Volume 20 Number 44
Produced: Thu Jul 13 23:44:58 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
2 days Yom Tov
[Lon Eisenberg]
Baal Kriah Corrections
[Bobby Fogel]
Brit M'ilah's [circumcisions] & Insurance reimbursement
[Barry Siegel]
Calendar, et al.
[Zvi Weiss]
Children's Mezuza
[Michael Grynberg]
Humility in Postings
[Chaim Steinmetz]
Ibn Bilaam?
[Shmuel Himelstein (n)]
Kiddush
[Binyomin Segal]
Mixed seating at a Chupa
[Mordechai Perlman]
More Kid Questions: Bedtime Sh'ma and Marshmallows
[Constance Stillinger]
Question about the Haftorah in V20#38
[Sam Saal]
Stainless Steel Chalofim
[Chaim Wasserman]
Universal Posek
[Chaim Wasserman]
Wedding Minhagim
[Chaim Wasserman]
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From: Lon Eisenberg <eisenbrg@...>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 17:58:49 +0000
Subject: 2 days Yom Tov
Stephen Phillips wrote in response to my post:
>>I believe there are NO Jews living in Jordan. If there were, I believe
>>they would keep only one day (as the Jews in Syria do, as far as I
>>know), since, as you stated, they are close enough to have known the
>>correct day.
>Well, how come they've just opened a Kosher restaurant in Jordan?
I still believe there are no Jews living in Jordan; the restaurant is
for the tourists (who will keep the number of days depending on where
they live). But I still believe that when Jews lived there (or if they
do in the future) that one day will be sufficient.
I also think one day is sufficient for Eilat, since it is no further
from Jerusalem than parts of Syria, where one day is kept.
Lon Eisenberg Motorola Israel, Ltd. Phone:+972 3 5659578 Fax:+972 3 5658205
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From: <bobby@...> (Bobby Fogel)
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 13:22:40 +0000
Subject: Baal Kriah Corrections
If a Baal Koray is corrected for a mispronounced word, he may repeat the
word correctly and continue on. However, what happens if he pronounces
the word correctly and then is incorrectly told that he has made an
error and then proceeds to contnue by reading the wrong correction
(after having first said it correctly). [ This is not an esoteric point
since I have been in shules where people, (Rabbi, Gabi or Congregants)
correct the baal koray from say, Hirsch, Soncino etc. when his own
Tikun is more difinitive]
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From: Barry Siegel <sieg@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 95 16:29:33 EDT
Subject: Brit M'ilah's [circumcisions] & Insurance reimbursement
AT&T Corp. will soon reimburse for Brit Milah's done by a Mohel!
In January, I started a mail-jewish discussion on:
Are Brit M'ilah's [circumcisions] covered by insurance companies
Back then I got lots of responses. Based on those and other material which
I researched I wrote a letter asking AT&T benefits to consider medical
reimbursement for a circumcision done by a Mohel.
Well I can gladly report that as of 1/1/96 circumcisions done by a Mohel
will be eligible for medical benefits. I would encourage others to also
write to their own benefits organization requesting such. Just think of
how many future parents & babies will benefit.
If anyone would like E-mail copies of my supporting documentation &
letters to corporate benefits, I would be glad to send copies.
Thanks for the help Mail-Jewish,
Thanks
Barry Siegel
Vice President of AT&T Employees Jewish Resource Group.
Barry Siegel HR 2B-028 (908)615-2928 windmill!sieg OR <sieg@...>
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 02:27:15 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Calendar, et al.
My apologies for the delay. Please refer to Birchei Yosef on Orach
Chaim at the end of Siman 229 in the Shiyurei Bracha for a citation that
Shmuel deliberately chose a less accurate but easier to use calculation
for the Calendar.
--Zvi
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From: Michael Grynberg <spike@...>
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 08:48:55 +0300 (IDT)
Subject: Children's Mezuza
please forgive me for not having the previous posts readily available.
Recently there was a suggestion that one could put up a mezuza lower than
required for one's child. (i don't think a source was mentioned, and i
believe this was a suggestion, not a halachic statement).
