eSefer

eSefer and Google

2008-07-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

Here are some Google searches (without quotes) that return eSefer as the first result. They are all current as of now, and have all been used to reach this site. I have excluded obvious searches such as esefer or my name.

Berachos 32b
lakewood blog
sefirah smiley
chazon ish emunah
emunah bitachon chazon ish
lakewood blogger
berachos 28a
berachos 7b
berachos 13b
chazarah dolgin
chovah
hip-hugging tznius
prakdan
chazarah learning memorization
chillul shabbos
prakdan women
internet hechsher in lakewood
nap white noise polynap

Worth Reading, Number Four: Project President by Ben Shapiro

2008-07-07T00:44:00.001-04:00

As we all know, the presidential elections are coming soon. Again. And the current presumptive nominees seem to bring out the worst in their detractors. But what drives the elections? According to Ben Shapiro (in Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House), while one might wish that it should be the issues - one of the most significant factors in the presidential race are the candidates' image. The candidates, well aware of this, do their best to put forth a pure face to all their public interactions, but generally don't succeed. No candidate, explains Shapiro, is good enough an actor to completely disguise his character flaws over the thousands of miles and face-hours the campaign trail requires.
So does deciding for whom to vote based on image rather than issue indicate that the average American voter is shallow? Shapiro does not find this troubling. (And this is the lesson of this post:) He contends that when the public vote based on image, they are voting largely based on the candidate's character. The most important attribute for a president, it can be argued, is the character of the man (or woman) who will be the most powerful person in the world.
So, should we apply this concept to the individual, we could conclude that when one projects a less-than-great image, they are actually demonstrating their character flaws. Such a person should not be calling his PR firm. He should be thinking about remedying his character.
There's much else of interest in the book - it begins with a discussion of the "boots vs. suits" candidate divides, and draws on fascinating snippets of American history to develop its thesis. It even makes an attempt at rating the 2008 candidates' image quotient. But the book suffers from choppy writing and has many redundancies. (It gives the feeling that each chapter was originally an individual magazine article, which were all combined - without editing - to produce this book.) On the whole, though, this book gives much food for thought in an entertaining and engaging package. Worth reading.

Old but Good...

2008-06-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

...right here.

Polynap Soundtracks and the Twelve-Minute Nap

2008-06-18T23:34:00.001-04:00

We've discussed in other posts how some of the Gedolim of past generations used polyphasic or biphasic sleep techniques to maximize their alert and awake time. But even for monophasic sleepers, a short nap can be a very powerful tool to help get through the day. Last night, for example, I slept only a bit more than three hours, had a baby girl today, and was ready to crash at about 5:30pm. So I took a very short nap. How, you ask, did I ensure that I would both fall asleep and wake in this short time frame? Simple - I put my headphones on and played one of these tracks. They are from a collection of polynap tracks that are on this website, and they have a long period of white noise followed by wake up sounds. The white noise (also blue and brown) helps drown out background noise and also to put one to sleep. The wakeup noises start with a rooster's crow, and become more and more cacophonous until you wake up. (For the record, the rooster's first or second crow usually wakes me.) The mp3 tracks are available in several lengths, and I highly recommend them. (The site used to contain a twelve minute track, too. Apparently, it was removed. Email me if you want a copy.)
(With appreciation to a distinguished member of the Community Kollel of Kansas City.)

Emunah U’Bitachon 1:5

2008-06-12T04:23:00.002-04:00

We are presented with another system – one designed with incalculable and other-worldly understanding – that testifies to the wisdom of its maker and its existence is praise to him: The mechanism of male and female union, designed to ensure the eternity of the world. This includes the wondrousness of each gender's organs and the creation of the desire that necessitates their use. Because we are habituated to them, we don't recognize the awesomeness of the Creator – all these He made and established to last forever!

Another mystery – fascinating and wondrous – is the forming of man in his mother's body. He lives there for nine months, a pleasant and well-ordered life. He develops and grows, and when his time comes to leave, he breaks through, and leaves! This is all already hidden in the universe's capabilities, involving complementary forces. All these many forces need to be coordinated, with each doing precisely its job perfectly, until the fresh and ready baby is produced. And the goal of all this effort was already planned in the mind of the Creator of all from its very beginning.

And when the baby does enter the world, his mother's breasts – which nurse him with nutritious milk – are created for him. And the Creator declared that there should be a powerful maternal instinct in the mother, to tirelessly care for her baby. We call this the mother's love for her young. (The child also possesses a prepared behavior in that it knows how to suckle from its mother and to take pleasure from her milk.)

Worth Reading, Number Three: The Art of Deception by Nicholas Capaldi

2008-06-05T02:51:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are introduced to deception. No, eSefer does not advocate lying. But in The Art of Deception: An Introduction to Critical Thinking : How to : Win an Argument, Defend a Case, Recognize a Fallacy, See Through a Deception, (Amazon cut it off, but the subtitle continues: Persuade a Skeptic, Turn Defeat into Victory), Nicholas Capaldi suggests that to see through deception we must recognize it and understand it. That's a pretty good argument. This book explains both logic and illogic, so I recommend it for anyone who wants to refine how they learn a Tosfos. It also helps quite a bit in everyday life. (Of course, if you can, you should also learn דרכי הגמרא by R' Yitzchok Kanpanton.) One warning: this book can be a bit dry at times. Worth reading.

More on Polyphasic Sleep

2008-06-05T02:08:00.000-04:00

Daled Amos has a great post about polyphasic sleep and the Vilna Gaon. And it even references this classic post.

Segmented Sleep and R' Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm

2008-06-03T23:28:00.004-04:00

We've discussed polyphasic sleep and the Vilna Gaon earlier. Another type of sleep pattern that was much more common was segmented sleep, where one sleeps a bit during the day, and is up longer at night. (It's a bit more complicated than that, see the Wikipedia article linked above for more details.) The Alter of Kelm, R' Simcha Zissel Ziv, would - according to his student R' Yeruchum Levovitz - sleep three hours each night and half an hour during the day. But he was still able to learn Torah for eight hours straight.
R' Levovitz attributes R' Ziv's accomplishments to his sense of order and his fanaticism for methodicalness in life. R' Ziv would equate orderliness with the clasp of a necklace: "The jewels of the necklace are its most important component, while the clasp is the least significant. Yet if the clasp fails – all the jewels fall. Orderliness is like that – it not particularly important, but it protects everything that is important. If one is orderly and methodic then his Torah, his prayers, his mitzvos will remain protected – he can be sure that they will continue! But one who is disorderly – his jewels fall to the ground… One needs to awaken at a set time, to pray at set time, to begin his learning at a set time, and to stop learning at a set time!"

Worth Reading, Number Two: Staying Supple by John Jerome

2008-05-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

As you might have guessed, today's book of note is Staying Supple: The Bountiful Pleasures of Stretching by John Jerome. We often recite the words אל תשליחנו לעת זקנה; the author makes a compelling case that a significant part of the aging process is the shrinking of our muscle fibers and the attendant loss of flexibility, mobility, and strength. By stretching the muscles one can reverse that process, making one's quality of life better. As a sedentary computer-bound white-collar twenty-eight year old, I can attest that one doesn't have to be very old to benefit from the ideas and exercises in this book.
This is one of those books that seem intuitively correct when you read it, but you think to yourself, "I would never have thought of that!" Worth reading.

Emunah U’Bitachon 1:4

2008-05-21T22:16:00.003-04:00

The Creator saw that life could not yet reach its potential unless there was a connection between man and his fellow man. A world inhabited by deaf-mutes would have lost all its value, and nothingness would have been better than that! So He made a mechanism that makes various sounds – we call it the mouth. Paralleling the mouth, He made a mechanism that vibrates from every sound, which we call the ear. And through the combination of the mouth and the ear a language by which man can communicate was created – and man became a living being – a speaking spirit¹.

But what advantage does man have – even blessed with speech and hearing – if he is still lacking knowledge? Missing understanding? He is comparable to a beast – like an ox grazing! The Creator's wish was to create man as the wisest in his world and to appoint him as prince over all creation. So the Creator planted the root of wisdom in man's brain and the seedling of knowledge in his heart, so as to be able to understand and become enlightened in everything that exists.

(Note that should there be one who possesses a sharp and incisive mind and would be capable of freeing himself from the wearisomeness of this physical life, to become exalted through his thought above all things – should he look down upon all that are alive in the lower world, he would look upon this concept – wisdom attached to man formed from earth – as a terrible enigma. He would attempt futilely to understand this secret – one that is beyond him.)

Another wondrous thing about wisdom is that although it is not physically bounded – it has no length or breadth, no youth nor age – it changes its physical manifestation in man. When a person is a child his wisdom parallels his development, and it grows with him as he matures. How wondrous are the ways of wisdom and how hidden are the paths of understanding that the chief amongst designers established in man!

1. Bereishis 2:7 and Targum Onkelos

Sleep Deprivation

2008-05-21T00:11:00.000-04:00

Today I attended a seminar about mental health and violence on college campuses. One interesting thing I learned is that sleep deprivation, while not necessarily intrinsically dangerous, can exacerbate or uncover latent mental health issues. Loyal readers of this blog certainly remember this classic post about polyphasic sleep. Warning: Do not attempt a polyphasic schedule if you suffer from mental health issues.

On Lateness

2008-05-18T23:41:00.000-04:00

"There's always an excuse for being an hour late, but there's no excuse for being five minutes late." - Albert Roux

Old Fashioned Chillul Shabbos

2008-05-18T15:30:00.000-04:00

R' Binyomin Yehuda Miller, in the '30s and '40s a rabbi in Schenectady, New York, once encountered a congregant with a bandaged hand. Inquiring as to the source of this injury, the rabbi was surprised when his congregant said, "No, rabbi, I'm embarrassed to tell you!" The rabbi insisted, and the congregant responded, "Well, rabbi, on Shabbos I was out smoking a cigar, and I noticed you walking up the street. You hadn't yet seen me, but you were about to. I was ashamed to be caught smoking on Shabbos, so I covered the cigar in the palm of my hand, and I held it like that until you passed. So the bandage is from the burn I suffered..."

Chazal said about this story (Berachos 12b): "Rabbah son of Chin'na Sabba said in Rav's name: One who performs a sin and is embarrassed of it is forgiven for all his sins..."

(I heard the story from Rabbi Miller's grandson.)

Worth Reading, Number One

2008-05-16T00:39:00.001-04:00

In what I hope will be a regular feature, I will list books that I feel are worth reading. Also, should some benevolent soul click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I will earn a few cents.
Tonight's book is Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life. If someone tells you, "If you don't change, you will die!" will you change? Most people wouldn't - at least they wouldn't sustain the change for any significant length of time. I know people like this, and I know the feeling, as well.
The Baalei Mussar struggled with this dilemma - how to get people (themselves and others) to change their behavior for the better, contravening human nature and the inertia that keeps us from improving. Classic Mussar techniques involve harnassing both the intellectual and the emotional aspects of one's personality to effect such change.
This book offers an analysis of the psychology of behavioral inertia, and the three steps necessary for overcoming it and succeeding in creating change that lasts. Worth reading.

Internet Gemach

2008-05-14T00:22:00.000-04:00

Many Lakewooders who do not have Internet access use the local library's Internet facilities when they need to buy an item, use MapQuest, or research something. It is, arguably, not a good thing to go to the library, and I know from conversations with library personnel that they find it strange that so many Jews use the Internet post-ban. It's time for an Internet Gemach - where people who need something online can come and look for it, without going to the library. For what it's worth, anyone who needs to look something up can call me and I'll be glad to help. My phone number is in the phonebook (and online, of course), and you can email me if you want my cell phone number.

Made in Israel

2008-05-11T17:27:00.001-04:00

What d'ya know?

By the way, it's for sale at: http://cgi.ebay.com/Friendly-Robotics-Mower-used-without-battery-RL-500_W0QQitemZ160239484405QQihZ006QQcategoryZ159929QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(Update: Sold!)

Sefirah Smiley

2008-05-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

Seen in Zichron Yaakov, Take II

2008-05-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

Seen in Spring Valley

2008-05-05T00:41:00.000-04:00

Seen in Zichron Yaakov

2008-05-05T00:32:00.001-04:00

Prideful Purgatory

2008-04-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

Yankel: So, you know what kind of hell a haughty person gets?
Berel: No, what kind?
Yankel: Well, he gets up there, and he's all prepared for them to give it to him -
Berel: Why? He's a stuck-up good-for-nothing - he thinks that he's perfect!
Yankel: Yeah, yeah. But he also knows what a great potential he had. True, his perfection is mind-blowingly awesome, but he still knows that they'll get him because of the even greater heights he could have reached.
Berel: So what's his hell?
Yankel: They tell him, "Nah, you couldn't have done it..."

Lakewood Blog Roundup, Take II

2008-04-01T04:08:00.001-04:00

I only included those blogs that seem to still have at least some little bit of life in them. Please feel free to add your Lakewood blog in the comments.

http://esefer.blogspot.com/
http://chainikhocker.blogspot.com/
http://slaviestudio.blogspot.com/
http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/
http://espastnisht.blogspot.com/
http://www.davidonthelake.blogspot.com/
http://megapixelnj.blogspot.com/
http://hayom.blogspot.com/
http://www.lakewoodhockers.blogspot.com/
http://bdl.freehostia.com/
http://ishimshitos.blogspot.com/

Internet historians may find it interesting that five of these blogs were in the original (very popular) Lakewood Blog Roundup post, back in December, 2006.

Of course, standard disclaimers apply to all links aside from the one to eSefer.

15,000!

2008-03-25T00:09:00.000-04:00

But I really have to get back to the Chazon Ish. Another paragraph, Bli Neder, after the next deadline.

Emunah U’Bitachon 1:3

2008-01-28T21:45:00.001-05:00

A sight that shakes the wise mind: Man is built so as to be able to ingest food, to digest it and to chemically divide it into different substances. Each substance is distributed to the appropriate place – places which we know about because of the wisdom that man has been graced with: The stomach, the liver, the gall-bladder, the spleen, the kidneys, the intestines, the urinary tract, the heart and the brain. Each organ has a unique purpose and they all work together with astonishing speed to continuously refine the blood. They establish the correct proportion of white to red blood cells necessary to keep this machine – which we call man – alive. In addition, they calibrate the precise amount of blood glucose, and many other minutely measured substances. Man, foolish of heart, is not aware of the vast armies which constantly guard him, working without rest so that he remains living!

It is engaging to study the wisdom of the relationship between living beings and the earth's atmosphere, composed of oxygen and carbon. To act as a buffer between man and the atmosphere, the lungs – all seven¹ of its chambers – were gifted with the power to breathe; to extract the oxygen and sate the thirst of one's flesh, blood, bones and tendons. It ranks high amongst those soldiers who battle to keep man alive!

1. Modern medicine divides the lungs into five chambers.

Am I Chareidi?

2007-12-03T19:14:00.001-05:00

The anonymous Avodah/Areivim member who posted here is correct. Most Chareidim would not consider me Chareidi. But I suspect that most Yeshivishe people would consider me Yeshivish (which is the term I prefer). Remember, a label is not a definition – it is an identifier. Someone could be correctly identified as Chassidish and still enjoy peeking at Nechama Leibowitz's Seforim every Shabbos, and someone could be correctly identified as Religious Zionist and live in Schenectady.

Emunah U’Bitachon 1:2

2007-11-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

Yet, of what use is vision alone, if man does not have the power to move things? The creator therefore prepared for man two arms, on his right and his left. He split each arm into individual components, each with its own joints, so that they move quickly and easily. At the end of each arm, he placed a hand; each with five separate fingers. These fingers have the sense of touch, differentiating between cold and hot, dry and wet, and soft and hard – all according to man's needs in his earthly life.

Yet these qualities – eyes and hands – would serve no purpose if man would still not be able to move himself. He therefore created in man two feet, enabling him to walk on the ground. All these are beautifully made, with wisdom and perception.

However, eyes, hands and feet will not help man if he is still not endowed with life! The creator therefore provided him with a soul, granting life. It is a secret hidden from us, yet we can all testify that life exists and is an entity, and through it we exist. We call 'life' by various names, the soul, nefesh, ruach or neshamah – all an indistinct way of defining this entity, although in reality we don't know what it is.

In truth, there are many things in a person's body that cause one to wonder over their complexity and function – the various limbs, the construction of the flesh and the bones, the circulatory system that preserves life, and the blood itself which is essential for life. But, even if man exists, complete, he still cannot be assured of survival, because his life is dependent on being constantly nourished, which refreshes his physical capabilities. Because of this, the botanic world was created, grain, wine and oil, vegetables and fruit, of innumerable types. Each of these contains various strengths that parallel man's needs – whether as medicine, for hydration or for nutrition. (Man has already had the opportunity to understand some of the wondrous wisdom that each plant contains in its composition, which also serves to testify to their creator's boundless wisdom.)

Emunah U'Bitachon 1:1

2007-11-05T21:07:00.001-05:00

The trait of Emunah, faith, is easy to acquire for one who is calm of spirit. Such a person – an intellectual, who is living in peaceful times and who is free from physical want – he is uplifted, observing both the heights of heaven and the depths of the earth. Yet, he becomes troubled because the world appears before him as an enigmatic riddle. This riddle, wondrous and hidden, seizes his heart and mind! His whole being becomes subsumed by this riddle and his soul pines to know its solution for which he would willingly pass through fire and water! What use is life to him, if this sweet life is completely hidden from him? His soul becomes entrapped, mourning and longing to understand its secret, yet the path is blocked.
This person, though, has not yet found the solution, when he is again troubled. He has seen much of the evidence that clearly proves that the world before him was built with forethought and planning, as if a wise draftsman drew the entire world before it was created, and although he encountered at each step various impediments, his great diligence enabled him to remove each obstacle, one after another. This craftsman saw how wonderful man could be, and he decided that man would not be deserving of the name unless he had specific information about all that populated his world, for without such knowledge there would be no life for man. The craftsman thought and came up with a mechanism which through it all things on earth could become apparent to man, every one in its own form. He placed in man - on his right and his left - two mechanisms which we call "the eyes."
(How much wisdom is contained in the eye! One cannot become sated of it, for in each generation the wise men add to their understanding of the wisdom which is hidden in the construction of the eye, and they have not yet reached the ultimate.)

Chazon Ish, Emunah U’Bitachon

2007-11-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

I will start to post pieces of Chazon Ish, Emunah U'Bitachon in order, as I have time. The Chazon Ish wrote in a poetic mix of Biblical, Mishnaic and modern Hebrew, as well as in Aramaic. This Sefer, although of great importance, is not studied as much as it would be, due to the difficulty in comprehending the Chazon Ish's intent. As the Sefer deals with fundamentals of Jewish thought and Torah behavior, I think that a translation will be useful.

Translation note: It is very difficult to translate this Sefer literally, so these pieces should be considered a loose (sometimes very loose) translation. I hope and pray that I don't misrepresent the Chazon Ish's message, and that this serve to inspire.

Dhengah Otzar

2007-10-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

I had the Zechus of meeting the Dhengah Rebbe last night, and looking online, I found the unofficial Dhengah Chassidus website. These two pages have lots of Torah links - worth checking out.

Humanity

2007-10-21T23:59:00.000-04:00

An email from a seminary girl in Yerushalayim:

Hi! I know you're really super busy with your 35 cool computer screens and all, but would you help me out with something? How would you define humanity? I need to do an essay on it and I'm trying to get different opinions. Thanks a ton.
Regards from Jerusalem,
(name redacted)

I answered:

Hi, long time no speak, (redacted) told me that you are having a great time, and it’s good to see (redacted). :-)
I assume you mean “the quality of being humane” – not “all peoples”. I would define humanity as the quality of following one’s moral values in dealing with others. The problem with that is that everyone has different moral values – on a national level the Nazis, for example, felt that it was humane to kill kids with birth defects, the Norwegians feel that euthanasia is humane, and Americans feel that it is humane to put an old dog “out of its misery”. On an individual level I might feel it humane to give a dollar to a beggar, while you might feel it humane to force him to get a job. As Jews, we don’t have nearly as much moral ambiguity, because we tie our humanity in to the Torah’s values.

KT,
MYG

P.S. I only have four screens so far, but yes, thirty-five would be super…

Frum, Anonymous Therapy

2007-08-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

http://www.chizuktherapy.com/

A brilliant idea from my friend Shlomo Silverstone.

Learning/Review Methodologies

2007-08-03T00:46:00.001-04:00

Here is a synopsis of much of a fascinating Scientific American article (available here and here): "The one thing that all expertise theorists agree on is that it takes enormous effort to build these structures in the mind. Simon coined a psychological law of his own, the 10-year rule, which states that it takes approximately a decade of heavy labor to master any field... Ericsson argues that what matters is not experience per se but "effortful study," which entails continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond one's competence. That is why it is possible for enthusiasts to spend tens of thousands of hours playing chess or golf or a musical instrument without ever advancing beyond the amateur level and why a properly trained student can overtake them in a relatively short time... Even the novice engages in effortful study at first, which is why beginners so often improve rapidly in playing golf, say, or in driving a car. But having reached an acceptable performance--for instance, keeping up with one's golf buddies or passing a driver's exam--most people relax. Their performance then becomes automatic and therefore impervious to further improvement. In contrast, experts-in-training keep the lid of their mind's box open all the time, so that they can inspect, criticize and augment its contents and thereby approach the standard set by leaders in their fields... At this point, many skeptics will finally lose patience. Surely, they will say, it takes more to get to Carnegie Hall than practice, practice, practice. Yet this belief in the importance of innate talent, strongest perhaps among the experts themselves and their trainers, is strangely lacking in hard evidence to substantiate it... Thus, motivation appears to be a more important factor than innate ability in the development of expertise... Teachers in sports, music and other fields tend to believe that talent matters and that they know it when they see it. In fact, they appear to be confusing ability with precocity. There is usually no way to tell, from a recital alone, whether a young violinist's extraordinary performance stems from innate ability or from years of Suzuki-style training. Capablanca, regarded to this day as the greatest "natural" chess player, boasted that he never studied the game. In fact, he flunked out of Columbia University in part because he spent so much time playing chess. His famously quick apprehension was a product of all his training, not a substitute for it."

