Divrei Chizuk from Tali Spier

Yesterday, Thursday October 6^th, I had an extremely unique experience while davening Mincha. I chose to stand near the wall in my classroom to daven shmonah esreh and as I began to daven, I noticed something that transformed my shmonah esreh and led to me to really think about the next few days coming ahead of us. I was standing right next to the clock on the wall, and if you stand close enough, the ticking on those Staples clocks are extremely loud. When I say loud, I mean that every single time a second passes, you are starkly reminded of the fact that another second has passed.

Davening shmonah esreh next to this clock was eye opening. Here I was, on erev erev yom kippur, starting to say shmonah esreh like I would every other day. I had the intent of trying to add a little more kavanah because it’s the aseret yemei teshuva and trying to look out for the 5 things that I needed to add, but overall it would be the same.

And then I noticed the clock, after all it was beating harshly in my head; there was no way I could ignore it.

Tic toc. Tic toc. Tic toc. Tic toc. 

TIC  Hashiveinu avinu letoratecha TOC.

TIC Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah TOC.

TIC Slach lanu avinu ki chatanu TOC.

TIC Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned TOC.

TIC Re’ah nah beanyeinu TOC.

TIC Behold our affliction, take up our grievance TOC.

TIC vegoaleinu mehira lemaan shemecha TOC.

TIC Redeem us speedily for your name’s sake TOC.

TIC Refaeinu Hashem veneirafe TOC.

TIC Heal us, Hashem- then we will be healed TOC.

TIC Barech aleinu Hashem Elokeinu TOC.

TIC Bless on our behalf- O Hashem, our G-d TOC.

TIC Teka beshofar gadol lecheiruteinu TOC.

TIC Sound the great shofar for our freedom TOC.

TIC Viliyerushalayim ircha berachamim tashuv TOC.

TIC To Jerusalem, Your city, may You return in compassion TOC.

TIC Shema Koleinu Hashem Elokeinu TOC.

TIC Hear our voice, Hashem our G-d TOC.

Tic toc. Tic toc. Tic toc. Tic toc.  YOM KIPPUR IS COMING- how are we spending these precious moments leading up to the Yom Hadin?

Time is passing, are we preparing?

Time is running out and its time for us to take action.

It is time for us to beg out to Hashem.

Time is passing.

Hashem, bring us back, allow us to do teshuva.

Hashem, forgive us because we know that we have sinned.

Hashem, please bring mashiach; we need redemption.

Hashem, bring us back to Yerushalayim.

Hashem, heal all those who are sick.

Hashem, bless us with a good and sweet new year.

Hashem, please hear our begging.

We are reliant on You and we need YOUR help.

Let's all use our TIME wisely so that Mashiach can really come this year! 

May this Yom Kippur be meaningful for all of us and may Hashem fully forgive us all.

May all of our tefilos be answered l’tova.

Gmar Chasima Tova,

Tali Spier 

A Great Speech

Especially in light of our recent "Turn it Off Tuesday", here is a wonderful drasha that Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner, a rabbi in Toronto (who writes at the blog "the Rebbetzin's Husband") gave on Rosh Hashana.  You should read the whole thing, but I'll quote some of my favorite passages:

• "When I stand in Shemoneh Esreih, I count birds," said one.
  "I count the bricks in the wall!" said another
  "I'm grateful for my head, because when I arrive at Modim it bows on its own", even if I'm not thinking about the words! said a third.
  No, these weren't answers to a shul poll – all of these lines came from amoraim, sages of the gemara, in a Yerushalmi.
  Some chachamim have offered alternative, less indicting ways to read this gemara, but as Tosafos said, the bottom line is that even our greatest sages had trouble concentrating.
• Do you know that voice someone gets when he's talking to you but he's also scrolling through his email? The longer-than-expected pauses, the repeating of the last words you said while his conscious mind catches up with his subconscious? It's not just when we're checking email, either; we hold too many goals in our minds.
•  And here's an experiment which may sound a little odd, but it has worked for me: During davening on a weekday, or during telephone calls, or while learning with a chavrusa, keep a piece of paper and pencil nearby. As extraneous topics come to mind, jot them down - not during Shemoneh Esreih, of course. This will tell us what is occupying our minds.
• A message we write to ourselves in our siddur, "Are you still focussed?" or "This part is important." I write all over my siddur.

גמר חתימה טובה.

