Volume 10 Number 92
Produced: Mon Dec 27 18:30:08 1993
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
10 teveth
[Danny Skaist]
Gedolim
[Esther R Posen]
Gedolim Test
[Yosef Bechhofer]
Gematria
[Benjamin Svetitsky]
Internet Library Hookups - can you help me?
[Marko Issever]
Jewish Adoption
[Benjamin Svetitsky]
Kli Yakar
[Seth Ness]
Rav Lichtenstein on the Peace Accords
[Lou Rayman]
Suicide, assisted or otherwise
[Andy Jacobs]
Weekly Parsha mailing list
[Sam Gamoran]
What Mitzvot or Observances Remain
[David Gerstman]
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From: DANNY%<ILNCRD@...> (Danny Skaist)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 02:58:57 -0500
Subject: 10 teveth
Elliot D. Lasson, Ph.D.
>this occurred about 10 years ago, as well. My question is whether there
>is a pattern or formula as to when this happens. Are there any "bekeim"
>(experts) in this component of the Jewish calendar out there?
Not being an expert, but having access to an Orach Haim with the
calendar printed in the back.
The 10th of Tevet falls on a Fri.
1) When Rosh Hashana is on a Thurs and Heshvon and kislev are both 30 days.
(coded hey shin, thurs shalem [full])
2) When Rosh Hashana is on Shabat and Heshvon and kislev are both 29 days.
(coded zain Het, Shabat Haser [lacking])
In both cases, if the year is "simple" (12 mos.), Pesach starts Sunday, i.e
Seder on Sat. nite. If the year is "leap" (13 mos.) Pesach starts on Tues.
It is due to come out in 5757,5761,5771,5774,5801 etc.
Wedesday is more rare for 10 Teveth, but who notices a Wednesday. It only
comes out on Wed in 5765,5768,5812 ...
danny
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From: <eposen@...> (Esther R Posen)
Date: 27 Dec 93 15:52:18 GMT
Subject: Re: Gedolim
It seems the discussion has come full circle. It surprises me that an
educated bunch like the subscribers to MJ can subscribe to the circular
logic of "A person is a gadol if I believe in his views and if I feel he
is totally irreproachable".
It seems to me that a person can be a gadol even if his psak in halachic
and extra-halchic matters are not accepted by all orthodox jews. In
fact, if this were not the case, we may need to conclude that there are
no gedolim in our generation. Furthermore, if we were to conclude that
there are, in fact, gedolim in our generation, we would need to add to
the definition of a gadol that he may not even be respected by all
orthodox jews.
I suggest that we leave it to G-d to judge gedolim candidates and accept
or reject them from the gedolim club. I have seen this dicussion
degenerate from a discussion of the views of gedolim to discussions of
their characters and righteousness. We are careful on this list not to
say loshon horah or be motzi shem ra in regard to kashrut organizations
lets have the same respect for gedolim whether we agree with them and
subscribe to their views or not.
Hopefully, we will all merit to see the messiah in our time. As is
evident, he will need to possess something extraordinary in order to
convince us all that he is the right one.
Esther Posen
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From: <YOSEF_BECHHOFER@...> (Yosef Bechhofer)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 17:27:13 -0500
Subject: Gedolim Test
Aliza Berger asks about the origins of my test for Gadlus through the
question of whether an individual can pasken on Agunos. This is a
purely personal measure of my invention, which has nothing to do with
compassion per se. Rather, as I stated, the most complex and serious
matter in the Halachic spectrum is the question of Aguna (a woman
whose husband's death cannot easily be proven). A true Gadol (as
opposed to a tzaddik, ba'al avoda, or even manhig) in my personal
opinion, is a person with the prerequisite Torah knowledge, skill in
understandin, and yiras Shomayim (necessary for accurate psak halacha)
to pasken in these matters. This is not a standardized test, but it
helped me develop perspective on the weight to attach to the
pronouncements of various Rabbis.
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From: Benjamin Svetitsky <bqs@...>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 15:55:18 -0500
Subject: Gematria
I must disagree with Mike Gerver on the origin of the word gematria. I
believe it comes not from geometry, but rather from "gamma - trea" or
something like that, meaning "gamma = three". Geometry means
"measurement of the earth." If it did at one time connote all of
mathematics, which I doubt, it was only because geometry was the major
stimulus of the Greek effort in mathematics.
Ben Svetitsky <bqs@...>
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From: <issever@...> (Marko Issever)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 11:07:52 EST
Subject: Internet Library Hookups - can you help me?
