Author: Moshe Taub

  • The Superbowl Halftime Shiur

    The Superbowl Halftime Shiur

    When Should Rabbis Set Boundaries? A Reflective Discussion

    January, 2022

    When I worked for the state as a chaplain in the NYS penitentiary

    system I was allowed to make my own schedule. This meant that the

    inmates would not know which day I would be coming, rather an

    announcement would go out when I arrived that the rabbi is here and

    that all Jewish inmates should go to his office if they would like to meet

    with him.

         Because of such impromptu visitation I had no appointment

    ledger, rather, when I came, it was first come first served.

    On one such day I noticed that there were more people waiting outside

    my office than usual. After a few private one-on-ones I heard several

    chairs move at once and looked up to see five large, menacing looking

    men walk into my office. They were clearly not Jewish. This much I can

    say, “I was not ‘not’ scared”.

          I waited for them to speak first, as I was not about to say the wrong

    thing.

         “Rabbi”, their foreman began, “If we ask you a question do you promise us to tell the truth?”

        “Of course,” I guardedly replied.

          “Well Rabbi, you are a man of Gd and therefore you have access to

    information that common folk and criminals like us do not…”

         ‘Where was this going?’ I wondered to myself.

    “…We need you to tell us something, and we promise not to share it

    with anyone else: Who is going to win the Super-Bowl tonight?”

         I could not fathom that simple faith these criminals had in clergy!

             In prison, like on the outside, there is a lot riding on this game. While prisoners do not have cash on hand to gamble, they do bet with

    cigarettes and, sometimes, contraband.

          I explained that if I indeed had such powers, I would use it to benefit

    myself and would not be in a prison office on a Sunday afternoon surrounded by convicts!

        I grew up in Canada, and football was never really on my radar. When I moved to Buffalo, that changed. There, before ‘the big game’ I found that I received many varied and unique inquiries, mostly relating to kashrus,

          “May parve chili in a milcheg pot be served with Buffalo Chicken Wings?” (Possibly)       

             “Is it feasible to kasher a deep fryer…to fry Buffalo wings?” (Best to avoid)

     “May an avel attend a ‘Superbowl Party’”? (No)

       “Is it permissible to gamble on sporting events?” (Beyond the scope of this column, see Shul Chronicles ‘Gambling in Halacha and with a Dreidel).

            But there is one question that comes up every year at this time about which I am the one struggling.

         Before the reader continues, it is critical to point out that I am not chalila questioning anyone who is unperturbed by what I will now share. Nor would I ever dare think that I am ‘frummer’, holier or in any way more special and more kodosh than those who find no issue with what I am about to mention. Indeed, many of the chashuvim who find no issue with this are beyond me in middos, kedusha and wisdom -there are many who can attest to that fact!

         Indeed, I am hoping readers share their (respectful!) thoughts on this matter.

           When I first moved to New York, one of my wonderful ballabtim asked if I would give a shiur at halftime of ‘the big game’, perhaps a call-in, or via an internet stream. At first, his request didn’t compute.     

          Surely, he doesn’t mean that at halftime of a television sporting broadcast. But he did. And, indeed, many ballabattim -who are holier than I –do attend such events every year, given by rabbanim far greater than I, and performed by organizations whose zechusim I could only dream of being a part,

        I come now not to argue with them, but to express why I have been hesitant; why this issue has vexed me for seven years. I have struggled with this, and indeed -thus far -have not done it.

          I consider myself a baal sechel, I struggle with every rabbinic decision I make. I certainly do not always get it right, but I come to all decisions in good faith. If I have a column on the rabbinate, it is only fair to share this very real ongoing inner dialogue.

         For fifteen years kn’ah, I have been telling my children almost every week by havdala that the most important beracha in our generation is lahavdil bein kodosh l’chol. It doesn’t say lahavdil bein kodosh l’issur -to separate between the holy and the forbidden, or, lahavdil bein kodosh l’tumah –to separate between the holy and the impure. Rather to separate between the holy and the mundane.

        Now, should rabbanim be realistic that many very frum and pure members are watching ‘the big game’? Of course! But should we then mish arein? I am not so sure.

         Of course, if I was asked to give a shiur during the entirety of the game, thereby allowing people another option, and even those watching the game to tune in at ‘halftime’ or at other points -that would be one thing. But to incorporate a Torah or a ruach event around the game? I’m not so sure.

         My wife -who knows how unworthy I am to be the one making this argument -is always my best advisor. She responded, “But instead of things that are inappropriate they will be learning! How could you ever be against that?!”

         To this I said, “I hear you. However, there are times that it is up to each individual to have the training wheels taken off and make that choice themselves. My job is not just to make sure that halacha and Torah is kept today, during these fifteen minutes, rather that it can continue for generations. Like football, lahavdil ad lanetzach, our mesorah too is a game of inches. Keep giving, mixing, more here and a little more there, where will our great-grandchildren be?!

        Those that read this column understand I never use this space to question the views of others or to argue on other rabbanim. So you can trust when I say that this is not my goal this week either. Rather, I am sharing a choice that I made -while not ignoring that others may differ.

            Chazal share how Yirmiyahu compared us to an olive (Yirmiyahu 11:16). They teach that is because like its oil, we don’t mix (Shmos Rabbah 36:1). Does this mean that we learn during halftime, unlike them? Or does this mean that we have our rav give a ‘halftime’ shiur?

        I imagine the readership is split between those who cannot believe such official shiurim and events take place in the first place, and those bewildered that I would question them.

         I agree with both of those views!

            I am not wise enough to know the answer. So I opt for the tried -and-true, shev v’al taaseh adif -best to be mistaken by an error of omission than an error of commission.

  • Chanukah’s Absence from Mishneh & Brevity in the Talmud

    Many Approaches

    December, 2022

          Chanukah is most unique among our yearly yomim tovim.

              For instance, it is the only yom tov we have that was, at one point, annulled, only to later be reestablished – as the gemara in Rosh Hashana teaches (18b with Rashi). So much of the history and events surrounding Chanaukah are a mystery.

          We have covered many of these mysteries throughout the years, such as ‘who was Yehudis and in what era did she live?’ (a tremendous debate); is it true that Chanukah is the secret final day of Yom Kippur’s din?; what ness of Chanukah is our focus -the war or the oil? And, much, much more.

           But perhaps the one question relating to the mysterious nature of Chanukah that is most famous, and one that has vexed our gedolim greatly, is why Chanukah and its laws are entirely absent from mishnah. Unlike even Purim (another rabbinical festival) which has its own entire mesechta, Chanukah’s history and halacha is relegated to a few lines in the later gemara.

        Why?

         It may be tempting to some to dismiss this difficulty by asserting that Chanukah’s establishment took place after the codification and redaction of the mishneh, but this would be historically inaccurate. More peculiar,  the mishneh does, oddly, make references to Chanukah, although parenthetically. This fact only serves to strengthen our question -once we do talk about Chanukah, why not mention its special laws and mitzvos at all?!

         For example, the mishneh states that a store owner who places his lamp outside near the street is liable for any unforeseen damage caused. However, continues the mishneh, on Chanukah he would not be liable if his menorah enflames someone’s cargo (Bava Kama 6:6).

        Even when it comes to observant-adjacent halachos of Chanukah, there is some parenthetical references, here are some quick examples: one may bring bikkurim until Chanukah (Bikkurim 1:6); messengers are sent on certain months to let people know when rosh chodesh was, including kislev, due to their need to know when to begin Chanukah (Rosh Hashana 1:3); we do not establish fast-days on Chanukah (Taanis 2:10). Even more references are found in moed katan, megillah, and many toseftos.

         So then why not dedicate a whole mesechta on Chanukah, as we do for Purim? At the very least, why not mention any of Chanukah’s laws in any mishneh?!

        Many, many approaches have been offered, I will share some of the lesser-known and more fascinating ones:

    1. Rav Hutner’s Thesis

         My father shared with me last week how it was Rav Hutner’s yartzeit, and that he was reviewing the first maamer to Chanukah (Pachad Yitzchok, 1). There, Rav Hutner first asks an additional question: why didn’t the anshei knesses hagedolah allow parts of the story of Chanukah to be canonized in tanach?

        Some may feel that this question is far simpler to answer than our first: the books of tanach may only include those written in the era of nevuah. Since all prophecy ceased at the beginning of the second beis hamikdosh, there was no way to include the Chanukah narrative together with other sifrei kodesh written with nevuah/ruach hakodesh.

        Yet, Rav Hutner points out that it is deeper than that. Chazal tell us “Why is Esther compared to the morning (Tehillim 22:1)? To teach us that just as morning ends the night, so too Esther was the end of miracles.”  In response to this teaching, the gemara asks, “But what about Chanukah?” The gemara answers cryptically, “We meant to say that Purim was the last of the Nissim to be recorded in writing” (Yoma 29a).

          With this gemara, Rav Hutner answers both questions. When the gemara shares that Chanukah was not given to be written down, it is describing the very essence of this yom tov.     

