Volume 36 Number 20
                 Produced: Thu Apr 11  7:09:03 US/Eastern 2002


Subjects Discussed In This Issue: 

Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo
         [Leona Kroll]
First Night of Sefirat ha'Omer in chu"l (4)
         [David E Cohen, Alan Friedenberg, Gilad J. Gevaryahu, Janet
Rosenbaum]
Hodu LaShem
         [Rabbi Shmuel Jablon]
Kaddish after 50 years
         [Carl Singer]
Matza Ashira
         [David Kramer]
Omer after Seder
         [Menashe Elyashiv]
Pet Food on Pesach
         [Chaim Tatel]
Remembering AMALEK once a Year
         [Russell Jay Hendel]
Tal uMotor (2)
         [Yitzchok Zirkind, SBA]
Why is it called "Sefer Shmuel" ?
         [cp]
Yiddish Chad Gadya?
         [Sarah E Beck]


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From: Leona Kroll <leona_kroll@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 00:20:09 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo

Avi wrote: 
> The problem is not that you might not hear the full bracha, but that
> one does not say Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo to a bracha that one needs to be
> yotze with.

It seems then that the verse cited in Shulchan Aruch: "When I call out
Hashems name give greatness to our G-d" could be interpreted as : "when
I call out", - and not, as in the case of the shliach tzibbur, when
really all of us are davening, but thru the mouth of the shliach.

on a different topic- i heard from Rav Morduchowitz, a student of the
Rav who was with him when he returned from that farbrengen, that the Rav
did go to the 30th anniversary farbrengen at 770- and that many people
in the Rav's community were unhappy about that. I don't know whether he
also paid a shiva call.  I also heard from Rav Morduchowitz that the
Rebbe stood up for the Rav when he came into 770- which would make the
Rav the only person- other than his own mother- that the Rebbe stood up
for after becoming Rebbe.

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From: David E Cohen <ddcohen@...>
Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2002 23:22:51 -0400
Subject: Re: First Night of Sefirat ha'Omer in chu"l

Alan Friedenberg wrote:
> The ArtScroll Haggadah quotes the Birkei Joseph who says that the Omer
> should be counted at the end of the Seder.  In addition, the Haggadah
> says that the bracha is put there for those who may not have been in
> shule to daven with a minyan.

I understand the benefit of having sefirar ha'omer in the haggadah,
since there are those who may not have been in shul, or may not have
davened ma'ariv at all.  Let me rephrase my question:

1.  Why is the sefirah put at the very end of the seder, after all of
the other mitzvot?  What about the principle that "tadir veshe'eino
tadir, tadir kodeim?" (One should do the more frequent mitzvah first.)
Also, shouldn't any time-bound mitzvah be performed before sitting down
to a meal (except, of course, for those parts of the seder whose
specific time is after the meal)?

2.  Are there communities where it is the custom that even those who are
in shul do not count, so as to enable the practice of a specific custom,
for some reason, of counting at the end of the seder?

The only theory I have is the one I mentioned before, that perhaps it is
seen as contradictory to count the first night of the omer, and then go
have a seder.  Has anybody seen this reason given by anybody else, or
seen some other reason?

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From: Alan Friedenberg <elshpen@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 04:23:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: First Night of Sefirat ha'Omer in chu"l

It's very possible that some shules would daven early on the second
night of Yom Tov.  I know that one I attended several years ago (I was
in the neighborhood for a meal) did for Shavuos; I don't know why Pesach
would be any different.

 Alan 

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From: <Gevaryahu@...> (Gilad J. Gevaryahu)
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 13:16:28 EDT
Subject: First Night of Sefirat ha'Omer in chu"l

I would like to add a note to the discussion of counting the Omer on the
first night of in chu"l. According to Ezor Eliyahu (p. 131) Sefirat
HaOmer was not part of the shul ritual and only late it entered as part
of Ma'ariv prior to Aliynu. If this is the case it was said at home as
part of the Haggadah all along, and only after it became part of the
shul ritual, it was slowly removed from the Haggadot. It seems that it
was retained in many Haggadot for the benefit of people who did not say
it in shul. I checked several Haggadot, and in those Haggadot which
mention the counting of the Omer, it is always after Nirtzah, although
each Haggadah has a different spot for it. This is for the simple reason
that the end of "Nirtzah" is unclear. The initial question as to why
wait until after the Haggadah is said to count the Omer is still
unclear, although it might have to do with "Lemochorat haShabbat" and
the saying of the Haggadah was considered in the Diaspora as part of the
"Shabbat."

