Volume 22 Number 74
Produced: Mon Jan 8 10:23:57 1996
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Banning Smoking
[Warren Burstein]
Bar-Mitzvah at 8? (was Yehuda's grandsons)
[Rabbi Yossi Chaikin]
Celebrations for Births of Girls
[Avi Naiman]
Correcting Torah Reading
[David Pahmer]
Death of Babies
[Simon Streltsov]
Grief and Response
[Sharon Stakofsky-Davis]
Kashering a New Breadmaker
[862-1197 fax-4134)]
Kashrut of De Kuyper Advocat liqueur
[Micky Adler]
Mourner Customs
[Tova Taragin]
Mourning Customs (v22#73)
[D'n Russler]
Rabbi Pinchos Teitz's ZT"L
[Rabbi Mordechai Shechet]
Avi's Crest Toothpaste
[Bert Kahn ]
Shamash of a 9-well oil menorah
[Akiva Miller]
Star-K
[Howard Axelman]
Wife abuse and the mikveh lady (Nefesh Conference)
[Dvora Tepper]
Yehuda's grandsons
[Eli Turkel]
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From: <warren@...> (Warren Burstein)
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 08:48:01 GMT
Subject: Re: Banning Smoking
David Riceman writes:
>A friend once asked me this, and I'll translate it into a current
>discussion. We know that doctors change their advice seasonally. Is
>it proper to inscribe current medical consensus as halacha when we
>expect it to change any year?
Perhaps a way of dealing with this problem would be to rule that
smoking is forbidden so long as the medical profession advises against it.
|warren@ bein hashmashot, in which state are the survivors
/ itex.jct.ac.IL buried?
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From: <yossi@...> (Rabbi Yossi Chaikin)
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 15:23:33 +2
Subject: Re: Bar-Mitzvah at 8? (was Yehuda's grandsons)
Subject: Bar-Mitzvah at 8? (was Yehuda's grandsons)
On From: 8 Jan 1996, eli turkel <turkel@...> wrote:
> Rabbi Chaikin quoting Chizkuni writes
> >> Year 1 - Er was conceived and born Year 2 - Onan was
> >> conceived and born Year 3 - Shelah was born Year 8 - Er married Tamar
> >> (allowing seven years for him to be old enough) and he dies Year 9 -
> >> Onan marries Tamar Year 10 - Shelah is now old enough to marry Tamar
>
> According to this Er and Onan died before they were bar-mitzvah.
> The question is how where they condemned to die for their own sin
> (not their father's) before they were Bar Mitzvah (actually only about
> 7 or 8 years old). Also can a boy be married before he is Bar Mitzvah?
According to the description of Er and Onan's sin [coitus interruptus],
it would seem that they were post-puberty. In that case all laws of post
Bar-Mitzvah boys would apply, including punishment for their actions and
laws of marriage.
> Furthermore, it is not clear how old Tamar was during this story.
> But one is allowed to use contraception to prevent a minor girl
> from conceiving since it is considered a danger.
Once again the talmud refers to 'meshamsot bemoch' which includes
barrier forms of contraception but excludes this particular method.
Rabbi Yossi Chaikin
Constantia Hebrew Congregation - Cape Town, South Africa
P.O.Box 47 - Plumstead - 7800
Telephone: +2721-75-2520
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From: Avi Naiman <avi@...>
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 21:06:59 +0000
Subject: Celebrations for Births of Girls
My wife, Judy Heicklen, and I recently celebrated the birth and naming
of our daughter with the Sephardic Zeved HaBat ritual. Although we are
not Sephardim ourselves, we are not aware of any Ashkenazic rituals to
mark the birth/naming of a daughter, other than the standard Mi
Sheberach in shul. We would be interested to find out about any such
rituals that others have used, whether `formal' or independently
developed. We would be happy to share details of the ceremony we
developed with anyone interested.
Sincerely,
Avi Naiman
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From: David Pahmer <pahmer@...>
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 22:07:14 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Correcting Torah Reading
Regarding the issue of correcting the Torah reader after reading the
name of Hashem, R. David said that there is no need to complete the
pasuk, rather immediately return to the mistake and continue. R. Perlman
cited his Rav who pointed out that the Derech Hachaim does not require
repeating any pasuk due to mistaken reading, even if it changes the
meaning. Thus, one ought to complete the pasuk.
