Volume 12 Number 44
Produced: Thu Apr 7 23:10:25 1994
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Adjusting electric stoves on Yom Tov
[Gerald Sacks]
BeHaB
[Ezra Rosenfeld]
Beit Din
[Meira Schulman Ferziger]
Child-rearing and Torah
[Danny Weiss]
Chumrah
[Rabbi Freundel]
Codes in the Torah
[Rabbi Freundel]
drug use references
[Anthony Fiorino]
hot chocolate
[Susan Hornstein]
hot chocolate sheavar alav hapesach
[Jerrold Landau]
Independence Day
[Lon Eisenberg]
Kosher for Pesach Kitniyos
[Marc Meisler]
Mazal Tov! Birth of Mallika Leya
[Meylekh Viswanath]
Pesach Sheni and Behav
[Yitzchok Adlerstein]
Potatoes and Pessach
[Naomi G. Cohen]
Shopping after Pesach
[Yechezkal-Shimon Gutfreund]
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From: Gerald Sacks <sacks@...>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 94 16:36:48 EDT
Subject: Adjusting electric stoves on Yom Tov
There have a couple of postings lately that have implied that it's
permissable to adjust an infinitely adjustable electric stove on Yom
Tov. This is due to the commonly held misconception that the controls
on such stoves are rheostats. See note 10 in Rabbi Reuven Drucker's
article in volume 12 #27 for an explanation of how they really work.
It's possible to get a light installed that will tell you when the
circuit is open (so you can turn the burner down) or closed (so you can
turn the burner up). This tends to be rather pricy. Are there any EE's
out there who can tell me if it's safe to place a simple neon bulb in
parallel to the burner?
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From: Ezra Rosenfeld <zomet@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 11:43:26 +0300 (IDT)
Subject: BeHaB
A propos BeHaB on Pesach Sheni, I remember hearing that Rav Tzvi Yehuda
Kook ztl said the Selichot of BeHaB even when one of the days fell on Yom
HaAtzmaut (And no one would accuse him of being a card carrying member of
Neturai Karta).
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From: <msf@...> (Meira Schulman Ferziger)
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 00:30:33 -0400
Subject: RE: Beit Din
I am taking a law school course in Jewish Law and am writing a paper on the
Beit Din in contemporary American society. Does anyone know of any good
articles on the topic?
Please send all responses to <msf@...> or call (312) 761-0250.
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From: <danny@...> (Danny Weiss)
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 22:49:30 -500 (EDT)
Subject: Child-rearing and Torah
I am posting this as at the request of my mother, a teacher in a Yeshiva
day school, who does not as yet have Internet access. What sources are
there in Tanach and Talmud - meaning anything from statements of advice to
actual commandments - about how one should rear one's children. She needs
this for a section she is about to begin.
Please feel free to answer via mail-jewish or directly to me.
Danny Weiss
<danny@...>
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From: <dialectic@...> (Rabbi Freundel)
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 94 10:44:02 EDT
Subject: Re: Chumrah
[while there is a bunch of untranslated Hebrew here, I suspect that
trying to translate it all would loose the flavor, and as it is not of a
dialog beginning peice, I'm sending it through. Mod.]
I am just doing biur chametz on past issues of M.Js from before Pesach as I
did not have time to read them much less respond at that point
Thanks for all the kind words on the "chumrah" piece.
Interestingly it was written before Pesach '93 but didn't get noticed until
this year. I guess Slach Lachmechah al pnei hamayim - Ki berov hayamim
timtza'enu. Or in this case perhaps Shlach Hamatzah shmura shelcha im hu
mehadrin min hamehadrin al pnei ha mayim (but wrap it three times in plastic
to avoid gebroktz)- Ki berov hayamim timtza'enu. (but you need to be
careful of matzah shenitalem min ha'ayin)
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From: <dialectic@...> (Rabbi Freundel)
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 22:50:44 -0400
Subject: Codes in the Torah
I have always been fascinated by the "codes in the Torah-- not by their
existence but by the effect that they have on people.
