Interesting Posts and Articles #53

1. Yesterday we began maseches Gittin in Daf Yomi. While my Rif blog took a hiatus for masechta Sotah because there is no Rif on Sotah, we now resume. Two posts cover the first five blatt of Gittin.
   
   
2. A video of a "safety bracelet" which will shock airline passengers at the press of a button. Even if intended seriously, I don't think such will be adopted. And such is perhaps hackable by terrorists anyway, whether by breaking it off or via electronic manipulation. And what if the terrorists, or even pranksters, construct a device to shock other passengers, or people in the airline terminal. Besides, is the remote aimed at a passenger? If so, one can similarly miss and hit another passenger? Is it keyed to particular passengers? All he needs is an accomplice to switch seats earlier. And when rushed by a terrorist, who will have time to set the particular frequency for that passenger accurately?
   
   
3. VosIzNeias discusses an incident in which followers of some rebbe made a plane wait 90 minutes for a rabbi and his staff, when 15 passengers threatened to disembark if the plane was not held up. This is obviously not proper conduct, and is a violation of tircha detzibura. According to a comment on the site, this was not a real "rebbe," but it was one of the Breslover manhigim with a group. There was an earlier incident with El Al, a few months ago, in which a bunch of Chareidim on their way to Rav Nachman of Breslov's kever in Uman rioted over the showing of a nature film (where some passengers were not chareidim). This could, then, just be a Breslover approach to airplane conduct. I would never dream of doing such a thing. But part of the difference is that they may regard an airplane as no different than a sherut (joint taxi) in Israel, where there have been incidents where they feel comfortable using exactly these type of threats, of leaving, to get their way.
   Anyhoo, craziest comment (IMHO):
   

   "Iinteresting there are people that would rather have the plane crashe and die instead of waiting for the person who in his zechus the plane will arrive safly"
   

4. The Wall Street Journal has an article on the shidduch crisis. See the comments at VosIzNeias here. And Emes VeEmunah picks up on the potential divorce angle here.
   
   
5. Hear Lipa Shmeltzer discuss his song Shelo Asani Goy. As a followup to Life Of Rubin's thoughts on it, and Blog In Dm's take on it.
   
   
6. Hirhurim posts on talking in shul, and addresses an absolutist claim about that every type of socializing is forbidden in every shul.