Yesterday at the bus stop, I was approached by two English-speaking ladies. They didn't speak any Hebrew, and needed help with directions. It turned out, they were taking a bus from the same stop. after a few-minute conversation on various topics (beer been the first- naturally, I opened a bottle of Israeli shandy- pretty cool mix of beer with lime- and mentioned a few good brands available locally)-one of the ladies looked at me, puzzled. She pointed at my yarmulka, and asked me- "Are you allowed to talk to us?" I was quite surprised, to say the least- it took me a while to understand what she was referring to- Dati (religious) is NOT SUPPOSED TO SPEAK WITH GOYIM! Well, that's what she told me- and when I inquired (politely) who told her that- her friend simply said- "Well, that's what we see all the time here"...
I had a long bus ride to think about this incident- and sure enough, it made me feel very uncomfortable- almost embarrassed...As a matter of fact, religious people in this country are perceived as very xenophobic and looking down at everyone who is not like them.
My only reaction to this is- WHAT'S GOING ON?
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Day before Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is approaching- the most important day in the Hebrew calendar is knocking on the door...Are we ready?
With so many important things to do before the Day of Atonement, I would like to highlight a few things we may forget about-
On Yom Kippur eve, many Jews go to mikvah. It's an important custom brought down in Halacha, as we are reminding ourselves of a need to get purified before G-d. In fact, the whole day of Atonement is been described in the Talmud as "getting cleansed before G-d", and G-d is literally compared to mikvah, in which we are immersing ourselves on that holy day- "Mikvah Israel Hashem"- G-d is embracing us totally, with no rejection and separation, like the waters of the mikvah! How beautiful and magnificent!
Next, we are been told, in as much as it's a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur, one HAS TO EAT day before- Talmud even suggests, that this counts as another day of fasting! One can say, this is the only day of the year when one is actually required to eat and fulfills the mitzvah by doing it! It seems, our Rabbis were really concerned with our well- being. That reminds us of necessity not to take our health lightly- should one experience significant health related issues, he MUST terminate his fast. Usually, in light of the seriousness of the day, one is initially (if his health condition permits so) required not to break the Biblical prohibition, and eats shiurim- small amounts of food and drink (usually measured as around 50 gr of solids or around 100 ml of liquids to be consumed every 9 min) , thus violating only Rabbinical prohibition. However, one needs to consult with his Rabbi and/or his doctor, in case of serious medical condition- he may be allowed to eat and drink normally
Finally, in the mincha service before Yom Kippur, we are to say Vidduy- verbal Confession of our sins, which according to Maimonides, constitutes the main part of the most important mitzvah of the day- to do Tshuvah. Very often, in all the rush before the Big Day, we may totally overlook the importance of this Vidduy BEFORE the day starts-so that we enter the day with purity. According to many opinions, this Vidduy is an obligation for men and women alike. As we are saying Vidduy, it's certainly good to think of your individual and specific sins that you want to confess, but also to remember that we are saying it in plural, for all of Israel.
It is an ancient Jewish custom to do kaporos before Yom Kippur- and according to Kabbalists, one needs to do it right before the fast, as close to sunset as possible. Many have a custom of doing kapporos after Mincha. Although some people still insist on using chicken for this purpose, this was strongly critisized by our great Rabbis, and in light of it's being highly problematic from both Halachic and ethical perspective, one should certainly opt for a much better option- Kapporos on money. Generally speaking, in light of a somewhat mysticall spell of a ritual on so many of us, I think we need to remember, that in no way does this formula "this money goes to tsdaka, and I shall be signed for (good) life" substitute genuine Tshuva- real soul searching, that is of course much more challenging than any shortcut.
And here comes Yom Kippur- which so many of us associate with SUFFERING- NO food, NO drinks, NO sex,etc...And yes, Torah calls it suffering- suffering of our nefesh- our lower animalistic soul, our animal, that usually is so demanding and outspoken, that we hardly can hear the Other Voice- that of our angelic Soul...our Higher Self, something in us which is truly G-dlike. Now, my friends, THAT'S THE DAY WHEN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN- we shut the mouth of our animal, so that an angel in us may emerge and the Voice of Silence can be finally heard...May we all experience this great day to the fullest- so, that this year, we'll be getting a few steps closer to Heaven!
