Parsha Questions - Ki Tavo

As I mentioned, we're going to start each week off with a couple of questions on the Parsha, hopefully leading to some conversation.  Here goes:

• The dominant feature of פרשת כי תבוא is the תוכחה, the extended and detailed curses about all of the horrific punishments that בני ישראל will receive if we don't follow Hashem.  A big part of that message seems to be, that if awful things happen to us, we shouldn't just assume that "that's life" or give a scientific explanation for it, but assume that it is a message from Hashem.  Is that truly how we should live?  The Nevi'im sure sound that way.  Yet, after every disaster - natural (like Katrina or Japan or Irene) or man-made (like the Holocaust or 9/11), theologians Jewish and non-Jewish will often attribute the tragedy to any of various sins.  Did Irene come because New York passed a same sex marriage bill?  Was Katrina a punishment for Mardi Gras?  Was the Holocaust a punishment?  Send in your thoughts (comments or e-mail), and I think we'll discuss it at either PC or mishmar.
• The Parsha starts with the mitzva of ביכורים - It teaches, that when bringing the fruits to the Kohen at the בית המקדש, you must recite a passage that states that you have fulfilled all of your obligations regarding this produce.  This recitation is called וידוי מעשרות.  Isn't that odd, that a statement that you did everything right is called viduy - confession?  Why do you think that is?

פרשת כי תצא

A new thing that we're going to try this year is early in every week, someone will post some thought provoking questions about the parsha, and hopefully stimulate some interesting conversation either in the comments or by e-mail (questions@maayanot.org).


It's a little late in the week for that, but here's a thought that I'm working on now, so I'm not sure what to do with it and would love some feedback.


The first 3 topics of the parsha are eishet yefat toar - the rules of a soldier who is overcome by lust for a woman (the beautiful woman) from the enemy nation and takes her as a captive.  The Torah recognizes that humans are imperfect (דברה תורה כנגד יצר הרע) and provides regulations that he must go through before marrying her.


Second is the rule that if a man has two sons from two wives, but he loves one and hates the other.  If the older son is from the hated wife, he may not bypass him in favor of his beloved younger half-brother.  


Finally the Torah teaches the rule of a Ben Sorer u'Moreh, a good for nothing soon who is killed for his misdeeds before he can grow into an adult dangerous criminal.  The Gemara explains that this is because he is נידון על שם סופו - judged on his end.  The בן סורר ומורה is executed not for the relatively trivial crimes that he commits as a child, but for the serious crimes that he would go on to commit in the future that will now never occur.  


Understandably, many meforshim (even the midrash) see echoes of Yaakov, Rachel and Leah in this story - Rachel is called a יפת תואר, Leah and אשה שנואה, and Yaakov bypassed her בכור, and gave the double portion to מנשה & אפרים, the sons of Yosef, the בן אהובה.


Upon closer inspection, it looks more like Avraham, Sarah, Hagar, Yitzchak and Yishmael, only the Torah is commanding us to the opposite of what Avraham and Sarah did.  Sarah is the first "yefei", who actually was taken captive for the purpose of marriage.  Avraham, on Sarah's advice and Hashem's command chooses the younger ben ahuva over the bechor ben hasnua.  And finally, a ben sorer umoreh (Yishmael) is not killed al shem sofo, but saved b'asher hu sham.  
I'm not sure what to do with it, but if this is true, it's also probably not a coincidence that we read it during Elul as we ask Hashem to be judged "b'ahser hu sham".

9/11- Some Jewish reading material

Yasher koach to all of you who participated in tonight's kickoff kumzitz Mishmar, and in particular to Yaffa Cohen who shared some of her reflections of what it was like to life in the face of terror last year in Israel.  While we discussed 9/11  bit at mishmar, will be having a short program tomorrow, and might learn about a different aspect next week at Parsha Club, for those of you looking to find some meaning in it or just read up some, here are some interesting articles:

For some reflections and hashkafa, see this translation of a lecture by Rav Lichtenstein and this essay by Rabbi Basil Herring.

Here is an interview with Rabbi Michael Broyde, who spearheaded the efforts of the RCA Beth Din of America (full disclosure - I do some work for them, but didn't at the time) to avoid aguna problems for the many women whose husbands were presumed to have died in the Towers, but left no physical evidence or witnesses to confirm it.  He and others who worked on it (Rabbi Yona Reiss, Rabbi Shlomo Weissman) have spoken and written in greater detail about it, but this interview gives you a taste of the incredible work they did and the novel methods used (within the established rules of halacha) to try to free as many of these women as they could.

Finally, here's an incredible article in the NYT from November 6, 2001 about Stern College students doing Shemira (watching over a dead body, reciting Tehillim) in 4 hour shifts over Shabbos for the bodily remains found at Ground Zero - read it.

And We're Back!

And better than ever!
Let's start simple...
Maayanot in the News (That's Mrs. Block - Mrs. Kahan is quoted in the article. Check it out.

Back to school - The Jewish Standard

jstandard.com

As the 2011-2012 school year dawns, financially strapped Jewish day schools are faced with myriad challenges. The statistical likelihood of many new teachers leaving the profession within their first three years on the job, coupled with recent economic constraints, highlights one of those challenges...

An Important Note From Layla and Rachel

June 25, 2011 marks the fifth anniversary of Gilad Shalit’s captivity. Last Night, we went to a showing of a documentary called “Family in Captivity,” which showed how the Shalit family has been coping with Gilad’s capture throughout the years, but instead of the political/media perspective that we are used to seeing, this film had more of a personal agenda and focused on the emotional aspects of the Shalits’ day-to-day lives.

After the film, the filmmakers Tal Goren and Tamar Pross were available for a Q&A session. One question asked that stood out to us was “What can we do to help?”  Tamar Pross mentioned that donations for the Shalit family are always welcome, since they left their jobs to devote all of their time to promoting and protesting for Gilad, and are basically living off of donations now, but more than making donations, we have to raise awareness about Gilad. Many Americans, even Jews, haven’t heard of Gilad Shalit and they are unaware of his captivity (which violates the red cross’ international guidelines for prisoners of war).  We left with the question of what can we do to help? How much of an impact can we make, and how many people can we influence to help make a change?

While we are pondering these questions ourselves, we wanted to pose them to the Ma’ayanot community as well—what can each and every one of you do to help Gilad Shalit and make a difference?

--Rachel Ullman and Layla Blenden

This film is being showed for a limited time in a limited amount of places, however, if you are able to see it, we strongly recommend!

