Sad story of religious discord causing marital discord as reported by Actualic.

Last week when President Biden was in town for his visit, President Herzog hosted an event in his honor. At the event, Ran Danker and Yuval Dayan sang a rendition of Naomi Shemer's song Lu Yehi, which is also some sort of mashup with the Beatles song Let It Be.

MK Meir Porush (UTJ) recently proposed a law that would have the government provide a benefits package to individuals who become religious, chozrim bteshuva. 

MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) has proposed a law that would make it illegal to target children in kiruv efforts. Anyone doing so would be liable to up to 6 months of prison.

Zandberg points to organizations like Chabad, Hidabroot and Lev L'Achim saying they and others target children in their efforts to bring them to do tshuva. 

source: Hamechadesh

I dont think any laws can be passed right now so it seems this will first depend on whether or not the "change government" is actually formed, and then it will next depend on whether Bennett does not veto this. He has been trying to do as much as possible to act as if he will take care of Haredi concerns and even leave a spot for them should they decide to join the government later. he might use his power to thwart this on their behalf.

I am not opposed to such a law in theory though. children should be off limits. Let parents raise their kids how they want. Parents should not have to worry about other people and organizations undermining their efforts. Once they are adults you can approach them with Judaism, or even as children with parental consent. Frum parents would not want secular organizations approaching their kids and putting ideas into their heads, so let the secular people raise their children the way they want as well. 

That being said, I am not sure 6 months of prison is the right punishment. It sounds kind of harsh for talking Judaism. 

According to Haredim10, performer Ofer Levi has publicized a post asking women who come to his concerts to come dressed modestly. Levi says that this is a personal request and he would appreciate if people respond positively as he wants to feel comfortable and eb able to give his all at his performances.

Levi explained in an interview that he is disgusted by pritzus. It is chilul kodesh and he cant look at such women. Levi says that for 26 years he has been doing teshuva with ups and downs, but int he past two and a half years he has gotten much stronger and frummer and is now very careful about lashon hara, guarding his eyes and not touching women. he says that when he stands on stage and sings with full intent of the song to be holy and in front of him are immodest women, he just can't.

According to the article, his fans are upset about the request.

To start, I looked for the post on his official Facebook page but could not find it. Maybe he removed it due to the backlash from his fans, or maybe it is on a different page I did not find.

Next, scrolling through his page, he publicizes a lot of concerts on the beach or near the beach. While maybe at a stadium or concert hall the request is more reasonable, but if he is performing at a beach, I am not sure what he expects from his secular audience. And if he is serious about his request, perhaps he should change the venue and perform less, or not at all, at places that are conducive for less modestly dressed women to attend.

And lastly, good for him. I am happy he is doing what he feels is right and is sensitive to things that disturb that - but instead of asking others to change, perhaps he should look for a different audience now that he is frum and "mitchazek" with sensitivities such as those that he has.

The following is a notice that was posted in the Ashdod area by two people who ran a pub which was open on shabbat in the years 1993-1994. They're asking their customers' forgiveness that they caused public chilul shabbos.





It is a nice expression of remorse, but for the sin of chilul shabbos they need to ask God for forgiveness, not people. Residents who had their shabbos disturbed should be asked to forgive the disturbance, but we do not stand judgement for our sins before people, but before God. Still, it is a touching gesture.

MK Yisrael Eichler (UTJ) has proposed law that is almost a copy, with slight, but major, changes, of another law proposal on the docket.

MK Miki Levi (Yesh Atid) has a law proposal on the docket that would exempt people leaving the frum community and becoming secular, aka in Israel "chozrim b'shailah", from paying the monthly fee to Bituach Leumi because of the difficult financial situation they experience throughout the process.

According to Eichler, those who are "Chozrim b'tshuva", secular people joining the frum community, also suffer from financial difficulties, and should also be exempt from the Bituach Leumi payments.

Eichler took Levi's proposal and copied it word for word, changing only the words "chozrim b'shailah" to "chozrim b'tshuva", and submitted it.

Eichler explains that baalei tshuva suffer from financial difficulties as they have trouble finding employment and have trouble learning vocations while going through the sharp change in lifestyle, along with the dramatic differential in knowledge and lifestyle acclimation. Exempting them from the Bituach Leumi payments  will help them integrate into their new society and help them overcome their difficulties.
source: Behadrei

Good idea. I like it. If one gets it, the other should as well. Though I dont know why either side should get it. Maybe an arnona discount, or a small tax break, but why Bituach Leumi?

