Rebbetzin Malka Piotrkowski: We should Reexamine Prohibition of Touching During Nida

Rebbetzin Malka Piotrkowski

According to Orthodox teacher Rebbetzin Malka Piotrkowski, author of “Walking in her Path: the Challenges of Life in a Halachic and Values-Based Perspective,” on Saturday night said in an interview on the podcast of Dr. Michal Prince that today’s relationship between spouses includes friendship beyond a joint effort to procreate.

Rebbetzin Piotrkowski distinguishes between different types of contact, which are not only for sexual purposes but also for support or comfort.

“The laws of Nida-Menstruation were established in a time when the expectations of the spouses were completely different; not that there was no love between them, but the expectation from married life was different,” she said.

According to the Rebbetzin, the change in the perception of the marital relationship is actually welcome, and today there is “an expectation of soul friendships between the spouses.” According to the Rebbetzin, this change has become very substantial and also creates a desire for contact but for various motives, which are not necessarily sexual.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

Gerer Chusid Marries at Hadassah Hospital So His Father with Coronavirus Can Watch

 "We all teared up when the groom waved excitedly to his father from the area [where the chupa was]," said the coronavirus ward's head nurse.

A man infected with coronavirus and in critical condition was able to watch his son's wedding after Hadassah-University Medical Center staff arranged for the wedding to be outside of his window, according to the hospital spokesperson.

The 56-year-old man from Arad has been hospitalized since late September.

Earlier this week, the man's family, who are Gerrer hassidim, asked the Yad Avraham organization that often works with the hospital to hold the wedding in such a way that the man would be able to participate. The organization worked with the hospital to enable the wedding to occur under the man's window and according to Health Ministry guidelines. 

"All of the Hadassah staff, from security, logistics, communications to ward staff made it a mission to have the event," said the head nurse of the coronavirus ward in which the man is being treated. "We all teared up when the groom waved excitedly to his father from the area [where the chupa was]."

"There was not a dry eye when the family sent their father well wishes using the microphone," she went on to say. 

Director-general Prof. Zeev Rotstein said that "the possibility to give a father a chance to participate in his son's wedding – especially when he is very ill, is an unforgettable moment and a testament to the devotion and humanity of Hadassah staff."

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

Biden Finally Responds To Hunter Scandal In Democratic Fashion, Shouts Down Reporter

 

I asked Joe Biden: What is your response to the NYPost story about your son, sir?

He called it a “smear campaign” and then went after me. “I know you’d ask it. I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask.” pic.twitter.com/Eo6VD4TqxD

— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) October 17, 2020

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES!  

Someone From Monsey Tipped off Rockland Sheriff That Satmar Was Planning 10,000 People Wedding

A tip from the Hudson Valley led to a crackdown on a wedding in which 10,000 were reportedly planning to attend amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony, planned for the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, was thwarted after New York State authorities got word of the wedding from the Rockland County Sheriff's Office, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The sheriff's office warned Rockland residents not to attend since the event was in clear violation of state guidelines.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Ducker then issued the order prohibiting the gathering, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, from being held at its planned location, reportedly a synagogue belonging to the Satmar Hasidic sect.

The New York City Sheriff's Department served the order.

Though the planned site of the wedding was outside one of the state's "cluster zones," the projected attendance far exceeded state limits.

 "Look, you can get married, you just can't have 1,000 people at your wedding," Cuomo said, using 1,000 as a relative figure, instead of the specific 10,000 figure of those planning to attend the wedding.

Under Phase 4 of New York's reopening plan, no more than 33 percent of the maximum occupancy for a particular area for services occurring indoors are permitted, with violators subject to fines.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES!  

New York Times Op-Ed Glorifies Farrakhan

 

A former editor and writer for the New York Times editorial page, Bari Weiss, is faulting the Times for publishing an op-ed piece glorifying Louis Farrakhan’s Million Man March and failing to provide context about Farrakhan’s antisemitism.

“Today the New York Times ran an oped about the Million Man March and Louis Farrakhan. If you read the oped and knew nothing about Farrakhan, you would think he was a gentleman,” Weiss tweeted. 

“When The Times ran the infamous anti-Semitic cartoon, the issue was not that editors were hardened anti-Semites. It’s that they didn’t even *notice* it. This shouldn’t surprise. It’s part of a worldview in which Jew hate does not count.” Her reference was to an April 2019 cartoon that the Times eventually said it was “deeply sorry” for and acknowledged was antisemitic.

The op-ed piece appears in the New York Times under the headline “Behind the Million Woman March.” It is subheadlined, “Behind every great feat in the public record lies an untold story of the unsung foot soldiers.” It is written by Natalie Hopkinson, an associate professor in Howard University’s Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

Asteroid could strike Earth day prior to election

 That’s one way to rock the vote.

An asteroid with a diameter the size of a refrigerator could strike the Earth the day before the November election, according to celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson — but it’s not large enough to do any serious damage.

The famed astrophysicist said the space rock, known as 2018VP1, is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 25,000 miles per hour and may clip the planet on Nov. 2.

“It may buzz-cut Earth on Nov. 2, the day before the Presidential Election,” he wrote on Instagram.

But he added that the flying object is nothing to lose sleep over since “it’s not big enough to cause harm.”⠀⠀⠀

“So if the World ends in 2020, it won’t be the fault of the Universe,” he said.

