One Mishpacha - or Two?

The Israeli Yated last week carried a proclamation that the weekly Jewish Magazines should not be brought into a Jewish home. This was accompanied by some prestigious signatures.

letter 1
letter 2

Some say that this ban has been rescinded, although I have not seen any concrete evidence of such.

This is a somewhat surprising development, considering that Rav Nissim Karelitz, one of the prime signatores, has been the subject of a recent cover story by Mishpacha.

In any event, what is mystifying, is that the primary target of these English speaking weeklies, the Jews of the diaspora, who in the U.S. look to the Agudah/Moetzes for direction, have not been issued any direction on this matter.

Yet there seems to be an underlying difference between the Rabbonim from Eretz Yisrael and those outside. Primarily, the leaders of EY follow Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, where total devotion to learning is praised and working is frowned upon. Whereas the Rabbonim in the diaspora follow Rav Yishmael:

Talmud Berachos 35B

ת"ר ואספת דגנך מה ת"ל לפי שנא' לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך יכול דברים ככתבן ת"ל ואספת דגנך הנהג בהן מנהג דרך ארץ דברי ר' ישמעאל ר"ש בן יוחי אומר אפשר אדם חורש בשעת חרישה וזורע בשעת זריעה וקוצר בשעת קצירה ודש בשעת דישה וזורה בשעת הרוח תורה מה תהא עליה אלא בזמן שישראל עושין רצונו של מקום מלאכתן נעשית ע"י אחרים שנא' ועמדו זרים ורעו צאנכם וגו' ובזמן שאין ישראל עושין רצונו של מקום מלאכתן נעשית ע"י עצמן שנא' ואספת דגנך ולא עוד אלא שמלאכת אחרים נעשית על ידן שנא' ועבדת את אויביך וגו' אמר אביי הרבה עשו כרבי ישמעאל ועלתה בידן כר' שמעון בן יוחי ולא עלתה בידן

While searching for reasons as to what is Hashkafically problematic with Mishpacha etc. all I was able to find is the claim that they promote Avreichim leaving Yeshiva and getting a job.

I once mentioned that Rav Gifter ZTL was chastised by Rabbonim from EY when they saw that his Yeshiva promoted ball playing. Yet Rav Gifter politely explained that America is different, what works in one part of the world might be detrimental in another. On the other hand, since the Petirah of Rav Moshe ZTL and Rav Yaakov ZTL, it seems that the Rabbonim outside EY have been looking to EY for guidance. כי מציון תצא תורה

So if this is true, then a ban is EY makes sense, contrary to the U.S. Yet if there are other Hashkafic discrepancies, we can then expect a ban also on our shores.

In event that the ban does reach our shores, I suppose some good that will come out of it may be the resurrection of the Jewish Observer.

Reb Sefer and the Internet

Elsewhere in the Jblogosphere I came across a statement in the name of the Steipler Gaon that {paraphrased} nowadays, due to the fact that we learn from Seforim and not necessarily from a Rebbe, there is no obligation to visit and welcome a Rebbe on YomTov, as the concept of a Rebbe Muvhak no longer exists.

In addition to the fact that today we get much of our learning from the written (as opposed to oral) word, the current Yeshiva system which graduates students every year to a new Rebbe, further distances us from the concept of a Rebbe Muvhak.

Furthermore, many Yeshiva graduates find themselves mentor-less even after leaving the hallowed halls of Yeshiva. I recall an article some years ago in the now defunct Jewish Observer bemoaning the fact that people Daven in one Shul during the week, another for Friday night and a 3rd for Shabbos day. This leaves the family without a Moreh Horaah.

There was a time when acquiring a Rebbe was primarily the only way to learn. But now with the proliferation of Seforim via the online databases, selfhelp tutorials via the world wide web, and thousands of audio and video Shiurim available at the click of a mouse, the Rebbe of yesteryear is well on his way to extinction.


Perhaps the current tuition crisis will eventually take it's toll on the brick and mortar Yeshivos, and replace them with the Virtual Beis HaMedrash. There is also the possibility that terrorism will one day force the Yeshivos underground. But the Almighty, in his infinite wisdom and kindness who always sends the cure before the disease, will see to it .שלא תמוש התורה מפי ומפי זרעי וזרע זרעי עד עולם

The LEArNing SHABBOS

I have dubbed this Shabbos Parashas Kedoshim the "Lean Shabbos", because there was a dearth of reading material.

Over Pesach break, I have perused the Mishpacha, Ami, Binah, Zman, Hamodiah (Inyan) and Yated. I don't know how these publications keep finding new material each week with which to tantalize their readers.

