HALACHA OF THE WEEK:Can a Baal Koreh Drink Water During Torah Reading? On Shabbat morning there is no question that a person is allowed to drink water before davening begins [Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 232:3]. However, that is true only up until the time that it is permitted to make kiddush and eat the second Shabbat meal - which according to most authorities begins as soon as Shacharit concludes [Mishna Berura 287:7].
According to these authorities, by the time we begin to read from the Torah, there is already an obligation to make kiddush. Therefore, taking a drink of water during Torah reading should be prohibited! This in fact is the ruling of Rav Herschel Schachter who prohibits a baal koreh from sipping water between aliyot.
However, the Magen Avraham [Orach Chaim 271:5] does rule that one can rinse his mouth with water before Kiddush because it is not for enjoyment. Rav Neuwirth in his Shmirat Shabbat K’hilchata takes this one step further and permits drinking water to take medicine even after Shacharit [52:3]. Therefore, there is room to argue that a baal koreh who needs to drink water in order to complete the Torah reading may be permitted to do so, since it is for "medicinal purposes."
But even that logic is complicated by a ruling of the Mishna Berura - that if someone drinks water for medicinal purposes but also enjoys it due to thirst, that person would need to recite a bracha before drinking [Mishna Berura 204:42]. If so, presumably it would be prohibited to drink the water before making kiddush.
Rabbi Daniel Mann of Eretz Chemdah has suggested that one solution could be that the baal koreh should drink enough water before Shacharit so that the baal koreh would no longer be "thirsty." As a result, any water he drinks during the Torah reading can be considered purely "medicinal."
One final basis to permit the baal korah to drink water is that there are authorities who rule that kiddush is only required after we recite Musaf [ Mishna Berura 286:9]. If so, drinking water when necessary, during Torah reading does not require kiddush to be said, and would be permitted just as drinking water before davening.
DVAR TORAH Rav Avraham Pam, ztz"l once asked, why was Adam created outside of Gan Eden (Bereishit 2:5) only to be placed there once he was created? Why didn't G-d create Adam in the garden? The answer, said Rav Pam was because by creating Adam outside of the garden, G-d created him with the ability to survive outside of the miraculous setting of Gan Eden.
The same he explained is why the Jewish nation had to be created outside of the land of Israel. Because G-d wanted us to have the wherewithal to survive beyond our land. Because He knew that there could come a time when we would be exiled from the land, and if we did not have the experience of the Egyptian exile we would have been unable exist.
Which may also explain why Chazal only counted only the four terms of redemption (arba leshonot geulah), "I will free you," "I will deliver you," "I will redeem you" and "I will take you," and seemed to omit the very next verse in which the words "I will bring you into the Land." (Shemot 6:6-8). Because this final promise of G-d (represented at the seder by the cup of Eliyahu) will only occur when we deserve to live in the land. Whereas the first four terms are guaranteed to us at all times.
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MAZAL TOV * to Brad and Tali Widawer on the birth of a son. The Shalom Zachar will be this Friday night at their home, 6539 N Mozart St, Apt 2 after 9:00 pm. The bris will be at KINS Main this Sunday, October 3, following the 8:30 minyan.
* to Fred and Shelley Waltzer on the birth of a grandson, born to their children Sarah and Michael Klein.
* Yossi and Dalia Brandman on the birth of a granddaughter. The proud parents are Akiva and Suri Brandman. Mazal Tov to great grandparents Shmuel Brandman and Faith and Ronny Shabat. Special Mazal Tov to great-great grandmother Mrs. Sylvia Shabat.
REFUAH SHLAIMA * to Etai Rimel – Etai Yaakov ben Tzipporah, who is recovering in rehab.
CONDOLENCES * to Yehuda (Andrea) Lebovits, Marnin (Nsiah) Lebovits, Shira Birnbaum, Frayda Lebovits and the late Alita Wiznitzer on the loss of their father, grandfather and great grandfather, Professor Binaymin Lebovits. Shiva is by phone only 847-567-1700 and 312-576-5678
SPONSORS @ KINS To sponsor a Kiddush, donate to the Kiddush Fund or Learning Fund please click here.
Main Minyan Kiddush is sponsored by Trude Matanky and the Matanky-Stopek families in commemoration of the yahrtzeit of their husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Eugene Matanky z’l.
Early Minyan Kiddush is sponsored by Jim and Meira Mainzer in honor of Dov Shapiro and Reuven Gottesman.
All shiurim and learning this week are sponsored by Zevi and Yonit David in honor of Zevi’s new job. A donation to the Learning fund was made by: Vivienne Sklar in honor of the birth of a great grandson. The proud parents are Estee and Benny Rudansky.
DAYTIME DIALOGUES: Wednesdays, 12pm - will resume 10/6 CRISIS & FAITH: SEFER SHMUEL: Wednesdays 1:00 pm
30 MINUTES OF PARSHA, Wed. 8:00p / Shabbat 8:30am
TALMUD CLASS – Shabbat, 45 minutes before mincha
SEFER DANIEL – Sundays 9:00am - will resume 10/10
BIRTHDAYS Gabriel Stein (10/2) Levi Stopek (10/2) Uri Stopek (10/2) Rabbi Yoseph Liberman (10/3) Mrs. Carla Nochumson (10/4) Mr. Yosi Applebaum (10/7) Mrs. Malke Goldberg (10/7) Yisroel Mayefsky (10/7) Mr. Daniel Stuhlman (10/7) Mrs. Jenny Landsman (10/8) Mr. Daniel Peikes (10/8) Mr. Yisrael Shapiro (10/8)
Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park Main: 2800 W. North Shore Ave & North: 3003 West Touhy • Chicago, IL 60645 P 773.761.4000 • F 773.761.4959 • www.congkins.org
CRISIS & FAITH: SEFER SHMUEL: Wednesdays 1:00 pm
TALMUD CLASS – Shabbat, 45 minutes before mincha
