Volume 34 Number 68
Produced: Tue Jun 5 7:17:32 US/Eastern 2001
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Baruch Hashem le'olam
[Jeff Fischer]
Beigeleisen Phone number
[Yossie Abramson]
Boruch Hashem le-olam
[Mike Gerver]
Canned Peas
[Arlene Mathes-Scharf]
Current situation in Israel
[Frank Reiss]
Hidur mitzva
[Gershon Dubin]
Milk spoiling -- Chalav Yisroel (2)
[Gershon Dubin, Michael Poppers]
Minchas Eliezer
[Eli Turkel]
On - line Posek
[Anonymous]
Placing the Talis over one's head
[Chaim Shapiro]
Requesting Blessings from An Angel: Angel Angels vs Human (2)
[Russell Hendel, Avi Feldblum]
Source for Dairy on Shavuos
[Leona Kroll]
Washing Dishes on Shabbos
[Robert M. Kirsch]
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From: Jeff Fischer <jfischer@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 08:46:09 -0400
Subject: RE: Baruch Hashem le'olam
I know that alot of people in my shul who do not say Baruch Hashem and
are davening for the amud, just stand there and then start with Kaddish.
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From: Yossie Abramson <yossie@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 22:10:57 -0400
Subject: Re: Beigeleisen Phone number
> Judaica Library. Do you have a phone no., address, or e-mail for
> Biegeleisen so that I may get a catalog of their out-of-print
> seforim?
Here you go:
Biegeleisen J S Books & Religs Articles
4409 16 Ave
BROOKLYN, NY 11204
718-436-1165
Mention my name.....
Yossie
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From: Mike Gerver <MJGerver@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 15:40:39 EDT
Subject: Boruch Hashem le-olam
Ira Jacobson writes in v34n65, in response to me earlier posting,
> >Of course, when I was shliach tzibbur at maariv one night, I followed
> >the minhag of the shul and did say it.
>
> Harav Yitzhak Zilbershtein has pasqened that one visiting the diaspora
> from Israel should decline to be shatz if it would require him to make
> that hefseq--even if the person involved has yahrzeit that day. He can
> fulfill his obligation by learning mishnayot, for example, said the rav.
This is interesting. I did have yahrzeit that night. As I mentioned, I
didn't remember to ask a shayla about this beforehand, but thought I
knew that in this situation one should say "Boruch Hashem le-olam." But
maybe if I had asked a shayla of my rav, he would have told me to follow
Rav Zilbershtein's psak, and decline the amud, and learn mishnayot
instead.
As it happened, the following afternoon, in spite of my best efforts, I
was unable to daven mincha with a minyan, and ending up learning
mishnayot instead. Maybe this was Hashem's way of telling me that I
really should have asked the shayla?
Mike Gerver
Raanana, Israel
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From: Arlene Mathes-Scharf <ajms@...>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 11:22:43 -0400
Subject: Canned Peas
I have posted a couple of articles on the Kashrus of Canning at
http://www.kashrut.com/articles/
Per the comment about the Kashrus of Kellogg's Rice Krispies. Kellogg's
products with a "K" or "KD" are certified as kosher by the Rabbinical
Council of New England. Kellogg's has the option to use the Rabbincal
Council of New England's KVH symbol but have chosen to only put a K on
their products.
This is only true for Kellogg's products. For all products with a "K" you
need to ask the company who the rabbi who is certifying their products is,
since a letter of the alphabet cannot be copywrited.
Arlene Mathes-Scharf |
<ajms@...> | The Internet's Premier Independent Kashrut
http://www.kashrut.com/ | Information Source
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From: Frank Reiss <freiss47@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 05:25:59 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Current situation in Israel
In light of the tragedy that is going on in Israel, I have been thinking
of some of the Torah and halachik aspects.
1. How does a Jewish government deal with a barbaric enemy? Was a
similar situation encountered in the past? I am referring to an enemy
who willingly sacrifices and applauds sending children or others to
their death, the suicide bombers.
2. If one is living in an area that has constant terrorism, and ones
life is therefore at risk, is one obligated to leave this area
(Ushmartem)?
