Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

Jewish tradition teaches us that being part of a kehillaha communityrequires thoughtful responsibilities and actions.

All Jews are responsible for one another (Babylonian Talmud, Shevuot 39a).

The wicked son [at the Passover Seder is so designated because he] excludes himself from the community (Mekhilta commenting on Exodus 13:8).

If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? (Pirkei Avot 1:14).

To live Jewishly includes being with other members of the Jewish community. Helping to make a minyan so that mourners kaddish and other prayers may be recited; celebrating life cycle ceremonies; observing holidays; and studying Jewish texts and traditions require us to be with each other. One of the positives of the horrible impact of the pandemic is how Jewish organizations learned to quickly onboard new (at least to many of us) technology which allowed us to be together virtually. We adapted to be able to show up for those who needed us for a shiva minyan, a Pesah Seder, for Shabbat services and in so many other ways.

We need each other to live Jewishly. We have a responsibility to take care of each other, to celebrate together, to mourn together and to enjoy life together.

Community building happens when we all opt in to make decisions for the wellbeing not just of ourselves or our loved ones, but for all members of the community. Our Jewish Federation is honored to work with all of the Jewish organizations throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties to help build and support our Jewish community. Our communitys incredibly successful LIFE & LEGACY efforts are a great example of how we have all worked together to ensure the financial viability of our Jewish organizations for generations to come. We are proud of the fact that our communitys efforts were recognized as one of the top performing communities of the Harold Grinspoon Foundations (HGF) national LIFE & LEGACY program. The Legacy program provides Jewish Federation with the resources and tools to bridge gaps among community institutions, strengthen our culture of philanthropy, and make after-lifetime giving normative behavior.

We have much to be proud of, and the Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation invite you to come celebrate with us at our Annual Meeting and LIFE & LEGACY Year 4 Celebration on Wednesday, June 15, 6 p.m., at the Milton & Betty Katz JCC. Join us as we celebrate the great work the Jewish Federation is doing at home and around the world; to honor our 2022 award recipients; Year 4 of LIFE & LEGACY and our communitys 267 Legacy Society donors; and to honor Rebecca Taylor for 17 years of service to the Jewish Federation.

The Jewish Federation is pleased to honor individuals and organizations being presented with the following awards at our Annual Meeting:

Harry Cassman Award Eric Share, immediate past president of the Milton & Betty Katz JCC and Board member of the Jewish Federation and Seashore Gardens.

Jack I. Fox Leadership AwardMary Sluzenski, finance director, Jewish Federation.

One Jewish Community: Beron Jewish Older Adult Services of Atlantic & Cape May Counties, Inc.

Young Leadership Award: David Kratchman, co-chair of NextGenAC and Jewish Federation Board member.

We will have plentiful kosher hors doeuvres, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, as we celebrate our kehillahour sacred community.

Our celebration is free to attend, but pre-registration is required for attendance. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to confirm your attendance by registering via jfedannual.eventbrite.com.

Please reach out to Rachel Waldman, assistant director, at rachel@jewishbytheshore.org or (609) 822-4404, ext. 145, or me roberta@jewishbytheshore.org or (609) 822-4404, ext. 150, with any questions you have about the Jewish Federations Annual Meeting.

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Celebrate with our community at the Jewish Federation Annual Meeting - Jewish Community Voice

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

By Peter C. Herman

When the San Diego Community College District announced that Alice Walker would be the keynote speaker for the new chancellors installation, immediate protests followed. Various Jewish organizations criticized the invitation and the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on the controversy. At least two opinion pieces (hereandhere) came out against Walkers appearance.

Walker (pictured), best known for her 1982 novel, The Color Purple, made into a movie in 1985 and a musical in 2005 (which garnered 11 Tony Awards), has become an icon of American culture. Why this is the case is something of a mystery, since none of her subsequent novels achieved anything like the success ofThe Color Purple. Unlike, say, Toni Morrison, Walker cannot point to a substantial body of work to justify her reputation. Nonetheless, she remains a popular figure on the lecture circuit and a selection of her journals has just been published to considerable acclaim.

But Walker is also an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist. She follows the deranged ideas of David Icke, who believes, as Vox puts it, that the world is run by a secret cabal of alien lizard people, many of whom are Jewish. Walker herself authored a poem that is riddled with anti-Semitic libels. In the screed, Walker encourages her reader to study the Talmud, but not by actual Talmud study. Instead, she says:

I recommend starting with YouTube. Simply follow the trail of The Talmud as its poison belatedly winds its way Into our collective consciousness.

What does one find on YouTube? A litany of anti-Semitic tropes taken straight from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion:

Is Jesus boiling eternally in hot excrement,

For his crime of throwing the bankers

Out of the Temple? For loving, standing with,

And defending

The poor? Was his mother, Mary,

A whore?

Are Goyim (us) meant to be slaves of Jews, and not only

That, but to enjoy it?

Are three-year-old (and a day) girls eligible for marriage and intercourse?

Are young boys fair game for rape?

Must even the best of the Goyim (us, again) be killed?

Pause a moment and think what this could mean

Or already has meant

In our own lifetime.

Now, one would think that at a time when the slightest hint of racism is enough to sink a career, Walkers unapologetic adherence to anti-Semitism would disqualify her from the role of keynote speaker on a college campus. But the response to the wave of protest to her invitation shows that David Baddiel was right when he titled his book Jews Dont Count.

Progressives, says Baddiel, believe that anti-Semitism is not real racism, or that it is a lesser form. So when anti-Semitism occurs, its either ignored or discounted as something minor. That is a perfect description of the response to Walkers anti-Semitism.

