Volume 18 Number 94
Produced: Wed Mar 22 9:11:48 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
13 attributes squared
[Steven Friedell]
19th century Jewish cookbook 18 #92
[Neil Parks]
Beracha on seeing a King
[Yitzchok Adlerstein]
Kashrus
[Rabbi Michoel Gourarie]
Kohen - Marriage - Converts
[Ari Belenkiy]
Loopholes
[J. Bailey]
Parakeets & Pesach,
[Philip Heilbrunn]
Response to yasher ko'ach
[Rita Jacobs]
Shaking hands...
[Ellen Golden]
Shmitta Problem
[Rivka Goldfinger]
Speculation concerning Afterlife
[Alan Zaitchik]
Stripes on Tzitzis
[Yechiel Pisem]
Support vs Advocate
[Moshe Goldberg]
Women Fulfilling the Obligation of Megillah Reading for Men
[Michael J Broyde]
Writing on a Computer Screen
[Eli Turkel]
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From: Steven Friedell <friedell@...>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 23:11:18 EST
Subject: 13 attributes squared
A friend pointed out to me that there are 169 letters in Exodus 34:5-7, the
verses that contain, inter alia, the 13 Divine attributes. 169 is of course
13 squared. Has anyone seen a classical source that mentions this? May
your reward be doubled (or squared)! -Steve Friedell
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From: Neil Parks <nparks@...>
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 95 01:19:50 EDT
Subject: 19th century Jewish cookbook 18 #92
: Chana Luntz said:
>...Etiquette books can be a
>fun read - BTW did you know there was a jewish one? It was written
>anonomously at the end of the nineteenth century, but they think it was
>authored by the wife of Montifiore. It has some great bits such as
>remembering to bring one's personal shochet when going to bag partridge).
In case anyone is interested: "The Jewish Manual, or Practical Information
in Jewish & Modern Cookery with a Collection of Valuable Recipes & Hints
Relating to the Toilette", "Edited by a Lady", was first published in 1846.
It was reprinted in 1983 by NightinGale Books of New York and Cold Spring,
NY.
....This msg brought to you by:
NEIL PARKS Beachwood, Ohio <nparks@...>
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From: <yitzchok.adlerstein@...> (Yitzchok Adlerstein)
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 95 22:09:24 -0800
Subject: Beracha on seeing a King
King Hussein's visit next week to Los Angeles affords some Jews what may
be an opportunity of a lifetime: making the beracha "shenasan michvodo
levasar v'dam." There are some halachic complications.
The Radbaz maintains that the beracha is recited only when seeing a
monarch who holds power over the life of his subjects. (I have heard
that in England, among people who are halachically savvy, no one makes
the beracha for this reason when meeting the Queen, who is pretty much a
figurehead.) However, Rav Ovadiah Yosef in Yechaveh Da'as (2:28) argues
that the beracha is called for if the monarch can PARDON a death
sentence, even if he cannot legally call for a summary execution.
Does anyone out there have any familiarity with Jordanian law to be able
to describe Hussein's legal powers? (And it does seem to be de jure
powers - not de facto ones - that determine whether the beracha should
be said or not.)
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From: <gurarym@...> (Rabbi Michoel Gourarie)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 19:57:46 +1000
Subject: Kashrus
We are a class in Sydney learning in a Mesivta High school. We are
currently doing a unit in Kashrus in conjunction with our Design and
Technology course.
We are looking into designing and creating ideas for promoting Kashrus in
our community. We would be grateful if anyone had any ideas.
Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
35 Woodstock st.
Bondi Junction
N.S.W.
2022
Australia
Tel&Fax (612) 389 7002
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From: <belenkiy@...> (Ari Belenkiy)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 21:56:27 PST
Subject: Kohen - Marriage - Converts
Gedalia Friedenberg asked on whether Kohen might marry somebody who was
converted in childhood.
