13
votes
Rav Moshe Feinstein's opinion on the State of Israel
Interesting question and it is true that artscroll's biography of R Moshe Feinstein doesn't address the question explicitly.
Here are a few relevant statements showing R Moshe's position. From the ...
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12
votes
Accepted
Can Jews be rulers of countries other than Israel?
Brachos 58a says that upon seeing a "melech Yisrael", one recites the blessing:
Baruch ... SheChalak MiKvodo Lirei'av.
Bless You God, who apportioned from Your honor to those who fear you!
...
- 129k
10
votes
Rav Moshe Feinstein's opinion on the State of Israel
Need to provide sources, but on one foot, I think the best way to describe his position was: "a convenient distance." Zionism wasn't Rav Moshe's raison d'etre; neither was anti-Zionism. When you're ...
- 129k
9
votes
Who recognizes Yom HaShoah?
Presenting a strictly Chareidi point of view on this site is like walking into a minefield, but here goes.
There were definitely religious leaders who were against instituting a special day to ...
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7
votes
Who recognizes Yom HaShoah?
Wikipedia deals with the question:
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, in 1949, under the guidance of Ben-Zion
Meir Hai Uziel and Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, decided that the Tenth of
Tevet should be the ...
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7
votes
Accepted
Did the state of Israel fulfill ancient prophecy?
There are numerous prophecies about the Messianic era and they are generally viewed together as a "single package". As such, Orthodox Judaism is hesitant to declare a single prophecy of that package ...
- 7,363
7
votes
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Are Jews Inherently Politically Liberal?
The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (5/13) states succinctly, "One who says, 'that which is mine, is yours and that which is yours, is mine,' is an Am haAretz." Sharing everything (by edict..."What is yours IS ...
6
votes
Can a Woman be a Shul President? How about a member of Knesset?
Most halakhic discussions on the topic start with the Rambam in MT Melachim 1:5 (quoted above in comments)
We may not appoint a woman as king. When describing the monarchy, the
Torah employs the ...
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6
votes
Rabbis and Politics
Shortly before the year 70, Jerusalem was surrounded by Roman troops. Raban Yochanan ben Zakai attempted to negotiate a surrender with the Romans. He recognized there was no realistic outcome in which ...
- 129k
6
votes
Did the state of Israel fulfill ancient prophecy?
While the verse cited does predict a return of the Jews to the land of Israel it also includes details which have not yet been realized. The return of large numbers of Jews to Israel and an ...
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6
votes
Accepted
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's trip to Moscow on Shabbat to meet Putin
Short answer: there is a great deal of leeway when we're dealing with this scale of life. (Shabbos 42a talks about "so the public won't be damaged.") When Bennett began his term a while ago, ...
- 129k
5
votes
Can Jews be rulers of countries other than Israel?
Consider the medrash that Moshe Rabbeinu was the king of Ethiopia. If you want to say that since it was before Sinai, it would not apply, consider the Khazars where the king and nobility appear to ...
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5
votes
Punishment for mesirah
In general, the concept of "mesirah" is not "giving over a Jewish person to law enforcement" as much as giving an innocent person over to a ruthless, corrupt, and brutal power. See e.g. Rabbi Yitzchok ...
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5
votes
Are Jews Inherently Politically Liberal?
Jews come in all shapes and sizes, and that includes the political spectrum.
Here in Canada, we're currently in the final run of an election cycle, and when it comes to marketing to the Jewish ...
- 141
5
votes
Can someone help translate this Trumas HaDeshen?
"However, I have seen many times that some of the people who gather together to discuss these things don't enjoy the long talks about it, they are just doing it to please their friends who are ...
- 5,335
4
votes
Books on Politics
The Derashot Ha-Ran (no. 11) has a famous discussion of the two types of government in the Torah; in general the Abarbanel's commentary on Tanakh contains many important discussions of political ideas ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Does the rule in Pirkei Avot 3:2 apply to evil governments?
Rav Chanania lived during the time of the Roman Empire and it was referred to as "the Evil Empire". In spite of that, the point that he was making was that any government no matter how tyrannical ...
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4
votes
Is a Jew allowed to be the President of the United States?
As far as I’m aware, there’s no specific prohibition against a Jew being head of a foreign state. As noted in the comments, we have somewhat of a historical precedent in the form of Yosef, Mordechai, ...
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4
votes
Does Jews for Judaism have disputed ideas or could it be distributed to christians to enrich their knowledge?
Its a kosher frum organization if that's what you're wondering, Rabbi Skobac (Jews for Judaism Canada) is a great source for Jewish wisdom. I personally know a non-jew who became a ben noach (a ...
- 648
3
votes
Is breaking the law in the United States considered rebelling against the nations in the exile (i.e. three oaths)?
The Maharal in Chiddushei Agados on Kesuvos (111b ד"ה שבועות הללו) says the oaths were not oaths, but rather decrees meant to ensure that the Jewish People remained in Exile, so much so that even if ...
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3
votes
Why, how, and when the switch from "הנותן תשועה למלכים" to "אבינו שבשמים"?
The prayer was instituted in 1948 by the Sephardic and Ashkenazic Chief Rabbis of the newly formed State of Israel, respectively Rabbis Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog. The prayer ...
- 73
3
votes
Accepted
Can a Jew work for a gentile government?
It is hard to prove the negative, but there does not appear to be any blanket prohibition. Indeed, Hasdai ibn Shaprut was physician and unofficial vizier to Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III. R. Shmuel ...
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3
votes
Would the President of the United States have to put mezuzot on the doors of the White House?
See Shulkan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 286:1,23, and perushim there.
The dwelling place of a Jew requires a mezuzah.[286:1] A dwelling rented by a Jew from a gentile, requires a mezuzah.[286:33] It is ...
- 398
2
votes
What are we supposed to do with idolatry in Israel?
As far as what the modern State of Israel should do, this was addressed at length by its first Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yitzchak Isaac Herzog. Broadly speaking, he felt that in a democratic state there ...
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2
votes
What are we supposed to do with idolatry in Israel?
Destroy the idols - "pursue avodah zarah and get rid of it from the entire Eretz Yisroel" - Rambam, Hilchos Avodah Zarah 7:2.
Not allow the idolaters to live there - ibid. 10:6.
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2
votes
How far does dina demalchusa dina go?
The Chazon Ish writes in חושן משפט ליקוטים סימן ט"ז אות ט:
והנה כתבו ראשונים ז"ל שאין גזלנותא דמלכותא דין, דמלחמה הותרה לו לפעמים אבל גזלנותא במדינתו לא הותרה, והלכך חק שהוא עושה הוא בכלל ...
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2
votes
Rav Moshe Feinstein's opinion on the State of Israel
BezH I wrote an extensive article regarding R. Moshe Feinstein's relationship with the State of Israel (including many previously unknown sources), and how it changed over the years to be more ...
- 61
2
votes
Is one allowed to vote for an election candidate during chol hamoed?
There are important elections now in Baltimore, and the local Rabbonim are encouraging voting on Chol Hamoed (if one wasn't able to utilize early voting, obviously) due to it being a tzorech for the ...
- 155
2
votes
Accepted
May one protest on Shabbat?
The issue would be one of וְדַבֵּר דָּבָר - not talking unnecessary things on Shabbat. The Remo, however, allows one to chat if one enjoys chatting. (I assume chanting slogans should be no different.)
...
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2
votes
Can a female convert hold a position of communal authority over women?
The emphasis of the Rambam in your citation is not about being in a position of communal authority. It is about being the head of the community, meaning the one who determines policy and direction ...
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