I expect that others may have already researched this, but I do not see
this ruling in the Derech Hachaim. Rather he says what everyone says-
any mistake which alters the meaning requires the reader to reread the
word correctly. I don't believe any of the regular poskim argues with
this. Thus, it seems that the reader ought not to complete the pasuk.
Furthermore, See Chayei Adam ( 4:2) who seems to rule this way
explicitly. Although the Eliyahu Rabba's opinion might indicate that he
says what the Derech Hachaim was supposed to say, however, he probably
means something else, not relevant to our discussion.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <simon1@...> (Simon Streltsov)
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 18:58:17 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Death of Babies
On Fri, 22 Dec 1995, Yeshaya Halevi wrote:
> In this sicko world children of all ages are murdered, as are
> _babies_. They are sinless.
Mordecai Perlman responded:
> As far as the parents' account goes, the Sifri states that
>children below the age of maturity may die because of their parents' sins.
I heard from a person who witnessed children massively dying from hunger
during WW2 that most small children had happy smiles on their faces when
dying. That brought him to the same thought that their death is
primarily a punishment to their parents.
Simcha Streltsov to subscribe send
Moderator of Russian-Jews List sub russian-jews <fullname>
<simcha@...> to listproc@shamash.org
archives via WWW: http://shamash.org/lists/russian-jews
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From: Sharon Stakofsky-Davis <mdavis@...>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 21:13:09 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Grief and Response
In reply to Sarah Miller who lost a 19 year old son. My heart goes out
to you. I lost my father a year and a half ago. When I was 14 (over 23
years ago) he gave me kidney in a transplant that saved my life. I was
lost for over 8 months in grief. Something that helped was reading
"When Bad Things Happen to Good People", by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. I
also was helped by our wonderful Chazzen. My best wishes to you.
Sharon Stakofsky-Davis
Marc Davis Legal reporter : Just my opinion, of course.
The Virginian-Pilot : <mdavis@...>
P.O. Box 449, Norfolk, Va. 23501 :
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From: <ainspan@...> (Herschel Ainspan (862-1197 fax-4134))
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 21:24:15 -0500
Subject: Kashering a New Breadmaker
Would anyone know if a brand new breakmaking machine needs to be
kashered before use? I read on Mail-Jewish a while ago that some
toaster ovens are tested at the factory by toasting a slice of bread.
Since this bread might not be kosher, the toaster oven should be
kashered before use (presumably by libun kal, operating the oven at its
highest temperature setting for 20 minutes to an hour). Does anyone
know if bread- makers are tested at the factory by making a test loaf of
bread? I would appreciate the phone numbers of some breadmaker
manufacturers, so I can find out. If the breadmaker is tested with
nonkosher (or even milchig) bread ingredients, what would be the proper
way to kasher the breadmaker? The kashrus problem seems even worse than
the toaster oven, since we have to worry not only about zeiah (steam)
but direct contact of the non-kosher (or milchig) dough with the baking
pan of the breadmaker. Perhaps libun gamur (with a blowtorch) would be
required, as with a barbecue grill?
Thanks in advance, kol tuv. -Herschel
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From: Micky Adler <madler@...>
Date: Mon, 08 Jan 96 14:49:24
Subject: Kashrut of De Kuyper Advocat liqueur
I used to drink De Kuyper Advocat liqueur often, yet I saw in the
United synagogue Kashrut list of England that it is NK (not Kosher).
Does somebody know why or if it is considered Kosher elsewhere?
Thanks,
Micky Adler
Hashmonaim, Israel
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From: <Tovt@...> (Tova Taragin)
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 12:53:17 -0500
Subject: Mourner Customs
Response to female mourner: My sister and I sat shiva for both our parents,
A"H and people always said "etchen" or "otach" not the masc. version.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: D'n Russler <d_n@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 17:46:02 +0300 (IST)
Subject: Re: Mourning Customs (v22#73)
> From: Micha Berger <aishdas@...>
>
> I'm not sure if this last phrase is always that appropriate. In the US,
> people instictively add "you shouldn't know from any more tza'ar (pain)".
>
> When I was sitting shiva for my daughter, this phrase bothered my father
> alot. Both my wife and myself have all of our parents. In the normal
> course of nature we will sit shivah again, achar mei'ah vi'esrim (after
> 120). It would be far worse for us not to live normal lifespans, and not
> outlive our parents. In other words, as "knowing no more tza'ar" is
> worse than the alternative.
When I sat for my mother ah"s two years ago, the simplest explanation
that I got for this phrase was that simply "we should be zoche [merit]
to see t'chias a meysim [revival of the departed] that comes along with
the revelation of the Moshiah, may it be speedily in our day!
