Volume 7 Number 63
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Administrivia
[Avi Feldblum]
Camping on Shabbat
[Jeffrey Secunda]
Duchanin by non-shomer Kohanim
[Leon Dworsky]
Hallel
[Mark Frydenberg]
Holocaust Museum Food Service
[Alan Stein]
Kosher Vendor near Holocaust Museum
[Pinchus Laufer]
Pest control industry in Israel
[Neil Saffer]
Shabbos goy
[James Harper]
Shavers
[Joseph Greenberg]
Women and Orthodoxy (and note on Hebrew)
[Rachel Sara Kaplan]
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From: mljewish (Avi Feldblum)
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1993 12:32:15 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Administrivia
Hello All,
As you may have noticed, you did not get a flood of mail-jewish issues
over the memorial day weekend, as I had indicated would happen. It
appears that nysernet was either down or just not accepting telnet
connections on Sunday and most of Monday, when I had planned to do a
bunch of m-j work. Since then I have been tied up with running a
workshop (the stuff I get paid to do) so have not had any time for
anything else. As such, there is a lot of stuff you have all sent in and
it is being delayed a bit in getting out. My apologies, and I will try
and get on it over the weekend and work down the backlog.
Avi Feldblum
mail.jewish Moderator
<mljewish@...>
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From: Jeffrey Secunda <SECUNDA@...>
Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 13:32:00 EST
Subject: Camping on Shabbat
As the Asst. Scoutmaster of a Shomer Shabbat Boy Scout troop outside of
Boston, I have initiated a project of compiling a sefer on "Camping on
Shabbat." A shomer Shabbat troop has the challenge of either severely
limiting camp-outs to weekdays, or undertaking the daunting task of
camping out over Shabbat, al-pi halacha. I am looking for references
which deal with the details of preparing the camp and cooking, as well
as general issues of camping such as is described in Devarim 23;14. I
would also appreciate receiving personal experiences and advice on
camping on Shabbat (both the good and disastrous). My working outline
includes: Food and Cooking; Shelter; Eruv; Hygiene; Modesty; Safety;
Muktzah; and Tephila. Many thanks. Jeffrey Secunda
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From: <ljd@...> (Leon Dworsky)
Date: Mon, 31 May 93 07:23:41 -0400
Subject: Duchanin by non-shomer Kohanim
In the shule that I grew up in, Kohanim who were not Shomer Shabbat
always left the sanctuary just before Duchanin time. If there were no
Shomer Shabbat Kohanim - no Duchanin.
I have also been in shules where none Shomer Kohanim joined the Shomer
Kohanim for Duchanin.
I recently attended a shule in which the only Kohane present was none
Shomer and not very observant at all. He Duchaned. I had never seen
this before, and I'm a senior citizen who has spent many a Yom-tov away
from home.
I was under the empirical impression that this was not done. Not being
capable of researching this thoroughly myself, I spoke to a very
scholarly friend. He too thought like I did, but much to his surprise,
after searching from the Rambam to Reb Moshe, he found that a Kohane was
disqualified for only four reasons - he was a murderer, an idol
worshiper, an apostate or the congregation hated him. He found that Reb
Moshe had bent over backwards, but could not justify disqualifying a
person such as I have described if he chose to Duchan.
Do you know if this situation - Duchanin with NO Shomer Kohane on the
bimah - is common? Have any of you had similar experiences? Are there
congregations that have minhagim, or Rabbanim, that do not allow this?
If so, how do they get around it in view of the Halacha?
I am most interested in your comments.
Leon <ljd@...>
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From: <mfrydenb@...> (Mark Frydenberg)
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 15:55:47 EDT
Subject: Hallel
My question arises after studying to lead Hallel this Shavuot.
The psalms in Hallel repeatedly make reference to Beit Yisrael [House of
Israel], Beit Aharon [House of Aaron, the Cohen] and Y'rei Adonai [those
who fear G-d]. Where are the Levites, and why aren't they mentioned?
Mark Frydenberg
<mfrydenb@...>
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From: <astein@...> (Alan Stein)
Date: Wed, 26 May 93 18:35:49 -0400
Subject: Re: Holocaust Museum Food Service
Actually, there is one kosher eatery in DC, the Hillel at George
Washington University. Last I heard, it served chinese food and was
open to the public.
