Volume 23 Number 75
Produced: Thu Apr 25 7:23:03 1996
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
2 Days Yom Tov in the Diaspora
[Chaim Stern]
A General Thought
[S.H. Schwartz]
Breaking Shabbos for news about Rosh Chodesh (2)
[Steve White, Akiva Miller]
Giving tzedaka to the State of Israel
[Akiva Miller]
Name - Rachma
[Rochma Miril Horowitz]
Psalm 97 (2)
[Zvi Weiss, Stan Tenen]
Query on Proverbs 25,11 ("Filigree")
[Stan Tenen]
Shaving on Chol Hamoed
[Wachtfogel, Avi]
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From: Chaim Stern <PYPCHS%<EZMAIL@...>
Date: Fri 19 Apr 1996 12:57 ET
Subject: 2 Days Yom Tov in the Diaspora
I've seen a Kabbalistic reason why we still keep 2 Days nowadays even
though we're no longer unsure of the calendar. Every Yom Tov has a
different "Hashpa'ah" - a Divine influence or blessing that comes from
G-d. People who live in Israel get this right away, but it takes longer
for this spiritual influence to "reach" the Diaspora, just as it takes
longer to get a suntan on a cloudy day.
Chaim Stern
pypchs%<ezmail@...>
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From: S.H. Schwartz <shimmy@...>
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 11:05:21 -0400
Subject: Re: A General Thought
From: <AbePd@...> (Avrohom Dubin)
>I think such people are done a serious disservice by responses that begin "I
>once heard", "someone told me" and the like.
I frequently use similar phrasing, in conversation as well as e-mail,
when someone whom I personally trust has told me something, but I have
not received specific permission to repeat his words in his name. This
should not be seen as "hearsay," certainly not as broadly-applicable
halacha. I merely mean to introduce a point that the listener(s) might
not have heard before. Otherwise, I would need to (a) query the
original individual on each such posting, or (b) ask whether I can
repeat each individual conversation at some unknown future time.
Clearly, it is more tractable to simply note that, "someone | a rav whom
I trust | an ancient librarian once told me."
--Shimon
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From: <StevenJ81@...> (Steve White)
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 11:20:38 -0400
Subject: Breaking Shabbos for news about Rosh Chodesh
In #70, Akiva Miller writes:
> (Note that a significant number of pre-Sukkos days are Yom Tov,
>creating slowdown in the information flow which did not exist in the
>days before Pesach.)
I thought I had heard somewhere that those travelling with the news
about Rosh Hodesh were allowed to be mechallel Shabbos (or Yom Tov) for
that. Is that in error?
Steve
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 17:25:08 -0400
Subject: Breaking Shabbos for news about Rosh Chodesh
StevenJ81 asked:
>I thought I had heard somewhere that those travelling
>with the news about Rosh Hodesh were allowed to be
>mechallel Shabbos (or Yom Tov) for that. Is that in error?
That refers only to those who are on their way to Jerusalem to be
witnesses to testify that they had seen the moon, so that the court
would be able to declare that day to be Rosh Chodesh. It does not apply
to bringing the news about Rosh Chodesh to the people after the court
has completed their task.
Incidentally, Rosh Chodesh must always be on either the 30th day of the
previous month (which would then retroactively have only 29 days), or
else the following day would automatically become Rosh Chodesh (leaving
the prior month with a full 30 days). Thus, the only case where there
would be a need to violate Shabbos would be where the previous Rosh
Chodesh had fallen on Friday. In such a case, the new month could be
declared on Shabbos - if witnesses appeared - or on Sunday even without
witnesses.
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 08:06:18 -0400
Subject: Giving tzedaka to the State of Israel
In MJ 23:52, Jamie Leiba writes:
>I find it so painful to witness the degeneration of our beloved State of
>Israel to the point where the State is funding all kinds of anti-Torah
>activities.
> . . . . .
>Should we be giving money to this administration through wills, State of
>Israel bonds, etc. (I don't know the answer - and am *NOT* advocating
>that anyone stops) ? . . . . Yet, in the end much good
>is also being done with this money. . . .
