HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: Massive Doses Of Thirst Quencher Prior to Yom Kippur???
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 22:00:24 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.154250.8975@godzilla.quotron.com> jeff@godzilla.quotron.com (Jeff Marder) writes:
>well, this year Yom Kippur comes in October, just when the Santa Ana
>Wind conditions hit So. Cal.   Dry soil,dry air, dry skin, dry mouths.
>Is Gatorade or other thirst quenchers kosher??   Will these thirst
>quenchers taken prior to Erev Yom Kippur, get me through a hot, dry
>fast????

Sounds like -- at least -- the universal law that it cannot rain on
Yom Kippur will be upheld :^)
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
From: weiner@medg.lcs.mit.edu (The Frog)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Surrogate Mothers
Date: 8 Sep 92 00:27:10 GMT
Reply-To: weiner@medg.lcs.mit.edu (The Frog)
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

While reading about contracts regarding surrogate mothers, I realized that I
did not know the Jewish perspectives on this issue.  Any help would be
appreciated with the following questions:

1)  Is artificial insemination of a woman's ovum by her husband's sperm 
    allowed in Judaism?

2)  Is artificial insemination of a woman's ovum by another man's sperm 
    allowed in Judaism or is this adultry?

3)  Is artificial insemination of another, unmarried woman's ovum by the
    husband, placed in the wife, allowed?

4)  Is artificial insemination of another, married woman's ovum by the
    husband, placed in the wife, allowed?

5)  Are contracts regarding surrogate mothers in the case where the surrogate
    (unmarried) mother's ovum is inseminated by the husband in the traditional
    way respected?
    If so, must the child be turned over or are damages due?

6)  Same as (5) whereas the surrogate mother is married.

7)  Same as (5) and (6) whereas the ovum is artificially inseminated.

8)  Same as (5) and (6) whereas the ovum is the wife's and is artificially
    inseminated by her husband.

9)  In case (8), where the surrogate mother is Jewish but the wife is not,
    is the child Jewish?

10) In case (8), where the surrogate mother is not Jewish but the wife is,
    is the child Jewish?

11) Any significant variation you can imagine :>

Thanks.

    
--

   Merril Weiner                weiner@medg.lcs.mit.edu
   11 Ashford Terrace           weiner@medg.uucp
   Allston, MA  02134           Boston University School of Law
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: ldstern@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Larry Stern)
Subject: Re: Mac David
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 18:44:10 EDT

In article <92246.222444EXG106@psuvm.psu.edu> <EXG106@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>Has anyone ever tried shwarma (sp?).  Well, I can spell it in hebrew but not
>in English.  But then, if you know what it is, you'll recognize it.
>If you don't know: it's lamb meat (I think) on this metal "stick," rotating
>around (vertically) with a flame around it.
>
>It looks disgusting, but tastes great!
>
> Eylon

Actually, it's beef (in Israel, anyway).  And it looks fine, IMHO.

--

Larry Stern                                  LDSTERN@RODAN.ACS.SYR.EDU

Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: richf@comet.base.bellcore.com (Rich Farenci)
Subject: Re: Nazi camps
Reply-To: richf@cosmos.bellcore.com
Organization: Bell Communications Research
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 14:34:17 GMT

In article <36990@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu>, lbs@neptune.phys.ufl.edu (Lech Borkowski) writes:
|> 
|>  In Lanzman's Shoah we saw villagers who were just taking care
|> of their fields "as usual", when the Jews were exterminated 
|> in the camp very close to the place were they lived. 

very close = right up to the barbed wire fences, when i visited birkenau
in 1990 you could see the gardens extending right up to the perimeter of
the camp.

Now,
|> what kind of action the villagers could take? Should they 
|> have run against the Germans with bare hands? Should they
|> have stopped plowing the fields to protest the genocide?

one would think they would have tried to avoid the stench from the 
crematorium.

|> 
|>  Lech Borkowski


rich farenci


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: mark@fenris.albany.edu (Mark Steinberger)
Subject: Re: Synagogue Financing
Organization: State University of New York at Albany
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 21:46:11 GMT

In article <FAIGIN.92Sep14093417@soldan.aero.org> faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin) writes:
>I can think of a few. First of all, the Orthodox synagogues do not have to pay
>the UAHC membership fees, which (from what I understand) can be quite high.