After the San Diego Union-Tribune published an article that questioned Walkers invitation, the Districts PR person, Jack Beresford, responded:

The San Diego Community College District is pleased to welcome Alice Walker as keynote speaker at the May 31 investiture celebration. Walker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and her participation is consistent with the Districts support of the free exchange of ideas and opinions. This does not mean the District agrees with every statement made by her now or in the past. Walker is a source of inspiration for many in the community. This includes chancellor Carlos Cortez, who says Walker played a key role in his decision to focus his academic studies on African-American feminist political history.

It is inconceivable that someone who spouted Walker-style slurs about blacks, Hispanics, Asians, LGBTQ persons or any other minoritized group would be treated with such respect. It is inconceivable that the repetition of some of the worst racist anti-black or anti-Hispanic tropes would be treated as part of the free exchange of ideas and opinions or described as the subject of legitimate disagreement.

This is to treat anti-Semitism as if it were a dispute over the causes of inflation or whether students and teachers should continue to wear masks in the classroom.

Imagine the response if someone floated the idea of an invitation to Don Black, the white supremacist who created Stormfront.org, because he pioneered the use of the web to spread ideas? After all, we dont have to agree with every statement made by [him] now or in the past.

What about an invitation to David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, because he was also a successful politician and, whether we like it or not, a source of inspiration for many in the community?

I am glad that Walker has had a positive influence on Cortez and that she has been an inspiration for him. But Jewish faculty at several San Diego community colleges see Walker as a serious threat.The refusal to take their concerns seriously is alarming in the extreme.

As one writes in a private email, Walkers invitation clearly exemplifies the Jews dont count mentality. This district has sent a clear message that Jews better watch their backs because anti-Semitism is clearly tolerated, and in this case invited, to campus.

At a time when theADL reportsthat anti-Semitic incidents in the United States are at an all-time high when attacks on synagogues and JCCs have increased 61 percent, when a white supremacistposteda virulent anti-black and anti-Semitic manifesto before he went on a murder spree in Buffalo, it is sickening that Alice Walker will be accorded the honor of a keynote address.

Jew-hatred needs to named, confronted and condemned, not brushed aside as unimportant or something upon which reasonable people may disagree.

Originally published in Jewish Journal

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Here comes Alice Walker and the Jews, again - The Jewish Star

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

Years ago, something went wrong late in a friends much-wanted pregnancy. If the fetus continued to grow, it could kill her or damage her ability to have future children. She asked her father what to do. A respected Talmudic scholar and Orthodox rabbi, he decided she should have an abortion to protect her life and health. She did. But to do so she had to travel out of state because late-term abortions were illegal in her state, even when medically necessary. Her parents helped with travel expenses. I still remember the trauma she faced leaving home and family for the procedure out of town. Thankfully, today she is the mother of several healthy Jewish children.

Her fathers decision to permit an abortion was based on clear rabbinic precedent. Torah law offers a moderating, faith-based message to protect the life and health of the mother even while recognizing the preciousness of the potential life growing in her womb.

The two main classical Jewish approaches to abortion come from the great sages Rashi and Maimonides. Commenting on the Talmud in Sanhedrin 72b, Rashi explains a fetus is lav nefesh hu, not human life, therefore its needs are subservient to those of its mother. He learns this from Exodus 21:22-23, which states that if an assailant causes a pregnant woman to miscarry, the assailant is fined for damages but not prosecuted for causing a death. Rashis decision is consistent with that on Sanhedrin 84b, that capital punishment does not apply to a fetus because it is not a nefesh, a human being.

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Maimonides has a different approach. Just as we are obligated to save from harm anyone being pursued by a rodef (a pursuer), even at the cost of the pursuers life, so are we to save the mother from harm even at the cost of the fetus. Maimonides analogy is not perfect: the fetus has no conscious volition nor is it considered human life under Jewish law. Nevertheless, Maimonides treats the fetus like a rodef (a pursuer) when it endangers the mothers health, thus prioritizing the mothers life and health.

How one applies permission to abort for maternal cause depends on which position one follows. Those who follow Rashi are more likely to permit abortion whenever a woman needs medical help, even for mental distress and even at the latest stages of fetal maturation. This includes permitting abortion when a mother feels unable to cope in the face of severe fetal deformity or inability to care for other children due to severe financial or mental distress. Those who follow Maimonides require the mother to face significant physical danger before aborting is permitted, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy.

Centuries of rabbinic commentators in both camps permit and even require abortion where the mothers life is endangered. Why? Because for Jews, human life begins only when the fetuss head or the majority of its body exits the mothers body, and not before. Until then, the fetus is part of her body and thus her health and well-being come first. In other words, Torah and Jewish law prioritizes the life and health of the mother over the potential human life of her fetus. That is why one cannot violate the Sabbath for the sake of a fetus, only for the pregnant woman, according to the 17th century Rabbi Bachrach, based upon Arakhim 7a.

If the anti-abortion lobby has its way, all abortions would be banned, even those required, let alone allowed, under Jewish law. While separation of church and state, and our rights as a religious minority, have not been part of the abortion debate, they should be. Pro-choice is not about being pro-abortion. It is about keeping the government out of private medical decisions more appropriately made between a woman and her doctor, clergy and family. Pro-choice is about allowing all citizens to equally follow their own religious dictates.

Other issues of Jewish concern in the abortion debate include economic justice, so much at the heart of Jewish values. Anti-abortion laws restrict access to womens health care. Already some women, like my friend, travel out of state for health care and safe abortions no longer available locally, but many others cannot.

