Volume 47 Number 10
Produced: Mon Feb 28 4:28:23 EST 2005
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Early New York Jewish Community
[W. Baker]
Hebrew for "Ladybug" (2)
[Nathan Lamm, Joseph I. Lauer]
Kosher Food at Yankee Stadium?
[Monica Calabrese]
le'ela ule'ela
[Emmanuel Ifrah]
Mohalim in Israel
[Ori Carmel]
Pores Mapa (4)
[Michael Kahn, Mark Steiner, Gershon Dubin, Baruch J. Schwartz]
Purim on Friday (2)
[Bill Bernstein, Shimon Lebowitz]
R' Shear Yashuv Hakohen
[Yakir]
Rav She'ar Yashuv Cohen
[Risa Tzohar]
Rebbes' Place Names
[Yisrael Medad]
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From: W. Baker <wbaker@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 13:02:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Early New York Jewish Community
> From: Binyomin Segal <bsegal@...>
> The earliest religious freedom in the colonies was in Rhode Island.
> Roger Williams ran away from Mass Bay to start Providence RI. His
> experience motivated him to insist on religious freedom in his colony.
> As a result, one of the earliest Jewish communities in the US was in
> Newport RI. The Touro synagogue there is now the oldest synagogue still
> standing in the US.
Touro is the oldest synagogue BUILDING, but not the oldest songregation.
That is Shearith Israel in NYC, the one we have been talking about.
Wendy Baker
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From: Nathan Lamm <nelamm18@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 05:27:34 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Hebrew for "Ladybug"
See <http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=200404211157>.
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From: Joseph I. Lauer <josephlauer@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 11:57:05 -0500
Subject: Hebrew for "Ladybug"
In MJ 47:09, Dr. Ben Z. Katz asks: "Why is a 'ladybug', in Hebrew,
called 'porat moshe rabeinu' (literally 'the cow of Moses, our teacher')?"
This very question was the subject of a column by Philologos, the
language columnist of the English-language weekly The Forward.
The April 23, 2004 column may be accessed at URL
http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=200404211157
As part of his column, Philologos wrote: "Everywhere they are the
subject of appreciative folk beliefs, such as that a ladybug landing on
you will cure you of what ails you; that ladybugs are a sign of good
weather; that a man and a woman who see a ladybug simultaneously will
fall in love; that killing a ladybug brings bad luck, and so on. Why
they are so often associated in Christian countries with the Virgin Mary
is unclear; perhaps their polka-dotted wings that, cloaking their body,
suggest a woman's gown, have something to do with it. In any event, many
cultures take a protective attitude toward them."
Philologos concluded his column with the following two paragraphs:
"Yiddish was no different from other European languages. It too had
names for ladybug bearing religious associations, such as mashiakhl
("little Messiah"); Moyshe rabbeynus beheymele or Moyshe rabbeynus
kiyele ("Moses' little cow"), and moyshe rabbeynus ferdele ("Moses'
little horse"). These names are interesting, because while they show
clear Slavic and German influences, they are Judaized forms of them in
which not only - as would go without saying - is the Virgin Mary shunted
aside, but God's name is considered too holy to be coupled with a lowly
creature like a beetle. Instead, the ladybug is named for the messiah
or for Moses (literally, Moyshe rabbeynu, "Our master Moses," which is
how Jewish tradition always refers to him), Judaism's most revered
figures.
"The modern Hebrew parat Moshe rabbenu is, therefore, a translation of
Moyshe rabbeynus beheymele or kiyele. Although today it is the only way
of saying "ladybug" in Hebrew, there was a time when it had
competitors. There is, for instance, a Hebrew poem of Hayyim Nahman
Bialik's named "Zohar" or "Splendor," written in 1901, in which the
poet, writing about his childhood, lists the many little things that
sparked his interest and imagination as a boy. Among them he mentions
"Moses' little horse" - ben-suso shel Moshe rabbenu. Most likely, the
different Yiddish terms for a ladybug were regional and Bialik, who came
from Ukraine, had grown up speaking of Moyshe rabbeynus
ferdele. Eventually, though, it was the cow that won out. ...."
