Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Now that non-besari (non-meaty) meat has come to Israel, many people will have to rethink their cuisine. Some of us are already there. We are already hooked on meatless Mondays, but we dont eat meat on Sunday either, or Tuesday, or any day of the week. Shabbat too? Definitely, though friends and guests cant believe it.You dont eat meat on Shabbat? Not even chicken? They admit that our non-fleishig soups are really quite tasty; they even like our parve cholent; but they still wonder whether our food choices can really be kosher.Apart from the urban myth that Shabbat and chickens go together, some people think there is a law that Shabbat is impossible without meat. Actually, the Bibles original intention was for humans to eat vegetables, whichever day of the week it was (Genesis 1:29). The manna in the wilderness was vegetarian. People remembered the fruit and vegetables in Egypt (Numbers 11:5). Ahab wanted Naboths vineyard in order to plant a vegetable garden (I Kings 21:2).For a true appreciation of vegetables we must go to the Talmud. Both the Babylonian (Sanhedrin 17b) and the Jerusalem Talmud (end of Kiddushin) speak highly of vegetable gardens. Rashi says that vegetables are inexpensive and healthy, and preparing them does not affect the time devoted to Torah study. Many rabbis believed that certain vegetables were good for health, though they knew that diarrhea might come from (presumably unwashed) vegetables. Poor people like Hillel appreciated being able to eat well on vegetables, though they dreamed of one day being able to afford meat (Shabbat 140b).The Torah is not opposed to meat. It lists animals that may be eaten and how to slaughter them. It makes animal sacrifice part of Temple worship. Most people cant imagine life without meat, though they know that when the Messiah comes they might have to be vegetarian. In the meantime, meat gives them fullness and satisfaction. They feel there is no joy without it (Pesahim 109a). Kabbalists even think that meat-eating elevates the animal.What about meat on Shabbat? The Talmud says, Eat meat sparingly. (Hullin 84a). Pesahim 109a tells us, Our rabbis said, A person should make his children and household rejoice on a festival. With what does he make them rejoice? With wine. Rabbi Yehudah ben Batyra said, When the Temple stood there was no rejoicing without meat, but now that the Temple no longer stands, there is no rejoicing except with wine, as it is said, Wine gladdens the heart of man. (Psalm 104:15). The rule is not about meat but wine. Meat is not essential to joy. How can there be joy if meat eating causes distress?MAIMONIDES ENDORSES meat eating on festivals if one can afford it (Hilchhot Shabbat 30:10), implying that a different menu is acceptable if one is poor or if meat gives them no pleasure. The Shulhan Aruch says that those who fast every day would feel pain if they had to eat on Shabbat. Vegetarians would feel pain if they had to eat meat on Shabbat. (Shulhan Aruch, Orah Hayyim 288:1-3).

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What are good vegetarian dishes to have on Shabbat? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

If youve been through Hebrew school, you most likely learned about Judah the Maccabee, son of Matityahu, the courageous warrior who routed out the Seleucid Greeks from the Holy Land in the miraculous chain of events that we celebrate every year on Chanukah.

But what do we really know about Judah, or his four brothers? The Talmud gives us no information, leaving us to comb through various texts dating back to the Second Temple era, when the Maccabean revolt took place.

This account is mainly based on Megillat Antiochus, a text that was preserved within the Jewish community and which some even read every year on Chanukah. At times it has been supplemented with information found in the books of Maccabees, Josephus and other sources, as indicated in the footnotes.

However, it should be noted that many of these events have been obscured by the sands of time, and that no texts known to us can be believed to be entirely accurate portrayals of what took place.

Section from handwritten Aramaic Megillat Antiochus, from an old Yemenite siddur (Credits: Davidbena at en.wikipedia.org)

Yehudah was the eldest of the band of brothers, known for being the leader of the Jewish revolt and the mightiest of them all. His father compared him to the original Yehudah, the mighty son of Jacob, who was himself compared to a fierce lion. While he is commonly described as the triumphant warrior who liberated Jerusalem and restored Jewish rule, according to Megillat Antiochus he was actually killed quite early in the war, even before his father passed away.

The Megillah recounts that the brothers came home to Matityahu, declaring that they could not continue to fight because Yehudah was killedthat since he was as strong as all of them combined, they would not be able to succeed without their older brother and leader. With no alternative, old Matityahu took his sons place and led his sons into battle.

However, according to the books of Maccabees and Josephus, Yehudah carried on, leading his brothers in battle, rededicating the Holy Temple, and leading the Jewish people both militarily and spiritually as the high priest. This continued for about three years, until his untimely death in the battle of Elasah.

He was succeeded by his younger brother Yonatan, who took over his positions and led the Jewish people in his stead.

It is quite interesting that even while being so celebrated in secular texts, he is not mentioned even once in the Mishnah or the Talmud, or even in the special Chanukah additions to the prayers. The only rabbinical mention of him is in the brief passages about him in Megillat Antiochus.

That being said, Yehudah HaMakabi is known, and rightfully so, as an outstanding Jewish hero, a champion who fought for Judaism, Jews, and the right to serve Gd without any intrusions from our oppressors. He is believed to have been the one to initially led his brothers in battle until his untimely death, and will forever have our admiration as Judah the Maccabee.

