I would be curious to know why your friend, or his Rav haMatir, would consider himself orthodox, being that he is going against all of the orthodox poskim in the past thousands of years. he quotes from a Mishna and a Gemara. Does he think that Maran HaMechaber, who lived in EY didnt learn it up right? Did he think the Rambam made a mistake? Was the Chazon Ish mistaken? Did Rav Kook blow shofar on RH shechal beshabbos.

This reminds me of a famous joke --

A guy is driving down the highway and calls his wife on the phone to tell her that hell be home later than usual. She says, I am glad you called, please stay away from the highway as there is some crazy guy driving the wrong way!

He says to her "ONE crazy guy?? There are hundreds!!!"

In case you missed it - if you are doing something that everyone else considers backwards, maybe you should look in the mirror

anon - my friend is a follower of Machon Shilo. I am not going to defend him, because I am not a follower of Machon Shilo, and I will not be shaking lulav on shabbos. If you want to understand why they do what they do, i can either put you into contact with him, or you can read the various articles on the Machon Shilo website that explain their position.
If you want to be in touch with him directly, email me offline and I'll send you his contact info. I will point this out to him and ask him if he wishes to respond.

I would be curious to know why your friend, or his Rav haMatir, would consider himself orthodox, being that he is going against all of the orthodox poskim in the past thousands of years. he quotes from a Mishna and a Gemara. Does he think that Maran HaMechaber, who lived in EY didnt learn it up right? Did he think the Rambam made a mistake? Was the Chazon Ish mistaken? Did Rav Kook blow shofar on RH shechal beshabbos.

Was Rav Yosi mistaken when he said we can eat chicken Parmesan (i.e. fowl with cheese)? :-)

Apparently times change ... so does Judaism ... constantly.

if they were "jealous" of e"y, what about all the other mitzvos that they did in e"y and not chu"l? why make a fuss about the single lulav shaking only - how does that really help the babylonians if their aim is to act as though e"y is not loftier (what I understood the article to be saying)?

I can assure all of you that Rav Bar-Hayim is a brilliant Torah scholar and received his semicha from Rav Kapach, the leader of the Yemenite community in Israel for more than 50 years (after spending 10 years at Merkaz HaRav). Machon Shilo is not mainstream... yet... but it operates within the bounds of halacha. We are trying to create an awareness of the customs and practices of Eretz Yisrael (Torat HaGeulah) that were all but forgotten--and that should be revived. "The mesorah" did not go from Yavne to Bavel and to New York although a very successful publishing house might want you to think that is so. After the churban there was a living, breathing mesorah here in Eretz Yisrael. How tragic it is to merely import the customs and halachot of galut to Eretz HaKodesh. We are trying to make people aware of the mesorah of Eretz Yisrael. This is our true heritage--and certain the appropriate one for Jews who live in Eretz Yisrael. Our first big issue was kitniyot three years ago. Lulav on Shabbat is another. The Rav has also composed al-HaNissim for Yom Haatzmout and Yom Yerushalayim--which a halachic opinion about the basis for Hallel and Al-HaNissim. He has also reassembled what is the ancient nusah of Eretz Yisrael according to the Yerushalmi and other sources--with 18 (not 19) brachot. Go to www.machonshilo.org or email the Rav at harav@machonshilo.org. Or better yet see the 2-hour video interview at: http://www.vosizneias.com/31591/2009/05/12/jerusalem-the-israeli-controversial-gaon-that-is-raising-eyebrows-in-the-torah-world-exclusive-2-hour-interview-with-vin-news/.
Any question you could possibly ask was probably covered... and the Rav doesn't flinch.
Chag Sameach.

Hmm-I don't know too many non-Orthodox rabbis who wear tefillin all day, refuse to avail themselves of neighborhood eruvim and who make sure to say birkot hashachar before the relevant actions. This is HaRav David Bar-Hayim-yes, he is a big mechadesh but only in an intellectually honest manner whether that leads him to be makil or machmir. His only hidden agenda is emeth, unlike non-Orthodox movments which chose the path of convenience and assimilation.

why do you quote The Way to nothing? It is schmutz and garbage -- and you seem to quote him an awful lot. Is it really your second (or third or fourth) blog with stuff that's not fit to put here, but you like to it?

"Rav Bar Chayim wears tefillin all day, so his approach to halacha must be correct." Wow that's a strong argument if I ever heard one.

The Karaites were also big "mechadshim" in an "intellectually honest manner".

Hevel: I dont know why you think my blog is garbage. You haven't disputed any of my posts or pointed out any errors.

Hevel,

Also, he quoted a post which was a guest post: an open letter to the red cross regarding gilad shalit. How is that schmutz and garbage? Unless you are so biased in your outlook on life that unless I agree with everything you say than anything I say is wrong.
Is this your point of view? that even when we agree my opinion is worthless because there are times we disagree?