Jewneric: A New Platform for the Jewish Voice Archives: Torah
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8 April 2008
Knockin’ On Zimmerman’s Door
While my current employment in Jewish entertainment media has come up in my posts from time to time, I’ve never quite had enough gall to publish one of my playlists. I do so today on two counts. On the one hand, I know that if I had opened this up here, I would have [...]
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25 March 2008
Brain Death in Jewish Law: Setting the Record Straight
In the March 25, 2008 article “MK: Hundreds of organ transplants may lose funding,” the Jerusalem Post got their research on Brain Death in Halacha wrong. They misquoted the opinion of Rav Moshe Feinstein. Here’s what they said:
… (Rav) Elyashiv has also ruled in the past that brain death does not constitute clinical [...]
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22 March 2008
Lessons from the Megilah
Whenever I get to read a piece of the Tanach, the Old Testament, there is always this sense of understanding, a correlation of the ancient words to the here and now of today’s Jewish existence.
Listening to the Rabbi reading the Megilah, the story of Esther, Mordechai, Haman and the rest of the clan, the [...]
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20 March 2008
Rabbis’ New Role: Wedding Crashers
While those in the Internet reading community may not be aware, Brooklyn rabbis have recently banned marriage. I went undercover to find the story, and I now present my first piece of investigative journalism.
Rabbis Ban Marriage: Cite Promiscuity as Reason
Yet Another Jewneric Exclusive by staff writer, David Gertler
A group of 178 of Ultra-Orthodox rabbis [...]
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17 March 2008
Thinking about G-d
“Do you really think G-d exists?” (curious)
“No.”
“Excuse me?” (bewildered)
“What?”
“I just asked you if you think G-d exists and you said ‘No.’”
“So?”
“But you’re a Rabbi, and an Orthodox Jew; how can you not think G-d exists?”
“Why did you ask me if you already know the answer?”
“So you do think that G-d exists?”
“No.”
“Are you kidding me?” (unsure)
“No.”
“This [...]
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17 March 2008
Being a Heretic in MY Bible
Throughout the past couple of weeks, I’ve spoken sarcastically about how the mere act of thinking is considered by some to be heretical. It doesn’t matter what you think; if it is contrary to a group’s core beliefs, you are a heretic according to their understanding.
Of course, in your understanding, their ideas are probably [...]
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13 March 2008
Lord, Get Me High?
An Israeli psychologist believes that Moses and the Israelites were high on psychedelic drugs at the Sinai revelation:
“As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don’t believe, or a legend, which I don’t believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that [...]
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9 March 2008
Is G-d Going to Kill Me?
Thursday night there was a terrorist attack at the Yeshiva Mercaz Harav. Many students were murdered. In light of that event I wanted to share a discussion I had with myself after September 11th:
“Why does G-d allow terrible suffering?”
“I can’t answer that question.”
“Why does G-d kill innocent people?”
“Again, I can’t answer that question.”
“Will [...]
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4 March 2008
The Art of War
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out bait to entice the enemy. [...]