Author Topic: Mezuzah Fraud  (Read 73231 times)

Online koplonko

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #160 on: January 07, 2019, 10:28:58 AM »
in general the word חילול is just that - a word. it means desecration. you can not "desecrate" hashem name, you can not "desecrate" shabbos. you can not "desecrate" a jewish grave. you can not "desecrate" a shul. you can not "desecrate" the name of lubavitch. you can not...
nothing to get excited about

Offline churnbabychurn

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #161 on: January 07, 2019, 10:29:53 AM »
Reminds me of the kid who was overheard saying that he is careful never to do any aveiros. When asked why not he replied that he is terrified that if he does an aveira Hashem might tell the Rebbe!
"making the rebbe proud" is a huge part of lubavicheh chinuch.

Online koplonko

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #162 on: January 07, 2019, 10:38:44 AM »
"making the rebbe proud" is a huge part of lubavicheh chinuch.
"so mammy, tatty and hashem will be so proud of me"
im sickened by the fact that they inserted mammy and tatty into such a sentence, and specifically in that order...

Offline MeirS

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #163 on: January 07, 2019, 11:46:18 AM »
in general the word חילול is just that - a word. it means desecration. you can not "desecrate" hashem name, you can not "desecrate" shabbos. you can not "desecrate" a jewish grave. you can not "desecrate" a shul. you can not "desecrate" the name of lubavitch. you can not...
nothing to get excited about
Thanks. That's what I wanted to say but you put it in words for me.
Which begs the question - do you buy your mezuzos from a Sofer, or do you buy them from a judaica store salesman?
What's the difference?

Offline MeirS

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #164 on: January 07, 2019, 11:52:57 AM »
When I buy a mezuzah, I'm no expert, I'm relying on the sofer. If he's relying on opinions which are not widely accepted, he should explain that.
The sofrim have not been explaining that at all. Not even close. It's not necessarily "mezuzah Fraud" but it's dishonesty.

You did say that he tried to dissuade you and tell you it's not good quality but when you insisted that that's what you wanted as long as it's Kosher he confirmed that it was Kosher Lechatchila. Do you really expect a seller to tell you something he's selling is not Kosher Lechatchila when according to some opinions it is.
I think at some point, if a seller is telling you that something is Kosher Lechatchila but giving you every reason why not to buy it, the consumer has some responsibility to use his intuition and not to count to much on the statement that it's "Kosher Lechatchila".

Offline Dan

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #165 on: January 07, 2019, 12:16:43 PM »
When I asked sofrim about A"R ksav mezuzos one told me that his range from $100 to $500 and to buy the best you can afford.
Shkoyach.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Yehuda57

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #166 on: January 07, 2019, 12:18:19 PM »
You did say that he tried to dissuade you and tell you it's not good quality but when you insisted that that's what you wanted as long as it's Kosher he confirmed that it was Kosher Lechatchila. Do you really expect a seller to tell you something he's selling is not Kosher Lechatchila when according to some opinions it is.
I think at some point, if a seller is telling you that something is Kosher Lechatchila but giving you every reason why not to buy it, the consumer has some responsibility to use his intuition and not to count to much on the statement that it's "Kosher Lechatchila".

It's hard to describe a conversation that happened 8 years ago. I wasn't insisting while he was trying to valiantly to stop me. Again, a simple explanation like "Would you eat chalav stam knowing there are opinions that say it is halachically acceptable, but according to Lubavitch custom, it is not?" Conversation would have been over.

Offline MeirS

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #167 on: January 07, 2019, 12:21:36 PM »


Again, a simple explanation like "Would you eat chalav stam knowing there are opinions that say it is halachically acceptable, but according to Lubavitch custom, it is not?" Conversation would have been over.

True, but you're forgetting that while he is recognised as a ירא שמים, you can't forget that he's also a salesman. There are some things that he'd rather not say about his merchandise

Offline Yonah

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #168 on: January 07, 2019, 12:31:25 PM »
What's the difference?

