17 Nov Speak Your Vues
SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
Please note that the author of Speak Your Vues is in no way affiliated with the publisher of this paper. The author of this column is an independent third party contributor. The views and opinions expressed by this author may not reflect the views and opinions of the publishers. If one has any issues with any of the views, please write a letter to the Vues Master.
HASHEM’S NAME IN THE JEWISH VUES
Dear Vues Master:
Please be aware that in last week’s edition of The Jewish Vues on page 32 there was a pasuk in the Thank you Hashem article with Hashem’s name in it. Please treat accordingly when throwing out.
AG
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for bringing it to our attention. We try our best that this should not happen. We will try that much harder. We are Sorry!
REB DOVID
Dear Vues Master:
Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of meeting Rav Feinstein. From all that I have read he was truly an exceptional Jew. One of the things that I found striking about him was the picture of him shopping for food in a Brooklyn supermarket. Surely he could have had others shop for him, yet he did this himself. Obviously, he did not feel that it was beneath his dignity nor inconsequential. From this alone one must conclude that he was a truly humble man, despite the fact that he was a great Talmud Chocham.
– PYL
Vues Master’s Note: Yes! We lost a Great One!!
JUSTICE ALITO
Dear Vues Master:
The usual mainstream-media suspects wasted no time in blasting Samuel Alito’s address last week to the Federalist Society. Which is another way of saying they didn’t like what he had to say. The Supreme Court justice warned that “religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right,” that freedom of speech is also “becoming a second-tier constitutional right.” He was exactly right — and his wake-up call was urgently timely: Democrats threaten to “reform” the high court by packing it with liberals, while the pandemic has imposed what Alito called a “stress test” on the Constitution, creating a new ranking order of fundamental rights. Simply put: Basic respect for some rights is dying. The justice made clear that he wasn’t “diminishing the severity of the virus’ threat to public health,” nor even “saying anything” about whether lockdown rules are “good public policy.” Even so, “the pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty” — and this happened “by executive fiat, rather than legislation.” The unchecked growth of the administrative state and the rule of unaccountable “experts” long precede the appearance of the novel coronavirus. What we have experienced in the last nine months is a sweeping away of legal norms that deserves more than a passing glance, even in the midst of an emergency. Alito pointed out that in Nevada, the courts had deferred to the judgment of the governor of that state about how to halt the spread of the virus. The result was a rule that allowed casinos to operate while severely restricting the right to attend a house of worship. We’re supposed to think that these kinds of arbitrary and illogical rules are kosher; anyone who notices that something is very wrong is framed as either a partisan troublemaker or a “conspiracy theorist.” As Alito noted, treating the right to render worship to God as being as important as the right to gamble shouldn’t have been a “tough call.” If you look in the Constitution, “you will see the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which protects religious liberty.” But “you will not find a craps clause or a blackjack clause or a slot-machine clause.” And yet the courts let those restrictions stand, just as they have elsewhere, including in New York, where the state and the city have cracked down hard against believers for violating COVID-19 rules while cheering other events, such as Black Lives Matter riots or Biden victory celebrations — barely even bothering to hide that political or theological content is the deciding factor. This didn’t take place in a vacuum. Religious freedom was already under siege. Even before the pandemic, our laws and the wider culture were squeezing believers who don’t accept the dictates of liberalism about issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. A society that began by allowing rampaging online mobs to “cancel” religious conservatives would soon attempt to cancel religious freedom altogether. You may not want to attend a church, a synagogue or a mosque during a pandemic. You don’t have to agree with the Little Sisters of the Poor about birth control and abortion, or with an evangelical baker about gay marriage. But you should be alarmed about how they’re losing their rights because their faith is out of fashion. The same thing can happen to any of us, no matter our religion or point of view. And advocating for preserving the Constitution even during a public-health crisis doesn’t make someone an “extremist.” Some judges have tried to push back against the demands of an intolerant, majoritarian, secular mindset to marginalize religious freedom and to restrict the right of free speech to only those who parrot politically correct views. But the courts can only do so much. In the absence of a popular defense of liberty, it won’t survive, especially when the unprecedented power of social media and pop culture are arrayed against it. Rather than jeer Alito’s warnings, decent Americans — whether they are people of faith or unbelievers, conservative or liberal — should be cheering him.
