Happy birthday to מורינו ורבינו שר התורה הרה"ג ר' חיים קניבסקי שליט:א 93 years old לאורך ימים טובים -Jan. 8, 1928  ט"ו טבת תרפ"ח    The Jerusalem newspaper “Chavatzelet” reported on  February 1909 that on  the 2nd of Shevat   R.Shmuel Salant [zt”l] celebrated his 93d birthday. Gedolei Yerushalyim and dignitaries  assembled in his house to celebrate the 93d birthday. One of the Gedolim said  Chidushei Torah. R. Chaim Berlin  (shlita) [zt”l] sent, as he usually did, a decorated fancy birthday cake with flowers & ornaments.  It was inscribed with cream the following words, בשם ה' כי ארך ימים ושנות חיים טובים ארוכים ושלום רב יוסיפו להרב הגאון מורנו רבנו ר' שמואל בן רבי צבי,אמן אמן זה משלי ידידו רצוף אהבה רבה, חיים ברלין The Gematria of this Bracha = 5669 (1909)

 

A Kaporeh-LZ"N HACHOVER AVRAHAM ASHI BEN R. SHMUEL HY"D YAHRZEIT 15 TEVES

A pregnant mother does not drink an additional four kosos of wine at the seder ,

for the baby that is inside her.

A katan   who has not reached the age of chinuch we don’t make him do  mitzvos.

Why is it that the minhag of Kaparos is different and we do Kaparos on infants

and even on unborn children?

Almost all mitzvos and minhagim we do, are because The Torah or Chazal commanded us to do so. Some mitzvos come along with a segula,* 1  but the primary reason for doing it, is not for the segula but because the Torah commanded us to do so. The  minhag of Kaparos is different, the sole purpose to do it is for the segula. Rashi (Shabbos 81b) brings the Teshuvas Hagaonim . “ Twenty two days or fifteen days  before Rosh Hashana they planted for every child in the house a  bean in a   flower pot.  On erev Rosh Hashana they swung the new plant over the head  of the child and said zeh chalifasi etc. Afterwards the plant was thrown into the river*2. The Magen Avraham (O. Ch 605) claims this Rashi(Teshuvas Hageonim) to be the mekor for Kaporos.                                                            The Segulah If there was chas v’sholom a gezeira for someones child to die, by doing this exercise  and davening the gezeira should be transferred to a different zerah (the bean) we confuse the satan between his zerah (child) and the zerah (plant) in the flower pot. (We find the concept k’dei l’arvev hasatan in other places as well). Kaparos for infants and the unborn are done for the sole purpose, that they shouldn’t die ch.v. The Tur (O.Ch. 605) brings our minhag of using chickens for kaparos. Here again it is to confuse the satan. A man is called gever and a rooster is called gever. We daven that the gzeiras misa should be transferred from the gever (man) to the other gever (rooster) We do not use a rooster for a female because she is not called gever.  We still need  to find a reason why we use a hens  for females. ·         *1  kibbud av v’eim-arichas yomim ·         *2 Most children die from misas askera, drowning & askera are both misas chenek

2 Vicks SpeedRead Digital Thermometers Now Just $14.44 From Amazon

 

According to Mori V'Rabi

 Daf Yomi

Pesachim 38a

מצות של מעשר שני לדברי חכמים אדם יוצא בו ידי חובתו

         

Mori V'Rabi Harav Hagaon R. Shlomo Miller Shlita said,* 
"Food that the owner has a right to eat, even if there are some restrictions on them, is considered belonging to him.

Therefore. one is   עובר על בל יראה ובל ימצא on לחמי תודה
being it's considered enough of לכם just by having the right to eat them (רשות אכילה) 

Similarly one is יוצא אכילת מצה with מעשר שני  and it is considered his just because he has  רשות אכילה even though there are other restrictions on מעשר שני.

Accordingly, if one is invited to the Seder, there is no need for the host to be מקנה the Matzos to the guest. There is no need for the Matzos to completely belong
to the guest.

