Interesting Posts and Articles #316

1. DovBear asserts that the bonfires for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai are an abomination. In this 2008 parshablog post, I consider whether it is a superstitious or idolatrous custom.
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2. The Daily Mail discusses how Iran prepares to literally carry out an eye for an eye. Related, Revach with a vort from Rav Soloveitchik that the Torah actually means an eye for an eye, on some level, and the moral lessons to draw from that.
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3. On the Main Line on Maimonides and his faithful servant Peter. He discusses the special kind of vegetable which looks like a human hand, and includes this gem, pictured to the right.
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4. Rationalist Judaim on the secret letter of the Chasam Sofer.
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5. Life In Israel with an interesting pesak from Rav Chaim Kanievsky, against the children stealing the afikomen:

   Rav Chaim responded with an interesting psak. he said that it does not matter that the younger son stole it. It was the older son who returned it, and that is who gets the prize.
   
   Parenthetically, Rav Chaim added, that he opposes the practice of stealing the afikomen and considers it inappropriate. he said it teaches the children to steal. He said that his uncle the Chazon Ish and his father, the Steipler, were both opposed to this custom as well.

   There is certainly merit to this position, from a chinuch perspective. On the other hand, it is a good way of engaging the kids in an activity in the seder, and making it more likely that they last at least until tzafun. And the kids hopefully know that it is all in good fun, and that they are not really stealing it -- that they are expected to make off with this piece of matza. 
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   I am reminded of the second Mishna in the 23rd perek of Shabbos:
   מתני' מונה אדם את אורחיו ואת פרפרותיו מפיו אבל לא מן הכתב מפיס אדם עם בניו ועם בני ביתו על השולחן ובלבד שלא יתכוין לעשות מנה גדולה כנגד מנה קטנה ומטילין חלשין על הקדשים ביו"ט אבל לא על המנות:
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   In the gemara, the following statement of Shmuel:
    עם בניו ועם בני ביתו אין עם אחרים לא מ"ט כדרב יהודה אמר שמואל מנה גדולה כנגד מנה קטנה אף בחול לאחרים אסור מ"ט משום קוביא:
   
   (See also the Point by Point Summary for this statement.) Thus, specifically people outside his family is it forbidden to make a lottery for a small vs. a large piece, because of gambling or a similarity to gambling. Yet within his family it is allowed. And in context, the gemara discusses the 'taste' of usury, so I don't think this was out of its realm of thought. Yet it does not strongly advise against this because of chinuch concerns. Maybe people would advise against even this, or maybe there is some other point of distinction to be made.
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6. Hirhurim with a post the 'My Milk is Frummer Than Yours'. In terms of the non-pasteurized bit, I can understand that. There is such an inyan in certain health-food circles. Naturally, a discussion in the comment section about how cholov yisroel milk always spoils. That has always been my experience as well, such that I've specifically looked for non-cholov yisrael milk. But recently, I've had much success with Golden Flow milk, purchased at Brachs. An interesting chumra that the mashgichim daven with a minyan and go to the mikveh every day. Thus, I presume, the title of the post.
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7. Rabbi Berel Wein on the authenticity of the Zohar. I would warn you against drawing conclusions about his personal beliefs. He is summarizing historical positions (of, e.g., the Chasam Sofer), and also, the video has cuts in it, so it is not the complete lecture. Still, a nice presentation:
   
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8. A claim in World Jewish Daily that Orthodox Jews are 'assimilating', in that, because of Artscroll, they are learning Torah in English, rather than in lashon kodesh. This is unprecedented in Jewish history:

   Why is this big deal?

   Because, writes Landau, for thousands of years a Jewish education has meant "delving into the sources in their original language."

   Thus, for example, there was no regular Targum historically read in shul to allow the Jews, unfamiliar with Hebrew, to understand the meaning of kriyat haTorah. And Rav Saadia Gaon did not write the Tafsir, translating Tanach into Judeo-Arabic. Tzena Urena was not written in Yiddish, and widely studied by Jewish women. Meam Loez was not written in Ladino.
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9. Here on parshablog, what I think about a Torah code about Jesus and Mecca.
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10. At Revach, shaving on erev Shabbos where Lag BaOmer is Sunday.
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11. With the failed rapture prediction, what is Harold Camping's response?
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12. At the Seforim blog, A Printing Mistake and the Mysterious Origins of Rashbi's Yahrtzeit. As a follow-up to an earlier post on this issue.
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13. This week's Haveil Havalim.
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14. Via Ezzie, Netanyahu's Comments Before Obama: