Volume 28 Number 36
Produced: Sun Nov 29 13:27:15 1998
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Business open on Yom Tov
[Richard N. Smith]
Chagall's Painting "The Rabbi"
[Mike Singer]
Keter Shem Tob
[Joseph Mosseri]
Kislev
[Rachamim Pauli]
Molad in Yiddish
[Hillel Markowitz]
Tefilla Bezibbur
[Shlomo Pick]
Titbarchu
[<Pawshas@...>]
When to delete Sick People from Personal Prayer Lists (2)
[Carl M. Sherer, Russell Hendel]
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From: <ravor1@...> (Richard N. Smith)
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 10:35:35 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Business open on Yom Tov
Can I, as a newly observant Jew, continue to own a business that remains
open on Yom Tov ( not Shabbat and not Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur). It
remains open because it could not survive as a business if closed on all
the remaining days of Yom Tov. Would I need to give my Jewish employees
the day off with pay, or are they not allowed to be payed for not
working on Yom Tov. What is to be done with the profits of the business
that are earned on those days Of Yom Tov?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Richard
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From: <m-singer@...> (Mike Singer)
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 18:40:50 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Chagall's Painting "The Rabbi"
In Marc Chagall's painting "The Rabbi," the individual in the portrait
appears to be wearing his tefillin shel yad incorrectly. Specifically,
there are only two of the three branches of the letter "shin" formed on
the back of his hand, and only two, rather than three, loops around his
middle finger. Are these errors are intentional and meaningful, or
simply the result of the artist's unfamiliarity with traditional
practices?
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From: <JMOSSERI@...> (Joseph Mosseri)
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 01:05:56 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Keter Shem Tob
The author was rabbi Shem Tob Gaguine, he was Chief Rabbi of the
Sefaradim in England until his death circ 1950. The first volume (which
in reality is parts 1 & 2) was printed in the 1930's subsequent volumes
were printed during his lifetime and after his demise. They are a total
of 7 parts (7 halaqim) printed in 5 volumes. His son Maurice Gaguine
lives in London and through his help and a grant by a certain Mr. Shasha
all the volumes were reprinted in the early 80's by Hebrat Ahabat Shalom
in Jerusalem. They are not easy to come by, but are well worth the
effort.
If anyone out there can get me an address/telephone number/fax number,
or put me in contact with Mr. Maurice Gaguine I would truly appreciate
it.
All the best,
Joseph Mosseri
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From: Rachamim Pauli <phenya@...>
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 22:17:01 +0200
Subject: Kislev
Sitting here in Chashmonayim in the Modin area, one has a Chanucha
spirit around all the time. The Macabees had an enemy village called
Beit Sira. Right across from the Yeshuv Macabee is Beit Sira. (The road
to Ashkelon and the south or Latrun is just a stone's throw away from
the houses). Travelling from Chashmonayim towards Yerushalayim, one
encounters Beit Horon and blesses "Who has performed miracles for our
fathers in this place" then up to Givat Zeev and down past Givon then
back up to the Tomb of the Navi Shmuel.
Opposite the section of Chashmonayim called Gannei Modin are cliffs with
caves where the Macabees held up against the Greeks. Where are the
Macabees today? Certainly not in the Macabee Sport games or mixed
swimming pools. The Macabee Tel Aviv basket ball team which has almost
as many black Americans as the Harlem Globe Trotters is not filled with
the Macabean Ideals.
The Macabees were a group of fighters - fighting for what is right
against overwhelming odds. The few against the many. They also were most
likely slandered in the local equivalent of the press. Where are they
today?
Some are Rabbis in small communities across the world. An example is a
young Rabbi named Rabbi Benjamin Zippel who was sent by the late
Lubavitcher Rebbe to Salt Lake City. He found a town with approximately
1000 Jewish families without a Frumm Minyan. In just a few years he
built a Schul with a regular Minyan. Others are the Settlers in Yehuda,
Shomron and Hevel Aza. These people despite bullets, firebombs, rocks,
curses, bad press etc risk their lives daily to live on those gifted
parcels of land which G-D gave us during the 6 Day War. Others are just
plain soldiers both religious and not yet religious who risk their lives
in Lebanon, on the Mediterrean, or flying spy missions deep over enemy
countries daily to defend the Land and people of Israel.
You too can get that Macabee spirit. No you don't have to sell all your
worldly goods and buy a plot of land in Chashmonayim. All you have to do
is get up in the morning with "Mizerut Nefesh". Start praying with more
zeal, give more charity, visit the sick, comfort mourners, put in a kind
word with your friends and/or co-workers, learn more Torah, Help others,
encourage others to do one or two more good deeds, make a Kiddush
HASHEM. Yes we should all work with harder zeal to strengthen ourselves
and others in Torah and Mitzvot.
