Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Pidyon Haben Riddle Solved

This Bechor needs no Pidyon Haben because his father is alive.
Should his father die then the son needs to redeem himself. 

Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 305:19

A כהן who had a son a בכור who was a חלל 
(son the חלל loses his status as a  כהן)  

If  the father dies within* 30 days of his son's
birth then the son needs to redeem himself.

While the father is alive, as a כהן he is זוכה for 
himself the money. (No Pidyon necessary)


 One reader wrote of another possibility
If the father had only 5 סלעים and both father
and son are Bechorim then the father has
to redeem himself before redeeming his son.

*If the father dies (after 30 days) then the
son puts aside 5 סלעים  he doesn't hand it over 
to a Kohen but gets to keep it.

Monday, January 30, 2017

קדוש קדוש קדוש קדוש

Daf Hashavua

Bava Basra 10b


                                 הרוגי מלכות אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד במחיצתן 


The four levels of Kedoshim


1) A Yid who was killed by a Goy even if it was not an antisemitic act (robbery), is a קדוש.
See Shu"t Chasam Sofer (Y.D. 333) based on Sanhedrin 47a וכיון דאיקטול קרי להו עבדיך
& Rashi (Tehillim 79:2) בשר חסידיך - משקבלו פורענותם הרי הם חסידים  
A Yid whose life was cut short by a Goy killing him acquires his  כפרה

2) A Yid who was killed by an anti-Semite because he is Jewish. (Holocaust victims etc.)
See Shu"t Mahril 99, who refers to them as קדושי עליון and says on them
 אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד במחיצתן   

3a) A Yid who was forced by a Goy to be Oiver one of the ג' עבירות (or any Mitzvah
if there is a Gezeira to be oiver) and was killed for refusing to be oiver, is a קדוש.     

3b) If this was done in front of 10 Yidden He is a מקדש  שם שמים ברבים
(Rambam יסודי התורה פרק ה.)     

4) A Yid who sacrificed his life to save other Yidden. He is the ultimate קדוש 
on whom Chazal (Bava Basra 10b) say  אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד במחיצתן.


Do you have an answer to this riddle ?

לז"נ הרב מאיר צבי יצחק בן הרב חיים יואל זצ"ל                                 
יום השנה ב' שבט                                        

פדיון הבן                                   

This Bechor needs no Pidyon Haben because his father is alive.

Should his father die then the son needs to redeem himself.    

                                          ?

FOR ANSWER CLICK HERE

Please don't pray to destroy our city ח"ו

Don't Daven ח"ו for the destruction of Yerushalayim.

According to the  (מנחת שי (תהלים פו:ב, (and others)

In the Tefillah of אתה יצרת*  at  " ולפי שחטאנו -- חרבה עירנו "
You should make sure to pronounce the Reish of
Chorevo with a שוא נע (Chorevo). 

By pronouncing the Reish with a  שוא נח (silent)
(Chorvo) the translation changes to "Because we sinned --
you should (ח"ו ) destroy our city". (imperative)

The actual translation is, "Because we sinned our city was
destroyed (past tense). ובני ירושלים עיר הקדש במהרה בימינו



Musaf Shabbos Rosh Chodesh 

Friday, January 27, 2017

Mitzvah Gedolah

Daf Hashavua
Bava Basra 8b

פדיון שבוים מצוה רבה היא

RebNoson Sternhartz wrote that R. Nachman Breslover said ,
"Mitzvah Gedolah Liyhos B’simcha Tomid."

1)  What makes this a mitzvah?      None of the monei hamitzvohs
count this as a mitzvah.  It is true , that mitzvohs should be done
besimcha. This is a way to perform the mitzvah but not a mitzvah in itself.

2)  How can you say “Tomid” if there are times when not only
is it not a mitzvah but an aveirah ?
In Hl Aveilos # 391 – 1  Aveil  asur liyhos b’simcha .

