Volume 33 Number 24
Produced: Fri Aug 25 13:50:46 US/Eastern 2000
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Bishul
[Carl Singer]
Candle Lighting for Young Girls
[Jacob Mayteles]
Chemical Light Sticks on Shabbat (2)
[Joel Goldberg, Stan Tenen]
Disabilities and Yeshivot
[Carl Singer]
Halachic wills
[Stephen Colman]
Kaddish strategies
[James Kennard]
Mehadrin
[Chaim Sukenik]
Person with Disability
[Andy Goldfinger]
Rabbi Yaacov Shimshon of Shepetivka
[Paul Ginsburg]
What Makes Names Jewish?
[Shalom Krischer]
Who lacks manners? A defense of Rude Meshulachim
[Shlomo B Abeles]
Women and commandments
[Ben Z. Katz]
Yichud P'nuyo (2)
[Rachel Smith, Perets Mett]
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From: Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 20:14:31 EDT
Subject: Re: Bishul
Gershon Dubin <gdubin@...> writes:
> Bishul applies to nonfoods as well.
Please explain.
Are you refering to a damp towel on a radiator? A dry towel on a
radiator or a brick on a radiator? The damp towel is cooking, because
the water in it. The dry towel -- ich vays nicht, similarly the brick.
Bishul, as I recall, definitionally has to do with making food suitable
for eating --- in general this means cooking FOOD.
I may be wrong (what's new) but would somebody like to jump in with
something more definitive?
Carl
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From: Jacob Mayteles <Jacob_Mayteles@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 15:32:20 -0400
Subject: Candle Lighting for Young Girls
The reason for the Chabad minhag that single girls light one candle each
is in order to differentiate between a single girl and a married woman -
it may be taken as a sign of disrespect if a girl were to light the same
number of candles as her mother. See "Kitzur Dinei Neiros Shabbos
Kodesh" by Rabbi Nissan Dubov page 33
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From: Joel Goldberg <joel@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 10:26:23 +0200
Subject: Chemical Light Sticks on Shabbat
Chemical light sticks create light when two liquids combine. The two
liquids are housed in separate chambers with a thin, easily breakable
membrane between the chambers. When you want light, you bend the stick,
breaking the membrane, allowing the chemicals to mix and generating
light.
Aside from any problems with breaking the membrane, is the action of
combining the two liquids together in some way a melacha (prohibited
action)? The point is that there is no flame produced, and you are not
mixing a hot and cold liquid together--although presumably some heat is
generated when the two liquids mix.
Joel Goldberg
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From: Stan Tenen <meru1@...>
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 22:30:15 -0400
Subject: Chemical Light Sticks on Shabbat
Light sticks, mostly made by the OmniGlo corporation using Cyalume
technology have been on the market for many years. You activate them by
bending the plastic tube, so a glass vial inside breaks, and the
chemicals in the outer tube and inner vial mix. This produces a
heatless, sparkless, switchless chemical glowing light, like bright
firefly light.
My question is, is it permissible to activate these lights during
Shabbos?
There's no electricity, there's no spark, there's no heat, there's no
flame, there's no way to turn off the light and it fades out gently
after 12 hours or more. (But in theory it doesn't go out totally for a
very long time.)
Activation requires either bending the tube so the thin glass vial
inside cracks, or stepping on the tube so the vial inside cracks. It's
advised to shake the tube but this isn't necessary. The chemicals mix
more slowly, but naturally, without any outside action, and produce
light.
It seems to me that problems might occur because of the deliberate
breaking of the inner vial. However, this is a completely destructive
breaking - no writing is affected, and the edges are jagged refuse
(although completely contained inside the outer plastic tube.
Obviously, benefit is derived from breaking the inner vial.
Also, even if technically no specific prohibition is violated, does
producing light this way violate the spirit of Shabbos anyway?
By the way, these are good, safe, non-toxic emergency lights in case
persons here don't know about them. They cost about $1-$1.50 each
retail, and I suppose a lot less wholesale. They're not re-usable.
Best,
Stan
Meru Foundation http://www.meru.org <meru1@...>
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From: Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:55:32 EDT
Subject: Re: Disabilities and Yeshivot
<< The yeshiva soon taught the students how they believed people with
disabilities should be treated. They expelled him. My gemorra Rabbi
explained they had to expel him because it would look bad to potential
donors to see someone having a siezure. >>
I hope this child's parents had a lawyer.
