Berel Wein Stories

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Luke Ford

In his fourth lecture for Torah in Motion on the Chatam Sofer, professor Marc B. Shapiro says: “Many of Berel Wein‘s stories end with, ‘I can’t tell that these stories happened, but I can tell you that they don’t tell these stories about us.’ So Berel Wein telling a story is just telling a story.”

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How Influential Is Dennis Prager?

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Luke Ford

I’m struck by the awe that thousands of unlearned Jews such as myself display towards Dennis Prager (we revere him for his ability to present Jewish texts and ideas in a rational and inspiring way) and the lack of awe displayed toward him by those who can read Hebrew.
Enthusiasm for Dennis Prager is usually inversely proportionate to Jewish learning.
I’ve hung around after Dennis Prager’s speeches and watched the crowd pump him with questions. Few seemed learned. Those who wait around the longest tend to know the least about Judaism.
I’ve never seen a Talmud scholar wait around to pick Dennis Prager’s brain. The idea is laughable. Dennis is not a scholar.
Torah scholars regard Dennis the way historians regard popular writers of history such as Barbara Tuchman and Berel Wein — not at all. Dennis has virtually no influence on traditional Jewish thought and practice. He’s rarely quoted or cited by traditional rabbis. He’s like Martin Buber – widely cited by non-Jews and ignored by practicing Jews.
I’ve never met anyone at an Orthodox shul who’s in awe of Dennis Prager.
A Mar. 17, 2012 search of Google Scholar for “Dennis Prager” returned 659 results, a little more than for “Hugh Hewitt” (441) but less than for “Michael Medved” (927). By this yardstick, Dennis Prager’s influence on intellectual life is mild and not in the same league as his favorite intellectuals such as George Will (12,000), James Q. Wilson (13,600), Thomas Sowell (5,990), Viktor Frankl (9,280), and Charles Krauthammer (5,650).
According to this Google Scholar search, Prager’s most cited book was Why The Jews? at 57, Nine Questions at 39, Happiness at 21 and Think at 9.
By comparison, James Q. Wilson’s book The Moral Sense was cited 911 times. His book Crime Human Nature was cited 2,360.
A Google search for “Dennis Prager” on Mar. 17, 2012, revealed 1,150,000 results. “George Will” gave 3,690,000 results. “Charles Krauthammer” gave 1,540,000 results. “Viktor Frankl” gave 1,610,000 results. “Thomas Sowell” gave 2,330,000 results.
A check of Talkers magazine on this same date lists Dennis Prager as the 40th most influential radio talkshow host.

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When The Ignorant Dress As Rabbis

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Luke Ford

In his second lecture for Torah in Motion on the Chatam Sofer, professor Marc B. Shapiro says: “When Rav Kook’s father-in-law went to Jerusalem [at the turn of the 20th century] he was surprised. In Russia, you could find great Torah scholars who dress like regular folks. He comes to Jerusalem and finds people who are complete ignoramuses wearing rabbinic garb. He doesn’t know whether he is supposed to stand up for someone or not.

“We see this in our life as well. When I was growing up in the 1970s, the only people who wore yeshiva garb were rabbis or yeshiva students. When you saw someone in yeshiva garb, you could assume they were a Torah scholar. Today it is not unusual to find people who don’t know anything wearing rabbinic garb.”

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Orthodox Gone Bad

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Luke Ford

Sharon emails: Dear luke, I’m not sure if you’ve been following the thr recent tragedy/scandal coming out of Lakewood NJ about a frum mother of kids that decided to become an atheist, and run off with a hasidic guy who has a child while both of them are still marries to their previous spouse. Many in the frum community are watching this case, as the custody battle is going on in court. There are allegations of neglect and abuse towards the children as she pursues the life of partying nightly and is resolved to acquire fame and fortune as a Hollywood star! Here is an interesting little article thats been floating around and being texted like fire within the religious community.

