Thursday, November 30, 2017

Its Monumental

ויצב יעקב מצבה על קבורתה


There are 3 different words for monuments.  

In the Torah, it's called מצבה
In Nach, it's called ציון*

In Chazal it's called נפש 



There are 3 different words for monuments. 

In the Torah, it's called מצבה

In Nach, it's called ציון*

In Chazal, it's called נפש*


Many people mispronounce
 ציון 
with a חולם Tzi-yon
 ( like הר ציון)

the proper pronunciation is 
ציון
with a שורוק Tzi-yoon 
or Tzyin
(Chasidish etc.)

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Daf Hayomi Riddle

DAF HASHAVUA
MAKOS 22a
Special thanks to הרה"ג ר' ישראל קלצקין שליט"א who sent this in.


There is a מחלוקת in the Mishna between the תנא קמא & ר' יהודה , How many מלקות one gets for being עובר on a לאו

According to the  ת"ק he gets 39  מלקות. According to ר"י he gets 40 מלקות


​How would it be possible for a person*  to receive the same amount of Malkos according to both ( ת"ק & ר"י)


*​He is healthy  and no need to reduce the Malkos.​


FOR ANSWER CLICK HERE

Monday, November 27, 2017

יעמוד שישי

                Is last least?

It is customary when calling up the last speaker at a simcha or function to say  "אחרון אחרון חביב".

It is also customary to honour special people with ברכה אחריתא.

It's done so, as to suggest that this כיבוד is a חשובע כיבוד 

Is last, more of a כיבוד than the ones before?

The phrase אחרון אחרון חביב comes from Rashi in Parshas וישלח .

Yakov placed his family to stand in front of Eisav , in the order of his love for them. Hence, first the Shfochos & their children then Leah  & her children and אחרון אחרון חביב Rochel & Yosef. ( distanced farthest    from Eisav) They were placed there for greater protection and has  nothing to do with כבוד.

It is very likely that the last כיבוד is the least of the כיבודים and the  phrase is used, when calling up the last one, just to appease him for getting the last (least) כיבוד.

The Gemoro in Gittin 60a & Shulchan Aruch O.Ch. 136 lists whom to call up to the Torah after Kohen & Levi. The Gemoro says you start with the most חשובע person (Talmid Chacham& Parnes ) until you get to the last two עליות 

(שישי* & שביעי) where everyone can be עולה.  According to the Gemoro and
Shulchan Aruch , last עליות  are the least כיבוד.

The Mishna Verurah  (136 sk5) writes in the name of the Achronim , 
Today the Minhag Is for the Godol Hatzibur (The Rov etc.) to be mesayem
the sidrah  (takes Achron.)

There might be two reasons for this practice. a) אין המצוה נקראת אלא על מי שגומרה
b) The Rabonim who are עולה אחרון are practicing humility. (Praven Anivus)

For this reason שישי became a חשובע עליה. Being the Gemoro says that
From שישי and on everyone may be עולה, there were Rabonim who were humble
and asked to be called up for שישי . Eventually, it became the חשובע עליה to
be given to Rabonim.


*The Zohar disagrees with the Bavli and considers Shishi as a Chashuva Aliya.

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ZOHAR PARSHAS VAYISHLACH

There is a Machlokes תנאים if גיד הנשה is מותר or אסור  בהנאה
(benefit) Reb Yehuda holds that it is מותר and R. Shimon* holds it is אסור בהנאה.

 The Bais Yosef (Y.D. 65) writes:
 "that is best to refrain from having הנאה from the גיד הנשה because The Zohar פרשת וישלח writes that גיד הנשה is אסור בהנאה."

 The Rema in Darkei Moshe writes:
 he heard "(שמעתי) that the author of the Zohar was R. Shimon (Bar Yochai)  the same one who is mentioned in the Talmud.

The Rema asks, If this is true, then why should we care that the Zohar holds that it is אסור בהנאה.
The Poskim rule, wherever there is a Machlokes between 
Reb Shimon and R. Yehuda the Halacha is like R. Yehuda."

I find it also puzzling, if we assume the Bais Yosef held that the Zohar is from R. Shimon B.Y. How does he claim that we should follow R.Shimon's ruling in the Mishna because R. Shimon in Zohar also agrees.
It's like saying that he is right because he himself said so.

Perhaps we can explain, the Bais Yosef means to say, to be
Machmir because על פי קבלה (Zohar) it is אסור בהנאה.

According to this, we can answer the Rema's Kushya. 
True Halachacially it should be Muter because we always
Pasken like R. Yehuda against R. Shimon. However, according
to **Kabbala (Zohar), it is אסור בהנאה like R. Shimon.  אמבצי  

*סתם ר' שמעון הוא רשב"י
** עיין מ"ב ס' כ"ה ס"ק מ"ב בשם הכנה"ג


Friday, November 24, 2017

Yahrzeit candles

                                                         לז"נ הני תרי נשי, רות בת צבי יהודה ופעסיל* בת בונם ע"ה יום השנה ז' כסליו 


There is no mention anywhere in Shas,Tur & Shulchan Aruch about lighting a candle on the day of a Yahrzeit. 

The Mishna in Ms.Brachos (53a) that says not to use a Ner Shel Meisim for Havdalah, refers to a candle used for the Levaya etc.
and not a Yahrzeit candle, which probably may be used for Havdalah.The Gemoro in Kesubos (103a) Rebbie left a Tzavo’oh  with his
sons to have a candle burning at the table refers to Shabbos candles and not Yahrzeit candles.

The first mention of Ner Neshama is probably the Kol Bo in Hilchos Yom Kipurim. The Kol Bo writes to light a Ner for deceased parents, on Erev Yom Kippur, so they will have a Kapparah. The parents have a Kapparah, because of  ברא מזכה אבא, The Mitzvohs a child does benefits the deceased parents.
The Tur writes (630) There is a special Inyan to have lots of candles in Shul on Yom Kippur. In the olden days, the largest and one of the few expenses a Shul had, was Ner Lamo’or. Beeswax was a very expensive commodity.
It is possible, the Chachamim tried to entice people to donate Ner Lamo’or, therefore attached the special Segulah of Kappara for the Meisim, a Siman Tov for the living and the Ner Hashem Nishmas Adam for a Yahrzeit candle.

The Chasam Sofer (Shu"t #6:27) writes he is unaware of a so-called מצוה רבה to light Yahrzeit candles at home or even at the Kever.

The ביאור הלכה ס' תקיד  quotes from the  שו"ת כתב סופר (O.Ch65) that "on Yom Tov when we may not light
a נר של בטלה ( a candle that has no purpose) it is best to light the Yahrzeit candle (if it wasn't lit before Yom Tov) in the room where you eat (purpose) or even better, to light it in Shul.(Mitzvah)

Only for a שעת הדחק may we light a Yahrzeit candle for parents* since it's done for their honor (כיבוד אב ואם)

According to the Maharshal even though lighting a candle for parents may not be a Mitzvah, but since everybody lights candles and some are even מקפיד on this more than other Mitzvos, therefore, we allow him to light the candle on Yom Tov, so he
will not be מצטער and have no Simchas Yom Tov.


*She & her family were involved in saving from the Nazis ym"s
hundreds of families. Amongst them, my Mother's ע"ה entire
family.

Yehi Zichrom Baruch

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Our מסורה is from the משומד

                What is the מסורה?

The מסורה started in the times of Ezra Hasofer* & The Anshei Knesess Hagedolah. This continued for over a thousand years to the times of the Rabonon Saveroi and early Gaonim.


There are many parts to the מסורה.

Some parts of the מסורה,(there are more) 

1) How many letters and words in each Sefer (Tanach)
2) The טעמים (known as the Trop) 
3) The קרי & כתיב 
4) Nekudos (How to pronounce)
5) Begin & end Pesukim & Parshios
6) How many times the word with the same 
spelling appears.
7)  חסירות ויתירות (spelling)
8) Large & small letters
9) Similar words elsewhere in Tanach
10) When it's the name of Hashem and when not

Because of the מסורה, we have a uniform text of the Tanach, which both the Perushim & Tzedokim agree on.

                 Our מסורה is from the משומד
                      יעקב בן חיים אבן אדוניהו

Yakov ben Chaim and EliyahuBachur were both employed 
as editors in the printing house of Danielle Bombergini. 


Yakov ben Chaim edited the Seforim Bomberg printed.
Among them were the Shas Bavli & Yerushalmi
and the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash

Yakov wrote an important and  fabulous Hakdama** for the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash.

He also compiled and organized the Mesorah (Tanach) which was completely disorganized and almost impossible to read.

It is interesting, his co-worker Eliyahu Bachur praises 
his work and curses him in the same sentence.
(for converting)

Eliyahu Bachur writes:

 " I have never seen in any of the previous 
Seforim such perfect, beautiful and organized work as was
done  by the person whose name used to be 
"Yakov, תהי נשמתו צרורה ***בצרור נקוב "

Yakov convinced D.Bomberg to allow him to print his
Mesorah in the Chumash. 

Hence the only Mesorah we have today is from the Meshumad Yakov who compiled, organized and had it printed.


*They were called Sofrim because the counted the 
letters, words, Pesukim and Parshios.(Ms.Kidushin)

** The original Chumashim had his name printed.
In the later  prints, the name was removed and 
replaced as הקדמת המעתיק

***A bundle with a hole (everything falls out.
a play on words based on a Pasuk in Chagi 

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Difference between Chanukah & Shabbos candles

                                       Difference between Chanukah & Shabbos candles


The Mishna Verurah (sk 18) writes that מעיקר הדין the only oil that would be הוקצה למצותו is the exact 
amount of oil needed for the שיעור. If this oil was leftover because the candle extinguished early then
the oil is Muktzah. 
Extra oil poured into the Menorah which is not needed for the שיעור is not הוקצה למצותו מעיקר הדין.

The M.V. continues "There are Poskim who hold even if the extra oil becomes Muktza unless he made a תנאי. 
שסוברים דאם נתן בסתם הקצה למצותה הכל:"

Perhaps the reason Poskim hold this way is that since there are 8 days Chanukah, therefore, people intend to light
the following night with the oil left over from the previous night.
By continuing to reuse the leftover oil every night it might be considered as if he was מקצה it בפירוש
and all oils in the Menorah becomes Muktzah.

Whereas  Neiros Shabbos oil is only filled for one day use therefore on the leftover we apply the עיקר הדין and only the 

minimum שיעור is הוקצה למצותו (doesn't exist anymore)  and the rest that is leftover is not Muktzah. אמבצי

November 22

The Maharil writes that you start saying ותן טל ומטר  on the 22nd* day in November and the siman is בך יבורך ישראל
?

The Mahril (1365-1427) had  the Julian calendar. 60 days from the Tekufah** was November 22.

In 1582  the Gregorian calendar was Introduced.60 days from the Tekufah
is Dec.4. (until 2100 then it will be on Dec.5)***

*The Abudraham mentions the 22nd & 23d

**Solar year divided by 4 (Tekufos) 
=91days, 7 hours + x minutes

***every 100 years it keeps moving up by
a day, except for a century that is divisible
by 400 example 2,000 (in the year 2000

we didn't move to the 5th

Click here for a summary on a shiur given by Reb Shlomo Miller about Vsein Tal umatar 


Ever Wonder Why

Shulchan Aruch O.Ch. 677:4

 "Leftover oil from the Chanukah candles on the eight-day, one should make a fire and burn it since it's הוקצה למצותו"

 Why for leftover Shabbos candles which is also הוקצה למצותו there is no such Halacha to burn it in a fire?

CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER 

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Why Cheshvan & Kislev?

Why Cheshvan & Kislev?

The Tur (O.Ch. 428) writes ,”Tishrei is always a full month (30days)
and Teves is always a missing (short) month (29days)

The months alternate one month is full and the following is short.
The months of Cheshvan & Kislev are exceptions. Some years both 
months are full.(שנה שלמה ). Some years both months are short
( חסרה ) and some years one is full and the other is short (כסדרה)“

The reason for this is to equalize the months. A lunar cycle is
29 days+12hours+ 793 Chalokim (Aprox. ¾ hr.)

The Levush explains why did Chazal pick Cheshvan & Kislev
and not any other month when we do not always alternate full 
and short months .
He explains, 
“The first opportunity we have to add or subtract from the month
is on the month of Cheshvan.
We can’t do it on Nissan & Iyar  because the 50th day of Sefirah
has to fall on the 6th of Sivan.
(by adding or subtracting a day  we will have it on the 5th or the 7th )

From Shavuos till Yom Kippur we need to have 3 x 40 days.
to commemorate the 3x 40 days from Moshe Rabeinu standing
on the mountain (Shavuos) and bringing down the Luchos on
Yom Kippur.

Chodesh Tishrei is the king of the Chodoshim and the Month
with Yomim Tovim (ירח האתנים )  we can’t make it a חסר .



Therefore the first opportune time is in the month of Cheshvan.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Why Stop In Mid Sentence

לא המתים            


The Chasam Sofer in the Hagohos (O.Ch 59) brings down from The Tur* who enumerates all  places where one should be careful when saying two words next to each other that he should pause in between the two words.

One of them is between ממליכים to את שם so it should not 
sound like מת     (the מ last letter of  ממליכים with את)**

The Chasam Sofer adds that these two words are even more important to separate since there are sects
who worship the dead. This might be the reason why we stop in mid-sentence between וממליכים &
את שם


*O.Ch. 61
** Originally all Ashkenazim Davened Nusach 

Ashkenaz where וממליכים ends with a מם 

Monday, November 13, 2017

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Why Stop In Mid Sentence

STOP IN MID-SENTENCE 

Why at ברכת ק"ש in the morning, 
the ציבור and the ש"ץ stop in 
mid-sentence   (ומקדישים(ן) וממליכים(ן
and then all start together את שם?

*ועיין מג"א ס' מ"ט שבפסוקי מי כמוך וה' ימלוך

נוהגין כן מכיון שהש"ץ א"א להוציאן בפסוקים

Seven Reasons

חלת בת ישמעאל                              מ 
            Seven reasons, Choson & Kallah fast on day of  Chupa
1.     Their sins are forgiven (Yerushalmi Bikurim 3:3)
2.     They shouldn’t be drunk during Kidushin (Mahram Mintz)
3.     Chasidim Rishonim fast before doing Mitzvohs (Rokeach 353)
4.     To be Mevatel the Gezeirah of Tigra (strife) B’Kesubah ( Mahari Broineh 93)
5.     Choson (Domeh Lemelech) is judged on day of Chupa (Mahari Broineh)
6.     It is like Matan Torah, Yidden fasted then (Tashbatz Katan 465)

7.     Not to have a Simcha Shleima (Rabeinu Efraim mi Bonn)Se

Friday, November 10, 2017

ממשה עד משה לא קם עוד כמשה

Since Moshe Rabbeinu, there has never been such a great Rebbie in Hilchos צדקה as R.Moishe Reichmann זצלה"ה  He taught כלל ישראל how to support Mosdos Hatorah and נצרכים. He was the first to give away hundreds of millions to Mosdos Hatorah & individuals. He was the one who needed no recognition for his deeds. He was the one who understood that even the one on the receiving end is entitled to כבוד There almost wasn't a single Frum Yid in the world who hasn't benefited directly or indirectly from his צדקות  He was משכמו ומעלה גבוה ועניו מכל העם 
                              יום השנה כ"א מרחשון - יהי זכרו ברוך
  (. אמר רבא הנושא אשה צריך שיבדוק באחיה (ב"ב ק"י     
    
Why would Yitzchok marry Rivkah, whose 
brother Lavan had a dubious reputation?

Chazal tell us to check out the brother of 
the girl one wants to marry.

The Steipler zt"l held, that Chazal  who require
us to check out the brother of the girl we intend to
marry, is only applicable at a time and place where
all are Frum*.

In such a case if the brother is not  Frum, then we should 
suspect that there is a bad root in the Mishpacha.

In today's age where there are so many distractions
and the streets are flooded with immorality etc.
If a son ch"v  goes off the Derech it is not the fault 
of the parents.

It is not a פגם (blemish) in the family and 
one may marry his sister". 

With the Steiplers סברא (logic) we can understand how
Yitzchok married the Zaida Lavan's sister אמבצי



** דורו של משה -נחשון בן עמינדב

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The great Secret

*When attending  the Kabolas Panim for a כלה, the proper ברכה to bless her is "אחותינו את היי לאלפי רבבה"
The (ספר מאיר עיני חכמים (אוסטראווצא רבי זצ"ל writes there is a סוד גדול in this Bracha.

So the next time you go to a Kabolas Panim for a כלה instead of giving her the simple Bracha of "Good Luck"
you should bless her as follows "Sister, you shall be his only** wife who will  produce 20*** million offsprings."

*קיצור שו"ע קמז ג שלחן העזר כה ועוד
**רשי -ספורנו

*** 2,000x10,000

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Agada-What Did The Chasam Sofer Hold ??

The Chasam Sofer (Shu”t Y.D. 2:155) writes in the name of
The Achronim “You can’t rely on the Agadah of בת כ' לא חטאה
שהרי אינה בת עונשין.
According to Halacha, once you become a גדול with years
(13 -12) and סימנים, you are חייב on all the חיובי תורה
of בית דין של מעלה ושל מטה ".
The Chasam Sofer says the שיעור of 20 years
is applicable only to עבירות of the דור המדבר
or עבירות of קודם מתן תורה. However, 

on the תרי"ג מצוות, this wouldn't apply. As

soon one becomes a Bar Mitzvah he becomes


a בר עונשין

Parshas Chaya Sora -How Old Was Rivka

How old was Rivka when she married Yizchok?

The Answer is a Befeirush Tosfos . CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER

12 year old Bar Mitzvah boy

12 year old Bar Mitzvah boy

The Gemoro Chagiga 4a learns עבד כנעני from אשה
the same way women are פטור from מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמא
so too are עבדים כנענים פטורים ממצוות עשה שהזמ"ג.

Some* claim since we learn their Chiyuv Mitzvos from
women, therefore, they start at same time (12years)
Tefilin is a Mitzvah Asei שהזמ"ג and עבדים are Patur**

 *שו"ת תשורת ש"י וגליוני הש"ס גיטין מ"ב

**(Unless they belong to the Slaves of the wall club)


Bar Mitzva Riddle

This boy (male) becomes Bar Mitzvah at age 12 instead of 13
yet he doesn't wear Tefillin on the day after his Bar Mitzvah.

?

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Parshas vayera feed your enemy bread & water



The רבינו בחיי writes, (Breishis 21:14

"Avraham Avinu saw with his נבואה
that his children the Bnei Yisrael will 
suffer in the future from ישמעאל.

No other nation will hate the Bnei Yisrael 
as much as the ישמעאלים therefore he
treated his son as an enemy and supplied 
him with bread & water, the way it says
in Mishlei (25) אם רעב שונאך האכילהו לחם
ואם צמא השקהו מים"

Even though the Nazis killed six million
Yidden, however as much as they hated
Yidden the ישמעאלים hate us even more.

The Nazis weren't Moser Nefesh to kill
Yidden whereas the ישמעאלים would
commit suicide to Ch"v  kill Yidden אמבצי


Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Kever Rachel -Are You Allowed To Daven There ?

KEVER ROCHEL
Are you allowed to Daven there?

The Sefer Gesher Hachayim (29: sk11) writes:

"R. Shmuel Salant Zt"l would only Daven in the outer room of Kever Rochel* and not in the inner room.

He held that there is an Issur of לועג לרש (mocking the poor)
Davening in the inside room." 

There is a Halacha Mefureshes in Shulchan Y.D. 367- 3:

 " One may not Daven within 4 Amos of a Niftar." 

The Shu"t Minchas Elozor 3-53 says that Kever Rochel is an exception for various reasons and defends those Davening inside the room. 

His Heter is only applicable for Kever Rochel & not for other 
Kevarim even Kivrei Tzadikim.

Today this Halacha in Shulchan is almost totally ignored. There 
are very few who know of or keep this Halacha and don't Daven 
or say Tehillim unless they are distanced from the Kever 4 Amos.

There is a Sefer called מענה הלשון which has special תחינות 
(Supplications) to be said at the Kever. It was composed
for this reason so that one can come close to the Kever
and say these תחינות instead of Tehillim etc.

*The מערת המכפלה,ציון הרשב"י etc. are not problematic since they

are buried down in the מערה and the Davening is done on top.

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