Answers to This Week’s Riddles

(For the riddles, please see back page)

1. Bnei Yisrael continue to bring gifts to Moshe for the Mishkan, "every morning" (baboker baboker) (Shemos 36:3). The same expression is used in the following three places: 1) In Parshas Beshalach, describing when the Manna is collected (Shemos 16:21). 2) In Parshas Tetzaveh, when the Torah describes how Aharon burns the ketores every morning (Shemos 30:7). 3) In Parshas Tzav when the Torah describes how Aharon kindled wood every morning to keep a fire burning on the mizbayach (Vayikra 6:5). (Torah Teasers)
2. i) The Biur Halachah (338) answers that the water itself is suitable for use, it is just that there is a side issue that it has ruach ra’ah on it, therefore, it is not considered מבטל כלי מהיכנו.
   ii) R’ Elyashiv (cited in Dirshu) answers that although one isn’t allowed to benefit from the water (as is clear from Orach Chaim 4, s.k. 9), one is allowed to use it to wash out a beis hakisay as is clear in Shu”t Salmas Chaim (siman 24), therefore, it is not completely muktzeh and is therefore not considered מבטל כלי מהיכנו.
   iii) The Sefas Emes (Shabbos 42b) is mechadesh that when it comes to a utensil which is set aside to be used for something which has no purpose, there is no problem of מבטל כלי מהיכנו. According to this, we can answer very simply that a utensil used for pouring the water into when washing hands in the morning is set aside for this purpose, therefore, there is no problem of מבטל כלי מהיכנו. (Madanay Asher)
3. iv) R’ Shamai Gross shlita answers (cited in Madanay Asher #1042) that the Kaf HaChaim (siman 200) brings from R’ Chaim Palagi that if one adds a revi’is to the water then it removes the ruach ra’ah. Therefore, it is not considered מבטל כלי מהיכנו, as there is something to do which makes the water suitable for use.
4. Silver, with a tally of 100 (kikar) talents and 1,775 shekels, is collected in the greatest amount (Shemos 38:25). (Torah Teasers)
5. The Da’as Torah (Orach Chaim, siman 154) writes: “I was asked if it is permissible to build a wall in the middle of a beis haknesses or beis hamedrash in order to split it into two rooms?”
   The Da’as Torah concludes: The Gemara in Megillah (27b) brings that the Rabbonon who argue on R’ Meir allow selling a beis haknesses belonging to the public to a single person, as there is no going down in kedusha, as the kedusha gets transfer onto the money (as Rashi explains). We see that without this point it would be forbidden, as the beis haknesses will now be used by less people and there will be less rav am hadras Melech. Therefore, splitting a big beis haknesses or beis hamedrash into two would be a problem.
   The Shu”t Imrei Yosher (Vol. 1, siman 141) was asked a similar question, there was a large beis hamedrash that got very cold in the winter, and they wanted to instill a partition that could be rolled down and go from the ceiling to floor so that they could split the beis hamedrash into two and make it much smaller, and it would cheaper and easier to heat up in the winter. The plan was to only use the partition in the winter, however, in the summer it would go back to regular.
   The Imrei Yosher concludes: Since it is a partition on a temporary basis, there is no concern of lowering the kedusha, however, if it would be a permanent wall, it would be forbidden. According to this, if one splits a large shul into two using a temporary partition, it would be okay.
   The Shu”t Binyan Shlomah (Orach Chaim Vol. 2, siman 13) discusses if it’s fitting for someone who has yahrtzeit to break away and make his own minyan, or if it is better to daven in the big minyan and get the advantage of rav am.
   He concludes: Nowadays, everyone davens by themselves, and they don’t intend on being fulfilling their chiyuv tefillah from the chazon, therefore, we don’t really have the advantage of rav am, therefore, if one breaks away before the minyan starts it’s okay. However, R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah 4:61:4) writes not to split.