With so many important things to do before the Day of Atonement, I would like to highlight a few things we may forget about-
On Yom Kippur eve, many Jews go to mikvah. It's an important custom brought down in Halacha, as we are reminding ourselves of a need to get purified before G-d. In fact, the whole day of Atonement is been described in the Talmud as "getting cleansed before G-d", and G-d is literally compared to mikvah, in which we are immersing ourselves on that holy day- "Mikvah Israel Hashem"- G-d is embracing us totally, with no rejection and separation, like the waters of the mikvah! How beautiful and magnificent!
Next, we are been told, in as much as it's a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur, one HAS TO EAT day before- Talmud even suggests, that this counts as another day of fasting! One can say, this is the only day of the year when one is actually required to eat and fulfills the mitzvah by doing it! It seems, our Rabbis were really concerned with our well- being. That reminds us of necessity not to take our health lightly- should one experience significant health related issues, he MUST terminate his fast. Usually, in light of the seriousness of the day, one is initially (if his health condition permits so) required not to break the Biblical prohibition, and eats shiurim- small amounts of food and drink (usually measured as around 50 gr of solids or around 100 ml of liquids to be consumed every 9 min) , thus violating only Rabbinical prohibition. However, one needs to consult with his Rabbi and/or his doctor, in case of serious medical condition- he may be allowed to eat and drink normally
Finally, in the mincha service before Yom Kippur, we are to say Vidduy- verbal Confession of our sins, which according to Maimonides, constitutes the main part of the most important mitzvah of the day- to do Tshuvah. Very often, in all the rush before the Big Day, we may totally overlook the importance of this Vidduy BEFORE the day starts-so that we enter the day with purity. According to many opinions, this Vidduy is an obligation for men and women alike. As we are saying Vidduy, it's certainly good to think of your individual and specific sins that you want to confess, but also to remember that we are saying it in plural, for all of Israel.
It is an ancient Jewish custom to do kaporos before Yom Kippur- and according to Kabbalists, one needs to do it right before the fast, as close to sunset as possible. Many have a custom of doing kapporos after Mincha. Although some people still insist on using chicken for this purpose, this was strongly critisized by our great Rabbis, and in light of it's being highly problematic from both Halachic and ethical perspective, one should certainly opt for a much better option- Kapporos on money. Generally speaking, in light of a somewhat mysticall spell of a ritual on so many of us, I think we need to remember, that in no way does this formula "this money goes to tsdaka, and I shall be signed for (good) life" substitute genuine Tshuva- real soul searching, that is of course much more challenging than any shortcut.
And here comes Yom Kippur- which so many of us associate with SUFFERING- NO food, NO drinks, NO sex,etc...And yes, Torah calls it suffering- suffering of our nefesh- our lower animalistic soul, our animal, that usually is so demanding and outspoken, that we hardly can hear the Other Voice- that of our angelic Soul...our Higher Self, something in us which is truly G-dlike. Now, my friends, THAT'S THE DAY WHEN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN- we shut the mouth of our animal, so that an angel in us may emerge and the Voice of Silence can be finally heard...May we all experience this great day to the fullest- so, that this year, we'll be getting a few steps closer to Heaven!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Evil Eye, Voodoo and Red Strings Judaism
Last week parsha made me think about some aspects of our religion , that may appear "uncomforable" for the civilised folks, living in our rational and sceptical age. Torah speaks about taking census of the Jews, and in no uncertain terms forbids us counting them directly- rather one should count half-shekel donations they are required to bring, TO ATONE FOR THEIR SOULS
What is this atonement for? No sin was commited, but Torah repeats its message twice-
"...every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul, when counting them, so that there not be a plague among them when counting them" (Exodus 30:12)
"The wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease from half a shekel- to give the portion of Hashem, to atone for their souls" (Exodus 30:15).
Rashi explains as follows- an Evil Eye has influence over counted objects, and Or Ha Haim points out, that the phrase "when counting them "is repeated twice, to teach us that head count is forbidden for all times, and in fact, erring in this regard results in a terrible plague, as happenned at the time of King David, when he violated this prohibition and thus committed a sin!
BUT WHAT IS EVIL EYE EXACTLY?
Why are we so much concerned with some "witchcraft", or other forms of magic- it always bothered me, that Judaism for many people equals wearing red strings (against Evil Eye, we are been told), various "Hamsa" and other magical amulets- that in my eyes is more Voodoo, than it is Judaism!