In Tribute to Steve Jobs - A Reflection for the New Year and Yom Kippur

Here are some inspiring words from Michal & Adina's Dad - I think you will enjoy them.
Building a Better Apple
I know you might not think of your iPhone or iPad as holy, but perhaps we can become better people by reflecting on their creation.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s former CEO failed better than anyone else in
Silicon Valley and perhaps in corporate America. Like most great entrepreneurs, he learned from his failures.

We think of Jobs as the genius who created iTunes, iPhone and Mac books, but think about what else he did. First, though, he designed Apple I and Apple II, which originally only sold in the hundreds. He introduced Lisa, a computer in the early 1980′s, which was deemed an epic failure.

Job’s future success was built on his ability to transcend one failure after another. Steve Jobs reminds us that failure is a good and necessary part of growth.

What were our “failures” from last year? Are we afraid to take risks for fear of failure?

Take a few minutes today to record three challenging experiences from this past year. Reflect on their meaning for your future. How can we build from them?

At the beginning of the Jewish New Year, we dipped apples into honey. Perhaps Steve Jobs gives new meaning to this custom.  The tradition reminds us that sometimes the greatest glories are born of catastrophe and, like Jobs, we can turn our Apples into sweetness for the coming year.

May G-d grant the Jobs family comfort and may Steve Jobs memory be a source of blessing and inspiration in the new year.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen

From the Archives - Yom Kippur

Here's some old material from previous Teshuva seasons:

• From me in 2009 - I hope you all saw the inaugural edition of this year's Maayanei Torah, under the new leadership of Mrs. Shapiro and Talia Friedman. It was a great issue, highlighted by two consecutive essays about the connection between Purim and Yom Kippur (Yom kiPurim). Some other answers that I like are the following: Generally, Jewish holidays are split between Torah and prayer on one hand, and festive celebration, expressed by eating and drinking on the other. Purim and Yom Kippur split the two days, where we have Taanit Esther preceding Purim, and a mitzva to eat on erevYom Kippur. My favorite approach is that just as on Purim we where masks & costumes to symbolize that our bodies are also fake coverings that mask our true selves, our souls. That is why we (not you!) drink, because the wine reveals the true individual (נכנס יין יצא סוד). So too on YomKippur, we dress and act like angels, but our message to Hashem is that today is not the day of charades - this is the true us. Really, at our core, we are pure (אלקי נשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא). It is the rest of the year that we masquerade as sinners due to the difficulties that we encounter revealing this true self, but our essence is the Yom Kippur version.
• This is from 2010, though the question just came up again in one of my 11th grade Gemara classes -  

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.

• And note that this just happened again this year:  

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.

We want Mashiach...now?

A student wrote:
When I was in Israel this past summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about kibbutz galuyot and the days of Mashiach. However, I cannot help but wonder: how can we truly want and yearn for Mashiach when we have so many other things that we are busy with and things we look forward to? For instance, do we really want Mashiach to come when a sibling is getting married in a month? Or, on a lighter note, when the baseball playoff races are just heating up? Can we want Mashiach to come, but only at a convenient time when we don't have anything planned? My main question is: while we are all learning Torah and the ideal is to do this in Israel in the times of Mashiach, what will happen to all of what we have prepared and look forward to in this world?

This is a question which used to bother me a great deal. Is Mashiach going to come right after I graduate college, just at the right time for me to join all of klal yisrael on the eagle's wings on the date that I had planned to fly with Nefesh b'Nefesh? And, on the flipside, what if it doesn't? If it comes earlier, will I ever go to college? And if it comes later...?

The question has a basic assumption which is important to point out and break down: what is actually going to happen when Mashiach comes? What's that time period going to be like? How do we know?

The navi talks about the time that the wolf and the sheep will get along and play with each other, and that has become the most brilliant example of the peace which yemot hamashiach will bring about. But...what does that mean? Does it mean all nations will be at peace with each other? I hope so. Does it also mean the food chain stop and we'll all be vegetarians? Maybe. Does it mean every day will have perfect weather and we'll never need raincoats and umbrellas and somehow at the same time crops will grow beautiful produce? I don't see how that could be...

The Rambam doesn't like the idea of everything natural being suspended. He interprets the psukim in the navi which seem to indicate that as being allegorical. World peace between nations, yes. Peace between the wolves and the sheep? No.

What do you think about the Rambam's understanding, anonymous asker?
Do you agree with the Rambam's understanding?
In your view, will there be a playoff season?

Great Minds...

After Rabbi Schacter's talk last week, Ayala Carl and I had a conversation in which she advanced the theory that Avraham had failed the nisayon of the akeida, in that he should have refused to slaughter Yitzchak.  I responded that while I don't find it convincing (difficult from both a peshat and hashkafa perspective), I recalled that a prominent Rabbi had made the argument and that she was in good company.

In responding to Mrs. Herzog's question I (re)discovered that Rabbi Shlomo Riskin was the one who argued that Avraham failed, and Rabbi Mayer was also unconvinced (see below).

So what do you think?  Did Avraham pass the ultimate (or penultimate) test?  Do you agree with me & Rabbi Mayer or Rabbi Riskin and Ayala?

A Time to Fight, A Time to Slaughter Your Son

I don't want to short circuit the conversation that Mrs.Herzog began, but I have to share with you all an answer to her last question that I found very satisfying.  It comes from Rabbi Eytan Mayer (Midreshet Moriah) and can be found here.  I'll quote the last paragraphs below, but you should read the whole essay.  In fact, skim through the archives - it's outstanding.

"Avraham didn’t have a good answer to what had happened to the promise that Yitzhak would succeed him. He pit his knowledge of Hashem’s promises about Yitzhak against the command to kill him—and decided it was none of his business what would happen with the promises. Once it was clear to him that Hashem did not want him to protest, that He did not want a debate as He did in the case of Sedom, he accepted the command without further explanation.

But how did Avraham know Hashem didn’t want him to protest? Maybe Avraham really failed the test—perhaps the real test was whether he would blindly commit an immoral act, failing the test by sacrificing his son, or stand his moral ground and pass the test by refusing to murder Yitzhak! (Rabbi Shlomo Riskin has suggested this a number of times.)

In order to understand how Avraham knew not to debate with Hashem about killing his son, we must take a step back to Sedom. How did Avraham know that in that case, he was indeed expected to protest, bargaining for the salvation of the damned cities? Avraham took his cue from the relevance—or lack thereof—of Hashem’s revelation. Hashem appears to Avraham one day and says, “Guess what, Avraham, I’ve decided to do away with Sedom.” Avraham says to himself, “Why is He telling me this?” and immediately realizes that since there is no particular reason for Hashem to have told him of Sedom’s fate Hashem is hinting to him that He wants Avraham to engage Him in debate. He wants Avraham to challenge Him.

In the same way, later on in the Torah, we find that Moshe often challenges Hashem: Hashem, infuriated by some Israelite act of disobedience or outright rebellion, turns to Moshe on several occasions and says, “Stand aside and let Me blast them to smithereens!” This is Moshe’s cue to stand directly in the way at all costs and prevent Hashem from destroying the people. Moshe asks himself the same question Avraham asks himself: “Why does He need to tell *me* this?” He concludes that Hashem does not really need him to stand aside in order to pulverize the people; he understands that what Hashem is hinting is that He wants him to intercede, to beg for mercy, to resist the decree.

When Hashem commands Avraham to kill his son, however, Avraham has no choice but to take Hashem’s words at face value, since he cannot ask himself, “Why is Hashem telling me this”—for the answer is obvious: Hashem is telling him to offer his son because He wants Avraham to do it. [This is a very subtle point, so if you’d like to discuss it drop me a line!] If Hashem seems to be telling you something for no reason, or asking you to do something for Him which is transparently unnecessary (like moving out of the way so He can punish Bnei Yisrael, when it’s clear He can punish them without your moving at all), you know He’s hinting something else. But when He delivers a simple command to be obeyed, like a request for a particular sacrifice, the command must be understood and obeyed as voiced.

The lessons of the Akeida are difficult lessons to learn. Some Jews have a very strong to Hashem, sometimes to the detriment of a strong commitment to other people; they learned the lessons of the Akeida perhaps a bit too well. But others still need to learn the lessons of the Akeida, lessons of absolute commitment to Hashem. A Jew is not only a moral interpersonal agent, he or she is a being dedicated first to the service of Hashem."

Questions for Thought and Study for Rosh Hashana

IThe kriah of the second day of Rosh Hashana is the well-known story of Akeidat Yitzchak. The section begins with the words "Vayehi achar hadevarim ha-eileh, v'ha'Elokim nissah et Avraham."
It is interesting that Elokim is the middah (attribute) that does this. This is the name that is connected to Din, judgement. Does that mean that Avraham "deserved" this in some way? Was this a consequence of something? Elokim is also the name that is associated with nature and natural consequences. So does this mean that it was a natural event to be asked to sacrifice your child? What could be more UNnatural?
And what is the real meaning of "nissah"? A "neis" is a miracle or a banner. Was Hashem asking Avraham to do something beyond nature? And if so, how could Hashem ask that of Avraham? And why was Avraham being "tested" at all? Hadn't he already proven, time after time after time, that He was Hashem's loyal servant?
The question that always bother ME the most in the whole Akeidah account is: Why does Avraham just acquiesce? Why does he argue--for quite a while, until there is nothing left to say--for S'dom and Amorah, cities filled with evil, corruption and immorality, but he doesn't say one work to argue for the life of Yitzchak? How can he believe this n'vuah and not say one word? This command goes against everything that Avraham knows about HKBH at this point in his life.
Wishing everyone a K'tivah va'Chatimah Tovah. May Hashem bless us all with a year filled with health, joy, and peace.

Mrs. Leah Herzog

The Psychology of Teshuva

Last Tuesday many of us gathered during lunch for a special edition of the Parsha Club to hear Dr.s Yaish & Cohen discuss this fascinating topic with Mrs. Sinensky moderating the conversation.  I thought it was amazing, and from the feedback I've gotten from the students, I wasn't the only one.  A number of students who had conflicts during lunch expressed disappointment that they missed it, so Torah Committee cabinet member Chavie Cohen agreed to take notes, which I will post below, along with her article for the Stream.

As I said this morning after tefilla, the message that I got most clearly from the session, is that effective teshuva can't just be showing up, saying I'm sorry and I'll never do it again.  It's a process and it requires a plan, a strategy to make sure you don't end up in the exact same place 12 months later.


The Stream:
Parsha Club drew a capacity crowd of nearly fifty students during lunch
on Tuesday, September 20. This week's Parsha Club was unique because
Mrs. Tova Sinensky, Talmud Chair, moderated a "Q and A session" and
discussion between Drs. Oshra Cohen and Rayzel Yaish, both of our
Guidance Department, about "The Psychology of Teshuva." Some of the
thought-provoking questions which were raised included, "Can people
really change?" and "How can we view the concept of teshuva between
man and God through the lens of psychology?" and "Can cognitive behavior
therapy be applied to teshuva?"
Dr. Cohen said that, when doing teshuva, people need to set small, measurable
goals. According to a recent study, she added, it takes an average
of ten times until a person finally succeeds in breaking a bad habit. Dr.
Yaish quoted Rabbi Tzvi Blanchard, father of Elana Blanchard '11, who
said that the reason teshuva seems vague is because it is not "one size
fits all," but rather it is a very individual process. The program was organized
by Mrs. Sinensky and Rabbi Donny Besser.

Chavie's Shorthand Notes (I wish we would have recorded it)

·        Is Teshuva limited?

o       Dr. Yaish- There are some qualities that are difficult to change but you must try.

o       Dr. Cohen- Sometimes it’s hard to fully do Teshuva but you have to give it your all.  Even trying is success.

·        What are some methods for doing teshuva?

o       Dr. Yaish- Rabbi Blanchard (Elana & Tamar’s Dad) says that teshuva feels fluffy or unclear because teshuva is not a “one size fits all,” it’s very individualized, so you can’t give hard guidelines exactly how to do it.

·        How can you tell someone you forgive them when you really don’t?

o       Dr. Yaish- The Torah sometimes commands us to feel a certain way.  If Hashem is commanding us to feel a certain way then there has to be a way to reach those feelings and forgive.  If you don’t fully forgive someone then go talk to them and say why you are upset with them.  But, we have the power to get over what happened in the past.

o       Dr. Cohen- It is hard to forget but you should try to forgive and move on.

·        What’s a step for us to take in order to forgive?

o       Dr. Yaish- Teshuva is a process and it starts by forgiving yourself.

o       Dr. Cohen- It’s very hard to say “I did wrong” and it’s very easy to criticize others and point out of their problems.  The way to start is by saying “I did something wrong to you and I’m sorry, but you also did wrong to me.”

A Rabbinic Giant

Speaking of influencing people's behavior with love, there's a great article in Mishpacha magazine about Rabbi Yudin that I found really inspiring (the reporter is a second cousin).  I know a bunch of you daven in his shul, and I think this really captures some of his incredible strength as a leader, though my understanding is that he does a lot behind the scenes that the article doesn't even scratch the surface of.

There's No I in Jew, (But There's More Than One in Bnai Yisrael)

I think that the tension that Mrs. Schapiro describes is very real, especially in the world of Modern Orthodoxy.  Mussar does not come naturally to most of us, and yet there is a mitzvat aseh of הוכיח תוכיח את עמיתיך - we're obligated to tell the people that we see doing wrong that they are doing wrong.  We have joined the rest of the world living by the mantra "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" - that unless we're perfect it's hypocritical to rebuke someone else.  But we've forgotten that that expression comes from the New Testament.

It's true that Chazal teach "אל תדין את חברך עד שתגיע למקומו" and that there is an exception to the obligation to give mussar, if we think that it won't work.  We use these sources to justify our silence, assuming that others would be put off and offended if we said anything, but isn't that because of the culture that we helped create where rebuking is taboo?  Ask most unaffiliated Jews which type of Orthodox Jew is their favorite, and they will often say Chabad.  There is a way to give תוכחה, out of love and caring, that isn't condescending or offensive.  We just have to work to find it.

Parsha Questions - Nitzavim-Vayelech

Parashat Nitzavim is the source of the concept kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba-zeh, all Jews are responsible for one another. Devarim 29:28, after the restatement and renewal of the brit between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael, declares: “The secret things belong to Hashem our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” If a person sins in secret, the community cannot be expected to react, but if a person sins in public, the community is held liable. American culture, on the other hand, emphasizes the idea of “rugged individualism” – going one’s own way and carving one’s own destiny. We have no doubt absorbed some of American individualism, and I wonder: is individualism compatible with Torah ideals? Is there room for individualism within a community that has, as a whole, made a brit with Hashem? How comfortable are we with being responsible for the observance of our fellow Jews? How do we manifest that responsibility?

Parashat Nitzavim is always read around the time of Rosh HaShanah because of perek 30, which contains the promise/commandment “you shall return to Hashem, your God” (pasuk 2). The next pesukim continue “God will return your captivity…God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your children to love God…” I find the imagery of God returning us, and drawing closer to Him, and helping us do teshuvah, beautiful and moving. It implies that when we reach out to Hashem, He will help us return, and He is always waiting for us with open arms. Pesukim 11-14 reassure us that teshuvah (or Torah as a whole) is “not in heaven, not beyond the sea”; rather it is “very close to us.” Hashem makes it seem so easy to do teshuvah, but in my experience it is quite difficult. Why do you think the pesukim make teshuvah sound so easy?

Frum Week

Check out this article by a Yale student who is a Reform Jew, who decided to experiment with observance by trying to keep every mitzva she could for a week.  It's an incredible perspective on our daily lives.  It makes me wonder if I should try a Frum week of my own, where I do all the things I normally do but try to see them through her eyes.  No matter where she goes from here, yasher koach Emily Langowitz.

An Alarming Elul Story

Maayanot Alum Michelle Zivari submits the following inspiring story:


Hello Why-aanot blogosphere!

My cousin told a story at his shevah brachot that is relevant for Chodesh Elul and I thought I should share.

In his Yeshiva ,for some reason that I am unaware of, it is very common for the fire alarm to go off.  One Friday night, when everybody was in bed,  the fire alarm went off. Some bochrim  went down to the lobby to wait until they were cleared to re-enter the building and some bochrim were tired and just stayed in bed. My cousin was in the latter group, he was tired so he decided to sit in bed and wait for the alarm to be turned off. The firefighters arrived at the building and started going room to room to see if there was a fire. When a firefightered entered my cousin's room he saw my cousin and was shocked. He looked him in the eye and said," Are you kidding me? There could have been a fire!".
My cousin was very shaken up by that experience and didn't know what to make of it. In the spirit of growing from life experiences he thought about what he could learn from teh exchange . Finally he came to the realization that this encounter could teach him something about valuable about chodesh Elul.

Chodesh Elul is like a fire alarm. Every year it comes around warning you to save yourself, to do teshuvah. We have the tendency to treat it like a fire alarm, we know there is  a possibility of danger but we don't believe there is  a fire. We have to try reprogram ourselves to realize the urgency of chodesh Elul and not wait for it to pass us by.

God and Tragedy

Following this thread of discussion reminds me of how inspired I was after reading the Rav's exploration of responses to personal tragedy (using Iyov as an example) in Kol Dodi Dofek. The message I got from his writing is that there is an important line between attributing tragedy to one's sins and using tragedy as a personal, "teachable moment" of inspiration to look for ways to improve one's self. For all the reasons others have mentioned in this thread, and most importantly because I consider it hubris to draw conclusions (in a post-nevu'a world) about where and how God casts blame and retribution, I recoil from the idea of looking for individual or societal transgressions as motivations for God's allowing tragedies to occur. But I have found great personal comfort and benefit in looking for ways to improve myself as a way to work through (or around) the awful feelings surrounding personal trauma, and I think it could be equally beneficial in the case of collective tragedy.

Dare to Disconnect!

The rabbi of my shul, Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger, spoke this past Shabbos about the constant distraction that phones, texting and internet create in our lives, and how they interfere with the attention we give to relationships we have with family and friends.

After Shabbos he sent out an email with a link to this great video clip. Watch it, and dare to disconnect!

Another Response

I wanted to respond to a few points made in Rabbi Besser's post. While I agree with Rabbi Besser's message that it is an important value to reflect on world catastrophes that happen and not leave those experiences unchanged as a person, I do however disagree with a couple of points. Firstly, I think it's important to note that the specific Jewish and non Jewish theologians who make comments attributing tragedies to sins are usually only a few extremists who are not taken seriously at all by the mainstream. I am reminded of a great quote by Rav Lichtenstein who states, "I don't have G-d's phone number, the way some others seem to have" (see an interesting article on that topic here). Most respected religious leaders would never make such comments and therefore I don't think the comments of a few extremists warrant an argument deserving of consideration. Secondly, I don't know if a secular country passing a law which grants rights to minorities can even be part of discussion of Divine punishment.

I think the message to take from the tochecha is that even though we no longer live in a world of nevua where we can make direct correlations from world tragedies to our own actions, we should always strive to be reflective about experiences that we go through, asking ourselves what message we can take from them in order to become better people, instead of directing blame outwardly onto others. For example, the lesson I took from all the worry over what the hurricane would do to NYC, was that we shouldn't take our homes and safety for granted, something that we often do living in the luxury of the United States, and that we should appreciate what we have, knowing that it can be taken away from us at any moment.

Response to Parsha Questions

Just a few thoughts in response to Rabbi Besser's post. 

First, I think there is a difference between attributing disasters to particular causes, and taking meaning from disasters.  In other words, I can’t presume to know why Irene happened, or why so many people have to suffer, but I can internalize from that that ultimately my life is in God’s hands.  I can’t presume to understand the Holocaust, but I can learn humility in the face of God’s master plan.

Furthermore, I think it is dangerous to try to attribute disasters to a particular cause.  Without direct communication with neviim, we can’t ever really know what God agrees or disagrees with, and we certainly can’t judge when something is bad enough to cause suffering on a grand scale  Trying to make those calls undermines the humility we should be striving for.  

Also, I think questioning God is part of the religious growth process, which we can learn from Iyov, who was a faultless person who lost everything he had, including his family.  Iyov is not faulted for raging against God; on the contrary, those in the book who claim that his losses must be due to sins are silenced.  All Iyov is asked to do is understand that he can’t really understand why God does what He does.  I think that’s all that’s asked of us. 

An Anonymous Student Responds

In response to what Rabbi Besser said about natural and man made disasters being punishments for our bad behavior, while I somewhat agree that sometimes, the reason bad things happen is to tell us that we're doing something wrong, is that really fair to everyone, both Jews and Non Jews, to punish us so harshly? Coincidentally, today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. If people try to give a reason for 9/11, or Chas V'Shalom, JUSTIFY it, by saying, "Well, Hashem must be trying to tell us something. Let's learn from this punishment and move on and try to be better Jews as a result of it.", did all of those people, whether Jewish or not, really deserve to die, and have their family and friends go through such trauma, just so Hashem could show us that we aren't living up to our potential? The same goes for the Holocaust. Did 6 million Jews really have to die for this point to be made? If these man made disasters really are punishments and we're supposed to learn from them, doesn't the fact that they are so harsh and traumatic make people want to further themselves from being the best Jew they can be? I know that many people didn't want to be religious after the Holocaust because they believed that "Hashem should've helped us". I know that this is an extremely hard question to answer, and of course, we have no control, and we should obviously have as much emunah in Hashem as possible, but sometimes, I can't help but be bothered by this notion that people should lose their lives so that we can possibly take a lesson from it.

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.