Toldos and Election Day: Is it Permitted To Enter A Church?

This Torah class is brought [music] to you by Torahanytime.com. >> Okay, good morning, Good morning. >> here in Kew Gardens Hills, New York. So Rivka is expecting and she experiences a very unusual phenomenon that uh something there's a lot of internal turmoil. a very unusual expression They were running, says Rashi. and they ran. What's It must be, it has to be that this talks out and it says expound me. it covers over it hides. What is this struggling? So it says Rashi Our rabbis running When she passed by the ran and was trying to come out. When she passed by the house of idolatry, Esau was trying to break through. Jacob was trying to run to the and Esau was trying to run to the church and uh she didn't understand what kind of kid does she have, a schizophrenic? So uh this was the the beginning of the And of course So this is a good opportunity to speak about a and that is is it permitted for one to go into a church, into what we call the Is one allowed to go into a church? Why would one want to go into Well, you know, it's election day. Tomorrow is election day. I remember when I in Queens. So first I lived in Dara Gardens. So then the polls were in the public school. But then I moved to the Majestic and then the polls were basically in the church on on Union Turnpike. So it wasn't exactly in the church building, but it was in an annex building and the parking lot was the parking lot of the church. Is one allowed to go into a church? Or sometimes people go touring. People want to go into the Vatican. Is one allowed to go into a church? So it's important halachic subject. And even if you are allowed to, under what circumstances? What if a person has a business meeting or even what if somebody's life is in danger? Under what circumstances, if it is permitted, would it be permitted? Okay, so let's start with the So in the in the introduction to the when when was impending Moshe said to Actually, this was after during So Pharaoh said to get rid of this So Moshe said, you know what? when I leave the city I'll spread out my hands to God. The sounds will cease. There won't be hail so that you should know that the world belongs to God. Now the question is, why did Moshe say when I leave the city I will pray to God? Why couldn't he pray in the city? Why couldn't he pray in Pharaoh's palace? Says Rashi when he left the city when he was in the city he didn't Because the city of Egypt was full of idols and presumably you can't if there are idols around. So therefore Moshe said when I leave the city and I leave the confines of the place of idolatry, then I could daven. But so long as you're in the vicinity of idols, one is not permitted to daven. Okay, so this seems to be some type of a source that the presence of idolatry precludes us from serving Hashem the way we would want to. So we have a here from the The is in siman Who's the was a And it says a The only thing is you'll notice it doesn't say who asked him the Does anybody know why it doesn't say who asked him the Very good, because nobody asked him the The made up questions to to answer them. Many are like that. Many are you know, responsive back and forth. So would compose his own questions. One who's on the road and the day is waning, he's close to the hotel. He's almost at the Holiday Inn. He's almost at Howard Johnson. Right? It's a city of complete entirely consisting of Gentiles. He could definitely get there obviously before He could even finish like the So what should he do? Should he wait until he finishes traveling and gets to the hotel? Because on the road how much could you be on the road? You know, they didn't have smooth cars back then. It was a bumpy trip and who knows he would have to say it could be even dangerous. We're on the road exactly as he's going to be able to daven. So should he wait until he gets to the hotel to be able to daven with some peace of mind? Or should he pray in the field? He could even do that standing. He could sort of off the path. So those are the two options. Daven on the road or wait until he gets to the hotel. If he could veer off the path, if he could get let's say a few feet off the road so that nobody want to fear with his So he'll go off into the cornfields and pray and nobody would will bother him. That's much better to daven on the road than to daven in a hotel that entirely consists of Why? You know why it's not a good idea to daven in the city? There are many idols in the city. There are many icons in the city. There are many images in the city. There are many statues in the city. Not only are there idols in the city, there are churches in the city. But the guy's not davening in a church. So what? You're not a daven in a city that has a church in the city. You're not a daven in a city that has a church in the city. And it's It's almost as if it doesn't exist that there's no hotel that's the house of a Gentile. They have and and Buddhas and all kinds of at the very least engraved on the wall. You have graven images, abominations. You can't daven in the vicinity of such things Moshe didn't want to daven in Egypt because it was full of So therefore says the you're much better off davening on the road distracted in a very tenuous situation than davening in a hotel that has images and