Volume 55 Number 98
Produced: Mon Dec 17 5:47:36 EST 2007
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Bentching on a Kos
[Avi Feldblum]
Chatan not going to Shul
[k and a weiss]
Convert as synagogue president
[David Maslow]
How quickly it gets dark
[Carl Singer]
Maggid of Dubno Project
[David Zucker]
more on kugel
[Menashe Elyashiv]
Sedros (2)
[Jonathan Baker, SBA]
Selichos Nusach (2)
[David Ziants, SBA]
The sentence "yihiyu leratzon imrai phi..."
[Elhanan Adler]
Sidrah division
[Shmuel Himelstein]
Zemanin
[Dr. William Gewirtz]
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From: Avi Feldblum <feldblum@...>
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:11:49 -0500
Subject: Bentching on a Kos
I'd like to thank Ari Zivotofsky for the following link to an article he
has written on this topic.
http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5761winter/LEGAL-EA.PDF
In short summary, there is a machloket among the reshonim on whether it
is required to bentch on a kos (included in this group are the Rosh,
Tur, Tosafot, Rashbam) or whether it is not required but agreed that it
is meritorious (included in this group are the Rambam, Rif, Rashba). The
issue of drinking the kos after sunset on Shabbat afternoon / evening is
discussed by the Magen Avraham, who states that the basic halacha is
that it is permitted, but that one who is not accustomed to always
bentch on a kos should not. I fully agree with Ari's point toward the
end that while there seems to be a common practice that 3 do not require
a kos, but that 10 do, there does not seem to be any early sources to
support this.
Finally, I am in full agreement with Ari that with the common
availability of wine in many of our homes, using a kos for bentching
with a zimun is a practice that is worthy of reviving.
Avi
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From: k and a weiss <aliw@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 09:13:42 +0200
Subject: Re: Chatan not going to Shul
From: Joel Rich <JRich@...>
>> R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zatza"l explained that the Mishna Brura (O"H
>> 131/20) ruling of the chatan not going to shul during the shiva y'mei
>> mishteh (as opposed to the three brit-associated people) was because
>> there are those who say that a chatan is patur from tefilla all seven
>> days. He added that it wasn't an issue of skipping or not skipping
>> tachanun, since the tzibbur is encouraged to daven in a beit avel, even
>> though they thereby avoid saying tachanun, even if the avel already has
>> a minyan.
>
>see MB 131:26 which specifically states reason is due to not saying
>tachanun
ein hachi nami, the reason is specifically due to not saying
tachanun. the question was why the suggestion is made that the chatan
avoid tefilla b'tzibbur so that the people can say tachanun, but the
same didn't apply to ba'alei brit.
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From: David Maslow <maslowd@...>
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:51:57 -0500
Subject: Convert as synagogue president
The National Council of Young Israel has issued (or re-issued) a ruling
that a convert cannot be president of an affiliated Young Israel
congregation, but has provided minimal justification.
What is the halachic basis for this ruling? Are there responsa that
support such a seemingly convert-unfriendly attitude when halacha
generally shows great sensitivity to the feelings of converts?
David E. Maslow
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From: Carl Singer <csngr@...>
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2007 09:37:39 -0500
Subject: How quickly it gets dark
>Seemed to me that in the PacificNW, it gets darker quicker in the winter
>than it does in the Baltimore-NewYork corridor.
There are many factors that influence how things "seem" -- I recall
being in Hawaii looking over the ocean at sunset -- it "seemed" to take
place very quickly -- almost like in the cartoons where the sun bounces
upon setting. Among these factors we might consider: Latitude, urban
(noise) lighting, clarity of atmosphere, altitude, view / vantage point
and our own "clock" -- are we at ease or rushed.
Carl
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From: David Zucker <dmzucker@...>
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:21:01 +0200
Subject: Maggid of Dubno Project
Shalom,
I would like to announce the opening of a new website/blog, devoted to
the teachings of Rabbi Yaakov Kranz, the celebrated Maggid of Dubno. The
URL is www.jlm-dubno-maggid.org . The Maggid, who lived around 200 years
ago, is famous for his use of clever parables to bring out profound
lessons. He had a close relationship with the Vilna Gaon, who admired
him greatly.
