Volume 6 Number 62
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Gomel for a wife (3)
[Dr. Sheldon Z. Meth, Joseph Greenberg, B Lehman]
Goteborg, Sweden
[Sam Goldish]
Heart Transplants
[Joel Goldberg]
Hot Water Heaters on Shabbat
[Joel Goldberg]
Hot Water on Shabbat
[Hillel Markowitz]
Humpikeh (some kind of bush)
[Avi Hyman]
Kedusha or Kedosha
[Jerry B Altzman]
References Wanted
[Isaac Balbin]
Shelo Asani Goyah
[Elhanan Adler]
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From: <METH@...> (Dr. Sheldon Z. Meth)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 18:52:04 -0500
Subject: Re: Gomel for a wife
I should think that one could invoke "ishto ke'gufo" [one's wife is like
one's self], so that making the blessing "shegemalani kol tov" [who did all
good for *ME*] IS appropriate.
The alternative suggested, to say "shegamal l'ishti kol tov" [who did all
good for my wife], is actually INappropriate if not illegal, since it falls
under the category of "mishane mimatbe'ah shetav'u bo Chachamim" [lit., one
who alters the coin which the Sages struck - referring to the prohibition of
altering the text of the blessings as instituted by our Sages OBM].
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From: <Joseph_Greenberg@...> (Joseph Greenberg)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 20:03:51 -0500
Subject: Gomel for a wife
In regards to Barry Rodin's experience with Birchat HaGomel for his wife,
I recently inquired about my wife saying Birchat HaGomel (blessing for those
that have "escaped" from a trying or dangerous circumstance) after giving
birth. I was told by the Rav of the shul that in his experience, this was
a distinctly modern "minhag", and in fact is most commonly conducted in
Conservative communities (therefore, I did not do it). However, during my
year of learning in Israel (10 years ago), my shiur went to the home of our
Rebbe for something, and since we were over a minyan, the Rav asked us to
answer his wife's Birchat HaGomel after her birth, which she recited herself.
According to our Rebbe (Rav S. Levanon of the Hevron Yeshiva, by the way
a Dayan (officially recognized halachic judge and authority in Israel)), this
is a common practice after a childbirth, and was not considered a violation
of Tzniut. I would also make the observation that this family was about as
far from a Conservative background as is Bill Clinton from Yale University,
particularly considering the Rav's affiliation (Hevron).
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From: <BLEHMAN@...> (B Lehman)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 19:28:21 -0500
Subject: RE: Gomel for a wife
In reference to the question on saying Birkat Hagomel for the wife.
I live in the Gush Etzion area, and unfortunately we have several times
a year the need for Birkat Hagomel to be said by a woman (lot's of fog
and bad drivers, not much stones). Also on happy occasions, ie the birth
of a baby.
What we do is that after an aliya the gabbai announces that B. Hagomel
is to be said and the lady in question recites the bracha. Fairly
simple, and I'm not so sure why the husband said the bracha for... as in
the last j.m. When we have an especially shy person, we do it during
the smaller of the 2 minyanim for Mincha of Shabat, or even during the
"Shalom Zachar".
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From: Sam Goldish <0005891269@...>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 93 22:22:25 -0500
Subject: Goteborg, Sweden
To the gentleman who recently inquired as to availability of
kosher facilities and minyan in Goteborg, Sweden. The local
Lubavitcher Shaliach informed me that a Chabad House recently
opened there, under the direction of Rabbi Namdar. Address:,
Torild Wulffsgatan 20, Goteborg, Sweden 41319.
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From: <goldberg@...> (Joel Goldberg)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1993 09:47:38 +0200
Subject: Heart Transplants
Seth Ness writes about the tshuva of R' S.Z. Auerbach forbidding heart
transplants in Israel. Seth writes that he has been personally told that
the problem lies in doing the tests on the brain, that these constitute
moving the goses. I don't think that this is born out by the wording of
the tshuva itself. The Tshuva starts off by saying "One who is very
sick, on whom the doctors have already done all the tests, including the
test of the blood flow and they are sure that the entire brain including
the brain stem has already died, even so...[he is a goses and one can't
move him or remove things from him.] In other words, the tshuva assumes
that brain test have already been done.
My own understanding of the problem is that hearts should be harvested
from a living environment, good blood supply etc. and that turning off
the respirator kills the heart, more or less. This also explains why the
idea of restarting the machines after they have been turned off is
relevant.