The Pesach editions typically sport expanded coverage, many with additional inserts to tide one over the long Yom Tov. Also, I presume that part of the reason for the extra pages is to make up for the week after the holiday, when many publications do not publish due to the restrictions of working and preparing the new edition on Chol HaMoed.

So whereas Yated, Ami and Binah were not on newsstands this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mishpacha (must have prepared in advance) and Hamodiah did publish. I imagine that this might be an outgrowth of the new competition in the Jewish Magazine industry.

Some of the articles that impressed me: An article in Inyan magazine about the history of Jewish newspaper publishing, Zman had an interesting article on the Three Mile Island nuclear fiasco, Mishpacha wrote about the rise and fall of MK Deri, Binah had a write-up on a person who spent 6 years in prison, and Ami had a really nice essay by R. Kamenetzky about Bedikas Chametz and baseball cards.

All in all, it was hundreds of pages of reading material which kept me out of the Beis Hamedrash for too long. Thank goodness for this LEAN Shabbos, where there was plenty of time to catch up on my LEArNing.

Emunah and Proofs

First we had the Orthoprax layman, then the Orthoprax Rabbi and now Ami has delivered to us the Orthoprax Posek. I remain unconvinced; It is possible that this fellow is pulling their leg or doesn't exist at all. There is also the possibility that someone is trying to create a "buzz" to sell more magazines.

Emunah is a very difficult topic. Faith is the very opposite of proof. If there would be a proof that Judaism is the one authentic religion, then why wouldn't it follow that everyone would be Jewish!

Elsewhere on the Jblogosphere the "proof" of the 4 species is being discussed. Some see this statement in Talmud Chulin 60B as proof of a divine authorship of the Torah:

אמר רב חנן בר רבא השסועה בריה בפני עצמה היא שיש לה שני גבין ושני שדראות וכי משה רבינו קניגי היה או בליסטרי היה מכאן תשובה לאומר אין תורה מן השמים

Yet if you analyze this statement, you might notice that it doesn't say that there is a proof. All it says is that there is a Teshuva; an answer. What the Talmud may be telling us here is this: Nobody has any proof that their religion is correct. Yet everyone needs, aside from the fact that they were born into it, an answer, a Teshuva, as to the logic of why they follow a particular religion. It needs to make sense.

As to whether this "proof" is actually referring to the Shesuah, the 4 single Simaned animals, or something else entirely, may be the topic of another post someday.

Man's Best Friends (Food and Dogs)

Competition in the Super Market for Kosher groceries has advanced to the next level. Full page glossy ads now adorn all the Jewish owned publications. Pesach time especially is a time for huge food purchases, especially nowadays when we can't go for eight days without our favorite foods.

Today's generation is not satisfied with borscht and potatoes, they must have imitation cereal and bagels to go with their Matzoh. And so I was Oleh LeRegel to one such store. Aside from the huge assortment of exotic Pesach foods, I was puzzled by their tasting tables that were available for their patrons. There was a cheese sampling table set up in one area, and a chulent tasting area in another.

I wondered whether there should have been a warning posted that one should not eat meat shortly after eating hard cheese, and certainly vice versa. Another thing that puzzled me was how eating in the store was altogether permissible. The Talmud in Kiddushin 40B states: ת"ר האוכל בשוק הרי זה דומה לכלב ויש אומרים פסול לעדות אמר רב אידי בר אבין הלכה כיש אומרים. It seems that after looking up the halachik sources, it does not seem to be such an issue...yet it is something to ask your LOR.

This reminded me of a famous story regarding a Mashgiach of yesteryear who encountered one of his students eating in the street. When the above saying was quoted verbatim to the student he countered that he was merely eating something small. The Mashgiach responded: Nu, so you are only a puppy!

Rise and Fall of the Sefer

In the mid-1970s, we began to hear about the paperless office. Even prior to the PC revolution, it was already predicted that in the near future all documents would be stored digitally, hence negating the necessity for keeping physical copies.

Yet as the PC market ballooned during the 80s and 90s, printers, faxes and home copiers followed suit, causing a doubling of the amount of paper that consumers needed.

The last few decades have seen a remarkable increase in the proliferation of Seforim. Contributing factors for this include: the sheer number of Yeshiva Bachurim and Kollel fellows, the ease in which technology enables thought to be brought to paper due to word processing programs, and a strong economy.

Yet the last few decades has also brought us the online Seforim databases. This has been a spectacular boon to scholars, but the negative side effect may be that less physical Seforim will now be printed.