There is a huge difference - both in the knowledge of the person selling it, as well as the presumption of kashrus we assign to their opinion. Yes, there are 'bad' sofrim, and sales people of STAM that know more than your average sofer from experience. Generally speaking, if I buy a mezuzah from a Sofer, and ask him about the kashrus, I expect that he is a)being honest, and b) answering via his knowledge of hilchos STAM, that he learned on his way to becoming a sofer. As opposed to some random guy working in a seforim store, that despite his best intentions, knows little of safrus and is relying on the hashgacha of the mezuzah of his supplier.


Offline Yehuda57

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #169 on: January 07, 2019, 12:48:39 PM »

True, but you're forgetting that while he is recognised as a ירא שמים, you can't forget that he's also a salesman. There are some things that he'd rather not say about his merchandise
The weird thing is, had he been honest about his products, I would have sprung for more expensive mezuzos. We both would have ended up happier.

Offline 12HRS

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #170 on: January 07, 2019, 01:01:05 PM »
"so mammy, tatty and hashem will be so proud of me"
im sickened by the fact that they inserted mammy and tatty into such a sentence, and specifically in that order...

Mammy before Tatty?  :P

I dont think its so crazy. If you cant learn to tell the truth to your parents you think you are going to be dover emet with h
Hashem

Offline whYME

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #171 on: January 07, 2019, 01:05:42 PM »
Not sure if this is relevant, but


Offline skyguy918

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #172 on: January 07, 2019, 01:29:50 PM »
Mammy before Tatty?  :P

I dont think its so crazy. If you cant learn to tell the truth to your parents you think you are going to be dover emet with h
Hashem
And of course the words fit better in the song in that order.

Offline Dan

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #173 on: January 07, 2019, 01:30:44 PM »
And of course the words fit better in the song in that order.
They fit better or you're used to hearing them that way?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Online ExGingi

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #174 on: January 07, 2019, 01:31:30 PM »
Not sure if this is relevant, but



Why wouldn't it be relevant? The question is whether the merchants (and sofrim), many of which weren't in the business when these standards were set 32 years ago, adhere to these standards.

Inquiring about the name of the sofer who wrote the mezuzah (or tefillin) will go a long way (same regarding asking for the name(s) of shochtim for the meat you consume).
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Offline skyguy918

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #175 on: January 07, 2019, 01:40:14 PM »
They fit better or you're used to hearing them that way?
The former. Mommy and Tatty are typical spoken מלעיל while Hashem is typical spoken מלרע. Move Hashem to first or second and see how it sounds.

Offline cholent

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #176 on: January 07, 2019, 01:44:10 PM »
"so mammy, tatty and hashem will be so proud of me"
im sickened by the fact that they inserted mammy and tatty into such a sentence, and specifically in that order...
You can feel better, you got the order wrong. It's actually "Tatty, Mommy, and Hashem"
(Or "Abba, Ima, and Hashem" in the next repetition)
Don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers

Offline Yehuda57

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #177 on: January 07, 2019, 01:58:57 PM »
You can feel better, you got the order wrong. It's actually "Tatty, Mommy, and Hashem"
(Or "Abba, Ima, and Hashem" in the next repetition)
Thank you!
The amaratzus here is astounding.

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #178 on: January 07, 2019, 02:01:09 PM »
Thank you!
The amaratzus here is astounding.

Is that song as old as the letter from the CH Beis Din regarding STaM standards?
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Offline chevron

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #179 on: January 07, 2019, 02:02:32 PM »
Kosher meat in today's day and age is a business, whomever gives the hechsher and hires the shochtim is a different story. I'm sure some meat operations exist solely to provide a higher standard in kashrut and some in quality and some both (love bakar)

Maybe some stam places too are just a business, it's a business like selling daled minim or kaparos, few do it l'shem shamayim. That's why a guy who is passionate about mivtzoim would be angered.

Are the cheap daled minim mivtzoim / chinuch sets kosher ?