I don't understand where they are going with this whole storyline of Shulem and Nechama.
Is he trying to start up with his brother? Nechama was very appropriate. And so was Shulem. But it makes him sad that he sees what a good person Nechama is and what he lost out on.
But why couldn't he call his brother or his daughter Gitty? Or Lipa. It just seems so inappropriate to ask Nechama to come with him.
He doesn't seem to think well when it comes to his own life, only others... And he tells Akiva he doesn't even let himself think of smoking... And as Nechama leaves him, he goes and smokes. Nechama treats him like a child, very maternal.
Did anyone notice that the Rav accidentally called Ruchami "Weiss" on the phone instead of Tunik?
Another thought I had was that when I tried putting babies to sleep, I was never successful in other people's homes right away. Devorah'le seems like an angel baby... Falls asleep in Rachelis home without giving away that she doesn't usually sleep there and even transfers back to a stroller well.
Also that was a long visit from the revacha. 5 pm appt and then stayed thru bedtime at 7 or 7:30!
It looked like Akiva was waiting several times for Racheli to give in and say she wasn't acting, to tell him not to leave, etc. but she is afraid to give in and have her heart broken again. The sheitel mystery returned. I don't get why she was wearing it today when working alone before Akiva showed up unexpectedly.
Just watched this episode. I agree with the others that this was a very good one. And it also answered lots of questions that we were tummeling over in these last few pages.
Some parts were hard to watch, such as the parts with Ruchami. Sad that this is a reality for some people.
I didnt fully understand what Professor Mishnayot was saying, what Ruchami's diagnosis is. Can anyone enlighten me?
Also, I think Rachelli is kind of stubborn. I understand she was hurt that Akiva didn't answer her calls one day. But he apologized. Give him another chance! Why hold onto that grudge especially when you know this is a man you really want?
He doesn't seem to think well when it comes to his own life, only others... And he tells Akiva he doesn't even let himself think of smoking... And as Nechama leaves him, he goes and smokes. Nechama treats him like a child, very maternal.
Did anyone notice that the Rav accidentally called Ruchami "Weiss" on the phone instead of Tunik?
Another thought I had was that when I tried putting babies to sleep, I was never successful in other people's homes right away. Devorah'le seems like an angel baby... Falls asleep in Rachelis home without giving away that she doesn't usually sleep there and even transfers back to a stroller well.
Also that was a long visit from the revacha. 5 pm appt and then stayed thru bedtime at 7 or 7:30!
It looked like Akiva was waiting several times for Racheli to give in and say she wasn't acting, to tell him not to leave, etc. but she is afraid to give in and have her heart broken again. The sheitel mystery returned. I don't get why she was wearing it today when working alone before Akiva showed up unexpectedly.
I noticed the fact that he lit up as soon as Nechama left. Firstly, that is classic Shulem. He says whatever is convenient at the time, even if it's not the truth. Also, he was just given a clean bill of health, so he isn't worried about smoking anymore. Perhaps it's his way of celebrating the good news he heard from Dr. Niman. And honestly, the second I heard him tell Akiva that since he stopped smoking he hasn't given it another thought, I knew the episode will not end without us getting to see Shulem light up.
I have thought about how angelic the baby is many times. It's uncanny how they get her to be so cute. Like in the scene where Nuchem is depressed and they bring her over. She is perfect. Its amazing how it came out because obviously they couldn't rehearse with her.
I had the identical thought about the shaitel on Rachelli. Very inconsistent.
By the way, did she have two beds in her room? How could they explain the lack of two beds? Did you find it funny that Akiva noticed her undergarments were sticking out of the drawer?
Also, her door says Warburg. Technically it should have said Shtisel.
I thought it was amazing how they filmed Ruchami's pregnant belly. (Though I'm annoyed at the lack of tznius for all the frum men who have gotten sucked into watching this..) Obviously they had a woman who is pregnant in real life stand in for Ruchami and they only showed her belly.. but there is one second where you can see her taking off her robe through the mirrored frame on the night table. She looked pregnant in that as well.