Gilad J. Gevaryahu

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From: Janet Rosenbaum <jerosenb@...>
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 10:10:29 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: First Night of Sefirat ha'Omer in chu"l

Wendy Baker <wbaker@...> writes:
> Just a question and thought about this.  Are women obligated to count
> the omer or are they exempt through shehazeman gramma [Positive
> commandment that is time based]?  How many women, particularly if
> hostessing a seder, get to shul erev Pesach?  Doesn't having the
> counting in the in the Haggada cover them, even if it is done at shul?

Women are not obligated to count the omer, and having the counting in
the haggada does cover them if they read that line themselves.

I find it interesting that no one thought of this explanation, although
I imagine that it has very little to do with the "real reason."  I don't
have a clear notion of how common it has been for women to count the
omer in the past, but I imagine it's been relatively rare.

Janet

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From: Rabbi Shmuel Jablon <rabbij@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 09:14:02 -0400
Subject: Hodu LaShem

"Hodu Lashem Kee Tov Kee L'Olam Chasdo...Give thanks to Hashem for He is
good, His love endures forever!!!"

Becky, big sisters Leah and Shira Emunah, and I are thrilled to announce
the birth of a baby boy, about 5:40 a.m. this morning.  He is 9 pounds
5.5 ounces and 21 inches long.  Thank G-d, Mom and baby are doing well.

G-d Willing, the brit milah will be at Fuchs Mizrachi School, 2301
Fenwick Road, University Heights, Ohio next Monday at 11 a.m.

May we all hear good news from one another!

Shmuel Jablon
www.rabbijablon.com
Find out about my new book, JEWISH ANSWERS, at www.rabbijablon.com!

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From: <CARLSINGER@...> (Carl Singer)
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 21:13:28 EDT
Subject: Kaddish after 50 years

      From: Yisrael and Batya Medad <ybmedad@...>

      By accident, I picked up again on this subject from a month ago on
      whether Kaddish stops after 50 years.  As my late father o"h had
      been keeping all the Yahrtzeits in the family including my
      mother's mother who died around 1930, I asked Rav Elchanan Bin-Nun
      whether I should keep up the custom of lighting a candle and
      saying the Kaddish.  His reply was that after 50 years, one
      doesn't keep the Yahrtzeit anymore and that if I didn't personally
      know the relative, I shouldn't maintain Yahrtzeit customs for
      them.

      Yisrael Medad

Two thoughts:

First we have two factors, the second one stated is that you did not
personally know the relative.  The other is the 50 years.

Since WW-II is more than 50 years ago, (55+) there are many people who
today say Kaddish for relatives (parents, siblings, children) who were
killed over 50 years ago -- I think this is, therefore, a most sensitive
and emotional topic.

Kol Tov
Carl Singer

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From: <DTK1950@...> (David Kramer)
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 23:26:46 EDT
Subject: Matza Ashira

I was at an unnamed resort this Pesach with the kashrus 1000% above
board.  The last day of Pesach we found egg Matza on the table. When we
questioned the Rabbi, we were told that because Matza Ashira is a
Minhag, one is allowed to eat them on the Achron Shel Pesach [last day
of Passover] outside of Israel.

Immediately, I was reminded that those who keep the custom of not eating
Gebrocks [wet -literally broken Matza] allow themselves Gebrocks on the
last day. The reason for that is the same: it is a minhag to accept the
stringency not eat Gebroks so we don't have to apply it on the last day
outside of Israel which is only being kept because of a Rabbinic
stringency in the first place. Even those that are so stringgent that
they will not cook Gebrocks in their Pesach pots will do so on the last
day because the pots will not be used for a year.

However, if we accept that we can defer all food-related customs on the
last day, why don't Ashkenazim allow the use of Kitniot [legumes] on the
last day?

Okay I've really raised three issues so any thoughts on any or all are
welcome.

David Kramer
Silver Spring, MD

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From: Menashe Elyashiv <elyashm@...>
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 10:13:17 +0300 (IDT)
Subject: Omer after Seder

If the reason for counting Omer during the Seder is because Arvit was
prayed before dark, then it should be counted at the begining of the
Seder since Kiddush is not said until nightfall. BTW - that is done by
the early Lel Shabbat minyan. Because of "Temimot" one should try not to
count late at night, especialy on the first night.

