Volume 54 Number 29
Produced: Fri Mar 16 5:31:00 EDT 2007
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Another answer regarding KiTisa
[chi]
ATID Conference - Listen Online
[Jeffrey Saks]
Canadian Club Classic
[David Neuman]
Kupat Ezer
[Mark Steiner]
Midreshei Bitya Bat Pharaoh
[Yael Levine]
Purim Costumes
[Shimon Lebowitz]
Rashi in T'ruma: 13 vs 15 items
[Yitschak Maser]
Synagogue searching for first rabbi
[Dr. Josh Backon]
Tefillin and Sheheheyanu (3)
[Shimon Lebowitz, Perets Mett, Guido Elbogen]
What if only Levi available is not Shomer Shabos
[SBA]
Yishtabach
[Rich, Joel]
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From: chi <c.halevi@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 06:32:19 -0500
Subject: Another answer regarding KiTisa
Shalom, All:
I have another way of looking at the issue of why only a Levi is the
first choice to be called to the Torah when the episode of the Golden
Calf is read.
Maybe it's not only because the Leviyim did not participate in the
sin. Perhaps it is a subtle reminder to all present that we'd better
clean up our acts because the sons of Levi still walk among us.
Kol Tuv,
Yeshaya (Charles Chi) Halevi
<halevi@...>
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From: Jeffrey Saks <atid@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:17:24 +0200
Subject: ATID Conference - Listen Online
If you missed ATID's 9th Annual Winter Conference (on March14) listen
online or download recording here:
http://www.atid.org/events/07-03-14-heb.asp
The Changing Boundaries of the Torah Bookshelf
What's In, What's Out, Who Decides?
Implications for Mitzvat Talmud Torah and for Curricula (in Hebrew)
Rabbi Adin Even-Yisrael Steinsaltz
in dialogue with
Rabbi Chaim Brovender, President, ATID Foundation
Mrs. Malka Puterkovski, Midreshet Lindenbaum
Rabbi Jeffrey Saks
Director, ATID
Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions
9 HaNassi Street, Jerusalem 92188 Israel
<atid@...> * www.atid.org
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From: David Neuman <daveselectric@...>
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:05:16 -0500
Subject: Canadian Club Classic
Does anyone know the reason, Canadian Club Classic is not recomended?
duvid neuman
<daveselectric@...>
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From: Mark Steiner <marksa@...>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 15:20:34 +0200
Subject: RE: Kupat Ezer
Erev Pesach, 5767
Dear friends,
The recent growth of the Israeli economy, despite the recent war
with the terrorists in Lebanon, while good news for those who benefit
from it, has left a large number of poor people in a worse state than
they were before. The bitter truth is that many people are struggling
to put food on the table for their children, and the latest institution
in Israel is the soup kitchen for kids.
Our Kupat Ezer is inundated this year with ever more cries for
help, particularly as Pesach approaches. Many years ago, Hagaon R. Dov
Eliezerov, of blessed memory (a colleague, friend, and classmiate of
R. S. Z. Auerbach), asked me to help raise funds for Maot Hittim in the
United States-I could not refuse him, and I am still acting as a Trustee
of the Kupat Ezer on behalf of his memory. Please be as generous as you
can, because much is at stake. In the past, I have found mail-jewish
members especially generous, and, as the Rambam points out, the highest
form of charitable grants is where neither the donor nor recipient know
each other.
You can send your check to the Kupat Ezer to me:
Mark Steiner
12B Rabbi Halafta Street (NOTE THE NEW ADDRESS!)
Jerusalem, Israel
With warmest wishes for a joyous Pesach, for us and for the poor
of Jerusalem.
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From: Yael Levine <ylevine@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:59:28 +0200
Subject: Midreshei Bitya Bat Pharaoh
Following is info concerning Midreshei Bitya Bat Pharaoh
Midreshei Bitya Bat Pharaoh: Iyyun Nilve le-Leil ha-Seder (A Seder
Companion), Jerusalem 2004 (68 pp.)
In the Be'er Avraham commentary to the haggadah, by R. Abraham Grate of
Prague, published in Sulzbach in 1708, several of the simanim of the
seder are interpreted as referring to Bitya, daughter of Pharaoh. R.
