Volume 13 Number 95
Produced: Wed Jul 6 12:16:12 1994
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Ascension... intercession.... WHAT??
["Freda B. Birnbaum"]
Christian America, Blue Laws, etc
[Moshe Linzer]
Hebrew Braille
[Reuben Gellman]
Hebrew months
[Ed Cohen]
Le-hitatef vs al mitsvat Tsitsit
[Aryeh A. Frimer]
Posek HaDor (2)
[Jeffrey Woolf, Aryeh A. Frimer]
Right and Left
[Simon Streltsov]
Rodef and Religious Right
[Leah S. Gordon]
Targilonim on Chumash
[Chaya Gurwitz]
Tzidqatcha Tzedek (2)
[Jerry B. Altzman, Joshua Hosseinoff]
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From: "Freda B. Birnbaum" <FBBIRNBAUM@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 07:16:40 -0400
Subject: Ascension... intercession.... WHAT??
In V13N86, in the context of discussing the miraculous changing
of events which have already occurred, Eric Safern recounts a
Chasidic story in which:
>The Besh"t detects a negative aura around one of his disciples,
>which he interprets as the stain of adultery.
[details follow in which it turns out that the sin wasn't
literally adultery, but other quite undesirable behavior, and]
>The Besh"t agrees to ascend to the heavens to remove the stain of
>adultery from this Chasid. He arrives in the proper sphere, and
>meets with the Rambam. A debate ensues between the Rambam and
>the Besh"t about the halacha! [...]
>In this way the stain was removed from this Chasid. [...]
>To me, this seems like a truly retroactive miracle. Of course,
>the miracle was performed by the Besh"t, rather than by divine
>intervention. Does this make a difference?
>
>Can anyone explain this story to me?
I have a different question. What's going on here when this major holy
man is ascending on high to "get somebody off" for this really bad
behavior, and not a word to him about changing his ways or his outlook?
I know, that wasn't the point of the story, but this one really hits you
right in the face (well, it did me). Is there any foundation at all in
Judaism for this kind of thing (okay, MAYBE the Rabbi Akiva story about
teaching the boy to say Kaddish, but in that one the father admits that
he's done wrong in his lifetime).
Freda Birnbaum, <fbbirnbaum@...>
"Call on God, but row away from the rocks"
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From: <moshel@...> (Moshe Linzer)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 94 13:17:18 IDT
Subject: Christian America, Blue Laws, etc
Sam Juni writes:
>It bugs me to no end to have Christmas interpreted as a National or
>a Cultural Holiday. It bugs me almost to the point of my considering
>coming in to the office just to make my statement.
...or to the point of making aliyah and having YOUR holidays be the
national ones? :-)
David Charlap writes:
>What galls me is that Bergen County has a very large Jewish popuplation,
>and the Jews vote the blue laws in every year. (They're always being
>challenged and put on the ballot, and every time, the citizens vote them
>back in again.) Don't ask me why - I'd go out of my mind if I couldn't
>go out shopping on a Sunday.
The blue laws basically protect small shopowners from competition. It
gives them a day off when they won't lose business to the shopping
malls, which can remain open 7 days a week. Many Jews who own small
businesses or supply private shops rely on the blue laws to help them
take a day off and still stay in business. Besides, the roads are
emptier, and you can always drive to Wayne! :-)
Moshe Linzer Phone: (972) 9-594-283
Unix Systems Manager Fax: (972) 9-558-322
National Semiconductor, Israel E-mail: <moshel@...>
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From: Reuben Gellman <rsg@...>
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 22:01:29 -0400
Subject: Hebrew Braille
Friends with a blind child asked me to inquire about Hebrew Braille. Are
there any good printed materials on the subject (e.g., to allow them to
teach the child braille)? Any m-j readers with expertise (or experience)
with Heb Braille? If you can point me in the right direction, please
reply to me directly.
Thanks
Reuven Gellman
<rsg@...>
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From: Ed Cohen <ELCSG@...>
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 94 10:04:26 EDT
Subject: Hebrew months
Re Rani Averick's posting on Hebrew months (v.13,#65):
>Similarly how is it that we adopted foreign names for
>months of the year and lent them religious significance
>as well?
The Stone Chumash, ArtScroll Series, Mesorah Publications, 1993, page
349 states in the commentaries the following on Exodus XII, 2: "The
currently used names of the months are of Babylonian origin, and came
into use among Jews only after the destruction of the First Temple.
Those names were retained as a reminder of the redemption from Babylon,
which resulted in the building of the Second Temple (Ramban)."
No matter what the months are called, they would always have religious
significance. In the Tanach, only a few months are mentioned, none of
which are now used (except for those in the book of Esther):
Exodus: Aviv (Nisan); Kings: Ethanim (Tishrei), Bul (Cheshvan), Ziv
(Iyar); Esther: Adar, Nisan, Sivan, Tevet.
Prof. Edward L. Cohen, Department of Mathematics,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CANADA K1N 6N5
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From: <frimer@...> (Aryeh A. Frimer)
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 09:04:54 -0400
Subject: Re: Le-hitatef vs al mitsvat Tsitsit
In my previous posting there was an obvious error. What I meant
to say was that according to the Rav, le-hitatef refers to the Gavra
while al mitsvat refers to the Heftsa.
Apologies, Aryeh
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From: Jeffrey Woolf <F12043@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 06:35:07 -0400
Subject: Re: Posek HaDor
Yosher Koach to Eli Turkel on his reply to Rabbi Adlerstein...As for
creating a Gadol by vote, Reb Moshe Feinsein zatzal was asked once how
he became a Gadol HaPoskim. He replied that people asked him questions,
liked the answers and asked again and recommended him to others.
