Volume 6 Number 70
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Administrivia
[Avi Feldblum]
Halachah, Inventions and Other Matters
[Meylekh Viswanath]
Kosher L'Pesach Pet Food
[Hillel Markowitz]
Orthodox Conversion in Toronto
[Henry Abramson]
Passover Approved Medicine List
[Hillel Markowitz]
Pesach Digest
[Hillel Markowitz]
Pesach Food Update
[Hillel Markowitz]
Rashi
[Lou Rayman]
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From: <mljewish@...> (Avi Feldblum)
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1993 18:22:23 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Administrivia
Hello All!
As some of you may have guessed, we had problems with nysernet eduring
the week. It was moved to it's new location on Sunday, but came up with
several bad disks, including the one I am on. All looks to be fine now.
There is a fair amount of backed up mail, but I will move Pesach related
items to the front of the queue.
One (or two) minor item that will make my job a bit easier. If your mail system
does not send along your real name in the From: header, please include
it in the beginning of your message. It makes it easier than going to
the end of your message if you have it in your signature, esp if it is a
multiscreen submission. Along the same lines, the Subject: line will
likely just be Re: mail jewish vol x whatever, if you use the Reply
function. In those cases, if you include at the top of your message what
the real Subject is, that will make things easier for me.
A standard reminder to all to please translate any Hebrew terms that you
use. If there are too many untranslated terms, I will send the message
back to you for fixing up.
Now to get some of the backlog taken care of, and out to you all!
Avi Feldblum
mail.jewish Moderator
<mljewish@...>
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From: <VISWANATH@...> (Meylekh Viswanath)
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 93 11:12:47 -0500
Subject: Re: Halachah, Inventions and Other Matters
Manny Lehman wrote in an earlier issue:
>There have been several postings lately stemming from the suggestion
>that the Conservatives had justified or even "permitted" driving cars on
>Shabbat because "cars had not been invented at the time of Matan Torah
>(Giving of the Torah) or in the time of the Gemarah".
He then went on to provide a very illuminating discussion of takones,
gezeires (edicts), horaas sho (a special law for special times?) etc;
Since mine was the original posting, I want to clarify certain matters:
The point I was making was on the order of a 'lomdish' (academic?)
argument: could one justify the conservative position on the basis of
certain statements made by rishonim? There was no attempt on my part
to suggest that the conservatives did in fact have such statements in
mind when they enacted their laws.
My objective was actually to elicit some more information about this
statement that was allegedly made by a rishon. As it turned out some
of my original information was wrong. Since then I have obtained more
information from my rabbi, but it is in Hebrew and I find it difficult
to read Hebrew especially when nuances may be buried in the language;
so I have put it aside. However, here is my revised understanding of
the matter.
The argument was: 1) we learn out about the prohibitions of shabes from
the melokhes (labours/tasks?) involved in the building of the mishken
from the hekesh (juxtaposition) of shabes to the building of the mishken
in the Torah. 2) If this is so, then perhaps we can extrapolate from
the context of the mishken to the prohibitions of shabes, as to the
precise nature of the acts prohibited.
In my original posting, I had said that the scholar involved was the
Ra'ah. However, I learned later that this was not the case. My rabbi
then gave me some tshuves (responsa) that dealt inter alia with this
matter. These tshuves are by Shalom Mordekhai HaKohen Schwadron ( I
believe he is better known by an acronym, Maharsham?) and the name
of the sefer is Daath Torah, Hagahoth veBiurim, Khiddushim uPsakim
al Shulkhan Arukh, Oyrekh Khayyim, dated taf shin kaf beth. From
my earlier attempts to peruse it, I believe it quotes from the
tosfes on the last lines of baba kama 1A, dealing with oves melokho
and toldes melokho (primary and derivatory prohibitions?). Also,
there was a discussion of electricity and whether it was deoraysa or
derabbonon, which was the context for bringing in the point of how
similar an act had to be to the corresponding act performed in the
mishken for it to be oser (prohibited) deoraysa.
I did not write any more on the matter previously because I did not
have all the information properly digested (In fact my original
posting was designed to elicit more information from m.j. readers, but
it didn't quite work out that way). I am writing now to clarify
an apparent misunderstanding. I will be happy to send xeroxes of the
material I have to anybody who desires it and/or would be willing to go
through it and report to m.j.
Meylekh.
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From: <hem@...> (Hillel Markowitz)
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 93 17:50 EST
Subject: Kosher L'Pesach Pet Food
The Baltimore Vaad Hakashrus Kashrus Kurrents update has the following
to say about pet food.
NOTE: Make sure to check all labels. THere should be no wheat starch
or wheat gluten listed, or dairy and meat ingredients listed together.
Birds - Natural Sunflower Seeds, Millet, Pure Sesame Feeder.
Cats -
Amore: Ocean Whitefish, Seafood Supreme
Fancy Feast: Chopped Grill Feast, Beef & Chicken Feat, Savory Salmon
Feast, Tender Liver & Chicken Feast, Cod, Sole & Shrimp Feast.