            The Greeks failed because while one can try to besmirch the value of the written Torah by watering it down with their translation (the Septuagint) and with their cultural influences, one can never take away our true secret of survival –Torah sh’baal peh, and mesorah. Because this is the very element that saved us -saves us still! -we represent this fundamental part of the story of Chanukah by maintaining a largely oral tradition regarding its own events -both in tanach and in mishneh! The Sefas Emes has a similar idea (year ‘684)

          One of my father-in-law’s rebbeim in high school is the prolific Rav Yitzchak Sender. In one of his sefarim, he shares something remarkable.The term ‘Chanukah’ is given many meanings, such as chanu choff hei –they rested (from war) on the 25th (of kislev), however it also represents something deeper.

       There are twenty-four books in tanach, the anshei knesses hagedolah ‘rested’ for the 25th book -the story of Chanukah! In fact, there is even a greater allusion to this. ‘Chanukah’ stands for ‘cheis’, eight (books) in ‘nun’ nevium; ‘vav’, six (books) in ‘choff’  kesuvim, and finally, ‘hei’, five megillos!

        In any event, all of the above serves to explain why chazal wished to keep Chanukah limited in writing, both in tanach and shas.

    1. The Secret Mesechta

           We know that there are certain mesechtos of gemara in the Talmud Yerushlami that were written yet are no longer extant. In a similar vain, both the Vilna Gaon (in his son’s hakdama to Midrash Agadas Bereishis) and the Ben Ish Chai (hakdama to Rov Peolim) teach that there was a mesechta of mishnayos on Chanukah that has since been lost!

        On a related note, the Chida (Devarim Achadim, derasha 32) points out that megilas taanis -written before the mishneh and containing many celebratory dates along with their histories and practices -already shares with us the story and halachos of Chanukah. For this reason, there was no need to add its own tractate.

    1. Hidden Danger

       Many give a vastly different approach than the ones above. The Yerushalmi shares a story f a king whose daughter was born on Tisha B’av and he saw the Jews fasting. This daughter then died on Chanukah, and yet he saw us celebrating. He went out and killed Jews in response. Because of this incident – and also so as not to upset the then current Roman empire, or any galus home -we kept much of Chanukah to ourselves. (See, shu’t Tzitz Eliezar 19:26, and the shu’t Eidus B’Hayosef simam 15. Cf. Rav Reuvien Margolis in his Yesod Hamishen V’Arichta and shu’t Shoel V’Nishal 4:37 and shu’t Mikveh Mayim vol. 5 page 39 who focuses on the need to show outward fieldity to any host nation we are in, and the story of Chanukah nay be misunderstood by our Gentile neighbors)

    1. To State the Obvious

    For those who read the feature I wrote for the Sukkos issue on the history of Mechitzah in America, we stated there:

    “The following Chasam Sofer offers a fundamental rule of what chazal choseto explicate in greater detail when they regrettably had to write down the Torah sh’baal peh.   He writes (Chidushei Chasam Sofer, Gittin 78a) that chazal did not spend time on matters that were obvious and in full observance. He goes on to state some examples:                                                                                                                         ‘…in no place in the mishneh is it mentioned that we must put on teffilin, or that a four-cornered garment requires tzitzes…or the obligation on Chanukah to light candles…’”

    Although, many question why dafka Chanukah was known and obvious, and not a myriad of other dates and halachos that are explicated in the mishneh (see shu’t Beis Naftali 28, Yad Neaman to Shabbos 2a, and Iyun HaMoadim, chanukah, question #237)

    • The Famous Approach

    Although we quoted above an answer from the pen of the Chasam Sofer, he is also quoted as giving another explanation. The following is the most difficult of all the approaches, and yet the most famous. The sefer Taamei Haminhagim (chanukah, 847) quotes him as stating that this was due to the fact that the chashminoim, who were from Levi, took away the meluchah (kingship) from shevet Yehudah. Rebbe Yehudah Hanassi, known simply as Rebbe, who was the redactor/editor of the mishneh was a scion of Dovid hamelech and wished to ‘avenge’ their act of perfidy by omitting their events (see also shu’t Siach Yitzchak 359)!

       Some of the Chasam Sofer’s talmidim denied their rebbe said this (see, e.g. shu’t Mahariatz by Rav Yehoshua Aaron Weinberger, #78), as how can Rebbe simply omit Torah (see Horiyos 14a for the rules -from Rebbe himself-as to when to omit either someone’s Torah or their name)? However, many seek to find justification -and authenticity -in what the Chasam Sofer is quoted (see Kovetz Beis Ahron V’Yisroel, year 18, gilyon 104, p. 137).

       Some of the mysteries of Chanukah will have to wait to be answered when moshiach comes, when according to many Chanukah will still be observed (see Magid Meisharim from the Beis Yosef, parshas vayakhel).

       May we merit that day soon!

  • Making Up Missed Shabbos Mincha Krias HaTorah

        Recently I joined my family for Shabbos in Orlando. It was a unique experience. One of my neighbors in Queens, a member who lives a few doors from me, was in the makeshift shul Friday night. When he told me the address of his vacation home, we both realized he was-yet again-just a few doors down from us.

        I seem unable to get away from my members!

         Over the past several years, a subsection of housing in Orlando has become prime real estate for frum families on vacation. Champions Gate, Reunion and other sections of this housing unit have become very popular among bnei Torah. Each home is built to accommodate large families and comes with a private pool, game room, etc. These can be rented for days, weeks or even months at a time. One family in Queens simply moved there at the start of the pandemic -as their kids were anyway in yeshiva online, and the father had to work from ‘home’. They stayed for over a year. It has now become popular for generations of families to rent the largest of homes together and head there together for Pesach.

           The local Chofetz Chaim community along with Chabad has a system down to a science. They rent out houses of their own in the areas where other frum families will be staying. These houses are to act as hubs for minyanim, etc.

        In fact, the Shabbos I was there it was announced that there would even be an avos u’banim, which was overflowing. Fathers and sons from across the north-east, almost all of whom strangers to eachother, all had in common in that they were away and wished to learn Torah with their sons.

          For me, it doesn’t matter where I go, as long as I don’t have to speak. It’s nice to be away, anonymous and just be one of a crowd.

       I heard of one rav from Toronto who was staying in another area of this housing development that same Shabbos. When he walked into shul Friday night, he found half his shul from Toronto there!

         Our rented house was more than a half a mile away, and I wouldn’t have made it back in time for maariv if I had gone home to eat. So, I ate shalosh seudos before mincha (something one should do only rarely), and then planned on staying in the minyan-house until maariv. Following mincha, with about fifteen minutes to shekia, a group of bochurim walked in. I heard them talking with the few others there. “Ah, that’s an interesting shailah” I overheard one say.

          “It’s a good thing we have a rav here who we could ask,” said another. It was then that I looked up to see who that rav was, only to see them staring right back at me.

         The shailah they had was indeed interesting. I was at first apprehensive to pasken, as I didn’t have any sefarim and was not one-hundred percent sure if I was correct. Rabbanim can get nervous too, you know!

        Here was the question, a subject that is quite fascinating and comes up frequently, especially on vacation:

           These boys had gone to an infirm man’s home to help make a minyan. He couldn’t walk to shul. However, there was no sefer Torah there with which to lein. So, as soon as their small minchah was over, they ran to the makeshift shul to hear their missed leining. Alas, by the time they arrived minchah was over.  May they now take the Torah out and lein on their own?

        It should first be pointed out that if one is a choleh, it is better to have a minyan b’tzibur than to hear kria (shu’t Minchas Yitzchak 7:6), so this minyan for the choleh was indeed the correct thing to do.

        But what should these boys do now?

         To start with, leining by mincha is an interesting halacha. It was one of the ten takanos created by Ezra (Bava Kama 82a), added to Moshe rabeinu’s already existing decree to lein tri-weekly. Ezra added it for the benefit of the ‘yoshvie keronos’ -those that don’t come to shul during the week, and even on Shabbos are only found out of their homes in the streets and wasting their time (Rosh, Shaar Hatzion, siman 135). In fact, because of this, the Magen Avraham posits that the requirement for the average male to hear leining by Shabbos mincha is a weaker obligation, as most do not fall under the term yoshvie keronos (siman 143:8). Because of this, some poskim rule that these boys were not at all even obligated to run to shul to try to make-up their missed leining by another mincha (shu’t Vayivarech Dovid 1:27, p. 145, bottom of first column)!

        But now, that they are here for this purpose, and we already finished, what should be done?

           One may think that there is no issue here for me to reply strictly. Just have them take out a Torah and lein, minyan or not. After all, what’s the harm? However, many poskim urge us not to read from a sefer Torah unless its either at the Moshe/Ezra moments (with a minyan) or to prepare for such an occasion (with exception of accepted minhagim, like sefer devarim on Hashana Rabbah).

       Even in the days of chazal, we would write chumashim etc. from which to learn (see, e.g. gittin 60a, and, shu’t Mishneh Halachos 5:33)

         In addition, there is the question of if aliyos should be made. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik points out that perhaps it is not enough to simply have a minyan in the room, rather, one would need a majority of that same minyan made up by people who also didn’t yet hear leining (stencil, Chidushei al Shas, Mishor ed., p. 600 #11).