See also the following language blog for a few comments on the article:
http://www.languagehat.com/archives/001446.php
Note also the following remarks regarding the column at
http://presence.baltiblogs.com/cat_words.html
"A good enough explanation. This Shabbos, however, I couldn't help
thinking that there might be a bit more to the name. In Parshas Chukas,
the Torah describes the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer. The tradition
states that, throughout history, only nine red heifers were sacrificed;
the first by Moshe himself. It is subsequently referred to as parat
Moshe Rabbeinu (cf. Rashi s.v. v'yikchu alecha). When transposing the
name from the Christian symbology to the Jewish, Moshe was the obvious
choice, since the red color and bovine reference suggested the existing
tradition of the parat Moshe Rabbeinu. QED."
Be well!
Good Shabbos-Shabbat Shalom!
Joseph I. Lauer
Brooklyn, New York
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From: <mjcalabrese@...> (Monica Calabrese)
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 12:09:44 -0500
Subject: Kosher Food at Yankee Stadium?
We are planning to bring a group of teens from Columbus, OH to NY for a
long weekend/shabbaton, including a Yankees game. I've heard that there
is kosher food available at the stadium. Does anyone have details or
contact information? Thanks.
Monica Calabrese (<mjcalabrese@...>)
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From: Emmanuel Ifrah <emmanuel_ifrah@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 03:17:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: le'ela ule'ela
Indeed, from the sources quoted, it would seem that I am wrong.
It may very well be so, as we (Sefaradim) are not deprived of influences
from the Ashkenazi world. What I wrote was based on personal
experience.
However, I would like to point out that Sefaradic minhagim are very
diverse. As far as I am concerned, I've always davened in the Morrocan
nussach. Well, I can say that a number of nuscha'ot that I've been
taught do not appear in R. Shalom Messas' siddur and that some of the
things he mentions I've never heard of. Indeed, he originated from the
city of Meknes where they had very special minhagim (they were the only
"toshavim" or native Morrocan Jews to resist the strong cultural
influence of the "megorashim" from Spain; this resulsts, e.g., in the
fact that they have a nussach ketuba different from all the rest of
North Africa).
Another example: I have an Algerian machzor for Rosh ha-shana and Kippur
dating from the early 1900s. At that time in one single city (Algiers),
they did not have a common nussach for the machzor. The editor of the
machzor is happy to present only 2 different nusschaot, corresponding to
2 main synagogues in Algiers, hoping that things would evolve towards
harmonization "because it is almost impossible for someone to daven [on
rosh ha-shana or kippur] in a synagogue to which he is not accustomed
from his young age". I've tried to daven with this machzor but half the
text or so is different from the "classical" Leghorn Machzor ("Zechor
le-Avraham") that is now widespread among Sefaradim.
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From: Ori Carmel <ocarmel_1@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 10:18:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Mohalim in Israel
For anyone interested in what oversight the Rabbanut in Israel does have
over mohalim here is a link the mohalim page of the Rabbanut -
http://www.religions.gov.il/mohalim/index.html
Ori
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From: Michael Kahn <mi_kahn@...>
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:33:57 -0600
Subject: Re: Pores Mapa
This week's Yated Neeman (weekly newspaper) has a whole article on the
issue of covering the bread during kidush.
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From: Mark Steiner <marksa@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:47:52 +0200
Subject: RE: Pores Mapa
Tosafot Pesahim 100b states that we do "pores mapah" every week, since
we don't have moveable tables. Assuming their custom was like ours,
it's only the bread which needs covering, for various reasons including
the remembrance of the manna (man) which was covered by dew. Thus I
would say that only the bread is required to be covered.
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From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:17:13 -0500
Subject: Pores Mapa
The discussion of what to cover and what not is well described in Rabbi
Doniel Neustadt's Halacha discussion for this week, to be found at
http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5765/kisisa.html.
Gershon
<gershon.dubin@...>
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From: Baruch J. Schwartz <schwrtz@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:43:52 +0200
Subject: Pores Mapa
In response to our moderator's question:
Does pores mapa require covering all the food or just all the
bread. It was unclear to me from the sugya how to interpret.
My brother (<Elliot.Schwartz@...>) asked me to submit the following:
Three classical reasons are offered for covering the challot:
1) Reminiscent of the manna, which was covered by dew.