Yehuda leading the Maccabees in battle (Gustave Dore)

Shimon was the second of the band of brothers; he is known for outliving all his brothers, eventually assuming leadership of the Jewish people and becoming the progenitor of the Hasmonean royal dynasty.

His father compared him to the original Shimon, the son of Jacob, who avenged his sisters honor and destroyed the city of Shechem.

The book of Maccabees relates that Shimon was chosen by his father before his death to take his place as the social and ethical leader of the people, leaving the military and political control to Yehudah. As Matityahu said, "Listen to Shimon, your brother, for he is wise and sensible, and he will be to you as a father."

Shimon stood by his brother Yehudah in battle, and after Yehudahs death, he stood by his brother Yonatan as well. After both were ultimately killed, Shimon took control of the military leadership of the Jewish people.

Shimon handled the political upheavals that were happening in and around the land of Judea, striking deals, taking sides and maneuvering the stormy seas of diplomacy efficiently. Shimons reign lasted about nine years.

Shimons demise is a sad story. Shimons son-in-law Ptolemy (Talmai) plotted to overthrow Shimon and his sons, giving himself free rein in Judea. Ptolemy invited his father-in-law, together with the whole family, to the Duk fortress for a holiday celebration; amid the festivities, he had Shimon and two of his sons killed, and other family members were taken hostage. Messengers were sent to kill another son, Yochanan Hyrcanus, who was not at the party.

Yochanan Hyrcanus gathered his troops and fought back, laying siege to Ptolemy and his forces. Ptolemy, trying to fend him off, threatened and then killed his mother-in-law and another remaining brother, until he ultimately escaped, leaving the control of Judea in Yochanan Hyrcanuss hands. Yochanan Hyrcanus followed in his fathers ways and successfully led the Jewish people for about 30 years.

It should be noted that many of the subsequent members of the Hasmonean dynasty were far from righteous. They were often antagonistic to the Torah sages, at times going so far as to ruthlessly persecute and murder them.

Yochanan was the third of the band of brothers; he is often seen as the least prominent of his brothers, since he was neither the official leader of the Jewish people nor died a spectacular, heroic death (see Elazar).

Yet in Megillat Antiochus he is hailed as the hero of the story. He is the only one of the brothers who has any identifying details told about him: he is referred to as a kohen gadol (high priest), and the whole Chanukah story begins in the Megillah with Yochanan:

General Nikanor, sent by Antiochus to tyrannize the Jewish people, arrived at the Holy Temple. After murdering a great many Jews, he set up an idolatrous altar there and then slaughtered a swine on it, bringing its blood into the holy site. Yochanan heard about what had happened, and he set out to avenge the Temples defilement and the persecution of his brethren. He fashioned himself a long thin sword and hid it under his garments. He came to the Temples gates, demanding an audience with Nikanor, who granted his request.

Nikanor greeted him fiercely: You must be one of those who rebelled against the king and are opposed to him.

Yochanan replied, Sir, that is me, but I have come here now before you, and I will do whatever you command me.

Nikanor was satisfied with this reply, and offered Yochanan the kings protection if he were just to offer a swine on the altar.

Yochanan responded: I would do so, but I worry that if my fellow Jews find out, they will surely kill me. If you send everyone out, and leave me here on my own, then I will not hesitate to do as you command. Nikanor obliged, and the two were left alone.

Yochanan whispered a silent prayer, took three steps, and stabbed Nikanor in the heart with the weapon he had hidden.

Yochanan then arose, rallied his people, and fought back against Nikanors legion triumphantly, winning them a great, but only temporary, victory.

He returned and built a pillar, naming it after himself, Maccabee, slayer of the mighty.

This, of course, angered Antiochus terribly, and one thing led to the next, resulting in the Chanukah story.

Yochanan was compared by his father to Avner ben Ner, a great and mighty warrior, the general of the Jewish army during King Sauls reign.

In the Book of Maccabees he is mentioned a few times as leading different legions in battle. His life ended when he attempted to entrust a large fortune that he was carrying to the Nabataean tribe, and was captured and killed by the sons of Jambri. His surviving brothers Yonatan and Shimon avenged his death by attacking the Jambris during a wedding celebration, killing hundreds and reclaiming the fortune.

An illustration of Hashmonen martyrdom (Woodcut, Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860).

Yonatan was the fourth of the band of brothers; he is known for assuming Yehudahs position after his death and leading the Jewish people for nearly two decades, transforming the Jews from a band of rebels into a power to be reckoned with.

Yonatan was compared by his father to the original Yonatan, the son of King Saul, who successfully fought against the Philistines, protecting the Jewish people.

The book of Maccabees relates that Yonatan and Shimon often worked as a team throughout the ongoing battles. After Yehudahs death, when the mantle of leadership was passed to Yonatan, Shimon stayed by his side.

Yonatan was a brave and skilled leader. He successfully pulled through the many battles and political turbulence, while uprooting all pagan and Hellenistic influences in Judea.

Ultimately the Seleucids opted to make peace with him, granting him control of the region, at first unofficially, and eventually with open and official peace. At this point Yonatan reclaimed the position of high priest as well.

Unfortunately, this blissful situation did not last long. After a military uprising in the Seleucid Empire, Yonatan was once again at war. Things did not play out in his favor, and he was taken hostage by the Seleucid general Tryphon (the leader of the revolt). Tryphon demanded ransom money and family members as collateral, and although Shimon complied, Tryphon did not hold back his attack on Judea, and he had Yonatan killed.