By having a רשות אכילה is enough ownership to be יוצא."

Since it is not necessary to be מקנה, R.S.M suggested that perhaps it is better not to be מקנה the Matzos to your guest on Yom Tov.

Doing a קנין on Yom Tov is only allowed when it is for a Mitzvah.
If there is no need to do it then there is no Mitzvah and one may not do a קנין.


דרשת שבת הגדול תשע"ט*

Did they use a hearse?

 

My father a”h told me, "In Pressburg, when they had a Levaya l”a  the חרדים used a horse and buggy to transport the Niftar. The more modern Yidden used a car". R. Shlomo Kluger asked from the מהר"ץ חיות* to send him a copy of a Teshuva he wrote to R.Bezalel Ginzburg ( Dayan in Tarnopol), who asked if one may use a horse and buggy to transport a Niftar. R.B.G. held that it was wrong to use a horse to transport a Niftar. He claimed we find in Midrash, Yaakov commanded his children that after his death no מצרי or כנעני shall touch his body. If he objected for a מצרי or כנעני , for sure he would object a horse carrying his Aron. R.B.G. claimed the Bnei Yisroel carried Yaakov's  body all the way to Chevron on their shoulders. The מהר"ץ חיות argues on both points. a)"You can’t compare touching the body to transporting without touching. b) We don’t find anywhere that Yaakov was carried on the shoulders of Bnei Yisroel. He continues on with his Teshuva and concludes, there is no איסור to transport a Niftar on a horse and buggy. However, the Minhag  (in his region) is to carry the Niftar on the shoulder and no one uses horse & buggy.  You should not change a Minhag that goes back to the times of the  אבות,נביאים,תנאים & אמוראים Shlomo Hamelech warned us אל תטוש תורת אמך ועושה חדשות בעל מלחמות " 250 years ago the discussion was if horse & buggy was OK. 80 years ago the discussion was if an automobile was OK. Today few know, there ever was such a discussion.                           'שו"ת מהר"ץ חיות ו

לגלות את הקץ--When is Mashiach coming ?PARSHAS VAYECHI

לגלות את הקץ

 Chacham Don Yosef Ibn Yechia predicted(almost 500 years ago) 

in his Pirush on Daniel:

"Approximately at the end of the year 5,700 maybe a little before or a little later the end (of Galus) will B'ezras Hashem arrive. 

(hopefully in the year 5,777)

The Bnei Yisroel will be able to live safely in Eretz Yisroel for the last 300 years of the  6th thousand year. All (Goyim) will see that the truth is with them (Bnei Yisroel)

The Bnei Yisroel will enjoy spiritually and physically as opposed

to the Galus where they suffered spiritually and physically. -----

------ 

Since Yisroel were punished with the yoke of Galus

therefore all will enjoy even the empty ones (non-frum etc.)

the pleasures of the physical Gan Eden and Olam Habah Haruchni.

This will be a sign and show the whole world  how foolish 

they were and how great the Bnei Yisroel are."

Yosef_Ibn_Yechia

When did he die?

 

