Volume 42 Number 35
Produced: Wed Mar 31 4:58:04 US/Eastern 2004
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Ga-al Yisroel vs. Goel Yisroel.
[<Smwise3@...>]
L'Maan Achai V'Rayai
[Michael Poppers]
Lo Shinu et Leshonam
[Leah Perl Shollar]
New Sefer: Tziyurim L'Mseches Kinim
[Charlie Hafner]
Orhot Zaddikim - new text
[Seth & Sheri Kadish]
Pesach -- relaxed requirements (2)
[Batya Medad, Carl Singer]
Reason for discontinuing the TRANSLATING leining custom
[Russell J Hendel]
Seder Tidbits: on Brachot
[Joel Wiesen]
Sfirat Omer reminders?
[Batya Medad]
Tootsie Rolls (5)
[Mike Gerver, Shayna Kravetz, Carl Singer, Alan Friedenberg,
Janice Gelb]
Yetziv Pisgam
[Elie Rosenfeld]
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From: <Smwise3@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 22:53:46 EST
Subject: Re: Ga-al Yisroel vs. Goel Yisroel.
I am sure we all agree that our tefilos have a better chance of being
accepted if we take care in how we daven. Many years ago, a Rav pointed
out to me after I had erred when I was davening for the amud: In the
berachah Re-eh Na, I ended by mistakenly saying "Ga-al Yisroel"
(redeemed us in the past) instead of the way it is written "Go-el
Yisroel" (present, Who redeems Israel.
It is probably the most often mistaken pronunciation I hear from the
amud. (To a less degree, people say "L'shanay afar" instead of
"lee-shai-nay afar." I would assume if I hear the mistake from the
amud, who knows how many people mispronounce the word. (Or is there a
liturgy that states "Ga'al Yisroel?)
Indeed, if we want Hashem to redeem us, we should bear in mind that He
is the One Who will redeem us.
I write this just as a reminder to be careful when pronouncing the words
of our tefilos.
Chag Kasher V'sameach.
S.Wise
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From: <MPoppers@...> (Michael Poppers)
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:00:29 -0500
Subject: Re: L'Maan Achai V'Rayai
>From M-J V42#33:
> Our community.... <
For those who are interested, that would be the greater (including North
Elizabeth and Hillside) Elizabeth, NJ community.
All the best from a fellow member of "our community,"
-- Michael Poppers via RIM pager
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From: Leah Perl Shollar <leahperl@...>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 21:00:08 -0500
Subject: Lo Shinu et Leshonam
My question is about a quote from Reb Moshe Feinstein Ztz'l. Someone
told me they had heard an interesting explanation from Reb Moshe about
the "lo shinu et leshonam" phrase of the four things that BN'Y did to
merit redemption from Israel. According to Reb Moshe, lo shinu doesn't
mean that they DIDN'T speak Egyptian, but rather that they didn't change
their "style" of speech: I.e. refined, polite, no vulgar language, etc.,
Has anyone seen this explanation personally, and if so, where?
Thanks,
Leah Perl Shollar
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From: Charlie Hafner <rebcharles@...>
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 22:40:35 -0500
Subject: New Sefer: Tziyurim L'Mseches Kinim
My brother, Shlomo Hafner, has put together a new Sefer, along the same
lines of his previous Tziyurim L'Mseches Yevamos. It is available in
manuscript format at www.insureback.com/kinim. Any input or comments
are appreciated.
thx
Charlie Hafner
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From: Seth & Sheri Kadish <skadish@...>
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 17:46:17 +0200
Subject: Orhot Zaddikim - new text
This post is for those who love sifrei musar of the rishonim.
In Orhot Zaddikim at the end of Sha`ar ha-Zekhirah, the anonymous author
wrote:
"Ve-simmanei kelalot ha-middot ha-ketuvim be-sof ha-sefer -- yahazor
be-khol yom pa`amayim, ve-yivdok azmo tamid im kizer le-kayyem
ha-middot, `ad she-yehe ragil likah mi-kol middah ha-tov she-bah."
(Text cited according to manuscripts; the printed version of this
passage differs substantially.)
"As for the summaries of the main principles of the character traits
which are written at the end of the book - let [the reader] review them
twice a day, always checking himself as to whether he is lacking in
fulfilling the character traits, until he accustoms himself to take what
is good from each character trait."
