Volume 18 Number 26
Produced: Wed Feb 1 21:02:35 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Animals inthe Torah
[Bernard Horowitz]
Bat Mitzvah Drasha
[W. Ganz]
Calculating Candle Lighting Times (2)
[Seth Rosenblum, Michael Shimshoni]
Chinese food, et al.
[Zvi Weiss]
Enviromentalism (v18n25)
[Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer]
Jewish Environmentalism
[Richard schwartz]
Motivation, etc.
[Zvi Weiss]
Sermons
[Isaac Balbin]
Sermons after the Torah reading
[Louis Rayman]
Shaatnez
[Ira Robinson]
Shabbat Zachor
[Andrew Sacks]
Tzitzit
[Zvi Weiss]
YU and Homosexual Clubs (2)
[Mordechai Horowitz, Erwin Katz]
YU and Homosexual Clubs; Lashon Hara and the Media
[Aryeh Frimer]
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From: Bernard Horowitz <horowitz@...>
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 12:02:26 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Animals inthe Torah
Thanks for the responses to my request about sources for listings of all
animals mentioned in the Torah, with their pasuk references. Yitzhak
Teutch's references (vol. 18, #25) look particularly interesting. Since
writing, my wife has found a comprehensive listing in the Encyclopedia
Judaica. Its listing includes references from the full Tanach as well as
from the Talmud. (The Encyclopedia has a similar list for plants.)
Bernard Horowitz
Bronx HS of Science
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From: <wganz@...> (W. Ganz)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 08:51:09 EST
Subject: Bat Mitzvah Drasha
My daughter is planning on giving a Drasha at the conclusion of services
at the Miami Beach Young Israel and I will give a Drasha after the torah
reading on the 1st day of Pesach to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. My
daughter asked for my help and I am asking for your help. In her Drasha
she wants to talk about the role of Tova Batia which is her name and
Miriam in Pesach. Tova feels that this talk will allow her to do
research in what the role of Jewish women in Pesach was and help her in
gaining insight in her role as she enters this new stage in her life. I
hope that this experience will commit her to the Mitzvahs she must now
undertake after her Bar Mitzvah. If you have sources or insights
related to the parsha and to pesach which could help her I would
appreciate your messages in response to this posting.
Please E-Mail responses to me at <wganz@...>
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From: <SDavidR@...> (Seth Rosenblum)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 18:12:12 -0500
Subject: Re: Calculating Candle Lighting Times
The program that you described does exist- it is published by Davka software.
I apoligize that I do not have the phone number anymore, but I have seen
this program in their catalogs.
Good luck finding it!
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From: Michael Shimshoni <MASH@...>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 15:32:13 +0200
Subject: Calculating Candle Lighting Times
Zale Tabakman asked for some help:
>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.
I am sorry that I am unfamiliar with such algorithms but I would like
to suggest that Mr Tabakman also uses the elevation of the location
when computing the Candle Lighting Times.
[While I understand that this makes logical sense, I was under the
impression that the halakhic definition of sunset/sunrise etc does NOT
take elevation into account. Any experst on this out there? Mod]
Michael Shimshoni
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 14:34:08 -0500
Subject: Chinese food, et al.
The prohibition of "Chukot Hagoyim" appears to be carefully formulated
in terms of aping actions that the Goyim do either for reasons of "religion"
or that they do "mindlessly" -- i.e., without any rational reason (e.g., as a
fad, perhaps). Doing something for a good reason does not appeatr to fall
into this category. There is no prohibition to like good food -- even if it
happens to be "chinese" as long as the material is Kosher.
[Now, if someone ate Chinese food and *hated it* but did so anyway because
of a fad or fashion, THAT could be a Chukot Hagoyim issue....]
--Zvi.
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From: <sbechhof@...> (Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer)
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 08:47:59 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Enviromentalism (v18n25)
I have a Hebrew "lomdishe" essay on recycling, which I submitted to a Torah
jouurnal, but has not yet been published. If this is helpful, please let me
know and I can send a copy by mail.
Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
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From: Richard schwartz <RHSSI@...>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 95 15:16:18 EST
Subject: Jewish Environmentalism
In response to Mordechai Horowitz's request for sources on Jewish
environmental sources, I would suggest that he contact Shomrei Adamah
(Keepers of the Earth) c/o Ellen Bernstein (Exec. Director) 5500
Wissahickon #804, Philadelphia, PA 19144; Telephone (215) 844-8150.
They have published a number of books based on Jewish sources on
environmental issues. Their publication, "To Till and To Tend: A guide
To Jewish Environment al Study and Action" has 6 pages of (1) Jewish
Organizations Active With Environmental Issues" and (2)"Jewish Books,
Articles, Manuals, and Other Materials" I think that this should provide
an excellent beginning.
Also, as Yosef Winiarz was kind enough to point out, my book,
"Judaism and Global Survival (1984) has a chapter on Judaism and the
Environment (as does my book, "Judaism and Vegetarianism."
Judaism certainly has many powerful teachings that can be helpful
with current environmental problems, including "The earth is the
L-rd's"(Psalm 24:1) and Bal tashchit (Thou shalt not waste or
unnecessarily destroy) (deuteronomy 20:19,20). There is a midrash that
states that when HaShem created the world, he took Adam to see the trees
of the Garden of Eden, and said to Adam, "Do not corrupt and destroy My
world, for if you destroy it, ther e is no one to restore it"
(Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28). Unfortunaely, this midrash is all too
relevant today. Hence, I hope that Jews will increasingly a pply Torah
values to the solution to the critical problems that face the world
today. Richard (Schwartz)
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 14:49:22 -0500
Subject: Motivation, etc.
