Need Help on Kavua & The Monty Hall Problem

it struck me yesterday that perhaps kol kavua k'mechtza al mechtza dami has something to do with the "Monty Hall Problem"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problemhttp://www.marilynvossavant.com/articles/gameshow_print.html?t=64 - but I can't articulate it. Can you help me out by either explaining why I'm right or why I'm wrong?

This may help (siman 46 above):
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=15107&hilite=d623c4b3-f194-43dd-bc10-b818c3f696e5&st=%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2&pgnum=92.

Thanks!

Lubavitcher Rebbe and ear Piercing

I received the following email:

Rabbi Bechhofer,

I've been listening to your very interesting Shiurim on Chabad on Torahanytime and from http://www.sumseqfiles.com/shiurim/. You mentioned that the Rebbe was against ear piercing and that Chabad interestingly did not follow his Psak. I noticed on the Chabadtalk forum they site this piece from the Rebbe - http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14943&st=&pgnum=580&hilite= where he's Matir and they make no mention of any issur. I was curious if you saw his Psak issur in print or heard it?

Thanks,

I would like to concede the point, that I was in error, and that the Rebbe in fact seems to have preferred pierced ears over clip-on earrings, as per the image above. My only "limud zechus" on myself is that the Rebbe held the issue worthy of a she'eilas chacham!

Worthy of note is the reference to the Radal, as per the other image above!

Shaving Erev Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Sivan

In chelek aleph #338, the Rivevos is mattir (note that he cites R' Sroya Deblitzky as being mattir as well). In chelek vav #259 he brings down that Reb Moshe assers, but the Rivevos sticks to his guns and continues to be mattir. In a safek of a minhag that is not even a d'Rabbanan me'dina d'Gemara, it seems reasonable to be maykil.

Very Cool Video Footage

http://somehowfrum.blogspot.com/2010/05/pre-state-israel-in-color.html

On the Main Line: Rav Herzog's obituary for Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, 1927.

On the Main Line: Rav Herzog's obituary for Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, 1927.

The Letter R' Aharon Kotler Wrote About Uncle Ezra

http://theantitzemach.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post.html

כבוד ידידי הרה"ג אוצר התורה והיראה מוהרד"י שוחט שליט"א
אחדשה"ט בטח קבל כת"ר מברק הברכה לחתונת בתו תחי' גם הקבלה מהאפיס על עזרתו להישיבה הק' ואברכם בכפילא לרוות רוב נחת מהזוג ויבנו בית נאמן בישראל לתפארת המשפחה.באתי במכתבי זה כי בנו המופלג נ"י אמר לי כי כת"ר מבקש להודע מלמודו, ואודיעו כי לומד בשקידה רבה ובעיון טוב ולפי כשרונותיו הנשגבים ב"ה מעותד להיות גדול אמיתי בתורה באופן נעלה. והמקום מתאים מאד לעליתו בתורה כפי מה שראוי לו בחילו לאורייתא. ובשביל חביבותי לבנו נ"י הריני מזדרז להשיב לכת"ר למרות עוצם טרדותי באופן שלא ישעור מו"מ מברכו בכטו"ס

אהרן קטלר