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Forum
-> Judaism
-> Halachic Questions and Discussions
greenfire
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 9:30 am
amother wrote: | Not everything has to make sense.
We yidden said naseh v'nishma before we know of anything........ |
not for man-made stuff
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amother
Cobalt
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 9:33 am
greenfire wrote: | not for man-made stuff |
If it's from kabbala then we surely would not understand why....... and it would not make sense to us.....
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amother
Sapphire
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 10:19 am
So if I'm in NY I shouldn't cut my nails on Tuesday if I plan on being in Israel on Saturday?
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greenfire
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 10:22 am
if we don't cut nails straight in a row because we cut them that way on a מת you have to wonder why one would compare a live person to the dead one ... a dead person cannot cut their own nails ~ just sayin'
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gp2.0
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 10:37 am
DrMom wrote: | Worrying about nails being too long on Shabbat (and having no way to cut them) makes much more sense than worrying about nails growing on Shabbat. |
I agree. It's possible the meaning of the original statement got lost in translation and people repeat the mistaken translation without putting much thought into it. That happens sometimes, and not just with Torah...it happens with regular language all the time too. I still haven't looked up the original source though, so I'm not 100% sure.
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gp2.0
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 10:50 am
greenfire wrote: | if we don't cut nails straight in a row because we cut them that way on a מת you have to wonder why one would compare a live person to the dead one ... a dead person cannot cut their own nails ~ just sayin' |
I'm pretty sure this is also Kabbala based. There are a few practices people refrain from doing due to their similarity with handling a מת. Sewing clothes while on the body, or two people helping one person dress at the same time, or cutting both fingernails and toenails on the same day.*
It should be noted that superstitious practices with no source and Kabbalah practices with strong sources sometimes overlap and are taken very seriously by people who don't know the difference (or the sources) so they just treat everything their parents and grandparents told them as equally important.
There is value to this, because this way important practices aren't lost, but in an era of knowledge there is no reason for people to continue practices that have been proven to be based on superstition.
There is an argument, however, that just because a source can't be found doesn't mean there isn't one - maybe it was just lost. In which case they continue the practice just in case it is legitimate, and that's a nice practice for people who don't want to lose legitimate mesorah. They don't want to lose the baby with the bath water so they keep the bath water as well.
So I agree with posters that there's no need to mock. If I don't believe in a practice and there's no good source I don't do it. Everyone can do as they like as long as it doesn't hurt other people.
*The Arizal, despite being a great Kabbalist, nevertheless cut both his fingernails and toenails on erev Shabbos. From this we learn that there is room to be lenient with many of the fingernail related customs. There are differing opinions.
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greenfire
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 11:00 am
yes we do a lot of things in a kabbalistic manner ... is it better probably ... but people shouldn't be saying that if you don't it's a sin because that is where it then becomes an issue ...
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agreer
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 1:39 pm
I always learned you can't cut your nails on Thursday night... never heard about Wednesday
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amother
Azure
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 6:16 pm
I was taught not to cut nails on Thursday (&Wed night )
It happens to be that my nails grow really quickly and therefore it is visibly longer about 2 days after I've cut it. And when I'm pregnant, forget about it, they grow so fast, I have to cut them twice a week!
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amother
Vermilion
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 6:53 pm
I just want to post about the nails on the floor being a danger for pregnant women-
seems posters are under the impression that the gemara brings this because of medical danger - this is WRONG.
The reason brought down is completely kabbalistic.
It has to do with the fact that Adam and Chava's bodies were covered in a nail-like substance before the chet. Chava was the one who is considered to have "brought death to the world".
somehow, if a pregnant woman steps on a nail- this "reminds" whatever kochos out there of the chet, and "prosecutors" come and take away her child.
This is also the reason that kabbalisticlly women should not drink from the havdala wine- because one of the opinions are that the etz hadaat tree were grape vines- we don't want to "remind" whoever about women's chet.
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Seas
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 7:02 pm
For all halachic questions the first point of reference should be a SA (or at least a kitzur). If you don't know Hebrew very well ask your husband to translate.
