Friday, July 29, 2016

Good Shabbos

PARSHAS PINCHAS
פרשת פנחס
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES:




Baltimore - 8:02 PM 
Boston - 7:48 PM 
Chicago - 7:51 PM 
Cleveland - 8:28 PM 

Detroit - 8:36 PM 
L.A. - 7:37 PM 
Lakewood - 7:55 PM 
Miami - 7:50 PM 
New York - 7:56 PM 

Toronto - 8:25 PM 

Kollel

The translation of “Kollel” is “including”.
What  does the word Kollel have with a 
place where married Yungerleit sit and learn? 

In the olden days, to be buried in Eretz Yisroel one 
had to make Aliya while  still alive. It  was not practical 
to ship dead bodies from Europe to Eretz Yisroel. 

Some elderly people after retirement took their 
life savings* and made Aliya  so they will die and be 
buried in E. Yisroel. 
While waiting for the Malach Hamo’ves they sat in 
the Bais Hamidrash. The Talmidei Chachamim  learned 
all day long. The Amei Ha’aretz  learned Ayn Yakov,
Mishnayos and said Tehillim.

This was the only place in the world where they had 
organized masses of men sitting and learning all day 
long. (pre- Kollel of today) 

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Nם Rav/New Rav

Harav Hagaon Reb Moshe Shternbuch Shlita said there are Rishonim who hold a Kehilla that doesn't appoint a Rav for themselves. are Oiver the Lav of לא תהיה עדת ה' כצאן בלי רועה 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Today's Torah Riddle

Because of his talent, he is called up to the Torah twice and receives two Aliyos on the same Parsha at the same Minyan .

Names of Serach bas Osher's father & of Levi's wife

PARSHAS HASHAVUA

שרח בת אשר     
Who was Serach's  father?

1.   אשר 
2.    ישוי
3.     son of Yishvi ) בן של ישוי

4.    מלכיאל

The Ramban (26:46) says that the Targum Unkeles translates   ושם בת אשר שרח  , ושום ברת אתת אשר סרח

 The name of the daughter of Osher’s wife was Serach.
(She wasn’t Osher’s daughter but his wife’s daughter)

The Ramban explains , Serach’s mother was married and had only one child (Serach)  Osher married her after her husband died.*

The Techeilas Mordechai (Kur Zahav) says that she was the daughter of Yishvi the son of Osher. When Yishvi died ,Osher married his daughter in law. (Issur D’Orysa)**

 A second possibility is that she was the grand daughter of Yishvi and Osher married his son Yishvi’s daughter in law (Issur D’rabanan)

The Sefer Hayoshor*** says she was the daughter of Malchiel ben Eilam, (Eilam son of Sheim)

              *  Shu"t Chasam Sofer E,H,76 proves from here
                          the Halacha in Rema Ch.M. 42:15 "adopted children
                         can be called children in documents etc."
**Kodem Matan  Torah
                  ***Thanks to R. M.Appel Shlita (for Mareh Makom)

          LEVI'S WIFE NAME
(Bamidbar 26:59) אשר ילדה אותה ללוי במצרים 
The פענח רזא  quotes a Midrash that Levi's
wife was called אותה


Monday, July 25, 2016

Did you know (153)

Nowhere mentioned to dance at Sheva Brachos.

Harav M. Sternbuch shlita writes that the Steipler zt"l  held, being there is no Mokor  for dancing at a Sheva Brochos, therefore one should refrain from dancing during the three weeks at a Sheva Brachos (weekday or Shabbos)

Hard To Believe

DAF HASHAVUA

(Bava Kama 54b-55a) 


R. Chanina ben Agil asked R. Chiya bar
Aba , why in the first Dibros it doesn't say Tov (L'maan Yitav) and in the
last Dibros it does say Tov.

R.Chiya b A. answered, "instead of asking me "why" ask if it does
say Tov or not. I am not familiar with the text of the Aseres Hadibros-".