THE GREAT WONDER     The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch (O. Ch. 580) lists additional fast days.   One of the fast days is on the 9th day in Teves. “It is unknown what צרה happened on that day”.   The ט"ז writes" תימה גדולה  (It's a great wonder) that the Bais Yosef doesn't know what happened that day. In our Selichos (אזכרה מצוק) it is written that Ezra Hasofer died on the 9th of the month".   It is interesting, this Piyut is said, only by Ashkenazim. The Sefardim say  the Piyut “שעה עליון” and the Piyut “יושב בשמים”. In both of these Piyutim, it is mentioned that Ezra Hasofer died on the 10th of Teves.    The Mechaber, being  Sefardi, must have held that Ezra died on the 10th and therefore there shouldn't be a wonder why he didn’t know what happened on the 9th of Teves.     The Tosfos Chadoshim on Megillas Ta’anis writes that Yeisho Hanotzri ym”s was born on the 9th of Teves. Chazal were scared of the Nochrim, to publicize that we fast on his birthday. פיוט ע"פ נוסח אשכנז אֶזְכְּרָה מָצוֹק אֲשֶׁר קְרָאַנִי, בְּשָׁלֹשׁ מַכּוֹת בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה הִכַּנִי גִּדְּעַנִי, הֱנִיאַנִי, הִכְאַנִי, אַךְ עַתָּה הֶלְאָנִי: (איוב טז, ז) דִּעֲכַנִי בִּשְׁמוֹנָה בוֹ שְׂמָאלִית וִימָנִית, הֲלֹא שְׁלָשְׁתָּן קָבַעְתִּי תַעֲנִית וּמֶלֶךְ יָוָן אִנְּסַנִי לִכְתֹּב דָּת יְוָנִית, עַל גַּבִּי חָרְשׁוּ חוֹרְשִׁים, הֶאֱרִיכוּ מַעֲנִית: (תהלים קכט, ג) זֹעַמְתִּי בְּתִשְׁעָה בוֹ בַכְּלִמָּה וָחֵפֶר, חָשַׂךְ מֵעָלַי מְעִיל הוֹד וָצֶפֶר טָרֹף טֹרַף בּוֹ הַנּוֹתֵן אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר, הוּא עֶזְרָא הַסּוֹפֵר. פיוט ע"פ נוסח ספרד ישֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם, שְׁעֵה בָּאֵי בָאֵשׁ וּבַמָּיִם: וְחֹן עַל עַם אֲשֶׁר לָקוּ, בְחַטֹּאתָם כִּפְלָיִם: בְּיוֹם הֵחֵל צַר לָצוּר מְחוֹלַת מַחֲנַיִם, סָמַךְ מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל אֶל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם: הָעוֹנֶה בַּמֵּצָר, עֱנוּת עָנִי אַל תִּבְזֶה: בְּיוֹם צוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי, עֱנוּתֵנוּ תֶּחֱזֶה: יוֹם הִזְהַרְתָּ בַּמַּחֲזֶה, לְבֶן־בּוּזִי הַחוֹזֶה: כְּתׇוב־לְךָ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־עֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה: יוֹם בּוֹ שָׁקַד שַׁחַל, וְנָמֵר עַל דְּלַתָיִם: יוֹם סָֽמְּכוּ עַל אַרְמוֹן נַחֲלַת צְבִי וָשֶׁפֶר, וּבוֹ הוּחַל הַנֶּגֶף בְּמַכְפִּישֵׁי בָּאֵפֶר: וְגַם בּוֹ נֶאֱסַף, עֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסּוֹפֵר: וְלֵב מְתֵי קִרְיַת סֵפֶר, בּוֹ הָיָה לְמָיִם, סָמַךְ מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל אֶל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם: שְׁעֵה עֶלְיוֹן, לְקוֹל אֶבְיוֹן, וְשַׁוְעָתוֹ אַל תִּבְזֶה: לְבָבוֹ מַר, בְּיוֹם נֶאֱמַר, לְבֶן בּוּזִי הַחוֹזֶה: כְּתׇוב־לְךָ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־עֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה: יָהּ צְבָאוֹת, זְכוֹר תְּלָאוֹת, אֲשֶׁר צַר לִי מאֹד עֲלֵיהֶן: בְּמַזַּל גְּדִי, הֲלֹא בַעֲדִי, נֶאֶסְפוּ שְׁלֹשְׁתֵּיהֶן: וּבוֹ שֵׂיוֹת, הַדְּחוּיוֹת, חַל הַנֶּגֶף בָּהֶן: וּבוֹ סָמַךְ, מְנָאֵץ שְׁמָךְ, עַל קִרְיַת מְשׂוֹשֵׂיהֶן: וּבוֹ נֶאֱסַף רֹאשׁ הַסָּף, הוּא עֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן: כָּל־אֵלֶּה, קְרָאוּנִי וְרַבּוֹת כָּזֶה וְכָזֶה: אֲרִי עָלַז, בְּיוֹם הַלָּז, וְחֵץ קִלְקֵל לְמוּל עִירִי: וְקָם עֲשִׂירִי, בָּעֲשִׂירִי

