Owner: Rabbi Sedley URL:www.rabbisedley.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:53:21 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Rabbi Sedley's thoughts on life, Torah, Judaism and humour. A bit of everything Jewish. Site statistics:Click here
Quantum Halacha 2007-06-05 12:03:00 I've been investigating the nature and development of halacha for the past few months. It is extremely interesting to try and figure out how the pieces all fit together.How are we to understand the famous statement of Rabbi Yehoshua (Bava Metzia 59b) that 'Torah is not in Heaven' (lo bashamayim hi). According to the simple reading, G-d no longer has a say in the halacha since he has given the authority to the Rabbis (at least until the closing of the Talmud, but probably even until today) to decide what Jews should and should not be doing. But how can G-d not decide the halacha if it is supposed to be Divine?There is an idea which I have heard from others, which makes a lot of sense to me (even though the Talmud and Rambam can't have known of it in these terms) which is that halacha behaves like a subatomic particle - in a quantum manner. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle holds that we can never know both the momentum and the position of an electron. If we know the position, the
Put your money where your mouth is! 2007-06-11 04:24:00 I know he is trying to become Prime Minister, and he is probably not completely squeaky clean, but I would vote for him. Arkady Gaydamak's latest bid to gain popularity is purchasing the entire chain of Tiv Taam stores and is going to make them all kosher (until now they have controlled something like 70% of the non-kosher meat market)! Here is the link on Ynet: Gaydamak to make Tiv Taam kosher.This is much better than protesting, writing letters to the editor, picketing, burning garbage cans and putting up posters. Why doesn't he buy out the 'rainbow pride parade' next?Tanchum wrote this excellent post about the story for torahlab.orgGaydamak, When Are You Comin’ Back?He offered to fortify the buildings of the besieged city of Sderot, which has been under Qassam missile fire emanating from Gaza for the past two years. His offer was rebuffed by the defense establishment, which had thus far done nothing adequate to protect Sderot’s residents. It should have been obvious to eve Read more:mouth
Freedom of expression 2007-06-11 04:06:00 This is really interesting. I'm not used to such openness and honesty. The latest blog to join JBlog! central is Window Into Palestine.JBlog! define themselves as:JBlog Central provides an easy way to find Jewish blogs of interest.It's amazing how the phenomenon of blogging has exploded into popular culture. And, as the popularity of blogs grew by leaps and bounds, so did the sheer volume of blogs. Each day, thousands more are added, to the point that it has become virtually impossible to get a handle on which blogs do a good job of covering any single topic.That's where we enter the picture.Five years ago, we launched the IsraelForum.com -- a site dedicated to providing information and discussion about Israel, Judaism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and much more. Even though many similar sites exist, IsraelForum.com quickly became known as a place for high-quality discussion and debate. It has flourished ever since, because it was able to cut through the noise and make its voice heard Read more:Freedom
, expression
Looking Bad(ly) 2007-06-11 02:45:00 Last week we read the Torah portion of the spies. They were punished for bringing back a bad report about the land of Israel. As a result of this report and its acceptance by the people, the Israelites had to wander in the desert for 40 years (corresponding to the 40 days the spies were spying out the land) until that generation had died and the new generation, their children, were finally able to enter the land of Israel.R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz asks why they were punished for 40 years if the sin was only the speaking and acceptance of the evil report about Israel. In other words, why were the spies punished for doing their job of scouting out the land? And why were the people punished for doing nothing during those 40 days?R’ Matis Weinberg points out that the Hebrew words for speaking evil, lashon hara, don’t actually means ‘bad language/ tongue’ (that would be ‘lashon ra’ah, since lashon is a feminine word). Rather it means ‘the language of evil’. The real sin of lash
Shabbos Torah - Lech Lecha 2007-06-08 06:05:00 Some things to read over Shabbos (my wife is waiting for the computer, so this will have to be quick)We read chapter 3 of Pirkei Avos this week I am working on a translation of Rabbeinu Yona's commentary of Avos which will hopefully be published soon. In the mean time you can look at my first rough draft of it over here:Rabbeinu YonaPlease send me your thoughts and comments. There is still a lot of work to be done on it, but I would very much appreciate your feedback. Also don't forget to check out the latest on the parsha from torahlab.org.I have written a few things on the parsha, Shelach Lecha, which may be of interest (click on the links for each one).A summary of the portionMy thoughts on the parsha (written many years ago while I was in Edinburgh)And my translation of selections from Tosefes Bracha's commentary on the parsha (by R' Baruch Halevi Epstein - the Torah
