Avodah Mailing List

Volume 25: Number 19

Sun, 13 Jan 2008

• 1. Isaac Leeser (Jonathan Baker)
• 2. Re: Avodah Digest, Vol 25, Issue 13-manipulating bodily energies (Richard Wolpoe)
• 3. Re: manipulating bodily energies (Zev Sero)
• 4. Fwd: Beshalach "Miriam, A Woman of Action" (Richard Wolberg)
• 5. Re: "Money Talks -- So Did the Donkey" (T613K@aol.com)
• 6. Re: Seeing the Alps (Richard Wolpoe)
• 7. Re: Isaac Leeser (Richard Wolpoe)
• 8. Re: manipulating bodily energies (Richard Wolpoe)
• 9. Did L. Reebe Call RYDS Gaol Hador? Please Confirm (Richard Wolpoe)
• 10. Re: abayudaya (Michael Poppers)
• 11. Re: manipulating bodily energies (Daniel Eidensohn)

From: "Stephen R. Simons" <Shimjim2@comcast.net>
 
> The Rev. Dr. Isaac Leeser, colonial era Philadelphia rabbi, translit-
> erated the Shema as "Shmang Yisrael."

Nitpick: not Colonial, but antebellum.  Born in 1808, raised in Germany,
he came to the US in 1824.  Bemoaning the state of Jewish education and
publishing, he set about doing something about it, publishing his own
translations of "Instruction in the Mosaic Religion", the Chumash,
the Tanach, his own writings in Jewish education, and other English-
language Judaica, as well as both German and Portuguese-rite siddurim,
etc.  He started a well-regarded magazine that is still quoted today
(by R' Yosef Wikler in his Yoreh Deah classes), the Jewish Publication
Society, and Maimonides College, the first attempt at a rabbinical 
seminary in the US (1867-73).

He was the rabbi at Cong. Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, their Spanish
& Portuguese synagogue, for over 20 years, so it's not too surprising
that he transliterated Shema as Shema/nj/.

--
        name: jon baker              web: http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker
     address: jjbaker@panix.com     blog: http://thanbook.blogspot.com

On Jan 11, 2008 11:06 AM, <JoshHoff@aol.com> wrote:

>  Rabbi Belsky has been very outspoken about these kinds of
>  practices,viewing them, at best,as dishonest  money-making schemes,and,at
> worse, as close to avodah zarah, IIRC. He expressed these views  at his
> end-of-the -summer  sessions in which he answered questions on all 4
> sections of  Shulchan Aruch at the Bostonner Beis Medrash  in
> Flatbush.They can  be heard on tapes of these shiurim marketed by  Irgun
> Shiurei Torah . I do not recall that he discussed it this past year,but I
> think he did each of the two previous years.
>

A guest  poster Reform jew  on Avodah about 10+ years ago stated that while
Reform is certainly challengd by Shemiras Shabbos etc. that AZ mamash is
MORE likley in the Orthodox community

I used to debate people about this;
Reform accept kabals Ol Malchus Shamayim but reject Ol Mitzvos
Orthodox accept both
But nowadays there seem to be many types of Jews who accept ol Mitzvos but
have chas vshalom rejected Monotheism...

Examples: Praying to avos at kever Avos
Praying to malachim
etc.

I take no joy in saying this stuff [tof'sei Torah lo yeda'uni]
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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Richard Wolpoe wrote:
 
> A guest  poster Reform jew  on Avodah about 10+ years ago stated that 
> while Reform is certainly challengd by Shemiras Shabbos etc. that AZ 
> mamash is MORE likley in the Orthodox community
> 
> I used to debate people about this;
> Reform accept kabals Ol Malchus Shamayim but reject Ol Mitzvos
> Orthodox accept both
> But nowadays there seem to be many types of Jews who accept ol Mitzvos 
> but have chas vshalom rejected Monotheism...
> 
> Examples: Praying to avos at kever Avos
> Praying to malachim
> etc.

