There is great joy in Klal Yisroel with the appearance
of the long awaited sefer Chok Uzman on the laws of
taharas habayis, a Hebrew sefer which affords
us much benefit, and the only one of its kind. Both for
experts in halocho -- dayonim and Rabbonim -- and for
laymen who want to discover what the poskim of our
generation have to say about practical halocho in this area,
this sefer will come in very handy.
Why do I need another sefer on these halochos? In most
of the known seforim, the more complicated halochos,
or those that are in doubt for any reason, are not decided
clearly, but are left with something like "ask your local
rabbi."
It is mainly in these issues that the author has come to our
aid. HaRav Bleich "asked the rabbonim" for us, and returned
with clear answers from the poskim of our times in
Eretz Yisroel and Chutz La'aretz, thereby complementing the
halocho seforim of our times.
Besides those piskei halocho which the author brings
from the printed word of gedolei Yisroel -- in their
own responsa and in others' seforim -- he also managed
to collect another 600 new halachic decisions from
contemporary poskim which have yet to been printed
anywhere, including a new teshuva from a manuscript of
HaRav Y.S. Eliashiv. Also included are more than 60 decisions
from the Debretziner Rov zt"l (author of Shut Be'er
Moshe) which are printed here for the first time.
Learning from the sefer is a pleasurable experience
from beginning to end. Every single page is filled with new
and interesting halochos. The sefer is written in
extraordinarily clear language and style, so that the
unexperienced layman can also derive much benefit and
satisfaction from it. The style of the pages is set up in a
clear and practical manner, with the clear and final halachic
decisions on top, while sources, explanations and commentary
appear underneath. At the conclusion of each footnote, the
word Ulema'aseh appears in bold type, following which
the reader will find the various opinions of contemporary
poskim.
Let's not forget to mention that the sefer is graced
by the haskomos of the great poskim of our
time. For example, in his haskomo, HaRav Shmuel Wosner
says: "Clarifies and discusses halochos very meticulously,
especially the more common ones. Some things he brings from
the halachic opinions of gedolei horo'oh, others he
discusses on his own in the proper Torah way, with
straightness and clear understanding. Many will derive
pleasure from his Torah, and it will be a source of benefit
to the general public, both to rabbonim and to students."
HaRav Yechezkel Roth writes: "The work of a wondrous
craftsman, both in the arrangement of the halachic questions,
as in the collection of the pertinent halachic
clarifications. It will be of great benefit to those who seek
the proper path to follow and the actions to perform. It is
therefore fitting that it should be printed and spread
throughout the world."
The sefer also has enthusiastic approbations from
HaRav C. P. Scheinberg, HaRav Efraim Greenblatt (Shut
Rivevos Efrayim, Memphis), HaRav A. Y. Ullman (member
Badatz Eida Chareidis Yerushalayim), HaRav Yisroel Belsky,
and others.