This Friday -Asarah Bteives

 

One day in this week בני אשכנז may follow the פסק of the מחבר in שלחן ערוך.? There is a מחלוקת between the מחבר (Bais Yosef) and the רמ"א. The B.Y. allows tasting food on a תענית if it is not swallowed. The רמ"א forbids tasting food on a תענית even if not swallowed. The משנה ברורה writes if one cooks for a סעודת מצוה then we may rely on the B.Y. and one may taste the food on a תענית. When עשרה בטבת falls on a Friday (this year) then we have a מצוה of (טועמיה (מג"א plus the food is being cooked for סעודת שבת. We may assume that the מ"ב would surely agree, one may be lenient like the מחבר and taste the food without swallowing .אמבצי

 

One day in this week בני אשכנז may follow the פסק of the מחבר in שלחן ערוך. ? There is a מחלוקת between the מחבר (Bais Yosef) and the רמ"א. The B.Y. allows tasting food on a תענית if it is not swallowed. The רמ"א forbids tasting food on a תענית even if not swallowed. The משנה ברורה writes if one cooks for a סעודת מצוה then we may rely on the B.Y. and one may taste the food on a תענית. When עשרה בטבת falls on a Friday (this year) then we have a מצוה of (טועמיה (מג"א plus the food is being cooked for סעודת שבת. We may assume that the מ"ב would surely agree, one may be lenient like the מחבר and taste the food without swallowing .אמבצי

Riddle

One day in this week בני אשכנז may follow

the פסק of the מחבר in שלחן ערוך.

WHAT DAY AND WHY?

Who loves you the most?

 Parshas ויגש

Sotah 49a
דאמרי אינשי
"רחמי דאבא אבני, רחמי דבני אבני דהוו ליה"
'The love of a father, is for his children.
The love of his children are for their children."
(more love to your children than to your parents)

We find in this weeks Parsha . Yehudah was pleading
to Yosef to allow Binyomin to return to his father
otherwise his father (Yakov) will die. Why  not plead
about the suffering  of Binyomin's ten sons ?

The Kotzker Rebbe answers "From here we see
parents are in more pain when their children are
suffering than the pain children have when their parents
are suffering". 

 ...................................................................................

The Zohar( Parshas ויחי) writes," Yaakov bentched his
grandchildren before bentching his own children because
one loves his grandchildren more  than his children."

תא חזי, ברכתא דבריך לבני יוסף, אמאי אקדים לון ברכאן עד לא יברך לבנוי, אלא מכאן דחביבותא דבני
בנוי חביב עליה דבר נש יתיר מבנוי, ובגין כך אקדים חביבותא דבני בנוי קודם לבנוי לברכא לון בקדמיתא

My Rebbe Does Not Know

I asked my Rebbie Shlita, How are the Rebbes who light Chanuka candles in their  Bais Midrash (and not in their homes) Yotzei Mitzvahs Ner Chanukah? His answer was "He doesn't know" Perhaps there is someone who does know and would like to share it with the Oilam.

Declaration needed

 

part 2                   THE BIG BANG 
                                 or                             
                         הכרזה


The main reason for the שמש to make announcements
is not to remind the Mispalelim to make the changes in
the Tefillah but it serves as a declaration (הכרזה) that
creates the חיוב of making the change in the Tefilah.
 
