Volume 37 Number 97
Produced: Thu Dec 12 6:20:25 US/Eastern 2002
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Better question - Role of Hashkafa
[Mordechai Horowitz]
Chanuka = Sukkot
[Gilad J. Gevaryahu]
Erev Purim
[David & Judith Weil]
Fax machine on Shabbat
[Michael Kahn]
Fax on Shabbat / Nolad
[Eli Turkel]
Genealogy and Moshiach
[Ginsburg, Paul]
Hebrew Lonely Man
[Shalom Carmy]
Hesech da'at and havdalah
[Danny Skaist]
The Making of a Gadol
[Andy Levy-Stevenson]
Oven
[Carolynn Feldblum]
The Rambam on Kollel
[Boruch Merzel]
Speaking on Phone when it is Shabbat on one side
[Zev Sero]
Tzedaqah Obligations to Street Panhandlers
[Michael Kahn]
Vayyeshev
[Jay F Shachter]
Vegan in Scotland
[Danny Skaist]
Veshakhanti Betokham
[Rachel Swirsky]
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From: Mordechai Horowitz <mordechai@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 00:05:28 -0800
Subject: Better question - Role of Hashkafa
>1. What place does "Ideology" have in a question of Hilchos Shabbos?
>The Chazon Ish had much to say on the subject.
I think a broader and better question is what is the role of hashkafa in
halachic decision making.?
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From: <Gevaryahu@...> (Gilad J. Gevaryahu)
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:46:43 EST
Subject: Chanuka = Sukkot
Avi Feldblum (v37n95) says:
[Sukkot + Shemini Atzaret = 8, and as pointed out by Rabbi Bulka from
the text, it was initially a form of "replacement" for the Succot /
Shemini Atzeret holiday since they were "in the hills and could not
celebrate in it's proper time" (basic idea from memory, not translation
of verse). Mod.]
The are two source for this: The first cited by Rabbi Bulka. The second
source is the Second book of Maccabees which starts with a letter that
the inhabitants of Jerusalem sent to the Jews of Egypt: "and now
celebrate the Chag Hasukkot from the 25th of Kislev" and they
recommended to the Jews of Egypt to do the same.
Gilad J. Gevaryahu
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From: David & Judith Weil <weildj@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 08:19:46 +0200
Subject: Re: Erev Purim
> Has anyone ever heard of or attended a wedding after hearing the
> Megillah reading ?
I have attended a wedding in Jerusalem on the eve of 14th Adar, when, after
the chuppa, all the guests who had come from out-of-town went off to a side
room to hear the megilla.
Judith
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From: Michael Kahn <mi_kahn@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 04:30:14 -0500
Subject: Re: Re: Fax machine on Shabbat
>As an aside, I know someone in Eretz Yisroel who used to receive a
>weekly Dvar Torah via fax from his father in law (who was in America)
>during his Friday night Seudah. (It was still erev Shabbos in America.)
>He used to read the fax without touching it and say" I just heard a
>vort from my father in law..."
>What about "issur nolad" ? Am I missing something here?
First of all, you may be right! I wrote the story because it was cute
(getting a dvar Torah from your father in law in this non-conventional
fashion...) not to derive a halacha. Nevertheless, I once heard that reading
is not assur because your not being "nehena" or deriving tangible benefit
from what you read in the way that you would if you ate something for
example. I had heard this once regarding reading the newspaper on Shabbos.
Incidentally, I just read in rav Simcha Cohens sefer (Artscroll) on amira
lakum/prohibition to ask a gentile to perform mlacha on Shabbos for you,
that it is forbidden due to amirah laakum to have the newspaper delivered on
Shabbos. Is anyone aware of poskim who permit this?
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From: Eli Turkel <turkel@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 11:40:34 GMT
Subject: Fax on Shabbat / Nolad
> As an aside, I know someone in Eretz Yisrael who used to receive
> a weekly Dvar Torah via fax from his father in law (who was in
> America) during his Friday nught Seudah. (It was still erev Shabos in
> America.) He used to read the fax without touching it and say" I just
> heard a vort from my father in law...">>
<What about "issur nolad" ? Am I missing something here?>
Who says that it is prohibited to look at Nolad?
