HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: Conservative vs. Orthodox Halacha (was Conversion Question)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 03:24:03 GMT

In article <1992Nov12.175344.16158@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> friedenb@birch.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg) writes:
>Who's halacha?  The C movement says that it is permissable under halacha 
>to drive to shul on Shabbos, and that *ALL* North American wine is 
>Kosher (teshuva of Rabbi Israel Silverman of Canada).  

A subsequent teshuva adopted recommends using only kosher wine.

>Let's face it, the only minyanim that hold to C halacha is at JTS.
>Individual synagogues have "Ritual Comittees" of laymen making
>halachic decisions.

Ritual committees are only people; the rabbi is Mara D'Atra for the
congregation, and as such should (note the should) guide and direct
the congregation.

Orthodox synagogues sometimes also have formal or informal ritual
committees.  The problem being attacked by JTS leadership who wish
to get rid of ritual committees, is that all too many rabbis fail
to guide the religious direction of the synagogue; who fail to seize
their role as Mara D'Atra.  IMHO ritual committee or not, a rabbi
must be the congregational leader, must command the respect of the
congregation, must be sensitive to the needs of the congregation and
must try to satisfy these needs without compromising Jewish law.

>>One notable example of difference of opinion between O and C is
>>the COMPLETE inclusion of women in the Jewish community in
>>Conservative Judaism.
>
>Rabbi Joel Roth (halachic authority for C movement) advocates women 
>making chiuv before they are given "equal" rights in C shuls.  Therefore
>women would have to take upon themselves the same obligations that men are
>born into:  davening 3x/day with t'fillin and tallis, shomer shabbos and
>yom tov, keeping kosher, etc...
>
>This, of course, will never be adopted by the C movement, because it
>is more concerned with halacha than the ever sliding ruler which 
>measures "equality".

Actually, many women rabbis have, indeed, taken such a vow. 

>I left the C movement because I saw that they seem to have lost sight 
>of what it was that they were trying to "conserve."  I wonder what A.J.
>Heschel and Solomon Shechter would think of driving to shul on Shabbos 
>to hear a woman Rabbi and make kiddush over Blue Nun Wine? 

Hyperbole.   The same teshuvah Gedaliah cited above says blue nun and
the like NOT be used for kiddush.
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 02:37:12 EST
From: andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: "Feminazis" and the "abortion holocaust"
 <92323.1537062893684@QUCDN.Q <1992Nov19.054325.9354@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>

Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 02:32:02 EST
From: andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: "Feminazis" and the "abortion holocaust"
 <92323.1537062893684@QUCDN.Q <1992Nov19.054325.9354@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>

In article <1992Nov19.054325.9354@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
dschenke@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dennis L Schenkel) says:
>advocates is not a perfect analogy, it is useful.  Also, while it is possible
>in the United States under copyright law to own certain ideas or even
>particular texts (like books or novels), it is not possible to own a word
>(unless it is a trade name).  The word "holocaust," meaning burnt offering,
>has
>been around a lot longer than the memory of the Nazi atrocities.  The word
>belongs to everyone, not just the Jews.

The thing is, when the Christian Right uses the term Holocaust to refer to
abortion they don't just use the word but they refer specifically and make
direct comparison to the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis in World War II
thus they are not just using a word but deliberately invoking a historical
analogy and for Jews, a painful memory. We are not just talking about words
we are talking about incidents in history. As well the word "feminazi" is
meant to deliberately evoke the Holocaust by comparing Pro-Choice feminists
to Nazis, a flippant and frivolous comparison which I find deeply offensive,
as would anyone familiar with the horror of the real Nazis.
From: backon@vms.huji.ac.il
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Kosher McDonalds in Jerusalem
Date: 20 Nov 92 15:37:06 GMT
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

MAZAL TOV :-)  I just read in Friday's KOL HA'IR paper that the McDonalds in
Jerusalem will be the *only* kosher one in Israel. It will be opening up in the
Malcha shopping center in March 1993. 