A final note is that Rabbis Tendler and Bleich are on opposite sides of
this issue
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From: <goldberg@...> (Joel Goldberg)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 19:28:15 -0500
Subject: Re: Hot Water Heaters on Shabbat
Zev Farkas <farkas@...> writes about the problem of hot water
heaters on shabbat and suggests that a gravity feed instead of the
pressure of incoming cold water might solve the problem. There is an
additional consideration, which can be inferred from "shmirat shabbat
k'hilchato" (close to the beginning, sorry.) There, solar water heaters
are permitted for use on shabbat, and one does not even have to worry
that the cold water between the tank and the faucet will be heated in a
forbidden manner. I infer from this that the heating of this water is a
problem in other circumstances.
As an interesting note, there is 6 times more commentary on this psak
as on anything else in the chapter. My wife asked a rav of her
acquaintance (from one of the women's seminaries in Jerusalem) who
concurred that it was permissible. This rav also added that he had been
told by a posek with "a name you would immediately recognise" that it is
permissible to use solar water heaters on shabbat, but that this posek
refused to publically make this psak.
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From: <hem@...> (Hillel Markowitz)
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 93 17:03:26 -0500
Subject: Re: Hot Water on Shabbat
I believe that you are allowed to take some hot water from the tea urn
and add a lot of cold water as you are cooling the hot water rather
than "cooking" the cold water. I remember a reference in the mishna of
meseches shabbos referring to this.
Hillel Markowitz <H_Markowitz@...>
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From: <AJHYMAN@...> (Avi Hyman)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 19:28:01 -0500
Subject: Humpikeh (some kind of bush)
[This has been forwarded to Mendele as well. Mod.]
This query is from Dr. Leslie Train, Dept. of Germanic Languages and
Literature at the University of Toronto: "Humpikeh" - internal evidence
suggests that the word denotes a type of low lyin bush, possibly bearing
some kind of berry. It was found in a +20Century Yiddish text, it is
not found in any Yiddish dictionary to date. May be West or South
Slavonic. Any information about "Humpikeh" or its etymology will be
greatly appreciated. If anyone knows of a more appropriate or specific
e-mail BB or address or list for questions of this nature, that too
would be appreciated.
Send responses to Dr. Leslie Train at above address or via e-mail c/o
Avi Jacob Hyman at <AJHYMAN@...>
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From: <jbaltz@...> (Jerry B Altzman)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 20:03:37 -0500
Subject: Kedusha or Kedosha
I believe the big white sefardi siddur of R'Ovadiah Yosef, whose name
eludes me now, has "Kedusha" and not "Kedosha". Just another datum.
(The siddur is produced by "Yeshivah Or Vaderech", and the popular
version has a picture of an elaborate aron kodesh on the front, in case
anyone can name it for me and save me eternal embarassment, since I use
that siddur practically every shabbat...)
jerry b. altzman Entropy just isn't what it used to be +1 212 650 5617
<jbaltz@...> jbaltz@columbia.edu (HEPNET) NEVIS::jbaltz
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From: <isaac@...> (Isaac Balbin)
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 93 01:26:34 -0500
Subject: References Wanted
Does anyone have references to the question of whether it is permitted
to use the results of Nazi experimentation?
I know of the article in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.
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From: <ELHANAN@...> (Elhanan Adler)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 93 19:28:07 -0500
Subject: RE: Shelo Asani Goyah
Jeremy Schiff asked:
> The Rinat Yisrael siddur writes that women instead of making
> the brachot "shelo asani goy" and "shelo asani aved"
> should say "shelo asani goyah" and "shelo asani shifcha".
> I do not have Rav Shlomo Tal's book on the siddur so I would
> be grateful if someone who does could tell me his source for
> this (I have not seen it in any other siddur).
Tal indeed discusses this and says this is the nusach in both Sefardi
and Ashkenazi accurate siddurim ("siddurim meduyakim"). For example:
Siddur R. Yaakov Emden, Siddur Bet Yaakov, Siddur Olat ha-hodesh. He
cites also several other works supporting this nussach - Keter Shem Tov,
Avodat ha-kodesh (by the Hid"a) and Likkute Mahary"h.
* Elhanan Adler University of Haifa Library *
* Tel.: 972-4-240535 FAX: 972-4-257753 *
* Israeli U. DECNET: HAIFAL::ELHANAN *
* Internet/ILAN: <ELHANAN@...> *
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End of Volume 6 Issue 62
