According to Haaretz Breaking News, Hooters will be opening up its first restaurant in israel. of course it will be in Tel Aviv.

16:08
Hooters restaurant chain to open branch in Tel Aviv (Reuters)

My only question is if it will have a mehadrin hechsher....

Helfgot's endings to his songs are just out of this world... enjoy

SoccerDad teaches us a lot of lessons in the latest edition of Haveil Havalim!!

Check out my brother's progress as a volunteer (maha"l) in the Israeli army.

He recently started this new blog to post his updates. They are funny and sometimes crude and give an interesting outlook and insight into the going ons in the army...

I just received this by email. I have no idea of it is true, though the writing style definitely sounds true. Because I do not know for sure, I will refrain from commenting. Anyway the letter leaves no real need for comments anyway...

>>>> March 1,2007
>>>>
>>>> Yaniv Ban-Zaken, a local gas station owner, will be selling Kosher
>>>> for Passover gasoline during the holiday this year. The move,
>>>> Ben-Zaken says, has become necessary due to the increased ethanol
>>>> content in gasoline required by the government. The ethanol is
>>>> typically derived from corn, which is a forbidden food for Jews on
>>>> Passover. And, according to Ben-Zaken, underJewish law, it is also
>>>> forbidden to derive any benefit from
>>>> corn.
>>>>
>>>> "We will be providing a number of services to anyone interested in
>>>> making
>>>> their motor vehicle Kosher for Passover," Ben-Zaken says. Services
> will
>>>> include siphoning off the non-Kosher gasoline and replacing it with
> the
>>>> Kosher gasoline. The entire process will be supervised by Rabbi
> Yitzchok
>>>> Mendelbaum. A special exemption to the EPA rule regarding the plant
>>>> ethanol
>>>> content of gasoline had to be obtained from the government to allow
> for
>>>> the
>>>> use of this gasoline.
>>>>
>>>> The move has created some controversy among local community leaders.
>>>> Rabbi
>>>> Shalom Silver, of Congregation Ohel Emeth in Teaneck, has
> recommended to
>>>> his congregants that they not buy the gasoline. "Although Jews of
>>>> Ashkenazi
>>>> descent are not permitted to eat corn on Pesach, they are permitted
> to
>>>> derive benefit from corn byproducts, such as gasoline with ethanol
>>>> additives," he said.
>>>>
>>>> However, Rabbi Mordechai Silver (no relation to Shalom Silver), of
>>>> Yeshivas Torah Ohr in nearby Englewood, disagrees, and maintains
>>>> that while it might
>>>> technically be acceptable to use mass-produced gasoline, those who
> can
>>>> afford to purchase the new alternative should. "In Jewish law, we
> have a
>>>> principle of lifnim mshuras hadin--going above and beyond thebasic
>>>> requirements of the law," he explained in an email. "Thank G-d, many
>>>> people
>>>> in the area can afford to do so in this case."
>>>>
>>>> Some local Jewish leaders have also complained about the high price
>>>> of
>>>> the
>>>> ethanol-free gas, which Ben-Zaken estimates will be $9.69 per
> gallon,
>>>> but
>>>> Ben-Zaken insists that it is necessary. "The Kosher gas is made in
> small
>>>> quantities and not mass produced, so the costs are high." In fact,
>>>> Ben-Zaken, an immigrant from Israel who is not himself religious,
> claims
>>>> that he will not be making any profit on the sale of the Kosher gas.
>
>>>> "I'm
>>>> doing this more as a community service. My hope is that people will
> be
>>>> more
>>>> likely to patronize my station the rest of the year."
>>>> Julio Sanchez, one of Ben-Zakens employees, also expressed some
> concern
>>>> over the high price, explaining that it might drive away customers
> and
>>>> reduce his income from tips. Co-worker Naveen Samhari disagreed,
>>>> because,
>>>> as he says, "Orthodox Jews are among the best tippers in the area."
>>>>
>>>> Ben-Zaken also says he will be contracting with a local car rental
>>>> agency
>>>> to provide customers with a Kosher for Passover car if they would
> prefer
>>>> not to use their own. This will also save the time of having to
> clean
>>>> chametz from the car before Pesach--time that many local two-income
>>>> families do not have. "Jews use different dishes for Passover. They
>>>> ought
>>>> to be able to use a different car, as well." Ben-Zaken says.

