CELEBRATION OF A PRIVATE MIRACLE

Selected Halachos from the “One Minute Halacha” project

By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita
Mara D’asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

CHANNELING HASHEM’S HOLY NAME

We may not use Hashem’s holy names for secular purposes. Any descriptions that are unique to Hashem, such as Melech HaKavod (Honored King), or L’eila mikol birchasa v’shirasa ([He is] beyond all the blessings and hymns) may not be ascribed to human beings, such as ministers, kings, judges and the like.

However, some exceptions are made by poskim regarding tzaddikim; in certain circumstances, Hashem’s unique descriptive qualities are used to describe certain holy individuals.

Some authorities maintain that we may not use any of Hashem’s holy Names as a mnemonic, such as remembering a particular date with any combination of the letters of Hashem’s Names. Likewise, when writing numbers in gematria (numerology, i.e., using the Hebrew letter alef to equal the value of one; yud equaling the value of ten etc.), we don’t write a yud (10) and a hey (5), rather a tes (9) and a vav (6). (Nor do we write a yud and a vav for 16, but that is a more recent custom, and some posit that it is not connected to the letters of Hashem’s Name, but because of its similarity to “oy” or “avoi,” which are expressions of woe.)

We may, however, print an acronym of Hashem’s name as a roshei taivos (acronymic device) in a sentence, as the Rambam did in the beginning of his Mishneh Torah, and we may even emphasize the letters. Additionally, we find many well-known s’farim that have Hashem’s name as part of their title, and that is acceptable.

THE DIY YOM TOV

If someone experiences a personal nes (miracle) and makes a seudas hodaa (a feast of giving thanks to Hashem) that meal is considered a seudas mitzvah (a meal honoring a Divine commandment, similar to a bris or other mitzvah occasion). There are records of community leaders and other people of importance who experienced a personal miracle and would designate that day as a yom mishteh v’simchah (a day of feasting and joy). The Tosafos Yom Tov (Rav Yom Tov Lipmann Heller in the 17^th century) established Rosh Chodesh Adar II as such a day when he experienced a personal redemption, and poskim say that anyone who experiences a personal salvation should do so as well.

Once someone accepts upon themselves that day as a yom mishteh v’simchah, that acceptance is sufficient for them not to say Tachanun (prayers of supplication) in their davening that day.

This would apply even to someone who lived in a community where Tachanun was not said on that day, but moved to another community where Tachanun is said. They can continue not saying Tachanun in their new community on the day that they always celebrated as a yom tov.

WHEN IT’S TOO COLD TO BE KOSHER

After an animal or fowl is ritually slaughtered, its meat has to be kashered within seventy-two hours; first it must be soaked in water for half an hour, then salted and left to drain for an hour, after which it is rinsed to remove all blood. Halacha dictates that the water used for soaking should not be hot, but poskim further caution that it shouldn’t be too cold either, as water which is too cold is metarshi lei (hardens it [the meat]), instead of softening it in preparation for salting.

Poskim define “too cold” by referring to the chill factor of a certain day, place or season–all which are extreme. Some posit that “too cold” refers to water that is so cold that it is too uncomfortable to be used for hand-washing. Contemporary poskim argue regarding the exact temperature that is considered too cold for soaking un-kashered meat; it is generally accepted that the water should certainly not be below 3 degrees Celsius (a little more than 37 degrees Fahrenheit).

There is difference of opinion among poskim whether the meat is considered kosher b’dieved (after the fact) if freezing (or near-freezing) water was used. Certainly, b’hefsed merubah (in a case of great loss) many poskim deem it permissible for eating. Alternatively, the damage of freezing water can be mitigated if the meat is re-soaked in lukewarm water before salting. There are poskim who argue that even those authorities who permit consuming the meat that was soaked in freezing water would maintain that if the meat was hot at the time of soaking the damage is irrevocable, and the meat is assur (prohibited) even b’dieved.

(It should be pointed out that there are poskim who do not raise the issue of cold water at all. The Shulchan Aruch, in fact, does not mention cold water in this context.)

There are also many locales where government regulations necessitate the use of cold water only for raw meat handling, so lukewarm water may not be used for koshering. In such cases, the water temperature should be measured carefully, so it is not too cold for soaking according to halacha. Many contemporary slaughterhouses take into account that the natural warmth of fresh meat works to counteract the chill of the water to bring the soaking temperature to a halachically acceptable degree.

However, if the water was very cold initially we should be stringent and soak the meat a bit longer than the requisite half-hour soaking time, so it will be immersed for a full half hour in water that is no longer extremely cold.

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