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<DIV>In response to something I wrote:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>> I would also like to say that those individuals who mentioned that
they<BR>> sing Sholom Aleichem but don't sing the third stanza are
implicitly<BR>> criticizing the behavior of thousands of rabbanom and roshei
yeshiva who<BR>> are gedolim meihem.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial
color=#000000 size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>R' Arie Folger wrote:
<DIV><BR><BR>>>So you say. There are halakhic authorities that disagree.
AFAIR, in Chaim <BR>Berlin, yevorkhuni leshalom was substituted for the usual
text, because <BR>apparently Maharal had a problem with it. <<</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Someone else wrote to me:</DIV>
<DIV></FONT> </DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>>>Incidentally it was the Gaon who is cited as the source of the
custom of <BR>saying only two stanzas of Shalom Aleichem. He thought it
obligatory to <BR>criticize his predecessors when he thought they were
wrong. See Rabbi <BR>Zevin's book Ishim V'Sheetos p. 18, where he cites
Tshuvos Hut <BR>HaMeshulash #9 and completes the quotation which was censored in
the <BR>original.<<<BR></DIV>
<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>I therefore withdraw my comment about the arrogance of people who skip the
third stanza of Sholom Aleichem. I mistakenly thought that they do it on
the basis of their own understanding and did not realize that they were
following earlier authorities.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But I still think that "Borchuni lesholom" is not davening to the angels
but just saying, "I did my part, now you do yours. My Shabbos table
is set, you are supposed to give me a bracha now." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If someone has a problem with that, maybe they also have a problem with the
medrash that says the malachim give the person a bracha. I'd like to ask
the Gaon that very question. Or ask Yakov Avinu why he demanded a bracha
from the angel who wrestled with him.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><B><BR></B><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============<BR></B><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on <A title="http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850" href="http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850" target="_blank">AOL Money & Finance</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>