Volume 43: Number 50
Mon, 18 Aug 2025
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Marty Bluke
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2025 22:18:37 +0300
Subject: [Avodah] Psak in hashkafa
The Rambam writes in 3 places in the Perush Hamishnayos (Sanhedrin 10,3,
Sotah 3,3, Shavuos 4,1) and in the Sefer Hamitzvos lo taaseh 133 that there
is no psak on hashkafa which is not relevant to Halacha.
Here is a quote from one of the Rambam's (Sotah 3,3 the language is almost
the same in all of them)
*As I already wrote many times when there is a dispute between the
chachamim on a matter of faith that has no relevance to action we don''t
say the hakacha is like ploni*
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Message: 2
From: mco...@touchlogic.com
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:05:46 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Avodah] pump toilet
May (one should) lchatchila build a below grade pump toilet knowing that itwill be used on Shabbat?...
the poskim are matir to use electric flush toilets bc of kavod habrius
(hospitals, etc)
this should be the same. (electric use is only d'rabbanon. ignoring CI)
therefore it can be built.
then on shabbos..
if its needed bc of kavod habrius, one can use it.
if one has an alternative - dont use it
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Message: 3
From: Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2025 06:25:23 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Kiddushin and Nisuin
I was asked twice this past week and didn't know the answer.
Does anyone have knowledge and, preferably a reference, as to when
kiddushin and nisuin were consolidated?
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Message: 4
From: Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2025 06:23:51 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] pump toilet
Do you have a reference for the heter for electric flush toilets? Thanks!
On 8/15/2025 8:05 AM, mcohen--- via Avodah wrote:
>
> May (one should) lchatchila build a below grade pump toilet knowing
> that it
> will be used on Shabbat?...
>
> the poskim are matir to use electric flush toilets?bc of kavod habrius
> (hospitals, etc)
>
> this should be the same. (electric use is only d'rabbanon. ignoring CI)
>
> therefore it can be built.
>
>
> then on shabbos..
>
> if its needed bc of?kavod habrius, one can use it.
> if one has an alternative - dont use it
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Avodah mailing list
> Avo...@lists.aishdas.org
> http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org
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Message: 5
From: Akiva Miller
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2025 14:49:20 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Is "l'ahava" a verb or noun?
.
In learning Parshas Ekev, I came across the word "l'ahava" four times, most
famously in the Shema, in the phrase "l'ahava es Hashem Elokeichem". As far
as I could tell, *everyone" translates "l'ahava" as "to love".
My problem is that "ahava" is unambiguously a noun, while the context of
the pasuk demands a verb. Why did the Torah use this strange construction,
when it could have saved a letter by simply writing "le'ehov"?
Checking my concordances, I am forced to concede that (as my friend
listmember R' Michael Poppers put it at kiddush yesterday) I'm being too
*pre*scriptive, and insufficiently *de*scriptive. "L'ahava" is used in many
places in Tanach, and it is always used as a verb. In fact, both Mandelkern
and Even-Shoshan concordances place the verb and noun forms on different
pages, and both put "l'ahava" with the verbs, immediately after "le'ehov".
So I concede defeat. "L'ahava" is a verb. But I still want to understand
the idiom better. Can someone suggest other examples where an ostensible
noun magically turns into a verb by adding the lamed as a prefix?
Akiva Miller
PS: I am very aware of how flexible Hebrew can be. For example, "sofer" can
be either a verb (counting) or a noun (one who counts). But somehow,
"l'ahava" feels different to me, but I'm not sure why. That's why I'm
looking for other examples.
PPS: It turns out that "le'ehov" never appears anywhere in Chumash, and
only once in the rest of Tanach (that being Koheles 3:8). This fact could
be used to suggest that the Torah used "l'ahava" because "le'ehov" was not
yet in use. But that seems unlikely to me, given that another verb of the
same form - "le'echol" (to eat) - appears 14 times in the Torah (not to
mention 44 times in the rest of Tanach).