I think that the parallels to learning Torah should be obvious.

Then, the article concludes with some words about Chinuch: "The preponderance of psychological evidence indicates that experts are made, not born. What is more, the demonstrated ability to turn a child quickly into an expert--in chess, music and a host of other subjects--sets a clear challenge before the schools. Can educators find ways to encourage students to engage in the kind of effortful study that will improve their reading and math skills? Roland G. Fryer, Jr., an economist at Harvard University, has experimented with offering monetary rewards to motivate students in underperforming schools in New York City and Dallas. In one ongoing program in New York, for example, teachers test the students every three weeks and award small amounts--on the order of $10 or $20--to those who score well. The early results have been promising. Instead of perpetually pondering the question, "Why can't Johnny read?" perhaps educators should ask, "Why should there be anything in the world he can't learn to do?""

(Even though I think I clipped the most important parts of the article, it's worth seeing the whole thing, especially the discussion of how a Talmid Chochom's memory works. Yeah, it's talking about chessmasters, but extrapolate a bit...)

The interesting thing about reading this article today, is that yesterday R' Sender Dolgin was kind enough to speak with me for about 45 minutes about his Chazarah program. The gist of his program is simple - you learn, review the next day, a week after that, a month after that, three months after that, and then every year on the anniversary of the day that you first learned it. After you finish the entire text (Shas, Tanach, you name it), then you review each day the amount of units it takes you to finish the entire text every year. (Rabbi Dolgin learns eight Blatt Gemara - from Berachos straight through to Niddah - every day.) I wanted to share two points that Rabbi Dolgin told me which I found illuminating. He said, "You don't learn to know, you learn to become familiar with it." Eventually, you will know it. Also, "You aren't trying to remember - you're trying to keep from forgetting." There was much more, if anyone wants to talk about it, email me for my cell phone number.

Pertinent links:

http://www.dafyomireview.com/advisor-files/sanderdolgin.htm

http://www.dafyomireview.com/article.php?docid=1&seriesid=1

http://www.chazarah.com/site/homepage/

A Moral Dilemma

2007-07-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

So, let's say that you are absolutely certain that the author of a certain anonymous blog is someone you know. He or she does not know that you know that he or she is the author of that blog. He or she discusses or might discuss certain aspects of their life on their blog which they may not want to share with people who know them.
Should you tell them that you know that they write that particular blog? Or, is it their own fault for blogging?
What say you?
(Yes, I am in this predicament, and no, I'm not saying which blog.)

Aseres HaDibros

2007-05-20T22:51:00.000-04:00

Mossad Harav Kook’s Toras Chaim Chumash subtracts two Psukim from the Torah in the Aseres HaDibros – both in Yisro and Va’eschanan. They do this by substituting an Esnachta for a Sof Pasuk on the word “Avadim” at the end of the first Dibbur, and continue until “Al Panoy.” (in the Taam HaTachton.) This presents problems both with the “Kol Pesuki D’lo Pasik Moshe” aspect – who’s correct – them or the rest of the Chumashim? And also there is the problem of them making all Mareh Mekomos that refer to the pesukim from Lo Yihyeh onwards (until the end of the Perakim) incorrect.

Another thing that the Toras Chaim Chumash does is that in the Taam HaElyon it DOES start a new Pasuk at Lo Yihyeh, unlike other Chumashim which continue as one pasuk until Lo Sisa.

Another aspect of this whole issue is that the Simanim at the end of the Parshios for the number of Pesukim is only accurate if we count is certain ways. In Yisro it will only be accurate if we count the Pesukim in the Toras Chaim Chumash’s Taam HaElyon, and in VaEschanan it is only accurate if we count according to the standard chumashim’s Taam HaElyon.

Does anyone have any insight in this?

Torah U'Madda

2007-05-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

First, an assumption (and if we disagree, then this post is moot): Not every aspect of Mada will enhance the quality of Talmud Torah. So, although the Gra reportedly felt that it is imperative to learn math and he knew Euclid's work well, we have no source that he felt it was important to be versed in the oeuvre of Tiepolo.
Now, how will one's Mada studies enhance the quality of his Torah study? One of three ways:

By accident. (I can't begin to tell you how happy I was to understand a Rashi that referenced niello-work just a few days after I happened to read about it in the dormitory bathroom's Britannica.)
By design - one already knows that learning this will help one's learning, as others have already trodden this path. Learning the Ayil Meshulash is a good example, or listening to the Kuzari about music, or to one's teachers who identify any specific field or topic as beneficial.
By hit-or-miss. One studies as much Mada of whatever variety one can find or is interested in, and hopes that some of it will be useful. (This is different from the first method, because there one's intention was not even to study - some Mada that one picked up happened to be useful. Here, one tries to make that accident repeat itself using the brute-force method - cram as much Mada into one's head as possible, so that there is a larger likelihood that some of it will be useful in enhancing the quality of one's Torah knowledge.)

The problem with the first method is that there is much Torah that will not be understood fully because of the fluky nature of this method. The problem with the third method is that it's extremely inefficient and still leaves the possibility of being unsuccessful - what if one's particular interests don't coincide with any Torah he learns?
If I had to stereotype, I would say that the most right wing of Torah Jews favor the first method (or possibly even less than that). The most left wing probably tend to favor the third method (or less than that - where Mada becomes an end in itself).

No Masks

2007-04-22T17:18:00.000-04:00

For non-anonymous bloggers. You are welcome to use it. I would appreciate if you link to me in your sidebar.

Here is the link to the image.

OmerBuddy.com

2007-04-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

Check out this site - it's run by my cousin, Tzachi. Have a good Pesach!

www.omerbuddy.com

Anonymity, Take IV

2007-02-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I sent a letter to the Voice of Lakewood. It read:

With all due respect to Rabbi Yehuda Braun, many of the Halachos of Tznius are subjective, and vary from place to place. There is no question that it is Assur for a woman to drive in New Square – where the local Minhag and Rabbonim forbid it. Similarly, in Kiryas Joel a woman may not wear (only) a Sheitel. Would you suggest that all Lakewood women adopt these practices?

Someone who has a question about whether a certain activity is or is not Tzniusdik, would do well to refer the issue to our local Rabbonim, who are eminently capable of deciding.

Moshe Yehuda Gluck

It was printed with minor changes. This Friday I received the following anonymous letter in the mail. It is reproduced here for your edification. (Click the picture for a larger version.)

10,000...

2006-12-29T01:08:00.000-05:00

...hits!

(Counter)

Generation Tea

2006-12-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

I'm sure all my regular readers noticed the new Generation Tea&amp;lt;img src="http://not-a-real-namespace/https://www.fusionquest.com/cgi-bin/main/hotlinks.cgi?aflt=mgluck&amp;client=gentea" width='1' height='1' border='0'&gt; sidebar ad. Generation Tea&amp;lt;img src="http://not-a-real-namespace/https://www.fusionquest.com/cgi-bin/main/hotlinks.cgi?aflt=mgluck&amp;client=gentea" width='1' height='1' border='0'&gt; is run by a good friend and former Chavrusa of mine, R' Michael Sanft. If you're a "Bessere Mentsch" you should try it. It's good and OU certified. Of course, if you only drink coffee, don't bother! (For what its worth, my favorite is Yunnan Black.)

Lakewood Blog Roundup

2006-12-03T23:31:00.000-05:00

New Jersey Legislature Bill S-2228

2006-11-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

This is the bill that the Lakewood Vaad asked everyone to support:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S2500/2228_I1.HTM

Enjoy the legalese!

Is This Blog Dead?

2006-11-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

No. The peril of being non-anonymous is that one actually has to think of the ramifications of what one posts, and inane fluffery or insane rambling doesn't make the grade. I had a few posts in mind, including one about the fancy-schmancy Lakewood houses (I have no problem with big, but I think that they should be ugly), and they won't come before they do!

New Non-Anonymous Lakewood Blogger

2006-11-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

http://lakewoodmusic.blogspot.com/

Blogging Equivalent

2006-11-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

I understand that in Yerushalaim, anyone who wants to make his views about anything known, can shell out some shekel to a printer, and post it for the world to see.

New house construction...

2006-07-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

...always seems to be bigger than the houses on either side.

Bye-Bye Bloglet, Welcome FeedBlitz!

2006-07-17T01:09:00.000-04:00

I've had some complaints about Bloglet's subscription service. I switched to FeedBlitz. Please resubscribe in the new FeedBlitz box at right. I will soon remove the Bloglet subscription box from the page.

Anonymous Bloggers

2006-07-17T00:35:00.000-04:00

The name in my profile is my real name. You can look it up in the Lakewood phone book, and call me. Therefore, I have to stand behind anything I say, and not say anything I may end up being ashamed of or regretting. In fact, excerpts from this blog have already been distributed beyond my expectations. This wasn't because of the quality of my writing or my wide readership (I get about 10 - 15 hits per day) but because my name was attached. My name isn't worth much, but it does get the attention of the people who know/knew me.
Other bloggers remain anonymous. There are a few who take advantage of their anonymity to harm others. Unorthodox-Jew is an example of one of these. Now, let me make this perfectly clear: child abuse of any sort is vile and reprehensible. But, so is this cowardly character assassination, which convicts a person before his trial.
David Framowitz, right or wrong, at least put his reputation on the line to claim what he claims is his due. Unorthodox-Jew and those of his ilk hide behind Blogspot.com and think of themselves as heroes. They are nothing but zeros.

Bumper Sticker on 4th Street

2006-06-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

Gedolim and Ketanim

2006-06-07T01:29:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I was sitting next to a father and son learning Bava Metziah. The discussion was about a fight over a bathhouse. The son asked the father, "I thought that way back then everyone was at a much higher level. Why were they fighting over a bathhouse?"
The father answered, "Zeh l'umas zeh asah Elokim. The Gedolim of those days were greater, but the hamon am was worse."
I think that a perusal of Shas and Teshuvos would seem to validate the father's point. There has never been such an era of universal Jewish education for religious Orthodox Jews since the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. On the other hand, it seems accepted that the Gedolim of our day are not nearly at the level of the Gedolim of yesteryear. (Not, of course, that I am able to evaluate or rank the Gedolim!)
This reminds me of the pasuk at the beginning of Rus: "It happened in the days that the Judges judged..." Chazal understood the pasuk as saying that it was in the days that the Judges were judged by the general population.
This kind of behavior is a natural outcome of a nation that doesn't respect its leaders. In our day, too, as the level of Gadlus declines and the level of the Hamon Am rises, we should understand that we are in danger of imitating this behavior. Some would point to the proliferation of Gadol-bashing blogs as an indication that we are there already.
The good news is that Chazal said that in the days before Moshiach there will be a surge in Chutzpa. This is very understandable, considering that Gadlus is on a downward trajectory, and that the standard religious Jew has more education than ever before, leading to situations where the "Judges are judged". It certainly looks like we are closer than ever to the Ge'ula She'leima, Amen.