Ironically, our Jewish commitment to life is threatened. Womens lives literally hang in the balance. The specter of coat-hanger and back-alley abortion deaths that initially drove the pro-choice movement is very real. It is time we take the moral high ground and demand that protecting womens lives take precedence in health care and public policy decisions. It is a position that both protects our rights as a religious minority to follow the dictates of Jewish precedent law and reflects our values of protecting life, the life of the mother. pjc

Rabbi Susan Grossman, senior rabbi of Beth Shalom Congregation in Columbia, has a doctorate in ancient Judaism; served for 30 years on the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards for the Conservative Movement and is an editor of Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary.

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Torah prioritizes the mother's life and health | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

This past Saturday, an 18-year-old white man went on a murderous rampage in a market in Buffalo, motivated by hatred towards blacks and others. Then, on Sunday, a Chinese man entered a Presbyterian church and killed one and wounded others, motivated by his hatred of Taiwan. And last month, a black man shot and injured 29 subway riders in New York City, motivated by racial hatred as well. Baseless hatred is destroying our nation.

There is a fascinating Talmudic tradition that asked why the First Temple was destroyed (in 586 BC) and the Second Temple was destroyed (in 70 AD).

The Talmud states, Due to what reason was the First Temple destroyed? It was destroyed because three matters existed in the First Temple: idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.

These are serious sins, all worthy of divine judgment. And so, because these spiritual and moral violations were so prevalent, the Temple was destroyed.

But what about the Second Temple?

The Talmud continues, However, in the Second Temple period the people were engaged in Torah study, observance of mitzvahs, and acts of kindness, so why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there was baseless hatred during that period. This comes to teach you that the sin of baseless hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions: idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed. (Yoma 9b)

Seriously? Baseless hatred is that bad?

And so, the cycle continues and the inflaming of hatred grows deeper.

Jesus Himself was the victim of baseless hatred, explaining to His disciples that He was hated without a cause (John 15:25, with reference to Ps. 35:19; 69:4). And that hatred led to His rejection and crucifixion.

Baseless hatred is downright deadly.

It was baseless hatred that was behind the Christmas parade massacre of whites in Waukesha. And the shooting of Republicans at a baseball game in DC. And the slaughter of Hispanics at a Walmart in El Paso. And the murder of blacks in a church in Charleston. And the killing of Jews in Jersey City.

Baseless hatred is leaving a horrific trail of blood in its wake.

Yet every day, in the most irresponsible ways, political leaders, news outlets and talking heads in the media are flaming the fires of racial and ethnic hatred. Worse still, many of them are doing this for the purpose of political gain or viewer ratings.

This is as deplorable as it is sick.

On May 15, Glenn Greenwald posted a lengthy article titled, The Demented and Selective Game of Instantly Blaming Political Opponents For Mass Shootings, The articles subtitle read, All ideologies spawn psychopaths who kill innocents in its name. Yet only some are blamed for their violent adherents: by opportunists cravenly exploiting corpses while they still lie on the ground.

He did not overstate his case in the least, carefully documenting the points he was making. Without question, the constant exploitation of these terrible crimes for political purposes is absolutely inexcusable.

And while his focus was on the lefts habit of using these tragedies for political gain, further fanning the flames of hatred in the process, the indictment can be broader still: there is way too much irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric from all sides of the political spectrum.

With good reason Greenwald ended his article with these sobering words: The distinction between peaceful advocacy even of noxious ideas and those who engage in violence in the name of such ideas is fundamental to notions of fairness, justice and the ability to speak freely. But if you really want to claim that a public figure has blood on their hands every time someone murders in the name of ideas and ideologies they support, then the list of people you should be accusing of murder is a very, very long one indeed.

Well said, and worthy of consideration.

In another article, I plan to explore more fully how politicians and news outlets are demonizing whole swaths of people in the aftermath of the Buffalo massacre.

To cite one case in point, a Rolling Stone headline announces, The Buffalo Shooter Isnt a Lone Wolf. Hes a Mainstream Republican. Yes, The right-wing extremists who control the modern GOP are all gripped by a racist delusion. The shooter is just the latest to act on it.

And so, the cycle continues and the inflaming of hatred grows deeper. Rolling Stone makes baseless, reckless and hateful accusations, which further angers those falsely accused, deepening their own sense of hatred. When will all this stop?

Hatred will always be here on this planet, as long as sinful human beings exist. But it is a crime against humanity to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

We can have our strong convictions. We can put our stakes in the ground and stand for what we believe to be right.

But we must not respond to hatred and lies with our own hateful rhetoric. Instead, in the words of Paul, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Let the baseless hatred stop with us.

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Revival Or We Die: A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

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Baseless Hatred is Destroying Our Nation - The Stream

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

The Torah commands that every seventh year be declared a sabbatical year, during which the Holy Land must be left fallow and all loans are to be considered remitted. This year 5782 is a sabbatical year, so I thought it would be appropriate to discuss two Hebrew terms used to refer to the sabbatical year: shemittah and sheviit. This first essay focuses on the term shemittah (slipping away) and explores various Hebrew words which appear to be synonymous with that term. The second essay focuses on the term sheviit (the seventh one) and expounds on other related Hebrew expressions whose etymologies seem to be connected to the root of that word.

