Volume 38 Number 85
                 Produced: Sun Mar 23 13:35:15 US/Eastern 2003


Subjects Discussed In This Issue: 

Chamesh Megillot
         [Emmanuel Ifrah]
Leaving radio on during shabbos (2)
         [Simcha G, Edward Ehrlich]
Living will and halachah
         [Gershon Dubin]
medieval Jewish weddings
         [Leslie Nachbar]
Minhag Pashut Beyisrael
         [Zev Sero]
Pasuk for the name Rachel (4)
         [Stephen Phillips, <JuniperViv@...>, raphi, Eliezer Wenger]
Pesadich Tropical Fish Food (9)
         [Shlomo & Syma Spiro, Alan Krinsky, Louis Finkelman, Alan
Rubin, Rabbi Nosson Slifkin, David Olivestone, Shlomo Argamon,
Janice Gelb, Danny Skaist]
the Rav's position on Cholov Yisroel
         [Neil Normand]
Reb Moshe Feinstein's wedding date
         [Alan Friedenberg]
Say "cheese!"
         [Gershon Dubin]
So why did Mordecai wear `shatnes` ?
         [.cp.]


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From: Emmanuel Ifrah <emmanuel_ifrah@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 10:33:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Chamesh Megillot

> Ruth isn't read publicly on Shavuot by Sefaradim, but they do say it
> within the context of the tikkun at night.  (The tikkun is read out
> loud by people taking turns.)

In North-African communities, Megillat Ruth is read publicly in the
afternoons of Shavuot (split over the two days in diaspora) along with
the Azharot (poetic renderings of the 613 mitzvot).  See, for example,
the classic Leghorn (Livorno) Machzor, "Zakhor le-Avraham."

> Shir ha-Shirim and Kohelet are not read at all.  On the other hand,
> ShS is read publicly out loud by Sefadim every Erev Shabbat before
> Lehu Neranena.

Shir ha-Shirim is indeed read every Friday before Kabalat Shabbat, but
it is also read on the night(s) of the Seder after the Haggada.

The only megilla to be left out of the sefaradic nusach is Kohelet.

Emmanuel Ifrah (Paris, France)

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From: <simchag@...> (Simcha G)
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 19:31:03 +0000
Subject: Re: Leaving radio on during shabbos

> From: Yehonatan Chipman <yonarand@...>
> During the 1991 Gulf War, Isareli radio had a special "Shabbat station" on
> which blank sound was broadcast unless there was a missile attack, in
> which case all of the necessary instructions came through on it.
> Shabbat servers were encouraged to keep a radio on all Shabbat tuned to
> this station.  (But sirens were sounded throughout the country anyway,
> which functioned as a prearranged signal to follow a certain drill).  No
> doubt the same procedure will be repeated in the forthcoming war.

The media in Israel has already announced today this arrangement, with a
psak from Rabbi Lau to keep the radio on to that station during Shabbos.

Simcha G

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From: Edward Ehrlich <eehrlich@...>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 15:48:15 +0200
Subject: Leaving radio on during shabbos

The procedure of "HaGal HaShaket" (the quiet frequency) has been once
again implemented for the late part of the night and I assume it will
operate on Shabbat also.

While sirens are used to signal an attack, there are many areas in the
country where they're difficult to hear.

Ed Ehrlich <eehrlich@...>
Jerusalem, Israel

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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 00:16:59 -0500
Subject: Living will and halachah

For general direction on wills, try:
http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/last_will_and_testament1.html

On living wills:
http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/healthcare.html

Gershon
<gershon.dubin@...>

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From: Leslie Nachbar <leslie@...>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 11:13:40 -0500
Subject: medieval Jewish weddings

Hello.  My name is Leslie Nachbar.  I am a 14 year old freshman.  I'm
doing a project in school on medieval Jewish weddings, and I can't seem
to find anything.  I was wondering if maybe you knew of any websites you
could direct me to.  Thank you so much!

