Basically the article describes a Baal Teshuva from Eastern Europe who was a guest for Shabbos at an Avrech's house. When the Avrech saw that the boy hated chulent he recalled the statement of the Baal Hamaor that someone who doesn't eat hot food on Shabbos is a מין. He also noticed that the boy didn't move (shuckle) when he davened. Based on this, the avrech feared that the boy was not Jewish. After investigations could not determine whether the boy was really Jewish he underwent a גירות לחומרא.
My first thought after reading this was that it was some kind of joke. The Baal Hamaor is talking about someone who doesn't eat hot food בשיטה because he holds it is assur to eat hot food. It has no application to someone who just doesn't like chulent. Shuckling is also overrated. R' Moshe Feinstein stood stock still when davening, he felt that this showed much more כבוד then shuckling.
4 comments:
I don't like chulent during the summer. What does this say about my Jewish status?
B"H Um,...would you like to live in my small house with the plata on all Shabbath in the summer? I sincerely doubt it. I'm sure I would be considered "safeq" (HW"H) by some because when the plata is on during the summer, the Shabbath clock turns it off after lunch. Gee-waaaaald!
Shuckling? Um, has this guy ever been in a Yemenite beth knesseth?
I'm sure I'll definitely be considered an epikourus for bringing this up, but...
1) The GR"A said that when there is a mahloqeth between the Zohar and Gemara, one goes by the Gemara.
2) Oh, yeah, and we're not even talking about halacha here, just minhagim (now I'm really gonna get it!)
3) This guy, if Jewish, sounds like a good example of a tinoq shenishba, one who would not necessarily be expected to know Shabbath nor prayer, let alone chollent and shucking.
4) I sincerely believe that R'Eliyashiv based his decision on the additional investigation, not just on chollent and shuckling.
5) It is said that when R' Aqiva prayed, he would end up in a completely different location then when he started. He was probably doing a lot more than shuckling, possibly kneeling and prostrating himself. Don't tell anyone though, you'll be called a heretic.
There is no shuckling at my minyan that I have noticed. Too much shuckling can make one sea sick anyways.
Oy. Sounds like Purim Torah.
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