Dogs -
Alpo: Chunky, CHunky Turkey & Bacon, Liver, Liver Chunks, Chunky
Chicken, Beef Chunks, Chunky Beef & Liver, Protein Plus, Puppy,
Senior.
Ken-L Ration: Special Cuts
Mighty Dog (from Carnation Co., L.A.): Pure Beef, Pure Beef & Chicken,
Gourmet Dinner, Pure Beef, Pure Turkey & Bacon.
Goldfish - Freeze Dried Worms
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From: Henry Abramson <abramson@...>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 93 21:18:57 -0500
Subject: Orthodox Conversion in Toronto
Jonathan Golden enquired about contacts for Orthodox conversion. The
secretary of the Bet Din is Rabbi Benayon (416) 636-0865. Normally
another Rabbi acts as a sponsor and can provide more detailed
information.
Henry Abramson <abramson@...>
University of Toronto
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From: <hem@...> (Hillel Markowitz)
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 93 17:58 EST
Subject: Passover Approved Medicine List
A Passover Guide to COsmetics and Medicines has been prepared by Rabbi
Gershon Bess, Kollel of Los Angeles, 7466 Beverly Blvd. #204, Los
Angeles, CA 90036, (213) 933-7193.
The Baltimore Vaad Hakashrus 11 Warren Road, Baltimore, Md. 21208-5324
(410) 484-4110, has printed a summary in its Kashrus Kurrents with the
permission of Rabbi Bess.
It is too long to type in so call for a copy. (A donation to cover
expenses is recommended [my note])
The following note in the Kashrus Kurrents is important.
Although a drug may contain chometz, if no substitute is available, a
competent Rav should be consulted who may determine that since the
chometz is not in palatable form it may be permitted. In cases where a
life threatening situation exists even chometz in a palatable form may
be permitted. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD AN INDIVIDUAL TAKE IT UPON
HIMSELF TO FOREGO TAKING A PRESCRIBED MEDICATION WITHOUT FIRST
CONSULTING ONE'S PHYSICIAN OR RAV. [emphasis added - HEM]
| Hillel Markowitz | Od Yishama Bearei Yehudah |
| <H_Markowitz@...> | Av Hakala 10 Sivan 5753 |
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From: <hem@...> (Hillel Markowitz)
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 93 18:06 EST
Subject: Pesach Digest
A very useful book (republished every year with up to date product
guides) is
The Laws of Pesach: A Digest
Rabbi Avrohom Blumenkrantz
Bais Medrash Ateres Yisroel
827 Cornaga Avenue
Far Rockaway, N.Y. 11691
(718) 337-6506 or
(718) 337-6144
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From: <hem@...> (Hillel Markowitz)
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 93 17:36 EST
Subject: Pesach Food Update
The following information is copied from an update to the Baltimore Vaad Hakashrus, Kashrus Kurrents newsletter.
It can be obtained from
Baltimore Vaad Hakashrus 11 Warren Road Baltimore, Md. 21208-5324
(410) 484-4110
RealLemon lemon juice is kosher for Pesach
Combat Roach Control System is edible chometz and must be sold
Playdough is edible chometz
Bounty and Brawny paper towels use a corn starch based glue to seal the
outer sheet. THe first three sheets and the last sheet attached to the
cardboard should not be used in contact with food.
Postum is Chometz
Colgate-Palmolive Dishwasing Liquid is NOT kosher for Pesach
Empire Prepared products are Kosher for Pesach when they have Kosher
for Passover on the bottom of the labelling panel.
Grapemist Grape Juice is Kosher for Pesach
Corian Sinks and Counter Tops should be treated like any plastic
laminated counter tops and should be covered.
Frozen Orange Juice and Grapefruit Juice need not say "Grade A" but
must be 100% Pure Juice with no sweeteners additives or preservatives
Frozen Fruit - Any unsweetened additive free, whole, sliced, or formed
frozen fruit (e.g. sliced peaches, melon balls) are acceptable.
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From: Lou Rayman <Rayman_L@...>
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 93 09:09:57 -0500
Subject: re: Rashi
Eli Turkel writes:
> I have tried to do some research on Rashi on various mesechtot but
> have not been successful. Rav Azulai in shem gedolim quotes a yad
> malachi that the "Rashi" on nedarim from page 22 and on is from Rabbenu
> Gershon.
Which Rabbenu Gershon? The Rabbenu Gershon, called the "Meor Hagolah" - Light
of the Exile - famous for his decrees against polygamy, reading others mail,
etc., lived before Rashi (not by much). If I recall correctly, Rashi's own
teachers were his students.
p.s. There is an excellecnt little book called, simply, "Rashi", by Chaim Perl.
It is part of the "Jewish Thinkers" series (I have not read, or even seen, any
of the other books in the series). It comes in a green jacket. I bought it for
about $5 at the Strand bookstore at the Seaport.
Lou Rayman
<rayman_l@...>
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End of Volume 6 Issue 70
