The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

Judaism

What Qualities Should a Rabbi Have?

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In a post that is already buried on the page I made the following remarks:

In fact I suspect that if you conducted a survey of traits required to become a rabbi piety and devotion might not even make the top of the list. Right up there at the top would be stories and story telling. Just for kicks I’ll address that question to several of the blogging rabbis:

Rav Fleischmann, RWAC, Fly Fishing Rabbi, Rabbi Sedley and any other rav who wishes to answer. I look forward to your replies.

(I’ll have some remarks about what qualities I think are most important at the bottom of the post.)

I am pleased to say that there are a number of responses that are worth looking at, or should I say all of them are. This is the kind of interaction that I appreciate about the blogging world. As I have mentioned before every now and then I have an interest/urge to go get smicha. I haven’t spent as much time exploring it as I probably should. I suppose that you could say that it is because I am not really interested or because I am and am afraid of it.

Really it doesn’t have to be an answer that is relegated to the either/or pile. There are shades of gray. I suspect that one of the reasons is that I find davening to be so darn challenging. Some days I am completely engrossed and others it is the furthest thing in my mind.

I know for certain that part of it is because the title brings a lot of expectations along with it and I am not sure that I am willing to wear that mantle. This is why I consider the qualities a rav should have because it helps to define what sort I would want to be.

I have experience working at several shuls. I know the politics. I hear the stories that my friends tell me (did I mention that I know many rabbis) and it doesn’t excite me. I don’t care what denomination you are, we all share certain things in common and politics is right up there.

As a result of all this I have kind of placed getting smicha on the back burner…for now. I am still young. I don’t see a need to rush. I know myself well enough to know that if I want to do it, I will.

If I were to become a rabbi I think that this is the kind of rabbi I’d want to be. A good listener. A great storyteller. Worldly and knowledgeable about life and Judaism so that I could provide solid, well thought out answers. Warm and friendly, so that people would feel comfortable sharing their thoughts/problems with me.

That is the rough outline and obviously it is subject to modification. More on this at a later date.

Some Masada remains questioned

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MASADA, Israel – An Israeli anthropologist is using modern forensics and an obscure biblical passage to challenge accepted wisdom about mysterious human remains found at Masada, the desert fortress famous as the scene of a mass suicide nearly 2,000 years ago.

A new research paper published Friday takes another look at the remains of three people found at the site and given a state burial by Israel as Jewish heroes. The remains, the study says, could actually be those of the Jews’ Roman enemies.

The remains of two male skeletons and a full head of woman’s hair, including two braids, were found in a bathhouse by archaeologists in the 1960s. They were long thought to belong to a family of Zealots, the fanatic Jewish rebels said to have killed themselves rather than fall into Roman slavery in A.D. 73, a story that plays an important role in Israel’s national mythology.

The bathhouse remains became a key part of the site’s story. Yigael Yadin, the renowned Israeli archaeologist in charge of the first dig, thought they illustrated the historical account of Zealot men killing their wives and children and then themselves before Roman legionnaires breached Masada’s defenses.

Upon finding the remains, the crew “relived the final and most tragic moments of the drama at Masada,” Yadin wrote in his book documenting the dig, mentioning that the woman’s “dark hair, beautifully plaited, looked as if it had just been freshly coiffeured.”

“There could be no doubt that what our eyes beheld were the remains of some of the defenders of Masada,” he wrote.

Along with other bodies found at Masada, the remains were recognized as those of Jewish heroes by Israel’s government in 1969 and given a state burial, complete with Israeli soldiers carrying flag-draped coffins.

But anthropologist Joe Zias and forensics expert Azriel Gorski write in a paper in the June issue of the journal Near Eastern Archaeology that the remains buried with honors may not have been those of Jews at all, but of Romans.

For the full story please click here.