Yonatan and his army destroying a pagan temple (Gustave Dore, 1866)

Elazar was the fifth and youngest of the band of brothers; he is known primarily for the heroic feat of killing a war elephant and the high-ranking general mounted upon it.

Elazar was compared by his father to the famed zealot and priest Pinchas, the son of Elazar, who stood up against the desecration of Judaism and morality brought on by the Moabite women, slaying the primary sinners, avenging Gds honor, and thereby saving the Jewish people from a plague.

Elazars valiant death has been glamorized throughout history as the epitome of a heroic death and self-sacrifice. His death has been portrayed in many famous secular and Christian paintings throughout the Middle Ages.

The story of his death is commonly told as follows: At the battle of Beit Zechariah, Elazar saw a high-ranking military leader atop a mighty war elephant; he courageously approached and stabbed the elephant, causing it to fall and die, crushing him under its weight. However, in Megillat Antiochus the story is recounted in a more harrowing fashion with a little less background; it relates that Elazar sank in the elephants excrement while attempting to kill the ferocious beast. Also, according to the Megillah, this incident happened before the miracle of the oil and the rededication of the Temple, while Maccabees places this battle later.

Artist's impression of the heroic death of Elazar (Gustave Dore, 1866)

Behind every great man stands a great woman. In the case of these five men, it was their sister Chanah, who, after being expected to go through an offensive and inappropriate experience, put her foot down, urging and encouraging her brothers to protect her honor and the honor of all Jewish women.

The law at the time required every Jewish woman to spend her first night as a married woman with the Greek governor. This decree went on for a while, causing many women to either not marry or to endure this horrible violation. On Chanahs wedding night, she spiritedly persuaded her brothers to stand up for justice and to rid themselves of the depraved governor.

The Maccabees resolved to take on the Greeks, stormed the governors palace, killed him and wreaked havoc in his camp. This incident served as another spark that catapulted the already unsteady military situation into a full-on war.

In addition to Yehudit (who may or may not have been a relative as well), Chanah is referred to as one of the heroines of Chanukah story, with some rabbinical sources even attributing the entire miracle to her.

For more on this story, read: Chabad.org: Woman at War

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Five Brave Men and One Brave Woman - Judah the Maccabee and his siblings - Chabad.org

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Charles Winokoor|The Herald News

FALL RIVER The Jewish Festival of Lights is about to become part of the COVID-19 Zoom generation.

Cantor Shoshana Brown of Fall Rivers Temple Beth El says she came up with the idea of sharing the tradition of lighting the candles, reciting a prayer and singing a song or two with her congregants.

The Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah) Zoom will be transmitted at 5:30 p.m. the first and last nights of the eight-night and eight-day holiday which according to Jewish law marks the rededication in 165 BCE of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

The first night of Hanukkah is this Thursday, Dec. 10; the last night will be the following Thursday on Dec. 17.

Brown and her husband Rabbi Mark Elber have conducted services for Temple Beth El since July 2013.

It will be short, maybe 20 minutes with two or three songs, Brown said.

She said the last time members of the congregation were allowed inside the temple to attend services was in September during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Special precautionary measures at the time were in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Brown says theres a good reason that weekly, religious services on the mornings of Monday and Thursday, as well as every Friday evening and Saturday morning, have been held remotely.

The median age of our congregation is about 80. Its not worth the risk to our community, she said.

The night-to-night lighting of candles of one through eight each of which is placed ina menorah -- is meant to symbolize a miracle of sorts.

According to the Hebrew Talmud, following the battle victory of the Maccabees over a Greek Seleucid Empire militia, it was discovered there was only enough sacred olive oil left to burn in the menorah for a single night.

The miracle was that it lasted eight nights, which Brown says represents the continuation of the Jewish people.

Its a very minor holiday, compared to other religious holidays on the Jewish calendar, Brown said, but one that engenders celebration and optimism.

Brown said Hanukkah, which usually occurs in December and often includes the exchange of cards and gifts, has come to represent an equivalent of sorts to Christmas in the minds of many Christians.

Rabbi Elber said he hopes the Hanukkah Zoom version helps fill a void created by the current coronavirus, which so far has led to the deaths of around 285,000 Americans.

In more than one previous year, Elber said, a Klezmer band was hired to play Eastern European Jewish dance music in the temple for one of the days of Hanukkah.

Weve always had an afternoon party with music and food, he said, adding that the Zoom version is a great way to keep it alive and vibrant.

Elber said invitations to take part in the Hanukkah Zoom are limited to temple members to prevent anyone from hacking in and making anti-Semitic remarks.

He said he conducts all Zoom prayer services from his home as opposed to inside the temple building.

Temple Beth El president Steve Silverman said sharing the holiday remotely is the best alternative we have and a great choice for people to see each other.

Cantor Brown said the only conceivable silver lining in terms of the pandemic, as far as Zoom prayer services is concerned, is that some former congregants who no longer live in the area are able to partake using their home computers.

She cited the examples of one woman in her 90s living in a New Jersey assisted living facility and another elderly woman who resides in Chestnut Hill.

Rabbi Elber said Hanukkah traditionally starts as the moon wanes and concludes with a move towards new light.

Placed in the context of the current pandemic, Elber said that lunar progression is probably an apt metaphor for the much-anticipated arrival of an effective COVID-19 vaccine.

