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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Someone wrote a while back on the Areivim
list (vol 26, no 195):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>"What about those who wash
mayim Achronim before bentching? I do not. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Are those who do wash observing a
Chumrah? If so, then there are Chumras<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>everywhere, and the term seems to me
to have become meaningless in the way<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>that you insist upon using it."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>In a later issue, Rebbezin Boublil correctly
responded in the next issue <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>that this is a din in the shulchan
aruch. I think this point should be<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>elaborated upon: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>In OH, 181:1 the mechaber states
emphatically that mayim achronim is an<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>MB offers 2 reasons: dirty hands
(yadayim zohamot) and sodomite salt.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Chaza&quot;l even pegged it to a
verse in these parshot of vayikra, that one<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>should be holy, this is mayim
acharonim. At the end of this chapter, in<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>no.10 the mechaber says that there
are some who do not practice (she'ein<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>nohagim) to wash mayim achronim,
with the tosophot in berachot brought as<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>the source. Interestingly, the remah
says nothing in either place, seemingly<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>agreeing to the mechaber's view. MB
(no 22) quotes the vilna gaon who opts<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>that it's an obligation as does
magen avraham in the name of kabbalists, as<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>well as R. Shlomo Luria, author of
Yam shel Shlomo. All this implies that<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>MB's view is that it's an obligation
as he quotes no one concurring with<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>this lenient practice.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Even the great meikal of Lithuanian
Jewry, the aruch hashulchan, (181:5)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>states that the tosophot who argued
that the custom in his day was not to<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>wash mayim acharonim, did so only to
melamed zechus on those who did not,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>but would admit that nowadays one is
obligated for there may be sodomite<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>salt among us and thus concludes
that one should be scrupulous in this<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>practice, i.e. one should follow the
din of the Talmud and use mayim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>acharonim. He also states that thus
(i.e. washing mayim acharonim) is the<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>practice of all yirei hashem (those
who fear God)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Thus the law as formulated in SA and
concurred to by the latest poskim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>acharonim is that one should was
mayim acharonim. It's not a chumra, but<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>din. If one doesn't than one is
meikal, i.e., relying on a lenient ruling of<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>the tosophot, where even ashkenazic
authorities questioned it, e.g. Rosh,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>who disagreed. Even the great
standard bearer for ashkenazic custom, the<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>ramah is silent here. So under
those circumstances, one should reconsider<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>the issue of mayim acharonim, and
ask why am I lenient?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>And should some yekke say that he
eats with a knife and fork and therefore<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>his hands are clean, I refer to kaf
hachayyim, 181: 27 who cited this very<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>argument from r. Yaakov <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">emden</st1:place></st1:City> in mor ukeziah,
and immediately cites sources<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>that rebut it, and concludes that
under all circumstances one should wash<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>mayim acharonim.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>I should also note that the noted
Dayan of Frankfort, the author of the<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Yosef Ometz, in paragraph 155 states
that according to the Kabbalah one<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>should wash mayim acharonim
nowadays.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Finally the great forerunner of all
minhag ashkenaz, the maharil, also<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>obligated mayim acharonim, see
spitzer ed., p. 117, no. 41, and especially<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>note heh.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Accordingly, one may conclude that
someone who does not wash mayim acharonim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>has a source to rely upon, but would
not be included among the yirei hashem<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>according to say the Aruch
haShulkhan!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Yom Atzmaut Sameiach<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'>Shlomo Pick<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=David><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:David'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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