Volume 28 Number 43
Produced: Sat Jan 9 20:11:51 US/Eastern 1999
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Administrivia
[Avi Feldblum]
Birkat Hachodesh
[Rick Turkel]
Birkat Kohanim
[Ben Pashkoff/Tsipi Wexler]
Chagall - The Rabbi
[Idelle Rudman]
Chalav Yisrael
[Arie Weiss]
cholov Yisroel
[Rachel Rosencrantz]
New book re: Hebrew Bible manuscripts, massorah, printed Bibles
[Andrea Penkower Rosen]
Seforim On-Line
[Akiva G. Miller]
Voting in a Church
[Hyman L. Schaffer]
Yasher Koach on Birchat Kohanim
[Gershon Dubin]
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From: Avi Feldblum <mljewish@...>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 16:02:06 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Administrivia
Hello all on this last day of the secular year 1998!
I'm going to be running mail-jewish directly from shamash, so I would
appreciate if people would change their email address for me from
<feldblum@...> to mljewish@shamash.org. Mail to cnj will be
forwarded for some period, but will eventually drop. I will be changing
the footers in the various messages, but that may take me some time yet.
I'm still learning my way throuhgh Pine, but hopefully you should pretty
much see everything as being transparent to you. You can start sending me
postings again, and I hope to be getting it out to all of you on a regular
basis.
Avi Feldblum
mail-jewish Moderator
<mljewish@...>
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From: Rick Turkel <rturkel@...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 13:19:03 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Birkat Hachodesh
As long as we're on this subject, can anyone provide a source for the
common (but grammatically incorrect) ... chayyim 'arukhim ... (spelled
with a shuruq/vav and no dagesh in the khaf) instead of the proper
'arukim (qubbutz/no vav and a dagesh in the kaf)? Many respected
siddurim (including Artscroll and, I believe, Tehillas H') have the
former, while Birnbaum and Rinnat Yisrael have the grammatically correct
form.
I sent an email to Artscroll about this some six months ago, but never
received a reply.
Also, for what it's worth, the proper Sephardic pronunciation of "the
following day" is "machorato" or "mochorato" but not "macharato" - the
vowel under the chet is a chataf-qamatz, which is pronounced "o" rather
than "a" even in sefaradit - qal vachomer in ashkenozis.
Kol tuv.
Rick Turkel (___ _____ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ ___
<rturkel@...>)oh.us| | \ ) |/ \ eyn |navi| be|iro\__) |
<rturkel@...> / | _| __)/ | ___) | ___|_ | _( \ |
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From: Ben Pashkoff/Tsipi Wexler <pashkoff@...>
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 19:39:23 +0200
Subject: Re: Birkat Kohanim
From: Shmuel Himelstein <shmuelh@...>
> Unlike the Golah, there is no custom in Israel to thank the Kohanim
> after Birkat Kohanim. The few people that do say anything are generally
> immigrants from the Golah. The explanation for not thanking the Kohanim
Umm, not quite true. (Also a cohen) and in the minyan where I daven
there is an extra-ordinary number of Kohanim.
1) There is a custom/halacha not to cross the area between the Shatz and
the Aron kodesh neither during the amida nor during Kaddish. ( I forget
where this is mentioned now.)
2) Even in Israel there is a strong customer to wish the Kohanim "Yasher
Koach" and not just among olim.
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From: Idelle Rudman <rudmani@...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 14:13:33 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Chagall - The Rabbi
I have in front of me a reproduction of the painting "the Rabbi" that
hangs in the museum of Modern Art in Venice. I have seen the painting
of "The Rabbi" in the Chicago Art Inst., and they look the same,
although I don't know if they are identical.
This painting has fascinated me, since I consider it the quintessential
"Jewish" painting. Painted by a Jewish artist steeped in the culture of
eastern Europe, with it's subject totally Jewish, it also speaks to the
heart of the Jewish problem of the day, and so it is a lesson in history
and culture.
Chagall, the Fauvist, here paints in almost no color. Chagall the
fabulist, here paints a solitary figure with nothing to distract from
the portrait. I think that there is a message here.
The Rabbi is wearing tallis and tefillin, but sitting at the ready. It
is not time yet to daven shacharis, he is waiting for the dawn of the
new day. His eyes point in two different directions. This was painted
in 1914, when the Haskalah movement had swept through the smallest towns
of Russia and when revolutionary activity was reaching its zenith. The
rabbi realizes that it is the dawn of a new age, but he is still tied,
with the bindings of the tefillin, and is looking with one eye at the
past. The figure is totally alone, recalling the words of explanation
of the G"RA to "hen am le-vadad yishkon."
Whether Chagall was mistaken, or, in looking at the print in front of
me, it is just blurred, I have no idea. There are a number of art books
and biographies of Chagall. The Chicag Art Inst. has an excellent
library, and they might be able to give you a source.
Idelle Rudman
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From: Arie Weiss <aliw@...>
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 21:49:31 +0000
Subject: Re: Chalav Yisrael
Btw, Kasher L' Mehadrin milk in Israel (since it is chalav Yisrael
anyway) is milk which does not contain any milked on Shabbat.
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From: Rachel Rosencrantz <rachelr@...>
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 12:55:08 -0500
Subject: cholov Yisroel
One concern with non cholov Yisroel milk, in addition to the kosher cow
concern is that of shark cartillidge being added to the milk. (This was
actually discussed rather extensively in the past and can be looked at
at:
http://www.ottmall.com/mj_ht_arch/v25/mj_v25i91.html
it is probably also available on other archives, but this was the one I
first found.