Re Dr. Stillinger's comments that Torah brings great Joy to women,
also... I think that there is a simple "test" that we can do here.
Before a person is encouraged to do "optional" actions, that person is
always encouraged to do that which one is REQUIRED to do.. this can
also be seen in terms of the discussion of "Yohara" that has been cited
earlier. Now, if women wish to innovate an "optional" thing, I would
ask how much are these women doing in the "required" area? Let me be
very clear. If there are a group of sincere observant women who find
joy in dancing with the Torah, and a non-observant woman wishes to join
them, I would not be standing there like a monitor. Rather, I am
raising the issue when all or the vast majority of the women in a group
are not particularly observant -- yet feel the "need" to get out there
and dance with the Torah.
--Zvi.
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From: Isaac Balbin <isaac@...>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 1995 08:38:37 +1100
Subject: Sermons
I once raised the issue of Hefsek [interruption] before the Kaddish of
Musaph which occurs when a Drosha is given. I haven't heard an answer as
to why the Drosha *isn't* a Hefsek when given at this point.
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From: <lou@...> (Louis Rayman)
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 16:53:13 EDT
Subject: Sermons after the Torah reading
I remember a shiur given by R. Nosson David Rabinowitz (of Brooklyn
NY), where it was mentioned as an aside that the post-Torah reading
drasha dates from Roman times. When the government decreed that saying
Shema was illegal, and posted spys in shuls to enforce the rule, people
would pretend that the services were over after Torah reading. The
Rabbi would start a drasha. After the spys left, they would say an
abriged Shema during musaf (which, of course, is how the Shema got into
the musaf kedusha).
Lou Rayman _ |_
Client Site: <lou@...> 212/898-7131 .| |
Main Office: <louis.rayman@...> | /
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From: <ROBINSO@...> (Ira Robinson)
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 1995 13:07:43 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Shaatnez
Does anyone know whether the halakhot of shaatnez apply to non-clothing
items? The specific question has to do with a book's binding. I seem
to recall hearing that, in interwar Poland, some Jews thought that the
fabric used in railway and tram seats was shaatnez and refused to sit
down.
Also, does the concept of shaatnez apply to any materials other than
linen and wool?
Thanks in advance,
Ira Robinson
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From: <RAISRAEL@...> (Andrew Sacks)
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 1995 03:55:35 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Shabbat Zachor
Has anyone heard of a Minhag to remember the deaths of 4 Jewish women
accused of espionage and killed by the Syrians (years back) on Shabbat
Zachor--within the Syrian Jewish community?
Andy
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 13:40:46 -0500
Subject: Tzitzit
Just a comment: Many years a go, I was at R. A. Soloveitchik [SHLiTa]
visiting with his family in Chicago. At that time, one of the older
boys mentioned to me that Briskers do not wear Tzitzit (i.e., Tallit
Katan) on Shabbat because of the Shita of the Ba'al Ha'Ma'or. According
to this, if I remember correctly, the Ba'al Ha'Ma'or would hold that
wearing Tzitzit w/out T'chelet on Shabbat wouild present a "carrying"
problem if one went outside... Hence, the shita arose not to wear a
Tallit Katan on Shabbat....
--Zvi.
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From: Mordechai Horowitz <BR00318@...>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 21:18:14 ECT
Subject: Re: YU and Homosexual Clubs
As you should know the federal government itself discriminates against
individuals on the basis of sexual orientation with regards to military
service. Federal civil rights legislation only protects individuals on
the basis of sex, race, veterans status and religion.
A few years ago there was a similiar situation with Georgetown
University which wanted to ban homosexual groups because they are a Catholic
University. They were forced to have homosexual organizations because
Washington D.C. law prohibits discrimination on the basis sexual
orientation. In the court decision regarding the issue there was no
issue of a Federal prohibition regarding issues regarding sexual
orientation.
According to the Forward article on the issue the threat against YU came
from the NYC human rights commission. They claimed that they could take
away YU tax exempt status if they banned pro homosexual organizations. The
problem with their logic is that the tax exempt status is Federal in
origin and the city of New York has no power over the Federal
government.
In any case one should remember that in Eastern Europe Yeshivot closed
rather than introduce secular studies on the order of the Gentile
governments. I believe that we should learn from their example and be
willing to stand up to for Jewish rights in America. It is quite
reasonable to assume that the Jewish community, together with any
American who believes in the first Amendment protections of freedom of
religion could overturn any law that impinges on our right to follow
Torah.
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From: ERWIN_KATZ_at_~<7BK-ILN-CHICAGO@...> (Erwin Katz)
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 95 11:17:31 CST
Subject: YU and Homosexual Clubs
If someone is close to Rabbi Lamm perhaps it should be brought to his
attention that Notre Dame has just abloished its gay organizations since
they are contrary to the teachings of the church.
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From: Aryeh Frimer <F66235@...>
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 95 08:59 O
Subject: Re: YU and Homosexual Clubs; Lashon Hara and the Media
In light of the Brody-Jolkovsky debate, I think the time has come to
discuss the issue of Lashon Hara (Public and Private) and the Media. In
particular, is there room for an Orthodox Jew to be a news/investigative
reporter?
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End of Volume 18 Issue 26