Find showing times at http://www.israelfilmcenter.org/israeli-film-database/films/family-in-captivity

To see updates, photos and videos of Gilad Shalit’s cause, and to donate, go to http://www.gilad.org/eng

Alumnae Yom Yerushalayim Video!!

Thank you to Rena Levin '10 and her fellow Ma'ayanot alumnae at Midreshet HaRova and Midreshet Amit who put together a fantastic video (both meaningful and hilarious) about what it's like to be in Israel for Yom HaZikaron, Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayaim, which was shown at today's Student Appreciation Breakfast. It gives me a great sense of pride to see our alumnae's strong Zionist beliefs and how connected they are to Medinat Israel! Check it out below!

What Would You Do If You Knew?

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

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

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

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

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

Lag B'Omer

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

Nachat-Fest 2011

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

Torah-ton Reflections

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

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

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

Touching Story

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

Toldot Israel Video

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

Yom HaZikaron 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Should Jews Respond to Bin Laden's Death?

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

Chol Hamoed - Not just Chol

Just a quick reminder that chol hamoed days are not just days that, to quote my 3 year old son "are still Pesach, but you can do muktza."  Let's even set aside his use of the colloquial, erroneous use of "muktza" for "melacha", the bigger point is that there are real איסורי מלאכה on chol hamoed.  Here is a blog post (I'm not otherwise familiar with the blog, but it seems like a good summary of a Shiur by Rabbi Simon) outlining some of the details.  Some of the more relevant issues that should be avoided unless explored are any hard labor and writing (not typing - hope you weren't expecting those tests back too soon - it's 2 weeks of class time, right?).  Shaving (see here for a good article on the subject by Rabbi Jachter) is controversial.  Laundry, hair and nail cutting are generally prohibited.  Great Adventure trips are OK.

Chag Sameach

Here's some of the Pesach material you might find interesting:

• Yeshiva University's Pesach To Go is always a favorite.  This time it is highlighted by a great article by our own Mrs. Kahan (I think all of the copies I left in the atrium were taken) on the importance of the Hatan Damim episode as a prelude to yetziat Mitzrayim.  I once read a different explanation that I found compelling as well, in Amittah Shel Torah by Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky (one of our alumna was just telling me how much she enjoys his shiurim in Israel).  Still Mrs. Kahan's analysis opened my eyes about the precise connection between the two בריתות Hashem forges with Avraham and their parallel roles in the geula.
• Also in the Pesach To Go, I'm thrilled that they went back to their old custom of leading off with an old Rabbi Lamm Derasha.  This one is from 1965, and discusses the difference between contrasting types of seacrching for something new.  Here's my favorite paragraph:

Perhaps it is best to distinguish between these two elements of newness by using two different terms: “novelty” and “renewal.” Novelty is the misuse of the inclination for newness for things, for gadgets, for “kicks.” Renewal comes about when we apply the desire for newness to man himself, to achieve new insights which result in the transformation of his soul and his spirit. Novelty is extrinsic; it is a question of packaging. Renewal is intrinsic; it is a matter of content. Novelty is the seeking of thrills; renewal is the thrill of seeking. The desire for novelty is what leads a young man from a Jewish home to date non-Jews and ultimately to intermarry. The search for renewal leads a young person from a background of little or no Jewish education to seek out Torah and mitzvot. If we are concerned only with novelty, then we change Judaism in order to make it palatable for most Jews. But if we seek renewal, then we try to change Jews to make them more worthy of Judaism.

Wow, he is good.  Read the whole thing.

• On that subject, this year I used the new Rabbi Lamm Hagadah "The Royal Table," but not surprisingly couldn't get through much of it - just too much going on at the seder.  My new business idea: a Hagadah with divrei Torah of six lines or less to actually use at the seder.  All of these other ones are good for Yom Tov afternoon or the Talit bag, but don't help much at the seder.
• Finally, I read another strong issue of Maayanei Torah (the student portion, at least).  The last article, an excellent and original one by Talia Moss & Ilana Teicher interestingly enough also touches on the chattan damim story, and even takes a stand on it that I don't think is generally assumed - that Hashem was about to kill Moshe's son, and not Moshe himself.  Question to the authors:  Even assuming that to be the case, in what way did Moshe help Tzippora save him?

Pesach on Youtube

While this clip

is the hot one this year (with good reason - it's great), I'm still partial to this classic.

How Much To Eat On Pesach-from OU website

Kezayit Matzah
There are some variances amongst halachic authorities as far as how the precise measurement should be calculated, but the minimally recommended size is approximately 26 cubic centimeters .
Although strictly speaking, the Torah level mitzvah of matzah requires one to eat the measurement of a single kezayit, there is a rabbinic requirement to consume a total of five kezeitimat different intervals of the seder.
The first two portions are eaten together, one associated with the benediction of hamotzi with the other associated with the benediction of al achilat matzah.
The third kezayit is eaten as part of the traditional korech sandwich from the sage, Hillel, which serves as a reminder of the Beit Hamikdash. The fourth and fifth kezeitim are eaten together at the end of the festive meal as part of the Afikoman.
The fourth kezayit is associated with the korban Pesach, while the fifth kezayit is a reminder of the chagigah offering that was brought during the Three Festivals. Ideally, the required measurement for the additional four kezeitim should be the same as the basic mitzvah of matzahmentioned above. However, since these four kezeitimare rabbinic requirements, in an extenuating circumstance there is room for leniency to eat less.

Kezayit Moror
Nowadays, with the absence of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), the korban Pesach (paschal lamb) is not brought and therefore its interdependent sister mitzvah, maror (bitter herb), is not a Torah-level precept, but is currently a rabbinic ordinance. This is because our Sages mandated that one must still eat the traditional bitter herb independently.
Therefore while the minimal amount of maror that one is required to consume at the seder is also a kezayit, there are some variances amongst halachic authorities as far as how this measurement should be calculated. Moreover, some authorities calculate the measurement diferently for mitzvot derabbanan.
The minimal size given is approximately 26 cubic centimeters, which can be limited to just a single, large leaf of romaine lettuce .
Medium or small leaves of romaine lettuce will respectively amount to approximately three-fifths or one-fifth of the required amount. Large romaine stalks are approximately half a kezayit, while small romaine stalks are roughly one-quarter’s worth. A single endive is between one half to one quarter of the required amount, depending upon whether the leaf is large, medium, or small. A filled one ounce shot glass of ground horseradish constitutes a kezayit.

Revi’it Wine
The requirement of drinking four cups of wine is rabbinic in nature and the minimal measurement required for the four cups is a rivi’it for each cup. There are some variances amongst halachic authorities as far as how this measurement should be calculated, but the minimal size given is approximately three ounces . It should be noted that if one’s cup holds more than a rivi’it, one should try to drink the entire cup or at least most of it.