Grate explains the siman rahzah in connection with her bathing in the
Nile and rescue of Moses (3c). In his commentary to the siman mozih, he
writes, inter alia, that since Moses was considered equal to the sixty
myriads of Israel, the rescue of Moses by Bitya is to be regarded as
though she took the entire people of Israel out of Egypt (3c-d). Based
on the commentary of R. Abraham Grate concerning Bitya, the present
compilation offers an annotated compendium of sources from the talmudic
and midrashic literature concerning Bitya. This material is intended for
study on the seder night or in preparation for the Eve of Passover. The
chapters include: Midreshei ha-Ketuvim (midrashim to Exodus 2, 5-10 and
II Chronicles 4, 18), The Aramaic Translations, The Lists of Righteous
Women, The Entrance of Bitya to Gan Eden in her Lifetime, Midreshei
Eshet Hayyil.
The introduction includes a discussion of the various sources in the
midrashic literature that attribute the Exodus to deeds of female
biblical personalities: to the righteous women in Egypt who encouraged
their husbands during the bondage; to the women who kept themselves from
immoral behavior; to Miriam the prophetess; and to the Matriarchs.
Orders abroad may be placed with Sifrei Yerushalayim. Contact:
<jerbook2@...> or Tel.: 972-2-6433580. The book is available
in Jerusalem at various locations, among them at Lichtenstein bookstore
on Straus St.; at Ludwig Meyer bookstore on Shlomzion ha-Malka St., and
at Nisan Levy store, on 9 Keren ha-Kayyemet St. Mail orders within
Israel may also be placed directly with myself.
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From: Shimon Lebowitz <shimonl@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:42:31 +0200
Subject: Re: Purim Costumes
> One would think a "Kohen Gadol" Purim costume having the "Me-Il", a
> four cornered costume would have Tzitis on them. Any comments?
Assuming that the costume included a four cornered garment, that sounds
correct. My question is why you think the Me-il was such a garment? All
depictions I have seen show a *round* garment, and the Torah, in
describing it, uses the word "saviv" ('around') quite a few times.
Shimon
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From: Yitschak Maser <semaser@...>
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 21:19:55 +0100
Subject: Rashi in T'ruma: 13 vs 15 items
Mark Symons wrote about the list of items for the tabernacle:
> But it seems to me that there is a much simpler explanation. Of the 15
> items listed, the Torah already tells us the purpose of 2 of them - oil
> ("for lighting") and spices ("for the anointing oil and aromatic
> incense"). So Rashi only has to tell us about the purpose of the
> remaining 13.
>
> Comments? Do any of the commentaries on Rashi make this point? I wanted
> to check Rosenbaum and Silbermann but I can't my Sh'mot volume.
Saul Mashbaum wrote:
> Rosenbaum and Silbermann say almost the same thing. To Mark Symon's
> thesis it may be objected that the purpose of the two items in verse 7
> (two types of stones) is also stated. However, R&S come to the same
> conclusion that Mark proposes: 13 of the items listed were used for the
> construction of the tabernacle or the priestly garments, the ones in
> verse 6, the oil and spices, were not.
For Rabbi Munk zatsal (Call of the Torah on Shemos 25:6) the mention of
the oil and the spices in verse 6 forms a kind of parenthesis to the
list. And he draws a lesson: these two sacred substances do not relate
to the construction of the tabernacle or the priestly garments but are
part of the service. The Torah mentions them here to give us a
perspective of the twofold objective of the Mishkan: to illuminate with
the Divine spirit (symbolized by the oil) and to help bring about man's
return to Hashem through the sacrifices (represented by the incense).
Kol tuv
Yitschak Maser
Montpellier, France
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From: Dr. Josh Backon <backon@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:39:32 +0200
Subject: Re: Synagogue searching for first rabbi
>Can anyone share with me their experience in having a relatively new
>synagogue search for its first rabbi? How did they approach the process?
>What questions were asked of the congregation and of the potential
>candidates? How did the voting process work? What authority was the
>rabbi granted in the by-laws?
As long as you don't wind up with the following:
A certain American congregation can't stand their rabbi so when another
congregation makes inquiries if he's available to relocate, the shul
president sends an eloquent letter of recommendation: "Our rabbi is like
Moshe Rabbenu, he's like Shakespeare, he's like the Ribono Shel
Olam!!". With a letter like this, the new shul hires him sight
unseen. Comes the first shabbat and he gives a drasha. He's a total
disaster. Right after Havdala the president of the new shul fires off an
angry fax to the first shul: "Why did you lie??" They get back an
answer. "We didn't lie! Like Moshe Rabbenu he can't speak a word of
English; like Shakespeare, he knows nothing about Yiddishkeit; and like
God: DER RIBONO SHEL OYLAM IZ NISHT A MENSCH, EHR IZ OYCHET NISHT A
MENSCH!" :-)
Josh Backon
<backon@...>
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From: Shimon Lebowitz <shimonl@...>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:31:55 +0200
Subject: Re: Tefillin and Sheheheyanu
> I recently ordered new tefillin which should be arriving any day.
