Today's halachos dedicated by daily reader, J.L., in everlasting memory of his grandmother, Golda bas Avram A"H, who passed away this past Monday, 20 Elul 5771. Please learn the halachos today in her merit.
1) Many Poskim (including the MaHaRal of Prague in Nesivos Olam; Nesiv HaAvodah Perek 12, Shu"t Chasam Sofer Siman 186, Rav Chaim Voloziner Zatzal in Keser Rosh quoting the Gaon of Vilna) are of the opinion that Tefilos such as "Machnisei Rachamim" at the end of Selichos, which is basically a Tefilah directed at the Malachim (angels) beseeching them to take our prayers, tears and shouts and bring them to Hashem, should not be said, as it isn't proper to direct our prayers to angels, rather our prayers should be directed directly to Hashem.
As a proof to this opinion, these Poskim cite the 5th "Ani Ma'amin" of the Rambam (13 principles of faith written by Maimonides in Pirush Hamishna to Sanhedrin Perek 10) which explicitly says "I believe...that only to Hashem is it proper to daven and not to anyone else".
Accordingly, these Poskim frown upon those who frequent graves of Tzadikim and daven there, as it may seem as if they are davening "to" the Tzadik, as opposed to asking the Tzadik to be a "Meilitz Yosher- a good advocate" for them in Shamayim.
However, many Poskim (including Shibolei Haleket Siman 282 and Chazon Ish quoted in Orchos Rabbeinu Vol. 2 page 168 a nd Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal in Halichos Shlomo; Rosh Hashana Perek 1; Orchos Halacha 17) are of the opinion that it is OK to beseech the "Machnisei Rachamim- the angels whose specific task it is to bring the requests for mercy before Hashem" to do their task and take our prayers to Hashem. We aren't praying "to" the angels, rather we are asking them to be our messengers to properly place our prayers in the right sequence and at the right time bring them before the Kisei HaKavod of Hashem.
They do point out that only when beseeching the angels whose specific task it is to bring these prayers to Hashem (like by Machnisei Rachamim) is it OK.
It is not OK to simply lift your eyes to the heavens and pray to any angel, or even ask "the angels" to bring your Tefilos to Hashem, as it may not be their task to do so.
The prevalent Minhag is to say these Tefilos and to visit the graves of Tzadikim(See Talmud Sotah 34b regarding Kaleiv, and also Chazal tell us that Rochel Imeinu was buried on the road to Bais Lechem so her children, Am Yisroel can pray at her graveside. There are many more proofs for this being OK, as well as proofs for the other side, but this isn't the place for this lengthy discussion now)
However, it is important to keep in mind when davening at a Tzadik's grave to be extremely careful to only pray to Hashem in the zechus of the Tzadik, or as we mentioned above to ask the Tzadik to be a Meilitz Yosher for us and our families etc., and not Chas V'Shalom daven "to" the Tzaddik.
2) Another example of Tefilah that may be affected by the above Machlokes (dispute): "Shalom Aleichem Malachei HaShareis" which is commonly said on Friday nights before Kiddush.
Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal maintains that for the last 3 stanzas (i.e. BoAchem L'Shalom, Barchuni L'Shalom and Tzeischem L'Shalom) we say "Malachei HaShalom" as opposed to "Malachei HaShareis"(like we say in the first stanza) to show that we are only asking them to do their task of bringing Shalom-peace into our homes, in their capacity as Malachei HaShalom, and not praying "to" them in their capacity as "Malachei HaShareis".
Some have the minhag not to say "Shalom Aleichem" at all on Friday night. (This was the minhag of the Chasam Sofer Zatzal as well)
In The siddur Avodas Yisroel (written by a disciple of the Gaon of Vilna) it states that one needs to be extremely careful when saying "Shalom Aleichem...Malachei Elyon MiMelech Malachei HaMelochim..." not to pause between the words "Elyon" and "MiMelech" as to ensure that it is clear that the Malachei Elyon are only emissaries from Hashem, and not a higher power in their own right.
Reader's Question:
Hi I was wondering If you are familiar with the halachot of shluach haken.
I have an American robbin nest.
The eggs hatched already.
Is it kosher to make the mitzvah and what do I do with the chicks.
Answer:
The American Robin, although it has simanim (signs) of being Kosher, does not have a Mesorah (tradition) of Kashrus.
The minhag is to indeed to do Shiluach HaKen with it.
As with all nests, the Mitzvah can be done when the eggs are still eggs or even after they hatch.
Once you have performed the Mitzvah, and were Zoche (halachic aquisition making them yours) the eggs or the chicks you may return them to the nest even if the mother will return to them.
According to a majority of Poskim no bracha is ever recited on Shiluach HaKen.
Some Poskim rule to recite the Bracha with Shem U'Malchus.
However, the accepted custom is that a Bracha may be recited, albeit without Shem U'Malchus as follows: "Baruch Ata Melech HaOlam Asher Kidshanu B'Motzvosav L'Shalayach Haken"
On the Amdrican Robin, surely no Bracha with Shem U'Malchus is recited, due to the lack of Mesorah on its Kashrus. It may be recited without Shem U'malchus.
(See Tamim Deim from the Ra'avad Siman 179, Rokeach Siman 366 and Sefer Hamakneh Maseches Kidushin 41a ,Shu"t HaRashaba Vol. 1 Siman 18, Shu"t Binyan Tzion HaChadashos Siman 14, Bais Lechem Yehuda to Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Siman 292 and Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh Deah Siman 292:10)
CHIZUK CORNER
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זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
Question:
Shouldn't proper Teshuva erase the wrong impressions on one's mind?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
And I have to tell you what the Kuzari himself says in someplace else, and he says you'll never erase. You can never erase any impression on your mind. And even if you'll repent, he said, you heard, let's say, love songs in your youth, and now you have outgrown these things; you ridicule it. You cannot erase them from your mind, that's what he says. However, a note of consolation which he doesn't say, but we'll add it anyhow.
Let's say somebody was given a mahogany table, and he didn't realize the value of this piece of furniture, and he was careless, and he even allowed it to be scratched. Now, a deep scratch in mahogany you cannot undo. You can't take off that deep scratch. A shallow scratch you can varnish over, a deep scratch is going to be there. So even though you'll varnish it and it will glisten more than before, you'll take it to a master furniture craftsman, but a deep scratch, there'll always be a depression in the wood, you can't change it.
What can you do? If you'll be prosperous enough to buy an expensive gold plate that will cover the entire table, then it becomes a more beautiful object than before, and the scratch you won't notice. It's there however, that depression is still there. So you do Teshuva, you're covering with gold the surface that had been marred. Of course it would have been better if he had never marred the surface, but if you overlay it with gold, it's like the Shulchan. The Shulchan was made of expensive wood but on top of the wood it was a covering of gold.
So that's what a Baal Teshuva is, he's covered with gold and he is better than he was before. He is better than an ordinary mahogany man. A mahogany Jew, just an ordinary Frum Jew who never did any big sins, but he didn't overlay it with gold! A Baal Teshuva overlaid it with gold, he's more precious
But you can never erase what was done; that's why your mind has to be guarded.
Important Numbers
