Volume 34 Number 30
Produced: Thu Mar 15 20:31:25 US/Eastern 2001
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Ball Park Franks
[Harry Weiss]
Franks at the ballpark
[Carl Singer]
Heter Mechira (3)
[Richard Fiedler, Eli Turkel, Judith Weil]
High Note at the end of an Aliyah
[Bechhofer, Samson]
High note at the end of an aliyah
[Shaya Goldmeier]
Mordechai and Esther
[Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer]
Tefillah and rigging the system
[Esther Zar]
Trumot & maaserot (2)
[Gershon Dubin, Zev Sero]
Request: Housing Exchange
[Ephraim Tabory]
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From: Harry Weiss <hjweis@...>
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 22:38:13 -0800
Subject: Ball Park Franks
> From: Leah S. Gordon <lsgordon@...>
> Can anyone speak to the kashruth of the new Ball Park brand "kosher"
> hotdogs? I do not recognize the name of the rav hamachshir on the
> label.
Ball Park kosher franks are made by the Bessin (Best/Sinai) division of
the Sara Lee Corporation.
The Hashgacha is the same as for their Shofar Brand products.
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From: Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 07:56:15 EST
Subject: Franks at the ballpark
Really - cook two hotdogs the way you normally would, put them along w/
cooking water (and / or beans) into a thermos bottle. Sometime around
the 4th inning when you get hungry, open thermos bottle ....
(I know this doesn't address the question re: Ballpark franks -- but I
couldn't resist old memories :)
Kol Tov
Carl Singer
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From: Richard Fiedler <richard.fiedler@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 07:25:35 +0200
Subject: Re: Heter Mechira
> From: Beth and David Cohen <bdcohen@...>
> I have recently returned from an all too short visit to Israel. While
> there, I had the privalege of spending Shabbat in Efrat. People in that
> community indicated to me, in the name of the rav of efrat, Rav Riskin,
> that because of the on-going violence coming from the Arabs, one should
> davka rely on the heter mechira instead of in any way supporting Arab
> farmers. (Please note that I did not hear this directly from Rav Riskin,
> but this is the current practice in Efrat.
Rav Yehoshua Reich, of Efrat, wrote a halachic paper on this
subject. His analysis bottom line is that for those who grow the Heter
Mechira is very problematic. But for those who eat it is no problem at
all.
His analysis is written in Hebrew Word and for those with Hebrew Word
capability on their computer I am sure he will be happy to send it.
You can email him at <yehoshua.reich@...> or you can
email me for a copy.
If there is interest I will try to get a copy as a PDF file for those
who read Hebrew but lack a Hebrew enabled computer.
[If you have it available, along with Rabbi Reich's permission, I would
be happy to post it to the mail-jewish home page. Mod]
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From: Eli Turkel <Eli.Turkel@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 11:01:13 +0100
Subject: Heter Mechira
> I have recently returned from an all too short visit to Israel. While
> there, I had the privalege of spending Shabbat in Efrat. People in
> that community indicated to me, in the name of the rav of efrat, Rav
> Riskin, that because of the on-going violence coming from the Arabs,
> one should davka rely on the heter mechira instead of in any way
> supporting Arab farmers. (Please note that I did not hear this
> directly from Rav Riskin, but this is the current practice in Efrat.
There are a number of stores run by Tnuvah and others they sell
non-heter-mechirah vegetables but only from Jewish and imported sources.
Eli Turkel
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From: Judith Weil <weildj@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:30:32 +0200
Subject: Re: Heter Mechira
The argument about not buying Arab produce comes up every shmitta
year. It is interesting that it never comes up in between although some
thirty percent of our fruit and vegetables are in any case from Arab
sources, although we usually don't know what is and what isn't.
Almost all cucumbers sold in Israel, for example, are of Arab origin -
at all times, without reference to shmitta - but no one seems much
bothered.
Of course this shmitta the argument against Arab produce has come up
especially strongly, but it is not a new argument.
Incidentally it is not only agricultural products that are of Arab
origin. Some clothing, shoes, etc. and also other items are also
manufactured by Arabs. Not to mention that if one picks up a cab in
Jerusalem there is a high degree of possibility that the driver is an
Arab. Here again, no one seems to complain.
