Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Book Meme - 9 Questions

1. One book that changed your life? Josephus - The war of the jews
2. One book you have read more than once? Dune by Frank Herbert.
3. One book you would want on a desert island? Dune by Frank Herbert.
4. One book that made you laugh? Lewis Black Biography.
5. One book that made you cry? the power of giving by the jim dwyer (i think). especially the story of that chai lifeline kid.
6. One book you wish had been written? A book focusing on the jews of the world of Dune
7. One book you wish had never been written? American Pshyco
8. One book you are currently reading? Rational Unified Process - In Practice (shoot me please)
9. One book you have been meaning to read? The Ruins by Scott Smith (author of a simply plan)

I tag the Jewish Freak, Yediah, That crazy commentor who keeps putting news headlines in my comments, and Lakewood Yid.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Game of Chicken, Israel's deterrence

I've been reading many articles lately lamenting Israel's loss of deterrence.

Tom Friedman in the post once wrote an Op-Ed regarding how stuff works in the Middle East.
He likened it to a game of chicken. You know, the game where two drivers start at opposite ends of a roadway, and drive towards each other. Who ever veers off the road is the chicken.

what's the point of that game? Its the desire to show that I am just a little bit crazier than you.

Well that is the middle east. And the only thing people respect is other people who are just a little bit crazier than them.

Now lets take a look at what Israel accomplished.
Hezbollah was crazy to kidnap some Israeli soldiers and kill some others.
Israel didn't veer off the road. They destroyed billions of dollars of infrastructure in Lebanon, killed many many people and attacked Hezbollah militarily.

Now the next time an Arab state decides it wants a piece of Israel, they need to consider how much billions of dollars is it worth to them.

My guess the Arabs have learned the correct lesson from this war. We should too.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Would Chazal Lie?

One of the arguments for our Mesorah is that our fathers who witnessed Torah M'Sinai (TMS)would not lie to their children.

Learning Yoma you see clearly, that Chazal were not sure what happened in the Beis Hamikdash.

They even report 2 witnesses presenting conflicting testimonies on what happened in a certain avodah. Now did these witnesses lie?

According to the infallable mesorah argument, they cant be. Yet they both cant be right. This is a disagreement in mitziyos not sevara.

So why did they forget? And why wouldnt they simply say, hey Im guessing?
Unless they actually thought that is what they saw.
Then is that the same with TMS?

Please discuss.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Rosetta Stone

There is a stone that is famous for unlocking the mystery to the Egyptian Hieraglyphics.
I believe it was called the Rosetta Stone.

Baal Habos has started posting a series on various hashkafa issues and how he feels about them.
Recovering Orthodox Jew has been doing the same, but he seems to be angry.

I thought I would throw my two cents in.
Im trying to find the Rosetta Stone. The key answer that gives me that "Aha" moment that all the Charedi Hashkafa makes sense.

(I know GH made a big deal about Modern Orthodox not making sense either. But Modern Orthodox will not create a Taliban future for the Jews. There are Charedim that seem hell bent on doing that. I also want to point out there is a difference between some Charedim and Heimish, Chassidish, Litvish, yeshivish jews. )

Ok, Please share with me the Rosetta Stone of Charedi Judiasm.