Avodah Mailing List

Volume 35: Number 65

Tue, 23 May 2017

• 1. Holy Smokes (Micha Berger)
• 2. Fwd: Does Orthodox Commitment Provide What is Needed for Good Character? (Micha Berger)
• 3. Re: Erev Shabbos Thoughts (Micha Berger)
• 4. Bar Mitzvah at the Age of 12 (David Havin)
• 5. Re: Chamets Sale, the one that got away (Akiva Miller)
• 6. B'midbar (Cantor Wolberg)
• 7. "Krias Moshe Leynen"? (Zev Sero)
• 8. Re: Bar Mitzvah at the Age of 12 (Zev Sero)
• 9. Re: Erev Shabbos Thoughts (Cantor Wolberg)
• 10. Lag Baomer in pre WWII Mir Yeshiva in Europe (Micha Berger)

From this week's emailing from The Halachah Center / Beis haVaad
leInyanei Mishpat
<http://www.thehalachacenter.org/journal-links/5777/
vayikra/behar-bechukosai/holy-smokes.php>.

There are a number of halachic discussions about e-cig use -- whether
kashrus concerns apply, health issues, but then they close with this
interesting (to me) more aggadic point.

Note found interesting was that R' Yosef Greenwald assumes that
venishmartem me'od lenafshoseikhem isn't about preserving life, but
preserving one's ability to pull the ol mitzvos. (That sounds weird,
but an animal "pulls a yoke", no?) Which includes preserving life. And
thus includes intoxication and other mind- or mood-altering chemicals
that could hamper one's ability to function.

I could have seen argiong for each as separate values, but...

      Holy Smokes!
      A Halachic Discussion Regarding E-Cigarettes Are e-cigarettes
      problematic from a halachic standpoint?
      By: Rav Yosef Greenwald
      ...
      The Health Concerns of E-cigarettes
      ...
      1. Are E-Cigarettes Any Better than Cigarettes?
      ...
      2. Derech Eretz and a Life of Meaning

      Let us conclude with one more point about the general imperative
      to protect our health and its relevance to this case. Although as
      mentioned there is an injunction to safeguard our health based on
      v'nishmartem, we also have an assurance of shomer pesaim Hashem,
      that Hashem will protect those who engage in normal activities,
      as Rav Moshe explained, which is based on the Gemara (Yevamos 12b
      and elsewhere).[10] Consequently, eating greasy french fries,
      doughnuts, and the like, may not be the healthiest thing to
      do. However, doing so would not violate a halachic prohibition,
      as eating these foods is considered in the realm of normal behavior
      (like smoking used to be), and we can apply shomer pesa'im Hashem.

      There have recently been some questions asked about the kashrus on
      medical marijuana, due to the possibility that the recreational use
      of marijuana may be normalized soon. However, before discussing the
      kashrus questions, one must ask whether it is acceptable to consume
      marijuana. It would seem to be in the same category as significant
      alcohol consumption. Leaving aside any possible physical damage
      caused from overdosing, there is no specific halacha that forbids
      one from getting drunk, aside from being careful not to miss the
      proper time for Tefilla, and not issuing halachic rulings while
      in an inebriated state.[11] Nevertheless, it should be obvious
      that this is wrong, based on what could be called the "fifth
      section of the Shulchan Aruch," using common sense in living one's
      life. Clearly, Hashem does not want a person to waste away their
      life in a state in which one cannot serve Hashem properly. Rather,
      one should live life as an intelligent, sober person. One who
      overdoses on alcohol, or engages in mind-altering or mood- altering
      by ingesting marijuana, is taking away the ability to function as a
      normal person. This falls under the category of derech eretz, proper
      conduct, which precedes the observance of halacha. In other words,
      even if one does not directly violate the Shulchan Aruch, one must
      live in a manner in which the Torah and halacha can be fulfilled.

      To return to e-cigarettes, this notion of living healthy is an
      important reason why, even if it is concluded that they are 100%
      kosher even without certification, a non-smoker should not start
      using such a product. In the merit of being able to curb one's
      physical temptations, hopefully we as a people can merit to reaching
      great spiritual heights, and achieve the closeness to Hashem that
      He, and we, so desire.
...
      [11] Both of these issues are discussed in the Gemara (Eiruvin 64a)
      and are cited in the Shulchan Aruch.
...

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 38th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        5 weeks and 3 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Tifferes sheb'Yesod: How does reliability
Fax: (270) 514-1507           promote harmony in life and relationships?

From
http://jewishethicalwisdom.com/does-orthodox-
commitment-provide-what-is-needed-for-good-character

Critical reading for anyone interested in what AishDas stands for.

    Jewish Ethical Wisdom
    Blog

    Does Orthodox Commitment Provide What is Needed for Good Character?
    Posted on April 6, 2017 Posted By: Anthony Knopf

    Does Orthodox commitment provide what is needed for good character? Not
    yet, I answer in this article.
    ...


Rashei peraqim:
    Introduction
    Feeling and Thinking Ethically - Not Always a Matter of Halakha
    Exclusive Focus on Halakha Distracts from and Attenuates Moral Sensitivity
    More is Required

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 38th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        5 weeks and 3 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Tifferes sheb'Yesod: How does reliability
Fax: (270) 514-1507           promote harmony in life and relationships?

On Fri, May 19, 2017 at 12:16:28PM -0400, Cantor Wolberg via Avodah wrote:
: The difference is compelling: "Mitzachaik" is in the present tense and
: "Yitzchok" is in the future tense. Sarah realized that Ismael's philosophy of
: life was all about the here and now, immediate gratification and getting as
: much pleasure out of life with no concern about the future.