Haveil Havalim #121- Thank Your Father Edition

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And he said, “Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love,
A secret that my daddy said was just between us.”
He said, “Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.
It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen.”
George Strait

Welcome to the June 17, 2007 edition of Haveil Havalim. It is Father’s Day so you’ll have to indulge me as I jump in with links to two of my own posts called A Father’s Day Post and Father’s Love Their Daddies Too.

For many reasons it has been a particularly difficult week so I apologize that this edition is not up to snuff. But per my own father’s guidance I have given it my best effort. Sometimes that is all you can do.

And now on to the show:

As our opening act I offer for your consumption Question & Answer With MoChassid – Are You A Good Father? To which I add my own question. At what point do we make our analysis of our performance as fathers. Do we have an annual review. Should there be some sort of report card. Ok, it is a bit tongue in cheek, but still I wonder about this kind of stuff. It is good blog fodder.

Judaism

Frum With Questions presents How many Rabbits does it take to make a black hat?
Sometimes Rafi wonders how honest are we really? Orieyenta reminds us that Jews Come in All Colors.

Fortunately I have never suffered from Simcha Blisters. Cosmic X presents The Joy Of Doing A Mitzvah. Nuch Epes Ah Chosid presents Hut Bitachon. Vet Alles Zein Gut – (Have belief everything will be ok)

Ari’s blog presents Are Out-Of-Town Communities Viable? Yitzchak Goodman presents The Clearance Sale on Silver Linings. Avrohom offered PILEGESH – Yevamos 37 – Daf Yomi and Dixie Yid presents Chochma vs. Bina – Practical Manifestations.

Dag presents Standards for Jewish schools and organizations. A Simple Jew presents Theft Or Tax Evasion? – Getting To Bottom Of A Chassidic Story. Malachi Rothschild presents When Relevance Trumps Tradition.

Every now and then we all wish we had superpowers. Maybe that is why Mom blogged about The truth about the Jewish superwoman. I think that this would make a great name for a band: Ten Minutes A Day For Tikkun Olam With “The Five Tibetans.”

I don’t know, maybe we should ask the guy who wrote Jewish Music Insider: Shwekey: Sibling Rivalry?

A lack of sleep might make you Babel Brained and Bobble Headed by: Schvach Yid. Someone once told me that California would be the setting for a modern version of Korach. Muse has her own thoughts Korach, a Kadima kind of Guy.

Jewish Atheist provides an explanation called Why We Leave Orthodoxy. Maybe he just wanted to Upgrade to Cohen. If nothing else we know that he escaped the Yeshiva life. The title of this next post just begs you to read it. I’m an Orthodox Jew, my brother-in-law is a Fundamentalist Christian – Shawarma brought us together

Mark Freedman, MD presents A CUT BELOW posted at Bunk.

Israel

Soccer Dad presents The Endless Car Chase. muse presents Yoni’s Photos of the pilgrimage to the graves of Yehoshua Bin Nun & Calev Ben Yfune and HOMELESS in Jerusalem!

Yid With Lid offered Barak, Peres and Olmert, the Trifecta of Israeli Disasters and Palestinians Finally Support a Two State Solution.

I thought that the X-Ray machine is supposed to help prevent terror attacks. Elder of Ziyon blogged about The Calm in Gaza. The good people went to visit Arafat’s old homestead. Meryl covered that little ditty here.

Solomonia covered the chaos in Gaza too. Gail has a good cartoon about the situation.

Gilad Shalit is not forgotten as Olah Chadasha presents One Year Since You Been Gone. Israel Matzav blogged about this too Gilad Shalit’s kidnappers, murderers of Americans on ‘Palestinian Authority’ payroll.

Ben-Yehudah presents Peres wins Presidency and The S’deroth Conspiracy. Speaking of Peres here is Israel’s new President – in his own words.

The title of this next post reminds me of the old movie Poltergeist. They’re Still Here. Muse presents Nothing exciting can be good news! posted at Shiloh Musings.

Friar Yid presents Hamastan Good for the Jews? Not likely. Daled Amos offered his thoughts here.

SnoopyTheGoon presents Now for some carefully expressed glee and What a punch line!

