Volume 66 Number 62
Produced: Sun, 19 Nov 23 13:25:38 -0500
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Anan sahadei
[Joel Rich]
Is it better to stay at home or to go to shul?
[Carl Singer]
Sakana/sakanta
[Joel Rich]
Techeilet
[David Tzohar]
The Shidduch Crisis (continued)
[Chaim Casper]
When may the shatz begin?
[Martin Stern]
Wishing things were different
[Joel Rich]
Younger teenage boy as shatz (2)
[Irwin Weiss Joel Rich]
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Wed, Nov 15,2023 at 12:17 AM
Subject: Anan sahadei
Anan sahadei (we testify) generally appears in the gemara as an ironclad
presumption that defines an event (e.g. if a lender says to a borrower not to
pay back unless there are witnesses, he won't pay back without witnesses) or an
intent (e.g. a seller making aliya intended to sell only if he made aliyah).
Is anyone aware of anything on whether these are rebuttable presumptions? A
function of time and place? Are we encouraged to be mvarer when we can?
Hashem Oz Lamo Yiten Hashem Yvarech Et Amo Bashalom
Joel Rich
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From: Carl Singer <carl.singer@...>
Date: Sun, Nov 19,2023 at 12:17 PM
Subject: Is it better to stay at home or to go to shul?
My friend who sits near me at our M-F shacharis minyan left in the middle of
davening. He later emailed me explaining that he was feeling ill and began
coughing and didn't think it a good idea to "spread the wealth" coughing in shul.
I replied thanking him for his consideration.
But he seems to be in the minority. Yes, some people have allergies and are not
contagious, BUT should one go to shul when they are coughing or sneezing? I am
looking for a halachic / NOT medical response.
Carl A. Singer
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Sun, Nov 19,2023 at 10:17 AM
Subject: Sakana/sakanta
I am looking for any talmudic references where sakana/sakanta is used in
connection with a non-physical danger. Can anyone suggest any?
Bsorot Tovot
Joel Rich
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From: David Tzohar <davidtzohar@...>
Date: Fri, Nov 10,2023 at 04:17 AM
Subject: Techeilet
Martin Stern (MJ 66#60)said that he doesn't wear techeilet because wearing only
white is not pasul. But the opposite is also true,that is if one wears techilet
and it turns out that it is not the true techilet it is not pasul.
The overwhelming scientific and archeological evidence shows that techilet
extracted from the Murex snail is the true techeilet. Rav Aviner said that
wearing techeilet is yohara (arrogance) but now that more and more important
Rabbis such as R'Dov Lior and R'Herschel Schachter of YU both shlita wear
techeilet this is no longer an issue. It is well known that R' Simcha Kook Ztzl
also wore techeilet. R' Re'em Hacohen RY of Othniel says that techeilet is not
only a mitzvah but a chovah "ureitem oto" (you shall see it i.e. techeilet.
Many say that the rediscovery of the true techeilet is a sign that we are close
to the final redemption. Ken yehi ratson!
R' David Tzohar
Yerushalayim- Sheyihyu besorot tovot
--
David Tzohar
http://tzoharlateivahebrew.blogspot.com/
http://tzoharlateiva.blogspot.com/M
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From: Chaim Casper <info@...>
Date: Mon, Nov 13,2023 at 09:17 AM
Subject: The Shidduch Crisis (continued)
Starting in MJ 65#12 (November 2021) and continuing in following issues, we
discussed the "shidduch crisis". It appears that women who never marry is not
just a Jewish phenomenon. Rather, it is a society wide problem. See in a recent
edition of The New York Times (November 11, 2023):
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/opinion/marriage-women-men-dating.html
entitled, "Why Arent More People Getting Married? Ask Women What Dating Is
Like." There were a number of themes that popped out at me including
"But what was once dismissed as the complaint of picky women is now supported by
a raft of data. The same pundits plugging marriage also bemoan the crisis among
men and boys, what has come to be known as male drift - men turning away from
college, dropping out of the work force, or failing to look after their health."
In addition, "... it seems that by the time men begin dating, they are
relatively 'limited in their ability and willingness to be fully emotionally
present and available'".
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/11/11/richard-reeves-gender-equality-boys-school-men
Is this the predicament we find ourselves in? Yes, I know that I posted that
99.8% of all Bet Ya'akov women are married by the time they are 40. But that
still leaves 0.2% who never marry.
B'virkat Torah,
Chaim Casper
North Miami Beach, FL
Neve Mikhael, Israel
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From: Martin Stern <md.stern@...>
Date: Tue, Nov 7,2023 at 10:17 AM
Subject: When may the shatz begin?
Yisrael Medad wrote (MJ 66#61):
> In my experience, starting the Amida Repetition always seems to have an effect
> on people to hurry up and finish by Kedusha.
He might be surprised at the number of people who complain when this happens,
usually those who take what I consider an excessive amount of time (more than
about 5 minutes on an ordinary weekday) over their quiet shemoneh esrei, and
tell me that one must wait for "rov minyan" which they claim incorrectly (in my
opinion) means the majority of those present rather than more than half of ten,
i.e. six.
Martin Stern
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Wed, Nov 15,2023 at 12:17 AM
Subject: Wishing things were different
Is one permitted to wish the past were different (for self or community) or must
one believe it was as HKBH wanted and thus the best?
Hashem Oz Lamo Yiten Hashem Yvarech Et Amo Bashalom
Joel Rich
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From: Irwin Weiss <irwin@...>
Date: Mon, Nov 6,2023 at 05:17 PM
Subject: Younger teenage boy as shatz
As others have said, it helps to encourage participation by youth and that is
unquestionably a good thing. When I was a kid, our shul did not have a fancy
Torah stand, so after Hagba'ah, a young person was called upon to sit in a chair
on the Bimah and hold the Sefer. Nowadays, we have a fancy stand.
I have felt that holding the Sefer draws one closer to Torah. I'd like to get
rid of the fancy Torah holding stand, but no one else agrees with me.
Irwin Weiss
Baltimore
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From: Joel Rich <joelirarich@...>
Date: Tue, Nov 7,2023 at 02:17 AM
Subject: Younger teenage boy as shatz
Micha Berger wrote (MJ 66#61):
> But there are two counteveiling concerns:
>
> First, we need someone who can grow up comfortable taking the amud for when he
> is a zaqein veragil [adult and fluent].
>
> Second, we need teens to feel like they belong and are tied into the shul.
> Makes sure more of them grow up to be shomerei Torah uMitzvos, anavim, etc...
>
> (I am not sure why you mention Chareidi shuls in particular. Sephardim go
> further, and will put a qatan up for Pesuqei deZimra, Qabbalas Shabbos, and
> some eidos -- even Maariv.)
1. I mentioned chareidi shuls because in other shuls, in my experience, the
gabbai picks someone. In a number of chareidi shuls I've gone to, it's whomever
goes up.
2.Clearly there are counter-pressures. I suspect it has to do with how we view
the role of the shatz. I would guess that most defendants in capital cases
would prefer not to have a trainee representing them.
Hashem Oz Lamo Yiten Hashem Yvarech Et Amo Bashalom
Bsorot Tovot
Joel Rich
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End of Volume 66 Issue 62
