An answer to a question in the Rambam

 ראש השנה י''ד וט''ו.רמב''ם מעשר שני פרק א' הלכה ה' ו'(
מבוא. אני רוצה לענות על שאלה ברמב''ם. הרמב''ם מחליט הלכה כמו רבותינו באושא,  היינו שהולכים לפי זמן לקיטה למעשר ולביעור. ואז בפסקה הבא [הלכה ו'] הוא מביא את הגמרא שאתרוג שנכנס משנה השישית לשנה השביעית הוא טבל אפילו אם זה היה רק בגודל של זית בשנה השישית ולאחר מכן בשנה השביעית הפך גדול כמו כיכר לחם. (לכאורה לפי מבט ראשון, זה נראה כמו שהולכים לפי חנטה בשביל מעשר.) התשובה שלי היא שהולכים לפי זמן הלקיטה אלא שאם הלקיטה הייתה בתקופה שבין ראש השנה של השנה השביעית עד ט''ו בשבט, אז זה עדיין נחשב כמו שנה הששית למעשר.

כדי לעשות את זה ברור תן לי להביא קצת רקע. (1) רבה אמר אתרוג שנכנס משישית לשביעית אינו מחויב מעשר ולא בביעור. אבל שנכנס מהשביעית לשמינית, הוא חייב בביעור. ( היינו החוקים של השנה השביעית). אביי שאל על זה.  ונראה  שאביי חושב שאנחנו הולכים לפי הזמן של חנטה וכך מהשישית לשביעית היא בעיה. בכל מקרה רבה עונה לו. רב המנונה אמר שאנחנו הולכים לפי הזמן של חנטה. רשב''י (רבי שמעון בן יהודה) בשם רבי שמעון אמר השישית לשביעית והשביעית שלמינית אינו מחויב בשום דבר, כי אנחנו צריכים את זמן הגידול וזמן הלקיטה להיות במצב של חובה. הגמרא השיבה שרבה ורב המנונה הולכים כמו חמשת הזקנים (שיטת רבן גמליאל) שלביעור הולכים לפי חנטה. רבותינו נמנו וגמרו באושא שלגבי אתרוג הולכים אחר לקיטה בין למעשר בין לשביעית. ואז  רבי יוחנן אמר אתרוג שנכנס משישית לשביעית נחשב טבל--היינו מחויב מעשר.  (2) רבן גמליאל אמר לאתרוג הולכים לפי חנטה לשנה השביעית ולפי לקיטה למעשר. רבי אליעזר אמר שאנחנו הולכים לפי לקיטה לכל דבר.  (3) הראש השנה לשנת השמיטה ונטיעה הוא היום הראשון של תשרי. לאילן הוא ט''ו בשבט. (4) לא ניתן לשתול 30 ימים לפני ראש השנה של השנה השביעית כי מוסיפים מחול על הקודש. ומשהו שניטע כשמגיע לשנה הרביעית אחרי ראש השנה אסור להשאיר. ראש שנה דף י'. העובדה המפתח  היא רש''י שם, בעמוד י' שמסביר את העניין. רש''י זו היא נקודת  המוקד. לדבריו, למרות שהעץ הוא בשנתה ה -4 בגלל ראש השנה עבר, עדיין פרותיה ערלים ואסורים לנצח כי ט''ו בשבט לא בא. (5) לכן כאשר רמב''ם כותב אתרוג שנכנס משישית לשביעית מחויב מעשר, הוא מכוון  מא' תשרי לראש השנה לאילנות בט''ו בשבט. אז למרות שלמעשר הולכים לפי זמן הלקיטה, אבל עדיין  הוא לפני ט''ו בשבט והוא  שהוא נחשב עדיין להיות בשנה שעברה - שנה השישית לעניין מעשר.

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Introduction.
 I want to answer a question in the רמב''ם. In brief the רמב''ם decides the halacha like רבותינו שבאושא. and then in the next paragraph he brings the גמרא that a אתרוג going from the ששית into the שביעית year is טבל even if it was only the size of an olive in the ששית year and then in the שביעית year became as big as a loaf of bread. My answer is that he is referring to the period between ראש השנה of the שביעית year until ט''ו בשבט. That is what he means by saying it is a fruit of the ששית year that has gone into the שביעית.

 To make it clear what I mean let me try to bring some background information.

