What Happened Today in Jewish History?

This is an link to a cute and interesting website. It is called Torah Tots, and has a lot of features such as parshat ha'shavu'a, tales from our geonim, and historic synagogues around the world, among others. The website in general is for younger children, but it still has a lot of information that you might find useful. What I found particularly interesting was the feature called "This Month in Jewish History", under the Time Capusule link. Put in any Hebrew date of the year and it will tell you major events that happened on that date throughout Jewish history. Enjoy!

Kashrut Writing Contest

THIRD ANNUAL OU KOSHER ESSAY CONTEST UNDERWAY, WITH MARCH 24 DEADLINE; 12TH GRADERS ARE INVITED TO PRODUCE VIDEO ON ‘GOING KOSHER’

It’s baaaak! Building on the success and enthusiastic response to the previous contests, the Third Annual OU Kosher Essay Contest for grades 7-12 is now open for entries from students across North America, with the deadline for submissions being March 24, 2011. The competition is geared to intensify a deeper appreciation of kashrut on behalf of participants.

Once again the prizes will be $50 gift certificates from Eichlers.com, a leading Judaica website. Winners will have their essays published online at oukosher.org, and Grand Prize winners will be invited to record their essays on OURadio.

As an indication of the national interest in the competition, winners and participants in the previous contests came from New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut.

According to Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, Vice President of Communications and Marketing atOU Kosher, the contest is an additional component of OU Kosher’s educational outreach to schools and yeshivas. This program includes visits by OU Kosher rabbis across the country. Scheduled for the coming weeks are visits to Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn, NY; Bais Yaakov, Far Rockaway, NY; Soille Day School in San Diego; and at UCLA in Los Angeles, as part of the OU‘s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campusprogram.

Among the suggested topics in the essay contest are: “How Does Eating Kosher Enhance Your Jewish Identity?” “What Does the Kosher Symbol on the Label Mean to Me?” “Is Eating Kosher More Than Just A Way of Eating?” “Kashrut and Kedushah – A Connection?” Essays should range from 750-1000 words.

This year, in addition to the writing contest, grade 12 is invited to participate in a class contest to produce a 15-minute video/DVD entitled Going Kosher – What Do I Do? How Do I Do It? The DVD’s focus is to educate and guide individuals or family looking to become kosher, Rabbi Safran explained. The DVD must include both hashkafa (philosophy) and halacha (Jewish law), as well as practical suggestions and instructions on how to accomplish the goal. Deadline for DVD entries is March 1, 2011. The prize-winning DVD will be posted on ou.kosher.org and the winning school will receive $150 worth of OU Press books for its library.

Rabbi Safran noted that he “hopes that the quality of the winning DVD will be such that it will be able to join with the high caliber series of OU Kosher DVDs previously released, which are being used in schools, yeshivas, seminaries and kollelim throughout the world.”

For further information and clarification, contact Rabbi Safran at Safrane@ou.org. 

Let it Rain

This past מוצאי שבת we began reciting ותן טל ומטר לברכה.  Here is the relevant passage from the Ezras Torah calendar:

MOTZIE SHABBOS, DEC. 4, 28 KISLEV 

At Maariv, we begin to include "ותן טל ומטר לברכה" into the Shemonah Esrei. If one became aware, after he had completed the Bracha מברךהשנים , that he had omitted "ותן טל ומטר לברכה" he should wait to insert it right before כי אתה שומע of  Shma koleinu.    If he had already completed the Bracha  Shomea Tefila, he may insert it before saying "רצה". If he had already begun "רצה" he must return to the Bracha " ברך עלינו", which is the proper place for ותן טל ומטר לברכה. If he had already completed the Shemonah Esrei and stepped backward, then he must repeat the entire Shemonah Esrei. In any situation in which a person must repeat the entire Shemonah Esrei, he may fulfill his obligation by listening to every word of the Chazzan's Repetition from begining to end, with the intention of thus fulfilling his obligation. (It is advisable to repeat 101 times [at the very least 90 times]: " טל ותן לטובה תבואתה מיני כל ואת לברכה ומטר" so as to make the inclusion of "ותן טל ומטר לברכה" habitual and fluent, thus eliminating any future doubt as to whether one included "ותן טל ומטר לברכה" in the Shemonah Esrei or not.) 

For an extensive summary of why we (those outside of Israel) are dependent on the secular calendar, see here.

Dreidelpalooza

NEW YORK — All they want for Hanukkah is a new world record - and they apparently got it.

Two Yeshiva University students led the effort to beat the current holder of the top place for dreidel spinning in the Guinness Book of World Records.

A university spokesman says the two students, along with 616 others, set a new record of 618 simultaneously spinning dreidels on Tuesday night. The old record was 541. It happened at the school's athletic center at 184th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

The "Dreidelpalooza" event is also a scholarship fundraising event.

The record for spinning the four-sided tops was set five years ago in New Jersey.

Guinness must still certify the dreidel record to make it official.

More pictures and a video made to promote it here.

CLICK HERE for D'var Torah about Chanukah

This article by Rabbi Lamm was just reprinted in Jewish Action, the OU's magazine.


http://www.ou.org/pdf/ja/5771/winter71/26-29.pdf

29th of November - Not Just a Street Name in Katamon

Following in the footsteps of the Israel Committee with their meaningful presentation this morning about the 29th of November and the U.N. Partition Vote, I wanted to share with you all this video, which includes the thoughts and reflections on the significance of the U.N. vote by different Israelis and Americans who lived in Israel when all this took place in 1947.

Especially after Thanksgiving, it's important to take the time to appreciate how much we have to be thankful about with regard to having our own Jewish state. November 29th 1947 represents the day where we finally gained permission after 2000 years to create a state of our own. Enjoy!

Mishna Berura Yomi Begins NOW!

For those of you that may not be aware, the new cycle of Mishna Berura Yomi just began on Fri. Nov. 26. Those following the Mishna Berura Yomi cycle learn an amud of Mishna Berura a day (or a daf for those who are slightly more ambitious) and will finish the learning the entire Shulchan Aruch and Rema on Orech Chayim along with the entire Mishna Berura in under five years. This should take only about 15-20 minutes a day! What’s nice about following the Mishna Berura Yomi cycle is that whenever there is a chag the Shulchan Aruch on that chag is incorporated into the cycle. So for example, over Channuka and Pesach those topics are studied.

If you go to www.mishnaberurayomi.org you will find a website dedicated to Mishna Berura Yomi, complete with calendars, audio and written shiurim on the daily amud. Even if you are a few days behind, tomorrow, 11/29, they begin Hilchot Channuka and if you follow their schedule you will learn the first two Simanim in Hilchot Channuka by the end of Channuka!

More Thoughts on Thanksgiving

In addition to Mrs. Cohen's words and the article by Rabbi Broyde that she quotes, Rabbi Gil Student discusses the notion of Hakarat Hatov, and Rabbi Marc Angel explains why he thinks we should all be celebrating.  Happy   Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you tomorrow at 10:00 am at the Novetskys for Black Friday Shiur (אנו משכימין והם משכימין!).

Interesting Article About...Something

The New York Times has an ironically long and interesting article about how technology is changing the brains of this next generation.  Just about everything in it rings true to me, but you know better.  Are they overreacting?

What are you doing on Thanksgiving?

I got on my email this week to be reminded by a couple of notices that Thanksgiving weekend is approaching, something I was otherwise completely unaware of. Here in Yerushalayim my kids have their regular 6-day school week and won’t even be aware that their friends in America are going to be on vacation. We won’t sit down to a turkey dinner on Thursday, but this reminded me that perhaps I should celebrate Thanksgiving today. And tomorrow. And the next day, and the next…

The irony of days such as Thanksgiving and Mother’s and Father’s Days is that we need an official day for giving thanks and appreciation to remind us that this is something that we should be doing every day, not just once a year.

