HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Hanukkah's significance
From: OWEN@vms.bgu.ac.il (David Owen)
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 22:48:31 GMT
Organization: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva Israel, BGU
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.13

In <92352.161224YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> Yaakov writes:

> In article <1992Dec17.175744.24913@netcom.com>, solovay@netcom.com (Andrew M.
> Solovay) says:
> >
> >In article <92352.084232YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> Yaakov Kayman
> <YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
> writes:
> >>I've been hearing a lot, especially lately, from fellow-Jews who
> >>describe Hanukkah as a minor holiday. I find this disturbing.
>
> >...
> >Many (most?) Americans have heard of Hanukah and have never heard
> >of Shavuout or Sukkot. Many Jews celebrate Hanukah and never
> >notice Shavuot. I think it's a good idea to remind everyone that
> >as Jewish holidays go, Hanukah is not one of the big ones.
> >
> >I think it's healthy to keep a sense of perspective.
>
> I agree about perspective, but our priorities determine our perspective,
> and I think it's healthy for Jews to give Torah values highest priority.
>
> >Andrew Solovay
>
> Yaakov K.
> --------
> Yaakov Kayman      (212) 903-3666       City University of New York
> BITNET:   YZKCU@CUNYVM                  Internet: YZKCU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
>         "May it be His Will that the fear of Heaven be upon you
>          as is the fear of flesh and blood"
>
>         (Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's blessing to his students,
>                      Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berakhot 28b)


HANUKA is showing how jews fought for the TORA. This is very important in
Jewish life and values. See Prof. YESHAAYAHU LAYBOVITSH on that.



Shlomo Zelkine,         E-mail:
3 Eilat St.
Afridar,                owen@bguvms.bgu.ac.il
Ashkelon,
Israel 78443            Shlomo.Zelkine@f4.n401.z2.fidonet.org

07-710286               zelkine@ilnet.net


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Lenore Levine)
Subject: Re: Feld brothers update
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 18:16:21 GMT

strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:

>Evelyn C. Leeper points out some of the many discrepancies between
>the alleged Jerusalem Post article, and the alleged first-hand
>anonymous messages posted here.

>In addition, the alleged J.P. article repeats the claim of being
>held in handcuffs, which those of us from California know is
>absurd. When this nonsense was pointed out, the story was changed
>in the discussion here to "held in handcuffs when they saw
>visitors." That's still absurd, particularly if the visitors
>were on the other side of a partition.

>When I said I'd call the Rabbi who was cited, I was told here that he
>wasn't returning any calls about this. Perhaps I'm not the first to
>call and he knows it is a hoax. He has definitely not returned my
>call yet--Chanukah is over, and today would be the day.

>After reading the material I now think this is the hoax of the year.

>Apologies to all concerned if I'm wrong.

>David

I also question whether police in *Palo Alto* -- that citadel of
"political correctness" -- would refuse prisoners kosher food!

The Bay Area? Seems very unlikely.
From: F66204@BARILVM.BITNET (Shaul Wallach)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Shin, Doled, Yod question
Date: 27 Dec 92 08:05:47 GMT
Organization: Bar-Ilan University Computing Center, Israel

In article <92361.194944PC2370A@auvm.american.edu>, Peter M. Cohen
<PC2370A@auvm.american.edu> writes;

> ...                                                     Now, I have
>another question.  I have allways wondered what the three letters on the
>case of most mezuzah ( shin, daled, yod) mean ?  I never thought they were
>signifant so I never asked before but now that I own my own mezuzot I am
>curious.

    The letters form one of the Divine Names which is usually translated
as the "Almighty" (the Shin and Daleth are vowellized with a patah, and the
Daleth carries a dagesh or strong accent). Writing this name on the back
of the mezuza is not required, but the Rambam and R. Yosef Qaro in his
Shulhan Arukh mention it as a universal custom among the scribes. I have
heard the following anacrostic derasha of the choice of the Name:

    Shin     - shomer (keeps)
    Daleth   - daltoth (doors)
    Yod      - Yisrael

This refers to one explanation of a passage in the Talmud to the
effect that a mezuza affixed to the doorpost will protect the house
from danger. On the other hand, according to the Rambam, the meaning
is that noticing the mezuza helps a person remember the Torah and its
commandments and thereby not fall into sin upon leaving or entering
the house. This latter explanation fits in with the plain sense of
the first passage of the Torah which is written in the mezuza
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

>          One other thing,  I sometimes see people wear a necklace with a
>charm.  The charm is of a open hand, the fingers pointing downward.  What is
>the significance of the charm ?  Is it religious in some way or merely a
>"good-luck" charm of some sort ?

    I'm no expert in charms, but my guess is that it is an amulet for
protection against the Evil Eye. The Evil Eye is mentioned often in the
Talmud, along with many kinds of amulets and charms, some of which were
forbidden as being part of the "ways of the Amorite". I don't know what
the connection is between the Evil Eye and the five fingers, but this
figure is found elsewhere in the Orient, where it is called "khamsa",
the Arabic word for "five". We still use this word today in colloquial
speech after praising someone, as if to say "may he be subject not to
the Evil Eye".

> Thanks again.

You're welcome!

>Peter Cohen

Shalom,

Shaul Wallach
From: krovetz@sydney.cs.umass.edu (Bob Krovetz)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Who wrote the Torah?
Date: 2 Jan 93 07:30:53 GMT
Reply-To: krovetz@cs.umass.edu (Bob Krovetz)
Followup-To: soc.culture.jewish
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

In article <C06Gvt.G33@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
>In article <9212312025.AA17350@cyclone.sbi.com> <gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)> writes:
>>ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
>
>>> Conservative Rabbinical authorities share a basic belief that the
>>> Torah is divinely inspired;
>
>>So am I right, or am I right?
>
>I was unaware of the precise Conservative view on this, which agrees
>with the Reform view.  There is a major difference between divine
>inspiration and being the literal word of God.
>
>Even sages such as Rashi found it necessary to take the view that some
>parts of the Torah were not to be taken literally.  Even Reform Judaism
>does not automatically discard any of the writings in the Tanakh, the
>Mishnah, Talmud, Responsa, etc.; they are considered holy books, and
>divinely inspired.
>
>There is a big difference between something being written (or dictated
>word by word) by God, and being produced under a mortal's attempt to 
>understand what God wanted done.
>-- 

I think it is possible for the Torah to be the literal word of G-d,
even if everything isn't to be taken "literally".  There are two different
notions of literal going on - whether the Torah was in effect dictated
by G-d word for word, and what those words mean regardless of where they
originated.  There was some discussion about this on the CJ-L mailing
list a few months ago.  Aside from the "codes" work that attempts to
give statistical proof of the divine authorship of the Torah, I don't
know of any way of resolving the question.  I find the work with the
codes to be questionable, but I'd like to leave that for another discussion.
What I *would* like to discuss is the repercussions this distinction has
on Jewish practice.  That is, how does the issue of divine authorship
effect our interpretation of halacha? 

Bob

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)
Subject: Re: A self-confessed silly thread: Jewish Rock
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 17:16:39 GMT

esafern@shearson.com (Eric Safern) writes:

> Jewish pop stars?
> 
> How About:
> 
> 
> 	Paul Simon
> 	Art Garfunkel
> 	Billy Joel

I don't think Billy Joel is Jewish.

-Don Gertler
From: ehrlich@bimacs.BITNET (Gideon Ehrlich)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: antisemitism in action
Date: 1 Jan 93 12:18:43 GMT
Organization: Math department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, ISRAEL

In article <g8qiwB1w165w@valpso.hanse.de> tichauer@valpso.hanse.de (Manfredo Tichauer) writes:
>ehrlich@bimacs.BITNET (Gideon Ehrlich) writes:
>
>> In article <531@owl.ukc.ac.uk> dat@ukc.ac.uk (D.A.Turner) writes:
>
>> >David Turner
>> >(A British Jew who does NOT support Israel)
>>   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>> "Just a racist may say that just a gentile may be an anti-Semite "
>>                                                             M.Y. Self
>>
>
>I didn't know that the members of Neturei Karta, Atra Kadisha, and
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>all other Jewish antizionist groups are also antisemites. Every
>second day I learn something new from "some" Jews in s.c.j. ;-)
>
>Manfredo , a zionist still living in the Gola
 And you still does not know it.
It is false.
It has nothing to do with anything I wrote.
 Shalom   gideon


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Date: Monday, 21 December 1992 22:32:56 MST
X-Mailer: TMail version 1.15R
From: "D. C. Sessions" <dcs@witsend.tnet.com>
Organization: Nobody but me -- really
Subject: Secular??? (was: ACLU/AJC Menorah Police?)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Distribution: world