3)  Why is this, a mitzvah gedola and other mitzvahs are not gedola?

I found only one mitzvah gedola in the whole Shulchan Aruch  
“Mitzvah gedola l’haspid hameis  koroui” ( It is a great mitzvah to eulogize
a niftar properly).

There is one more mitzvah where gedola is mentioned.
Hl. Pidyon Sh’vuyim “ein lecho mitzvah gedola k’pidyon sh’vuyim.
(There is no greater Mitzvah than pidyon sh’vuyim
based on the Gemoro in Bava Basra 8b פדיון שבוים מצוה רבה היא



 Yehi ratzon, the day of "B'simcha Tomid" will arrive b'karov mamash.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Shul Trivia

Who is allowed to smoke in Shul?



The Aruch Hashulchan (O.Ch. 151 : 5) writes “ Smoking in Shul is is definitely an
Issur Gamur .

There is no greater Kalus Rosh (disrespect) than doing so.

The only ones who are allowed to smoke (in Bais Hamidrash) are the ones who learn there  all

day or half  a day.For them it is like eating food which is allowed in a Bais Hamidrash".

Monday, January 23, 2017

How many Mesechtos are there in Seder Nezikin?

Daf Hashavua
Bava Basra 2a


How many Mesechtos are there in Seder Nezikin?

10 - 8 - 1   ?

R. Yosef said "כולה נזיקין חדא מסכת". R. Huna argues and considers them  as separate Mesechtos. (Bava Kama 102a)

There are important Halachic differences  if we count them as one or separate  Mesechtos. 

(אין סדר למשנה only applicable in same (1) Mesechta)


*Although the general rule is, we Pasken like R. Huna against R. Yosef, in this case, the Halacha (Rambam) is like R. Yosef being Rebbi named the three Mesechtos " Bava
Kama,Metzia & Basra". (gate 1,2,3 - one  Mesechta with 3 gates)

There is also a Machlokes Rishonim if Reb Yosef referred to, only  the first three Mesechtos
as Kulo Nezikin (Bava Kama Metzia Basra)
or all 10 Mesechtos are considered one.


1)   10     R. Huna 
2)     8     R. Yosef (Rambam Ritva)
3)     1     R. Yosef (Ri Migash**)


* Hakdama Tosfos Yom Tov
** The first Maharsha in Bava Basra seems to agree with the Ri Migash


שבור מלכא

לז"נ הרב מנחם בן הרב שמואל דונט זצ"ל
יום השנה כ"ד טבת                

Daf Hashavua
Bava Metzia 119a

                                           *שבור מלכא



King ארדשיר (r. 224–242) was  the founder of the Sasanian 
dynasty (Persian) He had a son שבור מלכא who succeeded him.

Sh'vor Malka's mother was  איפרא הורמז (mentioned numerous 
times in Shas)

ארדשיר together with his son שבור מלכא conquered Bavel 
from the Romans. There is a  town in Bavel named
 ארדשיר (Gittin 6a)


Until שבור מלכא became king  the Yidden suffered terribly
under the Persians.
They were big רשעים. Rav said "rather under a Nochri
(Romans) than under a Chabor. (Shabbos 11a).

Their priests are known in Chazal as the חברים
(The correct pronunciation is Chaborim - (Chabor)
with a Bais and not with a Vais [see איוב מ: ל])

They worshiped fire and wouldn't allow the lighting of 
Chanukah candles. (Shabbos 45a)

שבור מלכא ruled in the year 240-271. He was very
friendly to the Yidden. There was even peace and 
tolerance between the Chaborim & Yidden.

שבור מלכא was very interested in the Mitzvohs and 
Minhagim of the Yidden. He even followed some
of their Minhagim.
He was a very close friend with שמואל the אמורא. 
Shmuel was also his advisor.

 שבור מלכא never killed any Yidden 
except for once when he killed 12,000 Yidden. The 
Gemoro (Moed Katan 26a) says it was their own fault 
because they rebelled against him. 

