Volume 61 Number 89
Produced: Mon, 22 Jul 13 13:25:11 -0400
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
An extension of halacha - or shtus
[Carl Singer]
Another take on WoW (2)
[Perets Mett David Oratz]
Calendar Coincidence
[Eric Mack]
Laura Janner Klausner (was Another take on WoW)
[Rabbi Meir Wise]
Prayer for one's host country and for Israel
[David Lee Makowsky]
Shatz and the schul is on fire (2)
[Stuart Wise Carl Singer]
Waffling
[Orrin Tilevitz]
World War I
[Perets Mett]
Yizkor on chag
[Menashe Elyashiv]
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From: Carl Singer <carl.singer@...>
Date: Thu, Jul 11,2013 at 12:01 PM
Subject: An extension of halacha - or shtus
I visit my Mother daily at her Jewish nursing home. She's usually in a
co-ed dining and activities room.
Today when I walked in, there was a girls' choir from a local day school -
other than a brief hello, I was unable to visit as they seemed in shock
that a man was present.
Yes, all of the male residents, both Jewish and non-Jewish (there are
several non-Jews who stay at this nursing home), were not to be found -- they
had been wheeled out of the room.
Apparently the school's leadership has determined that the girls' choir may
not perform if there are men present.
(1) Possibly this falls under the construct of not putting a stumbling
block in front of a blind man.
(2) What of the non-Jewish men, may they have remained?
(3) Is there any onus on a woman / girl not to sing if a man may be
present? Or is the onus strictly on the man.
Carl Singer
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett00@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 06:01 PM
Subject: Another take on WoW
Leah Gordon (MJ 61#88) wrote:
> I know that some have posted links to anti-WoW postings; here is one from a
> point of view more like my own, and others who have not yet spoken aloud
> on-list:
>
> http://www.thejc.com/comment-and-debate/comment/108101/wall-%EF%AC%81ght-return-
> judaism-israel
>
> The article is by Laura Janner-Klausner who describes herself as rabbi to the
> Movement for Reform Judaism.
I read the article, and it is a mix of propaganda and lies. Here is a sample
statement:
> The Women of the Wall need physical protection - only a few weeks ago, an
> estimated 10,000 protesters were bussed into the Kotel area to demonstrate
> against them and intimidate them into stopping praying
There were not 10,000 protesters - they were ladies and girls who came to the
Kosel to daven - nor were they "bussed in".
But they, and a large number of men who came to daven at the Kosel on Rosh
Chodesh Tammuz, were prevented by police from reaching the Kosel, so that the
Reform group (who were indeed bussed in) could have the Kosel to themselves.
Perets Mett
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From: David Oratz <dovid@...>
Date: Tue, Jul 9,2013 at 06:01 AM
Subject: Another take on WoW
Without having to comment on the factual accuracy of the article cited by
Leah Gordon (MJ 61#88) "Israel being one of few places in the world where Jews
are prevented from praying freely" -- come on! Did the author try to bring 200
women in tallis and Tefillin to St. Peter's Square in Rome, among many other
places? When was the last time a Reform Temple was closed down in Israel?
Is this the proper forum for opinion pieces from Reform rabbis (of either
sex)?
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From: Eric Mack <ewm44118@...>
Date: Fri, Jul 19,2013 at 09:01 AM
Subject: Calendar Coincidence
Carl Singer (MJ 61#87) pointed out that he "found an interesting coincidence in
the 5774 & 2014 calendars.
> February / Adar I
> April / Nissan
> May / Sivan (thru May 29th)
>
> All coincide in numbers -- for example, the 12th of Nissan coincides with
> the 12th of April.
Using Kaluach, I compared the civil and Jewish calendars, going back to 1995 and
forward to 2025. There seems to be a minimum of 30 months between coinciding
months; sometimes the interval is as much as 64 months! Coincidence of *three*
times in one year last occurred 19 years ago, in 1995, that was also Feb, Apr
and May. It did not occur 19 years earlier, in '76, because that was a
civil-calendar leap year. Here's the breakdown of coinciding calendars from 1995
to 2025:
1995: Feb, Apr, May
1997: Nov
2000: Sept
2003: Jun & Jul
2006: Jan & Mar
2008: Sept
Then a 35-month wait until
2011: Aug
2014: Feb, Apr, May
2016: Dec
2019: Sep
Then a 64-month wait until
2025:
Jan Eric Mack, Jerusalem
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From: Rabbi Meir Wise <Meirhwise@...>
Date: Tue, Jul 9,2013 at 02:01 AM
Subject: Laura Janner Klausner (was Another take on WoW)
The link that Leah Gordon posted (MJ 61#88) did not work on my computer but took
me to an article by Jennifer Lipman in the Jewish Chronicle (April 18, 2013)
about Ms Klausner's refusal to represent the Reform movement and attend the late
Baroness Thatcher's funeral.
She allowed her personal view of Lady Thatcher to override the requests of her
community and displayed her unforgiving nature even after the death of a
leader whose political views I did not share but who was a great friend of
Israel and the Jewish people.
Here is a short extract:
"Britain's leading Reform rabbi declined to attend Baroness Thatcher's funeral
on Wednesday because of her opposition to the former prime minister's politics.
Laura Janner-Klausner said she felt unable to join communal figures, including
the chief rabbi and Board of Deputies president Vivian Wineman at St Paul's
Cathedral, because she viewed the former prime minister as a cataclysm for the
fabric of Britain.