However I maintain that it is possible to go through shmitta without
relying on the hetter mechira and without buying Arab produce (certainly
not more than normal!) - one just has to be prepared to change one's
eating habits a little. For example by eating more fruit and less
vegetables.
The possibilities include:
Foods from the sixth year. (I think sixth year potatoes and carrots are
still available and fruit is currently considered sixth year. One could,
for example, have fruit with ones meat and carbohydrates instead of
vegetables).
Canned and frozen produce (from the sixth year)
Otzar beit din (fruit and vegetables planted before shmitta and then
harvested and distributed by the beit din)
Produce from areas that are within the State of Israel but outside the
borders of the Land of Israel, like parts of the Arava desert
Produce from areas that have kedusha rishona but not kedusha shenia,
like Gush Katif, in the Gaza Strip (the halachic reasoning for this is
out of the scope of a short posting)
Foods grown on raised platforms in covered greenhouses
There are other alternatives, for example I have heard (though have not
seen) that some produce is imported from Cyprus.
I recently saw figures about the money that went into the casino in
Jericho. I hesitate to reproduce them because I don't recall them
exactly, but they were far, far in excess of anything that the Arabs
earn as a result of Shmitta - and no one seemed to make a fuss.
Best wishes,
Judith
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From: Bechhofer, Samson <SBechhof@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 09:32:34 -0500
Subject: High Note at the end of an Aliyah
Re: Michael Appel's inquiry (MJ Vol. 34/28):
One of the Baalei Kerioh of K'hal Adath Jeshurun ("Breuer's") thought
that the reason for singing the Shem HaShem on a high (or different,
drawn out) note when it ends an Aliyah is to discourage the Tzibbur from
singing along with the Baal Koreh (as happens very frequently at the end
of an Aliyah) and thus prevent the saying of HaShem's Name for no
purpose.
Samson R. Bechhofer
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From: Shaya Goldmeier <JGoldmeier@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 03:32:24 EST
Subject: Re: High note at the end of an aliyah
As a German Jew who learned to lain from a Brisker Talmud of R' Aharon
Soleveitchik shlita, the reason taught to me was very simple. It was
more Kavod to end Hashem's name on a high note and not go "down".
Talking to other German "Lainers" they gave me the same reason- simply
out of kavod- and they said yes, it's only symbolic. The note doesn't
change, so it's not incorrect to end like that.
shaya goldmeier
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From: Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer <frimea@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 15:53:23 +0200
Subject: Re: Mordechai and Esther
In mail-jewish Vol. 34 #29, I noted that contrary to the VERY common
misconception, Mordechai was Esther's Cousin - not her uncle. I have now
been informed that an article on this subject by Rabbi Dr. Ari Z.
Zivotofsky <zivotoa@...> will be in the next Jewish Action,
due out in the next two weeks. In fact it was Ari who first brought
this common error to my attention.
Aryeh
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From: Esther Zar <ESTABESTAH@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 00:27:39 EST
Subject: Tefillah and rigging the system
<<If the reason someone who prays for a friend gets answered first is
because doing that shows selflessness and putting someone else first,
which deserves a reward (going to the head of the line), perhaps if it
is done with a calculating and less than altruistic intention, it would
not work, as with honor. However, if the reason is otherwise, perhaps it
might still ' work ' - at least somewhat.....
Mordechai>>>
I would like to quote (and translate) an excerpt from the Noam
Elimelech, 103:a: "One should always pray on behalf of his fellow Jew
since it is more effective than praying for himself. Why? Since "ein
chavush matir.." - (one who is bound can not free himself- meaning, one
can free another who is bound, but not himself) However, one who prays
on behalf of another is answered quickly... therefore, everyone should
pray on behalf of his fellow Jew..and we find that in that way one
benefits the other, until they're all answered...and that is what is
meant by "yisrael arevim zeh lazeh" (loosely translated: the Jewish
nation is interdependent)"
What the Noam Elimilech z"ya is saying, i think, is that the effect of
one praying for another is far more powerful than praying for oneself.