Tosfos (Bava Basra 113a dh Tarvyhu) proves from this Gemoro
that there were times where the Amoraim weren't familiar with
Pesukim in the Torah

The Ibn Ezrah (Shmos 20 :1) enumerates the differences between the
Aseres Hadibros in Parshas Yisro and in Parshas Voeschanan.

One of the differences ho points out is , In Parshas Yisro it says עבדו ואמתו
first and then שורו וחמורו and in Parshas Voeschanan it says שורו וחמורו
first and then עבדו ואמתו  .

The last time I checked, in both  Parshas (Voeschanan ,and Yisro) it says  

first  עבדו ואמתו   and then שורו וחמורו . (no difference)

שתם העין-Chizuk Of the Day

On Har Hamenuchos close to the Kever of the Belzer Rebbe zt"l
there is the Kever of a Ba'al Habayis* R. Eliezer Yosef Lederberg zt"l.


On his Matzeivah it is inscribed that he was  Marbitz Torah B'rabim.

He learned and Chazered  Meseches Beitzah & Meseches Rosh Hashana over 4,000 times.

The story :
R. Eliezer Yosef was diagnosed with an eye disease that required
surgery. He was told there is a chance the surgery won't be
successful and he will go blind.  He managed to postpone the
surgery for six months. During that time he learned repeatedly
two Mesechtos by heart so if he  goes blind he will able to learn.

After  the successful surgery and not going blind, he thought
to himself since he had in mind to learn these Mesechtos 
for the rest of his life there is no reason not to do so because
he didn't go blind. On the contrary the more reason to thank
Hashem by learning and Chazering again & again.

R. Eliezer Yosef wrote in his Tzavo'oh that it might be worthed
to mention this on his Matzeiva so others might get Chizuk
to learn and Chazer multiple times. 

*He had a stationery store in Yerushalyim. 


Riddle

It is on a Motzei Shabbos that is not a תענית, 

yet we don't eat  Melave Malka.

Click here for answer 

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Riddle of the day

Reuvain & Shimon are both equal except Reuvain is more of a Medakdek B’Mitzvos in Hilchos Shabbos than Shimon.

For this  reason Reuvain may eat early morning before  a fast day (Alos ) whereas Shimon may not eat.

Leave your answer in the comment section below 

For answer CLICK HERE 

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

No Time To Waste

Someone once asked  Harav Elyashiv zt"l:

At Nichum Aveilim when should one say
the Hamokom Yenachem Eschem- at the start or  at the end of the visit?

Rav Elyashiv responded he didn't understand
the question. 


"You are supposed to walk in say Hamakom- and leave"

שמעתי מהרב י' ט ייכמן ש ליט"א המקום ינחם אותו וב"ב

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

The London Times July 20 1916

An amazing story printed in a Sefer close to hundred years ago. 

Years later this story was reprinted in other Seforim

The story appeared in the Mishpacha Magazine and I even heard a Godol repeating it.

The Mechaber in his Sefer writes that  he read this story in The London Times  dated the 19th of Tammuz 5676 (July 20 1916).  


The Mechaber in his Sefer writes that he read this story  in The London Times 

dated the 19th of Tammuz 5676 (July 20 1916).  

The Times quotes the Hungarian newspaper called Pesti Hirlap

A Hungarian soldier sitting in the trenches wrote to his wife and asked her to find out from Chaim their Jewish neighbor  about the Jewish prayer of “Shema Yisroel”. 

He claimed to have  noticed that whenever the enemy fires at them, the Gentile soldiers get killed,while  the Jewish soldiers say the prayer of Shema Yisroel all are saved and don't get killed. He  would like to know how to bsaved by this prayer.

Believing the story to be true, I was hoping  to find a copy of this article, publicize it and be Mekadesh Sheim Shomayim.
My nephew R. Ari  shlita helped me in searching for this article. 

The London Times (1916) and the Pesti Hirlap are both available online. 

R. Ari spent hours searching for the story in both newspapers.
​ ​
Key words in both  English & Hungarian were entered and not a single match or  a slightly similar match came up. 

