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.