My 5th grade son's class is just about to start learnign mishnayos masechet z'vachim which deals with various korbanot and their laws.

His rebbe asked if I would come in today with a chicken and shecht it for them, showing them what shehita is and the parts of the chicken and they would have a more real concept of it when learning z'vachim.

I said sure, so I went today to a local moshav and bought three chickens from soebody with a chicken coop. I brought one of them to the school later in the morning for the demonstration.

The 5th grade class and the 6th grade class came out to watch. They set up their chairs and I started to show them the various items and equipment, including letting the chicken run around a bit. I showed them the knife and one of my sharpening stones.

Most of the other classes also came out to watch. The various rebbeim wanted to see, so even though it was only for 5th and 6th grade, they all were there except for one. I now know that my 3rd grade sons rebbe has the best control over his class of all the rebbeim. My sons 3rd grade class was the only one not to come out and join us.

After talking a bit, I went off to the side and shechted the chicken. We decided not to shecht it in front of the kids, just in case some would be sensitive. It had not been planned in advance and parents had not been asked, so we felt the best way to deal with it was to shecht not in front of the kids.

After the shehita, I showed them the trachea and esophagus that I had cut. I then began to skin the chicken and open it up. I showed them the various organs, including the heart, liver, intestines, air sacs (equivalent of lungs) and more. My sons rebbe did the kisui ha'dam (covering the blood which needs to be done after slaughtering fowl), as it is not a very common opportunity to do this mitzva, so I gave him ownership of the chicken and let him do that mitzva.

After a nice demonstration, we left. I went home and slaughtered the other two chickens and kashered them. After kashering was finished, I took the first chicken to the rebbes house so he could have it for shabbos.

Later in the day the principal dropped off a cake for me in gratitude and had created a certificate thanking me as a friend of the school with some long text which I have not yet had a chance to read completely

bluke at The Jewish Worker scanned in an advertisement from today's Yated Ne'eman.



You can see it here:

The ad basically announces for all daf yomi learners with the start of learning masechet Moed Katan, which much of the masechet deals with the laws and mourning, the Hatam Sofer supposedly said (the ad says "it was said in the name of the Hatam Sofer") that one learnign moed katan should be concerned because of the topic of mourning he is studying and therefore should protect himself by giving tzedaka.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky is then quoted as saying that the tzedaka you give should be to a specific organization called Kupat Ha'ir of Bnei Brak and it posts the contact info. Obviously this organization has sponsored the advertisement.

So, does somebody learning masechet gittin have to be concerned he will be divorced in short order? Is there some precaution to take against the vibes of that masechet?

What about someone learning masechet makkot which deals with the laws of the lashes beis din would meet out to those deserving of them? Would someone learnign Makkot be under increased threat of being beaten in an alley? Is there some sort of protection one can take against the threat?

What about learning masechet avodah zara? will one be taken in by the occult and end up receiving the punishment of kares?

And how does one protect himself from drought when learning masechet taanis? Do his chances of death increase when learning Yevamot, requiring his wife to fall to yibum? I do not even want to think about what a person should be worried about when learning masechet kritot!

Conversely, if a single person learns masechets ketubot or kiddushin, does that increase the chances of his getting married? would learning the various masechets of kodshim dealing with the sacrifices increase a persons chances of enjoying a good bbq dinner?

Why would the ammoraim compiling the gemara have written down a masechet that threatens the well-being of anybody who learns it.

And as bluke says from his rebbeim, Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus are just as much Torah as Bava Kama, Zevachim, etc. You are מקים the same mitzva of talmud torah. There is a chiyuv to know all of Torah and Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus are part of that. Therefore, it is inconceivable that a person would come to harm by learning Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus when by doing so he is fulfilling his chiyuv to learn Torah.

What a ridiculous manipulation for money!

I am posting this video against my better judgement. It is a bit crass in the middle, but is very funny...
enjoy!

Have you ever wondered why the minyan you are skipped tahanun on any given day?