And what is the justification for these fees? Surely not so that the
UAHC can deliberate over halachic issues.

Why do congregations maintain membership in such an organization if
the fees are so steep?


--Mark
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)
Subject: Re: More mitzvos?
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 16:51:12 GMT

dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap) writes:

> Third, I never said the Chassidim do more than 613.  But they do more
> than any other group of people do.  At least as far as I've been able
> to see.

This is ridiculous.  Chassidism is a movement started by the Baal
Shem Tov.  Very different from its character at its roots, the
movement is now generally considered to be quite observant.  But
doing MORE mitzvot than any other group is way out of line.  What
about the non-Chassidic Charedim, for example?  (I'm going on the
assumption that the so-called Ultra-Orthodox are the most prolific
mitzva performers, which itself may be quite invalid.)

The movements are not monolithic.  Take a look at Lubavitch, for
example.  Many members are relative newcomers to religious life.
This is in no way a negative aspect of the movement, but one would
have to agree that many non-Chassidim practice more than these
individuals.  (At least if you disagree with the tenet that saying
"We want Moshiach now!" stands k'neged kol haTora kula :-)

-Don Gertler
From: baker@ROBOCOP.NYU.EDU (Jonathan Baker)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Orthodox Monopoly
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:57:03 GMT
Organization: Courant Institute, New York University

Jordan brings up some interesting points.

1. About Conservative rabbis & niddah.  I don't know what rationale they 
have.  There is no obstacle to a Conservative rabbi observing niddah, as
Robert Gordis (o"h) says -- in all but the right-wing Orthodox communities,
there is no complete social segregation between men and women because of
niddah.  In his own Orthodox shul, he has not seen a woman refuse to shake
a man's proffered hand.  Niddah is not talked about much even in Orthodox
circles -- it's very private, and still viewed as somewhat "dirty", as it's
connected with sex.  Also, it has no explanation other than "G-d said so."
All the books I've seen about it either describe the halachos for it, or
are apologetics for it.  I have not seen any studies, either among Orthodox
or Conservative, of how many people still observe it.

2. I did not know that Weiss-Halivni was estranged from the Conservatives, 
although it does explain a peculiar feature of the Women as Rabbis book.
Joel Roth's paper is regarded by many of the other authors as the primary
Halachic argument for the ordination of women, while Weiss-Halivini's is 
viewed as the primary Halachic argument against.  Roth's paper is included
in the book as the final paper in the collection, but Weiss-Halivni's is not
-- readers are advised to go to the Jewish Theological Seminary library to
read a xerox of the paper.  I had wondered at this odd discrimination.  There
is only one 10-page halachic paper on the anti-ordination side, by R' Israel
Francus, while there are 140-odd pages of halachic papers on the pro-ordination
side.  I can see how the editor would want to present the pro-ordination side
in the best light, but to do so by silencing the best paper of the opposition?
That hardly seems just, or intellectually honest.

     ---+  ||  --+  --+
        |        '    '             Jonathan J. Baker
     ---+-                          baker@robocop.nyu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)
Subject: Re: Conservative Halacha (was re: Orthodox Monopoly)
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 20:42:11 GMT

ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet) writes:
> On 10 Sep 92 00:26:23 GMT, schultz@garnet.berkeley.edu (Richard Schultz) said:
> > So here's my question for all you Conservative types out there: in what
> > areas of halachah is the official Conservative position more machmer than
> > even the most liberal Orthodox position?
> 
> Does orthodoxy consider electricity to be fire?  And of so, is
> it OK to light Hanukkah or Shabbat or Yitzkor lights with an
> electric menorah?   Yet many conservtaive authorities would not
> consider electricity to be fire and therefore would ask for
> a menorah with something burning in it.

To my knowledge, the Orthodox do not consider electricity to be fire.

Nevertheless, electric lights are permitted for Shabbat "candle"
lighting.  In fact, at times they're even preferred.  For instance,
where a flame may be dangerous, or where it simply may burn out
before one has a chance to benefit from it on Shabbat, many (all?)
Orthodox Rabbis recommend making the bracha on a lamp.