The Avodat Yissaschar in his likutim states that one's power of
bestowing good on his fellow Jew through praying for him is equivalent
to that of a Tzadik's!! Pretty heavy stuff. Therefore, perhaps the
reason why one is personally answered more readily when praying on
another's behalf is that he is only able to stir that level of merciful
abundance through praying on another's behalf which in turn is then more
readily bestowed on him.
-Esther Zar
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:04:27 -0500
Subject: Trumot & maaserot
From: Eric W Mack <ewm44118@...>
<<But if this were not a shmitta year - would I, as a kohen, be
exempt from truma [tithing] and ma'aser?>>
You need to distinguish between teruma and tevel. Briefly,
grain which has not had teruma or maaser removed, is tevel. It is
prohibited to eat, on pain of death (misa bidei Shamaim).
Teruma, nowadays, becomes tamei as soon as it is separated, and
is therefore also prohibited on pain of misa bidei Shamaim, as is
terumas ma'aser, which is the ma'aser which the Levi gives from his
ma'aser to the kohen.
So: You cannot eat tevel, i.e. grain from which teruma has not
been separated.. You cannot eat teruma or terumas ma'aser, despite your
being a kohen, since you (or whoever touches the grain) are presumed to
make the teruma or terumas ma'aser (or chala for that matter) tamei on
contact.
You may not eat grain from which teruma has been taken
but not ma'aser. You may, however, eat ma'aser once it's been removed
since it is not subject to the prohibition of tum'a. Surprise: so can
non-kohanim.
Finally, ma'aser sheni must be redeemed, by anyone,
kohen or not, and ma'aser ani (3rd and 6th years) may be eaten by
anyone.
In a word, no advantage here to being a kohen. Try to
get invited to a pidyon haben <g>.
Gershon
<gershon.dubin@...>
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From: Zev Sero <Zev@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 15:05:41 -0500
Subject: RE: Trumot & maaserot
Eric W Mack <ewm44118@...> wrote:
> But if this were not a shmitta year - would I, as a kohen, be
> exempt from truma [tithing] and ma'aser? In other words, could
> I buy fruits and vegetables anywhere without regard to whether
> truma and ma'aser was taken, and not have to take it myself?
No. It is an serious prohibition (issur karet) to eat produce
from which teruma and terumat maaser have not been taken, even
for a kohen. In the days when teruma was eaten, a farmer who
was a kohen would take teruma from his own produce, and keep it
for himself, but until he had done so he could not eat the produce.
Nowadays, since we are all considered teme'im, the teruma and
terumat maaser are destroyed.
> And if so, would only I and my wife and daughters and father and
> unmarried sister be allowed to eat it, and my guests would not be
> allowed to do so? What if the guests were another kohen and
> his family?
Theoretically, if you were sure that you (and your family members
and your kohen guest and his family) were tahor, and that the
produce was tahor, and that you were indeed a kohen, you could eat
the teruma after it was taken from the produce.
> Or are these mitzvot still relevant - perhaps ma'aser has to
> do with the oni [poor person], while only truma is connected
> to the kohen?
Maaser ani is a separate thing, nothing to do with maaser rishon.
Maaser ani is only taken in the third and sixth year of the
shemita cycle, and has no kedusha. Maaser rishon must be taken
every year, because it contains the terumat maaser, but once the
terumat maaser has been taken from it the remainder has no kedusha,
and you can eat it yourself, because Ezra punished the Leviyim by
confiscating their right to collect the maaser rishon. Maaser
sheni must be taken in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th years, but it
can be redeemed against a peruta's worth of a coin that you set
aside for the purpose (even if the maaser sheni is worth a lot
more than a peruta).
Zev Sero
<zsero@...>
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From: Ephraim Tabory <tabore@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:59:56 +0200
Subject: Request: Housing Exchange
Apartment wanted: Englewood or Teaneck or Tenafly, New Jersey
June 17- August 17, 2001
Rent or exchange (deluxe, new 7 room kosher duplex - Givat Shmuel, Near
Bar Ilan University, convenient to Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Petach Tikva and
Bnei Brak.)
(Car exchange an option)
Contact:
<tabore@...>
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End of Volume 34 Issue 30