This is moreshes avosenu, and if it doesn't fit in with your idea
of monotheism then so much the worse for monotheism.  I believe in
Yiddishkeit - if you choose describe it as monotheistic, then so be
it, I'm a monotheist; but if you then change the definition of
monotheism so that Yiddishkeit no longer fits it, then fine, I'm
not a monotheist.  My father never taught me about "monotheism",
and it's probably not even in his working vocabulary.  My zeide
probably did know the word, and could spell it and make a stab at
pronouncing it, but I never heard him use it.  My elter-zeide never
even *heard* of it.  They all believed in Hashem Echod, and also in
all these "superstitions" that are apparently not consistent with
your monotheism.  And that doesn't bother me in the least.


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev@sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas

> "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine  
> in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines,  
> dancing. And Miriam answered them, 'Sing to the Lord, for He has  
> triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has He thrown into the  
> sea." (Shmot 15:20,21)
>
> Here Miriam is described as both a prophetess and as the sister of  
> Aharon. Why is she not described as the sister of Moshe? Rashi  
> explains that she achieved prophecy at the point when she was only  
> the sister of Aharon, before Moshe was born. What was the content of  
> her prophecy? That one day Moshe would be the savior. This prophecy  
> led Miriam to action: she encouraged her parents who had separated  
> to reunite.
>
> Amram was afraid lest a son be born; the child would be taken and  
> executed. In such a world, he reasoned, it was better not to have  
> children. Miriam chastised her father and declared that he was worse  
> than the hated Par'oh himself, for Par'oh only threatened the male  
> children, while Amram's plan would prevent all children from being  
> born. Amram accepted his daughter's argument; he and Yocheved  
> remarried, and the couple were serenaded by their older children.  
> Soon enough a son was born and the light of his aura filled the room.
>
> R' Abraham Ben HaRambam says it was because she was Aaron's equal in  
> prophecy, whereas Moses was the "father" of all prophets, (hence he  
> was in a class by himself).
>

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From: R' Richard Wolberg 
>>The expression "Money Talks" has  always seemed to me, to reflect a  
tremendous cynicism, as well as not  the "means" but the "end."<<


 
>>>>>
"Hakesef ya'aneh es hakol" -- Koheles 10:19
 
It is an exhortation not to be lazy but to work hard and make money  because 
almost everything you need can be bought with money and almost every  problem 
can be, if not solved, then at least ameliorated, with money.   Money itself 
is neither good nor evil but it is unquestionably necessary and can  be used 
for tremendous good.
 
We sing on Motzai Shabbos, "zar'einu vechaspeinu yarbeh kachol."  We  Jews 
are very clear-eyed about the blessings of wealth, and do not scorn wealth,  
properly used.


--Toby  Katz
=============



**************Start the year off right.  Easy ways to stay in shape.     
http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
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On Jan 9, 2008 8:04 AM, kennethgmiller@juno.com <kennethgmiller@juno.com>
wrote:

>
> I can't think of a way to reconcile Rav Hirsch and the Ramchal as cited
> here. I hope someone else will comment.
>
>
>
> (I would be remiss if I did not mention that despite my strong feelings
> for the Grand Canyon, they run a far distant Second Place to even the most
> prosaic sight in Eretz Yisrael.)
>
> Akiva Miller



It is not so difficult. Rebbe never had hana'ah from olam hazeh either...

The point of Hirsh is that one can bet a "hispal'us" form seeing the Alps or
the Grand Canyon and then it is a wothwhile endeavor to See HKBH in HIS
Greatness in this world. it is not about PHYSICAL han'anh it is about
spirtual inspiration.

Just as niggun inspires SOME-  the Alps inspired Hirsch to increase his
connection with the Divine. Is that so hard to understand?

So Lemashal if I heard a concert with the music of Bach and Mozart and
received inspiration it would be like Hirsch going to the Alps.

If a drunk has booze it is a physical pleasure. if a ehrlihcer hassid has a
schnappes it is a spiritual event.  Simple - no?

-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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On Jan 11, 2008 2:31 PM, Jonathan Baker <jjbaker@panix.com> wrote:

> From: "Stephen R. Simons" <Shimjim2@comcast.net>
>
> > The Rev. Dr. Isaac Leeser, colonial era Philadelphia rabbi, translit-
> > erated the Shema as "Shmang Yisrael."
>
>
> He was the rabbi at Cong. Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, their Spanish
> & Portuguese synagogue, for over 20 years, so it's not too surprising
> that he transliterated Shema as Shema/nj/.
>
> --
>        name: jon baker
>

And AIUI re: the the portuguese pronunciation is that the NG in ShmaNG is
like shma with a suffix of the sound of NI in onion  or the first na in
manana [n~]

It is a bit softer than Eastern Sephardim pronounce it...

