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<font size=3><br>
</font><font size=2>You may post in my name.<br><br>
Well, funny you should mention that. I did not, because I do not
have the time to enter into a full discussion of this matter.
Suffice it to say that "negel vasser" as currently practiced is
not an old Jewish custom. N'tilas yodayim before davening in the
morning is. And it is called n'tilas yodayim. But that has
nothing to do with one's fingernails. The latter was an innovation
in Europe according to the Zohar and kabbolo. Look in the Tur and
SA: n'tilas yodayim is onely done once in the morning, after going to the
bathroom and before davening.<br>
There will be many cries that what I said is not correct. There are
g'moros that have been reinterpreted as referring to negel vasser.
But they were not interpreted that way by the rishonim. This matter
needs a long discussion to make clear the changes that have taken place,
probably even a longer discussion than I wrote for bonfires, Lag ba'Omer
and opsheren. But I do not have the time now, and am not sure when
I will. However, do not take my silence as consent.<br>
Weddings are called by all chasunes. Funerals are called levayas,
even though their is nothing wrong with the English word (or the
German word) in either case. The only other thing that comes to my
mind right now not in Hebrew is a "vort" for an engagement
party. But that was also a European innovation to replace
tenoim. Vort refers to the signed agreement made between the
families of the choson and kallo, which, however, was significantly
different than what was signed in tenoim. Tenoim, AFAIK, is only
done today by certain chasidic groups that cling fast to their old
customs; yeshivishe circles changed it already in Europe because of
halachic concerns (innovation again).<br><br>
<br><br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: T613K@aol.com
[<a href="mailto:T613K@aol.com">mailto:T613K@aol.com</a>]<br>
Sent: Sun 5/17/2009 12:42 PM<br>
To: avodah@lists.aishdas.org; Larry.Levine@stevens.edu; Mandel, Seth<br>
Subject: Re: Are Upsherin and Bonfires Taken from the
Gentiles?<br><br>
From: Yitzchok Levine _Larry.Levine@stevens.edu_<br>
(<a href="mailto:Larry.Levine@stevens.edu">
mailto:Larry.Levine@stevens.edu</a>)<br><br>
Quoting R' Seth Mandel: <br>
>> For a linguist, the importance of<br>
the ceremony being called "halaqe" (Arabic for
"shaving, haircut")<br>
also cannot be overemphasized. As most people are aware, Jews
have<br>
always used Hebrew words for old Jewish minhogim, even if there was
a<br>
suitable term in the spoken language (e.g. Shabbos rather than<br>
Sabbath, or bris rather than circumcision), because the Hebrew
term<br>
carried with it the connotations of the Jewish dinim and
minhogim<br>
associated with it. Arabic (and Germanic/Yiddish) were only
used for<br>
customs that did not have a Jewish background (e.g. shtreimel
or<br>
yarmulke or farbrengen). <<<br><br>
<br>
>>>>>><br><br>
What about negel vasser?<br><br>
<br><br>
--Toby Katz<br>
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