The Book of Deuteronomy refers to the sabbatical year as shemittah in five instances (Deuteronomy. 15:1-2, 15:9, 31:10). This noun is derived from the triliteral root shin-mem-tet, which also gives us a verb that means to slip away. Indeed, the Torah uses forms of this verb when discussing the laws of shemittah: And six years shall you sow your land and you shall gather its produce, and [in] the seventh [year], you shall slip it away (tishmitenah) and abandon it (Exodus 23:10-11). Rashi explains that this passage refers to the requirement that one refrain from working the land during the sabbatical year. Elsewhere, the Torah speaks about a lender allowing all loans due to him to slip away (shamot, tashmet) during the shemittah year (see Deuteronomy 15:2-3). Thus we see that both the agricultural and financial laws regarding the sabbatical year are associated with the term shemittah.

Although many people today continue to use the Biblical term shemittah colloquially in reference to the sabbatical year, in the Babylonian Talmud that term is actually fairly rare and only appears a few times outside of citing the above-mentioned Biblical verses (Nazir 8b, Sotah 41a, Gittin 36a, Bava Metzia 30b, 48b, Sanhedrin 32a, Shavuot 44b, and several other places).

How does the literal meaning of slipping away relate back to laws of the sabbatical year? To better understand this, we will look at several words derived from the same triliteral root as shemittah, and infer from them a more precise definition of this root.

When Uzza sent forth his hand to support the Holy Ark as it was being transported on cattle, he did so lest the beasts shamat the holy object (II Samuel 6:6, I Chronicles 13:9). Rabbi Yonah Ibn Janach explains in Sefer HaShorashim that this means that the sheer weight of the ark was causing the animals joints to burst, and this would have led to the ark slipping off the wagon had the animals actually collapsed. Similarly, when Jehu killed Jezebel by way of defenestration (i.e., throwing her out the window), the verb used by the Bible is a cognate of shemittah (II Kings 9:33), with Radak (ibid.) and Ibn Ezra (Deuteronomy 15:1) commenting that in this context the term means to let something go so that it will fall.

From these examples, it seems that the core denotation of shemittah is leaving something to its own devices, which will invariably cause it to fall or slip out of place. In that sense, shemittah denotes both forsaking something and the falling/slipping that results from it being forsaken. As a result, we may explain that by not working ones fields during the sabbatical year as stipulated by the Torah, one essentially loosens their grip on their property and thus figuratively allows it to slip away from their control in a free-for-all. Similarly, we can explain that when a lender forgoes collecting the debts he is owed, those monies are no longer in his hand but rather slip away from his proverbial grasp.

In discussing the case of the accidental killer who must flee to a city of refuge, the Bible uses the example of somebody who was chopping wood in the forest and his hand slipped out of place, causing the metal part of the hammer or a piece of wood to fling outwards and kill somebody (Deuteronomy 19:5). In explaining that the wood-choppers hand slipped, Rashi echoes the word choice of the Mishnah (Makkot 2:1) in using a cognate of the word shemittah (see also Rashi to II Samuel 6:6, who connects the usage of shemittah here to its appearance in the story of Uzza, mentioned above). In this case, the slipping is not necessarily the result of anything being forsaken, but seems to be a borrowed usage.

Additionally, when the Talmud (Chullin 57a) discusses whether an animal/bird with a dislocated shoulder or thigh is considered moribund (tereifah), it uses the term shmutat to denote that dislocation, as the affected bone is understood to have slipped out of place. This too is unrelated to forsaking, per se, but the dislocation aspect shares the same result as something slipping away.

Chalitzah and Shalifa

The Torah mandates that a widow whose husband died without children, known as a yevamah, must either marry her deceased husbands brother (yibbum, the Levirate marriage) or must perform the chalitzah ceremony where she removes her brother-in-laws shoe from upon his foot (Deuteronomy 25:9). Before taking either of these courses of action, the yevamah is forbidden from marrying anybody besides one of her deceased husbands brothers. As the Talmud puts it, the yevamahs license to marry somebody else is commensurate with the shemittah (slipping off) of most of the heel (Yevamos 102a).

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 34:15) explains that the term chalitzah holds four distinct meanings: slipping, arming, saving, and leaving something resting in its place. As an example of chalitzah in the sense of slipping, the Midrash mentions the chalitzah ceremony in which the yevamah slips off the shoe from her brother-in-laws foot. As an example of arming, the Midrash cites the fact that soldiers of the Jewish army were called chalutzim (Deuteronomy 3:18). To adduce the saving meaning, the Midrash points to the verse May G-d save me (chaltzeini) from an evil person (Psalms 140:2); and for the resting meaning of chalitzah the Midrash cites the Shabbat liturgy in which we beseech G-d to be appeased and let us rest (ritzay vhachalitzeinu).

Some of these meanings of chalitzah line up with the various meanings of shemittah: Just like shemittah refers to slipping, so does chalitzah; just like shemittah refers to escaping, so does chalitzah; just like shemittah refers to forsaking or leaving something, so does chalitzah. In fact, the Midrash in question actually uses a cognate of shemittah when noting that chalitzah can mean slip (although, Radak to Isaiah 58:11 and in Sefer HaShorashim seems to have had an alternate version of the Midrash that instead used the word shalaf for that purpose, see below).

Interestingly, in Aramaic the act of removing clothing is also a cognate of chalitzah (see Targum to I Samuel 31:8-9, I Chronicles 10:8), possibly because stripping off ones clothes is an act of extracting ones body from within such garments. This Aramaic usage could be the etymological basis for the Modern Hebrew word chultzah (shirt). Rabbi Dr. Ernest Klein (1899-1983) writes in his etymological dictionary, however, that this term was originally coined by Prof. Joseph Klausner (1874-1958) to mean blouse and was derived from the hips/thigh meaning of chalatzaim (because a blouse typically covered the loins).