-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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On Jan 12, 2008 6:56 PM, Zev Sero <zev@sero.name> wrote:

> Richard Wolpoe wrote:
>
>
> This is moreshes avosenu, and if it doesn't fit in with your idea
> of monotheism then so much the worse for monotheism.  I believe in
> Yiddishkeit - if you choose describe it as monotheistic, then so be
> it, I'm a monotheist; but if you then change the definition of
> monotheism so that Yiddishkeit no longer fits it, then fine, I'm
> not a monotheist.  My father never taught me about "monotheism",
> and it's probably not even in his working vocabulary.  My zeide
> probably did know the word, and could spell it and make a stab at
> pronouncing it, but I never heard him use it.  My elter-zeide never
> even *heard* of it.  They all believed in Hashem Echod, and also in
> all these "superstitions" that are apparently not consistent with
> your monotheism.  And that doesn't bother me in the least.
>
>
> --
> Zev Sero


When Msiohe Rabbeinu came down from the mountain the Egel was minhag Yisroel
And so was the Egel Minhag for 10 Sevatim after Yerav'am
And was AZA prevalent in the during the late of Bayyis Rishon.  The last
malchey Yehuda were all ov'day AZ
Except oshiyahu The fact that it is YIDDISHKKEIT does not make it kosher

Many superstitions  have bee npracticed by Jews .  the  Rambam and many
G'dolim attacked them virulently.

We have had MANY false Messiah's.  jes have been led astray from Torah Trued
Judaim my MANY ism's/ Many Jewish Zaidies worshipped Marx or Eugene v.
Debbs. Were THEY kosher, too?

So are youe REALLY saying is that any superstition that violates Tamim
tihyeh im Hashem Elokecha is OK so long as it is popular?

-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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  Volume 10 Number 93
                       Produced: Tue Dec 28  8:41:09 1993 marc shapiro:


 He is speaking about
> R.  Soloveitchik, whom R. Tendler called the greatest Rosh Yeshivah of
> our generation, whom the Lubavitcher rebbe stood up for etc. etc. May
> God forgive him for degrading our teacher!
>
>
I was told - and have beenacknowledged of flsit - that when RYDS visisted
the Rebbe to be menachem Avel the Rebe stood and said we must stand for the
"gadol hador". Any confirmation of this story?



-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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In Avodah Digest V25#18, RZS wrote:
> The gemara is Shabbos 32a. The fault condemned is that of referring to
the holy by common terms, as if it were not special.  Specifically,
referring to the aron kodesh as a "cupboard", and to the shul as a
"public house".  IOW the point isn't what you *name* something, it's
what you *call* it, which shows how you *regard* it. <
And, it seems to me (considering not just how one regards an object or
place of q'dushah but how one utilizes it), that b'raisa implies that the
"k'nesses" aspect of a "beis k'nesses" doesn't indicate ordinary
"gathering."  Would any gathering for the sake of a mitzva remove it from
what RaShY ad loc. describes as the "l'shon bizui" of "beis am," or do only
certain "gathering"s qualify?  The way I understand MaHaRSHA ad loc., the
chiluq is whether the gathering is l'sheim Shamayim.  To try to get back to
an earlier point in this thread: one doesn't need to be a skilled sailor of
yam shel haTalmud to be a y'rei Shamayim.  Thanks.

Gut Voch and all the best from
--Michael Poppers via RIM pager
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R' Richard Wolpoe wrote:
>  
>   
>> A guest  poster Reform jew  on Avodah about 10+ years ago stated that 
>> while Reform is certainly challengd by Shemiras Shabbos etc. that AZ 
>> mamash is MORE likley in the Orthodox community
>>
>>     
See the  Netziv(Meishiv Davar 1:44):


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End of Avodah Digest, Vol 25, Issue 19
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