Volume 53 Number 18
Produced: Tue Dec 5 5:04:43 EST 2006
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Airport Security
[Carl Singer]
Baranovich auction opportunity
[SBA]
Carrying Infants on Shabbat
[Orrin Tilevitz]
Eating meat
[Natan Slifkin]
Inspecting tefillin at airport security (2)
[Hanno Mott, Leonard Paul]
Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society (3)
[Joseph Mosseri, Kenneth H. Ryesky, Esq., Binyomin Segal]
Lost Kesuba & Posul Eidus
[Daniel Wells]
Not Liking Meat
[David Riceman]
Sefer HaTapuach (3)
[Joseph Mosseri, Seth Kadish, Menashe Elyashiv]
Stories/Interpretations
[Leah S. Gordon]
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From: <casinger@...> (Carl Singer)
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:10:13 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Airport Security
I think a key point, which I heard from a former El Al security manager
is that they (El Al) look at the person -- U.S. airport security looks
at the object.
Carl A. Singer, Ph.D.
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From: SBA <sba@...>
Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 01:22:08 +1100
Subject: Baranovich auction opportunity
IIRC, some time ago we discussed the authenticity of the well known
portrait of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l, with some claiming that the image is
actually that of the Radin butcher.
I have just been perusing the latest Baranovitch Judaica auction
catalogue where this portrait "fashioned from the micrographic writing
of his work Zachor laMiriam" appears, stating that it was printed in
1929. (ITEM # 341)
I think that the fact that already 75 years ago it was accepted as the
CC, should be enough to dispel any doubts of authenticity.
Link to catalogue (where there are many interesting items):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=9C02763839968940
SBA
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From: Orrin Tilevitz <tilevitzo@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:11:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Carrying Infants on Shabbat
My LOR and all written sources I can find say that one may not carry an
infant on shabbat outside a reshut hayachid (or an eiruv) even where
that prohibition involves a superimposition of two rabbinic decrees: (1)
"hachai nosei et atzmo" (a live being is deemed to be carrying itself)
so the prohibition of carrying the infant even in reshut harabim (a
public domain) would be rabbinic AND (2) the area in which the infant is
being carried (say, a side street or an unfenced yard) is not a toraitic
reshut harabim.
Question: does the same prohibition apply to sefaradim?
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From: Natan Slifkin <zoorabbi@...>
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:41:38 +0200
Subject: Eating meat
The topic of vegetarianism is complex and there is no single approach
within Judaism. On the one hand there are approaches that see it as
something that should be minimized:
"A person should not be accustomed to eating meat, as it is written,
'You may eat meat, in accordance with your heart's desire. like the
gazelle and the deer are eaten, you may eat them.' (Deuteronomy 12:20,
22). By this it means that one should eat meat only occasionally and not
on a regular basis, just as the gazelle and deer. are hardly ever
eaten. For you should not accustom yourself to regularly eating meat, as
it gives rise to cruelty and bad traits in a person, for all birds of
prey eat meat, and a lion mauls to eat..." (Kli Yakar to Genesis 27:3;
also Abarbanel to Isaiah 11:8)
But others see it as a way of elevating the natural world:
":Why did God see fit to command in the Torah to slaughter animals for
human consumption - surely it is written 'God is good to all, and His
mercy is upon all His works' (Psalms 145:9), and if He is merciful, how
could He command the slaughter of an animal for human consumption; where
is His mercy? .However the secret is. an animal does not possess a
higher soul to grasp the deeds of God and His greatness, and at the
creation of the world, God stood the animals before Him and said to
them, 'Do you desire to be slaughtered such that man shall consume you,
and you will be elevated from the level of an animal, that knows
nothing, to the level of man, who knows and recognizes God?' And the
animals said: 'Good, and it is a mercy for us.' For when a person eats
part of an animal, that part becomes part of a human being..." (Rabbi
Yosef Gikatalia, Shaarei Orah)
I have a full discussion of this topic in my book "Man And Beast" which
is available at www.yasharbooks.com/shop
Natan Slifkin
www.zootorah.com
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From: Hanno Mott <hmott@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:03:35 -0500
Subject: RE: Inspecting tefillin at airport security
Tzvi Stein <Tzvi.Stein@...> V53 N16:
> I did hear a story (possibly apocryphal) about the same situation ....