I became interested in the Maggid around 2001, when I came across his
commentaries on the Five Megillos and was impressed with their depth and
beauty. From that point on, I have spent a lot of time studying the
Maggid's various works. Since 2003, I have been translating into English
the Maggid's commentaries on the Five Megillos. So far, I have published
volumes on Lamentations (Eichah), Esther, and Ruth. These books are
being distributed through Feldheim Publishers. I have recently completed
the volume on the Song of Songs, and I hope to publish this volume in
the near future.
About a month ago, I decided to expand my efforts and "go online." My
new Dubno Maggid website/blog is the result. The site includes info
about the Maggid and his works, info about the Maggid books I have
published (including excerpts), info about Maggid books published by
others, and an ongoing series of pieces related to the Maggid and his
commentaries. I hope you will find the material on this site interesting
and inspiring. You are cordially invited to submit comments and posts
to this blog (I have set the default user role at "Contributor").
With best regards,
David Zucker
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From: Menashe Elyashiv <elyashm@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:03:12 +0200 (IST)
Subject: more on kugel
There is an other way to prepare the yerushalmi kugel - the noodels are
not boiled but are cooked with the burnt sugar etc. Of course this is
not a pat haba b`kismin.
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From: Jonathan Baker <jjbaker@...>
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:59:35 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Sedros
From: <chips@...>
> > Simcha wrote:
> >> (iii) in certain leap years he [Avudraham] says that in some places
> >> mishpatim is split, and in others ki tisa.
> > If you look in the Seifer haChinukh you will see that it considers
> > Mishpotim and Im Kesef Talve to be two distinct sedros.
> How many sedros did he have for Sefer Shmos?
> And to repeat the question in the OP - when did the present splits become
> the norm? I thought it was after the crusades but there is a Rashi in Sota
> that mentions a Sedra name instead of just perek number.
Is the sedra name in parentheses, like chapter numbers, or not? If not,
it's interesting. The chapter numbers were adopted from the Christians
sometime in, I think, the late 1500s. So our Rashi was re-edited to include
chapter numbers in parentheses by some later hand.
name: jon baker web: http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker
address: <jjbaker@...> blog: http://thanbook.blogspot.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: SBA <sba@...>
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 23:57:33 +1100
Subject: Re: Sedros
From: <chips@...>
> there is a Rashi in Sota that mentions a Sedra name instead of just perek
> number.
I doubt that there would be any Rashi where he mentions a perek number.
SBA
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From: David Ziants <dziants@...>
Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:46:53 +0200
Subject: Re: Selichos Nusach
Thanks for the feedback.
I forgot to mention that, because of this thread, I rediscovered an old
Selichot book that was given to me by a neighbour in the UK when I was a
teenager. It was published by Shlessinger Press in Vienna, Austria.
The instructions are in Yiddish and the cover page says it is according
to the minhag:
Ungarin (Hungary),Mehren (mem, ayin, hey, resh, ayin, nun sofi) (?),
Behemen (Bohemian), Sh'lezi'en (shin,lamed,ayin,zayin,yud,ayin,nun) (?)
(?) I do not know what are the common names of these localities are in
English - any help please?
I think they are supposed to be in Central Europe.
Actually "Ungarin" is spelt without a "yud", i.e. "Ungarn" as SBA spelt
it. I put a "yud" because this is the common way it is pronounced in
Israel.
It has the vidui three times, as expected for this nusach, and also
comparing Rosenfeld at "day two" after rosh hashanna (the day after Tzom
Gedallia) in aseret y'mai t'shuva it seems to have the same selection of
selichot.
This old edition does put "amarainu" and "yihiyu l'ratzon" in what we
know as the "out aloud" section of sh'ma kolainu, so obviously Rosenfeld
and also some of the Artscroll editions did not copy from here.
David Ziants
Ma'aleh Adumim, Israel
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From: SBA <sba@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:19:49 +1100
Subject: RE: Selichos Nusach
From: David Ziants [mailto:<dziants@...>]
> I forgot to mention that, because of this thread, I rediscovered an
> old Selichot book that was given to me by a neighbour in the UK when I
> was a teenager. It was published by Shlessinger Press in Vienna,
> Austria. The instructions are in Yiddish
AFAIK the Sinai Tel Aviv edition is a copy of that one - but without the
Yiddish instructions.
> and the cover page says it is according to the minhag: Ungarin
> (Hungary),Mehren Behemen (Bohemian), Sh'lezi'en (?) I do not know what
> are the common names of these localities are in English - any help
> please? I think they are supposed to be in Central Europe.
