Volume 35: Number 52
Sun, 16 Apr 2017
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Cantor Wolberg
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 21:22:23 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Sh'mini
One of the main areas this portion deals with is kashruth. There is an overriding concept in the laws of kashruth
that the characteristics of what we eat somehow have a great influence on the way we behave.
We do not want to associate ourselves with cruelty, therefore we are forbidden to eat cruel animals, and in this case certain fowl.
Among the fowl that are listed as being non kosher is the chasidah, the white stork. You may ask what cruel character trait does the stork possess.
Rashi mentions that the reason it is called a "chasidah" is because it does
chesed with its friends regarding the food it finds. On the surface this
seems strange.
If the stork acts kindly with its food, why is it disqualified as being kosher?
A beautiful explanation to this difficulty has been given by the Chidushei
Harim, a Chassidic 19th century Talmudic scholar, in which he explains the
nature of the stork.
He says that the fact the stork only shows its kindness with its friends
defines its cruelty. A fowl who is not in the circle of the stork's good
buddies is excluded from getting any help from the stork in finding food.
In other words, the stork is very selective in its kindness. This type of
kindness is misleading. We, as Jews, are commanded to help our foes. If
we come across someone we dislike intensely who needs help, we are
commanded to help.
The stork, on the other hand, helps only his friends. It is this character
trait of differentiating between close friends and others when it comes to
providing food that makes the stork non-kosher.
Chesed means reaching out altruistically, with love and generosity to all.
The process of maturing involves developing our sense of caring for others.
This is crucial for spiritual health. The Talmud likens someone who doesn't
give to others as the "walking dead.?
A non-giving soul is malnourished and withered. It is only through
unconditional love that our successful future will be built. In the words
of King David (Psalm 89:3): Olam chesed yibaneh - "the world is built on
kindness.?
May we live to see this kindness and care infused in all our lives.
Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Mark Twain
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Message: 2
From: Ben Waxman
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 21:40:11 +0200
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Shul Practices
I was reminded of this question this evening. Our shul is nominally
nusach Sefard. However if someone (like moi) does daven Ashkenaz, the
gabbi is OK, but insists on things like:
Saying Shir Ha'ma'lot in Maariv
Saying Keter during Mussaf
Ben
On 3/30/2017 2:07 PM, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
> Visiting a shul questions-actual practices and sources appreciated:
>
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Message: 3
From: Ben Waxman
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 08:45:27 +0200
Subject: Re: [Avodah] kitniyot
A bit of perspective here: this is the Orthodox version of a first world
problem. 100 years ago how many Ashkenazim and Sefardim even met, much
less intermarried or lived in the same neighborhoods? At most, this is a
bit of growing pain.
Ben
On 4/14/2017 7:56 AM, Marty Bluke via Avodah wrote:
> Of course there are halachic solutions but it still makes for a very
> akward situation for parents and children when parents visit a child
> and can't eat all the food.
Go to top.
Message: 4
From: Rabbi Meir G. Rabi
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:34:27 +1000
Subject: [Avodah] If You Are Choshesh for GeBrochts You MUST be
How do we determine
when the dough is baked to the point
where it can no longer become Chamets?
when there are no Chutim NimShaChim
When the Matza is torn apart
there are no doughy threads stretching between
the two pieces.
These days this test is not available
because so little water is added to the flour
that there is no opportunity for the chemical reaction
that activates the gluten
and even when the Matza, or the batch of dough is torn
BEFORE it is put into the oven
there are NO Chutim NimShaChim
[this is noted by the Chazon Ish]
So
if one suggests that
there is a possibility that
some flour
within [but not on the surface of] the Matza
which is protected from the heat of the oven
and does not become baked
[as once it is baked, flour can not become Chamets]
then the Chashash that this flour
might become Chamets if it becomes wet
pales into insignificance
and is completely eclipsed by the much greater risk
that the middle part of the Matza
which may not have been baked
may actually be Chamets [Gamur]
The fact that it is now now dry
means nothing
that is simply dehydrated dough
AKA Chamets,
maybe Chamets Nukshe
Best,
Meir G. Rabi
0423 207 837
+61 423 207 837
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Message: 5
From: via Avodah
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 02:40:12 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Toilet Paper on Chol haMoed
From: Micha Berger via Avodah <avo...@lists.aishdas.org>
>> R Shlomo Katz asked the following on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1344775595566571/permalink/1468822
016495261/
> Let me run an idea by you guys...
> 1. Tearing toilet paper is melacha.......
> 4. Therefore, you should tear toilet paper for 7 or 8 days before the
> beginning of Pesach and Sukkot.
>>>>>
It seems to me you are no more obligated to tear toilet paper for the whole
week than you are to do all your cooking for the whole week before the yom
tov.
