YGB - יג"ב: May 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Need Help on Kavua & The Monty Hall Problem

it struck me yesterday that perhaps kol kavua k'mechtza al mechtza dami has something to do with the "Monty Hall Problem"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem http://www.marilynvossavant.com/articles/gameshow_print.html?t=64 - but I can't articulate it. Can you help me out by either explaining why I'm right or why I'm wrong?

This may help (siman 46 above):
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=15107&hilite=d623c4b3-f194-43dd-bc10-b818c3f696e5&st=%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2&pgnum=92.

Thanks!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Lubavitcher Rebbe and ear Piercing

I received the following email:

Rabbi Bechhofer,

I've been listening to your very interesting Shiurim on Chabad on Torahanytime and from http://www.sumseqfiles.com/shiurim/. You mentioned that the Rebbe was against ear piercing and that Chabad interestingly did not follow his Psak. I noticed on the Chabadtalk forum they site this piece from the Rebbe - http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14943&st=&pgnum=580&hilite= where he's Matir and they make no mention of any issur. I was curious if you saw his Psak issur in print or heard it?

Thanks,

I would like to concede the point, that I was in error, and that the Rebbe in fact seems to have preferred pierced ears over clip-on earrings, as per the image above. My only "limud zechus" on myself is that the Rebbe held the issue worthy of a she'eilas chacham!

Worthy of note is the reference to the Radal, as per the other image above!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Shaving Erev Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Sivan

In chelek aleph #338, the Rivevos is mattir (note that he cites R' Sroya Deblitzky as being mattir as well). In chelek vav #259 he brings down that Reb Moshe assers, but the Rivevos sticks to his guns and continues to be mattir. In a safek of a minhag that is not even a d'Rabbanan me'dina d'Gemara, it seems reasonable to be maykil.