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The Shaatnez Lab Quest
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Your group members will be working
together to prepare an information Shaatnez kit for the Linenwool Jewish
Community. Your goal is to develop a
compelling presentation for the members of the community containing
your recommendations regarding investing in a the building of a small
but modern Shaatnez lab in town. You need to prepare a
visual presentation which outlines the source, history, traditions, different
points of view, and challanges. Include in your presentation your committee's
recommendations regarding the establishment of the lab to serve the growing needs
of the community. Include artifacts in your שעטנז
(Shaatnez) kit to demonstrate your point.
(artifacts are anything related to your role, such as פסוקים
(Judaic text), charts, samples of fabrics, images of tools, letters
from Halachic authorities, evidence, etc.)
To be compelling you must address
the issues which seem to be at the core of people’s resistance and confusion
regarding the reasons for keeping this Mitzvah, and the expenses of building
a lab.
Your teams includes people of
diverse talents and skills, each will be charged with appropriate tasks:
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Daykan
דייקן |
Lamdan
למדן
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Posek
פוסק |
Shaatnez
Technician
מדען |
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Daykan
דייקן:-
Word Warrior- You are in love with the written word of the Torah.
You examine every אות (letter) to ensure that nothing skipped your
attention. Every Torah word
teaches you something. To you understanding the form of a Torah word and
its place in the pasuk (verse) is the most rewarding Torah learning experience.
You will collect all the relevant Torah psukim (verses) to understand the scope of
the Mitzvah.
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Collect all the sources in the Torah where the Mitzvah is mentioned.
Explain the essence and the source of the Mitzvah.
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Demonstrate that the Mitzvah is not just a custom,
but is part of the Written Law; you must teach it in its source and
explain how the words of the Torah imply the importance of the Mitzvah.
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Show that shaatnez is
part of the larger Mitzvah of כלאיים (kilayim) which applies to the mixing of
other species, but show how and why shaatnez differs from the others;
create a chart to demonstrate the scope of the Mitzvah, similarities
and differences.
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With the help of Mefarshim (commentators), explain the differences
and similarities in the words of the various psukim (verses).
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Lamdan-
למדן: Your most passionate Torah investigation is looking
at the evolvement of a Mitzvah over time, delving into various mefarshim
(commentators)
on a given pasuk (verse) and looking at the a variety of ways the Oral Torah
interprets the Written Torah. You
do not tire until you trace the evolvement of the Mitzvah to our time.
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Use at least three מפרשים
(commentators) to
three text sources, to explain different aspects of the Mitzvah
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Although
this Mitzvah is a חוק, ( a commandment for which no
reason is given) and does not have a given reason, find various
explanations that were given by Torah scholars to try to explain the טעם המצוה.
(reason for Mitzvah)
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Expound on the
exceptions, that shows that a Shaatnez mixture is required by Torah Law, |
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Posek
-פוסק: Your quest in any תורה
(Torah) study is to get down to the bottom line.
You are interested in how this Mitzvah has been observed and how it evolved. What is
the הלכה למעשה
(practical laws) application of the Mitzvah you learned? You will
research the complexities in observing the Mitzvah today.
Your library contains all the basic שו'ת
(responsa) and you are well
connected with contemporary poskim (commentators) who are ready to give you the practical
ruling for every case and every aspect of a given Mitzvah.
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that Shaatnez in clothing is only one aspect of forbidden mixing of
species and explain how this Mitzvah extends to other areas of living.
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| Explain
the various Halachot (laws) that are involved in keeping this Mizvah today.
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| Elaborate
on how the Mitzvah has become more complex in our day and age
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| Explain the
מחלוקת
(discussion) between רש'י (Rashi) and
רבינו תם (Rabbeinu
Tam) about what constitutes
שעטנז |
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Shaatnez
Technician מדען :- You are always interested in how things work.
This applies also to your Torah investigation skills. You try to
find out the best ways to apply the performance of the Mitzvah in your
daily life. You are also interested in finding out some background
information about what types of materials require special attention and
where and when these materials comes from. You like to find out the how’s and the
where’s of setting up a lab, and in what it takes to do things right.
| Prepare
background information about the production and distribution of
problematic clothes and material
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| Prepare
a basic list of supplies and needs to create a local Shaatnez lab
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| Demonstrate
modern answers and solutions to contemporary problems of Shaatnez.
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| Collect samples of commonly used
fabrics which contain Shaatnez. |
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