Was a groom in the room? maybe there will be a bris in the shul or for one of the attendees? Is it someone's yahrtzeit? Any other reason?

Are you happy when the minyan skips tahanun? It seems most people like skipping tahanun, even though timewise it only takes about 2 minutes, if that long, not including Monday and Thursday mornings where it takes a few more minutes.

I sometimes am relieved when I see that shliah tzibbur skipping tahanun. Sometimes I feel bad because it is really a nice tefilla. Sometimes I wonder why and wonder if it is justified or not.

Maybe shuls that skip tahanun regularly should put up a sign announcing the reason, assuming there is a reason. If there is no reason, then they are just cutting out parts of the siddur. So I am assuming that there is a reason for them to skip it.

I would love to be able to look at a sign and see what famous historical figure had a yahrtzeit on any given day or that someone is having a bris and know that we are skipping tahanun because of him.

I went shechting again yesterday. These are the pictures that were missing the last time I went. It seems the guy using the camera yesterday had a few more brain cells than the guy last time. He was actually able to figure out how to press the button and snap the shot!

The meat was chalak and everything was great! We even had a mashgiah. Another group had hired a shochet to slaughter for them. This elderly rav is the rav responsible for all shechita at one of the hashgochos in Israel. He watched me shecht and checked the lungs of the animal and everything was great.

WARNING!! The photographs below contain graphic content. Do not view them if you have just eaten lunch, unless you have a stomach like mine...

What do you think of his arguments presented here?

Over the course of the past year (even less, really. I am rounding up) a lot has happened.

Among all that happened, a number of Israeli soldiers were abducted and captured and might even still be alive.

A lot has happened since the Second Lebanon War. Time has passed and many of us have moved on. We follow the news and comment on it, but overall we are busy with our own lives. We have our jobs, our families, other responsibilities, our hobbies, and whatever else we have that keep us busy.

Because we have our daily lives at the forefront of our minds we (at least I do) tend to push other people's problems to the back of our heads and only occassionally think about them, if that much.

I just want to remind you that Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit are still in captivity from just prior to the Lebanon War II last summer. Thet are in addition to Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, and Tzvi Feldman who disappeared in Lebanon a much longer time ago. Guy Hever disappeared a number of years ago in the Golan Heights near the Syrian border.

Just take a moment and think of them. Think of their families who are without them. Say a prayer for a moment for them

That's it. Thanks. Now you can go back to your lives.

Come back and look at this post every few days/weeks/months until they are returned to us.

Check out jpix3 at me-ander!!! She did a phenomenal job!

One of the synagogues in which I daven has a shelf of about 40 or so kupot tzedaka.

All the charities being collected for by these various charity boxes are all approved by the vaad of the shul, and they have all been checked out and deemed to be worthy causes. Some are for organizations supporting the needy, some are for yeshivot, schools, kollels, synagogues, some for soup kitchens, some for widows and orphans, etc. You pretty much have your choice of which type of charity you wish to drop your coin into.

Nobody is allowed to walk around collecting with a separate charity box. People are meant to give in the boxes on the shelf.

The only exception to this is the gabbai (beadle). The gabbai walks around during the services with one can for the congregants to put tzedaka into without having to go up to the shelf. The gabbai has a specific can for a certain family of a widow and orphans that he collects for with this can. This can is also represented by a can on the shelf.

I find it unfair that the gabbai walks around with this can rather than the others. I have paid attention - because the gabbai walks around with this specific can, people rarely put their coins in the other cans. Rather they take the convenience of the gabbai approaching them and deposit their coins in the can he is holding.

I generally will not put my money into his can, but will rotate between the various cans on the shelf, including the can on the shelf for the widow and orphans. I feel the other charities are being unfairly slighted by the preference of the gabbai. I have no idea what the gabbai's relationship with this particular can is. Maybe he knows the family represented by the can, maybe he knows the story, or maybe not.

Am I wrong for preferring the other cans over the one he walks around with? Am I wrong for considering it unfair that because of the gabbai the other charities get very few donations?

For some reason I feel right because I do not like the fact that the others get less because of his preference, but I also feel bad that I give less often to this one because of reverse discrimination.

