Thursday, October 31, 2013

Bar Mitzva Trivia

1)This year he becomes Bar Mitzvah not on his birthday.

2)Two boys were born on the same day, the same year.
One becomes Bar Mitzvah a day earlier than the other.

1) The Mishna Verurah (55 sk 45) writes If someone was born on Rosh Chodesh  Kislev that  had only
one day Rosh Chodesh and thirteen years later there are two days Rosh Chodesh (this year ) ,he
becomes Bar Mitzvah on the 30th day in Cheshvan. (not on his birthday 1st. Kislev)

2) The Piskei Teshuvos brings a Shita that holds, it depends if the child was born before the Molad or
after the Molad. Hence two children born on the same day, becoming Bar Mitzvah one day apart.(this year)


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Bechiras Libo-Intresting Teshuva From The Chasam Sofer Zatzal

It is common for wedding invitations to have one of the following words printed on the invitation, עב"ל or עב"ג . Im Bechiras Libo - Ploni is marrying Plonis, the choice of his heart. Or Im Bas Gilo - Ploni is marrying Plonis, his Basherte. 

 The Chasam Sofer (Shu”t O. Ch. 55) writes, the reason we don’t say      שהחיינו when getting married, is because we make the Bracha only when buying a new fruit or כלי which it is totally dependent on the Ratzon (will) of הקב"ה.

 Hashem had in mind you should buy this fruit, and you have no Bechira to change it for another one. Whereas a Shidduch if one decides not to marry his Basherte, Hashem will not interfere with his Bechira and will not force him to get married. Where the will of humans are involved in the acquisition, no שהחיינו is recited. 

 The Chasam Sofer  is not concerned with the Chazal that says “40 days before – Bas Ploni Liploni.” , 

a) Ein li eisak benistores The Ch. Sofer . doesn't get involved with things happening in Heaven.

b) The Ari Zal has a completely different Pshat in this Chazal. According to the Chasam Sofer printing Bechiras Libo would be appropriate. Marrying a woman is one of the few things in life where a person has Bechira ,if to get married.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Beautiful Story Of The Chasam Sofer That Never Happened.

There is a famous story of R Avraham Abish (Rov in Frankfurt). On Simchas Torah, instead of doing the Hakafos with a Sefer Torah, he took a young child in his hands and did theHakafos. He said that this child is the future Sefer Torah of Klal Yisroel. 

The child name was Moshe Sofer (Chasam Sofer)


This most beautiful story, all it is, is a story.

Even tough the Rema brings the Minhag of Hakafos on Simchas Torah. This Minhag was not established in Frankfurt until Reb Shamshon Refoel Hirsh  instituted it. (with much opposition)


In the times of R. Avraham Abish there
were no Hakafos on Simchas Torah 


Throwing cakes to children on Simḥat Torah, by Johann Leusden in Philologus Hebræo-Mixtus, Utrecht, 1657

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Kivrei Avos-The Story Of R. Mordechai Benet zt”l And The Chasam Sofer Zt"l

R. Mordechai Benet zt”l Rov of Nikolsburg, died while he was out of town, in a city called Lichtenstadt. 

He was buried, Al Tenai (on condition ) to be removed and reburied in Nikolsburg. 

When the time came to remove the body, the Yidden of Lichtenstadt refused to allow it to happen. 

The dispute was brought to the Chasam Sofer ( Shu”t 6 : 37). 
He writes even though people claimed to have heard from R.M.B. wanting to be buried in Nikolsburg, if it is from people who live in Nikolsburg, we can’t trust them because they are Nogeah Bedavar (biased). 

They want the Tzadik buried close to them so they won’t have to travel the distance. (to go to his Kever) 

The main reason the Chasam Sofer, did side with the Nikolsburg Yidden was because It is assumed that people want to be buried at Kivrei Avos or together with the rest of their family. 
The Rebbetzin and children of his were buried there. 

The Chasam Sofer gave a *conditional Heter to remove the Tzadik and rebury him In Nikolsburg. 


*The condition was, to be done in such a way, that there won’t be a problem (down the road) Goyim claiming that we allow the removal of bodies from kevorim .

