Ask Judea Torah Show 9

[judeanoncapta]

Thank you all for your great questions. I can't wait to hear the new ones.

[q_q_]

why is it that electricity is forbidden?

it is interesting that there is this -huge- conscusus, no disagreement infact, it seems. Yet it's something that is I imagine, interpretation, generalising a case.. Things that normally, not everybody would accept.
 
What is the basis and howcome there is such agreement? Is there even any disagreement?

[q_q_]

2 questions here regarding how one can legally carry these things on shabbat.


Tissues (e.g. important if somebody has hayfever)

Map (could be just a page of a map).   (e.g. very useful if somebody has a bad sense of direction)

Suppose the situation is desperate. Would it be OK to stitch a page of map in a coat.. Do you have a better idea?

[q_q_]

as a continuation from the previous question, of shabbat carrying conundrums. I would add another example of a problem , seeking your solution if possible!


A Coat.
One can wear a coat but not carry it.
Suppose you go when it's hot and return when it's cold. And would normally carry it there and wear in on returning.  It's too hot to wear it on the way there.  Too cold to come back without a coat.
Can you put it on your shoulders on your journey there and say it's a cape? So it's a piece of clothing you're wearing.
Similarly, a jumper as a scarf
How about wearing a "jumper" as a scarf on departure?
Or if dual function is no good , how about saying it's a garment(if halahically it has to have a name, then I can give it a name, and call it a G20) and it's shifted from being worn in one way to being worn in another way.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

What do you think is the reason the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed and we were exiled? (Is their 1 reason, or many?).

[q_q_]

is it true that the Zohar predicts 2 towers falling down on a certain date, and the vilna gaon said the date was wrong, and corrected it to september 11th 2001.

I read the following online

"
Writing in the 18th century (1700's), the “Genius of Vilna” stated that the Zohar text which described the devastation in "Rome" of the three buildings on the 25th of Elul was “off by two” (02) days - the Zohar was then corrected so that the most correct version (Sifra d'Tsniutha) reads the devastation will occur on the 23rd of Elul – which WAS September 11th
"

apparently this is in the zohar on parashat balak

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

Im listining to your show (the second time) very interesting, insightful, thank you. But one thing that seems as a contradiction I want you to clarify.
On the one hand you said that Jews should follow the Yerushalmi over the Bavli. On the other hand you admit to the claim and statement of Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita that the Jews in Eretz Yisrael should have 1 halahic body, and that is the traditions of the Sefardim since they were the first to come to Eretz Yisrael and be established their. So who should the law go according to- the Yerushalmi or basically the Shulhan Aruch (which I believe is more leaning towards the Bavli) -with additions to national Mitzvot?  (I beleive you will say Yerushalmi, but I would like the explanation to it).

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

Who do you concider to be the top 3 Rabbis today? (or top 5, but in order if you can).

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

In ancient Israel the land was separated according to tribe, then to family - forever. My question is- if a Jew buys land today in Eretz Yisrael - the liklyhood is that it wont be what is destined for his family, so when Moshiach comes and their is an evaluation to where each Jew came from (from which tribe and which family) will the one who has purchased land today loose his land?

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

You mentioned on a thread, that abortion is murder for a goy and not for a Jew(ess). What do you mean by that? Were you saying that they are Hayav Mita and a Jewess is not? Or that when a Jewess does it, it is not that bad (I would think the opposite). Can you just clarify what you mean by that, and talk about abortion in Halacha....

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

Does R' Bar Chaim wear Tefillin all day?
 Can one eat or drink while wearing Tefillin? I have seen this teenager in a Dov Shurim cd wearing tefillin and also drinking vodka together with Dov and a few others (I think they were celebrating that the homo arafat died of aids).  I have heard that one cant eat or drink while wearing tefillin, but was wondering about what people did during the time that Jewish men wore Tefillin all day long? Did they simply take it off when they ate or drank something, or did they eat and drink while wearing it?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Dear Judea,

You mentioned in the last show about non-haredi settlements dressing less like 19th century Poland and more like Judea/Hebrew/Jewish inspired clothing (is this called beged ivrit?).   I was wondering, what clothing would be considered the style of Judea or authentically Jewish-Middle Eastern in a historical sense?  I have read a few random articles on A7 as my only exposure to the concept of "beged ivrit" but it appeared that whatever they were making was expensive and not mainstream at all (I also wondered about where they got the ideas for the fashions).   What do the nonharedi settlements dress like, and is a more authentically "biblical" Jewish fashion being introduced at least gradually at this time?   Thank you.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