The London Times of July 20 1916 definitely has no such story
The London Times quotes a number of times (different dates) The Pesti Hirlap  but not with this or similar story. My personal belief is, this  story will not be found in The London Times or in
The Pesti Hirlap.


Monday, July 18, 2016

לשון הרע

Similarily, 
לשון הרע  is the tongue of an evil person.

לשון הרעה is an evil tongue

עין הרע what is it ?

Ayin Hora עין הרע is not an evil eye.

Ayin Hora ( עין הרע ) is an eye of an evil person.

Ayin Hora’ah ( עין הרעה ) is an evil eye.

Friday, July 15, 2016

What color was the red heifer


     What colour was the פרה אדומה?
       We find in the Torah and Chazal , the colour “אדום” can be translated
            a) the actual red colour (red wine)   
               b) the red family, colour (brown , orange etc.)


(Bereishis 25 : 30) הלעיטני נא מן האדום האדום הזה 

 It is called red lentils, but its colour is brown.

        (Zecharya  1:8)  איש רוכב על סוס אדום   -  סוסים אדומים 
       (A man riding on a red horse-red horses)
There  are no red horses .There are brown horses.

 (Succah 35b)  An Esrog that was peeled and looks like a red date.

Rashi explains, "All peeled  fruits  נהפך לאדמימות"  (turn red).
        Peeled or cut fruits turn brown not red.
        (Bechoros 6a Rashi)  סתם סוסים אדומים   (horses are usually red)
       Never heard of red horses 
       The colour of a פרה אדומה was not fire engine red nor red wine red.
                There are no red cows and probably never was
       The cow was brown .The uniqueness of the Para Aduma
                 was not that it was red. It was unique by being completely 
                    brown, not having two strands of hair in a different colour 
                    other than brown.(white-black)
                One might argue and claim it stil needs to be a certain shade 
                of brown (orange or light brown etc,) However we don't 
                find in the Rambam qualifying what shade of אדום is כשר.

                If we assume אדומה is brown there is no reason to to insist it to
                be a specific shade.

               Therefore it wasn't a "red heifer" but a "brown cow"

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Did you know ? (150)

According to Reb Akiva Eiger zt"l (Shu"t O.Ch.1:5) 
food  on Yom Kippur is Muktza . 

The Or Sameach argues and holds since you can 
feed the children on Yom Kippur it is not Muktza.

According to Harav R.Y.S. Elyashiv zt"l , food in 
an army base located in an unpopulated area 

where there are no children, is Muktza on Yom Kippur 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Don't Touch !

               Don't Touch !

Did you know ? (149)

The Rema (O.Ch.612:10) writes,
"When feeding children on Yom Kippur
one may touch the food." 

The Taz explains the reason is
because of אימת הדין (fear of Yom Kippur) 
we are not worried one might come to eat
the food in his hand.

The Pri Megodim* assumes this Heter 
applies only on Yom Kippur. The other 
four fast days (no אימת הדין) one shouldn't
touch food.

The M.Verurah (sk32) by quoting both 
reasons why it's different than Chometz,
might argue on the Pri Megodim and hold you 

may touch the food even on the four fasts.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Two answers (maybe more ) One Question

Two women* fasting on י"ז תמוז are cooking supper for after the fast.

yet only one may taste the food and the other may not. 

two answers 


* equal health (not pregnant nursing etc.)

CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER

Golem

 The Mishna Verura (55 - sk4 ) quotes the Shaila  of the 
Chacham Tzvi, if  a Golem who was created with 
Sheimos (Sefer Yetzirah)  can be used for a minyan.

Since the Mishne Verura is a Halacha L'Maaseh Sefer we must 
assume that the Heiliger Chofetz Chaim held there will 
be a time in his lifetime  or after, when a Godol  will be 
capable and might even create a Golem.

