Friday, July 28, 2017

The Cheap Glass

BREAKING THE CHEAP GLASS

The Gemoro* says, that מר בריה דרבינא when he saw that the
רבנן were overly joyous at his son's wedding, took an expensive crystal dish and broke it. This made them change  their mood.

Tosfos writes, this to be the source of the Minhag (Hl. Tisha B'av 560:2) for breaking a glass at a Chupa/wedding.

At the Chupa we use a cheap glass and no one is bothered
about the loss of this glass.

Harav Y.S. Elyashiv zt"l explained that there are two types of
זכר לחרבן 

1) It is done to actually reduce Simcha (no music during 
the year etc.)

2) It is done just to remind us of the Churban even though it doesn't  reduce the Simcha.

R' Elyashiv said the purpose of breaking the glass under the 
Chupa is  just as a reminder of the Churban and not to reduce the Simcha.

Some Poskim complain, that when the glass is broken instead  of the music to start blasting etc.  we should have a somber moment.

According to R. Elyashiv,  the Minhag Haolam is Meyushav.


(*Brochos 30-1)

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?

לז"נ הקדוש ר' משה בן ר' ישעיהו פרידמן הי"ד
נהרג ע"י הרוצחים הארורים הגרמנים ימ"ש
ג' אב תש"ד

WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?

When the Gemoro says "because of Kamtza & Bar Kamtza the 
Bais Hamikdash was destroyed", The Gemoro doesn't put the blame on these

two people. The Gemoro says because of the story of Kamtza & Bar Kamtza

the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed.

In the story, there are many whom to blame. Bar Kamtza, Ba'al Haseudah,

Rabonon and according to the Ben Ish Chai, even Kamtza*


*The Ben Ish Chai writes that Kamtza which means Grasshopper is 
a code name for R. Zecharya ben Avkulas.


Therefore we can blame on all four in the story.

Monday, July 24, 2017

How to make a מי שברך לחולה

How to make a  מי שברך לחולה

Some Siddurim/Machzorim have the Nusach 
of the מי שברך for  sick males the following words:

"וישלח לו מהרה רפואה שלמה מן השמים לרמ"ח אבריו"
                " לרמ"ח אבריה"  and for females 

This Nusach of רמ"ח אבריה is incorrect, being the 
Gemoro (Bechoros 45a) says that women have 
252 אברים four more than men who 
have רמ"ח אברים (248

The more accurate Siddurim/Machzorim have the 
Nusach for females לכל אבריה ולכל גידיה

I also believe that in לשון הקדש there is no such
word as חולנית for a sick female. 

The correct word would be חולה with a קמץ 
under the למד (Choiloh) and for males, it's חולה 
with a סגול under the למד (Choileh)

והעלה רפואה שלמה לכל מכותינו


Thursday, July 20, 2017

Six Answers -Parshas Hashovua

Rashi writes there are 42 מסעות in this weeks Parsha.
If you count them, you will find only 41  מסעות.

IN THE SEFER שערי אהרן THERE ARE 6 ANSWERS

1} Since  it says twice
ויסעו מרעמסס and  ויסעו בני ישראל מרעמסס
They are counted as two מסעות
a) Gathering all the Yidden who were 
spread all over Ramses to a single meeting place.
b) from the one single meeting point
to סכת

2) The last Rashi in Chumash Shemos says.
“ the resting, at the way stations, are also
called מסע .
(מקום חנייתם אף הוא קרוי מסע)”
We count רתמה twice 1) while they were
stationed there 2) When they left רתמה

3)  מדבר צין & קדש  are considered as 2
The distance between the 2 מסעות is less than
a day therefore in the Torah it's not mentioned as two.

4) There is one other station named בארות בני יעקן
 mentioned in Parshas עקב. It is different station from 
mentioned in our Parsha  בני יעקן

5) While in רתמה Moshe told them not to 
go up to אל תעלו כי אין ה' בקרבכם 
By listening to Moishe & not being עובר
that's considered a מסע

6) In this week’s Parsha we only have 41, 
but there is one more מסע mentioned in 
Yehoshua. 3:1 ויסעו מהשטים