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 14:25:55 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Hidur mitzva
From: Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...>
<<Any comments on examples of the community (K'lal Yisroel) trying to
"improve" on their mitzvahs bayn Adam L'Chavayroh -- between Man and his
fellow Man. (Gender apologies, as I'm using the common idiom.)>>
I cannot comment on specific applications, but you might be interested
in reading a piece in Rav Pam shlita's sefer (Atara LaMelech) calling
for exactly this type of hidur mitzvah.
Gershon
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 14:21:43 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Milk spoiling -- Chalav Yisroel
Anonymous expressed concerns about differences in shelf life between
chalav Yisrael and chalav stam, conjecturing as to possible causes.
It is too bad he didn't at least give the city whereof he writes. Most
major cities chalav Yisrael comes from exactly the same dairies,
packaging, etc as the chalav stam. The only difference is the
hashgacha. It is therefore hard to imagine this situation (which was
fairly common before chalav Yisrael became easily available, and ONLY in
those areas with separate facilities) in any major market today.
Gershon
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From: Michael Poppers <MPoppers@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 13:03:42 -0400
Subject: Re: Milk spoiling -- Chalav Yisroel
> I find that Chalav Yisroel milk that I've purchased "goes bad" two or
three days before the "sell by date" on the bottle. This does not hold
true for Chalav Stam that I also purchase .... <
In the summertime over the past few years, I've twice had bad
experiences with OU-supervised milk purchased at small shops and no
problems during the same periods with OU-supervised milk purchased at
supermarkets, so I no longer purchase milk at small shops when the
outside air temperature is very warm, even if the percentage difference
in price is dramatic. Considering that the same problem used to occur
in elementary and middle school (when the deliveryman left crates of J&J
milk, which was Cholov Yisroel, outside the school a few hours before it
opened, no matter the weather), I have the feeling that "poor local food
handling" is a prime suspect.
All the best from
Michael Poppers * Elizabeth, NJ
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From: Eli Turkel <Eli.Turkel@...>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 17:29:28 +0200
Subject: Minchas Eliezer
Jeanette writes
> The Minchas Elazar, the father-in-law of my mother's Zionist
> Chassidishe rebbe brother Harav Baruch Y.Y. Rabinovich, formerly of
> Munkacs--now deceased-- was strongly anti-Zionist and did not believe
> in Eretz Yisroel as a place unless Moshiach brought him
> there. Thefore, until Moshiach comes, the rules of Golus apply even
> there. Anyone who ever read or heard his anti-Zionist
> writings/speeches could figure that one out.
I am sorry but I didn't understand this post.
Keeping one or two days of yom tov in Israel is a strictly halachic
question. It is independent of being zionist/anti-zionist and the
question has been around for many centuries before any zionist
entity existed.
Rav Shmuel Salant was head of the old yishuv at the beginning of the
2oth century and was no zionist. Nevertheless, he frequently insisted
that visitors keep one day of yom tov.
Eli Turkel
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From: Anonymous <100400.223@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 00:40:52 -0400
Subject: On - line Posek
Does anyone know of a reliable POSEK knowledgable in NIDAH questions who
can discretely answer questions by e-mail. We live in a city where we
are well known to all resident rabbis who could help, but for reasons of
tzniut ( modesty ) would like to try an on-line solution.
All suggestions will be personally acknowledged.
<100400.223@...>
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From: Chaim Shapiro <Dagoobster@...>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:35:56 EDT
Subject: Placing the Talis over one's head
In virtually all communities I have visited, young men who wear Tallisim
(either sefordim or to daven for the amud) do not wear the talis ovber
their head. Instead they wear a hat until they are married, at which
time they do place the Talis over their heads if they are so inclined.
What is the makor for this minhag?
Chaim Shapiro
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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@...>
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 17:47:11 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: RE: Requesting Blessings from An Angel: Angel Angels vs Human
Eli Turkel and Mark Symons in v34n57 write
< Furthermore, didn't Ya'akov Avinu request a blessing from an angel? (See
Genesis 32:26. There is at least the distinct possibility that he knew
this was an angel.) >
But it is reasonable to argue that this whole incident between Jacob and
the Angel (including the injury to his leg) were seen in a vision
(e.g. The Rambam makes similar comments on the dialogue between Bilam
and the donkey or the 3 angels that visited Abraham-- Rambam says these
were not actual occurences but visions).
