Volume 27 Number 27
Produced: Sun Nov 30 8:18:33 1997
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
A few non-earthshaking questions
[Ben Rothke]
Basic Jewish case for vegetarianism
[Rick Turkel]
Burial on Yom Tov
[Menashe Elyashiv]
Getting into your hotel room on shabbat (Trim second message)
[I. Harvey Poch]
Israeli Chief Rabbinate on transplants
[Yehuda and Rebecca Poch]
Jewish McCaugheys?
[Sam Saal]
Lying for shidduchim
[Yrachmiel Tilles]
Purposes and Goals of Kiruv
[Anonymous]
Yesh L'gour Bo
[Joe Schoemann]
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From: Ben Rothke <BRothke@...>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 22:32:13 -0500
Subject: A few non-earthshaking questions
A few non-earthshaking question have come to mind. They are:
1. Why do we refer to the Ari z"l with the suffix z"l (his memory should be
for a blessing) and no one else?
2. Why is the suffix hakodesh (the Holy one) used for the Shel"a & Orh
HaChaim & no other meforshim?
3. Given that the Hebrew word for egg - beitzah, is the equivalent term for
testicle, some people use the loshon naki (clean language) word baya, which
is Aramaic for egg. Is there any basis for such use? Also, why only
betizah, as opposed to the other words for parts of the private anatomy?
4. Finally, is it not extremely bizarre that the same word for excrement
(gedolim) is the same word used vernacularly for Torah leaders?
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From: <rturkel@...> (Rick Turkel)
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 14:43:10 -0500
Subject: Re: Basic Jewish case for vegetarianism
Richard Schwartz <SCHWARTZ@...> posted in m.j 27#26 a
not unreasonable basis for observant Jews being vegerarians. Aside from
the fact that we are commanded to partake of meat on shabbat and yom tov
because "ein simxa 'ela bevasar veyayin" (there is no joy without meat
and wine), I'd like to make the point that there is a third option other
than meat twice a day every day and complete vegetarianism, namely, a
diet consisting of meat/poultry on shabbat and yom tov and little or
none the rest of the week. Beyond the health benefits, such a policy
reduces the demand for meat in the world, thus freeing up grain for
human consumption. My family exists quite nicely on such a diet, with
rarely more than one meat meal between shabbatot and no feelings of
deprivation. The latter, of course, is subjective, but one accommodates
to it pretty quickly if enough variety in maintained in such a semi-
vegetarian diet. In addition, careful planning assures adequate
protein in the diet; for those with higher protein needs (e.g.,
bodybuilders and others who get above-average amounts of exercise),
protein supplements based on soy and whey are readily available.
Just my NIS 0.07-worth. Shabbat shalom.
Rick Turkel (___ _____ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ ___
<rturkel@...>)oh.us| | \ ) |/ \ | | | \__) |
<rturkel@...> / | _| __)/ | ___) | ___|_ | _( \ |
Rich or poor, it's good to have money. Ko rano rani | u jamu pada.
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From: Menashe Elyashiv <elyashm@...>
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 13:27:33 +0200 (WET)
Subject: Burial on Yom Tov
Even though burial is allowed on the 1st day by non jews, it is not done
in Israel. Burial is done on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana mainly in
Jerusalem , Petah Tikva etc. but only for religious families.
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From: I. Harvey Poch <af945@...>
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 17:01:27 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Getting into your hotel room on shabbat (Trim second message)
I am certainly not a posek, but I have heard (from Rabbi Steven
Pruzansky of Teaneck NJ as part of a shiur in which he quoted MANY
sources) that in order to fall into the category of "aish" the 'light'
has to produce both light and heat. He mentioned that the LED's in this
type of equipment (he was referring to alarm systems, not hotel room
doors) do NOT produce any heat. Therefore, if the light turning on or
off is an unintended by-product of the activity (like opening the aron
kodesh and turning the alarm LED on or off), the activity itself is
still permitted lechatchilah.
Personally, in view of this, I would be more concerned about electronic
operation of the lock itself. I'm not convinved that the release is
mechanical.
> Subject: Re: Ksuvim
I believe there is a set at - of all places - Holy Blossom Temple in
Toronto. Nevi'im are certainly there, but I seem to remember a Daniel. I
don't get there very often, but I will try to check.
Holy Blossom is the oldest congregation in Toronto, but has been Reform
for at least a hundred years. The seforim in question are wrapped in
relatively new mantlech, and stand in a glass display case in the main
hall. What else are they going to do with them??
Why would the writer's father not use EICHAH. In our shul (B'nai Torah of
Toronto) when we read megillos other than Esther on klaf (which we do
sometimes, but not always) we do NOT say shehecheyanu. Eichah would be no
different. As the ba'al koreh for Eichah, I say the brocho 'Al Mikro
Megillo' quietly before I start, and would do so from a klaf as well.
He also says no one would write an Eichah. This is not so. I saw one
included in a single scroll of four megillos (excluding Esther) in the
shul where I grew up. This shul no longer exists and the seforim were
dispersed many years ago.
P.S. Just in case you noticed a similarity of names, I am Yehuda's father.
I. Harvey Poch (:-)>
<af945@...>
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From: Yehuda and Rebecca Poch <butrfly@...>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 19:42:19 -0500
Subject: Israeli Chief Rabbinate on transplants
The Chief Rabbinate has ruled that donating bodily organs is a major
mitzvah, subject to the condition that the time of death be determined
properly.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Lau said Wednesday that in 99 percent of
the cases in which the rabbinate is asked to permit organ donation, it
does so. The chief rabbi added that if the Ministry of Health would
publish a list of doctors specializing in halachic medicine who could
dependably determine the time of death, the rabbinate would call on the
public to donate organs.