icons. Now he does say at the end he says but if you're not sure that it could be that you will be interrupted on the road, right? In other words, this is all if you will have a quiet place to daven on the road. But if you're really not sure it could be people are going to interrupt you on the road and in the hotel you could find a room or a corner where you could daven with a clear mind without the people of the house confusing you. In such a situation it's it's better to daven in the hotel. So in other words like this, all things being equal daven on the road if you will be able to have kavana. However, if you're afraid people are going to interrupt you and in the hotel you could get a quiet room and daven peacefully in the corner, then you should do that. Okay. Okay, especially he says nowadays every city is going to have So since under the circumstance So like this, all things being equal if you could daven peacefully on the road better to daven in a road on the road than to daven in a city that has However, if you can be interrupted on the road and when you get to your hotel you could go into your own private room and stand in the corner and you don't have to face the then that would be better especially in light of the fact that nowadays if you're going to daven in a city that doesn't have that basically only leaves you with one place to daven and that is the moon, right? So so since that's quite an expensive fair to get to the moon, otherwise there's no city in the world including you that won't have Zarah. Maybe Bnei Brak. Yeah. >> But they killed people. >> That has other issues, it happens to be. That has other issues. Yeah. Anyway, there's a Pesach program there this year if you're interested. Okay. So, [laughter] um be it as may, be it as it may, the Tzemach Tzedek says that um all things being equal, is better to daven on the road. But if you're going to be interrupted on the road, then you could daven in the hotel. Now, if I were to ask you, Tzemach Tzedek, is it to daven in a city that has Avodah Zarah in it? Clearly not, because if it was he wouldn't say that if you that if you're going to be interrupted on the road and you have a quiet place in the hotel, you should daven in the hotel. It's to daven in a place of Avodah Zarah. Clearly then, this idea of not davening in a place of Avodah Zarah is a preference. Because if it was we wouldn't allow it even if you'd be interrupted on the road. It's a preference. I, if it's just a preference, why did Moshe Rabbeinu have to leave Mitzrayim? He preferred to leave Mitzrayim. Someone of the stature of Moshe Rabbeinu did not want to daven in Mitzrayim even though it wasn't So, this is the in the quotes the Tzemach Tzedek. And he says um look at number five, two lines from the bottom. It's clear from the words of the that the reason and the logic of the This is not a that you're not allowed to daven in the same city or the same room that has an Avodah Zarah in it. Moshe was on himself. tefillah was different. So, one thing we do see from the Tzemach Tzedek is that it's preferable not daven in a city that has in a room that doesn't have. But if if if the choice is you should despite the fact that there are some in the vicinity. So this is just talking about This is not talking about a There's not talking about a church. Let's begin with the following This is an astounding It's a shocking Is one allowed to live, not daven, live in a city that has a church in it? Is one allowed to walk down a street that has a church on it? Is one allowed to look at a church? And the answer to all of these is no. No. The answer to We just posed three questions. Could you live in a city that has a church in it? The answer to that is no. Are you allowed to walk down a street that has a church on it? The answer has no. Are you allowed to look at it? To that the answer is going to be it's So I just want to be accurate. It's So the question is then where are we going to live? I guess there was no nowhere to go. There's no alternate road, you know? Or maybe I don't know. She had no choice. Says the of the uncensored Any city from the Christian religion that has a What's a The house of foolishness. Now throughout history it was always debated whether a church was a And part of the debate was is Christianity of a desire? >> No. >> Is Christianity of a desire? So, there's a widespread misconception that it's not a So, let's just clarify one thing. Maybe next week we'll speak about it. No promises, but maybe. There's an which means not only are we commanded to believe in one God, but we cannot believe that God has numerous parts to it. We believe There's there's one God and that one God is non compartmentalized. He he doesn't have parts. But there's a is a allowed to believe that God has parts to it. As we know, most forms of Christianity believes in Right? The Trinity, the father, the ghost, I don't know all the different parts, but there are three parts. There are three parts. So, is that considered seems to say that it's not From there, many think that that means that Christianity is not And says that that Christianity is not for Christians. For Jews, it is. For it's not. However, we do not The says that what means is it's not for a to swear by But to believe in it is Likewise, writes that's how we We not only for