העורך Editor

Some excerpts from Treasures of Ashkenaz, here:

I want to re-analyze what is מנהג ארץ ישראל. I am living in Eretz Yisroel over fifty years, I don’t know yet what is מנהג ארץ ישראל.

He goes on to describe a street in Bnei Brak. “… there are אפשר seven apartment houses of twelve apartments each and fifteen shuls. And each Shul is different. This is a Bukharan shul, this is a Yemenite, this is Sfardi,…this is the Kuzhmirer, this is the Spinker, and everything…” ……. two brands of Spinka…. now we’ve got three Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak….This is (a singular and unitary) מנהג ארץ ישראל?

He goes on to talk about מנהג ירושלים :

מנהג ירושלים, this is considered to be the epitome of מנהג ארץ ישראל. Rav Shlomo Zalman (Auerbach זצ”ל) told (a relation of his) that I have a kabboloh, from Rav Dovid Baharan, Rav Dovid Baharan was a poseik in Yerusholayim, az ‘oib einer vet kumen tzu eich un vet zogen dos iz minhag Yerusholayim, zolst vissen, er iz a ligener, veilst s’iz nisht doh kein מנהג ירושלים’ (there is no single [unitary] minhag Yerusholayim).

…

Note: The Chazon Ish makes some interesting points in this manner in CI Yoreh Deah 150.

מאת חכ”א שליט”א: הזוהר שחלזון התכלת בא מן הכנרת הוא לא כפשוטו

מהות המדינה ע”פ נבואת יחזקאל

השואה ובני ט’ מידות

שביתת שדהו בשביעית

קרבנות בזמן שיש חציצה בין השחיטה להיכל

קרבנות בזמן הזה [תמיד פסח ושקלים]

האם מקום המזבח מעכב

למה גדולי ישראל לא לובשים תכלת

הזכוכית מגדלת של עקירת התורה שיוצא ממכונת גילוח של מכון צומ”ת

From Rabbi Brand’s Homepage, here.

… At what point is it theft? If Sanders found one trillionaire and passed a bill to “tax” him of everything he has and used the money to finance 17 new Boston Style Big Dig projects, would it be theft? Yes, the public would see it as theft. What about taxing two people each worth $500B and taking everything? Would that be theft as well? Yes, and actually worse because theft is a violation against person, not inanimate objects. Theft against 2 is worse than theft against 1 even if the values are equal.

And so on to 3 confiscations of $333.3 million. What about 4 of $250M? 5 of $200M? Are we getting better or worse here?

Worse.

Excerpted from The Jewish Libertarian, here.

First, what is “prophecy”? Fools and madmen are a mere “taste”. Nor do I speak of Divine Inspiration, of various levels. Nor of asking a school boy what he learned that day. Nor… No. I mean the actual legal (halachic) category.

The true “Navi” is one who is accepted by a Jewish court for having performed a miraculous sign in the presence of two kosher Jewish witnesses.

This is not a joke.

See Maimonides, Foundations of the Torah, chapter 7, end:

Not everyone who performs signs or wonders should be accepted as a prophet: only a person who is known to be fit for prophecy beforehand; i.e., his wisdom and his [good] deeds surpass those of all his contemporaries. If he follows the paths of prophecy in holiness, separating himself from worldly matters, and afterwards performs a sign or wonder and states that he was sent by God, it is a mitzvah to listen to him, as [Deuteronomy 18:15] states: “Listen to him.”

It is possible that a person will perform a sign or wonder even though he is not a prophet – rather, the wonder will have [another cause] behind it. It is, nevertheless, a mitzvah to listen to him. Since he is a wise man of stature and fit for prophecy, we accept [his prophecy as true], for so have we been commanded.

[To give an example of a parallel:] We are commanded to render a [legal] judgment based on the testimony of two witnesses. Even though they may testify falsely, since we know them to be acceptable [as witnesses], we presume that they [are telling the truth].

