Im not on The Apprentice - Mondays at 9pm

This man is not me:
He is Dan Brody and is a Jewish contestant on the new season of The Apprentice starting tonight.

In his interview he is asked:
Everyone's definition of success is different. What's yours?

His answer:
"He that is happy with his lot." – The Bible. This does not mean we should not aspire, strive, or reach for greater success, but rather if you never enjoy your small successes – if you are never happy with what you do have – you can never truly be happy or successful.

Im Happywithhislot but not Dan Brody musmach of YU.
Just in case you were wondering.

Sireness, Mermaids, and Minotaurs?

Over at FKM I'm having a "raging" debate about the possibility of mermaids ever existing.
FKM believes they may have existed (and I think its based on Rashi belief in a sireness).

Im not sure if FKM would believe in the minotaur or any other of the seven voyages of sinbad roy harryhausen charachters.

Lets examine the mermaid for a few moments.
Was it the Little Mermaid?

Splash aka Darryl Hannah Mermaid?
M. Night Shyamalan upcoming Mermaid movie "Lady in the Water"?
Did it have fins and scales? Could you eat it if it did? How did you kill it?
Was it a tzniusdika fish?

Now FKM would say Im being silly.....
Exactly.

FKM, one other suggestion. Please change your website. Choose another template, because the one you got is mind bogglingly slow to load and causes my IE to hang.

Notice how my template is nice and simple, and loads FAST?

2001 - Is the Torah our Monolith?

After writing the last post and being reminded that FKM and gedolim actually argued that, I felt I had to dig a little deeper.


2001 A Space Odyssey presented the idea of the Black Monolith that sparked the dawn of time.



As mankind progressed, the monolith presented deeper and more complex messages.

Isnt that a Moshol for our Torah?

In the beginning the yidden had just been slaves and werent ready for a sophisticated message. So the Torah message was meant for that time. Divrei Torah Klshon Adam.

And so in every millinium the Torah adjusts to meet the needs of the people. The Torah speaks to us.

Our hashkafa evolves with the new messages we infer.

In our Dor with science beginning to understand the smalles aspects of our universe and contemplating the largest, our generation is witnessing an evolution of hashkafa.

As RYGB said in his tape, what the Netziv wrote for his time was enough for the science of his time, but we need new more sophisticated answers. Of course he didnt intend to be interpeted as I have done.

However, the Monolith on the moon has been discovered and Jupiter awaits.

Farenfering a Shverrer Gedolim (Age of Universe)

From a tape by RYGB: (the age of the universe and the problems - note that on the second tape, he talks about some controversy that people were thinking he himself was spouting kefirah)

He quotes Midrashim that Rav Menachem Kasher zt"l had compiled in his Torah Shleimah on Bereshis.

The Medrash talks about many previous worlds. The medrash reasons that since the Torah says Hashem saw it was good, you could deduce, what came before may not have been so.

Could these medrash be interpeted as epochs? The Torah uses the phrase that the world was destroyed in the Mabul, but that obviously means civilization, not the planet or universe.

The Discovery channel supports this because it said that different homonids lasted different amount of millions of years ("when cavemen walked the earth") and there were different epochs of dinosaurs ("before there were dinosaurs.")

RYGB then talks about Rav Kook and tekufos. Something I think GH has written about.

These are midrashim. So on what basis did the Gedolim say that its kefirah to believe world is older than 6000 years?

I think i have a teretz.

Maybe the Gedolim meant by world, this civilization. So this world is 6000 years old. It shtims with Rav Kook and the Medrash. Moiradik!

Well its a good try, and isnt that how we farenfer shverrer rambams?

GH Chassidim (OCCidim)

---- Updates in purple -----

Thought it might be interesting (i have no idea why - (update)) - to compile a list of Godol Hador Shtichya's chassidim (or rather his OCCidim)

I consider someone a chassid (or OCCid) if that individual comments enough for me to have noticed them.

