Nov 22, 2009

Interesting Posts #103

1. A Mother in Israel is hosting Haveil Havalim #244...

2. Between JM and TLV discusses the demonstration against Intel. As does Tzedek-Tzedek.

3. Going Home to Yerushalayim brings a proposal by LaMikdash about resolving the Temple Mount issues...

4. Parshablog noticed a correction in the NY Times about the recent scandal in New Jersey, yet the original article remains online uncorrected...

5. A great story about Rabbi Holzberg, hy"d, from India, about how he helped get a get for a woman.

6. Rabbi Fink presents a moral argument against the death penalty. While I know as frum jews we are meant to oppose the death penalty, as who are we to judge someone to death, especially without a sanhedrin and the proper procedures in place. yet I always was in favor of the death penalty, and still remain unconvinced that it is wrong.

7. Modern Uberdox goes "home" and reflects on the changes, and on what has stayed the same.

7 comments:

  1. re death penalty I think Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote something along the lines of what you say - there is a human sensitivty against it, but in a non-Jewish nation that has some serious problems of lawlessness it can have a place. but look it up don't quote me third-hand....

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  2. wow! thanks for linking to the story with gabi holtzberg. amazing!

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  3. anon- you are right - that is the basic gist.

    but Jews also have a super-legal death penalty - it was called the 'Kipa' and was pretty gruesome. It's point was indeed to keep law and order when things got out of hand. R' Moshe refers to this and it is a gemor in Sanhedrin.

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  4. the kipa was a cell or cave in which the punished person (I think it was usually animals) was locked in and fed only barley and water until the stomach exploded...

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  5. First of all the link you posted was pure nonsense. רציחה and הריגה are two different words for a reason.
    Becuase one is not allowed to kidnap, does that mean the government can't jail people. Because I can't steal, does that mean the government can't fine?
    Rafi, the Spanish Rishonim executed people based on ב"ד מכין ועונשין שלא כדין and seems that the halacha obligates non-Jewish governments to use the dath penalty (עיין רמב"ם הל' מלכים)

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  6. Mul - that is great. I was always told that my support for the death penalty was against halacha (except perhaps in some extreme cases). Now I know otherwise. Thanks.

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