It seems poor Mrs Alito couldn't take the heat and had to leave the kitchen when some Senators turned up the heat on her husband. And the media lapped it up.
Maybe Laura should start crying every time somebody asks Georgie about the Iraq war or illegal wiretapping.
The Dem response should be"I understand that it is difficult for Mrs. Alito to watch her husband struggle to explain 30 years of anti-choice views, and his membership in an organization that tried to reduce the presence of women and minorities on Princeton's campus. Perhaps she should stay home tomorrow."
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz: WHY DO YOU WEAR THAT HAT?: "The black hat. It is what marks a Ben Torah, and distinguishes him from all other segments of Jewish society"
Got that everyone? It's your black hat that sets you apart as a Ben Torah. Not your character or your scholarship, but your hat. Your black hat. It's a fool-proof way of letting the world know that you live your life according to the Torah.
Explanation of the picture for the humor-impaired: Rabbi Pinchos said that a black hat was a sign of a ben torah. I am just testing his theory: Is it a piece of black rabbit felt that tells the world that you're a ben Torah? Or is it your brain and behavior?
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
JFK and his hat
Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz: WHY DO YOU WEAR THAT HAT?: "From the time President Kennedy shucked his fedora at his 1960 inauguration ceremony and replaced it with the new look of freedom, the black hat assumed a heightened significance in society at large."
I have no idea what that sentance means, but the facts are wrong. Here's a photo of JFK at his inauguration. As you can see, his head is covered. More from snopes:
[Hat tip Al Gore]
I have no idea what that sentance means, but the facts are wrong. Here's a photo of JFK at his inauguration. As you can see, his head is covered. More from snopes:
It is true that Kennedy almost never wore a hat after becoming president, but his hatlessness was much more likely the continuation of a trend that had long since begun, not its origin. Either way, the common claim that the shunning of hats by American men began because Kennedy declined to wear one to his inauguration is flat-out wrong.The rest of Pinchos's post is so stupid it could trip over a cordless phone. Perhaps a fisking tomorrow if I have the strength.
[Hat tip Al Gore]
Nitl Nonsense
I planned to post this last Sunday in honor of Nitl Nacht, but between Chardal, Lazar, and a dentist's appointment I got distracted.
My local Hasidic Rabbi took the night off last Friday night. He didn't speak before Kabalas Shabbos, and he didn't appear at his regular Friday night shiur. Why? Because it was Nitl Nacht, per the Orthodox calendar, and on Nitl Nacht it is his custom to act like a mourner and forgo all Torah learning.
A few notes on the practice:
1 - It's stupid. My local Hasidic Rabbi ignores July fourth. Memorial Day is not remembered. He goes to work on Thanksgiving. None of those days exist on his calendar. If he is going to ignore days that celebrate events from which he has benefited, how can he justify his recognition of Orthodox Christmas? Even a negative recognition is recognition. Memorial Day is not within a Hasid's ken; but Christmas is. That's topsy-tursvy.
2 - Orthodox Christmas? I understand the Rabbi's customs originated in lands where Orthodox Christmas is celebrated, but there are reasons for this custom and the most familiar reason does not adhere on on the sixth of January.
According to Miriam Shaviv, Hasidim abstain from Torah study because they "don't want to bring about such improvements [to the world through their Torah study] at a time when the Christian majority is devoutly steeped in their prayers, lest outsiders believe the improvement came from the Christian worship." Fabulous, only in America, Jan 6 is not a day of Christian prayer. If that's your concern, you should fast from Torah study on December 25 (or on Super Bowl Sunday when the betting halls probably contain as much prayer as any church)
A second justification for the custom is that often we dedicate Torah study to the memory of revered Rabbis and beloved ancestors. If we studied on Christmas, the argument goes, someone might mistake Jesus for a revered Rabbi. Worse, he might accrue credit on his heavenly account in the merit of our learning.
To the first concern I reply: Bwahaha. Not even the authors of Cross Currents would mistake Jesus for a revered Rabbi. (I hope) To the second concern, I say "so what?" The real Jesus was a Jew who cared about other Jews. He had no intention of abolishing Judaism, or of establishing a church that would seek to destroy his people. If the clerk in charge of divine credit is stupid enough to think that my Christmas Eve learning is meant to be deposited on Jesus' account, I have no objection. (though I will suggest that the Almighty hire a clerk who doesn't have his head up his ass)
3 - The common justification for the Heredi refusal to pause for the siren on Israeli Memorial day is that it is bitul Torah. Can you explain to me why two minutes to honor Israeli war dead is impossible, while a full night without learning has become accepted?
