Volume 66 Number 56
Produced: Thu, 28 Sep 23 15:24:54 -0400
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Amida Length
[Joel Rich]
Chazakot
[Joel Rich]
Does the psak of bet din evidence the ratzon Hashem?
[Joseph Kaplan]
Halacha For The Masses?
[Joel Rich]
Jewish Publishing
[Joel Rich]
Proof of God's Existence?
[Joel Rich]
Timing of first selichot
[Orrin Tilevitz]
Women Saying Kaddish
[Sholom Parnes]
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 19,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Amida Length
I've seen pulpit rabbis who take a significantly longer time for their amida
than do their congregants and have the shatz say chazarat hashatz (including
kedusha) while the rabbi continues his personal amida. I've seen others who
speed up their amida and have the shatz wait for them in a manner that a
significant percentage of the minyan is done but others are not. What do you see
as the pros and cons of each approach?
Gmar Tov
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 19,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Chazakot
I'm told a book by a sofer recommends not relying on the chazaka of the SA (or R
SZA) but rather a cyclic checking of tfillin/mezuzuot (based on his own
experiences). Question- what is the algorithm to determine when a chazaka should
be reconsidered?
Gmar Tov
Joel Rich
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From: Joseph Kaplan <penkap@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 19,2023 at 03:17 PM
Subject: Does the psak of bet din evidence the ratzon Hashem?
Doesn't the Talmudic story of the tanur [oven] of Akhnai (BM 59b) teach us that
ratzon Hashem is not particularly relevant in halachic disputes?
Joseph
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 26,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Halacha For The Masses?
>From the testimony of R. Sheshet ha-Nasi of Saragossa concerning The
Mishneh Torah of Maimonides:
"Before the Mishneh Torah reached [the lands of] Castile, study of Jewish law,
especially of the Talmud, was beyond the grasp of Castilian Jews, for wisdom is
too lofty for the ignoramus (Proverbs 24:7). The local judge had exclusive
jurisdiction: he would rule as he pleased, unchallenged, for no one else knew
the twists and turns of the law, and all were therefore dependent on him. But
when they beheld the fourteen books of the Mishneh Torah, and all who knew
Hebrew studied them their eyes opened up and today there are many who understood
their words, so that when they hear claims of the litigants and the decision of
the judge, they proceed to investigate them themselves."
Sounds like google/LLMs. What do you think?
Gmar Tov
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 26,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Jewish Publishing
I came across this new book and was trying to decide what it implies concerning
the demand for different Jewish literature.
https://www.amazon.com/Bathing-Showering-Halachah-Menachem-Abramson/dp/1600919960
Your thoughts?
Gmar Tov
Joel Rich
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 26,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Proof of God's Existence?
Some very interesting discussion (with pushback) concerning "knowing" that
God exists.
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/1075784
Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig
Gmar Tov,
Joel Rich
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From: Orrin Tilevitz <tilevitzo@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 19,2023 at 06:17 PM
Subject: Timing of first selichot
This topic has been discussed periodically in this forum, most recently at MJ
65#88 and 65#89, but my question is a bit different: given (among other sources)
the Mishna Berurah's prohibition of reciting selichot (meaningfully) before
local midnight, 565:12 and R. Moshe Feinstein's only limited permission for
davening earlier, is davening first selichot in broad daylight, e.g, before
shacharit, a better choice than, say, 10:00 P.M., even though the central piyut,
bemotza-ei menucha, refers to davening at night?
Here are the actual facts:
A shul has, for at least 50 years, davened first selichot at 12:45 A.M. The shul
can no longer get a minyan for it -- this year there were nine men. Telling
people to go elsewhere wouldn't solve the problem because some of the nine
wouldn't and the other local options are all at 10:00 or 10:30 P.M. (which is
why they can't get a minyan at midnight -- bad money pushes out good money).
Which of the following options would be halachically best:
(1) earlier Saturday night (say, 10:00 or 10:30 P.M.);
(2)immediately before shacharit (which is long after dawn); or
(3) before Sunday afternoon mincha?
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From: Sholom Parnes <sholomjparnes@...>
Date: Tue, Sep 19,2023 at 03:17 PM
Subject: Women Saying Kaddish
In response to Carl Singer and Aryeh Frimer's posts (MJ 66#55):
A lot is dependent on the Gabbai's awareness level. Certainly, if the
congregation has a woman mourner who may be present the Gabbai should ascertain
if she is indeed there.
Some congregations will allow the woman to say kaddish alone, though she might
not feel comfortable doing this.
When I was in the year of mourning for my Mom, I would come to shul on Friday
evening, usually having attended an earlier Mincha service. Many times the
Gabbai would approach me before Aleinu and inform me that Mrs. so and so is here
and would you mind saying the last kaddish with her.
Another shul that I attend has an interesting solution. They have a large sign
printed with the word "kaddish" written on it. The sign hangs on a post on the
women's side of the mechitza. When a woman kaddish sayer comes to shul she flips
the sign over so that it hangs on the men's side.
Gmar Chatima Tova to the whole MJ family.
Sholom J Parnes
Efrat , ISRAEL
972-50-8685317
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End of Volume 66 Issue 56