Thus, those alive will not die, and will see their loved ones -- and the
great Tzaddikim -- alive and well. In addition, there is a conceptual
link to the idea that "those who mourn for Jerusalem will merit seeing
her rebuilt". To the extent that one mourns for Jerusalem, and accepts
the Schina's pain as his own, so will his joy be upon her rebuilding!
/-----\ D'n Russler
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <MAXIMOTEL@...> (Rabbi Mordechai Shechet)
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 01:24:17 -0500
Subject: Rabbi Pinchos Teitz's ZT"L
BS"D
kvoid reb abraham lebowitz n"y
I was saddened to read the discomforting news of Rabbi Pinchos Teitz's
ZT"L ptirah. I remember our Rov in Sioux City Iowa, Horay Shoul Yisroel
Bolotnikov ZT"L his Chavrusa in one of the european yeshives they
attended together speaking very lovingly about their times of youth.
chaval al d'abdin velo mishtackchin v"zechusom yogein oleinu
MAY your confort come from the BOIREH OILOM and to klal yisroel.
respectfully
Rabbi Mordechai Shechet(maximotel)
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From: <bilk1@...> (Bert Kahn )
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 22:37:58 -0800
Subject: Re Avi's Crest Toothpaste
Wholly unfair to discuss kosher toothpastes wikthout mentioning
Colgate. Can you tell us anything about Colgate? Thanks
[I just quoted what Rabbi Blumenkrantz had in his book. Mod./Avi]
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 07:19:41 -0500
Subject: Re: Shamash of a 9-well oil menorah
This is my suggestion, which is uncomplicated, and somewhat fills the
tradition (I am deliberately avoiding use of the word "minhag" because I
don't know if it really fits in that category) of using the shamash to
light the other lights: Before saying the brachos, I light the oil
shamash, and I hold several matches in my hand. After the brachos, I
light a match FROM THE SHAMASH and use that match to light the
lights. Often one match is not enough, so after it is used up, I light
another match, again *from* *the* *oil* *shamash*, and use it to light
the lights. (Wooden matches are the best for this; they are stronger,
last longer, and are easier to point.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <Haxelman@...> (Howard Axelman)
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 05:15:08 -0500
Subject: Star-K
In this week's Jewish Press there was a story about a "merger/alliance"
between the Star-K of Baltimore and the National Council of Young Israel.
Does anyone have any info about this?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dvora Tepper <RRTEPPER@...>
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 96 23:57:14 +0200
Subject: Wife abuse and the mikveh lady (Nefesh Conference)
As a psychologist, I read Andy Goldfinger's report of the Nefesh
Conference (v 22 #39) with interest.
I had the occasion to query a "mikveh lady" about signs of abuse on her
customers. She told me that she has wondered about that as she has
noticed women with belt welts on their backs and other signs of abuse,
but did not know what to do about it.
In Israel, it is required by law for all health and educational
professionals to report signs of wife and child abuse to the city's
Social Welfare Department. But the mikveh -- a major institution where
such abuse could be so easily detected -- is entirely out of the
picture.
I would like to suggest that the rabbinical authorities run a
multidisciplinary seminar for mikveh ladies informing them of the
seriousness of the problem and how to deal with it in the proper
halachic manner. Such a seminar could be addressed by rabbis (poskim),
psychologists, social workers, and physicians (perhaps someone expert in
traumatology or forensic medicine).
Dvora Tepper
Hadassah Medical Center, Kiryat Hayovel, Jerusalem
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eli Turkel <turkel@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 11:47:18 +0200
Subject: Yehuda's grandsons
Rabbi Chaikin quoting Chizkuni writes
>> Year 1 - Er was conceived and born Year 2 - Onan was
>> conceived and born Year 3 - Shelah was born Year 8 - Er married Tamar
>> (allowing seven years for him to be old enough) and he dies Year 9 -
>> Onan marries Tamar Year 10 - Shelah is now old enough to marry Tamar
According to this Er and Onan died before they were bar-mitzvah. The
question is how where they condemned to die for their own sin (not their
father's) before they were Bar Mitzvah (actually only about 7 or 8 years
old). Also can a boy be married before he is Bar Mitzvah?
Furthermore, it is not clear how old Tamar was during this story.
But one is allowed to use contraception to prevent a minor girl from
conceiving since it is considered a danger.
Eli Turkel <turkel@...>
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End of Volume 22 Issue 74
