Friday, August 30, 2013

Is there a benefit for infants to listen to Toirah ?

Chazal (Chagiga 3a) ask why did the infants come and answer so to give reward to (the parents) who bring them.

From this answer, it seems, there is no benefit for infants who don’t understand
to listen in, to the learning. Otherwise, the simple answer would be
they came to listen so to have the Torah  absorbed in them.

How do we explain Chazal ( Yerushalmi Yevamos 8b) The mother of R. Yehoshua brought him in

his crib  (infant) into the Bais Haknesess so his ears will be attached to Torah.

When do you have Mishloach Manos and Kaparos on the same day?

לזכר נשמת ר' יצחק עמרם אליהו בן ר'אברהם אשי זצ"ל                    
יום השנה, יום ב' דראש השנה                                                                

  
The original Minhag of Kaparos is brought down in Rashi  Shabbos 81b.

Before Rosh Hashana they planted seeds in a flower pot, and on Erev Rosh Hashana they put the plant over the head and said Zeh Chalifosi etc. (Magen Avraham 605 : 3)

The Pri Chadash writes that he personally sends Mishloach Manos to poor people on
Erev Rosh Hashana because the Navi says (Nechemya 8: 10 -12) 
 לכו אכלו משמנים ושתו ממתקים ושלחו מנות לאין נכון                       
וילכו כל העם לאכול ולשתות ולשלח מנות                                       

The original Minhag, Kaparos and Mishloach were both done on Erev  Rosh Hashanah.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The married man with his broken heart

One of the Rishonim*, says that you should have

a Shliach Tzibbur who is married (Yomim Noraim) ,

because it says in Tehillim (51-19)
 לב נשבר ונדכא אלהים לא תבזה

A broken heart Hashem will not despise.

*I can't remember the source


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Shabbos 25 Elul

This year, on  Shabbos (Nitzavim Vayelech), not only should you learn the two sidrahs.
(Parshas Hashavua) You should also start a third one and continue on for the next
six days.


The Chida in Bikurei Yosef quotes R. Yisroel Lingo who quotes the Sefer Mesaprim Tehilos Hashem.

On the 25th day of Ellul (this coming Shabbos) the first day of creation, you should learn from

" Breishis Boro Elokim" until Yom Echad.

On the second day till Yom Sheini and so on every day. 

On Rosh Hashana the day creation was completed you start from Yom Hashishi till end of Parsha.


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Is it Mutar to shave

Shave on Erev Rosh Hashana


The Tur (O.Ch. 581) quotes the Midrash .
"The Minhag of the world is when a person has a court case, he dresses
in black ,wraps himself in black and grows his beard etc.
The Bnei Yisroel are different. They dress in white they wrap
 themselves in white  and shave their beards. ומגלחין זקנם)) )*

*גילוח  is shaving not trimming 

Friday, August 23, 2013

name Brurya's husband

Daf Hashavua
Pesachim 62b


The Hebrew Artscroll Gemoro misquotes from the Sefer Beniyahu*1 “ Brurya the wife of R. Mier Ba’al
Haness”.

The actual loshon of the Beniyahu is, “ Brurya the wife of R. Mier, the wife of the great Chover,
Ba’al Haness”.

It might sound insignificant, but there is an important  difference.

According to Artscroll’s incorrect quote. R. Mier the husband of Brurya is called R.Mier Ba’al Haness. (similar to R.Y.M. Kagen (Pupko)*2 is known today as the Chofetz Chaim etc.)

According to the original Beniyahu, Brurya the wife of R. Mier who was a great Talmid Chochom and a Ba’al Haness.  

Ba’al Haness is not part of his name, but a description
of his greatness .

I wrote in the past that the Tanna R. Mier and R. Mier Ba’al Haness were two different  people. Artscroll is not aware of it. The Ben Ish Chai could have been aware

of it.

*1Known as the Ben Ish Chai
*2 The Chofetz Chaim’s original family name was Pupko

It was changed to Kagen to avoid the Russian draft.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Hasgas Gevul

The Sefer Chasidim (#302) writes If you Lein the Torah with the tune
for Navie or Kesuvim,
or you Lein the Navie with the tune for Torah or Kesuvim
or you Lein Kesuvim with the tune for Torah or Navie,

You are Oiver on the Issur of Hasgas Gevul.

ותשובה ותפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רוע הגזירה

צום              קול          ממון

                                                       
                    
 ותשובה  ותפילה  וצדקה

What does Tzom got to do with Teshuva ,&  Kol with Tefillah ?

What is he trying to explain Tzedakah = money?

The Rambam Hl. Teshuva brings all the ingredients for Teshuva ,(Azivas Hachet, Charata, Vidu and Kabala Al Hatid)
 and no mention of fasting.

The Gemoro says that those who think you need Kol for
Tefillah are from the small believers. Wouldn't Kavanah
be more appropriate for Tefilah?

answer:
Mavirin Roa Hagezeirah can be interpreted two ways

1) Prevents bad Gezeiros from ch”v coming.

2) Removes (rids) bad Gezeiros that ch”v  already came .

To prevent bad Gezeiros  from coming the formula is
Teshuva, Tefilla and Tzedaka

To get rid of bad Gezeiros that ch”v. came, then you
do what The Rambam writes in Hl.Taniyos .
                                 
