Honesty Is The Best Policy

While scanning some of my favorite blogs I came across a blog concerning three "gentlemen" who had pleaded guilty to a crime. The comments on that blog were in the majority trying to find fault with the system and implied anti-semitism.

Three brothers pled guilty to accounting fraud, arson and bribery several years ago. They were just recently sentenced. The sentences ranged from 7 to 15 years. The three brothers seemed to be very charitable in their own community and also were pillars of their community.

When pleading guilty to any crime it is an admission of guilt and an indication that if that if they had gone to trial they would have been found guilty by a jury of their peers. It also eliminates the possibility of an appeal. Also, rather than go on trial and get a more severe sentence by pleading guilty you will get a lighter sentence. Therefore, this precludes the argument that it was an "anti-semitic plot".

Once you plead guilty you also admit that "dina d'malchusoh dina". If you feel that the laws of the country are unjust then one can always leave and go elsewhere. In Europe and in the middle ages when governments promulgated laws against Jews maybe there was a justification to flout the law of the land. In the United States, which is very benevolent to the Jews, this cannot arguement of injustice cannot be used.

Some of the commenters mentioned how charitable these people were. Let me ask you: If you were to steal a million dollars from me(from my mouth to G-d's ears) and give it to tzedakah would that be considered a mitzvah on your part? I don't think so.

We feel for their family and their community. The loss of these people for the next 7-15 years will be very sad. Now that Rosh Hashanah is fast approaching it is time for them to do T'Shuvo and to ask for M'Chilla.

Saudi Al Qaeda Country Club

What an interesting news story on the NBC World News tonight with Brian Williams. This report was by Richard Engel. The report was either a huge put on or the world has its head buried in the sand.

The report shows the viewer a resort in Saudi Arabia at which "former" members of Al Qaeda are being deprogrammed. These "people" are shown swimming and doing other recreational activities. The purpose is to remove the hatred that Al Qaeda instilled in them and change them into normal human beings. They are sentenced to two year terms at the country club and then released into the general Saudi society.

Saudi Arabia, the great humanitarian country that executes young people for having sex out of wedlock, sentences "animals" that are admitted members of Al Qaeda to this country club. The purpose is to change hate into love.

Saudi Arabia must really think that the rest of the world is totally crazy. If the world and the United States accepts this as a legitimate exercise, either Saudi Arabia is delusional or the world is delusional.

Why is such a report even shown? We are sure Brian Williams and Richard Engel have better things to do with their time.

Monsey Kashrut (Kashrus) a Disaster

It has happened again. Another Monsey store has been selling non kosher food. This time it wasn't meat it was dairy and parve(?). The Kol Tuv Pizza store (Corner of Saddle River Road and Route 59) has been selling pizza with Treifah ingredients.

In the local "Community Connections" there was a notice from Rabbi Ungar that Kol Tuv Pizza was no longer under his "supervision". There was no indication as to what the problem was. Nobody else took over the Hashgacha and the store was closed.

This past Thursday evening we acquired the following letter:

MESSAGE TO ALL CUSTOMERS

Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - July 3, 2007

THE OWNERS OF KOL-TUV PIZZA AND RESTAURANT

HEREBY EXPRESS REGRET AND REMORSE FOR

SERVING IT'S(Sic) PAST CUSTOMERS NON KOSHER FOODS,

PRODUCTS COOKED OR PREPARED WITH TREIFA

INGREDIENTS AND BISHUL AKUM [PREPARED BY A

GOY] DURING THE PAST 3 YEARS.

WE ASK MECHILA FROM ANY PERSON WHO MAY HAVE

BEEN AFFECTED BY OUR WRONGDOINGS, AND

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS.

REGRETFULLY,

MR. & MRS. ISAAC FISHMAN

MONSEY

Why hasn't there been an uproar over this as there was over the Chicken scandal? The theory that I have heard, is that Rabbi Ungar is a Square Chussid and Rabbi Breslauer is not a Chussid.

We don't want to offend our fellow Chassidim!!!

The level of incompetence in the Hashgacha business is unbelieveable. All Rabbi Ungar had to do was to check invoices to make sure that kosher cheese was being bought. But it seems that in New Square they are not sufficiently proficient in the English language to be able to read an invoice.

Is there any trustworthy Hashgacha in Monsey?

Manners in the Frum(Yeshivish) World

Walking into Shul yesterday morning was a bad start to what turned out to be another great day.

Walking behind me was a person maybe my age, most probably a bit younger. As a normal courtesy I held the door for him. It is obviously a difficult thing to say "Thank you" while entering the shul building. As there was no "Thank you" forthcoming I promptly said "You're welcome". Usually that embarrasses the person into saying "Thank you". This guy was made of stronger stuff. He would not be embarrassed. However, he was too Frum to put on his Talis or tefilen in shul. He did it in an anteroom.

When I was leaving Shul a young Yeshiva bochur was arriving for a later minyan. Do you think he would say "Thank you" when I held the door for him? Of course not. The "You're welcome" that I shouted at him did not embarrass him either. He would have ruined his Yeshiva's reputation if he had responded.

What a wonderful world. Why don't parents and schools teach manners. Derech eretz kodmoh latorah.

Leave it to the Moslems

What a day. The Sunnis set off a bomb in a Shiite marketplace. Another, approximately, 150 were killed. I guess the Shiites will retaliate.

This seems to be a daily occurence. Sunnis kill Shiites. Shiites kill Sunnis what a religion. We do not want peace we just want revenge.

I remember an occasion during the Iraq-Iran conflict some years back. We were at a Parlor meeting that was addressed by Joseph Burg. He was a Minister in the Israeli government at that time. One of the attendees asked him; who does the Israeli government prefer as the victor? The answer was they should both be successful!

If these fools would only get together and try to work out some kind of an accommodation. No, the best they can do is to kill each other off. Unfortunately, there too many of them, so that all of these killing will not decimate them.

The American government, the great geniuses, are putting our soldiers in harms way in order to try to stop the Arab fools. Our finest and best lives are being sacrificed, for what I do not know.

Pesach Preparations

Wow, what a hectic time. Went to the kosher stores in the area yesterday. The aisles were jam packed. Traffic in the area was chaotic. You would think that everyone had just woken up from a deep slumber and realized that Pesach is just two days away and I have to do all my shopping today.

The drive from our house to the local stores (about 1 and 1/2 miles) took about 20 minutes. Not only was it slow, we also had to contend with the local inconsiderate drivers. I think they all went to Boro Park driving schools. They must have been taught that it is a sin to signal before turning(worst than being Mechalel Shabbos).

Whenever someone does that in front of me I just lean on the horn. Im sure it must scare the hell out of them. I am tempted to install a truck horn on my car for local driving. Recently, one of the locals made a left and did not signal so I gave him the horn. At the next corner he made a right turn and I gave him the horn again( an extra long blast). He stopped and asked me what the problem was. I told him that I believed that I wanted him to know that his blinkers were not working. He was not impressed. Maybe he learned something.