Thursday, January 31, 2013

Chumra Of The Day


 Daf of the week

The Gemoro (Avoda Zarah 53a) and Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 141-8) say, “You are not allowed
to replicate the shulchan and menorah  etc. of the Bais Hamikdash. The type of metal
or size doesn't matter.  You may not make a seven branch Menorah”*.

The Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe Parshas Yisro) writes (based on a Tosfos Yoma 54b) that
wood tables may be made, because we  hold, wood tables were posul in the Bais Hamikdosh .
Metal tables may not be made,because any metal table in the Bais Hamikdosh is kosher b'dieved.
The Ch. S. continues that he sees no heter for the matzoh bakery to have copper tables.
The Darkei Teshuva (Y.D. 141-8) argues with the Ch. S. , he writes,
We find  the Gemoro (Shabbos119a) R. Chiya b Aba praised the ba’al habayis who
brought in l’kovod shabbos a golden table. If it would be assur to make, he would
not have praised him.


*There are some poskim who hold that if the branches are not in line, then
even a seven branch menorah is o.k. The  Bchor Shor, Pischei Teshuva and Chida ,
etc. disagree.
They claim that it is assur and not to be meikil (lenient) being we are dealing
with an issur deoriesa.(Lo sa’asun iti elohei chesef--)

(I am just wondering if the same logic would apply to stainless steel tables,
used in commercial kitchens and matzah bakeries etc.. Shouldn't we  be machmir

like the Chasam Sofer, being we are dealing with an issur deoriesa?)

Monday, January 28, 2013

Brachos Torah Trivia


Dov Ber the diabetic couldn't control himself when he saw the chocolate danish.
He decided to eat it.
The Rov tells him to make a Brocho Rishono but he shouldn't make a Brocho Achrono.



1)  Brocho Achrono needs a shiur .(minimum amount must be eaten)
2) Brocho Rishono has no shiur.(no minimum food need to be eaten)
3) You don't make a Brocho on food that is harmful.

When he bites into the first Mashehu (minimum piece), it is not yet
harmful (too small) , he is mechuyav in a brocho rishono.

After eating a shiur, it is harmful, therefore no Brocho Achrono.

psak from R.Y.S. Elyashiv zt"l


Friday, January 25, 2013

Ish hanikro baal haseior *1


R. Avrohom  (from) Troy writes in the Hakdama to his sefer,
he once dreamt on Friday night Parshas Beshalach ,that he sat at a table
with a very old man who had a white beard and long hair.

The old man asked him who was the greatest Navi and R.AT
answered “Moishe Rabeinu.” He then asked why did Moishe wait
to say the Shira until after Kreias Yam Suf. All other Nevi’im said
the Nevua before the happening.

R.AT answered that Moishe Rabeinu was concerned that the
Bnei Yisroel who weren’t strong in their emuna  won’t believe
him and won’t say the shira. He waited until after Krias Yam Suf.
Then it became Vayaminu Bahashem Uv’moishe avdo. Oz (when
they believed) Yoshir--.

"The old man accepted my answer with simcha."

R.AT continues that he always felt that the old man he saw in his
dream was Eliyahu  Hanavi.

One day he (R.AT) saw the tshuvas maharam who writes the
following story
.*2

Rabeinu Efraim (baalei hatosfos). had a dream
that an old man who was hairy (long hair) had a hadras ponim
and long beard, served him a bowel of insects.

R. Efraim asked him why was he serving  him treifos. The old
man answered  that being He eats  Barbuta  fish  which is non kosher 
he deserves a bowel of sherotzim.  R. Efraim.said that the old man was
Eliyahu Hanavi and  from then on he refrained  eating Barbuta fish.


R.AT writes that after he saw this story and description of the old man
he became convinced that the old man he saw   (with the long hair) in his

dream was Eliyahu Hanavi

*1 piyut motzei shabbos
*2 Part of this story is is brought down in Hagahos Oshri (Rosh avoda zarah
Perek 3 Siman 41)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

long strides (pesia gasa) on shabbos.


