Volume 13 Number 89
Produced: Mon Jul 4 22:38:01 1994
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Annulment of Marriages
[Anthony Fiorino]
Brain Death
[Hillel Steiner]
Geirus without a Rabbi (2)
[Shimon Schwartz, Warren Burstein]
Halacha / Mishna Yomis
[Stephen Phillips]
Hebrew wordprocessors
[Joseph Steinberg]
Pronunciation and ashke-sfard
[Meir Lehrer]
Restaurants open on Shabbat 13/82
[Neil Parks]
Sim Shalom
[Chaim Sacknovitz]
The Big Three
[Kevin Schreiber]
The Missing Years
[Ed Bruckstein]
Tzidqatcha tzedek
[Josh Klein]
What year is it?
[Ed Cohen]
Word Perfect
[Steven Edell]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Anthony Fiorino <fiorino@...>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 11:19:46 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Annulment of Marriages
The question was raised regarding the annulment of marriages as a
solution to the problem of agunot:
I know that in the mid-seventies, the Rav (Soloveitchik) was very
opposed to the idea of invoking afkinu rabanan kidushin minei
(retroactive annulment of kidushin). His remarks to a 1975 RCA
Convention can be found in the mail-jewish archives somewhere . . .
Eitan Fiorino
<fiorino@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hillel Steiner <HSTEINER@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 06:11:03 -0400
Subject: Brain Death
Steven Scharf asked about the opinion of those who reject brain function
as criteria for death would be regarding transplanting such an organ
that was procured before brain death.
As as student here in Hadassah Hospital, in the surgical ward, Dr. Id-
one of Israel's prominent liver transplant surgeons, would take students
with him to assist harvesting organs from donors, and in doing the
transplant. I asked Rav S.Z. Auerbach how I should relate to his
request. Rav Auerbach told me to avoid taking part in the harvesting
operation, but he emphasized that I should take part in the acceptant
hepatectomy and subsequent transplant, so that as a doctor I would know
what is involved.
Hillel Steiner
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <schwartz@...> (Shimon Schwartz)
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 11:54:33 -0400
Subject: Re: Geirus without a Rabbi
> From: Andy Goldfinger <andy_goldfinger@...>
>
> On second thought, it was not so clear. Certainly, the PREFERABLE way
> of undergoing conversion is under the guidance and direction of a Rabbi
> ...
> the Torah calls for it, etc. Does this constitute a kosher geirus
> (conversion)? Or -- is it necessary that a duly constituted bais din
> (court) agree to his geirus (conversion)?
I was under the impression that -any- three adult male shomer Shabbat Jews
can, by definition, constitute a bet din. I assume that the
"duly constituted bais din" to which Andy refers is a community-sponsored
or generally-recognized bet din for e.g. resolving monetary disputes.
--Shimon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <warren@...> (Warren Burstein)
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 10:19:07 GMT
Subject: Re: Geirus without a Rabbi
Rambam, Hilchot Issurei Biah 13:17 mentions a convert who converts
before three people who aren't rabbis.
|warren@ bein hashmashot, in which state are the survivors
/ nysernet.org buried?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Stephen Phillips <stephenp@...>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 09:14:33 -0400
Subject: Re: Halacha / Mishna Yomis
> From: Yaakov Menken <ny000548@...>
> The address in America for a Halacha/Mishna Yomis calendar is Rabbi Elias
> Karp, 4701-15th Ave. Apt. 3C, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
> Of course, you can just join the <halacha-yomi@...> list
> and find out daily!
> The list is doing well (currently 315 subscribers and counting), and we
> will probably follow with a Mishna Yomis list shortly. Therefore, if
> anyone is interested in contributing one or two mishnayos on a weekly
> basis, please write me! This will probably involve translating the
> Mishna with Kahati.
I am a subscriber to Halacha Yomi and I recommend it to everyone. I
print out the daily "edition" and read it on the train going home.