Shmuel himself was referred by רבא as שבור מלכא
(Pesachim 54a) Rashi explains because the Halacha
is like Shmuel the same as the laws of שבור מלכא.

The סדר הדורות  writes the reason he picked this
name was because Shmuel was so close to שבור מלכא.

Now we can have a clearer understanding of
the last Rashi & Tosfos in Bava Metzia.


  the1st שבור מלכא*


סליקא לה מסכת בבא מציעא                

Thursday, January 19, 2017

צאינה וראינה

The Sefer צאינה וראינה authored by R. Yakov b Yitzchok 
Ashkenazi  - (1550-1624) was geared specifically for 
women who didn't understand Loshon Hakodesh.

It is a collection of beautiful Midrashim in Yiddish,
Until about 80 years ago the most popular Sefer 
(after Siddur & Tehillim)  that Yiddish-speaking women 
possessed, was the צאינה וראינה.

It was very common in those days for women to be illiterate
, They had a "Zogerrin". one who would read 
the צאינה וראינה   for groups of women.

There is a well-known Midrash quoted by many but is 
not to be found in any Midrash we have today. The first 
and only Mokor (source) for it is the צאינה וראינה

"Originally Bris Milah was performed with a sharpened stone as mentioned in the Parsha how Tziporah performed the Bris with a stone.

Because the metal helmet on Golias's head allowed the rock Dovid Hamelech threw to penetrate and hit Golias's forehead, therefore metal was rewarded and all Brisos from then on are performed  only with metal knives."

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Parshas Shemos -Survived Chilbirth

One of the Rishonim* writes the reason, women
giving birth are called חיה from the Pasuk
     כי חיות הנה

The Mishna says על ג' עבירות נשים מתות בשעת לידתן 

Women who survive childbirth were מקיים the 
3 Mitzvohs, therefore, they are חיות (alive).

שיטה לבעל הצרורות *

תענית ב' ע"א

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Monday, January 16, 2017

No miscarriages

The original תקנה of שובבים ת"ת (fasting & Tikunim  the
8 weeks starting from Parshas שמות) was intended only
for leap years.

The Levush O. Ch. 685 writes," one of the reasons we fast  on
שובבים ת"ת so that pregnant women shouldn’t miscarry.

During leap years, it is more common for women to miscarry.
We fast 8 times for the last 8 months of pregnancy.
(first month [40 days] is not considered a miscarriage) . 

It is appropriate to start on Parshas שמות, where it 

says    ובני ישראל פרו וישרצו " 

עמו אנכי בצרה

DAF & PARSHAS HASHAVUA


Bava Metzia 114a -Shemos 3:2


אשכחי' רבה בר אבוה לאליהו דקאי בבית הקברות של עכו"ם

The Chasam Sofer (Chidushim B.M.114) writes that the same way Rashi explains (Shemos 3:2) Hashem  revealed himself to Moishe in the סנה to show him עמו אנכי בצרה so too Eliyahu Hanavi revealed himself to רבה בר אבוה in a בית הקברות to show him  עמו אנכי בצרה 

He too suffered and felt bad for רבה בר אבוה who was poverty stricken and suffering. 

The Gemoro (Ta'anis16a) says On a fast day
one should go to a בית הקברות even a 
Goyishe one because we have it reminds
us אנו חשובים כמתים and עמו אנכי בצרה 

The Six Reasons

לז"נ האשה החשובה        
חנה ייטל בת ר' אברהם אשי ע"ה
יום השנה ט"ז טבת          
   
Parshas Hashavua

Rashi gives one of the five* reasons mentioned
in Midrash, why יוכבד was called שפרה,
"because she cleaned up the baby after birth".


