Volume 11 Number 75
Produced: Wed Feb 9 7:32:30 1994
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Building the 3rd Temple
[Hayim Hendeles]
Converts and Yichud.
[Immanuel O'Levy]
Dreams
[Aryeh Blaut]
Erev Pesach on Shabat
[Stephen Phillips]
Joseph and his Father
[Harry Weiss]
Question about Yosef
[Michael Shimshoni]
Yosef and his Father
[Gedalyah Berger]
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From: Hayim Hendeles <hayim@...>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 94 10:48:11 -0800
Subject: Re: Building the 3rd Temple
I had an interesting question about the construction of the 3rd Temple.
Will it be permitted to install electricity and plumbing?
For example, because the Kohanim walked barefoot on the cold stone
floor in the Temple, there used to be a bonfire, where the Kohanim
could warm their feet. Would it be permitted to install wires under
the floor, to keep it warm?
OR, they used to redirect the flow of water in a nearby stream to clean
the floor of the Azara (large area, where the animals were slaughtered).
Imagine, if they just had a fire hose, and an appropriately placed
drain, they could just turn on the faucet, and bingo! It would all
be cleaned.
Granted the specifications of the Temple must come from a prophet. So,
on one hand, perhaps this question is moot. Either the building plans
containing plumbing or they don't. And whatever it is, we can't change it.
Or, perhaps, I could argue, that the plans did not go to this level of detail,
and we might be free to add pipes/wires INSIDE the walls, where they would
not be visible.
Anyone have any thoughts on the matter? If not, I guess we'll just have
to wait for Elija the Prohet, and ask him (when he comes with Moshiach).
Hayim Hendeles
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From: <imo@...> (Immanuel O'Levy)
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 94 12:50:32 -0500
Subject: Converts and Yichud.
If a gentile man and his daughter both convert, then their family tie is
broken and they are no longer considered as man and daughter. Does the
prohibition of Yichud still apply between them? What sources are there
that discuss family ties being broken upon a family's conversion?
Immanuel M. O'Levy, JANET: <imo@...>
Dept. of Medical Physics, BITNET: <imo@...>
University College London, INTERNET: <imo@...>
11-20 Capper St, LONDON WC1E 6JA, Great Britain. Tel: +44 71-380-9700
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From: Aryeh Blaut <ny000592@...>
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 94 14:38:06 -0500
Subject: Re: Dreams
>From: DANNY%<ILNCRD@...> (Danny Skaist)
>>Aryeh Blaut
>>jealous of Yosef and his father guarded the thing. Again Rashi explains
>>that he (Ya'akov) waited for the thing (dream) to take place.
>The Gemorrah (in Brachot) says 2 things about dreams.
>1) A person dreams about whatever he has been thinking about during the day.
>2) A dream follows its interpretation.
There are many more sources which discuss dreams besides this Gemorrah
(too many for me to list). I refer you to the RJJ Journal of Halacha &
Contemporary Society; Number 23, Spring 92. A 22 page article is
written there on the topic of dreams including Biblical & Talmudic references.
>In Va'yeshev Joseph tells his brothers the first dream and they accuse
>him of being preoccupied about wanting to rule over them and so they
>hate him. They do NOT interpret the dream.
There isn't much to be interpreted. It is plain p'shat.
>The second dream is told to Yaakov also, who interpretes it. Only now that
>the dream has been interpreted, and will follow the interpretation, is
>hatred replaced by jealousy.
This "interpretation" you refer to is again difficult to accept. Perek
(chapter) 37 pasuk (verse) 10 says: "...What is this dream which you
dreamt? Will we, I & your mother & your brothers come to bow down to
the ground to you?" Rashi explains that Ya'akov didn't realize that
Yosef's mother in the dream wasn't Rachel rather it was Bilha.
The other point to be made is that both dreams came true. First the 10
brothers bowed down to Yosef (not knowing that it was Yosef - that is
why in the first dream Yosef is represented as a bundle). The second
dream also came true when Ya'akov & family come to Egypt.
Aryeh Blaut
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From: Stephen Phillips <stephenp@...>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 94 17:20:43 -0500
Subject: Re: Erev Pesach on Shabat
> From: <ELHANAN@...> (Elhanan Adler)
>
> I don't believe anyone has mentioned another option - eating something
> which is not hametz, is invalid for use at the seder, but still requires
> ha-motsi.
>
> Various types of "matsa ashirah" ("rich" matsa, containing other
> ingredients) would fit this description - and even though young, health
> Ashkenazim do not eat matsa ashirah on Pesah (Rema permits it only for
> the sick and aged) on erev Pessah it solves the problem nicely, without
> having to worry about eating early or getting rid of the crumbs on
> Shabbat.
I think that you will find that Reb Moshe ztz'l in Igros Moshe (Orach
Chaim Vol. 1, No. 155) paskens that for Ashkenazim who are forbidden
to eat Matzah Asherah on Pesach they must, if they make their Shabbos
Seudah on such Matzos, finish eating them before the time that
Chometz is no longer permitted to be eaten. Also, any crumbs must be
swept away.
> From: Aryeh Blaut <ny000592@...>
> To my knowledge, there could be a problem with preparing the maror as
> early as Thursday night-Friday. Chok Leyisrael p. 93:63 tells of how to
> even check for insects in the romaine lettuce on Yom Tov.
