KOL MAKON SHE'ANI HOLECH, ANI HOLECH L'ERETZ YISRAEL (Rebbe Nachman of Breslov) In the generation of the redemption of Eretz Yisrael, there are Tzadikim of E. Yisrael, people who dedicate their lives, their thoughts and dreams to the People of Israel who return to their Land. One such person was Rechavam Ze'evi HY"D, who was murdered in cold blood. He was a fierce advocate for the Land of Israel and for the honor of the Jewish People. His passion for the missing soldiers and all of the People of Israel will be lacking. Question: (last week's, inadvertently omitted) May a woman drink water, tea or coffee
before kiddush on Shabbat morning? If a woman always davens Shacharit before eating (and doesn’t rely on a short request from Hashem after netilat yadayim, as was once customary), then her situation is identical to that of a man regarding kiddush. However, if she doesn’t daven Shacharit regularly or if she eats before davening, then she is immediately obligated in kiddush and should not drink before making it (Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 209:4). If a woman feels somewhat weak when she gets up or as the morning wears on (not to mention if she is actually sick), and she cannot make kiddush at the time, then she can eat as needed before kiddush (Minchat Yitzchak IV, 28.3). The rationale for the leniency includes the fact that there is an opinion that women are not obligated to participate in kiddush on Shabbat morning. It would seem that a woman who can make her own kiddush but, on the one hand, feels uncomfortable doing so before her husband comes home and, on the other hand, not drinking anything affects her oneg Shabbat, can also rely on that opinion and eat. Question: (this week's) If someone under the age of bar/bat mitzvah inspects grains or vegetables for infestation, etc., is that inspection sufficient? Answer: Your question is a very important and broad one. The applications are too many and complex to exhaust and so, we will address mainly the principles. The gemara (Pesachim 4a) says that minors are believed to attest that a house was checked for chametz. The gemara explains that this is so, because, assuming bitul chametz was done, the problem of possessing chametz is only d’rabbanan (rabbinic). Thus, we have our first distinction, between cases where we need to trust a child regarding a Torah law or a rabbinic one. However, the case in Pesachim may be lenient for two additional reasons: 1) there is no known pre-existing prohibition which needs to be rectified (lo itchazeik isura) – Rama, Yoreh Deah 127:3); 2) the child who is doing the attesting has the ability to rectify the situation himself (b’yado) – tosafot, ad loc. The Rama (ibid.) rules that only when these three lenient factors coincide, namely: a rabbinic law where the prohibition is not known to have pre-existed and the child can rectify the situation himself, is a minor believed. Many take issue on the Rama (including Shach, ad loc.:31) and say that when it is b’yado, a minor is believed even by itchazeik isura. A specific case where poskim hammer out the issues is on the question whether a minor is believed that he performed tevilat keilim (immersing utensils). The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 120:14) rules that a minor is not believed. The Shach (ad loc.:16) explains that this is because tevilat keilim is a Torah law. A major machloket acharonim exists regarding tevilat keilim of a glass utensil, which only has a rabbinic obligation of tevilah (see R. Akiva Eiger and Pitchei Teshuva, ad loc. and a summary in “Tevillat Keilim” (Cohen), 8: (2*)). Regarding checking food for problems, it really depends on several factors. Since there is no knowledge that a problem did exist, there is no problem of itchazeik isura. On the other hand, there is a factor that it requires concentration and toil to properly check (many foods). We would say as follows. In cases where there is not a very high likelihood of problem, a child can be believed because there is only a rabbinic requirement to check. Tosafot (Eruvin 31b) requires that the child himself will be relying upon his own testimony (e.g. eating the food), and some poskim prefer that we rely on their checking only in such a case (see “Bedikat Hamazon Kahalacha 6:2). In certain cases, where there is a Torah requirement to check, a child is not believed. Of course, any leniency must assume that the specific child is fully capable of doing a proper job. “Ask the Rabbi” Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weekly 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 email, on a weekly basis, please send an email to
lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Join Hemdatya - Please leave the subject blank. The golden rule: Give and Take. That is the way the world was created. So that everyone should influence others and be influenced in kind. Anyone who does not embody both of these qualities is nothing but a fruitless tree. Sinners are better than misers. When sinners sin, they regret it. But misers sin and enjoy it - because they get to keep their money. Someone who does not reserve one hour every day for oneself, is not human. Y'HIYU L'RATZON IMREI VI V'HIGAYON LIBI HASHEM TZURI V'GOALI (TEHILLIM 19:15) • G'matriya Match During T&M season, an Amida w/o T&M is "fatally flawed" and must be repeated. (Conversely, when we don't say T&M, if one says it, he repeats the the Amida)If you realize your omission during BAREICH ALEINU, just go back and say it. If you realize right after the bracha, but you have not continued with T'KA, then say the words V.T.U.L. between BAREICH ALEINU and T'KA B'SHOFAR. If you started T'KA, but are still within the "request brachot", DO NOT GO BACK, but rather say V.T.U.L. as part of SH'MA KOLEINU — specifically towards the end, right before KI ATA SHOMEI'A. If you have just finished Shma Koleinu but have not yet said the word R'TZEI, then say V.T.U.L. by itself, between the two brachot. If you already began R'TZEI, as long as your feet are still together and you have not "closed off" your Amida with Y'H'YU L'RATZON IMREI FI... then go back to BAREICH ALEINU and daven straight from there. Finally, if you finished the Amida, and then realize the omission, you go back to the beginning and say the WHOLE Amida over again. And even if you remember your omission at the next davening, you daven Tashlumin. Not sure? Then it depends. Within the first month of T&M (some say 90 times, which is more than a month), a doubt usually means that you did not say it and you must behave accordingly. After a habit is formed, you may assume that you said it correctly, even if you aren't sure. The raven is quite comfortable flying “to and fro until the waters dried up from the earth.” And a few twists of its Hebrew name “orev” give us notice of its ubiquitous nature. Always ravenous (ra’ev), the raven is continuously dependent on the surety (arev) of Hashem for its food. Like a Jew in the Galut she flies restlessly from place to place in search of sustenance. The dove also searches for a resting-place, and twice she returns to the ark. The Be’er Mayim Chayim suggests, however, that the dove previously alighted in Eretz Yisrael, which had escaped the flood. On the second journey, she returns with a bitter olive branch in her bill which, according to legend, is meant to induce her helpmate to accompany her back to Israel. Sincerely yours, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center [The No'ach Homepage]
|
