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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was learning Massechet Sukkah with my son and we
came across the sugya of "etrog ha-kushi" (31a), which concludes that whether or
not a black etrog is kosher depends on where you are - "ha lan ve-ha
lehu."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rashi's explaination follows the
usual definition of those terms, and he explains that since Bavel is closer
to Kush than is Eretz Yisrael, people in Bavel are used to them, and black
is acceptable. Since Israel is far from Kush, black is abnormal and
therefore pasul.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Working with the assumption that Kush is Ethiopia,
it appears that Rashi has it backwards. Any suggestions?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Shalom</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger, Ed.D.<BR>The Lookstein
Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora<BR>School of Education<BR>Bar-Ilan
University<BR><A
href="http://www.lookstein.org">http://www.lookstein.org</A><BR>Blogging at <A
href="http://schmoozed.lookstein.org/">http://schmoozed.lookstein.org/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>