MISC section - contents: Q This sounds like a crazy question, but what is the halachic
ruling on one who counts sefirat haomer in a base other than the standard,
decimal system? In other words, could he say, "Today is 1101 in base 2" on day
13? One can demonstrate from the Shulchan Aruch (ibid.) that one does not fulfill the mitzva of sefirat haomer by stating information that makes it clear what day of the omer it is. Otherwise, saying yesterday's date would be like saying today's date. Thus, one has to say something relatively direct about the number that corresponds to the day in the omer. But how formal must it be? Firstly, the poskim understand as a simple matter that one can do sefirat haomer in any language he understands (Magen Avraham 489:2) and some say that one does not fulfill the mitzva if he does not understand, even in Hebrew (ibid.). So one can say that the important thing is getting the point across in reference to the day's count. If so, what difference does it make if it is in done in a different language or in binary. In fact, many Acharonim (see Sha'arei Teshuva 489:6; Biur Halacha, on 489:1; Kaf Hachayim 489:24) dispute or have doubt as to whether or not one fulfills the mitzva by saying the number in gematria form (e.g. "yud gimmel" for 13). One might claim that the answer to your question depends on that dispute, as all numerical systems are probably the same. Furthermore, the Ba'er Heitev (:6) says that one fulfills the mitzva by saying "arbaim chaser echad (40 minus 1)" for the 39th day, dipping further into arithmetic computations. However, there is great logic to distinguish between your case and the aforementioned. It is true that our definition of what a number is may be broad enough to include gematria. But gematria is at least a normal way for many people to express numbers. In Talmudic Hebrew, "40 minus 1" is also a catch phrase for 39 (see Shabbat 73a). (One can, therefore, take issue on the B'er Moshe (III, 82) who simply equates "5 minus 1" to "40 minus 1."). In contrast, talking in binary is not normal in any language (if one, properly, excludes computer languages). The matter may depend on the careful reading of earlier sources. The Tur (OC 489) cites the Ra'avyah's opinion that when one is in between multiples of 7 days he doesn't say the number of days but, for example, "a week and 6 days" for 13. A week is an accepted way of saying 7 days and it seems to be equivalent to the gematria case. Yet, the Tur feels compelled to explain that this is valid because on day #7, he said, "7 days, which is a week." The Chok Yaakov (489:8) says, in fact, that if on day #7 one says just "a week" the Ra'avyah agrees that he does not fulfill the mitzva. Only after formally stating in our counting that 7 days is equivalent to a week are they interchangeable. (Some argue on the Chok Yaakov and one can also say that the Tur's explanation is needed only to explains why the Ra'avyah's system is legitimate l'chatchila, whereas, you are likely interested in the ruling, b'dieved). In the final analysis, if counting in gematria is invalid, then bases other than decimal are certainly invalid. If one accepts gematria, then there is a possibility to discuss binary. However, logic still dictates that one must express the count in a numerical system which is readily used in the language one is using. 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. And/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by email weekly, by sending an email to info@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Subscribe/English (for the english version) or Subscribe/Hebrew(for the hebrew version). Please leave the subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel EDITORS"S NOTE: As off-beat as this week's question seems, it
appeals to the math teacher in me. This is especially so because I used to point
out to my students that the regular Omer counting was in base ten (the decimal
system) and in base seven (that is from day 7 until 48, if you want to be
picky). By saying, today is 25 days which are 3 weeks and 4 days to the Omer is
the same as saying 25 ten º 34 seven R' Hirshele ordered that the remaining wash be brought to him. He then had the two women leave temporarily, and asked his wife to add some of her own laundry to the pile. He then called one of the women back and asked her, "Do you recognize your laundry?" She began sorting the clothes. "This is mine, this isn't...", she said. R' Hirshele then ordered that the clothes be mixed up again, and called the other woman in. "Do you recognize your wash?" he asked her. She began gojng through the pile: "This is mine, and this, and this... all are mine", she said. "Are you sure that all are yours?" asked the rabbi. "Yes", she said decisively, "everything here is mine." "You are the liar", R' Hirshele told her, "and the laundry
