Ask The Rabbi
11 July 1998
Issue #200
Parshas Balak
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This publication is available in HTML format at
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Researched at Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem
This Issue Contains:
1. Who's Buried in David's Tomb?  	5. Levites at Work
2. Caution!  Marriage! 			6. Yiddle Riddle
3. Why Jews Don't Count			7. Public Domain
4. Immersed in Thought                   
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___Who's Buried in David's Tomb?___

M.G. <moish@juno.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

I have heard that there are those who claim that King David is not buried 
in the place in Jerusalem known as "Kever David Hamelech" (King David's 
Tomb).  I would appreciate if you have more info on the subject.  

************

Dear M.G.,

	The Bible states that King David was buried in Ir David, or City of 
David.  According to the book of Joshua, the ancient city was divided into 
two halves; the eastern part was then called "Metsudat Zion" and later "Ir 
David" and the higher part in the west which was controlled by the 
Jebusites was called Har Hamoriah.  So it appears that Zion and Ir David 
are one and the same place, i.e., the low valley (which is nowadays called 
Silwan).  If that is the case, the present tomb upon Mt. Zion (being that 
it is in the higher, western portion of the city) cannot be that of King 
David.

Sources:
* Kings I 2,10
* Joshua 14:8 and 18:15
* See Atlas, Da'at Mikrah, Mossad Harav Kook pp. 12,13,212,270


___Caution!  Marriage!___

Eddy Webber from Lansing, MI <egw@aol.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

Forgive my ignorance in what may be a simple question, but I was at a 
wedding last night and after the groom broke the glass and everyone danced 
away, I noticed the glass -- which was wrapped in a plastic bag -- was 
lying on the floor.  I picked it up so no one would get hurt, but then I 
thought to myself, "what do you do with it?"  I was very puzzled.  It 
didn't seem right to just throw it in the garbage as it had been used for a 
religious ceremony; on the other hand, it was broken glass and it seemed 
like you should throw it away.  So what do you do with the broken glass 
after the wedding?

************

Dear Eddy Webber,

	You acted very correctly by picking up the broken glass in order to 
avoid injury.  There is no problem with throwing it away in the garbage.  
Although it was used in a religious ceremony, it itself is not a holy 
article.

	I've heard that some have the custom to save the glass and make 
jewellery from it.


___Why Jews Don't Count___

Todd from Dallas, Texas <toddl@bigfoot.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

There was a time where King David took a census of the people.  One of his 
servants tried to talk him out of it but was unsuccessful.  Then Hashem 
dealt severely with David and with the people of Israel.  (Sorry, I'm not 
sure of the exact reference.)  I have never understood why G-d does not 
like a census?  What is so wrong with counting the people?

************

Dear Todd,

	The reference is in Samuel II, Chapter 24.  The reason that G-d did 
not approve of counting the people directly is that by counting, one is 
ascribing a finite value to a Jew, a number, a physical reality.  In fact, 
the Jewish people are spiritually infinite, and should not be numbered and 
defined in the finite sense.  Even when the Jews needed to be counted, such 
as the census described in the Book of Numbers, it was done indirectly, 
whereby each person contributed a coin and the coins were counted.

	By the way, if you are from Dallas, may I suggest continuing your 
study of Judaism with the Dallas Area Torah Association.  Below is a 
contact:

Rabbi Yerachmiel Fried, Dean
Dallas Area Torah Association Community Kollel
5840 Forest Lane 
Dallas, Texas  75230 
Phone: 987-DATA 
e-mail: data@datanet.org


___Immersed in Thought___

Ashley Sevitz <rsevitz@iafrica.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi

A few years ago when I was studying in yeshiva, I adopted the minhag of 
going to the mikveh (spiritually purifying bath) every erev Shabbat (Friday 
afternoon).  This I have kept up all these years.  A while ago I heard it 
mentioned that there are actually certain kavanot (holy thoughts) that a 
person should have each time he immerses himself, seven in total.  Is this 
true?  If so, what are they?  And if it is true, how is a person allowed to 
have a religious kavana (thought) in the mikveh?

************

Dear Ashley,

	Many people immerse in a mikveh Friday afternoon to honor the 
Shabbat.  There are many different customs regarding the number of dips and 
regarding the kavanot which one should keep in mind.  Here are seven of the 
main customs:

