Interesting Posts and Articles #61

1. An article in the Jerusalem Post about mixed seating in shul.
   
   
2. As the Jerusalem Post reports, they just found Gedalyahu ben Pashchur's bulla, right next to that of Yuchal ben Shelemyahu. We find both of them mentioned in Yirmeyahu perek 38:
   
   

   א וַיִּשְׁמַע שְׁפַטְיָה בֶן-מַתָּן, וּגְדַלְיָהוּ בֶּן-פַּשְׁחוּר, וְיוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ, וּפַשְׁחוּר בֶּן-מַלְכִּיָּה: אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים--אֲשֶׁר יִרְמְיָהוּ מְדַבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-הָעָם, לֵאמֹר.	1 And Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah spoke unto all the people, saying:
   ב כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת, יָמוּת בַּחֶרֶב בָּרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר; וְהַיֹּצֵא אֶל-הַכַּשְׂדִּים יחיה (וְחָיָה), וְהָיְתָה-לּוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ לְשָׁלָל וָחָי. {ס}	2 'Thus saith the LORD: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live. {S}
   ג כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה: הִנָּתֹן תִּנָּתֵן הָעִיר הַזֹּאת, בְּיַד חֵיל מֶלֶךְ-בָּבֶל--וּלְכָדָהּ.	3 Thus saith the LORD: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.'
   ד וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַשָּׂרִים אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ, יוּמַת נָא אֶת-הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה--כִּי-עַל-כֵּן הוּא-מְרַפֵּא אֶת-יְדֵי אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת וְאֵת יְדֵי כָל-הָעָם, לְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה: כִּי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה, אֵינֶנּוּ דֹרֵשׁ לְשָׁלוֹם לָעָם הַזֶּה--כִּי אִם-לְרָעָה.	4 Then the princes said unto the king: 'Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death; forasmuch as he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.'
   ה וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ, הִנֵּה-הוּא בְּיֶדְכֶם: כִּי-אֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ, יוּכַל אֶתְכֶם דָּבָר.	5 Then Zedekiah the king said: 'Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.'
   ו וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-יִרְמְיָהוּ, וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל-הַבּוֹר מַלְכִּיָּהוּ בֶן-הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה, וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֶת-יִרְמְיָהוּ, בַּחֲבָלִים; וּבַבּוֹר אֵין-מַיִם כִּי אִם-טִיט, וַיִּטְבַּע יִרְמְיָהוּ בַּטִּיט. {ס}	6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the pit there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire. {S}

3. Vos Iz Neias notes a report from Maariv that people should bathe and shower during the nine days. He includes Ashkenazim.
   

   "Rabbi Yosef questioned the minhag of the Ashkenazim Jews not showering or bathing at all from Rosh Chodesh Av onwards, saying that the resulting offensive odor was not “kavod habrios.”

   In his remarks, he also asserted that blue-collar laborers who “come home all sweaty” should certainly shower, at least with cold water. He questioned whether the Torah truly desires one to not wash at all for 10 days, and said that as a result, “it’s not good to be machmir.” However, it’s better if one can wash with cold water if tolerable, he added."

4. And they also note (from the Jerusalem Post) that someone allegedly working for the Vad HaTznius in Bet Shemesh has been arrested. Good. (Emes VeEmunah also has a sarcastic post about it.)
   

   Details of the investigation, which began a month and a half ago, reveal that members of the tznius patrol entered the woman’s home and demanded that she move out, telling her that residents of the neighborhood had complained about her.

   After the woman refused to do so, Buzaglo and two other men from the patrol allegedly attacked her. In addition, a third member of the patrol is suspected of stealing two cell phones from the woman’s apartment during the fray.

5. McCain's ad on Obama's "Celebrity," in case you haven't seen it.
   
   
6. The Seforim blog on historic Jewish drinking patterns.
   
   
7. Some newly scanned items at JNUL. They have Abarbanel's commentary on Chabakuk, and on Nachum, in Hebrew opposite Latin. As well as Abarbenel's exegetical/moral discourse on Shaul's actions in I Shmuel 31, also in Hebrew opposite Latin. Cool.
   
   
8. Divrei Chaim discusses pregnant or nursing women fasting on Tisha BeAv.
   
   
9. And DovBear talks about being spoon-fed, vs. understanding the process of development, of both science and Torah.