Volume 23 Number 82
Produced: Wed May 1 18:44:11 1996
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Chometz After Pesach
[Carl & Adina Sherer]
Creation of Eve and Genetics
[Aryeh Frimer]
J.D. Eisenstein and Harav Hagaon Avraham Price
[Asher Breatross]
Lag Baomer
[Chaim Saiman]
Lost message
[Malkiel Glasser]
Origin of the term "Am Yisroel Chai"
[Freda B Birnbaum]
OU Website
[<Mordechai.E.Lando@...>]
Standing in Place after "Silent" Amida
[Eric W. Mack]
The Word "Yeshiva"
[DM Matar]
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From: Carl & Adina Sherer <sherer@...>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 21:28:04 +0000
Subject: Chometz After Pesach
Another poster asks:
> If you have very good reason to believe your parents did not sell
> Chometz before Pescah and there is still CHometz in the house and they
> claim they have sold the CHometz, so you can eat it after Pesach what do
> you do??
>
> If you dont eat it, theyll notice and wonder why and you will have no
> answer
>
> If you do eat it, isnt that a major sin?
> All advice/help appreciated
This is a question that clearly should go to your local Orthodox Rabbi -
hopefully one who knows both you and your parents well and will be
sensitive to your situation. To help you understand what your LOR may
tell you, I think it may be helpful for you to know some of the
considerations. I am *not* a Rabbi and you should not take what I am
going to write as psak (a halachic ruling) in any way, shape or form.
"Chametz sheaver alav haPesach" - chametz which was in a Jew's
possession during Pesach - is forbidden because of a Rabbinic decree.
Chazal felt that one who violates Pesach by keeping Chametz in his
possession should be penalized by not being allowed to benefit from that
Chametz after Pesach is over. For this reason they decreed that all
benefit from such Chametz is prohibited. Nevertheless this is still a
Rabbinic decree, and in general we hold that we are lenient when we have
a doubt about something Rabbinic ("safek d'Rabbanon lehakel" - a
Rabbinic doubt is lenient).
Honoring one's parents, on the other hand, is d'oraysa (from the Torah).
When Torah commandments are involved we are generally stricter. This
rule is called "safek d'oraysa lechumra" (a Torah level doubt is
strict).
Finally, we have a rule that "eid echad ne'eman b'issurim" - that
although we normally require two witnesses in a court proceeding, we
believe one witness in most questions involving whether something is
permitted or prohibited.
How to balance these various considerations is someting that only a
competent posek can decide. I am not such a posek. Your posek may also
have other considerations that he believes are important. I urge you to
contact your local Orthodox Rabbi before putting yourself into an
unpleasant situation with your parents.
-- Carl Sherer
Carl and Adina Sherer
<sherer@...>
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From: Aryeh Frimer <F66235%<BARILAN.bitnet@...>
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 96 10:00 O
Subject: Creation of Eve and Genetics
I would like some guidance from all the geneticists out there.
There are differing midrashim regarding the creation of woman and I
wonder how these can be explained genetically (xx vs xy chromosomes).
According to one midrash Adam and Eve were created attached back to
back. Is there any precedent for Siamese twins being male and female? Is
this theoretically possible? Or was this a unique creation?
According to the pshat, the creation of Eve was a unique one,
except that she was created from a rib, not from the dirt of the earth.
If we now look at Genesis II:22, we see the use of the term "va-Yiven"
(God built). This suggests that Eve was cloned from the Rib. Again that
presents some genetic problems. In addition that would mean that Adam
and eve looked identical. If substantial changes were introduced by
HKB"H I would have expected the use of the word "va-Yivra" or at least
"va-yitser". Va-yiven sounds like there were not any profound changes.
Has anyone in MJ-land thought about the problem?
