Heimishe Freebies - Fun Lomdus and Hidushim Curio

	1 Kohen and 8 Women *According to the great R. Meir Hakoheyn, a talmid of the great R. Meir of Rothenburg, in his Hagahos Maymonios, it is said that:* "If a city is all Kohanim, with no Yisroyel there, then it follows the holocho logic to deduce that a Kohen gets the first two aliyos to Toroh, and the rest should be read by women." (In reference to Mishne Toroh, Hilchos Tefiloh, 12:19)
To the top	The Bar Mitzvoh Unison Shulchan Oruch.-O.H. 141:2 Mogen Avrohom forbids more than one person to recite brochos simultaneously outloud, in order to ensure that every word of the brocho is heard clearly. *In one fo the rare rulings, R. Moshe Feinstein also ruled that two Bar Mitzvoh boys cannot read the maftir and haftoroh sections in unison (Igrois Moishe, O.H. I-102).*
To the top	Holocho with Ahavatt Israel Sure, it feels good to speak Israeli Hebrew. To read Maqor Rishon, or Maqor Chayyim. To pronounce Tav without a dagesh as Tav. To go from L'hoidois to L'hodot. Maybe it feels better to daven the local Sephardi pronunciation as well. Sure, all other languages are not holy and mundane. We are living in Geula (not Geula the part of Jerusalem). Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the author of the modern Hebrew grammar, was so happy to be here that he, paradoxically, severely beat his family members when they slipped and spoke a word of Yiddish! No support for family violence here, though. But speaking Yiddish, the language of Golus? How dare they? (Though many speak English) The straight and honest holocho is that ashkenoizim must remain within their pronunciation. The saintly and revered, the Israel-loving R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said so, V'olehu Lo Ibul, Part 1, Opinion 44.
To the top	R. Moshe Feinstein Saves Jews From Crying In Vain It's WWII (the war, not the Web Ware Information Index). Prez F. D. Roosevelt dies. The entire USofA is in tears, the prezz who saved the land from the Depression, and was so gentlemanly to the common good, is dead. Jewish communities naturally felt the grief, to the point that R. Fainstein's community declared a giant hesped for the Prezz. The Rov heard that its hazan is preparing a teary dirge, the one that is used when bewailing a loss of an average poor Jew. The Rov asked the hazan and the rabbinical authority to do one thing. He asked them to at least refrain from using "Kadosh", Holy, in the dirge for the Prezz, the same person that cheated on his wife, DID NOT save the Jews and SENT away the ship St. Louis.
To the top	One Good Reason We Do Not Say "Boruch Hu Boruch Shmo": Jews in Europe had one good reason for not responding this to brochos they heard. Beside the point that this expression is never mentioned in Gemoro, and Rosh mentions this by a way of learning that if someone is being yotzey on a brocho, responding Boruch Hu is a problematic interruption of the brocho . Turns out in Makor Boruch (Toroh Tmimoh, R. Epshtein of Pinsk, lehavdil, the shtetl of Shimon Peres), that the Shabtai Tzvi movement loved to say Boruch Hu Boruch Shmo because its full gematria is equal to the gematria of his name, 814.
To the top	Rainbow-colored Tzitzis are OK! Menachos 38a - only one string has to be t'cheiles, d'oraisso--the rest any color!!! According to Hillel, only 3 string tzitsis are sufficient; our tzitzis are 8 stranded because we poiskin according to B. Shammai--we use 4 strings.
To the top	The Small Tallis -- not worn on Shabbes. According to Menachos 43a, in R. Tam and Rosh, only garments worn during daytime need tzitzis. At the Chofetz Chayim Yeshiva (during R. Y. Fogelman's years), they did not wear the small tallis when they went out on Shabbass, for fear of being oiver on carrying!
To the top	THE SECRET GRAPE MITZVOH: In our Toiroh, Vayiqroh 19:11, we are taught about the grape shapes. A cluster that has no shoulder and no definite pendant, goes to the poor (as further discussed in Peoh 7:3).
To the top	Avkas Ribis and Avkas Loshon Hor'o Bach used to charge interest when loaning money to gentiles. As security, he took silverware, therefore, his house had plenty of silver vessels around. Once Taz, his son-in-law, was over, and saw the rebbetzin dusting the silverware. "So I see she's dusting the avkas ribis," said Taz true to his humorous style. The rebbetzin, sharp as ever, parried off, "And you're speaking avkas loshon hor'o."
To the top	A GRAVE CHECK: According to Shulchan Oruch Y. D. 394:3, a grave must be checked for signs of life for three days following the burial.