Interesting Posts and Articles #245

1. At Mystical Paths, a post by Dov Bar Leib about how to survive the coming apocalypse outside Eretz Yisrael, if you cannot make immediate aliyah. Basically, hook up with a bunch of non-Jewish apocalyptic wackjobs, arm yourself, and abandon the cities.
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2. At On the Main Line, a guest post on the identity of rubya, on of the simanim on Rosh Hashanah.
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3. Life In Israel with Rav Chaim Kanievsky as a Litvish, Chassidic, Sefardic Rav, based on a recent fundraiser. And whether tzedaka organizations have finally crossed the line. Seems to me like an honest mistake; and I doubt this will finally be the spur to action.
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4. Mostly Kosher finds sympathy for the Burqa cult on feminist grounds, based on a pashkevil that tells them to go back to washing floors and scrubbing dishes. See also the analysis at Mother in Israel. I think that this is not necessarily concern that the women are not kowtowing to the men, but rather that people who have no place paskening are inventing their own halachot, and telling people to ignore legitimate Torah authorities. I seem to recall a similar story told over in my yeshiva days, that a certain woman decided that it would be the best thing in the world to allow single girls to go to mikveh, so that no issur karet would be involved when they engaged in premarital sex. She attempted to convince (IIRC) Rav Moshe Feinstein to endorse this idea, and he suggested (again, according to the story) that she go back to the kitchen and cook.
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   Look, maybe it is unfair that women, in general, don't get the opportunity to learn Torah and halacha to the extent that they can effectively pasken. (Yoatzot may be the exception.) I can certainly grant, and sympathize with this. But that does not mean that absent this sort of training, they are in the place to start issuing halachic edicts which are at odds with halacha and Torah hashkafa.
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   When they start doing this, they are creating their own religion. And a lot of people are doing this nowadays, under the guise of uber-frumness. And a lot of the people are just dopes and idiots, or people who have no business leading. They should stick to their day jobs, whatever that day job may be. And that includes housewives, who should go back to being housewives.
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   Not surprisingly, the autistics are in favor of the burqa babes. Thus, the facilitator who has deluded himself into thinking that he is helping Menachem communicate writes (assuming we take Devash's link as indicative):

   The coming times will be much harder that it was until now. But, don't despair, continue on, no matter what. And if it's hard now to be modest and close to the truth and to HKB"H, in the very near future, you will notice that it will begin to be still harder than it is now. But, together with this, you will see many women who will decide to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Heaven and will begin to dress themselves in much modesty. And this will annoy the Mitnagdim (those who oppose them). And then, there will be the BIG war. And the mitnagdim who are not Jews who stood at Har Sinai: "They will receive the award."

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   It makes sense that these cult leaders, shnooks who have no business leading, and who oppose the regular religious establishment, would support this other extremist cult, and would call other Jews who are don't agree with their craziness 'not Jews who stood at Har Sinai'.
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5. The Department of Justice buys $16 muffins. Related, Hasidic Musician reports on Union Do's.
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6. What your email address tells about you.
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7. DovBear posts an article from Ami Magazine by Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein, about what Modern Orthodoxy should do about their far left. And then his analysis / response.
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8. Fink or Swim's opinion about kapparot is not to do it. Life In Israel's opinion is to make sure it is regulated properly. I agree, except that I think there will of course be people who will not be regulated. He also writes:

   There are some seasonal topics that just never get old. Every year the press, and blogs and other places of commentary, rehash the same old topics and arguments discussing why the common minhag is wrong, is bad and the like.

   Indeed.
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   My take on this is that personally, I wouldn't do it, for many of the reasons given. And what I've customarily used, when I do do it, is money, rather than a chicken. And it all feels somewhat pagan. That said, one can get too rationalist and intellectual. Kids in particular, but also Jews of certain stripes, need rituals. And this is a ritual. And it is interesting, and memorable. And it is ethnic. It thus serves an important function. I've heard Rav Shach say that his son went "off the derech" (I believe his son is religious and Orthodox) because his father said over Rambams at the Shabbos table instead of their singing zemiros. There needs to be some emotional, messy, parts of Judaism also.
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   Related, there is the Country Yossi song, 'Cause I'm a Jew:
   
   The lyrics:
   CAUSE I'M A JEW by Country Yossi
   
   I wear a kipa on this head of mine.
   I daven mincha in the proper time.
   and by havdalah in my pockets I put wine
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   I put my sh'lok down when it starts to rain.
   I shake a lulav, which my neighbors think insane
   I like to bury my gefilte fish in chrein
   Cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   Chorus:
   Cause I'm a Jew, cause I'm a Jew,
   because the Torah tells me to I do that too,
   I do the strangest things a man could ever do,
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   Oh there are times when I where sneakers with my suit
   and I must confess that it looks rather cute
   and there is a time when we must send each other fruit...
   cause I am a Jew I do that too.
   
   Oh once a year I twirl a chicken over my head
   and it wouldn't be that bad if it were dead
   and there's a time when I go outside and burn my bread
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   Chorus:
   Cause I'm a Jew, cause I'm a Jew,
   because the Torah tells me to I do that too,
   I do the strangest things a man could ever do,
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   
   Oh Once a month I go outside and bless the moon
   and once a year I have to eat all afternoon
   and there's a time a pound my chest and sing a tune
   cause I'm a Jew a do that too.
   
   
   On pesach I will drink four cups of wine, it's true
   and then eat matzah till I have no strength to chew
   then I eat horseradish until I am turning blue
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
   
   Chorus:
   Cause I'm a Jew, cause I'm a Jew,
   because the Torah tells me to I do that too,
   I do the strangest things a man could ever do,
   cause I'm a Jew I do that too.
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9. Here on parshablog, Judgement upon Japan, and knowing the reasons for natural disasters.