Josh
backon@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL
From: aaldoubo@copper.denver.colorado.edu (Shaqeeqa)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Getting pregnant the first time
Date: 21 Nov 92 20:14:42 GMT
Organization: University of Colorado at Denver

In article <1992Nov20.223225.22389@njitgw.njit.edu> dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap) writes:

>Here's a good rationale:  A married woman must observe Nidda - that
>is, she may not have relations with her husband from the start of her
>period until a week after it ends.  [...]
>
>[...]  The odds of getting pregnant on
>this time would be lower than on the rest of times, when a man would
>be forbidden from touching his wife during the low-odds time of the
>month. 

Can you explain what 'forbidden' means in terms of touching the
wife during this time?  I understand the actual observance in
terms of not having 'relations' (Muslims are also required to
observe this), but would you mind elaborating on the fact that
an entire week after that time frame is required?
 
I know this is a sensitive issue, :^), but I would be interested
in knowing.

Thanks ...
Anisa

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,sci.logic,sci.philosophy.meta
Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 22:07:16 EST
From: andy <2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Kach and terrorism

In article <4496@bimacs.BITNET>, ehrlich@bimacs.BITNET (Gideon Ehrlich) says:
>
>In article <92323.1854102893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
>2893684@QUCDN.QueensU.CA (andy) writes:
>
>>From the Globe and Mail, 18 November 1992
>>
>>(Reuter) Police in Jerusalem detained a member of an extreme right-wing
>Jewish
>>group yesterday in connection with a grenade attack that killed one Arab and
>>wounded 12. A police spokesman said a member of the Kach movement was
>>questioned about Monday's attack in the Old City.
>>
>
>That person was released shortely after , since it becomed
> cleare he has nothing to do with the case.

What about Kach and Kahane Chai speaking in favour of the attack?
You've deleted that part of the post.

>
>Shalom   Gideon     ERETS YISRAEL
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,talk.politics.mideast
From: friedenb@boswell.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Subject: Re: Vatican Recognition of Israel - Who Needs It?
Followup-To: soc.culture.jewish
Reply-To: friedenb@boswell.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg)
Organization: College of Engineering, Michigan State University
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 19:15:04 GMT


On article <20NOV199213390078@vms.huji.ac.il> rwerman@vms.huji.ac.il (ROBERT WERMAN) writes:

>This is an honest appeal for help.  Could someone explain to
>me the reasons for the heat of Israel pursuit of Vatican 
>recognition?  

Since the beginnings of the Vatican in Rome, many Popes have claimed
that the reason that Jews would *never* get their land back is 
divine punishment because we did not accept Jesus as our Messiah.  
The vatican is shooting itself in the foot if it *does* recognize 
Israel (because it is proving past Popes wrong, and even hedges on 
showing Jesus as not being the Messiah).  The Vatican is also shooting 
itself in the foot if it *doesn't* recognize Israel (because it will 
appear anti-Semitic if the Vatican is the only country in the world 
not recognizing Israel).

To answer your question, the Vatican's recognition may help Jewish/Xian
relations, and may mean more Xian tourists to the "holy land".  It also
never hurts to have the extra support.

Followup directed to soc.culture.jewish


Gedaliah Friedenberg
-=-Department of Mechanical Engineering
-=-Department of Metallurgy, Mechanics and Materials Science
-=-Michigan State University


                   
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee)
Subject: Re: Square Kippot (was: Re: Tzitzit on ordinary garments)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept.
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:29:20 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.072109.2265@cis.ohio-state.edu> khaikin@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu (dmitry khaikin) writes:
>Yes, of course, it would. The square isn't the only thing that fulfils
>the mitzvah. The whole idea of the tzitzit is to constantly remind us of
>our 613 mitzvot. How does it remind us? Well, let's go to the gematriah
>of the word tzitzit. It is 600. That is 90+10+90+10+400 = 600. Now, look
>at the tzitzit itself. Each one of them has 8 threads and 5 knots. So,
>8+5 = 13. Now, if you add everything together it comes out to be 613.
>...
>One more interesting thing is that women don't have to wear it. If you
>read articles on "Sexism in Judaism", I mentioned their that there are
>many things that women don't have to do because they are considered on a
>"higher level" then men are. This is just a very good example of that,
>that is, a man needs to have something that would constantly remind him
>of the mitzvot and a woman does not.