2) "Not to embarrass the bread." i.e, according to the principles of
priority in berachot, the bread is supposed to be partaken of
first; having wine before bread in the bread's presence would be slight
to the bread's due kavod.
3) To emphasize that one may not eat or drink food on shabbat without
first pronouncing its sanctity over wine.
Nafka Minah:
According to #1, only bread must be covered (davka, not removed fromo the
table).
According to #2, all grain products must be covered or removed, as well
as olives and dates, since they all have beracha priority over wine.
According to #3, all food, except debatably water, must be covered or
removed.
Elliot Schwartz
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From: Bill Bernstein <billbernstein@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 09:50:21 -0600
Subject: Re: Purim on Friday
>From a recent post:
<<Let's admit that both minhagim are acceptable. Seudat Purim must be
partaken during the day, that is clear. But it doesn't matter when in
the day. If it works better for you and your family in the morning, do
it in the morning--just make sure you take care of dispersing your
charity beforehand. If the afternoon works better, then review the
guidelines of "pores mappah umekadesh"--make sure to start early enough
not to be obligated to stop for arvit, and make sure you are sober
enough to daven afterwords.>>
I find this comment troubling. First, the Ezras Torah Luach is clear
that one eats the seudah before chatzos. He cites the Mishna Brura,
which explains the Rema as being for "kavod haShabbos." I think he also
cites the Yad Ephraim. The Aruch HaShulchan says similar. None of
these sources mention eating the seuda late.
What I find troubling the poster's apparant belief that Jewish life is
just a smorgasbord of opinions with one being just as good and
appropriate as another. It isn't so.
The clear halakha among Ashkenazim as far as I have seen it is that
seudas Purim this year is eaten before chatzos (mid-day). the Rema, the
Mishna Brura and the Aruch HaShulchan are authoritative sources for most
Ashkenazim, more so than any of the other sources so cited. I think one
would need a very compelling reason to do something other than what our
sources tell us.
Bill Bernstein
Nashville TN
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From: Shimon Lebowitz <shimonl@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 10:28:43 +0200
Subject: Re: Purim on Friday
> make sure to start early enough not to be obligated to stop for arvit,
> and make sure you are sober enough to daven afterwords.
Are you really sure about that last rule?
I remember once learning a bit on the topic of whether a person is
allowed to perform a technically permitted action, if it will cause him
to later be "anuss", who is prevented from doing some mitzva.
The rav who was teaching gave exactly this example: The halacha allows
one to drink to excess at the purim seuda, *even though* the person
doing so risks falling asleep and missing maariv.
Purim samech!
Shimon Lebowitz mailto:<shimonl@...>
Jerusalem, Israel PGP: http://www.poboxes.com/shimonpgp
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From: Yakir <yakirhd@...>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 08:49:12 +0200
Subject: R' Shear Yashuv Hakohen
Yisrael Medad:
>... R' Shear Yashuv Hakohen ... is not a Kook. Just a plain Kohen. He is
>Rav Shlomo Goren's brother-in-law, though.
In this context it is worth noting that he is the son of the Nazir
HaYerushalmi who could be described as a Talmid Muvhak of HaRav Kook
zt"l.
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From: Risa Tzohar <risa.tzohar@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:29:20 +0200
Subject: Re: Rav She'ar Yashuv Cohen
> Rav She'ar Yashuv Cohen is not a Kook. Just a plain Kohen. He is Rav
> Shlomo Goren's brother-in-law, though."
...and the son of Rav David Hakohen z"l ("the Nazir")
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From: Yisrael Medad <ybmedad@...>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:27:47 +0200
Subject: Rebbes' Place Names
I checked out the site of the new translation of the Noam Elimelech
(whose grave I visited last year).
I saw this caption of a picture and just couldn't avoid a smile:
"The Translator together with his Rebbe, the Clevelander Rebbe Shlit"a
of Raanana, Israel"
Since we already have a Bostoner and a Pittsburgherer, why not a
Clevelander.
But if he's "of Raanana", why not the Ra'ananer?
(it is Adar, right?)
Yisrael Medad
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End of Volume 47 Issue 10