Jews, but even for Christianity is That's how we And that has been substantiated by the recent findings of the uncensored where the writes everywhere that Christianity is It's in the the uncensored the makes no has no qualms about saying that Christianity is Fine. This is what we have it on the sheet over here. Says the Rambam, a city that has a church in it, you cannot pass through it. You cannot intentionally travel through a city that has that has a church in it. You certainly cannot live in it. So you'll say, so where are we going to move? So the good news is they've discovered that it could be Mars does support life. No, but seriously, where are you going to live? Where are you going to live? Says the Rambam, what are we going to do? Delivered us in their hands. We have to live in their cities against our will to fulfill that which it says in the not in the But that which the Torah says, you will worship their gods of of flesh and blood. Right? That's the to the cross and and Islam. Okay. So meaning according to the Rambam, why are we allowed to live in New York City or wherever we do live? We have no choice. Where where else are you going to live? God this is the [snorts] Certainly a church. to look at it. So you go on a trip and you want to marvel at the beauty of the architecture of a church, the Rambam would say He doesn't say it's it's not What does it mean? That's what you would have thought. Not It's That means like this. First worry about what is But this is What? >> Is anything for a picture? >> I don't know. Certainly you can't come close to it. Certainly you cannot enter it. Now I would say from the Rambam, is it also to enter a church? I would say no. Because if the Rambam is learning that you're not allowed to go into a church from a that you're not to look at it. He doesn't say you're not to look at it. He says you're not to look at it. So are you allowed to enter a church? You're not to enter. That's what I would say. There's a rule in So as I never realized this before. But as that you're not allowed to look at a church, but he doesn't really say you're not allowed to. He says come out you're not allowed to. And I would say it's not that you're not allowed to enter a church. It's only that it's certainly But we don't from from a Rambam in the Okay, but I'm just giving you how it is. In other words, stay away. Don't let your senses take in the sight. That's what we see from the Rambam. Now let's come to the We don't from the but we'll from the and the A good story. Rav and Rav were going on the way. They came to two divergent roads. Right? You could have a great choice. One passed by a church and one passed by the house of harlotry. You know, pick your poison. One passed by So the question is what is it better to walk by? >> That's your opinion. One said to his friend, You know, the temptation for is a lot less than the temptation for We're better off passing by the house of than the house of Let's go by the house of and we'll It will elicit, it will excite the It will the will get They got there They saw the It was tempting and they ran away. They subdued their So one said to the other, Did you know they would do that? And she said, Yeah, yeah, we knew they would do that. Okay. Anyway, and the says, Are you allowed to do this? And so on and so forth. Fine. So we have this two divergent roads. One is passing by a church, one is passing by the house of And one is passing by a church and one is passing by the the And the first thought, the first notion was, Let go to the house of Let's pass by the house of and then ultimately they decided to pass by the house of and subdue their What in the world were they doing? What in the world were they doing? They are passing by the They are passing Are you allowed to pass by a house of Is that a good idea? What did the If you're walking down a road where you know there are immodestly dressed women and you close your eyes, what are you called? >> Fool. >> That's a compliment. No. A Russia. You're called a Russia. There's two roads. One road there's no right? I could take the the city street or I could pass by a beach, but I'll take off my glasses. And you pass by the beach and you don't look. You don't look. What are you called? A Russia. Why? What are you putting yourself in the situation for? Now it's not good to be called a Russia, not by a person, by God. If you pass by you say, you know what? I don't have to take a different path. I'll go by this path and I'll close my eyes. You're So how are these How are they allowed to do that? You're not allowed to do that. The answer is from this Gemara we see you're not allowed to pass by a church. Really you're not allowed to pass by a house of Even if you're going to subdue the But worse than passing by a house of is passing by a church says we see from here that it's the to move far away from the house of Which we say refers to Cuz they they preferred to pass by a house of then to pass by a church. >> Didn't we say it would be more difficult for the >> So even though what? >> In a church? Cuz the what what kind of they're going to have to go to a church. >> Right. And even so even so the deeper meaning of the Gemara with the meaning there's a factor that the Gemara doesn't uncover to us is even though the Gemara says they wanted to pass by