Mussar: Speak Well of Others

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught...

If you want to study with constant diligence, be careful never to speak against a fellow Jew. Every Jew is a letter in the Torah. The Torah is a bride, and when the bride is beautiful, love is perfect. If one finds a defect in any Jew, it is equivalent to a blemish within the Torah. When the Torah—the bride—has a flaw, one's love for her is diminished. Then it is difficult to devote oneself to it fully. But if the Torah is entirely flawless in your eyes, you will have a deep love for it, and this love will lead you to great diligence in your study.

(Rebbe Nachman's Wisdom, #91)

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Public Candle Lighting - 2

R Eitan Kupietzky :

Topic A
Saying a B'rachah on a "Public Lighting"

בשאלה חתן המתחתן באחד מלילות חנוכה, האם יש טעם להדליק באולם השמחות של החתונה  וכן כיצד על אורחיו ועליו לנהוג במצות ההדלקה?
א.      כתב הבית יוסף, באו"ח סימן תרעא אות ז:
"ומ"ש שמניחין נר חנוכה בבית הכנסת. נראה שתיקנו כן מפני האורחים שאין להם בית להדליק בו וכמו שתיקנו קידוש בבית הכנסת משום אורחים דאכלו ושתו בבי כנישתא (עי' לעיל סי' רסט) וכן כתב הכל בו (סי' מד ד ע"א) וכתב [עוד] טעם אחר שהוא כדי לפרסם הנס בפני כל העם ולסדר הברכות לפניהם שיש בזה פרסום גדול להש"י וקידוש שמו כשמברכין אותו במקהלות וזה לשון הריב"ש בתשובה (סי' קיא) המנהג הזה להדליק בבית הכנסת מנהג ותיקין הוא משום פרסומי ניסא כיון שאין אנו יכולין לקיים המצוה כתיקונה להדליק כל אחד בפתח ביתו מבחוץ מפני שיד האומות תקיפה ומברכין על זה כמו שמברכין על הלל דראש חדש אף על פי שאינו אלא מנהג (עי' לעיל סי' תכב קכב.) ומכל מקום באותה הדלקה של בית הכנסת אין אדם יוצא בה וצריך לחזור ולהדליק כל אחד בביתו עכ"ל".
מדברי הבית יוסף עולה שיש שלוש טעמים להדלקה בבית הכנסת,
1)     מפני אנשים שאין להם בית.
2)     כדי לפרסם הנס.
3)     מפני שא"א להדליק בחוץ ואין פרסום הנס כראוי.
בבשו"ע כתב דמדליקין ומברכין משום פרסומא ניסא ומסיף הרמ"א שם שאין אדם יוצא ידי חובתו בנרות הללו.
מדברי הריב"ש בתשובתו עולה שמברכים משום מנהג. לכן נראה שבאולם שמחות ראוי ויפה להדליק נרות חנוכה לפרסומא דניסא כדי לגדל שמו ית' ברבים. אך אין לברכך משום דמנהג ליכא. וכן כתבו החכם צבי, סימן פח, הציץ אליעזר, חלק טו סימן ל ובחלק כב סימן לז. ועיין דברי הראשון לציון הגר"ע יוסף שליט"א ביביע אומר, חלק ז או"ח סימן נז, שהביא דברי מו"ר הגרשז"א זצ"ל שאין לברך ובהמשך דבריו הביא את דברי הגר"י רוזנטל זצ"ל, משנת יעקב הל' חנוכה עמ' רס, שכתב כן לברך עיין שם בדבריו וכן בדברי הגר"א וייס שליט"א, בקובץ דרכי הוראה ה'תשס"ו קובץ ד' עמ' עח. ופתח עיניך וראה את מעשי שליחי חב"ד הקדושים המדליקים ברחובות בברכה בקול רעש גדול. [הוספה משנת ה'תשע"ד: אך שמעתי בשיעור ממו"ר הרב יעקב יוסף זצ"ל בשמו של הרב יוחנן גוראריה שליט"א, רבה הראשי של חולון, שהיה בן בית בביתו של הרבי האחרון של חב"ד זצוק"ל, שדעתו של הרבי היה לא לברך ברחובה של עיר. והוסיף ששמע תאמר "מנהג הוא, ובמקום מנהג אין אומרים ספק ברכות להקל", כפי שאנו למדים מדברי תרומת הדשן לד ועוד הרבה ראשונים ואחרונים, אין הדבר כן שאין זה בגדר מנהג. כפי שכותב רבי חיים מפלאג'י בשם סבו החקרי לב, שרק במנהג קדום אמרים "במקום מנהג אין אומרים ספק ברכות להקל".]
מתוך דברינו נראה שיש להדליק נרות חנוכה בפרהסיה משום דפרסומא ניסא טובא איכא. אך אין לברך והמברך יש לו על מי לסמוך.