Considering these matters and the like, [Deuteronomy 29:28] states: “The hidden matters are for God, our Lord, but what is revealed is for us and our children,” and [I Samuel 16:7] states: “Man sees what is revealed to the eyes, but God sees into the heart.”

Jews must seek prophecy anew. This is not mere preference. We need a prophet for the various upcoming stages of Jewish history, such as building the Temple, establishing priestly lineage (“yichus”), waging wars, kingship, identifying the true Messiah, and more.

Originally one prophet would teach another, in special schools for this purpose.

See Derech Hashem Part Three 4:2, “On Prophecy”:

ענין המתלמדים בנבואה

וממה שצריך שתדע שהנה לא יגיע הנביא אל המדריגה העליונה בפעם אחת אבל יעלה מעלה אחר מעלה עד הגיעו אל הנבואה השלימה. ויש בדבר התלמדות כמו כל שאר החכמות והמלאכות שיעלה האדם במדריגותיהם עד שיעמוד על בורין. וזה ענין”בני הנביאים” שהיו עומדים לפני הנביא להתלמד בדרכי הנבואה מה שהיה מצטרך לזה.

• From Wikisource, here.

But can it be done all alone, in our orphaned age, without teachers who are themselves prophets?

I think so. We simply cannot wait until Techiyas Hameisim (the Resurrection of the Dead). The temple will be rebuilt before the Resurrection of the Dead, see Rabbi Brand‘s proofs here (towards the end)!

Restoring true prophecy is a DIY (Do It Yourself) project. This is no different than the renascent Sanhedrin project, and maybe better.

So? Forget yeshivas for Kabbalah. Who wants to be the first to open “Yeshivat Bnei Hanevi’im”? The line between madness and ‘vision’ is always thin.

Come on… You know you want to!

Sofer Offers Refund or Free Replacement

As a Sofer, I have always used certain types of klaf that were easier to write on, in the belief that certification made the klaf of a higher standard, yet was not essential. I relied on the factories to use only G-d fearing, Jewish labor when processing hides designed for use as STaM klaf.

Upon hearing of the Elul 5766 scandal, I turned to leading Rabbinic authorities from both Israel and the Diaspora, all of whom ruled that the “regular” parchment was of doubtful validity. There’s a high probability that the lime-soakage was done by Gentiles who are always considered to lack the needed intention (lishma), rendering the parchment completely unkosher.

I must now either fully reimburse my customers, or rewrite all my work on hechsher-bearing klaf. My customers can reach me at the number below. In the meantime, none of my work may be used, including tefillin, mezuzos, etc. I hope this notice suffices.

__________________________________________________
Clarification

Regarding the overwhelming response to my previous notice entitled “Sofer Offers Refund or Free Replacement”, I’d like to clarify a few points:

(a) It has been brought to my attention that quite a few prominent Poskim, among them Av Beis Din Zichron Meir Rabbi Shmuel Wosner, Badatz Eidah Hachareidis and tens of Rabbis from America had by Teves 5761 already issued a ruling to the effect that the use of unsupervised klaf is absolutely forbidden and that 86 well known Rabbis had said the same thing a hundred years ago.

(b) Distinguished rabbis have contacted me to offer encouragement in withstanding this trial of great monetary loss.

(c) In the wake of this scandal, I confronted the person who’d instructed me in the art of writing upon certain klaf that is easier to write on even though it lacks Kosher certification. We asked a great Posek who should be responsible for the free refunds. The ruling was that my teacher, the sellers, and I all should share the reimbursement expenses. The Posek also showed us no less than six pamphlets concerning this very subject. My teacher was shocked and agreed to help pay my customers.

Shmuel Nesanel Blum, Sofer STaM, Bet Shemesh

(Formerly of Kiryat Yoel, NY)

Grandson of the Kashoi Gaon zatzal

011-972-2-991-0591

• This letter appeared at a now-defunct site.