Volume 6 Number 12
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Around-the-world-travel
[Meir Loewenberg]
Chadash and Yashan
[Zvi Basser]
Competition
[Sol Lerner]
Kriat Shma for a Chatan(groom) (2)
[Eytan Stein, Anthony Fiorino]
Mikvah on Mars
[Mike Gerver]
Pythagoras
[Eli Turkel]
Techinas for women
[Rivkah Lambert]
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From: <F46022@...> (Meir Loewenberg)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 14:32 O
Subject: Around-the-world-travel
I am seeking information (beyond what appears in the 1992 edition of the
Jewish Chronicle's Jewish Travel Guide) on "Jewish resources"
(especially shuhl, reasonably-priced accomodations near shuhl, kosher
food (especially bread), restaurants, etc. for BANGKOK, SINGAPORE,
HONGKONG, PERTH, BRISBANE, CAIRNS, all of NEW ZEALAND, FIJI ISLAND,
HONOLULU, and LOS ANGELES. Will appreciate direct Bitnet reply to
F46022@BARILAN. Todah rabbah already in advance.
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From: <fishbane@...> (Zvi Basser)
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 93 15:40:56 -0500
Subject: Re: Chadash and Yashan
Not so simple, we need to understand the rema-- he says where he lives
there is a double doubt if the grain is chodosh. A double doubt permits
a torah prohibition from taking effect. If the prohibition is rabbinic as
some would say, a single doubt concerning whether grain is chodosh would
be suficient to permit it.
When I am in the US I am not careful about chodosh since the majority of
wheat there is not chodosh because of US storage laws and grain
regulations and practices-- if i can get yoshon, of course it wont hurt.
Halachically, I have checked this out, American wheat can be considered
yoshon unless one knows otherwise about a certain batch but here in
Canada our rules guarantee you are getting real chodosh-- 100% certain
its winter wheat. When I say chodosh is assur I mean certain chodosh,
the Aruch Hashulchan seems to go overboard in finding sources to permit
chodosh. I find it hard to believe that the majority of observant Jews
are not particluar about eating wheat which is guaranted chodosh. At
best one could say it is an argument amongst rishonim but the achronim,
except for the aruch hashulchan and the bach (and the taz in emergency),
forbid certain chodosh.
After the psak of the mishna berurah, its generous to say that nowadays
a yoreh shomayim would not eat chodosh--. WE can store flour, buy at
yashan bakeries, even by yashan flour, or american flour.-- There is no
excuse for canadian Jews to be lax in what many major poskim see as a
torah law in these days.
Zvi Basser
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From: <sl05@...> (Sol Lerner)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 08:52:26 -0500
Subject: Re: Competition
>Basically, am I required to support the local specialty stores by
>buying anything I can from them, before going to the bigger stores?
> ...
>Some people have said that there
>are cases where competition is not allowed in halacha. If this is so,
>when is it and when is it not allowed.
There are several principles that sometimes have the effect of limitting
competition. One of the principles that I have seen applied is called
"Yored L'umanut Chaveiroh" or descending on the profession of a friend.
Essentially, if there is not enough business to sustain more than one
professional (e.g. storeowner) in a particular town, then a second
person is prohibited from competing.
This principle is applied by Rav Moshe ZT"L in Choshen Mishpat, Siman 38
in which he says that there is a prohibition against starting a second
Shul if it will take away support from the first Shul and if the Rabbi
of the first Shul depends on the support of the congregants.
Interestingly, according to the Responsa, it is even worse when the
second Shul is not for profit (i.e. doesn't support a Rabbi) since
(according to my understanding) you are taking away livelihood from one
person but not supporting another. In other words, if the second person
is also in need of support, then you should try to support both of them.
Along these lines, there is a discussion in the Shulchan Aruch (Choshen
Mishpat Siman 157) listing differences of whether the second
professional is from the same town and can claim that he also deserves
support or whether he's from out of town, etc.
Rav Moshe, in his responsa, looks at enough mitigating factors that I'm
sure that each case needs to be judged on its own merits. Therefore, I
am not willing to state whether these Halachot are applicable to your
case. However, it would seem to me that if the prices are reasonable in
the small stores (i.e. even if they are only a _little_more_ expensive,
Halachot of Onoah [overcharging by >= 16%] are probably applicable here)
and if the owners depend on the sales for their livelihood, you should
support the stores to fulfill the Mitzvah of Charity.