> It was customs, not airport security, that was looking through
> someone's baggage and found the tefillin. The customs inspector asked
> what they were and what was inside, and the man patiently explained.
> The inspector asked the man to open them, and he said that he
> couldn't, because one needed to be a trained scribe (sofer) to do so.
> So the inspector, said, "OK, we'll get a scribe then". Somehow, the
> customs people got hold of a sofer, who came to the airport, opened
> the tefillin, and they were full of diamonds.
Another apocryphal but true story.
Quite a number of years ago I was flying from Amsterdam to NY with a
client, a non-Jewish artist, who was from the western part of the US and
dressed like a cowboy. Cowboy boots, cowboy hat AND he had a big beard.
As we were going through customs in NY, there was a Hasidic man [Kaftan,
black hat, peyos, big beard] in front of us who was asked by the customs
officer if he had anything to declare. His response was "mir reden keyn
English". The officer kept trying until the man understood and said
"nichts", at which point the customs officer took out a razor blade and
slit the seam of the lapels on the man's coat and out tumbled a myriad
of diamonds.
They took the man away and we were next in line so the customs officer
took one look my client with the cowboy hat and big beard and asked "and
so, do you represent the west coast branch"?
Hanno Mott
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From: Leonard Paul <lenpaul@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:21:51 -0500
Subject: RE: Inspecting tefillin at airport security
All this discussion about inspections of tefillin at the airport is very
interesting. However, does anyone know of an actual situation in this
day and age where anyone actually was subjected to a real life situation
where a security officer insisted on tefillin being opened? It seems to
me that with the equipment that they have to "see" into luggage, the
machines should be able to "look into" tefillin or most anything else in
a non-invasive, politely respectful manner.
I can appreciate concerns about questions being raised. However, how is
this any different than being asked to remove one's shoes so that they
can be run through the machine? I doubt that anyone would then have to
be fearful that his or her shoes might then be taken apart for an
inspection.
Len Paul
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From: Joseph Mosseri <joseph.mosseri@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:43:38 -0500
Subject: Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society
Yes,
I have Volume 1 No.2 Fall 1981.
How can I help you?
Which article are you looking for?
Joseph Mosseri
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From: Kenneth H. Ryesky, Esq. <khresq@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:03:27 -0500
Subject: Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society
From Mail Jewish 53:17:
.cp writes:
> [I am looking for the] second volume of the Journal of Halacha and
> Contemporary Society (1981)
The first issue of the Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society was
published in the Spring 1981/Pesach 5741, and designated as "Vol. 1,
No. 1."
The second issue was published in the Fall 1981/Succos 5742, and
designated as "Vol. I, No. II."
The third issue was published in the Spring 1982/ Passover 5742, and
designated as "Vol. II, No. 1".
The fourth issue was published in the Fall 1982/Succos 5743, and
designated as "Number IV".
Thenceforth, all succeeding issues were published semiannually, each
designated as "Number ___" with successive Roman numerals.
Accordingly, there is some ambiguity in the early years of that
publication as to what constitutes an "issue" or a "volume". It would
seem, however, that .cp seeks Volume I, No. II from Fall 1981/Succos
5742.
Selected articles JH&CS are available at http://www.jlaw.com, but these
seem to be from the later issues (or "Numbers").
-- Ken Ryesky
E-Mail: <khresq@...>
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From: Binyomin Segal <bsegal@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:58:04 -0600
Subject: Re: Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society
> [I am looking for the] second volume of the Journal of Halacha and
> Contemporary Society (1981)
Well if you live in Chicago, you are welcome to borrow my copy.
Otherwise, I suggest you contact the publisher, the re-subscription
letter I just received noted that all back issues are available from
them for $6 @ prepaid.
The address is:
Journal of Halacha and Cotemporary Society
Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
350 Broadway - Room 1205
New York, NY 10013
Hope this helps.
binyomin
To the WORLD, YOU may be ONE person; but to ONE person, YOU may be the WORLD
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From: Daniel Wells <wells@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:05:57 +0200
Subject: Lost Kesuba & Posul Eidus
> You can use a fill in the blanks form of kesuba d'irchesa (lost
> kesuba) but this is NOT a do it yourself project-get thee to a Rabbi
> and take care of it ASAP.
> It's not a big deal but does need to be done right.
Not only that, but if I'm not mistaken, yihud (inclusive of being alone
with him in your home) with one's husband is forbidden until a kosher
ketuba is possessed by the wife.
