Man you've been busy in the last two posts! Excellent! Keep the Rav Working hard!!

:-)
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Thanks Rabbi! :-)
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Whoa... those two posts were my 501st & 502nd, didn't even realize that I passed the 500 mark, I guess I was lovin' answering the questions!!

500 posts and not on 'roids! 500 home runs doesn't mean what it used to... :-)

I guess I kinda just celebrated with a Tat Black Robusto from a 3 pack my friend gave me at the Pete Johnson event on LI. Delish! :-)
Pete was nice enough to kick me down a black-on-black Tatuaje baseball hat to go with my Rabbinic attire :-).

I think 500 posts isn't so much on this wonderful place CA, especially from someone with an Oct 08 join (box) date, so I was kinda in from the beginning. But this thread definitely has kept me posting and I only try to post about what I (think I) know about and what I want to know more about, so I keep it meaningful. CA is a wonderful forum.



Glad you guys are enjoying this thread, keep 'em coming and all the best.
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Here's one that's always been on my mind:

Do you consider Jews as an ethnic group?

Whenever I bring up my ethnicity I say that I am Jewish and Russian (my father is an ethnic Russian), but most people are quick to point out that 'Jewish' is not an ethnicity.

I know it was the law in the Soviet Union(both my Soviet birth certificate and passport say my ethnicity is Jewish) and is still common in the former USSR . Over the last year I've travelled to Russia and have recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic countries as well as Poland and Germany and have found Jews are still considered as an ethnic group in the former USSR (I'm not aware of the national or legal definition of ethnicity in these countries).

Thanks,
Ed
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Jews and Judaism are the most unique in the world, for various reasons, but we are a Religion, Culture, Ethnicity, Race, Nationality, Philosphical Movement etc. etc. all in one, while simultaneously we are non of those, ie. non of those categories define who/what we are. We are Jewish even if G-d forbid, we don't have homeland, in fact we have been in exile most of our existance. We are Jewish without the customs that most would define as Jewish culture/ethnicity - yarmulkes, beards, gefilte fish etc. We are Jewish even if we can't read Hebrew in the Torah. We are Jewish even if we don't know it!!! Wow...

From a secular perspective on race/ethnicity... I was an Anthropology major in college and learned extensively about the question you pose in regards to humanity on a whole. Scientificly, there really is no such thing as race/ethnicity. Since there are no real absolutes to define it. Sociologists, Govenments, Institutions and Historians like to have some qualification or term to define a given group of people by "race", but it really doesn't exist. It was convenient. Notice I used the past tense, because as we see in the modern world, the categorization of people by race/ethnicity has all but failed due to the blurring of national, familial and regional boundaries.

Race/ethnicity doesn't have an absolute defining principle, for instance as to what makes a Jew, a Jew.
A Jew is Jewish if his/her mother is Jewish, and her mother's mother's mother's mother was Jewish. This is the defining principle of what makes a Jew who he/she is, and there is nothing that can change that.
So I can't really say if being Jewish is an ethnicity, because in truth, the term is somewhat useless. (*unless you are trying to get a Russian passport :-)) If pushed to the wall, YES Jewish is an ethnicity and a whole lot more...
Hope this helps.
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Dude, for a Jewish-Russian Horse, you have some good questions!!:-)
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Thanks for the input! :-)
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LOL, while we're at it:

Since tobacco wasn't introduced to the Old world until the 16th to 17th centuries, I'm guessing neither the Talmud, Torah, or Old Testament really reference it.

However, are there any other laws, customs, or traditions that pertain to the use of tobacco?

Thanks,
Ed
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There are different references for smoking and use of different herbs, especially for the incense in the Temple etc.

Many great Rabbi's have smoked and snuffed. Even my avatar of Rabbi Chaim Hager of Ottynia, who I just google image searched to get an avatar of a cool chassidic cigar smoker, is an example. I really don't know much about him. It is said that the smoking of Tzaddikim, completely righteous people, is different than that of the average person. So much so that it is equated with the rising of the smoke of the incense in the Holy Temple.