                                
The Bal Haturim gives an additional reason
that the name comes from the word שפופרת
(tube)
                           C.P.R.
She had a tube to blow air into the babies who
didn't breath. (first Hatzalah responder in history)



  1. שהיתה משפרת את התינוק*
  2. שפרו ורבו ישראל עליה
  3. ששפרו מעשיהלפני האלוקים
  4. משפרת על דברי בתה
  5. שהעמידה ישראל לאלקים 

Friday, January 13, 2017

Can't find source

לז"נ הקדוש ר' אברהם אשי בן הרב שמואל הי"ד
נעקד"ה ע"י הנאצים ימ"ש  ט"ו טבת

ישראל

In many Siddurim, at the end or Shemone Esrai, it says
"The Shlah Hakadosh writes, So as not to forget
your name after 120, to say a Pasuk that starts and ends
with the same letters as your own name starts
and end”. "

As far as we know, this Shlah does not exist.

Some claim* it is in the Kitzur Shlah (R.Y.M.Epstien) .
Those who checked couldn't find it there.

The Maharsham (Da’as Torah O.Ch. 156) claims, the source
is a Rashi (Micha 6:9) “whoever says this Pasuk will be
saved from Gehinom.”

This Shtikel is not really from Rashi but is in brackets
and was added on to Rashi.

The actual Mokor for this Minhag is, the Eliya Rabba (O.Ch.122)
He quotes in the name of the Bais Yosef, “Tov Lomar” It’s a
good thing to say etc. The B.Y. doesn’t mention any reward
for saying it. ( no mention of remembering your name after 120)

*The  original Artscroll Siddurim had the
Kitzur  Shlah as the source. They changed
it to the Eliya Rabba.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

The Zohar in Parshas ויחי

Kesubos 111a


The Gemoro says on the Pasuk in Shir Hashirim
                                                                                                         השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלים
The 3 Shavuos Hashem made. 2 with the Bnei Yisroel and 1 with the Goyim.

1) They should not go up (to E. Yisroel) all together by force like a wall
2) They should not rebel against the Goyim
3) The Goyim should not oppress the Yidden, harshly.

The Satmarer Rebbe-R, Yoel Teitelbaum zt"l writes in the Hakdamato his Sefer VaYoel Moishe:
 "The sin that brought the Holocaust to the Jewish nation, was for transgressing the שלש שבועות. (Zionism).

Even though the Zionist State wasn't established yet, but just for
the Machshava (thought) to transgress the Shavuos, punishment is
in order."

He argues  on The Avnei Nezer (Y.D. 2: 454) who writes on the Agedeta of the שלש שבועות

“ It is a very difficult Agada, and from Hashem I will
ask to guide me—“

One of the many questions he has on the Agada is:

You can be Mashbia others only if the Nishba accepts
the Shevua.

The Ramban writes “When Moishe was Mashbia the Bnei
Yisrael to accept the Torah , they accepted the Shvua,  as Rashi says on the Pasuk of אלה דברי הברית - they accepted the Torah
באלה ובשבועה. Also, on Har Grizim & Har Aivol they  answered Amen on the Shvuah.

Where and when did the Bnei Yisrael accept the 3 Shavuos?

We don’t find Shlomo Hamelech to have gathered the Bnei Yisroel for them to be Mashbia them to accept the  3 Shavuos.

Furthermore, exactly whom, where, when and how was he Mashbia the Goyim?

The Avnei Nezer answers:
 “The Zohar asks when Hashem went to the other nations to accept the Torah, to whom exactly was this proposal presented, and which Navi of theirs rejected the Torah?”

The Zohar answers “ Hashem went to their  שר (Angel in charge of
 the nation) in heaven.

Similarly,  the 3 Shavuos were not done with the physical Bnei Yisroel, but with the שורש נשמותיהן למעלה .(their Neshama)

That’s why it says השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלים

The Zohar in Parshas ויחי writes that “Bnos Yerushalayim” refers to the Neshama.