I don't see the exemption, for either side, defined by any limits. Or by definition. What constitutes a baal tshuva that would qualify - someone who goes to a few classes can apply for the exemption? Do you need a note from a rabbi that you have kept shabbat and kashrut for 6 months to get the exemption? Do you need to be registered in a yeshiva? What is considered a baal tshuva? And, can Baalei tshuva who have already been frum for 10 years, or 3 years, or 25 years, or 1 year, qualify for it? and someone who becomes frum the day of the passing of the law - does he or she get the exemption for 1 year, for 10 years or for 25 years?

and the same questions apply for Miki Levi's law - do chozrim bsheilah get the exemption just by saying they are no longer frum? Do they need a letter from a community leader saying they have been witnessed driving on Shabbat and eating shrimp? Do they get the exemptions for 1 year, 10 years or 25 years? etc.

Work out all those details and then it seems like a good idea...

or don't pass either law.

interesting.. some are calling this an emerging trend among the celeb scene..

The title of this post "Will Aviv Gefen become religious?" is really the paraphrased title of the article in Maariv-NRG (the original reads "Is Aviv Gefen Searching for repentance?").

Gefen says a nice thing about religion, and suddenly he is on the path to teshuva. One can only hope, but I doubt it is that simple.

What happened?

Surely you must remember the performance by Ophi Ben-Sheetrit on Israel's musical reality TV show The Voice. Her performance came under heavy criticism, as a religious girl singing in public, received a suspension from her religious school, and having chosen Aviv Gefen as her mentor.

Well, Ben-Sheetrit and Gefen have begun working together. Gefen went down to Ben-Sheetrit's community of Nir Galim and met with her in the community shul. Upon entering, Gefen requested a kipa for his head.

While working with Ben-Sheetrit, Gefen is quoted as having said things like his being jealous of her and of people who believe.. Gefen also said that he is waiting to be enlightened and does not know why it has not yet happened to him, why he has not come to such an understanding and faith.

Perhaps it will come to him one day. Perhaps working with Ben-Sheetrit, a religious young woman, on music and song, something emotional and dear to them both, might be the trigger that provides the enlightenment Gefen is waiting for. I don't know, and I don't know if that will justify her actions (to those who disapprove of them). It definitely raises the question of how much one should risk, or even give up, for the objective of kiruv of others.

I just found this video online of the meeting..

An interesting question was presented to Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein, rav of Ramat Elchonon of Bnei Braq and son-in-law of Rav Elyashiv.

The coordinator of a midrasha asked Rav Zilbershtein regarding a student who is becoming more religious. She wants to begin dressing more modestly, but is unable to due to increasing pressure from her parents who are not religious. She, as she became more religious, got accepted to the religious school, and altered her dress appropriately. her parents are rejecting it, and insist she return to dressing as she did before, as a secular Jew.

The coordinator than asked, the girl had come up with the idea that she should injure herself in her leg (I assume she means she should cause unsightly gashes), and therefore she would be able to tell her parents that she must wear skirts in order to cover up the injuries. The question is, is that a solution - would she be allowed to injure herself like that for this purpose?

I am not really sure how such a plan helps, as she would be able to avoid, for a while, until the injuries would heal, wearing shorts, but she could just as easily wear pants to cover the injuries as she could wear skirts, and her parents might insist on that.

Rav Zilbershtein responded that yes, she could injure herslef with the objective of being able to dress modestly. He praised her for her dedication and for her very difficult decision and transition, and said that the blood from her injuries would be a source of kapara for the nation of Israel, just like the blood of the korban olah and chatas.. (source: Mynet)

There was a fascinating article in this past week's Mishpacha Magazine (Hebrew edition). The article was about a family, baalei teshuva, who have been thrown out of their house twice already and are now being evicted for a third time. And the reason is because of anti-haredi discrimination.

To be brief, the Becher family of Ramot HaSharon have been discriminated against by the local residents simply because they have become Haredi. And they are not strangers to Ramot HaSharon, as Mrs. Becher is a fourth generation member of the yishuv. Her great grandfather was one of the founders, as much of the town was built on his land. Her grandparents lived there as did her parents. They did as well before spending time away, and now they wish to move back.

The Bechers are now being evicted from their third house, as the locals pressure the owners to evict them and try to find every way to make their lives difficult, filing complaints against the minyan they started and the like.

The discrimination is really troubling, and their story was a bit wrenching, and fascinating at the same time.

Besides for the point of the article, which was that the anti-haredi discrimination happens fairly regularly around the country yet nobody stands up against it the way they stood up against the Rabbis letter about not renting to Arabs and other similar anti-Arab discrimination, there was another point that was mentioned in passing that bothered me.

