Volume 63 Number 79
Produced: Mon, 09 Apr 18 06:26:10 -0400
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
A disturbing report on the IDF
[Martin Stern]
A Masoretic joke?
[Michael Poppers]
Beyond the Seven Noahide Commandments
[Orrin Tilevitz]
Davening outside
[Martin Stern]
Depriving the minyan of the opportunity to say tachanun
[Martin Stern]
Egg Matzo (3)
[Sammy Finkelman Martin Stern David Tzohar]
Genaivas Da'as
[Carl A. Singer]
Hard left antisemitism
[Martin Stern]
On which Shabbat should Shir Hashirim be read?
[Avraham Friedenberg]
V''etzem lo sishberu bo (Korban Pesach law)
[Sammy Finkelman]
Yehiyou Lerotzon Imrei Fee
[Martin Stern]
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 10:01 AM
Subject: A disturbing report on the IDF
I saw a rather disturbing report on Arutz Sheva website
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/243638
> Senior lecturer in Jewish Thought and Studies on Women and Judaism at the
> Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies Dr. Einat Ramon ... recently analyzed an
> IDF document (From Women to Gender - The Perceptual Basis), which was adopted
> by the Chief of Staff and which, she says, shows that the army has adopted an
> extreme approach to gender influenced by what she terms "queer theory". Women
> are referred to as "biological women" - a derogatory term used by transgender
> men who consider themselves "women", who look critically upon women who choose
> to marry and devote a significant part of their lives to raising children.
>
> According to this transgendered terminology, women marrying men and raising
> children together with them - especially mothers who dedicate themselves to
> raising children - are committing "homophobic acts." "This is implied by the
> official IDF document," she says.
>
> According to these people, women who do so are "homophobic" by virtue of their
> marrying a man and raising children.
If this is now becoming the default worldview in secular society, how should
we react?
> Ramon was particularly irked by one sentence in the document that claims "the
> perception of the 'melting pot' - the entry of varied populations into the
> army, which serves as a platform to search for the common Zionist denominator
> ...
> She says the IDF's functioning as a melting pot for various populations is
> indeed being harmed
Of course this 'melting pot' program underlies the objections to military
service voiced by the chareidim though this is ignored by the secular
Israeli press, which almost always describes them as draft-dodgers, a term
more appropriate to those on the left who refuse to serve in an 'army of
occupation' on 'conscientious' grounds.
Martin Stern
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From: Michael Poppers <the65pops@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 10:01 PM
Subject: A Masoretic joke?
I had previously written (MJ 63#78):
> (i.e. the mnemonic for the #verses, 92, is "azayah")
Nisan being the time for redemption, and given that "ha'omer davar b'sheim omro
maiviy g'ulah la'olam [noting who said a Torah thought when quoting it brings
redemption to the world]", my Rav (a M-J listmember) suggested that the reading
is likely "Uziyah" (see https://tinyurl.com/MMayinzayinyudheih).
Chag Kasher v'Sameach! and
all the best from
Michael Poppers
Elizabeth, NJ, USA
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From: Orrin Tilevitz <tilevitzo@...>
Date: Wed, Mar 28,2018 at 12:01 AM
Subject: Beyond the Seven Noahide Commandments
In response to my questions (MJ 63#77) as to whether anything besides the seven
Noahide commandments matters for non-Jews, Sammy Finkelman (MJ 63#78)
predictably raises the concept of lifnim mishurat hadin. That begs the question.
The question is really whether the Toraitic standard is a higher standard than
that of 7 Noahide commandments or merely an alternative standard; one applies to
Jews and the other to non-Jews.
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 09:01 AM
Subject: Davening outside
Joel Rich wrote (MJ 63#78):
> I recently attended a levaya (funeral) in Bet Shemesh for the first time.
> After the kevura (burial) a mincha minyan was organized outside near the
> funeral hall (which was not in use) and the kollel room (also not in use).
> When I suggested using one of those venues rather than davening outside (see
> S"A O"C 90:5 et al) I was told that at this cemetery davening always took
> place outside. I understand it's not forbidden but wondered why it would be
> done if there was an inside alternative. Anyone know?
While it is not exactly the same, we used to have a similar situation at our
daf yomi shiur when there were several 'chiyuvim' who wanted to be sheliach
tzibbur for minchah or ma'ariv (depending on the time of year) before the
shiur. Often one of them would try to lure nine others to form a separate
minyan in the stair well outside the shiur room. I objected that that was
not an appropriate place to daven, quite apart from blocking access to those
who came later for the shiur (bur birshut harabbim!?) Given their objections
to my views, I consulted one of our dayanim about it and he said that they
certainly were acting incorrectly to daven in such a place.