         The Chasam Sofer was once travelling for important klal work on a Monday. It was only mincha time when they reached a shul, at which point they leined the morning leining then (shu’t Goren Dovid #5)/! However, this and other sources that do discuss this issue focus, by-and-large, of making up their missed kriah by mincha, mussaf or some other time of structured teffila.

         However, in fact, many poskim have the opposite concern. In that one should not lein by another davening slot. Rav Moshe Shternbuch discusses a similar case to the Chasam Sofer’s and explains that such leining is done before mincha begins, so that no one confuses this with a regular time of leining (see shu’t Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 1:145 with Shaar Hatzion #5 to siman 135 where the Chofetz Chaim rules the same).

        I know of one wonderful shul that on Simchas Torah they not only duchen by shacharis (which many do), but they also go straight to mussaf, only leining after. This seems problematic, for we do not purposefully manipulate the place of leining (b’deived this would be allowed, say if they had no Torah by shacharis, see shu’t Teshuvah M’ahavah #243).

        Back to our case, for all of the above reasons, even b’dieved, the Ashel Avraham does not allow a new leining take place for these boys. Even though there are six of them who did not hear leining (and another four in the room).

        However, many others allow it (ibid. #28, Maharil) especially when the reason they missed leining was due to a mitzvah.

        In the end, I told them to lein, and make a chatzi kaddish after (another debate).

       And then? And then I got out of there as fast as I could so that I could research if I was correct!

         I always tell young rabbanim that the halachos of leining, aliyos and kadima (who has first right), are among the most important to know. As when they arise there is often limited time to reply.

        Next time, I will eat shalosh seudos at home!

  • The True Story Behind Saying Parshas Hamann on the Tuesday of Beshalach

    The True Story Behind Saying Parshas Hamann on the Tuesday of Beshalach

    The source for reciting Parshas Hamann the Tuesday of Parshas Beshalach

    January, 2022

    Rabbi Moshe Taub

    This post discusses parshas mann bo and its significance.

    The Segulah of Parshas HaMann

          This week -like many readers -I have received countless messages, all regarding the same theme. One message stated:

    “…[T]his is an opportunity to improve your parnassah…Tuesday of Parshas Beshalach is the special day of segulah taught to us by Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zt”l by reading Parshas Hamon!”

           Talk about a get-rich-quick program!

        It is known that Rav Menachem Mendel would, incredibly, speak every Shabbos on the theme of parshas haMann (see the sefer Menechem Tzion, by his student Rav Yechezkel Pennet). Some point out how this rebbe’s three names contain the letters for mann – Menachem, Mendel, Rimanov.

        However, surprising as it may seem, my friend Rav Moshe Freidman of Toronto pointed out that in all of the many kesavim of R. Mendel Riminover zt“l –frequently all about the mann – there is not one mention of the segula of mann on Tuesday before beshalach.

    He writes in an email:

       “The very first source of this minhag is in the Sefer Yalkut Menchechem Chodosh, published in 1991. It states there that Rav S.W. Weinberger zt“l heard from the Stropkover rebbe zt“l in the name of Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanovzt“l regarding this segula. After the publication of the Sefer, this Segulah spread like wildfire. All the weekly Torah pamphlets & every frum internet site and app reminded us not to forget to say parshas hamann on Tuesday  of Beshalach.”

      But it gets even stranger:

      “At a later date, Rav Weinberger’s kesavim were found in which he writes that he heard from  the Stropkover rebbe how Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov said the parsha on the mann twice and once with targum every day, and had in mind that his parnasa will come from shomayim. The rebbe claimed that by having this kavanah while reciting the parsha you are assured not to everlack in this area.

    “Rav Weinberg then wrote that it was on Tuesday before beshalach בשלח when he met the Stropkover rebbe. The confusion came about from this one line. That is simply the day he heard this, the rebbe never said that there is a special day to say it!”

        See also shu”t Migal Nueh (siman 1) where he goes through this history.

          It must be stated, however, that the significance of reciting this parsha is not unique only to this ‘source’, or to the 18th century.

    In fact, its recital is brought in the Shulchan Aruch, in the very first siman! There it states that it’s a good thing to say parshas hamann each morning (Orach Chaim, siman 1). The Teshbeitz amazingly adds that he will be a guarantor that should one do so they will see parnasa (‘sh’lo yismaatu mizonosuv…v’ani oreiv’).

        So, while the segulah of saying this parsha on the Tuesday before beshalach may be of recent and somewhat mysterious provenance, the basic premise -although daily- was known for many, many centuries.

        Interestingly, many siddurim -even my edition of the Artscroll -omit this from the morning section. Likely, this is based on two reasons:

    • For one, the concept of its recital -daily or otherwise – is not found anywhere in shas.     
    •       Secondly, various pesukim and the midrash draw our focus to the negative nature and temperament to the complaints and methods of bnie yisroel in this story, giving cause to omit its special recital (Aruch Hashulchan siman 1:23, 24, with Shmos Rabbah 25:4).

          Interestingly, some (see Tashbeitz and Perisha) do quote from a Yerushalmi that teaches us the value of saying this parsha daily. However, this gemara cannot be found (and may be among the missing kodshim).

          But our discovery doesn’t end here. The reader may be thinking, “There may not be a source, but there can’t be any harm”. Even the first concern raised by the Aruch Hashulchan may only be true when said daily, but not when recited but once a year!

        However, one must be warned of another issue.

    The Gemara teaches us that it is forbidden to use pesukim to heal oneself, or as ‘magical’ incantation and that, at times, doing so can diminish one’s share in Olam Haba (Shavuos 15b).

    The Rambam elucidates this, when he writes:

    “Should someone recite a pasuk as an incantation for a wound, or so that a child should stop crying, or he places tefillin next to a child so that he will sleep, not only is he in violation of the [prohibition against] forbidden incantations, but he is a denier of the Torah, for he makes the Torah into a healer of bodies when it is there to mend souls… However, a healthy person may recite pesukim or Tehillim to protect against future sufferings and prevent them from arising” (hilchos ovdei kochavim, 11:12).

    Yet, for millennia, klal yisroel has comforted herslef with the words of Dovid HaMelech – and used them for salavation!?!?

    Rav Moshe Sternbuch posits that the answer to our Tehillim minhag must be that when we recite Tehillim for someone who is ill, we are asking Hashem to heal that person in the zechus of our Torah study, not because of the sheer power of the pesukim (Shu”t Teshuvos V’hanhagos 1:121).

    Similarly, the Tzitz Eliezer (17:30) writes that one may learn Torah or daven for the benefit of his soul, even if he also wishes to heal a physical condition.

    The last line in the Tzitz Eliezer may speak the most to the segulah under discussion here, where it seems this segula is based upon an error.

    “Hanach lahen l’Yisrael, im ein nev’iim heim, bnei nevi’im heim—leave bnei Yisrael as they are, for if they are not prophets, then they are at least the children of prophets.”

    Indeed, Rav Tzadok often wrote about the power of certain minhagim whose source is a mystery. In that sometimes, these are the most powerful.

        This ideal can be further illustrated through the amazing words of Rav Moshe Feinstein. The follwing was his written response to something that wa who was bothered by the many requests made to him for berachos, and even more perplexed that they often seemed to have worked!

            “…As is written in Bava Basra 116a, ‘Expounds Rav Pinchas Ben Chama, Anyone who has a sick person in their house should go to a scholar (chacham) and he will beseech Gd on their behalf’…And also what people request from me (Rav Moshe Feinstein), to pray for them or to give them berachos, is due to the fact that I am seen by many as a chacham.

    “Now, it never helps when I tell them that they are mistaken; as I have yet to reach the level of chachamah. On the contrary (when I tell them this) they think this is coming from my modesty.

    “….Therefore, even though I do not see myself as a chacham, even relative to our own times, nevertheless since the sick (and all those who seek-out my blessings) ascribe to me the imprimatur ‘chacham’, they are then following the rule of Rav Pinchas Ben Chama (to go to a chacham) as best he could.

      “It is then their zechus in following (in their mind) the spirit or law of this gemara that is behind the merit that Hashem should accept my teffilos and berachos”

         Perhaps, then, it is the same with many of these segulos. The engine of their efficacy is predicated upon the premise-true or not-that one is performing an act of mesorah. Just so long as that action does not interfere with halacha.

    Nevertheless, it is vital that one who seeks to say the parshas hamann as a segulah only do so either to learn those pesukim (perhaps with Rashi) and not as some ‘magic potion‘.

    Or, they can read it so that the story awakens their emunah in Hashem’s hashgacha.

    Anything short of this, one enters a serious question of halacha.

    There is, however, a chazal that does in fact share a secret segulah for parnassa (niddah 70). They teach that should someone wish to become wealthy they should do the following three things.

    • Increase his business efforts
    • Deal honestly
    • Daven

    Generally sound advice!

       May we all be granted a yeshuah for all of our needs!

    The Weeks of ‘Shovavim’: Their History and Minhag
    Dates, Segulos & War
    The Mystery of the ‘Forty Day’ Segula
  • The Meaning Behind Waving Hands Before Shabbos Candles

    The Meaning Behind Waving Hands Before Shabbos Candles

    Some Secrets of Ner Shabbos

    January, 2022

    Dear Rabbi Taub,

    “…Your column recently explained the reasons for braiding and the long shape of challah, as well why we call Shabbos lechem the odd term  ‘challah’. These are questions I always had! So, once ‘on the subject’, I was hoping you could help us understand some of the other strange minhagim we do on erev Shabbos kodesh. I always wondered about why my mother (and I!) waved her hands before making the beracha on candles Friday night…

    D.S.

