Volume 66 Number 47
Produced: Wed, 09 Aug 23 15:28:25 -0400
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Codes and organization
[Sammy Finkelman]
Golem
[Joel Rich]
Kaddish
[Joel Rich]
Learning is Good (2)
[Ari Trachtenberg David Tzohar]
Priorities in Prayers/Shalosh Seudot
[Joel Rich]
Rules of Psak
[Joel Rich]
Too Much of a Good Thing?
[Joel Rich]
Vayidom Aharon
[Joel Rich]
Wish list
[Joel Rich]
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From: Sammy Finkelman <sammy.finkelman@...>
Date: Tue, Aug 8,2023 at 02:17 PM
Subject: Codes and organization
Joel Rich wrote (MJ 66#46):
> ... some commentators think that Rashi was primarily concerned about the
> specific page in front of him, versus Tosfot who were concerned about the
> coherence of the entire corpus of TSBP.
I once read that the way Tosfos worked is that each one of them studied one
mesechta of Talmud and then they studied each mesechta together and anyone who
noticed a possible contradiction was supposed to call it to the attention of the
others.
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Jul 11,2023 at 08:17 PM
Subject: Golem
Any thoughts on why the Chacham Tzvi decided to address the golem issue. I
understand that there were Kabbalistic masters, who claimed the ability. Perhaps
there were also secular myths and stories (alchemists et al) at the time?
She-nireh et nehamat Yerushalayim u-binyanah bi-mherah ve-yamenu
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Wed, Jul 19,2023 at 09:17 AM
Subject: Kaddish
If one learns mishnah brurah with a chaburah, is it
1. required or
2. recommended or
3. neutral or
4. discouraged
to say Kaddish drabanan afterwards?(assuming no aveil is in atendance)
She-nireh et nehamat Yerushalayim u-binyanah bi-mherah ve-yamenu
Joel Rich
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From: Ari Trachtenberg <trachten@...>
Date: Fri, Jun 30,2023 at 03:17 PM
Subject: Learning is Good
Dr. Leah S. R. Gordon wrote (MJ 66#46):
> David Tzohar writes (MJ 88#45):
>> ...
>> The subject of women learning Torah subjects that they cannot or, at least, are
>> not obligated to perform is more complicated. Most major halachic decisors are
>> against quoting the talmudic dictum that teaching women Torah is teaching them
>> "tiflut"(heresy?} But there are exceptions. Rav Tzvi Yehudah Kook ZTZ"L and Rav
>> Aviner SHLITA both are in favor of teaching women Torah including Gemarrah if
>> they feel that the limud would help them in their avodat Hashem.
>
> I would like to state for the Mail Jewish record that we are a list that
> includes both women and men. We are also, by origin and practice, "Modern
> Orthodox".
> ...
Without addressing the actual issues, I'd like to chime in that mail-jewish is
neither affiliated with nor envisioned as a modern Orthodox list. It is a place
that is open to a diverse body of halachically-supported opinions, including
those of both David and Leah, as long as they are conveyed in a civilized manner.
Best,
-Ari
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From: David Tzohar <davidtzohar@...>
Date: Sun, Jul 2,2023 at 02:17 PM
Subject: Learning is Good
Thanks to Leah Gordin (MJ 66#46) for reminding me that both men and women post on
Mail Jewish. I take issue however with her statement that Mail Jewish is
inherently "Modern Orthodox" The term itself is at the best meaningless and at
the worst oxymoronic. Who is Modern Orthodox? Is Rav Herschel Shachter Modern
Orthodox? If so how do we explain that there are no women in his Yeshiva (RIETS
the Yeshiva of YU)
The fact is that the Modern Orthodox women including Dr Gordon who post on Mail
Jewish have no more (or less) halachic obligation to study Torah than their
Chareidi sisters. I thought I made it clear that I personally do not hold that
Torah study is forbidden to women at any level provided it is Torah Lishmah and
not leshem some feminist ideal. I only stated the fact that many authorities
including gedolei hadorot disagreed.
BTW I do not identify myself as Modern Orthodox but rather Dati Tzioni Torani
usually called Chardali. You can translate it however you like. And I still say
every morning Boruch shelo asani Isha ki gadol hametzuveh veoseh mesheinah
metzuva veosa.
--
David Tzohar
http://tzoharlateivahebrew.blogspot.com/
http://tzoharlateiva.blogspot.com/
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Aug 8,2023 at 07:17 PM
Subject: Priorities in Prayers/Shalosh Seudot
All other things being equal, would you choose to daven mincha ktana and eat a
rushed shalosh seudot afterwards, daven mincha ktana and eat a relaxed shalosh
seudot beforehand, or daven mincha gdola and eat a relaxed shalosh seudot
afterwards? Why?
Kt
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Jul 4,2023 at 08:17 PM
Subject: Rules of Psak
I was wondering if anyone has had any thoughts on why the mechaber said he was
going to give psak based on the majority of the 3 poskim - Rif, Rambam and Rosh
(which in my mind was a huge chiddush for which I was never sure of the basis)
but it seems to me if one were actually to read his work without knowing that
algorithm, that one would ever come up with it given all the alternative
opinions he quotes, etc.
Wondering if you have any thoughts on that.
KT
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Jul 4,2023 at 08:17 PM
Subject: Too Much of a Good Thing?
I've noticed sometimes that prior to giving someone an aliya at shabbat mincha,
a gabbai will ask whether the individual had an aliya (assumedly anywhere) that
morning. I've also seen prospective aliya recipients (e.g. the gabbai comes over
and asks their name) volunteer that they had an aliya that morning. In both
cases the result is usually that another oleh is found. If I am correct, what is
the basis for this practice (other than maximizing aliya distributions?
KT
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Aug 1,2023 at 06:17 PM
Subject: Vayidom Aharon
A question a student was trying to ask (or the one that's been on my mind for a
while) is that if it is the case that Aharon was comforted by Moses telling him
that bkrovai akadeish was fulfilled through them, then it's not much of a
paradigm for those who suffer and who don't have an understanding of why things
happen.
Your thoughts?
KT
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Aug 8,2023 at 07:17 PM
Subject: Wish list
If there were one thing you wished they had taught you before you finished your
formal Jewish education, what would it be?
Kt
Joel Rich
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End of Volume 66 Issue 47