Weekly Daf Shabbos 113 b
Rebbie asked from R. Yishmael b.r. Yosi  if you are allowed to take long strides (pesia gasa) on shabbos.

R. Yishmael b.y. answered that even in the weekdays it is forbidden." Sheani Omer (because I R. Yishmael say)
Pesia gasa noteles echod meichameish meios mimeor einov shel odom-"
Long strides removes 1/500 of the light from the eyes.

The Ben Ish Chai writes that R. Yishmael prefaced his statement with SHEANI OMER – I
SAY . 
R. Yishmael did not hear this from his father or Rebbe,he said it from his own experience.
R. Yishmael was obese and it was very difficult for him to take long strides. He assumed
that for others who are not overweight it is also strenuous.
The gematria of PESIAH GASA (bemilui- Pei= pei+ hei etc.) equals 570.  The same as
yovad echad mtav kuf.(he will lose 1/500)

Monday, January 21, 2013

One More Mitzva Gedola


Tur (E.H.60) Mitzvah Gedola l'sameach Choson v'Kallah--.

It's interesting The mechaber in Shulchan Aruch skips the word Gedola
(Mitzva L'sameach---.)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tomid B'simcha


Daf of the week



R.Noson Sternhartz wrote that R. Nachman Breslover said ,

"Mitzvah Gedolah Liyhos B’simcha Tomid."

1)  What makes this a mitzvah?      None of the monei hamitzvohs
count this as a mitzvah.  It is true , that mitzvahs should be done
besimcha. This is a way to do the mitzvah but not a mitzvah in itself.

2)  How can you say “Tomid” if there are times when not only
is it not a mitzvah but an aveirah ?
In Hl Aveilos # 391 – 1  Aveil  asur liyhos b’simcha .

3)  Why is this, a mitzvah gedola and other mitzvahs are not gedola?

I found only one mitzvah gedola in the whole Shulchan Aruch  
“Mitzvah gedola l’haspid hameis  koroui” ( It is a great mitzvah to eulogize
a niftar properly).

There is one more mitzvah where gedola is mentioned
Hl. Pidyon Sh’vuyim “ein lecho mitzvah gedola k’pidyon sh’vuyim.
PS. I have no answer to the questions,

 Yehi ratzon, the day of "B'simcha Tomid" should arrive b'karov mamash.

Monday, January 14, 2013

What Should Be Eaten With Mustard

In this week’s parsha (Bo), there is an item that the shulchan aruch says  should be eaten with mustard


<em>French's Mustard</em>, Classic Yellow - 20 oz (1 lb 4 oz) 567 g


Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 61 – 12) Matnos Kehuno (meats) should be roasted and eaten with mustard.
( should be eaten in a royal manner , like kings eat their food.)
One of the 24  Matnos Kehuno is, the sheep that is used to redeem a first born
donkey, and given to the Kohen. (pidyon peter chamor).

Ugos Matza

One of the Kellolim (rules) in Rashi is, he explains  the word when  it appears the first time

in the Torah or Gemoro.
12- 39 Vayofu es habotzeik – ugos matzohs . Rashi explains  Botzeik Shelo Hichmitz
Korui  Matzoh (unleavened dough is called Matzoh)
Why did Rashi wait until pasuk # 39 to explain what a matzah is?
The word matzaha appears in  Breishis 19 – 3  umatzhos ofoh vayocheilu.
It also appears in this same parsha three times before the pasuk of Ugos matzhos. 
1)Shmos 12- 17    ushmartem es hamatzhos --   2) 12 -18    boerev tochlu matzhos –
3) 12- 20 b’chol moshvoseichem tochlu matzhos.
Why did Rashi not explain what a matzah is in Bereishis or at least the first time in this
 parsha?




Answer:


 Yoma 75a :   By the Mon (Manna) it is written, Vetochanu , Ugos, and Lechem.
Lechem (bread-finished product) was for the Tzadikim ,  Vetochanu (needed grinding)
for Reshoim and  Ugos was for the beinonim.
Rashi explains the word Ugos “mashma kodem afiyah”  - before it is baked. The
beinonim didn’t need to grind the Mon but they still had to bake it.
It is not necessary for Rashi to explain what a baked matzah is. Every child knows
that an unleavened baked bread is called a matzah.

