Avodah Mailing List

Volume 39: Number 14

Tue, 16 Feb 2021

• 1. Re: Infestation in figs (Akiva Miller)
• 2. Does Rosh Chodesh have Kedusha? (Akiva Miller)
• 3. Re: Does Rosh Chodesh have Kedusha? (allan.en...@mail.gmail.com)
• 4. Re: Does Rosh Chodesh have Kedusha? (Akiva Miller)
• 5. OU's Guidelines for Purim (Prof. Levine)
• 6. Re: OU's Guidelines for Purim (Micha Berger)
• 7. Women and Torah Learning (Prof. L. Levine)
• 8. Re: Women and Torah Learning (Zalman Alpert)

.
R' Elozor Reich asked:

> All halachic sources stress the severity of consuming insects
> found in figs. Many recent works deal with exhausting requirement
> of examination before consumption.
>
> Yet....
>
> Yet we find many talmudical references to large pressed cakes of
> Grogrois, which were sawn apart before consumption. Detailed
> examination of such fig for insects is virtually impossible. Did
> the consumers rely on the pressers to check each fig added to the
> cake?

My presumption is that the ancients knew what to look for, and so they had
a simpler task of discerning a problematic fig from a problem-free fig. It
is "exhausting" for us because we are less familiar with what we are doing,
so we go to extremes to ensure that we've resolved all doubts.

It is comparable to making matzah. Back in the day, they knew what they
were doing, so they could make a loaf up to a tefach thick, and still be
confident that it was chometz-free. They knew how to keep kneading the
dough, so that even with the passage of hours, it would still not become
chometz. They could even mix flour into a pot of boiling water, and it
would cook so fast that it couldn't become chometz.

But we have forgotten the details, and we're woefully out of practice. So
most of us go crazy making the matza as thin as we can, and bake it as fast
as we can. And just to be extra-sure, many go for the well-done matzos,
disdaining the merely baked ones.

So too with the figs, I suspect. If you know what you're doing, you can
take a glance and know whether it has any bugs or not. But if you've lost
the mimetics of how to do that, a surgical inspection is the only way to
know for sure.

Akiva Miller
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.
No, I don't really doubt that Rosh Chodesh *does* have kedusha, if for no
other reason than the Beis Din's announcement of "Medudash!" My actual
question concerns how we express that kedusha, and in particular, how we
talk about its kedusha in our tefilos.

In the Musaf of Rosh Chodesh, the middle bracha - often nicknamed "Kedushas
Hayom" - closes with the words, "Baruch Atah Hashem, mekadesh Yisrael
v'Rashei Chadashim. - Blessed are You, Hashem, Who sanctifies Israel and
New Moons." This conclusion certainly attests to the kedusha of Rosh
Chodesh, but it seems strange to me that the body of the bracha doesn't.

The main text of this bracha, beginning with the words "Rashei Chadashim
l'amcha natata," says many nice things about Rosh Chodesh: It's a time for
kapara, we would bring korbanos. We ask Hashem that we should be able to
bring these korbanos again, and we ask Him for all sorts of brachos in this
new month. And we finally state the basis for these requests: "For You
chose your people Israel from all the nations, and You established the laws
of Rosh Chodesh for them."

Not a single word about the kedusha of the day (until after we cross over
from the body of the bracha into the chasima). The root k-d-sh never even
appears, except in the phrase "Beis Hamikdash".

What's going on here? I clearly recall learning, once upon a time, halachos
about the structure of a bracha, and how the conclusion should summarize
the main point of what the bracha is about. But that doesn't happen here.
The body of the bracha talks about the Newness of the new month, and
the conclusion talks about its Holiness.

When Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos, this omission is even sharper: "You
made your Holy Shabbos known to them, and You established the laws of Rosh
Chodesh for them." Shabbos is explicitly holy, but Rosh Chodesh just has
laws?