Leslie Nachbar
<leslie@...>

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From: Zev Sero <Zev.Sero@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 11:52:47 -0700
Subject: Minhag Pashut Beyisrael

Yisrael Medad <ybmedad@...> wrote:
>  The Shibolei Haleket, 13th cent.  terms it "a simple minhag in Israel".

Shouldn't that be `a minhag that is widespread among Jews'?

Zev Sero
<zsero@...>

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From: Stephen Phillips <stephenp@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 13:29 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Re: Pasuk for the name Rachel

> From: Amanda Rush <frosty@...>
> If it is possible, could someone provide some psukim for the name
> Rachel, in other words, Reish-lamed?  Thanks, and shalom.

I've just installed the TES Torah Codes 2000 program. A search of
Pesukim that start with a Reish and end with a Lamed revealed the
following:

Shemos 39:9
Devorim 12:15
Devorim 32:39
Micha 1:13
Mishlei 20:14
Mishlei 25:9
Doniel 8:4

Stephen Phillips.
<stephenp@...>

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From: <JuniperViv@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:32:55 EST
Subject: Re: Pasuk for the name Rachel

 From Siddur Korban Mincha Epstein Jerusalem
Reu ata(with an aiyin) ki ani ani hu v'ain elokim imadi ani amis v'achya
machatzti v'ani araphei v'ain m'yadi matzil
 From Machzor Rosh Hashana Hebrew Publishing Co. Yiddish
Ravua haya kaful asu es hachoshen zeres arko v'zeres rachbo kaful

Fay Berger

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From: raphi <raphi@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 00:43:12 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Pasuk for the name Rachel

BS"D

There is (AFAIK) no Reish-lamed in Tehillim or in Shir Hashirim. We
generally use a pretty long pasuk from Devarim 32:39 (Reu ata ... miyadi
matzil).

It takes some time to memorize it, but it is a very nice pasuk for
Rachel's (and Rephael's).

You're welcome, and Shalom.

Raphi Cohen
<raphi@...>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eliezer Wenger <ewenger@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 09:28:43 -0500
Subject: Re: Pasuk for the name Rachel

The Pasuk for the name Rochel as printed in Psok li Psukach, -- which
lists psukim for every possible combination -- is from Dvorim 23:39
Re'oo ata ki ani ani hu v'ein Elokim eemadi ani amis va'achayeh
machatzti va'ani erpah ve'ein meyadi matzil.

Eliezer Wenger

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From: Shlomo & Syma Spiro <spiro@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 14:14:11 +0200
Subject: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

 bsd, shushan purim

Regarding feeding tripical fish on Pesah, I was a tropical fish fancier
years ago.  Yes, most fish foods are hametz so we gave our fish tiny
bits of boiled chicken (white meat preferable). The fish fressed them up
and did very well on them.

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From: Alan Krinsky <adkrinsky@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 10:45:24 -0500
Subject: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

Francine,

Last year, I went to my local fish store (in Rhode Island!) and before I
could finish describing my problem, the person behind the counter knew
what I was looking for.  The answer: (freeze-dried) blood worms.  Be
well.

Alan Krinsky

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From: Louis Finkelman <louis.finkelman@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 06:42:59 -0500
Subject: Re: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

What to feed your fish on Pessah?  Freeze-dried tubifex worms.  

Shalom,
Eliezer 

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From: Alan Rubin <arubin@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 20:33 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
Subject: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

There are plenty of foods available that should not be a problem on
Pesach.  Any decent shop should have dried blood worm, brine shrimp or
daphnia which are all of animal origin. Such foods are also available
frozen or even fresh. The Kashrus Guide produced in London by Rabbi
Feldman has always suggested ants' eggs for goldfish on Pesach

Alternatively you can give the fish some of what you are eating. Mince
up some fish, chicken or lean meat.

Don't give them matzah meal. Think what the matzah does to your insides
after 8 days.