(1) רבה said an אתרוג going from ששית to שביעית is not obligated in מעשר nor ביעור.
But going from שביעית to שמינית, it is liable to ביעור the laws of the שביעית year. אביי asked on this and it seems off hand that אביי is thinking we go by the time of חנטה and so from ששית to שביעית is a problem. In any case רבה answers him. רב המנונה said we go by the time of חנטה. The רשב''י in the name of רבי שמעון said ששית to שביעית and שביעית to שמינית is not obligated in anything because we need the זמן גידול and the זמן לקיטה should be in a state of obligation. The גמרא answers that רבה and רב המנונה are going like the חמישה זקנים that for the שביעית year we go by חנטה.
Then comes the two statements of רבי יוחנן which the רמב''ם brings. The אתרוג going from ששית to שביעית is considered  טבל--obligated in מעשר. And  בת ששית לשביעית לעולם שביעית

(2) רבן גמליאל said for an אתרוג we go by חנטה for the שביעית year and by לקיטה for the מעשר,
רבי אליעזר said we go by לקיטה for everything.

(3) The ראש השנה for the שביעית year and נטיעה is the first day of תשרי. For אילן it is the ט''ו בשבט.

(4) You can't plant 30 days before ראש השנה of the שביעית year because we add from the secular onto the holy. And something planted that reaches the forth year after ראש השנה is forbidden forever. ראש השנה 10.

The key fact is theרש''י over there on page 10 that explains this last statement. This רש''י is the focal point of everything I have written here. He says even though the tree is in its 4th year because ראש השנה has passed, still its fruits are ערלה forbidden forever because ט''ו בשבט has not come.

(5) Therefore when the רמב''ם writes the אתרוג comes from ששית to שביעית is obligated in מעשר he means the first משנה that ראש השנה for trees in ט''ו בשבט. So even though for מעשר we go by the time of לקיטה, but still since it is before ט''ו בשבט it is as far as the אתרוג is concerned still the last year--that is year ששית and thus obligated in מעשר even though it in the שביעית year as far as the laws of the שביעית year is concerned.

(6) You have to consider this like two fields. One is a gravitational field and the other is an electrical field. They don't interact. You have a מעשר  field from tu beshavat to tu beshvat and another field  for shemitah from rosh hashanah to rosh hashanah

Rosh HaShanah 14-15

Introduction.
 I want to answer a question in the Rambam. In brief the Rambam decides the halacha like the sages in Usha. and then in the next paragraph he brings the Gemara that a estrog going from the 6th into the 7th year is tevel even if it was only the size of an olive in the 6th year and then in the 7th year became as big as a loaf of bread.My answer is that he is referring to the period between Rosh Hashanah of the 7th year until Tu Beshvat.

 To make it clear what I mean let me try to bring some background information.

(1) Rabah said an estrog going from 6 to 7 is not obligated in tithes nor the laws of the seventh year.
But going from 7 to 8, it is liable to the laws of the 7th year. Abyee asked on this and it seems off hand that Abyee is thinking we go by the time of ripening and so from 6 to 7 is a problem. In any case Rabah answers him. Rav HaMenunah said we go by the time of ripening --period. The Rashbi in teh name of Rabbi Shimon said 6 to 7 and 7 to 8 is not obligated in anything because we need the growth and the picking time should be in a state of obligation. The Talmud answers that Rabah and Rav HaMenunah are going like Rabban Gamiel and the Five Elders that for the 7th year we go by ripening.
The sages in Usha said we go by the time of picking for everything


The comes the two statements of Rabbi Yochanan which the Rambam brings. The estrog going from 6 to 7 is considered  tevel--obligated in tithes.

(2) Rabban Gamiel said for an estrog we go by ripening for the 7th year and by picking for the tithes,
Rabbi Eliezer said we go by picking for everything.

(3) The Rosh HaShanah for the 7th year and planting is the first day of Tishrei and for trees it is the 15th of Shevat.

(4) You can't plant 30 days before Rosh Hashanah of the 7th year because we add from the secular onto the holy. And something planted that reaches the forth year after Rosh Hashanah is forbidden forever. Rosh Hashanah 10.

The key fact is the Rashi over there on page 10 that explains this last statement. This Rashi is the focal point of everything I have written here. He says even though the tree is in its 4th year because Rosh Hashanah has passed, still its fruits are Orlah forbidden forever because Tu BeShevat has not come.

(5) Therefore when the Rambam writes the esrog comes from 6 to 7 is obligated in tithes he means the first Mishna that Rosh Hashanah for trees in Tu Beshavat. So even though for tithes we go by the time of picking, but still since it is before Tu Beshabat it is as far as the estrog is concerned still the last year--that is year 6 and thus obligated in tithes even though it in the 7th year as far as the laws of the 7th year is concerned.

Pantheism comes when stupid people learn the Ari (Isaac Luria).

Pantheism would be a great subject to into in detail because it is highly relevant nowadays. .

