Answers to this Week’s Riddles
(For the riddles, please see back page)
1)
i) The HaMakneh (Kiddushin 70a) asks this question and answers very simply: שלא נגזרו גזירה זו באותות פעם – “That at the time of the story of Eliezer and Rivkah, this enactment wasn’t yet in place.”
ii) The Mordechai (Kesubos 182) writes that the above halachah only applies in a case where there is an issur of yichud. In a place where there are many people around however, then a woman is allowed to pour a drink for a man etc. The case of Eliezer and Rivkah was in an open area and there was no issue of yichud, therefore, there is no question. (R’ Elchonon Printz, Mechaber of Shu”t Avnei Derech)
iii) Tosfos in Kesubos (4b) explains, that if it is not being done through love (דרך חיבה) but is rather being done l’shem shomayim, for good intentions, then it’s ok. Rivkah was a tzadakes and had the correct intentions involved, therefore, it was allowed. (R’ Elchonon Printz)
The Aruch HaShulchan (Even HaEzer 21:9) writes: “Don’t ask on the widely spread custom, that when guests come to visit, the women of the house look after the guests and feed them and give them what to eat – that surely one isn’t allowed to use a woman to carry out such jobs? As certainly if the ba’al habayis is served together with the guests it’s okay. And even if not, since it is not being done with promiscuous thoughts, but is being done for the sake of hachnosas orchim, and the needs of the house are incumbent upon the women, there is no prohibition.”
See however, the Shu”t Shevet HaLevi (5:200) who is not so happy with the Aruch HaShulchan, and he doesn’t understand where he gets his distinction from.
2)
i) The Prisha (Orach Chaim 170) answers: This halachah only applied during the times when people ate whilst leaning on the left side. When leaning on the left side, the food pipe is on top and the air pipe from which one talks is below. If one talks, he opens up the air pipe and food which is supposed to enter the food pipe enters the air pipe and causes danger. Nowadays, however, when we eat sitting up straight, there is no concern, therefore, today people aren’t careful. The Prisha ends off, “However, this distinction I haven’t seen anywhere.”
The Chida (Birkay Yosef, see also Ben Ish Chai, Parshas Behar, ois 5) writes: “All my days I was pained when I saw great Rabbonim not being careful with this halachah, until I saw the distinction of the Prisha. Once a great person said this, I was calmed down.”
However, in his Shiuray Berachah the Chida asks, that the Mechaber rules (Orach Chaim 167) that nowadays we don’t lean, yet he still he brings the halachah that one shouldn’t talk whilst eating. Therefore, it would seem that even today it’s still forbidden. (The Pri Megodim in fact writes clearly, that nowadays as well it is still forbidden.)
The Elyah Rabbah writes, that according to the Prisha, on seder night when we eat leaning even nowadays one must be careful.
The Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chaim 170) asks on the Prisha from the Gemara in Ta’anis (5b). The Gemara relates that Rav Nachman and Rav Yitzchok were eating together, and Rav Nachman said to Rav Yitzchok, “Nu, say something”, and he answered back “one shouldn’t talk whilst eating”. According to the Prisha, why didn’t he simply sit up and then say something? We see, that sitting up doesn’t make a difference.
ii) The Sha’arei Teshuvah answers: כיון דדשו בה רבים אמרינן ביה שומר פתאים ה ' – “Since the general public isn’t careful, we say that Hashem protects those who are foolish.” This is a general rule, that although something may be wrong and dangerous, if everyone does it Hashem looks after those who do it.
The Da’as Torah (Orach Chaim 170) asks, however, that normally we don’t apply the rule of שומר פתאים ה' by talmiday chachomim, and if this is the only heter, then talmiday chachomim should have to be careful.
3)
i) The Chizkuni answers: Either, when she saw Yitzchak she thought that he was a bandit and she was very scared, therefore, she fell off her camel. Or: מרוב צניעות הפילה עצמה מרצונה כמו ויפול על פניו – “Out of modesty, she caused herself to fall, like it says ‘he fell on his face’”.
ii) The Riva, Moshav Zekeinim and Bartenura answer: Yitzchak came from Gan Eden, and was walking around the way dead bodies do, with their feet in the air, this freaked out Rivkah and caused her to fall off the camel. However, the Chida (Midbar Kadmos, Ma’areches 5, ois 5) writes, such a thing is a tremendous chiddush, and doesn’t make sense
iii) I saw an incredible answer (בדרך צחות) from the Madanay Asher, he says: When Rivkah met Yitzchak it was already getting dark, and she saw her dear chosan starting to daven Shacharis (at that time the tefillah of Mincha hadn’t been established). She couldn’t believe her eyes that her dear chosan was davening so late, and she fell off her camel. Yitzchak then explained to her that he davened Shacharis early in the morning, and now he was davening a new tefillah, the tefillah of Mincha. Rivkah was then calmed and appeased.
iv) Both Rabbeinu Bechaye and the Ramban learn that she never actually fell of the camel, she simply tilted herself towards one side. If she would have fallen the pasuk would say: ותפול מהגמל – She fell from the camel, not: ותפל מעל הגמל – She fell on the camel.
4)
The Mekor Chaim (siman 263) writes that when lighting Shabbos candles one should start with the right candle like by all mitzvos, where we find that we give priority to the right. This is how R’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l took on as well.
However, some say that one should actually start with the left, and only then light the right candle as there is an inyan of always turning right when doing mitzvos. This is how R’ Aharon Leib Steinman took on.
And some say, there is no preference, and this is what R’ Elyashiv held.
Based on the above, if Sorah Imeinu lit two candles, then it would depend on which opinion she followed as to which one was lit first.
