Interesting Posts and Articles #239

1. The Maharsha on the arrogance of our schools.
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2. Life In Israel that the news of the death of the Bet Din refuser in Bnei Brak has been greatly exaggerated. Not that he did not die, but that he was not a bet din refuser. See the earlier report, with the details. Also discussed at Yeranen Yaakov. The latest info is that

   the family went to Rav Wosner's beis din and requested clarification as to what happened. In response, Rav Wosner signed a document saying the story never happened at all, in any form. Rav Wosner writes, "Regarding what has been publicized recently as if the owner of a vegetable store had been summoned to a din torah and refused to appear. With this I want to clarify that this person had never been summoned to beis din, and he never refused to appear, and the entire story is completely false."

   My question is that according to the original story,
   

   Rav Shteinman Shlit"a, after verifying the story with Rav Wosner, was moved by the story. He noted that it reminded him of a story with R' Akiva Eiger, who repeatedly tried getting a man to divorce his wife, without success. R' Akiva Eiger finally told him that there are 2 ways that a marriage can be dissolved - either through a get or the death of the husband. If you don't choose the former, the latter will be chosen for you. The husband still refused, and immediately upon leaving the Beit Din, he died.

   Did Rav Shteinman actually verify the story with Rav Wosner? Did he verify it with somebody? Where in the transmission of this did it get messed up?
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3. Vos Iz Neias carries an overview of the latest volume of Igros Moshe. And Daas Torah carries a critique, regarding a contradiction or apparent contradiction between this ninth volume and earlier volumes, about the Magen Avraham and Zman Krias Shema. Evidence either of forgery, or introduction of confusion into the mix, because not everything written should be published, especially if not carefully edited -- he takes it as the latter. See the discussion in the comment section.
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4. Also at Daas Torah, the Maharal that healthy religion does not silence critics, but answers them. And a guest post with 13 reasons that rabbis cannot solve the sexual abuse problem without the police. And he notes a JPost article about Manny's bookstore in Meah Shearim terrorized by sikrikim.
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5. Wired takes note of a 9/11 Truther comic.
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6. When a suspect dressed as Gumby pulls a gun, the clerk thinks its a joke. He does not know what to make of the green SpongeBob SquarePants.
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7. At Life In Israel, how religious soldiers in the IDF might soon have a solution to the women singing issue. (Also here.) My thoughts on this are as follows. (1) Firstly, who cares what my thoughts are, as I am not there and involved in this? (2) Perhaps a technical solution could work, in which they have inconspicuous earplugs, or bluetooth radios, in their ears, to block out the sound without causing offense. (3) There is an idea of standing up for even "minor" details of Jewish law, just as much as the Big Three, when the purpose is to challenge them. Though it might just be ignorance and insensitivity on the part of the army. (4) Still, given the critical importance of discipline and obeying orders in an army, I would say that the proper course of action is to indeed stay while the women are singing, in violation of halacha. Situational needs override what the halacha would be in the general case. Then, as this shmad is occurring, as the underdog whose religious needs are being trampled upon needlessly, register a protest at the national level, to outlaw such instructions (and to discipline those who would issue such orders).
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8. I see that DovBear has posted again about וְלֹא-נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ, לְמֵת as literal presents to the dead. See my fairly early, 2003, post about this.