Volume 18 Number 21
Produced: Tue Jan 31 0:13:10 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
"Mishenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha."
[Sam Saal]
5000 Dead
[Moshe Hacker]
Calculating Candle Lighting Times
[Zale Tabakman]
D'oraita and D'rabanan
[Nachum Chernofsky]
Did Aristotle recant his teaching?
[Ari Belenky]
Envy
[Ezra Dabbah]
Hebrew Date for English Date (2)
[Yehudah Edelstein, Anthony Feinstein]
How many Adars?
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Jephthah's daughter
[Seth Gordon]
Kashrus on Airplanes
[Gedaliah Friedenberg]
Moshe, Torah, etc.
[Zvi Weiss]
On Arizal
[Yaacov Haber]
Sermons (2)
[Lon Eisenberg, Yehudah Edelstein]
Two Adars
[Moishe Halibard]
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From: <saal@...> (Sam Saal)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 07:34:55 -0500
Subject: "Mishenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha."
"From the start of Adar we increase Joy."
But this is a leap year and in light of the learned discussion of Adar
birthdays, might we increase that joy with the start of Adar Aleph even
if it doesn't contain Purim?
Please send you learned and other responses to the mail.jewish Purim edition
editor. In fact, don't limit your creativity to answering _only_ that
question. (hint, hint)
Sam Saal
<saal@...>
Vayiphtach HaShem et Peah HaAtone
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From: Moshe Hacker <HACKERM@...>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 10:03:41 EDT
Subject: 5000 Dead
In MJ vol 18 #14 Fran Glazer wants to know why we
only care about the jews who died in Kobe, and the 5000 people as a
whole? The answer is in human nature we do care. But if we lost a jewish
culture, however so small, in a foreign part of the world. to think we
might of lost a Jewish Japaneese part of of our jewish history would be
tragic.
To think if everyone around the world would of
cared what is happening to the JEWS and I stress the word JEWS here,
in WWII by Nazi Germany, maybe the SIX MILLION JEWS wouldn't of
pereshed Altz Kiddush Hashem (for the glory in the name of G-D), and
there would still be a strong JEWISH population in common day Europe,
and Yiddish wouldn't be a fading language of the old JEWS.
MOSHE HACKER
COLUMBIA PREBYTERIAN MEDICAL CENTER
<HACKERM@...>
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From: <zale@...> (Zale Tabakman)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 11:11:48 -0500
Subject: Calculating Candle Lighting Times
I am looking to develop a program to calculate the times of Candle
lighting, given a specific longitude and latitude, date, and parsha or
Yom Tov.
Could somebody please direct to me to the algorithm I need or where I
can find some source code that can be modified for my needs.
Thank you in advance,
Zale Tabakman
<zale@...>
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From: <F5E017@...> (Nachum Chernofsky)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 01:05 O
Subject: D'oraita and D'rabanan
At a recent Shabbat gettogether of the Bar Ilan kollel, we heard a shiur
from Professor Zev Lev from Machon Lev on the topic of work permits for
Shabbat work. He pointed out that one of the gdolei Yerushalayim (I
don't remember which) forbade setting up a factory that would only
violate d'rabanans. The argument was that we don't do such a thing
l'chatchila even though in the long run we would be saving the workers
from violating Torah law.
Nachum Chernofsky - Bar Ilan Kollel
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From: <belenkiy@...> (Ari Belenky)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 12:48:22 PST
Subject: Did Aristotle recant his teaching?
This is an answer to Howard Reich's question.
Josephus in "Against Apion" (Book I, par.172-176) quotes a remarkable
story told by one of Aristotle's diciples, Clearhus, in his 1st Books on
Sleep.) (I think this book did not reach us).
Clearhus uses direct speach of his teacher to describe how Aristotle
himself told this story: "I will tell you a wonderful story..." It was
story about a Jew who, by Aristotle's own words, taught them (Aristotle
and other scholars) more valuable ideas than they taught him: "It was
rather he who imparted to us something of his own..." He went on to
speak about "great and astonishing endurance and sobriety displayed by
this Jew in his manner of life..."
Josephus did not cite the whole story and advised his readers to read
Clearhus but would the story have such a miraculous end - renounciation
of Aristotle's own doctrine or even a shade of doubt in it - he would
mention it.
To cast a doubt to this letter of Aristotle, I'd like to remind about
similar, attributed to Maimonides letter to his son, written on his
death-bed, where he allegedly renounced his rational Judaism in favor of
Qabalah. This letter is considered as spurious.
One can argue that Onkelos and Rabbi Meir (both were high rank noblemen)
were converts to Judaism with Hellenistic background. However, ve know
about it certainly, from the independent source (Talmud) and not from
Onkelos' or R.Meir's own writings. Secondly, I believe that in the 1st
century A.D. Judaism became sophisticated enough to be attractive to the
Greek mind, it was not so in the 4th century B.C.E.
Ari Belenky
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From: <EDABBAH@...> (Ezra Dabbah)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 20:55:56 -0500
Subject: Envy
Many thanks to all that answered my posting about the 10th
commandment. Most of the responses went something like when you act out
on your envy then you have transgressed Lo Tahmod. My question is when
we envy we would kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false
witness. Where does a human emotion shine in?
>The Ibn Ezra asks Ezra's (something in the name?) question. In a nutshell,
>he explains that if a person trains himself not to desire things that Hashem
>does not want him to have, then he will not desire them.
Again, this seems like perfection of a character trait, not a commandment.
