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Category: Halacha

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part III

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part III

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Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part III by: Dr. William Gewirtz This is the third of four posts, from a draft of a forthcoming monograph by Dr. William Gewirtz that addresses the period of bein hashemashot, the most fundamental area of dispute in the area of zemanim. What is proposed is an astronomically accurate hybrid position between the diametrically opposed conceptual views of the geonim and Rabbeinu Tam. That position justifies, to varying degrees, the practice of countless…

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Some More Assorted Comments, part 1

Some More Assorted Comments, part 1

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Some More Assorted Comments, part 1 by: Marc B. Shapiro 1. Following my last post, a number of people have corresponded with me about the issue of anti-Semitism and how it it sometimes self-inflicted because of Jewish actions that cause a hillul ha-Shem, meaning that we can’t always claim ידינו לא שפכו את הדם הזה. As many readers know, R. Jehiel Jacob Weinberg already pointed out that some anti-Semitism arises for precisely this reason. He was not the first. R….

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Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part II

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part II

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Bein hashemashot:  A Reevaluation of the Texts Part II by: Dr. William Gewirtz   This is the second of a sequence of posts (the first post can be found here), from a draft of a forthcoming monograph by Dr. William Gewirtz that addresses the period of bein hashemashot.  Each post briefly summarizes about 20 pages of the monograph and contains 4 – 6 critical pages from that section as well.   The monograph addresses the period of bein hashemashot, the most fundamental…

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Kitniyot and Stimulants: Coffee and Marijuana on Passover

Kitniyot and Stimulants: Coffee and Marijuana on Passover

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Kitniyot and Stimulants: Coffee and Marijuana on Passover One of the more interesting customs for Pesach in that of refraining from kitniyot. There is much discussion regarding the origins of this mysterious custom.  That is, the exact time this custom began, as well as it initial rationale is cloaked in mystery. That is not to say that numerous reasons haven’t been offered, only that we probably will never know for certain why this was enacted.  Moreover, what exactly is encompassed…

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Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts

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Bein Hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Textsby: Dr. William GewirtzThis is the first of a sequence of posts, from a draft of a forthcoming monograph by Dr. William Gewirtz that addresses the period of bein hashemashot.  Each post very briefly summarizes about 20 pages of the monograph containing 4 – 6 critical pages.  Those wishing the entire section can download the associated PDF file.  The monograph addresses the period of bein hashemashot, the most fundamental area of dispute in the…

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Women, Simchat Torah, and Censorship

Women, Simchat Torah, and Censorship

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Women, Simchat Torah, and Censorship By: Eliezer BrodtA recent book, Mi-pehem, (Bnei Brak,2008), collects interviews that were conducted with various Gedolim. One interview was conducted with Rebbetzin Ginsburg the daughter of R. Yechezel Levenstein. In the course of this interview she described the Simchat Torah celebration at the Mir in Europe:אבל שמחת תורה בישיבה היה משהומיוחד. הנשים עמדו בפינת בית המדרש מאחורי מחיצה, ומחכות בהתרגשות לתחילתההקפות! (מפיהם, עמ’ 199). According to this interview, women in the Mir were behind the…

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