What is your view of the afterlife?   How does your literal reading of the word geulah and the more literal understanding of what our redemption is in a national sense - how does this fit with the concept of the "world to come" and is there a distinction between the two, or between this and 'afterlife' ?   Is it just that at some point in the process of redemption G-d would begin to resurrect the dead who would then live eternally?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Judea can you please pronounce the word Ehad properly for us as it is to be done in shema with the end letter dalet.   In Arabic there are frontal and guttural sounds, so I am familiar a bit with the difference, just not necessarily the Hebrew letters.   In Arabic there is a "th" ending (frontal) - like in English words thing or faith that is distinct in pronunciation from a different letter which is more like a "dth" (guttural - sort of) ending like in English father or this or that.  I assume that the dalet is like the latter guttural sound corresponding to the arabic letter Thaa ظ  (as in "that") right?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I would like to learn Hebrew over the next few years, so I was wondering if you would recommend learning the standard "modern hebrew"  mainstream Sephardi pronunciation that is the official language of Israel, or should I learn some of the Teimani pronunciations or the most accurate modern day pronunciation which  I think you said were Tunisian Sephardic Jews if I remember correctly?   Or if I learn these more complicated and authentic pronunciations, will no one be able to understand what I'm saying when I speak Hebrew to Israeli Jews?   How should one go about this?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Does Machon Shilo have a yeshiva program for baalei teshuvah and/or american baalei teshuvah, or is it meant primarily for the "frum from birth" and native born more learned/experienced Jews?  And do they conduct classes there in English all the time - is the place specifically designed for Anglo Jews?  Or does Rav Bar Chaim also do shiurim in Hebrew aside from the English shiurim posted online?   

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Hello Judea,

I met a guy who spent some time in yeshiva in Israel and he told me that haredim there are claiming that the police beat them up and massacre them.   I think he said this about people he met in meah Sharim.  Is this just propaganda or do you believe this?  Why is there no video footage or evidence or reporting these kind of incidents if they are happening?   Is it just their way of trying to justify their fighting the "state" to the American newbie or do you think these guys he met were being truthful?   

[GoIsraelGo!]

Thank you all for your great questions. I can't wait to hear the new ones.

Shalom, do you know by any chance when the Spanish Jews began to gather in Morocco?


 P.S. sorry my question is off topic.                      Shalom and thank you - Dox

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Hey Dox,
No questions are off topic in this thread.   I liked your question too.

Judea:   Is it wrong to wear shorts in a beit midrash?  What about to daven with a minyan at shul wearing shorts?   (Or to daven in a beit midrash w/ minyan wearing shorts) ?     If this is a halachic issue at all, does it change depending on whether in Eretz Yisrael - where it is very hot?  Did the Jews in second Temple times where tunics?   Aren't pants a recent modern invention? 

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Dear Judea,

You mentioned in another show how to appropriately connect geula with tefillah in regards to the nighttime shema/ maariv davening.   I wasn't exactly clear on the explanation.  Do you refrain from saying shema at shul while everyone else is saying it?  Or you just omit the "hashkevaynu" and if so do you have kavannah that the shema you are saying in shul is not to fulfill the twice daily commandment, but when you recite it later at home with hashkevaynu afterward, then you do have in mind that its the fulfilling of the mitzvah?    Please explain this step by step.   Thanks.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

On the last show you we kind'ov put Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita and the Satmer Rebbe as having the same opinion. From what I know and hear, is that Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita is agains't giving up land now, and their was even a video I saw (Yesh Din VeYesh Davin) where they show Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita saying that Kush Katif was a horrible thing and that Sharon is cruel to Am Yisrael, and that "he should fall and not get up" (or something like that) which was said like a month before Sharon fell into a coma. And I dont agree, or see how he holds that it is a sin to be in the army (theoretically, but maybe in some ways it is- like many including Kahanists say- like the mixing of girls, following bad order, etc.- its a debate of good and bad to join). Also most of the people who support and follow the Rav are in the army, except for a small click of the top Talmidim.
 We all know the situation today- that for sure giving up land, creates more terror, and only makes our enemies stronger. Rav Ovadia Yosef said that IF giving up land will bring security and peace, then it is okay. I argued with a guy who learns Torah the whole day, some time ago. About these type of things. Hes not a leftist anyway, but I did mention the Mitzva of Milhemit Mitzva, he said yes their is it, BUT that the nation is not ready becuase most Jews dont keep Shabb-t and dont do other things, so even if we wanted no one would follow. He also said that things like the thing that Baruch Goldstein ZTL HYD was not good becuase now we have a widow and fatherless children (the Jews). 
   So to kinda sum up- would their be a dilemma- If in reality their would come a time that giving up land would actually bring peace (lets just imagine, theoretically). And with that said, would you think that giving up land would be justified if we knew for sure that it would bring better stability and better security for Jews?