We find this concept in Chazal of Mashbi’in Es Haneshama  before it enters this world  תהא צדיק ואל תהא רשע

This Shvua is only for the Neshama and not for the Guf . The Bnei Yisrael were required to physically accept the Shvua in the times of Moishe, otherwise, they would not have been punished for transgressing any of the Mitzvos.

The Avnei Nezer concludes that since the 3 Shavuos were only with the Neshama and not the Guf, there is no punishment* for transgressing them.
  

*He has a lengthy explanation on

אם לאו אני מתיר בשרכם

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

The Six Seasons

Daf Hashavua
Bava Metzia 106b

רשב"ג משום ר"מ אומר -- חצי תשרי מרחשון וחצי כסליו, זרע

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 ,
ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון"- Rishon L'cheshbon
Avonos. Perhaps the orignal girsa was עונות
instead of עוונות (difference in spelling only one vav)
Seasons instead of sins.

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
to rid the planting season from harmful weather.

The Gemoro Bava Basra 100b says to make seven מעמדות
when coming back from a Levaya. ( They walk and stop
seven times. We have a similar Minhag. We do it with the
Mitah before the Kevurah) The reason to stop seven times
is because the seven times in Koheles הבל הבלים   
2x  הבלים (plural) = 4 + 3x הבל 

The נימוקי יוסף  adds an additional reason for the 7 מעמדות
It represents the seven periods in a life cycle, six seasons 
and a 24hour day.




Monday, January 9, 2017

Times Have Changed

My father a”h told me, "In Pressburg, when they had a Levaya l”a
The frum people used a horse and buggy to transport the Niftar. The
more modern ones used a car".

R. Shlomo Kluger asked from the Maharatz Chiyos* to send him a copy
of a Teshuva he wrote to R.Bezalel Ginzburg ( Dayan in Tarnopol), who
asked if one may use a horse and buggy to transport a Niftar.

R.B.G. held that it was wrong to use a horse to transport a Niftar.
He claimed we find in Midrash, Yaakov commanded his children that
after his death no מצרי or כנעני shall touch his body. If he objected
for a מצרי or כנעני , for sure he would object a horse carrying his Aron.

R.B.G. also claimed the Bnei Yisroel carried Yaakov's  body all the
way to Chevron on their shoulders.

The M.Ch. argues on both points. "You can’t compare touching the
body to transporting without touching. We don’t find anywhere
that Yaakov was carried on the shoulders of Bnei Yisroel.

He continues on with his Teshuva and concludes, there is no Issur to
transport a Niftar on a horse and buggy. However, the Minhag 
(in his region) is to carry the Niftar on the shoulder and no one 
uses horse & buggy. 
You should not change a Minhag that goes back to the times of the 
Avos,Neviiem,Tanaim and Amoraim.

Shlomo Hamelech warned us Al Titosh Toras Imecha.
ועושה חדשות בעל מלחמות "


250 years ago the discussion was if horse & buggy was OK.
80 years ago the discussion was if an automobile was OK.
Today few know, there ever was such a discussion.

                          

*Shu”t Maharatz Chiyos #6

Can you answer

מעט ורעים                                 

What was the most tragic happening in Yakov's life?

For answer click here

Friday, January 6, 2017

Nothing but Halacha

                    Nothing but Halacha 

Harav Avraham Chaim Reinman zt"l (Rav of Kretchinev)
writes in his Sefer (ויצא פרח) that when his father received 
Smicha from the מהרש"ם , the מהרש"ם warned him
that since he is a בנן של קדושים  he will be tempted
to learn Zohar & Kabblah or Pilpul in Shas.
 For a מורה הוראה (Posek) to do so is wrong  and he will be punished
for it.

A Posek's responsibility to the Tzibur is to constantly learn 
and review the Shulchan Aruch & its Meforshim without 
any interruption.

