Hi,
"Experience is a more honest witness than all of the
theories founded upon proofs."
(Rabbi Moshe Sofer, Chatam Sofer Yoreh Deah 45)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Showing posts with label Sources: Chatam Sofer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sources: Chatam Sofer. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Stealing the afikoman
Hi,
In our previous post, we explained that we break the matzah at Yachatz. At many of our seder tables, this is immediately followed by an attempt of the children to steal the afikoman and hide it. What is the source for this?
Some suggest that this comes from the Talmudic statement (Pesachim 109a), "They grab the matzah on the night of Pesach, so that the children will not sleep." However, Rashi there says this refers to lifting the seder plate for all to see, and Rashbam there comments that it is actually the act of removing the matzah so that they children will not eat too much and fall asleep.
The grandson of the Chatam Sofer cites his grandfather as noting that Shemot 11:7 says that no dogs barked at the Jews when we left Egypt. A city in which dogs do not bark will have many thieves!
The likely source, though, is the Rambam's statement that we give children candy and nuts at the seder, and move the table away before they eat, and grab things from one hand to another, and perform more such practices, to keep the attention of the children.(Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz uMatzah 7:3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
In our previous post, we explained that we break the matzah at Yachatz. At many of our seder tables, this is immediately followed by an attempt of the children to steal the afikoman and hide it. What is the source for this?
Some suggest that this comes from the Talmudic statement (Pesachim 109a), "They grab the matzah on the night of Pesach, so that the children will not sleep." However, Rashi there says this refers to lifting the seder plate for all to see, and Rashbam there comments that it is actually the act of removing the matzah so that they children will not eat too much and fall asleep.
The grandson of the Chatam Sofer cites his grandfather as noting that Shemot 11:7 says that no dogs barked at the Jews when we left Egypt. A city in which dogs do not bark will have many thieves!
The likely source, though, is the Rambam's statement that we give children candy and nuts at the seder, and move the table away before they eat, and grab things from one hand to another, and perform more such practices, to keep the attention of the children.(Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz uMatzah 7:3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Has nature changed? And does that change Jewish law?
Hi,
[Preface: The Talmud prohibits roasting fish with meat, out of concern for potential poisoning.]
"Rabbi Solomon Luria wrote: Based on the fact that Maimonides did not cite the Talmudic passage prohibiting fish roasted with meat, we see that in Maimonides’ expert knowledge of nature and medicine he was aware that the vapor would not cause harm.
"It is well-known that this is a forced answer, for then Maimonides should at least have mentioned that one may not actually roast fish and meat together…
"It first occurred to me that Maimonides held that ‘Binita’ is a specific fish, and that this specific type of fish is prohibited with meat due to danger, but not other fish…and the Binita is not found among us, and so Maimonides excluded it. This appears strained, though, for that fish surely has not been extinguished in its own land, and so Maimonides should have mentioned it for the sake of the people in that land!
"It appears more likely that in his great knowledge, Maimonides knew and understood that nature had changed regarding this, as we find in a variety of cases…Since we see that Maimonides, whose power in medicine and nature was great, omitted this law, it must be that he experimented and found that nature had changed in this matter…
"We would not depend upon this in practice to permit eating fish and meat together, for it could be that this is considered a practice which has been banned by a court’s decision…therefore we are careful, and the custom of our ancestors is Torah. However, we still profit in that we are no longer dealing with a concern which has the level of danger, for there is no more danger, and perhaps even in their time the concern extended only to the Binita fish, and not with our fish."
(Rabbi Moshe Sofer, Chatam Sofer Yoreh Deah 101)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
[Preface: The Talmud prohibits roasting fish with meat, out of concern for potential poisoning.]
"Rabbi Solomon Luria wrote: Based on the fact that Maimonides did not cite the Talmudic passage prohibiting fish roasted with meat, we see that in Maimonides’ expert knowledge of nature and medicine he was aware that the vapor would not cause harm.
"It is well-known that this is a forced answer, for then Maimonides should at least have mentioned that one may not actually roast fish and meat together…
"It first occurred to me that Maimonides held that ‘Binita’ is a specific fish, and that this specific type of fish is prohibited with meat due to danger, but not other fish…and the Binita is not found among us, and so Maimonides excluded it. This appears strained, though, for that fish surely has not been extinguished in its own land, and so Maimonides should have mentioned it for the sake of the people in that land!