Unlike Mother’s and Father’s Day, Thanksgiving brings with it the question of whether it is a secular or a religious holiday, with much discussion among poskim about whether one is allowed to celebrate it or not. Click here to see an interesting article by Rabbi Michael Broyde about the different opinions regarding celebrating Thanksgiving.

The question we should all ask ourselves, if we choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, is whether we are commemorating the true meaning of the day, or whether we get lost somewhere after the capital “T” and celebrate Turkey day instead. Thanksgiving affords us two days off from school, the famous Macy’s parade, and extra vacation time to just chill with friends. And then of course Thanksgiving dinner, a chance to get together with family and eat our free turkeys and lots of other delicious food. All very enjoyable things to do. But do we remember in the midst of all the fun to think about the reason we are enjoying? It isn’t just about Turkey, but about realizing what we have and Giving Thanks for it.

Whether one celebrates Thanksgiving officially or not, it is appropriate to take some time to think about the opportunities that one has and thank HKB”H for what He has given us. Even those who choose not to celebrate it because of its secular nature should still take pause and be thankful to HKB”H that America has accepted us and given us the opportunity to practice our religion freely and without persecution. This reflection and hakarat hatov for everything Hashem has granted us in life should really be done every day, not just once a year.

The article mentions that Rav Soloveitchik zt”l would reschedule his shiur on Thanksgiving to begin and end earlier in order to accommodate those who wished to get home to their Thanksgiving celebrations. Rabbi Broyde emphasizes that we should take note that the Rav did not cancel his shiur to accommodate Thanksgiving, but rather he shifted its hours, so that regular Torah learning would still take place, just like every other day.

So, grab a plate of turkey and your favorite sefer and carve a few minutes out of your Thanksgiving day to learn some Torah and thank HKB”H for the opportunities he has afforded you with. And then try to repeat it again the next day, and the next… but you can leave out the turkey, if you wish.

Duda-what?

Yasher koach to Allison on what I heard was a phenomenally successful Parsha Club about the story of the dudaim (you're hired!).  This was originally going to be a debate between the two of us offering competing explanations of the story.  When we decided against that, I was still hoping to go and hear it, but got stuck in a meeting and couldn't make it - if anyone wants to send in a summary I would be appreciative personally to see what I missed, and post it here for the Olam to enjoy.

My take on it is very simple:  It is the story of two sisters who are so caught up in what they lack (and the other has) that they lose all appreciation for what they have.  Leah is immediately blessed with four children, and names them all after her imperfect relationship with her husband.  Rachel has a loving and devoted husband, but confronts him, demanding a child "ואם אין מתה אנכי" - and if not I am (as if) dead.  "What about me?" we can imagine Yaakov thinking in response.

Then comes the story of the dudaim, found by Reuven (who is not really a character).  Many מפרשים explain that they were a fertility drug.  When Rachel sees Leah receive exactly what she needs, it's too much for her to bear, and she demands (or asks for) them.  Leah replies, you already have Yaakov, now you also want me to give you the dudaim - children, leaving me with nothing to draw Yaakov to me.  Rachel basically says, what good is Yaakov - take my husband, I want the children.  And that is the deal that they strike.

Interestingly, we find that both sisters are punished for their role in the episode.  When Dina is abducted, it calls her בת לאה and Rashi connects it to the story of the dudaim. Apparently, Hashem responded that if Leah was not going to appreciate her children, then He would not protect her children either. (Rashi also quotes that the episode was a punishment for Yaakov.  How to understand Dina getting punished for her parents sins is beyond the scope of this post - IY"H we'll talk about it at Parsha Club this week.)  Yet, as we will see below, she gets what she ultimately wanted - and is buried in מערת המכפילה as Yaakov's only wife.

Rashi quotes that because she trivialized her relationship with Yaakov, Rachel was not buried with him.  However, we find that she is buried in בית לחם, where she later comes to the defense of all of בני ישראל on their way into galut - (רחל מבכה על בניה) - so while she loses eternity with her husband who she didn't sufficiently value, she gets to serve as the אם when no one else can, the role that she wanted so badly all her life.

Speaking of Priorities...

 Tali Spier submits the following thought:

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated Torah as we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it as if we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...just where is my Torah today?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell  phone, we don't have to worry about Torah being

disconnected because its calls never fail.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Avraham's Daughter

Here, Parshablog discusses an interesting non-halachik teshuvah from Rav Moshe Feinstein, where he doubts the authenticity of a quoted statement of the Maharil that Avraham had a daughter named Bakol who died the same day that Sarah did.  I had always (and so did this blogger) figured that it can be explained by removing the small "כ" from "ולבכתה" so the Passuk reads not that Avraham eulogized Sarah and cried for her, but that he eulogized Sarah and her daughter.  He traces this statement to a commentary from the Chatam Sofer (who lived long after the Maharil I think - maybe the CS is explaining him or hadn't seen it, as Rav Moshe hadn't) who explains not that she died the same day, but that he never fully felt the pain of losing his daughter as long as he had his wife to comfort him, which is a far more poignant peshat.  The whole discussion of the daughter who died is consistent with the pattern in the Torah of Avraham losing everyone who matters to him, one by one, (except Sarah) leading up to the עקידה, magnifying the significance of that test.

As an aside, this conversation each year reminds me of a discussion I have had with my wife a few times about my wish to name our daughter Bakol.  She hates the idea, so it's hard to know how serious about it I am, but I think it would be a cool name (Baki for short?).

Hat tip to RJW.

Incredible Article

Click on the title, or paste this into your browser.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304510704575562581788927838.html

Ain't Gonna Work on Saturday

Since one is not supposed to get paid for working on Shabbat, what does a group leader need to do to get paid without violating this halacha?

-Yifat Adler-

Great question.  Realize that this doesn't only apply to group leader, but also to many other people who "work" on Shabbat, like caterers for a kiddush and most strikingly Shul Rabbis.  The rule is that as long as you are being paid for work that you do on weekdays as well, you can halachikally "hang" or allocate all of the money to the non-Shabbat work.  So as long as you do some work for this job that is not on Shabbat (preparing, a single meeting etc.) we consider it as though that is all that you are being paid for, and you are OK.  If not, you should try to do something before Shabbat, even if it's just taking a few minutes to plan what you will do during the groups, and that will suffice.  

Parsha For the Busy or Attention-Challenged

This is what seems like a new feature on Hirhurim - Rabbi Student gives a one or two paragraph summary of a few insights on the Parsha from a diverse collection of contemporary scholars.  Check it out.

More on Minyan

It's so interesting to me to hear different perspectives on Tefiila b'tzibur vs.davening alone.  Clearly, I don't get the liberty of experimenting and choosing my preference.  I need to daven with a minyan three times a day, and usually do (the only time I can remember feeling proud of my child's ignorance is when the first time I took my son to shul for shacharit during the week he asked me what the tefilin were).  What I have found though on the instances that I have davened b'yichidut is that the experience is polarizing, and my tefilla is either better or worse than usual.  To put it another way, the minyan is the great equalizer.  The structure and crowd usually give me the ability to reach a minimal, baseline focus that I don't always achieve when davening alone (especially on those occasions that you realize that you hadn't davened maariv until you're already in bed).  On the other hand, the minyan pushes me to conform to a certain pace.  It also too often lulls me into a routine that is not conducive to the true communication with Hashem that I'm occasionally able to achieve when standing alone in my living room, the only one in the house still awake when the shuffling of the pages of the siddur seems almost deafening.  

All that said, I think I would have enjoyed Mrs. Cohen's Kabbalat Shabbat.  Moral of the story - if you're looking for a life rich with experiences, head to Israel.

An Individual's Tefillah b'Tzibbur

I’m glad that Mrs. Sinensky raised this topic, because this Shabbos I had an experience that made me reflect on it and I wanted to hear your thoughts about the matter.