God willing, as they say, and with good science, he said.

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Hanukkah in Fall River Zooming live courtesy of Temple Beth El - Fall River Herald News

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

An unfortunate side-effect of Hanukkah approaching is the all too familiar flurry of posts by Christians on social media which include posting Hanukkah Menorahs with Christian messages, adding Yeshua and other messianic themes to Hanukkah items, and articles about why Christians should also celebrate the festival of lights. Regarding the latter, the most notable arguments from Christians is their idea of 400 years of silence, summed up perfectly by a tweet and blogpost authored by Michelle Van Loon:

Ive heard preachers say there were 400 years of silence between the last Old Testament prophet and the advent of Jesus as recorded in the N.T. gospels. Chanukah, which begins this Thursday at sundown, reminds us that this is stinkin thinkin.

Van Loon surmises, as do many Christians, that the salvation narrative is that and then there was 400 years of silence from God between the conclusion of the Old Testament prophet Malachis ministry until the birth of Jesus.

Van Loon argues that the silence was actually broken by the story of Hanukkah, within the books of Maccabees and discussed later in John10:22. However, Van Loon makes a critical error, as do any Christians that embrace this salvation narrative. The distinction between the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and Old Testament is paramount, and lost among far too many of our Christian colleagues. Straight to the point, Malachi is not the last book of the Hebrew Bible. Indeed, the final books of the Tanakh are 1st and 2nd Chronicles. When the Old Testament was translated from a Hebrew manuscript to Greek, the Church leaders rearranged the books of the Bible to fit their theological message, meaning that the prophets were moved to the end to create a smooth transition to their new prophet, Jesus. However, rearranging books does not change history. If we suppose that Malachi was written sometime in the 5th century BCE, and that Jesus was born in beginning of the 1st century CE, that does leave roughly 600 years of silence. Except, of course, that a great deal occurred between the 5th century BCE and the 1st century CE, including Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel, to name a few.

While it is also true that the books of Maccabees were written in between these years of silence, the book itself carries with it no stories of miracles, most notably the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days. The imagery of the Hanukkiah, the Hanukkah menorah, was invented by the sages of the Talmud, Shabbat 21b, as the story of Hanukkah within Maccabees (a book not included in the Hebrew Bible canon) was not Godly enough. One should then remember that the Talmud was deemed anti-Christian and burned by Christians after the 5th century. It seems questionable, then, why Christians would seek to embrace a story written in a book they condemn, in order to connect to a story about Jews fighting against assimilation.

In this holiday season when Christmas is all anyone can see, with Hanukkah nativity scenes, Hanukkah Christmas ornaments, messianic invasions and co-opting, it would be wonderful if Christians could focus on their holiday of joy, Christmas, rather than our minor holiday of Hanukkah. The story of the rebellion against the Seleucids and the victory of the Hasmoneans has nothing to do with Jesus, Christmas, or prophets. It is yet another story of Jews fighting off those who would seek to convert us. Unfortunately, the irony is lost upon the Christians who wish to take our side and find themselves in the story of the Maccabees, considering the first 1600 years of Christianitys existence was filled with genocide, torture, forced conversions, and exile for Jews.

For all these reasons, and more, I urge our Christian friends to just let Hanukkah be. You take Christmas, well take Hanukkah. Theres plenty of presents and food to go around.

Rabbi Michael Harvey was ordained by the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 2015, and earned a Masters degree in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion and a Bachelors degree in psychology from Boston University. Enrolled at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, within the Doctor of Science in Jewish Studies program. Founder of "Teach Me Judaism": educational and animated Jewish lessons on scholarship: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4vNAB0lVE4munW_znGdEtQ

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You Take Christmas, I'll Take Hanukkah | Michael Harvey | The Blogs - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Authors caution: if you are of the absolute belief that the teachings of the rabbis as recorded in the Talmud have the imprimatur of divine authority and cannot be questioned, please be advised that you may find what follows to be somewhat heretical!

It is almost the 25th of Kislev. We anxiously await the arrival of the years shortest days and longest nights, when we shall illumine our homes and (for some of us, our Zoom) windows with the display of hanukkiot (Hanukkah menorahs) advertising the great miracle(s) of ages past. Our children and grandchildren know the brachot and the songs. The aromas of latkes and sufganiot will soon fill the air. The dreidel will spin, and the letters on its four sides will proclaim: Nes gadol hayah sham a great miracle happened there. And when asked what was the miracle, we answer: It was the miracle of the oil. There was only enough oil for one days celebration of the rededication of the Temple, but God miraculously ensured that the menorah could burn for all eight days.

What is the source of this account? Where do we read about this miracle? Do we know if it is true? The story of Hanukkah comes to us from the Books of the Maccabees. They are part of the post-canonical biblical literature called the Apocrypha. Maccabees tells the historical account of ancient Israel governed by oppressive rulers from Syria whose policies of Hellenization threatened the survival of our unique identity as Jews. In these accounts we read of how Jew struggled with Jew because different parts of the community had different attitudes toward the assimilationist tendencies of the ruling foreign influences. The High Priesthood had been corrupted, and the High Priest was little more than a pawn in the grander political machinations between ruler and subject. But nowhere in the tale of Judah Maccabees heroic military victory over the much stronger Syrian army is there any mention of this miracle of the oil.

