Volume 6 Number 41
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Japan Info Needed
[Tsiel Ohayon]
Purim Issue
[Avi Feldblum]
Purim appeal
[Henry Abramson]
Sending Away The Mother Bird
[Len Moskowitz]
Seoul and Honolulu
[Tsiel Ohayon]
Times of Prayer and Shema
[Robert Israel]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <ohayon@...> (Tsiel Ohayon)
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 93 06:17:47 -0500
Subject: Japan Info Needed
The problem with Japan, like the U.S., is that you are not allowed to bring
in food products. If you are caught at customs, all food products will
be confiscated.
Since you will not be able to cook, the best is that you live on fruits and
vegetables for 3 weeks. The prices in Japan are very high. (for ex. $2 for 1
apple, $3 for 2 tomatoes, in the summer $80 for a melon! etc ...)
You can also find Tofu. If you come into Tokyo, you will be able
to find in major supermarkets (National Azabu, Kinokuniya ...) american
products with the O U label.
The bread in Japan is not Kosher except for fresh French Baguette. The baguette
found in 24 hour shops or supermarkets is not kosher. Preservatives are used.
You can also order kosher bread (Chalot, pitot, bagels) from the local JCC.
Call 81-3-3400 2559 or 03-3400-2559 if you are already in Japan.
On Sundays at the JCC there is a brunch, and on Friday nights there is a
community dinner. If you are lucky, there may be a kiddoush on shabbat morning.
If you need more info e-mail to <ohayon@...>
Tsiel
Tsiel:<ohayon@...> | If you do not receive this E-mail, please let me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mljewish (Avi Feldblum)
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1993 23:11:58 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Purim Issue
Yosef tells me that material is comming in nicely for our Purim Issue.
My goal is to have the Purim issue out to you all by Thursday morning,
March 4th. Since "all" includes people over about 15 time zones, I think
that means getting it out by Wednesday evening in NJ, which will already
be Thursday early AM in Australia. The DEADLINE for Submissions to Yosef
will be 7am Israel time (which is where Yosef is) on Wednesday, March 3.
This translates to, I think:
9pm Tues in Ca, USA, Midnight for Eastern USA, 5am GMT, and somewhere
around noon Wednesday for Australia.
Reminder, we would like to get a Seder Issue out for Pesach. So those
who have some thoughts, perushim, drashot, etc on the Haggadah, write
them down, send them in and thereby share in the Seders of many of your
friends!
--
Avi Feldblum
mail.jewish Moderator
<mljewish@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Henry Abramson <abramson@...>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 93 08:53:08 -0500
Subject: Purim appeal
Dear colleagues:
I have been asked to participate in a Purim debate sponsored by Ohr
Somayach Thornhill. Rabbi Mordechai Becher and I will argue that
Hamentashen are the perfect Jewish food, while Michael Lebovic and
Yakov Kaplan will contend -- without hope, of course -- that the perfect
Jewish food is the latke.
As defenders of truth, justice, and the Yiddishe way, I am sure that
you are concerned that this debate is successfully resolved in favour
of the Hamentashen, and it is due to your deep sense of responsibility
towards the honour of Jewish cuisine that I appeal to you for assistance
in this worthy contest.
Please forward worthy arguments on behalf of that much-maligned food
so that right will prevail.
Sincerely,
Henry Abramson <abramson@...>
University of Toronto
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Len Moskowitz <moskowit@...>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 17:47:33 -0500
Subject: Re: Sending Away The Mother Bird
Morris Podolak writes:
> One other point. Giving a divorce is also a positive mitzvah. According
> to the ARI, it would seem that I should go out of my way to keep this
> mitzvah too.
I don't think that this follows from the concept that each mitzvah
corresponds to an "ever" (an organ or limb). If I recall correctly, in
Sha'ar HaGilgulim the Ariza"l invokes the concept of gilgul
(reincarnation) to explain how each person eventually fulfills all the
tarya"g (613) mitzvot. If you don't fulfill "get" (formal halakhic
divorce) in this lifetime, you will in another. It's not a mitzvah that
you should pursue (the altar itself sheds tears over such a misfortune),
but if the opportunity should unfortunately arise, you are to take
advantage of it.
Len Moskowitz
<moskowit@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <ohayon@...> (Tsiel Ohayon)
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 93 06:17:41 -0500
Subject: Seoul and Honolulu
There is a synagogue in Seoul. The problem is that it is located on the
US army base in Itaewon (central Seoul). You need to show an id card to get
in. If your father is there for shabbat and does carry because there is no
eruv he will not be allowed in. I will try to get the Rabbi's phone number.
