Volume 36 Number 48
Produced: Fri Jun 14 6:56:25 US/Eastern 2002
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
2nd day of Yomtov in the Holyland and the blessing on AC
[Yaakov Fogelman]
Artscroll
[Bernard Raab]
Card Operated Locks (3)
[Harvey Lieber, Joseph Mosseri, Carl Singer]
More Jewish Prophets
[Yael Levine Katz]
More on the usage of old tefilin
[Gilad J. Gevaryahu]
Old Tephillin
[Carl Singer]
Pidyon Haben
[Israel Rosenfeld]
Ruach haKodesh
[Stan Tenen]
Tehilas Hashem
[Daniel Israel]
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From: Yaakov Fogelman <top@...>
Subject: 2nd day of Yomtov in the Holyland and the blessing on AC
I recall my first visit here on Yom Tov, as a tourist, when I looked up
Rav A. Y. Kook's advice on the issue: he noted that observing a second
day of yom tov had and has nothing whatsoever to do with where you
lived, but with where you actually were at the time- if you were here in
Israel, you knew the correct day, if you were abroad, you did not, and
had to keep two days, even if you lived in Israel. When I mentioned this
to Rav J. Soloveichik, he agreed. Rav Kook adds another factor, as I
recall- if I proclaim that i am returning to my diaspora distress, I am,
in effect, stating that the moshiach definitely will not come in the
near future, a most heretical statement.
Years ago, I heard, in the name of the Vilna Gaon, that the beracha,
shehakol neyeh bidvaro, was enacted not only for the pleasure of foods,
which have no specific introductory blessing, but for all pleasures
which have no such blessing, e.g. AC or a nice breeze on a hot day- one
may not enjoy the world without a blessing- does anyuone know a source,
or any precedent, for this ruling? When I asked around the Jewish 1/4,
only Prof. Daniel Sperber had a precedent- his grandfather made
shehakol when a close friend recovered from a disease.
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From: Bernard Raab <beraab@...>
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 21:52:37 -0400
Subject: Re: Artscroll
With all of the kudos to Artscroll offered here recently, I wonder: Am I
the only one who is incensed at the Artscroll "translation" of Shir
Hashirim? I wonder when they will see fit to "edit" the Hebrew version
in the same way!
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From: Harvey Lieber <tlieber@...>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 00:00:15 -0400
Subject: Card Operated Locks
A risky strategy is to tape the hole in the door lock so that it won't
lock. It is not visible to people from the outside. The risk, besides
some thief trying to open each door, is that if it is not taped properly
it will lock and then you're really "stuck".
The alternative is to work out a system, preferably before Shabbat,
with non-Jewish staff to have them open the door with your card.
Tsvi Lieber
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From: Joseph Mosseri <JMosseri@...>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 02:18:00 -0400
Subject: Card Operated Locks
Tzadik Vanderhoof asks about this in the last issue of mail Jewish. For
many years this issue has puzzled me. Finally Rabbi David Sheloush,
Chief Rabbi of Netanya for the last 50 years has dealt with it. In his
newest sefer, Hemdah Genouzah, volume 2, page 158. he discusses it. He
says that the insertion of the card opens and/or closes an electric
circuit which opens the door; closing the door of the room also
completes an electric circuit.. He say this is not "gerama" rather the
connection of a current and its interruption. and even if your intention
is only to open the door it is still a "pesiq reshe, be isour derabanan"
at least according to HaRambam.
He suggest getting a room with a regular key, if that is not possible he
should ask management to have a "goy" use the card to open the door and
in the morning at an appointed time have the "goy" return to open the
door in order to go out of the room.
He then continues to say that if all of this is impossible and you are
in a non-Jewish country, since there are those who say that a "pesiq
reshe derabanan" is permissible in a situation of causing sorrow to the
enjoyment of Shabbat (bimqom sheyesh sa'ar shel 'oneg Shabbat): namely
that the Jewish hotel guest will not be able to enter his room to sleep,
or to eat from his food that is in the room, and when he's in the room
he will not be able to exit to pray and eat; then he can rely upon the
rule that when dealing with an issue derabanan, follow the lenient
ruling( shebederabanan holekh ahar hameqel).
VEHAVOU TARTE DERABANAN SHEBIMQOM MISSVAH MOUTAR!!