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From: <ash@...> (Asher Breatross)
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 21:38:11 -0500
Subject: J.D. Eisenstein and Harav Hagaon Avraham Price
I have two unrelated observations to raise:
J. D. Eisenstein was a very prolific author who lived from 1854 to 1956.
Among his works were a Jewish Encyclopedia called Otzar Yisrael and Otzros
on all types of subjects. He also wrote his memoirs in 1929 and in 1942
followed it up with an article in which he mentioned some of his
unpublished works. Is there any way I can find out whether any of these
unpublished works were printed? Also does anyone know anything about his
current descendents?
When I sent this e-message out on the Jewish Genealogy list I received the
following responses from two Reconstructionist Rabbis:
Response No. 1
>J.D. Eisenstein was the grandfather of Ira Eisenstein the founder of the
>Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Ira is alive and well, in retirement.
>Ira's wife Judith Kaplan Eisenstein died only in the last few months. She
>was the oldest daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the
>Reconstructionist Movement. Judith is the first women to have ever become a
>Bat Mitzvah in the US (perhaps world) when her father invented the ceremony
>at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in NYC.
>
>There are articles about J.D. and Ira in the Encyclopedia Judaica vol. 6 pp
>551-2
Response No. 2
>I saw your inquiry concerning J.D. Eisenstein. I do not know about the
>extended family of descendants. However, I do know that he has a
>distinguished grandson.
>Rabbi Ira Eisenstein is a founder of the Reconstructionist Movement. His
>father-in- law was the famous Mordecai M. Kaplan. He is a Conservative rabbi
>and I knew him as a member of that group for many years.
>My directory lists him as a resident of New York. However, I do know that he
>recently suffered the death of his wife, Judith. (The first Bat Mitzvah). The
>obituary mentioned that they are residents of Maryland. When they moved I do
>not know. However, you might be able to get his address etc. from the
>Reconstructionist Seminary in Philadelphia.(215 - 567 0800). I am certain
>that they would know where to reach him. He certainly is your best source for
>information about his grandfather.
In my opinion it is unfortunate if this is the sole claim to fame of this
great man. It is very interesting how Eisenstein himself regarded this
grandson. In the 1942 article he refers to him as a Conservative Rabbi and
that he wrote a work on a particular subject (I am unsure how it is
translated into English). There was nothing mentioned about the
Reconstructionism, which I think is very significant.
So if anyone can provide me information about his works and if he has any
FRUM descendents, it would be greatly appreciated.
The second point has to do with Jewish survival and the commemoration
today, in Toronto, of the second Yarzheit of a very great person, Harav
Hagaon Avraham Aaron Price ZTL. At the commemoration today the keynote
speaker was Rabbi Dr. Berl Rosenzweig of New York, who was Talmid of Rav
Price. He started off his speech by telling us that Hashem always provides
Jewish leaders to keep us going so that if leadership appears to be ending,
as in the time of Rabbi Akiva, there was a replacement available. So in
Rabbi Akiva's time it was Rebbi. In our time we had replacements after the
great tragedy in Europe.
In the course of talking about Rav Price, Rabbi Rosenzweig talked about how
he was acquainted with the Gedolim of our generation, such as the Rav, Rav
Hutner and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, since they were all in Berlin at the same
time and were part of the circle of Rav Chaim Heller. What really hit me,
when I thought about this several hours later, was the very example of the
theme of leadership that Rabbi Rosenzweig was talking about. All these
great people were in Berlin in the early 1930's just as Hitler, Yimach
Shmo, was coming to power. So at the very time that plans for our
destruction were being prepared, the seeds of our rebirth after the Shoah
were also being cultivated.
Rav Price was a very creative person. From my own perspective, to get an
example of his originality, creativity and his insight I suggest learning
his sefer of Drashos, called Imrei Avraham. There is a committee in
Toronto from which Rav Price's Sefarim can be obtained. I can assure you
that you will find these Sefarim (as well as his other ones) to be
absolutely amazing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Chaim Saiman <gs01cns@...>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 14:29:15 -0400
Subject: Lag Baomer
For many years I have tried to find the Mekorot for some of the Lag
Baomer Minhagim (practices) that we have, without much success. I
believe that the only source in the Gemara for Lag Baomer is the story
in Yevamot about the students of Rabbi Akiva.
Lag Baomer seems to have the following themes.
