Wednesday, June 1, 2005

And now .... shavers


Seems like after cellphones, sheitlach, and water comes shavers. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't shave my beard, nor do I condone it, but this too much. Rabbi Mordechai Gross, who's the Rav of "Chanichei HaYeshivos" in B'nei Beraq and an up-and-coming "Godol" now wants to give a Hechsher on shavers. The problem is that( I think ) most people are fed up with the racket named Hechsherim and don't buy into it. It's not like it's a new problem like the Internet that needs to have filtering software, or some other new "problem" that's been "discovered". Shavers are nothing new, and there has been a list of kosher shavers for as long as I know. So, why the need for a Hechsher, just so the papers should have more to laugh about?

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hear there are more of these Gedolim-in-the-making proposing hechsheirim for blogs.... not that there's anything wrong with that.
;)

Anonymous said...

R' blumenkrantz has a chapter in his pesach guide.

Anonymous said...

reinvented problems....whoever thought that water in Brooklyn would be such an issue? And see how many brave gedoilim wieghed in on this important contravertial issue. I don't shave either but i feel a little left out not being connected to such gedoilim on this and other such burning issues...

Anonymous said...

In talking with friends who actually understand engineering the so-called kosher shavers really are not different than the so called treif shavers.Its just the rabbis believe the advertising of the so called kosher shavers.
How about each jewish home needing a rabbinical hechsher that should keep the rabbonim busy and ... wealthy.

Anonymous said...

come on, you guys really beleive that the water is not a problem?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,
THE WATER IS NOT A PROBLEM.
THE SHEITLACH ARE NOT A PROBLEM.
Yes I believe that. Just because someone can find something to blow into a story with shock-value, does not mean that it's assur.

Anonymous said...

in Europe people shop in the "goyishe" supermarkets with a kashrus list of products that have no hechseirim but are still kosher. in america we only buy by hechsher. but with all cynicism aside it's symptomatic of our time (commercialization etc.) that we do need hechsheirim.
and yes, refrigerators & freezers do need a hechsher (shabbos use).

Anonymous said...

ce, "hust geredt mit rabonim"? or you'r stam a "kal", or because it's not a lubavitcher "inyan" it doesn't matter?????

Anonymous said...

bpunbound, your right it's far from perfect. but tell me, is your wife going to grind wheat or churn butter? or maybe your on your way now to buy a cow for cholov yisroel......

Anonymous said...

which rabbonim have no water problem?

Anonymous said...

bp, so what do you mean pass the oreos? the "ou" is your party? all it means is you have a much larger product line. as for me i do use my "sechel", some products i use "ou" for some i don't.

Anonymous said...

bp, i guess you are a little bit unbound....

Anonymous said...

All these "Anonymous" posts are very annoying.
It is impossible to follow a thread if you don't know if you are responding to the same individual - is it so hard to use a unique identifier?? Just pick anything, please!

As to water,sheitlach, etc, this has nothing to do with Lubavitch, it has to do with halacha vs making a name for oneself.
There ARE Rabbonim that have the sense to understand that a virtually invisible organism that is batul to the water (as it comes from the water itself) is not the same as eating a fly in your salad. I do believe Rabbi Yitzchok Raitport in Boro-Park wrote a teshuva about it, for those who are interested.
That's not to say you shouldn't put all the filters in the world on your sink - go right ahead. A filter is never a bad thing; I just don't go for the hysterics and alarmists.

Anonymous said...

ce, well r' itche is quite a "yochid" in this "inyan".

Anonymous said...

ce, you show your "am haratzis" with the line, quote {There ARE Rabbonim that have the sense to understand that a virtually invisible organism that is batul to the water (as it comes from the water itself) is not the same as eating a fly in your salad.} "beryoh" is not "botul".

Anonymous said...

correction.
beryoh is not botul when it's nireh l'ayin

Anonymous said...

As far as rabbonim who do not think filters are needed for water a rosh yeshiva at RIETS fits the bill. I will not publically name him , but he has a doctorate and is a baal horoah. And he is NOT from MOnsey.

Anonymous said...