Alan Rubin

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From: Rabbi Nosson Slifkin <zoorabbi@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 20:55:25 +0200
Subject: Re: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

There are plenty of non-chametz fish foods, such as tubifex worms and
bloodworms. In any case, a healthy aquarium can easily go for several
weeks without food. Fish are more easily harmed by too much food than by
too little. But whatever you do, don't feed them on matzah!

Best wishes,
Rabbi Nosson Slifkin
Zoo Torah is a non-profit educational enterprise that offers a series of
books, programs for both adults and children, zoo tours, and South African
safaris, all on the theme of Judaism and the animal kingdom. For more
details and a taste of the experience, see www.zootorah.com. If you would
like to subscribe to a regular ZooTorah essay, please e-mail
<nature-subscribe@...>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Olivestone <davido@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 17:04:44 -0500
Subject: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

On erev Purim, someone drew my attention to a website,
www.KosherPetz.com, which indeed discusses and sells kosher, and kosher
for Pesach, pet foods. Of course, at first I thought this was a bit of
Purim fun, but once you go into the site, you can see that is a serious
business. As far as I can see, they do not have Pesdachdik fish food for
sale as yet (the site seems to be not quite finished), but no doubt they
will.

Anyway, when we had fish, they seemed to survive for a week on finely
ground matza meal without too much trouble.

David Olivestone

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From: Shlomo Argamon <argamon@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 11:34:23 -0500
Subject: Re: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

Depending on the kind of fish, you can feed them bloodworms, which come
either frozen or dried.  Since these are worms, raised on blood, I don't
imagine there's a hhamets issue.  But of course, check with your Rov.

	-Shlomo-

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From: Janice Gelb <j_gelb@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 09:06:07 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

  From the kashrus.org web site:

PET FOODS:

Most pet and fish foods are, or contain, chometz. Most commercial pet
food is actual chometz. One who owns a pet must either give the pet to a
non Jewish neighbor without the condition that the pet be returned
(trusting your neighbor's good sense), or keep the pet and feed it non
chometz food. Live worms, cyclops, flying insects and mosquito larvae,
for example, may be fed to tropical fish on Chol Hamoed. Frozen worms or
dead insects may be used on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Mahzoh meal in small
quantities sustains fresh water fish such as goldfish.  Krill fish food
can be used on Pesach.  [snip text about other pets]

http://www.kashrus.org/kosher/pesach2.html

-- Janice

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From: Danny Skaist <danny@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 08:51:29 +0200
Subject: Pesadich Tropical Fish Food

I know of one instance where people kept a traife plate and fork for pessach
and used fresh shrimp for pessach fish food.
But there are dried tubifex worms or live foods available in pet shops. 

danny

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From: Neil Normand <NormandN@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 14:46:43 -0500
Subject: the Rav's position on Cholov Yisroel

In vol. 30 num. 56 of mail jewish the following was posted:

"According to what i heard on a taped lecture by rav schechter on the
minhogim of rav soloveitchik in yore dea, both rav soloveitchik and the
chazon ish hold there is nothing to be machmir about when it comes to
drinking cholov yisrael today in america or israel. it is mutar
gomur. Ahron."

Is there anyone who can corroborate this?
Neil 

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From: Alan Friedenberg <elshpen@...>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 04:39:14 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Reb Moshe Feinstein's wedding date

Would anyone happen to know the Hebrew date when Reb Moshe Feinstein was
married?

Alan

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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 00:18:12 -0500
Subject: Say "cheese!"

From: Janet Rosenbaum <jerosenb@...>
<<Does anyone know why more cheeses don't get supervision?>>

Probably a combination of lack of consumer demand and lack of
communication of the demand to the producers.

Gershon
<gershon.dubin@...>

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From: .cp. <chips@...>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 07:54:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: So why did Mordecai wear `shatnes` ?

When i read that 'The Living Nach' translated `argamon` as purple wool I
thought it was mistaken, especially since every other translation I saw
had just purple. But a rabbi pointed out to me that in BabaMetziah
`argamon` is defined as wool and in EishesChayel it is again translated
as wool.

-p

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End of Volume 38 Issue 85