The local rag 'Chadash' ran a story of an incident that happened last week.

The mishaps and inefficiencies of Egged have been very well documented all around the country. An extreme example was on Lag B'Omer there was a complete failure of the system and people waited hours on end for Egged to bring buses. The Lag B'Omer situation was so bad that there was even a drive to have it discussed in the Knesset.
In Bet Shemesh the problem has been pretty bad with buses not showing up, being late, overpacked, etc. The 417 line is actually pretty decent, though it is often overcrowded during the peak hours with not enoughbuses on the line, but many of the other lines provide horrendous service.

One such line is the 497 line between Bet Shemesh and Bnei Braq. I have heard nothing but complaints about this line. Buses that never show up. Buses that are overfull. Delays. etc.

So the incident is that last week on Motzai Shabbos, people were waiting in Bnei Braq at the bus stop for a 497 to go back home to Bet Shemesh. The 9:30 bus only left half an hour late, and filled up very quickly, leaving many people around Bnei Braq stranded, as they could not get on the bus.

An Egged supervisor passed by and promised them that another bus was being dispatched right away. A short while later anothe rbus passed also packed to the gills, not letting anybody on.

11pm had already come and gone, and the people realized they would soon be stuck there overnight unless they did something drastic. They got an empty 402 bus to pull over, thinking they would be going to Jerusalem. Everybody got on the bus and told the driver that he has to take them to Bet Shemesh. The driver insisted his route is Jerusalem and not Bet Shemesh, but the passengers refused to give in and insisted he take them to Bet Shemesh.

the article did not describe any violence or threats of violence used during the confrontation with the bus driver, but eventually the driver agreed and took them to Bet Shemesh.

This is what happens when a company is provided with a near monopoly on providing a public service. Kol Hakavod (not knowing what they actually did) to the passengers who stood up to the Egged behmoth.

Jack, the manager, is also hosting this week.

Last night we hosted a Sheva Brachos dinner in our house for a cousin who just got married the night before (my speech, sans post drasha blessings to the couples).

During the dinner, one of my boys found, floating in the toilet, a 200NIS bill. He took it out and wanted to keep it. My wife asked the various people there who it might have fallen from, and eventually found the owner.

My son did not want to return it. Being that he is an eleven year old talmid chacham learning in a cheder, he came up with some good svara why he can keep it. He compared it to a case the mishna and gemara discuss in which somebody retrieves something from the mouth of a lion. he can keep it in that case because the owner would otherwise have lost it completely anyway. He said this would have been lost - flushed down the toilet, so he should be alowed to keep it.

I thought he should return, even if just for chinuch reasons. I thought it wrong to keep something that was lost at a party in our house, when we know who lost it. Also I suggested that he clearly had found it before the owner had given up hope of finding it (yi'ush) - as the owner of the money only realized it had fallen after we asked about it. Being that he found it before yi'ush, he would have to return it.

He was very upset because he really wanted to keep the money.

The one who lost the money agreed that it would be good for him to know we asked a Rav the shailoh, and whatever the Rav decides is how we would proceed.

So I asked my Rav the shailoh. The Rav answered that there are a numbers of reasons that for chinuch he should have to return it. And while the logic he used was good (comparing it to the case of the item in the lion's mouth), it is not definite that it would have been lost from the loser and from all people (maybe it would have floated and not been flushed down? maybe somebody else would have gone to use the toilet and found it?), and therefore not comparable to the case of the lion.

My son was very disappointed because he really thought he should be able to keep it. We told him that the mitzva is worth so much for than 200 shekels, and is worth even more because the nisayon is so difficult for him.

As a motivational celebration, we went out for dinner to falafel, as per his preference, and celebrated his big mitzva of hashavas aveida.

And I told him I would post it on my blog, to which he smiled and then waved his hand and 'pooh poohed' it...

Whew! That was close! We were almost in for a versy serious water shortage this summer.

Good thing we have innovative public officials who could come up with an efficient solution to resolve the problem quickly.

the solution: They simply lowered the red line again, so now there is no problem, because we have not hit the red line. Really. I am not kidding.

Mashiach must be coming!

According to Haaretz, Peres got special permission to stay in the Olympic Village, so he could be present at the opening ceremony of the Olympics and still keep Shabbos.