Passover is a time when we became a nation and is therefore an opportunity to appreciate the many laws that were given to us. As we celebrate our freedom during the Passover holiday, we have the opportunity to reflect on what makes our heritage so unique. The meticulousness, care, and detail with which we approach ritual observance will certainly make our heritage special.

Why I Stay Home for Pesach

I am staying home for Pesach. Since 1993, with only two exceptions, we have "made Pesach" at home. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, "I will do Pesach in my house, I will make Pesach and not grouse. I'll only make it here not there, I will not make it anywhere (except my house.) Making Pesach at home began as a matter of necessity. In 1992, my husband and I moved to Cincinnati, OH where he became the Rabbi of a shul. The Rabbi doesn't leave for Pesach, so we needed to make Pesach ourselves. We were both trained: because I am a ba'alat teshuva, I started "making Pesach" in my house in 8th grade, and my husband was part of a well-oiled Pesach-making machine that was his mother's house in Minneapolis, MN. I was really excited to do it ourselves because I felt privileged to be able to make a kosher Pesach and to do it the way I had always dreamed of doing it. I surveyed my friends to find out what I needed, and my husband and I spent several Sundays buying EVERYTHING we needed to equip a house for Pesach. It was fun and I was so proud. I really felt the "cheirut", felt like I had finally "arrived" at where I had striven to be for many years. I felt blessed that we had the money to be able to purchase what we needed and that we had a lovely home to host sedarim. I was married to a learned man who could lead a seder, and we were finally able to do it our own way. People often look at preparing for Pesach and making sedarim as a huge (if not overwhelming) amount of work and something to be escaped, if at all possible. It IS a huge amount of work, but I feel that the preparation itself is what Pesach is all about. IMPORTANT NOTE: I am a firm adherent to the dictum "Dirt is not Chametz". I DON'T spring clean as I prepare for Pesach; I don't wash curtains or walls or the shelves of my linen closet. What I (and the rest of my family) do however, is try to go through all the places where chametz might be (which is pretty much everywhere in our house) and clean up. That sorting through and cleaning up process is, to me, the metaphor for ridding myself of chametz and preparing myself for Pesach. Chametz, according to the Gemara, represents pride, arrogance, and hubris. It is that which "puffs us up" and makes us feel that we are completely in charge of our lives, our destinies and our fates. That hubris is what pushes humility and a constant awareness of Hashem out of the way. Ridding ourselves of "chametz" should be a reminder to rid ourselves of arrogance and an excessive focus on materialism. Preparing for Pesach should be about reminding ourselves that our lives and everything we have are precious gifts that we are privileged to have and need to both enjoy and use in service of Hashem and the people who He created in His image. I feel (and this is my feeling, it is not in any way shape or form meant to be a prescription for what "should be") that this kind of cheirut is best felt after you have worked for it. When we come to the seder, we know that what we have before us is a product of our work and Hashem's brachot. I feel that this is also best felt when you are surrounded by those closest to you and those you love. I feel that cheirut is most keenly felt when there is still some avdut attached to it; as the Midrash teaches us, cheirut and charut (engraved, as the Torah was on the luchot) are the same letters and therefore, intertwined concepts. You need to have a sense of your own subservience to really appreciate your freedom. You need to have limits to bring out your best self. For me, staying home isn't only about money. For me, somehow, Pesach would seem incomplete if I were to be served food that I had no part in cooking, enjoyed cleanliness and hospitality that I had no part in preparing, and reveled in the chametz-free environment that I had no part in achieving. I think I would feel very lonely in a room with lots of people I didn't know and didn't have a relationship with and at a table that wasn't in my dining room that my husband and I decorated together with artwork that we had bought together. So I will stay home this Pesach. I wish everyone and their families and all those they love a wonderful, happy, healthy and kasher Chag wherever the are!

draft

"Thousands in Southern Israel Spend Shabbos in Bomb Shelters"

Those of you who got on Arutz Sheva’s website right after Shabbos might have seen the headline that said, “Thousands in the south spend Shabbos in bomb shelters.” Unfortunately for our brethren in the south of Israel, Hamas decided not to honor a ceasefire that they had declared, and they fired over 50 rockets into Israel on Shabbos day alone. I had written recently of the guilt I used to feel when I would read of these attacks from my comfortable house in America, and how I feel privileged to be able to spend this year in Israel and share in the burden that our Israeli brethren shoulder each day.

Well, this past Shabbos we were 7 of those thousands.

We had plans to spend this past Shabbos at a family gathering in a yishuv called Yevul, less than 5 km from the borders of both Aza and Egypt. When the rocket attacks began anew, about three weeks ago, our cousins who live there reassured everyone that they don’t live in the area suffering from the rocket attacks, and in the year and a half that they have been living there, they only experienced a ‘tzeva adom’ (code red rocket alert) once.

But that was before Thursday, when Hamas fired a mortar at an Israeli schoolbus which injured the driver and critically injured one boy. The Israelis retaliated, and the situation escalated.

We arrived in Yevul a little nervous, but blissfully ignorant of the new threat. As our cousin showed us to our caravan he pointed out the bomb shelter across the road. “Don’t worry”, he said, “Rockets don’t fall in this area.” But shortly after Shabbos began our caravan was rocked by the sound – and concussion waves – of multiple explosions. In the distance I could hear a faint siren. Looking over to where our cousins were standing, around the shul and the chadar ochel, I wondered why nobody else seemed to take notice. I quickly left the caravan and headed over to the chadar ochel, ducking into the bomb shelter on the way for protection, although my excuse was that “I just wanted to see what it looked like inside.” When I reached the chadar ochel, I asked what the explosions were and why nobody was running for shelter, and someone explained to me that the explosions were from our army bombing tunnels in Aza.

However, the quiet that had previously been in that area was over now. During the course of Shabbos we experienced numerous ‘tzeva adom’ incidents. The first time I heard one I was in shul davening. Suddenly a loud siren interrupted the davening, and then the words, “Tzeva adom, tzeva adom!” From that moment, you have approximately 30 seconds to get to a bomb shelter. People went running out of shul and I followed. But instead of racing to the nearest shelter, I needed to find my kids, who wouldn’t know what to do on their own. Sure enough, my 8 and 4 year olds were playing by themselves around the corner of the building, looking bewildered and a little scared. I grabbed their hands and we raced to a nearby shelter. Before we reached it, though, we heard the sounds of explosions as the rockets slammed into the ground somewhere nearby, although not in our yishuv. Thirty seconds isn’t very much warning. We stood in the shelter, waiting to be sure it was safe to come out, and my daughter said she was scared. I lied and told her there was nothing to be scared about, and I said that it was important that we were there for Shabbos.

