Ask Moshe

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

Did you have trouble adapting to the Hasidic from the Orthodox?

Or is there not too much difference?[/quote]

Yes and no, or no and yes.

Hasidism really came on in the 1700s, in a parallel to Christian Protestant idea that the “average Joe” could, and should, commune with G-d, and didn’t have to leave the scholarly stuff to the professionals.

It’s all about BOTH the Spirit of the Law AND the Letter.

It’s very democratic, egalitarian, and reaching out to fellow Jewish people and to gentiles.

I am 100% on board with this aspect of Hasidism. It’s very “can-do” American and very Israeli.

Where I differ is it Hasidism also believes in a lot of Jewish mystism, which I candidly think is B.S., and borders on (if not crosses over into) forbidden witchcraft.

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

Did you have trouble adapting to the Hasidic from the Orthodox?

Or is there not too much difference?[/quote]

Where I differ is it Hasidism also believes in a lot of Jewish mystism, which I candidly think is B.S., and borders on (if not crosses over into) forbidden witchcraft.[/quote]

Can you describe some of this? I did not know that even existed?

If it is too sensitive to discuss I understand.

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

Can you describe some of this? I did not know that even existed?

If it is too sensitive to discuss I understand.
[/quote]

Not at all. Hasids believe in Reincarnation, which I may or may not believe in. I sometimes have memories that are not my own from the Shoa, which could be from stories I have heard, or could be someone else’s.

They like to focus on the Zohar and other obscure things. The engineer in me has issues with a lot of that.

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

Can you describe some of this? I did not know that even existed?

If it is too sensitive to discuss I understand.
[/quote]

Not at all. Hasids believe in Reincarnation, which I may or may not believe in. I sometimes have memories that are not my own from the Shoa, which could be from stories I have heard, or could be someone else’s.

They like to focus on the Zohar and other obscure things. The engineer in me has issues with a lot of that.

[/quote]

Fascinating…your wife (a medical doctor if I remember correctly) believes in all of this? As I assume she was raised Hasidic.

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

Can you describe some of this? I did not know that even existed?

If it is too sensitive to discuss I understand.
[/quote]

Not at all. Hasids believe in Reincarnation, which I may or may not believe in. I sometimes have memories that are not my own from the Shoa, which could be from stories I have heard, or could be someone else’s.

They like to focus on the Zohar and other obscure things. The engineer in me has issues with a lot of that.

[/quote]

Fascinating…your wife (a medical doctor if I remember correctly) believes in all of this? As I assume she was raised Hasidic.[/quote]

She certainly believes in Reincarnation. I don’t dismiss the Zohar; I just do not necessarily agree it is 100% correct. More like advisory.

[quote]Schwarzfahrer wrote:

[quote]Da Man reloaded wrote:
source? I say the majority of uncircumsised men experience quite a bit of problems in their sex life. Without a source it is meaningless. and a bunch of idiots looking for something to whine about proves nothing. they have support groups for people that dont like fizzy soda for petes sake. Show me some data.
[/quote]
I very rarely post links, because I haven’t seen anyone here change their opinion, even in the light of overwhelming, linked evidence, yet.
Do you tell me you might consider rethinking your position?

People who have undergone treatment to relengthen their mutilated foreskin have spoken.
Since it’s a very sensitive issue, the unreported cases will be extremely high here.

But even from a purely logical point of view, it should be clear that no foreskin makes both masturbation and actual sex way more dry.
Wet mucous membranes > dry mucous membrane.

And: cut dicks get desensitized, since you remove some of the most ennervated tissue your body has, with many nerve endings being specialized for sexual pleasure- which was EXACTLY the point of circumcision’s renaissance.

Apart from serious illnesses like phimosis, why should your sex get better the other way around?

Dry and less nerve endings = good sex?
What creatures do you intend to bang? Wooden sexdolls?

If you’re not interested in history, there are lots of things you won’t properly grasp.
But since you asked I thought I’d tell you.
In a nutshell, once more:
If I can establish a crazy rule, it gives me power, regardless of how well it serves society or not.
If a rule is established, maintaining the status quo is easy.

If 70-80% of all men get cut, that is no small money, that is an industry.
Let’s estimate 2 million boys to lose their foreskin each year in the US, that might be an easy half billion.
Complications are officially in the range from of 1-2% (thousands of boys, in other words).