(HatTip: MN)

I was initially not going to post about this, but the story has now taken an interesting twist, so I thought I would mention it.

Recently, the beginning of the week, Unilever brought in some internationally recognized DJ/model Nicci Belucci to host a promotional campaign for one of their products, AXE deodorants. It seems that she is a very provocative model and, true to her reputation, she ran the promotion while topless (no I do not have a video link for this).

The Haredim heard about it and threatened to boycott Unilever. That would be major, and probably impossible, as Unilever is a major importer and manufacturer, one of the largest, of basic products such as AXE, Vaseline, foods such as cereals, chocolates, pretzels, margarines, mayonaisse, soaps, detergents, etc. Basic items used by everybody, many of them with a Badat'z hechsher.

The various committees demanded apologies saying things such as from Mottka Bloi (the guy who ran the bans on MBD and Shweckey a while back) "we should not have to hear about this type of outrage", "bring an abonimation to Eretz Yisrael", "the gedolim have to consider a boycott" etc. From Goldknopff (the guy running the threat of boycott against Shefa Shuk and ran the boycott against El Al and others) we have things like, "Every product has an alternative", "if things are not immediately repaired, people should not buy products from them", "people who want to work with us have to know we have our sensitivities", etc. From Shmuel Peppenheim, the former spokesperson for the Eida Haredis and current representative of the Eidah hechsher, we have quotes like, "Obviously we are considering removing our hechsher", "we cannot allow this to pass quietly" etc.

Unilever Israel issued an apology to the Haredi comunity, saying AXE is an international brand following an international advertising policy set by the company, the event was private, Unilever respects all its customers, including the Haredi customers, we apologize, blah blah blah...

The interesting thing is the next part of the story. After Unilever issued its apology yesterday, Peppenheim from the Eidah Haredis has responded again. This time, he says, the apology is not enough. According to TheMarker, Peppenheim said to them, "Originally the apology would have been enough. But now [RG: I have no idea what changed], the Badatz has decided to demand that Unilever issue an apology in the secular media as well, because they have hurt the secular people no less than they have hurt us." .

So from this story it comes out that, aside from banning Hellman's Mayonnaise, the Badatz is concerned about, and looks after the welfare, of secular Israelis, and not just the identity of Haredi Judaism, as they generally claim. I just thought that was an interesting twist I would share with you.

Israel is suffering, as always but much worse this year, from a severe water shortage. Not only do we not have oil in this little strip of land we call home, but we also do not have water. Great place to live in the hottest region on the planet.

The water situation has gotten so bad that authorities are warning that there soon might not be water coming out of our faucets, as the water level is dangerously close to the level of the pumps. If it gets below pump level, they cannot pump any more water out.

Everyone is looking for ways to conserve water. Ynet has discovered that there is a tremendous waste of water in the mikva world. There is no supervision, and they generally change the water 2 to 3 times a week, just throwing the water out. They want them to be recycling the water, have some authority supervising the disposal, etc.

While they are quick to criticize the frum world for wasting water in the mikvas, I noticed last week when the Great Tel Aviv Water Fight took place in Rabin Square, that all the articles were very straightforward mentioning the item, yet none of the articles that I saw criticized them for wasting all that water. (I linked to Haaretz because I could not find a ynet article right now, but they also wrote about it at the time). For a cool video of the water fight, click here - warning: there might be inappropriately dressed women participating in the water fight.

I am not saying Mikva authorities should continue wasting water. They should recycle the water instead of draining it into the sewage sytem. Every drop counts.
As a side note, if the mikvas look the way they do and they are being changed 2-3 times a week, I would seriously be afraid to consider what mikvas would look like if they changed the water less frequently!

But to not criticize the great water fight, to even allow it to have happened at all, questions the real motivations behind the criticism of the mikvas. Are they really concerned about the water waste or is this just a way of getting at the frum? And yes, I understand the amount of water wasted in a one time fight is much less than the amount wasted on a regular basis by the mikvas, but the wastage of the water fight had absolutely no purpose, while the mikva is at least religiously needed..

Last year there was a video news report about permission that had been given to use a specific rest stop on the side of the highway on the way up to the mountains of NY for a davening stop. The news report showed how people were abusing the privilege and selling food there. They were selling salads for Shabbos, cholent, sandwiches, etc., people were collecting tzedaka, etc. A result of this was making a tremendous mess, leaving their garbage piled up there.