the house of the to subdue the but that's not the real reason cuz you're really not allowed to go out of your way to try to subdue the The real reason is is that it's to pass by a house a church. Not to go in. It's to pass by. It's to pass by. Go to the other side. Well, I don't know. At this point in the You shouldn't pass by a church. Do we this way? the Rambam in the word for word. Any city that has idolatry in it, that has a church in it, Not that you're not to live in it. Of course you're not to live in it. You're not allowed to travel through it. So you should put in GPS, do you want to avoid toll paths? So there's a new option. The same way you could have different voices, you could have forget forget about male and female. You could have Yeah. If you learn something today, it's Yeah. You could have a You could have different kinds of ways. Yeah, seriously. No, in America. You could have that. You could also there's an option that they don't have should You know, I want to avoid the the you should choose that path. The only thing is we're subject to them. We're all morons. We're like morons. Now that's a word I don't think the Rambam in our text has. We're like morons. So you want to know, should you avoid passing by a Yeah. Should you avoid looking at it? Yes. It's a mitzvah to stay away. So is what according to the 8 ft. So it's always to have your tape measure with you. Yeah? Always carry your tape measure with you. This way you should know it could be they have an app for that. I don't know yet. You know, somebody want to market it. Are you within eight Yeah. Fine. Okay, so far so good. Now, what about not the not the house of What about a side room? What about traveling through the parking lot? What about traveling through a courtyard? Says the Um, spelled wrong here number 11. A city that has in it outside the city you're allowed to go. If there's outside inside his Can I travel through a city that has If the road is designated for the church, even though I'm not going to the church, I can't take that road. But if that road could take me elsewhere, then I'm allowed to. So what's going on over here? Why am I not allowed to take a road that that road has no other option than to go to the church? I'm not I'm not really going to the church. Why am I not allowed to take a road that has no option other than going to the church? Says Rashi. If there is no path out of that city to go to another city, meaning if let's say city has avodah zarah in it and the road I'm taking cannot get me out of that city, I'm not allowed to go on that road. Why? Because of suspicion. It looks like I'm going to serve that avodah zarah. So listen carefully. What we learn from this mishnah, the way Rashi explains it is if I'm headed to a a church, even if I'm going in one door and out the other, but if that road only goes to a church, I cannot walk on the road cuz people are going to suspect that I'm taking the road to serve avodah zarah in the church. But if that road could get me elsewhere, so people are not going to suspect that I 'm going to the church, maybe I'm going elsewhere, I am allowed to go on that road. So now here's the million dollar question. According to Rashi, the issur of taking a road that leads to a church or the issur of going through the parking lot is people are going to see that if I let say I'm tired and you know I'm on the road and I need to take catch a uh a few Z's, so I'm going to pull into the parking lot of the church and I'm going to sleep for 10 minutes in my car. If that parking lot is only for the church, I can't do that cuz people are going to suspect I'm going to go worship in the in the So the question is but what if uh I'm going there for a very important reason? What if what if it's a sakana? What if it's a sakana? Is a person allowed to go into a church to save their life? That's the question now. So clearly if we're dealing with that question, you're allowed to go into a church to save your life, it would seem it's rather to go into a church if maybe you can't go in to save your life. You would think though that if the reason you're not allowed to go into a church is because of the and you'd be allowed to go in to save your life, you would probably even allowed to be go in to Let's say you have a client and the client says look I can to you a big business, you have to meet me in the church. You would think if the only is so it's a maybe there's a leniency. Comes the There's no such thing as There's something called So that's the thing. If there's a bathroom there, if there's a bathroom there, but if there's a sign that says the bathroom are for purchasers of the egg McMuffin only, then Yeah. Says the reason it's a good reason. Even if your life is on the line You're thirsty. Right? You're thirsty and there's a big statue of the and out of his mouth water is coming out and you want to put your mouth on his mouth. It looks like you're giving him a nice but you're not. You're just trying to drink because the person's life is on the line. The says If you don't drink, you're going to die. You cannot go. You can't kiss the So if you can't kiss the says the you can't go into a church. Ah, you're going to die. It's only It's not only It's the dust of idolatry. You you have to give up your life and not not be Therefore says