Interesting Posts and Articles #289

1. Rabbi Daniel Eidensohn has put together a book on rabbinic responses to sexual abuse. Yet now that the time has come to publish it, he has discovered that no Jewish bookstore will carry it. See here, here, here. Thus,
   

   The first one said simply, "I can't have a book on abuse in my store." The second one said, "Of course I'll distribute the book. It is an important work that is needed by our community. However I don't know a single store that I supply that would take it." The third one said, "The book is important but I can't have a book which is so explicit in description and language. I need a book that any beis yaakov graduate would be comfortable with , a book that any chassidic woman would allow in her home. You need to just say there is an abuse problem and here are the solutions to prevent it - just don't describe what abuse is or use terms such as oral sex, sodomy or incest." LOL

   It is likely just this sort of attitude which allows abuse to continue, unaddressed.
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   You can purchase the two books here and here.
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2. At Mystical Paths, a tikkun leZivug. He discusses possible sources for going to Amuka. The last,
   

   Some, probably as a joke, use a source in Rashi on Yevomos 17a: "All pisulim that don't find a wife go there." The next Rashi begins "Vehi amuka," referring to the next statement in the gemora.

   seems to me like a pretty solid basis for the practice.
   
   That is, the gemara there says:
   
   
   And Rashi there says:
   
   
   

   שהכל פונים שם - כל פסולין שאין מוצאין אשה פונין והולכין שם:

   והיא עמוקה - ורעה לדבר זה יותר מגיהנם דאילו ליורדי גיהנם איכא תקנתא דכתיב מיד שאול אפדם ממות אגאלם ואילו פסולי דידהו לית להו תקנתא:
   Maybe I am jaded about segulot, but this sounds about right.
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3. A blogger meets the Münchhausen Mom from Meah Shearim.
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4. Dr. Marc Shapiro on new writings from Rav Kook. An excerpt:
   

   Another early statement of his with regard to evolution is found in Shemonah Kevatzim1:594. Here he says that it is very praiseworthy to attempt to reconcile the Creation story with the latest scientific discoveries. He says that there is no objection to explaining the Creation, described as six days in the Bible, to mean a much longer period. He alsostates that we can speak of an era of millions of years from the creation of man until hecame to the realization that he is separate from the animals. This in turn led to the beginning of family life, in other words, “civilization”.

5. A segulah to rectify davening without a minyan. This is good to know. Now I don't have to go regularly to minyan, but just on Shemini Atzeres, to get the same effect.
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6. Also on the segulah front, a discussion of biting the pitom on Hoshana Raba.
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7. A solution to the shidduch crisis? Freeze an ovary while you are young, and you, too, can be like Sarah Imeinu!
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8. A female snake gives birth without any assistance from a male snake. And the result is not perfect clones, but half-copies.
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9. Neusner on the costs of Jewish Studies endowments.
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10. This week's Haveil Havolim.