המעין
תקציר המאמרים באנגלית
This issue of
in memory of
Mrs. Helen Rosenzweig
חיה בת שמואל הכהן ע"ה
Beloved Mother of
Mrs. Ruthy and Joey Bodner הי"ו
נלב"ע ט"ו באב תשע"א
תנצב"ה
Table of Contents
Abstracts II
Letter on Matters of Education / Rav Yisrael Ze`ev Gustman ZT"L 3
On the Commentary of Radak to Genesis / Eliezer Daniel Jesselson 5
On Maimonides' Explanations of Sacrifices / Rav Moshe Ganz 14
Use of Gas Burners in Domestic Cooking Appliances on Festivals / Rav Dr. Dror Fixler 17
The Number of the Children of
Studies in the Style of Scriptures / Rav Yaakov Kopel Reinitz 37
Omitting Fulfillment of the Command of Azure (tekhelet) When Azure is Available / Rav Yitzhak Meir Yavetz 43
“He Sold Him the Field and He Gave Him Part of the Money” - A Gaonic Disagreement in Explaining the Mishnah and its Attendant Talmud / Rav Carmiel Cohen 49
Memorials
Rav Yisrael Ze`ev Gustman ZT"L / Rav Menachem Waldman 56
Visionary Genius and the Agent of its Implementation – on Rav Kalman Kahane ZT"L Twenty Years after his Passing / Shmuel Emanuel 58
Responses and Comments
‘The Third Redemption is Unending’ - Reiterating Initial Ideas / Rav Eli Gorfinkle; Additional Rejoinder in the Matter of a Convert who does not Fully Observe the Commandments / Rav David Yitzhaki, Rav Eliezer Weil; On the Subject of the personal Inclination of a Posek (Decisor) as a Factor in Deciding Halakhah / Rav Moshe Peretz; ‘Cannon Fodder’? / Rav Ariel Bar-Eli; The Text of the Rif (Rav Yitschak Alfasi) on the Blessing upon Seeing Established Jewish Homes / Dr. Ezra Chwat; Two Notes on Maimonides’ Method in the Trait of Humility / Avraham Lifshitz; Tracing the Source of a Liturgical Poem (Piyut) / Rav Tuvia Katzman 61
On Books and Their Authors
On the Responsa of Rabbenu Chaim Kafusi / Prof. Yaakov Shmuel Spiegel 78
“yahdav yihyu thamim” - Concerning the Critical Review Sichah Temimah (‘Simple Talk’) on the Torah Temimah`s Commentaries on the Pentateuch / Shemaria Gershuni 86
On the book The Hazon Ish: halakhist, believer and leader of the Haredi revolution / Rav Yehoshua HaLevi Levine 92
Editorial Review of Recent Torani Publications / Rav Yoel Catane 101
Abstract
Rav Yisrael Ze`ev Gustman ZT"L: Letter on Matters of Education
Rav Gustman was the last of the rabbinical leaders of the once-great city of
Eliezer Daniel Jesselson: On the Commentary of Radak to Genesis
Rav David Kimhi (Radak) was among the great biblical commentators, but only his commentary of Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch, was found, besides his commentaries on Nevi`im Uktuvim. It is for this reason, perhaps, that his commentary on the Pentateuch was not included in the Mikraot Gedolot (‘Rabbinic Bible’) among the classic commentators. Eliezer Jesselson of
Rav Moshe Ganz: On Maimonides' Explanations of Sacrifices
Maimonides’ rationalistic approach is well-known, and finds expression as elsewhere in the reasons he offers for commandments. In one place in the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides writes that in a world filled with sacrifices to idols, the Holy One Blessed be He did not want to deny Israel the practice of offering sacrifices, while in another place he writes that sacrifices are a part of the struggle against idol worship, and that Israel was commanded to offer specifically in a way which would cause disgrace to idol worship! Rav Ganz resolves this contradiction, and also integrates into his words the explanation for sacrifices Maimonides presents at the end of the Laws of Me`ilah (Sacrilege – the final section of the Book of Temple Service of his Code).
Rav Dr. Dror Fixler: Use of Gas Burners in Domestic Cooking Appliances on Festivals
In recent years a new standard has come into effect for home gas stoves: the requirement for an accessory which extinguishes the flame immediately after the gas supply is closed. In the wake of this requirement, a number of respected poskim (decisors) prohibit transferring a flame and lighting the gas on festivals, assuming that the heat causes this electronic accessory to begin working, which entails a desecration of the holiday. Rav Fixler, a physicist at Bar Ilan University as well as a communal rabbinic leader, explains how the device works, and demonstrates that there is no reason to be stringent, and that it is possible in his opinion to continue to light the gas burner on festivals as was acceptable heretofore.