--Toby Katz
t6...@aol.com
..
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Message: 6
From: via Avodah
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 02:49:12 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Taanis Bechoros - Women?
From: Akiva Miller via Avodah <avo...@lists.aishdas.org>
>> My eldest grand-daughter asked me why girls don't go to the siyum on
Erev Pesach, given the medrash firstborn girls *were* killed in Makas
Bechoros. <<
Akiva Miller
>>>>>
That's a pretty obscure medrash. It is seemingly contradicted by the
Torah itself, which specifies that a pidyon haben is required for a firstborn
boy because the firstborn boys were spared makas bechoros in Egypt. Nothing
about a pidyon habas.
On the other hand, according to Sefer HaToda'ah (Book of Our Heritage),
"There are different customs associated with this fast. Some say that every
firstborn, male or female, whether from the father or from the mother, must
fast on that day. If there is no firstborn, then the oldest in the house
must fast.....However others say that only firstborn males need to fast and
this is the generally accepted custom."
--Toby Katz
t6...@aol.com
..
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Message: 7
From: Martin Brody
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 21:50:12 -0700
Subject: [Avodah] Fast of the First Born.
Akiva Miller posted
"My eldest grand-daughter asked me why girls don't go to the siyum on
Erev Pesach, given the medrash firstborn girls *were* killed in Makas
Bechoros etc."
Maybe because the fast has nothing to do with the 10th plague at all?
They should be celebrating, not fasting! Fasting is for repentance.
More likely the Sin of the Golden Calf, when the firstborn lost their
priestly status. On the 14th the first born have to watch the Aaronite
priests slaughtering the Pascal offering instead of them.
Cheers
Martin Brody
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Message: 8
From: Rabbi Meir G. Rabi
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 13:55:38 +1000
Subject: [Avodah] Cohen son in law
when Moshiach comes
parents will seek a cohen for a son in law because it's a great investment,
they can feed their son in law and his family with their tithes.
It's like having the Bechor reinstated.
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Message: 9
From: Akiva Miller
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 09:28:13 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] mimeticism
R' Eli Turkel wrote:
> However, there are loads of proofs that the shiur of CI is
> impossible. First the 500x500 amot of the holy part of har
> habayit doesnt quite fit in the walls.
> ...
> This construction places the holy har habayit on the currently
> raised portion of the Temple mount. This yields an amah of about
> 38cm (CI=57, CN=44-48)
> Other proofs included the length of the Siloam tunnel which is
> documents in amot and can be measured. ...
I think there is plenty of evidence in the other direction as well.
The minimum shiur for a mikveh is 3 cubic amos, as this is the size
that a typical person could fit into. Who among us could fit into a
space 38x38x114 cm? (15x15x45 inches)?
Akiva Miller
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Message: 10
From: Akiva Miller
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 09:41:02 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] kitniyot
R' Zev Sero wrote:
> If you think that's a problem now, wait till Moshiach comes and
> you have parents visiting their daughter who married a Cohen.
Indeed! And I think an even more common case will be a husband
(regardless of shevet) who wants (or needs) to eat taharos, but his
wife is nidah.
Akiva Miller
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Message: 11
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:28:23 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] mimeticism
On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 09:28:13AM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
: R' Eli Turkel wrote:
: > However, there are loads of proofs that the shiur of CI is
: > impossible. First the 500x500 amot of the holy part of har
: > habayit doesnt quite fit in the walls.
I pointed out that we know length of the water tunnel in meters and
rounded to two digits precision amos.
In contrast, the current Har haBayis platform post-dates Hadrian y"sh
lobbing off the top of the mountain and dumping it into the valley
between the kotel and the current Moslem and Jewish Quarters. So we really
only have part of one wall to go on. The floor can't possibly date back
to either BHMQ.
But that doesn't mean the shiur is impossible. The shiur may indeed
be at odds with historical interpretations of the halakhah. Even
perhaps by accident. But would that necessarily mean it's not binding?
In either case, the CI's ammah is textual.
RCNaeh's ammah is a textualist's attempt to formalize a precise
number that is basicallhy consistent with the praactice of the Yishuv
haYashan. Mimeticism-driven.
RAM himself replied:
: I think there is plenty of evidence in the other direction as well.
: The minimum shiur for a mikveh is 3 cubic amos, as this is the size
: that a typical person could fit into. Who among us could fit into a
: space 38x38x114 cm? (15x15x45 inches)?
According to http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13993-stature ,
in 1906, the average Jewish man was about 162cm high. Let's make his
miqvah 165 x 31 x 31 cm. Same volume of water. A maximum belt size
of something like 97 cm (39") would fit.
:-)||ii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 5th day
mi...@aishdas.org in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org Hod sheb'Chesed: What kinds of Chesed take
Fax: (270) 514-1507 away my independence?