Sometimes it is hard to daven properly in shul or other public settings. There are many distractions around, and we might find that our thoughts keep wandering to what is going on around us – what other people are doing or wearing, hearing their whispered conversations, or sometimes starting our own. Or sometimes we might just be self-conscious – “If my friends see me davening with kavana, will they still think I’m cool?”

Sometimes I think it is almost easier to daven on my own, someplace quiet. And yet, we are told that “bi’rov ‘am hadrat melekh”. The King (Hashem) is more glorified the greater the abundance of people.

My family and I spent this past Shabbos at my uncle’s house in Shilo. Friday it rained for the first time this season. Not a lot, but coming only one week after we started saying mashiv ha'ruach made me feel like Hashem is listening to our tefillot.

Because of the rain, the entire yishuv lost power, and since the water supply is also dependent on electricity, there was no water, either. The blackout lasted about 7 hours, and ended as we were finishing our Friday night meal by candlelight. Despite some of the difficulties, the experience was really rather nice.

But what was really special was Friday night davening. The shul was almost pitch black inside. There were a couple of candles lit here and there, but unless you were sitting right next to one the light didn’t help much.

Imagine sitting in almost perfect darkness, not able to see anything in a siddur, not even able to make out the face of the person next to you. And hear, in your mind, 100+ voices singing Kabbalat Shabbat, and it seemed that everyone was singing it with more feeling than usual.

We finished Kabbalat Shabbat, and I was wondering how I was going to daven maariv completely by heart. People started saying boruchu in louder voices, but the rav quieted everyone down and then only the shliach tzibbur could be heard, and he davened everything out loud word by word, including shemoneh esrei, and everyone whispered along with him.

You couldn't see what anyone looked like, or focus on anything distracting. The darkness was isolating, and I felt like each person was alone in a private conversation with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, yet we had the comfort and strength of the whole tzibbur together at the same time.

It was something I have never felt with such intensity before, and it was all because the lights were out. But I was thinking, maybe we each have to try to replicate that to whatever extent we can, when we daven b’tzibbur. Can we try to minimize the distractions that we ourselves cause, and can we try to increase our own focus in davening so that we are at once an individual, in communication with Hashem, yet at the same time a part of the greater tzibbur that gives our tefillot that much more influence.

Davening with others or daven alone?

Rabbi Marc Angel recently published a book of sermons called Know Before Whom You Stand: Thoughts About Prayer. He discusses the concept of davening in a shul—a place of communal worship. He writes, “Public prayer is less self-centered, and unites participants into a community. Even if we do not have a particular need, praying in the collective makes us conscious of the needs of others.” This explanation can also be used to supports davening around other people, even if one is not able to be in a shul.

Inspiring Words

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the Rav, Rav Soloveitchik:

" ...Most of all I learned from [my mother] that Judaism expresses itself not only in formal compliance with the law but also in a living experience. She taught me that there is a flavor, a scent and warmth to the mitzvot. I learned from her the most important thing in life - to feel the presence of the Almighty and the gentle pressure of His hand resting upon my frail shoulders. Without her teachings, which quite often were transmitted to me in silence, I would have grown up a soulless being, dry and insensitive." ("A Tribute to the Rebbitzen of Talne," Tradition 17:2 [Spring 1978], pp. 76-77)

I am curious to hear your thoughts about how we can achieve this in our own lives. Are there certain experiences that we can try to have, people that we can try to surround ourselves with so that we can accomplish this?

Wrap Up for the Yom Tov Season

• First, I asked a Rabbi about what this person with the Teshuva dilemma should do - do we pasken like the Chafetz Chaim or Rav Yisrael Salanter?  He seemed to come out like Rav Salanter, and said to tell all of the people that she originally told the מוציא שם רע to that it was wrong, and to ask for general מחילה  from the victim the next time it won't make her assume that there is something specific behind the request.
• At the Simchat Beit Hashoevah, Allison asked me about the phrase that we add to bentching on Sukkot asking Hashem to rebuild the "סוכת דוד הנופלת" - King David's fallen Sukkah, a strange way of referring to the בית המקדש, and a seemingly unrelated request to the holiday it celebrates.  I'm not sure it fully answers it, but over Yom Tov, Dr. Kook (Leora's Dad) pointed out the following explanation from Rav Amital ZT"L (the former Rosh Yeshiva of Gush who recently passed away), citing the Maharal.    

  The Davidic dynasty is referred to as “sukka,” [even though] royalty in general is referred to as a “house”... because something that has a powerful existence in the world is referred to as a house, which is a permanent structure.  Similarly, a royal dynasty is referred to as a house, because of its strength and permanence....

   But when a house falls, its original essence is negated.  When it is later rebuilt it becomes a totally new house.  That rebuilt house is not referred to as the house that had fallen, for the original house has already been negated.  Rather, it is as if a totally new house has now been built.

   A sukka, though, is not a house, not a complete and permanent structure.  If it falls, it can easily be put up again; if it falls, it is can appropriately be referred to as being reestablished.  It returns to its original essence.

   Thus, the Kingdom of the House of David, always ready to be reestablished after having fallen, is referred to as the Kingdom of “David’s fallen sukka.”  Even after its fall it retains its identity as a “sukka.”  This is because a sukka is always ready to be put back up, and it is easy to do so. (Netzach Yisrael, Chapter 35)

  

   A house’s fall is complete and final, and putting it back up is impossible. A sukka, on the other hand, even though it can easily fall, can be put up again.

  

   This is what typifies Israel and Israel’s kingdom.  A house is stable, and has the ability to withstand nature’s violent storms; but once it falls, it is no longer possible for that house to be put up again.  What is reconstructed is something new.  A sukka, by contrast, isn’t stable; any unusually strong wind will knock it down.  The same is true for the Kingdom of Israel: it is fragile, falls easily, and doesn’t resist storms and shocks.  But it always rises back up and stands on its feet again."

• The submissions aren't all in yet for this first month, and certainly haven't gone to the judges, but for all of the different, creative and original submissions we've had for the Avodah Sheb'lev contest (see here, here, here, here, and here for some examples), we had never had anyone bake, until yesterday when our freshman halacha class enjoyed Adina Cohen's submission on Tashlich.  Here it is.

Simchat Torah and the NY Times

There was a recent article in the NY Times about how most Americans failed a basic test on religion, and were not even able to answer questions about their own faith correctly. Interestingly enough, the group that scored the highest on this religion test were Atheists! The second highest group of scorers were Jews (though 43% of Jews did not know that the Rambam was Jewish). I thought this article was very appropriate to read before Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is when we celebrate how we have finished reading all of חמישה חומשי תורה and renew our commitment to לימוד תורה . Perhaps this article can prompt us to ask ourselves some questions. How well would we all do on a Jewish religion test? What are our goals in learning Torah and finding out more about our religion (Rav Sa'adia Gaon in Sefer Emunot ve'De'ot explains that it is so that we can make our religion our own, as well as be able to refute those who challenge it)? Are we comfortable with the amount of Torah that we know or do we want to know more? What goals in לימוד תורה do we want to set for ourselves for the upcoming year?

You can link to the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28religion.html?_r=3&src=mv&ref=homepage

Chag Sameach!

A Teshuva Dilemma for the Last Yom Teshuva of the Season

Today is Hoshana Rabba - the last day of sukkot.  The highlight of the day is the ancient custom, now universally accepted (I think), to complete seven hakafot during hoshanot, as opposed to the single rotation around the Torah that we do on the first 6 days (or five of them, at least), and then recite an extended tefilla on a set of five aravot, and then beat them against the ground.  Warning: davening is very long tomorrow.  Beyond that, there are other minhagim - many congregations read the entire sefer Devarim tonight, many men go to the mikva tomorrow, the chazan wars a kittel and uses the nusach of the Yamim Noraim - many of which reflect the kabbalistic tradition that today is the final sealing of our judgement that began on Rosh Hashana.  Therefore, if you haven't yet said either Tashlich or Kaparot, tomorrow is the final deadline.