As to translating the Mishnah, this would be great, but I wonder
whether or not there would be any copyright problems in translating
Rav Kehati's commentary, the obvious choice for any such an undertaking.
Stephen Phillips
<stephenp@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joseph Steinberg <steinber@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 09:41:39 -0400
Subject: Re: Hebrew wordprocessors
From: <gurwitz@...> (Chaya Gurwitz)
> I have been told that there is a Hebrew add-on to Word for Windows.
> Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, where to get it?
Microsoft makes a Hebrew VERSION of Word for Windows -- but it only runs
in Hebrew Windows....
You can add on the shareware program WINGREEK -- but it is hardly a
substitute for a true Hebrew Word Processor...
Some company in Mass. called Cliff systems (or Griff systems -- something
like that) sells Hebrew Windows and Hebrew WFW in the USA...
(They were both made in Israel...)
JS
| Joseph (Yosef) Steinberg | <steinber@...>
halom | 972 Farragut Drive | <jstein@...>
'Vracha! | Teaneck, NJ 07666-6614 | <jsteinb@...>
| United States of America | Tel: +1-201-833-YOSI(9674)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: lehrer%<milcse@...> (Meir Lehrer)
Date: Sun, 26 Jun 1994 00:42:48 -0400
Subject: Re: Pronunciation and ashke-sfard
On Mon, 20 Jun 1994 Ezra Rosenfeld wrote:
>After a while, Yaacov returned home for Shabbat was called
>to the Torah and made the Berachot in Ashkenazit. When I asked him about
>it, he told me that it was the policy of his Yeshiva that one cannot be
>a chazzan or make Birkot HaTorah publicly in the yeshiva in sefaradit.
>Does anyone know of other Piskei Halacha on this topic?
Many Yeshivot have this policy for the reason of, "Lo Titgod'du", the
Halacha by which an individual is not to stray from the tzibur.
However, this is not to say that a Sefardim should suddenly start
changing their nusach.
There's a psak (ruling) in Yalkut Yosef, Rav Ovadia's work (actually
put out in his name by his son). It says that if an Ashkenazi hears
Kriyat HaTorah (public Torah reading) from a Sefardi Baal Koreh (reader)
then he is mikayam (fulfilled) his obligation. However, a Sefardi who
hears from an Ashkenazi Baal Koreh... you guessed it... Rav Ovadia holds
is not mikayam his chova (obligation).
Just goes to show you folks, the pendulum swings in both directions.
- Meir Lehrer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Neil Parks < <aa640@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 13:22:38 -0400
Subject: Restaurants open on Shabbat 13/82
<moshel@...> (Moshe Linzer) said:
>>
>>What exactly is the problem with a restaurant (owned by Jews) that is
>>open on Shabbat? In Israel this is a common problem, since many
>>restaurants claim to be kosher, but are denied a kashrut certificate
>>because they stay open on Shabbat.
There is a principle that public desecration of Shabbos is equivalent to
violating all the commandments of the Torah (don't recall where I saw
that).
By staying open on Shabbos, do you mean that they cook and take money?
When I spent a summer in Israel several years ago, I found some kosher
restaurants that are open on Shabbos, but only in a limited capacity.
They don't take any money, serving only customers who have paid in
advance. And they serve only foods that, like cholent, can be kept warm
since before Shabbos.
NEIL PARKS <aa640@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Chaim Sacknovitz <msharris@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 15:32:50 -0400
Subject: Re: Sim Shalom
Re: Jerry Altzman's positing in #82 regarding Bnai Edot Hamizrach
reciting Sim Shalom for all three Amidot.
Rav Soloveitchik followed the same custom. Since the Nusach of the
Rambam did not contain Shalom Rav, the Rav recited only Sim Shalom
See "Nefesh Harav" p. 152
Chaim Sacknovitz
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kevin Schreiber <kschreib@...>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 14:09:10 -0400
Subject: re: The Big Three
I was wondering how you determine what constitutes being on the same
level with these three mitzvot. I don't know that much about Hilchot
Taharat Hamishpachah, but regarding the other mitzvot, Shabbat and
Kashrut, I don't know of any two people who practice in the same manner.
