What Would You Do If You Knew?

A recent medical finding hit the news last week: there is now a blood test available that can "predict" how long you will live. This test is based on the relative length of the telomeres, the tips of the chromosomes. These tips get shorter over a lifespan; by measuring your telomeres, your lifespan can be predicted.

In the news report that I saw, a reporter went around telling people about the availability of this new blood test and asking them: Would you take it? Would you want to know how much longer you have to live? What would you do (differently) if you knew when you were going to die? There were some interesting answers to the last questions, but what was even more interesting was this: no of those questioned wanted to take the test and to know how much longer they would live.

I have asked myself these questions many times. There is a famous midrash about the way in which the dor hamidbar died: Every year, on Erev Tisha B'Av, all the men would dig graves for themselves and lie down in them. In the morning, those who were supposed to die that year had died. Everyone else got up and knew that they would live for at least another year. Since the onesh was on those between the ages of 20 and 60, you knew that as you approached 60, you were going to die soon.

So I have pondered, is that kind of definite foreknowledge a good thing or a horrible thing? On the "good" side, if I know exactly how long I have to live, then I can make sure to both compose my "bucket list" of what I want to do before I die and take the time to do what I have set out for myself. I won't have to worry about dying on any random day because I know when I will die. On the other hand, all fantasies of immortality (and don't we all have them?) will be robbed from me, and I will have no escape from the relentlessly ticking time-clock that is my life. What would be the point of living if I know exactly when I am going to die? It is a terrifying thought.

So what would you do? Would you choose to know when you are going to die? And if you did know, what would you do with the time that you had left?

Lag B'Omer

 
Is everyone ready for Lag BO'mer at the Goldsteins?  You do NOT want to miss it.

Nachat-Fest 2011

• We didn't need the media to take pride in the enormous Kiddush Hashem performed by our students who did the relief work in Minnesota, but it's nice to see them spreading the news here, here, here, and here.  Yasher koach to them all, Ms. Steinreich who both supervised the mission and coordinated the media blitz, and Rabbi Prince, their spiritual leader.
• This year's Derech Hateva, Stern College's journal of Torah and Science has come out.  One of it's editors is Maayanot alum Elisa Karp who also has an article on the chemistry of Techeilet, and the opening article is by Pamela Apfel about Man's Place in BRCA (not sure what that means).  

Torah-ton Reflections

Yasher koach to all of you who participated  in what was an amazing Shabbos.  The student component was probably the best part.

• Tamar Novetsky's shiur (to around 70 people!!!) was a mixture of real, old-fashioned Lomdus (resolving a סתירה in the Rambam by answering that the מעשה required to violate לא תחמד is not needed as the מעשה עבירה, but is the שיעור to measure your emotional jealousy - like eating a כזית on יום כיפור), and modern educational technique (the case studies about the iPad).
• Danielle & Kayla made a great and hilarious game ("she's really, really old!") that eventually even drew out even the magical Juniors (now you see them, now you don't) who really added a lot to the program when they were with us.
• The Divrei Torah by all the students (Tobey, Molly, Chani, Yael - who am I forgetting?) were rich, substantive, engaging and inspiring.  
• The zemirot were beautiful, though for next time, you might want to make sure that Rabbi Prince & I don't set the key.
• A huge thank you to Ms. Steinreich, without whom the weekend could never have happened.  She really does everything to make sure that the program goes off without a hitch.  
• I am still thinking about the ideas and message that RZP shared with us at seudah shlishit.  How many times will you an explanation of what seems like a dry and technical passage about kodshim and the structure of Sefer Vayikra, that turns into an inspiring message about the self-worth and value of every human being.
• A real highlight were the shiurim.  Professor Nechama Price accomplished the difficult task of taking a story that we all know well (Megillat Rut) and allowing us to see it in a whole new way.  I was particularly struck by the contention that the story took place during the time of Eglon and Ehud, making the flight of Elimelech to Moav an act of treason, not just abandonment.
• Rebbetzin Neuberger gave a fascinating shiur about a fascinating historical figue - the author of the אם הבנים שמחה.  We spoke about him a while back at a Mishmar following Hurricane Katrina about religious figures giving reasons for tragedies, as he attributed at least some of the horrors of the Holocaust that he lived through, to the Orthodox establishment's misguided stance against the early Zionist movement.  The analysis of Yaakov's neder challenged us to do a close reading of a crucial passage for Jewish History, and I had never heard the heart-wrenching story that inspired the title of the sefer.
• Finally, Mrs. Kahan's shiur to the entire community took an obscure, enigmatic passage in Parshat Bereishit, and made some sense of it.  It was a nice challenge to follow and enjoy a complex shiur aimed at the sophisticated adult crowd.