Anyone -- would it be loshen horah to name the Yeshiva? So we could
make decisions re: sending our children there or giving Tzedukah
accordingly.
Carl Singer
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From: Stephen Colman <stephen.colman@...>
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 00:18:46 +0100
Subject: Halachic wills
Can anybody help me with information about writing wills according to
Halocho. I am looking in particular for a pre-printed legal form with
guide lines - if one exists. Preferably written in English - otherwise
hebrew. I have been told about a kuntras written by a Rabbi Faivel
Cohen called Kuntras MiDor LeDor, but apparently this is out of print.
SC
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From: James Kennard <James@...>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 14:16:22 +0100
Subject: Kaddish strategies
Aliza Fischman wrote:
> I remember being surprised when I
> learned in class in my late teens, that it is halachically preferable
> for one avel to say Kaddish, as a shaliach for all of the avelim in the
> minyan, and have in mind all of the people that they would be saying
> Kaddish for. This allows for everybody in the shul to hear every word
> and to respond appropriately. I have never seen this in practice,
> although it seems to make immense sense.
This is the custom in my Yekkish shul and, I believe, in others as well.
It works very well
James Kennard
<James@...>
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From: Chaim Sukenik <sukenc@...>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 14:15:39 +0300 (IDT)
Subject: Mehadrin
Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...> wrote:
> I was at a Seudah Bris recently and spoke to someone at my table re: my
> objection to a single kashruth organization providing 2 hasgachas (one
> "Mehadrin" and one ordinary, I suppose) I was told that in Israel, it
> was to directly distinguish between two different circumstances
> (metizios) -- (1) Mehadran meat is soaked and salted w/i the allotted
> time (2) "ordinary" was frozen at sometime -- and presumably soaked and
> salted to a different schedule -- SO (IF I HAVE THIS STORY CORRECT --
> AND IF MY SOURCE SIMILARLY ....)It's reflecting different standards--
> and to some, kosher vs.non-kosher.
It is true that some Israeli hashgachos allow meat to be frozen
unkashered - on the theory that this stops the 72 hour clock - with the
understanding that it will be soaked and salted once defrosted at its
destination. It is important to note that this practice is much less
prevalent today than in the early days of the state and that today
much/most of the non-mehadrin meat is also soaked and salted within 72
hours of being slaughtered. It is also important to note that this is
not the only difference between mehadrin and non-mehadrin hashgachos on
meat (to say nothing of the other differences that exist in the
standards applied in other areas).
Chaim Sukenik
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From: Andy Goldfinger <Andy.Goldfinger@...>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 19:54:17 -0400
Subject: Person with Disability
I arrived here in Baltimore, Maryland, about 28 years ago. At a lecture
I attended, one man yelled and barked loudly occasionally. No one
seemed to react in any way. I later learned that he had Tourette's
syndrome and would occasionally (lightly) hit people or spit food.
What was explained to me by members of the community, when I asked, was:
"Oh -- you must be referring to Ploni Almoni (not, of course, his real
name). He is a big Talmud chacham and a terrific Tzadik who has done
wonderful things for people in the community. He seems to have some
disease that makes him yell things."
I observed that this man (Z"L who was indeed a big Talmud Chacham and
Tzaddik) was very well resepected in the community. This made me proud
to be living in Baltimore.
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From: Paul Ginsburg <GinsburgP@...>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 12:23:04 -0400
Subject: Rabbi Yaacov Shimshon of Shepetivka
Where can I find more information about the Chassidic Master - Rabbi
Yaacov Shimshon of Shepetivka? Are any seforim attributed to him? If
so, where can I purchase them?
Zei Gezunt!
Paul Ginsburg
Bethesda, MD
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From: Shalom Krischer <shalom_krischer@...>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 15:16:37 -0400
Subject: RE: What Makes Names Jewish?
>>From: Asher Friedman <asher36@...>
>>I was wondering what makes a name jewish? If a name did not come from
>>Tanach what makes it jewish? ...
Aliza Fischman replies:
>Another thing that would seem to constitute a Jewish name is its
>language. Traditionally Jewish names have been exclusively Hebrew, with
>the (relatively) new addition of Yiddish names.