My Rabbi is looking to find out how to subscribe via Internet type
system to a major university computer library on the Tanah/Talmud on an
interactive basis. He has heard that without actually making long
distance phone calls to for example Bar-Ilan University in Israel you
can use the computer libraries and their programs. If anyone knows
something about this can you send me E-Mail to:
<issever@...> or call me at 212-486-8269
Marko Issever
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From: Benjamin Svetitsky <bqs@...>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 16:07:25 -0500
Subject: Jewish Adoption
Mindy Schimmel wrote that it is difficult to find a Jewish child for
adoption. Is this really true? I have no personal experience with
this issue, but a couple I know has twice adopted Ethiopian orphans. I
also know of anti-abortion organizations in Israel who counsel women
with unwanted pregnancies. Now I don't know what the numbers involved
are, but wouldn't this also be a source of babies for adoption?
Finally, there are of course orphanages in Israel.
I hope it is clear that I imply no criticism of anyone's adoption
decision. If anyone has statistics available, I'd like to know them.
Ben Svetitsky <bqs@...>
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From: Seth Ness <ness@...>
Date: Sun, 26 Dec 93 23:26:34 -0500
Subject: Kli Yakar
Does anyone know if there is an english translation available for kli
yakar on the chumash?
Seth L. Ness Ness Gadol Hayah Sham
<ness@...>
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From: <lrayman@...> (Lou Rayman)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 12:25:31 -0500
Subject: Rav Lichtenstein on the Peace Accords
Two weeks ago, on Shabbat Parshat Vayigash. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein gave
a lecture on his views of the ongoing Peace Talks with the PLO, of which
I've heard some interesting tidbits. Did any mj-ers out there hear the
speech, and if so, would they care to post a summery to the list??
Thanx
Lou Rayman
<lrayman@...>
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From: dca/G=Andy/S=Jacobs/O=CCGATE/OU1=<DCAALPTS@...> (Andy Jacobs)
Date: 27 Dec 93 05:31:15 GMT
Subject: Re: Suicide, assisted or otherwise
From: Ben Berliant <C14BZB@...>
>In volume 10 #76:
>David Charlap <dic5340@...> writes:
>>I believe the halacha is that you are not permitted to hasten someone's
>>death, but you are allowed to remove artificial means of sustaining
>>life beyond its normal span.
> Let's be a little careful in our definitions. One is *NOT*
> permitted to "remove artificial means of sustaining life" if such are
> connected to the patient. That comes under the category of disturbing
> the "gosess" (the dying patient), which was mentioned earlier in that
> m-j mailing. Thus, IV's, respirators, etc. may *NOT* be removed from a
> dying patient.
I am neither an authority on Halacha, nor on medical issues, but it was
once explained to me that most "artificial means of sustaining life"
NEED to be removed on the order of a few times a week, to clean them (or
for other types of maintenance). I was told that this is the normal
procedure for such medical equipment. I was also told that once
removed, the Halachic issue of RECONNECTING is similar to that of
connecting in the first place - and NOT the same as removing the
equipment. Please consult your LOR, and/or Doctor for any specific
cases of such enormous consequences.
- Andy
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From: gamoran%<milcse@...> (Sam Gamoran)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 01:28:42 -0500
Subject: Re: Weekly Parsha mailing list
There is a mailing list also out of nysernet called bytetorah which is
a brief weekly parshat shavua discussion. It generally comes out every
Wednesday or Thursday.
To subscribe send mail to <listserv@...> with the content
subscribe bytetorah <firstname> <lastname>
FYI - there is a wealth of other lists of Jewish interest coming out of
nysernet.org and jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il. Sending a message to listserv
at either of these locations containing the word help will put you on track
for getting a wealth of material.
Sam
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From: <dhg@...> (David Gerstman)
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 93 09:37:24 -0500
Subject: What Mitzvot or Observances Remain
Mike Gerver in mj v10#80 had a really wonderful story of how his
grandmother started the family back to its religion by her observance of
the Mitzvah of Chanuka. This raises and interesting issue. When people
become assimilated they often have one Mitzva or observance (maybe even
a few!) which they hold onto. My mother told me some years ago that
when Barbara Walters interviewed Mike Wallace (who's so assimilated he
named his son "Chris."), she asked if there was anything he still
observed. He said that he says Shma every night before he goes to bed.
I suspect that this is a bit unusual. I would guess that in most cases
an "only" observance would tend to be Chanuka, or a Seder, or Kaddish or
coming to Shul for the Yomim Noraim. Does anyone have any similar
stories about the last thing (or the first thing) someone assimilated
observes?
David Gerstman
<dhg@...>
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End of Volume 10 Issue 92
