The Israeli tax authority recently devised a public campaign to encourage people, general citizens, to call in and report about people who are not paying their taxes - working black. The snitch line has come to be known as the "malshinon" though the official name is "Kav Tzedek" - the line of justice.

The person calling in and reporting someone else does not get anything for his efforts - no payment per name or per x money collected as a result of the phone call. The tax authority's campaign to the public has focused on the idea that those people who do not pay their taxes are sponging off the rest of us, getting all the benefits of society, benefits that cost money to supply, while not paying in their share. Calling in will help the "snitch" by getting those people off the backs of everyone else, they will pay their fair share, and maybe we will all end up paying less if more people are paying in (my addition).

Surprisingly, in the first four days of the malshinon program being active 3000 people have called in to snitch on people not paying taxes. Some callers were complaining about government policy or large corporations that don't pay enough taxes or get their tax levels lowered in forms of assistance, but the overwhelming majority were actually "snitches" informing on others. 80% of the callers were anonymous. The tax authority says they had not expected such an overwhelming response.
(source: Globes)

Interestingly, the people snitched on the most include: landlords renting apartments but not reporting the income, shiputznikim (small renovations contractors), and taxi drivers.
(source: Nana News)

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, was asked on the radio if halachically one is allowed to call in to the malshinon and report someone. Rav Eliyahu's response was that we are not allowed to snitch. Let the tax authority do their own work, and that is fine, but we do not snitch.

Rav Eliyahu compared it to the story of Achan who took spoils from Jericho despite the ban - Yehoshua asked God who had violated the ban and taken the spoils. Hashem's response was he would not tell him, but if Yehoshua wants to investigate, he can do so. Rav Eliyahu said this story teaches us that snitching is not appropriate behavior.
(source: Srugim)

I dont know if Rav Eliyahu's opinion applies also to someone who stands to benefit directly, though I cannot think of an example of someone who would benefit directly by snitching, rather than just snitching for either revenge, retribution or for no apparent reason.

There has been a lot of halachic discussion, or declaration perhaps, around the issue of using iPhones and other smartphones with Internet access. Is the bearer of an iPhone kosher to witness a wedding?

Another perspective of the halachic issue surrounding the usage of an iPhone was brought to the public realm in the Mir Yeshiva.

Considering that iPhones are forbidden to be used, as well as laptops that are not blocked from access to the Internet, someone asked, and anonymously publicized, the rosh yeshiva if students are allowed to plug in and charge such devices using the yeshiva electricity. The rosh yeshiva said no, such devices cannot be plugged in to yeshiva electricity. So would it be considered theft if someone did so anyway? the rosh yeshiva said it would be theft.
(source: Kikar)

The notice publicizing this discussion was hung anonymously in the yeshiva. And it was not just a simple handwritten or typed sign - it was a fancily designed notice:

I don't know the details of what is going on over in Beitar, but there is some serious investigation into the possibility of a municipal-controlled and funded modesty squad - vaad hatzniyut - that used violence to enforce its rules.

What do you think of this?

MK Rabbi Shai Peron (Yesh Atid) and MK Dr. Ruth Calderon (Yesh Atid), along with MKs Yoni Chetboun (HaBayit HaYehudi) and MK Elazar Stern (HaTnua), are planning on establishing a Beit Medrash program in the Knesset.

The purpose of the program will be for MKs and Knesset employees to learn some Torah once a week, on Tuesdays, and to have discussions about Judaism.

Every week a different MK will take a turn leading the discussion, teaching a talmudic topic.

According to Kipa, the haredi parties have not yet decided whether to participate or not.

Looks to me to be a good idea...

it brings new meaning to the phrase Ki Mi'Tzion Teitzei Torah - From Zion will come forth Torah. This would be the heart of Zion and specifically Zionism that would be teaching Torah...

This psak made me laugh and cringe at the same time, so I share it with you....

Rav Ofir Malka, a Sefardi rav in Modiin Ilit, was asked how one could open the refridgerator on Shabbos if they forgot to disable the light bulb.

The psak given by Rav Malka is interesting in its own right - it is one that I have not heard in practical application - one could ask a non-Jew, directly, to open the fridge. Even though the light will turn on, it is allowed because the non-Jew wants to open the fridge, not turn on the light. It is a psik reisha, but that is allowed when telling a non-Jew to do something.

 Rav Malka continues and says some poskim today don't approve of that because the light turning on is an integral part of , so it is better to not tell the non-Jew directly but only to hint to it.

And, Rav Malka continues, and this is the funny/cringe part, if no non-Jew is available one can call over an Asheknazi child and tell him to open it up, on condition that he does not know the light will turn on and as long you give him something to eat from the fridge..
No further comment necessary...

In Israel there is no equal sharing of the burden. It is a false expression. Arabs dont get drafted because of nationality reasons, girls dont get drafted because of religious reasons, there are pacifists who dont get drafted at all, Nahal soldiers serve for two years,  hesder students for a year and a half - this entire discussion is about something that doesn't exist. Why do we get upset at the haredim? it's fine that they don't serve, but then they also live off of us.

An elderly woman was reading Rav Lau's book on his growing up and experience surviving the Holocaust, when her daughter saw (Miriam herself is blind) a picture of her. She remembered him because in Buchenwald there were no children, except for little Lulik Lau. She wrote him a letter, and a meeting was set up in her home in Haifa. 68 years earlier she had helped this young child survive.. she never knew what had happened to him and did not even realize it when he had been the Chief Rabbi.


הרב לאו from bhol on Vimeo.

Obviously you will have noticed, as an aside, that he had said when he came in that he cannot give her his hands, but he gives her his heart, but then when she tries to stand and reaches out, Rav Lau takes her hand and helps her...

MK Rabbi Dov Lipman on Fox News talking about having renounced his US citizenship


http://video.foxnews.com/v/2172119029001/israeli-knesset-member-gives-up-us-citizenship/

and here is the final poster in the series... turns out it is not a new running group training for a marathon, but it is Lemaan Achai's Tzedakathon for Purim!



you can of course donate online, via the website in the poster (www.smartchesed.org), or you can drop off money at any of the various LA drop-off points, of which I will be one as well.

1. the PM wants you to help choose the logo for the upcoming visit of Barak Obama.. I voted for the logo that least meshes the two flags...

2. Sometimes I want to scream - haredi newspapers are the subject of this post

3. The Kotel is way better than the Giving Tree - I am impressed the kollel running this has a website/blog!!

4. The fire of Judaism

5. Spreading the message of hope and faith - reprinted a rare music review from the Yated Neeman about the great song Yesh Tikva by Benny Friedman

6. TalisBan Spins off YireiBan™ and Sells it to Askanim, Inc (Satire)

7. I guess I am a racist

8. remember R' Leib Tropper? yeah, the guy from the scandal... he is now an educator at RJJ elemntary school

9. New vs Old Politics

10. Only in Israel: Bezeq upgrading ADSL customers to 15 MB/s for free!  - almost makes me feel like a freier for paying for 15mbps for the past couple of years... I guess technically this is "only in Israel", as Bezeq only provides Internet infrastructure in Israel, but it is not really an "only in Israel" story... then again, most of them are not..