MISC section - contents: Q I have been told that one can use a utensil once before
toveling it (immersing it in a mikveh). May I rely on that opinion? Let’s trace the mistake. It appears that many people, not being overly familiar with
the laws of keilim (mis)understood that this ruling assumes that tevilla
becomes necessary only after repeated uses. In fact, this is not the case. A
utensil which has the prospect of being used repeatedly is a kli from the
time of its formation. As such, the obligation to tovel it applies. While
one who wants to let a kli sit in his cupboard (or his store, awaiting sale)
is not obligated to tovel, its use makes the obligation “kick in” (see Shach
120:10). Thus, one is not allowed to create the obligation of tevilla by
using the utensil and not fulfill that obligation (see Tevillat Keilim
ibid.:(2) in the name of Rav Sh. Z. Orbach). Every use, whether one or many,
creates an obligation which must be fulfilled by the time of the use, at
least under normal circumstances. 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
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Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel And what is it about their situation now, that suddenly makes it so clear to him? Rashi quotes the Midrash which says that on their way down
to Egypt, Avraham and Sarah had to cross a stream. In crossing the stream,
Avraham looked down and saw the reflection of Sarah in the water. Upon
seeing her reflection, Avraham suddenly realized how beautiful his wife
Sarah was. But the question remains, what about seeing Sarah's reflection in
a stream made Avraham realize her beauty whereas all those years of being
married could not accomplish that? In addition, Avraham does not say "Now I
know", rather he says "Hinei Na Yadati -- Now, I knew". How did this new
discovery affect what Avraham knew in the past? "Yofi" is external, physical beauty. "Chayn" is internal beauty which comes from a person's spiritual attributes. The amazing thing about "Chein" is that it can actually make a person's "Yofi" look better than it really is. Has it ever happened to you that when you first meet someone you don’t find them to be so attractive, but then the more you get to know them (i.e. their sweet disposition and good nature) the more beautiful they seem to become? We explain that phenomena as "His looks grew on me", but really what is happening is that the "Cheinn" in him makes his "Yofi" look better than it did at first. All throughout their marriage, Avraham saw Sarah’s beauty as being a function of both her "Yofi" and "Chein". Avraham never saw Sarah as simply an object of beauty, because he never separated her inner beauty (Chein) from her external beauty. Only when they crossed this stream, for the first time Avraham saw Sarah simply as a beautiful, physical form because when you see a person’s reflection in water (or a mirror) you only see "Yofi", not "Chein". So when Avraham saw that Sarah’s reflection was so beautiful he exclaimed "Now I have proof that what I always knew is true. I always saw you as beautiful because you had a beautiful inside in addition to a beautiful outside. But if I ever wondered whether or not my judgment of your "Yofi" was true since I also saw your "Chein", now I see that what I knew was right. You are as beautiful on the outside as I always knew you were on the inside". (Ed. note: Those living in Israel are continually awed not
only by its “Yofi “but also by its “Chein”. Why don’t you come to experience
it for yourself?) P.S. The above is an excerpt from Shprintza's book "Rays of the Sun" -- containing commentary on all the sedras of the Torah. For a copy of the book, please write to: shprintz@actcom.co.il TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for
publication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah
publication on Parshat Ha'Shavuah Omitting this request invalidates the Amida and requires repeating it. Details not covered by this reminder include: The rules for remembering the omission while still in the Amida, The rule for an Israeli visiting abroad , The rule of a Chutz LaAretz person in Israel as tourist or student A weekday Amida without TAL U'MATAR (from 7 Cheshvan until 14 Nissan - this year, until 13 Nissan, since Erev Pesach is Shabbat) is invalid and must be repeated. This means that if you finish an Amida and realize that you forgot T&M, you must say the Amida again. If you remember that you forgot T&M in the Shacharit Amida,
and it is now the middle of the afternoon, then it is as if you didn't daven
Shacharit, and you say a second Mincha Amida as TASHLUMIN for Shacharit. In
other words, the remembering of your omission does not have to be immediate.