The מהרש"ם continued that when he got Smicha from
the Minchas Chinuch, the Minchas Chinuch told him the same
not to learn anything but Halacha and since on Shabbos*
when saying in the morning the Perek of אזהו מקומן it is
considered just learning Mishnayos, he should learn 
Halacha instead. 

*During the week by saying the Halachos of Korbanos
it is considered as if you were Makriv it. Shabbos these

Korbanos were not done. 

What happened on the 9th?

                           THE GREAT WONDER


The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch (O. Ch. 580) lists additional fast days.

One of the fast days is on the 9th day in Teves. “It is unknown what
Tzoroh happened on that day”.

The Taz writes" תימה גדולה  (It's a great wonder) that the Bais Yosef
doesn't know what happened that day. In our Selichos (Ezkero Motzok)
it is written that Ezra Hasofer died on the 9th of the month".

It is interesting, this Piyut is said, only by Ashkenazim. The Sefardim
say  the Piyut “Sha’a Elyon” and the Piyut “Yoshev Bashomayim”.
In both of these Piyutim, it is mentioned that Ezra Hasofer died on the
10th of Teves.

The Mechaber, being  Sefardi, must have held that Ezra died
on the 10th and therefore there shouldn't be a wonder why he 
didn’t know what happened on the 9th of Teves.


The Tosfos Chadoshim on Megillas Ta’anis writes that
Yeisho Hanotzri ym”s was born on the 9th of Teves.
Chazal were scared of the Nochrim, to publicize

that we fast on his birthday.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Did you know ?(171)

The Chida in שם הגדולים writes :

" The חכמי אשכנז have a Kabbalah, that naming a person with a name of an 
animal (Dov Zev Ayalah etc.) prevents sickness from 
the person.

החיד"א בספרו "שם הגדולים",  שחכמי אשכנז קיבלו שאדם שנקרא בשמה של חיה, יינצל ממחלות

.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

משוגעים

Most of the Oilam answered that שלא שינו את שמם 
applies to a Goyishe names. The only time there 
is a problem is when changing to a Goyishe name. 

I would like to take a different approach and say. 

Perhaps the concept of שלא שינו את שמם only applies
to not changing the name of a person who has already  
a name.*

One may**, however, name a child who never 
had a name with a made up name and possibly even 
a non-Jewish name.The rule of שלא שינו את שמם won't 
apply in such a case.

This might explain the Gemoro in Gittin 11b that says
 מפני שרוב ישראל שבחוץ לארץ שמותיהן כשמות עכו"ם 
and explain why throughout the ages Ashkenazim
have names in Yiddish, Polish, Russian and Sephardim
have names in Spanish & Ladino etc.

Harav R. Chaim Kanievsky Shlita is very Makpid not
to name newly invented modern Hebrew names. He 
claims that it's not a name at all and one must change 
it to a proper name. 
R. Chaim considers only names that appear in תנ"ך or
in בית שמואל (E.H. Hl. Gittin) or established names from
previous generations, as proper Jewish names.

His Psak is based on a Midrash Rabah (Breishis 37:7)
"The Rishonim who knew their Yichus and had Ruach
Hakodesh they were allowed to name after events
that occurred. We who are not at that level may only
name names of our forefathers."

When asked why modern Hebrew names are different 
than the names in Yiddish etc. that were given back in 
Europe. R Chaim insists that they must have had their 
own reasons and it is not applicable to modern Hebrew 
names of today.

R. Chaim has a very strong opinion on the matter. He
refers to those who name their children with modern
Hebrew names as משוגעים


*One of the Meforshim on the Midrash (שה"ש פ"ד) writes
"Being there are רמזים of the גאולה in the  names of
the שבטים, therefore, they were Zoche to go out of Mitzrayim 
by not changing their names(seems even changing to a
Loshon Hakodesh name would have been problematic)

** When I write "may" I mean that there is no problem 
with  שינו את שמם but you still may not do it because 
of the Breishis Rabah 37:7


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