1. Ending (or ceasing) of the death of Rabbi Akiva's students.
2. The "Hilulah DeRash'bi (Yorzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochi) and a
celebration of Rash'bi in general, including visiting his grave site.
3. To visit the grave of Rabbi Mier Ba'al Haness.
4. Bonfires
5. Archery/sporting events.
6. Upsharin and haircuts
7. A celebration of the Kabbalistic facets of Judaism.
My question is how do we go from Rabbi Akiva to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai,
to Rabbi Meir Ba'al Haness, to Kabbalah, in general to bonfires and
archery/sports events. The Mesorah has it that Lag Baomer is the
"Hilulah DeRashbi" (Yorzit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai )but I do not
believe that this is mentioned in the Gemara. Furthermore, why is Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai the only one of the Tannaim whose Yorzteit is of
significance to us? I would like to know where all these Minhagim came
from, when did Lag Baomer become earmarked for these events, and what
,if any is the common thread connecting these events. I would be
interested in both a historical and a ritualistic approach to these
questions.
Thank you,
Chaim Saiman
(I assume that the haircutting is a function of the permissibility of
haircutting on Lag Baomer, and that those children whose third birthday
fell within the Omer would wait for the Upsharin until Lag
Baomer. However, this does not answer the why ther is a Minhag to do it
in Meron, the grave site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai?)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Malkiel Glasser <mglasser@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 23:02:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Lost message
Hi,
I've never participated in this sort of thing, but I have been reading
what others write. I read something about a woman who was born in 1939
in Poland, and was taken from place to place, and wound up in a camp in
France. She was looking for anyone that could tell her about her family,
because she has none. I lost the address, and name of the person that
wrote that, and I have a friend who was in a camp in France too, and was
born in 1942. She doesn't remember hardly anything, but the she is close
to a woman who does, and this woman has photos of some children at that
camp. I wanted to put her in touch with my friend, who could introduce
her to that woman. I would appreciate some answer on the subject. Thank
you, Roz Glasser
Roz
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Freda B Birnbaum <fbb6@...>
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 1996 15:46:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Origin of the term "Am Yisroel Chai"
My husband Jacob Birnbaum has asked me to post the following inquiry:
When I established the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry 32 years ago, I
was anxious for the newly-born grassroots movement for Soviet Jewry to
acquire appropriate songs. I managed to generate such early favorites
as "There's a Fire Burning", "The Time Has Come to Rescue", "How Long",
"To the Pharaoh I Say, Let My People Go!" I chased after Shlomo
Carlebach for several months in 1964 with a suggestion for "Am Yisroel
Chai". He first sang it to a few students in Prague and then at the
great Jericho March of April 4, 1965. Since then, it has become a
national Jewish liberation song, yet in more than 30 years I've sought
in vain to find the original history of the slogan. Perhaps someone can
provide verifiable information. Even informed speculation might be
helpful in resolving the mystery.
Freda Birnbaum, <fbb6@...>
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From: <Mordechai.E.Lando@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 96 13:27:54 EST
Subject: OU Website
Does anyone on the list know if the OU has a homepage (website)? It
would appear that many issues discussed on m-j could bear some insight
from the OU.
yukum
[The OU homepage is located at http://www.ou.org
It is still in very early stages of development, but based on
discussions with them, expect a lot more in the near future. Mod]
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From: <ce157@...> (Eric W. Mack)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 09:28:50 -0400
Subject: Standing in Place after "Silent" Amida
Why is it proper to not move from one's makom [place] after the "silent"
amida until the ba'al t'fila [prayer leader] is finished with Kedusha?
Eric Mack <ce157@...>
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From: <dmmatar@...> (DM Matar)
Date: 23 Apr 1996 21:53:42 -0400
Subject: The Word "Yeshiva"
I am searching for an authoritative source (e.g. Rishon, etc.)
for the use of the word "yeshiva" to connotate a school intended for
learning purposes. Its roots, etc. Does it have something to do with
living?
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End of Volume 23 Issue 82
