Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Shvigger Shailo

There was an older woman- a widow, who required dialysis treatment.

There were two options:

a) to do it at home, 4 times in 20-40 minutes slots (daily) or..

b) to do it in the hospital, where it’s done once for a period of 12 hours uninterrupted. (lasts a few days) 

 The hospital treatment is known to be medically inferior. 

The quality of life is far less than if done at home. 

When using the hospital method, life expectancy, is usually also reduced. This widow had a married 

daughter who was a nurse and wanted her mother to move in with her so she can attend her needs 

with the dialysis. Her husband didn’t want his Schvigger to move in the house. 


 Can the wife force her husband to allow her to move in, because of the Lav of לא תעמוד על דם רעך ( ויקרא י"ט ט"ז)?

*Reb Yosef Shalom Elyashuv zt”l Paskened, "since there are two acceptable treatments and you provide one of them, even it is the inferior one, you are not oiver on   לא תעמוד since you are providing an acceptable method of treatment."
Life expectancy, is not to be taken into consideration (re  לא תעמוד )
There are no guarantees for life expectancy.
Therefore the husbands *  שלום בית  takes priority and you
send the Schvigger to the hospital for treatment.

*see Sefer Emuna Ubitachon (Chazon Ish) #3
"ignorance of Halacha  confuses
who is the Rodef and who is the Nirdaf"


קב ונקי # 288

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

13 principals of Reb Yisrael Salanter

R. Yizchok Blazer zt”l (Peterburger) published the Sefer “Ohr
Yisrael”, a collection of writings and letters from R. Yisroel
Salanter. There is no mention  at all, of the 13 principals.

The first one to quote the 13 principals of R.Y.S. is
the Mekor Baruch (B. Epstein). He brings no source, from
where he got it.

It is possible , the Mekor Baruch confused the author of the
13 principals  with the Sefer Cheshbon Hanefesh. This
Sefer has the 13 Principals. It was republished (1845) with the

encouragement and involvement of R. Y. Salanter. 

Monday, October 20, 2014

יום השנה של החתם סופר זי"ע

כ"ה תשרי יום השנה של החתם סופר זי"ע

The Chasam Sofer was known as one of the fiercest
fighters against reform Jewry . He constantly used
on them the phrase חדש אסור מן התורה  .
What is not as well known , is, he used this same phrase
of חדש אסור מן התורה against להבדיל  the followers
of the  גר"א when he argues on the רמ"א .
or the Chasidim when they added new Chumros.

" וכן מילי טובא אין למהר לחדש איסור ומכ"ש היתר
כי מנהג ישראל תורה היא, והכלל החדש אסור מה"ת"
שו"ת יו"ד ס' י"ט

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Six Seasons

Rashi onזרע וקציר וקור וחם וקיץ וחרף(Breishis 8:22),
quotes the Gemoro in Bava Metzia 103b.
There are six seasons in the year, each lasting for two months.
The first season of Zera starts in Chatzi (15) Tishrei.

My father a"h said, on the famous Midrash of
ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון- Rishon L'cheshbon
Avonos. “Perhaps the orignal girsa was,Onos (seasons)
instead of Avonos (difference in spelling only one vav)

The first day of Sukkos (15 Tishrei ) is the first day of the
first season” Zera”.

The Gemoro says that the Na'anuim(shaking of the Lulav)
rids the world,from harmful winds and dew. TheTorah said
the Lulav should be taken on the first day of  זרע

the planting season.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Aravos For Hoshana Raba

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Monday, October 13, 2014

Dancing On Simchas Torah

In all of Shulchan Aruch, the Mitzvah of dancing, is mentioned only twice.
Once for a Kallah and the second time for after Kiddush Levanah. 
The Mechaber doesn’t even mention Hakafos on Simchas Torah.
It is, the Rema, who mentions Hakafos, but no mention of dancing.
The Mishna Verurah quotes the Maharik in the name of Rav Hai Gaon, the Minhag of dancing on Simchas Torah.
 In Frankfurt the Minhag of Hakafos was introduced by Reb Shamshon Rafoel  Hirsch. Until then there were no Hakafos done.
One of the Gedolim in his times, Reb Zalmen Geiger zt”l wrote poetically against  the this Polish Minhag of Hakafos.

בפ"פ ובכל המדינות הנוהגות מנהג אשכנז אין מקיפין בשמחת תורה
עם ס"ת לא ביום ולא בלילה אך עתה חדשים מרחוק באו להקיף
בבהכנ"ס כמנהג פולין לאור הנר ---- ואין כל חדש תחת השמש*
ולא תחת החזן ולא תחת הרב בתוך חבורה, הנוהגת כשורה,
ומחזקת התורה, הכתובה והאמורה, הלא מחכמי אשכנז גזורה,
לא תקיפו בשירה ובזמרה, כי זה מחקי אנשי אמונה טפלה
לעבודתם הזרה,  ובארצכם לא תעשון כן בעבודתכם היקרה,
הקדושה והטהורה, כי אם לכו בדרך הישרה ,,                   
וגם אנכי מוסיף, להזהיר ולהטיף, אף אם החנוני** מקיף,
כל הישר הולך לא ילך אחריו להקיף,, אך ילך בדרך אבותיו,
וירבו ימיו ושנותיו"                                                             

