Asifah 2012, אסיפה 2012

The recent Asifah (gathering) held in USA, initiated by the Gedolim in America was one of the largest in history. It is about addressing the dangers of the Internet on the souls of Klal Yisrael.

Below are a few links to read about it:

http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2012/05/24/citifield-a-scorecard/ -- a Torah perspective on the gathering

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1128325/Kinus%20Brochure%20FINAL.pdf -- a PDF brochure detailing the issues



Rav Matisyahu Solomon, shlita

Rav Don Segal, shlita

Rav Ephraim Waxman, shlita

Rav Moshe Green, shlita

Rabbi Avraham ben Chaim on Final Redemption, רבי אברהם בן חיים מדבר על גאולת אחרונה

Rabbi Avraham ben Chaim, speaks about the similarities between the Egyptian and final redemption, during his lecture before Pesach 2012. I must have missed this one. The Rav talks about 5752 as the beginning of an auspicious time for the arrival of Moshiach.



Rabbi Avraham's lectures can be found on TorahAnytime.com.

Should Women Stay Up All Night on Shavuos? נשים צריכות להישאר ער כל הלילה בחג השבועות?

Should Women Stay Up All Night On Shabu’oth?

As we know, women are exempt from many of the obligations that men have in Judaism. The main reason being that women have an obligation in the home, a concept which may sometimes be at odds with “modern-day” Western culture, but the Holy One blessed be He created us in such a way, that a woman has greater capabilities and understanding in bringing up a home, while a man’s strengths lie elsewhere. At Mattan Torah, our forefathers went to sleep instead of staying awake in anticipation of receiving the Torah. For this reason, the men stay awake all night on the night of Shabu’oth, immersed in the study of the Torah, reading the Tiqqun.

Women have no obligation whatsoever, to stay up during the night of Shabu’oth. If a woman wishes to stay up, she does receive reward. This assumes that she has no other responsibilities in the home which will suffer as a result of her being awake all night. The first responsibility is to her home and family. If she has a young family and she and her husband will be awake all night, there is no question that she will not be able to attend to the needs of her family correctly and with the appropriate frame of mind and humor for the next few days. As such, a woman in this position, should not stay up all night on Shabu’oth.

Unfortunately there are Synagogues today, who pressurize women to come and hear Shi’urim all night. This creates undue peer pressure on the women who feel that they are somehow lacking in faith, belief and religion if they do not come to the all-night sessions. It is my humble belief that this is a grave failing on the part of the Synagogues, to be taking away many women from their familial responsibilities for the aggrandizement of the Synagogue, or even because they feel it is the right thing to do. On the night of Shabuoth the men have a responsibility to come to the Synagogue and stay up all night reading the Tiqqun, but the women do not. If they do come they get a reward. However, if they come at the expense of their families, their reward (Sakhar) is far exceeded by their loss (Hefsed).

Traditionally, in Sephardi circles, it was considered more important for women to stay up all night on Hosha’na Rabba, than on Shabuoth (the reasons for staying awake on Hosha’na Rabba are very different). I do not see the same ardor concerning Hosha’na Rabba nowadays.

I am mentioning this primarily for the women who feel pressurized, against their better judgment, to stay awake all night at the expense of their families. No woman should feel pressurized to do so if she does not feel it is the appropriate thing to do. Indeed, a woman has no obligation to remain awake on the night of Shabu’oth and if she wishes to go to bed should not feel any guilt whatsoever. If she wishes to stay awake, immersed in Torah, but not at the expense of her family, she will be rewarded. However, her primary emphasis should be to ensure that the men in her home all go to the synagogue to study the Tiqqun, as ordained by our Rabbis.

Tizkoo Leshanim Rabboth
Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe

Source: http://www.midrash.org/holidays/shabuoth/women-and-tiqqun-leil-shabuoth

The Plight of Mrs. Wendy Runge, גורלם של גברת ונדי ראנג'

Dear Friends,

The Plight of Mrs. Wendy Runge an Orthodox mother of four, has become a matter of great concern to Jews around the world. She is the victim of one of the worst miscarriages of justice in recent history, in which she was sentenced to 10 years for a trivial infraction. She waging a brave battle to have the verdict overturned by a Court of Appeals. She will be telling her unbelievable story on Motzoei Shabbos May 19th at YI of Phoenix at 9pm. We urge everyone to come out, hear the story and and offer her Chizuk and support. Her case has been labeled as one of Pidyon Shevuyim by Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky Shlit"a Rabbi Michel Twerski Shlit"a.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Reuven Mann, Young Israel of Phoenix,

Rabbi David Rebibo, Beth Joseph

Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, Beth Tefillah

Rabbi Jordan Brumer , JAC

Rabbi Shmuel Field, Torah Day School of Phoenix

Rabbi Shimon Green, Ohr Hatorah

Rabbi Gavriel Goetz, Yeshiva High School of Arizona

Rabbi Zvi Holland, Phoenix Community Kollel

Rabbi Raphael Landesman, Shearim Torah High School

Rabbi Ariel Shoshan, Ahavas Torah

Sarah Imenu, Ruth, and Pole Dancing? Rabbi Wallerstein speaks out against Zumba and Pole Dancing! שרה אמנו, רות, וריקודים הקוטב? הרב ולרשטיין מדבר נגד Zumba ורוקדים הקוטב!

This is an excellent shiur by Rabbi Wallerstein on the topic of Tznius (Modesty) among the righteous Jewish women we have had in our Jewish history.

He speaks out against the current trends among Jewish communities,  mainly America and Israel too, in popular olim-inhabited communities, where foreign dancing is introduced to innocent Jewish girls and women under the name of exercise.  Don't believe it?  Go visit any Anglo-popular community in Israel and see how many women exercise in womens-only studios dancing to this kind of tum'ah, or go check out the kiruv organizations in USA and see how they publicize this type of dancing in their kiruv events for girls and ladies.  Even the local teachers who teach at Charedi and Chardal schools teach this type of dancing in the studios.  No wonder even all the  Torah learning in Israel won't help keep the scuds away.  Jewish women, you have the power to bring Moshiach, wake up and do teshuva!  To listen to this shiur in full, click here.

Now, if only Rabbi Wallerstein were to talk about the immodest dress that Jewish women and girls are crazy about -- it's the skinny shells!  Read this article and this article to explain why it's not kosher.