And I have to mention that Chanina's acting in that scene was incredible.
I find it so funny that Shulem can barley tolerate Tzvi Aryeh. Poor Tzvi Aryeh! Thank goodness he's got Tobi leading the way.
This whole storyline is super weird and is pulling me out of the story. Shulem hanging out with his brother's fiance, Akiva pretending to be married to keep his daughter, Rachelli's parents seem totally cool with their daughter being fake married and wearing a sheitel.
But Ruchami is a great actress. On a side note, I would seriously also marry Racheli to live in that apartment. Love!!
I find it so funny that Shulem can barley tolerate Tzvi Aryeh. Poor Tzvi Aryeh! Thank goodness he's got Tobi leading the way.
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yes I also can only think poor Tzvi Aryeh since he was crying so hard saying that Shulem didn‘t let him pursue a singer career.
I find it totally disturbing that they mention orthopaedic chair in kollel yet again (like in Srugim), nu dai kvar!
I find it so funny that Shulem can barley tolerate Tzvi Aryeh. Poor Tzvi Aryeh! Thank goodness he's got Tobi leading the way.
This whole storyline is super weird and is pulling me out of the story. Shulem hanging out with his brother's fiance, Akiva pretending to be married to keep his daughter, Rachelli's parents seem totally cool with their daughter being fake married and wearing a sheitel.
But Ruchami is a great actress. On a side note, I would seriously also marry Racheli to live in that apartment. Love!!
Tzvi Aryeh makes Shulem cringe because he is such a good son, always falling over himself to be there for his father.
Do we know for a fact that Rachelli's parents know what she is up to? We see they met her one evening. It was dark, maybe they didnt realize she was wearing a wig?
Just an observation I made about Rav Zimmerman, the man who was eating in the restaurant. The first time they showed him, he wasn't wearing a jacket and the second time he was, in the same scene. Seems like it was a mistake.
Also, the man seemed kind of familiar. I am wracking my brain to try to place him. Anyone recognize him?
I found it rather unrealistic that the Rov tells Chanina he's enough of a ben Torah to figure things out - both WRT to the surrogacy and now with keeping the dangerous pregnancy.
Also it seems they previously had to abort because she had this hypertension? Does that mean she's necessarily going to have it again? It's not like that with regular eclampsia or toxemia.
But I don't think it makes sense that the Chevra Kadisha allows parents to go for burial of a nefel - I'm pretty sure they don't in the US and I know EY they are much more strict. I don't think they even tell the parents where the burial is.
I found it rather unrealistic that the Rov tells Chanina he's enough of a ben Torah to figure things out - both WRT to the surrogacy and now with keeping the dangerous pregnancy.
Also it seems they previously had to abort because she had this hypertension? Does that mean she's necessarily going to have it again? It's not like that with regular eclampsia or toxemia.
But I don't think it makes sense that the Chevra Kadisha allows parents to go for burial of a nefel - I'm pretty sure they don't in the US and I know EY they are much more strict. I don't think they even tell the parents where the burial is.
I thought that those scenes were just in Chanina’s imagination I didn’t realize that they were flashbacks. Lol
I found it rather unrealistic that the Rov tells Chanina he's enough of a ben Torah to figure things out - both WRT to the surrogacy and now with keeping the dangerous pregnancy.
Also it seems they previously had to abort because she had this hypertension? Does that mean she's necessarily going to have it again? It's not like that with regular eclampsia or toxemia.
But I don't think it makes sense that the Chevra Kadisha allows parents to go for burial of a nefel - I'm pretty sure they don't in the US and I know EY they are much more strict. I don't think they even tell the parents where the burial is.
You are right! I dont know how I missed that! I dont know if its halacha or minhag, but parents are not told where the nefel is buried. That was such a heartbreaking scene.