Another Biblical Hebrew word that refers to slipping off is shalaf (derived from the triliteral root shin-lammed-pey). In general, words from this root refer to slipping something out of its container to brandish it for another purpose. Cognates of shalaf appear 25 times in the Bible, most commonly when referring to the act of drawing ones sword from its sheath. Less commonly, cognates of shalaf refer to the act of slipping off ones shoe (Ruth 4:7-8) for symbolic deal-making kind of an ancient equivalent of shaking hands. In fact, Targum pseudo-Jonathan (Deuteronomy 25:9) renders the verb form of chalitzah in the context of the chalitzah ritual as a cognate of shalaf. Rashi (Chullin 53a and Gittin 33b) also connects these two verbs and ostensibly sees them as synonymous.

Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim proposes that shalaf differs from chalitzah in that shalaf is used whenever the two items in question were only loosely attached and could easily be separated. As noted above, most appearances of this root involve slipping out ones sword from its sheath or slipping off ones shoe for the purposes of a business transaction. In both situations, this action is typically performed as quickly as possible. In the case of a business deal, the buyer and seller want to seal the deal before the other one backs out, and in the case of a sword, a warrior needs his weapon to be readily at his disposal. Because of the need to swiftly be able to remove ones sword or shoe, we would not expect them to be fastened too strongly.

In a similar vein, Shoresh Yesha notes that Biblical Hebrew uses three verbs to denote removing ones shoe: shal (Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:15), shalaf, and chalitzah. He explains that these three terms correspond to three different ways by which a shoe or sandal may be attached to ones foot, with shal referring to slipping off ones sandal without even using ones hands, shalaf referring to taking off ones shoe by hand, and chalitzah referring to removing a shoe fastened to the foot by first untying it.

What I found perplexing is the fact that the Talmud refers to a load mounted on top of an animal as a shlif (Bava Kamma 3a; see Rashi to Bava Kamma 17b, Shabbat 154b, Eruvin 16a, and Kiddushin 22b). This word is seemingly derived from the triliteral shin-lammed-pey but I do not understand why the word for a parcel that somebody hopes will not slip off the animals back is derived from the act of slipping off. Perhaps the word shlif refers to that very hope that it does not fall off the animal transporting it. Alternatively perhaps the word shalaf actually refers to the same sort of untying denoted by the word chalitzah, so the term shlif refers to how one might remove the package from upon the animal after it reaches its final destination (see Rashi to Bava Batra 75b, who notes that the shlif was tied to the animal).

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The Year Of Slipping Away (Part I) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

By Rabbi David Etengoff

The prohibition of charging a fellow indigent Jew interest on a loan is one of the many subjects addressed in our parasha, Behar.

While this topic analyzed and expanded upon throughout Rabbinic thought, on the peshat-level, our pasukim are quite clear: one may not charge interest on a loan to a fellow Jew in order for your brother [to] live with you without additional financial stress.

An entirely different approach to the words, vchai achicha imach, are offered by Talmud Bavli, Baba Metzia 62a: The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yoanan, what does he do with this verse: And your brother shall live with you? The Gemara answers: He requires the verse for that which is taught in a baraita: If two people were walking on a desolate path and there was a jug [kiton] of water in the possession of one of them, and the situation was such that if both drink from the jug, both will die, as there is not enough water, but if only one of them drinks, he will reach a settled area, there is a dispute as to the halakha. Ben Petora taught: It is preferable that both of them drink and die and let neither one of them see the death of the other. This was the accepted opinion until Rabbi Akiva came and taught that the verse states: And your brother shall live with you, indicating that your life takes precedence over the life of the other.

This baraita discusses a scenario wherein one of two individuals traveling together owns a very limited supply of water. Ben Petora opines that the water must be shared so that one of them does not witness the others death. As such, he interprets, in order that your brother should live (vchai achicha), in a literal manner and maintains that the water should be shared at all costs.

In stark contrast, Rabbi Akiba stresses the importance of the very end of our verse with you (imach). In his view, while you should do everything in your power to enable your fellow Jew to live, nonetheless, chayecha kodmim lchayeh chaveircha (your life takes precedence over your fellow Jews life) when you are the sole owner of the limited resource. It should be noted that the Rif and the Rosh quote this baraita verbatim in their respective works, indicating that they concur with Rabbi Akibas opinion as a matter of actual halachic practice.

As we have seen, our baraita focuses upon a case of first party possession of a scarce resource. According to Rabbi Akiba, the owner is entitled to fully exercise his rights of possession and drink the water, even though this will result in the death of his companion. At first glance, this psak din seems to contradict another highly celebrated position of this mishnaic period sage:

Rabbi Akiva stated: Vahavta lreicha kamocha, zeh klal gadol baTorah (And you should love your neighbor as you love yourself, this is the overarching principle of the Torah).

The question is clear: How can Rabbi Akiva simultaneously maintain, chayecha kodmim lchayeh chaveircha, and vahavta lreicha kamocha, zeh klal gadol baTorah? That is, if you maintain the first position, the second seems impossible to fulfill.

We are fortunate that the universally recognized gadol of his generation, Rav Moshe Sofer zatzal (Chatam Sofer, 1762-1839) addresses this exact question:

If it is the case that chayecha kodmim lchayeh chaveircha, how is it possible to fulfill vahavta lreicha kamocha? [When Rabbi Akiva stated,] chayecha kodmim lchayeh chaveircha, however, this was said regarding matters that pertain to this world (binyanei olam hazeh), but in regard to those things that refer to Eternal Life (bchayeh hanitzchiyi), that is Torah study, one is obligated to teach others even if he will diminish his own Torah study nonetheless, he is obligated to learn with others.