There has been a long progression in the attempt to change the Torah from Monotheism into Pantheism. It has only been Reform Judaism that has preserved the original faith of the Torah. I think this might be because Reform Judaism made the Guide of the Rambam to be a prime source of information about what the Torah is about.

I really have little against pantheism per se. Spinoza and the Upanishads have  a lot to say about this subject.
But I object to presenting the Torah as pantheism.

How can I show this? Well for one thing the Guide of the Rambam goes into detail about the idea that God made the world something from nothing. Now what people do to get pantheism from this is they change the meaning of those words. The problem with this is that words mean what they mean, not what you choose them to mean. Redefining a term with widespread understood usage to a specialized usage that is quite different doesn't make the usage legitimate scholarship. It marks the user as an incompetent scholar.

The path from Monotheism to Pantheism started in innocence. The Ari [Isaac Luria] got popular and from there it was a short  step from the idea of emanation into pantheism. Pantheism comes when stupid people learn the Ari.  

But to change Torah from Monotheism into Pantheism is not innocence. And you can see why the Gra would  have signed the Cherem [excommunication.](His name is the very first signature on that document.)
I guess this makes me the Grinch. For Pantheism has become in the minds of many people the most essential doctrine of Torah today. Speaking against it is like speaking against the deepest article of faith for many people.

People can get their feeling of numinosity [purpose and meaning] from all kinds of different places- many times not from good places. People can find their purpose and feelings of holiness in life from ideas that are from the Dark Side. They can believe so strongly that they can do even miracles from the Dark Side.

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Pantheism really just does not come up in the Talmud. The belief system of the Talmud is monotheism.. But this really never gets articulated until Maimonides and Saadia Gaon. And it would not even be of any interest if not for people trying to claim that the Torah is pantheistic.


In any case the discussion seems to be more relevant to philosophy than to any Talmudic or halacha issue. However this issue does seem to have some bearing on the halachic nature of idolatry. After all if "everything is godliness," then those who happen to be into some form of idolatry have a free ticket.


This discussion has some bearing on the issue of learning Musar. One advantage of the Musar movement was that they emphasized learning the basic books of medieval ethics before anyone started pushing pantheism.

Once people started pushing pantheism, it became rare to find any books that don't include pantheism of some form, and present it as authentic Torah.
What is monotheism? It is this: The world is not God. God made it; something from nothing.
The Rambam goes into this in his Guide and you can imagine that that might very well be the reason it is not a popular book.
Also just for the information I should mention that another aspect of monotheism is Divine simplicity;--God is not a composite.











 כשאני עוסק בנושא של עבודה זרה  אני חושב  שדיון על הפנתאיזם  יהיה רלוונטי. פנתאיזם אינו בתלמוד. מערכת האמונה של התלמוד היא מונותיאיזם. אבל זה לא מקבל ביטוי עד הרמב"ם וסעדיה גאון. וזה אפילו לא יהיה של כל עניין, אם לא שאנשים מנסים לטעון שהתורה היא חובקת פנתאיזם
 לנושא זה יש יחס לעבודת אלילים. אחרי הכל, אם "הכל אלוהות, אז אין עבודה זרה. יש לדיון זה יחס לנושא של לימוד מוסר. אחד היתרונות של תנועת המוסר היה שהם הדגישו לימוד הספרים הבסיסיים של תורה של ימי הביניים לפני שמישהו התחיל לדחוף פנתאיזם. ברגע שהאנשים התחילו לדחוף פנתאיזם, זה הפך נדיר למצוא ספרים שאינם כוללים פנתאיזם של צורה כלשהי ולהציג אותו כאותנטי תורה

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learning Torah

I don't know how to go about learning Torah. It seems to me the best idea --if at all possible to to get a small Talmud Bavli, [Babylonian Talmud] and set of Musar [mediaeval Ethics] books and to learn at home.
It is not that this is the best way to go about it, but rather that any other way seem to be unworkable.
Hillel's are more for fun activities. Synagogue are also for other things.

In Eastern Europe there was a concept of a place where people would go when they were off from work, and be able to go in a sit and learn Torah; but today there are no such places. Yeshivas  are private, and certainly not anyone can walk in and sit and learn. So the old concept of  a "beit midrash" is largely extinct.


Now if you have a Hillel or a Reform or Conservative Temple in your neighborhood in theory you could set aside a place inside for learning Torah alone. But that would depend on other people's desires. And you  don't want your learning Torah to be dependent on other people's desires.