    Lakewood, NJ”

       The above letter reminded me of a story. Years ago, I was asked by a cholev yisroel cheese manufacturer to help oversee the production of a cheese product at an Amish farm. It was an exhausting process, not the least of it being due to getting up at three-a.m. and driving through a blizzard in farm country. Having arrived, I parked my car and waited outside the dark building for someone to arrive. Not a few minutes later I heard the distinct sound of a horse and buggy, transporting me back to a myriad of baal shem tov stories!

         A young Amish farmer, Jedediah, alighted from his ‘vehicle’. He looked the part in every way, down to his overalls and blooming beard. He led me into the facility, and with that our work began.

        Knowing we would be spending the better part of twelve hours together, I began to schmooze with him a little. At first, these were innocuous questions, “Do you live near here?”, “How old are you?”, etc. But then I strated to direct my questions toward my curiosities about his way-of-life. “Isnt it freezing in the buggy?” “Do winter road conditions effect horses in the same way it does cars?” etc.

         Finally, I felt comfortable enough to ask my sapere aude query toward which I had been building.

        “Would it be ok for me to ask a more personal question about your way of life?” He said that would be fine.

          “I have always wondered: why indeed don’t the Amish use electricity and other modern and convenient marvels…”

         I am sure the reader too has always been curious about this. I was anxious for his explanation, yet could have never guessed his response. He looked at me blankly, paused and then smiled.

       “I don’t know” he sheepishly said. “It’s just how I was raised”

         At first this flabbergasted me. How is it possible to forgo central heating, cars and the light bulb, to live as we did one-hundred years ago, and at the same time never knowing why?! But then I realized how, lahavdil ad lanetzech, many of us are unaware as to why precisely we ourselves do not use electricity one day a week!

        Of course, there is an importance and beauty in performing tasks and mitzvos by way of mesorah alone, and sometimes even a danger in questioning the modes of the past. However, and at the same time, the navi warns us, “…and with [only] their lips do they show Me honor; but [with] their heart they draw far away from Me, and their fear of Me has become but only a command of people, which has been taught..” (Yeshayahu 29:13). In other words, even fear of Hashem could come from rote!

        For these reasons do we here delve into the secrets behind our more mysterious customs from time-to-time. Not simply because of the brilliance behind them, but also to bring individualistic meaning to our actions.

        So, why do some wave their hands by hadlakas neros? It begins with a halacha. All berachos we make fall into three distinct categories: shevach (praise, e.g. oseh maaseh bereishis), hanah (pleasure, e.g. borei pri haeitz), and mitzvos (e.g. al mitzvas teffilin).

         Each one of these three types carry with them their own set of rules. When it comes to berachos we make on a mitzvah, it must be said before the mitzvah is performed. This is known as over l’asiyasah. For this reason, many first turn their esrog upside-down, make the beracha, and only then orient it halachicly.

         As many are aware, this presents a problem for the mitzvah of Shabbos candle lighting. Although the mitzvah of neros Shabbos dates back to Moshe rabbeinu (Pisikta to shmos 35), it is one of the seven mitzvos derabanan, which nevertheless brings with it a beracha (cf. shu’t Chasam Sofer 168 who posits it’s from the Torah).

        However, because there is an assumption that women accept Shabbos with this beracha, how would they be allowed to light after -when it’s now Shabbos kodesh?! Therefore, the Rema suggests she first light and to then cover the candles with her hands and only then recite the beracha. Since she will then only benefit from the candles after the beracha – when she removes her hands from the face of the candles – it is considered over l’asiyasah, as if the beracha preceded the mitzvah.

          But how did we get from covering the candles with our hands to waving? Well, there are mystical reasons why closing one’s eyes at this time is also apropos (Ben Ish Chei, Noach 2:8). So, we would like to both cover the candles – as the Rema taught – and close our eyes However, today this is not so simple. This is due to the relatively recent minhag of lighting a candle for each child born to a mother. While there is no clear source for this now universal minhag, most assume it is due to the gemara that teaches that those careful in this mitzvah will be zocheh to special children (Shabbos 23b with Likutie Maharich). Others suggest that this newer minhag is due to pains of childbirth, giving women at that time a new chumrah to take on, i.e., an additional candle (shu’t Chayay Halevi 1:34;3).

         In any event, we now have many more candles to cover with our hands, making it impossible to block their light! In addition, our modern candles yield a much stronger and more stable flame than the average candle of yore. Blocking these with our hands would be accomplish little.

        We therefore close our eyes and cover each candle-one by one -which indeed looks like one is waving! (Some bring the three-hundred-year-old Noheg K’Tzon Yosef as a source for waving, but he too only meant this is a way to cover each candle). We then cover our eyes with our hands, as this is the best way to represent the Rema’s covering of the candle with our hands. The Aruch Hashulchan indeed writes to close our eyes and to cover them with our hands.

        What about ‘waving’ three times, as some do? I have searched and could not find a source. Indeed, one modern sefer posits that there is no source (Piskei Teshuvos, p. 203, footnote 163). I would however suggest based on what we suggested last week relating to those who make three braids in their challah. The Zohar teaches that each meal on Shabbos represents one of the three avos. Since the candles are to be lit in the place where we are eating, perhaps the three waves represent Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

     In fact, in addition to the meals and, perhaps, waving, doing actions in triplet form so as to represent the avos comes up in other ways on Shabbos. For example, the three pesukim we recite when taking out the Torah on Shabbos (shma, echad, gadlu) are also an allusion to the avos (siddur Otzar Hateffilos, peirush Eitz Yosef). In addition, chazal allude to the fact that each section/mitzvah of the Torah was itself taught three times, which is why in preparation for Shabbos we are to learn each week’s parsha three times (the pesukim twice, and Targum once -see sota 37b w/ Raavan; see Asifas Gershon, Shabbos p.456)

         And with that, let us next week finally conclude our discussion of challah. For, many other fascinating events, stories and discussions have happened in the rabbinate since we began this mini-series, and I can’t wait to soon share them!

     

  • Challah – Its Name, Its Braids, its Shape, and More

    December, 2021

    I. Etymology of Challa and ‘Sour’   

    Because of the ubiquitous nature of halacha, a rav will often be among the first to notice any-given societal change. Whether it is questions relating to new styles of footwear (“May I wear Crocs on Tisha B’av?”), higher Chinese import rates (“My new Chinses-made  pan is seasoned. How do they season in the Far-East and is it a kashrus iissue?”), or new technological tools (‘Can I souse-vide over yom tov?”).

        So, it was no surprise that ever since Covid I noticed changes that would only later be written-up and repotted upon even in the secular press. Among these societal shifts was the popularity of home-baking, specifically with baking sourdough.

         In hindsight, it makes sense that during the lockdown last year this in-house hobby would become more embraced.

         Already in May 2020, one magazine reported on a flour shortage due to this unexpected popularity.

         “Over the past few months, the best place to trace America’s deepening pandemic anxieties has been the shelves of grocery and big-box stores. The first common household goods to disappear were disinfectants: hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol. Bottled water and toilet paper were snatched up once companies started advising workers to stay home…Amid these disappearances, one of the most persistent has been that of an extremely common, shelf-stable product that has no obvious link to cleanliness or quarantine at all: flour…Several weeks ago, while America watched as unsold vegetables were plowed back into the soil and fretted over the earliest outbreaks among midwestern meatpackers, one flour company quietly saw its sales skyrocket 2,000 percent.”! (The Atlantic, May 12th, 2020)

       How did I, and other rabbanim, stumble upon this new popularity before many in the news became aware? it was the exponential increase in hilchos challah shailos! Shailos in this area were always on the rare side, when suddenly, two years ago, they became a weekly phenomenon. My wife has been baking challis on Friday for years, and began making and selling sourdough several years ago, so I had the good fortune of becoming familiar with the many issues that could arise.

        While some claim that the term ‘sour’ comes from the fermented aftertaste of such bread, a much more likely candidate for this word’s origin is from the Torah and lashon hakodesh. We are told about soeor-leaven/starter, as being the purest/simplest form of chometz (see e.g. Shmos 12:19). Such bread, made from starter/soeor/leaven is soeor bread!

           In any event, for many, this was their first foray into the many halachos home baking brings. The halachos of hafrashas challah-separating challah are intense, complicated and can change case-by-case.

        In addition, many women have begun taking part in large groups -often consisting of forty women -where they eacg bake enough dough to sperate challah for forty straight days, or weeks.

        While in the next two weeks iy’H we will discuss these segulos as well as many of the common and uncommon halachic cases that arise (get it?!), this week we will discuss the basic importance of this mitzvah and some of the common hashkafos associated with it.

          The mitzvah of challah was given over to the nation in parshas shlach, immediately following the chet meraglim (bamidbar 15 18-21).