JT
Vues Master’s Note: What do you mean? Now when it comes to closing Public Schools all of a sudden Cuomo says we should rethink closing schools whereas all the Schools that defied his edict and got charged 15K and risked their funding because they were Jewish Orthodox schools??? Do I see a double standard??
HYPOCRITE
Dear Vues Master:
Gov. Andrew Cuomo keeps playing politics with life-saving COVID vaccines — and even dared drop his latest bull from the pulpit. “If the Trump administration does not change this plan and does not provide an equitable vaccine process . . . we will bring legal action to protect New Yorkers,” the gov declared Sunday at Riverside Church. “I’m not going to allow New Yorkers to be bullied or abused,” he huffed. (Only he gets to do that.) It’s utterly empty posturing, and untrue. The gov says the Trump plan relies on pharmacies, along with private doctors and hospitals, to distribute a vaccine — which, Cuomo claims, means minority neighborhoods will get shortened. And: “Any plan that intentionally burdens communities of color to hinder access to the vaccine deprives those communities of equal protection under the law, and equal protection is enshrined in the Constitution of these United States.” Please. The Trump plan doesn’t “intentionally” burden minorities. In fact, the administration playbook says, “The first step in planning is to identify and estimate the critical populations within a jurisdiction.” On its list of “critical populations”: “People with limited access to routine vaccination services” and “people at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19,” including those “from racial and ethnic minority groups” and “tribal communities,” as well as those incarcerated or “experiencing homelessness/living in shelters.” Plus, the plan emphasizes collaboration with state and local authorities — so Cuomo can guide distributions as he sees fit, without running to court. The governor may think these lies help him pose as some kind of hero, but that only makes it all the more disgraceful.
Vues Master’s Note:
Well the Governor keeps on proving us wrong. He had all those people who died in nursing homes vote in the past election. They must still be alive.
ELECTIONS
Dear Vues Master:
Trump won the election fair and square. I was always taught cheaters never prosper. Not in this case, it seems. This travesty of justice is detrimental to the chinuch of our children. How can we teach them honesty, when the most powerful and respected people are dishonest lying and cheating?
AB
Vues Master’s Note: Well this remains to be proven. Trump will have his day in court.
HYPOCRITES
Dear Vues Master:
“We need to do everything in our power to stop the coronavirus from reasserting in New York City. We have to stop a second wave from happening here, it is getting dangerously close,” Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Tuesday. That was just two days after he joined the joyous crowds celebrating after news media called the race for Joe Biden. Huh? If the mayor really feared New York was about to get hit again, joining a street-rager was no way to preach public safety and caution. The latest numbers aren’t that much worse than what he knew Sunday, yet suddenly he’s insisting there’s just “one last chance” to stop a huge second wave of infections, and “everyone has to be a part of” it. Nor do their hints at a return to total lockdowns. Greater caution is a must, especially for high-risk people, if things get worse. But shutting down outdoor activities, or carefully secured religious services, makes no sense — especially when the mayor is breaking the rules when he wants to. De Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo keep singling out Orthodox Jews, even as they cut breaks for demonstrations of their choosing. It makes no sense. Plus, the virus is growing less deadly. A study led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers found that fewer New Yorkers are dying from the disease than predicted, with regional case-death rates dropping since the pandemic’s March and April height. By mid-August, the death rate for those hospitalized with COVID had fallen from 25.6 percent to 7.6 percent. It’s not just that younger, healthier people are getting the disease and showing up at hospitals with less severe symptoms: Testing and treatment are taking place earlier, and doctors know more about handling cases. Meanwhile, the city’s unemployment rate remains about twice the national average, and Cuomo’s NYC-only quarter-capacity limit on indoor dining is killing restaurants. People suffering from economic collapse aren’t going to listen to a mayor who flaunts the rules he lectures everyone else about.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: That is a liberal for you. They only mean our good. We will be led like sheep to the slaughter with the executive orders of our Mayor and Governor while they will scream and exclaim that it is for our good!!!