I am not a believer because of patterns of letters in a 3500 year old
document but rather because I sense the presence of the Divine and
because living this way greatly enhances the quality and meaning of my
life. I would genuinely like to understand why these codes are so
meaningful to some people.
I also have a mathematical problem with the codes. Patterns show up in
all kinds of random things. Mathematical proof requires not just
patterns but predictability. Can this be used to predict a pattern? IN
THAT REGARD I have a suggestion. As I understand it many famous Rabbis
names appear in pattern near their Yahrzeit dates.Would those who
advocate the codes b willing to pick 10 living Rabbis and then see
whether their eventual Yahrzei dates conform. If 10 do the proof is
absolute. 7-8 do I'd accept that even 5-6 would be terrific.
Finally what do the codes do with the indication that our texts may not
be free of all errors (see Kiddushin 30a or minhat shai almost anywhere
on chumash or Shneur Leiman's discussion with Zvi Yehudah in Tradition
some years ago)? Doesn't this mess up the codes?
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From: Anthony Fiorino <fiorino@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 13:41:58 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: drug use references
R. Menachem Brayer has an article "Drugs: a Jewish view" in Fred Rosner &
R. J. D. Bleich's _Jewish Bioethics_.
See also for general background R. Moshe Sokol's "Attitudes towards
pleasure in Jewish thought: a typological proposal" in the R. Leo Jung
Memorial Volume: _Reverence, Righteousness, and Rahmanut_ ed. R. J. J.
Schacter (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1992).
Eitan Fiorino
<fiorino@...>
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From: <susanh@...> (Susan Hornstein)
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 10:08:14 -0400
Subject: re: hot chocolate
Rani Averick asks about hot chocolate sheavar alav haPesach. I can't
think of any ingredients in hot chocolate that are actually chametz.
Granted, there are lots of possible kitniot ingredients, such as corn
starches and sugars, and I guess ther's a possibility of some other
chametz starch, but it seems rather unlikely. Owning or even benefitting
from kitniyot on Pesach is not prohibited, so there would be no problem
with receiving such a package, even if you wouldn't plan to in the first
place. (Now, the Girl Scout Cookies that I ordered almost came on
Pesach, and that's a REAL problem...)
Susan Hornstein
<susanh@...>
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From: <LANDAU@...> (Jerrold Landau)
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 94 15:34:30 EDT
Subject: hot chocolate sheavar alav hapesach
In response to Rani Averik's question on hot chocolate sheavar alav hapesach.
The concept of chometz sheavar alav hepesach only applies to chometz gamur,
actual chometz, and not to kitniyot, or to products which may have chemical
additivies which may be considered chometz nukshe. (We certainly do not
eat such products on pesach, but chometz sheavar alav hapesach does not
apply to them). Therefore, the hot chocolate would most likely not be a
problem, since I suspect that it consists of sugar, cocoa, and some
chemicals, and no actual chometz. A more interesting question would arise
if the gift were, say granola bars. Then I suspect that the gift would
indeed have been chometz sheavar alav hapesach, and the proper course of
action would have been to refuse ownership of the gift. But I don't think
that you have a problem with the hot chocolate.
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From: eisenbrg%<milcse@...> (Lon Eisenberg)
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 94 15:49:05 IDT
Subject: Independence Day
We commemorate Independence Day on 5 Iyar; however, this year the observance
is moved to 3 Iyar (5 Iyar is Shabbath).
Which is the correct day to say Hallel (IMHO, we should say it on Shabbath,
not on Thursday)? Is it appropriate to have celebrations (with dancing)
during "sefirah" on 3 Iyar?