As a starting point, I would suggest looking at what Rav Moshe Feinstein
wrote in the Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah vol 1, siman 149, entitled
"Regarding the Federations which are in many cities of our country." It
is three pages long, and so I would prefer not to post excerpts for fear
of misstating his thoughts. Suffice it to say that he opposes donations
to any charity not run by Torah observant individuals. You should go
through it yourself if you want to make sure you get a clear picture of
how strongly he feels that way.
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From: <npms@...> (Rochma Miril Horowitz)
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 12:06:02 +0400
Subject: Name - Rachma
I am the Gabbai to the Bostoner rebbe, Shlita, in Har Nof, Yerushalayim,
and I passed on the posting from Gedaliah Friedenberg (Name - Digest
#68) to the Rebbitzen who asked me to reply as follows. The Rebbitzen
has a fulsome style and I hope you will not feel the posting too long.
I feel it will interest people, a Chassidic Rebbitzen seeing the list
and taking the time to reply as much as anything else!
****************************************************************
Although as A Chassidic Rebbitzen I seldom have enough time to follow
email list postings, many of our college student friends and Chassidim
do and one showed me the message in Digest #68 from Gedaliah Friedenberg
about the Yiddish name Rachma. This is a lovely name, from a Hebrew
word meaning "merciful", which has been in our own family for many
generations. It goes back at least to the Melitzer Rebbitzen, the
daughter-in-law of Rav. Naphtoli Ropshitzer.
I was glad to hear that my book, The Bostoner Rebbitzen Remembers, has
provided interesting reading. I have yet to actually obtain a copy ,
although Artscroll say several are on their way. I hope it will make
people more aware of how important it is to help and care for others.
That is a good recipe for a happy marriage as well. I would welcome any
comments on the book.
As for communications, the Rebbe and I prefer the old fashioned way ...fax.
That is how our worldwide Chassidim and friends keep in touch with us. We
are in Yerushalayim from Shevat until Elul (Fax 972-2-6512950) and in Boston
from Elul until Shevat (Fax 1-617 739 0163). You too are welcome to fax.
Best wishes to you all
Rochma Miril Horowitz
The Bostoner Rebbitzen
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 15:41:12 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Psalm 97
> From: Carl & Adina Sherer <sherer@...>
> Often in the Torah, Hashem's four-letter name is used to represent the Midas
> HaRachamim (the attribute of mercy) while Elokim is used to represent the
> Midas HaDin (the attribute of judgment). Could it be that King David is
> praising Hashem for kaveyachol (if we could say such a thing) causing his
> attribute of mercy to rule over his attribute of judgment, and therefore
> being merciful to us?
This idea could fit in very well with the comment of the Netziv in
Ki-Tisah where he states that Moses specifically prayed that the "trait"
of Tifereth should be "activated" whenever the actions of the Jews were
sufficient to warrant a catastrophic response from the "trait" of Din...
--Zvi
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From: Stan Tenen <meru1@...>
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 16:56:08 -0700
Subject: Psalm 97
I'm glad I asked. I really appreciate all of the thoughtful and useful
responses. Geometry is no substitute for learning - but, see below.
I particularly appreciate Chaim Schild's contributions. - Yes, I do
realize that "algebra is related to geometry." I think of algebra as
the accounting, geometry as the structure, and topology as the process.
I had not previously heard the chassidic teaching that Elokim is a
sheath (a keli over) Havaye, but this makes sense to me. The geometric
models include what looks like a spherical sheath and it is associated
with Elokim - and Havaye sits exactly in the center.
Likewise I appreciate that "turning the bag inside out reveals all of
its contents." The geometric model of Continuous Creation includes as a
primary feature the evolvement of outsides from insides. This is a
model of B'Reshit 1,11: "...fruit tree bearing fruit whose seed is in
itself..." - also quoted in the introduction to the Zohar.