Temima)Shabbat Shalom (I know I can't make up my mind how to pronounce Hebrew words - that's always been one o
What's a life worth? 2007-06-13 19:08:00 I have a price on my head! I now know how much my life is worth. Well, actually how much my death is worth. I finally bought myself some life insurance. Now, if anything happens to me (chas v'shalom) I am worth one million shekels. Not very much is it.The question is, how much am I worth alive? I can't figure out if I am worth that much or not. Depends what kind of mood I'm in I suppose.Life insurance is one of those things that allegedly shows a person has no faith in G-d. If someone really trusts that G-d will provide (so the saying goes), he won't require insurance.There are many really good stories in 'a Tzadik in our Time' by Simcha Raz. This life insurance one is cute, but slightly dangerous. (it is on pp. 99-100 of the English book).Someone once tried to sell R' Aryeh Levine a life insurance policy. It was someone who was working on commission and needed the income, so the Rabbi wanted very much to help him. But he decided that he couldn't have life insurance.Since G-d i
computers, coupons and chochma 2007-06-13 18:47:00 I just bought myself a new computer (as you know from a previous blog entry) and it came with Windows Vista. I really don't like it very much. Apart from using up so much memory that I can't do anything else, I can't get my Bar Ilan responsa CD to work. Hopefully they will send me a patch or something to make them compatible. Otherwise I'm not very happy.Speaking of computers
and programmes, a friend just showed me his newest toy - otzar hachochma which is a hard drive that comes with 23,000 books!!! It is on sale this week because of Jewish Book Week for $1380 (do they have that outside of Israel, or is it only a local thing?) It is quite amazing. you get the original text of all these books, including some manuscripts (I think there are 13 different versions of Talmud) but most importantly it is searchable! You can look by word or by topic or by author... Enough books to keep a person happy for a lifetime!The computer I bought was a Dell laptop, and I thought I had got a good pri
Mazel Tov Peres 2007-06-13 07:57:00 Well, the impossible has happened! Shimon Peres has won an election (well, technically he didn't win because the other candidates both pulled out, but he would have won). He is now the president elect of Israel in an honest and open election. In two months he will be 84 years old, and he has just been elected for a 7 year term of office. By the end surely he will be one of the oldest politicians in the world (and who can imagine anything ever happening to him? He seems to be immortal, certainly he is politically eternal). So I was wrong, thinking that he could never win.On the other hand, Barak won his election as leader of the Labour Party with only a small amount of cheating (and only by Arabs and Druze, so it is probably OK).Barak received a total of 34,542, while Ayalon got 32,117 of the votes (47.7 percent), while 683 of the party's registered voters abstained from voting. That means the difference between them was 2,425! That is a very small margin of victory. Ayalon was gracio
Making money with blogs 2007-06-12 15:00:00 I have to be honest - one of the reasons that I started writing a blog was to try and make some money. I had read all these stories of bloggers earning 6 figure incomes, and I figured - why not me?It is true that I enjoy blogging, and it is nice to think that there are also some people who read what I have to say. The feedback through comments and e-mails is great. I also hope that somehow through this blog and my other blogs (www.parshatshavua.blogspot.com and www.rabbisedley.com there is more Torah in the world (of cyberspace).But it is nice to make money from it.You will have noticed a button at the end of my posts with 'get paid to review this blog' - well you can. The nice people at Pay Per Post want to give you money to write stuff in your blog. Like this entry, for example. They will also pay you to review my blog on your blog.It is really simple. You just click here ads on blogs and hopefully you will start earning money.Since this is my first post for them, I will have to re
Chabad revisionism 2007-06-12 03:57:00 Or perhaps 'lies' would be a better way of saying it?It took them over a week (I guess I'm only a very small blog in a very big world) but they found me! And changed the facts!In a blog last Monday I quoted from HaAretz newspaper (not necessarily always reliable) about the Lubavitch Rebbe. One of the things they quote there is the story of the preceding Rebbe's shtreimel and why the latest Rebbe didn't wear it.This is what The Editor had to say about it:Nice try but its a nice mix of fact and fantasy.While its true that Lubavitchers wearing fedoras can be linked to the Rebbe's choice of hesdgear, in fact Lubavitchers already in Russia did not wear shtreimels rather they wore simple caps called "kaskets".You will notice that his website is 770 Eastern Parkway, so he must be fairly well in with Chabad