COUNTING OF VOTES
Dear Vues Master:
Former president Trump is a baby. Stop being a sore-loser and concede the election so that America can heal and move on. I would be dumbfounded if anyone would disagree with this letter.
BA
Vues Master’s Note: I for one disagree with your letter. Trump is entitled to make sure that all the irregularities we witnessed in the “Counnting” of the votes are litigated in court. I don’t believe it will change much. But! He is definitely entitled to his day in Court.
JUDGES
Dear Vues Master:
Now you see the brilliance of appointing as many judges as possible. This is that they protect you and interpret the law in your favor. This has nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. This is straight up kickback politics.
KJ
Vues Master’s Note: Or maybe this is done to protect the Constitution from all the Liberals who are rewriting it!
CORONA AND SHIDDUCHIM
Dear Vues Master:
Why are we not getting the message of corona?! It’s so clearly the shidduch crisis. The 100s and 1000s of single women who will remain single because of the heartless yeshiva bochurim who go against their own rabbeim and only start shidduchim at 23 and later r”l.
MB
Vues Master’s Note: The problem is that a lot of these boys are immature. Getting married early will help the Shidduch crisis, but will expand our Divorce crisis!
RIVKA’S TEST REVISITED
Dear Vues Master:
If the test was to see if Rivka was okay with a bachur who smokes, perhaps that is why she gave all the Camels water. This shows that she refuses to allow a lit cigarette, and made the right decision not to tolerate smoking.
CG
Vues Master’s Note: I guess we can call this test water under the bridge.
MASK
Dear Vues Master:
Here is a mask experiment for you to try with a friend. If you know someone that vapes ask him to try this. Inhale …. put on a mask…. and exhale…. whoa! Watch what happens… it comes out from everywhere and often through the mask. The vape particles are larger than a virus so a virus comes through for sure. Even with n95 or nuclear protection type masks all it seems to do is maybe protect the wearer but it all comes out to the public. So common sense. You don’t need your neighbors to wear a mask to protect you. You won’t get wet if your neighbor is not using an umbrella in the rain. And it will probably get hotter soon with vaccines God forbid. If you took it then you should be protected. This fear of your neighbor not taking it is apikorses and brainwash propaganda from big pharma. Do your research before slamming others. I don’t even know why we are having a discussion about this. Try this experiment and use your brains that Hashem gifted you with. Don’t let propaganda hijack your brains. And your freedom and health.
- S.
Vues Master’s Note: The Politicians are masking their shortcomings by putting the blame on non-mask wearers!
MASK
Dear Vues Master:
In response to the letter on masks. I agree with the letter writer that to the mainstream media and equivalent masks have become a symbol of caring for another. That is all that it seems to be. I have yet to see one credible scientific study proving that masks prevent anyone from spreading or absorbing a virus. What it does symbolize to at least half the population is a suppression of expression and freedom. This can be a dangerous slippery slope to losing most if not all of our freedoms. The same people who are propagating the mask wearing in our government are also the ones that want to close our shuls and are in war on religion and trust in God in general. I agree we should stop fighting if you want to wear a mask then do so. But don’t make it into toras moshe. Live and let live! Moshiach now!
RK
Vues Master’s Note: I tend to think that masks are a cover-up. Hopefully they will protect us!