The Continuous Creation model mimics what actually happens during the
"creation" of embryonic growth. As an embryo grows from a single
fertilized (egg) cell it does so by a process of duplication and, when,
at the (approx.) 16-cell stage, there is no longer room for symmetrical
packing and thus no longer a equivalent environment for each cell,
gradients develop and cell differentiation begins to take place. The
first symmetry break occurs at the 16-cell stage because until then all
the cells at each division are in contact with the same number of other
cells and with the egg sack. At 4-cells, an entirely symmetrical
tetrahedral packing occurs. At 8-cells, a twisted cube is formed. Now
for the first time some symmetry is lost and rotation or twist is
introduced. But, all 8-cells still experience the equivalent
environment and no useful gradient exists. (The twisted cube does
produce a twisted gradient, but it does not act on any cell differently
than on any other cell.) Finally, at 16-cells, there is no longer room
for all of the cells to be packed against the egg-sack. Some cells are
forced inside and are surrounded only by other cells, while those
outside, that surround them, are in contact with other cells and with
the egg-sack. Now, a distinct inside-outside gradient exists. All
further cell division is influenced by this. Later, after successive
inversions ("turning the bag inside out reveals all of its contents"),
and invaginations, an embryo is formed. (This discussion follows the
work of Homer Smith, formerly of Art-Matrix and Cornell, who published a
short paper on this about 15-years ago.)
With regard to the teaching that Moshiach and Nachash are related, this
again comes from the geometry of creation. (The AT-BaSh is only a
convenient means of remembering this.) The central "pillar" that runs
through the creation model is in fact the "snake", T'li, mentioned in
Sefer Yetzira. Structurally, we are looking at a tetrahelical column.
It has a three-fold nature just as is ascribed to T'li in Yetzira. This
T'li "snake" is like a pole or axis. It serves to support what looks
like a 3-legged tripod or footstool. On this footstool sits a makom, a
place where, in a kabbalistic meditational context, HaShem is said to
reside. The outer spherical sheath that the pillar supports is
identified with the _domain_ of Elokim - the whole universe of creation.
I do not mean to be pushy or to be exclusivist, but I believe that the
geometric models are the source of the various midrashim and teachings
that have been mentioned. The word-stories are allegories for the
geometry. The geometry is NOT primary in itself, of course. That would
be silly. But it provides a formal means of retaining aspects of
meditational experience that simply cannot be adequately described in
words. The word-story-allegory-midrash level is secondary to the
geometry and topology, in my opinion, primarily because the latter is a
more precise and less ambiguous memory and teaching aid. Many confusing
and/or disputed kabbalistic and talmudic discussions make immediate
sense when interpreted geometrically and topologically.
There is much more to this, but this message is already too long.
B'Shalom,
Stan
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From: Stan Tenen <meru1@...>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 20:09:09 -0700
Subject: Query on Proverbs 25,11 ("Filigree")
For many years I have been describing the torus-knot-like woven patterns
that I found in the letter text of B'Reshit as like an apple-shaped
filigreed "Faberge Egg" with jewels at the intersections of the silver
threads that cover the surface of the egg. When the filigreed silver
thread is unwoven from the egg and the different jewels replaced by
letters, the egg unravels into the text of the Torah.
Last week Rabbi Dr. Meir Sendor (Ph.D. Harvard) referred me to
Proverbs 25,11:
"golden apple filigreed of silver words written/spoken on wheels (or
rotating faces.)" (loose translation)
I am interested in conventional translations and understandings of this
line (and its context) and in comments.
I believe that this may offer a clue to the equal interval letter skip
patterns that have been statistically detected in Torah.
Thanks,
Stan Tenen
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From: Wachtfogel, Avi <awachtfogel@...>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 96 09:44:08
Subject: Shaving on Chol Hamoed
>- Does anyone know the source from the Rav that would generate such a
>psak?
>The Rav is based on the Gemara in Moed Katan 14a that says wherever
>. .
>Not only that but he went further, that if you are allowed to shave
>you have to shave so as not to be mnuval (look bad) on Chol Hamoed
>and the last days.
It has always been my understanding that in the past people did not
shave on chol hamoed in order not to be mnuval (look bad) when Yom Tov
comes in. This was at a time when people did not shave every day and if
they shaved during chol hamoed they might not bother shaving again erev
chag and hence be mnuval when chag comes in.
Today, when people shave every day this problem no longer exists. On the
contrary, it seems inappropriate to not shave during chol hamoed and be
mnuval on chol hamoed.
Avi
<awachtfogel@...>
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End of Volume 23 Issue 75