. He is presumably called 'the Editor' because it is his job to search the web and 'fix' everything that doesn't match the history that they want to create.I don't personally kno
Brother Ben's music video 2007-06-12 02:19:00 My baby brother Ben has just made his first music video
. You can see it here at you tube. (It is much better than MBD, which is not saying anything at all). I think its good. Make sure you leave a comment for him about it. This blog is from Rabbi Sedley. You can see more divrei Torah, halacha and shiurim at my new website RabbiSedley.com. Read more:Brother
You are what you eat - brachot and competitive eating 2007-06-12 00:04:00 I am going to begin teaching the laws of brachot from next week, both at Shapells and at Midreshet Rachel (and I just found out in the middle of writing this that I'll be teaching a bekiyus shiur of gemara brachos - the 7th perek). Brachot is by far the most complicated halachic area that I teach, and it is quite unfair that it is one of the most basic areas of halacha, which even kids are expected to know how to keep.One of the many difficulties is to know what bracha to say on which food, a problem exacerbated by the complex food production techniques - we don't even know what we are eating
some of the time! Not to mention what is the main component and what is secondary. Life would be so much simpler if we just ate simple foods that were prepared at home.Random thoughts- Do they have meaning?: What The World Eats has a link to a wonderful little photo essay showing what different peoples in different countries eat (and how much they spend on food a week). Wouldn't life be simpler
25th Sivan - yarzheit of Rabban Shimon... 2007-06-11 07:54:00 Three of the 'Ten Martyrs' were killed on this date: Rabbi Chanina S'gan HaCohanim, Rabban Shimon
ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha. (this is brought down in the Tur and Shulchan Aruch OC 580). Their deaths are remembered in the kinah of Tisha B'Av 'Eileh Ezkera'.Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was the grandson of Hillel. He was the nasi durign the end of the Second Temple period and after the destruction, at the time when Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was the Rosh Yeshiva. His grandson was Rebbe Yehuda HaNasi.Rabbi Yishmael, Cohen Gadol went to learn Torah from Rabbi Nechuniah ben Hakanah at the age of 13. He was able to speak to angels, and when the Sages heard the decree that ten of their number were to be killed as atonement for the sin of Yosef's brothers it was R' Yishmael who ascended to Heaven to hear whether this was decreed from on High.He was very beautiful, and the Talmud tells that when he was being taken out to be killed, Caesar's daughter saw him and asked that hi
Nobel Prize stolen 2007-06-17 05:53:00 Poor old Yasser. Not only is he dead, and not only has the Palestinian Authority that he set up fallen apart, but they had the audacity to steal his nobel prize as well!The Hamas gunmen who broke into the Gaza house of late Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat on Saturday, also stole his Nobel
Peace Prize and his widow's evening gowns, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.So be on the lookout for masked armed men wearing evening frocks carrying a nobel prize. Listen to how seriously this is being treated by Fatah:"This is a real crime which was preceded by crimes of killing, slaughter and theft by the gangs of the Hamas militia and its executing force in the presidential headquarters in Gaza, as well as the execution of Fatah officers.Sorry, which is worse? Stealing the prize or killing and slaughtering? It is not clear to me (my Arabic grammar is not so good).In my opinion the real crime was giving him the prize in the first place and rewarding terror by calling it peace Read more:stolen
, Nobel Prize
Blame Israel for everything 2007-06-17 02:32:00 It never takes long for the world to blame Israel
for whatever is wrong in the world. This time, of course, it is Gaza. Clearly Israel is responsible for the situation (actually, bizarrely, the critics of the world are right, but not in the way they had intended. If Israel had not negotiated with the PLO and given them control, or withdrawn from Gush Katif, or armed Fatah, Hamas would never have come to power and the situation in Gaza would be very different today - but even Olmert hasn't realised that yet). Abbas was probably the first to accuse Israel without even blaming them for anything when he said that "‘Hamas is drunk with power, acting like Israel!"Jeopundit found an article in the Guardian that is more explicit in blaming both Israel and the USA for what is going on now.But cudos to him for also finding an article on the Wall Street Journal which presents a much more (in my opinion) honest assesment. It includes the following information, showing why the world has encoura Read more:Blame