My local Hasidic Rabbi took the night off last Friday night. He didn't speak before Kabalas Shabbos, and he didn't appear at his regular Friday night shiur. Why? Because it was Nitl Nacht, per the Orthodox calendar, and on Nitl Nacht it is his custom to act like a mourner and forgo all Torah learning.
A few notes on the practice:
1 - It's stupid. My local Hasidic Rabbi ignores July fourth. Memorial Day is not remembered. He goes to work on Thanksgiving. None of those days exist on his calendar. If he is going to ignore days that celebrate events from which he has benefited, how can he justify his recognition of Orthodox Christmas? Even a negative recognition is recognition. Memorial Day is not within a Hasid's ken; but Christmas is. That's topsy-tursvy.
2 - Orthodox Christmas? I understand the Rabbi's customs originated in lands where Orthodox Christmas is celebrated, but there are reasons for this custom and the most familiar reason does not adhere on on the sixth of January.
According to Miriam Shaviv, Hasidim abstain from Torah study because they "don't want to bring about such improvements [to the world through their Torah study] at a time when the Christian majority is devoutly steeped in their prayers, lest outsiders believe the improvement came from the Christian worship." Fabulous, only in America, Jan 6 is not a day of Christian prayer. If that's your concern, you should fast from Torah study on December 25 (or on Super Bowl Sunday when the betting halls probably contain as much prayer as any church)
A second justification for the custom is that often we dedicate Torah study to the memory of revered Rabbis and beloved ancestors. If we studied on Christmas, the argument goes, someone might mistake Jesus for a revered Rabbi. Worse, he might accrue credit on his heavenly account in the merit of our learning.
To the first concern I reply: Bwahaha. Not even the authors of Cross Currents would mistake Jesus for a revered Rabbi. (I hope) To the second concern, I say "so what?" The real Jesus was a Jew who cared about other Jews. He had no intention of abolishing Judaism, or of establishing a church that would seek to destroy his people. If the clerk in charge of divine credit is stupid enough to think that my Christmas Eve learning is meant to be deposited on Jesus' account, I have no objection. (though I will suggest that the Almighty hire a clerk who doesn't have his head up his ass)
3 - The common justification for the Heredi refusal to pause for the siren on Israeli Memorial day is that it is bitul Torah. Can you explain to me why two minutes to honor Israeli war dead is impossible, while a full night without learning has become accepted?
Divine Justice
Pat Robertson: "This is my land," and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, 'No, this is mine.'"
Avi Hartuv, spokesman for Israel’s tourism minister: "We can’t accept this kind of statement. We will not do business with him."
Business? What sort of business?
Apparently, Rev Pat had plans to open $50 million theme park in the Galilee. Now, thanks to the good minister's intemperate statement Jesusland is in jeopardy:
Avi Hartuv, spokesman for Israel’s tourism minister: "We can’t accept this kind of statement. We will not do business with him."
Business? What sort of business?
Apparently, Rev Pat had plans to open $50 million theme park in the Galilee. Now, thanks to the good minister's intemperate statement Jesusland is in jeopardy:
"The contract is still open - just not with Mr Robertson. If there are other Christian leaders, they are most welcome to sign a contract to bring Christian tourists to the State of Israel.Or as God Himself might say the next time he confers with Pat, "The Galilee is mine and any two-bit pastor who thinks he can build a New Testament Disneyland there had better think twice."
A GOP Scandal
Abramhoff is all about the Republicans, and their culture of greed.
Says who? Rich Lowery of the National Review.
[For those not in the know, the National Review calls itself "America's conservative magazine," and it was established by Bill Buckly]
For years I have been waiting for the out-of-control Republican Congress to be exposed for what it is: a bunch of hypocrites who've defined incompetence, greed and corruption as the return of "moral values."
They may wrap themselves in the flag and their watered down religion, but a tsunami of truth is on the way, and it's name is Jack Abramoff.
Says who? Rich Lowery of the National Review.
[For those not in the know, the National Review calls itself "America's conservative magazine," and it was established by Bill Buckly]
For years I have been waiting for the out-of-control Republican Congress to be exposed for what it is: a bunch of hypocrites who've defined incompetence, greed and corruption as the return of "moral values."