Not cutting nails in order is a Rema (I.e. halacha), and the order of digits for the left hand (first) is 24135 and for the right hand 42531. The Mishna Brura and Be'er Haitiv bring that the Arizal disregarded this, but they still say one should be careful about it.
Not cutting on Thursday is brought in the Mishna Brura in the name of the Elya Rabba. The reason is given that the nails start to grow back on the third day (which is generally understood to mean new growth is visible on the third day), and lekovod Shabbos one should have freshly cut nails. This BTW is also a halacha. (when cutting before going to mikve we do it whatever day of the week it comes out.)
The Mishna Brura also brings from the Magen Avraham not to cut nails in a place where others might tread on them, as it could cause harm chalila (with various caveats).
All of the above is in Mishna Brura siman 260.
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gp2.0
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 7:15 pm
amother wrote: | I just want to post about the nails on the floor being a danger for pregnant women-
seems posters are under the impression that the gemara brings this because of medical danger - this is WRONG.
The reason brought down is completely kabbalistic.
It has to do with the fact that Adam and Chava's bodies were covered in a nail-like substance before the chet. Chava was the one who is considered to have "brought death to the world".
somehow, if a pregnant woman steps on a nail- this "reminds" whatever kochos out there of the chet, and "prosecutors" come and take away her child.
This is also the reason that kabbalisticlly women should not drink from the havdala wine- because one of the opinions are that the etz hadaat tree were grape vines- we don't want to "remind" whoever about women's chet. |
Afaik the Gemara does say that stepping on a nail can cause a miscarriage.
Frankly, in the days before regular hand washing when excrement was everywhere and soap was a luxury, I can easily believe that a dirty fingernail could carry some nasty pathogens that could result in miscarriage if those pathogens were injected into her bloodstream via the prick of a fingernail she stepped on. At least in theory.
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amother
Vermilion
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 7:18 pm
gp2.0 wrote: | Afaik the Gemara does say that stepping on a nail can cause a miscarriage.
Frankly, in the days before regular hand washing when excrement was everywhere and soap was a luxury, I can easily believe that a dirty fingernail could carry some nasty pathogens that could result in miscarriage if those pathogens were injected into her bloodstream via the prick of a fingernail she stepped on. At least in theory. |
Yes- it's brought down, but not as a medical warning. It's a warning that pregnant women shouldn't "wake up the satan" and remind him that women are responsible for death in this world- because that can cause the death of her child.
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Maybe
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 9:21 pm
https://halachablog.com/2015/0.....acha/
4. The Mishna Berurah (260:6) writes that there is a custom not to cut one’s (fingernails) nails on Thursday. The reason being that nails begin to grow three days after being cut. Therefore if one cuts them on Thursday they will begin to grow on Shabbos. And causing them to begin growing on Shabbos reduces the level of honor for Shabbos, which was achieved by cutting them in the first place.
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Maybe
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Wed, Sep 07 2016, 9:24 pm
gp2.0 wrote: | Afaik the Gemara does say that stepping on a nail can cause a miscarriage.
Frankly, in the days before regular hand washing when excrement was everywhere and soap was a luxury, I can easily believe that a dirty fingernail could carry some nasty pathogens that could result in miscarriage if those pathogens were injected into her bloodstream via the prick of a fingernail she stepped on. At least in theory. |
The Gemara does not differentiate between bare-foot or wearing shoes
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Another mom
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Thu, Sep 08 2016, 10:52 am
greenfire wrote: | I've always learned it was thursday ... also don't forget to skip nails when in case you suddenly find yourself dead
both of which make no sense |
FRom what I understand... it doesn't cause death but the Chevra Kadisha cuts nails in the correct order so we don't want to be like the dead. Maybe it's a segula for long life? I will ask dh when he comes home.....(BTW didn't know this till a few years ago... or forgot )
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gp2.0
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Thu, Sep 08 2016, 11:02 am
Maybe wrote: | The Gemara does not differentiate between bare-foot or wearing shoes |
?
People wore sandals.
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