That miracle story appears for the first time in the Talmud in the rabbinic texts that are written between 200 and 600 years after the events of 165 BCE. The miracle of the oil is the way that the rabbis uncovered Gods role in this miraculous slice of history, emphasizing a theological lesson instead of the nationalist celebration of courage, strength and revolutionary action. Even in Zachariah, the text chosen by the rabbis for the Haftarah on the Shabbat in Hanukkah, the message resounds: Not by might, not by power, but My Spirit alone, shall we all live in peace.

The rabbis may have been motivated by any number of concerns as they dealt with interpreting the events of ages past and developing the rituals to commemorate them. Certainly, they were aware of the danger of celebrating a national uprising against a foreign ruler whilst they lived under the control of the Roman Empire. Surely, they understood the value of emphasizing the theological message rather than the military victory. There is no doubt that, for the rabbis, it must have been comforting to discover Gods true presence in the midst of these events which are so inspiring and motivational.

Notwithstanding such source-critical analyses, we all know that our children (sooner rather than later) start to ask if these things really happened. They use the power of their intellect, and the critical thinking skills we demand our schools teach them. They apply the powerful forces of rational analysis and post-modern intellectual inquiry. And they start to doubt the veracity of the legend that attributes a miracle to God as the core component of our Hanukkah celebration. How can we respond?

Here is what we ought not do.

Do not

1. Stick your head in the sand and pretend they are not asking;

2. Offer them facile explanations that ask them to put aside their questions.

What can we do? We help them grow in faith and deepen their sense of purpose by offering more adequate ways to own the Hanukkah stories and celebrations.

The Number Nine

1. The Kabbalists suggest that the words Nes Gadol (A Great Miracle), through gematria, add up to 9 (the total sum of the letters is 153, then the sum of those digits is 9).

2. Nine is also truth (emet), whose numerical equivalent is 441, the sum of the digits again being 9.

3. So where is the truth of the great miracle if it is possible that it didnt exactly happen the way the rabbis suggest in the Talmud?

We need to help our communities and our children understand that there are different kinds of truth. Historicity, verifiable fact, reality as it is lived, experienced and reported upon is only one kind of truth. There are also eternal truths, truths the heart knows best, ways of understanding our relationship to each other, our world and God that go beyond the simplistic question of Did it really happen that way?

One approach understands that the miracle of seeing the oil burning was not in itself, on any individual day, a miracle. Only the knowledge that the oil had burned the day before and the day before that makes the miracle of today become evident. It can be said that miracles happen as they continue each day to be renewed and reaffirmed.

There is truth in the miracle of the oil when we open our eyes, we can see the constant unfolding of Gods miraculous presence in our lives and in our world. We encounter the Holy in the everyday when we affirm the blessing of waking up to a new day, of seeing the sun rise again, of watching the gardens bloom, of hearing the laughter of children, of watching justice be affirmed for those who need it most, of knowing that the hungry can be fed and the naked can be clothed. The miracles of Gods presence are all around us if we but open our eyes and become Gods partner. This is the only Truth that I really know!

The Rabbinically Speaking column is provided as a public service by the Jewish Press in cooperation with the Pinellas County Board of Rabbis. Columns are assigned on a rotating basis by the board. The views expressed in the column are those of the rabbi and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Jewish Press or the Board of Rabbis.

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Bursting the bubble: Even the Rabbis perpetuated a "hoax!" - jewishpresspinellas

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

By RABBI LAWRENCE S. ZIERLER

According to many historical sources, Chanukah represents the first battle for religious freedom after the Syrian Greeks tried to deny the small second Judean commonwealth its rights to practice and uphold Jewish life. This culminated in the success of the Maccabean military campaign in 168 BCE.

As part of restoring the sanctity of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which had been defiled by the enemy forces, the menorah (a seven-branched candelabra, a central religious symbol of that religious sanctuary) was rekindled with a remaining small cruse of sanctified oil. While appearing to be sufficient for only one day, it miraculously burned for eight, long enough to prepare more during the succeeding eight days of the temples rededication.

This then poses the question as to why on Chanukah the Jewish people light an eight-branched menorah, the Chanukiah, instead of the traditional seven-branched one. One Rabbinic source notes that, after entering the destroyed holy space and reclaiming its sanctity, the Jewish people celebrated with a torch-lit procession using eight iron spears that were found on the Temple grounds. Implements of war were converted into symbols of spiritual strength and light. This custom prevailed until the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE, after which the Jewish people would experience a 2,000-year period of exile from their homeland. Living among cultures often hostile to public religious expression, the Jewish people reduced and compacted the torch-lit parade of the past into a home-based ritual of lighting, using a much smaller but symbolic eight-branched menorah. Hence the custom and ritual that we are familiar with today.

In the principal text on this observancefound in the Talmud, tractate Shabbat 21bthe Rabbis debate the correct manner in which to light the Chanukiah during the eight-day holiday. The School of Shammai maintains that it should be lit in descending order, beginning with eight lights on the first night and decreasing by one on the subsequent seven days. The School of Hillel asserts that it be lit in ascending orderin Hebrew, moseif vholaychbeginning with one and adding one each day until there are eight lights aglow on the final day of the festival. The latter opinion prevailed and thus became the normative practice that still endures. This is also in keeping with the Jewish spiritual and legal concept that, in acts of holiness, we must strive to add to their measure. We endeavor to raise ourselves to greater spiritual heights and ritual holiness. We are challenged to increase our levels of cultural and social growth.

