Shmuel Hanavi's Hairstyle

The name of the father of the navi Yoel written in Tanach is “פתואל.” The Midrash (ילקוט שמעוני יואל רמז תקל"ג) writes that this was actually the navi Shmuel. Why was he given this name? One of the reasons is that it’s similar to the word “בתולה – a young girl,” and Shmuel would comb his hair like a young girl.
Now, why would Shmuel comb his hair like a girl?
Shmuel was a nazir. Being that even a Yisrael is not allowed to enter any part of the Mishkan with long and unruly hair, Shmuel was required to comb it and make it look nice so he should be allowed to enter the Mishkan in Shiloh which he frequented.
אור שמח על הרמב"ם הל' ביאת המקדש פ"א הי"ז
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Throwing Away Papa's Money

The Gemara (סנהדרין כב, ב. נדרים נא, א) tells us of a certain "Ben Eleasa" who would spend large sums of money in an effort to learn the unique hairstyle that the Kohen Gadol had in the Beis Hamikdash. The Gemara comments that this effort was "not for naught."
Why would the Gemara feel it necessary to inform the reader that it wasn't for naught - what would prompt one to think that it was?
The Maharsh"a explains: Let us examine this man's name - "Ben Eleasa." Why was he given this name; if he was indeed a wealthy and important man, why did he not merit to be addressed with his own given name? The answer is that this man did not accumulate his own wealth, rather he inherited it from his father. As such, his entire legacy was attributed to the owner of his money - his father.
Now, people in such a position usually squander their money as they do not appreciate its value. Therefore, the Gemara tells us that this man did not do that; "not for naught" did he expend large sums of money, for his motives were noble, as he was trying to learn about the ways of the Kohen Gadol.
מהרש"א חדא"ג נדרים נא, א ד"ה מאי בן אלעשה

Mechitzah - a Modern Invention?

Walking into any Orthodox Shul today, you will encounter a mechitzah, a partition running between the men and ladies section of the Shul. Others have a separate balcony for the ladies. One may wonder why is the mechitzah never mentioned in Shulchan Aruch or other earlier seforim? Why was this only recently discussed, and with such passion, by the great Rabbis of a more modern Europe?
The answer is simple: up until modern times, the style of the Shul was completely different. Women that wished to come and daven would sit in a completely separate room and would only hear the sounds of the davening by way of small windows.
שו"ת ציץ אליעזר ח"ז סי' ח
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Gid Hanashe and Fast Days

When Yaakov was left alone to retrieve his jugs, he got embroiled in a fight with the angel of his evil brother Esav. They battled all night long, and upon seeing dawn on the horizon, the angel gave up, but not without striking Yaakov on the thigh and injuring him. Because of this, the Torah says that "על כן לא יאכלו בני ישראל את גיד הנשה - therefore, the Jews do not eat the gid hanasheh, the sciatic nerve."
Homiletically, this passuk can be interpreted to be referring to the days of the year when Jews "do not eat" at all, the public fast days:
The passuk reads as follows: "Therefore the Jews do not eat [on the days hinted to in the following words]:
"את - the ninth (תשעה) of the month of Av (אב);
"גיד - the 3rd (ג) day of the month of Tishrei;
"גיד - the 10th (י) day of the month of Teves;
"גיד - the 17th (the gematriah of גיד) day of Tammuz."
ש"ך על התורה בראשית לב, לג בסופו
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The Arizal and the Eruv

R. Chaim Vital writes of his esteemed master and teacher, the Arizal, that he was careful to make an eruvei chatzeiros every week before Shabbos, not like those that suffice with making one for the entire year. Indeed, the Arizal was very into the eiruv of his city, the fabled mystical town of Tzfas. Says R. Chaim Vital:
"I saw that my master would carry his tallis and chumash on Shabbos morning from his home to Shul. He would also carry it to the famous mikvah outside the city and he was not particular, nor did he bother, to verify if the eiruv for all the alleys of the city of Tzfas aw well as for the mikvah were made according to halachah."
שער הכוונות להרח"ו ז"ל ענין רחיצת פניו ורגליו ד"ה ענין העירוב
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Three Signs of a Scholar

