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um, bmused i disagree. he asked for help and wanted to know if the rabbi was wrond and how to approach him if he should approach him. us saying what we think about the situation helps the 1st poster forsure
Amichai, my mother recently sat shiva and found a lot of comfort in the babies that came. To her, it was seeing that life does go on. Many people cannot make a shiva visit without bringing along their infant.
Goldie,
Aryeh actually didn’t ask us if the Rabbi was “wrong”. In reading Aryeh’s post and comment, he appears to be a really respectful individual, without the need to pass judgment on others. He asked,
“I have little experience with larger shuls and don’t know what the general practice is concerning small children during davening, but was wondering, since it is the rabbi, and there is no polite way to ask him to reconsider bringing the child, and he might be doing it for practical reasons, e.g. no one to watch the child during those times, what is the feeling of wearing earplugs?”
As you and I are likely in very different age brackets (it’s wonderful to be young, please don’t take offense!), our understanding of the issue I referenced may differ considerably, as is often the case with such disparities.
Isn’t there some story about a woman who used to take her baby to the Bet Midrash every day, and he grew up to be a big Rabbi…?
Maybe that’s the Rabbi’s reasoning?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baby in Shul, other than on Simhat Torah.
Jewess, do you live in Brooklyn? Most people don’t hold by the eruv there so they cannot bring a baby to shul.
rabbi yehoshua. ???? ?????, right?
Moish, I don’t know if that’s his name, but it sounds good to me.
moish, you’re good;)
~a~
moish: yeah
“Amichai, my mother recently sat shiva and found a lot of comfort in the babies that came. To her, it was seeing that life does go on. Many people cannot make a shiva visit without bringing along their infant. “
I am so sorry for your family’s loss. I wish you all many simchas. I remember when I paid a shiva call once about 29 years ago, I was expecting my second child, no one knew at that point, and I was told it is a zechus to tell an aveil in the shiva house that one is pregnant, as it gives hope for the cycle of life. So I did, and the woman was really happy for me. I later gave birth to a wonderful child, too.
The Shelah HaKadosh strongly forbids bringing small children into the Beis Knesses until they are old enough
to learn how to honor the Beis HaKnesses properly (Not crawling under seats and bawling)
The Mishna Berura nad the Magen Avraham quotes the Shelah HaKadosh in 98:1, thus both holding his opinion.
The Kitzur Shulchan Oruch by R’ Shlomo Gantzfried says that men, women, whether married or not, old or
young, but the only exception is bringing a very small child, because it will disturb others (141:7)
The Rema in HaMapah 98:1 says ‘It is forbidden to kiss one’s SMALL SONS INSIDE THE SHUL, in order to show
that there is no love like the love of Hash-m’. Small sons: Either 1) The Rema permits small children in a shul
or 2) The children are SMALL compared to their adult father
Oomis is a cranky old biddy (I’m just following her directive to call her that: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/earplugs?replies=63#post-70558).
She’s 100% correct, though, and if it were me, I’d find a new shul to daven in.
As far as the OP, the rabbi’s behavior is beyond me. What would he do if he were a surgeon, bring the baby to the OR? I don’t think a regular mispallel should bring his child to shul either, even it means davening b’yichidus. I’m talking about men, kol shekein women who don’t have a chiyuv to daven b’tzibbur anyhow.
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