Q: It bothers me that at the shul where I usually daven, we often miss Sof Z'man Kri’at Sh’ma (SZKS) (the end of the time by which Kri’at Sh’ma (=KS) should properly be said). What can I do about this problem, and is it proper for me to continue davening in that shul? A: In many shuls during certain times of the year, the congregation does not reach KS by SZKS, which is half way between the beginning of the morning and the middle of the day. (We will have to ignore the discussion as to how to calculate when this time is.) This is an issue primarily on Shabbat and the late minyan on Sunday (in the Diaspora). Even if one missed KS at the proper time, he can recite it normally for at least another full halachic hour, with a qualitatively lower fulfillment of the mitzva (Shulchan Aruch Orach, Chayim 58:6). We will mention solutions to this problem, in a descending order of preference. If the congregation will miss SZKS by a matter of minutes, you can go ahead (inconspicuously) and recite KS at the right time and wait during the following portion of the tefila, which is the long b’racha after KS. During that time, you should answer only "Amen, Y'hei Sh'mei Rabba…," Amen at the end of Kaddish and Borchu. When the congregation gets up to KS, you should cover your eyes and make believe you are saying it with everyone else, as it is generally important not to look like one who doesn't join in saying KS (Shulchan Aruch, OC 65:3). According to most opinions, one can wait at that point in the tefila for a long time, but it may be preferable to say a sentence every few minutes (Mishna Berura 65:4). This system works well halachically but is not appropriate for every situation. It is too complicated for some people. Other people are not good at being inconspicuous and/or are in a shul where their neighbors would be upset if they caught him doing such a thing. It may be wrong for people to be so sensitive to that which strikes them as "holier than thou" behavior. However, this reaction is such a common human reaction and its results are so negative that scores of halachot are based on avoiding these feelings. A simpler idea is to recite the three sections of KS prior to tefila at their proper time to fulfill the main mitzva and repeat them along with their b’rachot as part of tefila. There are opinions that this is a serious problem, as the KS that leads into Shemoneh Esrei should be the one that fulfills that mitzva. However, classical poskim seem to deal with this situation as a reasonable one (Rama 46:9 and Mishna Berura, 46:32). If one is not sure if the congregation will make SZKS, then some say it is possible to have in mind to fulfill the mitzva of KS only if it ends up that the congregation doesn't make it on time (notes of R. Akiva Eiger, ad loc). (There is a fascinating discussion whether or not this works; see Yalkut Yosef, Kriat Shema 4 and elsewhere). If the congregation will not even make it to Sof Z'man Tefila (a halachic hour later), it is halachically better to daven without a minyan at the right time (Mishna Berura 46:32) The question whether it is okay to daven in a shul that misses SZKS is one that cannot be answered in a vacuum and one that cannot be ignored. Many shuls have a hashkama minyan, and SZKS can properly be a factor in favor of attending it. It is also proper to consider it when picking a minyan on Sunday mornings. Realize that it is a rabbi's responsibility to realistically determine what is best for his congregation, in this regard as well. Once he has done so, it is important for the "religiously stronger" members to consider the needs of the k'lal as something that binds them to make some compromises on that which is halachically preferable. If one cannot do so with a smile, then he might do more harm than good by staying in the shul. One can discuss the matter with the local rabbi, assuming that he can do so in a way that is not only intended to be respectful but is received that way as well. Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the
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Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel At the end of our parsha the Torah describes the EGLA ARUFA ceremony. When a murdered person's body is found outside a town and it is not known who caused his death, judges from the nearest town must bring a calf, break its neck and declare that they are not guilty. Who would have thought that the judges were involved in the homicide?! The Talmud (Sota 45) explains that the judges do bear some responsibility, for they acted with insufficient generosity when they failed to provide the murder victim with ample provisions upon his departure from town. Judges do not only resolve legal disputes; they must set a high standard for inter- personal conduct so that the public will learn from their example. Why then is there a distinction between Israel and Chutz La'aretz? The Torah seems to be hinting at one of the basic underpinnings of Israeli society unique to Eretz Israel. The charge to perform generous acts of chesed is not merely to alter an individual's behavior. Instead its purpose is to inculcate chesed into the very fiber of every hamlet in the Land of Israel. Since Israel is the shared home of the Jewish people and of God we must not only learn the language of our roommate but also establish an environment where we can coexist. The only realm where we can find common ground with God is in the area of chesed. For this reason the Torah stresses the import of establishing courts (whose job goes beyond adjudicating disputes) even in the smallest towns of Israel to help facilitate an atmosphere of chesed and concern for our fellow man so that we can approach God on his terms. Chana Tannenbaum, Dean and Director of Shaalvim
for Women 5 years ago, researchers at the U. of C.,
Berkeley; Stanford; and Lewis and Clark College found the secret: 500,000
minute hairs cover the sole of each foot, and the tip of each hair splits
into hundreds more. The hairs are so elastic that they can bend or squish to
conform to microscopic nooks and crannies under the creature's feet, even on
the glass walls of an aquarium. As a result, the tiny hairs touch so much
surface area so closely that weak forces of attraction between molecules in
the hairs and in whatever surface the animal is walking on add up and become
sufficient to let the gecko hang on. The connection breaks when the gecko
shifts its foot enough to change the angle between the hairs and the
surface. The discovery intrigued scientists, who immediately realized that
if synthetic gecko-foot hairs could be made, they might be a great adhesive
- strong, glue-free, dry, reusable and capable of working in a vacuum like
outer space... recent issue of the journal Chemical Communications...
produced synthetic hairs, with 200 times the sticking power of the ones made
by nature... "Think of it almost like nano-Velcro" ...synthetic hairs-
1/10000 the width of a human hair - are made of highly flexible carbon
cylinders, or nanotubes, embedded in a plastic base like bristles in a
hairbrush... strong, practically unbreakable... When mentioning the gifts the people must give to the kohanim, it states: "This shall be the law (of what the) kohanim (receive) from the people: When any ox sheep or goat is slaughtered as food, you must give the kohein the shoulder, the jaw and the maw. You must (also) give him the first portion of your grain, wine, and oil and the first of your shearing." (18:3-4) In order to remind ourselves that everything comes from Hashem, we must give Teruma to the Kohanim from the staples of life. In the merit of separating Teruma, the produce of the field is blessed. But what is the use of this blessing if the owner is ill and can't eat? Oznayim LaTorah says, therefore, the owner of the animal is instructed to give the kohein the shoulder, jaw and maw. This acts as a blessing insuring that the owner will be in good health and will be able to partake of his bounty. The shoulder signifies the hand - to put the food in his mouth, the mouth and jaw - that he is able to chew, and the stomach (maw) that he is able to digest his food. I have prepared recipes from the parts mentioned
in the priestly gifts - shoulder and jaw (tongue). Despite the prestige of the Great Sanhedrin, local courts were to be set up in every gate and a high court was to be established for every tribe. The officers of the court would then be responsible to enforce the decisions of the judges. The Hebrew text indicates that the judges should be set up for you (Lecha). Just as that expression indicated to Avraham that it was for his benefit to go to Eretz Yisrael (Rashi on Lech Lecha), so the creation of a Torah-based judicial system is beneficial to society. The Chassidic masters, however, understood this in a different way: Before you become a judge of others, first become a judge of yourself! Not surprisingly, the Torah lays down stringent
criteria for the judges and demands that the courts be beyond reproach. This
is a timely and fitting preamble for a parsha that goes on to describe the
tasks of kings and prophets and others designated to lead a model Jewish
society. [The Parshat Sho-f'tim Homepage]
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