In that spirit, recently someone asked me a question that reminded me of a favorite machloket of mine.  She had accidentally been motzi shem ra about someone (said something bad about her to others, that turned out to be untrue).  How, she asked, is she to do teshuva?  Should she tell her victim, currently blissfully ignorant of the entire episode, what she did in order to ask her forgiveness?

The roots of the answer to this question go back at least a hundred years.  When the Chofetz Chaim (the  person) first published the Chofetz Chaim (the sefer on the laws of Lashon Hara), he tried to get a haskama from Rav Yisroel Salanter.  Rav Salanter refused, because in the sefer, it ruled that in our case, the offender may / must tell his victim what he did, and beg forgiveness.  Chas v'shalom said Rav Salanter, just becase you need mechilla doesn't give you the right to cause more pain from the target of your words.

I had always thought that in this machloket, the Chofetz Chaim was the lenient one, and that according to Rav Yisroel Salanter, the sinner is stuck with his aveira, prohibited from seeking the mechilla he needs to complete his teshuva (though both would agree that you could always seek the weaker, generic form of mechilla- asking for forgiveness for all offenses without specifying anything in particular).  In the Rosh Hashana To Go, Rabbi Josh Flug cites this machloket, but he assumes that according to Rav Salanter, you would be able to complete your teshuva without receiving forgiveness from the victim.  It works well with his thesis (עיין שם), but I'm not sure why he makes that assumption.

The person who asked the question was of course fascinated by my discourse, but then stumped me when she asked what she should do practically.  I promised to find out, and I'll let you all know when I do.

Simchat Beit Hashoeva Recap

Yasher koach to all of you who joined us last night at our 3rd annual Simchat Beit Hashoeva.  Special thanks to the Kaszovitz family for hosting us, to Sara in particular for her terrific dvar Torah (Tali S. - you were there in spirit), and Talia for bringing out the juniors who started to show the Ma'ayanot world what they're made of (is that enough of a shout out?).  Alumni - you were missed.

And, congrats to the winning team  in our graham cracker kosher sukka building contest - Eliana S., Rivka K., (both remarkably repeat winners!) Chaya K., & Hedva W. (I think - sorry if I missed anyone).

If anyone sends me pictures, I'll post a few here on the blog.

Sukkah City!

Today, I went with some friends to the "Sukkah City" exhibit at Union Square in the city. "Sukkah City" is an art/architecture exhibit, where on display are the finalists from a competition to build the most unique Sukkah possible.

The Sukkot were all pretty wacky looking but are apparently all kosher and were all built with a rabbi employed to answer any questions the competitors had about the material they were using. My favorite one was a log balanced on 2.5 glass walls (see attached picture), though I don't know how safe I would feel eating under a giant log (though my engineer friends have reassured me that it wouldn't fall).

Anyways, the exhibit is still up until tomorrow night, so I encourage you to brush up on your Mishnayot Sukkah and go if you can. Alternatively, a less artsy - more traditional exhibit of different types of Sukkot can be found all year round in Israel at Neot Kedumim.

http://www.sukkahcity.com/

http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/public/english/what/holidays/sukkot_exh.htm

A Great Story

About the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu Z"L (from the blog of Rabbi Reuven Spolter, I found it on Hirhurim).  I hope it's true.

When our teacher Rav Eliyahu ob”m was the chief rabbi of Israel, he traveled to France for an official visit. France, as usual, was not with us. As always, she exerted pressure of Israel to abandon sections of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel for the benefit of the Arabs. During that period, the pressure was quite strong.
The visit schedule included a state reception in the presence of French President Jacque Chirac. Before the official reception the Rav had to follow the accepted tour route, including the State Museum which contains cultural treasures of the French people.
During the visit they showed the Rav a throne upon which Napoleon sat. “When did Napoleon live?” the Rav asked. The hosts were embarrassed by the question, and “explained” to the Rav when Napoleon lived. The Rav then asked, “Is the throne of Napoleon for sale?” An awkward silence hung over the room. “No,” the hosts finally answered, “This is a very important item. We don’t sell historic heirlooms.”
They continued the visit and arrived at the section which described the French monarchy. They showed him the room of Louis XIV: “Who was Louis XIV?” the Rav asked. “What did he contribute to the world? Was he ethical?”
“No,” the hosts answered honestly. “The entire monarchy was not that ethical, but this is our history, and we’re proud of it and honored by it.”
At the state reception with the French president before a large crowd, the Rav spoke about his visit in the museum. He told the guests about how embarrassed his hosts felt that a rabbi from Israel would not know who Louis XIV was. After all, these are very important historical figures. “I asked them whether they were ethical people and they hemmed and hawed, but they told me that this is their history, and they’re proud of it.”
The Rav said to the crowd, which included the president of France and some of his cabinet: “You expect me to know and honor French history, despite the fact that I’m not a citizen of France. Am I as an Israel not supposed to know and honor my own history? Do the French not have to honor the Bible which has made such a great contribution to the world? Am I able to not honor the words of Moses that told us not to place the Land of Israel into the hands of strangers? Why must we honor your kings, that lived two or three hundred years ago, but not honor a chain of our own kings that lived long before them?”
The [Israeli] translator from the embassy was not so bold as to translate the Rav’s words exactly. The rebbetzin signaled to the Rav – who wasn’t intimidated by anyone, and stopped in the middle of his talk, and said, “I understand that my translator does not exactly recognize the rabbinic mode of speech. I ask the Chief Rabbi of France to translate my words.”
He had no choice. The Rabbi of France rose to translate the Rav’s talk. The Rav explained that he tried to find out the price of Napoleon’s throne. “I wanted to buy it.” The audience burst out laughing. He explained how they “explained” to him, in all seriousness in the museum that the effects from Napoleon are very important, and not for sale. “These are historical items, and we don’t sell our history.”
“Napoleon lived two hundred years ago,” the Rav answered, “and you respect him and refuse to sell his throne. Now I ask: must we sell Jerusalem, a city that has belonged to the Nation of Israel for 2,800 years?”
The entire audience stood, moved, and began to applaud. Even the President of France stood up, approached the Rav, shook his hand firmly and said to him, “I have never heard words like these.” The French President turned to the invited guests and said to them, “We would like to bestow upon the Rabbi a precious golden medallion that we give only to heads of state. When we arranged this reception we did not think to give it to the rabbi. But the instructive words of Rabbi Eliyahu were a ‘once in a lifetime experience.’ We would like to express our appreciation with this state medallion.”

More Rosh Hashana Reflections

• Today was the end of a trivia question.  Last year at Chazara Bowl during Color War, one of the questions was, "when do you read the Torah for 5 consecutive days wthout ever saying Hallel?".  The answer, as two of our students knew (Daniella and Avital, right?) was when Rosh Hashana falls out on Thursday and Friday, Tzom Gedalia is observed a day late on Sunday, and we lain on שבת and Monday as usual.  Today was the first day since erev Rosh Hashana that we did not read the Torah.
• A quick reminder - the סימנים that we eat on Rosh Hashana are not superstitions or magic.  Eating carrots or the head of a fish do not guarantee us a good year, not even dipping the apple in the honey, no matter how loud or clear you make the bracha.  They are simply physical manifestations that concretizes our prayers.  For that reason, I don't even eat most of the foods, but say the same יהי רצון while pointing at them.  The whole matter is a collection of puns and wordplays, from both Hebrew and Yiddish.  In fact, many people have continueed this tradition, adding new simanim with connections to the English.  I have heard of people having raisins and celery (for a raise in salary).  A guest of ours told us of a Rabbi who after his wife had served figs, certain that she remembered that it was one of the simanim prayed that Hashem should "fig-ive and fig-et".  For breakfast, I had my children choose between Life and Honeycombs.  While innovation in matters of Jewish ritual are often controversial, this is an area where I think everyone would support creativity in this area.