P.S. Let's not forget, that notwithstading today's Gedolim's status compared to, say, Moshe Rabbeinu, we still should relate to them with the greatest respect and humility. Yiftoch b'doro k'Shmuel b'doro.

Success

2006-04-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about successful people recently. The common attributes that the successful people I know seem to share are:
1. Persistence
2. Charisma
3. Vision
By vision, I mean that they are dreamers, building castles in the sky before they have poured the foundation's cement.

Anonymity, Take III

2006-03-24T02:52:00.000-05:00

I received the following email, which I will quote in its entirety:

The problem with signing your blog is that reader’s (who are not blog-aware) say that it manifests a haughtiness, “Who does he think he is to publically comment on matters of which our Gedolim are asked to weigh in, or volunteer of themselves to do so?”

The disagreement which a blog-aware person will have with this, is that a blog is simply a personal diary, which is open for public perusal, not a public pronouncement. The antagonist will say, be it as it may, the diary also displays haughtiness.

Who’s correct?

Polyphasic Sleep and the Vilna Gaon

2006-03-12T12:27:00.000-05:00

It is well-known that the Vilna Gaon only slept two hours in every twenty four, in half-hour increments. I believe that this is attributed to R' Chaim of Volozhin in his introduction to the Vilna Gaon's commentary on Safra D'Tzni'usa. I used to think that this was supernatural, but it appears that it isn't.
Look at this article, and at this website.
UPDATE: I misreported the source for the tradition about the Vilna Gaon. Please see the comments for the correct source. Thank you to Independent Frum Thinker!

Conspicuous Consumption

2006-03-10T01:04:00.000-05:00

I drove past a local cul-de-sac that is in the process of being populated by extremely big and ostentatious new homes. I admit it - I felt a twinge of jealousy.
Then, I noticed that some of the homes were nicer than others (there were about eight, in all). It occurred to me that the poor fellow who decided to be cheap, and to spend $100,000 less than his neighbors, would forever regret it. Every morning, coming out of his single carved mahogany front door, and looking at his neighbor's double gilt-and-beveled-glass doors, he would feel a twinge of pain. When he stops to think of his neighbor's fourteen front windows vs. his own eight, he'll need an antacid. And he won't be able to face his kids, when they ask him, "Totty, why isn't our molding hand-carved?"
I felt a lot better.

Anonymity, Take II

2006-02-20T02:19:00.000-05:00

At the same time, it's kind of a good idea to have a place to voice opinions where you're not scared of getting penalized by the powers-that-be. So, maybe you should start an anon. blog too.
- Danny G in the comments section

I recently suggested to someone to start a blog, but to be very careful not to tell anyone the URL, as otherwise they wouldn't be able to write anything in it. I then realized that I was contradicting what I had written about anonymity. But after thinking it over, I realize there are two types of bloggers: Those who need to be anonymous, and those who don't. Those who do, are, on the one hand, afraid of getting penalized by the powers-that-be; while, on the other hand, they have a strong need to express themselves. (It's interesting that the powers-that-be could be one's classmates, one's parents, one's Rosh Yeshiva...)
Those who don't need to be anonymous - are like me. Not afraid of getting penalized, and don't have a strong need to express themselves.

Anonymity

2006-02-13T00:24:00.000-05:00

I am not the only Lakewood blogger who is not anonymous. R' Yehuda Shain has two Lakewood blogs, and he certainly is not anonymous. However, I am the only other Lakewood blogger who is not anonymous. This is because I am not out to pick fights with anyone, and I would say anything that I say here in front of anyone in Lakewood. In fact, everything I say here IS in front of everyone in Lakewood. (That is, if you have an ishur.)

Mistakes Happen...

2006-02-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

A weekly made one this week. It printed an ad which played on a very inappropriate expression. I don't doubt that this was a mistake made by an unworldly copy editor. I don't fault him/her. I do fault the store that composed the ad, and I hope to see a very contrite retraction/apology very soon. People don't understand that notwithstanding the 21st century, Internet and all the modern influences, Lakewood is still a very conservative town. Antagonize your customer base at your peril.

Internet in Lakewood, Part II

2006-02-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

A few more sites:
http://www.kolbramah.com/ (hat tip to defen)
http://lakewoodworkingguy.blogspot.com/
http://www.thelakewoodemes.blogspot.com/
http://www.semstory.blogspot.com/

The Solution to the Internet Problem...

2006-01-26T01:08:00.000-05:00

... May be to ignore it. Seriously. Since it can't be controlled, more discussion about it at this point brings to diminishing returns. In other words, the more we talk about it, the bigger the problem will get. There are other such social issues facing Orthodox Judaism which have gotten this kind of nonresponse. These are the kind of things which are talked about in the mikva or at the back of the Beis Medrash. I suggest that inappropriate Internet use be added to those issues.

This thought requires a bit of development, but now is not a good time.

Essential Jewish Library

2006-01-24T22:22:00.000-05:00

The following seforim should be in every Jewish home. I list the editions I like.

Chumash - Mikra'os Gedolos
I prefer either HaMaor or Mossad HaRav Kook's Toras Chaim. Depends on my mood.

Nach
The new edition with the Malbim is very good. If you get a Malbim Nach, make sure it has the five Megillos - not all editions include it.

Mishnayos
The New Yachin U'Boaz edition is a pleasure to learn with. (I just finished Zevachim today!)

Shas
This is a tough one, but I think the new Oz V'Hadar edition is best. I don't know if the whole Shas has been published yet in this edition.

Rambam
The R' Shabsi Frankel edition of the Rambam is almost complete, and it is by far the best out there.

Tur
Compared to the old edition, Mechon Yerushalayim's edition is astounding in its clarity. Very much worth the extra money.

Shulchan Aruch
This is very subjective, but I think the new Friedman edition is best. The problem is that it is the most expensive, and it hasn't been completed yet. I buy each volume as I learn that topic.

Mishna Berurah
The old Blum edition is clearest, I think.

Igros Moshe
This is a very important sefer because it both demonstrates how to apply Halacha to current situations, as well as demonstrating the proper way to decide Halachic issues.

Minchas Yerushalayim Siddur
It could be a little more user-friendly, but I think this is the most complete siddur there is.

Internet in Lakewood

2006-01-18T00:14:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't your typical post, either demeaning the ban or praising it. (By the way, it wasn't a ban. But that's for a different post.) This post is about the Internet in Lakewood.
Let's start with a few links:
http://www.yeshivaworld.blogspot.com/
http://yeshivaorthodoxy.blogspot.com/
http://www.kashrut.org/
http://www.shukkers.com/
http://newsfrombmg.blogspot.com/
http://www.jewishissues.blogspot.com
http://www.semgirl.blogspot.com/
http://davidoflakewood.blogspot.com/
http://www.esefer.blogspot.com
http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/
http://voiceoflakewood.blogspot.com/
http://www.pediatricsinlakewood.com/

All these are based in, or mainly coming from, Lakewood. Post ban. We have to realize that the Internet is here to stay, and that we must deal with it. We aren't doing a very good job of it. Did anyone see the filtering recommendation that the Askanim were supposed to come out with? It was supposed to be announced Sukkos time. Tick, tick, tick... They are dropping the ball.
Additionally, perusing this list of sites makes clear that Lakewood is no way near the one-dimensional town it was even ten years ago. People are standing up, and (for better or for worse) are making noise. We will see ramifications in politics, in Yeshiva and in the school system.
Another thing that will change is the way interaction happens between the Gedolim and the hamon am. Signing a poster doesn't work anymore. Saying a schmuess doesn't work anymore. There has to be an entirely new paradigm for communication.
(It's only partly tongue-in-cheek that I suggest the Roshei Yeshiva start a blog.)
My prediction is that we will see a resurgence in people relying on their local rov, and that the Gedolim will stop making public proclamations. The rabbonim will (of course) still speak to the Gedolim, but da'as Torah will be proclaimed privately.
This is all a direct result of the Internet, which enables the generation to be shofet es shoftav. Ironically, the greatest facilitator of communication in the history of the world, will - in this case - have the effect of curtailing communication.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is likely to lead to a renaissance of the strength of the community rabbi, and supremacy of the mesora. The Yeshiva system has caused the balance of power to shift from the Rov to the Rosh Yeshiva. (Not to criticize - this is just what happened.) This new set of circumstances will cause power to revert back to the Rov.
By the way, the person who had the most to do with causing this whole situation, was Reb Natan Slifkin. When he successfully fought back against the pashkevillin (rightly or wrongly), he changed the paradigm for communication with Gedolim.

The Challenge of Tznius...

2005-08-19T00:10:00.000-04:00

The laws of tznius are very straightforward - except for one of them.
Here they are:
1. There are certain parts of a woman's body that must be covered (there are disagreements about exactly which places these are - ask your rabbi).
2. There are certain modes of dress permitted in some places and forbidden in others because of the customs of each place.
3. Even if the first two rules are adhered to, a woman must still make sure that she doesn't dress in a seductive manner.

The last rule is the real challenge. I decided to post about this because I think that people don't realize precisely why the last rule is hard to fulfill, and if they did they would have an easier time dealing with it.

The reason why the last rule is hard to perform is because people hate looking honestly at themselves. Performing an accurate self-assessment is one of the hardest things a person can do, and when coupled with the desire to look good, it is very difficult to withstand bending the truth a bit. When a woman looks at herself as if she is someone else, she can truly tell if she is dressed in a tzniusdik manner.

Comrade Korach

2005-06-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

It seems that Korach was the first communist. It is interesting to interpret the psukim along those lines:
"Korach and his crowd attacked Moshe and Aharon, and said, 'You have taken too much! The whole nation is holy, and Hashem is amongst them - why do you raise yourself above them?' " In other words, they were complaining that everyone should be equal, and there should be nothing differentiating one person from another - the basic premise of every Utopian plan.
Moshe answered, "Tomorrow morning, Hashem will let us know who is his and holy and bring them close to him, and he will bring close the ones he chooses. Do this: Tomorrow, take pans and burn incense upon them in front of Hashem, and the ones who Hashem chooses are the holy ones - you have taken too much, sons of Levi!"
Moshe was challenging their core beliefs. He was telling them that man's place in this world is not inherently equal (although it is fair). He told them that the only way that he and they would be able to decide their conflict would be by taking part in a test whose results would leave a clear winner and loser - something inimical to their stated beliefs! That's why he concluded, "You have taken too much, sons of Levi!" because by them accepting his challenge, they were admitting to the hypocrisy of their own views.
After that line of reasoning didn't work - as they accepted his challenge - Moshe tried a different tactic to forestall the conflict.
"Listen, sons of Levi: Isn't it enough that Hashem separated your entire tribe from the rest of the nation, and brought you close to him to perform the duties of the Mishkan and to stand in front of the Jewish Nation to serve them - Hashem brought you and the entire Tribe of Levi close to him - and you still want the Priest-hood?"
He was telling them that now that they admitted (by accepting his challenge) that there are various levels - winners, losers and some more besides - they should look honestly at themselves, and realize that they were doing quite well performing a select function in Judaism.
"Therefore, you and your cohorts are attacking Hashem - not Aharon, for what is he in this decision that you should attack him?"
If they wouldn't admit to being part of an exalted part of Israel, then Moshe would be forced to come to the conclusion that it wasn't Moshe and Aharon they were attacking, because that position was given to them by Hashem - he could only conclude that they were attacking Hashem!
Moshe summoned Dasan and Avirom to come before him in the hopes that they would see the reason in his words and mend their ways. They answered him, "Not only did you take us out of the wonderful land of Egypt, but you persist in ruling over us! You didn't fulfill your promise to bring us to the Promised Land and conquer it for us!"
Their point was that their attack was specifically against Moshe, and that they wouldn't concede his point that they were attacking Hashem. Moshe, angered by their self-imposed blindness, said to Hashem:
"Don't accept their incense tomorrow - I have not accepted a gift from any of them, nor wronged them in any way." He was saying that although there would be room to have mercy on Korach and his cronies if their attacks were only against Moshe and Aharon (although this is hard for us to understand, remember that Moshe was anav m'kol adam), but since their attacks were really against Hashem, contrary to their stated arguments (as there was no real reason for them to be angry at him, as he had not wronged them in any way), Hashem shouldn't have pity on them and should not accept their offering.