The Chanukka menora should best be lit with pure olive oil, even
though all would agree that other fuels support true fire.

As for the yizkor lamp, I am unaware of the specific halkhot involved.

-Don Gertler
From: jpw@minerva.ece.drexel.edu (Joseph Wetstein)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: SUN.C
Date: 15 Sep 92 17:24:56 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Hello.
I was playing around with the SUN.C program (available from a popular
archive site) that computes sun rise and set times.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it to work.

If anyone knows anything about it, or if Michael Schwartz is out there, I 
would appreciate contact.

Thanks,
Joe Wetstein
 
(email, please): jpw@coe.drexel.edu
From: hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Saddam = Amalek via gematria
Keywords: gematria
Date: 15 Sep 92 23:46:26 GMT
Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California

In article <1992Sep15.163946.202800@uctvax.uct.ac.za> naturman@uctvax.uct.ac.za writes:
>Has anyone heard this before. If you apply gematria to SADDAM HUSSEIN you
>get the same total as for AMALEK.
>	...
>
>
>My personal opinion on gematria is that it is a lot of fun but that not too
>much should be read into it. It simply proves how often coincidences occur.
>	...
>naturman@uctvax.uct.ac.za                                                 *


Yes and No. When you and I indulge in gematria, it is fun and probably
more-often-then-not is a coincidence. However, there is a definite
science to gematria (ala the Baal Haturim), which is not well known.
(also refer to Tractate Succa 29a(?), re: Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zachai ---
the Talmud there clearly refers to such a science.)

I have seen references to a Ramban who discusses this issue, and
exactly because of this problem, discourages people from playing(?)
with it.

However, I really did enjoy your gematria. Furthermore, you could
not get me to swear that this one is a coincidence.

Hayim Hendeles
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: jgoldber@todah.chem.utoronto.ca (Joel Goldberg)
Subject: Re: Dvar Torah -- Parshas Ki Tetze -- Rabbi Alter -- Yeshiva Migdal Torah
Organization: University of Toronto Chemistry Department
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:45:06 GMT

In article <KRULWICH.92Sep8112634@zowie.ils.nwu.edu> Dov (Bruce) Krulwich <krulwich@ils.nwu.edu> writes:
>    Parshas Ki Tetze 5750    Yeshiva Migdal Torah      Rabbi Avrohom Alter
>               In discussing this process, the Torah uses two different words
>to discuss desires, "chashak" and "chofetz."  On the battlefield the soldier
>feels chashak, and later at home he does not feel chafetz.  What is the
>difference between the two forms of desire?
>                                              [Gen 34:8].  Rashi comments on
>the word "desirous," chashak, and explains that it means chafatz.
>
>This is the righteous desire meant by chashak.  To this Rashi says no, Shechem
>is not feeling chashak, but is rather feeling chafetz, a basic animal desire.
>
>This distinction between the righteous desire of chashak and the animal desire
>of chafetz applies in our parsha, in the discussion of eshes yefas toar.

   Tehillim 34:13  "Mi ha'ish hechafetz chaim, ohev yamim lirot tov."

   Something doesn't seem right with this, somehow.

   In fact, now that I think about it, I would darshen it exactly the
   opposite. What the soldier feels on the battlefield is simply
   lust, cheshek. Afterwards, when the woman has lost her looks, the
   only attraction she can have is of the "inner qualities." If the
   soldier is not attracted--does not have the requisite chafetz--then
   he releases her etc.

   Modern usage uses cheshek for simple desires too, mitchashek li etc.

   Joel "chefetz chashud" Goldberg.
From: tubis@cs.purdue.EDU (Charlotte I. Tubis)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Hebrew Calendar for next year
Keywords: calendar
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:24:35 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University

I would appreciate it if someone would post a Hebrew calendar
for the next year in the format of the UNIX calendar program.

Thanks,
Charlotte


Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: edelheit@smiley.mitre.org (Jeff Edelheit)
Subject: Re: Bingo
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 21:35:21 GMT

In article <89006@netnews.upenn.edu> weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:
>
>Just how widespread is Jewish Bingo?
>-- 

My conservative schul had a Sunday night Bingo game for many years.
While it was netting ~$20,000/year, we stopped it when we couldn't get
congregants to work it.