The reason for the post-Seder counting is Kabbalic. Here in Eretz
Israel, all the Kabbalic things work out fine; Hallel in Arvit, Seder,
Yom Tov etc, & on the first night of Hol Hamoad starts the Omer
counting. For those following the Kabbalah outside of Israel,they have a
mix-up! How can you count the Omer & then go backwards & do the Seder?
Therefore, the early Mekuballim counted after the Seder, and as Kabbalic
Minhagim became popular, it was included in the Haggada.

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From: Chaim Tatel <chaimyt@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 11:32:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Pet Food on Pesach

>>In a yearly very well accepted Hilchos Pesach digest, dry pet food is
said to be Chametz. Last years digest did allow certain kinds of dry cat
food. What does one do with a very finicky cat, who shows no interest in
any food outside of dry cat food.? ....<<<<

Please see mail-jewish Vol. 36 #15 Digest for the rest of Paul's post.

Sorry I couldn't answer before Pesach, but I just got back to my computer
today.

This info will help for next year.

Marc Michels has a company in South Florida called KosherPets.com.
Currently, this is the only company providing Kosher-for-Passover pet
foods.  He has kosher certification from the cRc (Chicago Rabbinical
Council).

See his company's website for information and a free sample:
http://www.kosherpets.com.

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From: <rhendel@...> (Russell Jay Hendel)
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 22:57:37 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Remembering AMALEK once a Year

Alex Pine in mj n36v3 gives a very good defense that the commandment to
remember Amalek applies once a year.

Alex however DOES NOT defend that the particular implementation of this
ONCE-A-YEAR requirement should happen on ZACHOR.

Among the implications of this observation are the following: a) If you
heard a regular Parshah reading with the story of AMALEK and did NOT
INTEND to fulfill the commandment of remembering you may not have
fulfilled your obligation(ie INTENTION is required).

b) If you missed Zachor then you MAY, according to all opinions, hear
Zachor at some other reading with the INTENTION of fulfilling your
obligation.

The requirement of INTENTION comes from the Biblical requirement of
REMEMBERING.

Russell Jay Hendel; http://www.RashiYomi.Com/mj.htm

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From: <Yzkd@...> (Yitzchok Zirkind)
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 12:38:21 +1000
Subject: Tal uMotor

> The original question: "why don't we stop saying tal umotor two weeks
> before Pessach?" seems so logical that I surprised that no rishon or
> acharon (at least those that I have looked up) brings it.

The simple answer is that the time of rain fall doesn't come yet, see
Taanis 6a, even according to the earliest opinion all we would be
missing is the time of "Mvakeres" and Lhalacha we rule like R' Yossi see
Rambam Hil. Ndorim 10:11, whereas in Nison it is the time for rain as in
the Mishana in Taanis and Ndorim, so there is no reason not to ask,
especially taking in consideration that the Kohein Godol is Mispaleil
that the prayers of Holchei Drochim not be heeded, however OTOH the
rains are taken in consideration for Olei Rgolim as this is one of the
things why they are Mabeir a year, see Rambam Hil. Kidush Hachodesh 4:5.

Kol Tuv,
Yitzchok Zirkind

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From: SBA <sba@...>
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 12:45:10 +1000
Subject: Re: Tal uMotor

And what about the beginning of Mes. Shekolim where it says that from RC
Adar they begin 'lesaken hadrochim' which were damaged during the winter
and need to be fixed for the Oiley regel? It seems from there that the
rains have generally stopped.

SBA

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From: cp <chips@...>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 09:42:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Why is it called "Sefer Shmuel" ?

Especially Shmuel Beis.

-rp

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From: Sarah E Beck <sbeck@...>
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 14:35:17 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Yiddish Chad Gadya?

Would someone know the lyrics of the Yiddish Chad Gadya? I have looked
on the web to no avail. The Yiddish Haggadot I've seen have it in
Aramaic, oddly.

NB that this is a different song than the Aramaic one. (I can't decline
Yiddish nouns, sorry!) It begins, "Schickt die Katze in die Walde..."
(One sends a cat into the woods...) and continues with the various
objects' refusal to do what they're supposed to do: "Feuer will nicht
Stecken brennen," etc..

Thank you!
SB

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End of Volume 36 Issue 20