Menachem Mendel

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Bodies of the Enemy

Lion of Zion has written the following about the recent events in Israel,
Ynet has reported on Zaka’s assistance in exhuming the bodies of the terrorists that will be transferred to Lebanon tomorrow. I would have assumed that the justification for Zaka’s participation is to ensure that nearby Jewish graves (if any) are not disturbed and [...]

Excuse me while I…

In one of the many dramatic moments of the Joseph narrative we read about the moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה

“And Joseph said unto his brothers, “Come near to me,” and they came near. And he said, [...]

You too can study at Yale

AcademicHacK has posted (read the entire post since it addresses a number of important issues) that Yale U. has recently established Open Yale Courses. The courses include syllabi, and most importantly, video and audio of classes. While at the present they only have a few courses posted, their intention is to offer more. In [...]

Post on Hanukkah Customs

See another great post at Seforim on various Hanukkah-related customs.

Who’ll Bring the Rain

Daniel J. Lasker has given us the lowdown about the liturgical change of asking for rain which will soon be upon us. See his post at Seforim, and for those interested in more, the articles that he and his father have published on the subject are referenced in the notes.

The Rambam and the Hitman

In a number of Muslim sources there are descriptions of how the Rambam converted while he was in Spain, and then returned to Judaism when he was in Egypt. According to Islamic law, one who leaves Islam is in big trouble, and the stories about the Rambam describe different ways in which he got [...]

The Bible and Presidential Candidates

While elections are still some time away, I thought that this was a nice use of the Bible by Barack Obama during a speech at Howard University. (via Andrew Sullivan)
And I finally ask you to remember the story of Moses and Joshua, I spoke about this when I was in Selma, the 42nd anniversary of [...]

Rav Ovadiah and the Heter Mechirah

In the past Rav Ovadiah has come out in support of the heter mechirah, and it seems as if today a heter mechirah took place in his house.  One of Rav Ovadiah’s sons is quoted as saying the following, “There is a campaign of terror in the Land [of Israel]. There is nothing halakhic here, [...]

Sefer Torah Written by Soferet

I previously posted about what is probably the first Sefer Torah ever to be written by a soferet (female scribe) and I wanted to tell everyone that Jen Taylor Friedman (she even has a Wikipedia entry) has completed the Sefer Torah this week.  I wish Jen a mazal tov and yishar koach on this historic [...]

Gilgamesh for Sale

 

I remember when I first visited the British Museum some years ago I was all excited to see the Epic of Gilgamesh. Much to my disappointment, where the Epic of Gilgamesh was suppose to be there was a sign apologizing for its absence, explaining that it was undergoing restoration or something like that. [...]