There are certain Seforim that are used on a constant basis, for example the Gemara that you will be learning for the Zman, and the Rishonim that accompany that text. Yet the obscure Shu”t Seforim, that are used infrequently will certainly become victim to the online explosion. Why buy something that I only need to look something up on occasion, when I can just as easily and more cheaply accomplish the same goal via hebrewbooks.org and the like?

Not so long ago I predicted the advent of the digital Beis HaMedrash. I believe that such a reality is coming sooner than I thought. The Ipad has shown us that it is as much a lifetool as a plaything. I assume that some young businessman will soon be marketing a large size Ipad prototype which will house all the major tomes of learning in PDF or text format, in addition to a large enough hard drive which will hold all Seforim currently known to man. This will satisfy the directive of those Roshei Yeshiva who do not wish to be connected to the Internet.

P.S. I wrote this a few days ago before I saw this.

Da Ma Sha Ta shav La Cha mar

It’s been well nigh 3,300 years since the world has encountered a talking donkey, yet in the Jblogosphere, there roams a beast who carries the burden of defending Torah values.

While many from the Torah world are afraid to enter the Jblog dens of iniquity, this brave soul, with the outside shell of a cowardly donkey, but the innards of a brave lion, battles fearlessly for Kavod HaTorah.

On his resurrected blog, he champions the innate difference between Good and Evil, Jews and non-Jews, Holy and the unHoly.

Whereas one might expect the bray of a donkey to be fundamentally incoherent, I find his good cheer and good humor along with his brilliant command of the English, Hebrew and Yiddish languages to be refreshing.

He is the very antithesis of this witty poem composed by Rabbi Avigdor Miller:

In a lion’s skin, an ass did hide
And no one knew, who was inside
Until himself, he did betray
By opening up his mouth to bray

And so I felt it was my sacred duty to answer a difficult question posed recently on his blog. To paraphrase:

There is a well known Segulah that one who lost something can give Tzedakah to Rav Meir Baal Haness and utter a magic incantation to discover the lost item. A lesser known Segulah for answering difficult questions in “learning” is to recite Parashas HaMenorah. Since there exists a well known the saying in the Talmud (Niddah 30b) that we learn the entire Torah in-Utero,

ואין לך ימים שאדם שרוי בטובה יותר מאותן הימים שנאמר מי יתנני כירחי קדם כימי אלוה ישמרני ואיזהו ימים שיש בהם ירחים ואין בהם שנים הוי אומר אלו ירחי לידה ומלמדין אותו כל התורה כולה שנאמר ויורני ויאמר לי יתמך דברי לבך שמור מצותי וחיה ואומר בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי מאי ואומר וכי תימא נביא הוא דקאמר ת"ש בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי וכיון שבא לאויר העולם בא מלאך וסטרו על פיו ומשכחו כל התורה כולה שנאמר לפתח חטאת רובץ

why can’t we use the first Segulah mentioned above and give charity and utter the incantation when we are stumped in our learning?

A noble question indeed. So I gave Tzedakah, Lained the Parashas HaMenorah, and this is what I came up with:

There is a little known Medrash which poses the following query: Suppose you have a fellow from long ago who is strolling along until he encounters a telephone-pole-like structure 200 feet tall. Perched perfectly on top is a huge diamond. Although ladders had not yet been invented , this man thinks of the concept, builds a ladder and secures the treasure. A similar story finds a second man from long ago, unbeknownst to the first, who peers down a deep 200 foot pit and discovers a diamond at the bottom. He also thinks of the concept of a ladder, builds one, and descends and ascends with the gem. The question is: Which one is the bigger genius?

According to the Medrash, the latter is wiser. For the first person knew that there had to be a method in which the stone was placed atop the pole, hence it was just a matter of figuring out how; whereas the latter person who discovered the gem in the pit wasn’t sure that there even was a way to get it back, as it simply may have fallen there. Even so, without knowing that there EXISTED a solution, he was able to figure it out.

Sometimes someone poses a riddle and asks for the answer. Knowing that there IS an answer, is half the battle. Yet sometimes we seek a solution to a complex question and we are not ever sure that one exists.

So perhaps that can answer our conundrum. If one loses his keys, he knows that he left them somewhere, it is just a matter of time and energy to locate them. Whereas a difficult Ketzos – maybe there is no logical answer. In this case, the only solution is Parashas Hamenorah. Perhaps the light of the Menorah will cast it’s beacon and direct us to places and answers that we’ve never been to, seen of, or thought of before.