[net.religion.jewish] Reposting of my garbled article on halachic questions

wkp@lanl.ARPA (03/01/85)

[This posting got garbled up on the way to the Press.  Sorry.]

Subject: Re: Hypocrisy--or, who is a mamzer?
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
References: <22536@lanl.ARPA> <3780016@csd2.UUCP>
      
In replying to my posting, Pinchus Klahr not only got my last name wrong, but  
completely misrepresented my position.  I did not maintain that lack of a      
religious circumcision made a Jew a mamzer.  Mr. Klahr, before you respond to  
any of my articles, please get the facts straight.  Thanks!                    

In Asher Schechter's response, he made two points which I would like to see
discussed.

1.  Can any one quote the sources for what I thought to be a halachic
    principle that a Jew who had a cirmcumcision incorrectly done had to
    have it redone?  The only thing I could find was from the Shulchan Aruch
    stating that "the mohel should be versed in the laws of milah" (163:1).
    Since most secular circumcisions are done via gentiles (or nowadays,
    machines), I view this as an incomplete brit milah, and thus invalid.
    The Lubavitchers that I prayed 5 years with also agree to this principle.
    (I believe that their view was that such a Jew was therefore not part
    of the covenant, and HAD TO UNDERGO A RITUAL BRIT MILAH (the shedding
    of blood from the foreskin, etc.).  Since the Lubavitchers are part of
    the Theocratic Politicos calling for a ritual immersion for the 
    Ethiopians, my charge of hypocrisy still stands.

2.  Again, it was my understanding that a Jew born of a Jewess not
    following Taharat Mishpachah was a mamzer.  Can someone give me
    sources for this?  I remember reading it in a yeshiva class; also
    Martillo mentioned it once on the net.  (My talmud is in Jerusalem).

Thanks in advance to anybody who can help.
---

bill peter                         {ihnp4,seismo}!cmcl2!lanl!wkp

"Ben Azzai said, 'Do not be scornful of any person and do not be
 disdainful of anything, for there is no person without his hour
 and no thing without its place.'"
---

martillo@mit-athena.UUCP (Joaquim Martillo) (03/03/85)

I  do  not  remember  ever  stating  that  a  child  born of a woman not
following tohorat hamishpahah was a momzer.  I do remember reading it in
an  article  by  someone  on  the  net I considered knowledgeable.  I do
believe I stated once the (lone) opinion of Yehudah haTeimani  (?)  that
the child of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man is a momzer.

Yehoyaqim Martillo