Tzom
(א- הל' ד') ומדברי סופרים להתענות על כל צרה-       
There is a mitzvah d’Rabanan to fast                       
                                   Kol

(א- הל' א') מצות עשה מה"ת לזעוק ולהריע בחצוצרות  
 Mitzvah min Hatorah to blow trumpets & scream
to Hashem.
                                      Mammon 
     

                                                                                             (ג' הל' ד'- הל' ח') ונועלין את החניות—ממעטין במשא ומתן

                                                                                                We close the shops - reduce doing business


  

Tzom Kol Mammon is not an interpretation of
Teshuva , Tefillah , Tzedakah    but a different formula
for a different situation.




   

Monday, August 19, 2013

Heavenly Books

The Maharil writes there is a Sefer in heaven called "Selicha Umechila"

The Perisho writes that there is a Sefer in heaven called "Shana Tovah"
That's the reason the Tur writes to wish one another "Bashana Tovah Tikaseivu"

instead of Lashana Tova etc. (in the book " Shana Tova" you shall be inscribed)

Eating Bitter Foods On Rosh Hashana


The Aruch Hashulchan (O. Ch. 583 :3) writes ," On the first night of Rosh Hashana
we avoid  eating sour and bitter foods.

Pepper is an exception, because ,you can't eat fish without pepper."



Many years ago I heard, that in Yeshivas Telz they served chrain on R.H.

The reason, I heard was, you can't eat Gefilte fish without chrain. 

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Bain Hashmoshes Question -Pesachim 54b

Daf Hashavua Pesachim 54b

Bein Hashmoshes , we consider night, Lechumra. (Erev  Shabbos,Tisha B’av etc.)

Why don’t we say every Bein Hashemoshos has a Chazaka that it is day ? 

Whenever we don’t know (safek) when a change happened, Chazaka tells us to assume,it happened at the latest possible time.


Why don’t we consider Bein Hashmoshes Vadai (sure) day, the original status ?  

Answer:

The   ( שמעתא ג' פרק ט'-י' ) *שב שמעתתאsays  חזקה העשויה להשתנות אינה חזקה a
Chazaka that will definitely  change is not considred a Chazaka.
A cow that was found to be Treifoh, Chazaka makes us assume that it happened the
latest possible time. All the milk from before this period is considered kosher .We have a Chazaka
because not  every animal becomes Treifoh. However Every Bein Hashmoshes  will eventually
become night, therefore we have no Chazaka.


*Quotes the Maharit

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Don't Forget To Have Kavannah


The Maharam Shick (Mitzva 605) writes, In a year where the upcoming year will be a
Shono Meuberes (leap year- like this year) The Chasam Sofer had in mind to be yotze
the Mitzvah of Zechiras Mechiyas Amalek , when they leined the Parshas Hashavua
of Ki Seitzei.

His reason was, according to the Gemoro people forget after 12 months.

Therefore we have Parshas Zachor once a year, not to be Oiver the Lav of
“Lo Tishkach”.   So as not to have from one Parshas Zachor to the following one,
more than 12 months, he made sure (in a leap year) to have Kavana to be yotze
the Mitzva at the Keriah of the Parshas Hashavua and again on Parshas Zachor.

It is  interesting, in the Teshuvos (E.H. 1: 119) The Chasam Sofer writes that

in a leap year the memory  does last for 13 months instead of 12.

Friday, August 9, 2013

עד דלא ידע


                                                              What is a  ידוע ?

 Rashi*1  says  that it is a Chaya. (Animal)

1)  The Rav. (Bartenura) writes*2 it is an animal that has all the
features of a human, but is attached with a cord from his belly button to the earth .
The Tiferes Yisroel  doubts this to be true. If it gets it sustenance through its cord,
Hashem would not have created it with a mouth.

2) According to the Tiferes Yisroel it is an Orangutan

3) The Rambam (Pirush Hmishnayos) says it is a bird.

*1 Devarim 18 : 11
*2 Kelaim 8 : 5- Sanhedrin : 7 :7


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Who Am I ?

אם בעצם ידוע
עצם ידוע
אז גם ידוע

חיה ששמה ידוע

The Gemoro (Sanhedrin 65b) explains the practice of  ידעוני . You place a
 bone from an animal called  ידוע in the mouth etc.  Some people incorrectly
translate  עצם ידוע a known bone . The true translation is a bone from an
animal called ידוע.
The same mistake,those who translate incorrectly Rashi(Devarim 18:11)
חיה ששמה ידוע    an animal that its name is known. The true translation
is, an animal whose name is ידוע.

אם בעצם ידוע
                                                                If it is actually known (If you know the translation)

עצם ידוע

                                                                                          of Etzem Yadua (Gemoro Sanhedrin)
אז גם ידוע

                                                     Then it will also be known (You will also know translation)
חיה ששמה ידוע

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     of Chaya Sheshmo Yadua (Rashi)


If you know the translation of Yaduah in the Gemoro(Sanhedrin)  then you will also know the  translation of Yaduah           in Rashi(Shoftim) {  both are names of the animal }

Torah Trivia

What is forbidden by night only in the month of Ellul? 

The Aruch Hashulchan (O. Ch. 581 : 12 ) writes. It is forbidden
to blow Shofar in the month of Ellul in the night time. (so as not to

awaken the negative forces of the night)

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Translation Of Nesher

 What is the translation of  נשר (NESHER) ?


Tosfos (Chulin 63a D.H. Neitz) claims, those who translate נשר, “ eagle” are
mistaken, because according to Chazal a nesher has only three fingers and
eagles have four fingers.
My nephew R. Ari Dick sent me this fascinating link
http://zootorah.com/essays/the-identity-of-the-nesher


Sifri

ת (ספרי ראה טז יא), הנזכר בראשונה הוא האהוב ביותר. [ולהפך:]

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