Therefore, Rabbi Akiva said: zeh klal gadol baTorah, that is, regarding Torah study, it is the overarching principle to love your fellow Jew as you love yourself.

In many ways, this analysis is an intellectual tour de force. The Chatam Sofer interprets the phrase, zeh klal gadol baTorah, in such a singular fashion that he was able to explain this ruling of Rabbi Akivas as referring specifically to Torah study, rather than as a universal Torah principle. In so doing, he deftly removes any seeming contradictions in Rabbi Akivas thought and reveals to us that chayecha kodmim lchayeh chaveircha pertains to matters of this world, whereas vahavta lreicha kamocha zeh klal gadol baTorah refers solely to teaching Torah to others.

It is crucial to note that the Chatam Sofers unique interpretation of Rabbi Akivas axiom does not refer to his view regarding the mitzvah of vahavta lreicha kamocha per se. In this regard, I am convinced he embraced the famous words of the Rambam:

It is a positive commandment of Rabbinic origin to visit the sick, comfort mourners, to prepare for a funeral, prepare a bride, accompany guests, attend to all the needs of a burial, carry a corpse on ones shoulders, walk before the bier, mourn, dig a grave, and bury the dead, and also to bring joy to a bride and groom and help them in all their needs. These are deeds of kindness that one carries out with his person that have no limit (gemilut chasadim shbgufo shain lahem shiur). Although all these mitzvot are of Rabbinic origin, they are included in the Scriptural commandment vahavta lreicha kamocha. That charge implies that whatever you would like other people to do for you, you should do for your comrade in the Torah and mitzvot.

With Hashems help and our fervent desire, may we ever participate in acts of gemilut chasadim shbgufo shain lahem shiur, and may we thereby bring shalom to our world. Vchane yihi ratzon.an awareness of how fleeting our lives are, and we must work hard to fill them with meaning.

Every seventh year is a sabbatical for the soul, and every fiftieth year, a time to recognize that we are past the zenith of our arc of life.

Fortunately, we have an even more frequent gift of time, and it is our weekly Sabbatical,Shabbat Kodesh, the Holy Sabbath.

In the cycles characterized by the number seven, we have seven years, seven sets of seven years, and the seven days of the week. Jewish mysticism offers us a multitude of meanings for the number seven, but this much is not mysterious: There is a rhythm to our lives, and part of that rhythm calls for regular times for reflection and renewal.

The intervals between such moments vary greatly in their duration. It is up for us to make the most of those moments, whether they last a day or a year.

I once heard a wise man, Rav Elya Lapian, say:

Modern man is convinced that time is money. Spiritual man knows that time is life.

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

David Baddiel has insisted a new television documentary based on his acclaimed Jews Dont Count polemic will offer surprising differences from the book.

The comedian and author is currently filming part of the 75 minute long documentary for Channel 4 in New York and reveals it will have many other voices apart from my own on it.

The programme, which is set to be aired in the autumn, is being made by presenter Louis Therouxs production company Mindhouse.

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Baddiel told Jewish News: Im somewhat constrained by Channel 4 at the minute, but one thing that will be different is it will have many other voices apart from my own on it, including some surprising ones, discussing the issue with me, some of them agreeing, some arguing.

I might even use the word Talmudic. If Id read the Talmud.

As a book Jews Dont Count was widely praised for its assessment of how anti-Jewish racism was often over-looked by those who considered themselves anti-racists.

In an age of identity politics, Baddiel argued that in some cases Jews were overlooked as being a minority.

Describing himself as a Jewish atheist, Baddiel has also defiantly removed himself from any involvement in the Israel/Palestine debate.

Jewish News first revealed plans for the television version of Jews Dont Count in an interview with Baddiel and his older brother Ivor in April.

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Posted By admin on May 18, 2022

One of the things that Jews do when they come to Israel is visit holy sites, and among these holy sites are kivrei tzaddikim. One can find in every city and in remote locations throughout the country the graves of the prophets, the Sages of the Talmud, modern rabbis and mystics, leaders and historical figures from throughout the ages, and, of course, the graves of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish nation. While the world is deciding the Jewish peoples right to Israel, these graves are literally a monument to our historical right to the land carved in stone.

While one can visit the Arizal in Tzfat, the Rambam in Tiberias, and Rav Ovadia Yosef, ztl, in Jerusalem, any cemetery in Israel is the eternal resting place of many holy people. Almost every cemetery in Israel has a military section for soldiers who have fallen in the line of duty protecting the country, or as Rabbi Avi Weiss of New York has called them: the holiest Jews in the world. The victims of terrorist attacks are also shrouded in holiness.

It was recently explained to me why it is that in Israel, even though most people are buried without a coffin, they still bury soldiers in one. Its because many soldiers have died in explosions and their bodies are not intact. So as not to discriminate between those who are and those who are not, all fallen soldiers are buried in a wooden box.

During Aseret Yemei Teshuvah my son and I went to visit my maternal grandmother, who is buried in Nachalat Yitzchak, a cemetery that borders Tel Aviv, Givatayim, and Ramat Gan a kind of crossroads, appropriate to a cemetery. It turns out the Tzaddik of Shtefanesht (tefneti), Rebbe Avraham Matityahu Friedman, is buried there as well.