[muman613]

Shalom,

Many of the questions here can be answered by looking at any of the ask the rabbi sites out there.

I use http://www.askmoses.com which is a Chabad site. I also like http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/eng/ which is the Beit El, Israel yeshiva ask the Rabbi site...

muman613

PS: for an answer to the question about wearing shorts for davening there is this answer:
http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/eng/?cat=505

25 Elul 5766
Category: The Jew's Person and AttireGeneral Questions


Question:
Is there a problem for a man to wear shorts, is it written somewhere specifically. If it is within the Halacha to wear them is there some posek who permits to pray or make a bracha wearing shorts. What is the way for men to wear clothes that its tzanua (modest).
what are the sources?


Answer:
1. In regards to prayer, one should dress in a fashion one would meet an honored person. This also depends on the locale. At a summer camp, for instance, campers might greet a visiting senator in shorts, while at school they probably wouldn't. On a kibbutz where short pants are standard dress. it would be permittted to wear shorts to shul, but in a place where you wouldn't wear shorts to a formal gathering, they should not be worn toor prayer. (See Orach Chayim 91, Mishna Brurah 12,13, also Beit Yosef that it depends on locale)

2. As for tzniut for men, though the guidlines are not clear, the idea should be that clothing that is provocative or demeaning is out of bounds. As indicated above, this depends a lot on the locale. It is true that there is a great deal of emphasis on tzniut for women and not enough for men. I know that some women (maybe many) are uncomfortable seeing men in shorts, and this should be a consideration.

Additional answers of Rabbi Chaim Tabasky

[q_q_]

Shalom,

Many of the questions here can be answered by looking at any of the ask the rabbi sites out there.

<snip>

This post is not for the show, / not for reading out.

This is for Muman, but it is relevant to others reading.. if they also are not experienced or haven't absorbed judea's programs properly.

Muman.  This thread is for asking judea questions.

I have had to break this general rule to respond to you, because you've been told before and you've continued..

judea is a student of rabbi daweed bar hayyim  whose focus is religious zionism, and related issues. And also problems with charedi hashkafa, and the way judaism is kept today, and various controversial issues..

I don't want to embarrass him by over praising him, so I will try not to overdo the praise. But judea is very scholarly, and he would have his own answers, where he is often willing to state his disagreement with other peoples' application of halacha.  And people more experienced than you muman, are asking judea the question to get an answer from judea.

And if you were more experienced and wise, or if you had just listened and absorbed the last show, you may even realise that the issue of modesty is something which some haven taken very far..  A question like that is ideally suited to judea's unique specialities.  Now stop telling people far more experienced than yourself, to look elsewhere for answers.  People understand alot more than you do when they ask judea a question.

Nevertheless, it may be that judea might choose to find something worthwhile in your post and comment on it i.e. comment on the rabbi's answer that you quoted.  But clearly that was not the intention of your post. This thread is not a jungle, keep the posts to being questions for judea.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Dear Judea,

What is Rav Bar Chaim's opinion in general about kiruv to non-religious Jews and does he have a relationship with any of the BT yeshivot or roshei yeshiva?  Does he find these types of yeshivot effective/worthwhile or lacking in any way.   Do any yeshivot (non-bt included) have a comraderie with your Rav or similar hashkafot or at the very least recognize his Torah?   I presume that the likes of "edah haredit" etc would try to ignore/shun real Torah like they did to Rabbi Kahane...   But maybe I'm wrong (I hope so).

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Judea, did you see that Muslims desecrated the Cave of Machpelah during the ramadan holiday while the police left them to their devices?   One of the ingrates even urinated near a Torah scroll....    Why don't the haredim riot over this?   Howcome the Satmars get so angry about a secular woman strolling through the neighborhood if her dress is down to her shins instead of her ankles, but they couldn't care less about our holy sites.   Why does edah haredit say and do nothing.   I mean really, what is wrong with these people?   It makes me sick.