Watching the Weather

The news lately seems to center around two kinds of upheavals: political and meteorological. The latest event--the devastating earthquake in New Zealand--follows on the heels of a massive cyclone hitting Western Australia and a blizzard that affected 39 out of the 48 continental states in the US. (My husband and I were caught in that blizzard, spending six hours getting from Brooklyn to Fair Lawn.) Whenever I hear about extreme (and often destructive) natural events, I wonder how I am supposed to respond to them. Are these simply "natural" events--outcomes of the complex interconnection of all the forces (physical, atmospheric, chemical) found in and around our planet? Or are these messages directly from Hashem that we ignore at our own risk?

No human can see Hashem directly; the "works of His Hands" are what we have to come to some kind of understanding of Hashem. Perhaps the most "obvious" of Hashem's handiworks is the natural world. Nature is something that is truly awe-some: whether it is the Grand Canyon or the wings of a bee, fall foliage or the perfection of chemical reactions, Nature reflects the infinite amazing-ness of the Creator. When we look at what an earthquake can do--topple building and split open roads in a matter of seconds--we can only begin to imagine the force that Hashem has directly. When we think about all the things that need to go right in order for a human to be formed and born, much less born healthy, that understanding can leave you breathless. But does that mean that each earthquake, each tornado, each baby born is a handwritten note from Hakadosh Baruch Hu? The Ramban at the beginning of Sefer B'reishit explains that Hashem created matter and all of the rules that govern it (what we call "nature") at the Creation. From then on, nature follows the rules that Hashem has programmed it with. The only "exception" is when there is a miracle and Hashem temporarily suspends natural law. So while an earthquake, a hurricane, a rainbow or a healthy baby may all be awe-inspiring, they are not miracles. They are reflections of Hashem's infinite brilliance, but not a direct communication from Him.

On the other hand, the nevi'im often tell Bnai Yisrael to look at natural events--whether political or meteorological--as direct messages from Hashem. Famine, plague, flood, disease, war and even peace are all direct messages from Hashem to us. They are sent to get us to remember Hashem's power, to remember our dependence on Him, to remember what we owe Him and to follow His commands. If we want to listen to the words of the nevi'im, shouldn't we look at everthing that happens as "yad Hashem"? Shouldn't we read nature as the email sent from G-d?

And yet, when people said, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, that it was a punishment for the sins of New Orleans, it horrified me. I don't feel that we have the right to come to those conclusions on our own. It is one thing when the Navi tells us directly, but it is another thing for us to presume we know what Hashem has in mind when disaster strikes or when Nature reveals its splendor. In my opinion, Nature is an amazing reflection of Hashem's omnipotence and infinite brilliance. It should inspire and humble us and remind us that we are, quite literally, in the palm of Hashem's hand. Hopefully, that inspiration and humility will motivate us to keep the mitzvot which Hashem commanded usand improve our relationship both with the Creator and with His Creations.

Mrs. Leah Herzog

Shabbos is Coming, Let's Wear Costumes

Tzipporah Rossman asks a timely question:
Why do we celebrate Purim Katan on Friday if Purim is not allowed to be on Friday and it would get pushed off?
Great question, and I was giving it real consideration about how the problems for Purim would not apply to Purim Katan etc. when I remembered that Purim CAN fall on a Friday, and we celebrate it on that day.  I remember a couple of such instances - though I think there was one more recently, once we spent the seudah at Mrs. Schiowitz's apartment (thanks again), and made it home (one block over) with plenty of time left before Shabbos.  Another time, I remember one of my less pleasant Purims; it was Friday and I was meeting some of my family at a relative in Manhattan for Shabbos, and ended up eating Seudah by myself in my YU dorm room  (highly depressing & not recommended - if anyone has no good plans for seuda please let me know - Purim is not just a day off).  It was there that I heard about the horrific massacre that took place in Israel when Baruch Goldstein opened fire on a Muslim prayer service.
On those types of years, the more interesting phenomena takes place in Yerushalayim, where they have what is called a "Purim Meshulash".  Here's how the OU describes it:

