Interesting Posts and Articles #275

1. Rafi G. at Life In Israel is live-blogging the war. Heh.
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2. At YNet, about a meal to preserve the masorah on a bunch of kosher animals -- Kosher swordfish, buffalo meat, cow's udders and even locust – these are just some of the "delicacies" that were served Thursday night in an unusual feast held in Jerusalem.
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3. Vos Iz Neias, from YNet, on how much secular knowledge is possessed by the chareidi teachers in cheder who are supposed to be teaching the stuff.
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4. First, it seemed that the Eidah Chareidis was in favor of shawls, then against them. (See here, here, here.) Apparently the pashkevil was six years old. But six years ago, apparently, it was legit. My guess as to the cause of the change in direction is what was discovered about Rabbanit Keren, and the clarity that came with time that this is a cult and offshoot of Judaism, where they are rejecting the authority of rabbis and declaring their own halacha. The Karaites were also more stringent than the Jews.
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5. Electosurgery for circumcisions -- I wonder whether it would constitute a kosher bris.
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6. Balashon considers the identity of kusemet.
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7. Izgad wonders whether Starbucks is kosher, based on this initial teshuva.
   
   
   

   That being said, he declared: 
   
   I do not consent to its being drunk at a meeting place [mesibbah] of non-Jews, for this has some undesirable consequences and the Jews are holy.

   It seems to me that this is a cultural thing. Probably in Egypt, when this was written, this was served in some sort of coffee bar or coffee house, where people hung out together. I am not at all sure that the impersonal nature and aura of a Starbucks is the same. This is not the same as e.g. a sports bar.
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8. Israel Situation has the latest Haveil Havolim. They included my posts, though
   
   
   

   Joshua Waxman discusses the parsha at the parshablog.  He also talks about the Haftorah.

   seems like a rather surface summary of the topic of my posts, the first of which was the changing of be-fi to be-pi, because it is a rude word in French, and likely repercussions for the correct nusach in Baruch She'Amar; and the second of which was about how Ibn Ezra was a round-earther, arguing with flat-earthers. Yes, it was rooted in the parsha and haftara respectively, but that is almost beside the point. Of course, I shouldn't complain. Not only did I not post a summary in the optional field that could have made this clearer (when there are so many posts to go through), but I have never hosted a Haveil Havolim on my own blog. By the way, they are in desperate need of hosts; and hosting it can be beneficial to you as well, as it draws readers to your blog.
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9. A symbol of the cross found in a potato chip. And people find this inspiring. Oy. Better yet, the author of this article is named Mark -- Christian.
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10. Matzav (and others) report how a reform rabbi co-officiated at the Chelsea Clinton wedding on Shabbos. An amusing comment there:
    
    
    

    
    
    

    I don’t understand why your printing this stuff?

    1. they didn’t follow the takonos spelled out by the Rabbonim

    2. The Wedding cake cost $13.000 and it wasn’t pas yisroel

    3.The flowers cost $300.000 they could have gotten them from a Gmach

    4. the Brocho Made on the Chosons Tallit was a brocho L’vatoloh

    5.No Eiruv , just Eirev rav

    6. Should have been a one piece band

    7. and with a Shver and Shvigger like that , they got a package deal (ohaive yisroel and Oyaiv yisroel)

11. 
    
    
    
    So the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (HIR), the shul of Rabbi Avi Weiss, has introduced an alternate kabbolas Shabbos led by a woman. As might be expected, there was a vocal reaction to this innovation. Though I would point out that kabbalat Shabbat itself was an innovation, which is why it is said from the center of shul rather than by the amud. By making such a distinction, this kabbalistic innovation could be defended as not changing the matbe'a shetov'u Chachomim. And a katan can thus lead it. It would seem that even a monkey, or a parrot, could lead it. So certainly a woman should be able to.
    
    Except see the discussions at Hirhurim (here and particularly here). Emes veEmunah also shares his thoughts.
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12. A change in the law about yeshiva students and the draft, in Israel.
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13. The rabbi, arrested for incitement for publishing his views on the Torah perspective of killing non-Jewish enemy in war, speaks out. Given his particular message, I am not sure, but I may well have been wrong in my earlier assessment of this.