Interesting Posts and Articles #376

1. At Revach, a bio of the Ramchal -- A short life filled with persecution in the aftermath of Shabsai Tzvi.

2. At Yeranen Yaakov, Rav Ovadia cancels bein hazmanim because of the danger of the draft. And Rav Shteinman suggests three days of non-stop learning to stop the decree. And the very earth quakes at the thought, according to Rabbi Shlomo Amar. Related, at Rationalist Judaism, the hypocrisy of selective bitachon.

Related, Hershel Tzig considers the picture to the right.

My (ill-informed) take on all this is that it is not the stoppage of limmud Torah that is driving opposition to participation in the army, even though there may be this sense of entitlement, that they should be able to learn and the Israeli government should support them. But aside from any of this, it is assimilation and exposure to outside ideas. Surely participating in the army changes a person. And working under and alongside secular Israelis means one gets to know them, and their culture. This may be a good thing, IMHO. But chareidim consider secular newspapers to be traif. Forget about TV, Internet, etc. This sort of participation in general Israeli society may break down the cultural walls in a way that their leaders may think is not positive, and indeed, may make it difficult to preserve the simplicity and isolation of their community, to the extent that it currently exists.

I wonder whether NBA will address the Israeli earthquake. After all, he recently wrote:

The King of Kings, the Holy One blessed be He is doing things in order to shake up the entire world. Each day the world is more shaken than the day before. Currently in the area of earthquakes, nearly 40 locations around the world are shaken daily. There are places with greater intensity and those with less intensity. Terrible forces of nature such as hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanoes and extreme heat are all in order to awaken the entire world and Am Yisrael to teshuva, and in order to stir Jews living in the diaspora – to arrive in Israel.

Perhaps the Israeli earthquake is Hashem's call for Am Yisrael to make yerida? Checking it out... nope! Here is why the earthquake happened:

The plane that flew from London to Israel – whose engine caught on fire, the flight from Eilat to Sdei Dov – where they found mechanical problems and landed safely in Ben Gurion, the earthquake that was in the Mediterranean and was felt this week in the Land, all these are warnings to Am Yisrael, to stop protests and arguments!

3. On the Main Line continues its Shadal series, explaining why translations of translations sometimes don't work. And a Vilna Gaon story that was too weird for Artscroll.

4. Aish HaTorah regarding Bullying Grandma on the bus.

5. And Jewish Worker with the Dummies Guide to chareidi rabbinic titles.

6. Shirat Devorah on the limitations of black magic. I'll add one more limitation: it doesn't work.

7. The cantillizer. I've written something along those lines.

8. Mekubal hosts a Haveil Havalim, #366. And #367 at A letter from Israel.

9. Fink or Swim on Rambam and kollel.

10. Here at parshablog, Pinchas sources.