"TRIPLE PURIM"Sometimes Purim falls on a Friday, therefore making the next day, Shabbat, Shushan Purim. However, it is forbidden to read the Megilla on Shabbat, and of course, Shabbat cannot be postponed because of Purim.
For Jerusalem and other walled cities, the procedure is as follows:
“Mikra Megillah” is done on Thursday night and Friday morning, as in the “open” cities; “Matanot La-Evyonim” are given on Friday.
The reading of “Parashat Amalek” and the insertion of “Al HaNisim” into the “Shemoneh Esray” and the “Birchat HaMazon” are done on Shabbat, their regular Purim in ordinary years.
“Seudat Purim” is served and “Mishloach Manot” are exchanged on Sunday, the sixteenth of Adar. 
Thus, the holiday is felt and marked in Jerusalem for three days, and therefore Purim in such a year is called “Purim MeShulash,” Triple Purim.

It's so great to be talking Purim again - I can feel it in the air.

Free Seforim!

Rabbi David Fohrman, who delivered a phenomenal shiur on Sefer Yonah to our school at the beginning of the year has come out with a new book about Megillat Esther.  The OU, which published the sefer (full disclosure - I've done some editing work for them) is giving away copies of the book to high school students (10th, 11th & 12th - sorry motivated freshmen, I'm currently appealing to Rabbi Fohrman on your behalf).  Here is their description of the program:

The Orthodox Union is pleased to announce a school enrichment program in connection with a new book begin published by OU Press -- The Queen You Thought You Knew, by Rabbi David Fohrman. Rabbi Fohrman distinguished himself with his first book, The Beast that Crouches at the Door, which was a finalist for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award, and was hailed widely as a groundbreaking study of the Tree of Knowledge story. This new book by Rabbi Fohrman, The Queen You Thought You Knew, continues in that tradition. It offers a highly engaging reading of the Purim Megillah that is at once refreshingly original, entirely engrossing, and grounded firmly in the text and Mesorah.
 In an effort to bring the treasures of this book to a wider readership of young people, the Orthodox Union is making a select number of copies of The Queen You Thought You Knew, available, free of charge, to Jewish high schools nationwide. Here is a chance to provide your students with some riveting reading connected to Purim; a true “page-turner” that will offer them a breathtaking vista into the world of the Megillah. All costs of this program are being underwritten by the Orthodox Union, through the generous sponsorship of the Hoffberger Institute for Text Study.

 In exchange for the sefer, each student will answer one of the following questions in a short essay:

1.      Did reading The Queen You Thought You Knew make you feel like you could “relate” to the Megillah more? Did any of the characters of the Megillah seem to come alive in a new way? Why, or why not?

2.      For most of us, the way we look at the greatness of Esther is that she managed to save the Jewish People from certain destruction. Fohrman, though, argues that there are other, more hidden aspects of her heroism. Describe how the book seemed to shed new light for you on what Esther was trying to achieve, or how she achieved it.

3.      Did this book matter to you? Why or why not?

4.      In Rabbi Fohrman’s books, he often asks very basic questions that seem obvious – at least in retrospect – but that somehow, people don’t ask all that often. Were there any questions he posed that you always wondered about? Or, alternatively, were there any questions he posed that made you ask yourself: “how come I never wondered about that”?

5.      What part of this book did you like the best?

6.      In the book, Rabbi Fohrman argues that Esther’s most desperate moment came not when she first approached the king to save the Jews, or even when she rose to indict Haman as the man who would bring down her people. Instead, her most dangerous moment came later – when seemingly, the battle for the Jews’ safety had already been won. What evidence does the author offer to support this view?

As I said this morning, they are giving the seforim to schools on a first come first serve basis, so please let me know ASAP if you would like to participate.

**UPDATE: Rabbi Fohrman just e-mailed that motivated freshmen ARE eligible.

What Makes Us Human? Thoughts on "Watson"

We are avid Jeopardy! devotees in my house. When our son was little, we made sure to put him to bed before 7 pm so that we could watch Jeopardy! in peace and quiet. Now he watches with us (and often knows as many, if not more, answers.) To me, Jeopardy! represents a valuing of intelligence, education and worldliness. This is one arena in which the best really is the brightest, and not the strongest, fastest or most outrageous.

The last three days, however, I intentionally did not watch. This week was the vaunted competition between man and machine: the two best Jeopardy! players took on Watson, a huge computer designed to reach the highest level of artificial intelligence. Watson was designed to do what people do: think, infer, interpret and arrive atL the information sought. He outperformed his human competitors in both speed and numbers of questions answered (or asked) correctly.

