Ask JTF For Chaim's Jewish Birthday, Sunday, 21 Tevet (December 30).

[admin]

BS"D

Note To All Posters: Only one post per person is permitted. Please make it a single, short question.

Chaim would love to answer all of your great questions but (unfortunately due to the number of questions and time constraints), if there is more than one short question, it will have to be moved to The Future Ask JTF Section. We apologize for this inconvenience and only wish that every person has a chance to be heard on the show.

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Thank you for your kindness and respect regarding these rules.

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BS"D

Dear Chaim,

Happy Birthday! May you live to be 120.

Please read these comments out loud and if you don't have time to read the whole thing or get to the questions, just read the first paragraph in order and comment on it and I'll ask the questions another time.

On Secular New Year's Eve, I just watch the ball drop on TV but I just think of it as a change of the number in the year. I like calendar subjects so it interests me that the year changes. I don't think people should go out and party for it. I don't think Jews should say Happy New Year on that day. It is not a celebration but rather a calendric event. I think it's shtuyot that people think they have to have a date for New Year's Eve and kiss her at midnight. Are you against Jews watching the ball drop at midnight on TV?

Do you consider The Secular New Year to be a Christian holiday?

In Christianity, January 1 as The New Year marks Jesus's brit milah since he is said to have been born on December 25, therefore making his brit on January 1, 1 C.E.. However, many Christians just think it a time to party. What do you think of the Christians who party for it instead of going to church?

What do you think of people claiming that there was no year 0 before 1 C.E.? I think it's foolish because the whole idea of starting the C.E. count from a particular time isn't meaningful because it was just a date picked. Any year could have been picked but it is useful though in dating B.C.E. dates from Pre-Historic times before Biblical Man was created. It is also useful when there is a difference in Jewish History between Seder Olam dates and actual Historical dating.

Yacov Menashe Ben Rachamim,
Chief Administrator.

[TorahZionist]

I'm posting this for Yacov Menashe Ben Rachamim.

Thank you for answering my Hebrew forum leadership questions. 

Who is The Chief Administrator of the Hebrew forum and Hebrew website now that Oz left?

You said Kach o Kach is no longer in the movement. What happened to him?

Were you the one who wanted to get rid of Kahanist symbols on the Hebrew forum?

Also, please read the below comment on the air.

On the main English JTF website, the link to Noam Federman's page under the section to write to the Israeli authorities on his behalf is broken because the old link no longer exists as a result of changing to the new Hebrew site URL. I also think the link to his show on the Hebrew website should say "Federman LeLo Tzenzura", the name of his program, and not just "Tochnito Shel Noam Federman" just like the other Hebrew shows have their names listed.

[דוד בן זאב אריה]

Dear Chaim

In your opinion has Jimmy Carter done more damage to Israel in the White House or since he left office

[Dr. Dan]

Shalom Chaim

I think that Hitlery and HusseinOsama are stronger zealouts of evil causes than Huckabee is a zealout for righteous causes. I like what Huckabee says, however, he says what he believes with fear of offending people who disagree with him. This is what I noticed on an interview of Meet the Press.  I think that if Huckabee or anyone who doesn't speak his/her mind with conviction ends up in the running for President against Hitlery or Osama, they won't stand a chance to win!  Either we have to empower the more righteous who are weak or we have to allow the evil zealouts to fall into our own hands. And what I mean by falling into our own hands is letting the evil zealouts destroy enough of the country in order to open the eyes of those who are decent but either oblivious, misguided, or righteous but too weak to speak their mind. This is a reality we might have to resort to. What do you think?

Dr. Dan

[takebackourtemple]

Yom huledet samaich. My question for this week is?

   In 1947, every African nation except for South Africa voted against the recommendation for the creation of the state of Israel. What were some of the other major votes against Israel that African nations participated in?

Yacov adds: Apart from South Africa, in 1947, only Egypt, Ethiopia, and Liberia were independent countries in Africa.

[Rubystars]

Thanks for answering my questions so far

Here's another one:

I noticed that the people I vote for in primaries, who are very conservative, never seem to be considered "electable" and are smeared as "unelectable" by the liberal news media and even so-called conservative pundits, thus ruining the candidate's chances to run solely on their ideas alone. For example, Tancredo and Hunter never had a chance.

Who should we blame about the push to keep true conservatives from even being able to compete at all?

[Yisrael]

Shalom Chaim,

I wish you a very happy birthday, Ad Meiah V'esrim. May this year be a year of hatzlacha in all the great work that you do.

Do you think you got due process when you were arrested? Did you have adequate defense counsel? An honest and fair Judge? Jury? Prosecutor?