         The Tzror HaMor posits that it was given at that moment since the yetzer hara is often compared to the soeor she’be’isah, and removal of some of this dough is metaphorically reminding us to rid ourselves of his powers.

        This explains why they would need this mitzvah right after the sin of the spies.

       The significance of this mitzvah cannot be overstated.

          The midrash teaches us that it was the zechus of hafrashas challah that allowed us to soon enter eretz yisroel (Bamidbar Rabbah 17).

        Chazal share that this mitzvah has unique power to bring blessing to one’s home (Shabbos 32, with sefer Yechezkal 44:30).

       In fact, the midrash teaches that because of three mitzvos was the world created: maaseros, bikkurim and challah. Many explain that these three items have one thing in common – after toiling for many months in buying and then creating a feasible field, after planting and tilling, separating and winnowing, grinding and mixing, etc., and now finally able to enjoy the sweat of one’s brow, the mere fact that we first think of Hashem and His Torah before ourselves and our own enjoyment is a tremendous zechus. The world was created for such sacrifice and selflessness.

         In fact, the Hagoas Maimoness in hilchos challah teaches that ‘taryag mitzvos’ is the gematria ‘zu hi mitzvos challah’ because it is equal to all other mitzvos in the Torah!

        It is then of no surprise that the Eshel Avraham (Rav Avraham Dovid Warman, d. 1840) posits that we term the lechem mishneh used on Shabbos after this mitzvah, calling it ‘challah’.

        The source of this odd neologism is a Rema in hilchos Shabbos where he urges women to bake lechem l’kavod Shabbos each Friday; enough so as to perform the mitzvah of hafrashas challah (Rema, siman 242).     

        Other sefarim share another fascinating source for a word: Bourekas. In Europe they would often call the bread baked for Shabbos not challah specifically, but rather ‘Berechas’. This was taken from the word ‘brochos’,  due to the many blessings hafrashas challah brings to the home (see Piskei Teshuvos, Shabbos vol. 1, p. 9 footnote 88).

          Many dictionaries struggle with the etymology of this popular Israeli pastry. It may turn out that Jews in sefardi lands termed it such because it allowed them to perform the mitzvah of challah which brings beracha!

         The minhag of baking bread for Shabbos on Friday is precisely what hooked many women during the start of Covid. Rav Yaakov Emden (Siddur Beis Yaakov) and others suggest a secondary reason for this minhag -so as to have fresh warm challah for Shabbos. This is not simply for oneg, but also to imitate the lechem hapnaim in he beis hamikdosh which were baked on Fridays. Due to this, the Choftez Chaim writes of his surprise that some perform this minhag on Thursday nights and not Friday itself (although many poskim are lenient in our days).

         Several months ago a woman who stated to make sourdough asked me if t ok that now her challis for Shabbos were round. Indeed, the reason why traditional challos are long, like a vav, is that two vavs next to each other equals the twelve breads of the lechem hapanim (six plus six). In fact, some have the minhag of actually using twelve loaves!

         However, the word challah comes from the same root of machalos, round circles of people dancing. So round challos may actually speak to the direct meaning of the word. This reminded me of the machine matzah debate that we wrote about several years ago. Many suggested a concern regarding the new square shape.  The Shoel U’Meishiv and others dismiss this out of hand. The Ksav Sofer also dismissed the square matzo concern by stating, “In the merit of the four-cornered matzos, may Hashem redeem us from the four corners of the earth”!

         We are only scratching the surface. Next week we will discuss the issue of basic challah and sourdough and their shapes and ‘braiding’ for Shabbos, as well as the forty day segulah. After that we will give the reader a basic primer on these important halachos.

        The pasuk states, “…my heart rejoiced with all my toil” (koheles 2:10). On this the midrash states ‘zu hafrashas challa –this refers to separating challah’ (Koheles Rabbah 2:13).

        May we all merit from this and other mitzvos we strive to perform and better understand.

    II. Braids, Numbers and Symbolism

         Last week we spoke about the proliferation of home bakers ever since the start of Covid, leading to many more shailos relating to hafrashas challah. We mentioned the Rema who urges women to bake lechem for Shabbos at home, with enough dough to perform a hafrasha. Indeed, this is where the term ‘challah’ for Shabbos lechem comes from. We concluded with a woman who asked if sourdough -that is round -may be used for lechem mishneh (yes, but see below).

         This week, I wish to pick up from here and discuss some of the imponderables of minhagei yisroel that relates to challah.

    III. Number

         When I learnt in eretz yisroel, I would often eat by the Chofetz Chaim’s grandson. That was the first time I ever saw someone make hamotzi on Shabbos over twelve challos (see Shaarie Teshuvah siman 274 in the name of the Ari’z’l).

        Another way of reaching the number twelve is to use four challos for each of the three meals (Zohar, Raya D’mihemna, pinchos). The Shlah writes to start with twenty-four challos (!), use twelve for the night, eight for the day, four for shalosh seudos and two for melavah Malka (Shabbos, os mem).

         Others are careful to cut both challos by each meal (meaning, they use six challos total over Shabbos). This is for two reasons. Firstly, by cutting in half a total of six loaves over Shabbos, one will reach the total of twelve (brought in the name of the Gra). But, secondly, according to many rishonim the actual obligation of lechem mishneh is to cut-into and eat from both challos at each meal, and not just to make a beracha on two and then eat just one (Rashba, Biur HaGra, etc.). The logic behind this view is because-aside for the representation of the mann -doubling our food on Shabbos is a sign of kavod (see Daas Zekeinim to Bamidbar 27:9 and Darkei Chaim V’Shalom, os 399).

         Although most do not follow these practices literally, we all do so in the figurative sense – through the challos’ shape, as we will now explain.

    IV. Shape

            In truth, the shape of challos should always be round. Indeed, this is the default shape when it is a yom tov, but this is especially true during the yomim noraim. This is because something that is round is a siman tov, as it has no endpoint (See Asifas Gershon, volume Shabbos, Rav Gershon Eisenberger, p. 94). Others suggest that this same concept represents the oneness of Hashem and that he has no beginning or end (Taamei Haminhagim, likutim 183)). Others suggest that a round shape represents keser, a crown (Divrei Yoel). All this is not even to mention that the word ‘challah’ comes from a word for circle -as we discussed last week.

         It is Shabbos, however, when we create an odd shape for these breads. Many sefarim teach that the long rectangle shape of the standard Shabbos challos is to represent the letter vav. This way, by having two vavim –each with the gematria of six -aligned next to each other, we can represent the twelve breads of the lechem hapanim (Elyah Rabbah, siman 177; Likutei Mahrich in the name of many rebbes). Some therefore suggest we align our challos lengthwise by homotzi and not by their width.

        Interestingly, some are careful to use this shape on yom tov as well. This is because of another number this shape brings us to. Our ten fingers holding the challah, plus the numerical value of the vav-shape, and then add the yud of the first small cut of end of the challah -we get twenty-six, the shem hamifurash! (See Elyah Rabbah in name of the Shlah; see also Minhag Yisroel Torah, orach chaim, p. 311, second column).

    V. Braids

        First, the fact that challos on Shabbos look at all unique from weekday bread may come from a midrash (Mechilta, bshalach). Chazal state that the term ‘mishneh lechem’ is an allusion to the word meshuneh-different/unique. “From here is our source that the challos on Shabbos are unique from weekday ones…this is the meaning of the zemer ‘lechem chamudos’ (sefer Otzar Hayedios by Rav Yechiel Michal Stern, volume 2 p. 132).

        But why braids? And why six, or is it three?

    There are many possible explanations to this. The most basic, is based on a Rema (97:1). On Shavous some would often make dairy bread, and during the year they would sometimes use shmaltz in their other breads. The Rema teaches that if such is the case the bread must look distinct in some way to serve as a reminder of its status, and to prevent mixing with the wrong food.

        On Shabbos, even if we do not mix in basar, our bread is served at fleishig meals and left-over slices should not then be used for dairy French Toast or the like (Shulchan Aruch 89:4). We therefore give it a unique shape and look so that it is not mixed with other breads.

        Others suggest that the six braids represent the days of the work week -now becoming sanctified.

        But how does this explain the minhag of some to make only three braids? Perhaps we can suggest the following explanation: The Zohar writes that the three meals of Shabbos correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Perhaps then, the three braids represent the three meals and the namesakes.

       I would offer one last suggestion to the minhag of braids. I haven’t seen it anywhere, but it seems obvious. There is only one place in chazal that I am aware of where preparing on erev Shabbos with braiding is mentioned. Chazal first bring the pasuk (Bereishis 2:22) “And Hashem built (vayiven) the side that he took from Adam into a woman, and He brought her to Adam” Why, they ask, did the Torah use the word ‘build’ and not vayitzar-and He created? The gemara answers that the translation of vayivein can also be to braid. Hashem braided the hair of Chavah and then brought her to Chava (Brachos 61a).

        Perhaps we remind ourselves of this act of chesed as we prepare for Shabbos each week.

    Next week we will discuss the many other halachos that are involved in bread-baking, iy’H.