What I mean by a small Talmud Bavli is the small set they used to print a few years ago. You could get the whole Talmud for about hundred dollars then. And it had the Rif in it also. I should mention that I do think the Ari is also good to learn. But Torah learning nowadays really has to be done at home unless you happen to be in the vicinity of a legitimate Lithuanian yeshiva. But those places are rare.

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There is a divide between Jewish people and Conservatives in the USA. Jews always vote for as close to Communism and Socialism as they can get. And our support of blacks can be interpreted as not so much a love of blacks, but more because they are enemies of white people.

So what I suggest to correct this situation is that people should learn Torah.
This will be helpful in two directions. One is that when Jewish people learn Torah, they will see that the Torah's values are not socialism, but rather identical with conservative values. On the other hand when Conservatives learn Torah, they will benefit by gaining a more consistent world view.

The left is so antisemitic it is a wonder to me that any decent person can associate themselves with them. My advice is thus to vote for what would be considered conservative values in the next election. And in the meantime to start learning Torah. For those who need an introduction to Torah I recommend the Horev of Shimshon Refael Hirsch--but only as an intro. At some point you need to start serious learning on your own. That is to get a Talmud Bavli and start working your way through it. . [Avraham Cook's books also are very good for an introduction in Torah.]

 mysticism is not an introduction to Torah. It is best to learn them after one has finished the Talmud at least once and also the main writings of Isaac Luria. Without that basic background the tendency is to misunderstand him.

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Orchestra

For  health I recommend learning Musar, [like the Duties of the Heart and the general set of books on Ethics you can find in almost any Lithuanian yeshiva. These are yeshivas which walk in the path of the Gra.]


These are books that don't deal directly with  health but rather with the world view of Torah and how to keep Torah in a practical way. But the offshoot of learning these books is one gains fear of God. And fear of God is useful in several ways, one of which is  health.
But not everything that deals with Torah ethics is accurate. Many books which claim to be teaching Torah are pseudo Torah. To get to real Fear of God one needs authentic Torah.
Now I realize that authentic Torah can be dry. This is in fact the reason why Musar and Gemara are not learned. They are hard and unless you develop a taste for them they are dry.  

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Antisemitism comes the verse כמים הפנים אל פנים כן לב אדם. As the face that appears in water is to the face that it reflects so is the heart of a man to his neighbor. So his conclusion is that antisemitism is a direct result of people learning Rashi on Chumash.

Antisemitism comes the verse כמים הפנים אל פנים כן לב אדם. As the face that appears in water is to the face that it reflects so is the heart of a man to his neighbor. So his conclusion is that antisemitism is a direct result of people learning Rashi on Chumash. [That is to say  people should instead learn the Ramban on Chumash].


 There was  a black fellow that was an anchor of a news program on TV. He heard two of his co workers mention about how blacks are prone to violence. He decided to teach them a lesson about racism and so shot them. I guess he thought that would show them how wrong they were.

My basic point was that race is how nature species one species into two. I explained that let's say you have a species of bird and you separate them. They first separate into two races. One way this happens is their color is different. Then eventually they become different species.
Or in England where you have soot. Take one species of bird and put some there. They  develop color that blends into the soot. The part of the species that was not there developed differently and eventually they became two different species.
At some point they becomes different species. Nature has already decided to separate black and white into tow different species and has started this project already. To try to revers this progression is just provoking nature to make her point all the more powerfully.

When you go to a Litvak yeshiva the first thing that happens is someone asks you to complete some minyan somewhere near by. Or they need you for some other purpose.

Many people including myself wonder if we are required to interrupt our studies for such a thing.

Rav Ovadia Joseph was asked in a more general vein about yeshiva students going to Meron on Lag Be'Omer. [He answered in the negative.]

The way I would look at this would be from the standpoint of halacha. מצווה שאי אפשר לעשות על ידי אחרים מבטלים בשבילה

But what people are really wondering about is this: Is there a specific advantage to pray in a yeshiva as opposed to a a synagogue. I would say that today most yeshivas are places of the Dark Side. The pretend to be places of Torah but most often are places of worship of some dead person. But if in fact you have in your area an authentic Lithuanian yeshiva then by all means I would say to pray there on Rosh Hashana at almost all cost.

 yeshiva meaning a place where people learn Talmud Rashi and Tosphot all day.

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Someone comes to kill you, kill them first. הקם להרגך הקדם להרגו. This is straight forward principle from the Talmud. You don't wait until they have shot at you. You shoot them immediately when their intention is clear. I should mention this right to self defense applies to Jews also. They don't need to wait until they are nuked in order to take action.

Since Iran announces their intention to wipe Israel off the map and they say every day in their radio programs exactly what they are planning on doing with the Bomb there is no need to wait until their fulfill their desires.