Jeffrey Woolf
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From: <frimer@...> (Aryeh A. Frimer)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 09:05:24 -0400
Subject: Posek HaDor
I have personal knowledge that Rav Aharon Lichtenstien refers
all his personal she-eilot to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Shlita - and
does indeed consider him the posek ha-dor. This, however, does not mean
that Rav Aharon himself does not pasken for others. On the contrary, he
paskens hundreds of She-eilot a year from all over the world. In all my
years of dealing with Rav Aharon I have never been told to refer my
She'eilot elsewhere (except perhaps with regard to ketamim - menstrual
stains).
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From: <simon1@...> (Simon Streltsov)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 09:28:09 -0400
Subject: Right and Left
There is a recent book that discusses the question, who is our friend
and who is not is a book by Don Feder [ observant bostonian journalist,
wow (-:]
A Jewish conservative looks at pagan America
Publication Info: Lafayette, La. : Huntington House Publishers, c1993.
Phys. Description: 238 p. ; 23 cm.
Notes: Collection of columns and articles published between 1984
and 1992.
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From: <leah@...> (Leah S. Gordon)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 14:48:23 -0400
Subject: Rodef and Religious Right
Mr. Silbermann writes:
>The Religious Right also advocates saving one's life by killing the
>Rodef (pursuer who threatens murder). In contrast, much of the Left
>(and also many moderates) would outlaw the carrying of any tool which
>facilitates the fulfillment of this holy positive mitzvah.
It is ironic that he uses this language to describe pro-gun sentiment
among the American Right. If you switch the words "Religious Right" with
"Left (and also many moderates)," then we are in fact discussing the
issue of choice in abortion in cases of danger to the mother.
Obviously, we as Jews cannot jump on anyone else's bandwagon. It is up
to us to forge our own moral code, based on our own Torah-based values.
We cannot depend on others to do the moral reasoning for us.
Leah S. Gordon (nee Reingold)
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From: <gurwitz@...> (Chaya Gurwitz)
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 94 10:06:23 EDT
Subject: Targilonim on Chumash
When I was in elementary school, we had workbooks for Chumash and
Navi. The only workbook I've been able to find now is a workbook
on (part of) Parshas Lech-Lecha, put out by Torah U-Mesorah. Does
anyone know of any other such workbooks?
Thanks,
Chaya Gurwitz
<gurwitz@...>
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From: Jerry B. Altzman <jbaltz@...>
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 10:44:41 -0400
Subject: Re: Tzidqatcha Tzedek
Being as I'm one of the few with a sefardi (`edut hamizrach) siddur
nearby, I'll answer this:
The first verse of "Tzidqatcha tzedek" in verse order begins "tzidqatkha
k'ha'r'rei eil..." and the instructions above read "B'yom she'ein om'rim
bo t'chinah bachol ein om'rim bo 'Tzidqatkha' bashabbat [On a day when
we don't say "tachanun" during the week (e.g. rosh chodesh) we don't say
'tzidqatkha' on shabbat]". So they don't say "don't say 'tzidkatkha
tzedek'" but rather "don't say tzidqatkha".
Sorry about the transliteration, I'm trying to keep reasonably accurate
and close to what was written before without jumping through Lon
Eisenberg's hoops :-)
jerry b. altzman Entropy just isn't what it used to be +1 212 650 5617
<jbaltz@...> jbaltz@columbia.edu KE3ML (HEPNET) NEVIS::jbaltz
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From: Joshua Hosseinoff <hosseino@...>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 01:45:50 -0400
Subject: Re: Tzidqatcha Tzedek
In v13n89 Josh Klein writes:
> In Sefardi shuls (at least the Eastern European version
> thereof), the verses are read in chapter order 36,71,119. Why then do a
> number of Sefardi siddurim say in fine print "On days when tachanun
> would not be said [Rosh Chodesh, chagim], we do not say _Tzidqatcha
> tzedeq_"?
In many cases the halachot printed in the nusach sefard and even the
eidot hamizrach siddurim are just copied from Ashkenazi siddurim.
However, in the Ben Ish Chai (Second Year, Chayei Sarah) he refers to it
by the abbreviation Tzadi,tzadi, or Tzidkatcha Tzedek. So does R. Yitzchak
Yosef in Yalkut Yosef (Part IV, Vol. 1, page 422). He explains that the
Arizal had the minhag to say it in the 36,71,119 order, and that the Tur
(O.C. 292) says that this order of the sefardim is more correct since
this is the order it appears in tehillim, as says the Beit Menuchah (page
231b), et al. One reason it might be said in this order is that
Tzidkatcha can be considered as a form of testimony, and if you say it in
the order of 36,71,119, then the last word is Emet (Truth). But as to
why they call it Tzidkatcha Tzedek, beats me. All the Sefardi siddurim I
have, however, refer to it as just Tzidkatcha.
> Those are the first words of the *last* verse, according to
> Sefardi ritual. For that matter, I've been told that only in the past 30
> years has the chapter order 36, 71, 119 been common in Sefardi shuls. Can
> anybody shed light on this?
I don't think this is correct. I checked in my Siddur Pi Yesharim (1960)
and Tefillat Yesharim (around the same time) and they both have it in the
36,71,119 order. Furthermore a 1936 edition of Tefillat Benei Tzion (a
siddur printed in Vienna but for sefardim of Bosnia, Turkey, Romania, and
Persia) has it in the 36,71,119 order.
Joshua Hosseinoff --------- <hosseino@...>
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End of Volume 13 Issue 95
