American (Bobby Fisher) competed for the undisputed title of World Chess Champion.

Congratulations to Fabiano Caruana who will take on Magnus Carlsen in November.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

American Advocates At AIPAC










We truly live in amazing times, where the upper echelons of government are so Pro Israel.
Nikki Haley is amazing, as is VP Mike Pence.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

SuperStore Starts Selling Shtreimels



Wow. Bingo of Boro Park is now selling Shtreimels for $499.
At that price, maybe I'll become a Chassid.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Baalabos Boss "Binds" Baalabatim





This amazing inspiring clip has been making the rounds lately. I am in awe of this talented individual, not only for his expertise in rhyme, but the fact that he has been saying a daf-yomi shiur for several cycles and yet is a simple Baal Habos.  He works for a living, yet has Shas on his fingertips.

The Gemara says, Hillel is Mechayev the poor,  Reb Elazar is Mechayev the rich, Yosef Hatzdik is Mechayev the handsome.

I want to add that this Yossi, or Joseph, or Joe is not a regular "Joe" and is Mechayev all Baal Habatim.

Yoma 35B

ת"ר עני ועשיר ורשע באין לדין לעני אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אומר עני הייתי וטרוד במזונותי אומרים לו כלום עני היית יותר מהלל אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן שבכל יום ויום היה עושה ומשתכר בטרפעיק חציו היה נותן לשומר בית המדרש וחציו לפרנסתו ולפרנסת אנשי ביתו פעם אחת לא מצא להשתכר ולא הניחו שומר בית המדרש להכנס עלה ונתלה וישב על פי ארובה כדי שישמע דברי אלהים חיים מפי שמעיה ואבטליון אמרו אותו היום ערב שבת היה ותקופת טבת היתה וירד עליו שלג מן השמים כשעלה עמוד השחר אמר לו שמעיה לאבטליון אבטליון אחי בכל יום הבית מאיר והיום אפל שמא יום המעונן הוא הציצו עיניהן וראו דמות אדם בארובה עלו ומצאו עליו רום שלש אמות שלג פרקוהו והרחיצוהו וסיכוהו והושיבוהו כנגד המדורה אמרו ראוי זה לחלל עליו את השבת עשיר אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אומר עשיר הייתי וטרוד הייתי בנכסי אומרים לו כלום עשיר היית יותר מרבי אלעזר אמרו עליו על רבי אלעזר בן חרסום שהניח לו אביו אלף עיירות ביבשה וכנגדן אלף ספינות בים ובכל יום ויום נוטל נאד של קמח על כתיפו ומהלך מעיר לעיר וממדינה למדינה ללמוד תורה פעם אחת מצאוהו עבדיו ועשו בו אנגריא אמר להן בבקשה מכם הניחוני ואלך ללמוד תורה אמרו לו חיי רבי אלעזר בן חרסום שאין מניחין אותך ומימיו לא הלך וראה אותן אלא יושב ועוסק בתורה כל היום וכל הלילה רשע אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אמר נאה הייתי וטרוד ביצרי (היה) אומרים לו כלום נאה היית מיוסף אמרו עליו על יוסף הצדיק בכל יום ויום היתה אשת פוטיפר משדלתו בדברים בגדים שלבשה לו שחרית לא לבשה לו ערבית בגדים שלבשה לו ערבית לא לבשה לו שחרית אמרה לו השמע לי אמר לה לאו אמרה לו הריני חובשתך בבית האסורין אמר לה ה' מתיר אסורים הריני כופפת קומתך ה' זוקף כפופים הריני מסמא את עיניך ה' פוקח עורים נתנה לו אלף ככרי כסף לשמוע אליה לשכב אצלה להיות עמה ולא רצה לשמוע אליה לשכב אצלה בעוה"ז להיות עמה לעוה"ב נמצא הלל מחייב את העניים רבי אלעזר בן חרסום מחייב את העשירים יוסף מחייב את הרשעים

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

(Vice) President Pence Promotes Peace



Wow! What a Mentch! SoMeHoW it takes a Christian to lecture the Israeli Knesset on Jewish Biblical history.
Trump and Pence have far surpassed my expectations on promoting freedom and support for the State of Israel.
It is comforting to know that we have a VP in the wings who is even more a staunch supporter of our interests than the president himself.

Friday, January 19, 2018

President Pulls Palestinian Payments



The president is being painted as unsuitable for the job, but hasn't ceased to amaze me since he stepped into office with his "see it like it is" and "tell it like it is" attitude.

Why should we pay millions of dollars to those who try to kill us?

Thank you President Trump for standing up to the State Department and the world and righting another injustice.