Bookworm provided a link to a Must See Internet Slideshow and Has Israel got the Palestinians where it wants them?

Daniel Pipes wrote about The Soviets Six-Day War.

Assorted Topics and Miscellanea:

Here is an example of a real mensch. Me-Ander came face to face with…. a famous jblogger. This next post is heart wrenching. I still love you more than life itself…

Ocean Guy discussed War With Iran. Jameel offered a post about this too. Robert Avrech offered Home and Tolerance In Indonesia.

Some would say that What Was Lost Might Yet Be Found. Or perhaps Lost and Found is the way to go.

And now it is time for an Announcement & Blog FAQS. What were you doing Ten Years Ago.
Have you ever met Flat Shloimie?

Ezzie blogged about cleveland winning the championship. It was a tremendous victory.

Jewlicious found a boy who doesn’t have a career in singing, perhaps performance art. Perhaps you’d be interested in seeing Homer versus the Golem. Irina presents In Which I See a Painfully Familiar Face.

Where Would You Honeymoon? After 30 years do they still remember their honeymoon. Go say Mazal Tov to Shira. Do the same for Psychotoddler. Is it just me or does he look like a baby in those pictures. Whoa. At least we know that in Mrs. B he didn’t make a poor choice.

The Second To Last Day Of School used to make me crazy. I couldn’t wait for vacation and the opportunity to go to a Summerfest. Or maybe I’d attend a blogger meet and greet. It is a Roomba not a Rhumba.

Call me crazy but I think that there just might be a problem with stealing home in the holyland. I also wonder Have You Made Friends Through Blogging?

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of haveil havalim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

P.S. This may be updated throughout the day so be sure to check back in and don’t forget to help promote this on your own blogs.

Japanese Priest Makes Aliyah

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YNET has an interesting story, or should I say video. Here is a snippet of text from YNET about the priest-turned-rabbi.

Rabbi Moshe Hatori is a learned scholar from Jerusalem who dedicates most of his time to studying Torah. Only few people know that the Japanese-born convert, who is an expert on the writings of the Vilna Gaon, used to be a priest and the head of a Christian congregating in Japan less than 20 years ago.

For many years, Hatori led a double life as a Christian pastor who observed Torah and mitzvot in secret. On Friday evenings, his wife would bake challot and he would say Kiddush, and on Saturday the couple would refrain from working. After havdalah on motzei Shabbat, Hatori would rush to prepare his church sermon for Sunday.

Haveil Havalim- The Plain Edition

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Who would have ever thunk a drive-in in Buffalo would be the headquarters for the 117th edition of Haveil Havalim. I suppose that using a drive-in dates me. It is probably a good 15 years since I last went to a movie at a drive-in.

Of course some of you come from homes in which you have never been to a movie in a theater let alone a private car or truck. They were fun, drive-in’s that is. So maybe we should switch modes and move to something a little more modern such as this little doohickey below.

Go out and buy more Ipods. It will help keep Apple stock up and in turn you’ll help keep a smile on Avrech’s face, not to mention the good old Psycho Toddler who only recently joined the rest of us in using 21st century devices. 😉 Anyway, you’ll have to put up with one more comment or two from me. This is approximately the seventh time that I have hosted Haveil Havalim. I have never seen as big a response as I did this time. I easily received more than 130 submissions. Of course some of you sent me seven or eight submissions from your own blog. My apologies for not being able to use all of them.

One more special request. It would be greatly appreciated if you could link to this post on your blogs. The more exposure that HH receives the better.

And now on to our carnival. My apologies if it is not organized as well as it could be, it was a busy week.

World

Simply Jews blogged about the Iranian arrest of a US citizen. Liorah writes that Pakistan may ignite a war. Jihadists continue to use technology to promote their cause. At Jihad Watch there is a discussion about The Islamist’s War. Yid With Lid says The Muslim American Society Promotes Terror. Welcome To American Idol “Jihad Edition.”

