Volume 19 Number 07
Produced: Wed Mar 29 9:21:20 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Beracha on seeing a King (2)
[Mervyn Doobov, Akiva Miller]
Brit Milah
[Philip Heilbrunn]
Broken Matzos and Siyumim
[Yosef Bechhofer]
Charging Interest
[Ben Rothke]
Crock pots
[Eli Turkel]
Deaths of Nadav and Avihu
[Sam Fink]
Diabetic chocolate
[Marlene Rifkin]
Midrashim on unnamed women
[Michael Shimshoni]
Modern Facilities
[Danny Skaist]
Oat Matsah
[Franklin Smiles]
Oat Matzah (2)
[Michael J Broyde, Jeff Kuperman]
Pesach & Cats - a question
[<Robert_Rubinoff@...>]
Pidyon Haben - v18#87
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Pre-Pesach Techniques, Part II
[J. Bailey]
Reply to yeyasher kochacha
[Jeremy Nussbaum]
Stripes on the Talis - v18#83
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Trop -- comment
[Zvi Weiss]
Women & Kaddish
[Eric W. Mack]
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From: Mervyn Doobov <mdoobov@...>
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 15:43:39
Subject: Beracha on seeing a King
Yitzchok Adlerstein asked about saying the bracha "shenatan michvodo
levasar v'dam" upon seeing King Hussein.
It might be of some interest that, when he spoke on the occasion of
receiving his Nobel Prize, Shai Agnon made special mention of having
had, for the first time in his life, the opportunity to make just that
bracha, by being in the presence of the King of Sweden (or was it
Norway), who certainly exercises much less power than King Hussein
Mervyn Doobov
Canberra, Australia -- The nation's capital.
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 22:31:52 -0500
Subject: Re: Beracha on seeing a King
Yitzchok Adlerstein writes in MJ 18:94 that
>...However, Rav Ovadiah Yosef in Yechaveh Da'as (2:28) argues
>that the beracha is called for if the monarch can PARDON a death
>sentence, even if he cannot legally call for a summary execution.
I have heard precisely this argument used to say that this bracha *IS*
recited upon seeing a governor of a state in which capital punishment is
allowed. New York's newly-elected Governor Pataki, for example, has
successfully reinstituted capital punishment. Given that a governor of a
state can pardon anyone from any crime in that state's jurisdiction, he
would seem to meet Rav Yosef's criteria.
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From: Philip Heilbrunn <uri@...>
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 23:11:44 +1100 (EST)
Subject: Brit Milah
I am seeking research data and studies which prove the benefits of Brit
Milah.
Thanks for your help.
Philip Heilbrunn
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From: <sbechhof@...> (Yosef Bechhofer)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 09:18:01 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Broken Matzos and Siyumim
a) If one is confronted with a broken Matza, one may, not on Shabbos,
obviously, singe the broken edge over a fire and it is then considered
whole. I don't have chapter and verse on this off hand, but I heard
this many years ago from my uncle, a respected Rosh Yeshiva.
b) The accepted psak (see the Shearim Metzuyanim B'halacha on Ta'anis
Bechoros or the Nine Days, I forget where it appears. Reb Moshe also
speaks about this in the Igros Moshe) is that a Sefer in Tanach or
Mesechta in Mishnayos may be used for a siyum only if it is learned in
depth (b'iyun). We recently made a siyum on Sefer Shoftim b'iyun and I
wrote a Hadran (Siyum prayer) based loosely on the Siyum for Chamisha
Chunshei Torah in the Otzar HaTefillos Siddur section on Simchas
Torah. Several people I asked could think of no reason not to say the
Kaddish, so we said that too.
Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ben Rothke <ber@...>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 10:42:06 EST
Subject: Charging Interest
There is an Torah issur of charging interest (ribis) on monetary loans.
The poskim all say that ribis is a horrendous thing. What is so
terrible about ribis?
If someone rents their car for a month & charges $500.00, that is ok.
But if someone gives someone a $1000.00 loan, & six months later wants
$1050.00 back (10% annual interest), halacha states that the person that
charges the interest is posul for edus, is a rasha, and more.
