The letters of our thoughts are the ideas present in our mind before they come to realization . . . Thoughts that are, yet not felt . . . The words of the subconscious . . . of the soul . . .

These are the LETTERS OF MY THOUGHTS.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Yad Chassidim al Ha'elyonah!

Formally:
I've Got Me a Chalif

Updated  1/20/09: See below 


. . . Don't mess y'all.

It's important to note something:
Tonight is 24 Teves, the Yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe . . .
One of the special takanos that Chassidim took on and that the Alter Rebbe brought down into halacha was the concept of using a polished steel knife.
To quote a note from the English of HaTamim (the renowned journal of Chassidic Thought, Pilpulim in Negla and much more - published by in Otwock)
 Most Jewish communities had been using iron knives, which were more difficult to sharpen. If they were highly polished, they would quickly become knicked, and thus unfit for use. The nuisance of constantly resharpening and repolishing them was not considered worthwhile. Moreover, the polished steel knives had been deemed a new innovation, which some authorities wished to avoid. The Alter Rebbe, however encouraged the use of the polished steel knives (see Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Vol. 6, Responsum No. 7).
My friends . . . Ashreinu! Today the whole world uses a Chassidishe chalaf! What was once one of the four "reasons" the misnagdim put the Chassidim in cherem, today has become the universally accepted standard.  


23 comments:

Der Shygetz said...

BS"D

So you are going to learn schitut?

Is the same chalif used for oifois and beheimois? It has been 12 years since I was at a shlacthoiz.

le7 said...

So that belongs to you now you're saying? It's awfully pretty.

bonne said...

Oh goody! I collect those...and spoons too...

Mottel said...

-Der Shygetz: IY"H I'll be learning it. This one is for oifois - The one's for beheimos are bigger.

-LE7: Yup. It
is pretty but not cheap . . .

-Sarabonne: this aint no ordinary knife. Don't go all spoony on it!

le7 said...

Most pretty things aren't cheap. Including cellos and girls.

Mottel said...

Cellos I know . . . I used to play the Bassoon - you can check out prices on them here!
You set this up for a joke about cheap girls . . . but I'm not going there :-P

le7 said...

RE Bassoons: Ah those are expensive. More than my cello.
RE Girls: I didn't expect you to. I would have been sorely disappointed if you did actually.

bonne said...

I dunno, samurai swords are really something special...
My history teacher played a violin, I know its not the same, but it was so tiny and he would only play it after we got our test scores back.

le7 said...

No. Violins are also pretty, and expensive.

Mottel said...

-Sarasobbone: A Samurai Sword! Drool.
A katana beats my saber any day!

LE7: Indeed, a Stradivarius gets up there in price.

le7 said...

Hey, the label in my cello says Stradivarius...

le7 said...

(That was a well placed joke).

Der Shygetz said...

LS"D

The Admou"r meCreedmoor paskens that cheap girls turn out being very expensive in the end.

LE7 - is it a replica of a Stradivarius? Or did Stradivarius even produce any cellos?

le7 said...

It's a joke because ever other cello, violin and viola says Stradivarius on the label. It's a copy. Just like every other instrument.

But he did make cellos.

And mine happens to be a better copy. (Hand made in 1929 in Germany).

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you bought a knife that reads right on the lable that it is a knock off.

Mottel said...

-LE7: You do realize, then, that you have a Nazi Cello.

-Nemo: It's not a knockoff. Miller made amazing Chalafim, but passed away with out revealing all of his secrets (The Stradivari of chalafim if you will) - this one is an attempt to replicate his techniques.

le7 said...

Not necessarily. Weren't a lot of Jews in that business?

Anyways, at least I don't have a church cello. I know a girl that her instrument was made by a guy who only used wood salvaged from old churches.

Der Shygetz said...

BS"D

1929 cello - I would indeed be more inclined to think that a Jew who later became a refugee or victim of the Nazis YMS was the one who made it.


The Nazis YMS took over in 1933.

And the problem with the pre-Chassidus iron knife is that it snagged on the animal's throat. That is how the derogatory term snag came into being.

Nemo said...

Mottel, I have a real Miller ... wanna buy it?

Anyway, why would you train on an expensive chalef? Get yourself something cheap and a 1000/6000 combination waterstone and you can keep yourself busy for at least a few months.

Cheerio said...

ooh, sharp and shiny!!
are you going to start a sword collection like my brother?
more seriously - that is a very cool point. makes my good lubavitch heart proud.
der shygetz - haha, nice line.
LE7 - church wood cello? that's seriously creepy.

Mottel said...

The age of the Church Wood helps give it a better tone . . . So using it might be a good thing - after all, to use church wood, someone has to take apart a church.

Anyone out there up for a church wood Viola?

Cheerio said...

is that like turning a church into a shul? because it just seems wrong to me...

le7 said...

True, her cello sounds fantastic. I wonder how old the wood used to make my cello is...