Over at Slightly Mad there is a list of fine restaurants to eat at. Fiery Spirited Zionist has an opinon on Why “palestine” should never come into existence. Solomonia reports Mubarak: Hamas will never sign a peace agreement with Israel.

According to Israel Matzav Arab countries despair seethe over ‘Palestinians‘. Carl also offered Gaza ‘Palestinians’ pray for ‘occupation‘. The Augean Stables offers As Palestinians Self-Destruct, They Blame Israel.

Over at Yoni The Blogger we learn that: U.S. Aired Nasrallah Speech Because No One Knew Arabic.

Dag shares memories of the Six Day war. Daled Amos shares 3 SOLDIERS FROM THE FAMOUS 6 DAY WAR PHOTO SPEAK. Sadly, no surprise here: Syria claims Eli Cohen’s grave is ‘inaccessible‘.

Judaism

Jerusalem Joe offers Why Women Are Exempt From Prayer In Judaism – A Jungian Explanation. Meryl received an email asking for help locating lost relatives. Chana needs the bracha for Mentos. Back of The Hill says Spoken Of In Daniel. Over at a Simple Jew there is a Guest Posting By Chabakuk Elisha – “Heimishe” Racism.

Drew Kaplan covered White Days. A Mother in Israel provided Tzniut/Modesty roundup–Lots of links.

Rabbi Sedley offers 29th Iyar – Tefillat HaShlah. RWAC discussed Platonic Relationships. Jerusalem Joe asks Is Your Jewish Mother A Maximizer, and What Can You Do About It?

What do you think: Har Ha-Bayit – yea or nay today?

TG discussed being an Informed Jew. Over at Frum Satire we learned that Fish a nightmare for the cholent fan. It is not a date without Funny Shidduch Stories.

Wolfish Musings asks What, Exactly, Is Expected Of Us? Ezzie provided a post on Jewish Economics. Did you know that everyone is a prophet these days.

Planck’s Constant offered Shavuot and a world without Jews. DovBear wrote about Arousal. What do you know about chalitza and chultza?

Over at Daf Notes you can find ONE THOUSANDTH POST – HEAVENLY VOICES – YEVAMOS 14 and Daf Yomi – Yevamos 15 – NEW RULINGS REGARDING A MIKVAH AND ERUV.

At Crossing the Rubicon you can read about Torah Portions and Nostalgia. Steg wonders Do I Need An Image-Adjustment? Over at My Obiter Dicta we found Ignorance and Hillul HaShem.

Gil Student adds his two cents to The Problem with Education Today.

Israel

Jerusalem for Every Jew is the title of a post at Frumhouse. Simply Jews blogged about “family relationships” with My brother, my enemy. Over at Oleh Musings you can find A Few Musings, Occasioned by Rockets. Guide To The Perplexed blogged about Ali Abunimah’s One Country.

Video of Jewish Children Running to Bomb Shelter During Attack Smooth covered Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day as did Treppenwitz and the Seawitch. Tsimcha.com covered it too with Yom Yerushalaim: A SECOND MATAN TORAH!

Esser Agaroth observed A Little Divine Displeasure Perhaps? At Freedom’s Choice you can find If I Forget Thee… A Very Personal Recollection. Miriam wonders if anyone remembers going to Israel with NCSY in ‘1975?

Am Echad asks Why were “Messianic Jews” marching in Jerusalem?

Akiva has some heartbreaking posts about the situation in Sderot here, here and here. Boker Tov Boulder blogged about the terrorist handbook. One Jerusalem has more about Sderot here. Meryl has her own round up about Sderot here. Joshuapundit blogged about this as well as did Aussie Dave and Yid With Lid. Rafi has his own thoughts and so does Joe Settler.

ISL presents Peter Principle Becomes Law of the Land in Israel. Sometimes a response is required as in Striking Back. Israpundit proffered Sderot-the next Yamit.