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From: Ginsburg, Paul <GinsburgP@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 08:04:36 -0500
Subject: Genealogy and Moshiach
I have heard that once Moshiach comes all Jews will be gathered in Eretz
Israel and come before a kohen wearing the Urim v'Tumim. Each Jew will
discover what tribe they descend from since the stone coresponding to
their tribe will light up on the Urim v'Tumim.
I have not been able to find a reference in any seforim for this. Does
anyone know where this can be found? (or if can be found anywhere at
all?)
Paul W. Ginsburg
Rockville, Maryland
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From: Shalom Carmy <carmy@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:55:03 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Hebrew Lonely Man
> Examples of this abound besides the book "making of a gadol". As a
> trivial example R. Soloveitchik dedicated his book to his wife. When it
> was translated into Hebrew the dedication was left out because it was
> thought not fitting for a gadol to dedicate a book to his wife. Many
The Hebrew was produced without permission of the Rav. For all I know
the translator just skipped the page (similar occurrences are frequent
in the secular world) or they may have felt that it was too much hutzpa
to print a translation on their own (with at least the minimal excuse
that they were mezakkeh the community by making important ideas
accessible) and to pirate the dedication as well!
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From: Danny Skaist <danny@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 08:24:50 +0200
Subject: Hesech da'at and havdalah
> That is, when one is making the brocho on the besamim- the besamim
> should be in the right hand, and the kos should be held in the left
> hand. When one is saying the brocho on the ner- the kos should be in
> the right hand- assuming there is someone present to hold the candle for
> the m'varech. When I had to make havdala for myself- I would hold the
> candle in my right hand- and with my left hand- just grasp onto the kos
> with my left as I made the brocho.
> Yakov Spil
I can't see putting down the wine and holding the besamim in the right
hand as hesech daat since the mitzva involved is havdala. Balancing a
full cup of wine in your left hand, while smelling besamim held in your
right is more likely to take your mind off the mitzva and make you worry
where the cup is in relation to the plate to catch any spills etc. I
have seen it written that the cup is put down for besamim and hale for
the candle.
danny
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From: Andy Levy-Stevenson <andy@...>
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 22:01:31 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: The Making of a Gadol
Mark Steiner wrote:
<To take another example, it is a well known fact that R. Shach had
grandchildren who were not religious, which is the type of truth that is
usually censored from books on gedolim. Yet I am full of admiration for
how R. Shach handled what for him must have been a great
embarrassment. His son relates how he would close his gemara and jump up
to embrace his grandson who came to Ponevez in his army uniform in front
of the whole bais medrash.>
I'm by no means an expert on R. Schach ... not my world at all ... but I
seem to remember a discussion about this issue after R. Schach's
death. Not sure if it was here on Mail Jewish, or on Areivim.
Anyway, I *believe* I remember learning during that discussion that his
grandchildren were dati leumi, which is of course not the same thing as
"not religious". Some people might see a dati descendant who serves in
Tzahal as an "embarassment" ... that's their prerogative. I would
strenuously disagree.
Andy Levy-Stevenson
Minneapolis
<andy@...>
http://www.levy-stevenson.com
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From: <KrauseyF@...> (Carolynn Feldblum)
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 02:01:59 EST
Subject: Oven
I am currently beginning to do research to replace my oven.
I know there are ovens that are manufactured not to turn off on yom tov.
Can anyone tell me of their experiences and what brands are the best for this?
If there were any problems in searching for this and how it was overcome?
This can be emailed to me directly,
thanks,
carolynn feldblum
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From: <BoJoM@...> (Boruch Merzel)
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 11:26:30 EST
Subject: Re: The Rambam on Kollel
Re. One who sits in Kolel and expects to be supported by Tz'daka of
others,Howard Farkas writes:
>The Rambam actually states this as halacha in Hilchot Matanot l'Evyonim
>10:18, based on the gemara in Pesachim 113a and Bava Batra 110a: "Even
>if one was a scholar and respected and became impoverished, one should
>become involved in a trade - even a disgusting trade - and not rely on
>others. It is preferable to stretch the hides of dead animals (nevelot)
>and not say to the community 'I am a great scholar...' or 'I am a Cohen,
>so support me.'"
The Rambam also states, quite specifically, in "Hilchos Talmud Torah"
3:10: "One who sets his heart to study Torah and not seek employment,
but allows himself to be supported by charity, commits a chillul ha-shem
(profaning G*d's Name), disgraces the Torah, extinguishes the light of
our Faith, brings evil upon himself and denies himself Olam Habah"
Very strong words.