But in a vision one can ask an angel for a blessing-- this would
symbolically mean that Jacob symbolizing the Jews asked for a blessing
from the nation of Esauv (Which according to the guidelines set down by
the Patriarch Isaac, would be allowed if the Jews did not sin--for then
Jacob and Esauv could work together).
Alternatively I can argue as follows: The word ANGEL has 2 meanings. It
can refer to an angel in a vision such as Gavriel (Daniel 8:15-16); or
it can refer to a human with angelic status (Such as Moses). Now, if I
pray that e.g. Gavriel should bless me then I have violated the laws of
idolatry. But if I meet Moses (the person) and ask him to bless me I
have not violated idolatry EVEN if I know he is an angel.
Russell Jay Hendel; VISIT MY MJ ARCHIVES http://www.RashiYomi.Com/mj.htm
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From: Avi Feldblum <mljewish@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 06:47:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: RE: Requesting Blessings from An Angel: Angel Angels vs Human
The question of whether the individual who fought with Yaacov was an
Angel or a Human is a disagreement between the reshonim. Rambam and
Abravanel understand all such events as prophetic vision/trance, while
Ramban views it as an actual physical occurance with an Angel from
heaven.
The question of asking a blessing from an Angel may be meaningless
according to the Rambam and Abravanel. The posing of the question may
require that the person asking / discussing holds according to the
position of the Ramban [I would invite comments from people if they
agree or disagree with that conclusion I have drawn]. If so, your
response does not elucidate the question.
Avi Feldblum
<mljewish@...>
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From: Leona Kroll <leona_kroll@...>
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 02:09:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Source for Dairy on Shavuos
In the Talmud, mesekta Makkaos, it states that each day of the year
corresponds to one of the negative commandments and that Shavuos
corresponds to basar v'chalav. Shavuos is the day for bringing the
Bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdash and in the Torah, immediately after the
verse commanding us to bring bikkurim we are commanded not to boil a kid
in its mother's milk. According to the Chiddushei HaRim, it is b/c of
this relationship between Shavuous and the command not to mix milk and
meat that we eat both a dairy and a meat meal on Shavuous, b/c by eating
first a dairy meal and then, after changing the tablecloth and waiting a
certain period, rinsing our mouth, etc. eating a meat meal we show that
we are following all the laws of seperating the two. No doubt, part of
the inyon is chinuch, since this will reinforce in very young children
all the things we do to avoid mixing meat and dairy.
As an aside, there are obviously many ways in which we have been
influenced by the cultures we live in but i would draw the line at
attributing minhagai yisrael to the non-Jews. If you look long enough
you can find a source for every minhag in Torah- its just a question of
how and where you want to invest your effort. Whether a person observes
the minhag of eating dairy on Shavuos, for example, by eating cheesecake
or sag paneer is definitely a result of the cultures they've been
exposed to, but the minhag of eating dairy on Shavuous is purely a
jewish custom. Someday an erudite and self-doubting Jew at the
University of Wherever will probably "prove" that some Jews eat round
matzohs on Pesach because the British eat round cakes on Easter- never
mind that there are sources pre-dating the Anglos, the Saxons, and
Easter which state that the word "ugot" (as in 'they baked ugot of
matzoh') denotes something round and additional Kabbalistic sources
which state that a matzoh should be round in order to be like a keyli,
etc., and for all that many orthodox people today have been adopting
this sort of "scholarship", with its attempts to atribute not only
Jewish customs but ultimately the Torah itself to pagan myth and ritual
it stinks of a not so subtle anti-Judaism.
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From: Robert M. Kirsch <kirschod@...>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 12:42:49 -0400
Subject: Washing Dishes on Shabbos
What is an acceptable way to wash dishes and pots on shabbos? May one
use powdered cleaners such as "Comet"? Can a countertop be "scoured"?
Are liquid detergents OK? Can one soak a pot on Friday night and then
wash it out on Shabbos afternoon? I'd be interested in this ensuing
discussion. Thank you.
Robert Kirsch
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End of Volume 34 Issue 68