Thanks as always,

Yisrael

[q_q_]

You mentioned that to redesign the website you had to wait for jeff. But why not even have a better website temporarily?  I bet people here can design a better site very quickly, and to upload it just requires you to get and give them a few technical details.

[OdKahaneChai]

ב״ה

Dear Chaim,
In a dicussion I had Monday night about the presidential election, several women brought up that they like Hillary Clinton "because she's a strong woman."  Can you please explain to me how the heck Hillary Clinton is a "strong woman"?

Kol Tuv,
Eitan

P.S. Yom Huledet Sameach!  Happy 31st birthday! 

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Shalom Chaim,

I disagree that no conservative candidate could ever get elected in my California. The problem is twofold: (a) conservatives cannot get any funding in CA, and (b) they tend to be extremely nice men/women who are unwilling to wage guerilla campaigns and respond tit-for-tat to the leftists' smearings. Duncan Hunter COULD win a senatorial or gubernatorial election IF he had the finances to match the Democrat nominee and were willing to go all-out as an attack dog.

Average Californians do NOT idolize illegal aliens, gang members, and Islamofascists. If Hunter had mega-millions and some coaching from JTF, he could wage a brilliant campaign and win.

Chaimfan

[ftf]

Hi Chaim

(Not my actual question, just a quick commment, responding to my question from last week you mentioned a single case of a woman in saudi arabia being in trouble for having been raped, I was surprised, as the way that you mentioned this, you made it sound as if it were an isolated case, which it most definately was not, as in some muslim countries it is very common for women to be executed for having been raped, it happens a few times a year in iran for instance)

Now onto my real question, you're probably not going to like this, but I'm going to ask you about tax again.

Someone living in a country, say america, is benefiting from the army, the police, the prisons, etc whether they buy anything or not, therefore, why should people who choose not to buy anything not pay for those services from which they are benefiting?

Shalom.

[VIVA KAHANE]

You answered a previous question as to the way that movies and documentaries handled the holocaust as being "atrocious".  I disagree.  I have seen some excellent documentaries on PBS and the History Channel which depict as accurately as possible the depths of depravity to which Germany sunk in this period.  Among some of the accurate movies I have seen were "Playing For Time", "Voyage Of The Damned", "The Hiding Place" and "Escape From Sobibor".  You can not precisely capture on a two-dimensional screen what is clearly three dimensional but I think some producers have occasionally done commendable jobs.  In a generation where many consider that if it hasn't been on the silver screen or the boob tube then it did not happen, I believe that Hollywood has occasionally accurately depicted Nazi subhumanity.

[dhimmi_pride]

Chaim,

Why do you think so many conservatives in the media have singled out Mike Huckabee to attack rather than the other candidates including Giuliani who supports abortion and McCain who supports amnesty? Do you believe that some conservatives will carry out with their threats to boycott the general election if Huckabee wins the primary? What does this say about the current state of the Republican party? Do you foresee a major split developing between religious conservatives and Wall Street republicans that could lead to one of these groups eventually leaving Republican party? After the fall of the USSR it seems like there is not much uniting the republican coalition besides opposition to the Democrats.

thanks

[JTFFan]

Dear Chaim,

What do we do about affirmative action when the president gets elected? Many unqualified people get into Universities just because the color of their skin and race. This has to be abolished.

G-d Bless,

-JTFFan

[KalmanBenMenachem]

Dear Chaim,

My question is a response to a question asked last week by "QQ" regarding the Israeli Supreme Court, and your answer concerning how the Israeli Supreme Court overruled Ehud Barak when he wanted to cut off electricity to Arabs, and how that shows that Israel is not a free country.  (I am paraphrasing QQ's question and your response.)

The ability of a nation's supreme court to invalidate a law passed by a state or national legislature, or an executive action taken by a state or national leader, is called "judicial review."  As far as I know, judicial review is an American innovation.  Judicial review is one of the "checks and balances" we all learned about in school, that make America free and great. 

The Doctrine of Judicial Review is supposed to be the way that the Supreme Court insures that laws and executive actions conform to the Constitution.  For example, during the Korean War, the steel mills went on strike.  President Truman needed steel for the war, so he issued an executive order seizing the mills.  He went on radio and TV to announce this. 