If one uses horseradish ("Chrayn") for Maror, then this should be
prepared AFTER Shabbos and just before the Seder so that it retains it
strength. This applies every year, but particularly this year where one
might be tempted to grate the horseradish on Friday. Also, any grating
should be done with a "Shinui" [different way], eg. grating onto a
table cloth rather than onto a plate, or turning the grater upside down.
[See "Erev Pesach Shechol Beshabos Upurim Meshulosh" by Rav Tzvi Cohen
Chapter 12 Paragraph 4].
> From: DANNY%<ILNCRD@...> (Danny Skaist)
> >Yisrael Medad
> >the custom here in Israel, is to make the motzi on the challot rolls
> >*outside* the house on the balcony and after brushing off crumbs to
>
> To the best of my knowledge the only real "Issur" [forbidden] is on matzoh
> which you can use for the mitzvah of "eating matzoh" that night (although
> humros abound). The last time around, I heard (but never actually saw in
> print) that Rav Ovadiya Yosef suggested eating matzos soaked in eggs and
> fried. "French Toast" matzot are not acceptable for the mitzvah of matzoh.
The Sefer I mentioned previously ("Erev Pesach Shechol Beshabos")
mentions the P'sak of Rav Ovadiah Yosef (Chapter 8 Footnote 9) that
he gave in the year 5734. He refers to Matzos soaked in soup or meat
juice and then let to dry. It is called "Matzah Mevusheles".
> This year there should be egg matzos in the stores in Israel.
> This permits you to eat at the dining room table off pessach dishes.
The Sefer "Erev Pesach Shechol Beshabbos" Chapter 8 Paragraph 3
states that Askenazim should not allow Matzah Ashirah to come in
contact with Pesach dishes. He mentions in Footnote 4 there that he
heard this from Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. The P'sak comes from a
"Kal VoChomer" [a fortiori]. If those (ie. Ashkenazim) who do not eat
Kitnitos [pulse foods] on Pesach are careful about not allowing
Kitniyos to come in contact with Pesach vessels, all the more so they
should be careful to see that Matzah Ashirah does not come in contact
with Pesach vessels. If, however, they do come in contact and the
Matzah is cold, then the vessels are still O.K. for Pesach.
Stephen Phillips
<stephenp@...>
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From: <harry.weiss@...> (Harry Weiss)
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 94 11:20:21
Subject: Joseph and his Father
In MJ 11-54 Rabbi Eli Shulman refers to the "short time between Yosef's
ascension to rule and the brother's arrival (remember that Yaakov arrived in
Egypt only two years after the onset of the famine)"
My question is what happened to the seven years of plenty when Yosef was in
power. Imagine if he would have relayed his knowledge about the upcoming
famine to his family.
[Similar comment from Michael Shimshoni <MASH@...> Mod.]
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From: Michael Shimshoni <MASH@...>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 12:50:10 +0200
Subject: Re: Question about Yosef
Jonathan Goldstein wrote:
>In Volume 11 Number 14 Barak Moore <cquinn@...> writes:
>
>> He [Yosef] remained true to his God, but abandoned one of his fathers'
>> traditions by marrying an Egyptian woman (probably even a descendant of
>> cursed Canaan).
Did not Yehuda do the same (Breshit 38,2)?
>As always, I cannot remember the source, or who showed it to me.
>
>One opinion holds that Osnat is the child of Dina, fathered by Shem. The
>brothers, in an attempt to avoid shame being brought upon their father,
>arrange for this daughter to be adopted by Potiphera in Mizraim.
>
>So Yosef marries his half-niece.
I am surprised by that theory. While perhaps the rule that a child of
a Jewish woman being Jewish (rather Israelite) did not apply at that
time, still it was a granddaughter of Yaaqov to be handed for adoption
and education to a pagan priest. I wonder if Jonathan could try to
remember the source of that story so that one can check it in more
detail.
Michael Shimshoni
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From: Gedalyah Berger <gberger@...>
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 94 21:33:01 -0500
Subject: Re: Yosef and his Father
In #54, Rabbi Eli Shulman dismisses the problem of Yosef's not contacting
his father:
> The question could only arise in regard to the short time
> between Yosef's ascension to rule and the brother's arrival (remember
> that Yaakov arrived in Egypt only two years after the onset of the
> famine).
I don't see why one would consider this a "short time." First of all, two
years is, I think, a fairly *long* time for someone in Yosef's situation,
i.e., not having been able to contact his beloved father in over a
decade, to make no effort to finally do so. Furthermore, it was not two
years - it was *nine* years; the seven years of sova` (prosperity) preceded
the years of famine, and Yosef ascended to power before the sova`.
> But at this time Yosef knew that the famine was imminent, and
> that his brothers would be arriving, and he had no doubt already
> conceived of the plan of action which he would eventually carry out.
How did he "know" that his brothers would be arriving? One does not get
the impression that every last person in Canaan went to Egypt for food,
at least at the beginning; so, how would Yosef have known that his
brothers would be among those who would come? And even if he did know,
what indication is there in the text that he had a plan ready?
> What Yosef's motives were in that regard is a seperate issue; but that
> he had some motive is self-evident, and his purpose would have been
> confounded had he sent word to Yaakov.
>
It seems to me that what Yosef's motives were is exactly the issue; if we
know his motives, we can begin to figure out *why* he would have been
confounded had he contacted Ya`akov, and thereby understand why he did
not contact him.
Gedalyah Berger
Yeshiva College / RIETS
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End of Volume 11 Issue 75