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!

Post Yom Yerushalayim reading recommendations

With Yom Yerushalayim just behind us, and a long Yom Tov break ahead of us, I want to suggest two of my favorite Yerushalayim books. One is Forever My Jerusalem by Puah Shteiner, who was a young child during the fall of the Old City in 1948. It vividly describes Jewish life in the Old City before the 1948 war as well as the agony of the evacuation of all the Jews from the Old City. It's sad in parts, but as we celebrated last Wednesday, we know there's a happy ending to the story. The other book is O Jerusalem, by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre, which is non-fiction but reads like a thriller, with vivid writing and sharp, memorable portrayals of both major and minor players during the War of Independence. I read that about 15 years ago but I still remember many of the scenes. Enjoy!

Dual Perspectives

Reading what Rabbi Besser wrote about היינו כחלמים reminds me of an Ibn Ezra I love on the pasuk in Tehillim 122:2, עמדות היו רגלינו בשעריך ירושלים. He brings two possibilities of why the olei regel might be stopped, standing still in the gates of Yerushalayim. The first is that they were awestruck by its beauty, and were just standing still, staring at the beauty of its walls. The second possibility is because there were so many people going in and out of the gates of Yerushalayim that there was a little bit of a traffic jam, and they couldn’t move (sort of like trying to get through the halls of Ma’ayanot between classes).

Many years ago, when I was teaching this perek, I asked a girl who had never been to Israel to describe what she thought Yerushalayim was like. She described a quiet, peaceful city, with men in long beards walking around with sefarim under their arms, and a palpable feeling of kedusha in the air. Then I asked a student who had traveled to Israel many times to describe Yerushalayim. She described the hustle and bustle of the city, the noise of the traffic, the shops, and how parts of it don’t seem so different from New York City.

I think we can understand this Ibn Ezra as reflecting two types of olei regel. The idealists and those who had never seen Yerushalayim before only saw the beauty and were mesmerized by it. Others, who had “been there, done that” had a more realistic view of it, complete with crowds and long lines.

But maybe we need to incorporate both aspects when we take the leap and go to Israel. We have to be realists so that we know what to expect and that it’s not going to be easy, but we need to be dreamers, mesmerized by its spiritual and physical beauty. Then, with the combination of both perspectives we can take that little leap of faith and still land on our feet.

I Have a Dream...

Interestingly, the last two posts have been about the same chapter of Tehillim - the שיר המעלות that we say on special days before bentching.  Ms. Gordon discussed the first Passuk - "בשוב ד' את שיבת ציון היינו כחולמים".  She explained it "when G-d returns us to Israel, it will seem as if we are dreaming."  Many years ago, on the only Yom Ha'atzmaut I ever spent in Israel, I heard two other interpretations of this phrase within a couple of weeks of each other that are virtual opposites.
The first was very harsh מוסר- when Hashem was bringing us back to Zion, היינו כחולמים - we were like day-dreamers, as in the time of Ezra.  The chance to rebuild Israel was there, but most of the Jewish community was too comfortable in גלות, and just slept through the unique historical opportunity.  This packs a lot more of a punch to me now, with my home and family settled in the North Jersey capital of what some call the Center for the Jewish Past, than it did a post-high school idealist with all of life's big decisions ahead of me.  Understanding it this way, it is very appropriate that we say the line so often; to either jar us out of our complacency in גלות, or typify it, if we don't realize what we are singing.  It is all the more pointed, considering that the occasions on which we sing it - leaning back, stomachs full, around a table of family and friends after Shabbos & Yom Tov meals - capture the picture of religious comfort in the diaspora. 
The other explanation was far more uplifting.  In order to get back ציון, we need to be כחולמים - like dreamers.  Both politically on a national level, and for people on an individual one, a cost benefit analysis will rarely yield the answer that going to Israel is realistic or prudent.  In order to actually end up there, you need to dream a little - to see beyond what is real or responsible, and take a little leap of faith.  That's the way it has always been, from the first time Bnei Yisrael complained that they were thirsty, through history, particularly the last hundred years, and so it remains today.  That's why I so greatly admire those who actually take that leap.

Yom Yerushalayim

I hope everyone had a great Yom Yerushalayim and got a chance to check out the Kotel Cam live video set up in the lobby. I thought it was really amazing to see how the Kotel plaza got more and more crowded as the day went on, finally filling up completely with everyone wearing blue and white and dancing with Israeli flags. It's really a tremendous thing to realize that today we have the opportunity to visit, daven and live in Yerushalyim, something that our ancestors could only dream about. As we say in שיר המעלות before ברבת המזון (Tehillim 126): "בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון היינו כחולמים" - when G-d returns us to Israel, it will seem as if we are dreaming. Attached are a few Yom Yerushalayim videos (one was shown this morning after Tefilah, the others are new) to help us reflect on the messages and significance of the day. You can also click here to read some first hand accounts of Israeli paratroopers liberating the Kotel in 1967. Plus, click here to hear the reflections of the 3 paratroopers in the famous picture standing at the kotel. Enjoy!

http://www.aish.com/jw/j/48970916.html (video #1)

Introducing...Nothing

One-time blog skeptic, turned All-Star Questioner, Talia Friedman asks:

Can you say the Shir Ha'Maalot before benching if you do not intend to bench? 

While you might understandably think that the two are inseparable, and that there is no reason to say the introduction if it doesn't introduce anything - thus leading to the prohibition against saying Hashem's Name in vain.  This would indeed be true in other similar contexts, like saying the ברכות קריאת שמע without saying שמע itself, or the ברכה for הלל, without saying הלל.  Shir Hama'alot is different in that it is simply a chapter of תהילים that can be recited for no reason at all.  In fact, any פסוק from תנ"ך may be said, with the Shem Hashem, as long as the complete פסוק is completed.

More on eating before davening

In response to Rebecca's follow up question "I've heard that if you say brachot then it is ok to eat...is this not true?":

The way the halacha is phrased in the S"A is that it is prohibited to eat anything before Shemona Esrai. The Be'ur Halacha says that even someone who is permitted to eat (like a sick person) should say Kriat Shema before eating so as not to violate the putting one's own importance before G-d's aspect of the prohibition. Meaning, even the sick person should say Shema so that he is מקבל עול מלכות שמים before eating.

Since, however, according to the Rambam, women fulfill their chiyuv in tefilla by just saying any praise, request and thank you to G-d, some poskim allow women to eat after they have recited birchot ha-shachar, since reciting birchot ha-shachar can, (for a woman,) be considered having fulfilled one's obligation to daven according to the Rambam (See Minchat Yitzchak 4:28-3.) It seems, however, that many of these poskim only allow women to rely on this leniency under specific circumstances. For example, R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichot Bat Yisrael 2:10) allowed girls who davened in school to eat breakfast at home before going to school because davening in school was part of their chinuch and therefore they would be missing out on something if they had to daven at home before they ate. He says that in addition to saying birchot ha-shachar, these girls should say kriat shema for the reason described above.

(The reason this would only apply to women is because the Rambam believes that the aforementioned in the d'orayta commandment, and the formal structure we use is the d'rabanan. Since the formal structure is a mitzvat aseh she'hazman grama, women aren't obligated in that part of it and only are obligated to do the minimal d'orayta requirement. Ashkenazi women do not pasken like this Rambam, למעשה.)

Thoughts on "TGIF"

We are all familiar with the acronym "TGIF"--thank God it's Friday. (My father recently shared with me a new one--""HITSIC"--hang in there, shabbos is coming:) Both of these express our appreciation for a break from the craziness of our week. In Letters for the Next Generation (a must read, check out chiefrabbi.org), R' Jonathan Sacks writes something really interesting that so eloquently express the amazing quality of Shabbos and the spiritual lesson that we can learn from it.

He writes:
There was one moment in the Torah when the people
started worshipping gold. They made a Golden Calf. The
interesting thing is that if you read the Torah carefully you’ll
see that immediately before and after the Golden Calf,Moses
gave the people a command, the command of Shabbat.Why
that command, then?
Shabbat is the antidote to the Golden Calf because it’s
the day when we stop thinking about the price of things and
focus instead on the value of things. On Shabbat we can’t
sell or buy. We can’t work or pay others to work for us.
Instead we spend the day with family and friends around the
Shabbat table. In shul, we renew our contacts with the
community. We listen to Torah, reminding ourselves of our
people’s story.We pray, giving thanks for all the blessings God
has given us.

