These Classic Halacha Seforim Just Got a Lot Better
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TITLE: PUBLISHER: Ketzos Hashulchan R. Avraham Chaim 4 volumes Naeh and R. Shiurei Torah— Menachem Naeh Shiur Mikvah 2 volumes EDITORS: LANGUAGE: Rabbi Menachem Hebrew Mendel Nachshon, Rabbi Levi Holtzman AUTHOR: Harav Avraham Chaim Naeh ISSUE #07 appearing in 5686, and the final volume was published posthumously in 5714. These Classic The set starts from the beginning of Orach Chaim with the morning halachos; goes Halacha Seforim through the halachos of tzitizis, tefillin, and davening; continues with hilchos berachos; and then all of the halachos of Shabbos. Just Got A Lot Better Subsequent additions combined the nine parts into three volumes, and the new edition BY SHMUEL SUPER keeps this structure. The sefer is best defined by the renowned elder Chabad Rov, Harav Dovid Tzvi Introduction in the court of the Rebbe Rashab, before (Radatz) Chein in his haskamah to the first returning to Eretz Yisrael where he married. volume, written just a few months before his etzos Hashulchan and Shiurei During World War I, he was expelled from passing: a Kitzur Shulchan Aruch based on Torah by Harav Avraham Eretz Yisrael by the Turks and fled to Egypt, the Alter Rebbe. Chaim Naeh have been where he promptly set up a Yeshivah for the The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch follows Kclassic halachah seforim since they were exiles and locals. Here too, he identified a the order of the mechaber’s Shulchan Aruch first published over the years 5686-5714. lack of clarity in the basic daily halachos, and its commentaries, summarizing the These seforim were reprinted many times and wrote Shenos Chaim, a work on hilchos main opinions and their reasoning, and since—in the original old typeset—but have tefillah and the yamim tovim according to then rendering a ruling. R. Naeh writes in been out of print for around a decade. Now, Sefardi custom with an Arabic translation. his introduction to Ketzos Hashulchan that these popular classics are finally available Returning to Yerushalayim, R. Naeh began not everyone has the time to study the Alter again, and, for the first time, published in a to work for the Beis Din of the Eidah Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch properly, and for this completely new edition. Hachareidis as a secretary, in addition to other reason he has written an abridged version. In this review, we will survey the contents communal roles. Later, he was a founding The methodology of Ketzos Hashulchan is of R. Chaim Naeh’s seforim, explore their member of the Badatz of Agudas Yisrael. R. to use the Alter Rebbe’s actual words as the unique function and style, and describe the Naeh passed away in 5714, at the relatively base, re-edited and reorganized in order to improvements of the new edition. young age of 64. present the practical halachos in the most To better understand R. Naeh’s life work, it is The full story of R. Naeh’s fascinating life can practical manner. helpful to first briefly survey his life story. Born be found in Nodah Beshiurim, by Shneur To this end, Ketzos Hashulchan omits the in Chevron in 5650 to a longtime Lubavitcher Zalman Berger. variant opinions discussed by the Alter family, R. Naeh was sent by Rebbe Rashab to Samarkand at age 21, to serve as a Rov for the Ketzos Hashulchan To subscribe and receive A Look local Bucharian community. Ketzos Hashulchan was originally published Inside the Book in your inbox, email Noting the lack of knowledge of by R. Naeh in nine volumes over the course bookreviews@anash.org basic halachos among the Bucharian youth, of almost 30 years, with the first volume he wrote his first sefer titled Chanoch Lanaar, hilchos tefillin according to Sefardi custom—in Bucharian. This was R. Naeh’s first sefer, and it set the pattern for all the Available at: ones that followed—identifying a public lack SeforimDeals.com/ of clarity in an area of practical halachic and LookInBook immediately writing a sefer to address it. R. Naeh spent a few months in Lubavitch Rebbe, leaving only his final decision. Another noteworthy point regarding Ketzos when it occurred on Shabbos, during the time Uncommon halachos are also omitted. Hashulchan is that it contains halachos that of the Beis Hamikdash: everyone would bring However, unlike the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and are missing from the Alter Rebbe’s their lulavim to shul before Shabbos, and in other abridged works of halachah, Ketzos Shulchan Aruch. The halachos pertaining the morning they would identify their set and Hashulchan does include the rationale for to topics such as kerias haTorah, fulfill the mitzvah. the halachos, a matter the Alter Rebbe placed mincha and maariv, and beis haknesses, are Thinking practically, R. Naeh writes that strong emphasis on. all summarized based on the classic poskim, the lulavim must have been placed in a pile in Importantly, on the