I actually appreciated the Rosh yeshiva's response of "hafoch ba"...I appreciate that they are presenting b'nai Torah to the world in this way, that we turn to the Torah for the answer to everything, because everything is in the Torah. It was beautiful.
Did anyone recognize/understand the gemara that Chanina was learning? I understood that it referenced the idea of one out of 1000, but what was it talking about?
I thought that those scenes were just in Chanina’s imagination I didn’t realize that they were flashbacks. Lol
They were flashbacks to the earlier pregnancy. Now it makes sense that Shulem told her, "this year you will have a living baby." And that's how the doctor and her parents know what a danger it is for her to get pregnant.
I'm late to the party and I didn't watch all episodes so maybe my q is dumb, but I'm wondering: Gitty and Lipa don't sleep in the same room?
Are you in season 2?
There was a time when Gitty was really mad at Lipa (because he gave their son a name against her will) and he was in the doghouse for a while. He slept on the couch.
But in episode 3, you can see them having a conversation in their bedroom, and they most certainly sleep in the same room.
I found it rather unrealistic that the Rov tells Chanina he's enough of a ben Torah to figure things out - both WRT to the surrogacy and now with keeping the dangerous pregnancy.
Also it seems they previously had to abort because she had this hypertension? Does that mean she's necessarily going to have it again? It's not like that with regular eclampsia or toxemia.
But I don't think it makes sense that the Chevra Kadisha allows parents to go for burial of a nefel - I'm pretty sure they don't in the US and I know EY they are much more strict. I don't think they even tell the parents where the burial is.
Agreed
The whole Chanina situation is totally unrealistic.
No Rav would ever tell him to figure it out himself when it comes to sakanas nefoshos. A rosh yeshiva wouldn't pasken this either. This type of question would go to someone like Rav Firer from Ezra L'Marpa.
Also correct - no funerals in Israel for a baby under 30 days old, much less an aborted baby.
Agreed
The whole Chanina situation is totally unrealistic.
No Rav would ever tell him to figure it out himself when it comes to sakanas nefoshos. A rosh yeshiva wouldn't pasken this either. This type of question would go to someone like Rav Firer from Ezra L'Marpa.
Also correct - no funerals in Israel for a baby under 30 days old, much less an aborted baby.
I love the way the dilemma is portrayed.. its exquisitely sensitive, showing Chanina stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it shows Ruchami's wrenching agony at never being able to carry her own baby, and feeling that a baby born through a surrogate would not be 100% kosher for her husband, that out of desperation, she goes and does the unthinkable...
Yet I know that this is not realistic. The Rosh Yeshiva's response is not realistic and neither is the fact that Chanina and Ruchami are basically alone in the world. Frum people in general are never alone. (They got this right when Devorahla was taken by the Revacha, and Gitty knew exactly who to call to get things moving. There are askanim and gemachs for every sort of need or problem. )
So yes, in real life Chanina would have been in contact with Rabbi Firer or the equivalent, and Ruchami's parents would have been on board. Not just now, but the entire time. They would have been in contact with Bonei Olam or ATime etc.
So this is one part of chareidi life that they did not portray well.
One in a thousand - I think we say it in Yom Kippur davening, that a person can get a positive judgement
This is from Yerushalmi Kiddushin, I did not find it in Bavli, so Chaninah must be a very serious talmid chochom (it's not so common to learn Yerushalmi). It quotes two pesukim in Iyov:
אפי' תשע מאות ותשעים ותשעה מלאכים מלמדין עליו חובה ומלאך אחד מלמד עליו זכות הקב"ה מכריעו לכף זכות ומה טעם (איוב ל״ג:כ״ג-כ״ד) אם יש עליו מלאך מליץ אחד מני אלף להגיד לאדם ישרו ויחוננו ויאמר פדעהו מרדת שחת מצאתי כופר
Basically says if 999 malachim are saying bad and only one says good, Hashem will redeem you. This means from aveiros but Chaninah took it to mean that a one in a thousand chance is worth trying for.