Selichot Timing

A timely question from alumna Gabrielle Hiller:

I have a question about the technicalities of Selichot: I see shuls have all different Selichot times, whether 10 PM, 12:45 AM, or before Shacharit. What's the support behind all these opinions and is there a preferred time?

Hi Gabrielle, it was so great to see you and so many of your classmates at the Yom Iyun - your grade continues to leave your mark on the school. 
The best time is at the very end of the night, right before dawn.  Also good is late at night, after חצות (close to 1 am - this is customary for the first night of selichot).  The problem with these, is that they are very hard; it means either going to sleep very late or waking up very early, which leaves you really tired the next day.  Therefore, many people are lenient and say it before their regular minyan in the morning, whenever that is.  Kabbalistically, the absolute worst time to say selichot is at night before chatzot.  Night is a time of harsh דין, and an inopportune time to plead our case for mercy.  Rav Moshe Feinstein allowed this if needed, but the 10:00 pm Selichot is certainly not ideal.

Gmar chatima tova.

Reflections on Rosh Hashana

This Rosh Hashana was an especially meaningful one for me. Our family spent it with cousins in Kiryat Arba, and it was a yom tov like no other. We davened vasikin both days (at 5:40am!), which added a special atmosphere to the already beautiful and moving davening.

Both days we also walked down to Me’arat Hamachpela. Davening in the me’ara on Rosh Hashana, with its focus on Akeidat Yitzchak and zechut avot was very meaningful. We also had a special bonus – during the course of the year the Arabs have use of the hall where the grave markers for Yitzchak and Rivka are, and Jews are not allowed in. On (only) 10-11 days during the year Jews are allowed to enter there, and the first day of Rosh Hashana was one of those days. It has been many years since I was in that part of the me’ara, and davening mincha by the grave marker for Yitzchak held special meaning. (Quick quiz – can you figure out why?)

Rosh Hashana is Yom Ha-din, the day on which Hashem inspects and judges each person like a shepherd inspects each of his flock. Yet although the day is solemn and serious, it is still a chag, and therefore it is also a happy day. Part of this simcha comes from our conviction that if we understand the meaning of the day and use it properly, then Hashem will grant us a favorable outcome.

There is a discussion in the gemara (Megilla 31a) about what portion of the Torah should be read on each of the days of Rosh Hashana. One opinion says that we should read about Hashem remembering Sarah through the birth of Yitzchak and that for the haftorah we should read about Chana and the birth of Sh’muel. Indeed, this is what we do on the first day of yom tov. One reason is that it is because both Sarah and Chana, after many years of infertility, conceived on Rosh Hashana.

But I saw another nice explanation (unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the sefer in which I saw it, and can’t give proper credit to its author). In selecting these particular topics as the portions of the Torah and haftorah to be read on Rosh Hashana, Chazal were trying to give us a message of hope on this very solemn Yom Ha-din. Yes, Hashem sits in judgment on this day, and we should all be filled with trepidation. But in the midst of our fear we should remember that Hashem is also the G-d of mercy, and we should be filled with hope that just like He answered the tefillot of Sarah and Chana on this day, so too, if our tefillot are sincere enough, we hope and pray that He will answer our tefillot as well, and grant us all a good year.

With wishes for a g’mar chatima tova to all of us and the rest of Klal Yisrael, and a year that is filled with learning, growth, and personal fulfillment.

ספר פנים יפות?*

Here is something I found interesting on Rav Aviner's blog (I find that phrase alone very interesting).  It's called the Ten Plagues of Facebook, and lists ten problems with Facebook.  I don't use Facebook, so I can't evaluate his claims all that well, but a lot of people i know and respect (including most of you) are on it, and I have heard some of the positive aspects of it as well.

So what do you think?  Is he being fair?

* The title is a pun - that's not the real quote from Pirke Avot.

We're Back!

Welcome (back?) to the Ma'ayanot Jewish Studies Faculty Blog.  After what turned into a summer vacation, we are back and better than ever, so send all of your questions in to help get us restarted.  A couple of notes:

• If you sent in a question that hasn't yet been answered, please feel free to resend it as a gentle reminder.
• Remember that we have activated the comments here, so you are able to respond directly (though not instantly, the comments are reviewed, but not edited, by management before they are posted in their entirety).  Please join in the conversation - don't be shy.

Tattoos - Take Two

A while back, we talked about Chana Ben-Zecharia's question whether it is true that someone with a tattoo may not be buried in a Jewish cemetary.  Mrs. Sinensky replied that there is no such restiction.  Jewish Action recently addressed the same issue in it's regular feature, "What’s the Truth about . . ." in which Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky explains a different misconception about Judaism each month.  He confirms that the entire notion is a myth.

Tisha B'Av Take-Home

I often find that we focus intensively on the themes and messages of a given holiday or fast day, and then the next day we move on. I think it's human nature, and therefore normal and expected. After all, if we were supposed to sit on the floor and say kinnot every single day, it might lose its impact. At the same time, it seems that the reason that we have days like Tisha B'Av that are so super-intense and focused is so that we can take some of the messages of these days and incorporate them into our daily lives. This morning I had the privilege of hearing R' Dr. J.J Shachter. He opened by pointing out that we are not just supposed to remember the Churban Beit HaMikdash when we build a new house or see the kotel. Rather, it is supposed to be on our minds every day. In fact, at the very beginning of the Shulchan Aruch, right after the Mechaber writes about "shiviti Hashem l'negdi tamid"--always being aware that one is in the presence of God--he writes that a person should always be saddened by the Churban Beit HaMikdash. He clearly views remembering the Churban as one of the central aspects of a Jew's life! As Tisha B'Av comes to a close, it is worthwhile to think of ways that we can put the Churban Beit Hamikdash on our radar screens, and to think of how this event has affected Jewish history and continues to affect our lives.

Tisha B'Av and the Arch of Titus

What I find powerful about Tisha b'Av, is the dual nature of the day. On one hand, we start off at night with intense aveilut (mourning), reading Eicha, sitting on the floor, which continues through the morning. Then, at chatzot, we get up and sit on chairs, we greet people, and there is a relaxing of the aveilut. At this point, we are focusing our emotions and thoughts to the future, hoping for the day where we will experience geulah sheleimah, and be able to see Tisha b'Av as a holiday and a moed. This video below is from yesterday, where the chief general of the IDF traveled to Rome and spoke under the Arch of Titus, showing that despite the image on the arch of the Romans of the Jews being led into exile, today we have returned to our land and can state that despite all odds "Am Israel Chai". Obviously we are still in galut and have a long way to go, but this video provide a little bit of nechama on this sad day.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138682

More Tisha B'Av Resources

• A short video by Mr. Charles Harary, a young Jewish leader.
• Rabbi Jacob J. Schachter also presenting a live Kinnot.
• A review of the laws of Tisha B'Av from OU.

Here are some of the key rules to keep in mind (edited from Ohr Samayach):

Eating and Drinking

1. All eating and drinking is forbidden. This includes rinsing the mouth and brushing teeth, except in a case of great distress. Rinsing with mouthwash or brushing teeth without water is questionable.
2. Swallowing capsules or bitter tablets or liquid medicine without water is permitted.

Bathing and Washing

1. All bathing for pleasure is prohibited even in cold water including the hands, face and feet.
2. Ritual washing upon waking, after using the bathroom, touching covered parts of the body or before praying is permitted, but only up to the knuckles.
3. One may wash dirty or sullied portions of the body (including cleaning the eyes of glutinous material), and if necessary may use soap or warm water to remove the dirt or odor.
4. Washing for cooking or for medical reasons is permitted.