the to go into a church to save your skin is In a place where only go in to worship which is usually why go into They don't there's no there during the week. There's no, you know, what what else are they going Right? There's no So they're going in Okay, so the learns a that even you cannot go into it's only The novelly categorizes as Where does the get this from? So interesting Look at number 15. The says Let's say you got a thorn and you're sitting in front of You want to bend down and take it out. You can't do it. It looks like Your money falls down in front of You want to bend down to pick it up. Not pennies, $100 bills. You can't do it. You have a spring that's giving water and you want to bend down and drink. No, you can't do it. You have faces that sprinkle water. Don't put your mouth on their mouth. It looks like you're kissing them. [clears throat] Look in the What's the of the last case? The just say the first two cases. If there's a I would think if you're in you're allowed to Says the The of the case of is even when your life is on the line, you cannot look like you're serving Pass However, it says But if there's let's say a side room in the church, what? >> And if there's nobody >> And if there's nobody looking, first of all, Putin is always looking. Yeah, he sees you. The guy the guy in Russia. Obama is looking. Every there's always people looking. But even what the says the says it this says >> How about can you use a cup or a >> To do what? >> To to the water. Fill up a cup. >> You can bend down and get it. You can't but how are you going to get the water? If there's a way to do it, if let's say you could manipulate the cup in your foot, flip it up and yeah, if you have a way to do it without bending down, you could do it. However, the says if there's a courtyard in the church that they gather there for din, or there's a bathroom in a side room, or you want to use it as a shortcut, you're allowed to. >> There's no symbols on the wall. >> You're allowed to. In other words, if there's another reason why people go into a side room other than to worship, so now people are not going to suspect you're going in for that. Maybe they'll they'll think you're going in to use the facility. So again, you can't go into the main sanctuary. The main sanctuary people only go into worship, but a side room you could go in even if your life is not on the line, it's just a But if your life but in the sanctuary itself, even if your life is on the line, the is you cannot go in. >> So you can go through a parking lot. >> [clears throat] >> Could you go through a parking lot? But as a you could take the parking lot as a shortcut. >> Yeah. >> Yes, you could take the parking lot as a shortcut. And if it's a parking lot that people go in for other reasons, let's say there's um there's there's a pizza store next door and there's no parking there, so people So like it would seem that according to the where the voting usually takes place in a side room, and um and people know that people go to the side room to vote, then you would be allowed to. Now I will point out >> Are you allowed to look at it when you're going in? >> What? Okay, it's I mean I wouldn't recommend closing your eyes. Okay. So we don't make any political statements. I would agree with that. Okay. So so the the says that the says a courtyard of Some if they're not gathered there for their service, you're not allowed to go there. Some say it's always meaning if the road only leads to the church, you can't even take that road. But if it passes by to elsewhere, you're allowed to It is a of to distance yourself from going even if there is if you have another road. Meaning as much as possible, avoid it. So does that mean not to go into a side room of a church? Absolutely. Yeah, if you have another place to go. In other words, it's a to distance yourself from a of a church that leads to somewhere else if you have another road. So would it be a not to go into a side room of a church even to vote? One would think that the saying that the saying is when there's an old when you have a then it's not to take that road. But if the only way to vote is to go there, I don't think the to avoid it. Okay. But that's the The says you're not allowed to save your life by going into a church. However, the argues. Listen to the The says like this. Look at number 16. >> [snorts] >> So you would say a city that has you're not to travel through even if your life is on the line. So says the Rama, listen carefully. This din that the Gamara says you're not to look like you're serving even when your life is on the line, that's only if it looks like you're serving so it's on the actual you're not to violate on the actual even when your life is on the line. But if it just looks like you're going to a place where you will worship so that's on the on the going you're allowed to violate if your life is on the line. He says a city that has It's logical If the Gamara teaches us that when it looks like you're serving So I would say according to the Ran, could you go into a church to save your life? I would say yes. Cuz going into a church is not that you're worshipping but it's that you're going inside to worship. Then it could be the Ran says like this. Even on worshipping you're allowed to violate on worshipping to save your