Martin Stern
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 09:01 AM
Subject: Depriving the minyan of the opportunity to say tachanun
Susan Buxfield <wrote (MJ 63#78):
> Martin Stern wrote (MJ 63#77):
>
>> After all we don't force them to say it (Tachanun) if they want to omit it.
>
> There is an the issue of not to be "lifrosh min hatzibbur" - separate oneself
> from the congregation, unless the tzibbur is acting incorrectly according the
> halacha ie just the desire to finish the prayer quickly.
I should have clarified that I was referring mainly to ad hoc minyanim where
there was no fixed minhag - not to a regular one in a shul.
Martin Stern
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From: Sammy Finkelman <sammy.finkelman@...>
Date: Mon, Mar 26,2018 at 01:01 PM
Subject: Egg Matzo
Further to my prevkous submission (MJ 63#78), I looked at a third egg matzoh box
yesterday.
The Haddar egg matzoh box has a lot of Kosher for Passover notations, and then
in Hebrew and English:
"According to the Ram"o (462:10) these matzos may be used in case of necessity
by the sick and the elderly. They cannot be used for the matzos mitzvah at the
Passover Seder. When Passover begins Saturday night, they may be used for the
evening or morning meals of the preceding Sabbath."
(The English is a slightly imperfect translation. It's not "in case of necessity
by the sick and the elderly" but more like "in case of necessity by the sick and
the elderly who needs this.." Elderly who needs this probably refers to people
who don't have enough teeth to chew. This was written way before dentures. In
Hebrew, rather than focusing on Saturday night. it says it can be given to eat
[not 'used for'] for the Seudos Arvis and Shacharis of the Shabbos of Erev Pesach.)
The limitation here to the evening and morning meals means that, according to
this Haddar announcement, it can only be eaten by everybody during the first two
meals, which are, or can be, at a time when chometz can be eaten especially in
Eretz Yisroel where they usually daven Shabbos early. What's the point, then?
That those who avoid matzah at those times, can use it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 09:01 AM
Subject: Egg Matzo
Sammy Finkelman wrote (MJ 63#78):
> You should remember one thing: The current matzah we see, hard like crackers,
> is not the real old time (pre-1600s) matzah. The matzah of that time, and also
> used by some Sephardim is much softer and baked Erev Pesach. But it is hard to
> keep it kosher and people don't bake their own matzah any more. So all this
> only applies when talking about the new (post-1600s or so) matzah.
An interesting article on this very topic was published in the latest
edition of HaMaor which can be downloaded as a pdf from
http://www.federation.org.uk/publications/category/hamaor/
The article, entitled "Matzoh through thick and thin" by Rabbi Yoel Kaye, is
on pages 25-27.
Martin Stern
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From: David Tzohar <davidtzohar@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 10:01 AM
Subject: Egg Matzo
AFAIK all Ashkenazi authorities in Israel pasken that all "matzah ashira
including egg matza is to be considered chametz gamur on the safek that it
contains some water moisture and so is assur bekolshehu. When they were Rav
Rashi Harav Mordechi Eliyahu and Rav Ovadia Yosef gave a hechsher to one
specific type of matzah ashira (not egg matzah) which had no trace of water
moisture.
Pesach Kasher vesameiach lekulam
David Tzohar
http://tzoharlateivahebrew.blogspot.com/
http://tzoharlateiva.blogspot.com/
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From: Carl A. Singer <carl.singer@...>
Date: Mon, Apr 2,2018 at 06:01 PM
Subject: Genaivas Da'as
Years ago the United States converted to metric system -- for the most part.
I like bearikeh borsht (beet borsht) -- nowadays I buy it in a jar
Until the unit conversion, borsht, pickles and many other kosher products
came in 32 ounce (1 quart) jars. Nowadays, pickles for example come in 28 ounces
-- and beet borsht now is sold in a 24 ounce jar, 2/3 of a quart.
Is this genaivos da'as?
For those of you unfamiliar a US quart (quarter of a US gallon = 32 fluid
ounces) = 1.101221 Liters, and conversely .9463529 Liters = a US quart
Prior to this conversion most liquids came in quarts, half-gallons or
gallons.