There's a lesson here - many times we see someone do something that he or she says is for a good purpose, l'shem shamayim, while in reality it's a terrible thing that they're doing. It is not necessarily the case that they know they're doing wrong, most likely they are blinding themselves to the truth. Korach and his band were all great men before their downfall - it doesn't make sense that such people should attack Hashem - but they blinded themselves to the true import of their actions, and were convinced they were doing the right thing. A friend of mine used to say (as he was beating me in chess), "When in doubt, think!" As the pasuk says, Ashrei adam m'fached tamid - lucky is the man who is always in doubt - because he is the one who thinks!

The Committee for the Sanctity of Shabbos

2005-06-22T22:35:00.000-04:00

I recently saw on Hirhurim (June 14th) the pamphlet sent out by the Committee for the Sanctity of Shabbos. The PDF is here. A few days after Hirhurim posted about it, I saw a stack of these pamphlets near the entrance of the Bais Medrash. As I collect these things, I took a copy. I must say, I was appalled. This is a twelve-page, full color publication, printed on card stock. Apparently, it was mailed to the whole Flatbush (correct me if I'm wrong), which is a VERY expensive proposition.

So, what's the big deal? I'll tell you the big deal. The big deal is that these people have no idea what they're doing. Let's analyze the situation: Rabbis A, B, C and D, say the Eruv is not kosher. Rabbis E, F, G and H, say the Eruv is kosher. Each position has a whole set of consequences, which I'm sure my readers appreciate. Now, what is the halachic response when one has a disagreement between poskim? Every person should follow the dictates of his or her own posek.
So, who is this committee addressing? The Talmidim of Rabbi A? They already know that they may not carry in the Eruv. The Talmidim of Rabbi E? As it happens, they may carry in the Eruv. So what's the deal?

Oh - wait! There are people who don't have a posek! They are the ones being addressed.
To the people who don't have a posek? You may not tell them the Eruv is not kosher! Look at the previous post for the sign you should disseminate (and a much cheaper one, too).

What to do with all the money saved by printing a one-page, black-and-white, on regular paper poster? Well, if the Committee for the Sanctity of Shabbos is concerned with the Sanctity of Shabbos, I know of a few families who could use some extra money to put food on their table, and thereby sanctify their Shabbos. Hmm.

2005-06-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

Eruv Sign

Artscroll in Beis Eliyahu

2005-06-20T22:51:00.000-04:00

Boy! It's been a while! For all of you who asked what the PROJECT was, thanks. It hasn't gotten off the ground yet, as I haven't had the time to teach myself Javascript. Well, well, well. Back to blogging.

There's a fellow who sits next to me in the Beis Medrash. I don't know him at all. He keeps an Artscroll gemara on his shtender, and refers to it occasionally. This bothers me, and I just realized why. (Disclaimer: There IS an appropriate use for Artscroll gemaros, I am not against Artscroll, etc. etc.) Imagine that you are in an English Lit course in Yale. Now, imagine walking up to your professer and asking her a question in "As You Like It". So far so good? See yourself reaching into your bag for your copy of the play - and coming up with the Yellow-and-Black cheat book of it. I daresay you would be embarrassed.
However, if the aforementioned scenario took place in your local two-bit community college, then it would be par for the course, would it not?
So, if one is in the most prestigious Yeshiva in the world (outside of Israel), and in its most advanced Beis Medrash, one should keep his Artscroll on the shelf outside, and refer to it as necessary.

New Project

2004-11-19T01:05:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a bit of time off from blogging (as you may have noticed!) to work on a new Torah-internet project. If you would like more information, email me.

Berachos 44b

2004-11-09T01:39:00.000-05:00

Gemara: "Rava said to R' Papa: 'Beerseller! ...' " To put this into context, see Rashi on 56a that says that Rava was in the wine business.

Berachos 44b

2004-10-28T23:34:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "Any thing that requires a blessing after itself, also requires a blessing beforehand."
Exceptions would be Tevila (Gemara 51a), and Netilas Yadayim.

Berachos 43a

2004-10-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

Gemara: R' Chisda said to R' Yitzchok, " What blessing does one recite upon smelling afarsimon oil?" R' Yitzchok answered, " R' Yehuda said to recite 'Borei shemen artzeinu [Blessed is G-d who creates the oil of our land].' " R' Chisda retorted, "Exclude R' Yehuda - because he loves the land of Israel - what is the common consensus?" R' Yitzchok answered, "So says R' Yochanan '[Blessed is G-d who] creates sweet oil.' "
Presumably, all the sages of the time loved the land of Israel. To fully understand why R' Yehuda was singled out as one who loves the land of Israel, we must remember a gemara earlier on.
The gemara says on 24b: R' Abba was avoiding R' Yehuda because he [R' Abba] wanted to travel to the land of Israel, and R' Yehuda had said, "Anyone who travels from Babylon to Israel has transgressed, as it says, 'To Babylon they will be brought, and there they shall be until the day I remember them, says G-d.' "
We see that R' Yehuda interpreted the verse as a prohibition to enter the Land of Israel. If so, it is reasonable to assume that the land of Israel and its produce was beloved to R' Yehuda - who couldn't go there - to a greater degree than to his contemporaries who disagreed on the interpretation of the verse. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Berachos 40a

2004-09-28T05:01:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "Rabbi Chiya bar Ashi said in Rav's name: One who regularly eats small fish will not get intestinal diseases. Additionally, small fish make one's whole body fruitful, multiplicitous and healthy."
Contrast with the gemara on 44b: "The Rabbis learned: Small, salted fish, kills at times..." (Look there for the full context.)

Berachos 38b

2004-09-21T00:39:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "...What vegetable originally has the beracha "Borei p'ri ha'adama," and yet when it's cooked the beracha "She'hakol nihyeh b'dvoro" applies? [In other words, cooking makes this kind of vegetable worse and it isn't eaten this way, and therefore the more generic beracha applies to it. The gemara answers:] Rabbi Nachman bar Yitzchak says: We find this by garlic and leek."
The problem with this gemara is that on 44b the gemara says that leek is good for the intestines and bad for the teeth, and therefore one should cook it before eating so it shouldn't need to be chewed. We see from this that leek is eaten cooked - so the beracha "Borei p'ri ha'adama" should apply even when it is cooked!

Sorry...

2004-09-13T01:10:00.000-04:00

about the lack of posts, lately. I've been busy and will Iy"H start posting again very soon!

Berachos 34a

2004-09-05T01:58:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "Once a student went down to pray for the congregation in front of Rabbi Eliezer and he was being overly lengthy. [Rabbi Eliezer's] students said to him, 'This person is a real lengthener' (couldn't think of a word - sorry). He said to them, 'Is he taking longer than Moshe Rabbeinu...' "
A source for this concept that one who is the Shaliach Tzibbur should not be overly lengthy (Rabbi Eliezer's students' contention), is from a gemara earlier, on 31a: "Rabbi Yehuda said: 'This was Rabbi Akiva's custom: When he would pray in the synagogue he would shorten [his prayers] and go up [from the Amud] because of inconvenience to the public...' " Interestingly, Rabbi Akiva himself was a student of Rabbi Eliezer.

Berachos 33a

2004-09-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "There was a story about a place that had an ערוד..." Look in Rashi for the definition. However, on 9b Rashi says that ערוד is a wild donkey. Perhaps the answer can be based on a gemara in Chullin 127a, that is clearly talking about the same ערוד as our gemara is, and the Shitta Mekubetzes (on the page), note 3 says to pronounce it "arvad." So, an arod is a wild donkey, and an arvad is the animal that bit R' Chanina ben Dosa in our gemara, although the spelling is the same.

Berachos 32b

2004-09-01T02:54:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "The Rabbis learned: The Chasidim HaRishonim would wait one hour (in preparation for prayer), pray for one hour, and then wait one more hour (coming out of the experiance, so to speak, through more prayers - like Ashrei U'va L'tzion that we say)." The gemara asks, "Since they spent nine hours during the day praying, how was their Torah protected and their work completed?" The gemara answers, "Since they were Chasidim, their Torah was protected and their work was blessed."
One could ask that to be consistant the gemara should have asked, "How was their Torah learned and their work completed?" The answer is that the gemara accepts the fact that they may not have been able to learn much more new Torah. However, (as we all know), Chasidim are made - not born. So, until a person reached the level of Chasidus he had time to learn. On that the gemara asks how was the Torah that he learned in the past protected, surely he would forget it.

Take a 24 hour day. Subtract 8 hours for sleep = 16. Subtract 9 hours for praying = 7. Subtract 2 hours for personal needs = 5. We see that the gemara considers that 5 hours is not long enough to review one's learning and also to work in.

Exactly what is the definition of a Chasid (in the times of the gemara)? Hmm...

Berachos 32b

2004-08-29T01:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long hiatus. Boruch Hashem I now have phone service again, and here goes the next installment of this eSefer!

Gemara: "R' Chama the son of R' Chanina said: If one sees that one prayed and was not answered, one should pray again, as it says, 'Hope to Hashem - strengthen your heart and hope to Hashem.' "
Contrast this with the following gemara on 61a: "R' Huna said in Rav's name: One's words should always be few in front of Hashem, as it says, 'Do not confuse your mouth, and your heart should not rush to say something in front of Hashem, because Hashem is in heaven and you are on earth, therefore let your words be few.' "
The first gemara seems to say that one should keep on praying for one's needs as much as possible, while the second one seems to condone minimalization of prayer.
The Maharsha (on the second gemara), says that the gemara means that if something bad happens to a person, he/she should not pray overmuch that the bad thing be fixed, because maybe it is a blessing in disguise.
Loosely basing ourselves on that, we can say that the first gemara is not referring to a situation where something bad happened to a person - rather the person is praying for something positive to occurr.

Still not fixed...

2004-08-23T19:34:00.000-04:00

Verizon cancelled their visit to my home today. My phone is still dead. Let's pray they come tomorrow!

Sorry...

2004-08-20T19:05:00.000-04:00

For the lack of posts. Verizon has not been forthcoming in fixing my phone line. (I am now at someone else's house.) Iy"H they will fix it by Monday. Good Shabbos!