The steel companies sued the government, and the government lost.  The Supreme Court held that the President has no power to act except in those cases expressly or implicitly authorized by the Constitution or by an act of Congress.  (And here, the Constitution conferred no authority on the President to take control of private property.)  [The case is Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) 343 U.S. 579]

The big debate now between originalist jurists, like Justice Scalia, and activist jurists, like Justice Ginsburg, comes down to one word above: "implicitly."  In Roe v. Wade, for example, the Supreme Court decided that any state law banning abortion was illegal, because the Constitution conferred a "right of privacy."  The Constitution does not say so explicitly, but the Court found it to be "implicit."

So my question is this: Does Israel have a Constitution?  If not, what is the Israeli Supreme Court reviewing laws and executive actions against?

Thank you as always Chaim for your patience and erudition.
Kalman Ben Menachem

[Daniel]

When you were in prison, did any of the inmates know that you're were a follower of Rabbi Kahane? If so, did any of them goad or tease you when the rabbi was assassinated?

Daniel

[judeanoncapta]

Dear Chaim,

Who is worse, Romney or McCain?

[Christian Zionist]

Shalom Chaim!

According to Isaiah 17:1

http://jpsbible.com/isaiah/17.htm - The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
This prophecy has not been fulfilled so far.  Do you think this could be an Israeli nuclear attack on the Syrian capital (G-d willing in the near future)?

Thanks!

Christian Zionist

[DownwithIslam]

Hi Chaim, it's so great be back on the forum. Unfortunately I was faced with some problems in my life in the past few months which made my life pretty hectic and difficult. It's really great to see all the new members on here. Anyhow onto my Question. In addition to his two sons who live in Paris and NYC, Ehud Smolmert has a 17 year old Daughter(prostitute) named Tal who lives in NYC as well. She attends the  York Preparatory School in Manhattan. Can you imagine that she has already left Israel at the young age of 17. My question is, do you believe it is wise to stage a protest outside the York Prep School in Manhattan to protest his vicious inaction to the bombings in Sderot and his muslim loving policies in general? Don't you think doing this is the least we can do to make the lives of these beasts uncomfortable? Thank you so much Chaim.

[Yogy]

Dear Chaim,

On your birthday, I'd like to ask you a question I believe it is already in the minds of many JTF-ers:
When do you plan on getting your semicha lerabbanut ?
There are many Jews who would love to have you for our rabbi.

Todah,
Dan

[raiseyourfist]

Shalom Chaim and a happy belated birthday, i hope the following year will get you into Israel and G-d willing may you start your own family their and find a nice jewish lady to marry,

My question this week involves the popularity amongst the democrats.

Why is it that so many people are prepared to allow their country to be taken over by dangerous international policies and domestic policies and vote for the democrats in such a turbulent time in America's history and through upcoming future events such as Iran's nuclear program, why would the people of America still vote democrat?

Chaim i hardly know anything about American politics but it seems the people of America are shooting themselves in the foot..

Thanks and until next time, Sergio

[YESHA]

Dear Chaim

I was deeply disturbed and distressed after seeing amongst a group of Asian (dark skinned)-looking Muslim Nazi youths, a seemingly convert to Islam – a white British teenager, aged 14-17, he was wearing a head covering, worn by the Muslims Nazis. This made extremely depressed for many days. He may have been the son a white women, who converted. Anyway, I know it is a black phenomenon and also among white European women – much less I thought amongst white male teens. 

I want to contact the U.K.-based ‘Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain’ (www.ex-muslim.org.uk); do you think it is a good idea? I initially wanted to approach the youth, but out of safely concerns did not.   

Thanking you in advance.
ZEV
MAZEL TOV!!

[Manch]

Chaim,
I used to hold a contrarian position and still think that there is a merit in supporting the worst democrat. My thinking is that in order to save America, nothing short of a true Conservative will do, and nothing will bring a true conservative leadership to power but a reign of a disastrous democrat president.

However, I do think that Duncan Hunter deserves an unequivocal support and I do support Duncan Hunter.  I suggest that, preceding the RNC nomination, JTF should support Duncan Hunter too or, at least, to create a video propping him up.
If RNC nominates Mike Huckabee, I agree with you 100% that he should be supported, but not before! If Governor Huckabee is not nominated, I would still uphold my contrarian view. The patient is just too ill - a surgery is in order!
Mazel Tov & Shalom!

[ItalianZionist]

Dear Chaim,
   Do you ever feel that things are hopeless, for example your mission to go to Israel? How do you try to gain back hope or what would you recommend to others who lose hope?
thnx

[Dexter]

Shalom Chaim, Mazal Tov VeAd Mae VeEsrim.
My question for this show is about gentiles living in Erets Yisrael:
*Are gentiles, who are not idolaters, allowed to live in Erets Yisrael according to Halacha ?
*Are Christians allowed to live in Erets Yisrael ?

Toda.