Here Goes (in no order of significance):

shtender
B. Spinoza
Lakewood guy
lakewood yid
dna
grey area
BTA
orthoprax
mis-nagid
S.
lamed zayin
steve brizel
david g
&
ezzie
Responding to Jewish Blogs (rtjb)
anonymous (tafkaa)
mary hogan
chardal
steg is nisht the steg
jewish athiest
R' Gil
R' Micha Berger (well im sure he doesnt look at himself as a OCCid)
Krum as a Bagel
Harry Maryles
Ger Tzeddek
Dov Bear (Shoteh)
Holy Hyrax
D
The Gabbai
The Back of the Hill
bishul akum
Romach
Y. Aharon
Yodeah
HAGTBG
Jewish Exile
FKM
charliehall
mar gavriel
ben avuyah
Chana
anonymousette

Except for mary, Chana, &, tafkaa, anonymousette and mis-nagid(?), not many women.
Remember, my definition of a OCCid is simply a commenter. It doesnt imply youre now part of
the Kehilla. But I think you ought to ante up when the shnorrer briefs arrive for the Kehilah campaign.

Did I miss anyone?
Ill update as I remember or come across some more.

Purim is in the Air - More Timely Discussions

Hattip [S]

The Long Con

UPDATE: Didnt mean to imply that all skeptics are conmen. Just the one noted below.

Over at Areivim there is a note about the moshav leitzim issue of blogs.

I started this blog initially in reaction to complaining frum skeptics who felt it was their mission in life to stop people from remaining frum.

I got criticized for this, and was told by skeptics that it wasnt so. That they just were trying to help guide confused people who might end up depressed or something to that effect. And the key point is that they didnt lurk at other sites looking for victims.

Well, I have seen a comment from a (now) notorious skeptic who said it is their mission to ensure that yidden recover from frumkeit.

I feel like Jack, Kate and Locke





















from Lost when
Sawyer pulled the Long Con. Your thoughts?





















UPDATE: Didnt mean to imply that all skeptics are conmen. Just the one noted above.

Super Burger no longer SUPER

I recently went on a trip to Flatbush, and had the oppurtunity to eat at Chap-a-nosh.

Their corned beef is very good, and unlike many delis, its freshly made.
None of that caregeenan add-ons.

Anyway, I also ordered a Super Burger for my daughter.

Now, dont get me wrong, Im not complaining, and it was actually quite good, but the size threw me for a loop.

yes, it only costs $4.19 But I remember when a Super Burger was SUPER in size.
This burger looked like the size of a quarter. Yes, the coin.

Anyone else notice that the burger shrunk?

I believe that Kosher Delights burgers have remained uniform in size for a good 20 years.

Pesach Vacations

This past weeks Jewish Press had 10 pages of ads on Pesach get-aways.

I ask the oilam out there:
How much should a stay at a hotel, for pesach, cost?

The cost should cover 3 children, taxes and tips. (exclude airfare).

Thanks!
The one ad that advertised prices is Pesach Time. (4900 for family of 5).
Any info on this place?

Yidden?

Rav Abadi

Rav Abadi and his children run a website (kashrut.org)

Rav Abadi was a Rosh Posek in Lakewood Yeshiva.

The site has a questions section where any question can be asked. The answers are very succinct.

Here is an example:
Q. Can you take a shower on Yom Tov?
A. Yes

Q. Can you take a Hot shower on Yom Tov?
A. Yes

Q. Can you use Shampoo on Yom Tov?
A. Yes

Q. What kind of Shampoo?
A. Any kind you want

Q. How should you dry yourself after the shower?
A. With a Towel.

Q. Can you brush your teeth on Shabbos?
A. Yes

Q. Can you use toothpaste on Shabbos?
A. Yes

Q. Where does it say in Shulchan Aruch that you can?
A. Why should it Assur?

Rav Abadi believes hashgachas are a scam. Read the ingredients. If they seem kosher, they probably are. The website feels that Jewish brands are more liable to cut corners and do shtick than major companies with the feds always looking to catch them. Plus, large companies have to deal with consumers who are vegetarians, are lactose intolerant. So they have every incentive to label correctly.

Ive said before that I love the refreshing approach of Rav Abadi and children.

What do you think?