Your last argument is quack, even for PWI and you know it.
If something is dangerous and idiotic, you should protect your child from it.
Should your child smoke crack if offered in school, since declining might ensue ridicule?

Dryer dicks with less nerves for the win.

so is lobotomy.
BTW medical associations do NOT recommend this as a measure against AIDS.
[/quote]

translation: You got nothing. Ya got less than nothing. I am taking the advice of Cortes and ignoring you now. If you want to continue your inane ramblings, lets go to hijack haven.

Sorry JB!

[quote]Alpha F wrote:
I was following the thread in lurking mode.[/quote]

No lurking permitted. Go ahead and ask. Don’t know if I will have the answer, but I can always say “I don’t know.”

I do not know if #3 applies to this question if so, you are free to disregard it.

I was wondering what part or percentage of Orthodox Jews are anti-zion and what is your view/view of other jewish people.

I have seen interviews/sites claim:

1.The founders of Zionism were all atheists who denied the Torah.

2.It is openly stated in books written by the founders of Zionism that the means by which they planned to establish a state was by instigating anti-Semitism.

3.The only time that the People of Israel were permitted to have a state was two thousand years ago when the glory of the creator was upon us, and likewise in the future when the glory of the creator will once more be revealed, and the whole world will serve Him, then He Himself (without any human effort or force of arms) will grant us a kingdom founded on Divine Service. (This was from a website)

Again you are free not to answer, I was just never aware of these beliefs and was hoping you can shed some light on it.

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
I do not know if #3 applies to this question if so, you are free to disregard it.
[/quote]
No, religion and zionism overlap a little. I just don’t want to get lost in the weeds.

There is really only one group that is “anti-zionist” — the so-called “Neturei Karta.”
(There are others that are luke warm about Zionism, like the Satmar, but they’ve pretty much come around.)

The NKs total around 4-5,000 people, split between the USA and, ironically, Israel.

The major “beef” is they don’t believe a Jewish nation should come into existence until the Mosiach reigns on Earth and the proper Eretz Israel.

There used to be more dissention among Haredi regarding the Modern state of Israel, but I feel that is waning, in that there is a distinction between the modern-nation-state of Israel and the state that is to come, and the Haredi have agreed to comply with the laws of the nation state of Israel, just like they comply with the laws of any nation they are in.

Some were certainly atheists. Plenty were communists. Some were religious. Some were fleeing persecution. Some were rich idealists from the USA. Pretty much all they had in common is they were Jewish and yearned for home.

Yeah, we planned the whole Hitler thing. Hitler was a Jew. And Stalin. And the Tsarist pogroms. And Rev. Al Sharpton. And the Spanish Inquisition. (That was sarcasm, BTW)

Seriously?!@ That just flunks Occam’s Razor.

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
2.It is openly stated in books written by the founders of Zionism that the means by which they planned to establish a state was by instigating anti-Semitism.
[/quote]

Probably the leading figure in modern Zionism was Rabbi Abraham Kook. He dealt with communists as follows:

“Secular Zionists may think they do it for political, national or socialist reasons, but in fact - the actual reason for them coming to resettle in Israel is a religious Jewish spark (“Nitzotz”) in their soul, planted by G-d. Without their knowledge, they are contributing to the divine scheme and actually committing a great Mitzvah. The role of religious Zionists is to help them to establish a Jewish state and turn the religious spark in them into a great light. They should show them that the real source of Zionism and the longed-for Zion is Judaism and teach them Torah with love and kindness. In the end, they will understand that the laws of Torah are the key to true harmony and a socialist state (not in the Marxist meaning) that will be a light for the nations and bring salvation to the world.”

I would also note that, the common joke is, while 50% of Israelis don’t attend shul regularly, the shul they don’t attend is Orthodox.

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
And the Spanish Inquisition. [/quote]

Hey, don’t you dare take that away from the Spanish.

We utterly failed the conquest of the New World and our silver mines crashed and burned, we have to have something to claim as our fault that was semi-successful. We can’t even get Argentina to back off our own companies (I personally would have already invaded and recolonized Argentina if I was King Juan Carlos I).

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
And the Spanish Inquisition. [/quote]

Hey, don’t you dare take that away from the Spanish.

