I got an email yesterday reminding me that it was Rosh Chodesh today and tomorrow, so davening would be starting 10 minutes earlier. Not to be outdone, the vasikin minyan started earlier today and will start even more earlier tomorrow. On the one hand, we are only starting earlier than usual by a few seconds. On the other hand, we are starting at 4:49 AM CDT. You decide who is more frum. 😛
Fine, fine... we are not starting earlier because of Rosh Chodesh. In fact, next Rosh Chodesh, we'll be starting later each day. Rosh Chodesh, of course, has nothing at all to do with when we daven. What's the point (besides the obvious showing off how dedicated us vasikin daveners are, while taking a jab at the rest of the world; just saying)? The point, though, is to underscore how bad it is to jump to conclusions from a tiny data set. The Pele Yo'eitz has an entire section devoted to the evils of הֶסַח הַדַעַת/running on auto-pilot. I wrote a post some time ago that hits the topic the topic with a broad brush: Your יֵצֶר הָרָע Wants Every Battle And The War. I was debating whether to write another mussar piece, but then I say a very practical הלכה למעשה/real life example.
The Shulchan Aruch 216 discusses brachos on scents. One of the scents discussed is musk, which is a scent derived from the secretions of certain animals. The Mishna Brura (sk 7) notes that there is a discussion among the poskim if musk comes from the sweat of the animal or its blood. Regardless, the actual musk scent itself is a powder; very far removed from its source. The Mishna Brura, in fact, concludes that musk may be added to food -- even according to the poskim who say its source is the blood of the animal -- because it is simply dust at this point. (The Chazon Ish is stringent; CYLOR.)
The Biur Halacha (d.h. musk :) ) starts by making a seemingly obvious point: The only argument is whether you can add it to food, but everyone -- even according to who hold it comes from the blood of the animal -- have no issue with smelling it. Obvious conclusion: there is no problem smelling something, even though it is forbidden to be eaten. Yep, I'm thinking as I am reading it, that's pretty clear; I wonder where he is going with this. The next few words answered that question: Well... maybe not. Perhaps there only reason it is permissible to smell musk is because it is a scent and not a food. That is, even when musk is added to food, it is only to add a dimension to the scent, not for taste. Perhaps smelling a forbidden food would also be forbidden, to forestall coming to eat it.
So here you have a straightforward halacha in Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Brura. The inference seems obvious. So obvious, in fact, that you may conclude that the Mishna Brura didn't mention it because it was so evident. Only problem, though, is that it is wrong.
Fine, fine... we are not starting earlier because of Rosh Chodesh. In fact, next Rosh Chodesh, we'll be starting later each day. Rosh Chodesh, of course, has nothing at all to do with when we daven. What's the point (besides the obvious showing off how dedicated us vasikin daveners are, while taking a jab at the rest of the world; just saying)? The point, though, is to underscore how bad it is to jump to conclusions from a tiny data set. The Pele Yo'eitz has an entire section devoted to the evils of הֶסַח הַדַעַת/running on auto-pilot. I wrote a post some time ago that hits the topic the topic with a broad brush: Your יֵצֶר הָרָע Wants Every Battle And The War. I was debating whether to write another mussar piece, but then I say a very practical הלכה למעשה/real life example.
The Shulchan Aruch 216 discusses brachos on scents. One of the scents discussed is musk, which is a scent derived from the secretions of certain animals. The Mishna Brura (sk 7) notes that there is a discussion among the poskim if musk comes from the sweat of the animal or its blood. Regardless, the actual musk scent itself is a powder; very far removed from its source. The Mishna Brura, in fact, concludes that musk may be added to food -- even according to the poskim who say its source is the blood of the animal -- because it is simply dust at this point. (The Chazon Ish is stringent; CYLOR.)
The Biur Halacha (d.h. musk :) ) starts by making a seemingly obvious point: The only argument is whether you can add it to food, but everyone -- even according to who hold it comes from the blood of the animal -- have no issue with smelling it. Obvious conclusion: there is no problem smelling something, even though it is forbidden to be eaten. Yep, I'm thinking as I am reading it, that's pretty clear; I wonder where he is going with this. The next few words answered that question: Well... maybe not. Perhaps there only reason it is permissible to smell musk is because it is a scent and not a food. That is, even when musk is added to food, it is only to add a dimension to the scent, not for taste. Perhaps smelling a forbidden food would also be forbidden, to forestall coming to eat it.
So here you have a straightforward halacha in Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Brura. The inference seems obvious. So obvious, in fact, that you may conclude that the Mishna Brura didn't mention it because it was so evident. Only problem, though, is that it is wrong.
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