This is a brief synopsis of the chiddush of my Shabbos Shuvah Drosho. The Drosho was given at Cong. Anshei Palisades on Shabbos Shuvah 5785 and the synopsis was given at the Mesivta of Clifton today. I am posting it on 6 Tishrei, the 50th yahrzeit of my grandfather, HoRav Dov Yehuda Schochet zt”l, and it should be l’illui nishmoso.
It is on Reb Elchonon’s question. My brother shlit”a addresses the question briefly at https://evenshesiya.com/parsha-sheet-vayelech-shabbos-shuva-rebirth/
There’s a famous question attributed to Rav Elchanan Wasserman ZT”L HY”D: Teshuva is considered to be a tremendous KINDNESS from Hashem. What is the major kindness when in Jewish law there is a simple equivalent: If a person is “Toheh al harishonos”-regrets doing a Mitzvah he loses the reward of that mitzvah. It should follow that if a person regrets wrongdoing he should ‘lose’ the punishment of that wrongdoing. That’s Torah law, so what’s the kindness? One of the several answers to this question is: Teshuva is not about escaping penalty alone, it’s about getting past the sin so that it’s no longer in you or in the world! Rav Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin points out that seemingly goyim have Teshuva also as per the story of Ninveh in the book of Yona. He differentiates by saying that goyim’s Teshuva only helps them escape penalty, it doesn’t expunge the sin and the contamination it caused! Their Teshuva is truly nothing more than regretting one’s actions. If it works to lose reward, it works to ‘lose’ punishment. Jewish teshuva actually expunges the evil! why is there this difference? Because we have Shabbos and they don’t! Just like Shabbos shuts down the profane so as we can get beyond so also Jewish Teshuva has the power of Shabbos to expunge all evil, because Shabbos was gifted to us.
You can find more material, which I used in the actual drosho, but not in the synopsis at:
https://etzion.org.il/he/talmud/seder-nashim/massekhet-kiddushin/קידושין-דף-מ-עא-תוהה-על-הראשונות
(the author’s answer in the name of Rabbi Ezra Bick is essentially the Pachad Yitzchok’s answer which you can find in English in Rabbi Ahron Rapp’s section at https://parsha.net/devarim/NitzavimVayelech60.doc and in Hebrew at https://www.dirshu.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20האזינו-שובה.pdf), https://files.daf-yomi.com/files/bookfiles/daf-al-hadaf-kidushin/daf-al-hadaf-kidushin205.pdf, https://tora-forum.co.il/attachments/נפש-אברהם-גליון-ג-pdf.114493/, and taamu.co.il/dwqa-question/מה-החסד-בתשובה-שה-מוחל-עוונותינו-הרי-ג/
I give two answers. I think the first one is not bad, but the second one is really good, BH, and I feel מן שמיא קא זכו לי and I hope to write it up here at some point.
>From a pure halachic viewpoint ISTM there is no benefit for an avel to lead services up to, but not including, yishtabach (some minyanim have no one leading that potion). Is the value that klal yisrael has invested it with value independent of halacha? GCT Joel Rich
The S?A in O?C 149 discusses the procedures for returning the sefer torah after kriat hatora but in O?C 134 he seems to assume it?s already out in discussing kriat hatora (thus no procedures for taking out). Any ideas why? GCT Joel Rich
When rabbis discuss in a public shiur (vs in yeshiva) the need to observe yom tov sheini shel galiyot ISTM I often hear ?hizharu bminhag avoteichem byadeichem? but not the follow on ?zimnin dgazra hamalchut gzeira vati lkilkulei? (rashi ? you?ll forget how to do the calendar calculation and mess it up). Is this a […]
The rambam uses the expression ?vchen? thousands of times in the yad. Any insights as to what goes before vchen and what goes after and why? (eg avel 14:1 listing bikur cholim, hachnasat kala ?and then saying vchen to gladden the kala and chatan). GCT Joel Rich
Below is my (abbreviated) conversation with Rabbi Idan Scher. My analysis in Avodah Digest, Vol 43, Issue 59 was correct. (See also Isaac Balaban's post) His reply is published with his specific permission. Gemar Hayima Tova Aryeh Frimer ________________________________ From: Rabbi Idan Scher Sent: Friday, September 19, 2025 3:20 AM To: Aryeh Frimer Subject: Re: […]
. In the thread "birchat cohanim", R' Joel Rich asked if Ashkenazim in chu"l should go out of their way to attend a Sefardi minyan in order to be blessed by the Kohanim, which is not done in Ashkenazi minyanim. R' Isaac Balbin offered some interesting sources on this question. To me, this seems like […]
. R' Aryeh Frimer suggested that "eirusin and nissuin were placed back-to-back because of the Crusades", and R' Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer commented: > This makes a lot of sense. The paucity of tangible records > of the evolution of the practice remains remarkable. I'm not sure, but I think RYGB is pointing out that we […]
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:28:17 +0000 (UTC) From: Harry Maryles > There is a fascinating article in JTA (linked below) where the Rav of > a MO shul allowed a woman to say Birchas Gomel at the Bimah on shabbos > morning.? There are very few details given in the article about exactly when […]
> From: Harry Maryles > > There is a fascinating article in JTA (linked below) where the Rav of a MO shul allowed a woman to say Birchas Gomel at the Bimah on shabbos morning.? > My sense is that there is nothing wrong with that Halachicly. But My sense is also that this would […]
On 18 Sep 2025, at 12:31?pm, avodah-request at lists.aishdas.org wrote: > > From: Joel Rich > > All other things being equal, should an ashkenazi ben chu?l in chu?l daven > at an eidot hamizrach minyan in order to receive birchat cohanim or daven > at an ashkenazi minyan? If he or she follows the […]