Many Rebbeim smoked, and many ceased smoking once it was prescibed as detrimental to health. Many have since asked their followers to stop smoking, at least until age 20. This is most probably for cigarette smokers, as there are very few, though noteworthy orthodox cigar smokers. I have many prominent friends within the the Chassidic community who smoke cigars regularly, most tend towards Cubans, Monte's mostly, though some of us young'uns love the Tatuaje, Padron, and DPG of the world. I really enjoy the relaxation and mental focus a cigar brings before or while learning Torah, in addition to the tastes etc.

Here is a very cool story related by the Lubavitcher Rebbe about the Alter Rebbe who founded the Chabad movement.

Without Breaking Anything
The Alter Rebbe owned a silver snuff box which lacked a lid. The reason is that the lid was shining silver, and so the Alter Rebbe would use it as a mirror to see that his head tefillin were properly positioned.
This matter was once discussed in the presence of the Tzemach Tzedek. When it was said that the Alter Rebbe broke the lid off his snuff box, the Tzemach Tzedek objected, saying "My grandfather did not break things. He did not break himself, nor did he break other things." Rather, the Tzemach Tzedek explained, there was probably a thin shaft connecting the lid to the snuff box, and his grandfather simply removed the shaft.[78]

The Tzemach Tzedek was absolutely positive that the Alter Rebbe had not broken the lid. As he stated, he knew his grandfather would not break even an inanimate object.

All the stories about tzaddikim serve as directives for us in our Divine service. The above story teaches that without breaking anything -- not oneself, not others, not even an inanimate object -- it is possible to obtain an article that enables one to adjust one's tefillin, the intent of tefillin being to subjugate one's heart and mind to G-d.[79]

What is the symbolic meaning? That we do not have to break ourselves in order to subjugate our minds and hearts to G-dliness. All that is necessary is to remove the shaft which ties the G-dly soul to the animal soul.

For there are times when the animal soul approaches the G-dly soul and tries to convince it to do something other than what is mandated by the subjugation of heart and mind. The animal soul will say: "Don't worry, what I'm offering you is within the realm of holiness."[80] At that time, the connection between the two must cease.

A person must know clearly which advice comes from the G-dly soul, and which advice comes from the animal soul. Only when one has the proper understanding -- "the freedom from foolishness"[81] -- is it possible to adjust one's tefillin, subjugating one's heart and mind to G-d. And this will cause "all the nations of the earth (including the gentile within each person, and the gentile nations at large) to see and fear you."[82]
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thanks for the info!:-)
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:-):-):-)
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Send A Prayer Petition


The eve of June 24, through Thursday, June 25th, marks fifteen years since the passing of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. Traditionally, this is a day for reflection, learning, prayer, re-commitment and, above all, positive action. (Click here for more on this.)

Additionally, the date of a righteous person's passing is a particularly auspicious time for G-d to hear our prayers, particularly those recited at the resting place of the departed tzaddik (righteous person). In keeping with the age-old tradition of writing prayer petitions at our holiest sites, it is also customary to send written notes to the Rebbe's resting place for intercession On High for blessings large and small, in matters both material and spiritual.

For more than fifty years, the Rebbe received hundreds of letters every day at his office in "770" Eastern Parkway. People of every background, occupation and level of observance would turn to the Rebbe with their spiritual and material concerns and requests for blessing.

Today, people continue to send letters to be placed at the Rebbe's Ohel for blessing and guidance.

One's letter can be written in any language. When referring to one's own self or mentioning someone else's name in a letter, one should always include the name and mother's name (e.g. Isaac the son of Sarah). It is preferable to use one's Hebrew name. It is customary that Gentiles use their father's name.

There is no specific heading required for the letter.