At the end of the article describing the situation, the author interviewed Mr. Becher about what is going on, asking a few questions. The first question asked was what does he need this for? Why continue fighting to stay in Ramot HaSharon? Why not just pack up and move to one of the many haredi neighborhoods or cities?

Becher answered that the haredi community is very not accepting of baalei tshuva. Even if they could move to Bnei Braq or the like and succeed in acclimating, their students they have developed over the years who would follow them would not succeed in a haredi area because they would be rejected by the schools and community. The interviewer then moved on to some other questions.

Do you get it? In the same article describing how the anti-haredi discrimination is so bad, they mention in passing that the haredi community discriminates against these haredim as well. How can you get so upset about secular anti-haredi discrimination when the haredi anti-haredi discrimination is just as bad, or worse (because in such a community these people would expect to be welcomed, rather than isolated)?

While Rabbi Findler is busy smashing computers in his baal teshuva yeshiva, teaching his students a level way to the extreme of society, his students are busy uploading the video to Youtube, pretty much rendering his hands-on lesson moot...

Everything you wanted to know, or not know, about the serial divorcer...

Last week this guy broke out into the news with the announcement that he had applied for his 11th divorce and was already looking for his next wife... By the way, he says the information is incorrect and he has only divorced 9 times..

I don't have time to translate the article, but here is everything you wanted to know about Shmuel Solomon, the Serial Divorcer.

I will note that he claims to be a good guy who treats the women well, which is why they keep agreeing to marry him.. He is a baal tshuva and says about himself "It seems that despite it all there is something special about me. I am not ugly, I am an interesting person who knows how to make a woman happy - with both meanings of the phrase. I can dance, sing, joke, tell stories. I come from the hiloni world, and I know it and talk with the general culture alongside Jewish knowledge. Unfortunately, I chose women who "couldn't deliver the merchandise" and didn't know how to value that and my specialness. At the end of the day, you won't find many like me..."

For the rest, you have to read the original...

(cheesy photo by Tal Badrak taken from article on mynet)

This is a fascinating interview (in Hebrew)... It is with a guy who grew up religious (national religious), became not religious, became a successful male model, went to an elite combat unit in the IDF, had a successul career as a model, and is now religious again (haredi - chassidic this time)...

The Mishpacha (Hebrew) newspaper had a fairly shocking story this week. You will not believe it to be true..

I will translate it here to English. If you wish to see the original, bluke scanned it and commented on it.

In a baal teshuva yeshiva there was a student who has been learning there for the past 2 years, who came from a country with a mass aliya. This student has "strengthened himself" [i.e. become religious] and has been keeping all of the mitzvos. Over a recent shabbos he was a guest at the home of one of the married kollel students.

The avreich realized the student despised the chulent and could not even taste a little bit of it. He remembered the words of the Rishonim, that someone who does not eat hot food on shabbos [day] needs to be investigated to see whether he might be a heretic (source: the Baal HaMaor).
In addition, he realized that the student did not shuckle/sway when he prayed, and this too is brought down (in the Zohar) as being a custom of Jews.

Since he realized that this student came from a neglected country {i.e. ostensibly Eastern European, but it does not specify] , he connected the dots and decided that according to halacha this student was likely not a Jew.
Attempts to investigate the background of the student revealed nothing conclusive, so the avreich, at the behest of the student, approached Rav Elyashiv with the situation and asked what to do.

Rav Elyashiv answered that the student must go through a conversion as a stringency [because of the chance he might not be jewish]. However any wine he might have handled is not to be considered "yayin nesech" [wine handled by a non Jew which may not be imbibed by a Jew], as the student behaved like a Jew and considered himself a Jew the whole time, and it is only a "safek" that he might not be a Jew [so the issue of yayin nesech does not apply].

As I said, you would not believe it. So now we are deciding whether or not a person is Jewish by whether or not he likes chulent and whether or not he shuckles during shmoneh esrei.

Soon we might have measurements for how much of a sway is called a sway. The meikil opinion will say something like a sway of 7 centimeters is ok and the most machmir opinion will say probably a minimum sway of 11 centimeters.

And then there will be a debate what is called chulent. What if you make your chulent without barley? And if you use chicken instead of beef?

I took out my shulchan aruch and looked up the halacha. At the end of Siman 257 the Rama mentions the issue quoted from the Baal Hamaor in the story. He says that one who does not eat "chamin" - hot foods, but this word is used in modern day Hebrew to mean chulent, one is suspect of being an apikorus.