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From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 21:36:05 +0200
Subject: Hebrew Date for English Date
February 27, 1992 was on 23rd of Adar Rishon 5752, on a Thursday. Their
were 2 Adars in that year. I didn't make any calculations, but rather
looked it up in my 120 year (luach) calendar, good until the year 2020
(5779).
Yehudah Edelstein
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From: <a-feinstein@...> (Anthony Feinstein)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 01:10:45 -0600
Subject: Hebrew Date for English Date
The corresponding Hebrew date for February 27, 1992 is Adar 23,5752 and
that year is number 14 of the cycle so it is indeed a leap year with an
additional Adar.
Anthony Feinstein
<a-feinstein@...>
Northwestern University (CAS'96)
!!Visit our new Hillel gopher site at nuinfo.nwu.edu !!
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From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 21:50:17 +0200
Subject: How many Adars?
Browsing through Megilat Esther, I found no mention of Adar Sheni for Purim.
Perek 3 Pasuk 7 : In the first month of Nisan, in the 12th year of the rule of
Achashverosh, Haman chose the 12th month of Adar, think that it was a month of
bad luck for the Jews (the death of Moshe Rabenu).
Perek 3 Pasuk 12 : The scribes were called in the first month, on the 13th, to
decree upon everyone in the kingdom, [pasuk 13] to destroy the joys in one days
on the 13th of the 12th month of Adar. (No mention of Adar Sheni).
Perek 9 Pasuk 1 : On the 13th of the 12th month of Adar the Jews overcame their
enemies. (again , no mention of Adar Sheni)
Yehudah Edelstein
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From: <sethg@...> (Seth Gordon)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 22:37:36 -0500
Subject: Jephthah's daughter
A friend of mine will be doing a dvar Torah on the Haftorah which includes:
"...So it became a custom in Israel for the maidens of Israel to go
every year, for four days in the year, and chant dirges for the
daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite." Judges 11.39-40
Is this still practiced in any Jewish communities? Are there other
texts referring to its practice in previous eras of Jewish history?
If so, can any of y'all provide us with details (or pointers to
books with details) on how it was practiced?
seth gordon // <sethg@...> // standard disclaimer // pgp2-compatible
"Lex claviatoris designati rescindenda est." --Henry Beard
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From: Gedaliah Friedenberg <gedaliah@...>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 15:56:26 -0500
Subject: Kashrus on Airplanes
Newsgroups: israel.mail-jewish
I recently had the pleasure of attending a shuir given by Rav Yisroel
Gornish, the foremost kashrus posek in Brooklyn, and director of the
most respected hecksher in Brooklyn (by all accounts). He spoke about
kashrus concerns when eating on a plane, in a kosher restaurant, or in a
catering hall. His most interesting comment was regarding coffee and
tea in airplanes. It seems that those metal coffee pots that are used
on airplanes are put through the dishwasher with the china plates (and
other non-disposable utensils) that the first class passengers use for
their meals.
The Rav suggests that whenever having tea or coffee in an airplane, to
request that a cup of hot water be drawn directly from the urn (which is
affixed in the plane, and not put through the dishwasher).
Gedaliah
<gedaliah@...>
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 16:02:34 -0500
Subject: Moshe, Torah, etc.
If anyone is interested in a rather lengthy discussion of imagination
and prophesy and how the "word of G-d" is transmitted, there is a very
enlightening article in Jewish Thought Volume 2, No. 1 by Chaim Eisen
beginning on p. 45 called "You will be like G-d". I would strongly urge
those people discussing how Moshe, and prophets "hear" from G-d to look
at this article.
--Zvi.
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From: Yaacov Haber <haber@...>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 16:57:22 +1100 (EST)
Subject: On Arizal
> >From: <belenkiy@...> (Ari Belenky)
> Harold Gans mentioned that Arizal was a student of Moshe Cordovero.
> It is non-true: Arizal was a student of Radbaz (David ben Zimra) in Egypt.
It is too true. When in Safed the Ari considered the Ramak his Rebbe
and stated so at the Ramaks funeral. See introduction to Tomer Dvorah written
by Rabbi Nissan Waxman.
> In fact, Arizal lived in Sefad only two years and taught (Chaim Vital)
> rather than studied.
I'm sure the Ari studied until his final breath
Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Director - Australia Institute for Torah
362a Carlisle St, Balaclava, Victoria 3183, Australia
phone: (613) 527-6156, fax: (613) 527-8034
Internet:<haber@...>
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From: <eisenbrg@...> (Lon Eisenberg)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 09:51:31 IST
Subject: Sermons
IMHO, if a sermon is to be given, it should be after mussaph. The
purpose of shul is prayer. Those who wish to stay after that may do so
(if the rabbi's sermon is so poor that he has to give it when people
have to wait around to finish their main obligation for being there,
then he shouldn't give it at all). I noticed, by the way, that this is
the way it is done in (the only orthodox shul in) Allentown, PA. Here
(in Israel), I think that a sermon in the middle is almost non-existent
(but there are shuls where divrei Torah are said after mussaph).
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From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 21:44:23 +0200
Subject: Sermons
I believe the Gemorah (somewhere) mentions that their were translators
explaining the reading of the Torah, simultaneuosly or just afterwards. I
think Yemenites, do that even today. My guess is that speaking after the Torah
reading might of stemed from that.
Yehudah Edelstein
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From: <halibard@...> (Moishe Halibard)
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 13:31:42 +0200 (WET)
Subject: Two Adars
In which Adar did Moshe die? We all know that it was the 7'th of the
month, but which one? Yesterday I saw a notice from some yeshiva of
muekubbalim here in Jerusalem commemorating it in Adar 1.
How do they know?
Moishe Halibard
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End of Volume 18 Issue 21