Germany/Slovakia (Bohemia and Moravia). As I suggested these countries
said selichos in the nusach which today is called 'Ungarn'/Hungary.
> It has the vidui three times, as expected for this nusach, and also
> comparing Rosenfeld at "day two" after rosh hashanna (the day after
> Tzom Gedallia) in aseret y'mai t'shuva it seems to have the same
> selection of selichot.
In a quick check that I did of Rosenfeld - it seemed to me that he
followed much of the Hungarian nusach.
> This old edition does put "amarainu" and "yihiyu l'ratzon" in what we
> know as the "out aloud" section of sh'ma kolainu, so obviously
> Rosenfeld and also some of the Artscroll editions did not copy from
> here.
The Oberland (and, IIANM, Polish minhag) is not to say Yihyu Lerotozon
aloud.
SBA
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From: <elhanan@...> (Elhanan Adler)
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:26:04 +0200 (GMT+0200)
Subject: The sentence "yihiyu leratzon imrai phi..."
> From: David Ziants <dziants@...>
> ...
> Are there any original early manuscripts of "Shema Kolainu", so we can
> see what the payatan actually wrote?
see Nuremberg Mahzor (1331)
http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/mss-pr/mahzor-nuremberg/index.html
image #17 (Selihot sheni ve-hamishi ve-sheni)
'yiyhu le-ratson imre finu...'
Elhanan Adler
Deputy Director for Information Technology
Jewish National and University Library
Email: <elhanan@...>, elhanana@savion.huji.ac.il
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Shmuel Himelstein <himels@...>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:17:23 +0200
Subject: Sidrah division
At the back of the Chumash proofread (I don't think that one can say
"edited" about the Chumash) by Mordechai Breuer (printed by Mossad Harav
Kook in 1977), he lists the Sidrah and Parashah within Sidrah divisions
based on a Yemenite manuscript.
It is interesting that while Korach and Chukat are separate Sidrot, on
occasion there is a "join," but in a way I've never seen elsewhere. The
"join" includes Korach and half of Chukat as one Sidrah, and the second
half of Chukat along with all of Balak for the next Sidrah.
Shmuel Himelstein
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From: <wgewirtz@...> (Dr. William Gewirtz)
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:59:30 +0000
Subject: Zemanin
Two items relative to M. Frankel's post given a more careful read:
1) In item two, Shaot zemaniot versus fixed, Shaot shavot were discussed
in the context of alot haShachar. This can be misleading. Clearly in
terms of psak, and almost as universally in terms of concept, Shaot
zemaniot are the norm in halacha. (There are specific uses of zmanim
where that is not the case, but that is not relevant to alot.&nb sp;
What is instructive, is dealing with the conceptual challenges to shaot
zemaniot raised by PY, MY, etc.) Moving to alot hashachar the range of
psak is much less uniform. There are 3 different opinions in psak: 1)
to use a uniform 72/90 minutes. 2) to vary in a way that correlates
with standard shaot zemaniot. 3) to vary in the more complex way that
D. Cohen and I mentioned. Unlike shaot zemaniot that is universally
accepted in psak, each of the three alternatives is widely supported. I
clearly prefer and have strong arguments for 3), but the list of poskim
who follow 1) is significant. 2) is also explicitly stated or implied
by many important poskim.
2) Item 3a) mentions 1.2 hours, 72 minutes, 4 * 18 (18 minutes being the
time according to many poskim to walk a mil) and Rambam in one sentence.
If an hour is 60 minutes (do NOT assume that is always the case in
halakhic literature) then 1.2 hours = 72 minutes. Based on the
preferred girsa in Rambam, 72 minutes is what was intended as the
interval of alot hashachar by Rambam in PH who said one and a fifth
(1.2) hours. The other equation 72 = 4* 18, which is the explanation of
72 minutes given by the Shulchan Aruch, is unlikely to have been the
position of Rambam, who consistently assumed that the time to walk a mil
was 24 minutes, NOT 18. 4*18 as an explanation of Rambam is
contradicted by Rambam in PH and MT and would mean a significant change
of position. This is a contested area, but R. Schlesinger and R. Kafiah
have innovated very credible solutions that avoid saying that Rambam
changed his mind and supported 18 minutes (an opinion that also has
support). By their approaches, 72 is either just an (approximate, stand
alone) observation of alot or 3 intervals of 24 minutes. Both of these
opinions can be reconciled with the su gya in Pesachim.
Dr. William Gewirtz
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End of Volume 55 Issue 98