However, "Yishmael", the name, is also in future tense, and later in
his life, "Yitzchaq metzacheiq es Rivqah ishto" (26:8) -- in the present
tense.

And while "Yishmael's" name is about listening, not tzechoq, is not
listening MORE fundamental to a healthy relationship?

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 38th day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        5 weeks and 3 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Tifferes sheb'Yesod: How does reliability
Fax: (270) 514-1507           promote harmony in life and relationships?

My maternal grandfather, who lived in Lithuania until his late teens, told
me on a number of occasions that he celebrated his bar mitzvah when he was
12 years old, as his father had died and he was considered to be an orphan.

Some years ago I recalled this and decided to learn more about the custom,
but each of the rabbis I asked had never heard of it.  Recently, however, I
was re-reading A Tzadik in Our Time: The Life of Reb Aryeh Levin and, at
page 95, he recounts that he attended a bar mitzvah of an orphan in
Jerusalem on his 12th birthday.

Does anyone know anything of this custom?

David Havin
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R' Micha Berger wrote:

> BYBY is a unique concept of ownership that differs
> from choshein mishpat, and is not baalus.

We can see a connection between BYBY and "responsibility" by the
situation of a shomer. Even in a situation where a shomer is
absolutely not the owner or baal in any sense of the term, he will
still violate BYBY if he is responsible for the chometz that he is
watching.

(I don't know which side of the discussion this supports, but it seems
very relevant to *some* side, so I figured I'd mention it.)

Akiva Miller

Israel?s brithplace was b?midbar ? in the wilderness.
It has been suggested that only the barren wilderness
could have produced the monotheistic faith. Man is
always in need of fulfillment and his promised land is
far away. He is always on the road to the actualization
of his dreams, seeking better things and yearning for a
fuller, fulfilling life. The wilderness is the symbol of man 
searching for his destination. It is told that a Chassidic 
Rebbe, impatient at the sad, mad state of the world
(sound familiar?) and overcome with longing for the 
happiness of mankind, prayed to God: ?If Thou cannot
redeem Thy people Israel, then at least redeem mankind!?

May we reach the promised land in our lifetime!
rw

?Ay me! sad hours seem long.? 
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
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Has anyone heard of such a thing?  I came across it in a Munkatcher 
publication.  If it were buried in a block of text I'd take it for a 
typo for "Krias Sh'ma Leynen", referring to the children who come on the 
vach nacht to say Krias Sh'ma for the baby.  But it's in a prominent 
position where I think surely someone would have noticed such a blatant 
typo and corrected it before it went to print, so my current working 
theory is that it's some minhag that neither I nor anyone I've asked so 
far have heard of.  So I'm throwing it to the wider Avodah community; 
does anyone know what this is?

-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
z...@sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all

On 20/05/17 05:14, David Havin via Avodah wrote:
> My maternal grandfather, who lived in Lithuania until his late teens, 
> told me on a number of occasions that he celebrated his bar mitzvah when 
> he was 12 years old, as his father had died and he was considered to be 
> an orphan.
> 
> Some years ago I recalled this and decided to learn more about the 
> custom, but each of the rabbis I asked had never heard of it.  Recently, 
> however, I was re-reading A Tzadik in Our Time: The Life of Reb Aryeh 
> Levin and, at page 95, he recounts that he attended a bar mitzvah of an 
> orphan in Jerusalem on his 12^th birthday.
> 
> Does anyone know anything of this custom?

There is, of course, no such custom of becoming a bar mitzvah early. 
But it was a common custom that a child with no father would begin 
putting on tefillin a full year before his bar mitzvah, rather than a 
few weeks or months as is the usual custom.  See Aruch Hashulchan 37:4, 
who says this is "murgal befi hahamon", but he knows of no reason for 
it, and disapproves of it.

See: http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=374&;pgnum=295


-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
z...@sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all

> "Yishmael", the name, is also in future tense

...which means "he WILL hear or listen" which fits in with his personality
and character. Presently he doesn't listen and does what he pleases. When
he gets old, he will then listen.

> And while "Yishmael's" name is about listening, not tzechoq, is not
> listening MORE fundamental to a healthy relationship?

A healthy relationship is fundamental with many elements: one of which
is certainly listening NOW, not in the future. Can you imagine telling
your child to do something and he says I'll do it in the future. He
isn't even listening because as you point out "He WILL listen -- a lot
of good that does for the present.

And psychologists will tell you that a healthy relationship must have
laughter and humor which can only increase the health of a relationship.

On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 06:02:36PM +0000, Prof Yitzchak Levine posted on
Areivim:
: Please see http://mrlitvak.blogspot.com/

I can understand a desire to reaffirm the authentic Litvisher derkeh.

But meanwhile, we have more learning than at any time in Litta's history,
and kids are still uninspiring and fleeing in horrendous numbers. How
often do people mention the RBSO? How much do we discuss or base decisions
on the kelalim gedolim baTorah (cf RBW's recent review of RJB's The Great
Principle of the Torah -- ve'ahvta lerei'akha kamokha, de'alakh sani,
eileh toledos ha'adam, shema Yisrael, tzadiq be'emunaso yichyeh, etc...)?

So, Lag baOmer may not be more than cheap sentimentality. But even
if I were to agree this was true, I would still argue that we are in
desperate need of sentimentality -- and will settle for the cheap kind
rather than letting the pursuit of perfection become excuses for less
emotional expression.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 41st day, which is
mi...@aishdas.org        5 weeks and 6 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Yesod sheb'Yesod: What is the ultimate measure
Fax: (270) 514-1507                     of self-control and reliability?


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