Sol Lerner - GTE Laboratories
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From: <SERED60@...> (Eytan Stein)
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 14:11 EDT
Subject: Kriat Shma for a Chatan(groom)
Freda Birnbaum writes that a Chatan does not have to say Kriat Shma on
his wedding night. Actually the Shulchan Aruch O.H. siman 70 se'if 3,
says this used to be the case because the groom was "bothered (tarud)
the bother of a Mitzvah" but he goes on to say that nowadays a Chatan
reads kriat Shma. The Mishna Berura on the above says this means he is
Chayav to read Kriat Shma, which seems to be pshat in the Shulchan
Aruch.
Eytan Stein <Sered60@...>
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From: Anthony Fiorino <fiorino@...>
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 13:05:08 -0500
Subject: Kriat Shma for a Chatan(groom)
in vol6#10, Freda Birnbaum wrote regarding the absence of a bracha on pru
ur'vu:
> I suppose it's related to the fact that a man isn't required to say the
> nighttime Sh'ma on his wedding night...
Actually, a man is not required to say kriat sh'ma hamita for another
reason. The Gemara in Brachot (1st perek) says that a man is puter from
all mitzvot after one's wedding until procreation (unless one has
married a widow or divorcee). I believe this is how we poskin (anyone
know if this is not the case, or if there are post-gemara limitations
placed on this?)
Eitan Fiorino
<fiorino@...>
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From: <GERVER@...> (Mike Gerver)
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 03:12 EST
Subject: Mikvah on Mars
Max Stern, in vol. 6 #7, asks where you would get water for a mikvah on
Mars, since there is no liquid water possible on the surface, with its
low atmospheric pressure. On earth, a mikvah can be started up with
melted snow or ice, and I assume the same thing could be done on Mars,
since it is generally believed that there was liquid water on Mars in
the past, and presumably there is still some ice underground or on the
surface. At pinch, I suppose you could transport ice or snow from earth,
being sure to keep it frozen.
Mike Gerver, <gerver@...>
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From: <turkel@...> (Eli Turkel)
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 93 02:24:24 -0500
Subject: Pythagoras
To be more precise on a previous topic. The Rash on Kilyaim proves
the theorem of pythagoras when the two sides of the triangle are equal
and claims that the theorem is not true when the sides of the triangle
are not equal.
Eli Turkel
<turkel@...>
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From: <LAMBERT@...> (Rivkah Lambert)
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 93 20:59:09 -0500
Subject: Techinas for women
I heard from a number of people requesting citations for the 3 books
of techinas I mentioned so I am posting them to the list for all.
_Out of the Depths I Call to You: A Book of Prayers for the Married
Jewish Woman_ edited and translated by R. Nina Beth Cardin published
in 1992 by Jason Aronson, Inc. Each techina is in English and Hebrew
_Techinas: A Voice From The Heart A Collection of Jewish Women's Prayers_
edited and translated by Rivka Zakutinsky published 1992 by Aura Press, Inc,
88 Parkville Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11230 (718) 435-9103
_The Merit of Our Mothers: A Bilingual Anthology of Jewish Women's Prayers_
in the original Yiddish and in English translation published 1992 by Berman
House, Inc., 235 Watchung Ave. West Orange, NJ 07052 1-800=221-2755
I have ordered _Merit of our Mothers_ but have not seen it yet. The one
by Zakutinsky is very comprehensive and highly recommended. It includes
both Yiddish and English.
The Artscroll siddur includes a techina, Y'he ratzon, for woman just after
licht bentching. I have always been drawn to that tefillah because it
is written for the davener in the first person, is very personal (i.e.
my family, my home) and because it calls upon the merits of the mothers
Sarah, Rivkah, Rochel v'Leah. I was pleased and not surprised to learn that
this was actually among the best know techinas.
I hope this is a helpful additional comment. Feldheim publishes a book
of special prayers specifically for pregnancy and childbirth. It is called
_A Joyful Mother of Children: Eim Habanim Semeichah_.
Thanks for asking.
:-) Rivkah
LAMBERT@UMBC
<LAMBERT@...>
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End of Volume 6 Issue 12