We utterly failed the conquest of the New World and our silver mines crashed and burned, we have to have something to claim as our fault that was semi-successful. We can’t even get Argentina to back off our own companies (I personally would have already invaded and recolonized Argentina if I was King Juan Carlos I). [/quote]

Our ‘Fearless Leader’ is too busy apologizing for cracking his hip on the secret squirrel hunting trip to Botswana while unemployment runs at 25%…so no. no invasions for us,thanks.

[quote]Neuromancer wrote:

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
And the Spanish Inquisition. [/quote]

Hey, don’t you dare take that away from the Spanish.

We utterly failed the conquest of the New World and our silver mines crashed and burned, we have to have something to claim as our fault that was semi-successful. We can’t even get Argentina to back off our own companies (I personally would have already invaded and recolonized Argentina if I was King Juan Carlos I). [/quote]

Our ‘Fearless Leader’ is too busy apologizing for cracking his hip on the secret squirrel hunting trip to Botswana while unemployment runs at 25%…so no. no invasions for us,thanks. [/quote]

You’re not thinking with the Keynesian economic model enough. Obviously if we start a war, we’ll make lots of money, right? Like breaking windows, but we get to run our old colony again!

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]Neuromancer wrote:

[quote]Brother Chris wrote:

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:
And the Spanish Inquisition. [/quote]

Hey, don’t you dare take that away from the Spanish.

We utterly failed the conquest of the New World and our silver mines crashed and burned, we have to have something to claim as our fault that was semi-successful. We can’t even get Argentina to back off our own companies (I personally would have already invaded and recolonized Argentina if I was King Juan Carlos I). [/quote]

Our ‘Fearless Leader’ is too busy apologizing for cracking his hip on the secret squirrel hunting trip to Botswana while unemployment runs at 25%…so no. no invasions for us,thanks. [/quote]

You’re not thinking with the Keynesian economic model enough. Obviously if we start a war, we’ll make lots of money, right? Like breaking windows, but we get to run our old colony again!
[/quote]

Oh hell, no! The Argies are insufferable, I would have yo hear about their alleged football prowess. No no no, leave them there! Besides, Rajoy is a moron…I cringe every time I hear him speak. I wouldn’t want him at the helm in a war time situation hehe

Apologies for the hijack , JB, Please let normal service resume…

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

[quote]SexMachine wrote:
@JB - What do you think about the Yiddish language? Would you like to see a revival of Yiddish or do you have mixed feelings/against it? Thanks.[/quote]

Yiddish is basically a pigeon language of German and Hebrew, [/quote]

No and yes.
It predates modern German, as a separate language of Middle High German (like Dutch or Flemish or Schwabish) with Frankish, Slavic, German, Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary…

Yes and no.
This, from the Nobel Laureate lecture of I. B. Singer in 1978, translated from the Yiddish:

" To me the Yiddish language and the conduct of those who spoke it are identical. One can find in the Yiddish tongue and in the Yiddish spirit expressions of pious joy, lust for life, longing for the Messiah, patience and deep appreciation of human individuality. There is a quiet humor in Yiddish and a gratitude for every day of life, every crumb of success, each encounter of love. The Yiddish mentality is not haughty. It does not take victory for granted. It does not demand and command but it muddles through, sneaks by, smuggles itself amidst the powers of destruction, knowing somewhere that God’s plan for Creation is still at the very beginning.

There are some who call Yiddish a dead language, but so was Hebrew called for two thousand years. It has been revived in our time in a most remarkable, almost miraculous way. Aramaic was certainly a dead language for centuries but then it brought to light the Zohar, a work of mysticism of sublime value. It is a fact that the classics of Yiddish literature are also the classics of the modern Hebrew literature. Yiddish has not yet said its last word. It contains treasures that have not been revealed to the eyes of the world. It was the tongue of martyrs and saints, of dreamers and Cabalists - rich in humor and in memories that mankind may never forget. In a figurative way, Yiddish is the wise and humble language of us all, the idiom of frightened and hopeful Humanity."

[quote]Jewbacca wrote:

It has great insults, and, as my mother said, “if you can’t say something nice about someone, say it in Yiddish.”

[/quote]

I bet you’ve got some good ones.

Oy, a mecheieh!

Krav Maga? Only in Israel or are the classes outside Israel as legit?