There is no dispute among poskim - rabbis qualified to rule on halacha -
as to the permissibility of donating kidneys, and under certain
conditions some also permit heart donations. But the Chief Rabbinate has
not previously called on the religious public to donate organs, and the
conventional wisdom among the wider public is that organ donations are
forbidden.
During the tenure of Tzachi Hanegbi, now minister of justice, as health
minister, negotiations commenced between the rabbinate and the Health
Ministry on the subject, but the talks were discontinued. Lau believes
that due to the employment disputes now preoccupying the Health
Ministry, there is little chance that the talks will be resumed.
{HAARETZ 11/27 C}
\ || / Yehuda and Rebecca Poch
\___||___/ Rehovot, Israel \___||___/
/ || \ <butrfly@...> / || \
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From: Sam Saal <saal@...>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:05:36 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Jewish McCaugheys?
This week, the McCaugheys had septuplets. Thank G-d, all 7 kids are
doing well, although all were born in the 2-3 lb range, significantly
low birthweights, but not so low that HaShem and modern technology can't
give them all a good shot at life.
The McCaugheys had taken fertility drugs which increased the chances of
multipbe births. When the doctors recognized how many fetuses were in
the womb, they recommended aborting some to increase the chances of
survival for the remainder. The McCaugheys refused, and, thank G-d,
everything worked out well.
What would (should) a Jewish couple have done when faced with the
question of aborting a few of the fetuses? Of course, the couple must
work with their Rav, but if standard operating (pardon the pun)
procedure is to abort a few of the fetuses to improve the chances of the
remaining ones' (and the mother's) survival, do we go ahead with it?
Are these fetuses rodephim? If so, which ones?
Sam Saal <saal@...>
Vayiphtach HaShem et Pea haAtone
(<saal@...> also works)
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From: Yrachmiel Tilles <seminars@...>
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 12:39:59 +0200
Subject: RE: Lying for shidduchim
In a No. 19 post, Aaron Gross said,
>I think that fudging with age,... and the like are relatively minor,
>superficial characteristics that qualified shadchanim should have leeway
>with, especially as these are easily discovered on initial meetings.
Please be careful. When you are involved with shidduchim for the 30+
set, lying about age becomes a *very major* factor, and much too often
has painful consequences. I have witnessed both immediate breaking-off
just before the chupah and immediate divorce just after because of
age-related reproductive concerns combined with the "trauma" of
uncovering the lie. So please move this one over to the "stick of
dynamite" side of your simile.
Yrachmiel Tilles
Ascent of Safed
NEW E-MAIL: <editor@...>
NEW EXCITING WEBSITE: http//www.ascent.org.il
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From: Anonymous
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 97 13:31:16 UT
Subject: Purposes and Goals of Kiruv
What are the purposes and goals of Kiruv (outreach)?
I'm Financial VP of my shule, and this week I received a check for $1000
from someone I didn't know -- Russian sounding names and from out of
town. I did a little digging with folks who've been around the shule
and found out our benefactors were a couple who came as immigrants.
During the miracle of Russian emigration each Shule in town was given a
family to "sponsor." It seems most of the frum shules provided some
level of support and succor but when it was obvious (?) to them that
these folks wouldn't be "true B'aalay T'shuvah", the relationships
waned. It seems that some of the good folks at our shule held on
tenaciously and built a relationship with "our family" -- letting them
grow as much as was comfortable for them. While in town, they attended
shule each Shabbos, were involved in Shule activities, etc., but there
were some "buts." This family which has long since moved out of town,
maintains Jewish roots, etc., They are not, I am told, participating
members of an Orthodox Minyan.
Is this success, or is this failure? Were the shules that quickly
abandoned their families smarter than us, because they didn't waste
their time, or was our effort worthwhile?
My wife (a certified Tzedaikis -- putting up with me is probably more
than enough for full certification) was Mekariv four women about a dozen
years ago. They were college students at Bryn Mawr, a prestigious and
rather non-Jewish place. These women had weak, if any ties to
Yiddishkite. Today, B"H, all four are married two Jews -- two wear
Shietel's and are "black hatters" so to speak, two (along with their
husbands) are active members of Conservative Congregations, keep kosher
-- but are not, quite frankly, Shomre Shabbos. My wife maintains a
mother-daughter relationship with these women -- all four of them, and
we are blessed with 8 ayniklach.
Is this success, or is this failure?
If we meet someone who we can lift up (only) a few steps, but most
likely not more, what should we do?
I know this gets into larger issues of our relationship with non-Orthodox
Jews, but let's focus on the question at hand. What are the purposes and
Goals of Kiruv (Outreach)
When should we start / stop, etc.
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From: <joeschoe@...> (Joe Schoemann)
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 23:42:35 +0200
Subject: Yesh L'gour Bo
The Oruch Hashulchon in halochos of krias hatorah [Laws of Reading the
Torah - Mod.] (Orach Chayim 142) mentions that correcting the baal koreh
is only done in public if he makes a significant error, one that changes
the meaning of the reading. He then says for less severe errors "Goarim
Bo" which seems to mean that he goarim bo is done not in public but
privately.
In the same chapter he says that the ball koreh should prepare well
enough to avoid any kind of error, both in reading and tunes. I would
assume that the same applies to other cases where the Mishne b'ruro uses
the phrase and care must be taken not to publicly shame anyone.
Joe Schoemann
Bet Shemesh
| JOE SCHOEMANN e-mail: <joeschoe@...> |
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End of Volume 27 Issue 27