Fax number: (718) 723-4444

E-mail address: ohel@ohelchabad.org

Online form: http://www.ohelchabad.org/templates/...ter-Online.htm


Mailing Address:
226-20 Francis Lewis Boulevard
Cambria Heights, NY 11411

Telephone number: (718) 723-4545

The letters are brought to the Ohel shortly after their receipt.



The Rebbe
A brief biography


The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory (1902-1994), the seventh leader in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, is considered to have been the most phenomenal Jewish personality of modern times. To hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of sympathizers and admirers around the world, he was -- and still is, despite his passing -- "the Rebbe," undoubtedly, the one individual more than any other singularly responsible for stirring the conscience and spiritual awakening of world Jewry.

The Rebbe was born in 1902, on the 11th day of Nissan, in Nikolaev, Russia, to the renowned kabbalist, talmudic scholar and leader Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson. Rebbetzin Chana (1880-1964) was known for her erudition, kindness and extraordinary accessibility. Her courage and ingenuity became legend when during her husband's exile by the Soviets to a remote village in Asian Russia she labored to make inks from herbs she gathered in the fields -- so that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak could continue writing his commentary on kabbalah and other Torah-subjects. The Rebbe was named after his great-grandfather, the third Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, with whom he later shared many characteristics.

To Save a Life: There is a story told about the Rebbe's early life that seems to be almost symbolic of everything that was to follow. When he was nine years old, the young Menachem Mendel courageously dove into the Black Sea and saved the life of a little boy who had fallen from the deck of a moored ship. That sense of "other lives in danger" seems to have dominated his consciousness; of Jews drowning in assimilation, ignorance or alienation--and no one hearing their cries for help: Jews on campus, in isolated communities, under repressive regimes. From early childhood he displayed a prodigious mental acuity. By the time he reached his Bar Mitzvah, the Rebbe was considered an illuy, a Torah prodigy. He spent his teen years immersed in the study of Torah.

Marriage in Warsaw: In 1929 Rabbi Menachem Mendel married the sixth Rebbe's daughter, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, in Warsaw. (The Rebbetzin, born in 1901, was chosen by her father, the sixth Rebbe, to accompany him in his forced exile to Kostroma in 1927. For sixty years she was the Rebbe's life partner; she passed away on 22 Sh'vat in 1988.) He later studied in the University of Berlin and then at the Sorbonne in Paris. It may have been in these years that his formidable knowledge of mathematics and the sciences began to blossom.

Arrival in the U.S.A.: On Monday, Sivan 28, 5701 (June 23, 1941) the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin arrived in the United States, having been miraculously rescued, by the grace of Almighty G‑d, from the European holocaust. The Rebbe's arrival marked the launching of sweeping new efforts in bolstering and disseminating Torah and Judaism in general, and Chassidic teachings in particular, through the establishment of three central Lubavitch organizations under the Rebbe's leadership: Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch ("Central Organization For Jewish Education"), Kehot Publication Society, and Machne Israel, a social services agency. Shortly after his arrival, per his father-in-law's urging, the Rebbe began publishing his notations to various Chassidic and kabbalistic treatises, as well as a wide range of response on Torah subjects. With publication of these works his genius was soon recognized by scholars throughout the world.

Leadership: After the passing of his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, in 1950, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson reluctantly ascended to the leadership of the Lubavitch movement, whose headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. Soon Lubavitch institutions and activities took on new dimensions. The outreaching philosophy of Chabad-Lubavitch was translated into ever greater action, as Lubavitch centers and Chabad Houses were opened in dozens of cities and university campuses around the world.

Passing: On Monday afternoon (March 2, 1992), while praying at the gravesite of his father-in-law and predecessor, the Rebbe suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side and, most devastatingly, robbed him of the ability to speak.

Two years and three months later, the Rebbe passed away in the early morning hours of the 3rd of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, in the year 5754 from creation (June, 12 1994), orphaning a generation.