The Gemara (חולין ט, א) declares that a Talmid Chacham must know three things: ksav (writing), shechitah, and milah. Rashi (ד"ה כתב) explains that "ksav" means the simple knowledge of writing, for the scholar should know how to sign his name were he to sit as a judge or a witness.
Explaining why it doesn't mean the knowledge of the laws of writing a Sefer Torah etc., the Maharsh"a explains that the Torah scholar's knowledge of all areas of halachah is a given; this cannnot be what the Gemara means when it says that he must be knowledgeable in "writing." Rather, the intent is the skill of signing his name.
Alternatively, the intent is the obligation a Talmid Chacham has to "transcribe" his Torah thoughts. One whom Hashem has bestowed with the wisdom to expand Torah knowledge is obligated to do so lest it be forgotten. Should he not do so, it is tantamount to spilling seed in vain.
פי' רוב דגן (עטייה) לחולין ט, א ד"ה ח"ח צריך שידע
ועי' בספר אברהם את עיניו(פלאג'י) למס' זו פי' יפה
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Forced Marriage, Can't Get Rid of Us

The Gemara (שבת פח, א) relates that when Hashem approached the Jews with the proposition of receiving the Torah, He was rather forceful about it. He suspended a mountain over their heads and asked them if they would accept it; if not, then and there would be their burial.
Why did Hashem choose such an interesting manner to give the Torah to His beloved nation?
Giving the Torah at Mt. Sinai was the wedding day of the Jewish people with Hashem (תענית כו ,ב). The halachah states that a person who forcefully marries a woman is obligated to remain married to her (if she so wishes) and, unlike all other marriages, is never allowed to divorce her. Were he to give her a get, it is invalid.
Hashem foresaw that His "wife-to-be," the Jewish people, just may end up in trouble and warrant a "divorce." This He did not want; so, He "forcefully" married them, thus disabling a divorce forever.
צפנת פענח חדש ערך נשואין וגירושין אופן הא
ועי' בגור אריה שמות יט, יז פי' דומה
ועי' לקוש ח"א שיחה ב' לפ' תצא
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Bimah in the Middle of the Shul

Throughout history, Jewish congregations placed the bimah in the middle of the shul. With the advent of the "Enlightened" movement in Europe of the late 18th century, reformers started to move the bimah to the front of the Shul. This caused much distress to the halachic authorities of the time, and they spoke out and wrote against it.
R. Yehuda Aszod, student of R. Mordechai Benet and Chasam Sofer and prominent possek of Hungarian Jewry after the latter's death, saw this phenomenon and opposed it. Pondering the possible deeper significance of this breach, he explained:
In the Beis Hamikdash, there were two altars: the golden one inside upon which the incense was burned, and the copper one outside upon which all the sacrifices were brought. The inner one was used only once a day and by a select group of people, whereas the outer one was used quite extensively throughout the day by many people.
Today, there is no Beis Hamikdash or altar. The sacrifices of today are the words of Torah we read and learn, and the altar is table upon which the Torah lies - the bimah. These reformers erroneously think that the Torah and its altar are to be relegated to a select few people and to be seldom used - like the inner altar that was situated in the "front" of the Temple. The truth however is that the Torah and its altar are to accessed extensively by all - like the outer altar which was situated in the "middle" of the Temple.
שו"ת יהודה יעלה ח"א או"ח סי' ג
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Weaker Body, Stronger Intellect

The Gemara states that the Hebrew word "זקן" is an acronym for the words "זה שקנה חכמה - this [one] has acquired wisdon," clearly implying that age alone brings along wisdom.
This is clearly true; the more life experience one has, this serves as his greatest teacher. But a deeper idea lies beneath these words:
As a person ages and his body weakens, his "physicality" and "mortality" lessens and makes way for more intellect, which is spiritual by nature. Not only that, as the physical influence deteriorates, a "higher" and more "unique" form of intellect is bestowed upon him from above.
דרך חיים (להמהר"ל) על המשנה אבות פ"ה מכ"ב
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Do Halachos of Rambam Qualify?

