Volume 61 Number 03
Produced: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:15:00 EDT
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
A question re: tephillin (7)
[Stu Pilichowski Michael Poppers Harlan Braude Gilad J. Gevaryahu Daniel Cohn Joseph Kaplan Martin Stern]
Anybody else notice Netanyahu's library?
[Sammy Finkelman]
BASH (3)
[Harlan Braude Martin Stern Steven Oppenheimer]
Eruv chumra (was Proliferation of Chumras)
[Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz]
Time to begin the fast
[Shmuel Norin]
Waiting for a minyan
[Perets Mett]
Waiting for the Rabbi
[Joseph Kaplan]
Who asked you?
[Matthew Pearlman]
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From: Stu Pilichowski <cshmuel@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 01:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
Carl Singer wrote (MJ 61#02):
> On those weekday occasions when I have Pesicha, Hagbah or Gelilah -- I
> rewrap my tephillin shel yad around my wrist, that is, off of my hand and
> fingers. I was recently asked why by a fellow congregant -- the primary
> reason is because I've always done it the way that I was taught (minhag
> avosainu) and the underlying reason (I think) is so that the leather from the
> tephilin straps never touch the Torah Aitz.
>
> I was wondering if others have this same minhag -- and also if anyone can
> provide further understanding of the underlying reason (if any) for same.
I always thought it was simply a matter of greater physical dexterity
without the straps on the hand getting in the way . . .
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From: Michael Poppers <MPoppers@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 01:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
If I'm chosen as a magbiah at an Ashk'nazic-nusach minyan when I'm wearing
t'filin, I unwrap the strap from my [left] hand so as to better grip the eitz
chayyim (handle) [with that hand], i.e. for a practical reason. I don't find I
need to do so when I'm chosen as the magbiah at a S'faradic-nusach minyan (when
the Torah is inside a case).
All the best from
Michael Poppers * Elizabeth, NJ, USA
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From: Harlan Braude <hbraude@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 01:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
I do this for hagba and geililah and I've seen many people do so as well. My
reason for adopting this practice is purely practical: the straps restrict
the grip of my hand and I really don't want to be remembered as the fellow who
dropped the sefer Torah, r"l, during hagba.
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From: Gilad J. Gevaryahu <gevaryahu@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 02:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
I have been doing the same as Carl, that is, remove my tephilin from the fingers
and rewarp them around my wrist, but only for hagbahah to have a better grip of
the atzei chaim.
Gilad J. Gevaryahu
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From: Daniel Cohn <4danielcohn@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 03:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
I also do it but I always thought the reason was to allow easier movement
in your fingers for a better grip.
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From: Joseph Kaplan <penkap@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 06:01 PM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
I always did that just for hagbah and I always thought the reason was so you could
get a good grip on the Sefer Torah.
Joseph
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Thu, Jul 26,2012 at 04:01 AM
Subject: A question re: tephillin
In reply to Carl Singer (MJ 61#02):
I usually do as Carl and wrap the retsua around my wrist, but only for
hagba'ah and gelilah, not if given a petichah. Since he raised the subject,
I have been watching what other people do and noticed that some have the
custom of unwrapping it from their finger and then wrapping it around the
palm of their hand. If the reason were, as I had understood it, to make it
easier to grip the atsei chaim [rollers of the Sefer Torah], this would not
really help. If anyone else has this custom and knows its source, could
they let us know.
Martin Stern
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From: Sammy Finkelman <sammy.finkelman@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 04:01 PM
Subject: Anybody else notice Netanyahu's library?
Someone using the name "coffee addict" on
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/netanyahus-office
also noticed it, and somebody going by "RSRH" addded that, besides that
Shulchan Aruch, there is also a Tur, a Frankel Rambam, a Tal Man Shas,
and a Mossad Rav Kook Mikra'os Gedolos Chumash.
It was also noticed by Menachem Wecker (mwecker) on Twitter.
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From: Harlan Braude <hbraude@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 02:01 PM
Subject: BASH
In MJ 61#02, Martin Stern wrote:
> Stu Pilichowski wrote (MJ 61#01):
>> What's wrong with posting a sign or many signs - A B I G S I G N - in
>> a few languages if necessary, DON'T BLOCK THE DOORWAY DURING TEFILLAH !!!
>
> An excellent idea which I have seen in one shul here in Manchester. The
> only problem is that far too many people ignore it.
The shul I most frequent has a plethora of signage at key locations (entrance,
shulchan, taiva, hallway, etc.) on all manner of issues that have come up at one
time or another.
Topics range from how the shliach tzibbur is to pronounce certain words (e.g.,
yisgadail v'yiskadaish) to the duration of the weekday silent amida to where and
when collectors of tzedakah may do their thing (that one is in English, Hebrew
and Yiddish; perhaps a Russian version is in the works).
It can be quite intimidating to the conscientious newcomer and also a challenge
to absorb and be on time for the start of services!