Post-conversion, kosher wines began appearing in .750 ml bottles -- so
what was once a quart was now .7925 Quarts (about 4/5 of a quart)
In the US, soda which once came in half-gallon (2 quart) bottles now comes
in 2 liter bottles = 2.113376 quarts -- an increase of about 5%
[In the UK, the quart and gallon are slightly different but Carl's points still
stand - MOD]
*Carl A. Singer
70 Howard Avenue
Passaic,
NJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 10:01 AM
Subject: Hard left antisemitism
While I of course do NOT agree with any of its theses, I think the 'logic'
of the hard left regarding Jews can be understood along the following lines:
1. Most organised Jewish groups support Zionism and vilify those few Jews
who recognise the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. They also use
accusations of anti-semitism as a means for suppressing any criticism of the
apartheid policies of the Israeli state.
2. Zionism is racism as decided by the United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 3379 adopted on 10 November 1975. Even though it was revoked in
1991, this was because of pressure by International Jewry which works behind
the scenes to achieve world domination.
3. Zionists (i.e. Jews) distort the Holocaust by exaggerating the number of
Jewish victims, and ignoring non-Jewish ones, and then use this to whitewash
Israel's genocide of the native Palestinians.
4. Jews are not a race so anti-racists can dislike them for the above
reasons.
If this analysis of its views is correct, then the hard left is clearly
anti-semitic despite its protests to the contrary.
Any comments?
Martin Stern
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From: Avraham Friedenberg <elshpen@...>
Date: Mon, Apr 2,2018 at 05:01 PM
Subject: On which Shabbat should Shir Hashirim be read?
Normally Shir Hashirim is read on Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach, but this year
there is no Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach. Here in E"Y we read it last Shabbat, the
first day of chag. In chu"l, it's read next Shabbat, the 8th day. Why isn't it
read on the same day everywhere?
Avraham (Alan) Friedenberg
Be'er Sheva, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sammy Finkelman <sammy.finkelman@...>
Date: Fri, Mar 30,2018 at 05:01 PM
Subject: V''etzem lo sishberu bo (Korban Pesach law)
Does anyone have any idea, when there is a korban Pesach, what could be the
sevareh [reasoning] behind the mitzvah not to break any of its bones.
I know we are told not to do that with any meat with bones at the Seder and the
reason I heard was that this is an indication of wealth (or freedom) that you
are not looking for the last very little piece of meat.
But is that the reason here? A friend I discussed this with said maybe the meat
inside the bones tastes better and he said that the reason would have to do with
keeping the korban Pesach in one piece. In fact, we could note that it is
supposed to be broiled, and that does entail keeping it in one piece.
But the question then is what is the reason for keeping it one piece?
Most korbanos are immediately split into pieces - the Korban Pesach is the
opposite. This must have some significance that's intended to be realized. It
must have a meaning an ordinary person would spontaneously detect, or at least
avoid the feeling what doing the opposite would create.
I see now OU.org says the Sefer HaChinuch, Rav Hirsch, and the Vilna Gaon
provide possible reasons. But it doesn't tell you them.
https://www.ou.org/torah/mitzvot/minchat-chinuch/mitzvah-16-bones-korban-pesach/
Can anyone help to explain this?
Note: The Sefer HaChinuch has a long comment on Mitzvah 16, but only a little
about the reason and it seems to give the reason I always heard - that it's not
the way of royalty to go after every last little piece of meat. But that idea
that the Korban Pesach should be eaten in a way so as to show an indication of
wealth sounds like something Chazal would institute (like they probably did in
telling people to eat the meal leaning) and not what would be essential to the
mitzvah of the Korban Pesach in the first place.
I don't know what the other reasons offered (by Rav Hirsch, and the Vilna Gaon)
were.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Mar 27,2018 at 09:01 AM
Subject: Yehiyou Lerotzon Imrei Fee
Sammy Finkelman wrote (MJ 63#78):
> Haim Snyder wrote (MJ 63#77):
>> ...
>> This should not be a surprise. In Ma'ase Rav 42 it says (my translation) "In
>> the repetition of the Shmoneh Esrei the reader should say before the prayer
>> Hashem S'fatai and, at the end Yehiyou Lerotzon".
>
> I really never heard that. I did know about saying Hashem S'fatai.
This seems to be the standard practice of Sephardim, at least at every
Sephardi minyan I have attended.
Martin Stern
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End of Volume 63 Issue 79