My basic approach is that of Israel Salanter. I go with his idea that the basic cannon of Musar books defines the Torah approach. That is to say there is something like a closed cannon. The basic ones are well known.[חובות לבבות, אורחות צדיקים, מסילת ישרים, שערי תשובה]

This concept was  never really articulated by Rav Salanter himself but it seem implicit in the basic Musar approach that developed after him.

I bring this up because I want to tell people to learn Musar right when they get up in the morning. For myself I have known that the first hours in the morning are very important, and you can see this theme in Chaim from Voloshin also."Everything goes by the beginning."


The advantage of Fear of God is that it brings to length of days. That is your days become longer. You have to spend less time wasted with trivial stuff that adds nothing to your quality of life.

Appendix: If people would learn Musar I think many issues on a personal basis and a national basis would be solved.  You can't imagine people learning Musar that would have any doubt about abortion or homosexuality. But further more the disciple of Israel Salanter Isaac Blazer wrote that Musar is a cure even for mental disease. It is רפואת הנפש ורפואת הגוף. So the solution to all your problems is right in front of you. And the solution to all the problems in the USA is right in front of them. And the solution to all the problems in Israel is right in front of us all. Learn books that instill in you fear of God right away when you get up in the morning. I mean even one page. Say it word for word.

The point is not just to learn Torah but to get in a direct way what the Torah is telling you.

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Race is actually a function of biology. It is the way nature starts to separate one species into two or more. And you can't fight nature. Nature will always win. And the more you fight it, the more forceful Nature will be in getting her way. Nature laughs at those who think they can beat her.
People are finding this out the hard way.

Ideas in Shas

I added a new idea here at the end about the Rambam in Bava Kama 19. I decided there is no way to get him to fit the Gemara and so I came up with an idea that he must have has a different version than our Gemara. I think you have to say this because the Gra said that Rambam is "אינו מובן" ("not understandable."

Also you can see I wrote some of this in Talmudic Hebrew and the more recent things in  modern Hebrew. So if there are mistakes in grammar please forgive me. I in fact assume it still needs a lot of editing. The reason I put it here is because the ideas are sound.

I also edited the middle a little. To me today it seems the Rambam may have understood outside books to mean books of idolatry. And the Rif and Rosh it means books that explain the Torah not in accordance with the Talmud.  The Rif and Rosh here have an opinion that is strict--even more than the Rambam. The reason is that almost all  "Torah" books today explain the Torah in ways not in accordance with the Talmud. They all have use  kabalistic foundations and principles to explain the Torah. That would make the entire body of Torah writings from all the major publishing houses to be ספרים חיצוניים outside books.

Personally I am not against the Kabalah. But still I think it is fair point to take note that every so called Torah book today on issues of "השקפה" [world view] takes its world view from anywhere except Talmud.

Trump policy will be to work with people to get things done,-- like he has done in NY.

Once you can learn even one 1/2 a page of Gemara with Tosphot and the Avi Ezri then you have graduated. You now can be called a person that "knows how to learn." At that point you can take any Gemara and any halacha anywhere and know how to analyze it.

If given a small amount of time for learning Torah, I usually try to learn Tosphot. And this is what I think would be a good idea for others also. There might be several reason for this but one clear benefit is that without Tosphot people don't understand the Gemara itself. That is they imagine they understand. It is not just the Gemara, but halacha also. There are people that think that they can know halacha without understanding  the actual Gemara from where the halachah is derived. This is more common than you would think.
Doing one page of Gemara for a week or two with every Tosphot is in fact a good way to understand what Torah is about.

And if you have done the Gemara well then next step is the learn the Rambam with Rav Shach's Avi Ezri If you have done this thoroughly on even one 1/2 a page of Gemara then you will know how to learn a lot better than those that just skim  and call it "learning."

Also this would help to have good idea of what the Torah is saying about the particular subject you are learning.

Once you can learn one sugia [subject] properly, then you have the ability to do every subject.

What I am saying is in in fact an amazing idea. It is this. Once you can learn even one 1/2 a page of Gemara with Tosphot and the Avi Ezri then you have graduated. You now can be called a person that "knows how to learn."  At that point you can take any Gemara and any halacha anywhere and know how to analyze it.


This works for anything. If you want to know what the Torah says about homosexuality this is simple. You find the Mishna and Gemara that deal with this in כריתות. And then you learn the Avi Ezri of Rav Shach on that Gemara and you will know how the Torah looks at this. Furthermore I would suggest that until you have learned the subject from the standpoint of the Torah then you should withhold an opinion. I have heard people say things in the name of the Torah when it si clear that they had not learned the subject properly.