Monday, October 21, 2013

The Shiduch Crisis

The Rambam wrote to his son that his hair turned white, because of the worries he had , marrying off his daughter. 
The Ksav Sofer explains the pasuk “Vahashem
Beirach es Avraham BAKOL.

One pshat in the gemoro is, he had no daughters.
Had he have had a daughter, even with all his money, he would of not have been completely blessed , because of the shidduch worries.


Friday, October 18, 2013

Trivia- How many dafim (blatt) does Meseches Shkalim have ?

Meseches Shkalim is the only Mesechte that has no Bavli, and two Yerushalmis.

One Yerushalmi is attached to the Bavli and the other, is part of Regular Yerushalmi.

There are a number of differences between the two. ( Y.= Yerushami- B. = attached to Bavli)

1) many different girsayos

2) Y. starts with דף א B.starts with דף ב

3) Y. Main meforshim are the Pnei Moishe & Korban Haeidah
B. Ribevan, Korban Haeida ,Taklin Chadetin

4) Y. Shkalim comes after Ms. Yoma, B. after Ms. Pesachim

5) Y. has 33 Dafim B.has 21 Dafim (different צורת הדף)


Thursday, October 17, 2013

How Many Cups Of Wine On Pesach? Four Or Five

Daf Hashavua Pesachim 118a

The Rif , Rambam, etc. hold , you are supposed  to drink 5 cups of wine at the Seder.

Just over 100 years ago there was a *Rov who claimed to have acquired a manuscript, found  in the *Royal Library in Metz. 

The manuscript was from the Maharal’s son in law, R. Eliya Katz,  on the Hagadah Shel Pesach.

The manuscript contained two Pirushim, named, “Divrei Negidim and Leshon Limudim” .  

Both Pirushim were (supposedly) written by R.E. Katz quoting the Maharal and his Minhagim.

Up until then, there was only a single Pirush from the Maharal called Gevuras Hashem.(original)

The Rov printed the new *Maharal Hagadah with all three Pirushim.

The truth is, the Rov invented the two Pirushim and claimed it to be authentic Toireh from the Maharal (written by R.S.K.). There are many proofs that it is a fraud.

In the Hagadah he writes, “the Maharal said, people should adopt the Minhag of having a fifth cup at the Seder and say ,Hineni Muchan Umezuman etc. and the Mahral personally,did so as well.”

The truth,
a)      The Maharal, most likely didn’t say “Hineni Muchan Umezuman” for any Mitzvah.
b)      The Maharal writes befeirush that our Minhag is to have only four cups.

  
    * There never was a Royal Library in Metz
                       *Today,  all Maharal Hagados  have the 3 Pirushim 

          

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Why Do We Fast On Bahab

                         Seven reasons for fasting Ta’anis Bahab.

1)      Chillul Hashem & for the Heichal that was burnt .  ( Ms. Sofrim 21)

2)      Men & women mingle during the Drasha on Yom Tov  (Tosfos Kidushin 81a)

3)      Men & women overeat  & mingle during the meals (Eshkol)

4)      Rain for winter and no harsh  spring weather so the crops won’t get damaged. (Elya Raba)

5)      Change of seasons(winter & summer) shouldn’t be harmful for the people. (Levush)

6)      Hashem should ease  the Galus . (Machzor Vitri)


7)      Zilzul Chol Hamoed (Maharam  miRotenberg)

No Fancy Food

The Elya Raba (O.Ch. 492) quotes the Haghaos Oshri, “ Those who do not fast Ta’anis Bahab, must at least refrain from eating delicacies on the Ta’anis."

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Mama Rochel

The Ramban in Parshas Vaychi  (48-7)  writes that Rochel died and was buried in Romo which is in the Chelek  Binyomin.

The Ramban  in Parshas Vayishlach  writes that after he arrived in E.Y. and saw with his own eyes K. Rochel, he changed his mind and held that K. Rochel is less than a mil away from Bais Lechem  ( chelek Yehudah & not in Romo).