Joseph Mosseri
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From: <CARLSINGER@...> (Carl Singer)
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 07:19:00 EDT
Subject: Re: Card Operated Locks
No, the reason it was so annoying was becuase I was with a fellow
traveler who insisted that not only can you not use the card to
*enter* your room on Shabbos, but you cannot even *leave* your
room on Shabbos, even though the card is not needed to leave the
room!!! They broke this "shita" to me about an hour before
Shabbos.
I hate to say this, but your problem is a social problem with your
fellow traveler.
The Shabbos hotel lock has been dissected in mail-jewish long ago --
perhaps Avi can find it for you in the archives. As I recall most
solutions involve (a) leaving the door unlocked, (b) arranging for a
room with normal key access or (c) not putting yourself in a hotel for
Shabbos - i.e., avoiding the situation all together. BTW, many people
would be troubled with the scenario of having a non-Jew open the door
for you (even if you made such arrangements before Shabbos.) There is a
well spread misconception about non-Jews and work on Shabbos.
You had questions re: the metziah (actual physical situation) which you
properly saw to by contacting hotel maintenance. Be confident in your
own judgment and enjoy Shabbos.
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From: Yael Levine Katz <ylkpk@...>
Subject: More Jewish Prophets
> Rivkah, as well as all the Imahot, are included in the list of
> prophetesses in Seder Olam Rabbah, chapter 21.
> Yael
Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz (V36n42) lists all the prophetess.
Bereshit Rabba adds Rivka the matriarchs as one of the prophetess in a
derasha to Bereshit 27:42 (Bereshit Rabba 66:9).
Gilad J. Gevaryahu
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From: <Gevaryahu@...> (Gilad J. Gevaryahu)
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 09:51:46 EDT
Subject: More on the usage of old tefilin
I don't recall if in the discussion of the usage of old tefilin this
source was mentioned.
"The dead people which Yehezkel resurrected immigrated to Eretz Israel,
married women, and gave birth to boys and girls. Rabbi Yehuda ben
Beteira stood on his feet and said: 'I am from their descendants, and
this tefilin were left for me by my father's father form them' [olei
Bavel]" (Sanhedrin 92b) [My free translation]
The implication of this legend is that very old tefilin were used
hundred of years after they were made. Since this is Ma'aseh Rav, it is
an important source for halachah.
I use my grandfather's tefilin who were written by my grandfather for my
father who left them for me.
Gilad J. Gevaryahu
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From: <CARLSINGER@...> (Carl Singer)
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 13:39:12 EDT
Subject: Old Tephillin
As a consideration _against_ the wearing of grandfather's old
tephillin, Y. Askotzky (v36 n41) refers to the issue of keeping "a
preferable halachic standard, which has .. to do with specific ...
preferences, discussed in the halachic sources, of the batim,
klaf, lettering and straps."
I asked only a simple question, but apparently there's much to the
answer. I agree with the Sopher's concerns re: age and possible
deterioration. But I am strongly against any implications of "our
generation" or "our balabatim" having higher standards -- and am not
trying to put words into the mouths of any previous respondents.
The oft told joke is the Rabbi and the college professor getting on a
train -- the Yeshiva student offers his seat to the Rabbi, but the
college student does not offer his seat to the professor. The Rabbi
explains to the professor: "To your student, you are one generation
closer to monkeys. To my student, I am one generation closer to Sinai."
Yes -- I once, perhaps 25 years ago, bought tephellin for a pious, long
bearded, sopher on the lower East Side only to find, many years later
when I had them inspected, that he had put used (and taped!) klafs
inside the new battim.
But I cannot drink from a large enough glass of chutzpah to question the
halachic practices of previous generations of frum Jews -- even one of
my wife's ancestors - a Shayne Yid from Telz Lithuania :)
Kol Tov
Carl Singer
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From: Israel Rosenfeld <israel.rosenfeld@...>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 13:00:54 +0200
Subject: Re: Pidyon Haben
The Rambam paskens according to Rabbi Yosei Haglili that the Torah says
"peter rechem miYisroel", the "rechem" (womb) must be "miYisroel" -
neither Kohenet nor Leviah.
Behatzlacha raba.