NASA had previously identified the asteroid rocketing toward Earth, but put its chances of actually striking at less than 1 percent.

“It currently has a 0.41% chance of entering our planet’s atmosphere, but if it did, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size,” the space agency said.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

Batel Peretz Frum Girl in Bulgarian Prison

Hi,

My name is Shimon Peretz. My daughter Batel was offered an “all expenses paid” trip to Bulgaria by a member of our community, in exchange for bringing a suitcase with items perfectly legal in Israel. Growing up sheltered, she had no idea she was being tricked. Upon arrival, she was arrested and brought to prison. 

She has been subjected to harsh conditions unheard of in the Israeli or US penal system. She is allowed only one phone call a day with us. When I visit her, I am not allowed to hug her. She cannot communicate with her jailers. Even something as simple as asking for a glass of water or letting the nurse know she is feeling ill is usually impossible. Her health and spirit is deteriorating rapidly. This young girl from a loving home is being housed together with murders and violent criminals, many of whom don’t like Jews. Her life is in grave danger and I want her to come home.

Our whole family is suffering. My son, a sensitive young boy with no history of mental illness, recently became institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital. The “unknown” regarding his sister has been too much for him to bear.

We are spending a lot on lawyers. Because of language issues, we have had to hire translators and other professionals at a high price. She is not being provided with Kosher food, so my wife and I rented an apartment in Bulgaria to cook food for her and her friends. We are being offered a plea bargain in exchange for expensive“fines”. We don’t have that kind of money, but without it, she may spend 15 years in prison and who knows if she will make it out alive.

My dear fellow Jews, I am begging you for your help. Without you, I will lose my precious daughter. While all mitzvahs are great, the Gemara singles out Pidyon Shvuyim as a “Mitzvah Rabbah”. Because the Talmud says “captivity” is worse than starving to death, the Rambam rules redeeming a captive takes precedence over charity for the poor. The Shulchon Aruch says one who delays in redeeming a captive is considered a murderer. Because Batel is a girl, halacha gives her precedence for redemption. The reward and bracha you will receive for helping is unimaginable. Hashem listens to the tefillah of the broken hearted and I daven that Hashem grant you wealth in abundance, health and nachas from your kids.

We are trying to raise money for Pidyon Shvuyim. Our goal is for 500 people to donate $390. The reward for this Mitzvah will surely stand you in good stead.

Senior PA official Saeb Erekat Transferred To Israel For Covid-19 Treatment

 

The condition of senior Palestinian Authority official Saeb Erekat, 65, who is ill with coronavirus, has deteriorated in recent hours.

The Palestinian Authority has submitted a request to Israel to transfer him for examination from Jericho to urgent care at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Israeli territory. Israel complied with the request and will try to save his life.

Erekat is in a high risk group after having previously contracted pulmonary fibrosis and even underwent a lung transplant in the United States in 2017.

In November 2010, Erekat wrote a letter of praise to Ahmad Saadat, the planner of the murder of Minister Rehavam Zeevi, for whom a state memorial service will be held on Tuesday.

"I am writing to you my dear brother to express the most courageous feelings of solidarity and fraternity ... The occupation is pursuing a policy of defeat and humiliation towards you (the prisoners) through the abolition of your achievements. You have exhibited a great stand which has become a legend in which many shahids have fallen.”

After praising Saadat, Erekat wrote to him "Our beloved, the darkness of the prison will come to an end. We believe we will meet soon and celebrate the victory and the liberation and freedom, for all the prisoners."

In December 2015, he paid a condolence visit to the family of a terrorist who carried out a shooting attack against IDF forces and belonged to Palestinian Authority intelligence.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

In the UK.... London Charedi housing association wins landmark Supreme Court case

 A Charedi Jewish housing association has won a landmark case at the Supreme Court after its decision not to offer one of its London apartments to a non-Jewish mother was challenged through the courts.

The case concerned Agudas Israel Housing Association (AIHA), a charity based in Hackney providing housing to members of the Orthodox Jewish community which owns 470 properties across the borough – about one percent of all social housing.

Its practice of allocating social housing only to strictly-Orthodox Jews was by challenged by a single non-Jewish mother of four children, one of whom has severe autism, after she was promised the next available apartment, which at the time was AIHA property.

Despite her having been assessed by Hackney as “having the highest possible need”, she came up against AIHA’s practice of offering housing “only to members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” which Hackney Council adheres to.

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES! 

Ten iconic Holocaust films to watch now on Netflix and Amazon

 

Defiance (2008)

Directed by Edward Zwick, Defiance tells the true-life story of the Bielski partisans, a group led by Belarusian Jewish brothers, who saved and recruited Jews in Belarus during the Second World War. The film stars Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, Liev Schreiber as Zus Bielski, Jamie Bell as Asael Bielski, and George MacKay as Aron Bielski. Available to rent or buy on Amazon.

Schindler’s List (1993)

One of the greatest Holocaust films of all time and recipient of seven Academy Awards, Steven Spielberg’s sweeping epic Schindler’s List follows the real-life story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German businessman who saved the lives of more than 1,000 mostly Polish Jews by employing them in his factories during the Second World War. The stellar cast includes Ralph Fiennes as sadistic SS officer Amon Goeth and Ben Kingsley as Schindler’s Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. Available on Netflix, and to rent or buy on Amazon

KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS

THANKS SO MUCH, IT MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES!