Ask JTF for Sunday, December 20, 2009.

[Daniele.from.Italy]

Dear Mr Ben Pesach,

I saw many interesting questions about "music" (and about your personal tastes) which were posted here in the previous weekly shows so I would like to ask you something about it too.
What is your opinion on the song "American Pie" by Don McLean? (I'm assuming you know the song)
When I first listened to this song, being a non-english speaking person and not understanding the words, I thought it was some kind of an "happy ballade song" even thought I knew it was dedicated to the memories of 3 young singers who died in a plane accident, but as my understanding of english grew up in these years I eventually realized that it's not an "happy song" at all... And that "maybe", apart for the beginning, it's not about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, but it has a more deeper meaning...
I don't think that Don McLean is a "prophet", but when I listen to the song it really seems to me that he's talking about some kind of moral decay brought in by the "new music" (the Beatles, the Rolling Stones etc.) that in the end will (or already has) destroy America's way of life and culture, for example near the end of the song he talk about the "american christian values" saying  that "They caught the last train for the coast"...
Now if you look for interpretations of the song's words on the net there's any kind of opinion about it ranging from "it's just a song" to more crazy extreme apocalyptic views...
What is your take on this? Do you think it's really possible to spread immorality,dumbness and socialist-communist messages progressively and throught music to the point that you can eventually mine the fundamental values of a society? Is music so powerful?

Also if you have time, what's your opinion on those who say that some of the Beatles's songs have encoded in them some kind of "satanic messages"  that can be listened to by slowing down the song or by listening it in "reverse mode"? Is this "BS"?

Thanks in advance for your answers
Sorry for the many and long questions
Daniele

[Secularbeliever]

Shalom Chaim,

I am sure we are all distressed to read today's news that Barak is planning to have the IDF launch a quasi military operation against the Jews of Judea and Samaria to enforce the evil building freeze.  Even the IAF has a role in it.  This leads to two questions.

1) How can the good Jews of Judea and Samaria resist the full force of the IDF wihtout setting off a civil war.  While I would consider a civil war the fault of Barak and Bibi it would still be a tragedy of massive proportions.

2) If real nationalist government takes power do you think they should and will prosecute Barak and Bibi for this action.  I normally take what I consider a practical approach to these types of issues but I think it is vital that Barak and Bibi are prosecuted for these actions.  There needs to be a lesson taught to future governments.   The lower level people who carry this out should be at least subject to jail terms as long as that served by Daniel Pinner and should be prosecuted at least as aggressively as was Avri Ran and Shai Dromi.

[Daniel]

You stated last week that the reason why fewer people take drugs today is because of the war on drugs. Wouldn't you also agree that this is also due to the fact that people are a lot more educated and knowledgeable today about the effects of drugs? In addition to the war on drugs, do you agree that it's also important to invest time and money on education?

We can never stop the supply of drugs. But we can stop the demand, and one way of doing it is through incarceration, but just as importantly, the way to decrease demand is through education.

[christians4jews]

hey chaim...1 question in 2 parts....

a)As a white christian i think both the jews and the irish were persecuted far more than the blacks, do you agree with this??

b)Also with that in mind, shouldnt it be the jews and the irish that get affirmative action over the blacks. why do they have racial quotas for blacks and not for jews and the irish?

[imaknick]

what is your opinion of Councilman Simcha Felder?

[Yaacov Ben Yehuda]

Shavooa tov Chaim,

Hope you enjoyed Chanukkah.


1. Last night i came home to find that some one ripped off my mezuza from my door post! I live in a luxury condominium building with security and cameras...so it had to be done by some anti semite on my floor...possibly the persian secular muslims living acrross the hall..i have no proof but i want to catch the perpertraitor of this cowardly jew hating crime! they were lucky i wasnt home to catch them in the act i'll tell you that much.  Anyways at this point i think i will have to demand to see the elevator security tapes, and threaten the condo corporation with a hate crime victim law suit if they dont help me out with this.  And to make things even worse i was scanning my wiresless modem for networks that were in signal range, and there was a wireless network called "the nazi network".  Does that mean that theres possible nazis living on my floor or in the building in signal range from me?  what do you think of this situation and what advice can you give me Chaim.

2. my friend who is a goy punched a mirror last night for no reason, except that he drank too much maybe, anyways he broke the mirror into peices.  Right away first thing came to my mind was that he was going to have bad luck for 7 years.  is this just a myth or is there any truth to this? what do us Jews beleive in regards to breaking mirrors and bad luck?

Thanks as always..be strong and may Hashem Bless!