What do you think?

this is the new currency being printed in Israel. Ehud Olmert's image appearing on the 0 (zero) shekel bill. At least his approval ratings are still slightly higher.. holding steady at 3%!! Way to go Ehud!!

First, a little background info on the Haveil Havalim Carnival.

This is the 109th edition of Haveil Havalim.

HH was founded by Soccer Dad to potentially increase the exposure blogs get. Soccer Dad manages the HH carnival, and puts in a lot of time finding hosts. He fills in himself on weeks he has no volunteer. Kudos to Soccer Dad. If you would like to host a future edition of Haveil Havalim, contact Soccer Dad and schedule your week.

The term “Havel Havelim” is from Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, which was written by King
Solomon, who built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down
in materialism and other “excesses” and finally realized that it was nothing but
norishkeit, “havel” or in English “vanities.” (I plagiarized this description, or actually part of it, from an old HH hosted by Shiloh Musings, so thanks Batya even though I did not ask permission :-) ).

This is a mega double edition because last week there was no Haveil Havalim, due to Purim falling out on Sunday. This week's edition contains two weeks worth of postings, so you will have plenty to read. Maybe take a day or two off of work to make some time for it...

This edition of HH includes something like 142 posts from about 102 different blogs. (If I counted correctly)

Hosting Haveil Havalim has been enlightening. I have found blogs that I had never seen before. There are so many interesting people with so many interesting things to say! I wish I had the time to keep up with all these blogs....

One more thing - I included a lot of posts I found on various sites that were not submitted. Basically I submitted them myself. So, if you did not submit them for a reason such as you did not want the wider public to find them, I apologize. I assumed that you are not aware of Haveil Havalim and would appreciate the link. If that is not the case, I apologize to you.

And now, on to the carnival!

NOTE: keep your eyes peeled for the winner of "the best post of the HH" award - it is posted in a nice bright color (similar to this notice). (this award is being nominated and decided by only one person - me. You might not agree with the decision, but then again, you can do what you want when you host HH)

And one more thing again. If you submitted a post and it did not get posted for whatever reason, I apologize. No insult was intended.

Oh yeah. One more thing (how many one more things do you think I can write?). While we are on the topic of carnivals, don't forget to submit your links to the KCC - the Kosher Cooking Carnival managed by me-ander and the jpix carnival managed by Bagel Blogger
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PURIM:

Because I am hosting this, I am giving myself an additional plug. You can see any and all of my Purim related posts at Yontiff Thoughts . And while you are there, with Purim behind us, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Pesach related posts...

bec commits the ultimate crime and it might even be a federal crime in the US..

Yisrael wonders if this was the Purim shpiel he was supposed to be going to...

I posted about the possibility of the weather of Purim day being cursed though the weather was actually beautiful... and then posted pictures and video from my Purim.

We will never forget the Purim Podcast on MPR (Muqata Purim Radio) posted by Ezzie and
Jameel. Thanks to them we now have many voices to assicate with their writing styles. Soon, maybe we will have faces too, depending on Jameel's next stunt.... It took them many hours of work and they did a great job putting it together...

Am Kshe Oref gives over a powerful Purim message of achdus.

Rock of Galilee reviewed his Purim. He met up with one blogger but narrowly missed another. It turns out I am not too hard to find.

A Mother in Israel discusses her thoughts on the waste of money involved in mishloah manot.

I promise you that you do not want to miss BagelBlogger's Purim satire.

Reb Chaim discusses a fascinating story of murder at the Purim meal with various explanations..
Neil talks chinnuch with shalach manos. And who would have thunk it, but Neil seems to have written a book that got banned.

FrumWithQuestions talks about inappropriate Purim costumes.

Ari remembers delivering mishloach manot as a child.

AbbaGav talks Purim and shabbos demonstrations.

Hirshel discusses his inner conflict resolving words of Chazal in the Purim story and it spills
over to Judaism in general.

Shpitzle compares Yom Kippur to Purim.

Frum Satire talks about Purim in Albany.

Evan has posted some great pictures from his Purim in Jerusalem.

Shmuel at GoGolan lives in a great community where his shalach manos was delivered even better than right to the door.

