On this topic, INN brings a psak from Rav Dovid Fendel, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Hesder Sderot, after being asked by some soldiers what to do in such a situation, would they be able to be in the vehicle when the hummer driver is a female or if a female paramedic is assigned to their armored vehicle, etc..

Rav Fendel, with other rabbonim of the yeshiva, said that the Rama is lenient about yichud in certain situations (specifically 1 woman with 3 men present) but in today's reality it would be difficult to rely on this - the Ramas leniency is when the people involved are kosher and not "prutzim" but today we are all exposed to inappropriate content online so it would be difficult to meet the standards of kosher for this leniency to apply.

Additionally, the reality of the situation is that other problems also exist, such as being in the vehicle for long periods of time would lead to violation prohibitions of looking at women, joking and talking with women and inappropriate thoughts. 

The rabbonim said that from what they have been told by many soldiers in these situations, being in these situations of a crowded and cramped military vehicle and how at times it can be difficult to avoid even physical contact, among the other problems already mentioned. Therefore, Rav Fendel and the rabbonim have pasked for their soldiers to avoid these situations. A soldier caught in such a situation should complain to his commander and to the IDF Rabbinate to not allow such yichud. EVen in times of war this is a problem as in times of war and great distress, more safeguarding of the holiness of the camp is warranted..

Similarly, Srugim brings a similar psak from Rav Aviner, though not form a yichud perspective, makng it slightly different than Rav Fendel's psak.

Rav Aviner was asked about the same situation - 3 religious soldiers serving in a hummer with a female soldier as a paramedic or driver, what should they do?

Rav Aviner responded that this is not allowed but not really from a yichud perspective. The issue of yichud does not really apply. The issue really is one of "gas libo" - when people are familiar and confortable with each ther after spending time together and experiencing experiences together (such as in an army vehicle possibly experiencing some harrowing circumstances).

The problem here is less yichud and more the issues of looking at women, talking and joking with women. When serving many hours of the day together in a ttight army vehicle, these situations would be unavoidable.

Practically speaking, Rav Aviner said this situation should be stopped right away. Religious soldiers cannot let themselves be in such a situation. They should request to not serve with a female paramedic/driver. If the commanders ignore these requests, the soldiers should respond saying these instructions are in contradiction to the terms of the shared service agreement. If the commanders continue to force them to serve like this, they should refuse to serve, even at the price of being thrown in the brig.

If this situation is made permanent, the soldiers should be told to not induct to those units and more.

  -- Defense Minister Yisrael Katz

whoa, that's a serious statement... I hope he weighed his words.. we will probably see the Cenks and Tuckers scream now about Israel occupying Lebanon...

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I know it should be cauldon int he title, not kauldron, but the k works better for this...

That image and experience may soon be extinct and go the way of the dodo bird.

The Eida Hachareidis kashrut organization has decided that it is a serious kashrus problem to have these pots sittig around unsupervised for so long. Until the pot gets picked up someone might use it for who knows what in an unsupervised kitchen... and then the pot eventually gets picked up and the next yerushalmi kugel is made in it and who knows what the kiddush goers the next shabbos might be consuming traces of, along with the possibly unkosher kugel.

They say they have been working on solutions to this problem for years but have never come up with anything practical. Recently a solution was found and the Eida has let all its yerushalmi kugel suppliers know that a special disposable aluminum pot has been produced that can replace the original kugel pot and as of Shavuos of this year they must all stop using their regular pots for yerushalmi kuger and only use the new disposable pot.

According to Behadrei, some fellow named Aharon Moshe Kubichek put a lot of effort and investment into it and finally figured ut how to make a disposable pot that would be able to replace the original yerushalmi kugel pot and allow the kugel to cook properly. 

Manufacturing this disposable pot, along with importing it, will for now cost 10.5nis per pot, and hopefully in time that price will go down, so all kugel makers must stop using the original pots by Shavuos of this year and make the switch to the disposable pots by then at the latest. In the meantime, the pots already owned can continue to be used and people should continue to follow the guidelines of trying to collect the empty pots as quickly as possible after Shabbos or after the event and to check the pots after use to determine that the pots were not used for anything else and that they were not washed... the type of event, whether it be a shul kiddush, a private simcha, something in a private home, a wedding hall or whatever - the same rules must be followed and anything out of the ordinary should be reported to get guidelines from the Eida team...

I do wonder if the guy they are saying to buy the disposable pots from is a cousin of someone, but good on him for coming up with the solution... I did always wonder how the Eida allowed the pots to just sit around anywhere and everywhere...

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The Palestians, in their statement, lay claim to the entire Temple Mount area as an exclusive Muslim place of worship with support by the UN so any attempt to perform Jewish rituals would be a violation of international law.

I feel like this year of all years anything can happen. With Minister Ben Gvir running the show up there, it is definitely much more of a possibility now than in years past. In years past, for many years already, there have been people who tried to smuggle in a small lamb, but the police have been on top of things and prevent it from happening well before the "smugglers" even get close to Temple Mount. 

It just feels, with everything that has been going on and with Minister Ben Gvir's provocative approach, this year mightbe different...

It will be interesting to see!

Of all years to register on one of those sign up forms for sharing the korban pesach, this year could be the year it is really relevant!

this was from right before the war but I missed it, so here goes...

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According to a report on Behadrei, the Rebbe related a story from his youth having been "tested" by his uncle Rav Yoel Teitelbaum on the very same parsha, Ki Tisa, about the story of the Golden Calf. He relates that his uncle, Rav Yoel, asked him how could it be possible for the nation to have worshipped the Golden Calf? He went on to explain that the Calf was not just a golden statue of a calf, but according to the medrash it had some sort of life force to it and the golden calf danced and did miracles and acted a live, which caused people to believe in it as some sort of deity and worship it. According to Rav Yoel there were three types of people worshipping the golden calf:

1. those who saw the miracles and actually worshipped it as a deity like real avoda zara. 
2. those who did not actually worship it but hugged and kissed it and admired it
3. this third category was most of the people, they were happy internally seeing the calf do amazing and wondrous things 

Everyone needs a kapara for that sin because everyone was involved in some way at some level.

Rav Aharon then took the lesson to today saying that we are standing on the side watching this war with Iran and we are watching the golden calf of today doing amazing and wondrous things - dancing, jumping...some are watching and worshiping the Zionist calf and others are not worrshiping it but are happy or even kissing the Zionist calf. Most of the people, like then, are happy internally about the successes of the Zionist calf and about the great wondrous successes it is having. Even just being happy internally is prohibited. Even those happy about the wonders and successes are following all day and checking the news to see this all and be happy about it. For this they all need a kapara. 

Hashem should give us the wisdom, Rav Aharon prayed, to understand that avoda zara is prohibited even when it does wondrous things. It might dance and make us wonder, but it is still idol worship and is prohibited to kiss it, to worship it and be happy about it. 

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I always was, and still am, amazed at how, as religious people, and they might be considered super religious people, they can refuse to see God's hand in the formation and continued success of the State of Israel. I truly do not even understand it. EVen if God is behind it that does not mean you have to celebrate and say hallel and wave the blue and white flag and all that. You can still see it as needing improvement. To continue to see it as the work of Satan and not the hand of God behind it though is bewildering.  

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