Volume 7 Number 13
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Boycotting of Rav Soloveichik z"l
[Lenny Oppenheimer]
Four-or-Five (Hamesh Drashot)?
[Bob Werman]
Non-Jewish guest on Yom Tov
[Ezra Tanenbaum]
Pikuach Nefesh
[Meylekh Viswanath]
Salute to Israel Parade (2)
[Avi Weinstein, Reuven Bell]
The Rov and Lubavitcher Rebbe
[Stuart Richler]
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From: <leo@...> (Lenny Oppenheimer)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 93 13:26:14 -0400
Subject: Re: Boycotting of Rav Soloveichik z"l
I would first like to express my personal sadness and sense of loss at
the passing of Rav Soloveitchik zt"l. Although I was not privileged to
have ever learned from him in person, I have read many of his writings,
and was quite moved and influenced by them. His was a unique voice that
is sorely missed.
Having said that, I feel a responsibility to protest a certain train of
thought that has been repeated again and again by various posters, about
the alleged "Bizayon" towards Rav Soloveichik that has been exhibited by
other elements of the Orthodox community. There were complaints about
non-attendance at the Azkarot, about things said about him, etc.
This is not the place, and certainly not the time, to argue any of these
issues. I will say this, however. The attitudes that have developed
about Rav Soloveitchik within the Yeshiva world are shared by a great
many highly esteemed Talmidei Chachamim. They are also based on issues
that go beyond mere politics.
I would like to suggest that the "flaming" of the Yeshiva world for not
respecting Rav Soloveitchik enough should cease. If we are to learn
anything from him, it is that he felt that the Torah that he taught is
what truly matters, and those that will hear, will hear. It is not
going to do anything positive to flame a group that largely does not
read this forum.
Let us hear what Rav Soloveitchik had to teach us, and let us use it to
make ourselves into more complete Avdei Hashem.
Lenny Oppenheimer
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From: <RWERMAN@...> (Bob Werman)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 93 17:26:01 -0400
Subject: Four-or-Five (Hamesh Drashot)?
In mail.jewish Vol. 7 #10 Digest, Jeffrey Woolf, among many important
observations on the Rov, writes:
> 1) The Rav's speeches to Mizrachi entitled Hamesh Drashot were
>published by David Telzner in Yiddish as 'Fir Droshos.' They are a
>wonderful opportunity to hear the Rav's mastery of Yiddish. As Reb Haym
>said last Sunday, "those who knew him in English didn't know him.'
Maybe. But those who know him in Yiddish only know 4/5 of what
those who know him in Hebrew do. [Hamesh = 5; fir = 4]
__Bob Werman <rwerman@...> rwerman@vms.huji.ac.il
Jerusalem
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From: <bob@...> (Ezra Tanenbaum)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 93 14:38:50 -0400
Subject: Non-Jewish guest on Yom Tov
Much discussion has gone here concerning whether one may cook food on
Yom Tov and then serve it to a non-Jewish guest. Most of the entries
have concluded that it is forbidden, because the application of allowing
cooking on Yom Tov applies only to Jews.
The sources which were quoted seem pretty clear, yet I question it
anyway.
In the Igros Moshe: Orech Chaim by Rav Moshe Feinstein Z'TZ'L, he
answers a question from a Yeshiva Bachur (Young Man) who was going to
Seder with his parents and an intermarried cousin was going to be there
with her spouse. The question was whether he could discuss the Hagada
in front of this non-Jew since it would violate the rule against
teaching Torah to a non-Jew.
Rav Moshe answers that he should attend, and that he should discuss the
Hagada as much as he wants, but he should address his discussion to his
parents and the Jews at the table. The fact that the non-Jew listens in
would not matter, since the student is not "teaching" him Torah
directly.
Rav Moshe then goes on to state that he should be careful with the wine
and to either be sure it is mevushal (cooked) or to keep a bottle for
himself in order to avoid wine touched by a non-Jew.
Rav Moshe does not mention the problem of cooking for a non-Jew on Yom
Tov. Of course, one cannot necessarily draw any conclusion from this,
since the student was asking the question for himself and not for his
parents, Rav Moshe may have left this out.
