axm9839@acf4.UUCP (Asher Meth) (03/06/84)
A few comments on some articles that I've just caught up on :
EIRUV : I just read Shimshon Berkovitz's reply to Avi (I assume Gross; I didn't
go back to the previous article) about the definition of a "Reshus
Harrabim." If I recall correctly, Avi said something about 600,000 people
traversing the road every day. Shimshon replied that a R"HR is defined
by 100,000 people traversing the road every day.
The Gemorah (Talmud) in Maseches (tractate) Shabbos, in the first perek (chapter),
about daf (folio) 6a (or thereabouts) discusses the four different domains with
respect to Jewish Law, and therefore, wrt carrying, etc. on Shabbos. They are :
"Reshus Hayachid" (private domain), "Reshus Harrabim" (public domain),
"Karmelis" (I don't have an easy two word English definition, but here goes -
somewhere in between R"HY & R"HR, neither one nor the other, with many halachic
ramifications; see the Gemorah and the Meforshim ["commentators" , literally,
those who give pirushim, explanations], and "Makom Petur" (literlaly, a place
of no obligation, a freebie so to say, where the laws of carrying do not apply).
I recall that the Gemorah defines R"HR as "seratia u'pelatia gedolah" -
again, see the Meforshim; this "seratia" can be thought of as a LARGE open
wide space. There are a number of explanations among the Meforshim (e.g.,
RAMBAM - Maimonidies (sp?), RASHI - R. Shlomo Yitzchaki (son of Yitzchok), etc.)
as to what the ecaxt criteria are for this R"HR/"seratia ..."
(exact)
SOME of the criteria given are : "Shishim Riboh bok'in bi bechol yom" -
600,000 (as Avi said) people pass by that place every day ;
the road is "shesh esrey amoh" - 16 cubits - wide (a cubit may be anywhere
from approximately 1.5 - 2 feet, and maybe even more, according to different
Poskim - those who are "posek", answer halachic questions) .
Different Meforshim and Poskim give different single criteria or multiple
criteria in defining R"HR.
WRT Eruvin (plural of eruv) - to be permitted to carry outside on Shabbos,
one must be within a Reshus Hayachid. If we make an eruv, then the area enclosed
by the eruv becomes one BIG Reshus Hayachid, and we are permitted to carry in it.
However, an eruv may NOT include a Reshus Harrabim. Thus, the questions that come
up - can we include this street, many people pass by every day; or, it is a WIDE
street; etc. - for each of the different possible interpretations of R"HR.
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MEAT & FISH :
Re : article by Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo
YSM mentioned that the Sephardic and Oriental Jews, between meat and fish :
eat some bread, drink some alcoholic beverage, and wash their hands.
My family is of Chassidic background and my father taught me to act in a similar
manner : wash hands, eat something (bread/challah is the usual fare, as the
situation arises most often at the seudos on Shabbos), and drink something
(anything, not necessarily alcoholic). The other day I saw the "wash hands"
part in the Shulchan Aruch (literally, Set Table - Code of Jewish Law).
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FISH & MILK :
YES, it is brought down in halachah, by the Mechaber (literally, the one who
binds or COMPILES), R. Yosef Caro, in the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, 87:3 .
See also his commentary Beis Yosef in the Tur , same place.
NOTE, however, that all the Meforshim vehemently disagree with him -
see Darkei Moshe (in Tur), Shach & Taz (in S"A). They quote another halachah
found in the Mechaber, in Orach Chaim, 173 (sorry, I don't have the seif handy;
look it up, you'll find it), and they ALL say that fish & MILK is a MISTAKE,
and that it should say fish & MEAT, as is obvious from the context of the
given halachos (plural of halachah - literally, law).
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And lest I forget, "Kol haomer davar beshem omero meivi geulah leolam" -
I asked my older brother Avraham and my father where I could find this
Beis Yosef when I was home in Philadelphia this past Shabbos.
Yes, there are frum/Orthodox/religious Jews in Philadelphia.
We may be a minority among our own, but we do have two large areas/neighborhoods
(you may even say three) with nice frum communities.
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And as I saw in a recent article -
Mishenichnas ADAR Marbim Besimchah, ve'en Simchah Elah Torah (as I've seen on
computer paper output signs at YU - Yeshiva University, NYC - in the past).
To everyone out there - A Freilichen Purim un A Kosheren Pesach.
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Or leyom gimel leparshas Vayikra, 2 ADAR II 5744
(this SHOULD have appeared at the TOP of this article)
corresponding to Monday night, March 5/'84 (lemisparam !!!)
Asher Meth
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