Monday, October 14, 2013

לז"נ הקדושים הרב הגאון והצדיק ר' מרדכי יהודה בן הר' שמואל וכל משפחתו הי"ד

From my father A"H:
                                        
The posuk (Breishis 21 -2 ) says

 “Lamoed Asher Diber Oso Elokim

Rashi says:
The  Malach  made a scratch on the wall and said that he will return   
the following year, when  the sun will be at the same spot,   and Soroh
will have a child.

 The malochim visited Avrohom  the first day of Pesach.


 Yitzchok was born the following year on the first day of Pesach.


Question:              

The timing is off  by 11 days!

It takes 365 days for the sun to return to the same  spot .  ( solar year).
From Pesach to Pesach the following year is only 354 days.

When the sun returned to the same spot it was 11 days after Yitzchok’s  birth.

 Answer:

The Malach did not return for Yitzchok’s birth. He returned 11 days later.

It is written in the seforim that Malach Refoel visits newborn boys 3 days after their bris .(gimmel lemiloso)  to heal them.

It was Malach Refoel  who  scratched  the wall  and  promised to  return exactly on the day when the sun will be at the same spot.

Malach Refoel   returned  to heal  Yitzchok  3 days after his bris

Yitzchock was born 354 days after the besura (Pesach-Pesach) plus 8 days
for the bris and 3 days (354+8+3=365)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

אם בקשת לחניק היתלה באילן גדול

Daf Hashavua Pesachim 102a

                                                 

The Yavetz wrote a Sefer called Mitpachas Seforim. 
The Sefer  contains 280 proofs that the Zohar was not written by R.Shimon B. Yochai.

The Yavetz claims that the Zohar was written by R. Moshe d’Leon.  R.M. d’Leon  was the one who claimed to have found the manuscript of the Zohar written by R.Shimon B.Y.

The Yavetz defends R.M. d’Leon for making such (untrue) claims.

He relied on the Gemoro that says “If you want your words to be accepted,then you should claim a great person said it" 

(אם בקשת לחניק היתלה באילן גדול  )

For this reason R. Moshe d’Leon. claimed the Zohar was from R.S.B.Y.





The Chasam Sofer (Shu”t  6 – 59 ) agrees with the Yavetz that the Zohar was


not written by R.Shimon B. Y.  He also writes he has a problem understanding the Gemoro
 that allows forging a Gadols name, so that people should accept your Toireh,when we
have a Toras Emes.




Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Bris Minhagim

The Sefer  Zichron Yackov, *1 writes  
“When baby boys were taken to  Shul for their Bris,
They put on the head of the baby  a minature Shtreimel (same as the adult males wear on Shabbos)  

They also wrapped the baby In a Tallis when they carried him to Shul.

For Kvatter*2 they used a little boy and girl. 
The boy wore a Shtreimel and a Tallis. 
The girl wore a  Tichel on her head. Both  were dressed up like adults.

Most towns had a Chevra Sandeko'os.
They paid for chicken or meat to feed the new mother.
Some also paid for the Midwife / Doctor and the Bris Seudah.

In return a Gorol was drawn and one of the members got Sandeko'os.

*1 – 66 (R. Yackov Lipschutz)
*2   The word comes from G-d Vatter   (G-d Father )

        Goyim adopted  it from us.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Brochos Trivia

When are you required to make 20 Brochos after eating an apple ?


DAF HASHAVUA

Brachos 105b

Hamavdil B'tefillah. Tzorich. Sheyavdil Al Hakos

If you forgot to say Ato Chonantonu on Motzei Shabbos,
you are not required to repeat the Shemonei Esrei.

If however you ate before making Havdalah,and not having
said Ato Chonantonu, you must repeat the entire Shemonei Esrei.

The 19 Brachos of Sh. Esrei and Borei Nefashos = 20 Brachos

Shulchan Aruch O. Ch. 294 : 1

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Who wants Mashiach now / Who wanted Mashiach then

The Sefer Otzar Yisroel (printed.approx. 90 years ago) writes "The Sadigura Chasidim believe
be'emuna sheleima that their Rebbe is the Tzadik Hador and the future Mashiach.
.
When they drink a lechayim they wish each other Yehi Ratzon that our Tzadik should
reveal himself Ba'agala Uvizman. Kariv - Bimheira Veyameinu". 

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