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 04:01 PM
Subject: BASH
Frank Silbermann wrote (MJ 61#02):
> Stu Pilichowski wrote (MJ 61#01):
>
>> What's wrong with posting a sign or many signs
>> - A B I G S I G N - in a few languages if necessary,
>> DON'T BLOCK THE DOORWAY DURING TEFILLAH !!!
>
> What do you write on the sign if it's the Shechinah that has been blocking the
> doorway? (E.g. if a davener is not blocking the doorway but would block it
> were he to take two steps forward.)
This should not be a problem, because the Shechinah is not in front of an
arrogant person. Of such a person, HKBH says that "I and he cannot be
together" (Sotah 5a), and what is a greater arrogance than brazenly taking
over the public right of way.
Martin Stern
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From: Steven Oppenheimer <steven.oppenheimer@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 05:01 PM
Subject: BASH
While the Mishnah Berurah is lenient regarding sitting in front of a person
who is davening as long as the chair is at least "govoha yud tephochim verochav
dalet [35 inches high and 14 inches wide]" (based upon the Chayei Adam - 26:4),
he is stringent regarding walking in front of a person in that situation. The
Chayei Adam, however, is lenient in this situation and permits walking in front
of the davener when the above partition exists. This lenient position is also
accepted by the Aishel Avrohom MiBatchach. (Most of our chairs today meet the
requirements of a mechitza govoha yud tephochim verochav dalet.)
How about the not-uncommon situation where someone plants himself in an
aisle or at the doorway entrance and it is nearly impossible to pass
without passing in front of this davener?
The Tzitz Eliezer (9:8) is meikil on passing in front and marshals support from a
number of poskim (including Da'as Torah) to support his lenient view. He goes on
to bring many other situations where one may be lenient.
The Tzitz Eliezer points out that the reason one should not walk in front
of someone who is davening Shemonah Esrei is because most poskim say you
might confuse the person davening by interrupting his concentration. However,
says the Tzitz Eliezer, most people don't concentrate today, especially not those
uneducated people (hamonei ha'am) who block the aisles (or doorways), so you are
really not interrupting their concentration and it is permitted to walk in front
of them.
--
Steven Oppenheimer, D.M.D.
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From: Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz <sabbahillel@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 04:01 PM
Subject: Eruv chumra (was Proliferation of Chumras)
Carl Singer wrote (MJ 61#02)
> Take another example -- in a city with a kosher eruv, some people choose
> to wear their talisim rather than carry. They will not carry seforim, etc.
> Is it that they don't trust the eruv -- or is it that they feel that
> they're going above and beyond by not using the eruv? Or is it that they
> feel that certain members of the community will have a lower opinion of them if
> they use the eruv?
I know of people who will wear the tallis but will use the eruv in order
to push the baby carriage or carry the baby. This is not a matter of
"peer pressure" but of a conscious decision as to the purpose of the
eruv and what it is needed for. It is also considered a matter of
chinuch so that children will learn about the eruv and understand about
the halachos of carrying on Shabbos.
Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz
<SabbaHillel@...>
http://sabbahillel.blogspot.com
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From: Shmuel Norin <engineered@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 01:01 PM
Subject: Time to begin the fast
This year the fast for Tisha B'Av is starting at sundown Saturday night. My
question is why doesn't the fast start at darkness when Shabbot ends. Shouldn't
we go with the rule "on a biblical question go strict and on a rabbinic question
go lenient"?
Shmuel Norin
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett00@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 07:01 PM
Subject: Waiting for a minyan
Martin Stern (MJ61 #02) wrote (in thread "A Unique Iranian Custom?"):
> so why hold up the davenning and possibly make
> people skip breakfast or be late for work. Is this not tircha detzibbura
> [inconveniencing the congregation]? Perhaps, even worse, the aveil will feel
> he must catch up the lost time and rush through the rest of davenning.
Seems to me that if there is not yet a minyan, there is no tsibur, so tircha
detsibura cannot apply ...
Perets Mett
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From: Joseph Kaplan <penkap@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 06:01 PM
Subject: Waiting for the Rabbi
Martin Stern writes (MJ 60#02):
> What I was trying to say was that WE should show our respect to Him by being
> on time, and He deserved more respect than the rabbi, whatever important holy
> work he was doing. The latter might have been an oneis [prevented by
> circumstances beyond his control], and so excused from turning up on time,
> but that does not apply to the rest of the congregation. Waiting for him,
> whatever the circumstances, implies we regard his honour as more important
> than that of HKBH - surely this is incorrect.
I don't think it's a question of respecting the rabbi more than God. I
think most people feel that God would prefer that we show this type of kavod
to the rabbi.
Joseph
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From: Matthew Pearlman <Matthew.Pearlman@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 25,2012 at 01:01 PM
Subject: Who asked you?
While I generally agree with Martin Stern's comments (MJ 61#01) about the tendency
by some to take on too many chumrahs, and others to be too lenient, I feel he is
a little harsh in assuming 'a tendency to go for the "Greatest Common Multiple"
[and]...the "Least Common Factor"'.
Hopefully a more accurate description of the behaviour is "Least Common
Multiple" and "Greatest Common Factor".
Matthew
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End of Volume 61 Issue 3