Would having two mezuzas on the same doorpost be a transgression of
"ba'al toseif"? (loosely translated as the prohibition against creating
unecessary new mitzvot)
How about ma'arit ayin (giving a misleading appearance) since i might
see my neighbor's two mezuzot and think it is a requirement or new
halachic ruling.
any ideas?
mike grynberg
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From: <Chaimstein@...> (Chaim Steinmetz)
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 15:34:03 -0400
Subject: Humility in Postings
I would like to comment about bob werman's comments on "laniyat da'ati",
or 'in my humble opinion" (for mjer's this is often shortened to "imho")
he castigates those who write in a straightfoward fashion without the
disclaimer of imho. while it is extremely important for anyone who
considers himself or herself a God fearing person to be humble, not
everyone considers the convention of imho to be essential to
humility. in a computer search, i found that R. Moshe Feinstein used the
term "laaniyat daati" 1425 times; yet R. Chayim Ozer Grodenksi never
used it! similarly, Rabbeinu Tam never used the term, and is well known
(see Ephraim Urbach's "baalei tosafot") for his sharp and straightfoward
manner of presenting his views (Tam is a euphemistic nickname for
yaakov, for he was anything but simple!). Tosafot in Baba Metzia (23b,
s.v. mashechet) says that although one may (perhaps should) conceal his
level of learning, he must answer any query sent to him in a direct and
clear fashion, without hedging. I would think that it's fair for people
posting on mj to follow their own style of presentation, and assume that
they are working on the attribute of humility on their own.
chaim steinmetz
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From: Shmuel Himelstein (n) <himelstein@...>
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 19:13:36 GMT
Subject: Ibn Bilaam?
This week having been Parashat Balak in Israel, I was reminded of a poster
recently who discussed (I think) trop, and who mentioned an "Ibn Bilaam" as
having been involved. Does one anyone have any information on a rather
"singular" name such as that being used by Jews?
Shmuel Himelstein
Phone: 972-2-864712 Fax 972-2-862041
<himelstein@...> (that's JerONE not Jer-L)
Jerusalem, Israel
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From: <bsegal@...> (Binyomin Segal)
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 21:14:45 -0500
Subject: Kiddush
Dave Curwin asks
* Does anyone know the halachic sources that discuss whether it is
* preferable for a guest to say his own kiddush or have the host say it
* for him? Does it depend on whether the host has a different nusach, or
* if there are doubts as to whether the host will have the proper
* intention? Does it depend on whether the guest is married, in the
* presence of his wife, or children? Or is this just a personal
* preference?
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 273:4) & Mishna Brura (273:19 & 20) & the
Biur Halacha there make it clear that:
1 Person A can make kiddush for person B
2 If person A has already made kiddush and person B can do it for themself,
then the preference is that B do it themself.
However the "classic" case is not discussed there. I have a nagging memory
that somewhere the mishna brura says that in a group where everyone needs
to say kiddush the preference is for 1 to make it for all, as - brov am
hadras melech (loosely - amongst a larger group the glory of The King is
increased) However I can not find it today.
The Likutei Maharich (a great collection of minhag & halacha) quotes the
Eliyahu Rabbah (end of 273) that since "it is better to perform a mitzvah
oneself rather than have it done through an agent" there is a preference
for making ones own kiddush.
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From: Mordechai Perlman <aw004@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 10:14:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Mixed seating at a Chupa
Moshe J. Bernstein wrote on July 6:
> As far as the Rov zt"l's views on mixing of the sexes at weddings is
> concerned, when asked regarding the seating of men and women at the
> huppah at my wedding (which was being held outdoors), he replied, "Let
> them sit any way they want." Since he was the mesadder kiddushin and we
> would have followed his decision regardless, I believe that this is an
> case of "maaseh rav" which cannot be disregarded easily.
LADH"K (L'fi Aniyas Da'ati Hak'tanoh), there is a big difference
between mixed seating at a Chupa and at the wedding meal (which I assume
is generally the focus these past few postings). At a wedding meal
because there is wine being drunk and the dancing, there is more frivolty
than the solemn nature of a Chupa. I would think that Rav Soloveitchik
would have also differentiated likewise.