The authorities got pretty PO'ed that the permission they had given had been abused.

The machers of NY who just had to sell cholent will be proud to know that because of them this year the police have canceled the permission to use the stop for davening.

An alternate location, much smaller, has been promised, on condition the mess of last year does not repeat itself. This itself was a fight, as the police, understandably, did not want to hear more promises how it would only be for prayer. but in the end they agreed, with the threat that they would cancel it immediately if the rules are not adhered to.

(source: Mishpacha newspaper)

Mishpacha newspaper reported about a new community called "Green Park" (a new neighborhood in Modiin Ilit). The residents of the neighborhood appointed a Rav named Rav Ovadiah Yaavetz. Rav Yaavetz went to the gedolim to get their blessings for his new position.

Rav Kanievsky did not just give him his blessing, but also gave him some instructions. Rav Kanievsky said, "Every community needs to have a Rav - someone who will guide them. Without a Rav, a community cannot succeed, as people will breaks fences that earlier generations established.
A Rav needs to know that he must work for the success of those in his community in Torah and yiras shamayim. This is the first thing a Rav has to do."

Because Rav Yaavetz lives in Bnei Braq and not in Modiin Ilit, Rav Kanievsky addes he should be in Green Park neighborhood as much as possible. "Even though you live in Bnei Braq, you should go spend the first Shabbos in Green Park, right away, to be with your community."

In many new communities it is common for shuls/communities to hire a Rav on a part time basis. Often the Rav will not move to the community but come once in a while to give some shiurim during the week and come for a specified number of Shabbasos every month.

In my shul, our Rav still does not live in RBS, but he comes almost every single Shabbos (he only does not come once in a very rare while), and is in the shul almost every single night giving Shiruim and guidance to members who need to talk with him.

Rav Kanievsy is saying that for a Rav to be able to do his job successfully and guide his 'flock', he has to be able to develop relationships with the members, and that takes presence. He has to be there as much as possible for that to happen.

the annual Running of the Bulls Festival in Italy has begun.. these guys are just crazy, but it looks like something I would be tempted to do, maybe with my chalaf handy....

Aaron Razel is amazing. here is a 2.5 hour clip of his recent performance in Kfar Tapuach....

The lines between Neturei Karta and Satmar are often blurred and unclear. Both are anti-zionist, and in general Neturei Karta is an offspring of Satmar. People commonly mistake the two and when Neturei Karta does something outrageous in public, often Satmar gets some flak.

Mishpacha (Hebrew) newspaper reported this past week on a protest in England that Satmar Hassidim were scheduled to take part in.

The protest was to be against some sort of event in London celebrating the 60th anniversary fo Israel. The Satmar Rebbe had called upon his Hassidim to protest the event, as "we must remind everybody that Judaism is not necessarily Zionism, and that there are many who think that the establishment of the State was a rebellion against the kingdom of God that continues to this day".

He set rules however. Rules that included a stipulation that the Hassidim could only protest as long as they "would not be anywhere in the vicinity of Palestinian protestors, who protest for their own reasons, and definitely not near Neturei Karta protestors who make a tremendous chilul Hashem with their identification with the murderous Arabs and their disgracing the kannoim who are God fearing and Jew loving."

They got the various licenses to hod their protest. After all the announcements and arrangements, the police called them up and told them, on the day of the protest, that they had decided that all protestors would have to stand in one area and it did not matter that they were protesting for different reasons.

The Admor of Satmar immediately put out announcements cancelling the protest, despite their having spread the word around all the Haredi areas on Shabbos.

So there you have the difference between Neturei Karta and Satmar. Satmar protests Zionism and what it sees as a rebellion against Hashem. That protest, however, does not allow one to join up with any other people just to achieve a certain goal. No chilul Hashem can be created in the process. While Neturei Karta people go and kiss people like Arafat and Ahmadinejad and praise them in their efforts to eradicate the Jewish people.

For the first time ever, a Hassidic woman has graduated from the Police Academy (no, not the movie) and has been hired as a police officer.

Bayle Glauber has requested Shabbos off, and the police have agreed, after having consulted with the Town Attorney, though in case of emergency they told her they will call her just like any other policeman.