But does that mean that _every_ woman is better at remembering the mitzvot than
_every_ man?  That would have to be true for this argument to make any sense.

(I also think that writing the words "There are 613 mitzvot.  Follow them."
written in large friendly letters would be much more effective at reminding
people than doing something whose gematria happens to add up to the number
613.  If the purpose is to remind people, why such a roundabout way?)
--
"the bogosity in a field equals the bogosity imported from related areas, plus
the bogosity generated internally, minus the bogosity expelled or otherwise
disposed of."  -- K. Eric Drexler

Ken Arromdee (UUCP: ....!jhunix!arromdee; BITNET: arromdee@jhuvm;
     INTERNET: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: filfeit@rael.Tymnet.COM (Fil Feit)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Hebrew Word Processor Software?
Date: 23 Nov 92 18:40:23 GMT
Reply-To: filfeit@rael.Tymnet.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems

I know this isn't comp.jewish.apps, but does anybody know of
any Hebrew word processing software for either the Macintosh or
the PC?  Shareware is OK, but commercial is probably better, since
a keyboard overlay would be useful.  It's for a manager here, a
former Israeli looking for a Chanukah gift for himself.

Thanks.

--f2



Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: Prayer shawls
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 03:38:24 GMT

In article <2815@israel.nysernet.org> warren@nysernet.org writes:
>In <1992Nov11.200214.4118@cbnews.cb.att.com> ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
>
>>I prefer woolen talit with woolen tzitzit, and think wool feels
>>pretty comfortable, and not too bad even on a hot day.
>
>I think that wool is halachically preferable to other materials.  And
>whatever you do, do not put wool tzitzit on a linen tallit (or the
>other way around, although I don't expect you could find linen tzitzit
>threads anywhere).

I assume this is good advice, but as I understand it, it is
permitted to use wool tzitzit even if the talit is linen.
(Sorry, no source.)
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: jgoldber@todah.chem.utoronto.ca (Joel Goldberg)
Subject: Re: Kosher Honey - Still no answer
Organization: University of Toronto Chemistry Department
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 17:03:49 GMT


   About where bee honey is made, from the bee's persective, it
   has just occurred to me that I've become too used to supermarkets.
   To wit, in days of old, the honey would have been a slab of
   honeycomb (or are mideast bees like bumble bees?) and not
   the extracted liquid honey. The wax making up the walls of the
   comb is secreted from between the abdominal plates of the bees.
   Now, I suppose one could argue that the wax isn't edible, so
   it can't treif anything.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.jewish:20493 bit.listserv.catholic:2644
From: aliki@nova1.stanford.edu (Alexandra Schmidt)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: "Feminazis" and the "abortion holocaust"
Date: 19 Nov 1992 17:00:32 GMT
Organization: Stanford University
NNTP-Posting-Host: nova1.stanford.edu

Daniel, your posting on the fallacy and general repulsiveness of abortion-to-
the-Holocaust comparisons is one of the most cogent things I've read in a
long time.  Thanks.

			. . .Alexandra
From: er@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Elie Rosenfeld)
Subject: Sex on fast days (Re: Oral sex)
Reply-To: er@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Elie Rosenfeld)
Organization: Bell Communications Research (Bellcore)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 18:02:36 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.170914.1564@speedy.aero.org>, nadel@attatash.aero.org (Miriam Nadel) writes:
|> But it's a moot point to ask if it's forbidden on fast days since sex in
|> general is forbidden on fast days.