The second concern that I have is that in reading (a translation) of Rav
Moshe Feinstein's responsum on non-cholov Yisroel milk (in the US) it
sounds like although it is permitted, it is not preferrable. It would
be suprising to me that a Yeshivah located where cholov Yisroel milk was
readily available would chose to use cholov staam. However, from my
reading it seems that his posek applies only to US milk and not others.
(Although other countries may have stricter regulations on milk
production.)
Now, for someone who only has cholov Yisroel milk cholov stam is "like
unkosher" and cholov-stam dishes are not kosher for someone who keeps
cholov Yisroel. (Thus even if the pizza was made with cholov Yisroel
cheese, if the oven was used to cook cholov stam pastries the pizza
isn't "kosher" for the person keeping cholov Yisroel.)
The responsum I am looking at is Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah, vol 2,
responsum 35. (It elaborates further on the initial responsum on cholov
Yisroel (Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah, vol 1, responsum 47).
To quote:*
"In reference to the dairy companies in our country, which I explained
in Igros Moshe, chapter 47, that there is no prohibition of milk milked
by a non-Jew that a Jew has not seen, still in all, it is appropriate
for all Baalei Nefesh [people concerned with their souls] to be more
stringent.
For this reason, it is surely appropriate for directors of yeshivos
--elementary schools-- to server their students milk from those
companies who have Jews watching the milking. Even though this [milk]
is more expensive, which for the yeshivos will amount to a large sum
over the course of the year, and the financial situation of yeshivos is
tight these days, which for this reason certain yeshivos are lenient in
this area, still in all it is worthwhile to be stringent. For this too
is part of the education and learning process, that they [the children]
should know that it is worthwhile and appropriate for a Ben Torah to be
stringent even when there is merely a [slight] concern or prohibition.
>From this they will understand and see how important it is to avoid
prohibitions. And all the expenses of a yeshivah are to rear and teach
a faithful generation to Hashem and His Torah. Therefore, when it comes
to issues of Chinuch, one should never skimp.
But in the distant areas, where there are no cholov Yisroelcompanies,
and it is very difficult to obtain milk that was watched by a Jew at the
milking, even individuals need not be stringent."
* Translation from To Be Chassidic - A Contemporary Guide by Chaim Dalfin
-Rachel
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From: Andrea Penkower Rosen <apr@...>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 00:48:29 -0500
Subject: New book re: Hebrew Bible manuscripts, massorah, printed Bibles
Just published:
The Text of the Bible: The Early Editions of the Printed Bible, edited by
Jordan S. Penkower,
9+181 [+4] pp.; (large format, soft cover); Bar-Ilan University,
Department of Bible, 1998, $20.
A collection of sources, focusing on the text of the Hebrew Bible, divided
into four periods: the early era; the era of the Sages; the era of
massoretic codices (10th - 15th centuries); the era
of printing. The purpose of the collection is to present sources which
will enable an in-depth understanding of the history of the Bible text,
down to the era of printing (with an emphasis on the latter three eras
noted above). Includes phtocopies of Bible manuscripts and early printed
Bibles.
To place an order in the USA, indicate your shipping address and send a
check or money order for $25 (includes shipping and handling) to:
Dr. Andrea Penkower Rosen
110 Riverside Drive, #8F
New York, N.Y. 10024
To place an order out of the U.S., please send e-mail to the address noted
below and I will let you know what the total charges are.
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From: Akiva G. Miller <kgmiller@...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 18:12:25 -0500
Subject: Seforim On-Line
> I. Balbin wrote <<< from which the Rambam in Hilchos Tfilla Paskens (Perek
> Yud Beis, I don't have Sforim at work) based on a Gemora in Sotah (29b I
> think) >>>
I too, have found occasions when I wanted to quote a sefer but did not have
it available at the place where I was writing my email. I recently found a
wonderful site on the Web which will answer some of these situations:
http://www1.snunit.k12.il/kodesh/kodesh.html
has a full text of Tanach, Mishna, Tosefta, Bavli, Yerushlami, and Rambam,
on line and in Hebrew!
I am not sure if other people will be able to read the Hebrew font. I am
using Internet Explorer 4.0, and sometimes I need to go to the View menu,
and select Fonts, "Hebrew Alphabet (Windows)". I hope others will find this
info helpful.
Akiva Miller
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From: Hyman L. Schaffer <HLSesq@...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 22:41:58 EST
Subject: Re: Voting in a Church
My friend David Cohen asks whether it is permissible to vote in a
church, and Steve White asks for tshuvos on the subject. According to
Rav Shternbuch in Tshuvot v hanhagot 2:410, voting is permissible on the
ground that, while the hall is connected to the sanctuary (thus leading
to the possibility that the din of richook daled amos even from the road
leading to a bet avoda zarah would lead to prohibition (SH"Aruch YD
150)), the doorway to the hall in question is separate and everyone
knows that the hall is used for all sorts of meetings having nothing to
do with religious services. Accordingly , R. Shternbuch can find no
reason to prohibit, particularly where it is not feasible to influence
the government to change the location, the person is not content to be
voting there (i.e., lo nicha lei) and it is obvious that the only reason
he is there is to vote. On the other hand, Mishneh halachot 6:139
prohibits voting in the hall since the hall is attached to the building
and would have the status of bet avoda zarah despite its subsidiary
status to the sanctuary.
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 12:53:43 -0500
Subject: Re: Yasher Koach on Birchat Kohanim
>immigrants from the Golah. The explanation for not thanking the
>Kohanim as I was told it - is that one does not thank a person for
>performinga Mitzvah.
I heard-b'derech drush (homiletically)- that the yasher koach is
not for the mitzvah, which you do not do for thanks. It is for the
"be'ahava": that the Kohanim give the blessing with love (as mentioned
in the bracha they make beforehand).
Gershon
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End of Volume 28 Issue 43