For the sake of comparison, let's look at the middle bracha on other
holidays.
Shabbos has four different versions, and the references are so abundant
that I won't bother to list them.
Amida and Musaf on the Shalosh Regalim have at least two mentions of the
day's kedusha: The paragraph of "Vatiten Lanu" has the phrase "Yom Tov
[Ploni] Mikra Kodesh", then just before the chasima we have the phrase
"Moadei Kodshecha".
On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, "Mikra Kodesh" seems to be the only
explicit reference, but that's still a lot more than Rosh Chodesh's zero.

I readily concede that the kedusha of Rosh Chodesh is less than that of the
other holidays, possibly even less than that of Chol Hamoed. And perhaps
that's the message that Chazal were sending us when they formulated this
bracha. Any other ideas?

Akiva Miller
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On Sun, 14 Feb 2021 at 04:00, Akiva Miller wrote:
> For the sake of comparison, let's look at the middle bracha on other
> holidays.
> Shabbos has four different versions, and the references are so abundant
> that I won't bother to list them.

On the contrary, the middle beracha on Shabbos is exactly the same on all
four occasions. It's the piyyuitim that precede it that are different.

ADE

.
I wrote:
> For the sake of comparison, let's look at the middle bracha on
> other holidays. Shabbos has four different versions, ...

R' Allan Engel commented>
> On the contrary, the middle beracha on Shabbos is exactly the
> same on all four occasions. It's the piyyuitim that precede it
> that are different.

I am not familiar with this idea. Are you suggesting that these "piyutim"
were inserted long after the Anshei Knesses Hagedola, similar to the
pituyim that are reserved for Chazaras Hashatz on special occasions? Thet
would be news to me, most especially in the case of Musaf, where mentioning
the korbanos is mandated by halacha.

Even if these paragraphs are recent additions, my point was that all four
of them specifically mention the kedusha of Shabbos:

Maariv: "Atah kidashta es yom hashevii", "V'kidashto mikol hazmanim"
Shacharis and Musaf: "Am m'kadshei shevii", "uvashevii ratzisa bo
v'kidashto"
Mincha: "Yom menucha uk'dusha"

Additional data point: My question isn't about the Amidah specifically, but
about the structure of a Bracha Arucha in general. So I took a look at the
last bracha after reading the haftara. On both Shabbos and Yom Tov, this
bracha concludes with the same words as we say in Kiddush and in the middle
bracha of the Amida, attesting to the Kedushas Hayom. But what of the body
of the bracha? On Shabbos, we say "v'al yom haShabbos hazeh, shenasata lanu
Hashem Elokeinu likdusha", so that matches up.

But that is missing on Yom Tov. It turns out that the last bracha on the
haftara on Yom Tov has the same "problem" that I saw in the Musaf of Rosh
Chodesh. Perhaps I am mistaken? Maybe it's okay for the chasima of a bracha
to differ somewhat from the content of the body of that bracha? Maybe it is
sufficient that they are both about the *specialness* of the day, and I'm
putting too much emphasis on the *kedusha* of the day.

Akiva Miller
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Presented by Orthodox Union and RCA

OU's Guidelines for Purim

The approaching Adar and Purim represent the sobering milestone of a 
year since the arrival of the pandemic on these shores. This year has 
brought devastating loss of life, immense financial struggle, and 
significant personal and social upheaval. At the same time, we are 
approaching a time of year that should be filled with simcha. How do 
we balance these emotions and experiences? See the attached 
guidelines, written in concert with our poskim and medical professionals.
<http://links.mkt3536.com/ctt?ms=MzMwNjMwNTUS1&;kn=58&r=MzA3NDEyNDExOTUxS0&b=0&j=MTg4MzcxMzgwOQS2&mt=1&rt=0>Read 
Here


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On Mon, Feb 15, 2021 at 04:45:23PM -0500, Prof. Levine via Avodah wrote:
> Presented by Orthodox Union and RCA
> OU's Guidelines for Purim
<https://together.ou.org>

See also the Agudah's guidelines
https://agudah.org/purim-5781-a-time-for-mindfulness-and-care

And the guidelines sent around Lakewood in the name of BMG's rashei yeshiva:
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/1948510
(which I think is the most conservative of those I've seen)

