Volume 47 Number 78
Produced: Thu Apr 28 6:31:07 EDT 2005
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Changing Halacha
[Elazar M. Teitz]
Confirmation of the Story of the Pope and the Jewish child
[Liz Muschel]
Domestic Violence and Weekends
[<FriedmanJ@...>]
An interesting curiosity
[<DTnLA@...>]
Kaddish
[Janice Gelb]
More Divorces on Sundays?
[Leah S. Gordon]
Non Jewish Sayings
[Andy Goldfinger]
On second day Yom Tov
[Mark Steiner]
Ov horachamim
[Perets Mett]
Quinoa for Pesach
[Robert Rubinoff]
Qunioa
[W. Baker]
Yes, there is a "great divide" in Religious Zionism
[Ben Katz]
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From: Elazar M. Teitz <remt@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:52:42 GMT
Subject: re: Changing Halacha
>Rav Dov Lior . . . told me that "mei-ikar hadin" the halacha is like
>the Hacham Zvi, (that the obligation of 1 or 2 days YomTov depends on
>where you are now, not where you came from). . . . Because "some
>achronim differ" (in Rav Lior's words) he recommends not doing de'oraita
>prohibitions on the ostensible 2nd day YT. He was emphatic that no one
>should daven in Israel a YT davening on the second day."
Then may we assume that he would be equally emphatic that no one outside
of Israel should daven a weekday davening on the second day? If not,
what's the difference?
(Of course, he would say that the Israeli outside of Israel must observe
all work prohibitions, whether of Torah or of rabbinic origin, since
that is the halacha in Shulchan Aruch.)
EMT
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From: <LMuschel@...> (Liz Muschel)
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 08:30:56 EDT
Subject: Confirmation of the Story of the Pope and the Jewish child
The story of the Pope and the Jewish child, as reported by Prof. Eliach
is absolutely true and is verified by Shelley Berger Rindner of
Monsey. The child in the story is her father's cousin. The child is
Stanley Berger who was finally reunited after the war with an aunt and
uncle in Silver Springs, MD. His parents left him with a Gentile couple
with instructions that if they did not survive they were to contact the
relatives in the USA. The Gentile woman grew attached to the child and
brought him to the local priest who upon learning he was a Jewish child
refused to baptize him and insisted that the American relatives be
contacted, which they were.
Liz Muschel
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From: <FriedmanJ@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 07:20:52 EDT
Subject: Re: Domestic Violence and Weekends
Rav Mordechai Eliyahu warns (Kol Tzofayich sheet, #307, Tazriya)
that couples should be extra careful on Fridays and Shabbat to
avoid getting into arguments. He recalled that when he was a
Dayan in Beer Sheva, he took note that statistically, many more
divorce files were opened at the Beit Din on Sundays more than any
other day.
Shabbat and Yom Tov are the worst times of the week and month for
domestic violence. On Friday night and Shabbat, men and women spend time
together for the first time in a week. The kids are sitting around the
table, and the cataloguing of all events begins, with recriminations and
all. If the husband is a batterer, Friday night becomes his to assert
himself over the family--and if he is obnoxious, then you know what
happens. If the wife or kids protest, you know what happens.
That is why I am extremely upset when the "WarmLines" close down for
Shabbat and just leave callers a message to dial 911.
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From: <DTnLA@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 09:07:56 EDT
Subject: Re: An interesting curiosity
Shmuel Himelstein <himels@...> writes:
>My son Aytan pointed out an interesting curiosity this year on Parshat
>Pekudei, which was also Parshat Shekalim and Rosh Chodesh.
>The Kriyah was normal for the first 5 Aliyot, while the 6th Aliyah
>encompassed both Shishi and Shevii.
>Shevii was the Rosh Chodesh Kriyah, while Maftir was Shekalim.
>What is interesting is that this is the only possible way (barring VeZot
>Haberachah) where Shishi is Chazak!>>
I heard in a speech that shabbos that the Ohr Someach discusses a
question that was brought to him from a shul where the custom was to
auction off all the Shishis and all of the Chazaks for the upcoming year
to two people. That year, like this year, Pekudei's Shishi was also
Chazak. Who gets the aliya?
Dov Teichman
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From: Janice Gelb <j_gelb@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 09:01:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Kaddish
Martin Stern <md.stern@...> wrote:
> I think that Nachum is incorrect. Daughters are not obliged to say
> kaddish though, according to some opinions, they are permitted to do
> so. If they were really obligated then they should come to shul three
> times a day to do so just like sons, or at least once to fulfil the
> minimal requirement. It is virtually unheard of for women to do this
> so, if he were correct, almost all women are remiss in their duties,
> something one should be hesitant to suggest.
*ahem* Just as a data point, I said kaddish for my mother daily for 11
months, missing only twice, both times because the shul I attended had
problems.
-- Janice
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From: Leah S. Gordon <leah@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 06:08:04 -0700
Subject: More Divorces on Sundays?
With all due respect to Mr. Yisrael Medad, who writes:
>...into arguments. He recalled that when he was a Dayan in Beer Sheva,
>he took note that statistically, many more divorce files were opened at
>the Beit Din on Sundays more than any other day....[some
>recommendations about not fighting on Saturdays or chag]"
I strongly suspect that this is not unlike the way we get more mail on
Mondays, and even more after a postal holiday. Surely, all the mail
[divorce cases] that would have piled up on the holiday, is pushed off
to the next business day!
However, who could argue with Mr. Medad's conclusion--of course, we
should all try to be peaceful and loving and helpful to our
families/friends on shabbat and chag.
