Monday, February 29, 2016

Did you know ? 122

Halachically there is no need to stand while the  Chazzan is standing and holding the Sefer Torah (Rosh Chodesh Bentchen, Eil Molei,Mi Shebeirach Bahab etc.)

The Minhag is to stand because of הידור תורה . The only time you must stand is while the Chazzan walks with the Torah or for Hagbah.


*Mishna Verura Shar Hatzion 146 sk18

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Gedolim @ 7

The Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe Parshas Ki Sisa   ואעשה אותך לגוי גדול  ) writes a Dvar Toireh he said as a seven year old child.

The Megaleh Amukos (Parshas Bo) writes a long Drosha in Kabalah from his son Shlomo who was a seven year old, at the time.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

How do the Arabs do it?




There is a Machlokes Haposkim how to do the 
Atifah with the Tallis.
Some say to bring down the top of the Tallis above
the eyes. Others say you may cover the eyes as well
up to the mouth. Some Arabs in the
 Desert, (sand) cover their eyes. They can still see
the ground they are walking on.

a)Those people who pull down the Tallis halfway
over their head are not doing an Atifah (M.V. 8:sk4)
(can’t see anything)
 The Halacha requires to throw the Tzitzis to the
back of the LEFT shoulder.

b) “Many Talmidei Chachamim mistakenly throw
the Tzitzis also over their right shoulder. Doing so
is    בל תוסיף . There is no mention of it, not in
The Pashtanim (Poskim) and not by the Mekubalim”.
(Piskei Teshuvos, Leket Hakemach )

c) Placing a folded Tallis on the shoulder, has
nothing to do and is not part of Atifas Tallis.
Originally Shuls had no tables. The most convenient 
way of checking the Tzitzis, was by placing the
Tallis on the shoulder. Checking the Tzitzis before
making the Bracha is Halacha. Placing a Tallis on the
shoulder is not.
Placing the Tallis on the shoulder and not checking the 
Tzitzis has no pshat.


Friday, February 19, 2016

A Bone To Pick

Daf Hashavua

Gittin 68b -69-70

Daf Hashavua

The Mahril said that all Refuos and Lachashim  mentioned in Shas, are forbidden to be practiced.

It only works in certain conditions.  Someone who will try it and it won’t work , might ridicule the Chachamim.

There is one exception, and that is, if someone has a (fish) bone stuck in his throat.

The Gemoro ( Shabbos 67a) says that he should bring another bone and place it on the back of his head and say" חד חד נחית בלע בלע נחית חד חד

This Lachash is allowed because it is Boduk Umenuso (guaranteed) to work in all conditions."

I once heard that this Lachash only works if you use the Sefardic Havarah (accent).
The Ches and the Ayin (from chad, nochis and bola) are pronounced from deep inside the throat.
Pronouncing these two letters (sefardi) manipulates the throat, so that the bone will dislodge.

Monday, February 15, 2016

no more צרות

There are very few Kehilos left, where 
special Yotzros are said on the Shabbosos
between Pesach & Shavuos.

The Ashel Avraham (Butchatch) (O.Ch.68)
writes that they stopped saying these Yotzros 
from the times of the Arizal when they were 
promised that no more pogroms or mass killings 
will ever happen  to Klal Yisroel (wishful thinking)

Therefore it is proper in such times not to say
Yotzros on Shabbos that remind us of sad 
times.
These Piyutim were written in the times of
the crusades etc.when there were Tzoros
for Klall Yisroel. Then you may be sad even on

Shabbos .שלפעמים מתריעין בשב"ק על צרה שלא תבוא

Did You Know (120)


According to Rav Y.S. Elyashiv zt"l ,

Shuls & establishments who put up signs stating, 
"All belongings left behind for more than
30 days becomes property of establishment."

This only applies to inexpensive & replacable 
items. For one of a kind (hard to replace)
or expensive items  there still remains
the Chiyuv of Hashavas Aveida being the

owners are not מייאש even after reading the sign.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Thursday, February 11, 2016

How Much Happiness??

