6
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Seeking Sources on Living Piously in a Secular World
Neither were Abraham, the holy matriarchs, Josef, Jethro, and even Mosses brought up in the best of surroundings, and the Midrash even says that Abraham worshiped idols in his youth, yet heaven ...
- 3,357
5
votes
Accepted
Seeking Sources on Living Piously in a Secular World
Repentance is the biggest cleanser of the soul; and there is no sin that can't be forgiven, if a person truly repents.
The first step of repentance; is regret, which you've amply expressed.
The second ...
- 5,212
4
votes
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Is it required for observant Jews to not associate with one who has rejected Judaism?
Far from it.
There is a commandment to love your fellow as yourself (Vayikra 19:18). There is also a concept of responsibility for another Jew ("kol Israel areivim zelaze", see Shevuot 39a and here ...
- 54.1k
4
votes
Is it okay to read the newspaper?
I thought you might be interested in this interview with R Moshe Tendler, the son-in-law of R Moshe Feinstein, where he says that, not only was RMF reading newspapers every day, but it was actually ...
- 54.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Is taarof allowed?
Welcome to complex Middle Eastern cultures!
Shulchan Aruch says almost this verbatim if you're asked to be chazan -- you're supposed to decline the first two times, then only take them up on the third ...
- 136k
4
votes
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Can a Frum person attend Limmud
The mainstream position of Orthodox Rabbanim in the UK has consistently been not to attend Limmud, or any other pluralistic platform that undermines the foundational tenets of Orthodoxy.
When Rabbi ...
- 11.2k
3
votes
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Taking advantage of cultural customs: Stealing or not?
In general, the concept of דברים שבלב אינם דברים (see Kiddushin 48b) dictates that if one verbally expresses his participation in a legal or halachic process, it is legally binding even if one didn't ...
- 11.2k
3
votes
Can a Frum person attend Limmud
An eloquent presentation of the argument is found here where it writes:
...Limmud is pluralist. Speakers from Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and other backgrounds are presented on an equal footing. ...
- 34.5k
3
votes
How should a Jewish person respond to antisemitism?
On a spiritual level, the Rabbis tell us that anti-semitism is caused by our actions- that is, by our failure to keep the mitzvot. It is often said in the name of Rav Chaim Volozhin that “If the Jew ...
- 5,437
3
votes
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Do the various sects of Judaism reflect differing national or cultural backgrounds?
Jews who came from Muslim lands tend to keep kosher, even if they're not super-affiliated. (There wasn't much more to eat in their Muslim surroundings.) This is why Paris has more kosher restaurants ...
- 136k
3
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Why did Rav Shach zt"l say that it's apikorsus to study history?
This opinion of Rav Shach is undoubtedly stemming from the Bartenura in Sanhedrin in the beginning of Chelek. He say included in sefarim chitzonim are history books of nations who are idol worshipers....
- 34.1k
3
votes
Extended Kaddish for a Non-Shomer Shabbos Jew
The reason for the twelve months for someone who is not shomer shabbat is because the maximum time for a rasha is 12 months. That is, someone who deliberately refuses to keep shabbos or deliberately ...
- 43.5k
2
votes
Accepted
Is studying Greek culture a sin?
The Gemara in Chagiga 15b asks why did Elisha ben Avuya (aka. Acher) go bad. The Gemara answers that Greek songs never ceased from his mouth,and that when he would get up to leave the bais medrash ...
- 42.7k
1
vote
How should a Jewish person respond to antisemitism?
I agree with @robev. Chazal advises us not to flaunt our blessings to avoid the envy and jealousy that cause antisemitism. They are tied to this line in Torah:
When Jacob saw that there was grain ...
- 23.7k
1
vote
Is basing one’s self worth on his achievements a Jewish idea?
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in his book Gateway to Happiness deals with this issue at length and brings dozens of sources in Ch. 6. The tl;dr version is that every human being is created in the image of G-d ...
- 9,657
1
vote
Is basing one’s self worth on his achievements a Jewish idea?
It would appear that Judaism believes it is possible for a person to be not-OK (a rasha) and it is also possible for a person to be very OK (a tzadik).
However, importantly, that which makes you not-...
- 2,013
1
vote
English phrase for "behatzlacha"
When speaking in English, I would say:
I wish you much success
- 5,212
1
vote
What is the recommended approach towards balancing religious and non-religious studies?
Rambam Hilchot Talmud Tora, chapter 1, halacha 12.
א,יב כיצד: היה בעל אומנות--יהיה עוסק במלאכה שלוש שעות ביום, ובתורה תשע: אותן התשע--קורא בשלוש מהן, בתורה שבכתב; ובשלוש, בתורה שבעל פה; ובשלוש, ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
Is it okay to read the newspaper?
R. Yisrael Meir Kagan (the "Chafetz Chaim") argues very strongly against reading newspapers. He objects to them because they are responsible for hundreds of lost hours of Torah study, and ...
- 50.3k
1
vote
Does Judaism encourage secular learning?
Of course!
Genesis 1:26 states,
“Let us make man in our demut." Verse 1:27 relates that “G-d made man
in His tzelem, in the tzelem of G-d, He made him.”
Thus, people are made in the image of G-...
- 719
1
vote
Is it allright to use/wave the Argentinian flag?
When an idolatrous cult is over you are free to go into its former temples, posess any objects that were formerly used in the cult, use symbols that were formerly associated with that cult. There are ...
- 21
1
vote
Accepted
Secular Names for Days of the Week
Because of the OP's concern, the Pri Megadim actually writes that one should not use the Yiddish names for the days of the week, but this ruling does not seem to be followed. In truth, as other ...
- 6,033
1
vote
Is it okay to read the newspaper?
Rav Aharon Feldman shlit"a told us that a person is obligated to know what is going on in the world. However, he said headlines suffice. Yeshiva policy (at least in my time) was to allow WSJ. ...
- 9,657
1
vote
Is it okay to read the newspaper?
Ralbag says that we learn from Mordechai that folks need to keep up with the news
רלב"ג תועלות אסתר ד':א'
התועלת העשרים ושבעה הוא להודיע שראוי לאדם לחקור בעניינים המתחדשים לפי מה שאפשר כדי שיקח ...
- 4,075
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