Category: Torah Riddles

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Torah Riddles Test #194

1. Question: For allowing a woman to get remarried why can you testify that a man died if he fell into a pit of snakes and scorpions but if he fell into a lion’s den you can’t testify he died unless you saw him die?

Background:

 A. The Beis Shmuel (Even HaEzer 17:29:91) says a pit of snakes and scorpions is narrow but a lion’s den is wide.

 B. The Beis Shmuel also says that you should not rely on a miracle like what happened to Daniel in the lion’s den.

  Answer: Maybe the lions weren’t hungry so they didn’t eat him. But by the snakes and scorpions because of the squishy area and the man is on top of the snakes and scorpions they will bite.  


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Torah Riddles Test #193

 2.      Question: Why can’t the view that holds we eat milk products on Shavuos because the Jews didn’t have checked sharp knives right after the Torah was given to properly slaughter animals, hold that Hashem gave us the Torah on Shabbos?

Background:

A.     The medrish Pirkei diRebbe Eliezer (46) holds the Torah was given on Shabbos the gemara in Shabbos 86b holds it was given on erev Shabbos.

B.      A knife has to be checked for no nicks to be sure there is a smoothe cut by the shechita. As soon as Hashem gave the Torah and obligated us in all the mitzvos at matan Torah which is Shavuos they didn’t have any kosher knives to use that day to slaughter animals, so in commemoration we have a custom to eat milchig on Shavuos.

 Answer: If Hashem gave us the Torah on shabbos we couldn’t anyways slaughter because of shabbos so there would be nothing special to commemorate. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 494 footnote 18)

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Torah Riddles #192

1.      Question: Why is one allowed to accept Yom Tov early on Shavuos, before sunset?

 Background:

A. On Shavuos we make it a point to daven maariv and say Kiddush once it is completely dark in order so that 49 complete days have passed in the omer as the Torah says should happen before the onset of Shavuos.

B. Rav Nissim Karelitz said that if you take on yom tov early only regarding stopping doing melacha that does not take away from the 49 complete days needed.

  Answer: Since that time is still considered the 49th day of the omer, it’s just that it’s forbidden to do melacha because of Tosefes yom tov, therefore it’s not really recognizable that you are impeding on the day rather you are just passively not working (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 494 footnote 2).  


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Torah Riddles Test #191

2. Question: Why technically if you don’t answer amen but you just had in mind and the person saying the blessing had you in mind then it’s as if you said the blessing by any blessing besides if one bentches gomel upon hearing someone being saved, where the person actually saved must answer amen to fulfill his obligation of bentching gomel?

Background:

A.      The Mishna Berura (8:5:15) says that if 2 or 3 people are putting on their tallis all at the same time they should make the blessing all at the same time and if they want one can say it for everyone and the rest answer amen and even though one should anyways always answer amen to a blessing, but in this case when they want to fulfill the obligation themselves then answering amen shows they want to be apart of it, but technically even if they didn’t answer amen they fulfilled their obligation for the blessing [by just listening and having in mind.]

B.      When bentching gomel for himself a person should say Blessed is Hashem…Who has bestowed every goodness upon me. The Mishna Berura (219:4) says that if someone else said Blessed is Hashem… Who has bestowed every goodness upon you, and you answer amen then it works for yourself.

 Answer: Rebbe Akiva Aiger quoted in the Be’ur Halacha (219:4 “vi’ana amen”) says that since the listener cannot say “bestowed goodness upon you” then he cannot fulfill his obligation with the language of that blessing so listening is like answering would not apply and therefore he must answer amen which means he is acknowledging the subject of the blessing and not specifically how it was said.

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Torah Riddles #190

1. Question: According to the Tur why do children who say they came back from a funeral have to explain in detail that they were just at a funeral of so and so and there were eulogies by these people etc. in order for the wife of the deceased to be allowed to be remarried but if he just said as testimony that so and so died he is believed without further interrogation or need to speak innocently, for her to be remarried? What the difference between the two cases?

Background:

A. We believe testimony of almost anyone, even a maidservant or slave or a child for a woman to get remarried because of the issue if aguna and she will make sure her husband is dead before actually getting married last all the fines in chapter 10 of Yevamos will be upon her.

 B. Children are prone to make up stories and playing games like performing a funeral for an ant.

C. When a child reaches the age of 7 or 8 he has enough knowledge to do some level of business and is not considered like an insane person.

Answer: The Taz (Even HaEzer 17:13:9) says that since a child of 7 or 8 is mature enough to do business then he can be relied upon for aguna like any other non-real witness because we aren’t worried he’s insane but when talking about a funeral we are concerned they are making up stories so they have to give more details in order to prove they are telling the truth.

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Torah Riddles Test #189

 2. Question: Why does the Ohr Letzion poskin that anyone can give a haircut to their 3 year old at anytime of the omer but the bottom Tosfos in Bava Metzia 10b says that not even women can cut off the peus of boys?