Somewhere in Talmud (Sanhedrin ?) there is a discussion about this.
R. Yehuda HaNassi permitted marriage of a Kohen by a lady who was
converted at her three years.
One of the examples where Rabbanim resolved problem from purely
logical position.
Ari
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From: J. Bailey <jbailey@...>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 23:41:50 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Loopholes
I'm not a proponent of what have be called here "halachik loopholes", but
I sort of need to utilize one soon. I'm a b'chor, and usually attend a
siyum erev pesach to absolve myself of the fasting requirement (this is a
hypocritical act, as it is the one I usually cite when referring to the
ridiculous "outs" we have; if Hashem wanted us to fast, it takes some
chutzpah for us to try to avoid the commemoration. But I digress...)
Anyway, this year I have a 6:30 am flight Friday morning from NY to CA,
and there is no way to find 10 men for a siyum. Are there any other ways
to get out of fasting, perhaps something about fasting on a Friday? As
long as I have somehow accepted the premise of these loopholes, I'm open
to pretty much anything legitimate.
Jay Bailey
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From: Philip Heilbrunn <uri@...>
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 15:54:15 +1100 (EST)
Subject: Re: Parakeets & Pesach,
Try Panicum seed or sunflower seed. both are not chametz
Philip Heilbrunn.
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From: <JACOBS21@...> (Rita Jacobs)
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 1995 08:23:35 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Response to yasher ko'ach
When a person is called to the Torah for an aliyah, the Rabbi says to
the person after the person so honored completes the blessings yasher
ko'ach. What is the correct response to yasher ko'ach? It would seem
that Todah wouldn't be enough but that one should return the good wishes
as well.
<Jacobs21@...>
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From: <egolden@...> (Ellen Golden)
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 95 00:41:56 EST
Subject: Shaking hands...
I am, as I have stated, the mother of a baal tschuvah, and not a
particularly observant person, although I do keep Kosher for my son.
A number of years ago, I arrived at work and noticed a Chassid sitting
in the "waiting area" of my company. I, of course, went on to my
office. Some time later, one of the (male) engineers in the company
(I am a technical writer), came to my office and asked if I would give
a demo of the publishing software we were developing to a prospective
engineer. I said sure, and... the Chassid I had noticed in the lobby
was ushered into my office. I turned my console so that he could sit
in my "side chair" and view the console without having to be "too
close" to me. (I don't need to say, but I will, that I don't look in
the LEAST way like a "Chassidic woman"...) When the demo was
concluded, and the engineer was conducting us out, the Chassid
ACTUALLY offered me his hand. I shook it sort of tentatively, of
course. He then said, "May I ask you a personal question?" I said
yes, and he pointed to my son's graduation picture, on my desk. I
realized he didn't quite know what to actually ask, so I answered him,
"That is my son." He answered, "I know him." I smiled, and said,
"I'm not surprised."
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From: <RGOLDFINGER@...> (Rivka Goldfinger)
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 09:12:41 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Shmitta Problem
After Sukkos this year, I decided to make one of our esrogim into
"esrog jelly." Somehow I made a mistake in the recipe, and we ended up
with "esrog rock candy," which we have been unable to remove from the jar
in any real amount. Since this jelly was made from a shmitta esrog, we can
not throw it out or burn it or sell it or even give it away to a non-jew.
The problem is that on one of our attempts to eat some of the jelly, a
piece of bread became stuck in it. With Pesach coming up, we now have a
real problem--Chometz that we cannot get rid of. The jelly has two pounds
of sugar in it, so it is not likely that it will spoil anytime in the next
century. Has anyone ever had a similar problem? We welcome any ideas of
what to do. The rabbonim we have asked so far in Baltimore are at a loss.
The best answer we have gotten so far is to try to melt it down and eat it,
But I'm not sure that that is possible.
