Baruch HaShem, I had some very interesting jobs over my half century in the workplace. There was really only one place I worked that I detested. Rather than tell you several examples of how bad it was, I'll just tell you about interactions with two of my managers. My then manager started the review with: Michael, I don't think we got our money's worth from you this year. (To be fair -- not that I have any obligation to be fair -- he was a fundamentalist Christian with whom I had just had a conversation about Judaism and Christianity. Obviously that conversation did not go well for him and he was likely still stinging. He therefore did the good Christian thing and decided to get back at me from his position of authority over me. I had another manager who told me it was arrogant of me to give reasons for my opinions. Fun times. The root cause, though, of my revulsion to working there was that it was a company that provides advice to companies about how best to market their p...
Thought for the Day: The Members of the Sanhedrin When the Mashiach Arrives, May He Arrive Soon and in Our Lifetime
I heard that R' Moshe Feinstein, z''tzl, was concerned about getting a pacemaker. Why? Because he was concerned that it would be considered a מום/defect that would render him unfit to be a member of the Sanhedrin that will be appointed after the arrival of the Mashiach, may he arrive soon and in our lifetime. I had a couple of questions. First, was that story true? If it was, then how could R' Moshe, as great as he was, hope to get on the coveted 70 (maybe 71) appointments? I mean, R' Moshe would be in competition with Acharonim, Rishonim, Amaraim, Tannaim, Ishei Tanach; even the Avos! There is only one address for questions such as that in Chicago: R' Fuerst. I told R' Fuerst I had heard that story about R' Moshe and the pacemaker. The dayan responded, "I have also heard that story." I really love R' Fuerst. After a short pause, the dayan told me he has one proof it might be true, and another that it might be false. Why might it be true? O...