הבל הבלים #ס"ג*

First of all, I’d like to start off wishing a J-Blog Mazel Tov- to Ezzie and family!!

Although Pesach is in everyone’s head, some are still concentrating on Purim. For example, this post about a non-Orthodox synagogue with seems to downplay the fast of Esther preceding Purim and focused only on the festivities of Purim. Lying by omission is still called lying. As the post’s title implies, this is a lack of integrity. (Yawn, all this writing is making me tired.) The masks behind the well-organized Purim spoofs of various Jewish blogs were revealed.

On a lighter note, there are two funny posts about Pesach: This one and this one. I think I’ll have some pork at my Seder this year… NOT. The Velveteen Rabbi presents the PDF Hagada, although it’s not as funny as the Bangitout one. Just like when the Jews were in Egypt, they multiplied exponentially in a short amount of time because of a miracle, it seems the Palestinians grow quickly (also see his other posts about Palestinians). (yawn.)

The site Sicat22 has two interesting posts. One about how the new Jew can withstand more than the old Jew. The other is about Nazis and morality. This is a similar post. (Yawn. By now, you must have yawned once already.)

Reporters visit the west bank and the people give different ones different statements. In a similar vein, some expelled Gush Katiffers speak up. Remember, journalism is an activity not a profession. Supposedly, Arutz Sheva is trying to get back on the air, so they are stopping to print the radical religious Zionist articles, so the blogosphere tries to make up for it. Supposedly, most Israelis agree with conceding Jerusalem to the Arabs.

One guy tried to suppose that Israel should have only one Chief Rabbi.

There is this great Bird Flu going around Israel. It seems that the good-for-nothing secular government of the medinah is doing nothing about it. Perhaps they realize it is a punishment from HaShem for their proposal legalize gay marriages, an issue which is surely against Halacha, as I have discussed before. Therefore people shouldn’t vote for Kadimah? Maybe we should just all vote for the Kach (started by Rav Meir Kahane ZT”L, may hashem avenge his blood) party, or its most recent reincarnation. (By the way, if you are looking for the results of the World Zionist Congress elections, see here)

In regard to the upcoming elections in Israel next week, one blogger wrote that because Kadima portrays itself as centrist and has no platform, only undecided centrists will really vote for them. He says that the entire party is a bluff. In related news, in mock elections, the NPR (National Religious Party) does surprisingly well. Perhaps it is a sign of changing attitudes in the Holy Land; however, the UTJ (United Torah Judaism) is still not totally endorsing the NPR and joining up with them. The Gedolim behind UTJ, Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv from Degel HaTorah and the Gerrer Rebbe from Agudas Yisroel, obviously know what they are doing.

Speaking of the Gerrer Rebbe, this week was the Yahrzheit of the first Gerrer Rebbe, the Chiddushei HaRim, may his Zechus protect us. While on the topic of Yarzheits, two people wrote about the Netziv (ok fine, they didn’t, they wrote about their own uncles).

Speaking of banned books, the Gedolei HaDor (no, not this one) decided to apply their ban on the “Making of a Godol” even on the improved edition. Harry Maryles has two posts, Chardal has one. There is also one in The World of Yeshiva. See here also. And Hirhurim’s post about it.

Yoni Lipshutz, of the group Simply Tzfat fame has a guest post on A Simple Jew. They once played at my shul. Speaking of the holy city of Tzfas, there is an exquisite post about the Mahari Abuhav’s shul.

One blogger tries to say that not all non-frum Jews in Israel are to be considered secular (chiloni). It seems to me like that what Rav Elchanan Wasserman (ZT”L may HaShem avenge his blood also) said is true: Everyone deep down recognizes the existence of G-d, but some have great temptations for pleasure so they ignore Him and do what feels good. Another blogger had the chutzpa to send a post calling the UTJ hypocrites for the Gedolim ban on the internet. I won’t even dare posting a link to him (although I linked to his other posts), but see this. At least that guy wasn’t an outright Apikores like this guy who belittles the Oral Torah in favor the Written Torah, like the Kairites and Sadducees did.

I can keep going on and on because the Jewish blogosphere is so huge that the posts never stop coming in. But, I must stop for now. Stay tuned next week for הבל הבלים #ס"ד to be hosted by I'm Ha'aretz PhD. You can email her your submissions by sending an email to jewishstudent at gmail dot com.

*= Due to controversy regarding the proper transliteration of this phrase, the author has chosen to leave it in its pure Hebrew form as intended by King Solomon in his famous work “Ecclesiastes” included in the recent compendium known as “Tanakh”.