BSD

Brochos 3a (3) – 3b

Elul 9, 5785. 09/02/2025

Brief notes.

1- In a roundabout way we spoke about a Golem and if he/she/it…. can be counted for a Minyan.

Story of the Rogatchover and Reb Chaim Eliyahu Althaus (and here) regarding creating a Golem for a 10th for a Minyan!

R’ Elye Chaim Althaus, seated, 2nd from left

“He did not understand what Said. I spoke regarding his question of whether the Golem could join a Minyan or similar, and I answered that the Golem was not considered reality… and could not be joined to anything… was only made through הרכבה שכיבית. When one is created through ספר יצירה, he has no categorical existence.”

צפנת פענח חלק ב, סימן ז

The point of the Rogatchover:

When two items combine, mix or fuse, it can occur in two ways with different results.

Fusion happens either thru הרכבה שכוניית. Meaning that the fusion is primarily due to the fact two items are adjacent. But it is not a thorough fuse, as each still retains (some of) its character.

הרכבה מזגית means that the fusion creates a new מציאות. A singular entity formed by the total ‘mix’ of the two ingredients.

A living human, comprised of a body and soul, is a result of a הרכבה מזגית. An entity that is called a ‘living person’ is a result of the total fusing of his גוף ונשמה.

A Golem however, the שם  (or thru ספר יצירה)  that gives him animation is like a battery in the sense that it does not really fuse with his clay body. He is therefore not a human or even an animal.

Thus, a Golem does not have the designation of a מציאות אדם and cannot be counted in a Minyan.

(Though this does seem to happen often at various minyanim. Ed.)

2- The story of the חורבה….

Discussed the idea of חשד and מראית עין, which we dealt with in שקלים.

The גמרא in Shabbos 23b – the reason for leaving פאה at the edge of a field and not in the middle.

The  ש”ך  that derives from our גמרא that wherever there is a concern of a חשד, if two people are present, the חשד disappears.

Such as creating a 2 or 3D sculpture of the sun or moon.

Singularly that is something that is prohibited, however if two people create it it would be allowed.

יו”ד קמא” שך כז.

3- The expression in our גמרא that ‘a משמורה and a half of a משמורה’ is considered as two.

1.5=2?

Lets round it up to 2.

Spoke about despite the rule of רובו ככולו, this does not apply to שיעורים. Such as with a שיעור ארבעים סאה  of a מקוה. Obviously one cannot say רובו ככולו  and use a מקוה that has only 30 סאה.

This is a big topic and BL”N we will continue next week.

This idea of 1+1.5=2 was used by some to consider one whole loaf of bread plus another that is missing a bit as לחם משנה.

 

 

או”ח רעד מחצית השקל.