They may wrap themselves in the flag and their watered down religion, but a tsunami of truth is on the way, and it's name is Jack Abramoff.
Ritual Assistance
CA writes:
With the extensive Torah knowledge that you and your readers have, perhaps they could help me understand why Jews have beeen starting to use the University of Texas 'Hook 'em Horns' cheerleading gesture during hagbah
I have proposed a possible reason, but any additional enlightenment would be helpful.
I know the gesture he means, but I don't know why so many Jews perform it. According to the Mishna Brurah you're supposed to bow when the Torah is lifted, not pledge allegiance to your favorite college football team.
With the extensive Torah knowledge that you and your readers have, perhaps they could help me understand why Jews have beeen starting to use the University of Texas 'Hook 'em Horns' cheerleading gesture during hagbah
I have proposed a possible reason, but any additional enlightenment would be helpful.
I know the gesture he means, but I don't know why so many Jews perform it. According to the Mishna Brurah you're supposed to bow when the Torah is lifted, not pledge allegiance to your favorite college football team.
Thinking Superstitiously about Ariel Sharon
A confession:
Though I have nothing but disdain for those who think Sharon's stroke was a punishment for Gaza, I understand the lure of superstitious thinking, and often I find myself flirting with it. But my superstitious thinking about Ariel Sharon takes a different form:
Israel finds itself in a mess today because for 30 years they stomped on Arab civillians. And when the chief stomper (Sharon) has, by the goodness and grace of God, a change of heart and realizes that separation not slaughter is the answer, the religious response should not be to scream "traitor" but to instead embrace the miracle of his teshuva.
We see the "hand of God" wherever it's most convinient for us. I understand that as well as anyone. Still, it must be noted that those of us who favor separation have as much of a claim on magical thinking as those of you who favor expullsion, or the continued policy of apartheid and colonization.
Though I have nothing but disdain for those who think Sharon's stroke was a punishment for Gaza, I understand the lure of superstitious thinking, and often I find myself flirting with it. But my superstitious thinking about Ariel Sharon takes a different form:
Israel finds itself in a mess today because for 30 years they stomped on Arab civillians. And when the chief stomper (Sharon) has, by the goodness and grace of God, a change of heart and realizes that separation not slaughter is the answer, the religious response should not be to scream "traitor" but to instead embrace the miracle of his teshuva.
We see the "hand of God" wherever it's most convinient for us. I understand that as well as anyone. Still, it must be noted that those of us who favor separation have as much of a claim on magical thinking as those of you who favor expullsion, or the continued policy of apartheid and colonization.
The Excellence of Arik
In a first-rate column in today's Times, Thomas Friedman explains why Arik Sharon should go down as one of the great men in history:
There are not many 77-year-old leaders who not only acknowledge that one of their greatest projects in political life was wrong and posed a dire threat to the future of their people, but then also risk their remaining lives and political careers to reverse it.... Leadership is not what you do to the other side. That's always easy. It is what you say to your own. Looking your own people in the eye and saying, in deeds if not words, "I was wrong. We have to reverse course" - now, that's leadership.The title of the piece, fittingly, is Wanted: An Arab Sharon and it concludes by arguing that it is time for another Anwar Sadat or King Hussein, an Arab leader willing "to look their peoples in the eye and tell them the campaign to destroy Israel was over." If you find yourself unable to imagine an elderly Arab leader making that gesture than you understand the greatness of Sharon.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
A HomeRun Rashi
S, of the Main Line, might not remember it but a few weeks ago he asked me for a Rashi I really liked. I told him I had one for Vayechi. Here it is:
Genesis 48:16
“The angel who redeemed me from all evil, shall bless the lads and let my name be called on them, together with the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.”
Rashi:
He shall bless the lads: Menashe and Ephraim.
Bizzare, right? Don't we know from the context that the "lads" are Menashe and Ephraim. We do, but we might be forgiven for small doubts. Because in Midrash Bereishis Rabba (97:3) we find the following comment: He shall bless the lads: This is Joshua and Gideon
Additionally, Joshua and Gideon have points in common with Jacob’s blessing. Aside from the obvious (Joshua is from Ephraim and Gideon is from Menashe) both were met and blessed by angles(1), and both are called "lads."(2)
It seems that Rashi worried that someone who was familiar with the midrash and the rest of the Torah, might assume that Jacob's blessing was a prophecy referring to Joshua and Gideon. It isn't. Rashi's comment on Genesis 48:16, is not meant to point out the obvious, but to protect the simple meaning of the text from what, it appears, he thought was a likely error.