מֵרַעְמְסֵס
1
 סֻכֹּת
2
 אֵתָם
3
 פִּי הַחִירֹת  
4
 מָרָה
5
 אֵילִמָה
6
 יַם-סוּף
7
 מִדְבַּר-סִין
8
 ְדָפְקָה
9
 אָלוּשׁ
10
 רְפִידִם
11
מִדְבַּרסִינָי
12
קִבְרֹת הַתַּאֲוָהַ
1
3
חֲצֵרֹת
1
4
 רִתְמָה.
1
5
רִמֹּן פָּרֶץ
1
6
לִבְנָה
1
7
רִסָּה.
1
8
קְהֵלָתָה
19
 הַר שָׁפֶר
2
0
 חֲרָדָה
21
מַקְהֵלֹת
22
תָחַת
23
 תָרַח
24
מִתְקָה

25
חַשְׁמֹנָה
26
מֹסֵרוֹת
27
בְנֵי יַעֲקָן
28
חֹר הַגִּדְגָּד
29
  ְּיָטְבָתָה
30
 עַבְרֹנָה
31
עֶצְיֹן גָּבֶר
32
מדבר צין/קָדֵשׁ
33
 הֹר הָהָר
34
 צַלְמֹנָה
35
פוּנֹן
36
אֹבֹת
37
עִיִּים
38
דִיבֹן גָּד
39
עַלְמֹן דִּבְלָתָיְמָה
40
 הָרֵי הָעֲבָרִיםְּ
41

 עַרְבֹת מוֹאָב

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

42 or 41 question for parshas matos masei

The first Rashi in Parshas מסעי writes, there were 42 מסעות 
If you count them, you will find only 41  מסעות. ?

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Your Daily Dose Of Kabbalah -The Chasam Sofers Pesicha To Mesechtas Bava Kama

Parshas Hashavua

ובני ראובן בנו את חשבון---ואת שבמה  במדבר לב:לח


The Chasam Sofer in the  הקדמה לסדר נזיקין פתיחה למס' בבא קמא quotes the Rema Mipano ,

שבמה = שור - בור - מבעה - הבער



  

 Simple Pshat on the רמ"ע מפאנו



1) There are 10 cities bordering Eretz Yisrael. (שבמה is # 10)

2) There are 10 מדות of קדושה

3) There are 10 מדות of סטרא אחרא (opposing קדושה)

4) These 10 bordering cities are located between Eretz Yisroel and
Chutz Laaretz, from where the קליפות can enter.

5) The קליפות are the 4 אבות נזיקין

6) The מלחמת מדין transformed these cities with מזיקים to holy cities.  עבר הירדן


 אבי מורי ר' צבי יהודה בן ר' משה ע"ה   added the following
ויקרא שם המקום ההוא מחנים                              

מחנים                              = two sets of מחנות = 4 x מחנה
          הקב"ה built the first wall of the   מחנה           בית המקדש = 103           1x 103 
          
         אברהם added  the second wall and called it             הר   =205+1 ( כולל   2x 103

יצחק added  the third wall and called it                    שדה  =  309              3x 103                

יעקב added the wall and called it  בית                         =   412                 4x103          
                                                                                                                                                                 
                  עגל = 103   - שור בור מבעה הבער= קליפות/מזיקים   
                                                                                                        
 ועשה טוב בקש שלום          שדה-בית - מחנה- הר   opposing the מזיקים                                                                     

*Rav Menachem Azariah deFano ( Italian mekubal, known as the Rema miPano
Mechaber of Sefer Asara Maamoros etc.(1548-1620 The Chasam Sofer calls

him  " אבי המקובלים "  the father of the Kabbalists)

Monday, July 17, 2017

The Chasam Sofers Pesicha Drasha For Nezikin

 Daf Yomi Sanhedrin (2.)

The Yeshiva in Pressburg at the times of the Chasam Sofer started learning Meseches Bava Kama on Lag Baomer. 

The Chasam Sofer  gave a פתיחה in the Yeshiva and this is one of the things he said:

מסכת נזיקין has 3 בבות (gates) and each בבא consists of  10 פרקים a total of 30

The Chasam Sofer related it to the Pasuk in Tehillim (119:18) 

גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתך

"Unveil my eyes so that I may perceive the wonders of your Torah"
The רמז of 3+30  "גל" are for the 3 בבות and 30 פרקים."