Jeff Edelheit		email:  edelheit@mitre.org
The MITRE Corporation	voice:  (703) 883-7586
7525 Colshire Drive	FAX:	(703) 883-1397
McLean, VA   22102
From: naturman@uctvax.uct.ac.za
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Saddam = Amalek via gematria
Date: 15 Sep 92 16:39:45 +0200
Keywords: gematria
Organization: University of Cape Town

Has anyone heard this before. If you apply gematria to SADDAM HUSSEIN you
get the same total as for AMALEK.

S (samekh) 60        ` (ayin)   70
A (aleph)   1        M (mem)    40
D (daleth)  4        L (lamed)  30
A (aleph)   1        Q (quph)  100
M (mem)    40                  ---
                               240
H (heth)    8
U (vav)     6
S (samekh) 60
Y (yud)    10
N (nun)    50
          ---
          240


My personal opinion on gematria is that it is a lot of fun but that not too
much should be read into it. It simply proves how often coincidences occur.
Similarly for terumah and notarikon. e.g. the last letter of the Torah is
lamed and the first letter is beth which when put together spells "lev" = heart
but if you in fact put them together in the correct order you get "bull"!
 

*****************************************************************************
* Baby Doc Naturman                                                         *
* USS Enterprise                           "It's life Jim,                  *
* Final Frontier                                  but not as we know it."   *
* naturman@uctvax.uct.ac.za                                                 *
*                                                       Spock of Vulcan     *
*****************************************************************************
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,soc.culture.polish
From: skow@cs.utwente.nl (Jacek Skowronek)
Subject: Re: Nazi camps
Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 13:59:23 GMT

In article <Aef9xnW00WB6IqTUUK@andrew.cmu.edu>, re0x+@andrew.cmu.edu (Radu Eugen Edelstein) writes:
|
|> Their success in practically creating a nation of antisemites is easy
|> to understand: the uneducated Pole who believed in the Church and its
|> authority even more than in that of the Polish rulers was the perfect
|> material.  Over generations, the myths they were told by their Catholic
|> priest have transformed themselves into "facts".  To this day the
|> Poles keep with them that legacy.

I am not keeping this legacy. I am ashamed of it. I detest it with all my 
mind and heart. Every time I hear something offensive to Jews, I speak up.  

|> There is only one way to change this, and that is that the maker be
|> the breaker.  The Chatolic Church is still the most influential
|> institution in Poland.

It is among thugs and uneducated masses. Educated people either do go to church
and do not listen to lies, or do not go at all.
 
|> Rad

By the way, there is no sense saying that our Jewish friends are wrong when
they say Poland is antisemtic. I think we should prove the contrary by our own
saying and deeds.

Jacek
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacek Skowronek				e-mail: <skow@cs.utwente.nl>
Departament of Computer Science
Twente University
Enschede, The Netherlands
From: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Yom Kippur and Tu b'Av
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:16:34 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <goldberg.715805112@techunix.technion.ac.il> goldberg@techunix.technion.ac.il (Jacques Goldberg) writes:
>dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap) writes:
>>Of course, I can't imagine how anyone can celebrate after a 24 hour
>>fast!
>
> How can one celebrate after a 24 hours fast? At least as easily as one
>celebrates  Israel's independence right after 24 hours of remembrance
>of those who paid for it with their lives. Which, for a Jew, is no problem
>since we just do not yield (except to The King of all kings): when sorrow
>as well as happiness come from understanding, switching by command becomes
>natural.

I've no problem with that.  I just find it incredible that after
fasting for 24 hours, that one could have the strength to celebrate.
I usually find it hard to remain standing all through Ne'ila!  Then
again, maybe I'm just not as (physically) strong as the majority.

It's not the mood-shift, but the level of activity on a very empty
stomach.  Of course, the celebration probably took place after a meal
and a rest...