The Shiduch idea is important for the  people of Israel. That is a marriage offer. Not a forced marriage but not a date either. This goes back a long way. The tribe of Benjamin had done a crime  and murdered a girl friend of some guy. The rest of the Israel decided they were not going to stay by and condone this. They went to the the Urim and Tumim and got word that they should make war on Benjamin. They did so and at the end of the war most of the tribe was wiped out. During the war they had let it be known that anyone that did not join would be considered a traitor. The men of Yabesh Gilad did not join. So Israel went and wiped them out and took their virgin girls and gave them to the tribe of Benjamin. They made sure every single guy got a shiduch. That was not enough. So they told the remaining guys to go to Shiloh and kidnap the virgin girls that went dancing on the 15th of Av.
No matter how you look at this they were serious about the importance of getting a girl for every guy.

And thus you can see how things have changed today--and not for the better.

Music File for the glory of the God of Israel.

CHS 

This needs editing but here it is anyway.

It is Elul and probably a lot of people are thinking about how to repent on their sins. OK may one or two. I have given this some thought and I want to suggest as a first step to learn Musar. These are books of classical ethics  from Middle Ages. And if possible to make houses of Musar so as to help others have a situation where they can also learn Musar. [Repentance of the Sitra Achra--the Dark Side--should be avoided. It happens that most people that repent mainly replace one set of sins with another.]

The idea here is that in the long run we will be held responsible for our actions before God. The grave will not be a refuge. And the one thing that effects our actions more than anything else is our attitudes and world view. If we can correct our world view to be in accord with God's will then we stand a better chance that our deeds and what we say will be correct.

Musar --I have to mention--is two part. One is the Middle Ages. The other is from the time of Israel Salanter and his close disciples. The basic ones were Simcha Zisel of Kelm, Isaac Blazer, Naphtali Amsterdam. A later addition was Joseph Horvitz from Navardok.  There was also the Altar of Slobodka who I know little about. Each wrote and their writings are very important. For Elul I suggest getting all the basic books of Musar and going through them--every last one.

Besides that I have decided for myself to take note of things that I am pretty sure fall into the category of major mistakes--or sins. That is,-- things that I am pretty sure that God [the Will] got mad at me for.
To concentrate on things I know I did wrong I believe is a great way to concentrate on doing repentance. So I suggest that if you can find in your life some things that you are relatively sure that God got mad at you for,  then you have something you can focus your energy on correcting.

If you don't think you have any sins, then your are probably in worse trouble than you think.

The Medieaval books are the Duties of the Heart, The Paths of the Just, Gates of Repentance, and others.

variation on a Hanuka theme

i60 i60 midi  i60 nwc

With Iran actively pursuing the Bomb and getting help from the present USA administration, I highly recommend to people to get their own bomb shelters and bury them deep, and stock-pile them for at least 50 days. [The radiation is then about 1/1000 of its original strength.]  This goes for people in the USA and in Israel. Europe I am not sure about. Russia has however nothing to worry about. If Iran would even scratch themselves in the direction of Russia, it would be obliterated off the map.

If you see a bright light all of a sudden then DON'T LOOK. Run to your bomb shelter.


Download this survival handbook Army Survival Handbook

Study it and put a copy into the bomb shelter. Also put there the Old Testament, a Talmud, and Physics and Math books.


A check list of things to get


[I mean to say that I don't think Iran would use the Bomb on Europe, because they are already taking it over and Islamizing it from inside.  They don't have any need to bomb Europe because they are already destroying it.

Also in terms of survival it is important to have a supportive community around you. Your own family is not enough. You need to be in a community where people can count on each other.



The list of things to get:


Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. ("Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

Rosh HaShanah 15 a.

In Israel the land goes through a seven year cycle. The first year you give 2% of your crop to any priest, 10% to any Levi, and 9% you take to Jerusalem with your family to eat there after giving one basket to the Temple. Or you could redeem the fruit. Put its value in silver and when you have time take the silver to Jerusalem and there buy fruit and eat it there. Same goes for year 2. Year 3 everything is the same but the second tithe is given to a poor person. Years 4 and 5 are like year 1. year 6 is like year 3. Seventh year you rest.  Vegetables you count the year by when they are picked.
Fruit you consider to be part of the year it became ripe. Wheat you count by when it got to be a third of its growth. And Estrog is a kind of fruit that can stay on the tree for several years. So how do you count it? So it is not like a normal fruit that has one specific time it be be considered to be ripe. This ambiguity leads us to the argument between Raban Gamliel, Rabbi Eliezer and the sages in a city called Usha.