Uniqueness: With the Rebbe's teachings propelling them and his example serving as a beacon to emulate, Lubavitch has rapidly grown to be a worldwide presence, and all its various activities are stamped with his vision. Small wonder then, that many ask, "What is it about his leadership that was -- and, in so many ways, still is -- so unique? Why do leading personalities of the day maintain such profound respect and admiration for him?"

Past, Present and Future: Many leaders recognize the need of the moment and respond with courage and directions. This is their forte -- and an admirable one. Others, though their strength may not lie in "instant response" to current problems, are blessed with the ability of perceptive foresight -- knowing what tomorrow will bring and how to best prepare. Still other leaders excel in yet a third distinct area, possessing a keen sense of history and tradition; their advice and leadership is molded by a great sensitivity to the past.

But one who possessed all three qualities was truly unique, standing alone in leadership. Such was the Lubavitcher Rebbe -- the inspiration and driving force behind the success of Lubavitch today. Radiating a keen sense of urgency, he demanded much from his followers, and even more from himself. The Rebbe led, above else, by example.

Initiation, Not Reaction: He was a rare blend of prophetic visionary and pragmatic leader, synthesizing deep insight into the present needs of the Jewish people with a breadth of vision for its future. In a sense, he charted the course of Jewish history -- initiating, in addition to reacting to, current events. The Rebbe was guided by inspired insight and foresight in combination with encyclopedic scholarship, and all his pronouncements and undertakings were, first and foremost, rooted in our Holy Torah. Time and again, what was clear to him at the outset became obvious to other leaders with hindsight, decades later.

Everyone's Unique Role: From the moment the Rebbe arrived in America in 1941, his brilliance at addressing himself to the following ideal became apparent: He would not acknowledge division or separation. Every Jew -- indeed every human being -- has a unique role to play in the greater scheme of things and is an integral part of the tapestry of G‑d's creation.

For nearly five of the most critical decades in recent history, the Rebbe's goal to reach out to every corner of the world with love and concern has unfolded dramatically. No sector of the community has been excluded -- young and old; men and women; leader and layman; scholar and laborer; student and teacher; children, and even infants.

He had an uncanny ability to meet everyone at their own level -- he advised Heads of State on matters of national and international importance, explored with professionals the complexities in their own fields of expertise, and spoke to small children with warm words and a fatherly smile.

"Actualize Your Potential!" With extraordinary insight, he perceived the wealth of potential in each person. His inspiration, now accessible through his writings and videos, boosts the individual's self-perception, ignites his awareness of that hidden wealth and motivates a desire to fulfill his potential. In the same way, many a community has been transformed by the Rebbe's message, and been given -- directly or indirectly -- a new sense of purpose and confidence. In each case the same strong, if subtle, message is imparted: "You are Divinely gifted with enormous strength and energy -- actualize it!"
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The Three Weeks - Overview

For eight hundred and thirty years there stood an edifice upon a Jerusalem hilltop which served as the point of contact between heaven and earth. So central was this edifice to the relationship between man and G-d that nearly two-thirds of the mitzvot are contingent upon its existence. Its destruction is regarded as the greatest tragedy of our history, and its rebuilding will mark the ultimate redemption-the restoration of harmony within G-d's creation and between G-d and His creation.


"But there is more to the Three Weeks than fasting and lamentation. The prophet describes the fasts as "days of goodwill before G-d"-days of opportunity to exploit the failings of the past as the impetus for a renewed and even deeper bond with G-d."
A full three weeks of our year-the three weeks "between the strictures" of Tammuz 17 and Av 9-are designated as a time of mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the resultant galut-physical exile and spiritual displacement-in which we still find ourselves.

