Volume 36 Number 01
Produced: Tue Mar 5 22:32:26 US/Eastern 2002
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
2nd minyan
[Andrew Klafter M.D.]
Baal Kriah
[Barak Greenfield]
Birkat Cohanim
[Mark Symons]
Carrying in a block of apartments on Shabbat
[Gershon Dubin]
Cellular phone policies in Shuls, etc.
[Mordechai]
Cheleck Eloka Me'maal
[Normand, Neil]
Gomel
[Neal B. Jannol]
Kosher Gum
[Shlomo Simon]
Lehadliq Ner Shel Shabat Qodesh
[Baruch J. Schwartz]
A Mazel Tov!
[Cheryl Hall]
Oat Matza
[Janet Rosenbaum]
Surnames from the mass grave memorial plaque in Sudilkov, Ukraine
[Paul Ginsburg]
Zachor
[baal kriah]
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From: Andrew Klafter M.D. <andrew.klafter@...>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 16:55:00 -0500
Subject: 2nd minyan
Aaronson, Jeffrey B. <JAaronson@...> writes (V35N98)
> There are 2 primary reasons that the supporters of the 2d minyan have
> given for their plan. A number of the FFBs (mostly in their 20s or
> early 30s) feel that the Rabbi has turned the minyan into a beginners
> minyan (too many page announcements and they do not like the fact that
> the Rabbi provides a very short -less than a minute- "dvar Torah" before
> each aliyah and even shorter introductions before some of the teffilot)
> They think that his devrei Torah are aimed at too low a level (the Rabbi
> is willing to vary his "aim" to provide some divrei Torah that are aimed
> at a "higher" level). They claim that the Rabbi's comments break the
> flow and their ability to get the rhythm to daven with Kavana and that
> when they daven they want to daven and not have davening interrupted
> with learning. In short, they do not like the way the Rabbi is doing
> things. Others support the proposal because they want to have a more
> intimate, exclusively lay led service....
I was in a community which had 3 minyanim in the same synagogue. The
2nd and 3rd minyan did, in fact, cause some problems for the kehilla,
though in the end they were justified by the fact that the main schul
room could not accomodate all the congregants.
Here are some problems I forsee with the 2nd minyan you are proposing:
1) The reasons for starting this minyanb, as you have stated them, it
basically amount to not liking the Rabbis Divrei Torah and not wanting to
put up with page announcements. This will surely be interpreted as
disprespect for the rabbi and antipathy toward less knowledgable Jews. It
is hard for me to imagine that you can reasonably respond to such
accusations.
2) Defining a minyan as the "FFB minyan" (which is the language you,
yourself, use) is likely to offend Ba'alei Teshuva and perhaps even to
damage the unity of the congregation.
3) "A more intimate, exclusively lay led service" sounds like a clicky
group which doesn't like the Rabbi's or chazan's dovening/leining. It's
really disrespectful.
I recommend that if you go ahead with this you seriously consider
redefining the minyan as, say, a hashkama (sunrise) early minyan which
will enable husbands to return home and babysit while wives doven in the
standard minyan. You would be able to accomplish all the above goals
without having to insult the Rabbi and congregation.
Furthermore, there is something to be said for loyalty to a
synagogue and congregation, especially when it is the only minyan in
wallking distance. The need to make the service "more frum" or "more
shteibel style" strikes me as rather self-absorbed. May we presume you
have received the Rav's blessing for this?
Hatzlocha,
Nachum
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From: Barak Greenfield <DocBJG@...>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 00:03:24 -0500
Subject: Re: Baal Kriah
Perets Mett <p.mett@...> wrote
> Indeed if anything is a mistake it is
> "baal kriah", a meaningless concept. The word for a Reader in Hebrw
> is is 'korei'; that is the word used in Shulchon Orukh. The word (or
> phrase) 'baal koyre' is the correct term in Yiddish (not Hebrew).
> 'baal kriah' was made up by people who deride the use of Yiddish and
> failed to realize what the correct Hebrew word is.