Alan H. Stein <astein@...>
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From: <plaufer@...> (Pinchus Laufer)
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1993 10:58:32
Subject: Kosher Vendor near Holocaust Museum
As of Sunday May 30, 1993 a vendor of Kosher Foodstuffs has set up in
front of the Holocaust Museum. The current location is on 14th street
and Independence Ave. near the Museum & Bureau of Engravng and Printing.
Glatt hot dogs. kosher knishes and other kosher foods are being sold by
a Shomer Shabbos reliable individual. If he changes locations I will
inform you.
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From: Neil Saffer <084NEIL@...>
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 93 11:00:09 RSA
Subject: Pest control industry in Israel
I will be in Israel from June 13 for 6 weeks with a view to preparing for
aliya. I am a qualified zoologist with specific experience in entomology. If
anyone has any info and/or contacts in the line of domestic and industrial pest
control, please could you forward it to me.
Also, thanks to all those users for their time and trouble in transcribing the
hespeds of the Rav ZT"L and the fascinating personal accounts of his life.
Thanks in advance,
Neil Saffer, Dept Zoology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
South Africa.
Internet: <084neil@...>
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From: <James.Harper@...> (James Harper)
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 18:23:27 EST
Subject: Shabbos goy
I was wondering if anyone has any information about the laws
governing the "Shabbos goy." Some orthodox shuls hire a
non-Jew to set out cakes and wine for Kiddush after Musaf
and to serve shaleshudos. Is this practice kosher? I was
under the impression that a non-Jew may not be hired
specifically to perform a task on Shabbos.
James Harper Internet: <James.Harper@...>
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From: <Joseph_Greenberg@...> (Joseph Greenberg)
Date: Wed, 26 May 93 18:35:44 -0400
Subject: Shavers
Morrison Polodlak noted that my "test" for the "kashrut" of a shaver may
have developed from the opinion of the Chazon Ish... He is absolutely
right, I had forgotten the name of the source, and rather than make a
mistake, I left it out... but I understand that (as others have noted)
some shavers may techinically not touch the skin, but still be assur, so
as always, it is best to consult your LOR.
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From: Rachel Sara Kaplan <rachelk@...>
Date: Wed, 26 May 93 18:36:01 -0400
Subject: Women and Orthodoxy (and note on Hebrew)
Ok, this is going to sound like a very uneducated view point, which it
is, but I have some questions. I grew up in Virginia (northern
Virginia) which has a _very_ small Jewish population. Most of my Jewish
education occured after we moved out to California when I was 14. This
education was at a Conservative shul. My view and knowledge of
Orthodoxy until recently was pretty much the "standard outside public
view" which is one that sees Orthodoxy as very sexist and overly
restrictive. I am learning more, and I am begining to understand the
source and meaning of some of these seemingly sexist
rituals/views/rules. (For example, taharat hamishpacha at first glance
in our "sexually liberated" society can seem somewhat sexist in how it
"stigimitizes" menstruation.)
Anyway, the one area that I have had troubles coming to terms with is
not that men and women should be separated in services, but that women
are not allowed to be called up to the Torah. In recent posts it sounds
that women are alowed to study Torah, often in the context of a yeshiva.
(I have also read that it is important for husband and wife to study
Torah together) I have also read that often women have their own
separate service rather than just being behind the meschitza(sp). If a
service is all women can things like any kaddesh's be said since they
require a minyan, which usually means men? Are the women allowed to be
on a bima and read the torah if it is in a separate service from the
men? Is this view of allowing women to have their own service a
generally accepted one, just not something all women are interested in
taking on, or a minority view?
In reading books by many strong learned orthodox women it seems that
there is a place for torah scholars who are women. Yet so much of the
easily accessable view of orthodoxy is that women are not only not
obligated to attend daily minyan and study torah, but that they are
prohibited. All of this is a bit confusing to me. I can read books on
the matter, but I'd like to hear some experiences and knowledge from
people who are practicing orthodoxy, not just the ones who get published
(and I then go and find their books).
On a second, slightly unrelated note, I have found 2 book that teach
Hebrew in a way that seems easy to grasp for me. (One is prayerbook
Hebrew, one is focused on Tanach Hebrew. ) I left them both at home (so
I will work on my torah portion rather than my Hebrew vocabulary) so I
don't have the names with me, but I will forward the names of these to
the list when I bring them back in.
-Rachel
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End of Volume 7 Issue 63