Incidentally none of the above has anything to do with לקט שכחה ופאה. [When harvesting, if you drop something you have to leave it for the poor. If you forgot something you have to leave it for the poor. And the corner of your field you have to leave for the poor.] "Poor" in this context has a legal definition. It does not mean anyone can take. They have to be in fact poor.]






Synopsis:
 I want to present a question on Tosphot. In essence Tosphot says Rabah could have answered Abyee and said he is going like Rabban Gamliel. I ask that that would simply put the question of Abyee back into the end of the statement of Rabah. At the end of this essay I answer my question.

(1) Just to  present the basic ideas here: Raban Gamliel says for an fruit called an Estrog  we go by the time it becomes ripe for ערלה רבעי ושביעית  [the first three years when all fruit is forbidden, and the seventh year] and by the time it is picked for מעשר Maasar [The tenth that is given to the Levi]. Rabbi Eliezer says we go by the time of ripening for everything. The Sages in Usha decided we go by the time of picking for everything. (For example let's say you  have an estrog that became ripe during the seventh year and you pick it on the eight year. Then to RG it would have the obligations of the seventh year but also be obligated in tithes. To RE it would only be obligated in tithes.]

(2) Rabah said an estrog of the sixth year going into the seventh is not obligated in ביעור nor in Maasar. An estrog of the seventh year going into the eight is obligated in ביעור but not maasar.

(3) Abyee asked, The last part of Rabah is OK because he is being strict but what about the first part? It is OK that he is obligated in ביעור because we go by ripening but what about the Maasar? If we go by ripening then why is he not obligated in Maasar?

(4) Rabbah answered: everyone is going into his field and you want him to be obligated in Maasar?

(5) Tosphot says Rabbah could have answered he is going Rabban Gamliel.

(6) My question is that would have thrown the question of Abyee back on the end of the statement of Rabah instead of the first part.

The End

That is all I have to say. But just to be a little more clear let me just ask you what is Abyee thinking? You have to be careful here because Abyee asks בשלמא הסיפא להחמיר "The end is OK because Rabba is being strict." In what way is he being strict?

The only way this question of Abyee makes any sense is if you look at it in this way: Abyee knows there is an argument whether we go by the time of ripening or of picking. He sees that Rabbah is going by the time of ripening because of ביעור. And that would force the estrog not to be obligated in Maasar. But he see that Rabbah is right even if we would go by the time of picking because there is a decree for people to let go of ownership of the fruit of  property in the seventh year. So even if we are strict still there is no obligation of maasar.

But in the beginning of the statement of Rabbah why would he not be obligated in Maasar?



A  simple way to look at all this is thus: The end of the statement of Rabah is like Rabbi Eliezer. The beginning is  like Rabban Gamliel. You can't have both. Abyee thought that Rabah had decided like R Eliezer. Ripening alone determines everything. But then the beginning is a question. Tosphot wants to say that Rabah could have answered the beginning is like Rabban Gamliel. But then I ask how does that help us? We would be left with the end of Rabah's statement which would not make sense.


What I am saying is if you could say the beginning is RG and the end RE then we would be OK. But obviously you cant do that. So Raba  says the end is RE and the beginning he has an answer for. Fine. So Tosphot wants to say he could have reversed this? How? The beginning is RG and the end what? In the eight year there is no reason for him not to be obligated in Maasar to RG!

Answer: Just like could answer for Abyee and say the decree to  let the fruits of the seventh year be open for all makes that the estrog is not obligated in tithes so we can answer the same for Rabah