life. I the Gamara says you're not allowed to. The Gamara says you can't put your mouth on a spring. If you're not to put your mouth on a spring because it looks like you're worshipping even if your life is on the line. Says the Ran, when the Gamara says even when your life is on the line, it means that right now you're thirsty and you think if I don't drink now you'll eventually dehydrate. But if you've reached and you're So the has two Number one you're allowed to violate when your life is on the line to go to a house of but not on the actual worshiping and even the actual worshiping if your life is actually on the line and the like the and we don't say So if his life is on the line there is a lenient But what about money? What about if it's just a matter of losing money? Just a matter of By the way and that's how the Look at number 19. You're allowed to run to a church and the The says you're allowed to save your life. However if you're afraid of bandits or you're afraid of being harmed you cannot go into a church even to protect yourself from danger only to save your life. In fact the writes a story that somebody owed a Jew money and the priest realized that if he runs into the church, the not going to follow him. So now the Jews in a bind, you know, could he go into the church to be And the story goes that no, he didn't go. He didn't do it. Now this doesn't mean it's you see the that this is something that Jews didn't do. There's another story about a Jew who went into a church and he felt bad. So he asked the what he should do. So he said, what day did you go in? I went in Said every day, every your life you should fast. There was once a Jew who went to the of a church. He left. He heard Hashem tell him, why do you throw me away? And from then on he fasted for the rest of his life. Anyway, that's just the story. But here let's come to we have a from This he wrote when he was still in Cairo. Where is Cairo? This this is the this is the famous story that is going about to become famous. 1949 we know that to get a Hebrew date you add 1240. To get in to get to get an English date, excuse me. the story happened. a certain consul died, a cardinal, and they would bring them into their house of worship. And then the priest would pray for him. I was asked from the in based on the recommendation of the king to advise could he participate in the ceremony? Because why go? Why go? And many have done this throughout history. What should I do? What should I do? So by the way, the first issue here is that whether Christianity is So as we mentioned the is that for Christianity is By the way, He also writes He says six lines from the bottom in number 22 So the Binyan Zion is that are not commanded on Now this is a very interesting the Binyan Zion had and that is they bought a house. They didn't have a And they couldn't find a regular house to buy a regular house that was made originally for residence. So they wanted to buy a church and turn the church into a shul. Are you allowed to do that? So says the you would think you could do it because for it's not So the first point he says is that's good for them. It's not For it is And therefore it's It's disgusting. You can't do it. I didn't ask whether it's been done. I asked whether you are allowed to do it. And he said no. But if you need to, you could rely on the Mizrahi that if it wasn't built originally as a house of was built as a residence and then they use it as a then you can make it into a show which is usually never the case. But the opinion of the is he can't. What about places that did? Everyone should ask their local Orthodox rabbi, okay? But that's the that's the that is the of the But says it's irrelevant whether for Christianity is as the points out that for it is But besides that, he says that which people frequently say It's a mistake to say that Christianity is not people say it, but it's wrong. It's one of those things that people say. It's one of the many, many, many, many things that people say that is wrong. And where do they get it from? Because the But as we mentioned, that means to swear on But they're not a believer in it. Ah. However, look and always say, I saw in the Now, I'm not saying this Hadad is with a test. Now, that doesn't mean her partner. one of the Italian If a Jew has a lot of creditors, they could run into a house of to save himself from being taken by the government. And he quotes the that even for a loss of money it's not But says the truth is the Torah is not like that that it's only and the also brings down that it's better to avoid. And said he says brings down in the that he brings down from his grandfather that anyone who enters a church he will now reside in the wings of the and they him little by little. This which by the way demonstrates that it's only and says the is also only But at the very least the very least to to say that it's it's only going to be if there's a loss of money or Okay. Now I saw in the that going to a church is an and you can't use a Now even though you could question what the says that that going to a church is a it's not clear it's an but says the there is no Why? Now listen to this. says what do you mean it's what's the The is you know how to go in why are they going to hate us? How's it different than any other The is a Jew can't go