Yitz tells over a fascinating Purim story.

muse learns a lesson about coincidences...

yaak has a bunch of links to great articles relevant to Purim and Amalek. He also has a strikingly relevant gematriya.

Social Worker enjoyed her Purim.

Elchonon at State of Judea compares Channuka and Purim.

Elie wrote up a great dvar Torah on Haman not getting past the missing .001% and that being his problem. I wrote something similar, but Elie put it so much better.

DAG thinks Purim was like the Cinderella story

Israel:
The ZionistYoungster points out Western hypocrisy, looking at Darfur as an example.

Cosmic X criticizes those who dare to speak ill of Eretz Yisrael and then continues it with great story.

Yisrael points out an interesting dilemma how to spell a street name.

Olah Chadasha talks about what associations sirens blaring have in people's minds.

JoeSettler did not submit this post about the Eurovision selection, but I enjoyed it so
I included it here... and Batya also weighs in on the Eurovision selection.

Yid With Lid had a whole bunch of great posts.... bringing korban Pesach, claims against Israel's war crimes disproved but only "on page 42", among many other great posts... Of them all, I particularly enjoyed the one about Temple Mount. Then he gives us his take on the tragedy of the disengagement and talks about the alleged massacre of Egyptian POWs. He's got a bunch more great posts, so check it out.

Noorster describes her experience banking in Israel.

Boker Tov Boulder describes another heated conflict in Olmert's cabinet.

Daled Amod finds a new city that might be Jerusalem.

Batya remembers witnessing and being injured in a terrorist attack and talks about the miracle. She then has a guest post by A Good Jew about life in one of the famous "caravillas".

Judeospshere remembers back to a discussion of the Israel lobby from 1981.

LemonLime Moon quotes an old famous one about what anti-semites should really do if they want to be consistent.

Yisrael remembers and old picture from when he was hanging out with some serious folk from Lehi. I particularly was impressed with the name association (as I commented in the post).

If you are good with the Hebrew, you should be keeping tabs on Bibi Netanyahu's blog. Here he discusses how Olmert abandoned the home front. In the blog of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction of the Likud, they suggest Bibi should be running for U.S. Senate.

Sin of the Expulsion blog talks about how Olmert continues to evade responsibility.

A Jewish Blog points out how Israeli soldiers will soon be much safer on the frontlines. IsraellyCool also mentioned it.

Kesher Talk discusses self-hatred of the right wing and calls it baseless. He also points out how much Iran has changed.

Elder of Ziyon proves terrorism is still the main part of the PLO and PA.

SimplyJews discusses a possible anti-semitic conspiracy surrounding International Womens Day. He also discusses the uranium Israel allegedly used during the Second Lebanon War.

Boker Tov Boulder proves that Abu Mazen is a liar.

Rubicon3 shows the Germans (at least some German clergy) consider Israel to be racist.

Daled Amos has some posts on the secular Islamic Conference he participated in. This one has some video from the conference

Judaism:

Robert Avrech sets the table for shabbos.

David on the Lake shares some more of his beautiful poetry, this time about children feeling distant, with a clear connection to our relationship with Hashem..

A Simple Jew has a guest post by Rabbi Sears talking Jewish Philosophy.

Mottel reminisces about the bonds created by tefillin and then questions the validity of Hassidic rock.

Nathan talks about a holiday I never even heard of...

Yehuda presents his interesting approach for preparing for Pesach.

A Simple Jew comes back with another interesting post, this one about potential conflict averted between hassidim and the Malbim.

Ari eulogizes Rav Mordechai Breuer.

WestBank Mama is getting into gear for Pesach cleaning.

Moshe talks about his dilemma regarding killing in Gods name.

Shlomo contemplates whether we are living up to our billing as a light unto the nations.

Another Chussid wonders whether there are too many heretics in the jblog world and then breaks down people into two categories - those who care and those who don't. And he seems not to.

Eytan on Cross Currents talks Pie Charts. I prefer the pizza.

DAG discusses whether Shabbat Across America is a worthwhile program

NRO brings a statement from a former French PM about the deportation of Jews and the French attitude.

Mere Rhetoric talks about his thoughts on a potential new deal with Hamas.

