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Fixing the History Books
Mar. 26th, 2009 10:51 amOn the heels of Purim, here's a 1981 article on Rabbi Dr. Chaim S. Heifetz's Revision of Persian History.
Mar. 26th, 2009
Radical for These Days
Mar. 26th, 2009 12:37 pmhttp://www.kashrut.org/halacha/?law=kashering (excerpts):
* Glass, plastic, glazed china, glazed dishes, Corelle, Pyrex, Corningware, or glazed earthenware does not need any Koshering for Passover, since they do not retain any flavor.
* Sinks, refrigerators, trash cans, counters, dishwashers, stovetops, tables, cutting boards, mixmasters, silver kiddush cups, and anything not used with hot foods from the fire do not need any koshering.
* Glass, plastic, glazed china, glazed dishes, Corelle, Pyrex, Corningware, or glazed earthenware does not need any Koshering for Passover, since they do not retain any flavor.
* Sinks, refrigerators, trash cans, counters, dishwashers, stovetops, tables, cutting boards, mixmasters, silver kiddush cups, and anything not used with hot foods from the fire do not need any koshering.
"Orthodoxy, Then and Now"
Mar. 26th, 2009 12:50 pmBy Dr. Yitzchok Levine
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn was the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe (widely known as the Frierdiker - Yiddish for "previous" - Rebbe). He served in that position for 30 years, from 1920 until his passing on Shabbos morning, January 28, 1950. He was buried at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York. Recently, someone sent me a link to a video clip of his levaya. From the clip one can see a number of external differences between Orthodoxy circa 1950 and Orthodoxy today.
First, most of the men in the crowd are wearing hats and coats that are not black. Indeed, gray seems to have been the favored color for men's hats at the time. Second, the majority of the men shown are clean shaven. Third, men and women are standing together in the crowd. Apparently, no separation of the sexes was imposed upon those gathered to give the Rebbe a final tribute. In short, this assemblage does not look anything like what one would see today at the funeral of a well-known rebbe or rosh yeshiva.
Orthodox Judaism was indeed different in 1950.
Full article at http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/38591
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn was the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe (widely known as the Frierdiker - Yiddish for "previous" - Rebbe). He served in that position for 30 years, from 1920 until his passing on Shabbos morning, January 28, 1950. He was buried at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York. Recently, someone sent me a link to a video clip of his levaya. From the clip one can see a number of external differences between Orthodoxy circa 1950 and Orthodoxy today.
First, most of the men in the crowd are wearing hats and coats that are not black. Indeed, gray seems to have been the favored color for men's hats at the time. Second, the majority of the men shown are clean shaven. Third, men and women are standing together in the crowd. Apparently, no separation of the sexes was imposed upon those gathered to give the Rebbe a final tribute. In short, this assemblage does not look anything like what one would see today at the funeral of a well-known rebbe or rosh yeshiva.
Orthodox Judaism was indeed different in 1950.
Full article at http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/38591
A Mind is a Horrible Thing...
Mar. 26th, 2009 01:07 pm...to waste, and in general :-)
Saw this, and it reminded me of the science fair I attended recently at my daughter's Bais Yaakov. There were a lot of neat projects, but two stood out in my mind - not for content, but for conclusions.
For the first one, the author tested the hypothesis that acid rain is bad for plants. She planted two sets of beans and watered one with water and the other with sulfuric acid (a weak solution, but still way stronger than any acid rain). Expecting the latter set to grow weaker, she instead detected no difference in the growth of the two. Her conclusion was, nevertheless, that acid rain is bad (and it is - but not based on her experimental data).
For the other one the author hypothesized that organic plants are healthier and better. She, too, grew two sets of plants, with natural and artificial fertilizers. The latter set turned out visibly better, but the conclusion still ignored the data. (She did, however, supply a few possible explanations.)
But there were a couple of other projects where the hypothesis was disproved and the girl went with the results!
Saw this, and it reminded me of the science fair I attended recently at my daughter's Bais Yaakov. There were a lot of neat projects, but two stood out in my mind - not for content, but for conclusions.