The implications of such an approach are no less relevant and compelling today than they were in Talmudic times when this ruling was made. In these trying and troubling times, when darkness abounds on account of any number of social illsnot the least of which is the current pandemic and its challenging demands on our global societythe concept of increasing growth in goodness is all the more beckoning and necessary. In one sense, such thinking might be seen as counterintuitive. After all, so many of our national and cultural celebrations begin on a high note and then diminish and disappearenjoyed in the moment before leaving us bereft of that spirit and excitement, but briefly experienced.

Instead, we might be better served by an attitude and worldview that can take a small light or ember and increase its strength and impact on life. The call to service and commitment to the wellbeing of society begins with simple steps and small acts of kindness. The concept of social justice and communal concern should be seen as a work in progress. The belief in a better world becomes more possible when we look upon it as a process. It is not a zero-sum game but rather an aspirational approach that celebrates possibilities even amid what could otherwise be social blindness and human darkness.

The small flask of oil that lasted for eight days instead of the anticipated one was discovered by an unidentified, anonymous Kohein, or priest, serving in the temple. His willingness to light the lamp despite a paucity of fuel speaks to an awareness that improvement, healing and help need not wait for ideal circumstances to occur but can take root in smaller efforts that can and will grow over time. Each of us can be moseif vholaych and bring greater light to life, hope and encouragement to those who hurt, as we step out of what are too often crippling comfort zones and away from our limited horizons.

Chanukahs message through the manner of the Chanukiahs kindling is to start small but think big. It encourages an expansiveness of heart and greatness of spirit. According to Jewish mystical thought, the number seven represents nature while eight stands for that which is beyond the usual and customary.

So, we start with one small light and add each day to its warmth and radiance. Instead of dwindling down in devotion and burning out of betterment, we build on our base. Perhaps these sentiments can best be captured in the simple but often ignored lesson that life is best experienced in tending to the fire rather than worshipping the ashes. May growth in goodness shine forth from our ever-increasing lamps of love for life and liberty, generously shared and nobly experienced.

Rabbi Lawrence S. Zierler is the president and CEO of Sayva Associates, an elder-care practice based in Sullivan County. He has served as a pulpit rabbi, hospital and hospice chaplain, Jewish educator and communal executive.

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All up in lights - The River Reporter

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Hanukkah begins on Thursday nightand not a minute too soon.

At noon on Tuesday, every cellphone in Southern California buzzed with an emergency alert from the state office of emergency services: New public health stay at home order in your area. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Stay home except for essential activity. Wear a mask. Keep your distance.

There is darknessand we need light. There is worryand we need calm. There is isolationand we need community. There is an enemyand we need a miracle to overcome it.

Two thousand and fifty-five years ago, a small band of zealous Jews also faced darkness, worry, isolation, and a seemingly intractable enemy. The Syrian-Greek overlords had desecrated the holy Temple in Jerusalem, capturing the menorah, rendering the sanctuary dark. Mattathias and his five sons worried that some Jews were losing their religion by assimilating into the attractive Hellenistic culture. The Maccabees, isolated in Modiin, embarked on a seemingly quixotic guerilla war, overmatched and unlikely to succeed.

Miraculously, they defeated the Selucid army, entered Jerusalem in triumph and reclaimed the Temple. They relit the menorah and celebrated for eight days. Why eight? It was likely a kind of late Sukkot. Yet, the Hasmonean dynasty lasted less than two hundred years, falling to the Roman Empire which burned the Temple and Jerusalem to the ground in the year 70 C.E.

Although dispersed and defeated, the survivors nevertheless celebrated the triumph of the Maccabees, the memory of that improbable victory remained fresh in the popular imagination. They lit candles for eight nights in Kislev, the darkest month of the year. probably borrowing from other cultures that fought the darkness with light. The rabbis, uneasy with a celebration of militarism that ultimately led to disaster, sought to reinvent the reason for the holiday by asking a startling question in the Talmud: Mai Hanukkah? literally Why Hanukkah? The underlying question was: Whats the deal with this Hanukkah business? Unable to dissuade people from celebrating, they set about giving the holiday a new meaning, making God, not the Maccabees, the hero of the story and adding the miracle of a single vial of oil lasting eight days.

We need to reinvent Hanukkah again.

In every age, a hero or sage, came to our aid, the old Hanukkah song teaches. Who will our heroes be in this age? The frontline health professionals, the epidemiologists, the inventors of vaccines? The lights of Hanukkah, whether you believe in miracles or not, illuminate the darkest days of winter, a kind of shot in the arm. Couldnt we all use a shot in the arm right about now?

Light and dark a dialectic that defines the experience of life. On the very same day our phones lit up with a dark warning, they also broadcast V-Day in the United Kingdom, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, director of the unprecedented rush to develop multiple vaccines, proclaimed theres a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yet, his counterpart in the U.K., Dr. Stephen Powis, warned of the rollout: its a marathon, not a sprint. It will take many months to fully inoculate the population. In the meantime, we will need to keep our distance and wear our masks, possibly until Hanukkah 2021.

