Volume 23 Number 81
Produced: Tue Apr 30 20:48:27 1996
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
BA'omer and LA'omer
[Kenneth Posy]
Charity not run by Torah Observant Individuals
[Yeshaya Halevi]
Index to Talmud Bavli
[Alfred Eidlisz]
Shaving on Chol Hamoed
[Ilya E Gurevich]
Tefilla on Yom HaAtzmaut
[Eliyahu Shiffman]
Using Welches Grape Juice For Kiddush Audio Class
[Fivel Smiles]
Welch's Grape Juice
[Binyomin Segal]
Yom Hazikaron - Real People
[Reuven Werber]
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From: Kenneth Posy <kenneth.posy@...>
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 01:03:59 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: BA'omer and LA'omer
> BTW, there are two recensions for the Omer count... BA'omer and
>LA'omer .One is found in most ARTSCROLL siddurim/machzorim, the other in
>the RCA edition (because it was Rav Soloveitchik's z"l version?) Does
>anyone know the SOURCE for the difference?
I heard the following explanation from HaRav Yitzchok Breitowitz of
Silver Spring, MD (any errors are my own):
There is a disagreement among the rishonim whether S'phira is rabbinic
or of torah origin now that we know longer have the Omer sacrifice. Most
authorities hold that it is Rabbinic, because the counting was counting
up to the offering of Shtei HaLechem from the Omer. According to this
opinion, the appropriate version is La'omer, referring to the Korban. If
the mitzva is of torah origin now, however, it is because the counting
is a mitzva in itself, and the correct version is Ba'Omer reffering to
the count.
Respectfully,
Betzalel Posy
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From: <CHIHAL@...> (Yeshaya Halevi)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 22:12:16 -0400
Subject: Charity not run by Torah Observant Individuals
<Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller) says that Rav Moshe Feinstein
<<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.>>
While my intellect and knowledge are far less than Rav Moshe's, I
see what appears to be a serious flaw in this statement.
Aside from the question of "al teefrosh meen hatzeeboor" (don't
separate yourself from the community) if Orthodox people adopt this attitude
of not donating to a charity not run by Torah observant Jews, the people who
run Jewish Federations and other charities will retaliate by not giving
Orthodox institutions one penny. And who could blame them?
Yeshaya Halevi (<Chihal@...>)
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From: <eidlisz@...> (Alfred Eidlisz)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 96 19:47:45 EDT
Subject: Index to Talmud Bavli
A major new study aid for every student of the Talmud is now available,
-Sefer Hamikraoth Sheb'Talmud Bavli- in 3 vols., over 1200 pages, by
Harav Mordechai Dovid Rubin, ADMOR of Sasregen.
This new sefer, organized by Masechta, contains every posuk from Tanach,
fully vocalized, which is quoted in the Gemorah, Rashi and Tosafos of
that Masechta. Features:
a. Each posuk is explained, in concise Hebrew, so one can understand
the full context of the posuk as it relates to the particular quotation;
b. A cross reference Index at the end of each masechta so that one
can locate each posuk in the masechta, in either the Gemorah, Rashi or
Tosafos;
c. A second Index gives the source of each posuk quoted in the
Gemorah, Rashi and Tosafos for which no specific source is presently
indicated;
d. A comprehensive Index, listing over 22,000 p'sukim and their
location throughout the entire Shas.
Available from:
Cong. M'chon Beis Yosher
1279 E. 24th St., Brooklyn, NY 11210, (718) 338-9633
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ilya E Gurevich <gurevich+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 18:35:18 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Shaving on Chol Hamoed
>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@...>
I can hear the reasoning behind this psak, of being allowed to shave on
Chol Hamoed. The Gemora in Moed Katan clearly says that the reason that
one is not allowed to cut hair on Chol Hamoed, is because we are afraid
that he'll purposely wait till the Moed to cut his hair, because that's
the time when people are off from work. Thus, he'll be mezalzel the
Moed. Therefore the Rabbis forbade cutting hair on Chol Hamoed. Shaving
is different, because people shave every day, and this reasoning stated
above wouldn't apply. In the times of the Gemora, Jews didn't shave
anyway, because they couldn't use a razor, and electric shavers didn't
exist. If they trimmed their beard, then it wasn't every day, so the
above reasoning did apply. Now adays the rabbis made a lo plug (the same
law in any case, even if the reasoning doesn't apply), but if someone
doesn't poskin like that lo plug, then may be he is aloud to shave. Most
people don't shave though.
Ilya Gurevich
gurevich+@andrew.cmu.edu
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From: Eliyahu Shiffman <RLSHIFF@...>
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 09:57:28 +200
Subject: Tefilla on Yom HaAtzmaut
Why did the same g'dolei hador (leaders of our generation) who
instituted a special order of prayers for Yom HaAtzmaut not formulate a
special prayer of thanks to be inserted in the brakha of Modim (thanks),
at the same point as the Purim and Hanukka insertions?
Eliyahu Shiffman
Beit Shemesh, Israel
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From: <fsmiles@...> (Fivel Smiles)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 17:09:47 -0700
Subject: Using Welches Grape Juice For Kiddush Audio Class
> Is there any problem using Welches Grape Juice for kiddush or the four
> cups on Pesach.