It is interesting that the Chasam Sofer didn't mention the רמז all the Chasidishe Seforim write, that "גל" refers to ל"ג בעומר

Perhaps we can use Chasam Sofer's רמז of גל עיני on the first משנה in מסכת סנהדרין which enumerates all Dinim that require
a Bais Din of 3 or more. The Mishna enumerates 30 such cases.אמבצי



Thursday, July 13, 2017

PART 2 THE SEMICHA CONTROVERSY

PART 2 

        THE SEMICHA CONTROVERSY

While the מהר"י בירב was Rav and Rosh Yeshiva in Tzfat,
the (מהרלב"ח (לוי בן
יעקב ן
חביב was the Rov in Yerushalayim 
which
​ ​
was a much smaller community than Tzfat. Most 
of the

Gedolim at that time
,
 lived in Tzfat.

The סמיכה that R.Y.B. introduced was based on the 
Rambam in פירוש המשניות on the 1st Mishna in Sanhedrin
and in the Yad Hl. Sanhedrin) who writes if כל חכמי א"י
are מסכים then we can reintroduce the סמיכה.

R.Y.B. didn't bother consulting with the חכמי ירושלים 
He held since רוב חכמי א"י were living in Tzfat and
when the Rambam writes  כל חכמי א"י he meant רוב is
good enough.

R.L.B.Ch. was upset that the חכמי ירושלים were not
consulted and their כבוד wasn't taken into consideration. 

He also held since the Rambam writes  כל חכמי א"י
then רוב is not enough.

In the last( סימן (קמז in שו"ת מהרלב"ח it is printed a 
5 part קונדרס* from both the מהר"י בירב & מהרלב"ח 
arguing about the legitimacy and merits of the סמיכה 
They ended up attacking each other personally.

The Machlokes was so intense that the מהר"י בירב
had to flee Eretz Yisroel to Damascus. The
authorities were told that he plans to revolt against the
Government with the introduction of the סמיכה

The סמיכה lasted  for only 4 generations The מהר"י בירב
was מסמיך the Bais Yosef who was מסמיך  R.Moishe 
Alshich who was מסמיך R.Chaim Vital who was the
last מוסמך in the world.

* Both מהר"י בירב &מהרלב"ח spell קונדרס with a Daled ד
instead a Tes ט


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

THE MESADER KIDDUSHIN

  THE MESADER KIDDUSHIN

The Midrash Rabbah (Shir Hashirim #2 ) explains the
words כשושנה בין החוחים with a number of different
examples.

One example the Midrash uses:

When there are 10 people at a wedding and
only one knows the ברכת החתן he is the Rose
among Thorns.

The Piyut of מי בן שיח is referring to the Rov
the Mesader Kiddushin who understands* 
the ברכת החתן. He is asked to step forward
and bless the Chosson & Kallah - to be
Mesader Kiddushin.


*כל מי שאינו בקי בטיב גיטין וקידושין לא יהא לו עסק עמהם

אבן העזר מ"ט ג' 

Who shall bless them?

   Who shall bless them?

When the Kallah under the Chupa walks around 
the Chosson  seven times, the Chazzan/singer sings the 
Piyut of "מי בן שיח שושן חוחים  -- הוא יברך את החתן ואת הכלה"

"The one who understands the talk of the Rose Among 
the Thorns-- He shall bless the Chosson & Kallah"

Who is the person that the פייטן is referring to?

(It's not Hashem)

FOR ANSWER CLICK HERE 

Tasting food on a Fast day

   לז"נ ר' כתריאל בן ר'חיים בנימין  צבי זצ"ל
יום השנה  י"ז בתמוז

Tasting food on a Fast day

a) The מ"ב  תקס"ז סק"ו  quotes the חיי אדם
"when cooking for a Seudas Mitzvah one may
taste the food on a Ta'anis" (may not swallow)

b) The ברכי יוסף תקס"ח 8) brings a Machlokes
If someone mistakenly made a Bracha (on food
on a Ta'anis 

According to the נחפה בכסף, he should eat less
than a כזית 

Others argue and hold to say בשכמל"ו after making

the Bracha.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The Semicha Controversy

Parshas Hashavua
Hakdama Meseches Sanhedrin

Part 1

קַח-לְךָ אֶת-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן-נוּן-- וְסָמַכְתָּ אֶת-יָדְךָ, עָלָיו במדבר כ"ז י
       
The Semicha* Controversy 

In the early 16th century, the Rav & Rosh Yeshiva of Tzfat was
the מהר"י (יעקב) בירב 
R. Yakov Beirav escaped from the Spanish Inquisition to Morocco,
Algeria, Egypt and landed in Eretz Yisroel.

RYakov Beirav felt that the time of אתחלתא דגאולה has arrived.
According to the Rambam, The Bais Din Hagadol will be 
established before the arrival of the Moshiach.
Therefore RYakov Beirav reintroduced Semicha. 

Another reason why it was important to reintroduce
Semicha was because there were many Anusim who managed
to escape to Eretz Yisroel. Many who converted to 
Christianity were חייבי
​ ​
כריתות. 
**

According to R Channyah B Gamliel
in the Mishna (Makos 23a) 
חייבי
​ ​
כריתות
​ ​
who get מלקות are פטור
from כרת. Only a בית דין מוסמך can hand out מלקות and
remove the חיוב כרת

R. Yakov Beirav had 25 of his Talmidim appoint him as a Musmach.

This was based on the Rambam on the first Mishna in Sanhedrin
and also in the Yad, Hl Sanhedrin (4:11) 
" If all the Chachamim in Eretz Yisroel will agree to appoint
Dayanim and give them Semicha then they are Semuchim."

R. Yakov Beirav. held that since most of the Gedolim were living in Tzfat 
at that time, therefore, they are the ones who were qualified 
to give Semicha.

RYakov Beirav. gave Semicha to 4 of his Talmidim one of them was the Bais Yosef (R. Yosef Karo)


*Not to be confused with what is commonly known today as Semicha,
which is only in memory of the original Semicha but the true term
is Hatoros Horaha (permission to give a Psak) Whereas Semicha
allows the Bais Din to hand out קנסות& מלקות etc.

**  כריתות ב ע"א --מגדף - עובד ע"ז

Monday, July 10, 2017

לקדש שם שמים


לוי & פנחס, both risked their lives by being קנאים (zealots) where  immorality
was involved, yet פנחס was praised for his קנאות  and לוי was ostracized 
for his קנאות 

The Netziv in (שו"ת משיב דבר (ח"א מ"ד  explains that practising קנאות
should not be done even by Chasidim who are doing it for the sake and
love of Hashem. It may only  be done  by Talmidei Chachamim using
their הגיון תורה (Torah logic- Hashkafah)

They are the only ones who know and understand the very minute and 
precise details as to when to be מקדש שם שמים by going out and fight 
for the cause and when to refrain from קנאות to avoid 'חילול  ה.

Perhaps according to the Netziv, in the future, if & when there will be 
a need to stop the traffic and Egged buses  on Kikar Shabbos, they
should have the Ziknei Roshei Yeshiva sit down in the middle of the

street instead of 14-year-old Bachurim.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

How This Minhag Started

The כל בו writes that when the חזן says 'ברכו את ה
he should bow down.

There is no mention in the כל בו that when the ציבור
answers ברוך ה' המבורך that they too should bow 
down.


The מגן גבורים writes that the Minhag of the Velt is for 
the קהל to bow down at ברכו but there is no סמך 
(source with a slight reason) for doing so.

Since in Shulchan Aruch (O.Ch.113:3), it is written
  "שאין לכרוע אלא במקום שתקנו חכמים"
One may not bow only in those places where Chazal
instituted to do so.
The מגן גבורים is desperate to find a reason why it's
done at ברכו.  He came up with a דוחק answer.

The ביאור הלכה is not happy with the דוחק answer 
from the מגן גבורים and came up with his own סמך

The (ספר העתים (ר"י אברצילוני  (one of the newly found
Rishonim. It was printed for the first time only about 
100 years ago) writes that when the ש"ץ says ברכו
then the קהל should sit* "בכובד ראש ראשיהם כפופים"
(respectfully with their heads bent down.)

Perhaps the origin of this Minhag was not to bow down 
but just keeping ראשיהם כפופים the way the ספר העתים writes
to sit with heads bent down. As time went on people
stood up and bowed down instead. Hence the Minhag
we have today of bowing down.

The מגן גבורים and even the Chofetz Chaim didn't see
the ספר העתים and therefore are desperate in finding
a reason for the קהל to bow down at ברכו.  
אמבצי                                                                        

The Magen Avraham (51:8)writes that it is possible that
the Halacha of not bowing is only while standing
and not while sitting.



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