We find the concept of הכרזה in the Mishna  
(Rosh Hashana 2:7), According to the תנא קמא,
Bais Din was required to announce "מקודש"  even
when Rosh Chodesh is on the second day (which
happens automatically. if the new moon wasn't seen
on the first day) We still must declare מקודש to confirm
the day as Rosh Chodesh.

Similarly  when Bentching גשם/טל we also must make
a הכרזה which declares officially the new season
for the Nusach in שמונה עשרה.

Perhaps the same תקנה applies when
announcing the start of saying טל ומטר / ותן ברכה
and יעלה ויבא we need to make a הכרזה to create
the חיוב of the new change in the שמונה עשרה.

Banging on the Bimah without announcing
anything will not suffice.
אמבצי

THE BIG BANG

 

לז"נ אבי מורי ר' צבי יהודה פרידמן זללה"ה יום השנה -ל' כסליו א' דר"ח  part 1                      THE BIG BANG In most Shuls, they bang on the Bimah before the שמונה עשרה to remind the Mispallelim not to forget טל ומטר/ותן ברכה - יעלה ויבא etc. There is a מחלוקת ראשונים ואחרונים if one may make announcements before the שמונה עשרה של ערבית or do we consider these announcements a הפסק. Those Poskim who consider announcements a הפסק came up with different solutions to be able to announce. eg: The שמש should start his own שמונה עשרה before the rest of the Mispallelim or have children do the announcement. Poskim never ever considered the simple solution (invented by the brilliant שמש of today) of just banging on the Bimah without any announcement. (No problem with הפסק) WHY DIDN'T THE POSKIM THINK OF THIS SIMPLE SOLUTION? Sitting with his coat on in the cold Bais Hamidrash early in the morning giving a Gemoro Shiur. This is the exact spot where he sat when he returned his Neshama. He was called out while giving the Shiur. He slipped and fell on the ice. He never regained consciousness and was Niftar the following day on Shabbos Kodesh.

Trivia For Chanuka- POST YOUR ANSWER IN THE COMMENT SECTION

1) When does a boy*  not become Bar Mitzvah on his(בו ביום) 

birthday?

2)Two boys were born on the same day, the same year,

and same city one at 1.00pm the second on 1.02pm (afternoon)

One becomes Bar Mitzvah a day earlier than the other.

(Hint: This could have happened last year but  not this year)

FOR ANSWER CLICK HERE

holy candles

     הנרות הללו קדש הם ואין לנו רשות להשתמש בהן

The origin of this appears in מס' סופרים פרק כ', הלכה ד

The Gemoro (שבת כ"ב ע"א) says, "one may not count 
money in front of Chanukah candles"

The Gemoro asks why not וכי נר קדושה יש בה? 

The Gemoro answers that the reason is not
because of  קדושה but because of 
שלא יהו מצוות בזויות.

The Gemoro seems to hold as a דבר פשוט
there is no such thing as holy Chanukah candles.

We Pasken like the מס' סופרים and not like the בבלי

transferring sins

                PARSHAS HASHAVUA

   ויאמר ראובן אל אביו לאמר את שני בני תמית                                                        

Maran Harav A.Y.L. Shteinman zt"l  said he heard that
R. Chaim Brisker when signing  his name would not add
his father's name (בן הגרי"ד) because the first year after
the death of a parent or Rebbie one is obligated to add
when mentioning their name (הריני כפרת משכבו (ה as if to
say that all sins of the parent/Rebbie should be transferred
to the child/Talmid.

R. Chaim was concerned and fearful of accepting the sins
of his father the Bais Halevi therefore he wouldn't mention
his father the first year after the Bais Halevi's Petirah.

Since he didn't mention him the first year he kept it up and
never* signed his name בן הגרי"ד"

Harav Shteinman brings this story as one more proof that
one can actually transfer sins from one person to another. 


This is what Reuvain told his father that he is prepared to
accept all the sins which might even cause the death
of his two sons should he not bring back Binyamin.
(see Malbim)


Rav Shteinman writes some claim that R. Chaim changed his mind later in life