According to the commentaries and the explanations, the issue is not if one does like hot food/chulent. Rather, it is if one refuses to eat it becaus ehe is of the opinion that one is not allowed to heat up food on shabbos, using the method we consider permitted. The heretics held to the literal meaning of verses and decided that one could not heat up food at all on shabbos, while we are of the opinion that there are certain methods in which heating up food is allowed. One who refuses to eat hot foods on shabbos is suspect of being a heretic.

And before I continue, let me just say before some people jump down my throat, that I am sure Rav Elyashiv knows that section of shulchan aruch at least as well as me, if not 500 times better (though one does not need to be the gadol hador to quote a siman in shulchan aruch).

The halacha does not say one has to eat chulent. It talks about hot foods. Had they offered this student hot soup maybe he would have accepted. Had they offered hot shnitzel maybe he would have devoured it. According to the reported story, they offered him a food that he did not like.

As a matter of fact, and this might solidify my standing in the minds of some of you, we often in the summer shabboses do not have chulent. I have not made chulent for three weeks in a row now. It is just too hot for chulent in my opinion. Does that mean we might not be Jewish? Does it matter that we have hot soup for lunch? (hot soup is better than chulent because, even though it is hot, it is a lighter meal.)

As well, it does not say that one who does not eat hot food might be a gentile. It says he might be an apikorus. An apikorus is generally a Jew. A Jew does not need to go through conversion when he becomes religious.

It is possible that this student, who clearly grew up non-religious in a completely non-religious and even ostensibly a non-Jewish environment, did not like chulent because he did not grow up with it culturally.
So all of the sudden he is exposed to a new food he has never seen before, and chulent by any description is not a pretty food, he is turned off by it and refuses to eat it, and his Jewishness is suspect?

As well, maybe that avreich just made a horrible chulent!! I wonder if they tried to serve him different chulent recipes and he had to reject each one before they decided he was not a Jew. Or did he just not like this one chulent and that was enough to seal the deal?

As well, there are many people who do not sway when davening. Many German Jews do not. Bluke reports that Rav Moshe Feinstein was famous for not swaying when he davened.

These are ridiculous criteria to use to decide whether or not someone is Jewish.

That being said, my only conclusion can be that the newspaper got the story wrong. Completely wrong, I mean. Not just the "inaccurate details wrong" as in all newspaper articles, but completely wrong.

They must have been missing a major detail. There must have been another reason to suspect his background. I do not believe Rav Elyashiv bases geirus on someones like or dislike of chulent.

What would you do if you found out you were not Jewish?

If you were suddenly told that you were adopted as a child, a non-Jewish child, and converted to Judaism, you are given a choice whether to accept that original conversion performed in your youth or to reject it and live on as a non-Jew. What would you do?

It happened to someone my wife knew a long time ago and she (17 years old at the time) decided to reject the conversion and live as a non-Jew.

I never really understood why people convert to Judaism. People can continue to live their lives as gentiles and still live meaningful lives. They can change their ways and habits if they are unhappy with the circumstances within which they find themselves. They can change all sorts of things, but to change and convert to Judaism is something I never really understood. Of course there are exceptions where someone is specifically drawn to Judaism and then it seems like an obvious change, but that is not usually the case, especially in today's world of assimilation and intermarriage. The Baleboostah wrote a nice write-up a while back about why she and her family are converting to Judaism and I wonder whether most converts have similar reasons.

I do not know what I would do in that case. A non-Jew could be a wonderful person and righteous and merit a portion in The World to Come, all without converting to Judaism. And he would do that without all the restrictions Judaism would place on him as a convert, let alone the societal (not necessarily halachic) restrictions.

The situation is different, I think, with Baalei T'shuva. Hirshel wrote about how he does not understand why people become frum and how many more are leaving the path than those joining (I am not familiar with the statistics so I do not know if that is accurate or not).

Hirshel is getting a lot of flak because people misunderstood his point. People think he is saying that living a frum lifestyle is not worthwhile or valid. That is not what he meant and while I do not agree with his conclusions, I understand his point.

I think I understand the Baal T'shuva better than I do the convert because the Baa' T'shuva is already Jewish. The Baal T'shuva sees religion as the correct path within Judaism and has decided that he wants to live according to the correct path. It will not be easy making the change, but he is willing to go through the hardships in order to be honest with himself and his beliefs.

I would wish that our society would be more open and accepting of Baalei T'shuva than it currently is. There are countless stories of schools that refuse entry to children of Baalei T'shuva and the like. We seem to want people to become Baalei T'shuva but then don't want to associate with them once they do.