לע"נ  אמי מורתי מרת געלא בת ר' אברהם אשי ע"ה

יום השנה ד' אדר א'



משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה  
The Rema (O. Ch. 493) writes that
on Lag Baomer ומרבין בו קצת שמחה

If on Lag Baomer where it says to increase with
a little (קצת) Simcha , We dress up in Bigdei Shabbos
(shtreimel etc.) and dance all night in front
of a fire, Why then with the arrival of Adar 
where there is no mention of קצת don't we do at least 
the same if not more Simcha than on Lag Baomer ?  

For answer click here

Monday, February 8, 2016

Change Your Mind

The Sefer Chazon Ish (Taharos) Meseches Keilim,  
Siman 13 comes after Siman 11, Siman 12 is missing .
Before the heading of Siman 13, it says "Siman 12 was 
erased and is missing".( נמחק וחסר )

The Chazon Ish changed his mind on what he wrote and 
held it was wrong.(in Siman12)
He removed the whole shtikel before it was printed.

The printers wanted to adjust the Simanim .
The Chazon Ish insisted not to do so, but to skip
Siman 12. and add the words נמחק וחסר,so that people 
will learn some important lessons.
a) one may change his mind if he is wrong  
b) not to print Toires that are wrong (not Emes)

(No need to be stuck with Falshkeit)

Whose fault was it?

Daf Hashavua 

Gittin 55b   - 56a
Whose fault was it?

The Bais Hamikdash was destroyed because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. (Gittin 55b)

1) Why was Kamtza at fault?
2) Why wasn’t the Ba’al Haseudah at fault ? Shouldn’t he be the number one culprit ?
3) Why were  the Rabonon who  kept quiet at the meal not at fault?
4) The Gemoro on 56a said it was R. Zecharia ben Avkulas fault. So who was really at fault?

For Answer Click Here 

No dancing @ Sheva Brachos

Harav Moishe Sternbuch Shlita writes, 
"Even though there is no Chiyuv to make 
Sheva Brochos every day but if you do make
it you are performing a Mitzvah Kiyumis.

For this reason we may make 
Sheva Brochos in the three weeks.
Simchas Chosson V'Kallah is a Mitzvah. 
Refraining from Simcha in
the three weeks is only a Minhag. 
The Minhag applies only to Simcha
of Reshus and not Simcha Shel Mitzvah".  

R. M. S. continues that the Steipler zt"l 
held, being there is no Mokor  for
dancing at a Sheva Brochos, therefore 
you should refrain from dancing

during the three weeks

Friday, February 5, 2016

שבעה מי יודע


     שבעה מי יודע

1) According to the שלחן העזר* ,
The reason for the (Chasidic) Minhag of
untying all knots before the Chupa is
prevent Kishuf (witchcraft) on the Chosson

2) According to the שלחן העזר*
Another prevention from Kishuf is
to place a gold bar or gold coin in the Chosson's
pocket.  'אבל היראים התמימים מקיימים הפסוק תמים תהי' וכו
      ח"ב דף ל"א*

3) The reason Choson Kallah are walked down
with two candles because 2x נר =  same
Gematria as פרו ורבו

4) According to Kabbala* Father & Mother walk
down the Kallah to the Chupa
*זוהר פ' בראשית ,ויביאה אל האדם, מהכא אוליפנא
דבעאן אבא ואמא דכלה לאעלה ברשותיה דחתן

5) According to Kabbala* The Chosson should
stand on the right side of the Kallah
*זוהר פ' פנחס

6) According to Kabbala* it is preferable to use
red wine for the ברכת הנשואין  under the Chupa.
     *(ריקאנטי עה"פ ותרא האשה עפ"י זוהר)

7) According to Kabbala* After Chosson & Kallah
drink the wine you pour some of the wine on the
floor**, to appease  the סטרא אחרא (other side - Satan)

ובשר בשדה טריפה לא תאכלו

How is it possible to have half an animal kosher
and the other half is Treifah ?

The Pischei Teshuva (Y.D. 110 sk4) brings
a story that actually  happened.
A  butcher Schechted 7 cows. All seemed to
be kosher. He sent 2 ½ cows to the shop
(Yatkeh) and the rest he kept at home. After
the 2 ½  cows were sent away (Porush) he
discovered one stomach(unknown from which cow)
was pierced (Treifah)
There are two important rules in רוב .
כל קבוע כמחצה על מחצה
At the place where Safek originated  we don’t follow majority.
כל דפרוש מרובא פרוש
If the object left original place, we do follow majority.
The two whole cows at the Yatkeh, (Porush) we follow majority
(6 out 7 are kosher) and are kosher
The four whole cows at home, (Kavua) we don’t follow majority
and are Treifah.
The two Halves, we have a three way Machloke, if both are 
kosher or both are Treifah and the Pri Chadash who holds , 
the half at home (Kavua) is Treifah and 
the half at the Yatkeh (Porush) is kosher.