not-infrequent occasions and in accordance with the rulings of the the shul, and in order for a person to find their when the Alter Rebbe changed his mind in Alter Rebbe on these topics in other contexts own—on the first day of Sukkos one may not his Siddur, Ketzos Hashulchan only brings the and minhag Chabad. use a borrowed lulav—they would have had to final ruling given in the Siddur. The pesakim of The final volume of Ketzos Hashulchan includes sift through the pile. Here R. Naeh finds proof the Tzemach Tzedek are also included, along a number of related kuntreisim published by for his earlier argument, that sifting through with relevant minhagei Chabad. the mechaber. Piskei Hasidur highlights and a pile to find one’s belongings is indeed To the base of the abridged words of discusses all of the differences between the permissible. the Alter Rebbe, R. Naeh adds some Alter Rebbe’s rulings in the Shulchan Aruch A very important feature of the Badei practical halachos found in later poskim. In his and Sidur, Kuntres Hasidur comments on Hashulchan footnotes is the application of humility, whenever R. Naeh adds even a word apparent printing mistakes in the siddur, the halachos to contemporary questions. of his own—as explanation or addressing a and Kuntres Hashulchan notes apparent R. Naeh was a pioneer in this regard, the new matter—he encloses it in square brackets. printing mistakes in the Alter Rebbe’s first posek to address many of these issues. Shulchan Aruch (most of these have been To make the halachos as clear as possible, R. Returning to our earlier example of accepted and corrected in the new edition of Naeh also reorganizes them. The halachos are the halachos of treating the sick on the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch). re-divided into a new structure of simanim, Shabbos, Badei Hashulchan (end of siman 138) and within each siman the order of the Badei Hashulchan addresses many practical questions not found halachos is also changed. While the Alter Under the overall title of Ketzos Hashulchan, in the earlier poskim. Examples include taking Rebbe and the mechaber’s Shulchan Aruch these seforim are actually comprised of two medicine for a headache (allowed only if the follow an order dictated by the internal logic of parts: the body of Ketzos Hashulchan contain person is bedridden), sleeping pills (allowed), the halachic topics, R. Naeh’s order is dictated ing halachos collected from the Alter Rebbe using toothpaste (allowed, but it shouldn’t by practicality—presenting the halachos in and other poskim as described above, and the be placed on the toothbrush), and applying the clearest and most user-friendly structure. footnotes titled Badei Hashulchan. mosquito repellent lotion (allowed). For example, we will take the halachos of While the body of Ketzos Hashulchan expresses True to form, R. Naeh shows a full treating the sick on Shabbos. In the author’s practical organizational skills, the understanding of the practical dimensions the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, extensive Badei Hashulchan footnotes express of the contemporary questions he addresses, these halachos appear in one siman, divided his incredible breadth of knowledge and enabling him to not only apply the halachah to into 55 lengthy se’ifim (siman 328). The analytical genius. them, but also give guidance for how to solve order follows the flow of the internal logic Badei Hashulchan footnotes the sources of the practical problems raised. of the sugyos, making it very difficult for the the halachos stated in the Ketzos Hashulchan, For example, in Badei Hashulchan 130:21 layman to extract practical guidance. In discusses and analyzes their sources, and R. Naeh discusses the question of pouring the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch there are only nine also applies the halachic principles to water on concrete on Shabbos, showing short se’ifim short on this topic (siman 92), contemporary questions. These notes are very complete familiarity with the actual process with very few details. lengthy, especially in hilchos Shabbos, where of hardening concrete. As a result, aside from Ketzos Hashulchan divides the halachos of one se’if is sometimes followed by multiple stating that this is forbidden on Shabbos as treating the sick into five separate, pages of detailed discussion. a derivative of the melachah of losh (kneadin smaller, simanim (134-138), and completely R. Naeh’s uniquely practical mind can g), he is able to give practical advice for how reorganizes the halachos to follow a also be seen in the in-depth analyses of a frum construction worker can avoid the more practical-oriented structure. The halachic theory. In Badei Hashulchan 125:20 need to do it on Shabbos. five simanim follow the order of of people R. Naeh discusses the halachos of borer [ The Rebbeim greatly appreciated and that are sick but not in mortal danger (134), selecting, or sorting] on Shabbos, as they encouraged R.