Over in my backyard, R Ron Yitzchak Eisenman sent out guidelines for
Ahavas Israel of Passaic, but since RRYE is a known columnist, I thought
people might be curious what he told his shul. See below, although except
for capitalizing what was originally in BOLD, formatting was removed.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

---------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ron Yitzchok Eisenman <ra...@ahavasisr....org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 12:06 PM
Subject: Purim 5781


<in red>
Purim 5781
""""""""""
Under no circumstances may anyone ever enter the Shul at any time without
a mask -- this is the rule every day -- and if you don't observe it,
you are trespassing on Shul property, which is akin to stealing.

This rule applies to Purim as well.

Please note masks must cover the mouth and nose
<end of red text>

The New PIP
"""""""""""
You all remember PIP?

Purim in Pashut.

This year there is a new PIP.

Purim in Pandemic.

How do we celebrate the joyous day of Purim during the Pandemic?

The answer is, of course, by adhering to the Covid guidelines strictly
and uncompromisingly.

I recall very well last Purim.

No one was masking as back then; in fact, we were told not to mask.

No one social distanced as we never heard of the term.

Purim was celebrated together with close contact, sharing of food and
drink, and unbeknownst to us at the time; we were also transmitting a
deadly pathogen that would wreak havoc on the world, AND PARTICULARLY
HARD HIT WERE ORTHODOX JEWS.

This year Baruch Hashem, we know to be careful.

THEREFORE, IN THE SPIRIT OF EVEN A SAFEK PIKUACH NEFESH (SLIGHT CHANCE
OF A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION), I PRESENT MY GUIDELINES FOR PURIM 5781.

1. Parshas Zachor -- As I have mentioned in the past, the Shul follows
the Psak of the Chazon Ish and Rav Chaim Kanievsky that women are NOT
obligated to hear Parshas Zachor.

2. Therefore, please observe the socially distant setup of the women's
section. Preferably, unless you are a regular Shul goer, better not to
come. If you do go and see there are no seats, DO NOT enter the women's
section. You are putting people in danger, and you are doing a "Mitzvah
through an Aveira."

3. The above rule of not crowding the sections applies to the Men's
section as well.

4. Under no circumstances may anyone enter the Shul at any time without
a mask -- this is the rule every day -- and if you don't observe it,
you are trespassing on Shul property, which is akin to stealing. This
rule applies to Purim as well.

5. Please note masks must cover the mouth and nose

PURIM Night
"""""""""""
1. One may eat before hearing the Megillah

2. Therefore, women or men who will hear the Megillah later should eat
after 6:18 PM on Thursday

3. If you cannot get out to hear the Megillah, and no one can come to
you to read it. You may listen to a live Zoom broadcast of the Megillah
and read along with the Baal Koreh in your printed Megillah.

Purim Day
"""""""""
a. Mishloach Manos -- Minimal Mishloach Manos this year. You only need
to give two food items to one person to fulfill the Mitzvah.

b. When delivering the (hopefully one) Mishloach Manos, make sure to
wear a mask

c. It is highly recommended not to go driving around town delivering
food. This can G-d forbid lead to a "super-spreader" infecting many
people.

d. Stay home in your family bubble.

e. The Mitzvah this year is "less (contact) is more (health)!"

f. Matanos L'Evyonim can be given to me either (cash or check) in Shul
beginning today.

g. If you want to drop off Matanos L'Evyonim at my home (that is allowed
and recommended), please come masked

h. I respectfully ask that no one feel they need to visit me and certainly
do not feel the need to bring me Mishloach Manos.

i. The Purim Seuda should consist of people only in your immediate bubble.

j. Preferably it should take place in the morning as Shabbos is coming!

k. Use the extra time to learn Torah, say Tehillim, and spend quality
with your children or yourself.

Wishing all a joyous Purim
Ron Yitzchok Eisenman
Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel
Passaic, NJ

[Email #1. -micha]

The following is from Rav Schwab on Chumash, page 274

    Learning for the sake of learning, just to occupy one's mind with
    the intricacies of the Torah, even if the practical application of
    the law is already known, is limited to men.

