Parshas Shemini

"Al Capone opened the first soup-kitchen in
Chicago.(www.ssa.gov/history/acoffee.html etc.). I guess he wasn't so bad
after all."

The Torah only permits animals that 1)chew their cuds and 2)have split
hooves. Yet the Torah says that camels are forbidden because they chew their
cuds and don't have split hooves !! (Vayikra 11:2-4) [i.e.It should have
said "even though they chew their cuds, they are forbidden because they
don't have split hooves".] The Kli Yakar explains that the Torah is
emphasizing that to be Kosher, the animal needs both qualities. Having one
is deceptively better !!

"The best lie is the one with 99% truth."

Have a great Shabbos !!

Rabbi Chaim Flom

Dear Rabbi Flom,
Please explain "the best lie is the one with 99% truth."

Thanks.
Lynn

Dear lynn,
Thanks for your question. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that everyone would know it. If I want to convince you of a lie, and it is totally false, you would know not to believe it. But if I tell you a 99% truth, with a 1% lie, you could fall for it. That is similar to the greater success of Jews for Cheesus than old time missionaries. To tell a kid to become a Christian, is too much for some kids, but to tell him that Jews can believe in Cheesus,doesn't seem so radical (even though it is equally ridiculous)and can be accepted
Take care.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rabbi Flom:
Parshas Shemini

"Al Capone opened the first soup-kitchen in
Chicago.(www.ssa.gov/history/acoffee.html etc.). I guess he wasn't so bad
after all."
Dear Rabbi Flom,
Does that mean that Al Capone would have been better off had he not opened the soup kitchen?
Sincerely,
Mark

Dear Mark,
Thanks for the question.
First of all,the fact that he did good, even if he had bad intentions, gets him a reward. However, it could be, that if because of his good deeds for ulterior motives, he was able to do more crime, he would get a punishment for that too.
Actually, my point was that since he did certain good things, some people tended to minimize how bad he was.
Many years ago, I heard from Rav Avigdor Miller zt"l, that some of the families of famous Jewish mafioso had a disagreement of whether you let Uncle Meyer or Uncle Dutch into their homes. On the one hand, he was very generous with his nephews & nieces, on the other hand you don't want to legitimize gangsters. I think Torah values would have you do the latter.
Take care.
Rabbi Flom