READ HERE about the beautiful story of Simchas Tora That never happened 

Wearing Tefilin On Chol Hamoed

The Sdei Chemed writes , “The Sefer Mishna Berurah* from my friend Reb Meir Hakohen Av Bais Din Radin**, writes “It is not proper” (for some to wear Tefilin and others not to, in the same Shul  on  Chol Hamoed.)
The reason he uses the language not proper rather than Assur,
because he (M.B.) wasn’t sure if it the Issur of לא תתגודדו  . " applies   

Reb Chaim Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l writes, the first Chol Hamoed, he stayed with his father in law R. Akiva Eiger zt”l, His father in law insisted that he should  put on Tefilin, even though he (Reb Chaim Shmuel Birnbaum) came from a Chasidic background.

 Reb Akiva  Eiger held that in the land of Ashkenaz and surrounding countries , they all accepted on themselves and  on their children
"Toras Moshe" the Rema, in all his Pesakim opposing  the Bais Yosef.

* 31: sk 8
**Originally the Chofetz Chaim was Rav

In Radin, he later resigned from the Rabonus. 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

ערוב תבשילין

The Sdei Chemed Brings A Machlokes Haposkim whether one is obligated to stand while reciting Eruv Tavshilin.

Poskim say,for the following personal Mitzvohs (מצוות פרטיות)you need to stand while making the Bracha.

עצת ה' לעלם תעמוד are the Roshei Teivos for

ערוב  ציצית תפילין לולב עומר לבנה מילה     

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Vort On Parshas Vezois Habracha From Reb Akiva Eiger Zt"l

13 Tishrei, Yahrzeit of the Heilige Zeidah R. Akiva Eiger zt”l

וזרח משעיר למו הופיע מהר פארן 

We find Goyim converting to Judaism and Lehavdil Yidden converting ch”v to other religions.

R.Akiva Eiger said*, “When Hashem went to the other nations to accept his Torah and they refused, there were some individuals, who were willing to accept the Torah but were scared and remained quiet. From them came the Geirim.


Also when the Bnei Yisroel saidנעשה ונשמע, There were some individuals who didn’t want the Torah but were embarrassed to say so.


From them came the converts to other religion.


*Toras Yackov (R. Y. Prager) P.Yisro

Monday, October 6, 2014

Sukkos Trivia

How does a Sukhah Pesulah become kosher by saying a few words?

A Sukah, higher than 20 Amos is Posul.

If you place straw etc. on the floor of the Sukah and thereby reducing the height, it is kosher, only if
you are Mevatel Bepeht he straw to the floor.( you must verbalize &say, you plan to keep the straw there)



Shulchan Aruch O. Ch. 633 - 4

A Gut Kvittel

                  Chanukah* after Yom Kippur
 The Mogen Avraham & Baer Heiteiv quote from the Mahril, not to fast or say Tachanun ,between Yom Kippur and Succhos, because it is a mini YomTov.
It commemorates the Chanukas Hamizbeiach in the times of Shlomo Hamelech.
 The Levush writes  the Yom Tov is, Hashem doesn’t count the sins till the first day Succhos.

*Now you understand the

sod (secret) of  " Git Kvittel"

We should all have Arichas Yomim Veshonim etc.

One of the known Segulos for members of  
Chevra Kadisha,is Arichas Yomim.*

There was a Minhag in Pressburg, on Erev Yom Kippur,  
four  people carried the Chasam Sofer on a chair from the
Mikvah to the Shul. This Kibbud was given every year to
four  different members of the Chevrah Kadisha.

R.Akivah Sofer zt”l (Da’aas Sofer) said, he remembered
as a child, one of the four people, who was still alive.
He was at that time, 104 years old.

*Yerushalmi ( Kesubos 12 H 3) R. Chagai was 80 years old
when he buried R.Huna.He received an additional 80 years.(160 yrs.)


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Another Story From Rav Shach

another mayse from Rav Shach 


Click on image to buy this book from Amazon. The story is NOT from this book


Shortly before the Brisker Rav's zt"l petira, Rav Shach zt"l went to visit him.The Brisker Rav was very worried and nervous. He feared the Yom Hamisa.

Rav Shach tried to calm him. He quoted theYerushalmi
Rosh Hashana.(Perek 1 H 3) "Bnei Yisroel have Bitachon and
know Hashem will do Nissim and even if found guilty, Hashem
will save them".


The Brisker Rav explained, only a person who worries can have
Bitachon.A person who doesn't worry, can't have Bitachon.


A child who understands the danger,of crossing a busy street feels safe when crossing the street with an adult because he has faith (Bitachon) in the adult.

An infant, when he is carried across a busy street, also feels safe,
not because he has faith in the adult. but because he is unaware
of any danger.



The "Ba'al Bitachon" the Yerushalmi speaks of, understands  Eimas Hadin.

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