"He said Glauber is the town's first ultra-Orthodox Jewish officer and her request for religious days off is the first he's come across in 25 years with the town. The county's other Hasidic officer, Shlomo Koenig, is a detective for the Rockland Sheriff's Department, but did not work the Sabbath when he started.

Klein said Glauber's schedule is temporary and contingent on his research of the constitutional issues. He said there were court cases involving employers respecting a person's religious rights, including issues of working on the Sabbath.

He said the town was also seeking an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office.

"We have to balance her religious rights with the job of a police officer to respond at all times," Klein said. "We'll be researching the issue and reporting back to the town and police department."

The Ramapo Police Commission, which comprises the Town Board, will discuss the issue, along with the PBA, Klein said.

Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, who supported Glauber's hiring, said he had no problems with her work schedule. He said he had no problem making reasonable accommodations for people based on their religious beliefs."

Rav Yuval Cherlow was asked by a petitioner, how to relate to her second year of Sherut Leumi.

She asked that perhaps she should be preparing for marriage, as she is dating and hoping to get married, by getting a job and saving money so her husband will be able to sit and learn Torah in kollel, and thereby perhaps her contribution in the long term will be greater. Or perhaps she should commit to a second year of Sherut Leumi and contribute in this way now to the Jewish people even though there is a chance that it will be interrupted should she get married. Which contribution is more important?

Rav Cherlow responded that as a society we have to make general rules. That is what halacha is - a set of general rules that establishes with tzibbur of the Jewish Nation, rather than every indivdual formulating his or her own set of rules.

So to start off, we have to establish that the general rule is that girls should serve two years of Sherut Leumi. Now we have to figure out the exceptions to the rule. Is somebody not appropriate for it? Can somebody specific not handle it? Is somebody specific getting married?

In the case of somebody who is an exception and in an exceptional situation, it is better for that person to not serve the second year.

So you have to decide if you fall into the category of the exceptions, or if your situation is exceptional or not, and therefore you should be the exception to the rule. Or does your personal situation fit in with most of the community..

There is a new publication being distributed around various communities around Israel. It is called Torat Yisrael.

After a successful pilot run, the founders took a break of a few months, put together a full business plan, redesigned the paper where necessary, and took care of various business aspects necessary for the successful relaunch of Torat Yisrael.

They recently relaunched, but have had some distribution glitches. My shul had not received Torat Yisrael's first few editions due to the 'glitch'. This past Shabbos, my shul finally received a batch of them and they were snatched up right away.

The paper is refreshing, with full color pages and interesting articles written by "Land of Israel" activists and Talmidei Chachamim.

Sometimes I read something in these Shabbos parsha papers but can never find them again. I might have read something that I would like to reference or remember, but by the time the edition is gone, it is often impossible to find old copies or any other way of recovering the article you wanted to review.

With Torat Yisrael, that is not a problem. They have a website that includes all the articles they print, and they also now have a blog that includes many of the articles and many timely updates and issues that arise that do not necessarily make it into the Shabbos paper.

Check them out and look for the paper in your shul! If your shul does not receive it, contact the editors (links from their websites) and I am sure they will try to include your shul in their distribution if possible.

And of course, if you have a business or product, consider advertising with them. They have a wide reach, as their distribution includes communities all over Israel.

(for good measure I will point out that the Editor in Chief, Shmuel Sokol, is my cousin)

This was posted to the local email list, and I am re-posting it here with permission from the original poster...

The famed Rabbi Shachne Zohn, shlita, had an amazing dream about three weeks ago. Rav Shachne Zohn has been the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Kodshim v'Taharos in Yerushalayim for nearly 40 years. Before that, he served as a Rav at Yeshivah Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn. In his youth, he studied at Yeshivos Mir and Kamenitz in Europe. He also studied briefly with the Chafetz Chaim, who had a great impact on him.

About three weeks ago, the Chafetz Chaim appeared to Rav Zohn in a dream. The Chafetz Chaim said to him, "Geula krova lavo. L'farsem, ulehitkonen." (Translation: The "redemption is close. Publicize and prepare yourself.")

I have confirmed this story with Rabbi Zohn's daughter in Jerusalem, and his son, Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, Director of Vaad Harabanim of Queens, Chevra Kadisha).