Volume 43: Number 60
Sun, 28 Sep 2025
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Aryeh Frimer
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:09:56 +0000
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Woman Saying Birkat haGomel from Bima
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 <rabbisc...@cmhottawa.com<mailto:rabbisc...@cmhottawa.com>>
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2025 3:20 AM
To: Aryeh Frimer <Aryeh.Fri...@biu.ac.il<mailto:Aryeh.Fri...@biu.ac.il>>
Subject: Re: Your Moving post on JTA
Dear Rabbi Frimer,
I so appreciate your derech eretz in reaching out to me to clarify the details.
Indeed, the recitation of Birkas HaGomel took place once davening was over.
In our shul, once davening is completely over, we do invite women to speak
from the bimah, and we hold bat mitzvah ceremonies there as well. This was
done in the same context.
I would, of course, be happy to provide further detail if it would be helpful.
With deep respect and warm wishes for a Gut Yohr!
Idan
--------------------------------------------
Dear Rabbi Scher,
The following appeared on the Avodah Discussion Group:
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:28:17 +0000 (UTC)
From: Harry Maryles <hmary...@yahoo.com>
To: The Avodah Torah Discussion Group <avo...@lists.aishdas.org>
Subject: [Avodah] A woman reciting Birchas Gomel at the Bimah on
shabbos
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 never be allowed in a mainstrean Orthodox Shul that
isn't MO. The Rav, Idan Scher, is not in any way OO and seems to be quite
mainstream Orthodox by virtue of his educational background. I wonder how
this event would be treated by the more right wing e 'Agudah'?type?shuls.
Would they allow it? Is there a Hashkafa problem ...or maybe even a
Halachic problem? and if so, what would those problems be??
https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jta.org%2F2025%2F09%2F12%2Fideas%2Fmy-congregant-was-stabbed-for-being-jewish-what-happened-the-next-shabbat-was-incredible&;data=05%7C02%7Caryeh.frimer%40biu.ac.il%7C54aebca61b604952ff8108ddf65bc64d%7C61234e145b874b67ac198feaa8ba8f12%7C0%7C0%7C638937599342134577%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UzbXqqnODc%2Bm5hqCGAVlz1Pnn83pykY6DF93qWmXhMg%3D&reserved=0<https://www.jta.org/2025/09/12/ideas/my-congregant-was-stabbed-for-being-jewish-what-happened-the-next-shabbat-was-incredible>
HM
To this I replied:
There are very few details given in the article about exactly when the Birkat haGomel was said.
The poskim (Beer Heteiv, Mishna Berura) talk about a woman saying Birkat haGomel during Keri'at haTorah from the other side of the Mechitsa.
There is no mention in the Article of a Torah, only a "Podium". The woman was surrounded by her Family and her recitation was followed by dancing.
Sounds more like a post-davening celebration. Before guessing, the Shul rabbi should be consulted.
Kol Tuv, Shana Tova, Beri'a, sheleiva u-metuka
Aryeh
Would you be so kind as to supply more details about the moving communal event, timing, location etc. and any Halakhic considerations involved.
Kol Tuv and Much thanks in advanced
Shana Tova, Beri'a, sheleiva u-metuka lanu u-le-khol Beit Yisrael!
Aryeh
--------------------------------------------------
Professor Emeritus Aryeh A. Frimer
37 Hanassi Harishon
Rehovot 7630306, ISRAEL
E-mail (Preferred): Aryeh.Fri...@biu.ac.il
Cellphone: 972-54-7540761
Tel: 972-8-9473819/9470834
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryeh_Frimer
E-mail (alternate): Frim...@zahav.net.il
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Message: 2
From: Akiva Miller
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:11:04 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Paskening from the sources
.
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 a great example of the limits of paskening from
sources. There are certain questions -- and I am suggesting that this is
among them -- such that even with access to all conceivable printed
material, an AI or even a human might not realize that there are
sociological factors that should be taken into account.
For example: Suppose the Ratzon Hashem is that an Ashkenazi should indeed
seek out a Sefardic shul for this purpose. Why haven't we seen gedolim
recommending this, or even going themselves? [Maybe there are such cases,
but if so, it clearly has not caught on, as evidenced by the question.]
There are plenty of mixed neighborhoods where one could do this without
much trouble. My own shul has enough Sefardim to support a Sefardi minyan
on Shabbos and other occasions. One answer might be that if the poskim did
tell us to do this, it would hurt the Ashkenazi shuls to whatever extent.
And one would need a recognized leader to judge the priorities involved.
The ONLY point I'm trying to make here is that there are many questions -
and this is only one of them - where an answer CANNOT be gotten from any
sort of mechanical algorithm. The decider needs insight into ideas that
previous authorities might not have suggested, and he needs the wisdom to
see the ramifications of his decision.
In short: I don't understand why there are so many articles about the
possibility of an AI Posek, and I'm very tired of it. I'm all in favor of
using computers to help with research, but to get answers? Ridiculous!
Akiva Miller
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Message: 3
From: Joel Rich
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:09:05 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Vchen
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
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Message: 4
From: Joel Rich
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:10:40 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] yom tov sheini
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 conscious omission?
GCT
Joel Rich
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