Background:

A. The negative mitzvah of cutting off peus on a Jewish Male doesn’t only apply to a man but even a woman can’t do the action even to a boy who is not obligated in mitzvos but the women still transgressed the prohibition of cutting off the sidelocks. (See Tosfos there.)

B. The laws of mourning don’t apply to children whether it is for a relative who died or during the 3 weeks leading into Tisha b’av etc.

C. Not cutting hair during the omer is a custom in order to remember the loss of Rebbe Akiva’s students.

 Answer: Mourning doesn’t apply to a child at all so anyone can cut his hair even if they are mourning since not cutting hair only reflect mourning which doesn’t apply to the child but the prohibition of cutting off peus is an issue on the cutter not just the one being done to so even if the child isn’t obligated in the mitzvah as of yet but the hair cutter or the one allowing the hair cut to be done is.

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Torah Riddles Test #188

1. Question: Why can you remarry a woman you divorced after Nisuin but not a woman you divorced after Kiddushin (Erusin) anytime during the omer? Background:

A. Weddings are forbidden during parts of the omer when we are mourning over the loss of Rebbe Akiva’s students because it creates a tremendous amount of joy.

 B. There are two parts to a halachic marriage, Kiddushin which is the acquisition by giving the ring and the like and nisuin which is the consummation. Now a days we do them all at the same time but they use to be done separately like an engagement and a wedding.

 C. A get (divorce bill) is required in both cases and a Kiddushin and nisuin must be redone both times too.

 Answer: There is no halachic joy when remarrying your wife from Nisuin because you are just getting back together, nothing new. But to consummate a Kiddushin that was broken off is a new step to the marriage so it has a lot more joy. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 493 footnote 2) 

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Torah Riddles Test #187

2. Question: Why does the Beis HaLevi hold that a person who missed a day of the omer can still say it with a blessing for someone else but someone who is obligated in megilla for Shushan Purim can’t read it for one who needs to hear megilla on regular purim?

 Background:

A. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank quoting the Beis HaLevi says that even though you can’t say a blessing anymore by the omer because you skipped a day and there is a doubt whether the mitzvah of omer is one big mitzvah or 49 individual mitzvos so when in doubt you must be lenient and not say a blessing but there is still a concept of “arvus” that we are all connected to each other and help each other fulfill a mitzvah properly if we are both obligated in it therefore he can say a blessing for someone else in order that they can recite the omer with a blessing.

B. The Kaf HaChaim argues and says omer is like reading the megilla just as a person who lives in Yerushalayim and is obligated in shushan purim can’t read megilla for one who is obligated in regular purim even though they are both obligated in megilla, so to one who can’t say the blessing on the omer anymore for himself can’t say it for others.

 Answer: By the omer he is really an oness, it is just out of his control that he can’t fulfill the mitzvah if saying the blessing for the omer because of the doubt but he really is obligated possibly but the Yerushalmi has no obligation whatsoever (unless he decides to obligate himself) in the reading for regular Purim. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 489 footnote 74.)

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Torah Riddles Test #186

1. Question: According to Rashi why can’t you teach your child to count the omer in the daytime if it is too late for them to say it by night?

 Background:

A. The Mishna Berura (70:2:9) brings down the view of Rashi that there is no obligation on the father to teach his child to say krish Shema by night even at a chinuch age because he is not found by the father, since it’s too late and the child already went to sleep.

B. This makes sense for nighttime Shema which can only be said by night but the halacha is by the omer if you didn’t say it at night, you should say it without a blessing during the day and it counts so why not do that with your child?

  Answer: Since that wasn’t way the mitzvah was ideally set up, to be done during the day then it is improper chinuch to teach it that way and the only proper way to teach it would be to teach him by night with the blessing which is impractical if he goes to sleep. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura volume 5 in back page 41 footnote 9)

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Torah Riddles Test #185

2.    Question: Why can’t Omer be written down to fulfill the mitzvah even according to the view that writing is like speaking?

Background:

A. The Mishna Berura (47:4) brings an argument by Torah learning whether writing is like speaking or thinking the question being whether you have to say the blessing for learning Torah before writing Torah thoughts. On the one hand it’s an action so it’s like speaking on the other hand he didn’t say anything and the blessing is for speaking in learning. The Mishna Berura concludes that one should be strict and not say a blessing in the morning upon writing Torah notes until he is ready to verbalize them.

B. The Aruch Hashulchan says that by Torah learning the purpose of writing is to reveal the thoughts in one’s mind and that is why one opinion says writing is like speaking. Why then would writing the omer be different?

 Answer: The mitzvah by omer, krish Shema, and the amida is speaking it out so writing isn’t enough. So if you did it you would have to say the blessing over again and recite the omer verbally. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 489 footnote 43.)