Chalitzas are very uncommon, sometimes happening just once a year. Today there were two Chalitzas, with one that hasn’t happened in tens of years.
The new Yungeleit of the Kolel L’horaah Ma’asis split into two groups today, with each group witnessing one Chalitza that took place in Young Israel of Avenue K.
The Av Beis Din of Agudas Harabonim, Rabbi Arye Ralbag presided on each of the Chalitzos, with the Rosh Kolel Rabbi Sholom Shuchat serving as a Dayan, and an additional three Dayanim: Rabbi Peretz Steinberg, Av Beis Din of Queens; Rabbi Chaim Kraus, Dayan in Agudas Harabonim; and Rabbi Yaakov Haviv, Dayan in Jerusalem.
The Kolel Yungeleit from the previous first year participated in a Chalitza a few months ago, and the new Yungeleit participated in today’s two Chalitzos.
The 2nd Chalitza of the day was with a man who had his leg amputated, and was based upon the Psokim of the Rabonim of Israel back in the 50s and 70s after some IDF soldiers returned from the wars with amputated legs.
The Yungeleit of the 1st Chalitza were treated to a short introductory Shiur from Rabbi Haviv on the way to the Chalitza, explaining the intricate laws of Chalitza and why today Yibum is no longer practiced.
The Yungeleit of the 2nd Chalitza were treated to an introductory Shiur from Rabbi Haviv on the various opinions regarding a Chalitza for an amputee, before the Chalitza began.
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Was the shiur recorded? Can a link be posted?
Thanks!
Anyway we can hear these shiurim online?
Can someone kindly explain why an amputee is an issue?
need to take the shoe off a leg
Since the woman must remove the special shoe from the deceased husband’s brother’s foot, in this case it’s questionable if it can be considered his leg/foot.
It Is not a issue just a rare occurrence, and the shoe cant be put on a prosthesis so they need to make a specialty shoe and use a step or stool for the person to step on, and in this case they did it with the left foot as well.
I learnt (I think in Rambam but not sure) that some posting hold that if the man doesn’t have a right foot in which the woman needs to take off the sandal as part of the Chalitza ceremony, they don’t have to do Chalitza.