What's so bad?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eli Turkel <turkel@...>
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 23:06:39 +0200
Subject: Crock pots
There is a story that Rav Auerbach in his last written psak
prohibited the use of electric crock pots on shabbat because of problems
with "hatmanah" (covering foods to keep heat in). Does anyone have more
details and the opinion of other poskim?
<turkel@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <sam@...> (Sam Fink)
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 23:03:15 -0800
Subject: Deaths of Nadav and Avihu
A question arose during last week's Torah portion that no one had a good
answer for. Since the Torah had already been received by Moses pror to
the dedication of the Mishkan, why didn't Nadav and Avihu simply look in
Parsha Sh'mini, and realize that they were mistaken in offering their own
sacrifice, and that it would lead to their deaths? Were Nadav and Avihu
deprived of free will, and were they simply "characters in a play" since
the Torah had already been given? Certainly Moshe, who received both the
written and oral laws, and, according to some commentaries, even future
teachings regarding these laws should have been in a position to warn
both of them--or did he not know Parsha Sh'mini before the events
actually happened? Of course the global question, which was also asked,
is--after the giving of the Torah, was there any free will left, or did
the Jews simply "follow the script"?
Sam Fink
Los Angeles Free-Net Steering Committee
<sam@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <rifkin@...> (Marlene Rifkin)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 19:15:05 PST
Subject: Diabetic chocolate
I have an 11 year old daughter (Rachel) who has Type 1 diabetes. My
problem is that I have been unable to locate any diabetic chocolate
or cookies that are Kosher l'Pesach out here on the West Coast. I think
that Elite made Kosher l'Pesach sugarlesss chocolate two years ago,
and last year I managed to find a store that still had some left, but
none of the stores that I checked in Los Angeles this year received any
shipments. Rachel and I would greatly appreciate any help in locating a
source that would ship to us in time for Pesach.
Thank you, Marlene Rifkin
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Shimshoni <MASH@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 17:10:06 +0200
Subject: Midrashim on unnamed women
Richard Friedman writes about *unnamed* women:
"In reply to Esther Nussbaum's question, yes there are midrashim. One in
particular focuses on bat-Par'oh (named Bitya in the midrash), and says
==============
she alone of all the first-born _women_ in Egypt did not die in the 10th
plague".
I just wish to point out that Bitya is not one of the "unnamed", she is
(*just*) named in Divre Hayamim (Chro.) I,4,18.
Michael Shimshoni
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: DANNY%<ILNCRD@...> (Danny Skaist)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 11:36 IST
Subject: Modern Facilities
>Akiva Miller
>My understanding is that many poskim are lenient regarding modern bathrooms
>because the toilet is flushed soon after use, and that this removes most of
>the negative factors which would apply to a nonflushing outhouse. This in
The gemorrah discusses 2 types of "nonflushing outhouses". The "other" one
is one that has been prepared for use but of yet has never been used. Modern
facilities, because of their cleanliness fall under this catagory which has
it's own set of restrictions.
danny
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From: <fsmiles@...> (Franklin Smiles)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 11:50:44 -0800
Subject: Oat Matsah
for oat matsah call Rabbi Katsenbaum at 19083708460
or fax 19083702997
tehy sell it in stores in the new york area too.
It is 14 dollars or a pound if you mail order.
fivel smiles
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From: Michael J Broyde <relmb@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 14:43:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Oat Matzah
One of the writers raised an issue concerning oat matzoh for Pesach. As
is well known, there were many rishonim who thought that oats where not
one of the five grains that were prohibited on pesach; see Ency. Tal
"dagan". There are thus many halachic authorites who are flatly against
the use of oat matzah to fulfill the obligation of matzah, as oats might
be the same as corn and only kitniyot. I would stroungly advise such a
person to eat white matzah soaked in water, if needed. In my opinion
that is preferable to using oats as one of the five grains.
For more on the issue of oats, one can examine Feliks fine work
on agriculture in the mishna, which argues that oat could not possibly be
one of the five grains (and that this raises issues of how to properly
translate Rashi's use of the old french.)