Rav Yaakov Yisrael Stal: The Number of the Children of
Rav Stal is a young Jerusalemite researcher involved in various fields. In this case he investigates the view of Rav Saadia Gaon that in every generation there exist sixty myriad (six hundred thousand) Jews as well as sixty myriad Jewesses, calculating the number of Jews who will arise at the Resurrection of the Dead and establishing the hour of redemption according to this calculation. He is left at the end of his article with many questions, but the matters raised are most interesting.
Rav Yaakov Kopel Reinitz: Studies in the Style of Scriptures
Rav Reinitz, educator, researcher and well-known author – who today resides in the Neve Daniel community in the Etzion Block – portrays for us a number of the literary methods which the Torah uses, with examples and explanations. Many verses become elucidated through these principles.
Rav Yitzhak Meir Yavetz: Omitting Fulfillment of the Command of Azure (tekhelet) when Azure is Available
Today, many identify the ‘azure snail‘ (hilazon t’kheleth) with the murex trunculus, while the majority of those opposed to reinstating the use of azure in tsitsith (ritual fringes) are not convinced that this snail is [necessarily] not the genuine azure. The question becomes: is it permissible to wear a four-cornered garment without azure, when it is possible that genuine azure lies before us? It could be that in the prevailing situation it is better to refrain from a possibly improper act (shev v’al ta’aseh adif), and either to wear fringes with azure or refrain altogether from wearing garments with four corners! This point is the focus of investigation of Rav Yavetz of Beit Shemesh, in the wake of an analysis of the paradigm upon which, until now, the entire House of Israel has based itself in wearing garments [fringed] with white threads and without azure.
Rav Carmiel Cohen: “He Sold Him the Field and He Gave Him Part of the Money” - A Gaonic Disagreement in Explaining the Mishnah and its Attendant Talmud
In Tractate Baba Metzia there is a mishnah dealing with an instance wherein a person sold his field and received part of the field’s price. In the continuation of the mishnah there appears a quote from one of the parties stating, “whenever you wish, bring funds and take what is yours.” According to the accepted explanation, these are the words of the seller spoken to the buyer, and this is how Rav Hai Gaon already explained them in his Sepher Ha-Meqah weha-Mimkar (Book on Acquisitions), However, analysis of a different responsum attributed to Rav Amram Gaon brings up a different understanding: the aforesaid citation is the statement of the buyer to the seller! From the original Judeo-Arabic wording of Rav Hai Gaon’s Ha-Meqah weha-Mimkar, the Hebrew translation of which is presented here for the first time, it becomes clear that Rav Hai Gaon knew of this explanation and rejected it.
Memorials
Rav Menachem Waldman, researcher of Ethiopian Jewry and resident of
Shmuel Emanuel, a senior member of Kibbutz Shaalvim, describes the persona of Rav Kalman Kahane ZT"L, who was among those who established the contemporary infrastructure of the commandments dependent upon the
Responses and Comments
Pursuant to the article of Rav Filber in the previous issue, Rav Gorfinkle of Bet El revisits his view that there exists the possibility that the process of redemption whose beginning we now see might be halted, heaven forbid. Rav David Yitzhaki of Bnei Brak, and Rav Eliezer Weil of Shadmot Mehola in the Jordan Valley, take issue with each other whether the fact that most converts today do not fully observe commandments after their conversion negates the conversion or not. Rav Peretz of
On Books and Their Authors
Prof. Spiegel of Bar Ilan describes the new book – Responsa of R’ Chaim Kafusi – issued by the Shlomo Aumann Institute, and describes the work of the editors with some notes of criticism; Shemaria Gershuni of Hebron describes the claims of the person who assisted Rav Baruch Epstein in compiling the Torah Temimah concerning respect not accorded him; Rav Levine of the ‘Hazon Ish Kollel’ unleashes withering criticism on Dr. Brown’s new book on the Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yesha’ya Karelitz ZT”L), and claims the author avoided those of his students and family who continue in his path and understand it, and that therefore his work is lacking in meaningful academic value. In his opinion, Brown also tries to understand the contemporary pietists (haredim) through their leader who passed away more than half a century ago, while also excluding extant biographical descriptions. Last but not least, a review of Judaica books by the editor Rav Catane.
HAMA'YAN Editorial Board wishes its subscribers, readers and all "Am Yisrael", a good year blessed with Parnasa, redemption, the love of Torah and Yirat Shamayim. כתיבה וחתימה טובה