The former Gadol HaDor, Rav Elyashiv may have passed on to the Olam
HaEmes, but his Torah lives on. Indeed, thanks to the efforts of his
son-in-law Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein Shlita, we are privy to new and
remakrbale rulings of Rav Elyashiv – in a just-off-the-press sefer
entitled Kav V’Naki, Vol. II, by Rav Zilberstein. Some of the rulings contained below deal with fundamental issues that all members of Klal Yisroel should be aware of. Below are some of the questions divided into the categories of three of the four sections of Shulchan Aruch.
Orech Chaim
Regarding the Minhag of fasting for all who witness a Sefer Torah
falling, may the Merciful One protect us, are women included in this
custom? Rav Elyashiv zt”l responded that this is the custom now in Klal
Yisroel that all men who observed it fall fast, but the technical
absolute halachic requirement was only for the person who actually
dropped it to fast. He also ruled that only men are included in this
custom and women who see a Sefer Torah fall do not fast. (OC 13)
[Editor’s note: Perhaps Rav Elyashiv is expressing a similar notion to
that of the author of the Alei Shor that the custom of 100 blessings a
day was never instituted for women because they have more natural Yiras
Shamayim than do men and were not in need of the takanah of 100
blessings per day to increase the Yiras Shamayim].
Can a Down’s Syndrome child be included in a Minyan of ten? Rav
Elyashiv answered that if the following two criterion are met, not only
may he be counted but he may even be Motzi the masses with Krias
HaTorah: 1] If he can shop without losing money and can accept and hold
on to change or if he can travel alone on a bus and 2] if he understands
a little bit of what he studies (OC 15).
A baal Teshuvah went back to his home community where the only Minyan
that existed was one made up of people that drive back home on Shabbos
(Heaven help us), is it preferable to daven with them or to daven
without a Minyan? Rav Elyashiv responded that it is preferable to daven
alone, although he noted that Rav Moshe Feinstein argued. In Rav
Elyashiv’s published shiurim on Brachos, however, he did state that
under very very pressing circumstances one may include such people in a
minyan (OC 16). [...]
Of what value is a teshuva not written or reviewed by Rav Elyashiv?
ReplyDeleteA key insight into Hoffman's thinking is in how he opens this article in describing HaRav Eliashev zt'l as a "former" Gadol HaDor.
ReplyDeleteWow.
Abe Davids - What is your issue? Do you believe that R' Elyashiv is the "current" Gadol HaDor? What about R' Akiva Eiger?
ReplyDeleteIt is wrong to refer to a godol in the past tense.
DeleteWill Hill - So instead of saying that Rav Schach "was" the Godol HaDor, you would say...?
Delete[In other words - please stop being ridiculous.]
I would say "The Godol Hador Rav Shach zt'l".
DeleteWhat's so hard? Jews do not speak of our rabbonim in the past tense.
We don't say "Rashi WAS a great scholar", but rather we say "Rashi IS a great scholar". We don't say "Rashi SAID" but rather we say "Rashi SAYS".
Will Hill / Abe Davids, you are making a mountain out of something that is not even a molehill.
DeleteRegarding the last psak, the one about it being best to daven alone rather than daven with mechallelei Shaboss:
ReplyDeleteThirty years ago, I was the Rabbi of a congregation in the Catskills where the only Shomer Shabbos was myself. One Shabbos, two very prominent haredi Roshei Yeshiva davened with us all three tefillos, after having walked from the yeshiva or bungalow colony where they were staying.
Of course, I asked them why they came to our shul instead of davening where they were staying, within a minyan of Shomrei Shabbos.
They told me that Rav Moshe used to daven in this shul when he came to the country and that Rav Moshe held that it was better to daven in a Beis HaKnesses kavua, even of non-SHomrei Shabbos, than to daven in an ad hoc minyan, even of Bnei Torah. If it was good enough for him, they told me, it was goo enough for them.
Your story doesn't hold much value without specific names that can be verified.
DeleteIt is a shame that the Baalei Gemorah had neither Will Hill's nor Abe David's insights because then they would have been more respectful of Avrohom Avinu (Kiddushin 32b), Amram (Sotah 12a..
DeleteIn the Nof - Spot on!
Delete[אברהם אבינו גדול הדור היה]
Well said Will Hill.
Delete