--Leah S. R. Gordon
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From: Andy Goldfinger <Andy.Goldfinger@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 08:28:46 -0400
Subject: Non Jewish Sayings
There has been some discussion about the use of sayings of non-Jewish
origin. There are a few that I use regularly, and I solicit comment on
them.
The first comes from the recruiting campaign of the United States Army.
They used a slogan that I wish we Jews had invented:
"Be all that you can be."
What a wonderful goal. The Army has now replaced this by a new slogan:
"an Army of one." I am not sure I have any idea what that means, nor do
most people I have consulted. Oh well -- maybe now that "be all that
you can be" is no longer used by them we can adopt it as our own.
The second saying was originated by a Jew, an old time American comedian
named Sam Levinson. He meant it as a joke, but I feel it is quite
profound mussar:
"If you want to be wise, think of something stupid to say and don't say
it."
Finally, here is a controversial one due to a Roman Catholic theologen
named DeChardin (I hope I have spelled it correctly). I like it, but a
friend of mine takes issue with it from a Hashkafic viewpoint.
"We are not human beings having spiritual experiences. We are spirtual
beings having a human experience."
My friend feels that this belittles the reality of this world. Comments?
-- Andy Goldfinger
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From: Mark Steiner <marksa@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:13:36 +0300
Subject: On second day Yom Tov
We have the testimony of the Pe-at Hashulhan (one of the
founders of the Ashkenazi community in Eretz Yisrael, a disciple of the
Vilna Gaon), not only that the halacha is that a visitor to Eretz
Yisrael MUST keep two days of Yom Tov, as though he were still abroad,
but that the practice was to run special services for the visitors.
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:42:11 +0100
Subject: Ov horachamim
> Once this subject has been broached, can anyone explain to me the
> instructions given by Artscroll for Av Harachamim?
>
> "As a general rule, the memorial prayer is omitted on occasions when
> Tachanun would not be said on weekdays, but there are any number of
The 'general rule' found in most sidurim nowadays is the widespread,
but not universal, custom. According to the Polish custom, ov
horachamim is said only on:
1 the Shabbos before Shovuos
2 the Shabbos before Tisho b'Ov
3 after yizkor
Perets Mett
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From: Robert Rubinoff <rubinoff@...>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 09:32:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Quinoa for Pesach
> From: Michael Mirsky <mirskym@...>
> I asked our LOR this question last year. He said that this has been
> investigated, and quinoa wasn't known at the time the various species which
> are considered kitniot were determined. So they are not kitniot.
But the same is true of corn, which was unknown to Europeans till some
time after 1492. So I don't think this follows.
Robert
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From: W. Baker <wbaker@...>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 10:06:50 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Qunioa
> From: Jonathan Baker <jjbaker@...>
> Anyway, my mother made quinoa for a seder last year. It's a big fuss to
> make, takes a lot of cooking, and doesn't really taste like much except
> what you use to flavor it. Why bother?
It is of great value for vegetarians who are quite limited during
Pesach. Along with spaghetti squash, it can form he basis of main
coourses that are not just potato. Think pilafs, stuffed vegetables,
etc.
I will make it again this year, for my seder as my younger son, the
vegetarian will be there. It is for this reason that , having asked my
Rabbi last year, I will not ask again.
Wendy Baker
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From: Ben Katz <bkatz@...>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 11:01:30 -0500
Subject: Re: Yes, there is a "great divide" in Religious Zionism
>From: Seth Kadish <skadish@...>
>There has been some discussion recently of a new, "great divide" in
>religious Zionism in the wake of the uprooting of communities in Gaza
>and Samaria.
>
>First of all, it is absolutely true that there is a major internal
>conflict going on within religious Zionism today. I don't think it would
>be an exaggeration to call it a civil war.
>
>Secondly, it is true that Sharon's plans have brought these inner
>tensions out in very extreme ways.
>
>However, it not *not* true that any of this is new. Rather, the tensions
>that are now coming to the fore are very deep and very old, and have
>existed within religious Zionism since its very beginnings (over a
>century ago). And these tensions are not, first and foremost, about the
>"Land of Israel," but much more about other issues.
> [Snip]
>I've come to the personal conclusion that a total split or divorce
>between the two streams would be healthier in the long term for both of
>them. Right now, they already have separate yeshivot, separate schools,
>separate newspapers, separate women's organizations, separate outreach
>groups... There is deep tension within Bnei Akiva in Israel today
>precisely because it has *not* yet split in two (I think it would be
>healthier and more pleasant for all if it did).
>
>I hope this survey can spur some discussion, so that people outside of
>Israel can get a better picture of what is going on. I wrote an essay on
>this topic some time ago, and anyone who would like to read it can
>e-mail me.
I agree with Mr. Kadish's analysis of the 2 camps, but disagree
that they need to split. There are enough divisionas already in
Judaism. Observant Jews make up only ~ 10-20% of the Jewish population;
we don't need more divisions.
Incidentally, when I was a kid, it was common at Orthodox youth
group shabattons to talk about the 3 "dirty words" in Judaism -
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform, and attempts were made at bridging
gaps, being mekarev people, etc. One can argue that the movements have
seperated even more since then and the gaps may be unbridgeable. But
within the Observant community?
One last point: non-observant branches of Judaism point to the
divisions within Orthodoxy and argue that those divisions are as great
as those between Orthodoxy and Conservative and Reform. Let's not prove
them right! I may not agree with a Hardeli, but I will eat in his/her
home, daven in his/her shul, etc., and hope that he/she will do the same
with me. The same cannot be said for the nonobservant.
Ben Z. Katz, M.D.
Children's Memorial Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases
2300 Children's Plaza, Box # 20, Chicago, IL 60614
e-mail: <bkatz@...>
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End of Volume 47 Issue 78