Ha-Rav
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Tevilat
Kelim after Mechirat Chametz
Q:
There are dishes in the closet where I placed the Chametz which was sold to the
non-Jew. Do the dishes need to be
immersed in a Mikveh after Pesach, since they were in the possession of a
non-Jew?
A:
No. It is written in the sale of
document that we are not selling the dishes but only the Chametz within them. But even if it were written that we are
selling the dishes, the majority of Poskim still exempt the dishes from
immersion. Chochmat Shlomo 448, Aruch
Ha-Shulchan Yoreh Deah 120:52, Darkei Teshuvah ibid. #90. This is the case since the buyer and seller both
have in mind that the sale will not be permanent. The non-Jew therefore does
not take possession of the dishes.
Rabbi
Eliezer
Q:
How is it possible that Rabbi Eliezer never said anything which he did not hear
from his Rabbi (Sukkah 27b), when it is related that he gave a Dvar Torah which
no ear had ever heard (Avot De-Rebbe Natan, Chapter 6)?
A:
Maran Ha-Rav Kook explains that Rabbei Eliezer, with his deep ability to
listen, understood things in his Rabbi’s words which others did not
understand. Maamarei Ha-Ree’eiyah, p.
204 (and Ha-Rav Avigdor Neventzal wrote that he heard the same difficulty and
answer from his teacher, Ha-Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz. Although he adds that in his humble opinion,
there is no difficulty, since Rabbi Eliezer did not say anything which he did
not hear from his Rabbi out of a concern that he would err and spread incorrect
Torah. But when Rabbi Eliezer delivered
a Dvar Torah which no ear had ever heard, he did so in the presence of Rabbi Yohanan
ben Zakkai, his Rabbi, since if he erred, his teacher would correct him. In this case, therefore, there was no such
fear. Iturei Cohanim #104).
The
Number of those who left Egypt
Q:
How is it possible that in such a short time 70 people grew to 600,000?
A:
210 years is 10 generations of 20 years.
If each couple had 6 children – even not at one time – it is 3 to the
power of 10 which is approximately 50,000 x 70 = 3.5 million.
Q:
I heard that the number 600,000 who left Egypt means 600 families, since 1000
equals a family?
A:
Nonsense. “And they were numbered were six
hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty”. Bemidbar 1:46.
Adding a Name
Q: Our son is extremely
short. We asked a Chasidic Rebbe what to
do and he recommended adding a name. Is
it enough to add it during an Aliyah to the Torah or do we need to do something
else?
A: Ask the Rebbe directly, or ask
his student.
Short
Q: I am extremely short. What can I do to grow taller?
A: If you are a child, ask a
doctor. If you an adult, I do not know
of a solution. You should know that many
great Rabbis were short.
Learning Tanach with Chazal
Q: Is it permissible to teach
children the simple meaning of the Tanach or must we teach them with Chazal?
A: Hashem gave the Torah with a
commentary, i.e. the Oral Torah. See the
Rambam’s introduction to the Mishneh Torah (Ha-Rav Yosef Soloveitchik explains
the same way. When he was asked the same
question, he said that without the Oral Torah, the Tanach is the “Bible of the
Christians”. He added that Ha-Rav
Shimshon Rafeal Hirsch is an expert in fusing the Oral Torah with the teaching
of Chumash. Divrei Ha-Rav, p. 202).
Yahrtzeit Candle
Q: Is there are obligation to
light a Yahrtzeit candle on the anniversary of a person’s death?
A: It is a custom, but it is not
an obligation. See Shut Teshuvot
Ve-Hanahgot 1:702 (It is brought there that the Vilna Gaon did not hold by the
custom to light a Yahrtzeit candle on the Yahrtzeit).
