Ask JTF for Sunday, May 30, 2010

[Secularbeliever]

Shalom Chaim

Two questions if I may.

1) Do you take any comfort from the fact that 17 years into the insane Oslo process most of the Jewish communities of Judea and the Shomron are still intact?  To use a boxing analogy the other side has been throwing heavy punches for 17 years without knocking out these wonderful Jewish heroes.  I am not suggesting that we be complacent but if we survived this who is to say we could not continue to survive long term? 

2) Is there any news or any developments you can speak of with regard to your attempts to get into Israel?  Is anyone publicly demanding an explanation from the Government on this.  A few weeks ago you mentioned the subject being taken up on Israeli radio.  Any follow up to that?

[Maimonides]

Shalom Chaim and Thank you as always for your hard work and for answering my questions.

What do you think of the Deep Horizon Oil Spill, and the crisis surrounding the gusher of oil that cannot seem to be stopped?

Do you believe this  disaster will have any positive results such as a push for alternative sources of energy? Also do you believe this will damage the popularity of Barack Obama and the Democratic party, because of the federal government's poor response to the disaster?

[JTFenthusiast2]

Dear Chaim,

I hope you were able to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend.  A few questions for your consideration:

1.  What must JTFs role be in the protest against this so called religious structure that is being planned to publicly slap America and it's citizens?

2.  I recently wondered with doubt (not sure???) if Hashem has been working with me in a quiet way. In my work, which I won't describe further here, I recently came across a married man who developed a painful urinary tract infection.  This is absolutely uncommon in men.  After testing his urine for organisms, it turns out that the organism in his urine likely came from his wife's rectum.  You may ask how do I know this?  Certain microbial flora are found in the rectum exclusively.  When they show up elsewhere, this is usually a clue in to some kind of abnormal event.  Are these the kinds of reasons why, in your opinion, the Torah forbids anal sex? 

3.  What do you think of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer?

[Aces High]

Dear Chaim,

It was reported that Hezbolla may have received chemical weapons from Russia.   If true, do you think Hezbolla will use these chemical weapons in their next war against Israel?  And if so, will Israel deliver a devastating response?

Sincerely,

Aces High

[Ushpizin]

1) Although I trust you as to the veracity of the incident wherein Irv Rubin called for the death penalty of Jonathan Pollard on the Merv Griffin show, it is not on youtube and I am curious if anybody has a VCR tape of it and can transfer it to mp3 and upload it to youtube?

2) In recent years there have been many reports of Roman Catholic male clergy behaving criminally in a sexual manner, particularly pedophilic activity and overt rape of adult female parishioners and cover ups by the church heirarchy. Do you feel that the enforced celibacy produces sexual tension which is forced out in illicit ways?  I have not heard of this happening with any regularity in Jewish synagogues and yeshivas.  I do remember the case of so-called Rabbi Fred Neulander of Cherry Hill, NJ and now of Trenton State Prison, Baruch Hashem, but as a deformed rabbi, is it fair to count him in the statistics?  Nevertheless, is it possible that there is a problem that is underreported in Jewish Orthodox, Torah frum communities regarding rabbis and cantors taking advantage of their positions of trust and authority and sexually acting in inappropriate and overtly criminal ways?  Have you ever been close to such an incident, i.e., having it happen in your synagogue or yeshiva or in your neighborhood and was it handled correctly?

[Trace]

Shalom Chaim,

Why is everyone so outraged about Arizona's immigration law? It makes sense to me.

[ape]

Why do most Jews place little importance on exercise? I was at a gym in a Jewish area over the weekend and I found maybe two Jews there. There were mostly young blacks and hispanics. The schwarzas keep getting muscles and the Jews seem to get weaker. Is it the awful food that most Jews eat like blintzes and deli food? I don't see most american Jews concerned with getting fit or becoming muscular.