Rock music at Jewish weddings - Yated's view 2007-06-17 00:21:00 Deah v'Dibur is the online version of Yated Neeman (obviously since the internet is forbidden they can't give the same name to their online version, because that would imply that they use the internet. So, like everyone else, they just pretend that they don't hold of the internet and use it anyway). Yated is the main journal of Chareidi Judaism (that is not an endorsement, just what I think is a statement of fact. You are welcome to disagree).They have outdone themselves in this article, which combines everything we expect from them: shoddy journalism, bad English, opinions stated as facts etc.Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight - IN-DEPTH FEATURESWhat surprised me somewhat about this article is that they are happy to use racist statements in their propaganda exercise. What does this line say to you?"According to Allan Bloom (in his book The Closing of the American Mind) rock and roll is indeed no more and no less than the savage and primitive rhythm of darkest Africa." (From Pr Read more:Jewish
Spy vs Spy 2007-06-15 09:16:00 This blog entry has been sponsored by the kind people at Webroot Spy Sweeper (in conjunction with Pay Per Post).I'm not such a good person to speak about internet security, because I'm always too nonchalant about the whole thing. I mean, anyone who wants to find out all my secrets just has to read this blog without having to snoop around my hard drive.As a result (because the spy people do care a lot more than I do) I am always having to clean out my computer and get rid of all the spyware and other junk that crawls in there while I'm looking the other way.Which is why anti-spyware is good news. Especially if it is the most award winning anti spyware stuff around. But what is really fun (if you want to be a super spy) is this little gadget to encipher or decipher code.Copy this sequence:SHX OGUONPR ZI RWP MAEJ ZUSBO-VCJSFPX OPKJCBLUSBP SGDURMPRThen go to this website and paste it in.http://www.secretcodebreaker.com/autokey.htmlWhat does it say? Pretty cool huh!!Webroot Spy Sweeper a
Pay Per Post direct 2007-06-20 23:27:00 This post is sponsored by Pay Per Post
. So far I have made $27.50 from them, which is pretty good money (well it pays for the web hosting and then some).So now they have another way to make even more money. If you want to put an advert on your site you have a few choices. You can take someone else's ad and hope that it matches with your site, while the advertiser doesn't pay so much, since it doesn't really fit the site.OR you can find an advertiser who wants to be on your site and will pay you for advertising. Doing this is quite difficult because you and they have to trust each other and work out a system.However, PPP can help you with this. They will arrange all that for you, and still give you most of the money. PPP Direct cuts out the massive overhead. While their competitors charge 50-100% markup and keep up to half your money, PPP Direct only charges a 10% fee, 5% of which goes to transaction fees for PayPal and credit card processing.Check out the details here:http://blog.pa
Gaza is Israel's fault cartoons 2007-06-18 23:55:00 I should really have titled this post 'proud to be a New Zealander', but some of you may have thought I was being serious.Let me re-phrase that. I am proud to be a New Zealander (or kiwi as we like to call ourselves) but when I see how anti-Semitic - oops! I mean anti-Israel
the media there is, I'm not sure any more.Look at these cartoons from different Arab countries:The first one is from Qatar, the second from Bahrain and the third from New Zealand.Whoops! New Zealand isn't an Arab country. How did that one get in the list. Yet it seems that Mike Moreu is inspired by the Arab media for his ideas and cartoons.It is the cartoon of the day on Stuff (which is NZs online newspaper). It is not a particularly funny or witty idea, but all three papers seem to view what is going on in Gaza as some sporting event set up by the Israelis to kill Palestinians. Clearly it cannot be the fault of the Palestinians!Thanks to YID With LID for finding the cartoons from the Arab media.have a nice day
So you wanna be a Rabbi?? 2007-06-24 04:19:00 (also posted on Torahlab.org)Jack’s Shackposted a question about what it takes to be a Rabbi
.I suspect that if you conducted a survey of traits required to become a rabbi piety and devotion might not even make the top of the list. Right up there at the top would be stories and story telling.The following day I was asked to give a talk about what skills a Rabbi needs and what training or learning would be most effective to prepare people to go into the field of Rabbanus.So I decided that I’d better put down some thoughts.The first thing is to ask why someone would want to be a Rabbi? Rabbi Zeira fasted 100 times to pray that nothing happen to Rabbi Eliezer, who was the Gadol hador, Rabbi Zeira was concerned that if the yoke of leadership fell upon him he would not be able to learn Torah properly.Similarly, Yosef HaTzadik died before all his brothers (though he was second to youngest) because he ruled over them.The Mishna in Avos is explicit – ‘hate Rabbonus’ (I know it means l Read more:wanna