The Gemara states: "It was taught in the name of the house of Eliyahu, he who learns halachos every day is guaranteed entry into the world to come."
Reading this Gemara, a certain questioner understood it to mean at least two halachos a day. He therefore turned to the Rashba"sh, R. Shlomo b. Shimon Duran of Algiers, and asked if two halachos of Rambam or other authors qualify for this promise.
R. Shlomo replied that they indeed do. His logic: Even the halachos of the Mishnah are a compilation of earlier halachos executed by R. Yehudah Hanasi. This would give the Rambam definite qualification, as he too merely compiled earlier sources.
שו"ת הרשב"ש סי' נ"ב
ויש לעיין בספרים דהיום, שישנם כמה ספרים של "ליקוט", האם ספרים אלו נחשבים ג"כ
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Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder

Ever heard that phrase before? Well, it would seem that the following idea would strongly support this logic:
From the passuk "זה א-לי ואנוהו - this is my G-d and I will beautify Him," the Gemara learns the obligation to "beautify the mitzvos we perform in front of Him." (שבת קלג, ב)
Now, with regards to things that will be openly displayed to the public, all agree that beautification is required. Thus, a Sefer Torah which is read publicly and held high for all to see, must be of high aesthetical value. To ensure a clean and straight handwriting, lines are scratched on the parchment, called "sirtut," to guide the scribe as he applies ink to parchment.
Tefillin do not have the "sirtut" obligation. Why? Explains Tosfos and the Rambam that the scrolls are rolled up and obscured from the public (and private) view, which render the need for beauty unnecessary. Or, in their words "for beauty is not 'applicable' by them."
תוס' מנחות לב, ב ד"ה הא

Birthday - a Time for Judgment

R. Shmuel Sofer, son of the Ksav Sofer and grandson of the famed Chasam Sofer, Rov of Pressburg, was invited to the “World Jewish Congress” in Budapest in 1869. While staying in Budapest, one of the days fell out to be on Rosh Chodesh Adar, his birthday. He instructed his attendant to not let anyone enter to see him that day. Indeed, all who came to visit him were sent away empty-handed. One Rabbi, a relative and close student, arrived and, not heeding the attendant, pushed his way into the room of the Rav. He found him sitting at his desk engulfed in tears. He looked up to him and said: “Know, today I turn 54 (נ"ד) years old, and I am judging (דן) myself to see how I utilized my years. I see that I have not properly done so; how can I not cry?!”
חוט המשולש - תולדות הרעק"א, החת"ס, והכתב סופר
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It's Your Birthday!

One's birthday is a special time for them; a time to reflect on his mission on earth. Additionally, one's birthday is a unique chance of special power for that person.
The fascinating Chassidic leader, R. Tzadok Hakohen Rabinowicz of Lublin writes:
"The day upon which a man is born, his mazal is of unique potency; every year on that day, he need not fear anything... nor death."
קונטרס דברי החלומות (הנלוה לספר רסיסי לילה) לר' צדוק הכהן מלובלין אות כ
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Opening the Door for Eliyahu Hanavi

As you will notice by the Seder night, towards the end, after Birkas Hamazon, many have the custom to go to the door, open it up, and recite the pessukim "שפך חמתך - pour out Your wrath..." In Siddur Mahari"d, it mentions that this is to usher in the prophet Eliyahu.
Another practical explanation for this custom as well as to why we say these specific phrases:
In medieval times, the blood libel was rampant. Christians accused Jews of using Christian blood to bake their matzos. To this end, they would often plant a dead Christian lad in a Jew's yard around Pesach to lend credence to the claim. Thus, came the Seder, as a precautionary measure, Jews would open the door and scrutinize the area to ensure no charlatans were about scheming their evil. Bitterly bemoaning this terrible libel, they would exclaim "Hashem, pour out Your wrath on the evildoers!"
מטעימים פסח אות מט
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Beets on Pesach