In pasuk 12 – 39 it says Ugos Matzohs , Rashi is explaining that not only
is an unleavened baked bread  called Matzah , an unleavened  dough
is also called  Matzah.


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Daf of the week שבת לחמקשש


  שבת לחמקשש   740   =  


The Gematria of Mekoshesh equals Shabbos +38 .The Mekoshesh kept shabbos by
refraining from 38 melochos. One melocho, he  didn’t refrain from, and was mechallel
Shabbos.*
There is a Machloko in the Gemoro which one it was.  a) Tolesh - b) Meamer -c) Mavir daled amos.
*Chasam Sofer

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Yes & No, Yes & No-Trivia


When do we have nine weeks in a row, where we alternate every week, one week
we do say Tzidkoscho Tzedek (Shabbos Mincha) and the following week we don’t say?

Answer:

When Rosh Chodesh Shvat falls on Shabbos. (this year)

(Shu"t Mahari Bruno # 150)



 1) Shmos                          Y

 2) Voeirah                        N      Rosh Chodesh

 3) Bo                                 Y

 4 )Beshalach                    N       Tu Bishvat

 5) Yisro                             Y

 6) Mishpatim                    N       Erev  Rosh Chodesh Adar

 7) Trumah                         Y

 8) Tetzaveh                       N        Erev Purim

 9) Ki sisa                           Y   

           Y = say      N = don’t say

Monday, January 7, 2013

R. Eliyahu Bachur Tefila


A man whose wife died, came to the Steipler zt”l . He cried bitterly that he is very
lonely and misses terribly his wife.
The Steipler tried to console him and said that he too misses his rebetzin even though
she was niftar a  long while ago.
Hashem created this world and in his wisdom decided that when it’s time
for a person to die, he should die alone without his or her spouse. Usually both spouses
don’t die at the same day. One dies first and then the other. The Steipler continued
“I am thankful to Hashem  and this is also my nechama ,that she went first, and I am still
alive” .

R. Eliyahu Bachur wrote a beautiful poetic tefilah. He asks Hashem  that his wife should not
become an almanah, and he should not become an almen.

"הלל אל אל המלך נאמן אבינו האב הרחמן
שהחייני עד הגעתי עתה אל זה היום וזמן
היה איתי עד נטעתי זה הנטע נטע נעמן
בו נגלות כל המילות העבריות עם תרגומן
גם הוא מורה בגיליון איה תחנותן ומקומן
הוא כמליץ שהוא ממליץ ובטוב מילין הוא מטעימן
ויי שוכן שמים וממנו דבר לא נטמן
ידע כי לא עשיתי זאת להיות נקרא רב או אמן
כי הנותן לכסיל כבוד כצרור אבן תוך ארגמן
לאל בלבד נאה כבוד ולזולתו הא ליכא מאן
הן לכבודו ולאהבתו בלבד רשמתי רישומן
אנא אלי לי ולאשתי החסד גם האמת מן
שהיא לא תהיה אלמנה ואני לא אהיה אלמן
יחד נמות ובגן עדנות תוך חיקה אישן עד לזמן
יבוא הקץ

Where does the expression BOBBE MA’ASES come from?


Where does the expression BOBBE MA’ASES come from?

The first chumash that was translated into Yiddish, was done by R. Eliyahu Bachur*.
He wrote tens of seforim on dikduk ,mesorah and ta’amim. He also translated and
wrote many seforim and books in Yiddish.
He translated (Yiddish) a story about a prince called Bobbe Dantuna. He called the
book, Bobbe Buch.
The expression Bobbe Ma’ases, started with his Buch. It has nothing to do with a
grandmother  but a prince called Bobbe.

*Most Seforim  who quote his Seforim, call him,  “Habachur”
  He was married , some speculate that he got married late
  and Habachur remained stuck to his name. Others claim Habachur
  means the chosen. 