If you mean just observant at all, that would lead to very big problems
especially in kashrut. There are a good number of Hechsharim that are
questionable.
If so how does one determine what in fact is close enough not to
lead to problems?
-Kevin M. Schreiber
<kschreib@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ed Bruckstein <bruckstn@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 1994 12:13:26 -0400
Subject: The Missing Years
Regarding the discussion of the missing years in the chronology of the
second Bais Hamikdosh (second Temple), there was an article entitled
"The Missing Years" that appeared in the January edition of The Jewish
Observer (the Agudath Israel Of America's monthly journal). It starts
on page 16 and, as I recall, provides a fairly comprehensive discussion
of the topic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <VCJOSH@...> (Josh Klein)
Date: 29 Jun 94 09:18:00 EST
Subject: Tzidqatcha tzedek
On shabbos mincha, between the end of the repetition of the Amida and
Oleinu, we say 3 lines from Tehillim. In Ashkenazi shuls this prayer is
called "Tzidkoscho tzedek" (now, *there's* an argument for Lon
Eisenberg's orthography;I just think that these two words are unreadable
in *any* transliteration). The pesukim in Tz. tz. are said in reverse
order to their appearance in Tehillim; i.e. we read from chapters 119, 71,
and 36. In Sefardi shuls (at least the Eastern European version
thereof), the verses are read in chapter order 36,71,119. Why then do a
number of Sefardi siddurim say in fine print "On days when tachanun
would not be said [Rosh Chodesh, chagim], we do not say _Tzidqatcha
tzedeq_"? Those are the first words of the *last* verse, according to
Sefardi ritual. For that matter, I've been told that only in the past 30
years has the chapter order 36, 71, 119 been common in Sefardi shuls. Can
anybody shed light on this?
Josh Klein
<VCJOSH@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ed Cohen <ELCSG@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 94 11:18:03 EDT
Subject: What year is it?
I would note the following in regard to David Curwin's posting of "what
year is it" in v.13,#60. A book by Edgar Frank, Talmudic and Rabbinical
Chronology, The System of Counting the Years in Jewish Literature,
Feldheim, 1956/1977 is of interest. On page 10, Frank states: "Because
the method of counting years in Jewish literature, particularly the
widely employed dating from creation has been so often misunderstood, a
number of tables are inserted by which it is hoped to clarify the
present confusion."
Prof. Edward L. Cohen, Department of Mathematics
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CANADA K1N 6N5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steven Edell <edell@...>
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 04:38:19 -0400
Subject: Word Perfect
If you want to use Word Perfect (Hebrew) for letters and simple
correspondences, Word Perfect Hebrew is fine to use.
If you need to use it as a substitute for DTP - desk top publishing - it
is NOT to be used. I just finished editing a book for someone using Word
Perfect English-Hebrew and among our problems:
1) The Hebrew would automatically "flip" backwards when changing margins,
or when adding words in English paragraphs (that have hebrew phrases).
2) BIG problems using 'macros'. (Don't tell me to use CTRL-6!)
3) difficult to edit 'codes' in Hebrew text as the codes end up backwards
as well.
4) difficult to change fonts in middle of Hebrew text (editing-wise).
I am not a 'novice' WP user! Just the opposite. I've worked around all
the above problems. But it's still very frustrating to use. However,
the indexing & table of contents features of WP (with hebrew words as
well) can't be beat!
I didn't hear that WP 5.2 Hebrew-English was no longer supported. All I
heard is that they will be making a Hebrew version of WP's 6.0 "windows"
version.
Shabbat Shalom!
Steven Edell, Computer Manager Internet:<edell@...>
(United Israel Office) **ALL PERSONAL** Voice: 972-2-255513
Jerusalem, Israel **OPINIONS HERE!** Fax : 972-2-247261
"From the depths of despair I called on you, my Lord" (Psalms 130)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Volume 13 Issue 89