Anointing

1. Anointing for pleasure is prohibited including oil, soap, alcohol, cream, ointment, perfume, etc.
2. Anointing for medical reasons is permitted, as well as using deodorant to remove bad odor.

Wearing Leather Shoes

1. Even shoes made partially of leather are prohibited. Shoes made of cloth, rubber or plastic are permitted.

Learning Torah

1. Since the heart rejoices in the study of Torah, it is prohibited to learn topics other than those relevant to Tisha B'Av or mourning.
2. One may learn: Lamentations with its midrash and commentaries, portions of the Prophets that deal with tragedy or destruction, the third chapter of Moed Katan (which deals with mourning), the story of the destruction (in Gittin 56b-58a, Sanhedrin 104, and in Josephus), and the halachot of Tisha B’Av and mourning.

Additional Restrictions

1. One should deprive himself of some comfort in sleep. Some reduce the number of pillows, some sleep on the floor. Pregnant women, the elderly and the ill are exempt.
2. Sitting on a normal chair is forbidden until midday. One may sit on a low bench or chair, or on a cushion on the floor.
3. Greeting someone with "good morning" and the like is prohibited. One who is greeted should answer softly and, if possible, inform the person of the prohibition.

Tisha B'Av

Especially for those of us who aren't in camp, Tisha B'Av is a hard day to get right.  I often find that the solemnity of the ימים נוראים, the different joys of סוכות and פורים, and even the liberating relief of פסח, are not as difficult to conjure as the grief of Tisha B'Av.  It's not easy to sincerely mourn a building to which we have (at best) an abstract connection, so it's a good idea to use what ever resources we can to help us do our best.  Towards that end:

• As always, I highly recommend the YU To Go essays, that you can find here. You can find a wealth of audio and text shiurim here.
• The OU will have live Kinnot webcasts throughout the day, first by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, and then (starting at 1 pm from LA) by Rabbi Steven Weil.
• OU Press has released a Kinnot, translated by Rabbi Weinreb, and with commentary from the Rav.  You can find excerpts here.
• If none of these do the trick, google Tisha b'Av & I'm sure you'll find something of interest.

Have a good תענית.

Technologically Speaking

A guest post from our own Mrs. Nadler:

With the ubiquitous use of technology in our everyday lives many new questions are posed. Should we share music? Is it ok to watch TV shows that are now appearing on different internet sites? Does it matter which site we use? Should I rent the movie instead of downloading it for free? In contemporary culture the use or misuse of music,movies, and files  are a common occurrence and one that is not always properly thought through. Every once in a while students ask me about the ethical, legal, and halachic stance on these issues. For anyone who is interested in this discussion, I would recommend you read David Pogue's recent blog post and make sure to read the comments which yield a multitude of interesting perspectives. My intent is not to provide you with a psak din or tell you what to do but rather to encourage you to  question your actions and to motivate you to think through this personally relevant ethical issue.

Comments

I'm thrilled that a bunch of you have taken advantage of the new commenting feature that we recently enabled.  I want to clarify our policy, and explain why some of your comments have not yet been published.  In order to have your comment published, it is important that you attach your name to it - we will not publish anonymous comments.  For the ones that we already received, you can either resubmit it with your name, or identify yourself by e-mail and we'll publish them.

Have a great Shabbos & keep the questions & comments coming through the summer.

Junior Partner vs Senior Partner

This past Thursday, I went to a dinner in Montreal for LIBI (an organization supporting Tzahal soldiers) which was honoring close friends of my parents, whose son is currently serving in Tzahal. The whole dinner was a very powerful experience. Many different Israeli army officers spoke about their experiences in the war in Gaza (and the great efforts invested in preventing civilian casualties) and in setting up field hospitals in Haiti after the earthquake. One soldier spoke about how he was blinded in a terrorist attack, but returned to active duty in Israeli intelligence, because he felt that if he were to change his life - even one bit - after his injury, he would be allowing the terrorists to win.

However, what I found most powerful was a speech that a rabbi gave near the end of the dinner. The goal of the dinner was to raise money for Tzahal and the rabbi was encouraging people to make donations by saying that they now have a one time opportunity to become "junior partners" with the State of Israel. Even though they don't live in Israel, they don't send their children to the army, they don't suffer sleepless nights, they still have a chance that Jews for 2000 years could only dream about - becoming "junior partners" with the State of Israel, by supporting them financially.

I felt that this was a great analogy to use as it sets out an important distinction about one's relationship to the State of Israel. On one hand, the financial support for Israel provided by the American Jewish community is crucial, but on the other hand, it only makes you a "junior partner", not an equal "senior partner". To get that promotion, you have to take the next step of making Aliyah and linking your destiny fully with the Jewish people in Israel (this is the same debate that was playing out during the time that the 2nd Bet Hamikdash was being rebuilt - do you send money from Bavel - or do you join Ezra and Nehemiah in building up the land personally?).

And, if you think about it - why would someone be satisfied with only being a "junior partner" when they can be so much more? Thoughts?

Shevet Levi

Maayanot alum Talia Friedman asks:

Why were there so few Leviim? I heard the drash that it is because they were priests, so Pharoah did not enslave them, and hence they did not merit to have so many people

but...

1) they only became priests after the bechorim sinned, so they were not yet priests

2) if Pharoah had respected the priests, the first born sons, he would not have thrown them into the river

3) if Pharoah did respect the Leviim, for whatever reason, then wouldn't he not have thrown their boys into the river, so they would have been the most populous

4) since when do we believe that more suffering causes more children?

 

Please explain this drash to me.

 

I have some thoughts, but let's see what you all come up with in the comments.

 

בואי כלה

Maayanot alumna Rebecca Schenker asks:

Is there a specific way to turn during "boi bishalom"

This is a really interesting question, with not much textual evidence but different minhagim (see a conversation about it here).  In the typical shul, where the aron kodesh faces towards ירושלים - east here in America - and the entrances are in the back of the shul, everyone would agree to face the back.  Some people do this because they say to face the doors to welcome שבת, and therefore you should face the entrance wherever it is (even in the front?).  Rav Goren is quoted saying that שבת is not human or physical only spiritual, and doesn't need a door to enter (I wonder if he opened the door for שפוך חמתך at the seder), and therefore you should always face west (no matter where you are relative to ירושלים) towards the sunset.  Other minhagim say to face away from the aron kodesh, or opposing ירושלים.

In the old YU בית מדרש, which faced north (I think) and had its doors on the side, this led to an interesting sight.  There were two rabbeim who once  a year were in Yeshiva together for Shabbos, and sat near each other in shul.  One of them would face the doors (east), and one faced away from ירושלים (west) so for those moments, they were standing, and singing directly facing each other.

Have a great Shabbos .

Of Sticks & Stones - Part II

A while back I posted about the episode in this week's Parsha when Moshe hits the rock to draw water, and is barred from entering ארץ ישראל as a punishment.  At the time I promised a more serious theory "later", and with a large stack of finals that need to be graded in front of me, this seems as good a time as any.

Most מפרשים have ideas on this, and many of them are different, because the text itself is so unclear and raises so many questions.  First, what exactly did Moshe do wrong?  Why was it so bad that it merited losing the opportunity to lead the people into Israel?  How could hitting the rock be so bad, if that was how he was instructed to draw water from it back in פרשת בשלח?  If he wasn't supposed to hit the rock, why did Hashem tell him to take his staff?  What is the significance of him hitting the rock twice?  Finally, why is Aharon punished?  I'll save that last question for a later date (now that I came back to this, you can believe me), but will try to address the other questions.  (See Art Scroll's Stone Chumash for a summary of some of the classical interpretations.)