belongs to the other woman." "I am grateful to my jacket", he said, "because it instills
humility far more so than all the musar works that have been written about the
subject." Simply understood, the verses teach us that whenever we live among non-Jews we should be cautious not to learn their ways or adopt their values. Rashi, however, is bothered by the two superfluous phrases in the verse, and so he understands that God is warning Israel who are now in the desert that the Egyptians of Goshen "where you dwelt" as well as the Canaanites of Israel where "I am taking you," are the most corrupt of the nations. Thus, you must be especially careful not to be influenced by their lifestyle. The Kli Yakar takes a different approach and explains that these phrases reflect the wrongdoings committed by our people when they were in Egypt and while they were in the desert. When Yaakov and his sons first come to Egypt and Yosef arranges a dwelling for them, we read (Bereishit 47:27), "Thus Israel settled in the country of Egypt in the region of Goshen…." Many commentaries point out that our forefathers erred when they "settled" in Egypt instead of treating the country as a temporary residence. And their wrong- doing in relation to the land of Canaan was that whenever they faced a difficulty in the desert, they disgraced the Holy Land by saying that they wished to return to Egypt (Bamidbar 14:4) or to die in the wilderness (Shemot 16:3). In these verses, God provides us with the formula to make amends for these mistakes. Come to Eretz Israel where not only can you abide by My commandments to their fullest, but you can abide by more of My commandments than any where else (mitzvot hateluyot ba'aretz). In order not to fall prey to the negative influences of a foreign land - bechukoteihem lo telechu, "you shall not follow their laws"; and in order not to make the mistake of deferring your arrival and your observance of so many mitzvot, G-d urges everyone - et mishpatai ta'asu ve'et chukotai tishmeru, "You shall observe My laws, and keep My ordinances." Mrs. Linda Derovan, Ramat Beit Shemesh Of course, you can show your gratitude to the Israel Center by attending our upcoming celebratory Yom Yerushalayim Dinner or by placing an ad in the Dinner Journal. Might we humbly suggest that shul members might like to get together to take out an ad in our Dinner Journal. As you have counted on us - week in and week out for the Torah Tidbits - we now turn to you for your commitment in participating in our once-a-year fund-raising drive. We look forward personally to greeting each one of you at the Dinner. We know that we can count on you! With best wishes, Menachem Persoff and Phil Chernofsky With the camel and the pig being the obvious candidates for special mention in the Torah as being non-kosher, we get the sense that the purpose of their mention is because of similarities they bear to kosher animals. Most non-kosher animals are obviously so. But not these. So what's a rodent-looking furry thing doing on the list? Read these definitions for hyrax and we begin to understand why the SHAFAN is on the short list too. HYRAX Any of several herbivorous mammals... resembling
woodchucks or similar rodents but more closely related to the hoofed mammals.
They are cute, they are shy... but they are most definitely NOT
kosher. (...also known as coney, dassie, rock rabbit, klipdachs, daman, ashkoko...) Here's another parable (analogous situation) which was first presented on Yom HaAtzmaut to those who joined us for our festive davening. A person is walking from the Old City to Maalot Dafna (let's say), and while crossing K'vish Mispar Echod, is hit by a car. Hit and run. The person is badly injured and is lying on the road. Moments later, a car approaches. The driver stops, happens to be trained in advanced first-aid, which he applies, then calls for an ambulance. The person is whisked off to the hospital, undergoes emergency surgery, and is now in a regular room on his way to a full recovery. The doctors tell him that the driver that stopped for him saved his life. Can you imagine the person not "benching gomel" because his life
was saved by a Jew who drives on Shabbat? Can you imagine the person not being
thankful to G-d and to the driver for what they teamed up to do? However, remarks Rabbi Norman Lamm, the edict to be holy is specifically directed to the ordinary men and women who are confronted daily by temptation and ambition, secularism and profanity. It is in this encounter with real life that we have the greatest opportunities - like Moshe and Rabbi Akiva before us (among countless other role models) - to prove that it is the challenge of mundane living, "that is the stone on which we must sharpen the blade of Kedusha." Shabbat Shalom Menachem Persoff [The Parshat A'charei-K'doshim Homepage]
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