ASK THE VEBBE REBBE
From the Virtual Desk of the OU Vebbe Rebbe
The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in the areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of the questions are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli, zt"l to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. The Ask the Rabbi project is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...

Question: Where I live, a lot of people have non-Jewish household help. They often deliver the Mishloach Manot. Is that a halachic problem?
Answer: In theory, there are four positions one can take regarding the delivering of mishloach manot: 1. It must be done by the person who wants to fulfill the mitzva; 2. It can be done by a valid shaliach (agent) of the sender, as well; 3. It must be done by someone other than the sender; 4. It can be done by anybody. Megillat Esther uses the term “mishloach” (sending), not “matan” (giving). The Binyan Tziyon, siman 44 (quoted by Mishna Berurah 695:18) suggests that this implies that one should have to send the manot with someone else, and not give them himself. If this were the case, then one might ask if the deliverer must have the status of a shaliach (agent), which excludes non-Jews and also CHILDREN. However, the Chatam Sofer (Gittin 22b) makes the following important.

Some people, based on the logic of the Binyan Tziyon, look for others to deliver instead of themselves. It is interesting that the Binyan Tziyon (Rav Yaakov Etlinger, 19th century, Germany) himself says that he never saw a posek who mentioned such a thing. He claims that the reason is that the megilla stresses sending to teach us that it is more important to send than for the recipient to accept. Thus, even if the recipient doesn’t accept the package, the sender fulfills his mitzvah (as the Rama 695:4 rules). It was not written to imply one cannot deliver himself.

In summary, there are no limitations on who can deliver mishloach manot.
This “Ask the Rabbi” Q&A is part of this week’s Hemdat Yamim, the parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org. If you would like to receive Hemdat Yamim by e-mail, on a weekly basis, please send an e-mail to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message Join Hemdatya. Please leave the subject blank.

In being objective, we surrender a great deal of ourselves that would be extremely valuable to us in our analysis – if we could employ it without bringing the purely personal factors with which it is involved into the picture.
— A Candle by Day - Shraga Siverstein

Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)
When the Evil Impulse finds that no one is paying it any intention, it poses as the Good Impulse, and causes people to engage in feigned acts of kindness.
- The Baal Shem Tov

Sorrow is no sin, and neither is joy a good deed. But no sin can cause the foolishness that sorrow causes, and no good deed can bring you to the places that happiness can.
- Rabbi Aharon of Karlin

Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard
Q In many Ashkenazic communities, when reading Parshat Zachor, the customis to read the word ZEICHER (its phrase or the whole pasuk -PC) twice: once with the ZAYIN punctuated with a TZEIREI (ZEICHER) and the second time with a SEGOL (ZECHER). [Mishna B'rura]
A In the Book of Shorashim [a grammatical work by the Radak] in reference to the word ZEICHER, it states: Timcheh et ZECHER Amalek with six dots. [This means with a SEGOL under the ZAYIN and the KAF to produce the softer ZECHER]. On the other hand, ZEICHER KADSHO (T'hilim 30:5) is punctuated with 5 dots [i.e. ZEICHER]. This is the view of many authorities. In other s'farim, however, every ZEICHER is punctuated with 5 dots. Sefer Maasei HaRav testifies about the practicce of the Vilna Gaon. "He read Parshat Zachor with a SEGOL under the ZAYIN of ZECHER." However, in the haskama given the sefer of Rabbi Chaim Volozhin he notes "...I heard from the holy mouth of the Gaon that he read it with 5 dots. I do not know whether those who listened did not hear correctly and erred thinking that he pronounced ZECHER with 6 dots, or perhaps in later years, the Gaon may have reconsidered." Because of the doubt concerning the correct punctuation of the RADAK, and because of the conflicting testimony concerning the custom of the GR"A, the Mishna B'rura resolved to repeat the word ZECHER... to satisfy all opinions.

RITE and REASON is available at local Sfarim stores, in the original Hebrew as well as in English translation. It makes a great gift... even for yourself!

KOSHER KOLUMN
The Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center is many things. It is the OU Israel Center (which itself is many things) and it is NCSY B'YISRAEL (which is also many things). And most aspects of both the Israel Center and NCSY are known to many people. But there is more to 22 Keren HaYesod than all of the above. Tucked away on the top floor of the SJA-OU JWC is a busy hive of activity - OU Kashrut in Israel. They are in charge of the kashrut supervision of many Israeli companies that export food products to the U.S. and around the world. They also keep an eye on American OU certified products available in Israel. On that last point, Rabbi Mordechai Kuber, OU's kashrut man in Israel, has asked us to remind the TT readership that the OU Kashrut office in New York has set up an Israeli toll-free number for your Kashrut questions. This number is usable only from Israel, if is free (for you) and it puts you in touch with the NY OU Kashrut office. If you call during THEIR office hours, you'll be able to speak to a human. Otherwise, leave a clear, detailed message and they'll get back to you. The Israel-NY OU Kashrut Hotline number is: 1-800-949-0123

TORATHON 5761
V'HAGITA BO YOMAM V'LAILA
Thursday-Friday, March 15-16, 20-21 Adar
Our schedule is almost set, but there are a few wrinkles to iron out. Torathon will begin IY"H on Thursday morning at 8:30 with an opening mini-shiur. First full shiur at 9:00am with our usual "closer" doing the opening honors, Rabbi Chaim Eisen. Shiurim continue at 10:00, 11:00, and noon. Mincha at 12:50pm. Shiurim at 1:10pm, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, Rabbi Leff with his first of two shiurim at 5:00 and Maariv at 6:10. The evening shift takes over with shiurim at 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30. The night shift brings you shiurim at 12:30am, 1:30, a video-shiur special from 2:30-4:00, Rabbi Leff at 4:00am and Vatikin-Shacharit at 5:15am. Breakfast with Divrei Torah follow, and then the home stretch Friday morning shift winds up with shiurim at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, and Rabbi Riskin at 10:00am. In addition to those already mentioned, shiurim will be given by Rabbis Grunbaum, Derovan, Aberman, Adler, Gold, Ambramson, Fredman, Amsel, Quint, Golda Warhaftig, Linda Derovan, Shprintzee Herskovits, Menachem and Phil. And others. Mishnayot between shiurim, food & snacks throughout, special shiurim for our youth programs.... and more. BE THERE! 

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