As Shabbos progressed we all got used to the ‘tzeva adom’ warnings. I wasn’t always with my kids when it happened, but I relaxed about it and relied on the knowledge that whatever adult was near them would usher them to safety. For their part, my kids got used to running to the bomb shelters on their own. My 17 and 14 year-olds were often together when it occurred, and took care of themselves. My 11 year-old was usually watching over the younger cousins, so she just followed the lead of their parents and ran to shelter with them. My 8 year-old was proud of herself that she wasn’t scared anymore and just ran to safety with whichever older cousin she was playing with. My 4 year-old decided that it was a fun game, and would randomly announce ‘Tzeva adom, tzeva adom!’ and run into a shelter whenever the mood came upon him.

It was definitely a growing experience for all of us. We learned what life is like for thousands of people who live in southern Israel, who have to run into bomb shelters multiple times each day. We were lucky that no rockets actually landed in Yevul; I can only imagine how much more traumatizing it is when rockets are crashing down around you. And the rockets keep reaching farther north and east each time, hitting Be’er Sheva, and Ashkelon, Ashdod, and even Yavne.

As Shabbos ebbed, I felt that a flame had been re-ignited inside me. We can’t let ourselves be scared away, because that is what the terrorists want. They want us gone – not just out of Yevul, or Sderot, but out of Israel completely. I’m so glad our family event wasn’t cancelled, and that 100 people were brought down to spend Shabbos in little Yevul, on the borders of Egypt and Aza. One hundred people to show the residents of southern Israel that we are with them in their plight. One hundred people strong, who said together Israel is ours; we are here, and we will not be scared away.

Orthodox Basketball Players and Shabbat

Here's an interesting article about a female Orthodox basketball player who left Israel to play basketball at the University of Toledo. She'll play in games on Shabbat but won't go to practices and has made other accommodations to make sure that her religious standards can be kept. Thoughts? Is it possible to live in both worlds? How far can we compromise without going to far? What do you think of her decisions?

http://www.forward.com/articles/136770/

A Response to Mrs. Cohen's "Thoughts from Yerushalayim"

Rachel Ullman had the following to say to Mrs. Cohen:

I think that whenever there is an attack in Israel people should respond. I believe the response should be to do the exact opposite of what the terror attacks try to accomplish. Terrorists try to instill fear in peoples' lives, so by taking a bus (if there was a bus attack) we are showing that the terrosits' actions will not keep us from continuing our day to day activities. How can we restrict ourselves from doing things if those restrictions may increase? Say an attack happens in a cafe (chas v'shalom), so we decide to no longer go to cafes. Then the same thing happens on a bus, in a mall, etc. To what extent will we really restrict ourselves? Obviously this is much easier said than done, and my opinion may not be completely valid since I'm not living in Israel/going through these situations, but I do believe that we can't let these fears of 'what will happen next?' control our lives.

Also, I thought your last comment, "When I am in America and hear of attacks in Israel I always feel guilty that I'm living a comfortable life, while our brethren in Israel have to endure hardships. But this time, I’m here too, and I can share in their burden.", really spoke to me. After hearing about the last attack in Israel, I was talking to a friend and said that I wasn't sure why I always felt this way, but whenever an attack happens I have an even greater want to be in Israel(she looked at me like I was crazy). To me this seems totally counterintuitive, but it's really what I think. I know I can't do much to help the situation and even if I was in Israel I probably wouldn't be able to do much either, I would still feel guilty that I wasn't there. Just the fact that I would be one more person in Israel, showing that the terrorist attacks wouldn't keep us from living there, that would seem worth it. It's also possible that the reason I believe all of this is because I haven't experienced what it is like to live there. Although, I do think my beliefs would be pretty similar if I was there.

Update on one of my favorite posts

A while back we had a guest post by Rabbi Daniel Feldman, responding to a question from Rikki Novetsky about "kula shopping.  Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach once addressed a similar question - see here.

Ways To Make Your Tefillah More Meaningful-By Mrs. Sinensky's Jewish Philosophy Class

• Pick a different part to focus on each day
• Think about what inspired the tefillot
• Think about the fact that everyone is davening the same text
• Daven betzibbur
• Relate it to your own life
• Follow along in the Siddur
• Remove yourself from distractions
• Add in your own requests in the bakasha section of Shmoneh Esreh
• Go to sleep earlier so that you are more awake for Shacharit
• Talk less during davening
• Remember that the Rabbis who wrote tefillah knew what was important to include
• Remember that davening is an opportunity-Hashem wants to give to you
• Think that you are standing before a King
• Don’t rush
• Be open to tefillah
• Daven for other people
• Use the English
o Focus on parts that you don’t understand
o Read the English as a “preview”

The Korean Girls Too?

This is really cool.  אשרינו מה טוב חלקינו!

In Honor of SHAC Week - Lashon Hara Against Non-Religious Jews

The following is from Rav Shlomo Aviner (see his always interesting Shu"t website):

Question: Is it permissible to speaking Lashon Ha-Ra about secular Jews? Answer: The Chafetz Chaim wrote that it is permissible to speak Lashon Ha-Ra about an "apikoros" (a heretic). Our Rabbi, Ha-Rav Tzvi Yehudah, agreed that this is correct, but he also said that this creates a dangerous opening for every person to decide for himself who is an "apikoros." I will decide that anyone who does not think exactly like me is an "apikoros." The entire House of Israel will then be full of Lashon Ha-Ra. It is permissible for me to disagree with a G-d-fearing Jew, but I do not have to consider him an "apikoros." Further, while secular Jews certainly seem to be heretics, many authorities have already ruled that they are "Tinokot She-nishbu" (literally Jewish children captured and raise among non-Jews), i.e. Jews who did not receive a proper Jewish upbringing and education. In order to be an "apikoros," one must be knowledgeable. Someone once came to our master, Rav Kook, and said all sorts of thing against the Tanach. Rav Kook said: You are right. He said: I am?! "Yes,” replied Rav Kook, “if the Tanach is as you say then what you are saying is correct, but the Tanach is something else." The person was not denying the Tanach - he simply did not know it. This is not an "apikoros," it is an unknowledgeable Jew. Secular Jews in general are not heretics; they are simply "Tinokot She-nishbu." They have not learned and do not know, therefore do not speaking ill against them. It is possible that a particular secular Jew is an "apikoros," but it is not so simple, because the "spirit of the time" is extremely strong. It may be that a person did learn Torah, but there are all sorts of influences. The Rambam (Hilchot Mamrim 3:3) defined someone with a corrupt education as a "Tinok She-nishba." Today, however, one's education is not limited to one's parents, but includes the "street." What is the "street"? These are all of the possible "foggy" influences: radio, TV, the internet, books, etc… We build walls around us, but things still enter. There is a saying that the apple does not fall far from the tree. The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ha-Rav Yitzchak Herzog, was once asked: what happened with your son Chaim, who became the President of Israel and who was secular? Ha-Rav Herzog said: “The apple doesn't fall far from the tree” only applies with a usual wind, but an unusual wind can carry it far away. He was referring to the Tosafot on Baba Kamma 27b. It is therefore even possible for the son of the Chief Rabbi to receive a corrupt education -- not from the Chief Rabbi, but from what is going around in the "street." In short: Do not be quick to apply the term "apikoros".

I think he gets the right answer, in the right way, even if the people who he is "protecting" might be offended by the analysis.

For a related (but different) question addressed here on Why-aanot, see here.

For other posts responding to Lashon Hara questions see here, here and here.

The Positive Power of Social Media

Newsflash: Facebook removed its Third Intifada page due to the enormous pressure put on it. (Check out the link.)

I have always maintained that technology, the Internet and social media like Facebook are tools. They are not inherently positive or negative. Their value--good or bad--is in how they are used. Recently, there have been some amazing examples of how social media like Facebook and Twitter have helped alert the world to governments' brutality and repression, as well as helping to find people displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But Facebook, in the name of "free speech" and "information for all" also allowed a page that was designed to promote hatred and incite deadly violence. By using the same social media, the word was spread and the same technology was used to give feedback to Facebook that there ARE limits to "free speech" and that racial violence is just not tolerable in human and humane society. The speed and breadth of this technology effected a positive change that may not have happened in a regular print media, nor would the withdrawal have been so widely known.

Let's hear it for the positive use of tools!

A Guest Post from Mrs. Winkler - In Response to Mrs. Goldberg

Your post brought tears to my eyes as I recently had a similar experience in Ramaz as well. While attending a kindergarten program with my grandson, I was amazed and very pleased that Ramaz chose to highlight their Ivrit immersion program to over a hundred grandparents present, experiencing this remarkable program together with their grandchild. 

The fact that these 5 and 6 year old children are getting a strong dose of Ivrit and Tzionut at such a young age can plant the seeds for the love of EretzYisrael and Medinat Yisrael that these youngsters will feel throughout their lives. This program was conducted only in Ivrit and these young kids answered ONLY in Ivrit with love and enthusiasm. You heard the excitement in each and every one of their voices.

Continuity and consistency in making these programs an important part of our curriculum on every grade level is our ticket to our future!Ivrit immersion, Tzionut, or spectacular holiday or, "lo aleinu", tragedy-related programs will remain with our students forever. At special times like these, emotions need to be expressed and feelings need to be addressed. The lack of reaction by our students to both Mrs. Cohen, my neice, and Mrs. Goldberg is disappointing, but should make us more committed to passing on our love of Eretz Yisrael effectively. 

Thoughts from Yerushalayim

The news over the past two weeks has been difficult, with the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, followed by the brutal murders in Itamar of 5 members of the Fogel family, rockets that are being fired into the south and west of Israel from Gaza, and now this terror attack today in Yerushalayim that has killed one person and wounded more than 30 others.

I was working quietly at home shortly before 3pm on Wednesday, when I suddenly heard the sound of multiple sirens at once. Instantly I wondered if there had been a pigu’a (attack), but dismissed the thought because things have been quiet in Yerushalayim for years. But about half an hour later I got a text from Yaffa that there had been a bomb on the bus line that she takes to school, and where she had been standing only two hours earlier.

I tried to text her back, but the text wouldn’t go through, nor was I able to call her - all because the phone lines were full from the sheer volume of calls going on in the country immediately after the bombing. And then the calls began to trickle in from a few friends and relatives wanting to find out if we were okay. A few minutes later and Yaffa’s call to me managed to get through, and we spoke about what had just occurred. We were both shaken by the news, which hit home especially hard since she very easily could have been on that bus. We found out later that it was a different bus line, and that the bomb wasn’t actually on the bus but near it, but that still didn’t diminish our shock and of course our concern for everyone who was injured.

And the question that she asked me was – What do we do now? What does she do now? We don't have a car this year, and so she takes 4 buses a day to get to and from school. How is she supposed to get on the bus to come back home? What if…?

And I had no answer.

The question brought me back to my second year of study in Israel, which was the year that the first intifada began. As seminaries created lists of danger zones where students could not travel, and as many people curtailed travel into Yehuda and Shomron, I resolutely decided that my personal response had to be that I demonstrate that these attacks, designed to scare us away, wouldn’t scare me away. Since I was a second-year student at a time that not many people stayed for two years, I wasn’t bound by the seminary’s rules created for the students from chutz la’aretz, and instead was free to travel as I wished. I arranged Shabbatot for myself in places people were nervous to go - Kiryat Arba, Chevron, the Muslim Quarter; I traveled on bus lines that were routinely attacked by Arabs throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. I needed to show that we Jews were here, and can’t be scared away. But that was during the first intifada, when the Palestinians weren’t armed like they are today; when the attacks, although dangerous, were not on the same scale as they were in the second intifada and like today, when there are shootings, and buses blown up, and tens of people killed and injured at once.

And most different, that was my personal decision for myself, which I imposed on no one else. But today – how can I tell my children to take a bus if they are scared to? And if they aren’t scared to, as their parent, should I tell them to avoid buses?

Yaffa reminded me of the summer we visited Israel in 2001, at the height of the second intifada when numerous buses were blown up in Yerushalayim and many people killed and wounded. We were staying in a hotel down the block from Sbarro’s, and the morning of the horrific bomb attack there we were at a museum. We came back an hour after the attack, and walking through the street to the hotel we saw a scene of havoc, and people walking about with blood on their clothing. And she asked me yesterday, why did we take buses that summer? And my answer was that although I was nervous about taking buses, seeing how the Israelis carried on with their daily lives despite the bus bombings we decided that we too would try to carry on as normal and so we took buses. Somewhat nervously and on the alert, but we did take buses.

But even that was different than today, because I was there together with my children, taking the same risks as them. As opposed to now, when they have to take multiple buses each day, and I only take a bus occasionally, when I need to leave the neighborhood in which we live.

I told Yaffa in our phone call that life has to continue as normal. But that I don’t know the answer. I don’t know whether she should take buses – but what other option is there?

I got off the phone with Yaffa, and my son called to tell me he had just heard of the attack. He had been planning to take a bus to the mall after school with two friends, but one of the mothers called her son and told him she didn’t want him going on a bus. And my son wanted to know, will I let him go on a bus with the other boy to the mall, or would I rather not?

I told him I didn’t have an answer. But as we talked further I told him that if he feels comfortable taking a bus, then yes, I think he can take a bus. I think it is important to take a bus. Life has to continue as normal.

I don’t know if I am right. A part of me feels guilty – I dragged my children here for the year. It wasn’t their decision to come, it was mine. I took them away from their friends, out of their comfortable lives in America to spend a year in Israel. And now a bomb exploded in a place where either of my two older kids could have been at any time.

I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue. Hopefully this was only a one-time incident, but should life continue as normal immediately afterwards, or should one go out of one’s way to avoid buses? Public places? How would you feel?

But at the same time as I have these questions, I feel something else, too. When I am in America and hear of attacks in Israel I always feel guilty that I’m living a comfortable life, while our brethren in Israel have to endure hardships. But this time, I’m here too, and I can share in their burden.

I think that even in times like this I prefer to be part of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. That’s where I was meant to be.

Ayala Schnaidman on Rabbi Fohrman's Sefer

First of all, I must say that Rabbi Fohramn's book, The Queen You Thought You Knew, was excellent not only in his keen observations and interpretations, but also because his style of writing was sophisticated, yet simple to understand. He adresses issues both Pshat and Drash based, and offers fascinating ideas and theses. The following is an e-mail that I sent to Rabbi Fohrman regarding one of his theses.

I have just finished reading Rabbi Fohrman's new book, The Queen You Thought You Knew, and found it to be an excellent interpretation of the Purim story. 

My father and I were discussing an alternative thought to Rabbi Fohrman's thesis on the final pasuk of the Megillah. While Rabbi Fohramn argues that there was a population within Shevet Yehuda that was unhappy being ruled by a Benjamite leader, the Targum (Ksav Yad Paris) claims that "rov" refers to Shevet Binyamin. When Haman was executed, it was clear that at least the Benjamites would be saved because of their connection to the Queen and to Mordechai. But when Mordechai and Esther decided that they needed to extend further to save the people of Yehuda as well, they jeopardized the safety of the Benjamites.  Therefore, there would have been a population of people in Shevet Binyamin who were unhappy with Mordechai because he had been willing to risk their safety in attempts to save Shevet Yehuda.

I would be interested in hearing Rabbi Fohrman's thoughts on this Targum.  Thank you and Frayloch Purim!

-Ayala Schnaidman

Re: Ma'ayanot and Israel

I do feel that Ma'ayanot could use more of the ardent Zionism that I feel is so integral to a Jewish education. Many of the students are very Zionistic, and many do aspire to make aliya, but it seems that this aspect of their education happened more outside of school than in it. I do think that we need to make a MUCH bigger deal of Yom Ha'atzmaut in order to communicate and educate about the importance of the current incarnation of Eretz Yisrael. And there are "small" ways that we can more consistently include Israel--like one day of Chanuka featuring the "Kotel Cam" of lighting the menorah, like a monthly trivia contest in the Stream based on modern Zionist history and maybe a speaker from NORPAC (or pushing the mission this year more) or the Israel Consul General Also, do we still have the Israel updates once a week after tefilla? I think we are all somewhat reluctant to "preach" anything because it goes against the Ma'ayanot philosophy of critical inquiry and I certainly do not believe in supplanting religion with Zionism. Also, the very fact that the modern State has been around for (BH) a while, makes the urgency somewhat harder to grasp. But I think that as we have emphasized yirat shamayim when analyzing midrash and m'farshim, maybe we should talk about how to put the centrality of Eretz Yisrael (and its modern incarnation) into the curriculum more?

The Queen I Now Know Better Than I Did Before

Over the weekend I finished Rabbi Fohrman's sefer "The Queen You Thought You Knew", and it is better than I could have imagined.  (For those of you who have the book, and will be writing an essay within the next couple of weeks, here is the list of questions to choose from.)  Without exaggeration, it is far and away the best thing I have ever read on the Megilla.  


For some background, the most disappointing shiur I've ever heard was about the Megilla.  It was my first year in Yeshiva in Israel, and the Mashgiach who was constantly teaching us interesting, original, insightful material about all parts of Tanach was giving a shiur about the Megilla.  He spent about an hour asking tons of great questions about how no one acts in rational ways and nothing make sense, and then (ala Esther at the dinner party) said that it was "to be continued", and that we needed to come back next week for the conclusion.  OK - back we come the following week for 45 minutes of more great questions, and then a climax of something like "and that's how we see that it was all from Hashem."  To be fair, it's possible that my memory is imperfect or that I wasn't that intellectually mature, and it wasn't as bad as I'm making it out to be, but since then my impression of the Megilla has been of a sefer that is not tightly written, difficult to analyze because of the imprecision of both language and plot.  This book makes all of those assumptions look absurd.  Finally, an analysis of the Megila that makes it make sense - I cannot recommend it any more enthusiastically. I lent it to my neighbor who sent me an e-mail the next morning that said "Thanks for the recommendation (and loan) – it was phenomenal.  Besides offering a very compelling interpretation of the story, it was an inspiring reminder that there is still plenty of room for creative scholars to come up with new Torah thoughts."


Some points of interest:

• Rabbi Fohrman also had an article in the Forward on a different aspect of the Megilla not addressed in the sefer.
• One of his key points in unlocking the secrets of the Megilla is that Esther appealed to Achashveirosh because she wouldn't talk about her history and nationality.  This allowed him, and his kingdom to view her as a "Mother Persia" figure, an everywoman who the entire empire can relate to, as opposed to a someone attached to a particular ethnic or national past.  On that point, one night I heard a piece of a report on NPR about how almost all national news anchors had no accent and used no regional dialect (localism) in their broadcast, for this very reason.  It was bad for business for any viewer to think of the anchor as the other.
• The first part and majority of the book is a step by step analysis of the Megilla, but after that he gives a brilliant chiddush about the name of the holiday, drawing on a well-known but seemingly irrelevant portion of the Torah.  It is a crucial reminder that in order to be creative, you first need to know a lot.  The first step towrds creating your own ideas is accumulating a knowledge base of different texts to draw from which  allows you to recognize allusions and patterns.

Ma'ayanot and Israel

Recently, one of our alumnae who is having an incredible year at in Israel e-mailed me that she doesn't think that Ma'ayanot emphasizes Israel enough. I wrote back that it is a complicated thing for people/schools that are in America....and that clearly things come across differently once you are in Israel and actually experiencing the country first hand. I also said that there are different values that a high school may want to focus on. This girl also honestly admitted that when she was in high school she had strong feelings of "why would anyone want to leave Teaneck" and she probably would not have wanted to hear anything different.

But then yesterday I had an interesting experience when I spoke to the juniors and seniors at Ramaz about the role of a Yoetzet Halacha. Obviously the group was of a different makeup then students at Ma'ayanot (esp the boys!!) Anyway, at the end though during the questions someone asked me about my goals for the future. I began my answer by saying "actually I am making aliyah this summer" and was about to use that as a springboard to describe my plans going forward but first as soon as I said that the entire group spontaneously began clapping. I was so taken aback, so impressed and so touched....and I was left wondering if something like that would have happened at Ma'ayanot if a random speaker was addressing our students. Clearly Ramaz has instilled this value in them. After my e-mail exchange with one of our past students it certainly left me pondering....

I would love to hear any thoughts that faculty or students have on this very complex and complicated issue...

Thanks!!

10,000!

Congratulations Why-aanot readers, you did it!  Thanks to a major resurgence in the last month (nearly 1500 page views!) we are now over 10,000 page views since they started keeping track in June of last year. Using some quick math, we're probably between 25,000-30,000 historically, though there is no way to tell.  Yasher koach, and keep up the great work.

Wigging Out II

Rabbi Broyde responds to the attacks on sheitels, making many of the points that we discussed (see 2 posts down).  Check it out & let us know what you think in the comments.

Mi K'Amcha Yisrael

In this photo: Rami Levi
Every day of the Shiva – Rami Levi ( who owns one of the larger supermarket chains in Israel) comes by the shiva house in Itamar and fills the cupboards and refrigerator himself with food for the family and guests.
Today - one of the relatives expressed their appreciation to him and he said you will get used to my face. I have committed myself that every week I will deliver food and stock your home until the youngest orphan turns 18 years old.

Wigging Out

Hirhurim (my 2nd favorite Torah blog), takes up the issue of sheitels.  This is a question that many of you often raise, so many of you have already heard my view on it, but for the rest of you, hear it is (and frankly I'm surprised that something like it hasn't shown up in the comments there - maybe I'm wrong; it's a very learned crowd):

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe, EH 2:14) famously addressed the issue of men and women riding the subway in close quarters.  His response was that it is permitted to ride because most people don't find that to be a context that leads to hirhurei aveira (improper thoughts).  However, if you know for yourself that you are an exception, and it will result in hirhurei aveira, then it is prohibited for you.

This teaches us that there are certain rules in the realm of tzniut and arayot that are subjective (they are prohibited because they lead to hirhurei aveira), and others that are prohibited simply because objectively, they are articulated by Chazal as erva.  Most laws of tzniut will fall into both categories, and therefore we are required to honor both the letter and spirit of the law - see Rabbi Student's example of the anatomically correct body suit, or clothing that covers everything but is too tight.  While it may fulfill the letter of the law by covering everything that needs to be covered, it fails the halachik test because it actually causes the type of reaction that the entire tzniut system is looking to avoid.

Hair is not subjectively erva - it doesn't usually lead to hirhurei aveira; the biggest proof is that non-married women don't cover it.  It is difficult to believe that the exact same hair that a week ago was innocuous magically becomes alluring.  Therefore, married women need to cover their hair because they do - because it's in the list that Chazal drew up about what needs to be covered.  If so then it is the letter of the law and not it's spirit (there is no spirit) that needs to be followed, so a sheitel - even of her own cut hair, even if it looks better than her own hair - fulfills that requirement.

I wonder if similar reasoning can be (has been?) used to defend those who are lenient about kol isha when it is not heard live.

What do you think?

Trouble is as Trouble Does--A Response to Rabbi Besser

Thank you, Rabbi Besser for reading my posts and taking the time to respond. Thank you also for giving me the opportunity to clarify my own thoughts.

"Judgement is mine, saith the Lord." I think that this is from the New Testament, but since the New is heavily based on the Old, and since the quote applies, I will use it. I feel that it is so easy for us to make judgments and pronouncements. Doing so gives us a sense of control, of power and of right-ness. Doubt, uncertainty and vulnerability all make us very very uncomfortable. So if we can make ourselves feel better by deciding that something is definitively "ratzon Hashem" or certain punishment or obvious reward for a specific act or actions, then that gives us a sense of meaning and control that we very much need. On the other hand, the danger of these pronouncements is in the very sense of right-ness that they give us. It creates a zero-sum situation in which there is a "right" and a "wrong" answer, where "right" becomes the same as "true" and "good" and "wrong", therefore, "false. These judgments leads to unnecessary divisions, pain and, in the worst case, war.

I am not saying that we should never make judgment calls. By accepting the Torah and the mitzvot, we accept that there are things that are "right" and things that are "wrong". Those are the things that Hashem, our Chazal and all of the brilliant, dedicated halachisists have determined over the centuries. And when there are areas of "grey", we go back to "v'asita hatov v'hayashar"--we behave morally, ethically, and properly.

Reading "Acts of God" as punishment (or reward) leads us to humility. PRONOUNCING such acts as definitive "punishments" or "rewards" leads us down a very dangerous path to the arrogance that the Rambam proclaims is the one unacceptable trait, the trait that we must eliminate. When bad things happen--to us, to others--I think that these things SHOULD cause us to reflect, to be humbled, to feel vulnerable and profoundly uncomfortable. When good things happen, we should take the opportunity to graciously acknowledge and accept an potential bracha. But to assume the we know what Hashem intends with each act? To me, that is the ultimate arrogance. Maybe Katrina/the tsunami in Indonesia/the earthquake in New Zealand/the tornadoes in the Midwest were all punishments from Hashem. But I would never presume to know and those who do frighten me terribly. What I do think, is that these events should cause each of us to think about who we are, why we're here and what the "right" thing is to do. If we all do that, then we can be more evolved people.

Hashem Elokim is the Judge. We are the servants. As Hashem said to Iyov--"Were you there when I created the Universe?" I feel that I can only look, guess and proceed with doing the best that I can.

איזהו עשיר...

My wife sent me an interesting article on a study exploring the connection between wealth and happiness called "Don’t Envy the Super-Rich, They Are Miserable". 

A Trouble-Maker Question for Mrs. Herzog

Based on your last two posts, are we to conclude that Hashem is still communicating with us, but only with warm and fuzzy messages?  In other words, the message of Purim is to find Hashem where he isn't evident, but we are not to find Him in seemingly easy places to find him - phenomena commonly referred to as "Acts of God"?  I'm being flip, and I know this is a hard question, and honestly I pretty much agree with you on both posts, but I think this is a point we need to address.

משנכנס אדר...

Turns out, the happiest person in America is a kosher-keeping Jew.  Less surprising, he lives in Hawaii.

Please Remember the Point of Purim

No, this isn't about drinking, so you can keep reading for a little bit.

It's a wonderful time of the year on both the solar and lunar calendars. February is over, the winter is slowly losing its grip and pretty soon the crocuses will pop up as the first harbingers of spring flowers. Adar is here and we are urged to be "marbim b'simcha", with which we enthusiastically comply. As I looked around the Beit Knesset this morning, I really enjoyed the wonderful array of color, creativity and awesome get-ups.

What is important to remember though, is why we dress up and why we are so joyous. 2.500 years ago, we averted a Holocaust. We averted it because one person was in the "right place at the right time" and that person used her position and her power for the good of her people. She literally put her life at risk, she used the influence she had never sought, and drew upon both her own intelligence and the strength of her community's tefillot and teshuva to help her arrive at an incredibly happy ending. The reason for the "ora, simcha, sasson v'ikar" are clear: we faced the firing squad, and not only received clemency, but vindication and honor.

So why the costumes? So that we don't forget. Huh? Isn't the whole point of dressing up to disguise who we are? Aren't we supposed to not recognize the other person? Correct. The lack of clarity that exists on Purim is a reflection of the world in which we live. We think we know what's happening. We think we understand. We THINK we have total control over our lives and our destiny and how we present ourselves to the world. What the costumes are supposed to remind us is that this perception is as deceptive as a mask. Yes, we have a great deal of control and we have been blessed with b'chira chofsheet. As a matter of fact, we probably have a lot more control than we want to take responsibility for. Ultimately, however, as a nation (and therefore, as individuals) we are in the hands of the Adon Olam. He seems hidden to us--behind a mask or a veil--and we often try to hide ourselves from Him(or Her.) But if we look closely enough, we can perceive a little of the majesty of Hashem in our lives. Whether it is Paras in the 6th century BCE or Israel in 1948, 1967, 1991 or today, Hashem's presence is less hidden than we think. All you have to do is look behind the veil and under the mask, and what seems so hidden becomes as clear as the Megillah before us.

Happy dress up and Happy Adar!

An Post from Talia Stern

     I feel that I have the privilege--and responsibility--to share with you something touching and inspirational.

Five months ago, one of our shul member, Taly Cohen, died at the age of 36 from a long battle with cancer, and left behind a husband and two young sons, ages 10 and 8. She was known for her wonderful middot and her infectious love of life. I had Taly’s younger son as a camper five years ago, and she was always careful to thank me each time she saw me. She was a truly beautiful person-both inside and out-and she is sorely missed by all. 

This morning, I attended a Hatchalat Sefer Torah for a Sefer Torah that is being written in Taly’s memory. Our community, along with Taly’s friends and family, is contributing to writing a new Sefer Torah that is to be completed by her first yartzhiet in October. The program this morning was the beginning of the process of writing the Sefer Torah, during which rabbis, friends, Taly’s father and brother, and the sofer himself gave Divrei Torah and spoke wonderfully about Taly. It was simultaneously extremely difficult and incredibly uplifting. 

For me, the most moving part of the program was toward the very end. The sofer invited Taly’s husband and sons up to help him write the first pasuk of the Sefer Torah, “Bereishit Bara Elokim Et HaShamayim V’et HaAretz”, “In the beginning Hashem created the Heaven and the Earth.” Together, Taly’s family and the sofer etched out the few first words that will soon become a full Sefer Torah, which we will so much treasure. 

The image of the small hands of Taly’s young sons, along with their father’s, wrapped around the sofer’s hand and quill was one I will not soon forget. There was not a dry eye as the sofer lead us in “Etz Chayim Hi”, the traditional tefillah said as a Torah is being placed back into the Aron. Together, the entire room sang out to G-d as a new beginning-both literally and figuratively-was created.

Taly, in her short life, has left an astounding legacy. She has two beautiful sons that will, please G-d, grow up and continue to live the life she had taught them to live. She has family and friends who have been touched by her life and will forever live L’illuy Nishmata. And now, G-d willing, this Sefer Torah will be written, and used for generations to come. 

Thank You, G-d, for making me a part of the Jewish community that values life, and the perpetuation of values and legacy.

I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords

So much to respond to here on the blog lately.  I used to be a big Jeopardy fan, but haven't seen it in quite a while.  So I still haven't seen the famous Watson games, though I have read a bit about them.  Maybe if I had seen them in person would have been more troubled, as Mrs. Herzog was, but I am really not troubled by it at all.  While it is of course true that Watson has no soul, and I can imagine a "Brave New World" scenario that would be problematic.  For example, in a class discussion, Chana Garbow mentioned an article that she read in Time magazine that predicted that within a generation or two the capabilities of robots would continue advancing exponentially, to the point where they could make other robots and cut humans out of the process. (Honestly, I haven't read it, but the theory as I heard it sounds fishy - because the high speed of the automobile increased at a certain rate from the early 20th century for many years, didn't mean that by now we would have cars going thousands of MPH - technology progresses until it hits a wall beyond which it can't advance and then it move outward instead of upward.)

That's not what's happening here.  They aren't claiming that these robots can serve on a jury or be a friend, psychologist, Rabbi or quarterback .  They're saying it can excel at Jeopardy; it can gather and sort through many bits of information faster than humans.  This is news?  That's what computers do.  People don't succeed on Jeopardy because of their soul (except maybe the small talk with Alex after the first commercial - they still do that, right?), they win because they are better than the competing humans at performing in a computer-like fashion.

What do you think?

Rabbi Fohrman's Book

I have started the book, and love it so far.  I have run into students who are further ahead than I am who are really enjoying it too.  After an introduction that raises one of my favorite points about learning Tanach (what he referred to here in his Yonah shiur as the Lullaby theory) he opens with the question that bothers me each year: Why is the Megilla so long?  It seems to go on about 3 perakim longer than it should - after what seems like the dramatic conclusion when Haman is executed.  His interim questions are also peshat based - always asking the question, why did s/he do that?  I'm looking forward to the answers.

On Hihurim, my 2nd favorite Torah blog, they quote an excerpt from the middle of the sefer.  I actually don't find this passage as compelling as the part that I read, but I guess it was somewhat self-contained.  Check it out.  If you ordered a book & haven't picked it up, please stop by my office.  and those of you who are reading, please send in your thoughts & insights either in the comments or to questions@maayanot.com.  Happy reading.