Boruch Merzel
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From: Zev Sero <zev.sero@...>
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 14:12:37 -0500
Subject: Re: Speaking on Phone when it is Shabbat on one side
Bernard Raab <beraab@...> wrote:
> it is not uncommon for (very observant) parents in the U.S. of children
> in Israel to have the child call home after his or her havdalah and
> record a message of reassurance on the parents' answering machine, which
> the parents may actually hear in "real time" although it is still
> shabbat. In this case the child initiates the connection on his side
> which is assumed to be permitted, but he also knowingly causes a
> connection to be accomplished on the other side which is NOT automatic
> and where it is still shabbat.
So what? He is not commanded to have his (parent's) machine rest on
shabbat. This is no different than setting a timer before shabbat to do
something on shabbat. The person is acting at a time when he is
permitted to do so, and the inanimate object will do its thing on
shabbat without human intervention. It is black-letter law that this is
permitted - `i ata metzuveh al shevitat kelim'.
> Plus, he conducts one side of a conversation across the "shabbat line",
> which could quickly become two-sided if he reports something of vital
> interest. Should this also be "gezerad"?
We have no authority to make up new gezerot. Why assume that the
parents will deliberately break shabbat if they hear something that
doesn't justify it? And in the extremely unlikely case that they hear
something which leads them to believe that a life is in danger and that
they can do something about it (though I can't imagine how that could
be) then they'd be justified in picking up the phone.
Zev Sero
<zsero@...>
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From: Michael Kahn <mi_kahn@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 04:12:52 -0500
Subject: Re: Tzedaqah Obligations to Street Panhandlers
>To a person who sees themselves as different than others, better than
>others, or Jewish vs. just human
A basic principal of Judaism is to see oneself as unique due to being
Jewish as opposed to merely being human. We say a bracha/blessing to
Hashem for not creating us as a gentile, ("Shlo Asani Goy," (or, Akum,
(idol worshiper) for those sidurim that probably have been cencored, to
touch on another recent issue)), proclaim to Hashem, "Atah Bchartanu
Mikal Haamin", (You have chosen us from all the nations) and thrice
daily recite the Aleinu to thank Hashem for "... not placing our lot
with them..."
>The truly impoverished person guards their property and wealth from all
>sorts of less worthy purposes, because they don't recognize where it
>comes from in the first place
To the contrary, the one who "recognize(s) where it comes from in the
first place" realises his awesome responsibilty to use it properly.
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From: Jay F Shachter <jay@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 09:33:11 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Vayyeshev
>From v37n95:
> I have noticed a parallelism within the parsha of vayeshev. The
> brothers pull off Yoseph's coat and then throw him in a pit. The same
> sequence is repeated with eshet Potiphar. She pulls off his coat, and
> then has him thrown into prison. The prison is referred to more than
> once by Yoseph as a 'bor' (pit).
> Has anyone seen a commentary on this?
Yes, certainly. Don Yicxaq Abarbanel (this appears to be the correct
pronunciation of his name, according to the best evidence -- sometimes
the hamon `am are right) lists several such parallels in the story of
Yosef, and these are two of the ones he mentions.
Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter
6424 N Whipple St, Chicago IL 60645-4111
(1-773)7613784
<jay@...> - http://m5.chi.il.us
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From: Danny Skaist <danny@...>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 07:55:31 +0200
Subject: Vegan in Scotland
> << From: Jeremy Nussbaum <jeremynuss@...>
> One of my daughters will be spending some time at the Glasgow School of
> Art. Can anyone tell me about Jewish and kosher vegetarian (this
> daughter is vegetarian) facilities in the Glasgow area, especially about
> the garnet hill synagogue, since it is right near the school.
try.
http://www.scotlandthegreen.co.uk/holidays/index.htm
danny
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From: <swirskyr@...> (Rachel Swirsky)
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:23:37 -0500
Subject: Veshakhanti Betokham
I remember learning once (I know that it was from a teacher I had in
school, but for the life of me I can not remember which one) that it was
to show us that Yoseph was punished middah k'negged middah for "showing
off in front of his brothers.
Rachel Swirsky
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End of Volume 37 Issue 97