And presumably two kosher witnesses have to sign it.
Just a side point on kosher witnesses, anyone who has ever stolen
something, even using a pen from a friend without attaing his assent,
and has not done teshuva is probably posul eidus.
Daniel
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From: David Riceman <driceman@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:18:49 -0500
Subject: Re: Not Liking Meat
> From: Avi Feldblum <feldblum@...>
> One issue is whether it is valid, from a halachic / torah philosophic
> point of view, to say that one is vegetarian because we as humans do not
> have the moral right to kill other creatures for our purposes (meat,
> hides etc). I believe the consensus of halachic opinions is that the
> above position is contrary to the halachic / torah philosophic point of
> view. The Torah clearly states that we have that right, and to argue
> that killing animals for human purposes is immoral is tantamount to
> saying that your own sense of morality superceeds the Torah. I believe
> we reject that as a valid position.
Consider the example of yefas toar [woman captive of war who is forced
to marry her captor]. The sages say that this law is a concession to
the evil inclination, i.e., that it is immoral to do such a thing, but
it is permitted lest soldiers behave even worse. I would understand
that to imply that the law is immoral. Certainly I've never heard
anyone complain that the Geneva Conventions, which forbid such behavior,
are heretical because they are more stringent than the Torah
requirements.
David Riceman
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From: Joseph Mosseri <joseph.mosseri@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:50:26 -0500
Subject: Sefer HaTapuach
53 Sefer HaTapuach - Aristotle - R' Avraham Bar Chisdai - Lemberg,
1873
Sefer HaTapuach is a philosophical work about the immortality of the soul,
written by Aristotle and translated from Arabic into Hebrew by one of the
great Rishonim, Rabeinu Avraham Bar Chisdai HaLevi. This edition comes with
a German translation by J. Musen.
http://www.seforimonline.org/seforim3.html
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From: Seth Kadish <skadish1@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:58:05 +0200
Subject: Sefer HaTapuach
Hi. Sefer ha-Tapuah is a medieval work about how Aristotle discovered
the light towards the end of his life, and acknowledged the supremacy of
prophecy over revelation. It is cited often by late medieval writers,
sometimes just as common knowledge (that is how I found it in the
Rashbaz). Can be found in good Judaic libraries.
Seth (Avi) Kadish
Karmiel, Israel
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From: Menashe Elyashiv <elyashm@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:08:49 +0200 (IST)
Subject: Sefer HaTapuach
sefer Hatapuah is the hebrew of aristole's de pomo. It was printed in 1873
& 1879
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From: Leah S. Gordon <leah@...>
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:40:57 -0800
Subject: Stories/Interpretations
A recent digest shared the urban legend of a diamond smuggler who was
caught and his tefillin pried open. (Or so I interpreted it.)
I was surprised to read that Frank Silbermann interpreted it thus:
>That sounds like a number of hassidic tales I've heard. What,
>according to the story, did the man do to merit such miraculous great
>good fortune? I can barely imagine how I would feel if the next time I
>had my tefillin inspected they were discovered to be full of diamonds!
Hm... I think you'd be imagining whatever it was, from the back of a
squad car or dim cell. ;)
As to the following from Yossi Ginzberg:
>Mr. Jack Stern O"H, a New Yorker who lived in New York and commuted to
>South Africa for some years in the 1970's, had his t'filin pried open in
>U.S. customs once, because his frequent trips to diamond-mining areas
>aroused suspicion that he might be a smuggler.
>
>His response was to buy another pair so as to have one in each country,
>and to schedule trips so as to not need them en-route.
>
>This type of behavior may perhaps explain why his two sons are both
>roshei-yeshiva, while his daughters both married incredibly outstanding
>people.
Since when is it particularly meritorious to have enough disposable cash
to buy tefillin for every port?
At any rate, since when do good deeds lead predictably to one's children
having good careers/marriages? And finally, since when is it the best a
woman can hope for as an achievement to marry, even an "incredibly
outstanding" person? Did the sons also marry incredibly outstanding
people? Did the daughters achieve great learning? Can we please reduce
at least the overt sexism in these stories?
Lest anyone be unclear, I think great marriages to outstanding people
are wonderful events for everyone. Just not the be-all/end-all reward
for one's daughter as the result of one's mitzvot (!)....
--Leah Sarah Reingold Gordon
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End of Volume 53 Issue 18