You can still find (especially among some Chassidim) the "Hebrew" name
of Alexander (I believe this is/was a custom to honor Alexander the
great), which is not Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, Ladino, Judezmo, or any
other language used "only" by the Jews. It is Greek!
On the contra-positive side, although the Gemara has a Rav Peter, and I
know a number of (jewish) people with the secular name of Peter, none of
them has Peter as a Hebrew name (I believe the reason is obvious).
--Shalom
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From: Shlomo B Abeles <sba@...>
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 03:13:15 +1000
Subject: Who lacks manners? A defense of Rude Meshulachim
> From: Russell Hendel
> I think the moral of the story is clear. It is not for us to judge
> people who have been thru hard times. A meshulach who lives the
> humiliating life of a beggar should not be held accountable if he is
> rude and pushy. On the contrary we who are better off should have
> pity on them.
Another story with a moral:
A Jew who came to the Divrei Chaim - the Sanzer Rav zt"l,
and told him that he will no longer be giving charity to to poor.
When the Rebbe asked him his reason - he answered - that he recently
gave a sizeable donation to someone claiming to be needy and has since
been informed that the person in fact is a wealthy man. Seeing how he
was cheated - he has decided to stop giving tzedoko.
The Rebbe asked him: "Tell me, who cheated you - a rich man or a poor
man?" He answered: "A rich man."
The rebbe responded: "So why are you now punishing the poor...!?"
The moral of the story is that we should be very careful not to punish
the needy and the deserving, because of the actions of a few who may be
neither...
I once heard someone say (I don't know if it was an original) - I will
rather give to 99 undeserving meshulochim - to ensure that I don't miss
out on one deserving case...
We should also remember that whilst a number of Meshulochim may not have
the manners and behavior that we would expect - some are really
"tzebrocheno neshomos", sad and depressed individuals and most are not
in this line of work because they enjoy it - but rather because they
have no other way of raising the funds they require. Be grateful that
you are the giver and not the taker.
> From: Stephen Colman
> ...Invite them in to your house, offer a drink and some refreshment -
> and more important, give them a smile and a warm welcome. I have tried
> to follow this maxim ever since, and now try to let my children open
> the door to Meshulochim so that they can practise this Chesed too...
The Gemoro says: if one gives a pruta to a poor person you receive one
brocho but "hamefaysoh" - if you welcome him (as per above) - you earn 5
brochos.
So put on a happy face and quintuple your blessings...
Shlomo B Abeles
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From: Ben Z. Katz <bkatz@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 08:44:21 -0500
Subject: Re: Women and commandments
There are only 7 commandments that women are not obligated in,
most of which they have already accepted (eg shofar and succah). The
two general exceptions are tzitzit and tefillin. Incidentally, there
were medieval authorities (albeit minority opinions) who thought women
should be encouraged to wear tzitzit.
Kol Tuv
Ben Tzion
Children's Memorial Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases
2300 Children's Plaza, Box # 20, Chicago, IL 60614
Ph 773-880-4187, Fax 773-880-8226
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From: Rachel Smith <rachelms@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 06:26:36 -0700
Subject: Re: Yichud P'nuyo
Perets Mett <p.mett@...> writes:
>Of course they mustn't be alone together. Yichud p'nuyo (a man being
>alone with an unmarried woman) is unquestionably forbidden by Torah law.
Yichud p'nuya was permissible until prohibited by King David and his
Beis Din after the incident with Amnon and Tamar. So at most the issur
is midivrei kabala, not d'oraisa.
[Similar response alos sent in by Gershon Dubin
<gdubin@...>. Mod]
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett@...>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 17:04:38 +0100
Subject: Re: Yichud P'nuyo
I wrote in a recently published posting that for man to be alone with
a single woman was "forbidden by Torah law".
By way of clarification, I did not mean to imply that the prohibition
was Mid'Oirayso. As someone has correctly reminded me, it was an
enactment of the Beis Dino shel Dovid (Rabbinical Court of King
David).
The exact status of such enactments is that they are akin to
Rabbinical law, although precede the Rabbinical enactments of the
Mishna and Talmud.
Of course, from the practical point of view such enactments are binding.
Perets Mett
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End of Volume 33 Issue 24