Seraphic Secret blogged about Fourth Generation Warfare. The Spine discussed Palestinian Unity. That leads us straight to Gaza Civil War Watch: 40 Dead in Factional Fighting. Or should we say Statehood Please.

Have you ever seen a tankless parade. I enjoyed reading about The Dancing Man. Backspin provided Understanding the Six Day War. Rafi went on an adventure.

Caught: One would-be assassin from Doctors Without Borders read all about it at BokerTov Boulder.

Have you ever been to Hamas Kindergarten. Elder of Ziyon presented The death of Oslo. Perhaps it is time to think about Life after the PA. Shiloh Musings says Hesder, the “Arrangement” is “cracking”.

And sometimes there are those One of those great, “only in Israel” experiences. Then again we have stories about drivers swerving around an injured motorcyclist. At the Muqata More Only in Israel…a picture.

Carl reminds us that Israel has more than one leader sleeping at the wheel and he asks Are Goldwasser and Regev dead? Yo Yenta is blogging about Oil Insanity.

This headline caught my eye: Holy stinky washing machine batman!

Over at Not a Fish we find: Best way to deal with British promoters of anti-Israel boycott… – Updated”

Politics

Cross Currents wishes that we Had More Harry Trumans. Over at Daled Amos The Media Has Spoken The C Word. One of these days I am going to have tune into that new show Lifestyles of The Rich and Terrorist.

MyRightWord wonders, if the Hamas are described as having a “military” wing, their wingers are still termed “militants”? Omri provided “International Boycott” Of Palestinians Actually Meant “Triple The Amount Of Aid”. Of Course It Did.

Judith found the last edition of HH to be incredibly geeky. Let’s hope that she like this one better. Here is the speech that George W. Bush should have given care of Kesher Talk. Some people question Yahoo!’s actions in removing a site.

Miscellaneous

The Waffle King wonders what comic book characters Jblogosphere denizens would be. Ra’anana Ramblings is cruising down Memory Lane.

Over at EllieTalk she wonders about the Deadliest Catch. This is not about boy bands. It is about Old kids on the block.

A Bisele Babka wants to know Who is Coming for Lunch. AbbaGav is on a half hiatus. Soccer Dad met the JIBs with Jabs.

Rav Fleischmann proclaims. I Love The Smell Of Blogging In The Morning. I wonder what that smells like.

Raggedy Mom is turning into her mother. You must read Aaron: Two Years Gone and The Book of Ben. Mottel discusses how people see others. You know Everyone Needs Therapy.

And now for poetry. My Life In Haiku.

How many people missed out on the Great Blogger Bash of ’07. Irina covered her summer plans. I don’t know about you but I miss having summers in which I could make summer plans.

Elisson wrote about the Combover Hassidim. Congratulate Ocean Guy on his blogiversary here.

Nobody Irons like Grandma. Jewish Atheist discussed Pleasure vs. Happiness.

And now I present the Milton Friedman Choir – The Corporation. What about Hot Guys- Frum v Non-frum.

Everyone should have this kind of love for their spouse, Robert: Not Too Normal.

What Makes a Mentch. Shoshana covered the story of an Israeli woman and the WNBA. Miss Worldwide had a close encounter of the Blogger Kind.

Pearl offers A Shout-Out to Blogland. KCC #18 is live.

A Whispering Soul is still MIA. Call me crazy but I think that he still might come back, or maybe he has under a new name. Looking for new digs try checking out Schvach.

And thus ends this edition of Haveil Havalim. As always credit for starting this goes to Soccer Dad.

Esser Agaroth will be hosting the next edition. Thanks again for playing.

P.S. This may be updated throughout the day so don’t be afraid to check back in.

Why We Fight

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Been visited by all sorts of trolls lately. You want to know why we fight. You want to know what makes us so tough is because we see what happens when we roll over and do nothing. We know that while the world may be full of good people, ultimately evil exists.

So we force ourselves to be painfully shocked out of sweet dreams so that we remember why we need maintain an iron will.

This doesn’t get any easier to watch. Take a deep breath and pray.