An Anti Semite- Who was the Mechaber of the Kitzur Smag

R. Moishe  mi Kutzi  one of the Ba’alei Hatosfos, wrote the  Sefer Mitzvos Gadol
better known as the Smag. The sefer is divided in two parts , 1) asei  2 ) lo sasei. on all
 the taryag mitzvos.
 In  1763  a new sefer was printed by the name Kitzur Smag. The publisher,
Shimon ben Meir from Karlsruhe, Germany, claimed  in the hakdamah, that the
Kitzur Smag  was written by the Smag.(R.M.Kutzi) He also claimed ,he found this sefer after
it being lost for over 500 years.

 The Kitzur is very difficult to understand.  It is full of mistakes. In many places it has the first
 and last sentence from the original Smag and skips the middle so that it makes no sense at all.
There are many mitzvos where instead of shortening it,  he lengthens it with all the  details
of the mitzvah.
                          WHO WAS THE REAL MECHABER OF THE KITZUR SMAG ?

R. Elyiah Bachur*1  had a goyish student ,Sebastian Munster*2, whom he taught loshon hakodesh and Torah.*3
S. Munster eventually became a Lutheran Priest and a Hebrew professor in Basel, Switzerland
and Heidelberg.Germany.
He authored an Hebrew ,Aramaic, Latin dictionary. He also translated into Latin the Aruch , Sefer
Hshoroshim  (Radak) and other seforim.
He published missionary books in loshon hakodesh.  He was a rabid anti Semite   even though
his Rebbe was a yid (R. Elyahu Bachur) .

He wrote a sefer where he tries to show how irrational the Jewish religion is. He called it Mitzvos.Hatorah.
The kitzur Smag printed 200 years later by Shimon ben Meir is an exact copy word for word of this
sefer of the Rosho Sebestian Munster.


*1 He is considered the father of dikduk and mesorah, he was also the proof reader at the Bomberg Press.
*2   1488-1552
*3  against the advice of many gedolim in his time.



Thursday, January 3, 2013

It's a peleh


DAF OF THE WEEK


The Sefer Midrash Peliah (The Puzzling Midrash )  is a compilation of puzzling statements and riddles.
Contrary to popular belief, they  are not midroshei chazal .They  were invented by Darshonim
who made up  illogical statements and then solved them.

R. Ovadyah Yosef shlita (Yechave Da’as 5-3) quotes a Midrash Peliah and a solution
from R. Akiva Eiger zt”l

“Ein manichim tefilin ela bashabbos”  You don’t put on Tefilin only on Shabbos.
 The spelling of bashabbos   bais shin bais sof – Bamokom Sa’ar  Bamokom Tafuach
Rosh is placed where there is (was) hair . Yad is placed on part of arm where  the muscles are.

The Maharsha in mehadura basra ( Shabbos 88b) explains , the pasuk in Tehilim (119 -164) 
"Sheker soneisi va’asaeivoh , toiroscho ohovti". I have hated falsehood and abhorred it,
your torah I love.
Dovid Hamelech is referring to the Darshonim who fool the public with their lies. They
say  over midrashim shekorim (invented midrashim)  and then explain the midrash with
their lies. He only likes true Torah and not invented lies.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

What was their names ?


The Gemoro (Bava Basra 91a) says that the name of Avraham Avinu's mother was Amaslai bas Karnevu.*

Rashi explains the reason the Gemoro is telling you this information, is because we all know the names of
the mothers of Yitzchok and Yakov, so we might as well know the name of Avraham's mother.

Most of us know the wives names of Yehuda & Yosef ,so we might as well know names of the other
Shivtei Koh.

* R. M.B. Weissmandel zt"l, writes he found in a sefer that if someone is ch"v in a danger, he should
say the name.(Amaslai bas Karnevu) 




איש וביתו באו                                                           
ראובן--- אליורם
שמעון--- דינה, בונה
לוי--- עדינה י"א  אותה
יהודה--- תמר
יששכר--- ארידה
זבולון--- מרושה
דן--- אפללת
נפתלי--- מרימת
גד--- עוצית
אשר--- הדורה
יוסף--- אסנת
בנימין--- מחליא


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