  • The Mystery of the ‘Forty Day’ Segula

    December, 2021

          I often say in these pages that rabbanim get asked questions on a myriad of topics. Of course, many of these questions require greater poskim, lamdanim and baalei machashava (at least in my case). But this challenges me to research varied subjects and learn about things I would otherwise not know. I tell younger rabbanim that while they should always know their own limits and be ready to call poskim, they should, at the same time, take advantage of that situation by first reviewing in depth that sugya before placing that call. This will not only give one greater insight into how the gadol rules but will -over time -improve one’s own level of expertise in many areas.

          Questions relating to devarim shel nistar (the hidden) are often asked. There are a very limited people one could call to help guide the balla buss who had asked it. It is not as if I could pick up the phone each time and speak to Rav Chaim. When these questions arise, I first share any halachic warnings (as we wrote here regarding the segula of parshas hamann). After which, I tell them, “I will get back to you if I can find a source as to the efficacy of X.

          Over the past several years, one question has arisen again and again. In fact, it has now reached the point that it often is performed without asking, as it seems to have entered into the fabric of frum life.

        I refer to the ‘Forty X of Y…” segula. In other words, this could be forty days of saying X, or, forty women performing the action of hafrashas challa, or forty days of going to the kosel.

           This segula has become highly popularized.

             This week we will discuss what significance, if any, forty has. Next week, iy’H, we will discuss a few of the particular segulos, like saying nishmas for forty days.

             There is a midrash that is often quoted in support for such segulos. “Some teffilos are answered after forty days, as can be learnt from Moshe” (Devarim Rabbah 2:17; see yarchon Ohr Yisroel, kislev 5762, p.187ff, by Rav Levi Freund).

         However, there are two issues with this being the lone source. For one, it only explains forty days and does not bring support to the concept of this working for a specific number of participants. Secondly, this midrash goes on to list many other time-periods for teffila: “…and some could be answered after twenty days, from Daniel…three days, from Yona…one day, from Eliyahu…and some teffilos can be answered at the moment one begins to daven, from Dovid…and some even before the teffilah is even said, from Yeshayahu (65:24)…”.

        Nevertheless, this chazal does indeed indicate a period of forty days as being the longest set of teffila.  

                 In fact, that very point is raised by another chazal which states in the name of Rav Eliezer that a teffila should be no longer than forty days “…as it is written (Devarim 9:18) ‘And I fell down before Hashem as at first, forty days and forty nights.’ (Sifri, 105; see also Mechilta D’Rebbe Yishmoel 15:25)

       Can we additionally find that this number has unique purchase for holy acts other than teffila? The Zohar (introduction) how Rav Chiya fasted for forty days before meeting Rav Shimon bar Yochai. This seemingly indicates that this time-period is a potential segula for other mitzvah actions.

        What about forty as a time-period, but not as days? The Zohar

    writes, “the bnei yisroel completed their journey after forty years, forty years before techias hameisim…,and the rain (by Noach) was for forty days and nights…” (toldos).

        Back to teffilah for forty days, in pekudei he discusses how each teffila is gathered every forty days and held for forty days by a special entity.

        While the above sources may offer support, it is unconvincing as this segula’s origin.

           I would, therefore, suggest two alternative sources for how this became a popular segula.

    1. -Chazal teach how the formation of a fetus takes place by day forty (Berachos 60a). Chazal then state that once this time-period passes it is forbidden to daven for a specific gender of baby. This is codified in the Shulchan Aruch (orach chaim, siman 230:1). While one can still daven for a healthy baby, etc., one can longer daven for something that is already a reality. In fact, chazal tell us that when Leah davened regarding Dina and Yosef, this was before firty days had passed! Here, we have a very clear and known source for placing the time-period of forty days on a (specific) teffila.
    2. – This may be a little deep, but the number forty has deep significance.  the Maharal often wrote of chomer and tzurah, matter and its form. Often numbers that are almost at their whole point have matter but no form. An example: there are thirty-nine melachos of Shabbos, because they represent the physical, a world which cannot reach the completeness of its mission, its form, without being imbued with kedusha. Tisha B’av is on the 9th of av because it represents a world with matter but lacking its whole, its form. There are forty-nine days of physical counting (matter) so as to reach the form of Shavuos on day fifty. Etc.

       Knowing this, it then makes sense that from Elul, there are thirty-nine days, culminating with Yom Kippur as the fortieth; Forty weeks of pregnancy; forty seah (amount of water) to make a mikveh, etc. (see further Jewish Wisdom in Numbers, Artscroll). So too, when wishes to to tsake their hopes and turn them into a form, they choose…forty. Be it days, actions, places or people.

                 Both the halacha above, and these numerous references to forty in hashkafa are well known. I find it likely that this was our first introduction to a time-limit of forty days, and the importance to change that this number represents. Once known, we then expanded on this knowledge with other the sources above,

         Nevertheless, when Rav Elyashiv was asked about the segula of going to the kosel for forty days straight, he is purported to have answered, “There is no such concept; rather any single time one goes there, their teffila will be accepted” (Dvar Hashem, Zu Halacha, inyanei kosel hamaaravi, #11). On the other hand, Rav Elyashiv is also quoted as explaining what to do on Tisha B’av for one in the midst of a forty-day cycle of reciting shir hashirim (Mivakshei Torah, 5768). Rav Yaakov Yosroel Fisher was also reportedly in favor of it.

         Whether we can find a direct source to any of these segulos, the fact remains that many report great yeshuos from them. 

        Chazal tell us that when Moshiach arrives he will rule for forty years (Sanhedrin 99a), using that time -and number -to take the matter fo this physical world and bring it to its ultimate form.

       May we see that day soon!

  • And Then, Suddenly…

    Sudden Tragedy, & The Loss of Liel Namdar, z”l

           December, 2021

    In some respects, a rav and our holy Hatzalah members are a like a fireman. They can be involved in another matter -even an important one -and yet must always be at the ready to drop whatever they may have been doing and go into emergency mode. They will then stop everything to aid it whatever sudden issue arose, l’pitom. With just one phone call, they must be ready to go into overdrive and do all in their power to help in the new urgency.

           Sudden events -the ‘unexcepted’ tragedy –  are from the most painful incidents of our galus exitance; events of which the reader should always be protected from and never bear witness.

        Sadly, I have experienced these in both my personal and professional life. My wife’s younger brother, Nesanel, when home from yeshiva, erev pesach, was killed by a man driving erratically, escaping police arrest in Toronto. Professionally, in 2009, Continental flight 3407 from Newark to Buffalo unexpectedly descended and crashed into a home in Buffalo, killing everyone -and some yidden –on board. As a rabbi in town, I was tasked with going to the site, and then being shuttled to the grieving center setup for their families. Because my hope is that no reader ever experiences such events themselves, allow me to share what will likely come as no surprise: the numbness seen in such instances is not just impossible to describe but unbearable to witness. Just because someone is a ‘man-of-the-cloth’, or has PhD, does not mean that they know the perfect words to say. Of course, there are no perfect words to say in such instances. Indeed, shev v’al taaseh adif, to sit and listen and be quiet, is perhaps one’s only option.

         I once read story about the great Mir Yeshiva rosh yeshiva, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz (‘Rav Chaim Shmulevitz’, CIS). People would come from far-and-wide to gain access to this gadol. While many would come to him for assistance in a shiur they were preparing -as his knowledge of lomdus and iyun were second to none -many others came for advice on serious prblems. His students noticed that often Rav Chaim would begin to sob as visitors would describe the pain they were going through. When they finished speaking, and the rosh yeshiva crying, he would get up and embrace them. They would then see the vistor leave with what appeared to be new-found vitality.

         “Rosh yeshiva, why do so many of these suffering people even bother to travel all the way to see you? The rosh yeshiva does not typically offer any specific advice; indeed the rosh yeshiva barely speaks at all!”

         Rav Chaim explained that people in dire straits are not always looking for specific solutions -as often there aren’t any -rather they are looking to unburden themselves. They want to know that they are not alone in their pain; they want to be assured that there exists others who feel for them. Even by simply crying along with someone one can thereby take a little bit of their agony away. This alone is a great help, and one for which it is worth travelling.

        Year ago, my sister Naomi was on a bus leaving Camp Sternberg for a trip.  Something happened beyond anyone’s control, and an accident ensued. Yehudit (Judy) Shwekey, her friend that summer, and a pure neshama, was niftara. My sister always spoke about how the camp’s rav, Rabbi Grossman z’l, dealt with that sudden event. “I can’t recall everything he said, but I do remember his love, concern and sensitivity”, she recently shared.

        This past motzai Shabbos Camp Sternberg, the Five Towns and the Jewish world was struck with another horrible and sudden tragedy. On the way home from their camp Shabbos reunion, a mother (Miriam Meltser) and her camper daughter along with three camper friends were stuck by a truck being driven by an intoxicated driver.

            Miriam needs and should have a refuah shleima soon. Sadly, one of the campers was niftara.

        Her name was Liel Namdar.

          I did not have the zechus of being her rav, but I did know her, although just a little. She went to elementary Bnos Malka Elementary School in Queens and was a classmate and friend of one of my daughters.

        When I finished my shiur Sunday morning and didn’t hear from my wife and kids, I knew something was up; as we always speak at that time. Hearing the news, I rushed home, but found my mouth empty of words to say. Liel was the type of girl about which no one had a bad word to say. Frum and tznius, kind and generous, she was someone to look-up toward.