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Message: 12
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:30:32 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Pesach - Lecithin does not render chocolate
On Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 07:25:10AM +0200, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
: 2) The prohibition of being m'vateil an issur applies to the super
: corporations that run the milk industry?
This is a case where buying Chalav Yisrael, which is de rigeur in
Zev's Chabad community, would be more problematic. After all, something
done for CY milk is being done for Jews. Something done for stam OUD
milk would not be.
:-)||ii!
-Micha
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Message: 13
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:49:26 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] RSZA on kitniyot
On Fri, Apr 07, 2017 at 10:29:56AM +0300, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
: from halichot shlomo volume on Pesach p89 (pe-tet)
...
: RSZA says the minhag is not to use cottonseed oil on Pesach (mimetic - who
: determines this minhag?)
Well, if it's mimetic, you just watch what people do. And if so, RSZA's
statement is descriptive, not descriptive. As in: Lemaaseh, people are
nohagim not to use cottonseed oil on Pesach.
: He brings that the CA prohibited potatos !! but that this psak was never
: accepted. because they can't be confused with wheat...
But the CA himself says it's a minhag she'ein hataibur yachol laaemod
bo. He gives it as a hava amina and rejects it for a different reason
than the one given.
...
: Certainly, cakes made from matza flour should certainly be prohibited (ie
: even according to those that eat gebrochs) (yesh ladun behem - Pesachim 40b
: - Rashi that when people are "mezalzel one should be machmir)
Who is being mezalzel on chameitz? If he saying that because some people
are questioning qitniyos, we should strengthen qitniyos, then what does
that have to do with foods not already under that umbrella?
And even among those who question the minhag's sanity, is there really
a major zilzul going on among Ashkenazim doing less and less to avoid
qitniyios? On the contrary, as your translation opens, avoiding shemen
qitniyos has spread well beyond the communities that originally had that
minhag, to the extent that it's being applied to foods that in the past
weren't on the list of qitniyos! The questioning is a counter-reaction
to the growth of the minhag. Who is being mezalzel?
: In the notes that this was what RSZA said in shiurim and when asked a
: question responded that one should follow the family minhag...
Ascerting mimeticism over his own textualism. Sevara aside, minhag
is whatever is the accepted practice.
:-)||ii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 5th day
mi...@aishdas.org in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org Hod sheb'Chesed: What kinds of Chesed take
Fax: (270) 514-1507 away my independence?
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Message: 14
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:10:09 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Toilet Paper on Chol haMoed
On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 2:40am EDT, RnTK wrote:
:> R Shlomo Katz asked the following on Facebook
:> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1344775595566571/perma
:> link/1468822016495261/
:> Let me run an idea by you guys...
:> 1. Tearing toilet paper is melacha.......
:> 4. Therefore, you should tear toilet paper for 7 or 8 days before the
:> beginning of Pesach and Sukkot.
: It seems to me you are no more obligated to tear toilet paper for the whole
: week than you are to do all your cooking for the whole week before the yom
: tov.
Actually, the heter is that the food tastes better when made closer to
eating time. But if one is talking about food that would taste as good
if made days ahead (including the logistical limitations of storage),
one is actually supposed to be cooking it before YT.
:-)||ii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 5th day
mi...@aishdas.org in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org Hod sheb'Chesed: What kinds of Chesed take
Fax: (270) 514-1507 away my independence?
Go to top.
Message: 15
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:38:50 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Poisoning in Halacha
On Sun, Apr 02, 2017 at 10:16:10PM -0400, Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer via Avodah wrote:
: Tonight my chevrusa and I learned the sugya in Bava Kamma 47b of one who
: puts poison in front of his friend's animal. A brief synopsis and
: application of the sugya is at
: http://businesshalacha.com/en/newsletter/infected:
...
: It struck us that it follows that if one poisons another human being by,
: say, placing cyanide in his tea, which the victim then drinks and dies,
: the poisoner is exempt from capitol punishment. It would seem that such
: a manner of murder falls into the category of the Rambam's ruling in
: Hilchos Rotze'ach u'Shemiras Nefesh 3:10:
It might be similarly true, but I don't know if "it follows".
After all, gerama in Choshein Mishpat has a more limited definition
than in hilkhos Shabbos. So, it didn't have to be true that the same
definitions of gerama and garmi apply in dinei mamunus as in dinei
nefashos.
Lemaaseh, they are consistent. I would ask the Y-mi-style question:
How is retzichah more similar to mamon than it is to Shabbos?
:-)||ii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 5th day
mi...@aishdas.org in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org Hod sheb'Chesed: What kinds of Chesed take
Fax: (270) 514-1507 away my independence?
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