For the first one, the author tested the hypothesis that acid rain is bad for plants. She planted two sets of beans and watered one with water and the other with sulfuric acid (a weak solution, but still way stronger than any acid rain). Expecting the latter set to grow weaker, she instead detected no difference in the growth of the two. Her conclusion was, nevertheless, that acid rain is bad (and it is - but not based on her experimental data).
For the other one the author hypothesized that organic plants are healthier and better. She, too, grew two sets of plants, with natural and artificial fertilizers. The latter set turned out visibly better, but the conclusion still ignored the data. (She did, however, supply a few possible explanations.)
But there were a couple of other projects where the hypothesis was disproved and the girl went with the results!
An American G'zeira
Mar. 26th, 2009 05:39 pmHERRING v. UNITED STATES
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
No. 07–513. Argued October 7, 2008—Decided January 14, 2009
ROBERTS, C. J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which SCALIA, KENNEDY, THOMAS, and ALITO, JJ., joined. GINSBURG, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which STEVENS, SOUTER, and BREYER, JJ., joined. BREYER, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which SOUTER, J., joined.
Without arguing the merits of this typical 5-4 decision (I mean, look at the line-up!), here's an excerpt I liked:
"The Fourth Amendment protects “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” but “contains no provision expressly precluding the use of evidence obtained in violation of its commands,” Arizona v. Evans, 514 U. S. 1, 10 (1995). Nonetheless, our decisions establish an exclusionary rule that, when applicable, forbids the use of improperly obtained evidence at trial. See, e.g., Weeks v. United States, 232 U. S. 383, 398 (1914). We have stated that this judicially created rule is “designed to safeguard Fourth Amendment rights generally through its deterrent effect.” United States v. Calandra, 414 U. S. 338, 348 (1974)."
It's exactly parallel to the Sanhedrin establishing a g'zeira, e.g., adding poultry to the meat/milk prohibition.
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
No. 07–513. Argued October 7, 2008—Decided January 14, 2009
ROBERTS, C. J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which SCALIA, KENNEDY, THOMAS, and ALITO, JJ., joined. GINSBURG, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which STEVENS, SOUTER, and BREYER, JJ., joined. BREYER, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which SOUTER, J., joined.
Without arguing the merits of this typical 5-4 decision (I mean, look at the line-up!), here's an excerpt I liked:
"The Fourth Amendment protects “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” but “contains no provision expressly precluding the use of evidence obtained in violation of its commands,” Arizona v. Evans, 514 U. S. 1, 10 (1995). Nonetheless, our decisions establish an exclusionary rule that, when applicable, forbids the use of improperly obtained evidence at trial. See, e.g., Weeks v. United States, 232 U. S. 383, 398 (1914). We have stated that this judicially created rule is “designed to safeguard Fourth Amendment rights generally through its deterrent effect.” United States v. Calandra, 414 U. S. 338, 348 (1974)."
It's exactly parallel to the Sanhedrin establishing a g'zeira, e.g., adding poultry to the meat/milk prohibition.
Atomic Aging
Mar. 26th, 2009 06:17 pmOn Aug. 6, 1945, the Associated Press reports, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was on a business trip in Hiroshima, Japan.
Unfortunately, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima that day.
Fortunately, Yamaguchi survived and returned home.
Unfortunately, he lived in Nagasaki, where the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb, on Aug. 9.
Fortunately, he survived that bombing too and has now been certified a survivor of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which entitles him to "compensation, including monthly allowances, free medical checkups and funeral costs."
Unfortunately, he may have to use that last benefit sooner than he would like, for he is 93.
Stay away from A-bomb explosions. If the blast or the radiation doesn't kill you, the superannuation will.
- James Taranto
Unfortunately, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima that day.
Fortunately, Yamaguchi survived and returned home.
Unfortunately, he lived in Nagasaki, where the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb, on Aug. 9.
Fortunately, he survived that bombing too and has now been certified a survivor of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which entitles him to "compensation, including monthly allowances, free medical checkups and funeral costs."
Unfortunately, he may have to use that last benefit sooner than he would like, for he is 93.
Stay away from A-bomb explosions. If the blast or the radiation doesn't kill you, the superannuation will.
- James Taranto