Question yourself a bit. If I would take a paint brush and varnish and
do the back door to the Schul, donate tissues in the winter, donate
candles, light bulbs, Siddurim, Rolls for the 3rd meal on Shabbos, etc.?
Yes if you work at it, you can become a Macabee. It is up to all of us
to protect our environment from the physical one to the spiritual one.
This is what Kislev is to me. May we soon again deserve the light of
creation on Chaf Hey Elul to reshine on the next version of Chaf Hey
b'Kislev and the Chanuchat Beit Shlishi.
Richard (Rachamim) Pauli
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From: Hillel Markowitz <hillelm@...>
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 22:38:03 -0500
Subject: Re: Molad in Yiddish
> From: Ira Robinson <ROBINSO@...>
> I have noticed that in many a luach of synagogue customs everything is
> written in Hebrew except for the time of the Molad, which is given in
> Yiddish. Is there any significance to this linguistic anomaly?
The time of the molad is to be announced in shul and it should be done
so that it is understood. Since the common language for many years was
Yiddish, the time of the molad is shown on the luach in Yiddish.
Nowadays, it is announced in many shuls in America in English, in Israel
in Hebrew, and in other countries in the language of that country.
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From: Shlomo Pick <picksh@...>
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 14:12:56 -0800
Subject: re: Tefilla Bezibbur
hi
concerning Seth kaddish'e statement in mailjewish 28:32 that tefilla
bezibbur is only amida, it is true and not true.
1. In terms of saying shmoneh esrei bezibbur, the Chayei Adam as quoted
in the Mishne brura 90:28: "veIkar tefilla bezibbur who tefilat 18."
That translates that into the halakha that lechatcheela 10 men should
start together the shmoneh esrei.see alos mishne brura 66:35. i have
even heard from posekim, that if there are only 10 men in the shul, and
they are not makpid in this law, and one who is scrupulous in this law
will leave in order to daven in a shul or minyan that is makpid, it is
permissable for that person to leave in order to fulfill the utmost of
tefilla bezibbur.
2. However, there is another concept of tefilla bezibbur and that is
those parts of the "prayer service" that requires a minyan. That starts
with kadish after yistabach, barchu and kedusha deyotzer, tachanun with
13 middot (for those who say), up thru kaddish tiskabel (and some
kaddish after aleinu (according to nusach ashkenaz). See Maimonides
tefilla 9:1. Although some may want to be medayek in the language of
the rambam there as it says "seder tefillat hazibbur" and it is not
tefilla bezibbur. but i really don't think that is a correct diyyuk as
can be seen from 9:2 where rambam talks about tefilato im hazibbur.
3. please note the volume by R. yitzchak yakob fuchs in hebrew
Hatefilla bezibur (yerushalayim, 5738). on these issues discussed here,
see p. 60 ff. and notes.
shabbat shalom
shlomo
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From: <Pawshas@...>
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 09:40:35 EST
Subject: Titbarchu
In a message dated 98-11-27 09:05:06 EST, Fred Dweck write:
> David Curwin wrote:
> >So for a long time I have been trying to come up with an alternative
> >response to "baruch ti'hiye". ("Thanks" just doesn't seem to cut it.)
> The answer is "Titbarechu min hashamayim." (May you be blessed from
> heaven) This is the response in the Syrian (and other Middle Eastern)
> Community
That is interesting; the Mishnah in Sanhedrin (18a) records that this
was the Kohen Gadol's response to people who came to comfort him on the
loss of a relative.
Mordechai
HaMakor! http://www.aishdas.org/hamakor Mareh Mekomos Reference Library
WEBSHAS! http://www.aishdas.org/webshas Indexing the Talmud, Daf by Daf
Congregation Ohave Shalom, Pawtucket, RI http://members.tripod.com/~ohave
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From: Carl M. Sherer <carl@...>
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 15:26:55 +0200
Subject: When to delete Sick People from Personal Prayer Lists
Russell Hendel writes:
> It appears that MiSheBaYRaches are not part of the original service. A
> good working hypothesis is that they are fillers between Aliyahs so the
> congrgation shouldn't have to sit silently and do nothing
> redemptive. Since it is an accepted principle that we do not make the
> community unnecessarily wait, it would follow that all MiSheBaYRaches
> should be minimal (in other words if the Gabbai can say them inbetween
> aliyahs fine...and if not,not)
If that's the case, how do you propose that the Gabbai decide for whom
to make a Mi Shebeyrach and for whom not? Based on what halachic
criteria? Recall that we hold "safek nefashos lehakel" (any doubt as to
whether or not a person is in danger should be resolved leniently,
i.e. we should presumably make the Mi Shebeyrach).