Is sex forbidden on all fast days, or just Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av?  I 
remember hearing somewhere that it is "preferable" to abstain from sex on the 
minor fasts, but is it strictly prohibited?  Certainly, the other three
inuyim (afflictions) besides eating - washing, anointing, and wearing leather 
shoes - are completely permissible on the minor fasts.
-- 
Elie Rosenfeld      | "I am what I am, Leila -- and if there are self-made
Bellcore            |  purgatories, then we all must live in them.
Piscataway, N.J.    |  Mine is no worse than someone else's."
(908) 699-8800      |                     - Spock, "This Side of Paradise"
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 22:15:24 EST
From: <CARIAN@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Conversion Question
 <97353@netnews.upenn.edu><92318.120107YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
 <97703@netnews.upenn.edu> <92321.132646YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>

In article <92321.132646YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>, Yaakov Kayman
<YZKCU@CUNYVM.BITNET> says:
>
>In article <97703@netnews.upenn.edu>, weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P
>Wiener) says:
>>
>>Both of us were talking about a conversion.  That meant qualifications
>>for a witness, not a judge, were the issue.
>
>Wrong. The composition and qualifications of the beit din to effect a
>conversion are the issue.
>
The halacha does not require a bet din of "mumchim" (experts, i.e. rabbis)
for a conversion to be valid. "Hediotot", i.e. lay people, can supervise
a conversion even l'hatchila.

In the late, lamented Denver Conversion experiment, where the three major
movements united to have a joint conversion process, the bet din was made
up of observant laypeople intentionally, so that the Orthodox rabbis could
be satisfied that the witnesses were sufficiently observant without
denigrating the standing of the non-Orthodox rabbis.

Rabbi Charles Arian
CARIAN@american.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com (Gary Merrill)
Subject: Re: Belief and Logic (was re: Belief and science (Einstein))
Originator: sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:16:06 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.


In article <MARTINC.92Nov19142616@hatteras.cs.unc.edu>, martinc@hatteras.cs.unc.edu (Charles R. Martin) writes:
|> In article <1992Nov18.174038.9198@guinness.idbsu.edu> holmes@garnet.idbsu.edu (Randall Holmes) writes:
|> 
|>    >Herman is absolutely right in the literal Cantorian sense.  Genuine
|>    >infinitary syntax, as distinguished from merely transfinite Tarskian
|>    >languages, is _a priori_ ineffable.
|> 
|>    I was referring to the latter.  If God uses Absolute Infinite syntax,
|>    then even He cannot understand the overall structure of His own
|>    thought.
|> 
|> And She can make a stone so large She can't lift it, too.

No she can't.  See Montague's proof of this.
-- 
Gary H. Merrill  [Principal Systems Developer, C Compiler Development]
SAS Institute Inc. / SAS Campus Dr. / Cary, NC  27513 / (919) 677-8000
sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com ... !mcnc!sas!sasghm
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: khaikin@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu (dmitry khaikin)
Subject: Re: Square Kippot (was: Re: Tzitzit on ordinary garments)
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 07:21:09 GMT

>In article <1992Nov15.201508.28866@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> friedenb@silver.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg) writes:
>
> If one were to wear a square kippah, would it require tzitzit?
> (is a kippah considered a garment?)

Yes, of course, it would. The square isn't the only thing that fulfils
the mitzvah. The whole idea of the tzitzit is to constantly remind us of
our 613 mitzvot. How does it remind us? Well, let's go to the gematriah
of the word tzitzit. It is 600. That is 90+10+90+10+400 = 600. Now, look
at the tzitzit itself. Each one of them has 8 threads and 5 knots. So,
8+5 = 13. Now, if you add everything together it comes out to be 613.

That is by far more important thing about tzitzit then 4 corners. This
is what tzitzit represents. Although, they are very important as well. I
think the importance part would depend on once's opinion, but the
mitzvah is fulfilled by both of those. I asked my Rabbi about it and he
said that the size of it is also important, that is something like a
kipah would not fit this mitzvah because of its size (not mentioning any
other reasons). 

One more interesting thing is that women don't have to wear it. If you
read articles on "Sexism in Judaism", I mentioned their that there are
many things that women don't have to do because they are considered on a
"higher level" then men are. This is just a very good example of that,
that is, a man needs to have something that would constantly remind him
of the mitzvot and a woman does not.