Berachos 32a

2004-08-15T02:00:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "ויחל משה את פני ה R' Elazar said: This teaches us that Moshe prayed until he got sick." (I'm going according to the text of the Bach 4.) This gemara ties in well with the Gemara on 12b, "Rava says: If there is a scholar who needs mercy from heaven, one has to pray for him until he one is sick over it." The explanation for this, I've heard, is that when one feels another's pain to such a strong degree that it physically affects him, he is, so to speak, putting himself in the same boat as the sick person. Thus, he is, in effect saying, "Hashem, look! My friends illness is causing me pain, and I don't deserve that - would you please heal him, so that I can get better?" Certainly this would apply in our gemara, where Moshe was praying for the existence of the entire Jewish nation.

Vacation!

2004-08-09T19:10:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a short vacation (finally!), and I probably won't be able to post until Thursday or Friday. See you then!

P. S. I realize that my blog is (so far) basically limiting it's readership to those who are learning Berachos now, or know it well. If you know anyone who is in this category, please feel free to share the URL: www.esefer.blogspot.com. Thank you!

P. P. S. I may be dreaming, but I envision a vast virtual bais medrash, where one can find someone learning any inyan, at any time. This blog is my small contribution towards that goal. Perhaps we can start a Shas Webring. I volunteer Berachos - anyone else?

Berachos 30b

2004-08-06T13:08:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "R' Yochanan said, 'I saw R' Yanai pray, and then pray again, [so it must be that he said Musaf by himself.]' R' Yirmiyah said to R' Zayra, 'Maybe [R' Yanai] didn't have proper kavanah the first time, and he repeated his davening because of it.' R' Zayra answered, 'Look at the great man who testified about him.' " In other words, R' Yochanan certainly knew what he saw when he testified about R' Yanai.
One could ask on this gemara from the gemara later on, on 33b: "One who recites the Shema, and repeats it is shameful... R' Pappa said to Abaya, 'Maybe the first time he didn't have the proper kavanah, and that's why he repeated the Shema, to say it with the prioper kavanah.' Abaya answered, 'Is one a friend of Hashem? [May one speak to Hashem like he would to his friend?] If he doesn't have kavanah the first time, we hit him with a blacksmith's mallet until he has kavanah.' " Now, Abaya presumably wasn't saying that we actually hit him (it's hard to have kavanah when being hit with a mallet!), rather he was putting the importance of having kavanah into perspective for R' Pappa. However, we do see how unthinkable not having kavanah is - even to a regular person (because Abaya and R' Pappa weren't talking specifically about great scholars). If so, what was R' Yirmiyah thinking when he asked that maybe R' Yanai didn't have kavanah? Also, why didn't R' Zayra answer that it's unthinkable that R' Yanai didn't have kavanah?

Berachos 28a - Tefillas Arvis R'shus Oy Chovah - Part IV

2004-08-05T03:01:00.000-04:00

Gemara: [During a conversation between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Yehoshua said,] "Woe to the generation that you lead! Because you don't know the pain of Torah scholars, where their livelihood comes from and where their food comes from."
It seems to me that there is an enormous lesson in this statement. A leader leads not only because of his capabilities. A leader must know the troubles and problems of those he leads. He must empathize with them. From the context of Rabban Gamliel's original statement to Rabbi Yehoshua, "From the walls in your house [which are black from soot] it is obvious that you are a blacksmith," (to which Rabbi Yehoshua answered this statement about leaders), we see that Rabban Gamliel should have known by himself that Rabbi Yehoshua was a blacksmith. We see that a function of leadership is concerning yourself with the welfare of those who are following you.
Someone once said, "It's lonely at the top of the ladder." A true leader is always in touch with the bottom of the ladder, too.

Berachos 28a - Tefillas Arvis R'shus Oy Chovah - Part III

2004-08-04T03:12:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "It was stated: That day [that Rabban Gamliel was removed from the office of Nasi] they removed the doorman, and the students were given permission to enter. For, Rabban Gamliel would announce, 'Anyone who is not as sincere internally as he appears externally may not enter the Bais HaMedrash.'"
The question is, how would the doorman know who was completely sincere and who was not?
Two possible answers:
1) Perhaps the doorman didn't let anyone in. If a student managed to somehow get in anyway to be able to listen to the shiur, this proved his sincerity.
2) Perhaps the doorman was there to charge an admission fee - if someone paid, that showed his sincerity - that he was willing to part with money to enter the Bais Hamedrash.
I prefer the second answer, because we find elsewhere is Shas that in the time of Rabbi Akiva there was an admission fee. (Sorry - I don't remember where that gemara
is.)

Berachos 28a - Tefillas Arvis R'shus Oy Chovah - Part II

2004-08-02T04:25:00.000-04:00

The gemara says that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah was considering not accepting the position of Nasi because of his age - he was only eighteen! The gemara says: "That day a miracle occurred to him, and eighteen rows of white hair were placed in his beard. And, this explains what Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said (on 12b), 'I am like a seventy year old,' and not 'I am a seventy year old.'"
This gemara seemingly contradicts a Rambam in his Pirush Hamishnayos. The Rambam, in Pirush Hamishnayos on the last mishna of the first chapter of Berachos says: "The reason why Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said, 'I am like a seventy year old,' and he didn't say, 'I am a seventy year old,' is because he was really a young man. However, he learned a lot, day and night, until he was weakened, and he prematurely aged to be like a seventy year old. And he agreed to the beginning of the aging, as the gemara explains."
The Rambam - by attributing Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah's aging to exertion in Torah learning - seems to discount the miracle that the gemara relates, and says a rational explanation that argues with the gemara's explanation.
However, we can explain like this: The Rambam was bothered by a question. The gemara seems to say that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah looked like a seventy year old, because he (miraculously) had eighteen rows of white hair added to his beard. This implies that the rest of his beard remained its' original color. If that's so, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah didn't look like a seventy year old - has anyone ever seen a seventy year old with a striped beard? Therefore, the Rambam understood that the gemara must mean as follows: When Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah was eighteen this miracle happened. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, because of the miracle, agreed to accept the post of Nasi. The post of Nasi carries much more responsibility than Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah was used to (see Maharitz Chiyus 27b in the name of R' Yonasan Eibischitz), but he wasn't fazed, and willingly accepted the post. Those extra duties prematurely aged him, so much so that a while later he was able to say, "I am like a seventy year old," because by then the rest of his hair had turned white. (That's what the Rambam means when he says, "And he agreed to the beginning of the aging, as the gemara explains." That means, that he agreed to accept the post of Nasi, which carried all the extra exertion in Torah matters along with it.)

Berachos 25a - Part II

2004-08-02T03:47:00.000-04:00

I wrote in a previous post: "What I'm wondering is: A person with eyeglasses or contact lenses - what is considered normal vision for him? Is it as far as he usually sees (in other words, as far as he sees while wearing glasses), or, as far as he naturally sees?" In that post we discussed the Halachic ramifications of the question. Two new points:
1) On Friday night I had the pleasure of attending the Shalom Zachor of a good friend. His brother-in-law, an anonymous attorney from Manhattan, suggested the following answer: When one is wearing glasses, his vision is considered to be how far he can see while he has glasses on, while if his glasses are off, then his vision is considered as far as he can see with them off. Based on this, the same person will have a different status in halacha depending if he is wearing glasses or not. I'm not sure if he's right, but it certainly is worth thinking about.
2) As far as what the distance of one's vision is, obviously it depends on the individual person's eyesight. However, to give us an idea of a minimum in the times of Chazal, see the gemara on 33a: "Rabbi Oyshia learned: One should distance himself fifty amos [even] from a docile ox, and from an ox with a history of goring, as far as one can see." We see from here that the amount of one's vision was more than fifty amos. (However, one could differentiate by saying that the gemara on 33a is talking about an ox, which is much bigger, and therefore more visible even at a longer distance - while in our gemara, where we're talking about unclean items which may be very small, the distance of one's vision is considered less than fifty amos.)

Berachos 27b - Tefillas Arvis R'shus Oy Chovah - Part I

2004-07-30T03:42:00.000-04:00

On this page, and on 28a, we have the fascinating story of the disagreement between Rabban Gamliel and R' Yehoshua, Rabban Gamliel's dismissal, and his reinstatement. Because this is an open forum, I want to point out that a careful reading of the gemara shows that every participant in the story was acting for the sake of heaven - l'shem shamayim. Please keep that in mind. I will Iy"H put up a few posts on this sugya.
The gemara - ת"ר מעשה בתלמיד אחד שבא לפני ר' יהושע א"ל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה אמר ליה רשות בא לפני רבן גמליאל א"ל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה א"ל חובה א"ל והלא ר' יהושע אמר לי רשות א"ל המתן עד שיכנסו בעלי תריסין לבית המדרש כשנכנסו בעלי תריסין עמד השואל ושאל תפלת ערבית רשות או חובה א"ל רבן גמליאל חובה אמר להם רבן גמליאל לחכמים כלום יש אדם שחולק בדבר זה אמר ליה ר' יהושע לאו א"ל והלא משמך אמרו לי רשות אמר ליה יהושע עמוד על רגליך ויעידו בך עמד רבי יהושע על רגליו ואמר אלמלא אני חי והוא מת יכול החי להכחיש את המת ועכשיו שאני חי והוא חי היאך יכול החי להכחיש את החי - relates how a student asked R' Yehoshua if it was obligatory to daven Ma'ariv. R' Yehoshua answered that it isn't obligatory. The student subsequently asked Rabban Gamliel, the Nasi, and he answered that it is obligatory. When the student mentioned to Rabban Gamliel that R' Yehoshua disagreed, Rabban Gamliel publicly asked R' Yehoshua what his position was. R' Yehoshua publicly answered that it was obligatory - reversing what he had told the student. Rabban Gamliel told him, "We heard it said in your name that it isn't obligatory!" Rabban Gamliel made R' Yehoshua stand up to "face the charges." R' Yehoshua stood up, and said, "If I were alive, and he [the student] were dead, I could contradict him [and say that I never said that it isn't obligatory]. Now that I'm alive and he's alive, how can I contradict him?"
With this gemara we can possibly explain something else. The gemara on 28a, all the way at the end of the story, identifies the student as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Why did the gemara wait until the end? If it was important for us to know (as it obviously is - since the gemara ends up saying it), the gemara should have said it right away!
Also, we know from Shabbos 33b, that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai spent twelve years in exile, hiding from the Romans. Why was he punished in this manner?
The answer to both these questions may be based on the gemara later on on 56a. (Please see there for the whole story.) Rava cursed bar Hadaya with death. Bar Hadaya said to himself, "What should I do? We learned, that a Chacham's curse, even if based on a false premise is fulfilled! Certanly in my case - where I deserve the curse - it will be fulfilled. I'll go into exile, for we learned that exile atones for sin." We see from here that even if a Chacham curses someone inadvertantly it will be fulfilled. We also see that even if one is cursed with death - exile may atone.
It may be that when Rabbi Yehoshua said, "If I were alive, and he [the student] were dead," he inadvertantly cursed the student with death. The student, R' Shimon bar Yochai had to go to exile to ameliorate the effects of the curse. The gemara only tells us what's necessary. Therefore, when it says the story of R' Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel it didn't feel it was necessary to tell us who the student was. However, although it has nothing to do with the story, there is something we may learn from knowing the student's identity. That's why the gemara tacks on the student's identity at the end.

