Volume 9 Number 13
Produced: Tue Sep 7 13:16:43 1993
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
High Tech Yichud (2)
[Elliot Lasson, Jack Reiner]
Looking for other Orthodox psychotherapists
[Roxanne Neal]
Looking for Rabbi Reuven Stein
[Joe Abeles]
Measurements
[Elhanan Adler]
Men's tephilla
[C. Austin]
On-Line Hebrew/English Dictionary for UNIX
[Elchonon Rappaport]
Prayer for the State of Israel
[Malcolm Isaacs]
Question
[Chaim Schild]
Rabbi Ralbag
[Yisrael Sundick]
Shemitta
[Yosef Bechhofer]
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From: <Elliot_David_Lasson@...> (Elliot Lasson)
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 93 20:58:39 -0400
Subject: High Tech Yichud
Andy Goldfinger brings up the question of whether yichud would be an
issue if there were other people "watching" over the electronic line. I
think the more basic issue is whether another party could have entered
the "base room" (i.e. the one in which he was sitting) during the time
when the other female was present. If this was at all possible (unless
the door was locked), IMHO there would be no Yichud.
Regarding his broader question of video-conferencing, it would seem that
if the party could terminate the connection at any time (which I see no
reason why either end of the connection could not do so), the presence
of the camera would not negate the Yichud problem. Because of the
tenuousness of such an electronic connection, I believe that it would
boil down to the actual, physical circumstances of the room (i.e. locked
or accessible to others).
Elliot D. Lasson, Ph.D.
Oak Park, MI
<FC9Q@...>
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From: <jack@...> (Jack Reiner)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 11:16:47 CDT
Subject: Re: High Tech Yichud
In v9n5, <andy_goldfinger@...> (Andy Goldfinger) writes:
>My question is the following. Suppose she had stayed in the room, but
>closed the door. Would this constitute yichud [privacy between an
>unmarried man and woman]? Or, would the presence of a group of people
>in another city interacting with us over video constitute enough of a
>presence to nullify the Yichud?
A similar question:
My superviser is an unmarried woman and I am a married man. From time to
time it is necessary to have a private conversation in her office. The
door must be closed to ensure privacy for things like performance
appraisal, etc.
Does this constitute yichud [privacy between an unmarried man and woman]?
If so, what are some ideas for dealing with it?
Regards,
Jack Reiner
<jack@...>
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From: <rln@...> (Roxanne Neal)
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 22:25:54 PDT
Subject: Looking for other Orthodox psychotherapists
I am looking to connect with other psychotherapists who are also
Orthodox. I am a recently graduated, pre-licensed Marriage, Family
and Child counselor currently interning in an Orthodox counseling
program in Los Angeles. I know there is a Behavioral Science section
of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists, but most of their
activity is in New York. I'm interested in some on-line contacts.
Some of the things I'd be interested in discussing include:
-- What halachic issues do you confront in your practice and how do
you handle them?
-- How do you integrate Torah and psychotherapy (if at all) in your
practice?
-- How do you deal with the inevitable dual relationships that occur
if you practice within the frum community?
-- How do you deal with conferences and training sessions on
Shabbat?
-- Do you have contacts/supervision/consultation with other frum
therapists? How?
-- How do you improve your Torah/psychology skills and understanding?
(Tapes? Books? Shiurim? Learning in chevrusa?)
-- What type of learning do you find most useful in your practice --
e.g. mussar, chassidus, stories a la Berel Wein, midrash (if in fact you
use any of these)...
-- Do you practice primarily with frum Jews, non-frum Jews, non-Jews or what?
... etc. etc.
By psychotherapist, I have in mind a fairly broadly defined group:
psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage counselors,
family therapists, school counselors, psychologically-minded rabbis,
hospital chaplains, etc. I don't know if this could evolve into a
mailing list; right now, I'd just like to have some contact with anyone
who's out there. Please drop me a line via e-mail, and let me know if
I can share your note with any others who answer.
Ruth Neal
<rln@...>
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From: Joe Abeles <JOE_ABELES@...>
Date: 3 Sep 1993 14:23:04 U
Subject: Looking for Rabbi Reuven Stein
REGARDING for m.j
Does anyone know the whereabouts of a Rabbi Reuven Stein, originally from
Queens NY? I had heard he was in the midwest about 10 years ago. Someone I
know from years ago.
--Joe Abeles
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From: <ELHANAN@...> (Elhanan Adler)
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 01:57:11 -0400
Subject: Measurements
Danny Skaist asked:
>I do not know what to make of measurements. We know, and accept without
>question, what the rishonim said, that in their day people were smaller then
>in the time of the gemorrah. Later sources assumed that this phenomonen
>continued. But we also know, simply by looking at suits of armor, that
>people in the middle ages were much smaller than they are today. Does that
>mean that we are back to the size of the time of the gemorrah? Has all the
>breeding effort of eggs and olives for bigger sizes not put us ahead of the
>eggs and olives of the middle ages? ? ? (maybe even back to the gemorra's
>sizes)
Two years ago I gave a series of shiurim on shiurim (pun intended) and,
inter alia, came across the following:
1) Dr. Mordecai Kislev in Tehumin v.10 discusses the size of the olive.