Consult your local orthodox rabbi
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From: <Jkupe@...> (Jeff Kuperman)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 16:01:42 -0500
Subject: Oat Matzah
Rabbi Moshe Tendler from Monsey, NY usually makes such matzah available if
given advanced notice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <Robert_Rubinoff@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 14:46:24 EST
Subject: Re: Pesach & Cats - a question
> >From: <jjr@...> (Jack Reiner)
> The cat food that our two cats eat exclusively contains both kitniyos
> and yeast. The food is in a pellet form and can used quite well with
> a gravity-based, automatic feeder (similar to an automatic waterer -
> since the food is small pellets, it acts essentially like a fluid).
> In the past, we have used the automatic feeder for as much as ten days
> without human intervention.
Kitniyot are not hametz. Yeast is not hametz. You have no problem.
(Of course, you can't eat the food yourself, but that's not a problem!)
You can go ahead and feed your cat; you don't need to bother with an
automatic feeder.
Robert
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From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 21:38:22 +0200
Subject: Pidyon Haben - v18#87
Pidyon Haben is based on the Peter Rechem (the first born of the wife). The
text recited at the ceremony of the Pidyon Haben is 'Ishti haisraelit yalda li
ben ze habchor' (my wife the israelite bore me this first born son). In
conclusion if the wife or husband are from Shevet Levi (leviite), no Pidyan
Haben is performed.
Yehudah Edelstein "<yehudah@...>" Raanana, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: J. Bailey <jbailey@...>
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 00:36:30 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Pre-Pesach Techniques, Part II
Thanks for all the responses to my siyum b'chorot question (I got about
a dozen answers off-line). I've decided to do it right and just fast
like I'm supposed to. I actually started learning Horiyot, then realized
that my flight is 6:45 a.m., which means I'll be up early enough TO
EAT!! Anyway, on to the next loophole.
I've decided that instead of selling my chametz thru my rabbi, I want to
sell it to a goy myself (Kim, my art director at the New York Jewish
Week :) ) I figured that this way I could make it more "genuine" than a
mass, anonymous who-are-we-trying-to-kid mechira. Are there any specific
things I have to do or can I just give her my key, my address, and a
description of where my chametz is?
Jay Bailey
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From: <jeremy@...> (Jeremy Nussbaum)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 9:06:14 EST
Subject: Reply to yeyasher kochacha
> I was taught that the appropriate reply to "Yeyasher kochecha", after
> any public mitzva or kibbud (such as opening or closing the
> Aron(ark) ), is to say "Baruch tihyeh " -"May you be Blessed."
> Louis Waller
While in high school at the Yeshiva of Flatbush, one of my teachers,
R. Yosef Harari-Raful, would respond with "lo yitosh kochacha,"
"your strength should remain undiminished." I have also heard
"chazak v'amatz" as a response.
Jeremy Nussbaum (<jeremy@...>)
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From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 20:55:19 +0200
Subject: Stripes on the Talis - v18#83
I remember hearing once that from Kabolo we learn that when Moshe Rabenu
asked to see Hashem, he saw his back only, adorned with a Talis with
black stripes, and Tefilin. I think it's only recently in the past 20
years, that we see all kinds of colors for Talesim, amongst the Jews
from European origin.
Yehudah Edelstein "<yehudah@...>" Raanana, Israel
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 10:11:27 -0500
Subject: Trop -- comment
Many years ago, at YU, I saw a video of the use of "hand motions for
Trop" by Sephardim (or A member of Eidoth HaMizrach). what was
interesting was that these motions were done against the *back* of the
Ba'al Koreh. I.e., the Ba'al Koreh did not SEE the motions, he *felt*
them.....
--Zvi.
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From: <ce157@...> (Eric W. Mack)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 06:12:30 -0500
Subject: Women & Kaddish
One of my objections to the position of Joel Roth (that a women may be
m'chuyevet [obligated] in davening [prayer] is that it interferes w/the
man's obligation. In other words, they can't both run out for davening
three times a day, because somebody has to look after the kids.
Yet I understand that the Rav (Soloveitchik) holds that a woman who is
an aveil [mourner] and who has no siblings who are reciting Kaddish
"should" recite Kaddish daily. Is this indeed how he holds? If so, how
is her husband to meet his chiyuv [obligation] to daven?
Eric Mack <ce157@...>
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End of Volume 19 Issue 7