RESPONSES
Dear Vues Master:
My favorite thing from your publication are the responses to the letters. Even if you disagree with me I feel that this paper is still from those few left that are balanced and not totally one sided. You still practice freedom of speech and expression ( of course no derogatory or foul language) Keep it up!
KR
Vues Master’s Note: I am tongue tied. How do I respond to this letter? I guess I will do it tongue in cheek!!
SMART PHONES
Dear Vues Master:
Where is there a heter for a kid to have a smartphone or internet? Does a kid have parnasa? How much time do kids waste on their phones which they don’t need? Please answer seriously.
CP
Vues Master’s Note: I am not your posek! That is the serious answer. Now to the not-so-serious answer. In order to look for a hetter you need to show that something is assur. Last I checked bittul zman if it is done to air out is not an issur. If a person makes the phone into his ikkar and learns and davens into a tafel we have a problem. Everything in moderation.
KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN
Dear Vues Master:
Mayor de Blasio said this week that a closure of city schools is imminent if the current citywide testing positivity rate exceeds 3 percent. Governor Cuomo has never agreed to that metric, maintaining that schools would close if the positivity rate exceeds 9 percent- and closing schools is not something the Mayor can do without State approval. NYC Schools are subject to the Governor’s authority. “I am working closely with the Governor to ensure that our schools stay open,” said Senator Felder. “It is abundantly clear by now, that closing schools has a profound impact on children, families and society. Our children’s educational, social-emotional and developmental needs are best served in a classroom with other children. When there is so little to be gained, sacrificing their future is simply too high a price.” The latest comprehensive data shows that children accounted for less than 5 percent of all coronavirus cases reported in 28 countries, and that schools are not high-risk environments for transmission when managed properly. Chancellor Merkel closed bars, restaurants, theaters, gyms and tattoo parlors, but kept schools and day care centers open. Ireland has a nationwide lockdown in effect, and kept schools open. President Macron exempted schools from restrictions going into effect today. “The positivity rate of 2,800 NYC schools is currently just 0.17 percent. The fear that schools would be super-spreader sites has not borne out. Closing schools would make New York City a blatant outlier among developed countries across the globe, that are all keeping schools open,” concluded Senator Felder.
ST
Vues Master’s Note: Where were you when Yeshivas were closed??
RESPONSES
Dear Vues Master:
I would like to share my surprise that in the November 10 issue you included the letter from HMR quoting a ‘midrash’ from a Danish philosopher. He suggests the Avrohom lied to Yizchok and told him that he was killing him because he himself wanted to, not because he was told to by H’, because he wanted Yitzchok to be angry with him not H’. Chas V’Shalom! There is a story that when Rav Elchonon Wasserman was about to be murdered by the natzi’s yimach shimom, he told the people with them that they were about to become korbanos to H’ and they should purify their thoughts so they be a pure korbon. In Yom Kippur davening when we discuss the 10 martyrs, they ask for 3 days to find out if the decree was from H’ and they would accept it. Why would Yitzchok be upset with H’ for being a korbon. If the purpose in life is to serve H’ than what better way to die than to know that you are doing the will of H’. According to this philosopher Yizchok accepted to be a korbon to H’ and only got upset when he was told it was not true. Only someone who does not understand the purpose of life would suggest such an interpretation. I cannot believe that this was included in a Jewish publication. Unfortunately, I told my children that we can no longer have this magazine in our house.
MP, surprised in Flatbush
Vues Master’s Note: There are 70 ways to learn the Torah. A person can not assume that another person will be able to be omeid benisayon. Hindsight is 2020. Now we can know that Yitzchok would not have been angry. But at the time Avraham taught us a lesson that don’t assume the other person is on your darga in Yiras Shomayim!
RAV DOVID & FUN QUESTIONS
Dear Vues Master
Just wanted to tell you how much my family enjoyed last week’s edition. We really enjoyed Ari Hirsch’s article on Rav Dovid Feinstein zt’l and the two fun questions.
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks! We always love compliments!