The Good L-rd Made Them All 2007-06-24 03:04:00 The BBC reported on the 'World's Ugliest Dog Competition'. You can see a video of the winner here: World's ugliest dog crowned.If you just want to see a photo - here is the winner.Of course he doesn't hold a candle to the 3 times winner Sam (who only didn't win because he died - if he were alive there is no question that he would have been the winner paws down).Sam World's Ugliest DogYou can see all the entrants over here (I think it is too late to actually vote, but you can look at the photos)The World's Ugliest Dog competition voting pageThere is an important message here (apart from yet further evidence that Americans are from a different planet than everyone else - a competition for ugly dogs???). Lovable and cute are not necessarily seen from the outside. It is what is inside that counts. In the words of Frank-n-Furter "Don't judge a book by its cover".Labels and other externals are only what we see. What a person, or a dog really is, we have to discover for ourselves.An
Gay Pride March 2007-06-22 05:52:00 The Gay PrideMarch
was the hot topic this week. Most of the blogs I've read have been very sensible (I don't like reading blogs that aren't sensible). I've avoided writing about it because I didn't have time to think about how to express myself. My chevrusa cancelled on me this morning, so I'll try and write down some thoughts now, for what they are worth.the parade was yesterday. What happened (as best I understand) is that 2000 paraders mached for about 200 yards while protected by 8000 police men. There was a Hareidi Tehillim session several blocks away with 3000 people praying. There were 20 arrests, but no violence (although there had been in the week leading up to it).I don't think those who know me would accuse me of being anti-gay. I have friends who are homosexual and have been involved in classes and sessions (and on the panel discussion for one of the screenings of 'Trembling Before G-d'), not to mention that I invited Rabbi Steve Greenberg to speak in Leeds.But I
New Siddur 2007-06-22 01:24:00 A Big Jewish Blog wants your help. He is writing a new siddur and would like your contributions please.Siddur Kol HevelWhat are your favorite, most inspiring, most unsettling passages? The ones you turn to, or that shaped you, for better or for worse? Ones you've stumbled across, and that haunt you--or tickle you, for that matter, with their sass and heterodoxy.I'll post mine, one by one, as the summer goes on. Please post yours, as comments or (if you're a contributor) as a post: the passage, and some sort of attribution, so that I can track it down if need be.Presumably members of Anshei K'nesset HaGadolah or Shmuel HaKatan are not elligible to contribute (firstly because they are no longer alive, and secondly because they have already composed one siddur - at least the important bits)This blog is from Rabbi Sedley. You can see more divrei Torah, halacha and shiurim at my new website RabbiSedley.com.
Dont feel guilty about buying Harry Potter 2007-06-22 01:06:00 At last, the Orthodox can justify purchasing HarryPotter
! Forget about the assur magic, or the tameh kissing, or the female author. Much more important reason to purchase is because it stops Reform from printing their siddur. (I can't even believe this is true - but either way it is a classic):As you may know, the Reform movement has a new prayerbook in-progress, called Mishkan Tefilah. It's been in-progress for a long time; my shul ordered our copies five years ago, and the release date keeps getting pushed forward for one reason or another. (At the Biennial two years ago we davened using proofs, and they told us then that it would be out "soon." Yeah, right.) Anyway, the most recent publication date had been this summer......but apparently the paper that the publication committee chose for the prayerbook is the same paper on which the forthcoming seventh Harry Potter book will be published. And because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is expected to be a really big seller, Mis
Happy Birthday Mum 2007-06-21 15:58:00 Even on the blog I'm belated. But I still have to post this.Yesteday was my Mum's birthday (note correct spelling of Mum for non-Americans). It is so difficult being on the other side of the world from my parents - all I can do is chip in with my siblings to buy some flowers and a short phone call. I haven't seen my parents in over 7 years! That is hard (it is even harder for them because they haven't ever seen most of their grandchildren, and certainly haven't had a chance to spend much time with any of them).Being a father now makes me realise what an amazing job my parents did. I have 5 kids spread over 11 years, yet there are moments when I just can't cope at all. My parents have 6 within 10 years (I know that is not a world record or anything, but it is much more difficult than it sounds). How was it possible that you were always calm, always had time for all of us, always managed to make sure we had meals, clean clothes and anything else we might need. I don't remember ev Read more:Happy
, Birthday
, Happy Birthday