On Tammuz 17 of the year 3829 from creation (69 CE), the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the armies of Rome; three weeks later, on the 9th of Av, the Holy Temple was set aflame. Av 9 is also the date of the First Temple's destruction by the Babylonians in 3339 (423 BCE), after the Temple service was disrupted on Tammuz 17 (the breaching of Jerusalem's walls at the time of the first destruction was on Tammuz 9). These dates had already been the scene of tragic events in the very first generation of our nationhood: Tammuz 17 was the day Moses smashed the Tablets of the Covenant upon beholding Israel's worship of the Golden Calf; Av 9 was the day that G-d decreed that the generation of the Exodus shall die out in the desert, after they refused to proceed to the Holy Land in wake of the Spies' demoralizing report. In these events lay the seeds of a breakdown in the relationship between G-d and Israel-a breakdown which reached its nadir in the destruction of the Temple.

Tammuz 17 is a fastday, on which we refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to nightfall. Av 9 (Tishah B'Av) is a more stringent fast: it commences at sunset of the previous evening, and additional pleasures (washing, anointing, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations) are also proscribed. On Tishah B'Av we gather in the synagogue to read the Book of Lamentations composed by Jeremiah and kinot (elegies) on the Destruction and Exile.

During the Three Weeks we read the "Three of Rebuke"-three weekly readings from the Prophets which prophesy the Destruction, describe the sins which caused it, and admonish us to repent our ways. During the Three Weeks, no weddings or other joyous events are held; like mourners, we do not cut our hair or purchase new clothes. Additional mourning practices are assumed during the "Nine Days" beginning on Av 1, such as refraining from eating meat, drinking wine and enjoying music.

But there is more to the Three Weeks than fasting and lamentation. The prophet describes the fasts as "days of goodwill before G-d"-days of opportunity to exploit the failings of the past as the impetus for a renewed and even deeper bond with G-d. A sense of purification accompanies the fasting, a promise of redemption pervades the mourning, and a current of joy underlies the sadness. The Ninth of Av, say our sages, is not only the day of the Temple's destruction-it is also the birthday of Moshiach. The "Three of Rebuke" are thus followed by "Seven of Consolation"-seven weekly readings describing the future redemption and the rebuilding of the marriage of G-d and Israel.
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BTW, many were interested in www.noahide.org - it is again up and running with a beautiful new website!!!

www.noahide.org:-)
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Here's a question. What are your thoughts on Hebrew National Franks? Good or would you recommend any other Kosher dogs?
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good question. one that was addressed on the "where my jew's at?" thread at length.

In a blind taste test of some kosher hotdogs Shor HaBor won HANDS DOWN!! even non-kosher hot dog lovers found them superior to their favorite brands.

I happen to agree, Shor HaBor is superior in every way. The flavor is phenomenal. They are also made without hormone etc. bad-for you meat.

There are also a new brand of Organic hotDog by Wise Kosher that don't taste like hotdog, more like delicious seasoned sausage, that are delicious and healthy - just meat and spices.

If you are ever in Los Angeles, go to Jeff's Sausage Co., a Glatt Kosher spot in beverly hills - phenomenal!! If you can ever corner Jeff himself and have him give you a breakdown of his meat pickling, koshering, sausage making, drying etc. processes you will learn something and tastes some of the most crazy delicious meats ever. His dried and wet sausages, hot dogs, homeade hamburgers etc. are amazing:-)
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Rav, forgive me for being oblivious, but: Why were you just fasting a couple days ago?
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good question!!

yesterday was 17 tammuz the beginning of the three weeks until 9 Av - tisha b'av.

see a couple of posts ago #333 for the whole breakdown
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Good to know! I almost forgot when Tisha b'av was this year!
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Thanks for the info, Rabbi. Good stuff here.

Two questions:

1. Now, the Jewish belief is our body is not our own to desecrate. No tatoos, etc. So why is it that circumcision is not viewed as such? The body is being altered. Also, wouldn't smoking and drinking, ways to potentially harm or change the body, be viewed in the same light.

2. A few months ago I saw mom, dad, and son at Costco. Dad was late 50s, son, probably 16-18. Both were wearing kippahs. Probably a lot of Jewish folks in Charleston, but I've never seen them wearing the tradition hat. Think they just came from a pary, celebration, or something else? I guess some people wear them all the time, but in the deep South, it's kind of rare.
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