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On Monday, 14 Kislev, High Court Justice, Mishael Cheshin
said that as long as the chareidi sector doesn't recognize
the High Court, the judges will not protect its rights.
Shocked by the remark, MKs Ravitz and Gafni said that
Cheshin should not continue on the High Court. Almost everyone expects a contest for the office of prime
minister between Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, but it
remains unclear whether Israelis should prepare for special
direct elections for prime minister in 60 days (perhaps even
without Netanyahu) or, following the passing of the bill
next week dissolving the Knesset, for general elections in
90 days or sometime in May (almost certainly with
Netanyahu). Temporary Draft Law Postponed at Last Minute At the last minute, the Knesset plenum refrained from voting
on the first reading of the temporary law to continue the
current arrangements for the drafting of yeshiva students
for a year. UTJ's representatives had no choice but to agree
to the postponement of the voting. Since Maran the Chazon Ish ruled that one should be
machmir with regard to any doubts as to the
boundaries of Eretz Yisroel, and since this is also the
opinion of the gedolei haposkim, shlita, the northern
part of the Aravah (in the Negev) should be considered
within the boundaries of Eretz Yisroel with regard to
shmittah with all that entails.
U.S. Court Stops Use of Educational Vouchers in Ohio; Agudath Israel Responds In a decision that has a big impact on the efforts of the
American Jewish community to pass legislation allowing
parents the use of vouchers to decide how to educate their
children, a federal appeals court declared a Cleveland
school voucher program unconstitutional on Monday. Their
decision confirms a lower court ruling that using public
funds to pay for thousands of children to attend parochial
schools breaches the First Amendment's requirement of
separation between church and state. British Minister Meets with Chareidim A delegation of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregationƒ
met with the Home Secretary the Right Hon. Jack Straw to
appraise him of the growing size and activities of the
chareidi community in the U.K. Reflections on Prime Minister Barak
After announcing less than a week ago that he wanted new
general elections and then working the rest of the week to
avoid them, Prime Minister Barak finally decided -- without
consulting any of his ministers or senior politicians or
advisors -- that he will resign and thereby cause new
elections for prime minister but not for the entire
Knesset. by E. Rauchberger
Barak and the Arab Vote
Barak has made clear signs that although he has
unequivocally supported direct prime ministerial elections
for years, he is now beginning to lean in favor of doing
away with them. Barak used to say that without direct
elections he would have had no chance of being elected prime
minister, since voters would have voted according to party
lines as in the past, resulting in the traditional tie in
the Knesset with a slight tilt to the right, which would
have given the office of prime minister to Binyamin
Netanyahu. "We don't need big miracles, dangerous diseases or
terrible tragedies to awaken us to Teshuva. When we
are able to flex a finger, bend a knee or wink an eye,
these, too, are major miracles and kindnesses from Hashem
each moment to alert us to the guiding Hand in our day to
day lives. The "First" Shmittah: The Chazon Ish's Role In The
Renewal Of Shmittah Observance
The earliest time of Kiddush Levonoh -- Teves
The time of Kiddush Levonoh everywhere in the world
begins on Friday, 3:11 A.M., the eve of 3 Teves (Dec. 29),
in Eretz Yisroel. In west U.S.A. and Canada Kiddush
Levonoh can be made from the beginning of the night
according to the difference in time zones in comparison to
Eretz Yisroel. In the rest of the world it is impossible to
make a berochoh this night because the moon sets
before the earliest time, and their actual time is from the
beginning of Motzei Shabbos, the eve of 5 Teves.
A solar eclipse invisible in Eretz Yisroel will take place
this month on Monday, 28 Kislev. The eclipse's peak is at
12:35 P.M. (New York time), and the astronomical new moon
precedes it by nine minutes and is at 12:26 P.M. It would
seem that the astronomical new moon denoted by the solar
eclipse should indicate the beginning time of Kiddush
Levonoh to be seven hours and three quarters earlier,
but since this month for the three days after the
molad the moon passes its apogee (its highest point)
and advances slowly the influence of the astronomical new
moon's early appearance is canceled.
(Birur Halocho, IV, Orach Chaim 426)
Chanukah lighting time according to the Chazon Ish
The Chazon Ish zt'l lit the Chanukah lights on weekdays
twenty minutes after sunset. On Motzo'ei Shabbos,
however, he lit them only after ma'ariv (which he
davened approximately three quarters of an hour after
sunset) and making havdoloh. [The report in
Tohoras Habayis (part 2, p. 273) that the Chazon Ish
lit Chanukah lights twenty minutes after sunset even on
Motzo'ei Shabbos--from which the author deduces that
melochos may be done this soon after sunset when
there is a pressing necessity--is erroneous].
The source of the minhag of the Chazon Ish when to
light Chanukah lights on weekdays is found in the Bei'ur
HaGra in Yoreh Dei'ah, hilchos Milah chap.
266:17, who explicitly mentions Chanukah lights!
The Chazon Ish based his reasoning on the fact that there
must be some darkness for Chanukah lighting, since "what
good is a candle during the day?" In central Eretz Yisroel
we light 20-21 minutes after sunset (depending when Chanukah
falls according to the solar calendar). The sun is at that
time 4.8 degrees below the horizon.
Using the sun's position below the horizon as our criterion,
these are the times to light Chanukah lights in selected
cities worldwide according to the Chazon Ish: Zurich 27-28
minutes after sunset; Vienna 28-29 minutes; Sydney 22
minutes; Strasbourg 28 minutes; Stockholm 43-44 minutes;
Rome 24-25 minutes; Paris 28-29 minutes; New York 23-24
minutes; Gateshead 35 minutes; Melbourne 23-24 minutes;
Manchester 33 minutes; Los Angeles 21-22 minutes; London 31
minutes; Johannesburg 20 minutes; Cleveland 24 minutes;
Chicago 24-25 minutes; Buenos Aires 22-23 minutes; Amsterdam
32 minutes.
See Birur Halocho Teliso'oh, Orach Chaim 772.
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