New Bog Standard 2007-06-28 02:45:00 Language Warning. The blog you are about to read may be unintelligible to non-English speakers (i.e. Americans). See end of blog, or use internet, for glossary.Subject Warning. This has nothing to do with Judaism or Israel. It refers to the place that Americans charmingly refer to as 'restroom' though I would probably not choose to rest there if I had any alternative. AKA bathroom, though you won't find any bath there. AKA washroom, but please use soap (because - 'where there's lice - there's soap!' - Rabbi Shraga Silverstein)Breaking news: (from 25 April 2007) - "New toilet designs to help combat bullying in BSF schools"!!This doesn't even require any further comment. My only question is how will it prevent dehydration? (that is always my question in this heat).New guidance published today governing the specification of toilet blocks in schools will help tackle bullying in secondary schools. New designs to be used in all BSF schools will make toilets more attractive, cleaner a Read more:Standard
Aish stoop to new lows (of iq) 2007-06-28 00:31:00 WARNING! Some people have found this article offensive (even after I toned it down). Please don't read if you have a heart condition, or are pregnant. The strong language contained within reflects the anguish of my soul, not my desire to badmouth individuals or organisations.I'm really not in this game to put down other people - except for politicians - but this guy is representing himself to the world as a senior lecturer in Aish's discovery! For some people who hear his lecture this is what Judaism is about! I don't understand why anyone would want to show this level of unsophistication. Now it may well be that he is making a 'discovery' for show, and this article does not reflect his true level of sophistication and brilliance. On the other hand, Aish have published it as is, and as such it requires a response.There are no feminists on a sinking ship found an article on the Aish HaTorah website which has had me cringing in shame since I read it (I don't want you to think that
12th Tamuz - Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman 2007-06-26 23:41:00 Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman was recognised by everyone as one of the most brilliant Talmudic scholars of his time. Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman (1875-1941) was a prominent Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in pre-World War II Europe. He was one of the Chofetz Chaim's closest disciples and a Torah scholar of note.His seforim on Talmud are learn in all the major Yeshivot today - 'Kovetz Maamarim' and 'Kovetz He'aros' are the most famous. You can read some exerpts of an article of his on faith here: Reb ElchononHe was in the USA at the outbreak of WWII (and the holocaust). Although he had many offers to stay in the USA which would have been safer, he knew that his place was with his Yeshiva. A captain always stays with his ship. (In this sense he was the 'frum' version of Janos Korcak). He was arested by the Nazisin 1941 with 20 of his students.(Quote from Wikipedia)Rabbi Elchonon was taken and murdered by the Lithuanians on the 12th of Tammuz, 1941. Before he was taken he gave this statement: "In Read more:Rabbi
Pray for Learning 2007-06-25 16:02:00 I have just come home from my son's end of year performance (and what a performance it was - don't ask. Just let me tell you that I love him a lot).The principle spoke told a story about R' Shimon Shkop, who said that once, while learning in Volozhin, he was unable to understand a certain Rashbam on Bava Basra. He broke down crying at the frustration of not being able to understand it. The Netziv walked in, saw him crying, and came over to find out what the matter was. When he realised that he was crying because he didn't understand a piece of Talmud he asked R' Shimon to show him what the problem was. When he saw it, the Netziv said to R' Shimon - "Do you know how many heartfelt tefillos I said at HaRav Chaim's grave to understand this Rashbam?"The message of the story was that a person has to pray for success in their learning.Now I love this principle to bits (he reminds me of the principle of my primary school, who knew every student by name, as well as their parents, sibli Read more:Learning
Kiddush for Girls 2007-07-01 06:06:00 My neighbours made a kiddush for their newborn daughter this past Shabbos (mazel tov) and also for their older daughter for whom they never made a kiddush. This led to a discussion about the need for making a kiddush at the birth of a daughter. It seems that this 'mitzvah' comes from an apocryphal statement my the Steipler, Rav Yisrael Yaakov Kanievski. People were taking this obligation very seriously. However, being the skeptic that I am, I wanted to check the authenticity of the statement and the importance of the minhag.It seems that there is very little evidence that the Steipler ever said this. However, the incident is quoted (from an unnamed source) in a Rabbi Frand d'var Torah.Someone quoted an amazing story from the Steipler Gaon, related to this exact point. A person came to the Steipler and told him that he needed a blessing for his daughter. She was 27 years old and in need of a shidduch [marriage partner].The Steipler asked him if it was his first daughter. The man repl Read more:Girls
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