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From: Marc Meisler <mmeisler@...>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 21:12:53 -0400
Subject: Kosher for Pesach Kitniyos
This came up at our yontiff table and even though we are Ashkenazim and
Pesach is over, I am still curious about what the answer is. Since the
vast majority of Jews in America are Ashkenazim, the vast majority of
products sold in stores as kosher for Pesach do not contain kitniyos. My
question is do Sephardim who do eat kitniyos have to find products which
say "kosher for Pesach, contain kitniyos" and if so, are any sold in this
country? I know that they are sold in Israel, but I have never seen them
here. The question specifically would involve products such as plain rice
since many other products could conceivably contain chometz. My
feeling is that rice would need to say kosher for pesach since it could be
processed in the same plant as something like rice pilaf. During the year
this could be kosher and thus contain a proper hechsher, but on Pesach
this would be chometz. Any thoughts?
Marc Meisler 1001 Spring St., Apt. 423
<mmeisler@...> Silver Spring, MD 20910
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From: Meylekh Viswanath <PVISWANA@...>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 16:13:30 EST5EDT
Subject: Mazal Tov! Birth of Mallika Leya
[A public Mazal Tov from the list and it's members to Meylekh and his
family. I admit, I changed the Subject line on this posting. Mod.]
I would like to announce the joyful birth of our third child, on
February 20, 1994. Mallika Leya (aka malke leye) is doing fine. Her
first name, Mallika was chosen because it is a not uncommon Tamil
(Indian language) name, and also comes (I believe) from the Arabic for
'malke.' My question is: does anybody on m.j. know if this name is
prevalent among Arabic speaking Jews?
P.V. Viswanath
Rutgers Graduate School of Management, 92 New St, Newark NJ 07102
Tel: (201) 648-5899 Fax: (201) 648-1459 email: <pviswana@...>
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From: Yitzchok Adlerstein <ny000594@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 01:40:10 -0400
Subject: Pesach Sheni and Behav
In response to the query about the conflict between the halachos of
these days, when they coincide (as they do this year):
Sefer "Bein Pesach L'Shavuous," pg.201 reports that according to those
shitos that prohibit fasting on Pesach Sheni (and this is NOT
universally accepted), the fast of Behav is indeed pushed aside.
Yitzchok Adlerstein
Yeshiva of LA
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From: Naomi G. Cohen <RVOLF01@...>
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 94 00:13:32 IST
Subject: Re: Potatoes and Pessach
On the subject of Potatoes and Pessach: the potato is a relatively
recent addition to the western world (comes from the western hemisphere).
There was initially a discussion whether or not it was kitniyot, and the
renowned Posek called the `Chaye Adam' is said to have acquired this
epithet because he permitted their use on Pessach, thus making it possible
for poverty stricken eastern european Jews to get through Pessach without
starving (recall the failure of the potato crop in Ireland at basicly
the same time which we learned in history caused famine in Ireland and
mass migration to the US). Naomi G. Cohen
DR. NAOMI G. COHEN
SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
WOLFSON CHAIR OF JEWISH THOUGHT
HAIFA UNIVERSITY
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From: sg04%<kesser@...> (Yechezkal-Shimon Gutfreund)
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 10:08:12 -0400
Subject: Shopping after Pesach
One of the dinnim after Pesach is not to buy chumatz from stores
that were (a) owned by Jews, (b) did not sell their chumatz properly
However, I have learned that if the chumatz is bittul b'shishim (less
that 1/60th) then one can buy it even at such a store.
I assume that things like orange juice then would be ok? Are their any
foods that I would normally expect to be bittul b'shishim that are
not? e.g. could I be surprized by something like Tabachnik Cabbage
Soup?
While on the topic, is there any definitive ruling on how long to wait?
Sometimes I have done my own surveys of "shelf-life" in local
supermarkets and have seen some stuff last well into the summer.
Yechezkal-Shimon Gutfreund <sgutfreund@...> [MIME]
GTE Laboratories, Waltham MA ftp://ftp.gte.com/pub/circus/home/home.html
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End of Volume 12 Issue 44