    A woman who learns Torah does not become greater in yiras Shamayim
    because of it. True, she may become very learned in Torah, but this is
    not the object of talmud Torah. A woman may become a great philosopher
    or scientist, but Torah is not philosophy or science. Torah is the
    way Hakadosh Baruch Hu communicates with us.

    Only because talmud Torah is a mitzvah, a positive commandment for
    man, can it be a means to connect to Hashem and thereby increase
    his yiras Shamayim. Because a woman has no specific mitzvah of
    talmud Torah, she cannot utilize it as a means to increase her many
    ways of connection to Hashem. If a man is a great talmud chacham,
    having learned the entire Talmud, and has not become a greater yerei
    Shamayim this learning has not achieved its purpose. If a woman were
    to learn and know Gemara just as well as a man, it still would not
    make her one iota better than she is. It would have no influence
    on her relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. she'asani kirtzono -
    He has made me according to his will, means that a woman does not
    need talmud Torah to come close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. A woman can
    even have prophecy-the closest possible relationship to Hakadosh
    Baruch Hu-without learning Torah.


[Email #2. -micha]

The following is from Rav Schwab on Chumash, pages 274-275.

    Women are also obligated to say Biros Ha Torah. While patur (exempt)
    from talmud Torah purely for the sake of learning, women are,
    nevertheless, obligated to learn the halachos of the mitzvos so they
    can properly fulfil them. With the exception of the few time-bound
    mitzvos, women have the same obligation as men to know and keep the
    vast majority of the mitzvos of the Torah. It is therefore incumbent
    upon women to learn the details of these mitzvos in order to observe
    them properly. How can women keep Shabbos or Yom Tov properly without
    knowing the applicable halachos?

    How can a woman conduct a business if she is not familiar with the
    dinim (laws) of ribbis (interest), ona'ah (misrepresentation or
    price fraud), or gezel (outright theft)? The difference is only in
    the goal of the learning. For a man, in addition to the need to know
    the practical halachos in order to apply them, it is also a mitzvah
    to occupy himself with talmud Torah as a form of avodas Hashem,
    serving Hashem. This is so even if there is no immediate need for this
    knowledge in practice, either because he already knows the dinim, or
    because his immediate circumstances do not require the application
    of what he is learning. However, for a woman, the purpose of the
    learning is to gain the knowledge in order to put it into practice.

[Email #1. -micha]

On Feb 16, 2021 12:58 PM, "Prof. L. Levine" <llev...@stevens.edu> wrote:
> The following is from Rav Schwab on Chumash, page 274

Have to admit this is strange but reflects a weird attitude towards
females May I add that the views of R Schwab are not necessarily in line
with Rav Breuer or Rav SR Hirsch or that they represent daas Torah just
at this point a daas Yachid it warrants further investigation

By the way Rav Schwab personally from the pulpit thanked and praised
the late Isha gedolah Dr Gertrude Hirschler for her abridged trans of
the Hirsch chumash

That was not practical halacha but Torah lishma

Torah hashkofa is complex and single modules or power points do not
reflect the reality on the ground

This is true as all rabbis are humans and MAY and do change positions,the
Rav was a powerful Agudist until 1946 and then joined Mizrachi so I can
guote what he said in 1938 and that would NOT reflect his position later
Rabbi Schwab himself reversed himself in Tide several times ...


[Email #2. -micha]

> The following is from Rav Schwab on Chumash, pages 274 - 275.

Besides hilchos Shabbos none of the halachoth  mentioned was taught at the
Breuer's girls high school,some time was spent on secondary subjects that
could gave been used

Rav Schwab was the Board of Ed dean of all KAJ schools

I suspect hilchos Shabbes are taught in most Bath Jacobs in metro NY
And in the KAJ school no text was used no kittzur not even Rabbi Posen's
Amira leBays Yaakov which was designated as a supplementary text but not
formally studied

As the chazal say esmahmeha ?


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