(1) Joshua 5:13 and Judges 6:12
(2) Exodus 33:11 and Judges 6:15
Genesis 48:16
“The angel who redeemed me from all evil, shall bless the lads and let my name be called on them, together with the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.”
Rashi:
He shall bless the lads: Menashe and Ephraim.
Bizzare, right? Don't we know from the context that the "lads" are Menashe and Ephraim. We do, but we might be forgiven for small doubts. Because in Midrash Bereishis Rabba (97:3) we find the following comment: He shall bless the lads: This is Joshua and Gideon
Additionally, Joshua and Gideon have points in common with Jacob’s blessing. Aside from the obvious (Joshua is from Ephraim and Gideon is from Menashe) both were met and blessed by angles(1), and both are called "lads."(2)
It seems that Rashi worried that someone who was familiar with the midrash and the rest of the Torah, might assume that Jacob's blessing was a prophecy referring to Joshua and Gideon. It isn't. Rashi's comment on Genesis 48:16, is not meant to point out the obvious, but to protect the simple meaning of the text from what, it appears, he thought was a likely error.
(1) Joshua 5:13 and Judges 6:12
(2) Exodus 33:11 and Judges 6:15
I must be doing something right
Chardal has banned me.
Was it because I called him a chicken hawk? Or because I pointed out that (despite his endless blather about how he wants Israel to be a Torah state) he never posts about JEWS who break torah law. The only thing that gets him and his hooligans excited are Jews who tolerate Arabs.
That made-up law about not tolerating arabs is the only law he really cares about, and it's time we all called him on it.
Thread 1
Thread 2 (fun starts at the end)
Update: Charly the Chicken Hawk now says I was banned for insulting Rabbi Bleich. Here's the comment in question:
Chardal: You only say that because you already had your opinion and then looked for an authority to back it up
DovBear: Unlike you who who, I suppose, played on an Arab soccer team until you stumbled across benjie bliech and saw the light.
As you can see, the only person insulted here was Chardal.
Was it because I called him a chicken hawk? Or because I pointed out that (despite his endless blather about how he wants Israel to be a Torah state) he never posts about JEWS who break torah law. The only thing that gets him and his hooligans excited are Jews who tolerate Arabs.
That made-up law about not tolerating arabs is the only law he really cares about, and it's time we all called him on it.
Thread 1
Thread 2 (fun starts at the end)
Update: Charly the Chicken Hawk now says I was banned for insulting Rabbi Bleich. Here's the comment in question:
Chardal: You only say that because you already had your opinion and then looked for an authority to back it up
DovBear: Unlike you who who, I suppose, played on an Arab soccer team until you stumbled across benjie bliech and saw the light.
As you can see, the only person insulted here was Chardal.
Annointing Alito
Salon:
Worse, how did three religious fanatics get into a Senate hearing room to mess with someone's chair? What if they'd brought anthrax instead? I hear fundies do things like that. Man, we're soooo going to win the 'war on terror.'"
[Hat-tip Mis-nagid]
'The Wall Street Journal has just reported that three Christian ministers claim to have snuck into a Senate hearing room in order to anoint the chairs that will be used for Samuel Alito's confirmation hearing next week.Mind-boggling. God is "interested" but can't get involved before oil is spilled on the seats? And, given that oil is usually applied to the head, what does annointing Alito's chair say about the location of the occupant's brain?
'We did adequately apply oil to all the seats,' the Rev. Rob Schenck tells the Journal. Schenck and his colleagues insisted that they aren't taking sides in the confirmation fight. But Schenck said that God is 'interested' in 'what goes on' in Alito's confirmation process."
Worse, how did three religious fanatics get into a Senate hearing room to mess with someone's chair? What if they'd brought anthrax instead? I hear fundies do things like that. Man, we're soooo going to win the 'war on terror.'"
[Hat-tip Mis-nagid]
Daniel Plays Dumb
According to the Seattle Times, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, head of Toward Tradition*, says he was an innocent dupe in GOP-Jack's influence peddling scandal
(*Toward Tradition makes its money sucking up to Christians, sort of like Cross Currents but with better revenue)
Rabbi Daniel Lapin confirmed Sunday it was his foundation, Toward Tradition, that took $50,000 from two Abramoff clients and, at Abramoff's suggestion, used it to hire the [wife of Tom Delay's aid] to organize a conference for the group.No idea! Sure. How was Daniel supposed to know that the man who asked him to forge credentials would be involved in something dishonest?"