Many have the custom to eat borscht - beet soup, or just beets, on Pesach. The Belzer Rebbe, R. Yissachar Dov Rokeach, once related:
"I always wondered what the reason for this custom was. I asked many great people, but no one knew why. I once happened to be with some great sages from Lithuania and they told me the following reason:
The Tzadokim, who denied the Oral Torah, interpreted the passuk "כָּל-מַחְמֶצֶת, לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ - You must not eat anything leavened" to also mean anything which has a sour taste (the word "חמץ - leaven" sharing a root with the word "חומץ - vinegar"). Therefore, the Tzedokim would not eat beets on Pesach. To show that they did not support the Tzeadokim’s ruling, devout Jews adopted the custom of eating beets on Pesach."
בשם האדמו"ר מהרי"ד מבאלזא, הובא בהגדה של פסח מדרש בחידוש עם הוספות אמרי קודש על הפיסקא "מצה זו." בשם החידושי הרי”מ, הובא בספר “חשוקי חמד” (זילברשטיין) ברכות לט, א. “הלכות והליכות” (רלב”ג) ע’ 40

What Is Karpas?

As mentioned yesterday, the karpas is an unknown vegetable. This miמhag is sourced in the Gemara (פסחים קיד ,א), but it only mentions that it should be a vegetable; it is dipped before the meal to arouse the curiosity of the children (שו"ת הרשב"א המיוחסות לרמב"ן סי' ר"ב).
The Mahari"l was the one to say that it should be a vegetable called "כרפס" as it contains the words "ס פרך - sixty (i.e. sixty myriads, 600,000 total) worked hard," a reference to the number of Jews who were enslaved in Egypt (מהרי"ל הל' סדר ההגדה, הובא במג"א סי' תע"ג סק"ד).
Problem is that we don't really know what "karpas" is. The Mahari"l gives a translation ("איפך"), but that is also not clear. R. Nosson Adler, the teacher of the Chasam Sofer, toiled diligently to identify the abstruse vegetable. He concluded that it's celery. The common old word for this was "אפיא" (similar to the original word of the Mahari"l). The Chasam Sofer gave a hint to the signifigance of this vegetable, as the letters are an acronym for the words "א-ל פועל ישועות אתה."
שו"ת חתם סופר או"ח סי' קלב
ועי' שם לעוד רמזים במיני מרור
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Potatoes for Karpas, Making a "Shehakol"

On the Seder night, we dip "karpas" in salt water. What exactly karpas is is not clear, and there are many customs of what to use. It is definitely a vegetable that requires a brachah "ha'adamaha," but beyond that, there are not many more specifications. (שו"ע הרב או"ח סי' תע"ג סט"ז-י"ז)
Some have the custom of using a potato. This is quite interesting, as many holy sages through the years were accustomed to making a brachah of shehakol on potatoes, based on a wording of the Aruch who defines potatoes as part of the fungus family that grow from the air. Such was the practice of the R. Chaim of Tzanz (the "Divrei Chaim"), R. Naftoli of Ropshitz, R. Moshe Teitelbaum (the "Yismach Moshe"), R. Yitzchak Eizik Safrin of Kamarna, etc. Nevertheless, came the seder night, they would make a brachah of ha'adamah on the potato for karpas.
This can possibly be reconciled based on the following interesting psak: If one makes a ha'adamah on a mushroom (with the appropriate brachah being shehakol), they are post facto yotzei and need not make another brachah (ארץ החיים (צ'רנוויץ) ברכות מ, א על רש"י ד"ה דעיקר אילן). In light of this, we can understand that while regularly making a shehakol on a potato, for the Seder night, these holy men were able to use it for karpas and make the brachah ha'adamah.
שו"ת שרגא המאיר ח"ד סי' קי"א אות ג
ברכת הפסח סי' י"ב, פתחי זוטא אות ג
See here and here, and here

Do We Really Wash For Wet Fruit?