The symbolism of water and a rock is familiar to us from the famous story of Rabbi Akiva:

Once, while shepherding his flocks, he gazed into a pool, where he saw a hollowed-out rock resting under a waterfall. He wondered how the rock, one of Nature's hardest substances, had been hollowed out. When he was told that the water had, over a long period of time, made the drastic change in the rock, he reasoned as follows:
"If a rock, though extremely hard, can be hollowed out by water, how much more so should it be possible for Torah, which is compared to water, to change my heart, which is soft. I will begin to study it, and try to become a Torah scholar."

So, water is Torah (which we kind of knew anyway), and the rock is the heart that is resistant to Torah's influence.  So when Hashem (and by extension Moshe) deals with the question of how do we get water from a rock, what they are really trying to do is get Torah compliance (or trust in Hashem) from a difficult and stubborn nation.  At first in בשלח, immediately after leaving Mitzrayim the nation was immature, even infantile (as many of you have heard me discuss many times ואכמ"ל).  When you have a child and you are trying to teach them not to touch the stove or run into the street, persuasion is not called for, you must physically and forcefully remove them from the danger.  This was the model of discipline for the דור המדבר, and we find it repeated in practice over & over - the Jews sin, and are punished swiftly and strongly. 

Here in פרשת חקת, we fast forward 38 years, and now find Moshe leading the generation that will ultimately enter Israel.  Once again, the people complain for water, but now it is time for them to grow up.  The new mission for the nation is no longer to enforce compliance by threat of immediate force, but by teaching them the right thing to do, so that when they get to Israel, and live in a natural world without punitive miracles regularly frightening them into submission.  That doesn't mean that there is no room for the threat of punishment  - the memories of past retribution is a valuable tool in teaching them to act properly.  Therefore, take the stick to the rock ("speak softly, but carry a big stick"), but this time don't hit the rock, speak to it, gently.  Demonstrate to the people how the new reality differs from the old one. 

But Moshe missed the chance.  By hitting the rock, he showed himself to be a מדבר leader, who was so used to the people disappointing him, being true "stones", that he couldn't adjust to them as actually being able to take some responsibility for their own behavior.  Worse, when after striking the rock once, no (or not much) water emerged, instead of reevaluating his approach and trying a new model, he hit the rock again, symbolizing an inability to evolve into the type of leader that בני ישראל would need in ארץ ישראל.

While this explanation is a little more critical of Moshe Rabeinu than I would normally be comfortable with, in this context I think it is appropriate.  The Torah tells us that he committed a grave sin, it then becomes our responsibility to try to figure out what it was.

Crash Course on Korach

Another great Parsha video from "G-dcast", examining the Korach-Moshe debate. Shabbat Shalom!



Parshat Korach from G-dcast.com

More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com

Great to Be Here

The Gemara in :מנחות מג  famously teaches about some of the ברכות that we say every day, including - שלא עשני "גוי  The reason we say the ברכה in the negative, instead of שעשני יהודי, is based on the opinion in the גמרא that טוב לאדם שלא נברא משנברא - it would have been better for man to never have been created.  This was all I could think of when reading this article by (Sanhedrin favorite) Peter Singer.  Interestingly enough, the Torah places having children as its very first מצוה.  By the logic in the article, that seems inconsistent.  If man is really better off never having been born, why does the Torah place such value on having children?  I have some ideas, but what do you think? 

Better Late Than Never

Tziporah Herzfeld asked:

So I was wondering, if Bnei Yisrael were supposed to go to the Beit HaMikdash on all of the shalosh regalim, why do we only have a make up for going if people couldn't make it on Pesach? Did they not bring korbanot on the other chagim, so it didn't matter if they couldn't make it on the chag?

You're absolutely right that everyone would come for all of the רגלים and bring a קרבן חגיגה.  The best time to bring it was on the first day of יום טוב, but if you missed it you could make it up for the rest of the חג.  For שבועות, which is only one day, you had 6 days afterward to make up the קרבן.  This is why many of us did not say tachanun for that second week of סיון.  As for why there is a special make-up rule for פסח, the simplest answer is that it is a more significant קרבן - it is one of the only two מצות עשה that are punished by כרת (anyone know the other one?).
Recently, when we read about פסח שני in פרשת בהלותך, one of the local parsha sheets had an essay by Rav Ovadia Yosef addressing this very question.  He attributed the special rule to the initiative of the people who advocated for the opportunity.  Remember, the rule came up in the Torah as the response to individuals who were טמא on פסח and said "למה נגרע" - why should we miss out on this מצוה.  Their passion and desire to bring the קרבן פסח triggered the accommodation.
This interpretation raises some technical issues about how the מצוה was given (did Moshe learn it on הר סיני?), I think that the message is valuable.  It is important to note, though, that the proper answer to the feeling of למה נגרע was to ask a שאילה, and follow the conclusion.

The Power of the Team Uniform

Yesterday my family (myself, husband, 5 children) were on our way to Yavneh Academy for a BBQ celebrating the end of the season for the Yavneh Baseball League, in which one of my daughters played (on the same team as Mrs. Herzog’s daughter). While we were getting onto Route 17 from Route 4, a car, which had lost control on a ramp going in the opposite direction, careened across the grass and slammed into the sliding door of our minivan, right where my daughter was sitting. The door was pretty smashed, but baruch Hashem no one in our car was injured (and there seemed to be only one minor injury among the 3 other cars that were involved in the accident). My father, who taught me to drive, always tried to correct my over-cautiousness by telling me “cars don’t fall out of the sky.” The one that hit us didn’t quite come from the sky, but I think it was the closest thing.

The first major mussar I took from this experience is our vulnerability; the idea that our lives can be taken or forever altered in an instant. This idea is always true, but it’s hard to think about all the time and still function. But it is important to think about it when a reminder like this comes along. My daughter is full of plans and potential – she was going to celebrate the end of a fun baseball season, then she was going to babysit, and study for her finals. She plans to go to camp this summer and work as a mother’s helper. Instead, she could have spent last night in the hospital, and the summer and beyond recovering from broken limbs. The accident reminded me to maximize, both bein adam le-makom and bein adam le-chaveiro, the time that we have here.

The second thing I took away from this (still in baseball mode) is the power of the team uniform – team Orthodox, that is. No fewer than 5 cars carrying Orthodox people stopped to ask if they could help us, drive us somewhere, call someone for us, etc., as my family was standing on the side of the road (even though the police had already arrived). Some even pulled off the highway, parked in a nearby parking lot, and walked over to us. I had heard about the phenomenon of strangers stopping to offer help to other Orthodox Jews– there’s even an urban legend about a non-Jew who keeps a black hat and jacket in his trunk in case he has car trouble – but never experienced it for myself. If my husband had been wearing shorts, a T-shirt and baseball cap, and I and my children the same, who would have known we were Orthodox? (The five kids may have been a tip-off, but still…) I felt proud that someone looking at my family could know right away who we are, and that the kinship they felt with us moved them to go out of their way to offer help.

Men vs. Women

This Shabbos my fourth grader gave a d’var Torah that I liked very much and wanted to share with you. First, I want to thank her teacher, Morah Danya Stechler for the very nice idea. (For all of you old Ma’ayanoters, that’s Rabbi Stechler’s wife!)

When Hashem tells/allows Moshe to send the meraglim, He says שלח לך אנשים.... Many of the mefarshim discuss the strange wording of “Send for yourself…”, and give various explanations for this phraseology.

The Kli Yakar gives a number of different ideas. One of which is that it was the men of the generation who were not so dedicated to Eretz Yisrael and wanted to turn around and go back to Mitzrayim. The women, however, loved Eretz Yisrael, as is evidenced by b’not Tzlafchad who requested to inherit their father’s portion of land there.

Therefore Hashem said, “Since you, Moshe, think that these men are qualified and that they care about Eretz Yisrael, send for yourself men. But in My opinion, it would have been better to send women, because they would not say bad things about Eretz Yisrael!”

We should all take the message from this Kli Yakar that one of our responsibilities as women is to teach ahavat Eretz Yisrael to all of Klal Yisrael!

Israel Advocacy 101

I've heard a lot of students and teachers discussing the recent events in Gaza and I wanted to post some links for anyone who's interested in finding out exactly what all the controversy is about. A few days ago a group of ships (flotilla) of Turkish pro-Palestinian activists tried to run through Israel's blockade of Gaza to bring in material and supplies to the Palestinians living there. Israel has blockaded off Gaza and will let in aid, food and supplies, but only through land and after it has been searched for anything that can be used for weapons (as Hamas, which is in charge of Gaza, has previously used these convoys to smuggle in weapons and rockets which are then shot at Israeli towns such as Sderot). Israeli commandos boarded the ships and were then attacked by the activists on board one of the ships with metal pipes and other weapons. The Israeli commandos then fought back in self defense, but in the ensuing fighting (with the Israelis being better armed), at least 9 activists were killed and a number of Israeli soldiers were wounded (2 seriously).

All over the world, massive anti-Israel demonstrations are taking place - condemning Israel for using too much force and for the unfair treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza. It is important to take the time to get informed about what really happened in order to be able to (1) defend Israel if these facts are exaggerated (2) to think critically about some of the important moral and ethical issues that this incident raises (as we should also feel comfortable being critical about Israel's actions if we are uncomfortable with them).

For some facts and videos of what really happened on the ships, check out http://www.flotillafacts.com/ and the IDF's youtube channel. Here is also a great editorial in the NY Times by Michael Oren and a Jerusalem Post interview with the Israeli commandos.

This incident raises the moral question of whether or not Israel is justified in instituting "collective punishment" onto all the Palestinians living in Gaza, by having a blockade in the first place. How far are we willing to go to protect the safety of Israeli citizens (by making sure weapons are not being smuggled into Gaza)? Recently, my 11th grade Jewish Philosophy classes debated these issues and we spend some time playing a computer game created by the Israeli Mossad (Intelligence) called "Peacemaker". In this game, you play as either the Israeli Prime Minister or the Palestinian President and you have to try and bring peace to the Middle East (a shout-out here goes to Ayala Laub, who by playing as the Palestinian President actually solved the peace process!). This game, while frustrating, brings to light a lot of the checks and balances that Israel takes into account when trying to balance defending itself with maintaining human rights. Do we put in more checkpoints to protect our cities from terrorists or do we remove checkpoints to ease the lives of regular Palestinians? I encourage you all to try out the game yourselves (you can play the free demo by clicking here, but it will only let you play for a limited amount of time)!

A Whole New Way to Learn the Parsha

I wanted to share with you all this great website called "G-dcast". Each week they put out a 3-4 minute cartoon video on the Parsha with a message that can be appreciated by anyone. It usually has a great lesson and can be helpful whether you are looking for a Dvar Torah on the Parsha, or just for a summary on the Parsha for the youth groups that you run for your shul. Either way, it's awesome simply because it is in cartoon! Here is this week's "G-dcast" on Parshat Shelach, with a meaningful lesson as to why the spies were really being sent and about what it means to be a leader (check out the "G-dcast" videos on other Parshiyot here). Enjoy!

Celebrating Memorial Day

A number of years ago, if you would have asked me what Memorial Day meant to me, I would have said – Our annual family barbeque, no school!, and Memorial Day sales in stores. That was as meaningful as it got.

Until one year when I decided to take my kids to watch the Memorial Day parade near our house. In addition to the marching bands and groups of police and firemen were groups of veterans, in their uniforms, marching as well. It was then that for the first time I really appreciated Memorial Day for what it is – Yom HaZikaron for America.

Along with feeling concern and gratitude for חיילי צה"ל, I also feel appreciation for American servicepeople, stationed all over the world, who help make this world a safer and better place for everyone. If not for the sacrifice that every one of them makes, leaving safety behind to face unknown dangers, America would not be the country that it is, a country that stands up for democracy and that is a haven for the oppressed.

Memorial Day is our opportunity to pay homage to those soldiers who gave up their lives so that we could live in peace, and to show appreciation to those who fought and came back - sometimes wounded or traumatized - so that our lives could carry on like normal, although theirs would likely not.

It is an American holiday, not a Jewish one, but celebrating it meaningfully is an expression of the very Jewish value of הכרת הטוב. So if you have the opportunity, watch a parade and clap as the veterans walk by, or if not, let’s take a moment away from our barbeques and shopping trips to think about the real meaning of the day, and appreciate those whom it is meant to honor.

Amazing Story in the News (CLICK HERE)

This is a brief news report about how a frum Jew became the principal of one the most dangerous public schools in the Bronx and turned the school around. A real Kiddush Hashem!

Heartbeats

First of all, I want to give a huge yasher koach to the organizers, performers, audience, and everyone who contributed to this amazing event. I feel so privileged to be in a school with students, faculty, and a parent body who are so committed to Chessed.
Two things came to mind tonight while I was watching the amazing performance.
The first is a Gemara in Masechet Ta'anit and Makkot in which Rebi states, "Harbeh Torah Lamaditi M'Rabotai, u'mechaverai yoter mehem, umeitalmidai yoter m'kulan"-- I learned alot of Torah from my teachers, and from my peers I learned even more, and from my students I learned more than from them (my teachers and peers).
The fact that despite your busy schedules you have been involved in this tremendous act of Chessed--and have put your "all" into it-- is truly inspiring and has reminded me about the importance of giving to others and the attitude with which we should give to others.

The second thing that came to mind is a passuk in Tehillim, "kol atzmotai tomarna Hashem mi kamocha"--all of my bones should say to you Hashem, who is like you? (The Gemara in Masechet Brachot actually learns from this passuk that one should bow during Shmoneh Esreh). I think the idea behind this passuk is that all of our limbs--our entire beings--should be involved in Avodat Hashem. While this passuk talks specifically about praising God, I think the idea can be applied to other aspects of Avodat Hashem as well. Heartbeats is a wonderful example of how a person can use her body for singing, dancing, etc. to serve Hashem by performing Chessed.

Yasher Koach again, and I hope that all you blog readers have not only enjoyed watching and listening to Heartbeats, but have taken away from it some important religious lessons as well!

"But what can I do?"

As we find ourselves in the week of committee head applications, a bit of inspiration. 

כי מציון תצא תורה

Esteemed Alum Atara Staiman sends:
hiii blog moderators.....

just wanted to know i felt very proud when i saw the question about eating before "tefillah" aka shemoneh esrei because i think it's a big misconception that you can have your breakfast after saying just brachot on any regular day.
totally didnt know that before this year and i am so happy that is clarified and i hope everyone takes it to heart!
and yes i stalk the blog still.... i just check up on what everyone is thinking- it's so entertaining.
just letting you all know...
and regards from the holy land :)
see you all in maayanot in 2 short little weeks


hope all is great!

Hashem Gave Us a Present...

A little late, but there a still a few hours to line up some reading material going into שבועות.  As always, YU Shavuot To Go is likely to be a good read, though I wonder of it will measure up to other issues, as they have a theme (shidduchim and marriage) for many of the articles.  I've sometimes found that when you limit the writers or speakers by topic, you don't get the same product as when you just ask for their best essay on שבועות.  The one article that I know I'm looking forward to, and that is not compromised in any way is one by our own Mrs. Sinensky.  If that's not enough to keep you busy, you can check out last year's edition, highlighted by an outstanding essay by Mrs. Kahan.

Of course the highlight of שבועות is the annual overnight learning program (Mishmover II?) at Roemer.  While I will unfortunately not be there, I wish I could, as the lineup of shiurim from faculty, alumni and seniors is really amazing.  It's also a great opportunity to study for Talmud exams that many of you have coming up.

חג שמח!