If you catch your omission when you are still in the Amida,
then it depends, as follows: If you already said G-d's name, then continue (without going
back) and when you get to the SH'MA KOLEINU bracha, say T&M as follows: This is preferred to repeating one or more brachot, because this too is a good spot for requests (as we know from the other things that are inserted into Sh'ma Koleinu, before KI ATA). If you pass the point of insertion in Sh'ma Koleinu, but haven't said G-d's name in the end of the bracha, then say T&M and continue with KI ATA SHOMEI'A... If you finish Sh'ma Koleinu but haven't said the word R'TZEI yet, you can say V'TEN TAL U'MATAR LIVRACHA after SHOMEI'A T'FILA and before R'TZEI. Since you have not begun R'TZEI, it is still considered being in the "brachot of request" section of the Amida, and T&M fits. Once you say the word R'TZEI (and you haven't asked for T&M yet), you must go back to BAREICH ALEINU and say the Amida straight from there. Although this involves repeated brachot you have already said, this is what must be done. This rule applies from R'TZEI until you finish the Amida. That point is either when you finish Y'HIU L'RATZON... when you begin taking your first step back. If it is only then that you realize that you have not said T&M, then you must say the Amida all over again. One should be struck by the fact that 19 brachot are being declared invalid, just so that the request for rain can be said in its proper place. This should give us a strong feeling of the value of the prayers of each and every Jew. Our Sages could have reasoned that others would have asked for rain properly and let the one who omitted T&M off the hook, so to speak. But no, every single prayer is important. Let's say that when you finished the Amida, you aren't sure whether you said T&M or not. The doubt enters you right away. In this case, our Sages say that if you have not developed a habit to say T&M (defined as 90 times or one month - which are not exactly the same), then you probably did NOT say it, and you must repeat the Amida, just like someone who is sure they forgot it. After a habit develops, you may assume you said T&M, even if you are not sure. If when you finished the Amida you did not have a feeling of doubt, but it came to you later, then you can ignore the feeling and assume that you said T&M correctly. Also, if you remember thinking about saying T&M while you were in the beginning of the Amida, but you now are not sure whether you said it or not, you may assume that you said it. The halachic rules for SAFEK (doubt) are a bit tricky. In the examples we have mentioned, the person did or didn't say T&M. If he did, fine. If he didn't, then he has to repeat. The problem is that he doesn't know or remember whether he did or not. Halacha therefore tries to maximize the probability that the assumption is as close to the reality as possible. Short of a video replay, we cannot know for sure. So we must follow the halachic guidelines for cases of doubt. Don't be confused by this next statement. Read it over a few times if necessary. It is just an attempt at being cute. If you are in doubt as to what to do if you are in doubt, ask a Rav. The goal is to follow halacha, avoid bracha l'vatala, avoid invoking the opposite of a blessing. Our prayers are REAL. We should take then seriously. Prayer is an important "job" of the Jew. And we each should "pull our weight" by davening with proper care and KAVANA. As to the situation of a Jew from abroad being in Eretz Yisrael when we begin saying T&M (and the Jews from where he comes do not yet say T&M, until the beginning of December), there are different opinions. Here is one approach. A CHULNIK (person who lives outside of Israel) who is in Israel for less than a year, asks for T&M like where he comes from, and not from 7 Cheshvan. In other words, a visitor to Israel on a two-week trip, should continue saying V'TEIN BRACHA in Bareich Aleinu, even though we start T&M on 7 Cheshvan. He should avoid being Chazzan, but if he is, then he must say T&M in the repetition of the Amida. If a CHULNIK did start saying T&M (which he should not have done according to this opinion), then he should continue saying it. Some say, even when he returns "home". This is disputed. People who are in Israel for a year of learning (which often is much less than a year) should ask their Rav (or Rosh Yeshiva). A person who is going to be in Israel for the entire period of 7 Cheshvan through Pesach, even though it is less than a year, might be told that he/she can say T&M like a local. Others are told to say V'TEIN BRACHA in Bareich Aleinu until December, and to say T&M in Sh'ma Koleinu (similar to one who forgot to say T&M). Of course, after December 4th or 5th, T&M is said in Bareich Aleinu for everyone. An Israeli traveling abroad (with intention of returning in less than a year), asks for T&M according to the Israel schedule. He too should avoid the Amud (being Chazzan). If he cannot avoid it, then he must follow local practice in the repetition of the Amida. A few words about our fellow Jews in the Southern Hemisphere. A community "down under" (where seasons are reversed) that gets rain around the year and will not suffer from rain during its summer, asks for T&M just like all other Chutz LaAretz communities. But if there is a place where rain is harmful during there summer (damages crops, breeds mosquitoes, spreads disease), the Jews there have halachic permission NOT to say T&M from Dec. 4/5 until Pesach. However, during their rainy season, when we are not saying T&M, they may not either. I.e. in Bareich Aleinu. The result of this is that they say V'TEIN B'RACHA the whole year round. Some opinions allow them to ask for T&M in Shma Koleinu, if they desperately need rain during our summer. It's a complicated topic which points to the seriousness of
davening. May all our prayers be answered favorably. ...coat is short, shiny, and reddish. Antlers, present only in the male, are twin-pronged, with a maximum length of 10-12cm... Distinctive canine teeth protrude from the upper jaw in males and can reach a length of over an inch. The munjac grows to about 1m in length, 65cm at the shoulder. Its tail is about 20cm more. It weighs up to 15 kilo... usually is solitary and is active mainly at twilight and at night. It feeds on grass, leaves, and fruit. When annoyed or alarmed by the unexpected appearance of an enemy (tigers and other members of the cat family), it emits a distinctive noise like the baying of a dog... When mating occurs, at any time of year, there are often violent duels between males, with the rivals inflicting deep wounds on one another with their horns and canine teeth. Gestation lasts for about six months, after which the female delivers one or two young. Presence of canine teeth in some deer has led some halachic
authorities to question their kashrut, even though they chew the cud and
have split hooves. The question is being debated even as you read these
words, and the final psak will determine whether certain deer meat enters
the kosher market in Israel in the near future. Ramban comments that Avraham’s flight to Egypt placed his wife, Sarah, in extreme danger on account of her beauty. Moreover, Avraham resorts to trickery – calling his wife his ‘sister’ – in order to protect her from the Egyptian king. How so? For the Midrash, the descent to Egypt was one of several tests Avraham endured. The fleshpots and dangers of Mizrayim would thus challenge his spiritual resources and contest his trust in Hashem’s promise. However, for the Midrash, this journey also foreshadows the exile of Ya’akov’s sons to Egypt. Avraham’s behavior is now better understood, for now he
preempts the challenge of Diaspora. His sudden awareness of Sara’s beauty is
a reflection of the debilitating influences of Galut. For Harav Harlap,
Avraham’s calling Sara his sister is not trickery; it is a way of raising
the moral high ground as a pointer for the future. For Avraham understands
that only strong ethical principles will serve now to protect Sarah and,
later, the Jewish midwives in Egypt. He also teaches us that only the
loftiest of moral standards constitute the anti- dote to our enemies – then
and now. [The Parshat Lech Lecha Homepage]
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