.
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Message: 6
From: Harry Maryles
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:31:21 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [Avodah] pump toilet
Found the following on ChatGPT (AI) in seconds. Can't vouch for its accuracy. But worthy of note:
Halachic Perspectives
1. Automatic Toilets and Kavod HaBriyot
A Q&A on MiYodeya (Judaism Stack Exchange) cites Rabbi Josh Flug
(Sukkot To Go 5770), who permits using an automatic-flush toilet if no
other restroom is reasonably available, relying on kavod ha-briyot (human
dignity). He even suggests that if the non-electric alternative is too
inconvenient, it may be permissible under the principle of psik reisha d?lo
nicha lei (an inevitable act one does not benefit from) Mi Yodeya.
2. Explicit Prohibition: Automatic Sensor Toilets
On the other hand, Mekorot from Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu clearly state that
sensor-activated toilets?where one?s movement automatically completes a
circuit and triggers flushing?are forbidden on Shabbat ??? ??? ????? ?????.
This aligns with mainstream halachic views, which forbid activating
electrical appliances even indirectly.
3. Technical Explanation: "Molid" and "Building"
Halachic authorities, such as on Chabad.org, explain that completing an
electrical circuit constitutes a prohibition?either building (boneh) or
creating (molid)?and is therefore forbidden on Shabbat, even without a
direct action such as pressing a button Chabad.
4. Halachipedia Summary
A summary from Halachipedia notes that many poskim permit automatically
flushed toilets only if no alternative is available, citing them as an
indirect (grama) action that doesn?t deliver direct benefit?or at least
falling under leniency in pressing circumstances Halachipedia.
5. Concept of ?Pesik Reisha? Applies Here
Further halachic discussion, for example on Toraland, indicates that
activating such a device via walking near it without intent still
constitutes a prohibited action?pesik reisha d?lo nicha lei?and is thus
disallowed even absent direct interaction toraland.org.il+1.
Summary Table
| Scenario | Permissibility |
| Sensor-flush toilet available and no other option | Possibly permitted under kavod ha-briyot / indirect (grama) justification |
| Sensor-flush toilet available but alternatives exist | Forbidden, as it involves activating electricity?even passively |
| Sensor activation via mere presence | Prohibited, as pesik reisha applies |
| Non-electric alternative exists | Use that alternative to avoid halachic transgression |
Recommended Approach
-
Prefer non-electric flush toilets whenever possible.
-
If you must use a sensor toilet and no alternative available, some
authorities permit reliance on kavod ha-briyot?especially if it?s the only
restroom option?though this remains a more lenient position Mi
YodeyaHalachipedia.
-
Walk away from the sensor promptly, to minimize unintended triggering.
-
Consult your local rabbinic authority for practical guidance tailored to your community and specific situation.
Bottom Line
While some posit leniencies based on human dignity or indirect triggering,
the prevailing view is that activating electric sensors?even passively?is
prohibited on Shabbat. If absolutely necessary, a sensor toilet may be used
under specific restrictive circumstances?but it's far better to seek or
prepare non-electric alternatives when possible.
Would you like sources for specific communities or rabbinic authorities who
ruled leniently?or guidance on what to do when you're at a hotel or public
facility?
Let me know?happy to dig deeper!
Want Emes and Emunah in your life? Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/
On Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 11:15:55 PM CDT, Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer via Avodah <avo...@lists.aishdas.org> wrote:
Do you have a reference for the heter for electric flush toilets? Thanks!
On 8/15/2025 8:05 AM, mcohen--- via Avodah wrote:
May (one should) lchatchila build a below grade pump toilet knowing that it
will be used on Shabbat?...
?
the poskim are matir to use electric flush toilets?bc of kavod habrius
(hospitals, etc)
?
this should be the same. (electric use is only d'rabbanon. ignoring CI)
?
therefore it can be built.
then on shabbos..
?
if its needed bc of?kavod habrius, one can use it.
if one has an alternative - dont use it
?
?
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