These simanim (summaries) are missing in all printed editions of Orhot
Zaddikim, and even in most of the manuscripts from before the book was
printed. However, they survive in the earliest manuscript of all, a
5190 (1430) transcription kept in the library of the University of
Warsaw, which has only been available since the late 1990s.
I recently finished editing an electronic text of the simanim from that
manuscript, which I want to make it available to those who would like to
read it. It will soon become available online IYH along with some
supplementary material (possibly including parts of the manuscript
itself). When that happens I will post another note. In the meantime,
anyone who would like a copy in the meantime send me a note.
Seth (Avi) Kadish
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From: Batya Medad <ybmedad@...>
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 12:48:00 +0200
Subject: Pesach -- relaxed requirements
Sorry, but there's a problem with your subject. One must distinguish
between the requirements and the "extras" (spring cleaning.) The rabbis
who are poskening to clean less haven't reduced the anti-chometz
requirements, which is what Pesach cleaning is really about. They're
just saying that your shower curtains have nothing to do with chametz,
the same for the dust, bedroom windows etc. The kitchen is the focal
point; that's where the food is prepared, and unless you take the
kitchen windows out of the frames and serve on them, they, too, can be
skipped.
Batya
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From: Carl Singer <casinger@...>
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 04:58:59 -0500
Subject: Pesach -- relaxed requirements
>Carl Singer wrote with respect to cleaning for Pesach:
>
><<There are many differing halachic viewpoints and scores of different
>minhagim and family traditions re: Pesach. Granted many people go
>beyond what others would consider to be halachic minimums when it comes
>to preparing for Shabbos, Yom Tov AND Pesach.>>
>
>I think Carl misses the point. There is nothing intrinsically "wrong"
>with cleaning more than is minimally necessary for Pesach. What is wrong
>is using the excuse of the unnneeded cleaning as a reason to justify
>making Yom Tov of Pesach a vacation destination.
>
>My own very subjective thought is that it is better to clean less and be
>able to have extended family together celebrating and experiencing the
>seder and yom tov at home, rather than spending the holiday sun bathing
>or worrying about when the tea room opens or my tee time.
>
>David I. Cohen
David is missing MY point -- I'm NOT addressing Pesach vacations, etc. -
I'm not about to tell others what to do re: same.
I'm taking umbrage with anyone proclaiming that THEY have THE halachic
answer re: Pesach cleaning (on anything else, for that matter) and
others are thus ignorant. In this case wasting their time by cleaning
beyond this proclaimed halachic benchmark.
Carl Singer
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From: Russell J Hendel <rjhendel@...>
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 22:16:11 -0500
Subject: RE: Reason for discontinuing the TRANSLATING leining custom
Thanks to Martin Stern in v42n27 for mentioning all the beautiful Temani
customs.
One subtle point: Martin mentions >>When Ashkenazim abandoned reading
the targum<<
I heard from the Rav (Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchick) the reason for
this abandonment.
Recall that 8-10 centuries ago it was "in vogue" for Christians to try
and prove Christianity from the Torah itself (In our own time this has
fallen out of vogue due to the successful refutations of our many
scholars).
So, after the exodus from Babel (Where Aramaic was spoken) the only way
to continue the Meturgeman tradition (translating the Bible verse by
verse) was to use current-language-translations.
But if you lived in a rural area there was a danger than a
current-language-translation would have hidden in them many
christological references---the church could then turn around and demand
conversion on penalty of death if these rural Jewish communities could
not answer the Christian arguments from the BIblical text.
The Rav explained that the TRANSLATION CUSTOM was discontinued to avoid
these very real problems, The Taymani community I believe lived in Arab
lands and this problem was not prevelant there (That is the Arabs did
not try and prove their case from our Torah).
In passing the Shulchan Aruch allows use of Rashi to satisfy the
INDIVIDUAL requirement to read with a translation.
Russell Jay Hendel; http://www.Rashiyomi.com/
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From: Joel Wiesen <wiesen@...>
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:18:27 -0500
Subject: Seder Tidbits: on Brachot
Again this year many of our seder guests will be repeats (I'm happy to
say), so again I'm looking for little tidbits to sprinkle in to keep
attention and teach.
I ran across one recently in an Artscroll book on Brachos by Forst (pg
239).
Sefardic Jews customarily say mezonos over matza during the year. Only
on Pesach do they say hamotze.
This interesting tidbit has the potential of leading into an exploration
of what defines bread and what bracha to say on crackers.
Can you suggest other unusual aspects of various brachot at the seder?