Rivka Goldfinger
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From: Alan Zaitchik <ZAITCHIK%<INCDV1@...>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 21:52:46 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Speculation concerning Afterlife
Neil Parks states:
>I agree wholeheartedly with the last point. Our concern has to be how we
>live in this world. That's one of the things that makes us different from
>the non-Jews who spend much more time speculating on the nature of a life
>after death than we do. Our limited imagination couldn't possibly do
>justice to the world to come.
I think that anyone familiar with the kabbalistic tradition of speculation
about what happens after bodily death, would not be so quick to identify
one or another position with "us" and "them", especially if he/she were
also familiar with the various Christian traditions which also emphasize
"shelo al mnat lkabel pras" (ROUGHLY: virtue for its own sake).
/zaitchik
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From: <ypisem@...> (Yechiel Pisem)
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1995 21:29:42 -0500
Subject: Stripes on Tzitzis
See Hilchos (Laws of) Tzitzis in "Taamei HaMinhagim." He says that the
stripes placed on the garment are a Zecher (remembrance) of the Techeles
(blue string) that the Tzitzis used to have. The reason the stripes are
usually black, he continues, not blue, is because the black color is a
sign of Aveilus (mourning) over the Mitzvah we have lost the opportunity
to perform.
Kol Tuv,
Yechiel Pisem
<ypisem@...>
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From: Moshe Goldberg <mgold@...>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 08:07:26 +0200 (EET)
Subject: Support vs Advocate
>From: <burton@...> (Joshua W. Burton)-- Volume 18 Number 85
> We do not forbid Jews with drug problems to attend support groups with
> other addicts, nor do we prohibit baalei t'shuva to get together with
> other ex-Shabbat violators and discuss their doubts l'shem shamayim.
The comparison is flawed. Support groups are for the purpose of helping
the members stop their behavior, which is acknowledged to be wrong/harmful.
Gay clubs tend to be activist groups explicitly (or implicitly) attempting
to achieve legitimacy for their way of life.
Moshe Goldberg -- <mgold@...>
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From: Michael J Broyde <relmb@...>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 21:55:37 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Women Fulfilling the Obligation of Megillah Reading for Men
One of the writers suggested that women cannot fulfill the obligation of
megillah reading for men because:
> First, men have the additional obligation of Talmud Torah K'Neged Kulam (The
> learning of Torah [including Megillah] is equivalent to all other mitsvos).
> Men are obligated to learn Megillah simply for the sake of learning Torah,
> fulfilling an obligation that women don't have.
I am unaware of any halachic source which advances that as a reason that
would actually prevent a women from fulfilling the obligation for a man.
Indeed, significant halachic consequences would flow from the assertion
that any time there is a general obligation to do an act, and on top of
the obligation, one also fulfills the obligation of talmud torah, that a
woman cannot fulfill that obligation for a man.
I am interested if a reader can provide a classical source to
support that proposition?
It seems to me that it is appropriate to reiterate the general
halachic posture here. There is a dispute among the rishonim as to
whether men and women are equally obligated in kre'at hamegilla. Since
both Rama (and according to many opinions machaber, see premi megadim on
OC 680) are strict on this matter, one should not be lienient, absent
profound extenuating circumstances that cause this to be the only way
one can fulfill the obligation.
Best wishes,
Michael Broyde
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From: Eli Turkel <turkel@...>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 16:17:16 +0200
Subject: Writing on a Computer Screen
Regarding erasing G-d's name on a computer screen it is far from
clear the writing on a screen is halakhic writing. First of all it is
not permament, and so would not be prohibited biblically on shabbat.
Furthermore, what we see as letters is really a bunch of nearby pixels
being lit up. In other laws filling in dots to create the appearance of
a letter is not considered writing. This would apply equally well to
printing on a dot-matrix printer. Finally, the letters on a monitor are
being continually recreated by the beams. As such turning off the screen
merely prevents the future writing of the word and is not erasing.
<turkel@...>
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End of Volume 18 Issue 94
