שכירות רשות משר העיר לעירובין בזה”ז לפי החזו”א

הראו לי מה שכתב הרב יחיאל שולמן שליט”א, מהנהגות אביו הרב נתן שולמן זצ”ל, וז”ל:

שאל את החזו”א כיצד עושים עירוב עירוני והרי יש בין התושבים שאינם מודים בעירוב ר”ל. וענה לו החזו”א שמבקשים רשות ממפקד המשטרה (ומסתמכים דדמי לשר העיר שבכחו בשעת מלחמה לשכן חיילים בבתי העיר), וכשהחזו”א הסביר לו זאת חייך. (א.ה. והבין ממנו שיש לו איזשהו [צד] פקפוק אם מהני. (בערך)).

Oh, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? SO SORRY!

Someone once came to the Chazon Ish on Shabbos from Tel Aviv. The Chazon Ish asked how he came from outside Techum Shabbos? The visitor answered, “people say” new buildings have already been built in the gap. Upon which the Chazon Ish asked the visitor to refrain from touching the wine…

Rule: If you don’t know that an action is permitted, then for you it isn’t.

Have you ever used a business located in a residential building (kindergarten, Kippah store, barber, etc.)?

Was the establishment several floors up?

What gives you the right to use the elevator on your way there?

Perhaps you assume the business pays a larger share in elevator expenses (ha!). Well, what gives you the right to “assume”?

Were you then asked to serve as a witness at a wedding?

Did you say yes?

Eh?

Please Don’t Make Your Rabbi Research Different Refrigerators!

The Gabbai of Rabbi Steinman zatzal once told me people do this. There is a famous letter by the Ba’al Hatanya asking his followers to cease with similar behavior. But this is not Derech Eretz.

First do research into the facts, investigate and evaluate, then seek advice.

Breishis Rabba 63:6 for individuals:

ותאמר אם כן למה זה אנכי רבי יצחק אמר מלמד שהיתה אמנו רבקה מחזרת על פתחיהן של נשים ואומרת להן הגיע לכם הצער הזה בימיכם אם כך הוא צערו של בנים והלואי לא עיברתי.

Only then did she go to Shem and Ever.

The same for the public, Brachos 3b:

אמר להם לכו ופשטו ידיכם בגדוד מיד יועצים באחיתופל ונמלכין בסנהדרין ושואלין באורים ותומים.

First, they drew up a working plan with Achitofel, and “got the votes”. Then, and only then, would they consult the Urim Vetumim.

A word to the wise…

Don’t Call It Terror!

So, another murder of a Jew by a non-Jew in Israel. Ho hum. What I don’t understand is the attempt by “rightists” to get this or that murder declared as a nationalistic crime. Why? All this does, is encourage more of the same. If it’s “terror”, a prisoner exchange is all it takes for the state to free the man to murder more Jews (surprise, surprise!). Criminal murderers, on the other hand, are not exchanged. (Although, hey, perhaps the Arabs decide who they want back. I don’t know.)

The same thing occurs with “Jewish Terror“. Instead of making vandals pay the owner for the paint to cover graffiti, the state actually reads the graffiti and checks whom>who, where.

Of course, “terror” should not exist as a legal category. Murder ought to be punished the same way, regardless of uniforms or mind-reading, or electoral calculations.

And Decriminalize Jewish Self Defense Now!