A woman stopped and asked us if we knew where the Tzaddiks grave was. After pointing her in the right direction, we followed and decided wed stop in and say a prayer. I had never heard of this rabbi, but on an everyday weekday there were people there emotionally praying at his gravesite.

About twenty years ago, I visited the grave of the tanna Rabbi Tarfon. He is buried on a pastoral hill in seclusion, not far from Meron, where, according to a tradition from the Arizal,he is buried under a giant pistachio tree. However, a burial cave was recently discovered on Mount Meron and restored by the Ohalei Tzaddikim organization, which claims Rabbi Tarfon was buried there.

Indeed, when dealing with those who lived thousands of years ago, uncertainty sometimes arises about the real location of burial. Although places like Mearat Hamechpela and Kever Rachel have a tradition going back thousands of years, other graves like that of Rachel, Rabbi Akivahs wife, are more difficult to discern. But when I happened to visit what is purported to be Rachels grave, I felt such a sudden and inexplicable outpouring of emotion that I couldnt stop crying. Whether it was really Rachel or not, the woman buried there was obviously a holy woman.

Its possible to fit in a visit to a tzaddiks or tzaddekets grave on almost any day trip throughout the country and each one is purported to offer segulot, whether for children, marriage, healing, or learning. Praying on a consecutive Monday, Thursday and Monday at the grave of the Admor of Zhivil, for example, who is buried in a small cemetery in Jerusalem, is reported to bring your soulmate.

In Jerusalem and Petach Tikvah, which was founded by Jerusalemites, there is the practice not to let a body remain overnight, and so funerals are often held late into the night. There is something very peaceful about a cemetery at night.

Israeli cemeteries differ from the manicured lawns and spacious plots of American cemeteries; much in the way that housing for the living differs. The graves are in close proximity to each other in a sea of hewed stone. Recently the dearth of graves in Israel has led to apartment block style graves where people are buried on floors. Although this seems a modern deviation, thats how many were buried in caves thousands of years ago. Cemeteries are expanding both upwards and underground, although the earth of the holy land can be found in each grave.

There are a few unique attributes to Israeli cemeteries. I know of no other place in the world where people are routinely flown in from other countries to be buried often at great expense. And Bituach Leumi, Israels national insurance, pays for the grave and burial of every citizen (unless they want to be buried somewhere other than their local cemetery). Its a Jewish ideal to be buried in Israel. After all, when Mashiach comes, bimheira viyameinu, thats where the meeting place of all souls will be. There is a tradition that if one is not buried in Israel, then at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead all the dead bodies will roll through tunnels to Israel.

This Lag BaOmer marks a year since the Meron tragedy when 45 people were killed. The dead included sixAmericans, twoCanadians, anArgentineand a Briton and ranged in age from 13 to 65 years old. The victims were celebrating at the annual hillulah (a celebration of a tzaddik on his yahrzeit) of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, at his gravesite in Meron, when stairs collapsed and they were crushed to death, themselves becoming kedoshim. It was a terrible tragedy. But as their final act in this world was dancing and singing at the gravesite of the holy Sage, he no doubt welcomed their pure souls into Heaven.

You dont have far to look to go to visit kivrei tzaddikim in Israel. In fact, they are very easy to find.

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I want you to think about a concept that nobody talks about. You wont hear your Rav speak about this on Shabbat. You wont read an article on this subject in any Jewish magazine, and you certainly wont hear any politician speak this way. I am referring to the important aspect of fighting the Jewish enemy and, while extremely difficult and painful, how it is an integral and necessary part of our national life.

When HaShem told Avraham the famous words; Lech Lecha why did He send Avraham to the busiest place on earth? 90% of the world was uninhabited at that time, yet HaShem sent Avraham to Eretz Yisrael where it immediately says, And the Canaanites were in the Land (Beresheit 12:6). Really? Couldnt HaShem have made a different part of the world holy and send Avraham there where his descendants wouldnt have to fight for every inch?

When HaShem spoke to Moshe for the first time by the burning bush, He said; I have come to rescue them from Egypts power. I will bring them out of that land to a good, spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Yebusites (Beresheit 3:8) Really? I like the part about the good, spacious land, and I certainly love the part that its flowing with milk and honey (YUMMY!) but HaShem Himself said its the territory of 6 other nations (actually 10 other nations see Beresheit 15:19 where 4 additional nations are listed!!!) So, I ask a similar question as the paragraph before; Why didnt HaShem choose to send Am Yisrael to a part of the world that was empty where we wouldnt have to battle for our very survival?

When Yehoshua Bin-Nun took over the reign of leadership from Moshe, what is the first thing he did when he crossed the Jordan River with the Nation of Israel? He got the young, fresh, nation ready for war!!! He sent trustworthy spies on a reconnaissance mission. He prepared the people to fight for the city of Yericho. and they conquered the city. They destroyed everything that was in the city man and woman, youth and elder, ox and sheep and donkey by the edge of the sword. (Yehoshua 6:20-21) Really? Thats the first thing Am Yisrael did when they entered Eretz Yisrael kill every man, woman and child in Yericho? Allow me to ask the same question as above; Why didnt HaShem send us to a place where we could just live in peace, with no need for bloodshed? Why the wars and the commandment to wipe out the enemy? We were a new nation, in a new land shouldnt we be busy with farming, construction and finding a way how to support and educate our children? Why a war and years of wars from almost day 1??