Mordechai
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From: Constance Stillinger <cas@...>
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 15:29:05 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: More Kid Questions: Bedtime Sh'ma and Marshmallows
Hi again.
I'd appreciate it if someone would remind me what the low-down is on the
kashrut of marshmallows. Are there *any* kosher (by Orthodox standards)
brands, and what are they?
Also, my little kid (2.5) screams when we try to say the Sh'ma with him
right before bed, because he *knows* that means story time etc is over
for the night. Would it be permissible to say it with him before
reading stories? (I'm accustomed to the tradition of making it the last
thing before lights out.) More generally, how do you handle introducing
the bedtime prayers with *your* little-bitty kids?
Shabbat Shalom,
Connie
Dr. Constance A. (Chana) Stillinger <cas@...>
EPGY, Stanford Univ. Morris's Mommy "Hoppa Reyaha Gamogam" (Lev. 19:18)
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From: Sam Saal <saal@...>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 08:15:56 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Question about the Haftorah in V20#38
Stephen Phillips (<stephenp@...>) wrote:
>I believe that this is the Minhag Yerushalmi [Jerusalem Custom]. In
>Yeshivah in Yerushalayim when I read from the Torah I also had to
>prepare the Haftorah and read it from Klaf [a parchment scroll].
An observation: A few years ago I was honored with the haftorah at the
Kotel in one of the small minyanim that seem to spring up so
spontaneously. I read the haftorah from a Chumash.
Sam Saal <saal@...>
Vayiphtach HaShem et Peah haAtone
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From: <Chaimwass@...> (Chaim Wasserman)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 14:53:16 -0400
Subject: Stainless Steel Chalofim
Jeremy Nussbaum writes:
>I am curious how it came to be that the chassidic innovation for the
>shechita knife came to be accepted universally,
I suppose a better act of shechitah won out over being correct
hashkafically (is there such a word?!).
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From: <Chaimwass@...> (Chaim Wasserman)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 14:53:13 -0400
Subject: Universal Posek
Jeremy Nussbaum writes:
>It is interesting to note how people proclaim explicitly or implicitly that
>his/her Rav or Posek is a universal one, to be relied upon for a particular
>issue by everyone...
Yes, interesting and at times tragically comical. It is like a situation
in which my doctor prescribes a cerain medical procedure and he is a
really big doctor that all others must use that same protocol. Such
thinking is the product of small minds. There is a classical study which
speaks about such think: Milton Rokeach's "Open and Closed Mind." It is
not reading for one with a closed mind who is convinced that he/she is
the sole possesser of the world's single greatest posek.
Incidentally, at the time that Rav J B Soloveichik received his semicha,
his rebbi wrote about him that "Halachah k'moso b'chol mokom." "The
halachah is as he states it in all instances." Conveniently, yeshiva
circles ignore this black-on-white fact. I suppose it is all for the
sake of kiddush Hashem and in the relentless cause of "lehagdil Torah
u'l'ha'adirah."
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From: <Chaimwass@...> (Chaim Wasserman)
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 14:49:58 -0400
Subject: Wedding Minhagim
I am somewhat supreised that after all this talk in recent weeks about
proper seating arrangements at a weddding that no one seemed bothered by
the infraction of "gezel z'man" and "tirchah y'sayrah" that occurs
invariably at weddings where halachic practice is cared for. I refer to
the 60 to 90 minute wait after the chuppah when hundreds of indivuals
have to go to work the next day and chosson/kalloh are taking
pictures. Instead of having to sit around "on shpielkes" why couldn't
all pictures with the chosson/kallah together be taken (or at least most
of them) several hours before the wedding smorgasbord and only the joint
extended family pictures after the chuppah since not everyone in the
family arrives so early.
When asked about this in August of 1959 shortly before my wedding, Rav
Moshe zatzal told me "Fahr vos nisht?" "Why not?" Perhaps, in such
matters, not everyone holds from Rav Moshe nor is a universal posek in
such mundane matters. Perhaps.
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End of Volume 20 Issue 44