The Center for the Jewish Past

This Shabbat we had a friend from Israel for lunch. We started discussing the topic of aliyah, and he turned to us and said, "Do you really want to stay in America, the Center for the Jewish Past?" After first laughing at this witty remark, I started to think more about it. He was presenting the approach the the future of Judaism lies in Israel, not outside of Israel. What do you think? Agree or disagree?

Not eating before Davening

Rebecca Peyser asks:

I was wondering, what's the deal with not eating before you daven, specifically on Shabbat? I know that you can't eat before kiddush, but I thought that that only kicks in after you daven. So where does not eating before you daven come from?

You are correct about not eating before kiddush, but there is also an additional prohibition to eat before davening shacharit, any day of the week. That comes from the gemara in Brachot 10b where the gemara explains the pasuk of "לא תאכלו על הדם" as meaning "לא תאכלו קודם שתתפלו על דמכם" meaning that one should not eat before he davens for his wellbeing. The gemara continues and says that one who eats or drinks and then davens is guilty of putting his own "pride" or importance before Hashem's. The Shulchan Aruch brings this down l'halacha in Orach Chayim 89:3 and says that one should not eat or drink before davening shemona esrai (referring to shemona esrai of shacharit.) The Shulchan Aruch gives the exceptions of cold water and food and drinks for the purpose of refuah (healing.)

So, the basic principle is not to eat before davening. Acharonim discuss various exceptions to this rule, and some allow tea or coffee with certain conditions (See Mishna Brura Orach Chayim 89:22.)

This is where the issue of kiddush comes in. If one is going to drink water before davening on shabbos morning, kiddush is not required before the water, because kiddush only kicks in after davening. Once a person has davened and his kiddush obligation kicked in, however, even water, wouldn't be allowed before kiddush. (See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 289:1.)

Searching for a כלל גדול בתורה

Talia Friedman asks:

I was wondering,

How could HaShem have killed off 24,000 people if that was the last generation to have semicha? I understand that he was punishing them for sinas chinam yet why was he punishing the future of as yisrael? (my Rabbi just gave a speech saying how after the 24,000 students were killed R'Akiva gave 1 more smicha and was in the process of giving 5 more people semicha when he was killed. Then the Romans killed the one to whom he gave semicha, and that is why we have no more semicha.)

The Romans killed/tortured 12 Jews from then, Hashem killed 24,000. If any one of the 24,000 had survived we might still have real smicha. How could HaShem have destroyed real semicha?

These are hard questions.  I would defer to the Jewish Philosophy department, but I'm not sure they have answers either.  Why did Hashem allow His home to be destroyed?  How could he allow the עשרה הרוגי מלכות, including Rabbi Akiva himself to be so brutally murdered?  The gemara says that the angels asked Hashem this very question (זו תורה וזו שכרה?).  And that is all before we get to the unanswerable questions of the last century.  Imagine what life would be like with the בית המקדש.  Think how much Torah is missing because of these inexplicable tragedies through the generations.  If everyone from איוב to contemporary scholars have fallen short of comprehending Hashem's ways when it comes to these issues, at some point you study all you can, and then admit the imperfection of humanity's ability to understand the 'דרך ד, and move on.

I did see an interesting theory from Rabbi Ari Enkin (see the comments) that the 24,000 students who were killed were Rabbi Akiva's students who were pressed into military service (the first hesder yeshiva) in the Bar Kochva rebellion, and that they died in battle.  Presumably, the reason of שלא נהגו  כבוד זה בזה, is some variation of the שנאת חנם that destroyed the 2nd בית המקדש, which they were trying to rebuild under the Melech Hamashiach who they thought was Bar Kochva.  This would imply that he could have been Mashiach, but the flaws in the nation that led to the destruction of the בית המקדש were not repaired.  So Jewish History teachers - is it plausible?