Another possibility might be the Chofetz Chaim held  
scientist might one day create a Golem (robot with 
artificial intelligence) 
The Poskim will be able to refer the Chacham Tzvi's 
Teshuva to determine if we can or can't use the robot 

for Minyan.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Austrian Chasidim

The Mogen Avraham (306:15) quotes the Yam Shel Shlomo
(Maharshal) who was hesitant with the practice of selling on 
Shabbos/ Yom Tov , Mitzvohs to the highest bidder, being
it looks like  buying & selling.  
The Maharshal continues, he prefers the practice of the 
חסידי אסטרייך , all the bidders pay the amount they bid even 
if they don't end up winning  the bid.

This looks more like pledging for Tzedaka than buying &selling.

Friday, July 8, 2016

The 3 types of Pidyon Nefesh

PIDYON NEFESH


1)The original  Pidyon Nefesh (times of Rishonim)
If someone ch"v  had a sick child or his children
died during or shortly after childbirth. The father would 
sell his child to another person. The reason for doing so
was in case the Gezaira was on the father to lose his
children, he was no longer considered the father. 
( a similar concept we do today by adding a name. 

2) The Kabbalistic Pidyon Nefesh mentioned in detail
in Sefer "Yosef Tehilos" (Chida) They take 160 silver 
coins (גמטרי' כסף = חסד)  count 17 of the coins and have 
Kavana for   the שם  אהוה .Then you count 26 have 
Kavana for the שם הויה . This procedure is done a few 
more times with different Kavanos at each count.
Afterwards, all the coins are mixed up again and a
special Tefillah is said.

3) The Chasidic Pidyon Nefesh The Kvittel with the
Bakasha ( Refuah, Zivugim,Parnasa etc.) and the

money which is given to the Tzadik.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Tamuz -Why The Name

The Ramban דרשה לר"ה explains why Klal Yisroel adopted Babylonian names for the months.*

Tammuz is a name of an Avoda Zara
 יחזקאל פ"ח הנשים ישבות מבכות את התמוז

Many attempted to answer how we
may and why we did name the month
after an Avoda Zara.

The latest answer I heard, was from
Harav Hagaon R. Chaim Kanievsky Shlita.
He said being it was the month they
placed a צלם in the היכל 


*Originally the months had no names
but numbers 1st 2nd etc. except for 
אביב -זיו - בול


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

YOm Kippur Katan

In Shulchan Aruch Hl. Kerias Shema (O.Ch.61:13 ) it says that 
the pasuk of ברוך שם כבוד  מלכותו should be said quietly.

In Hl. Yom Hakipurim (619:2) it says to say it aloud (being we are
compared to Malochim on that day.)


How can we say it aloud at the end of Yom Kippur Katan?

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Friday, July 1, 2016

Test Your Torah Knowledge

The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch (O.Ch 89:4) writes:

"One may not eat or drink before Davening.

The only exception is water which one may drink
before Davening".

When would it be Assur to drink even water ?

(Not on a Ta'anis or made a Neder etc.)


Click Here For Nestle Pure Life, Purified Water , 24 pack 16.9 oz each

FOR ANSWER CLICK HERE 

Test Your Torah Knowledge

The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch (O.Ch 89:4) writes:

"One may not eat or drink before Davening.

The only exception is water which one may drink
before Davening".

When would it be Assur to drink even water ?

(Not on a Ta'anis or made a Neder etc.)


Click Here For Nestle Pure Life, Purified Water , 24 pack 16.9 oz each

Chasam Sofer On Father/Mother in Law with Same Name As Son/Daughter In Law

The Chasam Sofer writes in Igros Sofrim (letter #25) that there is no need to be concerned having a son in law with the same name (as father in law) or a daughter in law with the same name as the  mother in law.

The Chasam Sofer says  "if it is not mentioned
in The Sefer Chasidim proper but in the Tzavo'oh 
(#23), one need not be concerned".


In the teshuvos  (E.H.1:116) he gives three
reasons why not to be concerned. He writes
that in Sefer Chasidim it is written "A father,son 
and grandson should not marry women who all 
have the same name". (only 3 and not 2 generations)




It is very interesting, The Ch. Sofer* added a name to a son in law (R. Moishe Tuvia Lehman) and Chana to a 
daughter.



*בכמה מקומות כותב ע"ע  "כי גברא קפדנא אנא"

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