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Showing posts from November, 2013

Of Making Many Books

And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end (Ecclesiastes 12:12) A pdf version of this essay  can be downloaded here [*] Years in brackets refer to an individual’s or book author’s year of birth Thought experiment for the day: Anyone born 1945 would be pushing towards 80 and mostly past their prime. So name any Charedi sefer written by someone born post war that has or is likely to enter the canon, be it haloche, lomdus, al hatorah or mussar. Single one will do for now — IfYouTickleUs (@ifyoutickleus) July 27, 2022 A tweet in the summer which gained some traction asked for a book by an author born from 1945 onwards that has entered the Torah and rabbinic canon or is heading in that direction. I didn't exactly phrase it this way and some quibbled about 'canonisation'. The word does indeed have a precise meaning though in its popular use it has no narrow definition. Canonisation, or ‘entering the canon’ is generally understood to

Rejoice! Rejoice!

For the unprecedented denouncement by five rabbis of a former colleague not being 'fit and proper to act in any Rabbinic capacity'. For the silence and shame of the victims For the rabbi who acted more like a clown than a town rov For the Rabbinate that allowed women to continue visiting an alleged molester despite first hand knowledge of the allegations For our rotten and corrupt lay leaders, not a single one of whom has taken any responsibility For the organisation that calls for the boycott of a local black tailor but remains silent on far worse allegations against a white-socked rabbi For the numerous notices by the UOHC modesty squad but none for its barely publicised child ‘protection’ line For the rabbi who is concerned with women kissing a Sefer Torah but covers up allegations of a rabbi doing far worse to women For the rabbis summonsing the town to anti-internet offensives while doing nothing on allegations of lewd rabbinical emails and texts For the

Wall of Separation

28 Marcheshvan 5774 [1 November 2013] It is now several generations that Chareidi Jewry in all their dwelling places under the leadership of our great rabbis of yore proclaimed a war against the reformers who uproot the religion. Here too in London Chareidi rabbis have unanimously agreed that we have no connection, association or dealings with them in any form. And so how astounded have we been that of late this wall of separation has been breached, for there are rabbis who permit themselves to appear on a platform called "Limmud" where the reformers also preach. The pain is great for who can foretell the outcome. It will appear in the eyes of the masses that it is permitted to hear sermons also from the reformers, God forbid. There are also tidings that there are places of worship/frivolity (pun of tfila/tifla ) that when the Sefer Torah is brought out they offer the Sefer Torah to the women's section so that they too can kiss the Sefer Torah. There a