Interesting Quotation

“Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.”
- Unknown

Agree? Disagree? Comments?

Video message from Gilad Shalit's father

A guest post from current senior, Rebecca Schenker:


Hi . My mom sent me this video today of Gilad Shalit's father, Noam Shalit, that was made on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Apparently one of the local shuls sent out an e-mail with it saying that it only got 200 views on youtube. I just watched it and it had almost 24,000. I wanted to share it with all of you because I think it is a very worthwhile video to watch.

- Rebecca Schenker

Ma'ayanot Did a Mitzvah

Just in time for our blood drive last week, the Jerusalem Post published this article by Rabbi Shlomo Brody about donating blood and bone marrow.  This is an interesting halachik issue that we address in our junior Gemara class; we saw many of the sources that he cites inside. For those not inclined to read the whole thing (though I recommend it), here's a key paragraph:

While bone marrow naturally regenerates, donors do undergo general anesthesia and get hospitalized for a couple of days. While Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch does not obligate donation, even as he deems it extremely meritorious (Teshuvot Vehanhagot 5:387), Rabbi Shlomo Auerbach believes that a potential donor should be cajoled into donating, especially if he does not fear the surgery (Nishmat Avraham EH 80). Yet rabbis Mordechai Willig and J. David Bleich obligate one to donate since the dangers represent common and minimal risks regularly performed for less pressing needs.

 He says that he will address kidney and liver transplants, as well as the question of commercializing (buying and selling) organs in his next column.  We'll keep you posted.

Yom Iyun on Talmud & Tanach Tommorrow (Sunday) at YU!!

Go to kollelyomrishon.org for more info.

Not Your Classic Chavaya

Hi Ma'ayanoters!

I wanted to share with you all an amazing experience I had yesterday, and because it's Torah related I thought the blog would be a good place to send it. Normally Pesach Sheni isn't a big deal, but this year, our Pesach Sheni happened to fall out on the day the Shomronim (Samaritans) have as their Pesach. Basic Shomronim info - they claim to be the true Jews descended from Efrayim and Menashe while the other claim is that they are originally non-Jews who Sancheirev put in the Shomron after Galut Aseret Hashevatim. They have almost the exact same Chamisha Chumshei Torah as us except they think that Har Gerizim is the most holy place, and they had a mikdash there. Now there are 700 Shomronim in the world, half living in Cholon and half in a town on top of Har Gerizim (right near Shechem). They speak Arabic, Hebrew and ancient Hebrew (which is very different than ours).

Anyway, the coolest thing about them is that they actually bring a Korban Pesach and they let people come watch! I went in a tour group with my family, and I expected that we would be up on a mountain watching primitive people, but actually they have a square in the middle of their village with fire pits and hooks and that's where they bring the korban. All the men wore white jumpsuits and white baseball caps or red circular hats (those might have ben the Kohanim) and the girls wore bathrobes over their regular clothes. The actual Korban area was gated off, but after the actual shechitah the guards let some people in and my family got to go extremely close. I mean, I almost touched dead sheep. We watched them skin the sheep, take out the insides which they burn on a mizbeach type thing (and even salt it!) and then put the sheep on stakes so they can cook them. It was very hot and smoky and smelly but an incredible experience.

We also talked to their Kohen Gadol (he wears green) and he told us that they have a mesorah but not our Torah Shebaal Peh, so they're sort of like Tzedukim or Karaites. They don't use any electricity on Shabbos and they count sefirah starting from a Sunday. He said he personally checked all the sheep for mumim and had to make one pasul because it had a cut on its ear.

I'm attaching some pictures which hopefully can be posted on the blog because without seeing it you can't possibly understand how incredible this was.

Also I miss all you guys and I hope you're all doing well.

Love,

Rachel Weber

The big picture on Kashrut

From Talia Friedman:
I learned all the halachot, but I'm still not sure how to explain to a Reform Jew what kashrut is and why it is kept.

Before addressing the kashrut issue itself, I'd like to comment on the fact that you asked this question at all. One of the pitfalls that Jewish day school educators have to watch out for is the focus on details while ignoring the fundamentals. It's important to leave a class in kashrut and know all the terms - bitul, nat bar nat, ben yomo, and know how to analyze cases, but it's also important - equally if not more so - to take a step back and think about why we're doing what we're doing. This applies not only to kashrut, but to Shabbat, davening, Torah learning and all the behaviors and beliefs that make up the life of an Orthodox Jew.

About kashrut specifically - one can say, briefly, that the Torah restricts certain foods based either on what kind of food it is (types of animals, for example) or the way the food is prepared (e.g., must be slaughtered properly, meat and dairy cannot be mixed).

As for the why - many rishonim consider kashrut in the category of chukkim - mitzvot for which there is not necessarily a satisfactory rational explanation, but which are performed as part of our service to Hashem. However, many explanations have also been offered, and here I think there is license to accept whichever one speaks to you the most. Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim III:48) famously gives a health explanation for kashrut (although he might have reconsidered had he visited World of Goodies). Ramban, based on the pesukim that describe certain foods as causing "timtum ha-lev," dulling of the heart, says that the nature of certain predatory and carnivorous animal species can be absorbed by us when we eat them. The Torah mandates avoiding the consumption of these aggressive animals so that our own natures will remain gentle. Another explanation is: kashrut is a mark of distinction of the Jewish people, so that one who must eat foods different from his gentile collegues will constantly remain aware of his or her religious identity. Finally, one can view kashrut as taking one of life's most mundane and physical activities, eating, and elevating it with the discipline of being conscious of Hashem's commands every time we put food in our mouths.

Hail to the Chief

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a dinner at which the (Ashkenazi) Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yonah Metzger spoke.  He shared the following idea that he quoted from the Baal Shem Tov.  Instead of reading the פסוק as ואהבת לרעך כמוך - love your neighbor as yourself, an interpretation he finds impossible; how can you possibly love another as you love yourself.  We love ourselves a lot!  He says to break up the פסוק differently;  - ואהבת לרעך - love your friend.  כמוך אני ד - as you are, I am Hashem.  In other words, the way that HAshem deal with us will mirror the way that we treat each other.

He also opened with what I thought was a pretty good joke.  Much has been made of him being the first Israeli Chief Rabbi who was born in Israel.  So once, at a conference in England during a Q & A session, someone asked him "What ברכה should I make upon seeing the Chief Rabbi for the first time?".  He thought a moment, and then responded, "ברוך אתה ד' אלוקינו מלך העולם... בורא פרי האדמה".  (Think about the literal translation for the punchline).

Chag Kasher V'Sameach?

Today is Pesach Sheini.  In a nutshell, in the time of the בית המקדש, those who were unable to bring the Korban Pesach on time, were given a "make-up" date a month later.  This morning we had Matzah available, in accordance with the minhag.  Interestingly, the above greeting would be inappropriate, as for Pesach Sheini, although you still ate the Korban with matzah and marror, you were allowed to eat chametz at the same time.

Chag sameach.

Lag B'Omer Bonfire Bonanza!

Join your friends and faculty for a blazing hot Lag (Lad?) B'Omer celebration, including: live music, inspiring words of Torah, soulful singing, stories, BBQ, fun, games and more...!

WHEN:

             Lag B'Omer

             Sunday, May 2

             8:00-10:00 PM

            

WHERE:

            The Home of Yael Herzog

            750 Mildred Street
            Teaneck

COST:
            Priceless!

Attention Alumni, Juniors & Seniors!!!

Daf Yomi today is Sanhedrin Daf עב, which is the beginning of the בא במחתרת Gemara that we learn in 11th grade.  There are plenty of on line resources, both text and audio that can assist anyone interested in learning Daf Yomi, either for a few days to review, or to start, and keep it up as long as you can.  Good luck.

Yom Ha'atzmaut Wrap Up

In the wake of Yom Ha'atzmaut, I want to address some of the questions that came up here in school:

• In this year's YU Yom Ha'atzmaut To Go, there was an informative article by Rabbi Eli Ozarowski entitled "Establishing Yom Haatzamut as a Yom Tov".  In it, he summarizes what he considers to be the four different religious approaches to the state of Israel (Rav Kook, the Rav, the mainstream right wing, and the Satmar Rebbi), and their implications.  He addressed what we are celebrating, when we should celebrate it (in footnotes, he explains the controversy over the correct day to celebrate, and the oddity of a chag that is celebrated more often on the wrong day than the right one), and why some are so reluctant to celebrate.  If you're going to read one article to educate you on the aleph-bet of the halachik and hashkafik issues surrounding the day, this is it.
• Last year, Rabbi Josh Flug wrote about whether to say Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut, as well as the question of a brachah.
• Back when Israel was a teenager, Rabbi Lamm discussed the issue that we all still grapple with today - if Israel is as important as we say it is, what are we doing here?  His answer is still relevant (I wonder which of his children he was grooming to go?).  The only thing I would add, is something I think I heard from Rabbi Twersky, which is that while we all might have good reasons for staying, or bad reasons that seem good enough, our duty is to not decide once and then move on.  We should be periodically reevaluating our position in life (family, career etc.) to see if those impediments are still standing in our way. 

Yummy New Blog = Maayanot Nachas

Ms Steinreich, our alumni relations director recently sent out the following message:

I would like to share with you what our alumnae, Elisha Horen Gechter, class of '00 (Stern '04 and Brandeis '07), is up to these days. Elisha is writing a creative food blog called “Double Portion”. 'Double' because she gives a quick Parsha review followed by unique recipes corresponding to the weekly Torah portion. She originally had the idea back in high school to create a cookbook with the same theme when she was a counselor in Bnei Akiva of Riverdale and enjoyed making treats that corresponded with the Parsha’s theme. She has graduated from treats to more advanced cooking (a skill she says she picked up when she spent a year and a half at Midreshet Lindenbaum) but her recipes are simple to follow. Elisha started blogging in November and does hope to eventually turn the material into a book. We hope you'll give it a look! http://elishasdoubleportion.blogspot.com. 

How cool is that?

Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut

In Israel, most people will spend tomorrow either attending the national ceremony at Har Herzl (the military cemetery); visiting the graves of soldiers who gave up their lives in Israel's wars or watching and listening to the stories of different fallen soldiers which are played all day on TV and on the radio. For anyone who's had the privilege to be in Israel on Yom HaZikaron, I'm sure you will agree with me that you feel as if the entire nation is mourning together. In America, we have to work a little harder to really feel that sense of loss and connection to Israel on these days. Below are some stories about different Israeli soldiers that I posted on the blog last year, but that are worth re-reading/watching before Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut to help us reflect about the importance of these two days and our own personal connections to Medinat Israel.

1. The story of Nachshon Wachsman z"l
2. The story of Baruch Shapira z"l
3. The story of Gedalia Malik z"l
4. An interview with the mother of Uriel and Eliraz Peretz z"l

One aspect that I always had difficulty with was how the entire state of Israel can go from complete mourning on Yom HaZikaron to complete celebration 24 hours later on Yom Ha'atzamaut. It reminds me of the mixing of emotions in the Gemara in Makkot 24b where R' Akiva laughs upon seeing foxes walk through the ruins of the Bet HaMikdash, while the other rabbis cry. R' Akiva laughs since he is able to see past the destruction to the day when there will be גאולה. So too, perhaps true celebration of the גאולה of Yom Ha'atzmaut can only exist once one has experienced the חרבן of Yom HaZikaron.

Below is a very powerful video that I think highlights this process of mourning to celebration; going משואה לתקומה, from the Holocaust to the State of Israel, reminding us of how much we should appreciate the miracle that we are able to return as a nation to our land after 2000 years of exile. One of the more powerful parts is when it shows the footage of Ben Gurion declaring the state in 1948, followed by R' Yehuda Maimon (an Israeli rabbi and politician) reciting she'hecheyanu. Chag Sameach!!

Parsha Related Enquirer Inquiry

Sophie Satloff asks:

Hi,

I was wondering if you are allowed to say lashon hara about non-jews (according to halacha)? 

Thanks

Great, interesting and timely question, as we prepare to read all about צרעת in פרשיות תזריע ומצורע.  While speaking lashon hara about a non-Jew is not specifically prohibited, it is not a good idea to make habit of it.  The Midrash (Devarim 6:9) specifically says that there is a danger of speaking lashon hara, even about those whom there is no real prohibition, as you will ultimately come to do so about others.  The Rambam too invokes the slippery slope to explain how lashon hara will ultimately lead to speak ill of tzadikim and ultimately rebel against Hashem.  The point is that the action of gossip and slander, no matter who the target is, turns the speaker into a negative person - someone who is accustomed to finding the worst in anyone or anything.  This is a risk even with people we don't even know.  If we fill our conversation with the sordid details of the lives of celebrities, or even with constant (and maybe even legitimate) criticizm of our political leaders, we run the risk of altering our perspective in ways that have other important implications.

Yasher koach & good Shabbos.

Amazing Story

at yesterday's Yankee game, where Mrs. Toby Weiss (wife of Rabbi Avi Weiss from HIR) was saved by a veteran medic of the war in Iraq.  The hero was moved up to front row seats for the remainder of the game.  Baruch Rofei Cholim.

Tea on שבת

Atara Clark asks:

So I was talking to someone this past Shabbos and it came up about making tea on Shabbos. So i know that you have to do Kli Sheini but the person that I was talking to mentioned that to take the tea bag out of the tea you have to use a spoon and take some of the liquid out with it. I had never heard of this and I was wondering what the background to it is? (is it possible that that would be considered wasting/ ba'al tashchit?)
Thanks, have a great day!

Great question Atara.  As you alluded to, there is much to say on the general issue of making tea on שבת.  As to your specific question, this seems to be based on an opinion of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (cited here)  that when using a tea bag, it should be removed with a spoon in order to avoid straining the tea from the bag while holding it above the cup.  If so, it would also make sense to leave some tea in the spoon to either keep it fully saturated and avoid all straining as you remove the bag.

Yom Ha'atzmaut Learning

YU To Go has come out with a Yom Ha'atzmaut version of their excellent publication of diverse and interesting Divrei Torah on the chagim.  Shockingly, we have no faculty presence in this issue, but I'm hopeful that we will be back in full force for שבועות.  I think that it's appropriate that they produced this volume - if it is really a chag than we should treat it like one.  Maybe we can pass this idea along to the editors of Maayanei Torah (no pressure).

More on Birchot Hashachar

To add a bit to Ms. Schapiro's excellent answer, a deaf person would still say the first Bracha (אשר נתן לשכוי בינה...) despite being unable to hear the rooster's call.  There are differences of opinion as to whether a גר should say שלא עשני גוי or not.  The שלחן ערוך says that he shouldn't, presumably because it is inaccurate.  The משנה ברורה explains he can say שעשני גר, because that language (עשה) is used for conversion (הנפש אשר עשו בחרן), though others disagree and maintain that he should skip the ברכה entirely.  I have seen quoted from the מגן אברהם and the שלחן ערוך הרב (I didn't get a chance to look it up) that they say that the Ger should make the bracha like everyone else, on kabbalistic grounds.  Perhaps this opinion is in line with the following argument that I found made by an anonymous convert on an old message board here:  

"[T]he Rambam in his teshuva to Ovadia the convert, which explicitly states (based on the Yerushalmi) that a convert should not change the words of tefilot: "in the same way that every Jew by birth says his blessings and prayers, you too shall bless and pray, whether you are alone or pray in the congregation." The positition of the Rambam is consistent with the psak that I received with regard to "shelo asani goy" and I know other gerim who received a similar psak. What is going on here theologically? It is that the convert, upon his or her acceptance into klal yisrael, is considered as if he or she has been a member of the nation forever. In the words of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein: "in the aftermath of his admission into knesset yisrael, the ger identifies with its past, with its triumphs as well as failures, no less than he does with the present; with eschatological vision as with current vibrant reality. The ger is born both as a servant of G-d and as a citizen of the nation . . . " Moreover, the comment of the gemarra in Yevamot that a ger is like a newborn is not aggada - it is halacha. The convert is newly born into yehadut - and in that sense it is completely appropriate for the ger to recite "shelo asani goy" because, indeed, the ger has been reborn and has been newly created, not as a gentile but as a Jew."

Birchot ha-Shachar

From Talia Friedman: I was wondering about birchot hashachar. What would a blind person say about he bracha "gives sight to the blind"? would he say she-asanee kirtzono instead? would he respond "amen" to a chazzan saying that bracha, if it does not apply to him? I was also wondering if being female is considered a handicap in these brachot. it says "thanks for making me a man" near "giving me sight" "not making me lame" and other handicaps. "Making me according to your will" is not a satisfying alternative. if say then should women respond "amen" to a chazzan saying that bracha? Why doesn't everyone say "she-asanee kirtzono", it applies to everyone? I know this probably is a classic question, but I have never heard an answer.

A blind person would say "Who gives sight to the blind" because in that berachah we are thanking Hashem for the phenomenon of sight in the world, not that we personally have sight. Most of the other berachot are similar - not personally about us but about Hashem creating the phenomena. The exceptions, which seem to be personal, are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th berachot: "You have not made me a .... {gentile/slave/woman}." The classic explanation for that group of 3 comes from R. David Abudraham (14th century Spain): gentiles, slaves and women (in ascending order) have fewer obligations in mitzvot, and a man therefore is thankful that he is not in a class of people who have fewer obligations. This is another manifestation of the outlook that the mitzvot are a gift, not a burden. Women also thank Hashem for not being in the first 2 classes of people with lesser obligations, and then thank Hashem in a positive way, for creating "me according to His will," perhaps meaning that the lesser degree of obligation is the will of Hashem, for whatever reasons He had.

A Thought for Yom HaShoah

This is from R' Saks' website chiefrabbi.org:

The oldest question in religion is: “Why do bad things
happen to good people?” But there are two ways of asking
this question. The first is, “Why has God done this to me?”
Never ask this question, because we will never know the
answer. God cares for us, but He also cares for everyone and
everything. We think of now; God thinks of eternity. We
could never see the universe from God’s point of view. So we
will never find the answer to the question: “Why me?”
But there is another way of asking the question. “Given
that this has happened, what does God want me to learn
from it? How is He challenging me to grow? How is He
calling on me to respond?” Asking it this way involves
looking forward, not back. “Why did God do this?” is the
wrong question. The right one is: “How shall I live my life
differently because this has happened?”
That is how to deal with crisis.Wrestle with it, refusing to
let it go until it blesses you, until you emerge stronger, better
or wiser than you were before.

Words I Never Thought I'd Say - Let's Go Mets!

In honor of opening day, a former Ma'ayanot parent shares a nice story to bring some joy into the lives of Mets fans, who didn't get much this off season.  For a day, even I can root for them.

Pesach Publications

These first days of Pesach left me with very limited internet access, so while going through blog withdrawal I had a chance to read some of the Pesach collections of divrei Torah that we often discuss here.

• I found this issue of Maayanei Torah especially good.  Some highlights included Mrs. Kraft's insightful extension of a beautiful idea of the Rav, a great and nostalgia-inducing משל by Tamar Berger, and a wonderful and practical article by Tziporah Leiser and Tali Spier, which reminds us of the extraordinary material that freshmen have been contributing all year.  Yasher koach to editor (and writer, and writer) Talia Friedman for a phenomenal year of הרבצת תורה.
• In the YU Pesach To Go referenced by Mrs. Sinensky below, it was excellent and fascinating as usual.  Mrs. Knoll provided a great shiur about the fundamental nature of the prohibition of חמץ (with a title that makes the blog proud).  (Can anyone find the other member of the Maayanot extended family who contributed?)  Mrs. Yael Lebowitz gave a new (to me at least) perspective on the relationship between Moshe and his people.  I don't think all of her proofs were equally effective, there was more than enough there to support her thesis.  Rabbi Yonason Sacks (not the lord one) gives us a comprehensive analysis of the laws of סיפור יציאת מצרים. For the Rabbi Lamm lead-off spot, they switched formats, and gave some passages from his newly published Hagadah.  While they were of course very enjoyable reading (as were the other parts of the Hagadah that I got to), I prefer the full reproduction of an old derasha of his, as they have done in the past.