He notes that olive pits found at Massada are more or less the same size
as olive pits today.
2) I contacted an archaeologist who specializes in physical
anthropology. She said that people at the time of the Mishna were, on
the average, shorter than today's average height. The largest skeleton
she was aware of was found in a sarcophagus with the nickname "Golyat"
on it, and measured about 1.86m (I am 1.87 :-))
3) A careful reading of the Hazon Ish's "Kunteres ha-shiurim" shows he
was clearly aware of these questions. He states that "default" shiurim
are whatever the size of eggs, olives, fingers, etc. are in each
generation (that's why they were expressed in terms of items which were
readily available to all). *However*, halakhic authorities have the
authority to standardize these measurements - and having done so,
whatever they have chosen as being a standard olive, egg or finger width
is binding. Therefore he held by the Noda bi-Yehuda's calculations
*le-humrah* but never le-kulah. Whenever the "real-world" shiur leads to
the more stringent ruling one should follow it.
* Elhanan Adler University of Haifa Library *
* Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel *
* Israeli U. DECNET: HAIFAL::ELHANAN *
* Internet/ILAN: <ELHANAN@...> *
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From: C. Austin <CZCA@...>
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 23:50:34 -0400
Subject: Men's tephilla
There has been quite a lot of discussion by men recently on the topic of
women's prayer. I'm curious about what goes on on the other side of the
mechitzah. I would like to gain some insight into how men "experience"
prayer.
Claire Austin
<czca@...>
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From: <ELCHANAN@...> (Elchonon Rappaport)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 13:10:48 IDT
Subject: On-Line Hebrew/English Dictionary for UNIX
Has anyone out there seen such a creature?
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From: <M.Isaacs@...> (Malcolm Isaacs)
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 93 10:20:45 -0400
Subject: RE: Prayer for the State of Israel
The Rav of the shul which I attend when I am in London uses the phrase
"Medinat *VeEretz* Yisrael", ie. he calls for the blessing of not only
the State (as is the common nusach) but also the land.
Shanah Tovah uM'tukah,
Malcolm
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From: SCHILD%<GAIA@...> (Chaim Schild)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 11:38:50 -0400
Subject: Question
In Gemara Shabbas (89b), there is a discussion concerning a passuk
where the net result is that Isaac argues for the redemption of the Jewish
people whereas Avraham and Yaakov do not.... Does anybody know of any
commentary anywhere explaining this story ??
Chaim Schild
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From: Yisrael Sundick <sas34@...>
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 11:38:39 -0400
Subject: Rabbi Ralbag
Just recently, I heard indirectly, that R' Dovid Feinstien has
said that since we alow R' Dovid Ralbag to sit on the Beit Din for
Gittin (Divorce court) we should also trust him for Kashrut. the line of
reasoning is simple. If we really believe he is not a trustworthy
witness, then ANY divorce he has sat in on is INVALID. Needless to say
this brings in a large scale problem of Mamzerut. Very simply, we can't
have it both ways either R' Ralbag is a reliable witness or not. R'
Feinstien also said in this context "there is alot of Lashon Hara in the
Hasgacha buisness" R' Feinstien's yeshiva MTJ has alowed MANY triangle K
products for YEARS.
Second, having come from an area in the midwest were there are
alot of food processing plants and not alot of qualified Rabbonim, ONE
Rav does the Hashgach for many different organizations including the OK,
OU, Kof K,and Israeli Rabbanut I find it hard to believe that he is any
more or less reliable when working for any one of these organizations.
Ultimately, the real responsibility for a hasgacha is the individual who
vists the plant. Incidently, of the Hashgacha's he is responsible for,
ONLY the Israeli Rabbanut requires a FULL time Mashgiach.
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From: <YOSEF_BECHHOFER@...> (Yosef Bechhofer)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 93 00:56:35 -0400
Subject: Shemitta
This may not be posted in time, but here goes:
For a shiur I am to give next Tuesday evening (28 Elul) I
would appreciate any knowledgable Israeli MJ reader sending me hard
facts on any recent developments in the Heter Mechira, statistics on
the amount of Dati farmers that observe Shemitta and on the amount of
the Dati public that are machmir not to rely on the Heter Mechira.
Any other pertinent info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks. <YOSEF_BECHHOFER@...> or my wife's address:
<sbechhof@...>
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End of Volume 9 Issue 13