The term "ba'al" refers to one who is engaged in a certain action or
involved in a specific thing (see Even-Shoshan dictionary). Thus, "ba'al
keriah" means "one who is engaged in the act of keriah (reading [the
torah])," just as "ba'al tekiah" is one engaged in tekiah (blowing [the
shofar]), ba'al tefilah is a chazan (engaged in the act of tefilah), and
ba'al teshuvah is one who is engaged in doing teshuvah. All these terms
are listed as correct by Even-Shoshan. The shulchan aruch may use the
term "korei" but that does not make it the only acceptable
word. Obviously, "ba'al korei" is not correct and Even-Shoshan lists it
as a colloquialism.
Barak
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From: Mark Symons <msymons@...>
Subject: Birkat Cohanim
Another question on the introduction to Birkat Cohanim. In the phrase Am
K'doshecha Ka'amur, does Ka'amur qualify Am K'doshecha - Your holy
people, as it is said - which is what it sounds like when the kahal
recite this as a phrase immediately after the chazan calls out Cohanim -
but why is it necessary to add Ka'amur? Or perhaps Am K'doshecha should
be in brackets, and Ka'amur refers to the text of the bracha which is
about to follow (ie Barchenu Bab'racha ... Ka'amur Y'varech'cha etc)?
Mark Symons
Baal Koreh / Psychiatrist
Melbourne Australia
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 22:33:17 -0500
Subject: Carrying in a block of apartments on Shabbat
From: <ajp74@...>
<<does anyone know if it is permitted to carry in a block of appartments
if a kitchen is shared between residents, regarding food to and from the
kitchen.>>
If, in addition to sharing USE of the kitchen, you share food as
well, presto, you have an eiruv. If not, you need only pool some bread,
enough for two meals for one person, and have a more formal eiruv.
Then, you may carry within the building from one apartment to another.
Otherwise you may not.
Gershon
<gershon.dubin@...>
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From: <Phyllostac@...> (Mordechai)
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 00:27:38 EST
Subject: Cellular phone policies in Shuls, etc.
A problem that has recently developed (in the last few years, gradually
increasing in severity) is the use / abuse of cellular phones, and,
particularly in a Jewish context, their use in houses of worship and
study.
The problem includes a passive aspect (the noise caused by ringing
phones, in which the bearer of the phone is not directly involved), and
includes / 'progresses' to an active aspect when the bearer starts
talking and their voice is heard.....
In addition to being unpleasant, impolite and uncalled for, such devices
could also possibly bring about violations of (Biblical?) laws of 'morah
mikdash' / kedushas beis haknesses,etc.
This problem has affected other venues as well and has been the subject
of much comment and regulation, in some cases.
Anway, I am curious to know how Jewish institutions (esp. Botei Knesios,
Botei Midroshos and Yeshivas) have dealt with this problem. Have they
banned cellular phones outright? Set aside areas where they could be
used and others where they can't? What kind of signs have been posted re
any such bans (e.g. I have seen various signs - e.g. a) cellular phone
in a circle with a red slash through it b) the above, plus words around
the circle 'Ein zeh ki im Beis Elokim' (Biblical quote that 'this is
nothing other than a house of G-d'), etc. c) words saying 'please turn
off / don't use your cellular phone in the beis midrash - sans
illustration d) a sign with an illustration of man davening in tallis
and tefillin [with illustration of red slashed cellular phone?] saying
something like 'your communication is interfering with my prayer'- has
anyone seen other types?) ?
Have cellular phones made it into any written Halachic responsa or
seforim yet (esp. re the above aspect of their usage) ?
Comments and reports would be appreciated.
Mordechai
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From: Normand, Neil <NormandN@...>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:21:30 -0500
Subject: re: Cheleck Eloka Me'maal
I was quite frankly shocked when I read your [Jonathan & Randy Chipman
v35, no. 95] submission and surprised that so few readers have pointed
out the problem of this concept. You refer to this idea as a soul being
part of a G-dhead. And you also write that you do not think that this
concept is in violation of any of the Rambam's 13 Ikarim. The second
one, which discusses the unity of G-d seems to clearly at odds with the
concept you are discussing. G-d has no parts, and is inherently one, so
by definition a human being cannot be attached in any way to G-d's
essence. Please look at the website www.Mesora.org, on the section
entitled Divine Sparks, where Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim succinctly discusses
this point. In addition, see the commentary Etz Yosef, on the Kedusha,
discussing our repeating of Kadosh three times, where he explains that
it is done to emphasize that whereas man is a combination of intellect
and physical, G-d is not attached at all to the physical. Your
assertion that "The idea of the soul being 'a portion of the divine,
literally,' is one expression of such a view, and is a perfectly
legitimate one within Judaism" is, in my opinion, incorrect and goes
against a basic tenet of Judaism, the unity of G-d.