"I love society, I love community. My lifeblood is community, said the rabbi,
whose father, Labour peer Lord Janner, was also absent from the service. The
thing [in her] that clashes with who I am is a disdain for weakness.
Stressing that it was her personal view, she said that as rabbi she attended and
officiated the funerals of congregants with whom she disagreed.
The funeral was about her family and friends having the time and space to honour
her properly. My task was to ensure that the Reform movement would be
represented. "
She failed miserably in that task!
With best wishes
Meir Wise
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From: David Lee Makowsky <dmakowsk@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 05:01 PM
Subject: Prayer for one's host country and for Israel
Carl Singer wrote (MJ 61#88):
> I note that many popular siddurs have no prayer for the host country
> (USA in my case) and none for Israel -- and similarly for the soldiers.
> Not only the siddurs, obviously, but the davening at many synagogues
> seem to omit these as well.
I have a custom of not standing during the Prayer for the President and
Vice President because the prayer specifically mentions the political
office currently occupied by someone I believe is harmful to Jews.
What are the various halachic issues surrounding my actions? Please do NOT
turn this into a political debate. I am not advocating that anyone else do
this.
--
Sincerely,
David Makowsky
<dmakowsk@...>
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From: Stuart Wise <Smwise3@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 07:01 PM
Subject: Shatz and the schul is on fire
David Lee Makowsky wrote (MJ 61#88):
> I don't know why, but lately I am very bothered by what I perceive is the
> shatz davening like the schul is on fire or so it seems, given how fast they
> are going. I guess I should have always been bothered by this but it is
> really having an impact on me now.
>
> Should I shut up? Should I say something?
Saying something is like telling a fat person he's fat. I would imagine
the people at your minyan are aware of the speed and choose to daven there
anyway. I myself hardly ever make it to kedusha because I prefer to daven
Shemoneh Esrai slower than the minyan does. If you feel you must say something,
tell it to the gabbai quietly, though it is hard to slow down a speed demon (and
if it's an avel, they have enough heartache without the criticism); otherwise
you may be met with an unwelcome comment.
Stuart Wise
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From: Carl Singer <carl.singer@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 10:01 PM
Subject: Shatz and the schul is on fire
David Makowsky (MJ 61#88) raises an interesting and important question -- I've
generalized it a bit.
> I don't know why, but lately I am very bothered by what I perceive is the
> shatz davening like the schul is on fire or so it seems, given how fast they
> are going. I guess I should have always been bothered by this but it is
> really having an impact on me now.
> Should I shut up? Should I say something?
My suggestion -- and it's only a suggestion -- is to say something. (For
better or worse, that's what I would do.)
First you may wish to privately address this with a few fellow congregants
and get their feedback (clearly not during davening, etc.). As likely as
not you are not alone in feeling as you do. Then you may wish to have a meeting
with the shul Rabbi to express your discomfort.
Too often things do not change, or change for the worse because no one
speaks up -- people may not realize that their actions are discomforting to
others (a charitable conclusion) or they may not care about the impact of their
actions (a less than charitable conclusion).
Unless you speak up, no one will know that there is an issue and thus no
one will address it.
Carl
--
*Carl A. Singer, Ph.D.
Colonel, U.S. Army Retired
70 Howard Avenue
Passaic, NJ 07055-5328
see my website www.ProcessMakesPerfect.net
973-685-5022*
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From: Orrin Tilevitz <tilevitzo@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 06:01 PM
Subject: Waffling
Maise shehoyo [it really happened].
You walk into the complimentary breakfast room in the Middle of Nowhere, U.S.A.
The people in charge are from India. You don't know who the proprietor is but
there is no reason to think it is a shomer shabbos Jew. In fact, you may be the
only shomer shabbos Jew within 100 miles. There is a dispenser of cold Kellogg's
cereal, plastic bowls, and plastic spoons, so you have what to eat. Also,
plastic plates and forks. Then you see (1) a dispenser of waffle batter, with a
printed label bearing an OU and (2) a waffle iron of the same brand as the
waffle batter, so it is apparent that they were bought together. The idea is
that a patron takes a cup of waffle batter and makes his own waffles -- so
bishul nochri is not even an issue. (There are individual servings of jam, also
with an OU.) I am not asking for a psak here, so please don't reply with "CLOR".
Would list members be comfortable making and eating the waffles?
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett00@...>
Date: Mon, Jul 8,2013 at 06:01 PM
Subject: World War I
Immanuel Burton (MJ 61#88) wrote:
> Over the years I've seen things written about the significance of events
> that have occurred on 9th Av, such as the outbreak of World War I ...
This is a myth, World War I broke out on 28 July 1914, which was the 5th of Av
5674.
Perets Mett
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From: Menashe Elyashiv <Menashe.Elyashiv@...>
Date: Fri, Jul 12,2013 at 02:01 AM
Subject: Yizkor on chag
In MJ 61#88 Haim Snyder wrote:
> Why only Yizkor? Tfilat Geshem is also said on Shmini Atzeret and that should
> also be a very solemn prayer.
The rain prayers are not solemn, though the Ashkenazi tune is solemn. Also,
starting Mashiv Haruah is in the Mishna, while Yizkor is a late addition and
not found in many minhagim.
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End of Volume 61 Issue 89