"It appears more likely that in his great knowledge, Maimonides knew and understood that nature had changed regarding this, as we find in a variety of cases…Since we see that Maimonides, whose power in medicine and nature was great, omitted this law, it must be that he experimented and found that nature had changed in this matter…
"We would not depend upon this in practice to permit eating fish and meat together, for it could be that this is considered a practice which has been banned by a court’s decision…therefore we are careful, and the custom of our ancestors is Torah. However, we still profit in that we are no longer dealing with a concern which has the level of danger, for there is no more danger, and perhaps even in their time the concern extended only to the Binita fish, and not with our fish."
(Rabbi Moshe Sofer, Chatam Sofer Yoreh Deah 101)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Chanukah as a biblical holiday
Hi,
"Establishing a festival on a day when a miracle occurs is a biblical mitzvah. If this is warranted for a transition from slavery to freedom, it is certainly required for transition from death to life!
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, Purim and Chanukah are biblical. However, the details of what to do - sending portions of food, or lighting flames, or creating some other memorial - is rabbinic."
(Responsa of Chatam Sofer 233)
חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai
"Establishing a festival on a day when a miracle occurs is a biblical mitzvah. If this is warranted for a transition from slavery to freedom, it is certainly required for transition from death to life!
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, Purim and Chanukah are biblical. However, the details of what to do - sending portions of food, or lighting flames, or creating some other memorial - is rabbinic."
(Responsa of Chatam Sofer 233)
חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Flipping the miracle of Chanukah on its head
Hi,
"Based on Tosafot Chagigah 28a שאין, who says that the fire on the altar in the Beit haMikdash came from the heavens and never ended, we may say that the miracle that the oil in the menorah was not finished during those days, involved fire that Gd sent down from the heavens as well.
"In truth, on the eighth day Gd created a miracle in that this fire, which normally would not finish its fuel, did finish the fuel in the menorah. Without this miracle, the Jews would have thought that Gd did not desire their oil. This was the miracle of the eighth night."
(Chatam Sofer haShalem, Shabbat 23a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Based on Tosafot Chagigah 28a שאין, who says that the fire on the altar in the Beit haMikdash came from the heavens and never ended, we may say that the miracle that the oil in the menorah was not finished during those days, involved fire that Gd sent down from the heavens as well.
"In truth, on the eighth day Gd created a miracle in that this fire, which normally would not finish its fuel, did finish the fuel in the menorah. Without this miracle, the Jews would have thought that Gd did not desire their oil. This was the miracle of the eighth night."
(Chatam Sofer haShalem, Shabbat 23a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Another benefit of the victory of the Chashmonaim
Hi,
"The essential miracle of the Chashmonaim in the second Beit haMikdash was as a preparation for this bitter exile. Had the Jews descended into this bitter exile as they did after the destruction of the first Beit haMikdash, when they were lawless in Torah, they would have lacked the strength to endure this bitter exile and remain Jewish.
"It was only by the miracle of the Chashmonaim, and the subsequent fences and boundaries and protections which were then instituted, that we had strength to remain in our faith all through this long exile."
(Chatam Sofer, Torat Moshe III Devarim pg. 71b)
Chag Urim Sameach,
Mordechai
"The essential miracle of the Chashmonaim in the second Beit haMikdash was as a preparation for this bitter exile. Had the Jews descended into this bitter exile as they did after the destruction of the first Beit haMikdash, when they were lawless in Torah, they would have lacked the strength to endure this bitter exile and remain Jewish.
"It was only by the miracle of the Chashmonaim, and the subsequent fences and boundaries and protections which were then instituted, that we had strength to remain in our faith all through this long exile."
(Chatam Sofer, Torat Moshe III Devarim pg. 71b)
Chag Urim Sameach,
Mordechai
Monday, November 29, 2010
Why traditional prayer is not instrumental
Hi,
"We have seen that our ancestors who instituted the prayers did not enact musical instruments even though song emerged from among us in the service in the Beit haMikdash. Our ancestors abandoned it; we see that they felt it inappropriate, because there is no joy before Gd since the day the Beit haMikdash was destroyed."