Tsiel
Tsiel:<ohayon@...> | If you do not receive this E-mail, please let me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert Israel <israel@...>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 02:17:04 -0500
Subject: Re: Times of Prayer and Shema
To correct and add a few points:
It is interesting to note that in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 60:2,
the Mechaber writes "If one read Keriath Shema without the Berachoth, he
has fulfilled his obligation to say Keriath Shema, but should return and
say the Berachoth without Keriath Shema. And it was mentioned above that
it is better to repeat the Keriath Shema with the Berachoth" in which
case he is like one reading from the Torah.
Here we run into a problem. If he has already said the Shema and
fulfilled his obligation, how can he say the Berachoth for the Shema?
Would they not be berachoth levatala [Blessings in vain - Mod.]? We
don't say berachoth when we don't intend to do the ma'aseh [action -
Mod.] that the beracha refers to - e.g. we don't say borei peri ha'eits
when we aren't going to eat a fruit! But the Mishna Berurah (#3) writes
that one does fulfill the Mitsvah of Keriath Shema even without the
Berachoth, but that one still has the Chiyuv [obligation - Mod.] to say
the Berachoth, and he may say the Berachoth even without the Shema,
since Rabannan [the Sages - Mod.] didn't institute them only to be said
with Keriath Shema. Otherwise they would be "Asher Kideshanu
Bemitsvothav Vetsivanu...". The reason, he writes, for it being better
to say the Keriath Shema again with the berachoth, is not because the
Berachoth should be said with the Shema, but rather so that he will
daven after saying Divrei Torah, and this Keriath Shema is like one
reading from the Torah (#4). Similarly, he writes in Siman 58, (#25)
"that the Berachoth do not belong to Keriath Shema, even though they
were instituted before Keriath Shema. They are not the Berachoth of
Keriath Shema, because they don't say "Asher Kideshanu Bemitsvothav
Vetsivanu...", and they are like prayer (the Shemoneh Esrei?). For this
reason their (the Berachoth's) law is like that of the morning Shemoneh
Esrei which can be said only until a third of the day (the fourth
hour)."
The Kesef Mishneh however, referred to above, says that the Rambam, who
seems to say the Berachoth may be recited all day, held that MiD'oraitha
the Shema could be said all day, for if this was not so, the Berachoth
would be berachoth levatala.
In Sefer HaKoveits, on Hilchoth Keriath Shema 1:13, it is mentioned that
the Rambam held that MiD'oraitha, Keriath Shema could be said all day,
because BeKumecha means when you are standing. He also mentions that
some hold it can only be said until Chatsoth [halakhic noon - Mod.], and
that the Shulchan Aruch holds it can only be said until the fourth hour.
He then mentions that Beith Hillel hold like Chachamim that the Keriath
Shema of the night may be said all night, so they would also hold that
the Keriath Shema of the day may be said all day. They interpret
BeKumecha as "while you are standing". Beith Shammai hold like Rabbi
Eliezer, that Keriath Shema can only be said until the end of the first
watch. This is when people are *going* to sleep. They would hold
BeKumecha as "when you get up". Beith Shammai would hold the Shema of
the morning could only be said until the third hour, while people are
getting up.
"The Shulchan Aruch holds like Rav Hai Gaon, that the Berachoth may only
be said until the fourth hour, like the Rashba wrote that the Berachoth
do not belong to the Keriath Shema" (Nimukei MaHaRAI). It seems that the
Shulchan Aruch holds like Beith Shammai that Keriath Shema can only be
said until the third hour, and that the Berachoth do not belong to
Keriath Shema, but are Tefiloth, so may be said during the time the
Shacharith Shemoneh Esrei may be said. It cannot be said that saying the
Berachoth requires one to be "someich Geulah LiTfilah", and if this
ability is not present one may not say the Berachoth, since in the Gemara
(Berachoth 30a) it discusses whether "Tefila me'umad adif" or "Someich
Geulah liTfilah adif" (whether it is better to be able to stand while
praying or if it is better to be "someich Geulah liTfilah"). It says
"adif" - better, *not* necessary!
The Rambam holds that MiD'oraitha, the Shema may be said all day, and
that Rabannan confined it to before the third hour, so they could be
"someich Geula LiTfilah", as I mentioned before.
Hillel Chayim Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Volume 6 Issue 41