into a church he's not going to hate us. And he says says look in the Listen carefully. The most abused in the world is which soon we're going to see a that says does not apply The of does not apply anymore. Ever ever E V E R But besides that, he quotes the Sefer Zera Ems, that Ava only applies that the Gemara says you know how to do business with them on the day of their Chag. So it says the Zera Ems, that's only So if you don't do business with them on their holiday, it's a for them. It's a for them. Or you're allowed to be on Shabbos. You're allowed to help them give birth because not doing so is a Cuz if we don't do it, it's like we don't treat them as We don't give them human dignity. Otherwise, we don't say Ava. Cuz if you say Ava, You know, the guy invites you, come, I'm inviting you to my house for a meal. My wife makes the best cheeseburger. You should have to eat it. I'm She's going to be very insulted if you don't eat it. You be very It's not a Anyone who could think reasonably Currying favor is not Ava. You want to go to curry favor? That's not If I don't go, it's Ava. Um The reason we're in golus is because we try to do these things. Says Rav Avadya, in our many sins, our leaders think it's a big thing to try to curry favor with the leaders of >> me, I made a mistake. Most of the time, most things that are Why? When there were blood libels and there was persecution, we have Today, for the most part, we have freedom. And therefore, you cannot use this Does this apply to a mosque? But that's a separate discussion. Famous story. The story that's about to become famous. They say about the great and a group of his friends who they got tired. They got tired of the same old How many times could you sing I mean, it's time to rev it up. How many times? So they figure they're going to go into the church, get some good carols, some some really snappy carols, and apply it to the and the and the Where do you think they got Where do you think they come from? Right? They're going to go They're going to go into the church, hide out, dress up, and pick up a few catchy tunes. It's a well-known story. They went behind They went in the women's section to get some good to the high holidays. They put it to This is a You're allowed to go into a church. But you're not to listen to their music when they play it for It's We see in the Also, you're not to go into their And if there was But that's still in the Says number one, we don't learn story We don't learn from stories. Stories are not any conclusive regarding How often I was once there and I saw this rabbi, I saw that rabbi. You didn't see. You conflated. You made it up. You made it up. You know they're doing now one of the one of the most cutting fields of research now I just read is in memory. How human memory is so fragile, is so tenuous where a person could watch a program and then in his mind he goes somewhere and he starts to conflate that what he saw on the program happened in real life. Lately in the news how all the No, never happened. Never happened. They made it up. They never saw it. They they they misremembered. They misremembered. Human memory So a story how much how much credence do we give a story in None. >> This is the most when the rabbi testified that he saw this one in his young age, it's >> No. No, not anymore. Stories don't work anymore. >> Used to. >> So he says even if we explain that not in What? means like this. If you have a source and then you have a to back it up, then it substantiates. But if it's the fact that you saw somebody do it doesn't mean anything. It is not the process. You're going to forsake because of a story. I will say I'm not afraid. So here are the choices. Either this story is not a it's a Or You know why these rabbis went? Cuz they're a bunch of The reason these rabbis went is they didn't learn the They thought you could go in. Or they were under the pressure which was a major You see, what most people think it's a It's a Most people have no idea what a It's a for rabbis. Says for a rabbi to go in rabbinic garb, wearing a or wearing whatever people consider a rabbinic garb to go into a church, you call it a What's the doing in the cemetery? How dare you even talk about this? Here's the You cannot go into the church. What about Even because of And especially says it's not it's just carrying favor. They start burning spices. So that's >> They pray, but don't worry, they're not answered. So says you cannot go there. This is a Let me tell you about This just unscramble the letters and we'll send these people straight to the purgatory, which is Somebody once told me that they talk by davening. It's a Their father talked and they talk. It's a So no, but the thing was he said it seriously. The person said it seriously. So says There are two divergent paths. One of them, this Either a rabbi, not anymore of a So in other words, to go to a side room to vote, it would seem based on the sources we saw that one would be allowed to do so, but to go inside to marvel at the architecture, based on what we're understanding, you would not be permitted to do that. And the best thing is to try to distance oneself as much as possible, as much as possible that the We should be to live You've just experienced [music] another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.