(Rav Moshe Sofer, Chatam Sofer 6: Likkutim 84)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"We have seen that our ancestors who instituted the prayers did not enact musical instruments even though song emerged from among us in the service in the Beit haMikdash. Our ancestors abandoned it; we see that they felt it inappropriate, because there is no joy before Gd since the day the Beit haMikdash was destroyed."
(Rav Moshe Sofer, Chatam Sofer 6: Likkutim 84)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Judging others favorably
Hi,
"One who suspects those who are innocent will suffer Divinely-administered physical punishment."
(Talmud, Shabbat 97a)
Rabbi Moshe Sofer (aka "Chatam Sofer") explained: Gd will ordinarily punish a person lightly, judging the person favorably and so presuming that the person will respond to a light rebuke.
However, if a person judges others unfavorably, then Gd judges him thus, too, and administers a more harsh rebuke.
(Chiddushei Chatam Sofer to Shabbat 97a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"One who suspects those who are innocent will suffer Divinely-administered physical punishment."
(Talmud, Shabbat 97a)
Rabbi Moshe Sofer (aka "Chatam Sofer") explained: Gd will ordinarily punish a person lightly, judging the person favorably and so presuming that the person will respond to a light rebuke.
However, if a person judges others unfavorably, then Gd judges him thus, too, and administers a more harsh rebuke.
(Chiddushei Chatam Sofer to Shabbat 97a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Finding reasons for mitzvot
Hi,
Here's another challenging statement from R' Moshe Sofer, aka Chatam Sofer:
"The deviant members of our people attempt to give a reason for every commandment in the Torah. On account of this the Torah will fade away, for they will say that once the reason is invalidated, so, too, is the commandment."
(Derashot Chatam Sofer 1:19a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Here's another challenging statement from R' Moshe Sofer, aka Chatam Sofer:
"The deviant members of our people attempt to give a reason for every commandment in the Torah. On account of this the Torah will fade away, for they will say that once the reason is invalidated, so, too, is the commandment."
(Derashot Chatam Sofer 1:19a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Originality in Judaism
Hi,
This is a powerful statement, particularly given its source:
"All of the halachah which is contained in the Shulchan Aruch is that which was given equally to all Israel, with no one excluded. Yet he who possesses only Torah does not really even possess Torah, for then his performance becomes merely habit and custom passed on from generation to generation.
"Therefore, he who would achieve piety before his Creator will be recognized by his deeds – by those practices which he originates for the sake of heaven, and by all that his heart desires. In this no two individuals are alike, because no two men love Gd in the same way."
(Responsum of Chatam Sofer 1: Orach Chaim 197)
Shushan Purim Sameach,
Mordechai
This is a powerful statement, particularly given its source:
"All of the halachah which is contained in the Shulchan Aruch is that which was given equally to all Israel, with no one excluded. Yet he who possesses only Torah does not really even possess Torah, for then his performance becomes merely habit and custom passed on from generation to generation.
"Therefore, he who would achieve piety before his Creator will be recognized by his deeds – by those practices which he originates for the sake of heaven, and by all that his heart desires. In this no two individuals are alike, because no two men love Gd in the same way."
(Responsum of Chatam Sofer 1: Orach Chaim 197)
Shushan Purim Sameach,
Mordechai
Monday, May 26, 2008
Revealing new lessons of the Torah
Hi,
"One who learns Torah and law as they were given by Gd, from Heaven, and does not seek to learn something new from them, is acting inappropriately.
"Gd wishes to enlarge the Torah and greaten it, for aside from the Torah which has been given to us, there is a hidden portion from which an experienced student will learn new things each day."
(Derashot Chatam Sofer II pg. 405)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"One who learns Torah and law as they were given by Gd, from Heaven, and does not seek to learn something new from them, is acting inappropriately.
"Gd wishes to enlarge the Torah and greaten it, for aside from the Torah which has been given to us, there is a hidden portion from which an experienced student will learn new things each day."
(Derashot Chatam Sofer II pg. 405)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
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