> People who want MiSheBayRachs for sick people should preferably ask for
> these people's names to be said in the repetition of the shmoneh esray
> on weekdays rather than in MiSheBaYRaches on Shabbath ( a new idea??)
But a problematic one IMHO. Because at some point you run the
risk of causing a hefsek (interruption). This is exactly the issue I
am trying to resolve. Most of us don't receive day-to-day updates
about the status of a choleh (although admittedly Adina and I seem
to be sending them out lately :-). At what point do we decide that,
without having heard anything more about the person, the person
has presumably recovered or R"L not? What if we KNOW, even
though we have not heard about the person for months, that the
person is in for a long rehabilitation? For example, someone was
involved in a car accident, R"L, their life is no longer in danger, but
they still have a long way to go to recovery (this was actually the
status of someone on my list when I last heard about them some
months ago). Keep davening for them? And I don't just mean "have
them in mind" - keep mentioning them in Refaenu?
> IN PRAYERS:--IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON
> Clearly if you personally know the person you should continue to
> mention his name in your prayers as long as (s)he is sick and it would
> be improper to stop
Why is knowing the person a criterion? Where is that written in
halacha? We are all asked frequently to daven for people we don't
know personally (you and I have never met personally AFAIK, yet
I'm sure you and many other people on this list who have never met
me are davening for my son). I don't think you're proposing that we
stop. How do we define when they are no longer sick? I know
someone who went through breast cancer for whom a Mi
Shebeyrach was made every Shabbos until five years after she had
the surgery. IMHO that's acceptable because a Mi Shebeyrach is
not a hefsek and the amount of time it takes to add another name
once you are making them is minimal. But what about adding her
name in Shmoneh Esrei during those five years? What is the
definition of being sick?
And what if I don't know the person in the sense that I would
recognize them in the street, but I know them as an epal for
example? What if I know their son or daughter? Is it sufficient that I
get updates on their status from time to time to decide that I
should keep davening for them, even though I know that ultimately
a week or two (or more) may pass from the time that there is a
change in their status until the time that I hear about it? (I ask this
question in the context of adding them to Shmoneh Esrei - IMHO
the MiShebeyrach issue is much less problematic).
> IN PRAYERS:--IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE PERSON OR HIS RELATIVES
> If you do not know the person than you can't really be totally emphathic
> with him (since you don't know him). Consequently it would appear to me
> that after 30 days you can drop his name ("30 days" being a standard
> "duration of time" in many halachik areas).
Sources? Again, what if the person is now "well" but nevertheless
lives with a danger of recurrence of the disease? While obviously I
anxiously await the day that my son has a clean MRI IY"H, does
that mean that the day he has one, I should not mention him in
Refaenu the next morning? (Without getting into what my son has,
let's just say that what he has now is either a recurrence or
something that was not seen the first time). Should the halacha be
different for someone who is not a relative? Why? Do I have less of
a chiyuv (obligation) to daven for someone I don't know than I do for
my son? What about "kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh" (all Jews are
responsible for one another)?
> APPLIED THEORY: Since we all know Carl, it is proper to dedicate this
> posting to a refuah shlaymah for his son.
I really do appreciate this. But clearly many of the people on the
list do not know me "personally" (except by email), and many
(most) of you do not have day to day updates about my son's
status (B"H he feels well, although I would not take him off any
lists right now).
For those who are able to (and I appreciate that in the US the hour
is outrageous), my son is having an MRI this Sunday IY"H starting
at 12:45 P.M. Israel time for about ninety minutes. Adina and I will
greatly appreciate anyone who can find the time to say a kapitel
(chapter) or two of Tehillim for him while the machine is running.
Carl M. Sherer
mailto:<carl@...> or mailto:sherer@actcom.co.il
Please daven and learn for a Refuah Shleima for my son Baruch Yosef ben
Adina Batya. Thank you very much.
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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@...>
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 19:17:36 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: When to delete Sick People from Personal Prayer Lists
Carls points are well taken. I wasn't giving definitive halacha. I was
throwing out some ideas (Use Shmoneh esray vs MiShebayrach, are they
still sick, do you know them, is the community inconvenienced). I agree
that more analysis has to be done.
I however do disagree that I (we) don't know Carl....The essence of knowing
is speaking...I would not recognize Carl's face but the people on the group
know a great deal about the way he thinks and his personal life.
May God grant success in the MRI for Baruch
RUssell
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End of Volume 28 Issue 36