Rabbi Menahem Genack of the OU gave a 45 minute class on these very
Points at Young Yisrael of Avenue J on April 7,1996 (3rd Yarsheit of Rav
Soloveitchik)(plus a nice piece on the Rav's philosophy) which can be
heard on the net at http://www.613.org/#EngHeb if you have a sound card
and some free Real audio software which you can download off the top of
the page. fivel smiles <fsmiles@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <bsegal@...> (Binyomin Segal)
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 21:16:30 -0500
Subject: Welch's Grape Juice
Barry Siegel quotes Rabbi Luban of the OU
*one can make the Bracha Hagafen and thus Kiddush using Welch's grape juice,
*which is made using grape juice from concentrate.
....
*Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach Z'l held that one should not use
*reconstituted grape juice. However, we do not know exactly what juice
*"strength" that he was referring to.
i respectfully disagree with these two points.
1 the "kashrut" of grape juice for kiddush is _not_ determined by the
bracha rishona (bracha before drinking). even rav shlomo zalman zt"l agrees
that the bracha is hagefen. as to the after bracha see point 2.
2. a careful reading of rav shlomo zalman's tshuva will, i believe tell you
exactly the strength of the dilution. it is clear that he is referring to
juice from which water was removed and then added to create juice
essentialy like the original. (he says this explicitly). he also says he is
referring to a water:concentrate ratio of 4:1. this ratio becomes important
because - it seems to my reading of the tshuva that - if one drank 5 riviis
of this watered down grape juice (which would include one full reviis of
"pure" grape juice) in the appropriate time - one would indeed make a
"hagofen" bracha achrona (after brocho).
the after bracha dispute would involve the normal situation where you drank
one reviis of welchs. in this case rav shlomo zalman would point out that
you have not yet drunk a full reviis of grape juice - rather you drank some
water and some juice - and can not make that after bracha but rather should
make the general after bracha "bore nefashos". others (and i assume r luban
would fall into this category) would argue that in the mixing concentrated
juice and water, the water essentialy becomes grape juice and so drinking
one reviis of the mixture is in fact drinking one reviis of grape juice.
to qualify my post - i dont mean to disagree with rabbi luban's halachic
decision. he certainly has the right to pasken this shailo as he
understands it. however, i think there may be some misunderstanding about
rav shlomo zalman's opinion - and i thought i would try to clarify it.
hope that helped
binyomin
<bsegal@...>
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From: Reuven Werber <reuw@...>
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 14:33 +0300
Subject: Yom Hazikaron - Real People
> From: Mike Marmor <mike.marmor@...>
>(This query is on behalf of Lori Grysman, who teaches at Netivot Hatorah
>Day School in Thornhill, Canada. It relates to research for a Yom
>Hazikarom program she's preparing.)
>Can anyone fill in the details of a story about an arab throwing a
>Jewish woman and a grenade into a bunker at Gush Emunim in '48?
>Apparently the arab told the woman to throw the grenade into the bunker,
>and when she refused, he threw her in, along with the grenade, killing
>all of the people inside. Does anyone know her name?
>Does anyone know the name of any soldier who fell in '48, and some
>details about him/her?
>Does anyone know the name of any soldier that fell in the '56 war in
>Israel, and some facts about him/her?
Dear Mike,
The woman who was captured by the Arab at the bunker in the overrun
*Kibbutz Kfar Etzion* is named Aliza Feuchtwanger. She was not killed
but was captured & later released. To the best of my knowledge, she is
still alive in Israel. The bunker where the wounded were gathered also
served as headquarters of the Kfar Etzion Command Post. Aliza was the
radio operater at the bunker. The bunker, now located within Kfar etzion
was rebuilt a few years ago & now houses the sound -light show which
recounts the history of the Etzion Bloc.
Yaakov Altman, member of Kfar etzion, was the last commander of the
etzion bloc. He was killed in the last battle - May 15.1948. His wife,
Tova who had been evacuated from Etzion with her 3 infant sons, later
moved to kibbutz Yavneh where she raised her kids - never remarrying.
After the 6 day war & Etzion's liberation, 2 of the son's Yehopshua &
Kutie returned to Etzion to refound the Kibbutz which their father died
defending. They live here till today.
Shalom Karniel, famous leader of the Hashomer Hadati youth movement in
the area of Cracow poland & among the founders of Kfar etzion in 1943
was killed in a convoy coming from Jerusalem to etzion on the 3rd night
of Chanuka 1947 along with 9 other settlers & defenders of etzion when
hordes of armed Palestinian rabble ambushed their convoy. Shimon,
Shalom's son became the first orphan of Kfar Etzion. He also returned
after 1967 to rebuild his father's dream in Etzion. Now, his son, Shalom
is one of the 3rd generation children participating in the rebirth of
Etzion.
Next Tuesday I will stand in our Bet Knesset in Kfar Etzion, listening
to the chorus of our members saying kaddish & think that there can be no
greater memorial to the builders & defenders of Kfar Etzion than the
return to Etzion & its rebirth.
Reuven Werber
Kfar Etzion
<reuw@...>
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End of Volume 23 Issue 81