Berachos 25a - Part I

2004-07-29T03:42:00.000-04:00

Gemara: תניא כותיה דרב חסדא לא יקרא אדם ק"ש לא כנגד צואת אדם ולא כנגד צואת כלבים ולא כנגד צואת חזירים ולא כנגד צואת תרנגולים ולא כנגד צואת אשפה שריחה רע ואם היה מקום גבוה עשרה טפחים או נמוך עשרה טפחים יושב בצדו וקורא ק"ש ואם לאו מרחיק מלא עיניו "We have a B'raisa which aids R' Chisda's position: One may not recite the Shema in front of [various types of unclean substances]. If they were in a spot ten tefachim above or below him, he may even sit next to these substances, and recite the Shema. If they aren't [ten tefachim above or below him], he must distance himself from them as far as he can see them."
The gemara implies that the distance he must distance himself from them is based on his vision. Therefore, someone with 20/20 vision would have to move more than someone with 20/60 vision. Also, someone who is blind would not have to move away at all!
In fact, by a blind person the halacha is different. The Shulchan Aruch, in Orach Chaim 79:1 says: ומלפניו, צריך להרחיק מלא עיניו, אפילו בלילה, או שהוא סומא (תשובת הרשב"א סי' קס"ה וב"י בשם הר"י) שאינו רואה אותה, צריך להרחיק עד מקום שאינו יכול לראות ביום "If the objectionable substance is in front of him, he has to distance himself to a distance where he can't see it. Even at night (or if he's blind and can't see it) he has to distance himself to a distance where he wouldn't be able to see it during the day." On this, the Biur Halacha elaborates: "It is obvious that a blind person must evaluate the distance based on an average person's eyesight. At night, a person who can see must evaluate the distance based on how good his vision is during the day."
What I'm wondering is: A person with eyeglasses or contact lenses - what is considered normal vision for him? Is it as far as he usually sees (in other words, as far as he sees while wearing glasses), or, as far as he naturally sees?

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part VII

2004-07-28T01:42:00.000-04:00

Continued from last post...
The Mishna Brurah in Siman 239:6 says: "One should make it a habit to lie on his side (even while he's not reciting Shema - just sleeping [Sha'ar HaTziyun] ). It is a great issur to sleep in the prakdan position (siman 63 [Sha'ar HaTziyun]) which is lying either face-up or face-down." (This is inconsistent with the explanation we said in the shittah of the Rambam and the Tur.)
More bothersome is, that the Sha'ar HaTziyun references siman 63. In siman 63 the Shulcan Aruch says that one may not recite the Shema lying on one's back or face, consistant with his understanding of the Rambam in Hilchos Kriyas Shema. Still, the Shulchan Aruch in Even HaEzer 23:3 follows the Rambam to only forbid sleeping on one's back! Now, however one answers the contradiction, the fact is that regarding sleep the Shulchan Aruch only forbids lying on one's back. If so, how can the Mishna Brurah extrapolate from the Shulchan Aruch about reciting the Shema, that one may not sleep on one's face?
In siman 63, the Biur Halacha talks about the position of the Ramoh in 63:1 who is of the same opinion as the Rabbeinu Yonah. The Rabbeinu Yonah (cited in the Beis Yosef Orach Chaim 63:1) is of the opinion that it is forbidden to recite the Shema even lying completely on one's side, unless it would be difficult to get up - for example, if one is already undressed for the night. It seems that Rabbeinu Yonah learned that when the gemara permitted sleeping while tilted to the side, it is not referring to being a bit tilted, rather, lying completely on one's side. According to this, the Mishna Brurah would make sense, because the Mishna Brurah may be following the position of the Rabbeinu Yonah regarding sleep.
The problem with this is that Rabbeinu Yonah himself (Rif Berachos 7b) says that prakdan means lying on one's back! Additionally, in siman 63, the Biur Halacha discusses the disagreement between the Rambam and the Rabbeinu Yonah and says that one should l'chatchila be machmir like the Rabbeinu Yonah. If so, how can the Mishna Brurah call it, "A great issur," if he's only going according to Rabbeinu Yonah?

A note: B"H I have finished this piece, and will Iy"H continue to the next topic in the next post. I just want to make one comment: It seems to me that I've heard that women are under the impression that they, too, may not sleep on their face or back. I have yet to see a source that would support this. If anyone can help, please comment!

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part VI

2004-07-26T01:47:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post...
The Tur in Orach Chaim 63 (quoted previously here) says: וקורא אותה בין מהלך בין עומד בין יושב חוץ מפרקדן פירוש ששוכב על גבו והרמב’’ם ז’’ל כתב בין שפניו למעלה או פניו טוחות בקרקע לא יקרא ואפילו אינו ממש על גביו אלא מוטה על צדו לא יקרא מפני שנראה כמקבל עול מלכות שמים דרך גאוה. Look closely: First he says that one can recite the Shema any way except for prakdan, which is lying on one's back. Then he says that the Rambam says that whether one is lying on his back, or on his face - he shouldn't recite the Shema. He continues, that even if one is tilted a bit to one side he shouldn't recite the Shema. All this was from the Rambam. Then, he finishes off by saying that to recite the Shema in this way is forbidden because it looks like he is accepting the yoke of Heaven upon himself in a haughty manner. The Rambam did not say this.
Now, if the Tur is saying that the Rambam is arguing on the definition of prakdan - he should have written: One can recite the Shema any way except for prakdan, which is lying on one's back. The Rambam says that whether one is lying on his back, or on his face - it is called lying prakdan.
If the Tur would have written it this way, it would have been apparent that he felt that the Rambam was disagreeing with the definition of prakdan that the Tur had just written, and therefore one would not be allowed to recite the Shema lying on one's face. From the way he does write it ("The Rambam says that whether one is lying on his back, or on his face - he shouldn't recite the Shema") - we see that the Tur understood that the Rambam also held that the word prakdan only means lying on one's back - not on one's face. So that raises a problem - why then, does the Rambam say that one should not recite the Shema lying on his face? Because of this question the Tur explains the Rambam by finishing off and saying that to recite the Shema in this way is forbidden because it looks like he is accepting the yoke of Heaven upon himself in a haughty manner. This is exactly like we explained the shita of the Rambam - that even though prakdan by definition only refers to lying on one's back, still, one may not recite the Shema lying on one's face because it is disrespectful.
Coming next: Based on all the above, what is p'shat in the Mishne B'rurah?
To be continued...

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part V

2004-07-23T05:05:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post...
Now, let's try to answer the contradiction in the Rambam. (It may be helpful to review the source here.) The easiest Rambam to deal with is the one in Hilchos Deios which forbids sleeping both on the face, and on the back. We can say that the Rambam is not saying this from a halachic standpoint, but from a health standpoint. The proof for this is, that if this was halachically mandated the Rambam should have said the clear exception - sleeping on one's face or back while tilted slightly to one side which is clearly permitted by the gemara in Berachos 13b. In this we would be arguing with the Pri Chadash and the Aleh L'Trufah who cite the aforementioned gemara on this Rambam, indicating that they read the Rambam as sourced from that gemara.
So, the Rambam in Hilchos Deios is not germane to the discussion of the meaning of the word prakdan. So what does prakdan mean according to the Rambam? (Noting that we have the contradiction from the Rambam in Hilchos Kriyas Shema to the Rambam in Hilchos Issurei Biah.)
It seems to me that the Rambam held that prakdan means lying on one's back. In this he holds like the first opinion that Rabbeinu Chananel brings down, Rashi and the Baalei Tosafos. That's the reason why in Hilchos Issurei Biah he only forbids sleeping on one's back - because that's all the gemara is talking about. And the gemara is only talking about lying on one's back because the subject is a chashash of hotzo'as zerah l'vatoloh, and for that there is only a problem on one's back.
However, in Hilchos Kriyas Shema the Rambam forbids saying the Shema both lying on one's face or lying on one's back. Why? Because the Rambam held that although the gemara only discusses lying on one's back, however, the reason for this halacha (because it is forbidden to recite the Shema while posed in a disrespectful manner) also applies to someone who is lying on his face. The Rambam held that too to be a disrespectful manner - derech srarah v'gaava (Rashi) - inappropriate for one accepting the dominion of Hashem upon himself. (Note that the reason of kishuy doesn't apply at all when reciting the Shema - Maharsha in Niddah.)
This is arguing on the Beis Yosef and Prisha who said that the Rambam held that prakdan has both meanings, and arguing on the Biur HaGra who said that the Rambam was being machmir like both meanings. ומי אני לבא אחר הני מלכי -רבנן איקרי מלכים - אבל מה אעשה כשיש קושיא עצומה כזו ואין פותר אותו?
Coming next: A proof to this exposition of the Rambam's shitah from the words of the Tur.
To be continued...

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part IV

2004-07-21T22:44:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post...
The Tur in Orach Chaim 63:1 says the following: וקורא אותה בין מהלך בין עומד בין יושב חוץ מפרקדן פירוש ששוכב על גבו והרמב’’ם ז’’ל כתב בין שפניו למעלה או פניו טוחות בקרקע לא יקרא ואפילו אינו ממש על גביו אלא מוטה על צדו לא יקרא מפני שנראה כמקבל עול מלכות שמים דרך גאוה. On this, the Bais Yosef and the Prisha say that the Rambam is saying that prakdan means both lying on one's face, and lying on one's back.
Now, if the Tur and the Bais Yosef and Prisha hold that prakdan means both, then it follows that as far as sleeping is concerned it should be forbidden both on one's face and back. The onlt difference between reciting Shema and sleeping would be that one would be permitted to sleep on one's back or face if they are tilted a bit to one side.
However, the Tur in Even HaEzer 23:3 says: ואסור לאדם שיקשה לדעת או שיביא עצמו לידי הרהור ואם יבא לידי הרהור יסיח נפשו מדברי הבאי והשחתה לדברי תורה שהיא אילת אהבים ויעלת חן לפיכך אסור לישן על ערפו ופניו למעלה עד שיטה מעט כדי שלא יבא לידי קישוי. And here, in regard to sleeping, he only forbids sleeping on one's back and not on one's face! This contradicts what he said in Orach Chaim. The Bais Yosef and Prisha don't say anything about this.
The bottom line is: The Tur contradicts himself the same way the Rambam does, when we compare the halacha by Shema to the halacha by sleeping.
The Vilna Gaon in Biur HaGra on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 63 says that Rambam wasn't sure which meaning prakdan had, and he was machmir both ways. But, if this is what the Rambam held - why isn't he machmir by sleeping also?
Coming next time: The answer!!!