Lapin said he and his board had no idea the money was part of Abramoff's vast scheme to influence Congress and, in this case, stop bills to raise postal rates and ban online lotteries.
(*Toward Tradition makes its money sucking up to Christians, sort of like Cross Currents but with better revenue)
Back by popular demand...
The comment of the day.
Mis-nagid:
Mis-nagid:
"communion supplies can be pre-blessed"Steg is right; that's exactly what was done. Although I imagine it'd make a great Folger's commercial: "We've secretly switched his wine and cracker with off-the-shelf manischevitz and ritz. Will he notice the difference? Nope, he can't tell at all! Houston, we have a bargain." Mis-nagid 01.09.06 - 3:53 pm #
Did you miss me?
Sorry for missing the morning boys and girls, but here's your sweet summary of stories you won't see on Serandez or any of the other so called "news and politics" blogs.
Dean Destroys Blitzer! Here's what happened, CNN reporter, that hack GOP-tool Wolf Blitzer, tried to spin the Abramhoff scandal to include Democrats. Dean: No Democrat received money from Jack Abramhoff, period. Blitzer responded by asking about Dorgan and Dean replied: No, he took money from Indian tribes but that is not the same thing a staking money from Abramhoff. And then, Dean concluded, in spite of the Republican attempts to deceive the public, this is a Republican scandal. At which point, Wolf just stood there with his mouth open. [Transcript]
No liberals allowed! During the first four hours of the MSNBC's coverage yesterday of the Alito hearing the network interviewed Pat Buchanan, former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist but no Democratic or progressive commentators. [Source: Media Matters] Sources say the networks were going to ask Howard Dean to comment but (sigh) they were afraid of getting "Blitzed."
Chardal was right! I am ready to recant. Yesterday Chardal and I went back and forth until I got bored about how God loves it whenever an Arab civilian gets killed for no reason. Now it turns out Chardal was right. I checked the source and Hillel does say, "That which is despicable to you do unto Arabs. The rest is commentary."
[Incidently, Chardal is remarkably dishonest in his attempts to frame this issue. According to Chardal we (meaning me and my commenters) "would rather Jewish soldiers be killed than Arab civilians."
That is a false choice. The real issue is this: Will more soldiers be saved if fewer Arab civilians are needlessly and carelessly killed? The answer to that question is yes. ]
Dean Destroys Blitzer! Here's what happened, CNN reporter, that hack GOP-tool Wolf Blitzer, tried to spin the Abramhoff scandal to include Democrats. Dean: No Democrat received money from Jack Abramhoff, period. Blitzer responded by asking about Dorgan and Dean replied: No, he took money from Indian tribes but that is not the same thing a staking money from Abramhoff. And then, Dean concluded, in spite of the Republican attempts to deceive the public, this is a Republican scandal. At which point, Wolf just stood there with his mouth open. [Transcript]
No liberals allowed! During the first four hours of the MSNBC's coverage yesterday of the Alito hearing the network interviewed Pat Buchanan, former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist but no Democratic or progressive commentators. [Source: Media Matters] Sources say the networks were going to ask Howard Dean to comment but (sigh) they were afraid of getting "Blitzed."
Chardal was right! I am ready to recant. Yesterday Chardal and I went back and forth until I got bored about how God loves it whenever an Arab civilian gets killed for no reason. Now it turns out Chardal was right. I checked the source and Hillel does say, "That which is despicable to you do unto Arabs. The rest is commentary."
[Incidently, Chardal is remarkably dishonest in his attempts to frame this issue. According to Chardal we (meaning me and my commenters) "would rather Jewish soldiers be killed than Arab civilians."
That is a false choice. The real issue is this: Will more soldiers be saved if fewer Arab civilians are needlessly and carelessly killed? The answer to that question is yes. ]
Monday, January 09, 2006
Chardal's Prayer
May Hashem free us from the bondage of western values and send Jewish leadership that is true to Hashem and His Word... so that we can be free to kill, maim and, God-willing, mutilate, some brown-skinned, civillian Arabs. And let us say amen.
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