Hope and fear another dialectic that defines the experience of life. In a famous Talmudic passage, a rabbi named Rava postulates that when we arrive in heaven, we are asked questions about how we lived our lives on earth. In my book The Seven Questions Youre Asked in Heaven (Jewish Lights Publishing), I explore these questions. One of my favorites is tzipita lishuah, literally did you hope for salvation? The key word is hope. Did you live your life in hopeor in fear? Theres a thin line between the two. But, throughout our history, we have chosen hope. The national anthem of the Jewish people is Ha-tikva the hope. We end our Passover Seder with words of hope: Next Year in Jerusalem.

God willing, next year on Hanukkah, we can gather again in our synagogues to celebrate the miracles of hope and resilience, of victory over this invisible enemy. I recently learned that many Black churches of the South mount an annual homecoming event inviting people to gather for a reunion. There is song, ritual and a meal. It is not just for the current members of the church; a special effort is made to welcome back former members. No questions asked just come on home. There is no denying the pandemic has caused a decline in synagogue membership, even in many of our largest congregations. On this Hanukkah, lets begin planning our homecomings for the next.

I get goosebumps just imagining these celebrations. We will turn on the lights of our darkened sanctuaries. We will fill the seats with young and old, raising our voices once again in a chorus of thanksgiving, unfettered by masks. We will be unafraid to touch, to hug, to kiss. We will light the hanukkiyah. We will experience a true hanukkah, a physical rededication of our sacred gathering places. We will praise the first responders, the doctors, the scientists, and all those who brought us through the pandemic. We will pray ancient words that have a new meaning: Praised are You, our God, sovereign of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season.

On Hanukkah this year, may God bless all those who shine light in the darkness, instilling hope in our hearts, bringing us to our next Hanukkah in joy, in happiness, in health.

Dr. Ron Wolfson is the Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish University in Los Angeles. He is the author of Hanukkah: The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration and Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community (both Jewish Lights Publishing).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

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Hanukkah This year and next - Forward

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

In light of the call by the Gedolei Yisroel shlita: Tremendous chizuk throughout the Jewish world to join regular learning of Dirshus Daf Hayomi in halachah.

Last week, tens of thousands of learners throughout the Jewish world completed Volume 5 of the Mishnah Berurah and began to study Volume 6 in the second cycle of the Dirshu Daf Hayomi in halachah.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) limitations, dozens of relatively small siyumim were held throughout Israel

Also throughout the Jewish world, siyumim were held in accordance with local restrictions

Tremendous encouragement to return or join regular shiurim

Last week, tens of thousands of learners throughout the Jewish world completed Volume 5 of the Mishnah Berurah and began to study Volume 6 in the second cycle of the Dirshu Daf Hayomi in halachah, delightedly and excitedly marking the special siyum which was celebrated in a limited fashion due to the coronavirus restrictions, and joyfully beginning Volume 6 which discusses the laws of Chol Hamoed.

The Daf Hayomi in halachah was founded by Dirshu in the homes of Maranan the Gedolei Yisroel, who issued a call to encourage all of the Jewish people to learn the Mishna Berurah on a daily basis, so that every Jew will always know what he should do according to halachah.

With the approach of the siyum, the Gedolei Yisroel have published a special and unique letter to the tens of thousands learning the Daf Hayomi in halachah. In their letter, Maranan the Gedolei Yisroel write, Now that those learning the Daf Hayomi in the Talmud Bavli merit completing the tractate of Eruvin, and those learning halachah completing Volume 5 of the Mishnah Berurah which they learned each day according to the order of the Dirshu Daf Hayomi in halachah, we come to bless them that they will merit siyata diShmaya, to learn with the intention of keeping the word of Hashem which is the halachah, the light of brachah will fill their homes, and they and their families will merit nachas, joy, good health, and long lives, and everyone who reviews halachos every day is promised that he is a Ben Olam Haba.

The siyumim were held throughout the country, from Ofakim to Tzfas, with the participation of maggidei shiurim, learners, rabbonim, and roshei yeshivos. Sources at Dirshu note that if the COVID restrictions had not been in force, the siyumim would have been held on a grand scale out of a wish to honor the Torah and those learning it, as Dirshu has been doing for many years, but due to the gezeirah of the pandemic, local siyumim were made in dozens of places around Israel.

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Dozens of Impressive Siyumim for Volume 5 of the Mishnah Berurah, In the Second Cycle of the Daf Hayomi in Halachah Were Held - Yeshiva World News

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Jewish tradition has long viewed the menorah as a symbol of wisdom (see Bava Basra 25b). As an ode, therefore, to Chanukah, we will explore the Hebrew words associated with knowledge (chachmah, tevunah/binah, and daat).

Chachmah (wisdom) is a form of knowledge associated with a chacham. Who is a chahcham? One who learns from all people, says Pirkei Avos (4:1). The chacham casts his net as wide as possible, looking to accrue wisdom from all possible sources of information.

The Talmud (Tamid 32a) says a chacham can foresee future consequences. According to this explanation as well, the chacham holds wide-ranging wisdom allowing him to be sensitive to all possible consequences of a given course of action. The Talmud (Chagigah 14a) further asserts that a chacham is defined as a student who makes his teachers wiser, again showing that the chacham typifies broadening ones scope of wisdom.

Rabbi Avraham Bedersi HaPenini explains that chacham can refer to anyone who has mastered a certain body of knowledge whether its carpentry (Isaiah 3:3 and 40:20), snake-charming (Psalms 59:6), or engineering (see Exodus 31:6). Even cunningness and political ingenuity can be considered a form of chachmah (see II Sam. 13:3 and Jeremiah 4:22). When the Bible speaks of a chacham, however (especially in the Book of Ecclesiastes), it refers specifically to a religious scholar, says Rabbi Bedersi.

Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim of Breslau (1740-1814) traces the words chacham and chachmah to the two-letter root chet-kaf, which means waiting or delaying. Michakeh (waiting or anticipating) comes from this root, as does chakah (Job 40:25, Isaiah 19:8, and Habakuk 1:15), which is a net, a trap that one sets and then waits for the fish to enter. A chacham is a wise man who doesnt rush through his studies. Rather, he waits/delays so he can deliberate over the material more thoroughly.

(Rabbi Pappenheim also argues that cheich [palate] comes from chakah because the open fish net resembles a persons mouth opened wide in anticipation of food. The Aramaic verb chayach [to smile] and the Modern Hebrew noun chiyuch [smile] likely derive from cheich.)

In addition to chachmah is tevunah/binah, which is knowledge acquired by a navon, whom the Talmud (Chagigah 14a) says is meivin davar mtoch davar (understands one matter from another) i.e., he or she derives new ideas from lessons he or she previously learned.

Rabbi Bedersi connects tevunah/binah to bein (between). A discerning navon is able to tell the difference between this datum and that datum, allowing him to efficiently analyze all relevant data, and derive new conclusions.

Rabbi Pappenheim traces tevunah/binah to the biliteral root bet-nun, which denotes building. Thus boneh (to build); even (rock) and teven (straw), which are materials used to build; ben (son), a progeny one built; and avnayim (birthing stool). Binah essentially refers to the ability to build on a given idea by applying it to something else and extrapolating further. (The English word maven derives from the Hebrew meivin [understands] by way of Yiddish.)

Most authorities use tevunah and binah almost interchangeably, but Rabbi Pappenheim argues that binah refers to the ability to understand the big picture, even if it comprises many different components, while tevunah refers to the ability to break down an overarching big picture into its smaller components.

The Vilna Gaon in Chemdah Genuzah (to Proverbs 1:1) writes that binah refers to understanding something on ones own terms while tevunah refers to understanding something so thoroughly that one can explain it to others (see also Zohar, Vayakhel 201a).

The Malbim writes that chachmah is a practical form of wisdom, while tevunah/binah is a more abstract form of understanding. He explains that the word chachmah is only used when the opposite of chachmah is also possible. In other words, if something can be done in two ways the smart way and the dumb way the intelligence needed to choose the smart way is called chachmah. Thus, chachmah is primarily a smart way of acting.

The Malbim also writes that true chachmah can only come by way of Divine revelation since human beings cannot known for certain what the smartest way of behaving is. When we use chachmah in other contexts, we are using it in a borrowed sense.

Binah, writes the Malbim, is a more abstract form of cleverness. A person who can understand complex allegories or solve riddles draws on his or her binah. A person who acquires binah can take into account everything he or she has perceived and use that information to arrive at intelligent, logically-sound conclusions. According to the Malbim, daat is the certainty of the resultant knowledge and conclusions that come through binah.

In reference to Torah knowledge, chachmah is the raw information found in the Written Torah, binah is the Oral Torah that processes and elucidates that information, and daat is the careful balance between the infinite wisdom of the Written Torah and the more concrete lessons of the Oral Torah. This explanation is found in the Zohar (see Matok MDvash to Yisro 85a), the Vilna Gaons Biurei Aggados (Bava Kamma 92b), and the Vilna Gaons commentary to Proverbs.

Using this paradigm, Rabbi Eliyahu Tzion Sofer explains that the Syrian-Greeks at the time of the Chanukah miracle specifically opposed binah because they denied the significance of the Oral Torah. Thats why Maoz Tzur refers to the Jewish people as the children of binah when describing their victory over the Greeks and the establishment of Chanukah for it was the Jews commitment to the Oral Torah (binah) that turned the tide against Hellenism and led to victory.

(To be continued)

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To Be A Wise Guy (Part I) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Well, no, on various counts, even though that is what most Jews believe. Some 168 years before the Common Era, Antiochus IV outlawed some Jewish practices. This led to a civil war between the more Helenised Jews and the more "orthodox" priestly family of the Maccabees. We have to remember that the Temple and priesthood were not the only way to be Jewish by then.

There was also the more egalitarian, non-Temple, non-priestly tradition that had developed after the exile to Babylon, already 400 years old, that was now found alongside the Temple in Jerusalem, and that would develop into the synagogue and the rabbis and Rabbinic Judaism (and indeed, Jesus).

We also dont believe in miracle oil. The "spirit of the universe" does not overturn the laws of nature. But we dont have to it is only a note in the Talmud from 600 years later, giving an easier story for kids to remember (anyway, it doesnt take a week to press a few olives).

The real miracle is Jewish survival, against all the odds and all the persecutions and hatred. We are still here because we hold fast to values and stories which urge us to continue to work for a better, fairer, kinder world for all its inhabitants, whatever their race, religion, colour or gender identity.

This year, we have more reason than usual to celebrate survival, here in Victoria especially. Our state has pulled together. Our leaders have been strong and resolute. As we light our Chanukah candles, as we celebrate the festive seasons and the secular new year, let us commit to survival not for its own sake but to build a better, cleaner, safer and more just and equal world.

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What most Jews don't realise about festival with more gifts than Christmas - The Age

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