As you will see on the Seder night, one of the steps is "ורחץ," where we wash our hands before touching the wet vegetable to be used for karpas.
Washing for wet fruit is a halachah brought in Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע או"ח סי' קנ"ח ס"ד). Yet, for some reason, this practice is not very widespread and is not seen very often throughout the year...
There is some room for justification: Washing for wet fruit is out of fear that the fruit will become tamei as a result of one's impure hands touching the liquid that subsequently contaminates the fruit. This was in pertinent in days of old when people ate their regular food only while pure. Today that we are tamei anyways, there is room to justify (albeit not being the accepted halachah).
It is said of the R. Chaim Halbershtam (Grand Rebbe of Tzanz, author of "Divrei Chaim") that washing for karpas on Pesach need only be done by the head of the group. It is further testified that in Poland and Russia, no one was careful with this practice throughout the year.
The Rebbe, quoting the Chok Yaakov, however, says that even those that are not careful the whole year should do so on the Seder night to arouse the interest of the children.
שו"ת שרגא המאיר ח"ד סי' קי"א אות ב
ועי' שו"ע הרב או"ח סי' קנ"ח ס"ג. ערוה"ש שם ס"ד
ועי' הגדה של פסח עם לקוטי טעמים ומנהגים פיסקא ורחץ ונט"י ואינו מברך
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The Divinity Of Shulchan Aruch

From the day that R. Yosef Karo penned his magnum opus, the Shulchan Aruch, it became the accepted word of law for all Jewish communities. Especially after the Ram"a appended his notes to it, it became the universal book of halachah for all Sefardim and Ashkenazim alike.
The Shulchan Aruch with the glosses of the Ram"a is so binding that no one can pasken halachah contrary to it. If one claims in court that he wishes to be ruled according to an arguing opinion, he is not listened to. Not only that, but piles of halachos have been learned from the exact wording of the Shulchan Aruch and the Ram"a. Volumes of responsum were authored to answer questions and deal with its wording, and they are all definitely the word of G-d.
Now, it's obvious that R. Yosef Karo and R. Moshe Isserles could not have possibly intended all the thousands of halachos that were developed from their words, for this is not humanly possible. But, the spirit of Hashem was infused in their writings in a way that their words had no personal inclinations and as such were the word of G-d. In them are contained the halachos for all time.
אורים ותומים הגהות על תקפו כהן סוף סי' קכ"ג-ד
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Community Leaders - More Honorable Than Torah Scholars

Every Jewish community has leaders that tend to the practical conduct of the community and its needs. This has been a system in place for many, many years. Such people that donate of themselves to this noble cause are worthy of respect. In fact, they are considered to be "עוסק במצוה" - involved in a mitzvah, and are exempt from certain other obligations.
In fact, their honor supersedes the honor of a Torah scholar: The Gemara (קידושין לג, א) states that workers are not to rise for the honor of a Torah scholar while working. The Gemara then asks from the law that states that even workers must rise before the people that bring bikkurim to Yerushalayim and ask of their welfare? The Gemara answers that indeed this is so: a worker is obligated to rise before the people bringing bikkurim and not a Torah scholar. On this the Gemara comments "see how cherished the mitzvos are at the time they are being performed for one has to rise before the bikkurim-bringers (as they are actively performing a mitzvah at that time) and is not obligated to do so for a Torah scholar (who is not actively performing a mitzvah while passing by)."
It follows that the community leaders, at the time that they are performing their communal tasks, are to be considered actively performing a mitzvah and their honor is greater than that of a Torah scholar.
שו"ת מוה"ר יעקב הלוי כלל ה' סי' צ"ח, הובא דבריו בקיצור בש"ך חו"מ סי' ת"כ סק"ט
ועי' בשו"ע או"ח סי' צ"ג ס"ד בנוגע לחיובי עוסקי בצרכי ציבור
See here