I could give many more examples just read the TaNaCH and you will see that HaShem chose a bad neighborhood for His people to live. Throughout our history, there was almost no quiet in Eretz Yisrael and many people have struggled with the question of why? Even in our day, we see daily battles on the road, on the border and in the middle of Yerushalayim. In the last month we have seen terror in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv and Elad. Our young men and women are drafted to the IDF and National Service and forced to risk their lives. So again why?

While I dont claim to be an expert and certainly dont have the answers to most troubling questions, I feel I do have the answer to this one: The fight is part of the Mitzvah. HaShem did not send us to an empty Australia where we could have lived in peace and harmony with some kangaroos. He purposely sent us to a land that needed to be conquered and paid for in Jewish blood. While this is very painful to the families of those heroic fighters, it is an absolute necessity when talking about the Land of Israel.

We are all familiar with the concept; Eretz Yisrael nikneyt byesurrim (the Land of Israel is acquired through suffering) This concept is stated in Talmud Berachot 5a and explained by the Vilna Gaon (Kol HaTur, chapter 1, paragraph 13) in 4 simple words; This is exactly how its acquired. There are no shortcuts and no way to avoid it. The suffering is the acquisition! However, nowhere does it state that we are to be led as lambs to the slaughter. On the contrary! We are to observe the Torah and simultaneously fight the enemy with every weapon available. When we do that HaShem promises that, You will chase away your enemies and they will fall before your sword. 5 of you will chase 100 and 100 of you will defeat 10,000, as your enemies fall before your sword. (VaYikra 26:7-8)

Dearest friends: This is a strong and powerful message and one that we need to focus on especially during these days of tragedy and terror. To deserve Israel is to fight for her. There will be times when battles will be lost, and holy soldiers will be buried. There will also be times when innocent Yidden sitting in a park will be murdered and we will look for answers. Our Father and King knows what He is doing and, while each drop of Jewish blood comes with oceans of tears, we continue the fight and the goal of wiping out our enemy and conquering the land, exactly as HaShem has commanded.

One final point. While the Talmud states that the Land of Israel is acquired through suffering, it does not state that about New York, London, Paris, Melbourne, or Toronto. In those areas, if Jews are in danger and they are the commandment is to get out of there as quickly as possible. There is no mitzvah to fight the Canaanites (or whatever theyre called) outside the Land. Therefore, while Jewish blood may be necessary for Eretz Yisrael, it is a complete and utter waste if shed in California, Argentina, Johannesburg, New Jersey, or Montreal. The Fight is part of the Mitzvah is in Israel only. Everywhere else, its not the fight thats important but the flight out of there and into the Promised Land.

May HaShem bless us with victory over our enemies in His one and only special place on earth.

Am Yisrael Chai!

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What a time it is for Deaf Awareness! Rose Ayling-Ellis won Strictly Come Dancing and a BAFTA, Troy Kotsur picked up the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for CODA and the British Sign Language (BSL) bill was passed recently, making BSL a legally recognised language of the UK.

Deaf people have never been so visible on our screens. But there is still so much work to be done. The Jewish Deaf Associations vision is of a world where there are no barriers to communication and understanding between deaf and hearing people; a world with respect, inclusion and equality.

Hearing loss is on the rise. One in six people in the UK now have hearing loss. So, as JDA marks its 70th anniversary together with Her Majesty the Queen now is the right time for us to start making that vision a reality within our own community.

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How can we enable people with hearing loss, who communicate using speech, to not feel marginalised? To be fully included in family, social and communal gatherings? To be actively involved in synagogue services and community life?

Last week was Deaf Awareness Week and JDA launched a publicity campaign drip feeding top tips for chatting with someone with hearing loss. To start raising awareness and start taking the small steps that will bring about change, JDA is also asking people connected with Jewish communal organisations to follow the Jewish Deaf Association on social media, share posts with community leaders and get the conversation started in their organisation about how we can all enable people with hearing loss to be fully and actively involved in our community.

Stella makes hamotzi with the words transcribed on a screen behind her

JDA is keen to make synagogues and community centres accessible for people with hearing loss. Jeremy Freeman, who is deaf, says Sitting through services can feel long, arduous, and not so interactive for many shul goers with a hearing loss. At this time, synagogues are reimagining the way synagogue services are presented and focusing on inclusion and involvement in community life. This is a perfect opportunity to involve members with hearing loss and other invisible disabilities in the conversation and to consult with the Jewish Deaf Association to find ways of creating greater access for people with hearing loss.

Sadly, over the years, deaf and deafened members have walked away from the Jewish community frustrated with the lack of support and acknowledgment of issues. One JDA client said they feel hearing loss has been treated as taboo. It is uplifting that the Jewish Deaf Association is addressing this as there are ways that accessibility can be improved which dont break the rules of Shabbat, such as ensuring that deaf synagogue members receive an advance copy of the Rabbis sermon even in note form. Another simple thing is to include live captioning on community webinars and online videos. Our tradition encourages us all to learn, to gather together in community, and to allow for accommodations to make that happen.

Michael blows the shofar with his hands on Barry to convey sound through touch

The Talmud, in discussing the domino effect of sin, concludes with phrase kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, meaning all of Israel are responsible for each other, says Jeremy. This phrase is the basis of the notion of communal responsibility in Jewish law. It implies an obligation on all Jews to ensure that other Jews have their basic needs taken care of. Lets work together to ensure that we approach hearing loss and other disabilities not as a form of charity for the less fortunate but as a Jewish justice and inclusion issue.

For more information about making your synagogues accessible and inclusive for people with hearing loss, email jeremy@jdeaf.org.uk

http://www.jdeaf.org.uk

020 8446 0502

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