Volume 20 Number 92
Produced: Tue Aug 8 23:26:47 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Abayudaya Jews of Uganda
[Micha Berger]
Babysitters???
[Freda B Birnbaum]
Colombo Frozen Yogurt
[Moishe Friederwitzer]
Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur Tapes
[Winston Weilheimer]
Shabbos Postings
[Mordechai Perlman]
Shalom Bayis Recent Notice
[Avi Feldblum]
Surrender to evil
[Kenneth Posy]
Yarmulka and Wearing a Head Covering
[Philip Heilbrunn]
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From: Micha Berger <aishdas@...>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 07:59:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Abayudaya Jews of Uganda
In v20n88 Andy Goldfinger asks about the Abayudaya Jews (?) of Uganda.
An activist on their behalf, Matt Meyer, with the help of Daniel
Zalik of Hunger Web (<Daniel_Zalik@...>) put up a web page on
the subject: http://www.intac.com/PubService/uganda/ The page is
somewhat dated, is speaks of Matt's upcoming trip in December '94.
The community was, at the time the page was written, raising funds
to get their chazan to a Yeshiva, where he hopes to get smichah so
that he can properly lead the community, and for a sefer Torah --
the community has never had one.
The paper mail addresses offered on the web page are:
The Abayudaya Congregation Matt Meyer
P.O. Box 225 2201 Gilpin Avenue
Mbale, Uganda Wilmington, DE 19806
(302)652-6663
As to whether or not the conversion is valid:
Historically, they converted to Judaism because their leader, in studying
the teachings of Xian missionaries, was convinced that only half of the
bible they gave him made sense.
How much was he motivated by a need to keep his people separate from the
Islamic and Christian political powers? The Kazars converted in mass, so
there is precedent, but how does "acceptance of mitzvos" work? Can you
check every individual?
Unlike the "lost tribes" of Yemen, India, or Ethiopia, these people
are in touch with relatively recent Judaism. They know the text of
Kabbalas Shabbos, and sing the 13 principles of the Rambam.
However, Mat writes that he played guitar backup to their Kabbalas
Shabbos.
Is this ignorance, or have they not really accepted the mitzvos?
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From: Freda B Birnbaum <fbb6@...>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 13:38:32 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Babysitters???
The several lovely responses (v20n86) from fathers to the
children-in-shul question illustrate beautifully that the statement in
the same issue by Tova Taragin's rebbetzin, "Ladies, your husbands are
not good babysitters", is way off the mark. Husbands are not
babysitters -- they are the other parent of your children! (If more
people would remember that the person you are going on the shidduch-date
with is potentially the other parent of your children... who knows?!)
BTW, perhaps the things discussed by Tova Taragin are a hint as to why
there is sometimes so much hostility to having an eruv -- it has more to
do with keeping the children (and hence the women) out of the way than
some of us have been realizing.
And thanks for the wonderful sketch of the NOT-the-candy-man!
Freda Birnbaum, <fbb6@...>
"Call on God, but row away from the rocks"
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From: <MFRIEDERWITZ@...> (Moishe Friederwitzer)
Date: Tue, 01 Aug 1995 11:58:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Colombo Frozen Yogurt
Does anyone have any information regarding Colombo yogurts Kashrus
status. Colombo yogurt is distributed from Minneapolis I think one can
purchase the Yogurt in cartons or through a Yogurt machine.
Thanks.
Moishe Friederwitzer
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From: <TAXRELIEF@...> (Winston Weilheimer)
Date: Tue, 08 Aug 1995 23:14:44 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur Tapes
I just spoke today to the Jewish bookstore on the internet and they say
they have tapes of nusach for yomim noraim. Unfortunately their web
site does not contain the information as yet. they can be reached (I
hate letter phone numbers) at 1800 Judaism. Select the menu selection
to place an order. It is the only one that routes you to a live person.
Winston Weilheimer
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From: Mordechai Perlman <aw004@...>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 20:29:09 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Shabbos Postings
I would like to know if anybody knew the Halocho about postings which are
posted on Shabbos by a Jew. May another Jew read them?
Mordechai
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From: Avi Feldblum <feldblum@...>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 22:20:18 -0400
Subject: Shalom Bayis Recent Notice
There have been a few postings recently that have referenced the recent
flyer that Shalom Bayis is posting. Some of the postings quoted
extensively from published articles, so I was not able to use them,
others just asked what the story was, so instead of publishing them,
since I have a copy of their notice, I thought I would just post it
here. I did notice that they did not claim that this will solve world
hunger. Other than that, I have some minor difficulty understanding
whether these people live on the same planet as I do, but I'll let you
read their words.
Avi Feldblum
Start Notice:
In continuing our efforts to stop the plague of divorce within
the Jewish Orthodox community and to preserve the domestic harmony
between husband and wife, the Shalom Bayis Organization is urging the
reinstitution of the concept of pilegash (concubine). Jewish law permits
married men to maintain a pilegash (concubine). This concept has been in
practice throughout Jewish history and has been strongly advocated by
the Gadol Hador Rabbi Yaakov Emdin as a successful method of maintaining
Shalom Bayit.
According to Torah law it is incumbent on the man and his
concubine that she maintain the laws of Jewish family purity and immerse
herself in a mikveh. She also must keep a strict monogamous
relationship. The number of Pilagshim (concubines) is limitless and
based upon a man's financial ability to provide them with a basic form
of residence. A Halachicly permissible pilegash should not be confused
with the secular concept of mistress.