         Later that evening, I looked at my daughter’s yearbook. There was the page with Liel, with her life ahead of her. I recall well how each girl had to come up with their own chazal with which to describe themselves or their outlook.

       I shuddered when I saw what Liel wrote.

          Paraphrasing from the midrash, she wrote under her picture, “yesh zakein, v’ein lo yomim; yesh yomim, v’ein lo zakein (Yalkut Shomoni, Bereishis 24). This means, there are those who aged but who didn’t live; and yet there are those who lived even though they may not reach old age.

       What eighth grader chooses such a pasuk? A deep one. A special one.

          Arriving to Shevach High School in Queens to teach my 12th grade halacha classes Monday morning, the menahales warned the teachers that some of the students may have known Liel and may have a hard time concentrating. This was true.

       I shared with them everything written above, but added the following. One is not being selfish if in addition to their grief, especially those who are still young, respond to this event with a tinge of fear. Sudden tragedy has the ability to stunt and paralyze us. “What is to say I will not be hurt if I go out? Maybe I should fear going to the next event…”

         I shared with them, and will end this column with what I told them, and communicated with my daughter.

          In the teffilah of modim we make a statement of “…al chayeinu hamesurim b’yadecha, v’al neshmaseinu hapikudas luch…our lives which are in Your hands, and our souls that are in Your trust…”. Now, we can understand if this statement is made in the portion of gevurah, Hashem’s greatness, at the start of shemoneh esreh, but what is a declaration of death being in Hashem’s hands doing in modim, when we are to be grateful and thanking Hashem?! Do we not tremble when we reflect on this same theme in unesaneh tokef on the yomim noriam?

          I explained that such sudden events can mistakenly cause some to believe in the pure randomness of the world. This in turn can cause some become stifled from moving forward. The mere fact that we believe in a mashgiach b’olomo­ – that Hashem is not just a Creator, but an Oversee-er is the greatest cause to give thanks. It reminds us that not only behind every sudden tragedy is great, if not secret, reasoning, but that we never have to worry or become stifled. Rather, this remind us that we can and must move forward with confidence that in the grand scheme of things there is no reason to be scared, as there is no such thing as randomness. And, the only thing we can control, the only matter about which we have dominion is the mitzvos that we do.

         May the memory of Liel, and her special qualities, be a continued source of inspiration to all who knew her. And, may Hashem bring nechama to those whose suffering is beyond comprehension -her dear and special family.

  • A Secular Date for ‘V’Sein Tal’?

    A Secular Date for ‘V’Sein Tal’?

    Understanding An Imponderable

    Rabbi Moshe Taub

    December, 2021

    I. The Question

         “Rabbi, why does the English date of December 4th-5th determine when we begin to say v’sein tal umaatar?”

    “Rabbi, how is it that there is a halacha that is dependent on the secular calendar which is capricious and arbitrary in nature, while halacha is consistent and unchanging?”

          The two forms of this question express two distinct curiosities: Why we do this, and, How it works.

         To make the explanation as simple as possible, we will first eliminate the possibility of using our Jewish calendar for our v’sein tal needs and starting date.

          II. The Jewish Calendar’s ‘Flaw’

    Chazal tell us that we are to begin saying v’sein tal outside eretz yisroel sixty days after ‘tekufas tishrei/autumnal equinox/the first day of Fall’ (taanis 10).

        Now, our Jewish calendar offers us no aid in giving or easily finding a fixed date for this event.

    This is because sixty days from the beginning of Fall will vary in our calendar widely from year to year (e.g., for the last three years, of this writing, this would have fallen on the 27th of kislev in 2018; the 7th of kislev in 2019; the 19th of kislev 2020, etc.)

        Fair enough.

           But how does the secular calendar enter the equation?

      III. Secular Calendar to the ‘Rescue’ 

    To answer that question, the reader need only know the following important feature of the secular calendar:

    The non-Jewish calendar was designed specifically so that the seasons of the year would fall on relatively consistent dates. Seasons was its chief focus.

          While chazal were also concerned with seasons (tekufos), and had methods for their calculation, they did not go so far as creating set dates for them in our calendar.

    This being the case, we can now simply print in our siddur the date of sixty days after the Julian Calendar’s correct and consistent commencement of Fall.

    (While our secular calendar was known as the ‘Julian Calendar’, we will explain below how and why it shifted to be known as the ‘Gregorian Calendar‘)

       If the reader wishes, he could stop at this point, as the basic issue has been resolved.

    …However, something still doesn’t add up – literally! -as sixty days from the start of Fall is not December 4th, rather November 22nd!

    IV. December 4th or November 22nd?

       Indeed, Rav Yosef Karo himself codifies that secular date, “…the 60th day will come about on the 22nd of November…” (Beis Yosef, siman 117).

    Stranger still, in most modern editions of the Beis Yosef, they replace this with, or place in brackets, “4th of December”.

               So, what’s going on here?

            To understand this, we must start at the basics:

    V. What Are Seasons?

         The Seforno (bereishis 8:21) teaches us how after the mabul Hashem tilted the earth on an axis of, about, 23°.

    It is this tilt that creates our four seasons.

    How so?

    When the earth is in its cycle around the sun, there will be times when the northern half of earth is tilted away from the sun and its southern half is therefore butting closer toward the sun, and then, some six months later, the opposite will be true, with the earth tilting its northern side closer to the sun.

         This is why those who live below the equator have opposite seasons than us.

            The above examples represent the two extremes of the seasons. Not only are the north and south sides of the equator experiencing opposite weather phenomena, but also opposite lengths of the day. When the northern half is tipped away from the sun, their days naturally become shorter, and, for those below the equator they will experience longer daylight, and vice versa when the earth moves 180 degrees from this position. These two days of the year are called the ‘solstice’, which will be either our longest (summer) or shortest (winter) daylight days of the year, depending on if one is above or below the equator.

          When the earth continues it rotation around the sun 90 degrees, or halfway from either of these two positions, then it will reach a point where the sun is perfectly equal to both the north and the south -as the tilt of the earth is no longer away from the sun, rather toward the ‘right’ or ‘left’ of it. This is called the ‘equinox’. This too effects the length of the day, but not in the same manner the solstice does -rather on the equinox day and night and day will be of equal length, a perfect 12 hours each. This happens twice a year, as well.

        The above four phenomena make-up our four seasons, or as chazal term them ‘tekufos’.

    VI. Something In Common With the Secular Calendar

                 Originally, the secular (Julian) calendar divided the four seasons that made a complete year equal to 365 days and six hours. This Julian calendar was tremendously helpful to us, as we follow the view of the amara Shmuel who also says to calculate the four seasons into a year of 365 days and six hours.

          Both the Julian calendar and, lahavdil, chazal (i.e. Shmuel), are not meant to be precise, rather to giove us a clean and rounded number.

    Both Shmuel and, lahavdil, Julius Caesar (‘Julian’) ignore about 11 minutes and 15 seconds of the earth’s yearly rotation around the sun. They did so to help makes calculations simple (see Rav Dovid Feinstein, below).

    Acknowledging this asa rounded figure, the gemara (eiruvin 56) also records the more accurate view of Rav Ada.

    Nevertheless, for seasons/tekufos and most other calculations, halacha generally follows Shmuel’s less-accurate-but-far-more-simplified approach (for reason well beyond the scope of this article; see Rabbi Bleich’s Birchas HaChama).

    So then why do we wait until December 4th? Why not switch already on November 22nd? After all, that date would be sixty days from the autumnal equinox, as correctly set on an established date in the Julius Caesar’s calendar?

    VII. 11 Minutes=Eternity

              The above-mentioned 11 minutes discrepancy in both our and the Julian calendar may not seem as much time, but over the course of centuries it can add up.

    By 1582, this discrepancy made the true Seasonal start dates off by about ten days!

    To rectify this, and to keep the seasonal start dates on more accurate footing, that same year, Pope Gregory XIII implemented two changes to the secular calendar:

    • The first thing he did was to skip-ahead ten days. Meaning, that year, on October 4th, it was agreed that the next day will be October 15th.

    While this made up for the past discrepancies, how would it protect the secular calendar from continuing to slip in the future?

    To ward of this concern, he made his second implantation.

    • An 11-minute discrepancy adds-up to a whole day every 130 years or so. So, he imposed that we simply neglect to add an extra day to leap years in Centenary Years (1700, 1800, etc. There are certain exceptions to this rule, see The Jewish Calendar by Rav Dovid Feinstein, p. 120).

          Having ‘fixed’ the Julian calendar, we now call it after his name, the Gregorian Calendar.

    It is still the one still in use today.

    VIII. Putting it All Together
       

    While it appears he ‘fixed’ the secular calendar, in reality, Pope Gregory, introduce a halachic complexity.

    As mentioned above, halacha follows the less accurate seasonal/yearly calculations of Shmuel. The original Julian calendar also followed that ‘averaged’ halachic approach. BUt with the Pope’s changes, oddly enough, we have to figure out Julius Caesar’s original calculations!

         Thankfully, this is far simpler than it may seem, and is accomplished by adding Pope Gregory’s ten skipped days, which brings sixty days from Fall to December 2nd.