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part III

2004-07-21T02:28:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post...
The Rambam, in Hilchos Isurei Biah 21:19 writes: וכן אסור לאדם שיקשה עצמו לדעת, או יביא עצמו לידי הרהור; אלא אם יבוא לו הרהור--יסיע ליבו מדברי הבאי והשחתה, ויפנה לדברי תורה שהיא "איילת אהבים, ויעלת חן". לפיכך אסור לאדם לישן על עורפו ופניו למעלה, עד שיטה מעט כדי שלא יבוא לידי קישוי. Here, he forbids one from sleeping on his back - like Rashi and Tosafos, and it is clearly because of a chashash keri. Note that he doesn't say anything about sleeping on one's face.
However, the Rambam in Hilchos Kriyas Shema 2:2 writes: כל אדם, קורין כדרכן--בין עומדין, בין מהלכין, בין שוכבין, בין רוכבין על גבי בהמה. ואסור לקרות קרית שמע, והוא מוטל ופניו טוחות בקרקע, או מושלך על גבו ופניו למעלה. אבל קורא הוא, והוא שוכב על צידו; ואם היה בעל בשר הרבה, ואינו יכול להתהפך על צידו, או שהיה חולה--נוטה מעט לצידו, וקורא. Here, when he talks about reciting the Shema he forbids one to do so both on one's back and on one's face. We already explained how the Halacha of sleeping in the prakdan position, and saying the Shema in the prakdan position are based on the same gemara. How can the Rambam write in Isurei Biah like the Tosafos, and in Hilchos Kriyas Shema write both like the Tosafos and the Aruch (who disagree with each other)?
Similarly in Hilchos Deios 4:5 the Rambam writes: לא יישן אדם לא על פניו, ולא על עורפו, אלא על צידו--בתחילת הלילה על צד שמאל, ובסוף הלילה על צד ימין. Here also he forbids sleeping both on the face, and on the back. The Pri Chadash and the Aleh L'Trufah reference our gemara in Berachos 13b. From this also, we see that the Rambam held that prakdan is referring both to lying on one's back and lying on one's face. This too, contradicts what the Rambam writes in Hilchos Isurei Biah, where he only forbids sleeping on one's back.
Next: The Tur...
To be continued...

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part II

2004-07-19T23:28:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post...
This question is actually asked by Tosafos in Niddah 14a. He doesn't answer the question on Rashi, but he says alternate explanations of the gemara. Interestingly, Rashi himself, in Niddah, says another explanation of the gemara, on which we do not have a question. He says, that if one sleeps on his back, his yadayim will touch his milah, and he will get nischamem. Tosafos over there brings in the name of the Rashbam, that his clothing will touch the milah and he will get nischamem. Tosafos Yeshanim and the Tosafos HaRosh say that his lower back will get get heated up, and because of this his eiver will become b'kishuy, and he will come to keri. (These four explanations were generously paraphrased. For the exact quote check Niddah 14a.)
The aforementioned explanations all only make sense if the word "prakdan" means one who is lying on his back. The Tosafos in Niddah points out that according to this the word "APaRKiD" is a contraction of the words "APuRyei KaDal," literally, "The back of his neck is on the bed." In other words, lying on his back.
However, Tosafos brings the Aruch, who held that a prakdan is one who lies on his face. (The Rabbeinu Chananel - recently printed on Berachos - brings this down as a "Yesh omrim.") Tosafos asks a strong question on this from a gemara in Kesuvos. Also, Tosafos in Pesachim 108a asks a question from the gemara over there to this Aruch. Tosafos in Niddah asks another question - according to the Aruch, the word "AParKiD" would be a contraction for "APoy KiD," literally, "Bowing on his face." In other words, lying on his face. If so, why is there a Reish (R) in the word aparkid? In the original expansion there is no Reish! (By the way, the Rashash answers this question.)
To sum up: It seems pretty clear that the majority of Rishonim we have discussed, thought that prakdan means one who sleeps or lies on his back. And the problem with this by reciting Shema is a lack of respect for kabbolas malchus shamyim; and the problem with sleeping this way is that it may bring to inadvertant hotza'as zerah l'vatalah.
Now, let's take a look at the Rambam, and the contradiction in his shitah. Interesting - just about no Acharon talks about it!
To be continued...

Berachos 13b Sugya d'Prakdan Lo Yikra Kriyas Shema - Part I

2004-07-19T02:53:00.000-04:00

The following post of a slightly sensitive nature, and as such, I'll be using more Hebrew/Aramaic than I usually do. To understand it fully, I recommend seeing all the sources in the original. Perhaps someone will be kind enough to teach me how to post in Hebrew, and I'll be able to post the sources myself... (I can already cut-and-paste from mechon-mamre.org!) I'll try to post links to web-based sources where I know of them. Also, I'll probably post this over a few days.
B'zeh hachili, b'ezras tzuri v'goali:
The gemara in Berachos 13b: אמר רב יוסף פרקדן לא יקרא קריאת שמע מקרא הוא דלא ליקרי הא מיגנא שפיר דמי והא רבי יהושע בן לוי לייט אמאן דגני אפרקיד אמרי מיגנא כי מצלי שפיר דמי מקרא אע"ג דמצלי נמי אסור והא ר' יוחנן מצלי וקרי שאני ר' יוחנן דבעל בשר הוה - R' Yosef says: A prakdan should not recite the Shema. (Rashi explains: Prakdan - one who lies on his back, face-up.) The gemara asks, we can extrapolate from R' Yosef's statement, that although a prakdan may not recite the Shema, one may sleep in that position. The gemara says that this would be inconsistent with R' Yehoshua ben Levi's cursing those who slept in the prakdan position (Rashi - shemah yiskasheh eivoroi while he's sleeping v'nirah l'rabim, which is a derech g'nai), which obviously indicates that one may not sleep in the prakdan position. The gemara answers, one may sleep in a prakdan position if he's slightly tilted to one side. However, one may not recite the Shema unless one is lying completely on his side (Rashi - because otherwise he is accepting the yoke of heaven upon himself, in a haughty manner). The gemara asks, why did R' Yochanan recite the Shema even though he was only tilted a little bit to the side? The gemara answers, that there were extenuating circumstances in R' Yochanan's situation, in that he was extremely heavy.
The bottom line after the gemara and the Rashi is: A man may not sleep on his back unless he's tilted a bit to one side; a man may not recite the Shema lying on his back - he must lie completely on his side.
Now the cliffhanger: According to Rashi, the whole problem with sleeping in the prakdan position is the derech g'nai of being nirah l'rabim. If so, would it be permissible to sleep in the prakdan position in a locked, or dark room?
To be continued...

Berachos 9b

2004-07-18T02:42:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "Rabbi Yochanan says: One should always try to run towards Jewish kings, and not only Jewish kings - but even gentile kings, so that if he will merit to (in the world-to-come to see the greatness of Israel - Rashi), he will be able to differentiate between Jewish kings and gentile kings."
Perhaps we can reinterpret this gemara based on the gemara in Gittin 62a (see there for complete contexet): "He told them, 'Peace be unto you, kings, - peace be unto you, kings.' They told him, 'How do you know that Rabbis are called kings?' He told them, 'As it is said...' "
So we can interpret this gemara to be referring to scholars: One should always try to run towards Jewish scholars, and not only Jewish scholars - but even gentile scholars...

Berachos 8a

2004-07-16T02:34:00.000-04:00

Gemara: R' Chiya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla: One who sustains himself from his own handiwork is greater than one who is a Yarei Shamayim. Because, by a Yarei Shamayim it is said, "Lucky is the man who fears Hashem," and by someone who sustains himself from his own handiwork it is said, "When you support yourself from your own handiwork, you are lucky and it is good for you." [The gemara elaborates:] You are lucky in this world, and it is good for you in the world-to-come. But by a Yarei Shamayim it does not say, 'It is good for you.' "
It seems to me that we can explain this gemara based on the mishna in Avos 2:2. "R' Gamliel the son of R' Yehuda the Nasi says: Learning Torah is good, when it is accompanied by work - because working at both of them causes sin to be forgotten." If so, then one who is a Yarei Shamayim, and presumably spends a lot of time learning still has his Yetzer HaRah - while the one who sustains himself from his handiwork (and also spends time learning, of course) forgets to sin! That means that he doesn't even have the Yetzer Harah, so of course he's on a higher level, in that sense, than the Yarei Shamayim.
Please note: This should not be understood as an attack on the Kollel lifestyle, or an endorsement of the Torah uMadda or Torah Im Derech Eretz Lifestyle. That is left up to you and your Rebbe/Rabbi. Anyway, as it happens, most Kollel people do work some side job besides their regular Kollel learning.

Berachos 7b

2004-07-16T02:20:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "R' Yochanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yochai: From the day that Hashem created his world, there was no one who thanked him - until Leah came and thanked him, as it is said [at the birth of Yehuda] 'This time I shall thank Hashem."
Rashi says: "Because Leah saw with Ruach HaKodesh that Ya'akov will have twelve Shevatim, and he had four wives. When she had her fourth son, she thanked him that her portion was more than what should have been coming to her."
It is very difficult to understand - Adam, Avraham, Mesushelach, Noach, etc. etc. all never thanked Hashem?!
I'd like to suggest something based in part on the aforementioned Rashi. Possibly this is how the world worked then: Noach (or Adam, or Yitzchok, etc.) would go out of their house in the morning, and bump into a pile of gold. Now, the first thing we would say is, "Boruch Hashem!" But, they were extremely in tune with their spiritual selves and with what Hashem expected from them. So the first thing Noach would say is, "What did I do to deserve this pile of gold? It must have been mitzvah so-and-so that I did yesterday." In which case the pile of gold was richly deserved! So there wasn't occasion to thank Hashem, because he deserved that pile of gold based on the laws of reward and punishment that Hashem created the world with. However, in the situation of Leah, She got more than she deserved, like Rashi says, "that her portion was more than what should have been coming to her." Therefore, she thanked Hashem.

Berachos 7a

2004-07-16T02:14:00.000-04:00

Gemara: "We learned in the name of R' Meir: When the sun shines [in the morning] and all the kings of the east and west place their crowns on their heads and bow to the son, Hashem immediately becomes angry." The gemara seems to be talking about a specific single moment. How can we understand it in accordance with our knowledge of time zones? My only suggestion would be that in every time zone this moment would occur at a different time. Additionally, maybe this moment of anger of Hashem only affects those who are in the "zone" of that anger. This could be an explanation why Bilaam wanted to be in sight of the Jewish Nation to curse them, (as the gemara explained earlier that he wanted to curse them at the instant Hashem got angry).

Berachos 6b

2004-07-15T01:42:00.000-04:00

Maybe this will seem very simple to some of you, but I didn't understand what the following Rashi was saying, until today. The gemara says: "R' Yochanan says: When Hashem comes into a shul and doesn't find ten people there, he immediately gets angry, as it says, 'Why did I come and there is no man, I called out and there is no answer.' " Rashi says: "And there is no answer. The amount of people who could answer a Davar Kedusha."
Rashi is answering this question: What is the proof from the pasuk that Hashem gets angry if there aren't ten people in the shul, maybe the pasuk is talking about when there isn't anyone in the shul, and only then does Hashem get angry! To that Rashi answers that the words, "There is no answer," mean there is no tzibbur of ten to answer to a Davar Kedusha, like Kaddish or Borchu, even though there may be some people in the shul.