* Two dips:  The first to remove the spiritual "clothing" of the weekday 
and the second to "wear" the spiritual clothing of Shabbat.  If he is 
physically impure, he needs one more dip before these two.  (Arizal in 
Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Hakavanot)
* Three dips:  The first for nefesh the second for ruach and the third for 
neshama (nefesh, ruach and neshama relate to different levels of the 
soul.  (Ben Ish Chai 2nd year, Lech Lecha note 16)
* Four dips, parallel to the four-letter name of G-d, one dip for each 
letter.  (Yesod Veshoresh Ha'avodah).
* Five dips corresponding the five levels of the soul:  Nefesh, ruach and 
neshama, as mentioned above, plus the two higher levels of soul called 
chayah and yechidah.  There are five different kavanot to have in mind 
when performing each of these dips:  At the first dip, purity from keri 
(physical impurity), at the 2nd, spiritual cleansing from anger, 3rd to 
remove spiritual "clothing" of the weekdays, 4th to remove "ruach" of 
weekdays, 5th to receive tosefet kedusha of Shabbat (additional sanctity 
of Shabbat).  (Ben Ish Chai 2nd year, Lech Lecha note 16)
* Seven dips:  Regarding the intricate kavanot, see source.  (Kaf HaChaim 
260:4-6)
* Ten dips:  This was the custom of the Chatam Sofer.  Regarding the 
intricate kavanot, see source.  (Tomer Devorah ch. 4, Kaf HaChaim 260:4-
6)
* Thirteen dips:  Thirteen is the gematria (numerical value) of the word 
"echad" which means "one" (as in "G-d is One.")  Regarding the intricate 
kavanot, see source.  (Kaf HaChaim 260:4-6)

	If the surroundings are clean, a person is permitted to have in mind 
the kavanot, even though he is in the mikveh.


___Levites at Work___

Bruce Blumenthal from Baltimore, MD <bblume@pol.net> wrote:

Dear Rabbi, 

In Parshat Naso, the levite service is described as beginning at age 25, 
but in Parshat Beha'alotcha it is 30.  Why the discrepancy?  Moreover, if 
the age of majority for men is 13, what was the role of the levi'im from 
age 13 to 25?

Dear Bruce,

	Rashi explains that the levi'im went through a five year "apprentice 
program" from the age of 25 until 30.  At age 30 they then became integral 
members of the Temple service roster.  Between age 13 until age 25 the 
levi'im apparently had no special role above that of any other Jew.

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Yiddle Riddle

Last week we asked: Which verse in the Torah begins and ends with the same 
word. (The word beginning the verse begins with a vav (meaning and), while 
the word ending the verse does not, but otherwise it is the same word.)

Answer: Bamidbar 32:1.  The verse says: "U'mikneh rav hiya l'vnei Reuven 
...  u'lavadecha mikneh" -- "Cattle galore there was to the children of 
Reuven... and your servants have cattle.

* Submitted by Rabbi Dr. Avigdor Boncheck

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The Public Domain
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features

Re: Yiddle Riddle (Ask #196):

	In a recent Yiddle Riddle, you asked:  "Two exactly identical people 
in the exact same place on the exact same day do the exact same act with 
the exact same intentions.  However, the first one is fulfilling a Torah 
commandment, and the second one is transgressing a Torah prohibition."  
Could this refer to placing two mezzuzot on the same door post?  Would this 
not violate "bal tosif" -- the prohibition against adding to the Torah -- 
because he tried to do a mitzvah which did not exist?

* Akiva Miller <kennethgmiller@juno.com>

	It is Shabbat & there is still chametz left in the house the day 
before Passover.  One cannot burn the chametz or remove it from the 
property (surrounding the property is a reshus harabim, and there is no 
toilet or other exit from the property by which the chametz can leave.)  
Consequently, by eating the chametz before midday, one is performing the 
mitzvah of removing the chametz from one's property.  A person who eats 
chametz after midday is performing a Biblical sin of eating chametz, as the 
Sages say "ach chalak."  And yet it is the same day, same action.

* Tuttle Norman, <TUTTLE@Sensormatic.com>


Why can't you give us a Yiddle Riddle once a week, it is a popular subject 
for discussion!  Thanks a lot.

* Ravi Shahar <ravi@jerusalemail.com>

*************

Re:  Kosherer Than Thou (Ask 197):

	Regarding the person who brought his home-made dough to the Kosher 
Pizza store:  I too suffer from the disease celiac sprue.  There is no 
cure, except to avoid glutinous grains the rest of your life.  I do not eat 
out very much because everything contains wheat, but if I do I usually call 
ahead to the owner or manager.  I recommend this.  Most restaurants are 
willing to accommodate their customers with food allergies.

* Lucy Shriver <lbshri@gte.net>


	My mother once purchased some prepared food at a certain kosher 
delicatessen.  I do not remember why, but she decided to return it for a 
refund.  She was very upset that the manager put it back in the display 
case to sell to someone else.  This was not a packaged food, but something 
which might well have been on our dishes.  "How do they know how kosher my 
kitchen is?" she demanded to know, and I don't think she ever shopped there 
again.  Although it is proper to give people the benefit of the doubt, but 
that pizza shop was supervised by a rabbi, and not by the customers or 
managers.

	In a more practical vein, I'd suggest that when the family whose son 
has celiac disease goes out to eat, they should prepare something which can 
be placed in a double-wrapped container and heated like an airline meal, 
which would protect the kashrut of the oven.  And refuah sh'leima to their 
son -- may Hashem show the doctors how to cure celiac disease, and soon.

* Akiva Miller <kennethgmiller@juno.com>


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