Ask Judea Torah Show 5

[judeanoncapta]

Thank you so much for your great questions last week.

I can't wait to hear your new ones.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Thank you for the reply and so happy to hear about your plans to settle in Judea! Mazel tov.  Baruch Hashem.  Regarding the mitvah to settle the land of Israel, you mentioned something that you know no living authority that doesn't hold this mitzvah universally applicable except _________ ... It sounds a lot like you were saying "megillat esther?"  I could not make out the words you were saying here (or name of a posek?).  What/who is the authority that is the one exception in the group who holds that it isn't a mitzvah (or isn't at all times) ?  What do they say and why?

Also, is it true that a rabbi in the Jerusalem Talmud rebukes the Babylonian Talmud Rabbis for not making aliyah?  I find this humorous.   Could you refer us to the passage and maybe cover this topic a little bit.  What exactly was the Bablyonian sages' explanation for why they did not come to Eretz Yisrael or did they readily acknowledge they had none but simply made this choice anyway? 
It does seem to me that a certain level of Torah scholarship (which klal Yisrael needed and has needed for guidance for generations ever after) was only possible from these incredible geniuses because of their wealthy/favored status in Bavel and ability to breathe Torah every waking moment.  It is this blessing that enabled them to craft the Babylonian Talmud, right? 

I also heard in the last show for the first time the concept of Moshiach ben Yosef vs Moshiach ben David.  I know very little Torah (obviously), but I was only aware of the idea of Moshiach in general, from the line of King David, and I'm wondering why there are two different names used in this manner.  Does this refer to two different people?

Thank you

[kahaneloyalist]

Judea, during the early stages of Bar Kochba's revolt when Jewish independence was reestablished, Bar Kochba, with Rebbe Akiva's encouragment took much of the Roman organizational structure for government. Do you think when we reestablish a Torah state we will also take modern forms of government as well as the Malchut and Sanhedrin?

[habiru]

In a Kahanist government, what happens to people like Moshe Hirsch and the rest of the NK gang?

[q_q_]

hi

How is it in judea?   

I hope that in israel they still keep the debits on the left and credits on the right!    right?

What does the name judeanoncapta mean? what words does it break up into? is it latin?

[q_q_]

How do you interpret the story in the gemara, beitza 36b, of Abbaye and Rabba and the mill?

Something like..

Where Abbaye has a halachic problem.  He asks Rabba, Rabba gives a lenient answer using a loophole (which was of benefit to Abbaye).. But Abbaye disagrees with it, he thinks halacha is stricter.
Abbaye disobeys Rabba, and regrets it, and says he should have followed his rav.

I have heard some rabbis say, this , is proof that you have to follow your rav..  Even if you want to be stricter than him, you cannot.

others have said.. This gemara shows that you are bound by your rav`s answer, but only if you ask him.

I have heard rav kahane say you are bound by your rav`s answer, but only if you ask him.. (in answer to a question of - who is your rav - and does he agree with you..)

Is this an aggadic thing that we shouldn`t be so sure we understand.. It is very radical. And just one gemara.   And I don`t think the RAMBAM sees it halachically like this, or he would have mentioned it in his mishneh torah (I assume it doesn't).

What is it teaching.. Do we have a tradition on what it teaches?

A strict reading of it, would stress more parts of the story, and say it teaches you that (if you ask your rav and he gives you an answer then ) you cannot or should not be machmir(stricter than) your rav.  Perhaps the reason is it may embarass him e.g. especially if he has many students.

[YESHA]

Dear ASKJUDEATORAHSHOW/Judea Non Capta,
What is the Torah’s position of us being both Torah leaders as well as politician, like the late Rabbi Kahane, zt”l, Hy”d. Some Torah leaders in the U.K., I spoke to prior to the expulsion from Gush Katif told me that they won’t become involved in the anti-expulsion efforts because they are “political”. 

I find that absurd as they take other political positions and involved with other political matters. When it is convenient for them they say it is “political”. I know several Orthodox Jews who are both Rabbis as well as involved with political partisan issues. Thanks for doing an excellent show, keep up the great work and listeners are invited to submit comments and questions to my show too, though preferably not-Torah related (just a plug!). Zev 

[Rubystars]

Hi, this is the first time asking a question on this show.

If a Jew falls away from his or her faith, and follows another religion, do they have to do a full conversion if they want to come back to Judaism, or do they simply become "more observant"?

[Ben Yehuda]

I was listening to Chaim's show today and was shocked at his explanation for the curse of Ham and his son Canaan. That seems extremely freakish behavior for a son to force sexual relations on his father. So I did a little reading and found this: http://www.lumengentleman.com/content.asp?id=158

This seems more plausible, although I am not a Torah scholar by a long shot. Do you have any comments?

[habiru]

responses?

[q_q_]

To habiru

judea is moving to judea (I think to judea.. certainly israel!)..

the response will come, but not as soon as usual, since he is very busy at the moment.

he creates a new thread with a link to his response in audio.  He hasn`t responded yet.

you see in the "torah and jewish idea" section, the last answers thread, was
"Answers for Ask Judea Torah Show 4 "
so wait .   "Answers ... Show 5" will come.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

Hi, I know you follow Rav Bar Haim. I also know that he says that we can and should attach "Geula with Tefilla" at the Maariv prayer. He has 2 whole shiurim, but I would just like to know the Halacha he brings down on how to do it, practically (expecially if one is praying at home).

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Hello Judea.  A discussion developed on another thread about a sefer called sefer ha yashar, which you said was a midrash written in the middle ages.  I was wondering do you know the actual date it was written and who compiled it or who authored it?  Do you believe (are we to believe) that the material contained therein was transmitted orally up to that point?  Is that what the book is saying?

Also, it was described like this:

Rich in details, it provides insights into a number of biblical episodes that are otherwise unclear, covering the period from creation through Joshua. It provides proper names and other important clues to establish links between biblical history and secular history, particularly the history of early Europe and Egypt. Its material flies in the face of traditional chronological relationships to Egyptian and European history.

I was wondering how the material checks out.  Are the names/dates consistent?  How do they compare with other biblical records and with ancient dating or the egyptian king listing?  Thanks.

[Zelhar]

Shalom rav Judea,

Is it possible to observe Judaism and also be strictly animal-friendly, by which I mean avoiding animal flesh- are we not required to eat Korban Hapesach when The Temple is (re)built?, and animal skin- are we allowed making Tefilin and Torah Scroll of alternative material?

[judeanoncapta]

Sorry for the long absence. I just finished the show and am uploading it as we speak.