In <1992Dec21.175723.8150@sarah.albany.edu>, mark@fenris.albany.edu (Mark Steinberger)  wrote:
# The thing that gets me about this issue of religious versus secular is
# that many Christian-associated religious images are treated as secular.
# 
# Public figures have started to refer to Christmas trees as "seasonal
# trees," and they are commonly displayed in public places, including
# the White House. And many towns have Santa Clauses and the like
# adorning their lamp posts.
# 
# But as soon as the symbol is Jewish, they call it religious.
# 
# There is a double standard here.
# 
# Incidentally, I'm all for keeping prayer out of school functions. On
# this, I agree with AJC: prayer belongs in family oriented situations
# and not in public ones.

  Sorry, Mark; I'm really just using your article as a launchpad.

  Anybody care to comment on the trend to throw in a token Jewish
  reference (saw a commercial tonight with several Xmas scenes and
  one kid lighting Hannukah candles -- w/o kippa -- and then closing
  with a "Happy Holidays")?

  It seems that the schools are trying to duck the charge of Xian
  religious content by adding whatever other ingredients they figure
  will 'balance' things out.  So far, I haven't had much luck
  explaining that we don't feel left out, we just want to be left
  alone.

--- D. C. Sessions                            Speaking for myself ---
--- Note new network address:                dcs@witsend.tnet.com ---
--- Author (and everything else!) of TMail  (DOS mail/news shell) ---
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp)
Subject: Re: Vijay Bhucha:, and Bill Gripp: JESUS IS NOT A MESSAYAH!
Organization: LA&W RR
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 14:03:48 GMT

In article <4584@bimacs.BITNET> ehrlich@bimacs.BITNET (Gideon Ehrlich) writes:

>>I hope you don't teach logic.  =|^)
>
>I do teach logic.

I hope it's better than your Anglish.  =B^)
Note to the humor impaired: This is sarcasm.


>It seemed that Bill do accept the validity of my proof as to the fact
>that jesus is not a messayah.

Your logic at work again?


>The Tora aim is to give persons a knowledge about the right
>behavioure, The tora itself talk a bout a future captivity . 
>There are a lot of lake of believe at G od and knowing him.

Christians and Jews (and to some extent Moslems) would agree on these
points.


> Bill Gripp'article, aspecially on this SCJ net, is a demonstration of
>immoral behaveioure and thus his very article is a second proof that
>jesus is not a messayah , aspecially if Bill is a jesus follower.

Now where have we heard this before?  If saying "you are wrong", "you
don't know what you are talking about", or "you are misinformed" is a
demo of immoral behavior, then you are one of them most immoral posters
around...  Gideon's Axiom  =B^)


>   Shalom       Gideon

Shalom and happy Hannukah.
Date: Wednesday, 30 December 1992 21:31:08 MST
X-Mailer: TMail version 1.15R
From: "D. C. Sessions" <dcs@witsend.tnet.com>
Organization: Nobody but me -- really
Subject: Re: Tum'a after giving birth
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Distribution: world

In <1992Dec30.183318.24472@cc.gatech.edu>, amir@cc.gatech.edu (amir)  wrote:
# We can observe some interesting points:
#      1. death causes the harshest form of tum'a.
#      2. there is a sort of "opposite reaction" to creating tahora, it
# 	makes the person doing it ta'me.
# 
# Using the above two points we can extrapolate the following:
#      1. birth of a new life causes tahora.
#      2. the person creating this tahora (the mother) becomes tme'a.
#      3. the more tahora is produced, the more tum'a will the mother
# 	have.
# 
# Thus the difference between the length of tum'a after giving birth to
# a baby boy or girl.

  OK, now fit this in while answering the question (so far asked but
  ignored) of the appropriate time for boy-girl twins.  One week
  (for the boy), two weeks (the girl), or three weeks (addition, as
  the above suggests)?