אתחלתא דגאולה


​                                    
     אתחלתא דגאולה

With the founding of the State of Israel many claimed, this to be 
the אתחלתא דגאולה (beginning of the redemption)

Most Chasidic ,Yeshivish and many Frum Yidden opposed 
vehemently the usage of this terminology. They held establishing 
a Jewish State in itself was against the Torah. They
also claimed that the Zionist plan was to  destroy Yiddishkeit. 
Therefore it can't be the beginning of redemption. 

It is interesting that this term ( אתחלתא דגאולה) was first 
used by the Ashkenazi Perushim  in the year 1855. Ninety 
years before the Zionist State.

Forgotten history: 

It was only after the arrival of the Talmidei Bal Shem and 
Gra that there were Ashkenazi Jews in Eretz Yisroel. 
Until then the only  Jews  in E.Yisroel were the Sefardim. 

The Sefardim felt threatened and intimidated with the 
arrival of the Ashkenazi Yidden.
They were upset with the Ashkenazim for not willing to follow 
Minhag Eretz Yisroel and adopt the Bais Yosef as the
Moro Deara Yisroel.(Rav of E.Yisroel) 

The Ashkenazim followed the Pesokim of the Rema instead. 
They also kept up with their European Minhagim.

As the Ashkenazi community kept growing, so too did
the animosity between the Sefardim and Ashkenazim. 


The  Sefardim having control  of the Tzedakos,Shechita, 
Mikvaos, Chevra Kadisha etc. created major difficulties 
for the Ashkenazim. They suffered tremendously 
being beholden to their Sefardic brethren . 

The Chasam Sofer  even mentions this in the Teshuvos 
how one of  his Talmidim described   the suffering 
under the Sefardim.

When the Kollelim started in E.Y. and foreign currency 
poured in from Europe The Ashkenazim slowly managed 
to establish themselves. They gradually built up their
own independent Mosdos etc.

When they started their own Chevra Kadisha and  bought 
their own burial plot on Har Hazeisim , They wrote that this is
the beginning of redemption  אתחלתא דגאולה for the Ashkenazim 
from the Sefardi slavery.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

daf hashavua

Daf Hashavu
Gittin 50b
שכיב מרע שאמר תנו מאתיים זוז לפלוני וג' מאות לפלוני וד' מאות לפלוני -----




A dying person wrote in his  will,
If his pregnant wife will have a son,
The son shall receive 2/3 of his assets
and his wife shall receive 1/3 of  his assets.
If she will have a daughter, then, the
wife shall receive 2/3 of his assets,
and the daughter shall receive 1/3 of his assets.
His wife had twins, a boy and a girl.
How do you divide the assets?

Avu es iz doh Toireh  iz doh Chochmo
R. Chaim Brisker solved this, with a very
simple soloution.
The dying husband wanted his son to
receive twice as much as his mother.
He also wanted the mother to receive
twice as much as her daughter.
Therefore you divide the assets into
seven parts. The son gets 4 parts, the
mother gets 2 parts and the daughter
gets 1 part.

Monday, February 1, 2016

More Zohar

Reb Chaim Vital said that his Rebbie- the Arizal told him that he is  a Gilgul of R. Vidal the Magid Mishna . The names are same ( Vida in  Spanish is Life - Chaim -Vital).

The Arizal said one of the reasons he had to come back  was to do a Tikun for his previous life (as the Magid Mishna)  of not believing enough in the חכמת הזהר and concentrating 
instead on חכמת העיון.  

Reb Chaim Vital said on himself that is the reason he doesn't  concentrate in חכמת העיון

Did You Know (119)

According to Harav Y.S. Elyashiv zt"l,
Not only when touching shoes do you
need to wash your hands. but also for
touching only the laces of the shoe do
you need to wash your hands. It is בטל

and is part of the shoe.

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