M=mother. D=8 year old daughter

D: Mommy
M: Yes dear…
D: Are we frum?
M: Um who do you mean by “we”?
D: You know our family…
M: Well… your frum your brother is frum your…
D: Are you frum?
M: Um, not really. But why are you asking me all this?
D: Some girls in school were saying that were not frum…
D: Mommy?
M: Yes dear?
D:Are you listening to me?
M: Of course. I heard you, Im just in middle of texting someone sheifaleh.
D: Who? The man that was here last night?
M: No someone else dear
D: Why did that man touch you so much, none of my friend’s mothers let men touch them so much.
M: When you grow up you’ll understand sweetie, Sheifaleh go play with the new gameboy that mommies friend bought you last week so I can take care of some important texts.
D: I didn’t like that man that bought me that gameboy, he also always kisses you. Uch…
M: Ok sweetie, let me take care of these things now and then Im gonna drop all of you off at Feldman’s house for the night. Ill buy you a new toy when I pick you up. K?
D: Mommy!!! NO!!! You said on Sunday that for the rest of the week we don’t have to sleep by someone else’s house. Besides where do you always go? Why cant you take us with you? My friend’s mother never goes away so much. Please mommy don’t go away. Please don’t make us sleep by Feldman’s house tonight.
M: Sorry dear, I loves you very much. Sometimes even when mommy’s love they’re kids they need to go away. The other option is I can call Chaya to stay with you till Wednesday. This time ill tell her no smoking in the house.
D: Every time she comes she only gives us Fruity Pebbles for supper. And even though you told us you gave her money for pizza she didn’t order any.
M : I can have a talk with her…
D: Mommy is it true you want to make us frei?
M: No way! Chas veshalom! I want you to be what ever you want to be.
D: Will you let me become frei when I become older? Right your frie mommy? Frei means the opposite of frum right?
M: Of course ill let you become frie…if that’s what you want to be. Let me tell you something zeeskite and remember this for your whole life, being a yid doesn’t mean you have to do things you don’t want. In America everyone is free to do what they want. Its in the Constitution. You know what the constitution is?
D: No. But I don’t want you to be frei. I’m so embarrassed no other girl in my school has a freir mother. Besides my friend said that someone who stop’s being frum wont get to see mashiach…and also…
M: why do you have tears in your eyes sweetie? Come here sweetie. Why are you crying?
D: I’m so embarrassed if you’ll come to the class performance in school next week…mommy please don’t come… please,
M: uch Shefaleh people are so mean in school they make you feel embarrassed. Tell totty you don’t like that school. You have to tell him alot. Oh, anyways I might not be able to come that day anyways cus I might need to go away then, so you don’t need tom worry.
D: The last time everyone was staring at you and whispering…
M: Don’t learn from them. To make people feel bad is not nice.
D: Why did you stop being frum mommy? I think we would be happier if you would also be frum. No? Can you become frum again? And then marry totty again! Yay! Please mommy. That would be so great!
M: I wasn’t happy being frum so…
D: Yeh, but were not happy that your frei. I hate it. Goldy said if I daven then to hashem and ask him maybe you’ll become frum again.
M: Goldy said that? Tell her its none of her business. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I know the whole family would be happy if I were frum, but then I wouldn’t be happy. If im happy then you’ll be happy. A sad mother is not good for the kids also.
D: Are you happy now mommy when your not frum?
M: Yes. Very happy!
D: So why are we all so sad. We’re supposed to be happy if your happy. Uch…just become frum again mommy. Please…
M: Oh sweetie your crying again…I hate seeing you cry. You want mommy to buy you those Uggs boots when I get back? Its not always a mothers fault when kids aren’t happy sometimes frum people are mean and that’s why you’r not happy. You want me to by you those Uggs?
D: Yes but I want you to buy it. I don’t like when that man always gives me things that you said your gonna buy.
M: Ok dear.
D: Do you daven for me mommy? Do you sing vizakeini for me mommy? Tzippys mother always cries when she benches licht…
M: One second I need to take care of this text. Can you put your pajamas in you briefcase please sweetie.
D: Totty said he sings vizakeini all the time and he also cries when he benches licht. He said it’s a “mommy song”, but he doesn’t care and he sings it anyways.
Can you start benching licht again?
M: I do. last week I did, remember?
D: Yeh but you were in such a rush and then you went to shoprite with that man.
M: Honey its getting late… We have to get going. Mommy loves you. Don’t forget that. Mommy loves you more than anyone. I love you more than I love myself. I would run in to a burning building to save you chas veshalom. If people say that its not true its all cause they’re just trying to be mean and they’re jealous of me.
D: Mommy please don’t make us sleep at Feldman’s house tonight. Please. I wont ask you to by me the Uggs. Please mommy…

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When a woman cries…

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Luke Ford

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager said: “If your man over time shuts down, it is because he’s afraid to say to you certain things. You don’t want to engender that in your spouse.”

“When a woman cries, it’s essentially using a nuclear device. That’s her weapon of mass destruction. Most men just crumble. They surrender even if they’re right. We don’t want our wives to cry. Our instinct is to protect the wife from hurt.”

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Children May Be The Greatest Vehicle To Unhappiness

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Luke Ford

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager said: “Parents should not rely on their children to make them happy.”

“Do you want your parents to rely on you for their happiness? Isn’t it liberating to know that they have their own independently happy lives?”

“People think children are the greatest vehicle to happiness. It’s not true. Children may be the greatest vehicle to unhappiness. I wish I had six kids. It did not work out that way.”

“Unhappy children, or bad children, are a vehicle to unhappiness more than wonderful children are a vehicle to happiness.”

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Reb Moshe Sat Up Straight

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Luke Ford

When I mention the Alexander Technique to people, they often stiffen and push themselves up in a rigid way. “Is this good Alexander Technique?” they often ask.

No, it is not. You’d be better off with your habitual slump, I often answer.

Sitting up straight and standing straight is not Alexander Technique. More often than not, it is not good for you. The back and neck have natural curves in them.

There is no good way to sit. All sitting is bad. Some ways of sitting are better than others. Sitting without back support is usually a much better way of sitting than using back support because it forces your back to work a bit and therefore the muscles there don’t get as soft and the average bloke won’t slump as much.

Orthodox Judaism tends to create more sitting than the average life and as a result, Orthodox Jews tend to be more slumped than the average Joe. It’s rare to find a rabbi who sits, stands and moves elegantly.

Which brings me to this:

This past week marked the yahrtzeit of HaRav HaGaon Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. As noted in my last essay, Art Scroll published last year a revised and expanded edition of their biography of Rav Feinstein entitled, “Reb Moshe” by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman…

“One afternoon, Reb Moshe and Rav Shlomo Heiman sat for a while ‘talking in learning.’ When their discussion concluded and Reb Moshe left, Reb Shlomo turned to Rav Dovid Bender and said, ‘Do you know why Reb Moshe is becoming a gadol hador? Because his back never touches the back of his chair while he learns.’

“Decades later, Rav Binyomin Kamenetsky accompanied his father Reb Yaakov to a meeting of senior roshei yeshivah. During the discussions Reb Yaakov repeatedly referred to Reb Moshe not by name but exclusively with the title Rosh Yeshiva.

“When asked on the way home by his son Binyomin to explain why he directed his remarks in this manner, Reb Yaakov’s answer was direct, ‘Have you ever seen Reb Moshe lean back in a chair?’

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Why Is The President Always Talking To College Students?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Luke Ford

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager said: “Have you noticed how often the president’s speeches are to college students? There’s a patronizing element. You are kids and I can sell you anything. And he can. They sit there starry-eyed and the president is going to whip big business. He is the man of the future.

“If you are not as support as he is of wind power, solar power and biofuels, then you are the equivalent of those who said to Columbus, don’t sail forth. The earth is flat.

“I don’t know how many people said to Columbus, don’t sail. You’ll fall of the earth.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone of the left say anything positive about Christopher Columbus. Normally he’s described as a genocidal maniac.”

According to Wikipedia: “The misconception that educated Europeans at the time of Columbus believed in a flat Earth, and that his voyages refuted that belief, has been referred to as “The Myth of the Flat Earth”.[6] In 1945, it was listed by the Historical Association (of Britain) as the second of 20 in a pamphlet on common errors in history.”

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Rockets Over Israel

Posted on March 16, 2012 by TheJewishChannel

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I Used To Party With A Lot Of Alcoholics

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Luke Ford

Though I’ve never taken drugs or imbibed much alcohol, I was wild in my late 20s and I got with some crazy women. Alcoholic women are often great and hot looking. Especially the bipolar ones.

My first year in LA. Those were dramatic days. I’d go to every synagogue I could and learn as much Torah as I could and then went out and did what I wanted.

I did not always behave honorably. That lasted about 18 months and I straightened up before I turned 30.

I’m sure there’s a moral lesson here somewhere.

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