The Jose Hess
Diamond
Engagement
Ring.
With design so exquisite,
it's easy to see
°months' sal
't11 mu t
You Little Devil
Are you still making reference to
this guy who has nothing to do with Judaism?
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
4C's; Cut, Color, Clarity and
Carat Weight - Your guide
to dicmond quality.
ri ilia 11 re S n re I 9 I
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Closed Mother's Day
FURNITURE OUTLET
2599 Crumb Rd., Commerce Twp. •
669-0066
Q: I know a shochetmust be spe-
cially trained in the slaughter of
birds and animals for kosher con-
sumption, but what about fish?
Must fish be killed by a shochet to
be kosher?
A: No. Halachah states that
as soon as fish are removed
from water they are as good as
dead, and so may be killed as
the fisherman or fish seller sees
fit.
Whereas after slaughter,
birds and animals must be
soaked and salted to remove
the blood, it is not necessary to
eliminate the blood of the fish
(what little there is).
An important precaution the
kosher consumer should take,
however, is to make certain
that the fish she is buying is
kosher to begin
with. That is,
the fish must be
a species that
has both fins
and scales.
It is for that
reason that
many fish mar-
kets and fish
departments in
grocery stores
will employ a
mashgiach, or
kosher supervi-
sor.
Q: Has a woman ever headed a
Chasidic sect?
A: Yes, in the early Chasidic
period. She was the wife of Yis-
rael Avraham of Cheryny Os-
troy, a small town southeast of
Rovno, in the Volhynian region
of Ukraine. Yisrael Avraham
lived from 1772-1814. After his
death, his wife led the Cha-
sidism for a number of years.
Q: I've heard a number of Yiddish
folk sayings about the devil, and
the Jewish Bible mentions Satan.
Yet I remember back in Hebrew
school a rabbi emphatically telling
me that belief in the devil has no
place in Judaism. So, does Judaism
believe in the devil or not?
A: There clearly is a Jewish
folk belief in what the Western
mind knows as the devil. Yet
there is no mention of a devil in
the Torah, and in most in-
stances where the Hebrew
word satan appears in the
Tanakh, it clearly refers to a
human adversary (satan means
"accuser.")
In other cases, Chaim W eizmann:
From reader M.G. in La-
the use of satan is A prince among guna Hills, Calif.
allegorical, such as
bah' es.
A:Weizmann was in-
in the Book of
deed born in Motel, a
Zechariah and the Book of village Israel's first president
Job.
later described as "situated in
The concept of the devil one of the darkest and most for-
as an autonomous force of lorn corners of the Pale of Set-
evil and as arival of God is tlement, that prison-house
not Jewish but Christian. created by czarist Russia for its
An early influence on Jewish population."
Christian demonology was
However, after consulting
the Zoroastrian religion of both encyclopedias and biogra-
ancient Persia. It was a dualist phies, Tell Me Why was unable
faith, believing in two supreme to find any mention of a "Fi-
spirits: one of goodness and alkow" in Weizmann's family
light, the other of evil and dark- history. In fact, unlike many
ness.
Jewish leaders who took on
The concept of the devil as we new names once they settled in
know it comes from the New Israel, Weizmann stuck with
Testament, which is replete the name with which he was
with references to the devil as born: Chaim Azriel Weizmann.
the source of all evil in the
He was born Nov. 27, 1874,
world.
the third child of 15 born to
Fearful that dualist beliefs Ozer and Rachel-Leah Weiz-
— be they Zoroastrian or mann.
Christian — could influence
Perhaps it was just a passing
gullible Jews, the early rabbis comment intended to please a
composed a prayer that clear- new mother, or perhaps it was
ly states Judaism's funda- simply a good guess, but Weiz-
mental concept that God and mann biographer Norman re-
God alone is the ultimate counts that soon after Chaim
source of everything, no mat- was born, a woman remarked
ter how it is perceived by hu- to his mother: "Leah-Rachel,
mans. The prayer still is you have borne a prince."
recited today as the first
bracha of kriat sh'ma ("Blessed
are you, God...who forms light Send questions to Tell Me Why,
and creates darkness, makes The Jewish News, 27676
peace and creates everything.") Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
Q: Can you tell me if Chaim Weiz-
mann's family name was Fialkow?
He was boi,1 the village of Mo-
tel, a suburb of Pinsk.
48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069.
All letters must be signed and in-
clude the writer's address. Ques-
tions answered in the column will
feature only the writer's initials
and city of residence.