    This gets us back to Shmuel’s date of starting v’sein tal.

    Why do our siddurim say December 5th?

    Well, keep in mind that Pope Gregory made rules of further skipping of days in the future. As those rules of neglecting to add a leap-year day (February 29th) came and went -as in the year 1700 – halacha would again make up for it by adding one day; e.g. in 1700 to December 3rd, again, just so as to get back to Shmuel’s ’rounded’ calculations.

    In 1800, when the Gregory’s secular calendar rules called for skipping a day for the purposes of accuracy, we added it back, pushing v’sein tal to December 4th…

    … and in 1900, when the Gregory’s secular calendar rules called for skipping a day for the purposes of accuracy, we added that day back too, pushing v’sein tal to December 5th.

    Note that the year 2000 did not have a change in the Gregorian calendar.

    In 2100, when they will once again skip a leap-date, we will have to add that day back, moving v’sein tal to December 6th.

    IX. Conclusion

         In Short:

    • We follow Shmuel’s division of the seasons, although meant to be less accurate.
    • The original Julian calendar followed those rule as well.
    • Julious Ceasor wanted to have the each season fall on a set date each year
    • These alligned with Shmuel’s, and halacha
    • The Jewish calendar does not concern itslef with set dates for the yearly seasons’ and therefore, from one year to the next, the seasonal starts will fall on varying Jewish dates
    • V’sein Tal beings sixty days after Fall (the autumnal equinox)
    • For centuries we simply added sixty days to this halachicly accurate secular Fall start date
    • In 1582, Pope Gregory ‘fixed’ the calendar to make it more accurate scientifically -but not halachickly. All the days he skipped that year, we must add back so as to return us to the cheshbon of Shmuel (and, lahavdil, the Julian (cf. Machatitz Hashekel 117:1)

           Perhaps, when moshiach comes we will revert to pre-mabul arrangements, and the tilt/axis of the earth will be straightened (lulei d’mitapina -I have no source for this) causing many of these issues to become obsolete.

    Either way, may that Day come soon!

  • George Washington’s Menorah?

    George Washington’s Menorah?

    Not All Stories Are True

        A member of my shul was sitting shiva in Miami recently. When he returned, he shared that when he mentioned who his rav is, while many said “I read him in Ami” some others responded, “Oh, he is the one who writes about history”.

             Initially, I was slightly insulted by this. For ten months out of the year, this space is dedicated to halacha and rabbanus; why then would some only mention the summer series?

        However, the truth is, there is a lot in-common between halacha and, lh’aln, history, which is why I think I enjoy researching it over the summer.

         An example relating to Chanukah: several years ago, in the Chanukah issue, I wrote about the misconception many have in assuming that we seek to use olive oil for the menorah because it was part of the ness. However, we explained -based on Rav Moshe and many others – when one traces the true source for using olive oil, while the above reason is a nice idea, it is not at its center. It may surprise some to learn that the Shulchan Aruch (siman 673) never mentions using olive oil for the menorah at all, let alone as a remembrance of the ness! While the Rama (ad loc.) cites the view of lighting with olive oil, he does not give the popular inspiration behind the practice. In fact, the two early Rishonim who also mention using olive oil – the Mordechai and the Rokeach (cf. Kolbo) – never say that the reason is to commemorate the miracle. The Chofetz Chaim quotes the shu”t Mahari Bruna, recommending that we light with some type of oil since oil better represents the ness. Neither the Chofetz Chaim nor the Mahari Bruna mention olive oil specifically at all! See Dibros Moshe, Shabbos, perek 2, ha’orah 23 at length.

        Lahavdil, history too has similar misconceptions, that once repeated take on a life of their own. “Hamilton may have been Jewish” (not true) is a popular one, as is “RJJ was America’s first rav” (also, not true).

       Surprisingly, many books on American history often repeat from other books without tracing the legitimacy of an event. Unless a historian is a navi, or has a built a time-machine, everything they write must have some original source. I have therefore found it a wonderful exercise in being mevakesh haemes to write about history.     

         In addition, when one learns to keep tracing sources back to the original it can allow for new findings, as well as dispel old ones.

        A great example of this is the story of George Washington and Chanukah. In 2007 the Sydney Taylor Book Prize went to a children’s book titled ‘Hanukkah at Valley Forge’, by Stephan Krensky.

         The back flap of this book states: “This story…is based on facts…it is known that in December of 1778, Washington had lunch at the home of Michael Hart, a Jewish merchant in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was in the middle of Hanukkah, and when Hart began to explain the holiday to the general, Washingon replied that he knew already…”

       How did Washington know of Chanukah? The Jerusalem Post writes (December 7, 2016) about the winter one-year earlier:

        “The winter of 1777 was harsh…The soldiers stationed at Valley Forge had no inkling why they were there. In their midst was one Jewish soldier and it was the first night of Chanukah…he took out his menorah and lit one candle, recited the blessings…”

       It was also the eve of the Christian holiday.

        “The general [Washington], in person, stood by his side. He looked at him and said gently, ‘Why are you weeping? Are you cold my friend?’ The soldiear jumped to his feet and saluted. Then he said quietly, ‘I am weeping before my Father in Heaven…He controls the fate of millions… I came to this country because I was fleeing the persecution of tyrants who have forever oppressed my family, my townspeople and my nation. The despots will fall, sir, but you will be victorious!” 

    “Thank you, soldier!” The General replied heartily, and sat himself on the ground before the menorah. And what have we here?” he asked, full of curiosity. This is a Candelabra. Jews all over the world are lighting the first candle of our festival, Chanukah, tonight. This serves to commemorate a great miracle that occurred to our ancestors. They were only a handful compared to the massive armies, but they held out, thanks to their faith in G-d, and were granted a miracle. 

       The bright flame ignited a flame of hope in the weary General’s eyes and he cried out joyfully, “You are a Jew? Then you are descended from a people of Prophets! And you say that we will win the war?” “Yes, sir!” he replied confidently. The General rose, his face glowing with renewed hope. They shook hands heartily. Washington asked the soldier for his name and address and disappeared into the night.”

        Now a year later at the Hart’s home:

    “The first Hanukah light was burning brightly on his [Hart’s] windowsill. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. His wife rose to open it wide. To her astonishment, there stood President Washington. 

    ‘There is that fabulous light, the Chanukah light,’ he cried out happily, spotting the candle by the window. ‘That flame, and your remarkable words, kindled a light in my heart on that dark and bitter night,’ he reminisced. ‘We were in a tight situation then, and your words encouraged me so! They spurred me on with new hope.  

     ‘You will soon be awarded a Medal of Honor from the United States of America for your bravery in Valley Forge, but tonight you will receive a personal memento from me.’ With these words he placed on the table a gold medal upon which was engraved a Chanukah menorah with one light burning. Upon this medal was inscribed: ‘As a sign of thanks for the light of your candle. George Washington.’”

        Is this story true?

          Well, the first night of Chanukah in 1777 did fall out on the eve of their holiday. And…that is all I was able to confirm!

       Michael Hart was indeed  a frum Jew, indeed a local shochet. His daughter -from whom the fact that Washington once visited their home derives (although she makes no mention of Chanukah) -does describe her father: “Let it be remembered that Michael Hart was a Jew, practically, pious, a Jew reverencing and strictly observant of the Sabbath and Festivals; dietary laws were also adhered to, although he was compelled to be his own Shochet.”

       She also states, “Mark well that he, Washington, the then honored as first in peace, first in war, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, even during a short sojourn became for the hour the guest of the worthy Jew”.

       But, again, did this story take place -either in 1777 on the field of battle, or in a frum home the next year?

        First, the daughter from whose diary the above quote comes, was born in 1803 -four years after the death of Washington!

       In the 1888 book ‘Jews of Philadelphia’ it is recorded that the chair Washington sat in at the Hart home was preserved. This is also recorded in 1895’s ‘American Jew as a Patriot, Soldier, and Citizen’. However, none of these early writings make any mention of Chanukah (see also, ‘Hanukkah in America: A History’, A. Ashton, NYU Press).

        The story has expanded even more with time -an impossibility with true history. In I. Harold Sharfman’s ‘Jews of the Frontier’ the author writes, “Michael Hart’s wife, Leah, prepared a kosher meal…complete with latkes…it being the sixth day of the festival…” Wow! This story is getting better and better!

        While books such as ‘Consider the Years: The Story of the Jewish Community of Easton’, surmises that latkes were served, by the time  Sharfman tells the story it begins to snowball: “Michael wished the general well, expressing his hope the he, like the Macabees of old, would hammer and level the enemy as symbolized in the flattened pancakes enjoyed on this holiday…The commander-in-chief  presented the three hart boys with silver coins…”

       Now there is Chanukah gelt in the story?!

          Like latkes and Chanukah itself -as potatoes were only recently brought to West (cf. Ri Migash and the article we once wrote about the halachik history of fried foods on Chanukah) -the true connection between Washington and Chanukah is minimal at best.

        We do not need to embellish the past; our history is rich enough. And, the true history Chanukah is a powerful enough reason to enhance our dveykus to Hashem during these days.

    For more on Chanukah see here: Chanukah