How to Lower the Cost for Blocking Impure Advertisements Online

Shared by a friend:

My internet filtering strategy consists of a simple content filter, adblocking, and image concealing browser extensions (and other things).

It works for me. But I had a problem. Certain websites, detecting my ad-blocker, would block entry to their articles.

I found a solution to the problem (assuming the article seems important enough to work a little):

  1. Search for the title on Google or the like.
  2. Find the article in question.
  3. If it was reproduced elsewhere, problem solved. If not, read on.
  4. Find the tiny arrow next to the name, and click with care, being sure not to hit the hyper-linked title itself.
  5. A bubble appears.
  6. Again, gingerly click on “cached page”.
  7. You can now view the full article in question.
  8. You can also select different design options at the header.

Mitzvos Are Not the Means to Some Other End!

TIDE (‘Torah Im Derech Eretz’) is dedicated to all mitzvos. It rejects the Medieval Spanish notion of mitzvos as handmaidens to the ultimate goal of philosophic understanding. This notion was influenced arguably by Aristotelian-Arabic philosophers. R’ Hirsch’s explanation of the meaning and symbolism of mitzvos helps to enhance our love for the mitzvos. Rather, mitzvos are an end goal themselves.

(See 19 Letters, Letter 18).

Excerpted from The Torah Im Derech Eretz Society, here.

See the rest here (I couldn’t copy it all!)

Don’t Trust Yourself for an Instant

Stories demonstrating zeal in observing Halacha – the true definition of Yiras Shamayim, are my favorite:

Rabbi Yaakov Galinsky was once walking on Shabbos on the street and reached into his pocket for something. When he took it out he realized it was Muktzeh, and immediately dropped it.

“Grandfather”, asked his grandson who was accompanying him, “Why didn’t you throw it into a dark corner to keep it safe?”

Rabbi Galinsky answered: The first instant one should let go of it, because if you wait, the Yetzer Hara may get the better of you!

Overheard.

That Portrait of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

The popular likeness of Rashbi/Zohar author on various Kabbala paraphernalia…

It just hit me. Not the image; the realization: It’s patterned upon the ‘Kings’ suit on a regular deck of cards.

Needless to say, we cannot know what he looked like (although the Zohar reportedly describes his beard).