Forget rationalism, even from purely Torah-true perspective this seems very puzzling- all forms of witchcraft and magic are strictly forbidden, and are considered outgrowths of idolatrous worldview, to which Torah and Judaism sternly opposes throughout its whole history- and RAMBA"M in his Guide makes his famous claim, that in fact this is the purpose and intention OF ALL THE MITZVOT- TO COMBAT IDOLATRY IN ALL ITS FORMS!
Here we MUST present an explanation, that will not only show the " Divine mechanism" behind this concept, but also will TEACH US how to IMPROVE OURSELVES- cause if that doesn't happen, than we are dealing with Voodoo! Pagans are afraid of some random evil forces, that can strike them for no good reason, and feel absolutely helpless and vulnerable in this world of injustice and disorder, their only hope being protection of their idols, which is not guaranteed at all- and no amount of good deeds can ever grant personal freedom in this cruel world of an idol worshipper!
But Laws of Torah are all coming from Divine Love and Justice- certainly, we are NOT supposed to be affected by Evil for no good reason- as EVERYTHING in this world happens for a reason- and is certainly coming from G-d! Human being, as we all know, is not just a toy in the cruel game of the forces of nature, but a Prince of G-d, created in his image!
First, let us consider the following- Evil Eye from non-magical, rational and psychological perspective, is simple jealousy- and jealousy may affect people in a bad way. Person who gets jealous goes against the Torah, and yet that negative vibe that he created, affects his friend...Why?
It seems, nothing happens randomly, and if we are to understand what can be learnt by a victim of an Evil Eye- we must conclude that something went wrong- and this wrongdoing needs to be adjusted!
Jealousy most often doesn't appear out of a blue moon- it grows on a fertile soil of arrogance, showing off and looking down at people, all of which provoke others to become jealous!
And here comes
LESSON NO. 1
Do not provoke others by being arrogant and showing off- if you were given many blessings, be grateful to G-d and do not consider yourself any better than others- thus, Torah tells us to bring EQUAL AMOUNT of half a shekel, no matter how wealthy we are- both rich and poor deserve the same respect and honour!
Unfortunately, we are all liable of violating this principle- in every society and culture, wealthy are given honour and privileges, and respect is being paid to people for their "big bucks"- in the old days, Prophets were constantly fighting this social malady, but in our age of conformism noone wishes to confront it.
But what about the unfortunate loosers in the rally of life- those who complain and are constantly jealous of their more well to do neighbours?
Here comes
LESSON NO. 2
Be a giver! Torah tells us to bring half a shekel as TRUMAH- contribution- a reminder of what our attitude should be. If you will become a giver, your whole perspective to life will shift from consumerism to altruism-
and you will NATURALLY seek more opportunites to contribute, and to be a true blessing to others- and again, we can certainly see how much we are in need of this timely lesson! Our post-modernist Western society is totally stuck in consumerism, which not only breeds jealousy, but also produces self-hatred and alienation, as a result of this stupid and mad rat race-who gets more things wins!
How do we break the chains of this claustrafobic world of hatred, jealosy and agression?
Only be becoming GIVERS in all possible ways- and giving brings forth Love!
Finally,
LESSON NO. 3
Everything counts! In a most revolutionary way, Torah proclaims absolute sovereignty of Man, his freedom, and responsibility-for himself and the world around him. There is NO INSIGNIFICANT PERSON- we are taught- everyone is needed for this huge campaign to build the Temple- every half a shekel counts! Symbolically- everyone is a Temple! Think about your unique talents and become excited- there is noone like you in the whole world!
Not only every person counts- everything does- every moment of your life, every little episode has its meaning and is another thread of this huge fabric of our destiny- and even if we fail to see its greatness and meaning behind it, we need to stay focused and remember- ALL THERE IS- IS JUST THIS LITTLE MOMENT! Lets give it all the energy, love and courage of our souls- that's our half a shekel contribution, that is going to build the Temple!
What is this atonement for? No sin was commited, but Torah repeats its message twice-
"...every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul, when counting them, so that there not be a plague among them when counting them" (Exodus 30:12)
"The wealthy shall not increase and the poor shall not decrease from half a shekel- to give the portion of Hashem, to atone for their souls" (Exodus 30:15).
Rashi explains as follows- an Evil Eye has influence over counted objects, and Or Ha Haim points out, that the phrase "when counting them "is repeated twice, to teach us that head count is forbidden for all times, and in fact, erring in this regard results in a terrible plague, as happenned at the time of King David, when he violated this prohibition and thus committed a sin!