The basic rules of a pilegash are:
1) She must be Jewish
2) She must keep the laws of purity adn use the mikveh
3) She must keep a strict monogamous relationship
Some of the advantages are:
1) The wife will be more concerned with her mannerisms and conduct. She
may feel she is competing, though it is really not the case. This will
make the husband feel better toward his relationship with his wife,
which can only have a positive relationship in the marriage. For
instance, if for any reason the wife gets irritable or moodey, the
husband can always go to his pilegash. This will keep the wife under
control, and the marriage beautiful.
2) Wives will search out ways to please their husbands. The wife will
be more respectful to the husband. The husband will give more respect to
his wife. The relationship will only improve.
3) Children will see more respect in the home. The family will improve
in quality. The children will grow up to be better people.
4) The wife will always know she is the main person in her husbands
life.
5) A man will not become fustrated when his wife is a niddah. His wife
and pilegash can always be regulated in a way not to have their cycles
overlap.
6) It is a prevention for the husbands having extra marital affairs
with non-Jewish women and niddas.
7) It will prevent the spread of AIDS, and other sexually transmitted
diseases. Life will be safer for both the husband and the wife. There is
a story circulating in the community, of a fine frum woman who
contracted AIDS from her husband who had an affair with a
prostitute. Had this husband known of the concept of pilegash, the wife
and husband would not be terminally ill today.
8) It will preserve the laws of Tznius (modesty). It is known that
there is a greater ratio of women to men in the world. There are single
women who believe they do not stand a chance to have a marriage and
therefore yield to temptation. The concept of a pilegash will provide
that almost all women will be able to have a frum relationship with a
man.
9) It will produce more frum (religious) women. As many irreligious
women which otherwise would not keep Jewish family purity laws in a
marriage commitment, may not mind to try it out. Once they get the idea
and become habituated to the purity laws, they may continue observing it
even in a future marriage.
10) Men will pick a wife based on their fine character needs and not
need to choose based on their looks. (For great looks he can always have
pilegash.) Many men who marry women for their looks, after several years
get tired and bored of them. This of course leads many times to
divorce. With a quality character in the wife, the home will be
preserved and the children too will be of better quality.
11) A wife will know where and with whom her husband is hanging out.
12) When a wife is not in the mood to go out with her husband, the
husband won't need to become upset. He can go with his pilegash instead.
13) A man will have more children, which will increase the declining
Jewish population.
14) To divorce a pilegash, it is very simple. They just separate and go
their own ways. There is no equitable distribution. No need for
lawyers. He can provide her with something if he wants to. Also
successful career women would not be endagered about losing their
financial assets, since there is no legal commitment.
15) It will slow down the high divorce rate, as many petty arguments
will become obsolete.
16) Women will know that if they walk out on their husband, the husband
will just move in with his pilegash (concubine).
17) Most important of all is that the concept of PILEGASH (CONCUBINES)
will reduce the high divorce rate and thus diminish the Aguna problem as
well.
End Report
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From: Kenneth Posy <kpposy@...>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 15:25:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Surrender to evil
Mr. Stern writes:
> But where do we draw the line ? Do we advise
> them to go gradually on everything, including the "top 3" mitzvos which
> Halacha says you are required to die rather than do ? Or do we say that
> for certain things they have to go "cold turkey" but others things they
> can go slowly ? What are the criteria ? And is it considered for them
> an "aveira" to do all those things while they're on the path to total
> observance ?
Even if opposed to a "cold turkey" approach, but what Mr. Zaitchek
proposed of single girls going to the mikvah is just too far. It appears
to condone immorality; if anything that should be the among the first
thing to go, even in a gradual approach. Also, it is one thing to not
force someone to stop doing an aveirah, it is another to aid and abett
it.
Furthermore, on the last point, I would say yes. When, IYH,
Mashiach comes tommorrow, the person will have to bring a korbon. Even
if you were to hold of the heter of "tinoke shenishba bein hagoyim" and
hold them completely irresponsible for all their actions until they
began to be observant, I don't think that they would be exempt from a
korban after they knew it was assur, but said "I'm not ready yet". In
fact, I think that is probably the classic case of korban, where there
was knowledge of the crime but not comprehension of its severity
(shabbos, 68). I heard quoted from R. Chaim Soloveitchik (I obviously
cannot speak to the accuracy of the attribution, but I have heard it
from many people) "A nebech apikoras is still an apikoras."
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From: <uri@...> (Philip Heilbrunn)
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 06:59:42 +1000
Subject: Yarmulka and Wearing a Head Covering
I remember my teacher who was a Musmach of Mir Yeshivah in Europe and
universally regarded as a great Talmid Chacham in Johannesburg that one
source for the Minhag of covering the head relates to Yetziat Mitzraim
and Brit B' Sinai.
He explained that the Pasuk "V'CHAMUSHIM Aloo Bne Yisrael Me'Eretz
Mitzraim" (beginning of Sedra B'Shallach) means without head
covering. He related that in ancient times it was the rule that slaves
were never permitted to appear without head covering as a sign of their
servile status. When Bne Yisrael left Egypt, they left CHAMUSHIM, that
is they removed their head covering since they were now free. This is
also related to the fact that "UV'ne Yisrael Yatz'oo B'eyad RAMAH" they
departed with a "High Hand", "not as slaves but as free men" as Ibn Ezra
describes.
However at Ma'amad Sinai they became "Avdei Hashem", the servants of
G-d, so they took upon themselves the obligation to cover their heads as
a sign of their pride to be G-d's servants.
My teacher (I vaguely remember) did mention the concept "Pru'e Rosh",
but I couldn't find a source for that on a quick look at Rashi or any of
the other meforshim on the page of my Mikraot Gedolot.
I'm not dogmatic about this, but any additional information would be
interesting
Philip
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End of Volume 20 Issue 92