Thanks,
Dima
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  "A word is worth one coin; silence is worth two."_____ The Talmud.
  "Silence is good everywhere, except in connection with Torah."____ The Zohar.
   khaikin@cis.ohio-state.edu (Dmitry Khaikin, Columbus Ohio, USA)
From: aplebaum@irs01.cs.huji.ac.il (Hillel Applebaum)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: sexism
Date: 17 Nov 92 10:55:22 GMT
Organization: The Hebrew U. of Jerusalem, Computer Science Dep.
NNTP-Posting-Host: irs01.cs.huji.ac.il

In article <1992Nov12.184328.12636@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, segs@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (susan.e.slusky) writes:
|> The tk is a pain to launder, if you really want to know.
|> Washing machines are very tough on the tzitzit. Untying
|> the tzitzit before laundering and then retying them is highly
|> labor intensive. So hand-washing becomes the method of choice.
|> It's easier to throw the undershirt in the wash.

I handwash my TK.
BUT, I heared that some cover the TZITZIT with alominom foil
and drop it like that in the washing machine - never tried,
but I think that one can try small bags (from cloth).
-- 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
/ Hillel P. Applebaum  |> ISRAEL - where all
/ Jerusalem,   Israel  |  jews should live !
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: nabil@ncrcol.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Nabil Idriss)
Subject: Re: Why the double standard (was Re: Why I think Kach's policies ...)
Organization: NCR E&M Columbia SC.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 19:31:20 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.134136.24774@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> saal@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (samuel.saal) writes:
>I realize this discussion is beyond boring in that most of the
>participants have dropped out,  However....
>
>In article <RLK.92Nov15093227@underprize.think.com>
>rlk@underprize.think.com (Robert Krawitz) writes:
>
>>In any event, Israel is more or less tolerated or better by most of the
>>world right now.  Militarily there's no sign (that I can see) of anyone
>>planning to attack it (modulo Hezbollah and friends, which have enough
>>power to kill the isolated soldier here and there, and fire the
>>occasional rocket into a northern settlement or two, but nowhere near
>>enough to threaten the overall security of Israel).  I will grant that
>>Israel's in real danger if Iraq or Iran get the bomb along with a long
>
>"Fire the occasional rocket"?????  Name one other country that would
>tolerate that?  If anyone did this to any other country, the Fifth
>Columnists in that country, their reletives, friends, aquaintences, and
>business associates would be investigated, jailed, expelled, whatever.
>There would not be the toleration you seem to be demanding of Israel.
>
>Be glad it isn't your daughter killed in the last rocket attack, but don't
>demand, from the comfort of a country that hasn't experienced regular
>(albeit "occasional") attacks, that Israel ignore them.
>-- 
>Sam Saal      kingfish!saal OR saal@kingfish.att.com
>	Vayiftach HaShem et Peah Ha`Aton


How about the daughters of the Arabs killed in refugee camps and 
South Lebanon?

Nabil Idriss
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Killing Lice on Shabbat (was Re: Kosher Honey - Still no answer)
Date: 19 Nov 92 23:33:29 GMT
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs

In <1992Nov18.125504.1@vmsa.technion.ac.il> chr04ha@vmsa.technion.ac.il (Amitai Halevi) writes:

I for one am glad that the references were posted here.

It would seem to be that we could either consistenly reject the
permissions to both kill lice and eat honey, we could consistently
accept both, or we could discover a difference between them which
would allow a different ruling in each case.

I'd rather keep the honey than the permission to kill lice, myself.
-- 
/|/-\/-\          Adif tzav pinui metzav shmoneh.
 |__/__/_/    
 |warren@         "Warren's slogan is an Anti-semite slogan."
/ nysernet.org 			    Gideon Ehrlich
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Alia only with Brith-Mila?
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 10:27:35 GMT

In <97701@netnews.upenn.edu> weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:

>I recall some years back the SCJ outrage regarding a shul that required ties.

Gasp!  Sputter!  <censored>!  GEVALT!
-- 
/|/-\/-\          Adif tzav pinui metzav shmoneh.
 |__/__/_/    
 |warren@         "Warren's slogan is an Anti-semite slogan."
/ nysernet.org 			    Gideon Ehrlich
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish