Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Chodosh Update

This is today;s update sent by Yoseph Herman.
 
UPDATE AS OF 9 SEPT 14

1) IMPORTANT CHANGE REGARDING MALT
Over the past several decades the Guide to Chodosh has stated that barley malt is Yoshon up to at least the manufacturing date of December 15. This was based on information gathered from many malt producers and is still the practice at some. Now at least one major producer of malt informed us that they will start using Chodosh barley to produce their malt by October 15! While products using this malt will not reach the consumers for some time, this is a warning to manufacturers of Yoshon products and mashgichim. Please note that the CHODOSH DATE RECOMMENDED BY THE GUIDE TO CHODOSH FOR MALT HAS CHANGED FROM DECEMBER 15 TO OCTOBER 15. This affects cereals and other items using malt. It also affects beer from barley malt (most beers are from barley malt.)
2. THE CHODOSH SEASON IS IN FULL SWING
By now all products using spring wheat, oats or barley must be checked to make sure that they are Yoshon. This includes freshly baked items from bakeries, pizza shops and bagel shops that should have hashgocho for Yoshon. It also includes packaged items. These should only be assumed to be Yoshon if there is Yoshon hashgocho   on the package, or by confirming with dating codes that the item was manufactured before the cutoff date.
3. PUBLICATION DATE FOR THE GUIDE TO CHODOSH
We are still hoping to get the publication of the Guide completed by. Rosh Hashanah. We will send out a new email bulletin when the Guide becomes ready. Meanwhile, we recommend that you use last year's issue of the Guide for dating code information. For most products, adding one year to the dates and codes given should provide the correct code. To download last year's Guide, send email to chodosh@sefer.org.
4. DUPLICATION OF THE LAST CHODOSH BULLETIN
We duplicate below the bulletin we sent out on 12 Aug 14. This should still be valid. Note that for Cheerios cereals the oats will become Chodosh starting a packing date of Oct 20. Those types of Cheerios that have WHEAT GERM in the ingredients, may be Chodosh as of the packing date of Aug 18 (date on the box would be Aug 25 15.)
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CHODOSH BULLETIN 12 AUG 14

The latest report from the US Dep’t of Agriculture confirms that the harvest and spring wheat and barley have begun. That is allowing us to formulate the recommended Chodosh cutoff dates for the forthcoming season. These are given below. Note that dates given below for oats used in Quaker and General Mills (such as Cheerios) cereals may still change.
FRESHLY BAKED ITEMS USING SPRING WHEAT including breads, challahs, bagels, rolls, pizza and some cakes and cookies. May be Chodosh in the mid-West (such as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis) after a PURCHASE date of Aug 18. Elsewhere in the US, Aug 25.

PACKAGED FOODS FROM SPRING WHEAT not including noodles and pasta may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 18, PURCHASE date of Sept 1.

NOODLES AND PASTA may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 25, PURCHASE date of Sept 8.
BARLEY such as pearled barley may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 18, PURCHASE date of Sept 1.
OATS in non-cereal applications, such as oats flour in cookies, may be Chodosh starting with a PACKING date of Aug 4, PURCHASE date of Aug 28. Oat meal and other oats products from Quaker may be Chodosh with a PACKING date of Aug 19, PURCHASE DATE OF Sept 3. Cheerios may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Sept 15, PURCHASE date of Oct 1. Cereals from most other manufacturers, the oats may be Chodosh with a PACKING date of Sept 1, PURCHASE DATE of Sept 15. Remember, the oats dates for Quaker and Cheerios will probably still be revised.
***************************************************************

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Project Chodosh is an independent activity, not affiliated with any movement or organization. We thank the Jewish Internet Fund (JIF) for allowing us to use their E mail distribution services. The JIF provides free email and web hosting to Jewish education and outreach organizations. We also thank the sites moruda.com and sefer.org for allowing the public to use E mail to request copies from their facilities of the Guides to Chodosh.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Parshas Eikev - Dating Lesson

During dating it is conceivable that one party will be out of town to meet/visit the other party.  We must be very careful to keep our obligations to the visiting party, and not do anything to make them feel alone.  It is part of the mitzva to love converts.  See the last paragraph of the Chinuch 431, who implies making a stranger/immigrant/visitor feel comfortable is something learned from this mitzvah, but is not neccesarily part of the mitzvah itself.
 מצות אהבת הגרים
   
(א)שנצטוינולאהובהגרים,כלומרשנזהרשלאלצעראותםבשוםדבר,אבלנעשהלהםטובהונגמולאותםחסדכפיהראויוהיכולת.והגריםהםכלמישנתחבראלינומשארהאומותשהניחדתוונכנסבדתנו,ועליהםנאמר[דבריםי',י"ט]ואהבתםאתהגרכיגריםהייתם.ואףעלפישיכללהוכמוכןהציוויבישראל,שנאמרעליוואהבתלרעך[מצוהרמ"ג],שהריגרצדקבכללרעךהוא,הוסיףלנוהשםבומצוהמיוחדתלובאהבתו.וכמוכןהדברבמניעהמלרמותאותו,שאףעלפישהיהבכללולאתונואישאתעמיתו[מצוהשל"ח],הוסיףלנוהכתובבומניעהמיוחדתלובאמרווגרלאתונה[מצוהס"ג],ואמרובגמרא[ב"מנ"טע"ב]שהמאנההגרעוברמשוםלאתונווגו',ומשוםוגרלאתונה,וכמוכןמבטלמצותואהבתלרעך,ומצותואהבתםאתהגר.
   
משרשיהמצוה.כיהשםבחרבישראללהיותלולעםקדושורצהלזכותם,ולכןהדריכםוציוםעלדרכיהחנינהוהחמלה,והזהירםלהתעטרבכלמדהחמודהויקרהלמצואחןבעיניכלרואיהם,ויאמרועםה'אלה.וכמההיאדרךנעימותוחמדהלהתחסדולגמולטובהלאשרהניחאומתווכלמשפחתביתאביוואמוויבאלחסותתחתכנפיאומהאחרתבאהבתואותהובבחירתובאמתושנאתהשקר,ובהיותנוזוכיםלמדותטובותהללותחולטובתהאלעלינוותדבקבנו,ושוםדברלאתמנענוממנו,כיהטובהתתפשטבטוביםוהפכהברעים.
   
מדיניהמצוהמהשאמרוזכרונםלברכה[שםנ"חע"ב]שלאיאמראדםלגרזכורמעשיךהראשונים,ומהשאמרו[סנהדריןצ"דע"א]גיוראעדעשרהדרילאתבזיארמאהבאנפיה,וכלזהשלאלצערובשוםענין.והפלגתהאהבהשהפליגובהםעדשאמרושהשוההכתובאהבתםלאהבתהמקום,שבהםנאמרואהבתם,ובאהבתהמקוםואהבת,כמושכתבתיבסדרמשפטיםלאתעשהו'[מצוהס"ג].ויתרפרטיהבמדרשותובמקומותכגמרא.
ונוהגתמצוהזובכלמקוםובכלזמן,בזכריםונקבות.
  ועובר עליה ומצער אותם או שמתרשל בהצלתם או בהצלת ממונם או שמקל בכבודם מצד שהם גרים ואין להם עוזר באומה, ביטל עשה זה. ועונשו גדול מאד, שהרי בכמה מקומות הזהירה תורה עליהם. ויש לנו ללמוד מן המצוה היקרה הזאת לרחם על אדם שהוא בעיר שאינה ארץ מולדתו ומקום משפחת אבותיו, ולא נעביר עליו הדרך במצאנו אותו יחידי ורחקו מעליו עוזריו, כמו שאנו רואים שהתורה תזהירנו לרחם על כל מי שצריך עזר, ועם המדות הללו נזכה להיות מרוחמים מהשם יתברך, וברכות שמים ינוחו על ראשנו. והכתוב רמז טעם הציווי באמרו כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים, הזכיר לנו שכבר נכוינו בצער הגדול ההוא שיש לכל איש הרואה את עצמו בתוך אנשים זרים ובארץ נכריה, ובזכרנו גודל דאגת הלב שיש בדבר וכי כבר עבר עלינו והשם בחסדיו הוציאנו משם, יכמרו רחמינו על כל אדם שהוא כן.
 

 
This idea is clearly expressed by Mark Twain:
(Setting: Huck, allegedly from England)
"What is it you won't believe, Jo?" says Mary Jane, stepping in with Susan behind her.
"It ain't right nor kind for you to talk so to him, and him a stranger and so far from his people. How would you like to be treated so?"
"That's always your way, Maim -­ always sailing in to help somebody before they're hurt. I hain't done nothing to him. He's told some stretchers, I reckon, and I said I wouldn't swallow it all; and that's every bit and grain I DID say. I reckon he can stand a little thing like that, can't he?"
"I don't care whether 'twas little or whether 'twas big; he's here in our house and a stranger, and it wasn't good of you to say it. If you was in his place it would make you feel ashamed; and so you oughtn't to say a thing to another person that will make THEM feel ashamed."
"Why, Maim, he said -­"
"It don't make no difference what he SAID -­ that ain't the thing. The thing is for you to treat him KIND, and not be saying things to make him remember he ain't in his own country and amongst his own folks."
I says to myself, THIS is a girl that I'm letting that old reptile rob her of her money!
Then Susan SHE waltzed in; and if you'll believe me, she did give Hare-lip hark from the tomb!
Says I to myself, and this is ANOTHER one that I'm letting him rob her of her money!
Then Mary Jane she took another inning, and went in sweet and lovely again -­ which was her way; but when she got done there warn't hardly anything left o' poor Hare-lip. So she hollered.
"All right, then," says the other girls; "you just ask his pardon."
She done it, too; and she done it beautiful. She done it so beautiful it was good to hear; and I wished I could tell her a thousand lies, so she could do it again.
 -----Huck Finn, Chapter 26  (emphasis mine)

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Final estimated Chodosh starting dates from the Guide to Chodosh

Sent by R' Yoseph Herman----

CHODOSH BULLETIN 12 AUG 14

The latest report from the US Dep’t of Agriculture confirms that the harvest and spring wheat and barley have begun. That is allowing us to formulate the recommended Chodosh cutoff dates for the forthcoming season. These are given below. Note that dates given below for oats used in Quaker and General Mills (such as Cheerios) cereals may still change.
FRESHLY BAKED ITEMS USING SPRING WHEAT including breads, challahs, bagels, rolls, pizza and some cakes and cookies. May be Chodosh in the mid-West (such as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis) after a PURCHASE date of Aug 18. Elsewhere in the US, Aug 25.

PACKAGED FOODS FROM SPRING WHEAT not including noodles and pasta may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 18, PURCHASE date of Sept 1.

NOODLES AND PASTA may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 25, PURCHASE date of Sept 8.
BARLEY such as pearled barley may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Aug 18, PURCHASE date of Sept 1.
OATS in non-cereal applications, such as oats flour in cookies, may be Chodosh starting with a PACKING date of Aug 4, PURCHASE date of Aug 28. Oat meal and other oats products from Quaker may be Chodosh with a PACKING date of Aug 19, PURCHASE DATE OF Sept 3. Cheerios may be Chodosh starting a PACKING date of Sept 15, PURCHASE date of Oct 1. Cereals from most other manufacturers, the oats may be Chodosh with a PACKING date of Sept 1, PURCHASE DATE of Sept 15. Remember, the oats dates for Quaker and Cheerios will probably still be revised.
***************************************************************

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Project Chodosh is an independent activity, not affiliated with any movement or organization. We thank the Jewish Internet Fund (JIF) for allowing us to use their E mail distribution services. The JIF provides free email and web hosting to Jewish education and outreach organizations. We also thank the sites moruda.com and sefer.org for allowing the public to use E mail to request copies from their facilities of the Guides to Chodosh.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Taanis Daf 9-12

9a
  1. Shaani Moshe delerabim.  Pshat is he was acting on behalf of klal yisrael, so they'd have water.  Deeper pshat is that Moshe was in place of 71 - the Sanhedrin.  And Rav Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik explained that Sanhedrin Hagadol asts in two capacities - as judicial arbiter, and as proxy of the entire Jewish people. So when Moshe requested something, it wasn't as an individual, or even as an individual sincerely acting on behalf of the entire nation.  He was the proxy of the entire nation and was acting in that capacity.
  2. 9b - Ula ikla - first he thought having dates was a delicacy, should make it easier to learn.  Then after eating too many he saw it's not such a great thing to have such dates.  It shows the importance of perspective.  Form the outside he thought it was a great environment, the plenty of dates should lead to more Torah study.  AFter being there he saw having those dates led to other issues that would take away from learning. 
         Parenthetically, Eretz Yisrael is "zeis shemen udevash" devash meaning dates.  This Gemara shows at that time Bavel had much more dates.  Is this somehow symbolic of the fact that the Center of Torah shifted from E"Y to Bavel?
  3. 10a Tosfos sv Hilchesa - vechein ama davar - see Brachos end of 7th perek.
  4. Rabban Gamliel - wai ttil 15 days after Shmini Atzeres so the pilgrims (olei l'regel) can return home.  See Bava Metzia second perek (__) whether it took 15 days in Bayis Rishon, because of so many people traveling, or in Bayis Sheni, where it was less safe and took longer to travel.  We have to keep in mind Rabban Gamliel was not before very late in the second Beis Hamikdash period, so was 15 days in his time, or he used 15 days since that's what was needed in 1st bayis.
  5. ROSH SIMAN 4.  R' Hershel Schachter mentions how the Rav said vesein tal in SHma koleinu in the summertime because in the US we need rain in summer for crops to grow, and his source was the Rosh, I believe this Rosh.  I'm not so sure we can use this Rosh as a proof, because the Rosh only applies it to sayin VeSein Tal in Cheshvan, when the Halacha for Bnei E"Y is to say it.  I don't know that he would extend that to times when the Halacha never says to say VeSein Tal, like the summmertime.  It's important to keep in mind he brought prove from Provence, which was in Western Europe, and I don't know if they grew grain in the winter or summer.
  6. 11a  Tzadik has to be b'tzaar with the tzibbur.  And mesoras Hashas says "tzadik gamur."  Why shouldn't a tzadik be b'tzaar?  I think because: why was Moshe punished at Mei Meriva that he wouldn't enter E"Y - the entire generation was punished except for Kalev and Yehoshua (even though Moshe certainly believed Kalev and Yehoshua, he was never excluded from the rest of the community)?  The answer is a tzadik or leader is not included with the tzibbur - possibly not to be punished with them, and possible not to be rewarded with them either.  This is one explanation in Pirkei Avos (__) "Sna es harabbanus."  So Moshe wasn't excluded from the punishment for dor hamidbar but as leader he wasn't included in it either, so he was not destined or sentenced to die in the midbar until Mei Meriva.
  7. Kol hametza'eir im hatzibur.  The exact language is used for "kol hamisabel al yerushalayim zoche v'roes b'nechemasa."  Is it the same principle - same exact wording, or a different principle - it changes "hametza'er" - general suffering - for specific suffereing of aveilus for the Mikdash.
  8. V'omrim lo chasom.  This is reminiscent of Unesane Tokef, though there are obviously differences - the latter is on Yom Hadin whereas our Gemara seems to be after death.
  9. 11b.  Bame shimesh Moshe.
    1. see my post http://shasdaf.blogspot.com/2009/03/parshas-ki-sisa-kiyor.html
    2. Mesoras Hashas refers us to some Tosfos asking what is the nafka mina how Moshe dressed.  (I don't want to suggest it has nafka mina if somone makes a neder...)  See post one and two by RYGB.  I am not endorsing them, just bring them as a source.  Because a Gemara like this is a slightly different matter - psak where there is no nafka mina to us. 
           Perhaps we can answer  -I think Sefer Chassidim discusses importance of History, but at times ins critical of studying history.  My Rebbi Rav Ahron Soloveichik explained that the mundane aspects of history like what clothes did a particular king wear is the type of history study that is criticized.  Perhaps - since everything Moshe did was Torah, this is not irrelevent.  In fact, we do learn - in my link from Ki Sisa - the clothes Moshe wore are important in us knowing whether the Mishkan had a din Mishkan during the Miluim or not.
    3. Rashi says cloak that had no seams, so he couldn't put any money in it.  This is very strange because there was no money around during the Avodah.  Had this been during the collection of the materials for the mishkan, or when he was collecting the Shekels (See Shkalim ___) we'd understand someone might try to slip a little into his own pocket, but that was no chashash here?
  10. 12a kol taanis shelo shaka alav chama.  Ri (Mordechai Eruvin 496,m from Gemara Eruvin 41) would break his fast before going to Shul on Friday afternoon to not enter Shabbos in an afflicted state.  Presumably he still had a kiyum of taanis.  Look into this.  (This Mordechai is also mentione dby Beis Yosef to OC 249).

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Rosh Hashana Daf 34-35

1.  See this shiur by my Rebbe Rav Ahron Soloveichik zt"l that discusses many topics from these gemaras, such as
  • machlokes Rashi/Ramban about precedence to go to tefila or to hear shofar
  • Rabi Abahu about unifying the minhagim
  • Whether brachos of Musaf are asmachta or real drasha.

2. 35a - last line - Rabban Gamliel held shliach tzibur was motzi the am shebisados with tefila; and above that - R' Yehuda davened every 30 days. .  See Mishkenos Yaakov O"C 90 about the am shebisados.  See also Shabbos 11a, Rabi Akiva Eiger in the Gilyon Hashas asks on Tosfos (Shabbos 11a s.v. kigon RSBY) that those who Torah umnasan are patur from Tefila but must say Kriyas Shma; but Tosfos Moed Katan 9b kan says they wouldn't say Kriyas Shma either; and "Ranach discusses it is a Teshuva."  I think he means R' Eliyahu Mizrachi Siman 70, and it is not at all explicit.  I think he's saying Torah umnasan don't have to daven in shul or Tefila betzibbur, d it has to do with kavod to them, or to minimize their bitul Torah.  I think to take it further The Shliach tzibur can be motzi Torasan Umnasan also, because they are ones wit htheir learning, and the am shebisados are ones with their work in the fields.  So:
a) Kriyas Shma, a dioraissa, they have to say, but not Shmone esray, which is dirabanan, BUT they get kiyum from shliach tzibur.
b) I think we can say - Brachos __ R' Yehuda Hanasi only said first pasuk of SHma - Torasan Umnasan must say first pasuk of shma and nothing else.  My Rebbi explained on Brachos 2a (See Perach Mateh Ahron Tefila 3:6 (page 52) that the first pasuk of shma is a kiyum of ol malchis shamayim but all the parshios are a din of tefila.  So the Torasan Umnasan are fully exempt from the Tefila part of Kriyas Shma also, and only say the first paragraph.  This would also explain Tosfos - where he says they are required in Shma he means first pasuk, and when he says they are patur from Kriyas SHma and Tefila means patur from Tefila part of Sham but are still obligated in Kabalas Ol part of Shma.

I think R' Gamliel's din is based on Maamados (Taanis 26a-28+) but there are some things not clear - whether the shliach tzibur only would be motzi them for their korban din of tefila but not the rachamim part of tefila (which fits well with maamados) but then the question would be birchas Kohanim is part of Korban din, but Neilah has no korban yet there is birchas kohanim.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Taanis 4-5

See previous post for some of Daf 4.

4b ha lan ha lehu.  Rabi Yochanan, wo lived in Eretz Yisrael, would teach halachos (of Bavel) to bnei Bavel who came to learn from him, even when that halacha was different than in E"Y.  See Tosfos Berachos 44a s.v. Inhu.

5b.  Rashi s.v. Vehaamar mar - about Kares.  For shitos and discussion of Kares see Abarbanel Bamidbar 15:30.  For shitos only, see Hakdama of R' P. Kehati to Maseches Kerisos.  See also interesting Shut Ksav Sofer YD 148 (beginning is included)
שו"ת כתב סופר יורה דעה סימן קמח
יעקב איש תם, יפה פרי תואר קרא ה' שמו, ה"ה בני חביבי תלמידי צמידי הרבני המופלג בתורה, וביראה טהורה חרוץ בע"פ, העדני העצני מלא ברכת ד', כש"ת מוה' יעקב עקיבא סופר ני' ולמחברתו כלתי הצנועה המשכלת מרת מלכה תחי' לאי"ט:
הנה ברך לקחתי ליום מולדתי א' דר"ח אדר שהגעתי בעזה"י לשנת חמשים, והודיתי להשי"ת ברבים על שהחינו וקימנו לזמן הזה וברוך ית"ש הנותן ליעף כח ללמוד וללמד, כן יעזרני למען שמו ותורתו, עד זקנה ושיבה אל יעזבני ואל יטשני, ויהי' עמי כאשר היה עם אבותינו הקדושים זצ"ל להגדיל תורה ולהאדירה, ולגדור פרצי התורה אשר רבו בעו"ה, ויציל אותנו ממוציאי דבה על תוה"ק, ועלינו יציץ נזרו, תרוממנה קרנות צדיקים:
ועשיתי ביום ההוא זה היום עשה ד' לי סיום למס' פסחים, ואמרתי ביום אדר"ח בע"מ וויען ברבים בסיום המסכתא וביום שלאחריו פה לפני ב"י ואסיפת לומדי תורה, ואעלה פה בקצרה, הנה הצל"ח יצא ליישב סוגי' ש"ס דקאמר פשיטא על פדיון הבן אקב"ו ע"פ הבן, אבי הבן מברך, ע"פ מה שבריב"ש נתקשה, למה מברכין עפ"ה כיון דא"א בשליח והש"ך בנקה"כ העלה דפודים על ידי שליח וא"ש דמברכין בעל, ופשיטא לי' לצל"ח דשליח אינו מברך שהחינו, ומה"ט עלה ספק בלב בעל האיבעי' אי כהן מברך שהחינו שהוא לעולם יוכל לברך שהחינו משא"כ האב כשפודה עי"ש, ולכן מקדים פשיטא דמברך על פדיון, מדמברך בעל ש"מ שפודים עי"ש, ולכן יש לספק מי מברך שהחינו, אלו דבריו בקיצור, ועדיין לא יצא ליישב אריכות ושפת יתר אבי הבן מברך פשיטא דאב מברך, לא הו"ל להקדים אלא פשיטא דמברכין על פדיון הבן דמזה מוכח דפודים עי"ש, ונ"ל להוסיף בשאומר מלתא בטעמ' למה מצוה שנעשי' עי"ש מברכין בעל ושאינה נעשי' עי"ש מברכין בלמ"ד, נ"ל עפמ"ש הד"מ באו"ח סי' ח' דברכה דעל קאי על כללות המצוה ולא על עשית המצוה עכשיו, ולכן מברכי' על טלית קטן על מצות אבל ברכה בלמ"ד קאי על עשית המצוה שעושה עכשיו עיי"ש בט"ז, ונ"ל לכן מצוה שנעשי' עי"ש ושליח מברך ובאמת אין ראוי' לו לברך כיון שאינו מחויב, ועיין מג"א סי' תל"ב לכן תקנו בעל דקאי על כללות המצוה, וכיון ששליח זה עושה המצוה בשליחו' המשלח ועוסק ובא במצוה זו, וגם לו קצת מצוה ראוי' לו לברך אבל מברך רק בעל, אבל מצוה שא"א עי"ש מברך בלמ"ד כי הוא מחויב בעשיית המצוה ועליו מוטלת כנ"ל נכון


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Taanis 2-3

1. Tana Heicah kai.

2. Tosfos Mei'eimasai clearly paskens we sit on the sukkah on Shmini Atzeres, not like minhag of Chasidim.

3. Tosfos Im Kein.  See Nefesh Harav p. ___ about asking (in birkas hashanim) all year reound depending if the climate needs it, based on Rosh __.

4. Tosfos Vayishma.  We can answer that Barad (hail) is a type of rain (precipitation) unless it was a miraculous barad like the makah in Mitzrayim.

5. Interesting that of the 3 mafteichos - techiyas hameisim, which will happen once, we mention every day.  Chaya, women giving birth, happens every day and we never mention it.  Rain, which happens half the year, the rainy season, should be mentioned, based on the other patterns, in the summer, when it is not seen!  Yet the halacha is to mention it during the rainy season.

2b
6.  Bimarava Amri.  Very strange - maarava is Eretz Yisrael, why would Rabi Yochanan, an Amora from Eretz Yisrael, been quoted differently?  The answer is Brachos 44a Tosfos s.v.Inhu explains that Rabi Yochanan would say things for his Babylonian talmidim, ways they should pasken, even if in E"Y things were done differently.  In other words, he spoke to his audience.

3a
7. Nisuch is halacha limoshe misinai.  Rambam says in hakdama to Perush hamishna that there can be no machlokes about a Halacha l;Moshe misinai and if there is a machlokes it can't be a HLMM.  That must mean about the details itself.  But we do see ,like here, arguments if something is a HLMM or not.

3b
8."Just like the world cannot survive without wind."  Similar expression to last perek in Brachos - R' Akiva told Yehuda ben Pappas "just like a fish out of water cannot survive, so too Yisrael cannot survive without water.


Winds.  (From a discussion about Brachos which direction to sleep in) Rashi Brachos 3b from BB 25 about the 4 winds: morning east, because of sun; then south, then west, then north (from midnight).  See Pirkei DRav Eliezer 3 – they can fit with that Gemara: east brings light – because of sun comes from east in morning; then south (not sure why) brings gishmei bracha; then west brings darkness – because sun set in south; then north is snow, rain and bad weather.  2 poss: 1) we sleep in direction aligned with the wind.  2) 4 elements – earth, air, water, fire, -- rain etc represented by north wind is one of the heavy /physical ones, and tashmish/having a baby is very physical so it is aligned with the idea of the north wind.  Rashi says east/west is Shechina, he’s not sure which; with Pirkei D’Rav Eliezer I’d say south is bracha.

So maybe the world cannot exist without wind, mentioned here, is based on the premise that (at least some of) the winds represent the physical elements that all matter was created from.

4a
9. Rashi afilu suma.  Be dan lekaf zechus.  What's the kaf zechus here?  Maybe the assumption is Talmidei chachamim are hard (like a few lines later) and if he's soft, one might think he's not really a talmid chacham, so we're dan lekaf zechus that he is a talmid chacham and the Torah made him soft.

10. Boneha.  And see end of Brachos and Nida - t""c marbim shalom...al tikri banayich ela bonayich.  Rav Ahron Soloveichik zt"l said that he never noticed that t"c have special aptitude to build things.  So he said bonayich is from shoresh bin (binah), intellectual.  Same thing would apply here.

11. Afilu chigeres.  shows that these mumim are defects in shidduchim.  But if so, let the kiddushin not work from mekach ta'os, yet our Gemara implies the kiddushin would have been final despiter her being crippled or blind?  Mumim shebigaluy are considered known - Gemaras discuss if there is a public bathhouse in the city the man would be able to ask his female relatives that a particular woman does not have a mum, because if she had a mum, people would know it from the bathhouse.  An answer (I'm nto excited about) is in end of Tosfos s.v. Yachol that she might have a prosthetic leg that Eliezer didn't notice, or beautiful eyes that were unable to see (which we wouldn't be able to tell).  So they were not mum shebigaluy.  (I have trouble with this because how could a blind person go find the well and draw the water?)

12. Yiftach & Tosfos s.v. Vehaynu.  Maybe this Gemara is here because it's saying how inflexible Yiftach was in not asking Pinchas to be matir neder.  See tanchuma Emor__.  (That makes it similar to Brachos 9 that Chizkiyahu and Yeshayahu were similarly inflexible about ging to the other for advice, so Hashem made Chizkiyahu sick and Yeshayahu had to go to him to be mevaker choleh).

13.  Peamim nireh.  Seems to going on zroa, arm, (think oif zroa netuya, outstretched arm with which Hashem punished Egyptians) which is sometimes covered and sometimes uncovered.  (Even for woman, see Makos 24 - the women would uncover arms to do laundry; it was not asur or a violation of tzniyus.  See also Mishna Negaim __ of what part of a womna's arm might be seen when she is sewing to determine if a nega is in a covered place or uncovered place.  But Rashi s.v. Pe'amim seems the pasuk - heart and arm - are going together.  That makes it sound like Tefillin that they are on the zroa kineged halev.  That means Rashi holds zroa is upper arm, above elbow.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Rosh Hashana daf 23-26

23.  Whoever doesn't teach Torah is like Hadas bamidbar.  See Yalkut Shimoni Emor that Hadas represents one who learns but doesn't have maasim tovim.


24b.  Demus arba panim.  Like what Yechezkel saw in Maaseh Merkava - four faces.

This is source that if you have a figurine you crack off the nose or something similar to render it not asur.  Question - can kids play with plastic toy soliders? 

25a. Siman david melech yisrael chai vekayam.  This is probably why we say this line in Kiddush Levana.

25a.  See R' Unterman (__) about not knowing all the members of the Beis Din, but we do know the Av Beis Din's name.  And Rambam in Hakdama to Yad Hachzaka refers to "Shmuel uBeis Dino," David uBeis Dino" etc.

RASHI shluchmim got paid.

26a. Zikaron.  Or - shofar is sound, and the sound can be heard even in Kodesh hakadashim.

Tos velo.  See later on 27a Tos s.v. shofar.  Seems that we must have sound that goes in, comes out, and not that that soun d enters another shofar and we hear what comes out of the second one.

Daf Yomi - Rosh Hashana Daf 29-32

Blow on Shabbos where there is Beis Din.  Most understand beis din semuchim, but Rif held beis din kavua, and his beis din was kavua, so they blew in his place on Shabbos Rosh Hashana.

29b.  Tosfos Aval.  He says lulav is only tiltul (picking it up) so it's not so important.  But Baal Hamaor end of Pesachim says Sefiras Haomer is a deficient zecher lemikdash because it's only some words, whereas Lulav is a maaseh.  Maybe they argue; maybe Baal Hamaor (as Rav Yoshe Ber explained) Sefira is zecher lechurban and Lulav and others are zecher lebinyan, whereas our Tosfos is talking within the category of zecher lebinyan, Lulav is pretty plain, because it's only tiltul.

30a. 1. Zecher Lemikdash.  See Reshimos Shiurei Hagrid Halevi Sukkah ___ that some zecher lemikdash are for churban (like Sefira; perhaps the dinim at end of Perek Chezkas Habatim, like leaving an amah of your house unplastered) and others are to remember the Mikdash standing (Lulav).

2. Mizbeiach banui.  See Perach Mateh Ahron (R' Ahron Soloveichik) in Kunterus Eretz Yisrael link __

3. Misatzlim.  See Pesachim 4a about women for Bedika.  Most say lazy, but IIRC Meiri says they are extra meticulous.

30b.
1.Rashi nohagim.  For whatever reason Rashi holds these things happened not on regular Rosh Chodesh but specifically on Rosh Hashana.  Leshitaso earlier __.

2. Shibush gadol.  But it was passive (shev v'al taaseh) - that's what allows Chachamim to tell us not to blow shofar on Sabbos - so why is it gadol, so bad, here?

3. Rashi Hari'u.  See Tosfos Sanhedrin 5 - I'd think Tosfos would explain this mizmor is for Rosh Hashana because keseh leyom chageinu refers to Rosh Hashana (as our Gemara says in first perek).

31a.
1. Mizmor shir leyom Hashabbos.  Simple explanation is like Brisker Rav on Breishis - that mizmor is a praise on the creation as a whole.

2. R' Ketina - 6,000 years, then destroyed for 1,000.  See Drush Ohr Hachayim (in Mishnayos Yachin U'Boaz after Sanhedrin).

3. Hazayu Lach.  Splitting up Haazinu.  see notebook.

31b.
1. R' Yochanan ben Zakai - three forty-year periods in his life.   Sifri Zos Habracha says the same thing about him, Rabi Akiva and Moshe Rabbeinu.

32a
1. what is the nafka mina between R' Akiva and __ other than ___ because the same things are learned from the same words of the pasuk, only the order in which they are listed in the pasuk is different.  Unless they aregue of the order of the brachos in Musaf?

2. R' Zeira - sounds like the Shliach Tzibur also blows shofar.  __ mentions only if he won't get confused between workds of Musaf and blowing.  But I think in those days, they didn't have siddurim like we had so the shluach tzibur was very fluent in the words.

3. R' Yochanan - kineged 10 maamaros of breishis.  Fits in well with biTishrei nivra ha'olam in first perek.  Rashi (Asarah) does say this, and he connects all the opinions to Shofar or Rosh Hashana.

4. Tosfos  seems Neviim are better than kesuvim, so why are pesukim from kesuvim before neviim in Musaf RH?  He answers kesuvim that are first were chronologically before most neviim.  We can say because we can learn gzeira shava between chumash and kesuvim they are more important than neviim. 

32b
Pekida vs Zikaron . See R' Ahron Soloveichik Logic of the Heart, Purim - Zechira is remembring past, pikadon connects it to present.  When Hashem told Shmuel to tell Shaul pakadti es asher asa hachotim amalek, their past sins were in the present, they were presently chataim.

Teruah vs Shofar

Vayehi Bishurun melech.  But see ibn Ezra on that Pasuk that one possibility is the melech is Moshe.  Our Gemara clearly rejects that; Melech is Hashem.

33a.  Mei Raglayim.  The Torah Temima in his book on Siddur, Baruch She'amar, rejects the possibility that mei raglayim is urine, and explains it is water used for laundry.  Since people stepped on the clothes in the water to make them clean, they are called mei raglayim, and because feet were in them, it is not respectful to use it.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Rosh Hashana 21-22 Daf Yomi

21a.
1. Levi wouldn't testify because he didn't hear it directly from Beis Din.  Sounds like therefore what he'd say would be eid mipi eid, and that to inform others about BD's decision follows regular dinei Edus.  See later on 25b mishpat.  And see later 22a Ula said "kidshu leyarcha bemaarava.  Did he hear it from BD?

21b.  Bikesh Koheles.  Perhaps we can explain this agaddata as follows:
a) Koheles wanted to reach 49th shaar bina like Moshe - perhaps Koheles wanted all of his works to be part of Tanach, just as everything Moshe said was automatically Torah (Rav Chayim, based on Bava Basra 14 Moshe kasav sifro v'sefer Bilam).  Lo kam navi od kiMoshe - Shlomo, your works are not automatically part of Tanacha.  (Only 3 of the 1,000 are in Tanach).
b) Koheles wanted to judge based on his gut feeling.  See Makos 23b - Ruach hakodesh when Shlomo judged the 2 women and threatened to cut the baby in half.  I think that Ruach Hakodesh meant Shlomo judged based on what he felt the facts were, based on psychology or human nature or call it what you want, even though there was no eidus.  (See Rambam Sanhedrin 24:1 and Tur CM 15 and Beis Yosef, from Teshuvas HaRosh for similar dinim.)  And Raavad in Hilchos Lulav about hadas sheniktam rosho means this - kfar hofia ruach hakodesh biveis midrasheinu - in his hasaga there.  Shlomo wanted to even judge nefashos like this, and was denied that.

Moshe had din melech Zevachim 102 and Rambam Hil. Beis Habechira 6:1, I'm looking at Griz on Vayeilech; Rishonim at beginning of VeZos Habracha - vayehi bishurun melech (see this post http://shasdaf.blogspot.com/2008/12/yanai-hamelech-daf-66.html .  In this week's parsha, Behaaloscha, perhaps the naar wanted Eldad and Meidad jailed and punished because they were being moreid bimalchus with their eidus against Moshe, the king, dying.

See also Chasam Sofer from Nefesh Harav __)

22a. Rashi bikuvya.  The predecessor of dice were thigh bones.  See Gods, Games and Gambling by F.N. David.

Ribbis.  Kiddushin shiurim.

22b.  Code to inform the chachamim of the Baytusim's plot.  See Pesachim first perek about the goy who was eating from Korban Pesach and R' Yehuda ben Bava caught it "and his net was spread far away."

Rosh Hashana 18a Rambams opinion

18a.  Av mipnei Hataanis.  Rambam held (see PHM here) in second Mikdash they fasted Tisha B'av.  Others disagree.  Huchpelu bo tzaros. Tosfos (R"H 18b s.v. Ho'il) asks why is 17 Tammuz different than 9 Av, that on 9 Av we must fast even if there is Shalom but no Gzeiros, but we can choose if we want to fast on 17 Tammuz, but if many bad things happened also on 17 Tammuz we should have to fast? See the two answers of Tosfos. I think the Rambam understands Huchpelu bo tzaros to be discussing the time of the second Beis Hamikdash, 9 Av was already huchpelu - the gzeira in the midbar and the first destruction.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Rosh Hashana 20

1. 20 a.  Moishum Meisaya.  Rashi's shita (not mentioned here) is unique in that he allows burial on yom tov sheni only when there is a three-day yom tov: shabbos either is the day after Yom Tov, or Yom tov starts on motzai shabbos, and the issue is the additional decay the body would undergo is the reason we're lenient.  Here are some scattered notes I have on this topic:

Why we do not bury people on Shabbos using the principle of Amirah L’akum bemakom mitzvah
Tosafos (Bava Kama 80b, s.v. Omer) says it is disgusting and degrading to be buried on Shabbat, even by a non Jew .  This idea is explained by Meshech Chochma (Devarim 5:26) as follows: Shabbos commemorates G-d’s creation if the world, while all other holidays commemorate Israel’s exodus from Egypt.  The commemoration of the creation of the world is not exclusive to the Jewish people.  Even a non Jew performing work on behalf of a Jew is disgusting, because it was done at the expense of commemorating the creation of the world.    Maybe because Shabbos commemorates the creation of the world, and burial represents the end of man, not his creation.

Melachos INvolved:
  • Rosh (siman __) says a non-Jew performs all melacha except for carrying the corpse, which is permitted for Jews based on the principle of mitoch - since carrying is permitted for certain yom tov-related activities, we permit carrying in a non- Yom tov-related activity.  Ran agrees with Ramban that Jews are permitted to perform all preparations necessary even if a non-Jew is available for those tasks.  Ran cites Rav Acha Meshabcha that a Jew is permitted to perform these tasks only if a non Jew is not available.
  • carrying the bier (mitoch)
  • techum
Beitza 6a Rava says: A corpse - on the first day of Yom Tov non-Jews should deal with it, on the second day of Yom Tov, Jews should deal with it...Mar Zutra says: this is so only when it had waited, but if ti had not waited, we wait [to bury it].  Rav Ashi said even if it did not wait we do not delay, for the Rabbis have made the second day as a weekday in regard to a corpse, even for a cloak and myrtle.  Ravina said, while there are chevri we suspect.

Rabbeinu Tam (Beitza loc. cit. S.v. Viha’idna) posits that due to non-Jews employ Jews who do not work on Shabbos and Yom Tov, if they would see Jews burying their dead on Yom Tov they will force their Jewish employees to work on Shabbos.  When people in Malone wanted to prepare a corpse for burial on the second day of Yom Tov Rabbeinu Tam vehemently disagreed.  Rabbeinu Tam’s ruling seems to be based on Ravina’s statement in Beitza.

Sanhedrin 26b cherem for burying corpses on yom tov

2.  20b.  Sod Ha'Ibur.  See my old post.
The second answer is simple: it is called sod, the secret, so it was not publicized.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Daf Yomi Rosh Hashana Daf 10-11

1. 10b "just as one day in a month is considered a month, one month is considered a year.  Ramban mentions this in Kiddush Hachodesh 1:2.  Also, there is din miktzas hayom kikulo, like in last day of aveilus, but not miktzas hachodesh kikulo, by aveilus 12 chodesh.  Shach explicitly says this.

2. 11a Machlokes R' Elazar and Rabi Yehoshua, whether world created in Nissan or Toshrei - with fruit on trees or buds on trees, is almost - not exactly - similar to what was created first, the chicken or the egg; in a state of potential, or state of actual; (ready to pick fruit).  Though animals may have all been created as animals but notice Gemara points out it's Nissan, time for them to mate.  The mating process was purpose of creation, which is development of the embryo then fetus.

3. Rashi s.v. Lavshu.  See 8a above.

4. Tosfos s.v. Berosh Hashana.  10 makos in 10 months.  See this post.  This seems to be like Rashi that each maka lasted a month.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Rosh Hashana Daf 5-6

1. 5a - tashlumin l'azteres.  Gemara says one day because we count days for shavuos.  Gemara then asks but it's also a mitzvah to count weeks.  Our Gemara works out fine according to Ameimar, who counted days and not weeks because it is zecher l'mikdash (Menachos 65).  But our Gemara doesn't mention Ameimar.  Grid explains Ameimar that we count sefira in a deficiant manner because this is to remember the destruction of the Mikdash, not to remember the Mikdash as it stood, like Lulav.  However, we can explain Ameimar that since we only count zecher l'mikdash (it's machlokes rishonim if it's dioraissa or dirabanan), and by simply counting days we fulfill the function of remembring what we did in the mikdash.  An analogy would be washing netilas yadayim because of srach terumah - if that is the reason we should have to wash for diped fruits and vegetables also, but Tur OC 158 brings an opinion there is no need for it bizman hazeh - we see a partial commemoration of the practice is enough to be a commemoration.



2. Tashlimin L'atzeres - see Tos RH 19b.  See also Toras Refael 78 and Chagiga 18a and Mishna Lamelech Klei Hamikdash 6:10 regarding days after shavuos.  COULD BE isru chag as day of korban is similar to chol hamoed (acc to shitos that melacha on chol hamoed is not asur midioraissa – maybe minhag is no melacha because they are days of korbanos.)
This is somewhat connected to Isru Chag: Like Oser Tehillim 79 – prisoner.  Or like Isru Chag Baavosim - Tehillim 118 – tied/connected.  Or like Hasir – remove. See SA OC 429 and SA Harav seif 14.)  See Sukkah 45b from isru chag baavosim and Rashi second explanation (to 1st it seems you eat ON the holiday).  Rambam doesn’t cite this – midas chasidus or asmachta or less.  Yerushalmi AZ 1:1 (end) learns it from Nechemia 9 – fast on Nissan 24.  Why not 23?  Because it is isru chag so can’t fast on it.  (What does Megillas Taanis say?)  494:3 gra cites Chagiga 18a; cf MA 429:8. 

3. 5b Tosfos s.v. Eilu.  See Makos -__ while there is no obligation to bring personal olas (there is chiyuv to bring communal olas) there are many situations that call for bringing an olah.  Green notebook.

4. 6a kofin ad she'omer.  See my post here.  Regarding Beis din forcing someone to fulfill a mitvah.  Rav Ahron Soloveichik zt"l said to explain Tosfos Bava Basra 8b if Beis Din can force for tzedaka, that there is a principle that Beis Din cannot force if there is a reward mentioned in the Torah for the performance of that mitzvah, that Beis Din is not allowed to force.  He explained (in much richer language than I present here) that when the reward is explicit, the person should not need any incentive to fulfill the mitzvah, since he is incentivized from the Torah.

5. 6a.  Rava - if you said harei zu al menas she'ein chayav b'acharyuso.
Tosfos says it's not masneh al mah shekasav batorah.  Why not?  Maybe as a neder you can qualify it.  Maybe as hekdesh, it is not shayach to mishpitei hatanaim.  But I'm not sure why.