As Rabbi Prince said, while it may not have been the most convenient week for everyone, I'm thrilled that we were able to get this in before the year came to a close.  Can't wait to see you all later at the Goldsteins.

Touching Story

There is a story told of Rav Shlomo Zalman Aeurbach, that appears in
the frontispiece of Rav Rimon's הלכה ממקורה: צבא. Once a student from
Yeshivat Kol Torah approached Rav Shlomo Zalman Aeurbach zt"l and
asked him, 'may I interrupt my studies (of Torah) to travel to prayer
at the graves of the righteous/tzadikim?' Rav Shlomo Zalman answered
him, 'it is preferable to remain in the yeshiva and learn (Torah).'
The student asked, 'is there no place for going at times to the graves
of the righteous to pray? Does the rav not go at times to pray at the
graves of the tzadikim?' Rav Shlomo Zalman answered him, 'in order to
pray at the graves of tzadikim there is no need to travel to the
Gallilee. When I feel a need to pray at the graves of the righteous,
I go to Mount Herzl(Israel's national military cemetery in Jerusalem),
to the graves of the soldiers who died for the sake of God.'

Toldot Israel Video

Sorry about flooding the blog with Zionist posts - but here is a great Yom Ha'atzmaut movie! Enjoy!

Yom HaZikaron 2011

Yom HaZikaron starts tonight- when we remember the 22 837 soldiers and terror victims who gave their lives for the State of Israel.

I used to find it strange that Yom Ha'atzmaut comes right after Yom HaZikaron - how are we supposed to switch from extreme sadness to extreme joy within a 48 hour period? But maybe this is the most appropriate way to celebrate, as to truly appreciate Medinat Israel, we first have to take time to realize the tremendous sacrifices that it took (and continues to take) for us to have our own independent state in the land of Israel.

In Israel everyone will spend the day visiting military cemeteries, watching and listening to the stories of fallen soldiers on TV and on the radio and stopping everything they are doing (even driving on the highway) to stand at attention for 2 minutes during a memorial siren in the morning. Anyone who has been to Israel on Yom HaZikaron can tell you that it feels as if the entire country is mourning together.

In America, it's much harder for us to feel this way. We may take breaks from our regular day of school on Yom HaZikaron to have a ceremony, hear a speaker and watch a video in Ma'ayanot, but it's much harder for us to connect to the day. We live busy lives and for many of us, Yom HaZikaron may even take 2nd place to our studying for and taking of AP exams. As well, as much as we are thankful for everything that Israeli soldiers do for us, sometimes it may be hard for us to see them as more then the guys in uniform that we run to take pictures with on MachHach and Yad b'Yad... For high school students in Israel, these soldiers are their neighbors, older brothers, cousins... plus most importantly, these soldiers are who they will be becoming in a few short years when they turn 18 and it becomes their turn to put on a uniform.

Even though it is much harder for us to connect to Yom HaZikaron in America, perhaps we can take an important lesson from this and see it as a reminder of the different religious and emotional quality of life one can have when living in Israel (yes, even different then Teanck, land of kosher restaurants!); where you can experience the special sense of unity in the country around Yom HaZikaron/Yom Ha'atzmaut and where you don't have to feel as if your religious life is running on a different calendar then the country that you are living in, as businesses are closed on chagim and bagrut (government) exams would never be scheduled on Yom HaZikaron or Yom Ha'atzmaut!

I encourage you to take some time and read some stories of fallen soldiers to help you connect to the Yom HaZikaron on a more personal level. You can check out a post on this blog from last year for some links to powerful stories. I would also recommend a great story by Daniel Gordis (one of my favorite Israeli-American writers) and a story by David Hartman who lost his son-in-law in the Lebanon war in 1982.

Have a meaningful Yom HaZikaron and an amazing Yom Ha'atzmaut!

How Should Jews Respond to Bin Laden's Death?

A friend of mine forwarded me this link which provides an interesting approach on what the Jewish reaction should be to Bin Laden's death. How should we respond to the deaths of our enemies? Is it ever correct to rejoice at the death of another person? We know that on Pesach, even when commemorating our victory over those who enslaved us for hundreds of years, we still spill out drops of wine from our cup while listing the Makkot and omit parts of Hallel on the last days of Pesach (when the Egyptian army drowned in the sea) out of respect for the Egyptians' suffering. So how should we react to yesterday's news of Bin Laden's death? Check out the link and think about it!