Yisrael
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From: Stan Tenen <meru1@...>
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 10:10:32 -0700
Subject: Ruach haKodesh
Ruach haKodesh is not just inspiration, and it's not just Torah
inspiration, and it's not just the inspiration of a person deeply versed
in Torah and Talmud and learning.
There have been many "prophets" who have Ruach haKodesh, and there are
some people who are just inspired.
How can we tell the difference? Meaningful differences require a
context to understand them. I'm pointing out that Rashi explicitly
demonstrates Ruach haKodesh, by his explicit commentary to the gemara
for Ain Dorshin.
If Ruach haKodesh is specific, what is it specific of? I'm suggesting
that Ruach haKodesh is evidenced by a sage's ability to see
relationships from "above", and to come to a level of understanding
sufficient to see the deep meaning hidden in the narrative metaphors.
Rashi's discussions indicate that he has personally partaken of at least
some of the initial steps of the Pardes experience, which takes the form
of Adam Kadmon. Otherwise, I doubt he'd have the chutzpah to comment on
Ain Dorshin, and his particular comments couldn't converge on the
fundamental models and metaphors of the deepest Kabbalistic experiences.
Ruach haKodesh occurs when a person has made themselves a vessel for Ain
Sof. That's why moral, ethical, and halachic requirements are so high.
Nothing at all happens, or can happen, to a person who is proud, or to a
person who isn't ready. So, good behavior is the prerequisite.
But good behavior does not, in and of itself, lead to the opening
experiences of Ruach haKodesh.
People who are not Jewish can also master the prerequisites by
loving-kindness, a lack of ego, etc. You don't have to be Jewish to
yield to the Infinity of Hashem/Elokim. A person who approaches the
humility of Moshe could be from any culture.
Once a person has learned their own limitations and confronted their own
personal mortality (and met the other conditions in Mishna Ain Dorshin,
which I'm certain Rashi did!), they are capable of seeing, when they
look in the right direction. This is kind of mechanical. All vessels,
no matter what their shape, can catch the rain. All persons who make
themselves vessels of "Kadosh" can catch the "Ruach". But only the
Torah vessel -- Adam Kadmon -- is a "just-fit" for Ain Sof, the closest
we can come to analytic apprehension of God.
Once at this stage, the question is, what's the best view of the "top"?
Obviously, the best view is the view from the Torah perspective. But
non-Jews can look in other directions, and also see very far. The key
is humility. A person with Ruach haKodesh is humble in direct
proportion to their perception of the Infinity of Hashem/Elokim. The
closer a person comes to sensing the transcendent infinity of God, the
smaller they feel personally. If this isn't the case, then either the
person is unconscious, very arrogant, or has a very small idea of God.
Persons with Ruach haKodesh _experience_ what others understand as
metaphoric poetry. There is no particular "imagery" at this level.
Instead, there is pure relationship. Ruach haKodesh is not a fixed
state, it is "riding the wave" -- the process of yielding to Hashem.
How do we know this? We know it by analogy with modern science.
Science teaches that the elements of reality have both a particle-like
and a wave-like nature. Our particle-like nature is our ego. Our
wave-like nature is our loving-kindness and our humility.
Ruach implies process. Process is relationship. It's related to
loving-kindness and humility. Ruach haKodesh represents a continuous
opening to Hashem/Elokim. Just like an electron cannot penetrate a
potential barrier, our egos cannot penetrate the physical deterioration
of death. But just like an electron as a wave can "tunnel through" a
potential barrier, our loving-kindness can go on endlessly. A person
with Ruach haKodesh is operating in relationship-mode, without ego. But
not every person who acts with loving-kindness has gone on to the deeper
explicit experiences. Rashi obviously has.
Best,
Stan
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From: Daniel Israel <daniel@...>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 16:47:45 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: Tehilas Hashem
With regard to saying the pasuk "Tehilas HaShem" at the end "Shir
HaMa'alos" before bentching, I don't see what is wrong with someone who
does not have such a minhag sitting silently while others say it. Of
course, it should not be done in such a way as to call attention to
oneself unduly, and obviously and disparagement of the frumkeit of those
who do say it is completely out of line.
Daniel M. Israel
<daniel@...> 1130 North Mountain Ave.
Dept. of Aerospace & Mechanical The University of Arizona
Engineering Tucson, AZ 85711
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End of Volume 36 Issue 48