However, two things are still of interest which were not previously stated:
1. Inviting a non-Jew to a Seder involves the problem of teaching Torah
to a non-Jew.
2. Is the prohibition of cooking food on Yom Tov for a non-Jewish guest
so firm? If so, wouldn't Rav Moshe have mentioned it also, since he
did bring up the collateral issue of the wine?
Ezra Bob Tanenbaum 1016 Central Ave Highland Park, NJ 08904
home: (908)819-7533 work: (908)615-2899
email: att!trumpet!bob or <bob@...>
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From: Meylekh Viswanath <viswanath@...>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 93 09:20:06 -0400
Subject: Pikuach Nefesh
Eitan Fiorino writes regarding pikuakh nefesh:
It seems like the answer is that chazal were free to define the halachic
concept of pikuach nefesh in any way they wanted; thus, they restricted it
in certain cases where it wouldn't make sense (in the case of a convicted
murderer) or where there is a more fundamental principle at stake (avoda
zara, how do you know whose blood is redder).
Is pikuakh nefesh, then, another case where the basic mitzvah was deoraysa,
but khazal were given the responsibility of defining the parameters (like
the definition of melokhe (work) on khol-ha-moyed)? (I'm assuming that
pikuakh nefesh is deoraysa; I can't imagine that we would overturn other
mitsves deoraysa on the basis of a derabbanandike counter mitsve, when it is
clearly not a shev ve-al taaseh). If the answer to this
is in the negative, then we cannot use the argument given by Eitan:
It seems like pikuach nefesh rules the day unless there is a specific
mitvah involving the possibility of death, with two exceptions discussed
below. Thus, in the cases of war, capital punishment, rodeif, etc., there
is a command or permission to take a life. It would make no sense at all
to apply pikuach nefesh to such cases because it would block the effect of
the legislation we are trying to enact.
We would have to have an explicit drash from khumesh telling us what takes
precedence. If I remember right, this is the stand that the gemore in
yevomes takes when confronted with the mitzvah of yibum and the prohibition
of marrying your brother's wife. Where do we have such an analysis? How
do we know what overrides what in the cases discussed above?
Meylekh.
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From: Avi Weinstein <0003396650@...>
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 93 15:54:32 -0400
Subject: Re: Salute to Israel Parade
Why does the organized Orthodox community continue to act like they
are under siege and especially from such a marginal group of people? We
salute Israel for our reasons and they do for theirs. How could anyone
construe that we give legitimacy to any particular group or their
behavior by marching? I'm sure that if its a hot day, the gays will not
be the only "Toevah" in evidence. Is this just an excuse to remove
ourselves from a secular event which is absent of Torah content?
I wonder if anyone asked what constitutes the greater Chilul Hashem? I
find the community's response to be uninspired and reactionary. It is
very difficult to identify with this version of leadership and it
saddens me to think that an ingenious solution of parading appropriate
verses which denote inappropriate behavior as a silent protest is any
kind of answer. I respect and appreciate the sentiment of compromise in
which this suggestion was offered, but why with all the other
halachically offensive things that go on, do we balk at this?
Can't we just keep our dalet amos [four cubits] of distance and be done
with it?
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From: <rbell@...> (Reuven Bell)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 93 09:51:14 -0400
Subject: Re: Salute to Israel Parade
Just a quick update - I don't know whether or not the BJE, OU or any of
the other Orthodox organizations reconsidered and decided to march, but as
of last night I understand that HAFTR (Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns
and Rockaways - member of the Torah High School Network) will be
participating in the Salute to Israel Day Parade...
Reuven Bell
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From: Stuart Richler <76177.1300@...>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 93 17:26:04 -0400
Subject: The Rov and Lubavitcher Rebbe
In reference to the discussion about the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Rov.
The date was Yud Shevat 5740, the thirtieth anniversary of the previous
Rebbes' passing. I was present at that farbrangen (gathering). The Rov
was present for the first Sicha (talk). The Rebbe gave a long pilpul. I
don't remember what he spoke about, but if anyone is interested I could
probably find out where it is recorded. Also, see Volume 7 issue 3 where
I have provided some details of the event.
I hope this clears up any confusion.
Shmarya Richler
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End of Volume 7 Issue 13