--- D. C. Sessions                            Speaking for myself ---
--- Note new network address:                dcs@witsend.tnet.com ---
--- Author (and everything else!) of TMail  (DOS mail/news shell) ---
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.arabic
From: wc4209@writer.yorku.ca (Irene Berkovich)
Subject: Re: deportations
Organization: Computer Assisted Writing Centre, York University, Toronto, Canada
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 04:13:27 GMT

In article <529@owl.ukc.ac.uk> dat@ukc.ac.uk (D.A.Turner) writes:
>Israel's  recent  decison  to  expel  from   their   own   country   410
>Palestinians,  none  of  whom has been charged with any offence before a
>court of law, is contrary to the 4th Geneva convention,  and  ignores  a
>Security Council resolution condemning the action as illegal.
>
>This draws our attention once again  to  the  unsolved  problem  of  the
>ongoing Israeli occupation of the territories seized in the war of 1967,
>which Israel continues to hold in defiance of both international law and
>specific United Nations Resolutions.
>
>I have a proposal for solving this problem.  We should  proceed  exactly
>as  in  the case of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and the enforcement of
>resolution 660.  As follows.
>
>1) A mandatory arms embargo and comprehensive economic sanctions  should
>be  imposed  on  Israel,  enforced  by  shooting down Israeli planes and
>sinking Israeli ships that seek to trade with the outside world.
>
>2) Israel should be given 28 days notice to comply with security council
>resolution  number  242  of  1967,  by withdrawing from all the occupied
>territories, including the West Bank, the Gaza strip, the Golan Heights,
>the  "security  zone"  in  South  Lebanon,  and last but not least, East
>Jerusalem.  Failing unconditional and total compliance by the set  date,
>the Jewish state should be bombed to shit, as was done to Iraq.
>
>Any objections?
>
>	   ------------------------------------------
>
>Just joking of course.  I am not in favour of bombing cities.  I  didn't
>like  seeing  it  done  to  Iraq,  and  I  wouldn't want it to happen to
>anywhere else either.  But it is time for the rest of us to tell  Israel
>that its treatment of the Palestinians is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.
>
>David Turner
>
>(A British Jew who does NOT support Israel.)
    ===========  self-hating perhaps?

Funny, I don't recall seeing any posts from you shedding your
crocodile tears when Kuwait expelled over 100,000 Palestinian
residents after the Gulf war.  Mind you, these were not people
inciting others to murder like the Hamas boys.  They were kicked out
just for being Palestinian.  And not a peep from you, or any of the
hippocrates at the United Nations who routinely ignore Arab civil
rights abuse.

But I guess thats okay.  Arabs are allowed to kill, or expel one
another by your logic.  You only scream when Israel is involved.
From: drukier@mail.ast.cam.ac.uk (Gordon Drukier)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: How Do You Spell (C)Han(n)uk(k)a(h) in
Date: 31 Dec 92 18:24:42 GMT
Reply-To: drukier@mail.ast.cam.ac.uk
Organization: Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge

In article 1hvb7pINN1rd@FRIDGE.AI.CS.YALE.EDU, engelson-sean@cs.yale.edu (Sean Philip Engelson) writes:
>
>In article <9212311544.AA15377@cyclone.sbi.com>, gertler@cyclone.sbi.com (Don Gertler) writes:
>|> afrydman@granpa.enet.dec.com (Avi Frydman) writes:
>|> > drukier@cast0.ast.cam.ac.uk (Gordon Drukier) writes...
>|> > > waldo@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (Todd J. Dicker) writes:
>|> 
>|> >   Anyone for a side-thread to see how many variant spellings we
>|> > >can come up with? Let's see...
>|> 	..........
>|> Using the Subject line's example, we would have 2^4 possibilities:
>|> 
>|> Ch-/H-      -nn-/-n-     -kk-/-k-     -ah/-a
>|>  1  0         1   0        1   0        1  0
>
>I used a couple more variants gleaned from this discussion (and
>others) to come up with what I believe to be the truly definitive set.
>Admittedly, some of them look pretty weird, but remember, they're all
>Legitimate(tm)...
>
>Chanuka		Chanukah	Chanukka
>Chanukkah	Chanuca		Chanucah
>Channuka	Channukah	Channukka
>Channukkah	Channuca	Channucah
>Hanuka		Hanukah		Hanukka
>Hanukkah	Hanuca		Hanucah
>Hannuka		Hannukah	Hannukka
>Hannukkah	Hannuca		Hannucah
>Khanuka		Khanukah	Khanukka
>Khanukkah	Khanuca		Khanucah
>Khannuka	Khannukah	Khannukka
>Khannukkah	Khannuca	Khannucah
>
>A little late, but:
>
>	H A P P Y   K H A N N U C A ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
>				    \ \ \ \ | / / / /
>				     \ \ \ \|/ / / /
>				      ------|------
>					    |
>					   / \
>-- 
>Sean Philip (Shlomo) Engelson		
>Yale Department of Computer Science	
>Box 2158 Yale Station			
>New Haven, CT 06520			

All right, now we have a definitive list of possibilities. But how many of these
have you actually seen used? As the originator of this thread I'll take on the 
task of compiling any submissions of _observed_ transliterations that are e-mailed
to me and will (bli neder) report back to the net if I get any results.  No 
discrimination based on linguistic community is implied, but lets keep it to English
transliterations.  