As an educator and psychologist, Watson should have fascinated me. But as a human, I was completely creeped out and upset. The idea that a machine--even an incredibly sophisticated one--can be set up to compete with humans is deeply disturbing because it reduces us to nothing more than the laws of biology, chemistry and physics which govern how our bodies operate. What Watson does not have is a mind and a soul. When humans were formed, we were created as a combination of earth (matter) and the "wind of G-d" (spirit). There is something Divine about each one of us; we are each created "b'tzelem Elokim" and we each carry a piece of G-d within us. To reduce love, joy, anger and loss to chemical reactions, or to reduce ingenuity, inventiveness and creativity to the firing of neurons is, to me, so simplistic as to be horrifying. Why do we insist on robbing humans of the mystery that is the Divine? Why is it so difficult for us to accept that there are things that are truly "l'malah min hateva"--things that we cannot understand or quantify, predict or control? I think that this is why the Rambam says that arrogance is the one human trait that has no redeeming value. Arrogance allows us to believe that we can, ultimately, control everything. But there are some things that we really can't understand. And I think that G-d wants it that way. Mystery and wonder keeps us humble, but it also keeps us vibrant, creative, infinitely complex, and ultimately, Human. Not understanding everything, accepting that certain things defy logic, reason or scientific explanation is exactly that which connects us to the Creator who made us and gave us life.

In Hebrew, there are two words for human: "adam", from the same root as "earth" and "ish", from the same root as the word for fire. The Malbim, at the beginning of Sefer Vayikra, has a long discussion about the difference between them. Ultimately, humans are made of earth--matter and all the rules that govern how it works--and fire--the piece of G-d that we call the soul. It is the soul that lasts; earth returns to the earth. To ignore the soul is, to me, simply tragic. I am all for technology. But I am even more for the humans that create it The whole human--body AND soul.

Mrs. Leah Herzog

Touching Story Written by Gilad Shalit

When the Shark and the Fish First Met
A small and gentle fish was swimming in the middle of a peaceful ocean. All of a sudden, the fish saw a shark that wanted to devour him.
He then began to swim very quickly, but so did the shark.
Suddenly the fish stopped and called to the shark:
"Why do you want to devour me? We can play together!"
The shark thought and thought and said:
"Okay- fine: Let’s play hide and seek."
The shark and fish played all day long, until the sun went down.
In the evening, the shark returned to his home.
His mother asked:
“How was your day, my dear shark? How many animals did you devour today?”
The shark answered: “Today I didn’t devour any animals, but I played with an animal called FISH”.
“That fish is an animal we eat. Don’t play with it!” said the shark’s mother.
At the home of the fish, the same thing happened. “How are you, little fish? How was it today in the sea?” asked the fish’s mother.
The fish answered: "Today I played with an animal called SHARK."
"That shark is the animal that devoured your father and your brother. Don’t play with that animal," answered the mother.
The next day in the middle of the ocean, neither the shark nor the fish were there.
They didn’t meet for many days, weeks and even months.
Then, one day they met. Each one immediately ran back to his mother and once again they didn’t meet for days, weeks and months.
After a whole year passed, the shark went out for a nice swim and so did the fish. For a third time, they met and then the shark said: "You are my enemy, but maybe we can make peace?"
The little fish said: "Okay."
They played secretly for days, weeks and months, until one day the shark and fish went to the fish’s mother and spoke together with her. Then they did the same thing with the shark’s mother; and from that same day the sharks and the fish live in peace.
THE END

This story was written by Gilad Shalit when he was 11
and was a student in the 5th grade at the Maale HaGalil Elementary School!

You can see students in a public school in the Bronx doing a touching reading from the book that was made of Gilad's story on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rb_SmjUKc

Chinese Mothers and Jewish Values

I've actually read a lot of the blogosphere's thoughts about the "Chinese mother" that Rabbi Besser wrote about in his recent post. The funniest line I've seen was a blog comment: "All parents raise your hand if in the last week you've said to your kids: 'If Amy Chua were your mother...You don't know how good you have it!'" I am constantly seeking ways to grow and improve as a parent, and after reading Amy Chua's writing I thought, like R. Besser, "she's got something there." But demanding the maximum achievement from kids neglects a major value in Judaism - middot tovot, especially those bein adam le-chaveiro. The achievement Ms. Chua focuses on is only for her children to better themselves and get ahead of others; not to better the world and reach out to others. Here's an article that illustrates what the goal of Jewish parenting should be.

Hidden Messages from Chinese Mothers

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal has set off a frenzy of controversy on-line, and in real life conversation (can an article go viral?).  In a piece entitled "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" (she later clarified that she doesn't claim that either method is better, and didn't write the title), Amy Chua describes an approach to parenting that forbids all of the following:

• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin.

There's a lot in there to think about, especially for those of us who are about to start dealing with these issues with our young children.  Besides the main argument that she makes, the following passage caught my attention:

What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.

This is a lesson that my son's first grade Rebbe once taught me on a meet-the-teacher night about Tefilla.  So many of us find davening very difficult and fun or enjoyable is probably not an adjective that comes to mind for many of us either.  I know some people for whom it is downright painful.  What we need to keep in mind is that as with anything else of value, we are unlikely do enjoy something that we don't do well, and unlikely to get good at it without fighting through the discomfort and hard work needed to get good at it.  The same is true of Gemara study, and many other skills - particularly those that we aren't used to.

While this level of commitment may not be worthwhile for everything (does my kid HAVE to be great on the violin?), but for the things that we really value, it is worth the investment, and maybe even to force our kids to invest in until they are mature enough to realize that value.

What do you think?

Getting Out of a Routine

In Parshat Yitro we read this week of B’nei Yisrael’s arrival at Har Sinai and the awe-inspiring events of Mattan Torah. This section is introduced with the words,
בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראל מארץ מצרים, ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני. שמות יט:א
In the third month after B’nei Yisrael had left Mitzrayim, on this day they came to Midbar Sinai.

Rashi informs us that bayom ha’zeh refers to Rosh Chodesh Sivan, but he questions the usage of the term bayom ha’zeh (on this day), rather than bayom ha’hu (on that day), which would have been more linguistically appropriate. The usage of the term “this day” makes it sound as if B’nei Yisrael came to Midbar Sinai today, when it is really referring to a date long ago. Rashi brings an answer from the Midrash Tanchuma for this question and says that the reason the term “this day” is employed is because the Torah should always be new to us, as if we received it today.

When one learns something for the first time one feels a degree of wonder and excitement that one doesn’t feel when the material is being learnt a second or third time. Rashi is therefore telling us that each time we learn Torah, even if it is just a repetition of something we have learned already, we should try to feel the same degree of excitement as if we were hearing it for the first time.

This is the way I have always understood this Rashi, but recently I have been thinking that perhaps we can understand it slightly differently, as well.

Have you ever gone into the bathroom to brush your teeth, and when you came out you automatically said “Asher Yotzar”? Or bentched after you ate, but did it so automatically that a few minutes later you ask your friend if she saw you bentch, because you can’t remember if you did or not?

When we do something for the first time we pay it more attention, concentrating on what we are doing and making sure we are doing it right. But as time goes on and we get more used to doing it, we think about it less, until it becomes habit. It is good when we get into a routine of making berachot before we eat, but if we do it so automatically that we aren’t sure what we’ve said then it has lost its meaning and become rote.

Perhaps Rashi is telling us here that we should always try to perform mitzvot with the same degree of attention and meaning as the first time we did them.

It is hard to break a habit. When we are so used to doing something it is hard to remember to stop and think about it before we do it. But vacation is the perfect time to work on this concept, because we are getting out of our daily routine, going different places, doing different things. The change of pace might make it easier for us to remember to pause before we rattle off that bracha, think about what it means, and say it as if we were doing it for the first time.

Are we allowed to say that?

I know that the הלכות of מוציא שם רע, רכילות, & לשון הרע can sometimes be subjective (if you're telling a white lie, or trying to spare someone's feelings etc., then we're more מיקל). Is it okay to talk about Person A who hurt your feelings or was not nice to you to Person B, whom you trust, even if Person B won't be able to do anything, but it'll make you feel better to talk about it, even if you'd be bashing Person A in the process of trying to make yourself feel better?

Thanks!

-Anonymous

You’re asking: Is “venting” considered lashon hara?

It’s a great question. The classic sefer on lashon hara is Chafetz Chaim, which became so famous that the rav who wrote it, R. Yisrael Meyer Kagan (1838-1933; he also wrote the Mishnah Berurah), became known as Chafetz Chaim. In Kelal 10, Siman 4, the Chafetz Chaim writes that speaking about someone is allowed – with certain preconditions – le-to’elet – for a purpose, and the purpose can include simply making yourself feel better, such as venting to a friend. Certainly seeking advice from a trusted adult, even if they don’t “do anything” but just advise you on how to deal with a situation, is also le-to’elet. However, the following conditions apply:

1) You need to have firsthand knowledge of whatever Person A did – not just have heard about it from someone else.

2) It is clear that what happened is truly a problem, and not just a miscommunication or misunderstanding

3) Person A should be talked to directly about the situation, if at all possible

4) Make sure, when you tell the story, you are telling it truthfully

5) Telling Person B about the situation is really the best way to make yourself feel better, in a way that say, writing in a diary won’t do

The Chafetz Chaim lists a few other conditions and elaborates if you want to look up the original source. If one has a rabbi to ask questions to (and everyone should), lashon hara is just as legitimate an area for sha’ilos as Shabbos or kashrut.

A final note: In the process of researching this answer I caught myself about to vent to a relative, and then I realized I didn’t meet the conditions! Thank you for reminding me of the necessity to think before I speak.

Have a word-wise vacation!

MLK Day

As with Tu B'Shvat on Thursday, when we have significant dates during midterms or vacation, they are often lost  in the shuffle.  I just found something I posted a year ago on the subject.

This morning on my way in to school, I heard Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech, almost in its entirety.  Aside from how great and powerful a speaker he was, what struck me was that virtually all of his dreams for the future; all of the aspirations for America that he demanded have pretty much been fulfilled, and then some.  All of his fantasies, that at the time must have seemed as absurd as the cell phone or the internet, every last one of them is now so much a part of the American culture, that dissent is (appropriately) not tolerated in polite company.  While bigotry of all kinds (he references Jews and  gentiles joining hands at the end) is not dead in America, I think it is relegated to the fringes of society in a way that would have been virtually unimaginable just a generation ago.

On Rosh Chodesh Iyar, we spoke the idea that I heard from a Rebbe in Israel that אייר stands for אברהם, יצחק, יעקב, רחל, and that while the אבות each have the מידה that they represent, רחל represents the כח החלום.  Today is a day that to continue to learn this lesson of the power of dreams, of seeing slightly beyond what seems realistic.  There is a lesson here for us all when it comes to our own personal growth.  We have spoken before about how we should always try to have personal goals that we strive for.  We can think about these similar to college applications.  First, you want to make sure that you have your "safety school" - so take something that you are currently proud of, and commit yourself to maintaining that level of achievement (I'm davening well, I've been very sensitive to the needs of my friends or family, I have been making strong, mature decisions lately, I learn some Torah lishma, I volunteer my free time to help others etc.).  Next, you have your target schools that you aspire to, here you are looking slightly beyond where you are now, but these are very doable, realistic goals.  This category is the bread and butter of growth, as almost all progress is gradual, and there is nothing to be gained by setting yourself up for failure.  The message that I see in Martin Luther King Day, is to also also have your "reach" school - to set a longer term goal right now seem to be way out of  range, but approach it with a blend of anxious patience.  Both as individuals and societies, people have a tendency to prove predictions wrong, and to be capable of growing far faster than anyone, or almost anyone dreamed we would

The Story Behind Rechov ha-Lamed Heh

Today, the 5th of Shevat, is the anniversary of the massacre of the 35 members of the Palmach who were killed as they made their way on foot to bring much needed ammunition to the Gush Etzion kibbutzim that had been attacked by Arabs 2 days earlier on January 14, 1948.

The group numbered 38 men (many of them young students) when they set out at 11pm from Har-tuv, but one man sprained his ankle and two others were sent back with him to accompany him. The remaining 35 did not have enough time to reach their destination while it was still dark. Towards dawn when they were about an hour away from the Gush bloc they encountered two Arab women gathering firewood (or an Arab shepherd, as legend has it). The Arabs sounded an alarm and alerted others to the presence of Jews in the area. The commander of the 35 decided to keep going forward, hoping that the group would reach safety before any violence broke out.

However, hundreds of Arabs gathered quickly from neighboring villages and attacked. Rather than retreat, the 35 men fought heroically until their last bullet, and when that was spent they threw rocks at the enemy. The last of the 35 was killed at approximately 4:30pm and their bodies were mutilated by the Arabs.

This ambush was the catalyst for public discourse on purity of arms (one of the values of the IDF which states that soldiers should retain their humanity even in warfare, and never harm a non-combatant) which has made the IDF into the most moral and ethical army in the world.

There is a wonderful series of books written for children called Minheret Ha’zman (The Time Tunnel), by Gelilah Ron-Feder. It is similar to the Magic Tree House series in that two children travel backwards in time to visit various points in history; in the case of this series, the history of the State of Israel and other formative events in Jewish history. There are approximately 50 books in the series, including one about the Lamed-Heh. Although the series is written in Hebrew I highly recommend reading it – you can find it in any bookstore in Israel.

The story of the Lamed-Heh is a tragic story that is part of the fabric of the establishment of the State of Israel and has been held up throughout the decades as an example of bravery and heroism. One of the ways that the 35 fighters have been memorialized is in the street name Rechov ha’Lamed Heh which can be found in various communities in Israel.

Thank You Laptop!

In this past Parsha we are all familiar with the famous maamar Chazal that the reason that Aharon performed the first three Makot is because Moshe could not hit the land or water that had saved him in the past.  The curious notion of a requirement of hakarat hatov to inanimate objects has probably launched a thousand sermons.  The most common, and I think most correct message is that we don't thank people because they need it, but because we, the beneficiary of the favor need to express it - an important point to keep in mind when we daven.

Maybe the reason why there is such an extreme emphasis on this midah in the context is because in reality, the person (or institution) that he really owed hakarat hatov to was Paroh and the Egyptian royal family who raised him.  For obvious reasons, he could not give them the appreciation that they would normally have merited.  Therefore, to protect Moshe from being affected or learning the wrong lesson from this experience, Hashem had him go to the other extreme, expressing his thanks even to the and and Nile to maintain the מידה even in the face of his lack of expressed appreciation to the home of his childhood and the heir to his step-grandfather who welcomed him into his palace.

My very wise wife points out that the Paroh - Moshe familial and then political relationship is one that is surprisingly under-explored in traditional Torah commentaries.  I then noted that that same relationship is probably overblown in the Hollywood production of the Ten Commandments (I'm pretty sure that there is no source for Moshe dating Paroh's queen).

What Happened Today in Jewish History?

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

Kashrut Writing Contest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let it Rain

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

MOTZIE SHABBOS, DEC. 4, 28 KISLEV 

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

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

Dreidelpalooza

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

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

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

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

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

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

More pictures and a video made to promote it here.

CLICK HERE for D'var Torah about Chanukah

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


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

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

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

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

Mishna Berura Yomi Begins NOW!

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

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

More Thoughts on Thanksgiving

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

Interesting Article About...Something

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

What are you doing on Thanksgiving?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Duda-what?

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of Priorities...

 Tali Spier submits the following thought:

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

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

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

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

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

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

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

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

Oh, and one more thing.

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

disconnected because its calls never fail.

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

Avraham's Daughter

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

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

Hat tip to RJW.

Incredible Article

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

Ain't Gonna Work on Saturday

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

-Yifat Adler-

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

Parsha For the Busy or Attention-Challenged

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

More on Minyan

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

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

An Individual's Tefillah b'Tzibbur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Davening with others or daven alone?

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

Inspiring Words

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

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

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

Wrap Up for the Yom Tov Season

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

  

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

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

Simchat Torah and the NY Times

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

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

Chag Sameach!

A Teshuva Dilemma for the Last Yom Teshuva of the Season

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

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

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

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

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

Simchat Beit Hashoeva Recap

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

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

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

Sukkah City!

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

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

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

http://www.sukkahcity.com/

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

A Great Story

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

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

More Rosh Hashana Reflections

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

Selichot Timing

A timely question from alumna Gabrielle Hiller:

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

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

Gmar chatima tova.

Reflections on Rosh Hashana

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

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

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

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

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

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

ספר פנים יפות?*

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

So what do you think?  Is he being fair?

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

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