-- 
   |)  David Charlap           "TELEPHONE, n.  An Invention of the devil which
  /|_  dic5340@hertz.njit.edu   abrogates some of the advantages of making a
 ((|,)                          disagreeable person keep his distance."
  ~|~                              --- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Violent antisemitism?
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 18:46:06 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)


As a piece of episodic evidence showing how some Jews felt about
Poles, in the 1940's I lived in Hartford, Connecticut, which had a
large Polish population. I'll never forget my father (an educated man
with a Ph.D., who was born in an area then in Poland, though it had
gone back and forth and was also in Austria for a time), once saying
to me, as we passed a Polish Social Hall, "Scratch a Pole and you'll
find an anti-semite."

David
From: levene@aplpy.jhuapl.edu (Robert A. Levene)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Theme bar/batmitzvahs
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:33:16 GMT
Organization: Johns Hopkins University

In article <frank2.3@underdog.ee.wits.ac.za>
frank2@underdog.ee.wits.ac.za (FRANK D N) writes:

> An alarming trend has developed in the Jewish community in 
> South Africa.  Not only are inordinate amounts of money being spent on 
> batmitzvah and barmitzvah receptions, but they now frequently have themes. 
> Decorations, invitations, food and speeches revolve around themes such as 
> Disney, space, chess, etc. There appears to be little awareness of the 
> mitzvah itself.

You left out the ice sculpture, hokey-pokey/alley-cat, memory glass, and
seedy disk jockey blasting "Celebration," "New York, New York,"
and "Can't Smile Without You."

As the saying goes, "too much bar, too little mitzvah."


> Is this something we have imported from elsewhere, or can we claim the 
> questionable honour of having developed this all by ourselves?

I believe it's a North American invention, one of the hallmarks
of well-to-do suburban Jewish communities.


The overdone party often marks the end of the child's Jewish
education, if not the entire reason for it, and the beginning of his
or her assimilation into secular high school teenage life.  It's
essentially a Jewish "debutante" party.

R' Meir Kahane's (HYD) '77 book _Why be Jewish?_ takes aim with both
barrels at this type of culture.  Didn't an ostentatious Bar Mitzvah
scene figure prominently in the film _The Apprenticeship of Duddy
Kravitz_, also described in _The Big Book of Jewish Humor_?

Other Bar-Mitzvah-party legends involve rich families renting
sports arenas, hiring pop music stars to entertain, flying the
guests to some vacation spot, and similar humble gestures which
surely endear us to the goyim to no end.

Nowadays, a popular alternative is to sponsor a fairly fancy kiddush
or seudah shlishis for the community in honor of the bar mitzvah boy,
and forgo the big party entirely.  The money saved is then put to 
good use, or later squandered on overpriced aufruf parties and
wedding receptions.

In some close-knit communities, the leadership enforces guidelines to
keep celebrations modest.  Perhaps S.A. could enforce guidelines
before things get out of hand, and encourage people to direct
resources to more worthy causes, of which there are plenty 
nowadays.

Rob
--
Robert A. Levene     Internet: levene@aplpy.jhuapl.edu
  "/  //  / /"         Bitnet:   RXL1@APLVM
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)
Subject: Re: Blowing The Shofar At Home During Elul
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <gertler@ptms_dev.sbi.com (User - Don Gertler)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 15:06:00 GMT

jpw@minerva.ece.drexel.edu (Joseph Wetstein) writes:
>Since when is blowing Shofar during Elul a mitzvah? One does not make
>a bracha, there is no *required* shiur.

Is this required of all mitzvot?  What is the bracha or shi`ur for
kibud av ve'em?  What likhvod shabbat?

I'm not arguing that shofar in Elul is a mitzva.  I just have a
problem with your criteria.

-Don Gertler
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: More mitzvos?
Date: 10 Sep 92 13:12:00 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)

In article <1992Sep9.201425.16593@njitgw.njit.edu>, dic5340@hertz (David Charlap) writes:
>And what's wrong with Chassidut?  Don't condemn them because they wear
>black clothing and observe more Mitzvot than you do (probably).

But it's forbidden to observe more mitzvot than the taryag.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Organization: Bar-Ilan University Computing Center, Israel
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 08:28:05 IST
From: <SHLOMIT@BARILVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: apartment for rent in Jerusalem

3 room apartment for rent in Jerusalem, fully furnished

Contact : bitnet address : SHLOMIT at BARILVM

          Phone number at home (evening) : 03-454766
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish