Jewish Blogs

Vizhnitzer Rebbe bans contact lenses

The article reads like satire, but unfortunately it is not…Leaders of the Vizhnitz Hasidism have issued new instructions in regards to the purchase of eyeglasses, as part of their attempt to combat modernization.In a special sermon to the young yeshiva students of the Hasidic dynasty, considered one of the biggest in the haredi sector, Rabbi Israel Hager, the successor of ...

Vishnu’s Avatars at the Brooklyn Museum

“Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior” is a new show at the Brooklyn Museum. The Times says about the exhibit, “it takes a while to radiate its full devotional glow over a show that is gratifyingly large but also dauntingly crowded with ideas and information.”We must see this exhibit, especially because we have a section named “Avatars of the Priest” in our ...

Vayechi: The Gift of An Ethical Will

In 1997, when Mitch Albom published his now famous Tuesdays with Morrie, he essentially presented three gifts. The first, of course, was his gift to society. Albom, a Detroit sportswriter who I’ve grown up reading, shared the inspiring wisdom of his college professor Morrie Schwartz. Publishing this book was also a gift to himself as he now has a memoir of ...

Vatican Cracks Down on What is Kosher Catholic Sex

How much should a religion have to say about what kind of sex is kosher? We think, the less, the better.The Times reports that the Vatican has issued a denunciation of the book about sexual ethics by a Catholic woman scholar. “Vatican Scolds Nun for Book on Sexuality”: The Vatican’s doctrinal office on Monday denounced an American nun who taught ...

Vatican: Court Decides that Jews In Netherlands Can Observe Sabbath

We don’t know (1) why the Vatican Insider reports this as news and (2) why they report the decision as “intended to cause controversy”? And why the picture of Jewish men in rain hats?In any event this appears to be a good decision for the Jews.In the Netherlands on Saturday orthodox Jews can go around without documentsThe Supreme Court of ...

Variant Readings of a Bruno Mars Marry You Lyric

We like the popular music of Bruno Mars. It is mostly happy and upbeat. Even the unrequited love theme in “Grenade” comes out as a positive lyric in some strange ways.The blog Jewlicious recently pointed us to a music video that wonderfully draws on a Bruno Mars song, “Marry You.” Dancing Jews, um, Juice: Everybody thinks Bruno Mars is singing ...

Vampire Mania: Paying tribute to the original “vamp”

We are a country in the grips of vampire mania. Twilight books and movies have become a cultural phenomenon approaching Harry Potter levels, and for those with more discerning tastes there is HBO’s True Blood. Though I have only watched one Twilight film (team Jacob?) and arrived a little late to the True Blood party, I have found one aspect of the vampire craze to ...

Vaad Hatznius guidelines regarding laundry

The Vaad Ha Tznius has just issued the following guidelines regarding laundry. It has come to our attention that many families, including those who pride themselves on following all aspects of halacha, are regularly not conforming to proper Tznius guidelines. Unbelievably, many, many families are washing men’s and women’s clothing together at the same time in the same washing machine. ...

Using Our Brain to Drive on Shabbat

Previously on the “Jewish Techs” blog, I discussed the technical halachic (Jewish legal) minutae surrounding the permissability of using the Amigo Shabbat Scooter from the Israeli-based Zomet Institute. The Shabbat Scooter is made by Michigan-based Amigo, founded by Allan Thieme, which began making the Jewish Sabbath-approved scooters six years ago.But now there’s something even more impressive on the horizon that ...

Using my Expert Mooching Skills for Good

If there’s one thing I’m good at life, it’s getting shabbos meals, break-fast meals, shabbos leftovers, places to sleep in far flung towns and a variety of other freebees given to frum Jews who know how to mooch. I’m not sure that there’s a better term than “mooch”, but most people, especially those of a yeshivish and chabad bent are ...

Using cell phones to look through the mechitza

There was a time not so long ago when looking over the mechitza meant merely turning your head, pretending to do a neck stretch or merely delaying your lecha dodi turn a bit, but alas those days are over. A new study being conducted at various holy sites around Israel has found that more and more people are opting for ...

Using and Misusing the Tehillim

We have published on Halakhah.com the SYNOPSIS OF SEFER SHIMUSH TEHILLIM: Containing Protections Against Numerous Calamities. Attributed to Rav Hai Gaon, in Hebrew and English, compiled by Reuven Brauner.From the Introduction:Sefer Shimush Tehillim is a short and relatively little-known treatise attributed to Rav Hai Gaon (according to the Sedei Chemed) which describes the Kabbalistic uses of particular chapters and verses ...