[Avodah] imponderables

[Eli Turkel]

Just read R. Reisman's book Pathways of the Prophets (has nothing to
do with prophets!)
He has a section called imponderables

Some I disagreed with and some I leave to the readers

1. He quotes MB 638-24 that one can write verses (not in whole Torah)
only for education
He then notes that the universal minhag is to quote verses on succah
decorations.
I would add that this is also true of most wedding invitations (just
received a Belz one
with a pasuk)

I would guess that since this is universal MB is not accepted - any ideas?

2. If one holds like Rabbenu Tam how can one make early shabbat which
would be before plag hamincha of R. Tam (ie 75 minutes before shkia
of R. Tam).
He tries to answer that even according to R. Tam plag hamincha is before
physical sunset
sounds farfetched to me

3. Gemara Beitzah 7a says chickens dont lay eggs at night
why not use that to determine like Gra or Rabbenu Tam

4. Why does the chazzan turn to the ark when saying Gadlu?

5. He claims that one can't eat Giraffe because of Chaye Odam and CI
that one needs a mesorah. However our own Ari Zivotofsky  points out
that many including Edah Hacharedit dont accept this psak of CI
In fact the OU gives a hechsher on buffalo meat

6. Parshat Tzav has 97 verses not 96 as all chumashim claim
parshat pekudei has no siman at the end

7. chazal Sotah 11b say that King David was a descendant of Miriam and
Caleb. However in megillat Rut, Calev isnt listed
(he quotes gemara that Caleb ben Yefune is the same as Caleb ben Chetzron
who had a brother Ram who is listed in Rut.

However the equivalebce of Caleb ben Yefune with Caleb ben Chetzron is very
unlikely as already the Gra and many others point out

8. Michtav Mi Eliyahu claims that R. Tam changed the order of the parshiyot
in the tefillin. He says he could do this since there was no explicit mesorah
as to the order (of course there was a practical mesorah)

This seems to go against the famur Beis Halevi and RYBS with regard to techelet
that one cant change or reestablish a mesorah (not) based on practice.

-- 
Eli Turkel