Yehuda
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From: Batya Medad <ybmedad@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 22:29:54 +0200
Subject: Sfirat Omer reminders?
Last year I received email reminders for Sfirat Haomer. They were
fantastically helpful. I don't remember from where. Does anyone know?
Batya
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From: <MJGerver@...> (Mike Gerver)
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 04:50:33 EST
Subject: Re: Tootsie Rolls
Richard Dine asks, in v42n33,
> Are Tootsie Rolls Kosher? They obviously have not Hechsher on them but
> I did not think there was a concern until someone mentioned it to me.
About 20 years ago, my grandfather's cousin, Philip Sedell, who worked
for many years for Tootsie Roll, told me that they used no non-kosher
ingredients, although they had no hechsher. I don't know what the
present situation is.
Mike Gerver
Raanana, Israel
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From: Shayna Kravetz <skravetz@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:18:21 -0500
Subject: Re: Tootsie Rolls
>Are Tootsie Rolls Kosher? They obviously have not Hechsher on them but
>I did not think there was a concern until someone mentioned it to me.
www.kashrut.org lists them as kosher dairy.
Kol tuv and a freilach and kosher Pesach from
Shayna Kravetz
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From: Carl Singer <casinger@...>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:28:25 -0500
Subject: Tootsie Rolls
Their website www.tootsie.com has lots of information, at
www.tootsie.com/nutrition.html which lists their nutritional information
(the column on the far right side is "Kosher") a few of their products
(Charleston Chew, Cella's and Andes) are listed as KD or circle KD --
there is no such marking after Tootsie Rolls.
But I wanted to point out that a very well respected Rabbi who works for
a major kashruth organization often quips that "when I was a boy,
Tootsie Rolls were Kosher" -- meaning that no one questioned most
candies.
Today, since even water has kosher certification, things have changed.
Carl Singer
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From: Alan Friedenberg <elshpen@...>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 06:15:57 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Tootsie Rolls
Tootsie Rolls are not kosher. I once e-mailed the company about it, and
the response was that they re-evaluate kosher certification a few times
a year.
Alan
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From: Janice Gelb <j_gelb@...>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:08:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: RE: Tootsie Rolls
I couldn't find anything about their kashrut, but I did find the
following on a (l'havdil) halal information site:
Whey in Tootsie Roll Questionable
(February 4, 2004) After numerous inquiries regarding Tootsie Roll
candies, eat-halal.com has found that the status of the whey in the
candies is questionable. According to a Tootsie Roll representative,
the whey in the candies may be made using either animal or non-
animal derived ingredients.
-- Janice
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From: Elie Rosenfeld <erosenfe@...>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 16:06:07 -0500
Subject: Yetziv Pisgam
In Vol. 42 #27, Martin Stern writes
> The same applies to yetsiv pitgam which is also an introduction to the
> targum on the haftarah.
I'm glad this was mentioned because it gives me an excuse to mention a
theory of mine concerning Yetziv Pisgam. (I guess this is somewhat
timely since if Pesach is next week, Shavous can't be that far behind!)
Anyway, as Martin mentions Yetziv Pisgam is a piyyut [liturgical poem]
in praise of Yonasan Ben Uzziel, who wrote the targum [Aramaic
translation] on neviim [Prophets]. Yetziv Pisgam is chanted after the
first pasuk [verse] of the haftarah because it introduces the meturgaman
[translator] who, in earlier times, would translate each pasuk of the
haftarah into Aramaic after it was read in the original Hebrew. My
question is, why specifically is this piyyut read on the second day of
Shavous?
My answer is based on the famous mishnah of Ain Dorshin which indicates
that certain very deep and inscrutable sections in the torah/tanach are
not to be translated or taught in too open a matter. One of these is
the "maaseh merkava", the description of the heavenly chariot and image
of Hashem's glory, in Chapter 1 of Ezekiel. Now, this chapter is
actually read as the haftarah on the *first* day of Shavuos. Thus, as
per Ain Dorshin, the haftarah was not *allowed* to be translated that
day, so the meturgaman had the day off, if you will. Therefore, at the
haftarah on the *second* day of Shavous, we recite Yetziv Pisgam to
re-introduce and praise the meturgaman who was conspicuously absent the
day before!
I think this explanation is original - at least, I have looked in a
significant number of siddurim that discuss Yetziv Pisgam and have never
seen it given. Has anyone come across this explanation in a written
source?
Thanks,
Elie Rosenfeld
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End of Volume 42 Issue 35