---
Gordon                             Institute of Astronomy
drukier@mail.ast.cam.ac.uk         University of Cambridge
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: jweber@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (jodi.weber)
Subject: Re: A self-confessed silly thread: Jewish Rock/Pop Stars
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 16:39:15 GMT

>In article aliki@nova1.stanford.edu (Alexandra Schmidt) writes:
>Admittedly, many are best described as 'of Mosaic descent' (non-affiliated,
>but born to Jewish mothers).  Any additions?  
>
>Barry Manilow
>Barbra Streisand
>Neil Diamond
>Danny Elfman (drummer, Oingo Boingo)
 who also, BTW, is the composer of the Batman movie soundtrack and
 the theme music from the TV show the Simpsons


Jodi Weber
jodiweber@attmail.com   or   jweber@cbnewsg.cb.att.com

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: lise@kepler.cc.bellcore.com (romanov,elizabeth)
Subject: Re: SCJ Gathering Balto-Wash; Final Update
Organization: Bellcore, Piscataway, NJ
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 17:00:31 GMT

What gathering in Highland Park, NJ (my own hometown)?  I'd bet it's at
Jerusalem Pizza, but when?


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: solovay@netcom.com (Andrew Solovay)
Subject: God's Hyphen (Re: Mezuzah question)
Summary: No-one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle!
Keywords: Even if they *do* say Jehovah!
Organization: People's Front of Judea
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 22:03:11 GMT

In article <1992Dec24.190029.10687@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> dkhaikin@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dmitry Khaikin) writes:
>In article <199212241456.AA10219@yfn.ysu.edu> <aa324@yfn.ysu.edu (Marlene Miller)> writes:
>>Baruch ata adonai elohainu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav
>>v'tzivanu likboa mezuzah.
>>
>>Blessed art Thou, Lord our G-d, King of the universe who has sanctified
>>us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.
>>
>
>Listen, I was going to complain about what you just did (and I am!), but
>in the world would you want to write the G-d's Name and then write '-'
>in the English translation. I assume that you just don't know the rules
>then. So, assuming that I ask you not to write G-d's name anymore.

Touchy, aren't we? I don't know if I should speak for Ms. Miller,
but her practice seemed natural and appropriate to me. Mr. Cohen
might well say the bracha just as it's written; if she used the
accepted mutilation of God's names, there's a real chance that
Mr. Cohen (or someone else reading this) might actually *say*
"Baruch atah hashem, elokainu....[sic]". Under these
circumstances, I think all authorities would agree that one ought
to write the words as they would be said. On the other hand, Mr.
Cohen would probably not say the English bracha when putting up
the mezuzah, and if he did, he'd certainly know that "G-d" is
pronounced "god", so there isn't a problem.

Besides which, I don't believe there is a "rule", or law, that
one has to treat the names of God with the same respect when they
are written with non-Hebrew (and non-Aramaic) letters.
Accordingly, one need not use the hyphen or change the spelling
when writing them. I believe this applies even to permanent
media, like paper and ink; kal v'chomer one needn't worry about
it with an EPosting. Yes, changing the spelling is an appropriate
and pious practice, but it's not a "rule". In this case, there is
a strong reason to override that practice.

Disclaimer: All of this is IMNRO (In My Non-Rabbinic Opinion). I
invite correction if I made factual errors.
-- 
Andrew Solovay    
                "I know that, in America and under capitalism,
                 I am the freest woman in history."
                                --- Camille Paglia
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.arabic,talk.politics.mideast
From: astein@nysernet.org (Alan Stein)
Subject: Re: Name of Palestinian Deportees (part i)
Organization: NYSERNet, Inc.
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 01:25:29 GMT

Excellent.  You have shown that one can be both a professional and a
terrorist.  Does being a professional excuse one from the consequences
of being a terrorist as well?
-- 
Alan H. Stein   -----  AJIN   -----  astein@israel.nysernet.org
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish