Netanyahu

[02.02.2009] The Conservative Netanyahu Benefiting Most From the Internet REPORT FROM JERUSALEM   While the Left seems to thrive on the internet in American politics in Israel Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is clearly making the most productive use of the internet. Today, Israel's largest newspaper (generally unfriendly to Right wing candidates) published an article on how Netanyahu is bypassing the generally Left oriented mainstream press by issuing daily videos on You Tube. In the article one politician says that while Netanyahu is using the new media his main rival Tzipi Livni is running around from television studio to television studio. This race looks like a reverse of the recent election in the United States. In this case Livni is McCain and Netanyahu is Obama: A case of ideological role reversal. Meanwhile, the polls are showing a steady lead for Likud, a falling Kadima, a surging of a minor party, and an uncertain outcome for the Labor Party. One thing is clear the Right will replace the Left in the next government. Polls show Israelis are tired of their government treating terrorists with kid gloves. One thing is quite clear, the Right will replace the Left in the next government. Despite the polls, there are spirited campaigns taking place. Over 40 parties are on the ballot. On the Left, Labor leader Barak today criticized Netanyahu for being too much of a capitalist. In other words he wants voters to believe that Netanyahu is responsible for the world-wide economic downturn. Meanwhile Livni has launched a campaign that declares that Israel needs a woman to secure the country. This is an attempt to overcome the widespread feeling among voters that Livni is not up to the job of securing the nation. She first tried to overcome this problem by making outlandish claims about how she won the war in Gaza. No one believed her farfetched claims. Today, on another front two more Right wing parties are trying to convince voters that they are stronger on the Arab issue than anyone else. This is because a party headed by Avigdor Leiberman which has been sharply critical of Arabs appears to be doing quite well. Will all this activity make a difference? We shall see. The election is next week February 10.

Obviously False

Rabbi Daniel Travis

 

Obviously False 

 

Perhaps my father will touch me.... (Bereshith 27:12) 

It seems logical that Yaakov would not have wanted his father to touch him and so to discover his true identity, but the words of the verse do not support this supposition. If Yaakov did not wish to be caught lying, he should have used the word "pen" meaning lest [my father will touch me]. In Hebrew, the word "ulai" (perhaps) implies a desire for the result to happen, showing that Yaakov in fact wanted his father to touch him.1 

Yaakov was in fact hoping that his father would catch him in his attemptted deception. Although he felt compelled to do as his mother Rivka had told him, Yaakov acted in opposition to his own will; his love for truth was so strong that this act of deceit was utterly distasteful to him. He reasoned that if Yitzchak knew from the start that Yaakov's behavior was all a ruse, there would be no real falsehood involved. Yaakov actually wanted to be caught lying immediately, so that anything he might say would not be halachically considered a "lie."2 

In contrast, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates wished to ban all playwrights and poets from Greece since, he said, their works were filled with falsehood. While this may sound like a noble gesture, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Jewish perspective. Since everyone knows that fictional plays and poems are not true, and are never presented as truth, they are not considered to be falsehood. If such plays serve a constructive purpose, such as teaching proper values or making Jewish concepts more real, it is even praiseworthy to participate in them and to promote them. 

Although something that is obviously false does not fall into the category of sheker, if such an expression of untruth serves no constructive purpose, we should avoid it. The Elders of Athens once asked Rav Yehoshua ben Chanina to make a false statement, so he told them that a mule can give birth. Since they viewed truth telling merely as a necessity to preserve order in society they replied, "That's not a lie. Everyone knows that a mule can't bear offspring!" Rav Yehoshua's response to them was, "That is precisely what makes it a lie!" The Jewish view is that lying is not merely a breach of social etiquette; rather it is intrinsically bad.3 

Sometimes in friendly conversation we may wish to pass on some tall tale we have heard. This is not prohibited, but it is better to avoid doing so because of the element of falsehood in it.4 However, it is forbidden to relate such a tale in a way that implies that it is true, because in doing so one is deceiving the listener.5 

................................................................................................................................

1. See Rashi on Bereshith 24:39. 

2. Maharatz Chiyoth, Makoth 24a as cited in Titein Emeth L'Yaakov (Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky). 

3. Bechoroth 8b according to the explanation of Toldoth HaAdam 2:4. 

4. Sha'arei Teshuvah 3:181. 

5. Imre Baruch on the Turei Even Megilah 20.

Insights into life, ideas for personal growth

Rabbi Kalman Packouz

Insights into life, ideas for personal growth

GOOD MORNING! With heartfelt sorrow I inform you of the passing of Rabbi Noah Weinberg, founder and leader of Aish HaTorah. To many of my readers, particularly those who receive the fax edition of Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Weinberg and even Aish HaTorah, may be relatively unknown.

Rabbi Weinberg has been called the father of the modern Ba'al Teshuva Movement - the movement of return to Torah values and way of life. He founded 5 organizations including Ohr Somayach and Aish HaTorah. Aish has over 100,000 students in its classes in 30 branches on 5 continents. Over 2 million people visit aish.com each month and 240,000 are subscribed to our emails. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions have been directly or indirectly impacted by Reb Noah.

These words by my colleague at aish.com do much to share his essence: "Rabbi Weinberg was a Jewish leader and visionary par excellence. Every fiber of his being was animated by the reality of the Almighty and the truth of Torah. He lived with the awareness of God - His infinite love and awesomeness - and the power of Torah to instruct us on how to live a most meaningful life.

"Rabbi Weinberg passionately believed in the greatness of every human being, because God Himself testified to the inherent greatness in every human being. He exuded love and concern for every Jew, and was a beloved father to thousands.

"Rabbi Weinberg dedicated his life to bringing a renaissance within Jewish people, to reach out to every Jew and reconnect him to the depth and meaning of our heritage. The Jewish people are meant to be a light unto nations; Rabbi Weinberg undertook the task to galvanize the Jewish people and inspire us to live up to our mission and be a Kiddush HaShem - to sanctify God's Name in this world."

I was privileged to meet Reb Noah May 5, 1973. He was a man with a twinkle in his eye, love in his heart, humility - and a total commitment to the Almighty and the Jewish people. Reb Noah had unconditional love for every human being. He saw the Divine Spark and the greatness in each of us.

His genius was encouraging others to fulfill their potential and find their way to help the Jewish people. He was a one-man cheering squad of love and encouragement. In the 36 years I knew him, he only has positive uplifting words. He'd greet me with a huge smile, "My Kalman" or "Tachsheet" (My jewel) or "Neshamala" (my precious soul). Everyone felt they were his most beloved student, (though I knew the truth - it was really me).

Reb Noah had patience and sensitivity to others. One time I was meeting with him in his office. We were interrupted three times by three different excited student who wanted to share the good news - "Rebbie, did you hear that Shmuel is engaged?" And each time Reb Noah said, "Wow! That's wonderful. Thank you so much for telling me!" How many of us would be upset at the intrusion or say, "I already heard"?

Reb Noah had a great sense of humor and a long white beard. One time when he was walking across Grand Central Station, a little kid turned to his mother and said, "Look Mommy! Santa Claus." Reb Noah turned and smiled at the child and said, "Ho Ho Ho."

He never criticized or got angry. One of my colleagues once asked Reb Noah, "Don't you get impatient that I need to hear the same messages over and over?" Reb Noah laughed. "No! It's fun; it's like a video game; you keep trying and trying. You're great and I just need to figure out the trick to help you see that."

He gave insights and suggestions when asked. And he got results! His students have created either within Aish or on their own a worldwide movement of Jewish renewal. There are over 300 Jewish outreach organizations created by people inspired by him and encouraged by his showing that outreach can succeed.

Thank you is what you say to someone who holds the door open for you. What do you say to the person who has helped you find the purpose and meaning in your life? With every breath, with every effort, with every accomplishment - I know that it is because of you, Reb Noah - and my gratitude is eternal.

For more on "Remembering Rabbi Noah Weinberg" go to ShabbatShalomAudio.com!

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REMEMBERING RABBI NOAH WEINBERG

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Torah Portion of the Week
Yisro

This is the Torah portion containing the giving of the Ten Commandments. Did you know that there are differences in the Ten Commandments as stated here (Exodus 20:1 -14) and related later in Deuteronomy 5:6 - 18? (Suggestion: have your children find the differences as a game at the Shabbat table during dinner).

Moses' father-in-law, Jethro (Yitro or Yisro in the Hebrew) joins the Jewish people in the desert, advises Moses on the best way to serve and judge the people - by appointing a hierarchy of intermediaries - and then returns home to Midian. The Ten Commandments are given, the first two were heard directly from God by every Jew and then the people begged Moses to be their intermediary for the remaining eight because the experience was too intense.

The portion concludes with the Almighty telling Moses to instruct the Jewish people not to make any images of God. They were then commanded to make an earthen altar; and eventually to make a stone altar, but without the use of a sword or metal tool.

* * *

Dvar Torah
based on Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

The Torah states:

"And Moshe said to his father-in-law, the people come to me to seek the Almighty" (Exodus 18:15).

Moshe had arranged for the people to come to him when they had questions. The prophet Shmuel, on the other hand, went to the people to deal with their needs. What can we learn from Shmuel about coming close to the Almighty?

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz comments that one's closeness to the Almighty is dependent upon one's love for other people. Shmuel's going to the people showed that he had great love and concern for them.

Where did Shmuel get this great love other people? The Midrash says that the garment that his mother made for him when he was a child was with him his entire life. This garment, say Rabbi Shmuelevitz, was made with the profound love his mother had for him. This love became such a part of Shmuel that it manifested itself in his entire way of dealing with other people.

The love a mother shows her infants and young children by getting up in the middle of the night to take care of them implants in them a deep feeling of being loved. When such a child grows older he will have love for others. Any small thing a parent does with love for his children will pay off great dividends. The greater the child becomes the more many people will benefit from that love.

CANDLE LIGHTING - Febrary 13

Jerusalem 4:49
Guatemala 5:48 - Hong Kong 5:52 - Honolulu 6:01
J'Burg 6:34 - KOAH Porto 4:53 - Los Angeles 5:17
Melbourne 8:03 - Mexico City 6:17 - Miami 5:54
New York 5:10 - Singapore 7:03 - Toronto 5:26

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

You have to know what
you are living for...
or you're a walking tree.
-- Rabbi Noah Weinberg 

In Loving Memory of Rabbi Noah Weinberg Yisroel Noach ben Yitzchak Mattisiyahu beloved teacher, rebbie, friend

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Kalman Packouz

Parshas Beshalach

Hashem Tests Hearts

Sponsored by  Irving and Arline Katz  on the yahrzeits of  grandmother Henia Rachel bat Pinchas a"h (Tu B'Shevat)  and mother Fradel bat Yaakov Shalom a"h (19 Shevat)  The Marwick family  in memory of Reba Sklaroff a"h  Micheline and David Peller  in memory of his parents  Hinda bat Yisroel Mechel a"h  and Efraim Fishel Peller a"h  Today's Learning:  Middot 4:6-7  O.C. 273:2-4  Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Kamma 41  Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Kiddushin 5  King Shlomo writes in Mishlei (17:3), "A refining pot is for silver  and a crucible is for gold, but Hashem tests hearts." Rabbeinu Bachya ben  Asher z"l (Spain; 14th century) writes: King Shlomo is warning man to  purify his thoughts and correct the middot / character traits in his  heart, for the heart is the central organ which leads all others, and to  which all other organs are subservient. It is for this reason that the  heart is located near the center of the body. Because of the heart's  centrality, we use it when we refer to our relationship with G-d, as in  the verse (Tehilim 73:26), "G-d is the rock of my heart." Just as the  heart controls the affairs of the body to its most remote extremities, so  Hashem directs matters from one end of the world to the other. Thus we  read (Shmot 8:18), "I am Hashem in the midst of the land." Notably, the  Torah ends with the letter "lamed" and begins with the letter "bet";  combined, they spell "lev" / heart. And, the early kabbalistic midrashim  speak of there being 32 (the gematria of lev) pathways of wisdom.  R' Bachya continues: The verse states that "Hashem tests hearts."  What is the purpose of the tests to which Hashem subjects man? It is to  bring out man's potential so that those who observe his actions will learn  how great is man's obligation to serve G-d, and G-d's Name will be  sanctified thereby. [For example, Hashem knew that Avraham was capable of  offering his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice. However, had Avraham never been  tested, we would not have known that he was capable of such a sacrifice,  nor would generations of Jews have had the fortitude to make the  sacrifices that they have made in Hashem's Name.]  Our parashah contains two significant tests to which Bnei Yisrael were  subjected, R' Bachya writes: First, the sea did not split until Bnei  Yisrael had entered the water, and it only split a few feet ahead of the  advancing column of Bnei Yisrael. Also, Bnei Yisrael were tested with the  mahn, being given only enough for each day at a time. Both of these tests  were intended to bring out their potential for trust in G-d.  ********  "The angel of G-d who had been going in front of Bnei Yisrael  moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in  front of them and went behind them. It came between the camp of  Egypt and the camp of Yisrael and there were cloud and darkness -  - while it illuminated the night -- and one did not approach the  other all night." (14:19-20)  These verses seems repetitious, writes R' Eliezer Dovid Gruenwald z"l  (1867-1928; Hungarian rabbi and rosh yeshiva). Isn't the angel  (messenger) of G-d who moved from in front of Bnei Yisrael to behind them  the same as the pillar of cloud?  He answers: We read (Tehilim 69:19-20), "Draw near to my soul, redeem  it; because of my foes, deliver me. You know of my disgrace, my shame,  and my humiliation; all my tormentors are before You." King David is  saying that although there are occasions when we may not deserve to be  redeemed, in comparison with our tormentors, we are righteous. "Because  [of the unworthiness] of my foes, deliver me."  When they stood on the shore of the Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael were being  judged. Some of the angels argued that Bnei Yisrael had also worshiped  idols in Egypt; thus, it was not at all clear that they would be saved.  The angel who moved from in front of Bnei Yisrael to behind them was their  defense attorney, so-to-speak. Since he could think of nothing to say in  Bnei Yisrael's favor, he moved closer to the Egyptians as if to highlight  the contrast between the oppressors and the oppressed. And his strategy  succeeded - for the Egyptians "there were cloud and darkness," while for  Bnei Yisrael, "it illuminated the night." (Keren Le'Dovid)  ********  "At a blast from Your nostrils, the waters became cunning."  (15:8)  The above translation of the verse is in accordance with the Aramaic  translation of Onkelos. Can waters then be cunning? R' Eliyahu, the  Vilna Gaon z"l (1720-1797) writes that we should not be surprised by this  translation. After all, man was formed from a clod of earth, and only  when G-d "blew" a soul into the lifeless form of man did man become  capable of intelligence. It is no more difficult for G-d to "blow" from  His "nostrils" and give intelligence to water. (Aderet Eliyahu)  ********  "Hashem said to Moshe, `How long will you refuse lishmor / to  observe My commandments and My teachings?'"  R' Chaim Aryeh Leib of Yedvobna z"l (19th century; Russia) asks: How  could Hashem level this seemingly untrue accusation against Moshe? Moshe  certainly observed Shabbat! He answers:  Proper mitzvah observance requires preparation and anticipation. This  is how one demonstrates that he values the mitzvah, and how one sets the  tone for the mitzvah's observance. This is why we are commanded to  remember Shabbat every day. However, our parashah indicates that Moshe  did not tell Bnei Yisrael until Friday that there would be no mahn on  Shabbat. Since Moshe deprived Bnei Yisrael of the chance to anticipate  Shabbat and prepare mentally for the day, he is held accountable for their  desecration of Shabbat. [Ed. note: Based on this interpretation, the word  "lishmor" in our verse can have a double meaning and can also be  translated as "anticipated" (see Rashi to Bereishit 37:11).] (Sha'ar Bat  Rabim)  ********  "It happened that when Moshe raised his hand Yisrael was  stronger, and when he lowered his hand Amalek was stronger."  (17:11)  The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 3:8) asks: Did Moshe's hands make or break  the war? Rather, when Moshe's hands were held high, Bnei Yisrael looked  upward to Heaven and prevailed.  R' Uri Feivel z"l (Krystynopol, Galicia; late 18th century) elaborates  on the significance of hands in this context: Amalek, a descendant of  Esav, derives its strength from Yitzchak's blessing to Esav (Bereishit  27:40), "By your sword you shall live." This is represented by the hands,  which hold the sword. The Torah says that Amalek attacked Bnei Yisrael at  a place called "Refidim," which the midrash Mechilta reads as an acronym  for "Rafu yedeihem mi'divrei Torah" / "They [Bnei Yisrael] loosened the  grip of their hands on the words of Torah." Indeed, Yitzchak had foretold  (Bereishit 27:22), "The voice is Yaakov's voice, but the hands are Esav's  hands." Our Sages explain: "Either the voice of Yaakov will prevail --  i.e., when Yaakov studies Torah -- or the hands of Esav will prevail."  (Ohr Ha'chochmah)  ********  "Moshe's hands grew heavy, so they took a stone and placed it  under him and he sat upon it, and Aharon and Chur supported his  hands, one on this side and one on that side, and he remained  with his hands in faithful prayer until sunset." (17:12)  The midrash Mechilta states: "They took a stone and placed it under  him" refers to the good deeds of the Patriarchs. "He sat upon it" refers  to the good deeds of the Matriarchs.  R' Yehuda He'chassid z"l (Germany; died 1217) writes: In a certain  community, a certain old man used to lead the prayers on Yom Kippur. One  year, he had no strength to stand for the prayers. Some members of the  community said that since he was the most qualified chazan available, he  should be permitted to lead the prayers sitting down. However, the elders  said that it is preferable to have a less qualified chazan who is able to  stand.  The proof that the chazan must stand is the midrash quoted above,  writes R' Yehuda He'chassid. What induced the author of the midrash to  interpret our verse in a non-literal manner? Apparently, the midrash  could not tolerate the literal interpretation of the verse, according to  which Moshe Rabbeinu actually prayed sitting down. For the same reason,  when we read (Shmuel II 7:18), "[David] sat before Hashem," the midrash  interprets the verse as teaching that David "settled his heart," i.e., he  concentrated on his prayers. (Sefer Chassidim No. 756)  ********  This Week in History, Halachah, and Minhag  Shabbat Parashat Beshalach: One should rejoice with great feeling on  this Shabbat because, if one is sensitive to such things, one can sense  that G-d reveals Himself somewhat every year when we read about His  revelation at the Yam Suf / Reed Sea and the salvation that He brought  about there. (Ramatayim Tzofim, Zuta 16:7)  Some have the custom to put out food for birds on this Shabbat.  However, many authorities consider this practice to be halachically-  problematic since, as a rule, one may not feed a wild animal on Shabbat.  One suggestion that has been offered is to place the food outdoors before  Shabbat in a container covered by a plate. Then, on Shabbat, one can  remove the plate (without moving the food, which is now muktzeh). (Luach  Davar B'ito p.530)  Several reasons are given for this custom: (1) Our parashah records  that some of Bnei Yisrael went out to collect mahn on Shabbat, but they  did not find any. Our Sages explain that these people had placed the mahn  out of doors in order to embarrass Moshe Rabbeinu, who had said that mahn  would not fall on Shabbat. However, when those individuals were not  looking, birds ate the mahn. (2) Bnei Yisrael are compared to birds in  many verses [e.g. throughout Shir Ha'shirim]. By feeding the birds, we  indicate just as the birds are cared for by others, so G-d will sustain us  if we dedicate ourselves to Torah study. (3) The song of the birds  alludes to the Song at the Sea. (Luach Davar B'ito p.530, 534-535)  Many communities read Az Yashir aloud verse-by-verse during the  morning prayers on this Shabbat. (Luach Davar B'ito p.532)  Some eat dishes containing wheat kernels or kasha on this Shabbat to  recall the mahn. (Luach Davar B'ito p.530)  13 Shevat 5705 (1945): The liberation of Auschwitz occurred on this  day.  Tu B'Shevat: One should pray on this day that he will find a good  etrog for next Sukkot. (Bnei Yissaschar: Shevat 2:2)  17 Shevat: This day is "Purim Saragossa" (i.e., Syracuse, Greece)  because of a miracle that occurred there. (Luach Davar B'ito p.548).

What Goes Down

What Goes Down

Rabino Yehuda Prero

¡It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness¡ It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.¡¨ (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) 

In the crazy, trouble filled world in which we live, it appears that we have finally hit bottom. Really. Consider all of the muck that has been brought to light over the past few months: 

„h Subprime mortgage crisis and the ensuing financial collapse 
„h Revelation of the largest (Madoff) Ponzi scheme in history 
„h Disclosure of the true inner workings and excesses of the automobile industry 
„h Admission of the misguided nature of the war in Iraq 
„h Acknowledgment of energy and ecological abuses 
„h Unearthing of politicians¡¦ affairs, payoffs, and bribes 

Of course, this is not to imply that the ripple effects of all of these monumental challenges have been fully felt. Nor does it mean that there is no more additional bad news in store for us. Still, we seem to finally have gained a greater grasp of the challenges which confront us, and the ways in which we got ourselves into this mess. The long, painful healing process can now begin in earnest. 

Perhaps we can glean some additional insight into this process of decline and restoration from Tu B¡¦Shvat, the traditional New Year for trees. 

Tu B¡¦Shvat (15 Shvat, celebrated this year on February 8) draws our collective attention to nature is inherent cycles of deterioration and growth. The botanical realm follows a steady, predictable pattern of budding and development, and, eventually, stagnation and decay, only to be followed again by a new period of advance and vitality. 

History has shown that this cycle also applies to the human condition. On both a personal and national level, life is full of highs and lows, gains and losses, successes and failures. The Torah itself alludes to this symmetry between man and botany when it compares us to trees (Deuteronomy 20:19). 

However, while this cyclical aspect of nature is apparent throughout the year, it is most perceptible when one observes the extreme disparity between the seasons of winter and spring. Winter represents stagnation and unrealized potential, when all signs of growth lie hidden from sight. There are no external signs of development, no expressions of vitality. 

Spring, on the other hand, symbolizes burgeoning vigor. Everything is new and exciting. Trees that have remained dormant for the past few months start to show new signs of life. Buds begin to sprout, flowers start to open. Nature once again reveals its true beauty. 

For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing bird has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. (Song of Songs 2:11-12) 

This same contrast applies to human life. Circumstances sometimes force us into our own personal or collective ¡§winter¡¨, when struggles and challenges strip us of our innate vitality. There are other times in which we seemingly experience only joy and excitement in our lives. Everything points towards growth and accomplishment. 

We must realize, however, that there are two distinct ways for a person to approach the winter-like situations in his own life. The aforementioned contrast between winter and spring is only true if one views winter as the death-knell of summer. The beauty of the seasonal cycle, however, is that one can alternatively view winter as ushering in the upcoming spring. No matter what challenges a person faces, there are always better days awaiting him. Such a person knows no limitations, no dormancy. Life is a continuous cycle pointed in the direction of growth. 

This is the message of Tu B¡¦Shvat. In the middle of the winter, when everything around us seems so cold and bleak, think of spring. Eat fruit. Sing joyous tunes. Plant new trees. Always look for the good. 

If Tu B¡¦Shvat and human history are to serve as any indications, we can take comfort in the knowledge that we will once again rise above our current malaise and experience collective joy and prosperity. But, to paraphrase our new president at his inauguration address, it will not be quick, and it will not be easy. In the end, we will see better days, and use the important lessons learned from our past follies and indiscretions to build a better tomorrow for ourselves and the world around us.

 

Petição Contra a Geminação de Lisboa com a Cidade de Gaza Petition

Petição Contra a Geminação de Lisboa com a Cidade de Gaza Petition

Chapter 3, Mishna 17(c)

Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld

Chapter 3, Mishna 17(c)

Partnering With G-d

"Rabbi Akiva said, jesting and lightheadedness accustom a person to immorality. The oral transmission is a protective fence for the Torah. Tithes are a protective fence for wealth. Vows are a protective fence for abstinence. A protective fence for wisdom is silence." Last week we discussed the concept of the oral transmission -- the part of the Torah given orally to Moses and not committed to writing. We explained why it was necessary that a large part of our tradition remain oral. The world is a vibrant and ever-changing place. There are an infinite number of people and life situations. There is no way any one work, no matter how wise and insightful, could ever put into writing how every person should act in every possible life situation. And the Torah -- man's guidebook for living in this world -- had to reflect that same dynamism and vibrancy. It had to be a living document. Rather than attempting to spell out all proper human behavior for us, G-d provided us with eternal principles of truth -- as well as with the tools for properly interpreting and making derivations from the Written Torah. Each succeeding generation would study that same tradition and apply its same eternal truths to an ever-changing world and our ever-changing lives. We might even say that the Oral Law was given to us orally because even after receiving the Torah at Sinai man's job was not complete. G-d gave us principles and rules of Biblical exegesis, but He did not spell out for us every detail of our lives. G-d was not interested in dictating to man step-by-step how he must live his life. His "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:6) was not to be an army of mindless automatons, each following a prepared script and acting precisely the same way. G-d made each of us different. Each of us must study the Torah and interpret its personal and individualized message for him or her. Thus, we did not merely become *recipients* of G-d's Torah; we became G-d's *partners*. We would take the Torah, master it, and apply it to all life's situations. And so, the Oral Torah represents the fact that even after giving us the Torah, G-d's work was not complete. Only we can complete G-d's sacred mission. Only we can take G-d's eternal messages, assimilate them, and apply them to our lives. There is an important postscript to this discussion, one I felt central enough to devote at least a part of this class to. One of my readers posed the following question: Don't we have the entire Oral Law in writing today -- in the forms of the Mishna, the Talmud and literally tens of thousands of other works? Although Israel and the Torah endured well over a millennium before the writing of the Talmud, today we possess our entire tradition in writing -- vast amounts of it translated into readable English (not the Latin-English translations I grew up with). And if so, does this mean either that we've lost the true vitality of the Torah -- Judaism has become dormant and ritualistic -- or that there was really no reason for it to have been given orally in the first place? The answer is that even after the Mishna and Talmud were recorded, they were in anything but a complete and frozen form. Anyone who has had the privilege of studying so much as one page of the Talmud knows that it is not a clear, well-organized book of laws and customs. It consists of controversies, back-and-forth debates, tangents (and tangents on the tangents), and unfinished discussions. (This is apart from the large collection of stories, ethical lessons, and Midrashic material it contains.) The Talmud often seems to begin discussing a subject by jumping right into the middle because, as the Talmud often says, "since [the case at hand] was based on a rabbinic derivation, it was dear to the Sages" (see e.g. Yevamos 2b). (As I heard R. Berel Wein once put it, the Talmud, the way it throws cases, concepts and jargon around, seems to just assume that the studier, opening to its first page, knows the entire Talmud already!) The reason for this is because the Rabbis, even though they recognized the need to write down the Oral Torah, wanted to preserve its freshness and vitality. It would still be a living document. Later students who would study it would not just read dry decisions of Jewish law -- almost as reading some dreary handbook of constitutional law or of historical court proceedings. (My eyes get heavy just at the mere mention.) They would *relive* the same discussions the Sages had before them. They would see the devotion, the energy -- and the life -- that went into the Talmud's writing, and become a part of that same process. They would see the principles of the Talmud being weighed and debated; they would come to appreciate the legitimacy of a wide range of opinions. Further, the great personalities of the Mishna and Talmud would come to life for them. The Talmud displays the religious life of our ancestors as vibrant, diverse and zealous. In this manner, the Sages who recorded the Talmud achieved a near miraculous feat. They did not merely record the words or the information of our tradition. They captured its soul. To state it differently, if a seeking Jew wanted to find out how to observe Judaism, if he were seeking simple answers to the how's of Judaism -- as if Judaism were merely some collection of rituals -- the Talmud would hardly be the place to go. He would find an animated but confused collection of debates and discussions, and of only partially-organized statements of law often without clear conclusions. The purpose of the Talmud was never to define Judaism in a ritualistic sense. If, however, such a person wanted to know what Judaism is *really* all about, he will turn to the Talmud. It contains the life-force of the Jewish People, the power which has kept us strong and vital throughout the ages. It tells the true story of what it means to be a Jew. I would like at last to conclude this discussion with one final point. (I hear that sigh of relief coming from x-thousand readers. ;-) There is an additional reason why G-d gave us a partially oral Torah. It is in order to make us the responsible party for its preservation. An oral tradition does not endure on its own. It cannot just sit on a shelf -- so that if it's ignored for one generation the next can come along and pick it up. If we do not keep it alive, if we do not take what we know and pass it on to our children, it will be lost. G-d did not make us *recipients* of a tradition; He made us its *bearers*. We must see ourselves as part of a tradition. We are links in a chain of transmission, and we are obligated to pass it on to our children. If we forget the Torah, corrupt it, or make light of it, our children's lives will be that much less enriched. Even today, with so much of the Oral Law recorded and even translated into English, Judaism is not really a religion which can be picked up in a book. As many works of law and commentary we have, Judaism's essence can never be captured in book knowledge. It is a living religion. If we live it, our children will see what it is all about. If we consign our children's education to textbooks or the classroom, our children will see it as no more than a course of study and far more likely, an unwanted burden. I feel one of the most poignant examples of Judaism's attitude towards tradition is the Passover Seder. When we sit at the Seder with children, family and friends, we are reminded that we are the bearers of our tradition. The Torah emphasizes that the story be passed from parent to child: "And it shall be when your son asks you in the future saying, 'What is this?' you shall say to him, 'With a mighty hand did G-d take us out of Egypt from the house of slavery...'" (Exodus 13:14). Our children are turning to us for answers -- something for better or worse they rarely do. Thirty, forty, fifty years ago our grandparents and parents were telling us this story. Now it is our turn, and we tell it anew to our children and grandchildren. We realize that this has been done in our family -- as well as in any Jewish family which still remembers -- literally every single year for over 3300 years. Our tradition is real to us -- and vibrant. It came down to us through the millennia because our parents and their parents before them and their parents before them took the heritage they had received -- the story of our people -- preserved it, and passed it on to their children. And this is what we tell our children on the Seder night. We do not come to nag, to argue or to force religion down their throats, nor do we claim we always know better or are ideal parents. But we come as bearers. We speak with the full authority and backing of the well over one hundred generations before us who carried the same message -- through exile, suffering and assimilation. Parents do not lie to their children. The story of the Exodus has been preserved, it has the same freshness and relevance because G-d told a nation "You shall say to your son..." (ibid. verse 8), and we have done so every year since. We, the "ordinary" members of the Nation of Israel, have accomplished this through patience, memory, and perseverance. It is our obligation -- to our nation, to our forebears and to our children -- to continue the message of Judaism, to take the little we have preserved, the little that has remained, and to bless our children with that same legacy.

Pirkei Avos, Copyright &copy 2009 by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld

Beshalach

Beshalach 

[7 de Fevereiro de 2009/ 13 de Shevat de 5769]

“Eu prometo a você, minha pequena menina, que esta será a última guerra.” Este é o refrão de uma das canções mais cantadas e choradas após a Guerra do Iom Kipur, em 1973. Na minha adolescência no movimento juvenil sionista, os versos de Hamilchamá Haacharoná (A Última Guerra), do poeta israelense Chaim Chefer, traduziam a nossa esperança na paz. Por outro lado, em nome dos soldados mortos, estes mesmo versos nos advertiam: Não sejamos ingênuos. É preciso estar preparado para lutar. Mal sabíamos que ainda iríamos viver tantos outros conflitos: duas invasões ao Líbano, duas intifadas (levantes palestinos) e agora, a guerra contra o Hamas.

 

Assim como o poeta, o profeta Isaías também já prometera um dia em que veríamos a última guerra. Depois disso, os povos “converterão suas espadas em arados e suas lanças em foices... e não aprenderão mais a arte da guerra.” (Isaías 2:4) Neste prenúncio da era messiânica, segundo o profeta, haverá paz onde antes era inconcebível de se imaginar, onde até “o lobo habitará com o cordeiro” (Isaías 11:6). Por outro lado, o cineasta e escritor Woody Allen, em um típico humor judaico, troca as personagens e comenta: “O leão habitará com o bezerro, mas o bezerro não conseguirá dormir direito.”

 

A parashá desta semana nos conta que quando o povo de Israel deixou o Egito, após gerações e gerações de escravidão, Deus fez com que não seguissem pela terra dos filisteus. Por que não? Afinal de contas, se seguissem por lá em linha reta, em apenas dez dias chegariam à Terra Prometida! “Para que, ao ver a guerra, o povo não se arrependa e retorne ao Egito.” (Êxodo 13:17) Deus parecia desejar que nossos antepassados não sofressem mais e os fez seguir por um caminho mais longo em meio ao deserto, pelo Mar Vermelho – tudo para evitar mais uma guerra. Ao mesmo tempo, os israelitas saíram do Egito armados. Tudo o que eles desejavam era chegar logo em casa, com suas famílias, bezerros e cordeiros, e iniciarem uma vida de liberdade e paz na Terra de Israel. Mas assim como Woody Allen, sabiam que não podiam ser ingênuos.

 

Pelo caminho mais longo, para evitar a guerra, dez dias se tornaram quarenta anos no deserto. Mesmo assim, quando chegamos a Israel, tivemos que lutar. Mais de três mil anos depois, em 1948, lemos na Declaração de Independência do Estado de Israel, na voz de Ben Gurion: “(...) Impelidos por sua ligação histórica e de tradições, judeus lutaram geração após geração para se restabelecerem em sua antiga terra natal. Nas décadas recentes, eles voltaram em massa... fizeram o deserto florescer, reavivaram a língua hebraica, construíram vilarejos e pequenas cidades..., adorando a paz, mas sabendo como se defender.” Novamente trilhamos o caminho mais longo para evitarmos a guerra, mas por via das dúvidas, viemos armados.

 

Permanece a esperança, desde os tempos de Moisés, passando por Isaías, Ben Gurion e chegando a 2009: “Eu prometo a você, minha pequena menina, que esta será a última guerra.” Há de chegar o dia em que Israel habitará lado a lado com seus vizinhos e que todos nós possamos, finalmente, dormir em paz.

 

Shabat shalom e Chag Tu B´Shevat sameach!
Uri Lam, de Jerusalém

Israel's elections

Dear Members,

Israel's elections are next Tuesday and there's a few local events going on but make sure you have in your diary Pro-Zion's elections/AGM on the afternoon of 29th March. We're just confirming a really exciting speaker coming over from Israel who has been very involved in the Progressive movement's help to Sderot and the South of Israel - more next week.

Can you help Pro-Zion?: We're gradually restructuring the way Pro-Zion gets things done and are looking for people to be involved in 3 areas, Membership (helping increase our membership), Communications (PR and communicating with members and shuls) and Events (organising events). If you think you can help in any way with these areas, maybe by giving a small regular amount of time each week or month we would be glad to hear from you.

Israeli Election Event: The ZF are holding their election event on Tuesday night, 7pm at Hampstead Town Hall. They have some great panellists and commentators both in person and via video link up from Israel. Further details here http://www.zionist.org.uk/uploads/v_1233053487.jpg

Anti-Semitism in South America and Venezuela: We've been inundated with e-mails from our South American Progressive Communities and Arzenu members. The recent synagogue attack in Venezuela has not been a surprise but nevertheless a massive blow to all of South American Jewry. They have called and requested action from Jews around the world to support them in. Our partners across the world including the UK are planning a fast response and we will keep you updated in our next e-mail.

This week's articles.

1. Mevasseret Zion receives a scroll - The emotional story of the new torah scroll at the Progressive congregation at Mevasseret Zion in the suburbs of Jerusalem. The scroll was dedicated to the memory of a fallen soldier from the congregation, Uri Grossman, son of Author David Grossman.

2. Adoption does not constitute conversion - a discussion on the Law of Return and adoption. It's easy to forget that these seemingly small issues affect real lives.

3. Social issues left out of election campaign - experts note that social issues in Israel are playing a small part in the elections.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom
Daniel, Charlie and all at Pro-Zion

Parshas B'Shalach

Rabbi Frand on Parshas B'Shalach

These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape #623 - Kiddush or Netilas Yadayim – Which Comes First? Good Shabbos!

 

Hashem Is My Doctor

 

The pasuk in this week's parsha says: "If you will listen diligently to the voice of Hashem your G-d, and you will do what is just in His eyes, and you will give ear to His commandments and observe all His statutes, then any of the diseases that I placed upon Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am Hashem, your Healer." [Shmos 15:26] The expression "for I am Hashem your Healer" is quite likely the source of the text we recite thrice daily in the Amidah blessing: "Rofeh cholei amo Yisrael" [Who heals the sick of His nation Israel].

 

The Sefer Tiferes Torah asks why this blessing is expressed in such parochial terms. In fact, we know that G-d is "Rofeh CHOL BASAR u'maflee l'assos" [He heals ALL FLESH and acts wondrously]. G-d provides healing to all of humanity, not just to the Jewish people.

 

We do indeed say blessings that pertain particularly to Klal Yisrael, for example – Oter Yisrael b'Sifara [who crowns Israel with glory] or Ozer Yisrael b'Gevurah [who girds Israel with strength]. However, regarding dispensing healing, the appropriate praise of G-d does not seem to be that He heals the sick of Israel. On the contrary, that seems to understate His role in serving as the healer of humanity in general.

 

The Tiferes Torah answers as follows: There are two approaches to healing. When a person gets a cold, he can take medicine to control the symptoms, but as we all know there is no cure for the common cold. How then do we ever recover from the common cold? The body has a natural immune system that fights illnesses. For a good part of the history of the world, that is in fact how people recovered. Similarly, the body has a capacity to fight off infection. The first approach in healing, then, is to do nothing and "let nature take its course".

 

The second approach is to intervene medically. According to Jewish Law, the Torah gave doctors permission to practice medicine. Going to a doctor, taking medicine, or having surgery, are all legitimate forms of seeking a cure.

 

The concept of "I am Hashem who cures you" is that the Almighty is saying "I am your doctor." We are His patients and He is our doctor. This is the unique relationship that Klal Yisrael has with the Master of the Universe. Yes, there are natural cures and yes, G-d gives wisdom to medical practitioners to cure illnesses, but regarding the Jewish people, the Almighty says: "I am Hashem who cures you," meaning, "I am your doctor." The meaning of the blessing "Rofeh cholei AMO YISRAEL" is "He is our doctor."

 

Rav Matisyahu Solomon went to visit a sick person who was suffering pain. The person turned to Rav Solomon and said, "Nu, G-d will help." Rav Solomon looked at him and said: "No, He won't!" The patient was taken aback and asked for an explanation. Rav Solomon told him: "You think that the doctor will cure you and Hashem will help, as if the main cure comes from the medical professional and G-d merely puts in a good word. This is the wrong attitude. You will get well because G-d will cure you. The doctor will help!"

 

Our attitude must be putting our faith in "Ani Hashem Rofecha" and not in our doctors or surgeons. G-d is the one who will bring us a cure. The doctors and surgeons will merely help as His agents.

 

This very concept is evident in another pasuk in our parsha: "Israel saw the great hand that Hashem inflicted upon Egypt; and the people revered Hashem, and they had faith in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant." [Shmos 14:31]. Klal Yisrael had just seen open miracles. They saw that the sea split on their behalf. They saw the sea returned and destroyed the Egyptians. At that moment, there was such clear belief, that according to Chazal, the simplest handmaiden saw Heavenly visions that were greater than those seen by Yechezkel who saw the Divine Throne. Prior to the splitting of the sea, their belief had been such that even though they had been witnessing Moshe Rabbeinu perform miracle after miracle after miracle these many months, they could have believed that it was Moshe Rabbeinu performing the miracles. After all, we as human beings, relate to other human beings. Nevertheless, the experience at Yam Suf resulted in true correct belief. They believed in Hashem and viewed Moshe as merely His servant.

 

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter once gave a lecture about Emunah [belief] and said that if one has perfect Emunah in G-d, G-d will take care of every one of the person's physical needs. One who has perfect faith does not need to rely on anything else. A student approached Rav Salanter after the lecture and asked: "Does that mean that if I have perfect faith, I do not need to worry about earning a living and that I can devote all my time to learning?" Rav Yisrael responded, "Yes, if you have perfect Emunah all your needs will be taken care of."

 

The student said, "Fine. That's it. I'll quit my job and just learn. I need 20,000 rubles a year. G-d will provide them. I have faith." He quit his job and just learned. He did this for a week. He had no income that week. There was no way he could buy the necessities of life. The student came to Rav Salanter and said: "I fully believe, but a week has gone by, I do not have a penny and my house is bare."

 

Rav Yisrael said: "Okay. I'll make you a deal. I'll give you 8,000 rubles now, and when you get the 20000 rubles from the Almighty, you give them to me. Trade me the 8000 rubles now for the 20000 you will get from Hashem in the future." The student agreed to the deal, whereupon his teacher chastised him for not being a true believer. "If you truly believed Hashem was going to provide you with 20000 rubles, you would never trade away the 20000 for 8000!"

 

At Yam Suf it was not like that. There, their Emunah was in fact so great that they believed primarily in G-d, and viewed Moshe as only his servant. This must be our approach to the concept of "I am Hashem your healer." My doctor is really the Ribono shel Olam. The MD who sees me is merely His agent. Someone who truly achieves that level of Emunah is truly experiencing the idea of "Rofeh Cholei AMO YISRAEL" [who cures the sick of HIS NATION ISRAEL].

 

 

 

This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion. The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas B'Shalach are provided below:

 

Tape # 041 – Israel's Wars: 1948-1973, A Halachic Perspective

Tape # 084 – The Mitzvah of Krias HaTorah

Tape # 132 – Standing for Krias HaTorah

Tape # 179 – Female Vocalists: The Problem of Kol Isha

Tape # 225 – Music in Halacha

Tape # 269 – Lechem Mishnah

Tape # 315 – The Prohibition of Living in Egypt

Tape # 359 – Making Ice on Shabbos

Tape # 403 – Three Slices of Pizza – Must You Bench?

Tape # 447 - Hidur Mitzvah

Tape # 491 - The Three Seudos of Shabbos

Tape # 535 - Using P'sukim for Nigunim?

Tape # 579 – Being Motzi Others in Lechem Mishnah and Other Brachos

Tape # 623 – Kiddush or Netilas Yadayim – Which Comes First?

Tape # 667 – The Supernatural and the "Mun" dane

Tape # 711 – Shlishi or Sshishi? And Other Aliyah Issues

Tape # 755 – Techum Shabbos: Wearing Your Hat to the Hospital

Tape # 799 – Kibud Av – Can A Father Be Mochel?

Tape # 887 – Rejoicing At The Death of Reshoim – Recommended or Not?

The Path of the Just

The Path of the Just 

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Ch. 10 (Part 1)

We’ll only achieve the next trait, “innocence”, once we’re “utterly free from all bad traits and sins”, Ramchal reports. But not only free of the sort of “obvious, well-known sins” that all good people want to be free of, “but also (of) those that the heart is often seduced into believing are not sins” but which really are, that we tend not to recognize as such because our hearts are “still affected by physical desires” which we hadn t yet surmounted.  Now, a daunting and complex statement like this surely calls for explanation. First off, how could we be expected to become “utterly free from all bad traits and sins” when it’s written, "There is no man that does not sin" (I Kings 8:46) and when, as Ramchal notes later on, the Talmud tells us that "all (people) succumb to some small measure of slander" (Baba Batra 165a), with the implication that there are others we succumb too as well?  The answer will come down to the idea that Ramchal’s statement isn’t to be taken literally; but t o understand that we’d first need to preview the structure of The Path of the Just overall to follow the argument (and also because it would help us to understand the full thrust of the work).  To this point we’ve discussed two traits: “caution” and “enthusiasm”, which are two sides of the same coin and fairly easy to come to. After all, it’s certainly possible to reflect upon our ways and either change them when they’re off-course or bolster them when they are on-course. But from there we start to approach the transcendental.  The trait we’re coming upon now, “innocence”, would have us rid ourselves of more subtle things. The next one, “abstinence” (the other side of innocence's coin) involves avoiding everything -- even things that the Torah permits -- which may cause you to do wrong (even if there’s nothing wrong about it per se) which is surely hard. But then we start entering into the realm of holiness. Whereas up to now we’ve met with reasonable though uncommon demands, from this point on we’ll touch upon the lofty and angelic, and will be focusing on acquiring traits like “purity”, “piety”, “humility”, “fear of sin”, “holiness”, “Holy Inspiration”, and “Resurrection of the Dead”.  “Purity” concerns itself with inculcating a selfless and G-d-focused relationship to the world, which is not everyone's path. “Piety ” goes further along in that vein, demanding a change of essential self. “Humility” follows that same train of thought and is the next step toward ultimate G-dliness. “Fear of sin” discusses the sort of person who intimately and engrossingly senses the presence of G-d in this world and is affected by that in all ways. And “holiness” is directed toward "those who constantly attach themselves to G-d … from where (one) can grow to an even higher level, 'Holy Inspiration', where (his) intellect would rise above all human capabilities” which “would allow (him) to enjoy a yet higher form of attachment to G-d”, after which “the keys to the 'Resurrection of the Dead' will be passed on to (him)", which is by far the ultimate in human attainments.  So, when Ramchal tells us here, at “innocence”, that we must be "utterly free from all bad traits and sins" we’re not to take that literally because it’s too soon fo r that -- there’s so much more to be contended with in our journey, so we cannot be expected to be free of all sin just yet.  In any event, someone who had actually achieved “innocence” would not be “seduced into believing” wrong was right, and would clearly be beyond where we are now, though he or she would not have reached the ultimate goal either. So, let’s pray that G-d grants us the wherewithal to go forward.