טו: ) ראש השנה
 אני רוצה להציג שאלה על תוספות. תוספות אומר רבה היה יכול לענות אביי ולומר שהוא הולך כמו הרבן גמליאל. אני שואל שזה היה שם את השאלה של אביי בחזרה לסוף הדין של רבה. (1) רק כדי להציג את הרעיונות הבסיסיים כאן: רבן גמליאל אומר לאתרוג אנחנו הולכים לפי הזמן של חנטה לערלה רבעי ושביעית וזמן לקיטה למעשר. רבי אליעזר אומר שאנחנו הולכים לפי הזמן של חנטה לכל דבר. רבותינו באושא החליטו שאנחנו הולכים לפי הזמן של לקיטה לכל דבר. (2) רבא אמר אתרוג של שישית שנכנסה לשביעית אינו מחויב בביעור ולא במעשר. אתרוג של השנה השביעית שנכנסה לשמינית מחויב בביעור אבל לא במעשר. (3) אביי שאל, הסיפא של רבה הוא בסדר כי הוא רוצה להחמיר, אבל מה לגבי הרישא? זה בסדר שהוא מחויב בביעור משום שאנחנו הולכים לפי זמן חנטה, אבל מה לגבי מעשר? אם תלכו לפי חנטה, אז למה הוא לא מחויב במעשר (4) רבה ענה: כולם נכנסים לשדה שלו ואתה רוצה שהוא יהיה מחויב במעשר? כמו חולית של ים לגבי אבדה. (5) תוספות אומר שיש לרבה יכולת לענות שהוא הולך כרבן גמליאל. (6) השאלה שלי היא שזה היה זורק את השאלה של אביי בחזרה על הסיפא במקום הרישא
  כדי להיות יותר ברור תן לי רק לשאול אותך מה אביי חשב?  אביי שואל "בשלמא הסיפא להחמיר" "הסוף הוא בסדר כי רבה רוצה להחמיר ." הדרך היחידה לשאלה זו של אביי להיות  הגיונית היא אם אתה מסתכל על זה בדרך זו: אביי יודע שיש מחלוקת אם נלך לפי שעת חנטה או של לקיטה. הוא רואה שרב הולך לפי הזמן של חנטה בגלל הביעור. ושזה מאלץ את האתרוג לא להיות מחויב מעשר. אבל הוא רואה  שזה נכון גם אם היינו הולכים לפי הזמן של לקיטה כי יש תקנה  להפקיר את הפירות שחנטו בשביעית. אז גם אם אנחנו מחמירים, עדיין אין חובה של מעשר. אבל בתחילת הדיון של רבה למה שהוא לא יהיה מחויב מעשר? דרך פשוטה להסתכל על כל זה היא כך: סוף הדיון רבה הוא כמו הרבי אליעזר. ההתחלה היא כמו הרבן גמליאל. לא יכול להיות שניהם. אביי חשב שרבה החליט כמו רבי אליעזר. חנטה לבדה קובעת הכל. אבל אז הרישה היא קשה. תוספות רוצה לומר שרבה היה יכול לענות ההתחלה היא כמו הרבן גמליאל. אבל אז אני שואל איך זה יכול לעזור לנו? אנחנו נשארים עם הסיפא של רבה שהיה לא הגיונית. אני עדיין לא זכיתי להיות מסוגל להבין תוספות


תירוץ: תוספות מכווין לומר שרבה יכול לומר גם לפי שיטת רבן גמליאל שזה שיש תקנה להפקיר את הפירות שחנטו בשביעית גורם שאפילו שהולכים במעשר אחר זמן לקיטה האתרוג היה הפקר אינו יכול להיות חייב במעשר.

My idea about Fear of God as being a goal goes back to my reading a book of Musar by Isaac Blazzer

And he got it from a commentary on the Rambam.  The idea is this: One verse says, "Do the commandments of God in order to come to fear him." Another verse says, "Fear Him in order to come to do his commandments." This looks like a contradiction. Answer: There are two kinds of fear of God. One is fear of punishment. The another is awe of Him. So the verses mean,- have the lower fear to do the commandments, and do the commandments to come to awe of God.

In any case we do have awe of God as being a primary goal. Along with that there are benefits of fear of God. One is length of days. That means that people stop wasting your time. You get longer days when you have to waste less time.

So how does one go about coming to fear of God? Or rather how does one come to the lower fear of God?


It is accepted that learning Musar  is at least a small step in this direction. ["Musar" means classical medieval books of Jewsih Ethics and also the book written by the disciples of Israel Salanter.]

The Rambam hints in Mishna Torah at the idea that learning Physics and Metaphysics brings to fear of God and also is a fulfillment of that commandment. But he says this much more openly in the Guide for the Perplexed. And he is not talking about Kabalah. He says openly when he mentions these things he is referring to the Physics and Metaphysics of the ancient Greeks.

It is the month of Elul. So I recommend starting a daily session in Musar, Physics and Metaphysics.

The Musar should probably not include books that disparage learning the natural sciences since they are in contradiction to the Rambam.
So one should mainly learn the books of Musar of the Rambam and his son Avraham, חובות לבבות אורחות צדיקים and the books that went along with the Geonic schools of Saadia Gaon, etc.

And if you are learning Physics and Metaphysics with the above stated intention then you don't need to worry of you understand it or not. However if you have trust in God that he will grant to you understanding and just say the words eventually you will understand.

[I know some people were not thrilled with learning natural sciences, but their opinion is usually presented as straightforward Torah when in fact that opinion is quite contrary to the opinion of the Rambam. Besides that I am seen plenty of people that do the Torah alone thing, and rarely do I see anything that is even conceivably close to fear of God,-- though I admit there are some exceptions.]

edited version of q25

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