> Should I say sheheheyanu when I "lay" them the first time? My bobba z"l
> did not say tithadesh when someone had new shoes because an animal died
> to make them. Would this apply to tefilin and can I make the
> gezera-shava from tithadesh to sheheheyanu?
When I had the same question I mentioned it to a rav (not a "posek", but
a rav). He told me we don't make a shehecheyanu for tefillin per se, but
there is a general rule to say it for "keilim chdashim" - new utensils
etc.
Since (or 'if') you have joy at acquiring the new item, he said the
bracha is appropriate - at acquisition rather than at use.
This is NOT a psak, CYLOR. :)
Shimon Lebowitz mailto:<shimonl@...>
Jerusalem, Israel PGP: http://www.poboxes.com/shimonpgp
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From: Perets Mett <p.mett@...>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 13:22:15 +0000
Subject: Re: Tefillin and Sheheheyanu
We do not say (tevale) vetischadeish for new shoes (O:Ch 223 final line
of R'MO). What lies behind this is that the 'greeting' means "May you
live long enough to outlive these shoes and require new ones" implying
that it will be necessary to kill **another** animal to produce the new
pair of shoes. (similar to, but not quite, the reason given by Saul
Davis)
This reasoning would not apply to shehecheyonu (though most people would
not make shehecheyonu for new shoes anyway, since they are more of a
necessity than an enjoyable experience).
All this implies that one should say shehecheyonu for new tfilin, but I
have been able to find a clear ruling on this.
Perets Mett
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From: Guido Elbogen <havlei.h@...>
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:05:17 +0200
Subject: Re: Tefillin and Sheheheyanu
I recently ordered new tefillin which should be arriving any day.
Should I say sheheheyanu when I "lay" them the first time?
Mishna Brurah paskens not to say sheheheyanu
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From: SBA <sba@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 23:27:28 +1100
Subject: What if only Levi available is not Shomer Shabos
From: .cp.
> ..since shevet Levi was not involved in the Golden Calf creattion ,
> the person having the aliya would not be "embarassed".
>
> HOWEVER, this really begs a few questions.
> 1: What if only Levi available is not Shomer Shabos? is not Shomer
> Kashrus?
I would say that in depends on your shul's policies. Do you give aliyas
to a Mechalelei Shabbos or not?
If not, then IMHO, this is not a good enough reason to call him up.
After all, Chazal say that being Mechalel Shabbos is like worshipping
Avodah Zarah, something which the Golden Calf was...
SBA
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From: Rich, Joel <JRich@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:56:02 -0400
Subject: Yishtabach
>> If Tfillin are not on yet when you get to Yishtabach and the zman
>> arrives, should one say Yishtabach first?
>>
>> If one is a bit ahead (more than 3 minutes say) of the Chazan and hits
>> Yishtabach, should one wait for the Chazan or say Yishtabach and wait
>> for Barchu.
>This is the psak of the Rav of Mizrachi, Melbourne, Rav Yaakov Sprung:
>
>1. the ba'al tefilla MUST NOT reach yishtabach before the time for
>putting on tallit and tefillin
>
>2. the ba'al tefilla shall put on tallit and tefillin with their
>accompanying brachot before saying yishtabach (omitting Barchi Nafshi
>and V'eirastich li)
>
>3. the congregation should say yishtabach first and then put on tallit
>and tefillin as described in No. 2.
>
>4. the ba'al tefilla MUST WAIT until the majority of mitpallelim have
>put on tallit and tefillin before proceeding with Kaddish.
>
>Mark Symons
For a detailed discussion you may want to listen to :
http://www.yutorah.org/showShiur.cfm/717885/Rabbi_Mordechai_I._Willig/Recent_Changes_to_Daylight_Savings_Time_and_their_Halachic_Implications
He suggests alternative approaches to the one discussed above.
Mark- Did Rabbi Sprung explain why the difference between the shatz and
the tzibbur? Does your shul ever change shatz at Yishtabach (when more
than one chiyuv), if so how do they act in this situation (I assume they
change before not after yishtabach as a general rule - separate issue -
I've always assumed this switch was done there so the kaddish not be
orphaned- else since Yishtabach closes out psukei dzimra it would make
more sense to switch after yishtabach - but I never asked)
KT
Joel Rich
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End of Volume 54 Issue 29