BUT WHAT IS EVIL EYE EXACTLY?
Why are we so much concerned with some "witchcraft", or other forms of magic- it always bothered me, that Judaism for many people equals wearing red strings (against Evil Eye, we are been told), various "Hamsa" and other magical amulets- that in my eyes is more Voodoo, than it is Judaism!
Forget rationalism, even from purely Torah-true perspective this seems very puzzling- all forms of witchcraft and magic are strictly forbidden, and are considered outgrowths of idolatrous worldview, to which Torah and Judaism sternly opposes throughout its whole history- and RAMBA"M in his Guide makes his famous claim, that in fact this is the purpose and intention OF ALL THE MITZVOT- TO COMBAT IDOLATRY IN ALL ITS FORMS!
Here we MUST present an explanation, that will not only show the " Divine mechanism" behind this concept, but also will TEACH US how to IMPROVE OURSELVES- cause if that doesn't happen, than we are dealing with Voodoo! Pagans are afraid of some random evil forces, that can strike them for no good reason, and feel absolutely helpless and vulnerable in this world of injustice and disorder, their only hope being protection of their idols, which is not guaranteed at all- and no amount of good deeds can ever grant personal freedom in this cruel world of an idol worshipper!
But Laws of Torah are all coming from Divine Love and Justice- certainly, we are NOT supposed to be affected by Evil for no good reason- as EVERYTHING in this world happens for a reason- and is certainly coming from G-d! Human being, as we all know, is not just a toy in the cruel game of the forces of nature, but a Prince of G-d, created in his image!
First, let us consider the following- Evil Eye from non-magical, rational and psychological perspective, is simple jealousy- and jealousy may affect people in a bad way. Person who gets jealous goes against the Torah, and yet that negative vibe that he created, affects his friend...Why?
It seems, nothing happens randomly, and if we are to understand what can be learnt by a victim of an Evil Eye- we must conclude that something went wrong- and this wrongdoing needs to be adjusted!
Jealousy most often doesn't appear out of a blue moon- it grows on a fertile soil of arrogance, showing off and looking down at people, all of which provoke others to become jealous!
And here comes
LESSON NO. 1
Do not provoke others by being arrogant and showing off- if you were given many blessings, be grateful to G-d and do not consider yourself any better than others- thus, Torah tells us to bring EQUAL AMOUNT of half a shekel, no matter how wealthy we are- both rich and poor deserve the same respect and honour!
Unfortunately, we are all liable of violating this principle- in every society and culture, wealthy are given honour and privileges, and respect is being paid to people for their "big bucks"- in the old days, Prophets were constantly fighting this social malady, but in our age of conformism noone wishes to confront it.
But what about the unfortunate loosers in the rally of life- those who complain and are constantly jealous of their more well to do neighbours?
Here comes
LESSON NO. 2
Be a giver! Torah tells us to bring half a shekel as TRUMAH- contribution- a reminder of what our attitude should be. If you will become a giver, your whole perspective to life will shift from consumerism to altruism-
and you will NATURALLY seek more opportunites to contribute, and to be a true blessing to others- and again, we can certainly see how much we are in need of this timely lesson! Our post-modernist Western society is totally stuck in consumerism, which not only breeds jealousy, but also produces self-hatred and alienation, as a result of this stupid and mad rat race-who gets more things wins!
How do we break the chains of this claustrafobic world of hatred, jealosy and agression?
Only be becoming GIVERS in all possible ways- and giving brings forth Love!
Finally,
LESSON NO. 3
Everything counts! In a most revolutionary way, Torah proclaims absolute sovereignty of Man, his freedom, and responsibility-for himself and the world around him. There is NO INSIGNIFICANT PERSON- we are taught- everyone is needed for this huge campaign to build the Temple- every half a shekel counts! Symbolically- everyone is a Temple! Think about your unique talents and become excited- there is noone like you in the whole world!
Not only every person counts- everything does- every moment of your life, every little episode has its meaning and is another thread of this huge fabric of our destiny- and even if we fail to see its greatness and meaning behind it, we need to stay focused and remember- ALL THERE IS- IS JUST THIS LITTLE MOMENT! Lets give it all the energy, love and courage of our souls- that's our half a shekel contribution, that is going to build the Temple!
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