Anon, the nameless:
First of all, I’m sorry if you didn’t like the wording of my post - I’m not giving a shiur here, and I understand that a legitimate berya is not batul. But, isn’t nireh layin what we are talking about? Here is an elaborated version (hopefully more to your liking):

Water containing aquatic organisms (all water contains microscopic organisms) may be Halachically permitted for consumption based on three critera:

1. The source of the organisms (Gem. Chullin? Shulchan-Aruch/ Yoreh-Deah)...
The organisms found in NY tap water come from the reservoirs (as opposed to water mains, etc.)

2. Visibility of organism to the naked eye...
I have a note that I wrote down a while ago, that these things start off less then .01 mm, and grow up to about 1 mm [1 inch = 25.4 mm]

3. The frequency in which the organisms appear in the water from the tap...
I seem to recall there were about 1 per gallon.

There are Poskim who are of the opinion that some of the above considerations might apply in this case, and rule, therefore, leniently.

Anonymous said...

ce, first of all please forgive the "grenade remark", no need to be uncivil.

but you do confuse me first you write quote

THE WATER IS NOT A PROBLEM.
THE SHEITLACH ARE NOT A PROBLEM.
Yes I believe that. Just because someone can find something to blow into a story with shock-value, does not mean that it's assur.

then you have one or 2 rabbis who are matir the water.

to most yidden in the city it's a serious issue.

re: which anon i am,
will iy"h choose a name shortly.

Anonymous said...

From one Anonymous to another,
There are more than 2 rabbis. If you care enough to find out who the line up of rabbis is, im sure you will succeed.

Anonymous said...

Two rabbis maybe on one side and 100 on the other, regarding water. hmmmm..sounds like the water is real problem.

Anonymous said...

I just want to say this, and then I will be done with this topic:

There are many, many, more than 2 rabbonim who say that the water is NOT assur (maybe even the majority). What they do say is that you should get a filter. SO GET ONE.
I never opposed buying a filter; I even encourage it. It is reasonably affordable, and even more healthy - YAY.
When something is this easy to fix - even if the problem would only be a minor one - why not fix it? It's a no brainier for a Rav to say "buy a filter" - but it does not mean that the water in NY is assur.

My problem is that I am severely allergic to alarmists who are out to make a name for themselves. But if you like this stuff, I advise you not to eat - because the food we buy is MALEH SHAYLOS! Burn your sheitlach, don't use any eruvin, stay in your house and hide under your bed - because you will surely run into a Halachacly problematic circumstance today!

Anonymous said...

same old anon here.
my last word on this is:
as much as this whole matter is a tremendous hassle, we as yidden, try to do the right thing. it may be burdensome & a pain in the... we still try to do the best we can.

we should thank almighty G-D for these relatively minor problems & inconveniences as opposed to the problems of 60 years ago.

Anonymous said...

Anon,

As to that statement, I entirely agree!

(Did that have anything to do with the Halachic panic of the moment club?)

Anonymous said...

Ok ce, not every halachic problem is a "panic of the moment". but i do agree that some people like to exaggerate certain problems.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of shavers -
Does anyone know the exact quote (or where to find it) that the Rame MiPano writes, allowing shaving?
I have heard people mention it, using phrases like: "The R' MiPano defends shaving the beard (without a razor of course)"
Does anyone know more about it?

Anonymous said...

30-40 years ago?
What kol-koreh was that?
And by which gedolim?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

There's a whole sefer by Rabbi Moshe Weiner called "Hadras Ponim Zokon". I'm sure they're all in there.

Anonymous said...

On the subject of issurim... I heard they established a curfew for females in Williamsburgh. Is there any truth to this?

Anonymous said...

THAT IS A FACT.
Viyamsburg has a great challenge today. Although people look at Crown Heights or Flatbush as communities with the "frumkeit challenged," there are actually no groups free of pain & suffering.
There are problems currently in Williamsburgh with teen-pregnancy, lack of interest in Yiddishkeit, and general infiltration of secular ideas. the Hungarian solution, as usual, is to start a ban. It is now forbidden for a girl to be outside after 9PM unless accompanied by a parent.
I wish them & all yidden success in preventing the youth of today from slipping out of the fold, but I do not know if this is a good method... (I also take no pleasure in this reality)

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Mayer
please elaborate, how has this become fact? what is done to enforce it?

Anonymous said...

There were a couple meetings where they determined this. Right now it is a "strongly advised recommendation to parents." Official enforcement has not yet begun.

Anonymous said...

Regarding the beard issue, see: www.koshershaver.info