HALACHIC LEADERSHIP

Machine Matzos

The Torah for obvious reasons did not mention the concept of 'machine baked' matzos. The Gaon & Tzadik The Divrei Chayim of Sanz (1793 - 1876) said he was 'Assering' (forbidding) machine matzos 'Mitam Hakomus' (for a hidden reason). This means he did not give any 'Birur Halachah' (a source for the ruling). As a result, this ruling obligates only his followers, but for the general Jewish populace it could not be binding without a 'Birur Halachah'.

The Masei L'Melech gave a Birur Halachah that clearly permitted the use of machine matzos, with all the sources and reasons made clear. Due to his ruling, other Gedolim (great leaders) had a clear source that made machine matzos permissible. Had it not been for the deep and powerful insight of the Masei LMelech, and the full esteem in which he was held by the Gedolim (Leaders) of his generation, the Jewish world today would not have been able to benefit from machine baked matzos on Pesach ^[1].

The importance of Birur Halachah

If a Talmud Chacham (sage) finds a source in the Torah that opposes a ruling, then the ruling is set aside. When someone 'Paskens' (rules), the 'Birur' (source), it is essential for the Torah to remain open and visible.

Without effective and clear open sources, paskening (deciding) halachah today can at times be in danger of highly questionable rulings. [Sometimes a Rav may feel he ought to guide his community in the absence of clear Halachic sources, on the side of caution and stringency as a precaution. However once a viable source is found it is important that those stringency's are lifted so that Jews can live within the Halachic ruling and not be restricted by additional laws that were made due to lack of sources that were made under different circumstances.] [with exception of minhagim that are documented.] Much of the Gemara (Talmud) is built on 'building and collapsing' rulings, based on a 'Living Torah' of open and clear sources.

Yidishkeit today, at its highest levels, has limitations in terms of the way halachah is paskened, based on what has gone before and the mesorah (tradition) that we have. We have a once in a generation opportunity, to distil and distribute the Torah of Masei LMelech that will enhance the way that many of the Halacha is paskened.

The writings of the Masei LMelech are recognized by the Gedolim in our generation as well as in the Gedolim in his time, as being of extraordinary importance and of the highest possible value. We lost most of the Rav's writings [over 100 volumes] during the Shoah, but over the last 20 years, through dedicated research and painstaking effort, of gathering the fragments that were scattered in various places, i.e. Some manuscripts, Articles the Masei LMelech published in Torah journals, peridocals, etc. the first of many volumes on Shulchan Aruch (Jewish Law) was compiled and recently published. New volumes are currently in various stages of compilation, we need your generous support to continue in our mission to enlighten the Torah world with the Torah of the great Gaon and Tzadik.

All is not perfect in the Jewish world, and before Moshiach comes, we cannot fix it all, but this project will positively impact on the paskening of halachah for years to come. This touches every Beis Din, every Rav and every Yeshiva and Kolel and ultimately every Jew.