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From: <NJannol@...> (Neal B. Jannol)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 14:43:26 -0800
Subject: Re: Gomel
At our Shabbos Mincha "Beis Bluebell" minyon, we had a little stir
because a woman came to hear a pre-Mincha Zachor and watned to Bench
Gomel. There was no Rabbi in the house, so in absence thereof, the Baal
HaBayis of Beis Bluebell thought it would be ok for her to stand
upstairs in the office/ezras nashim and say the gomel b/w aliyos - we
inquired if her husband was available and he was not.
Due to our Minyan's popularity, the minyan at our Emeritus Rabbi's
house, who is in shiva, was not a minyan and they joined us and we posed
the question to the Rabbi who stated that the woman making the Bracha
from the Ezras Nashim was acceptable.
Anyone else know of a different way - it worked out great in our minyan
because we could hear her, but in a full shul, how can a woman bench
gomel unless the place comes to a quiet so everyone can hear her.
Neal B. Jannol
Loeb & Loeb LLP
10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 2200, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone - (310) 282-2358, Fax - (310) 282-2200
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From: Shlomo Simon <shlomosimon@...>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 19:27:09 +0000
Subject: Kosher Gum
Those who love gum might be interested in knowing that according to Rav
Abadi (former posek of Lakewood), Wrigley's gum is kosher la-Pesah. For
more details, see his son's website, www.kashrut.org.
Shlomo
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From: Baruch J. Schwartz <schwrtz@...>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 23:18:24 +0200
Subject: Lehadliq Ner Shel Shabat Qodesh
Joseph Mosseri asks "Has any one ever seen the word qodesh added to the
end of the berakhah for lighting Shabbat candles?".
My grandmother (a"h) was from the area around Kishinev, Bessarabia, and
she said this. She died when I was a kid, and I never got to ask her
about it.
Baruch
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From: Cheryl Hall <hallcheryl@...>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 02:49:55 -0800
Subject: A Mazel Tov!
B"H
Hello, MJ Friends,
There are miracles from HaShem everyday but they are "nistar" hidden.
This one is not at all hidden.... For the first time at 47 years old
after much seeking, davening and tehillim, I am so pleased, happy and
excited to announce my engagement. Kalman Horowitz of Long Beach CA is
my Chatan. B'ezrat HaShem there will be a wedding right after Shavout..
I've been on this list so long I can't remember, Over the years I've
written some and read a lot and learned a lot. I am so glad to be able
to share and add a bit of simcha to your Adar. For anyone with shiduch
trials, miracles do happen and happened suddenly.
Thanks
Cheryl Hall
Los Alamitos, CA
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From: Janet Rosenbaum <jerosenb@...>
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 17:53:43 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Oat Matza
Note that oats may not be suitable for all gluten-free diets, so if this
is an issue for you, please consult with your doctor before you eat oat
matza or any oat products. (Oats contain a variant protein which some
celiacs have problems with.)
Janet
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From: Paul Ginsburg <GinsburgP@...>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 14:29:53 -0500
Subject: Surnames from the mass grave memorial plaque in Sudilkov, Ukraine
The memorial plaque at the site of the mass grave in
Sudilkov, Ukraine has the following inscription:
To Remember the Casualties or Hitler's Murderers
Chaim MASTER
Zvi MENDEL
Ze'ev MILMAN
Tudeas the shochet [butcher]
Shalom Yosef YAROVITCH
Leizer LEMBERG
Shimon the tailor and his wife
If anyone has information on any of these people, please
contact me. Further information on Sudilkov's mass grave
and the fate of Sudilkov's Jews during the Holocaust
can be found at:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~pauldana/103.htm
Paul W. Ginsburg
Sudilkov Online Landsmanshaft
http://www.sudilkov.com
Rockville, Maryland
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From: baal kriah <dreyfus@...>
Subject: Zachor
The obligation to hear Parshat Zachor (Deut 25:17-19) comes from the
commandment to "remember Amalek". From where is it derived that this
obligation is in effect once a year, rather than once a day, one per
lifetime (like brit milah), etc.?
Benjamin W Dreyfus <dreyfus@...>
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End of Volume 36 Issue 1