I learn a lesson from the parsha about investing your own efforts.

It's Almost Supernatural talks about anti-semitism in South Africa.

frumgirl gets high on Rebbe Nachman.

Frum Philly Farmgirl talks about Erez Levanon as does Lazer Beam. I too wrote abut Erez, comparing his murder to the Yafit Alkobi case.

Michelle has a Humble Jewish Opinion wondering whether lack of perfection means it is all worthless.

This one gets me a bunch of links in one... the Jewess does her own roundup
of some great posts.

Married and Jewish talks about the latest chumra in Brooklyn.

Yaakov from the Dry Bones blog weighs in on the fear of creating panic.

SoccerDad is davening for a former player on his soccer team and asks you too as
well.

Going to Beijing for business? A Jewish Blog points us to the first kosher restaurant.

Presence has some pictures of the various 770's around
the world.

Sholom a.k.a. The Anarchist Rabbi discusses how meme's are used to wield power.

Getting ready for Pesach brings us to our favorite takkana of not eating Kitniyot (if you are of ashkenaz origin). Yonathan just started this new blog called The Kitniyot Liberation Front in which he calls not eating kitniyot a shtus and advocates repealing the ban. He has just begun
detailing the sources of the ban and what he advocates. It should be interesting.

General:

Jacob continues the discussion about school tuition comparing it to Robin Hood. Then DaJew meets up with a fellow blogger.

While I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of Abraham Lincoln being Jewish, JoeSettler points us to a different US President who seems to have been Jewish...

Olah Chadasha went on vacation with Oleh Yashan and came back feeling stressed.

And the winner is..... (drumroll please..) MizEllie writes a very touching post memorializing her previous husband **** this post is the winner and has been declared the Post of the Posts of this edition of Haveil Havalim**** Your prize is that a bunch more people will probably read your blog. If you call that a prize.

Jewish Blogmeister does another of his great and very comprehensive Jewish music reviews, this one of a new person on the jmusic scene...

Yehuda has a post about those signs on the backs of trucks.

A Simple Jew posted a memory - if his father reads this one, he is going to be seriously grounded.

Shifra posted a real "must read" post recanting how she applied to a seminary and details some difficulties involved.

Bagel Blogger recounts his battle with (new) Blogger.

TherapyDoc learns lessons from a Night at the Meuseum. And it seems
people in her family are popular.

Mazel tov to IsreallyCool on his fourth year!! That's an old man in blog years!!

Also a Chussid in a license to lie went to a Neturei Karta protest.

Chaim pushes some new Jewish music radio stations.

The Ararat Scrolls ponders whether there is a curse on his site.

Lori went to Norman's - a great restaurant, imho.

megapixel presents a moral dillema.

Sarah is still sending her views from her vacation in California. I only linked to this post,
but check out all her posts and images...

Independant Frum Thinker seems to have been instrumental in solving a common problem of girls not getting accepted into school.

Are you a dad that changes or does not change diapers? Mother in Israel writes about one who does not and then she grades her parenting.

Barbara considers how religion and the brain interact and then posts a funny joke as
she considers exclusivity and inclusivity.

Chassidishe Yingerman suggested a shidduch.

Shmuel from GoGolan found a skull, but didn't take it. I probably would have.

muse gets a haircut.

Baleboostah continues with the treatments for Amber.

comments and suggestions. Let me tell you, some people are putting in a lot of time and effort to make this work. It should be good. BagelBlogger wants to give you a sneak peek at the awards.

Meryl shows the difference between a Frenchman and an anti-semite.

Irina remembers her grandmother.

Rivka at Haazina Tefillati gives over her life in lyrics and then she finds herself either depressed
or pregnant. Or maybe it is both.

Kasambe is looking through her freezer.

ZionTrain wants us to blog with positive messages rather than negative.

tnspr569 digs himself a hole. On his days off, he was learning his way around Israel.

Little Frumhouse on the Prairie is waiting for Subway to go kosher in Chicago.

Stefanella made an an observation in the doctor's office.

Irina debates whether a new intelligence agency should be created.

Persephone finds out Bet might be teething.

AbbaGav complains about skewed statistics. Unfortunately, this is a problem with most
statistics.