Topic B - the Timing of Lighting

א.      הבבלי במסכת שבת דף כא עמ' ב אומר:
"מצוותה משתשקע החמה עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק".
נחלקו הראשונים בזמן משתשקע החמה, הרא"ש מסביר שמדובר מסוף השקיע היינו צאת הכוכבים ואילו הגאונים מתחילת השקיעה. להלכה פסק השו"ע, שם בסי' תרעב סע' א, שמדליקים מצאת הכוכבים. אך הגר"א שם פסק שמדליקים משקיעת החמה. ועי' דברי במקום אחר בנידון דידן.
לכן עם החתונה מתחילה אחרי צאת הכוכבים נראה שאם יש מספיק זמן להדליק בשקיעת החמה ראוי לכל המשתתפים בשמחה להדליק בשקעה. שאף לשו"ע יוצא ידי חובתו לכתחילה עיין בדברי הביה"ל ד"ה ולא מקדימים.
במקרה שאין אפשרות להדליק בזמן השקיעה ישנם שלוש אפשרויות שונות,
1)       ידליק בפלג המנחה.
2)       ימנה שליח.
3)       ידליק מאוחר.
לדינה נראה שידליק כאפשרות השלישית, הדלקה מאוחרת.
הסיבה לדבר היא משום שנראה מלשון השו"ע, סימן תרעב סע' א, שרק עם אין אפשרות אחרת ידליק אז, "ויש מי שאומר שאם הוא טרוד יכול להקדים מפלג המנחה ולמעלה", ומסביר המשנ"ב, שם ס"ק ב, "ר"ל שלא יהיה לו פנאי אח"כ", כלומר, אם יש לו זמן אח"כ ידליק אז. לכן עדיף לא להדליק כאפשרות הראשונה, בפלג המנחה שהיא דעת יחיד.
באפשרות השניה כתב הרא"ש, בפסחים פרק א סימן י, "ולהדליק נר של חנוכה אף על גב דאפשר לעשות ע"י שליח אורחא דמילתא הוא שכל אדם מדליק בביתו מפני חביבות הנס". ועיין בדברי המשנ"ב, סימן תרעז ס"ק יב, שאע"פ שאשתו של אדם יכולה להדליק עבורו "מצוה בו יותר מבשלוחו". וכן מפסיד הברכה כדברי המג"א, סי' תרעו ס"ק ד, שאין השליח מדליק עבור בעל הבית בברכה. ועי' בדברי מו"ר הגרשז"א זצ"ל, שו"ת מנחת שלמה תנינא סימן נח אות ד, שהאריך בזה.
ההסבר לעדיפות האפשרות השלישית היא מפני שבבלי במסכת שבת, דף כא עמוד ב, מבואר שזמן הדלקת נרות חנוכה היא משתשקע החמה עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק. הרמב"ם, הלכות חנוכה פרק ד הלכה ד, פסק שאין להדליק אחר זמן "עד שתכלה וכו'", מפני שעבר זמן המצוה. לעומתו הרא"ש, שם פרק ב סימן ג, פסק, "דלדידן שאנו מדליקין נר חנוכה בפנים ואין היכרא אלא לבני בית אין להקפיד שבזמן הזה שאנו מדליקים בפנים והיכר הנס הוא רק לבני הבית, אין צריך לחוש" לזמן "עד שתכלה וכו'". השו"ע, סימן תרעב סעיף ב, פסק כדברי הרמב"ם לכתחילה אך בדיעבד מדליק והולך כל הלילה. המשנ"ב, שם ס"ק יא, מדגיש שניתן להדליק בברכה כל הלילה רק עם יש משהו ער. עיין דבריו בשער ציון שם ס"ק יז. וכן פסק הערוך השולחן שם סעיף ז. חשוב להוסיף שבימינו הזמן של "כלתה הרגל מן השוק" שונה ממה שהיה בזמן חז"ל. בימינו אנשים לא חוזרים כחצי שעה אחרי צאת הכוכבים, כבימי חז"ל, אלא אנשים חוזרים מן עבודתם מאוחר יותר וכן אנשים יוצאים מאוחר לבלות וחוזרים אחרי אחד לפנות בוקר.
לאור האמור על בני השמחה להדליק כשיחזרו לביתם בגמר השמחה.


Kol Tuv,
RRW

In Memory of Rabbi Joseph Grunblatt z"l

Guest Blogger
Douglas Aronin
Member of Queens Jewish Center
* * * * *

It was on a Friday night around a decade and a half ago.  I was at the Queens Jewish Center, the Orthodox shul I had joined a few years earlier, and the shul's mara d'atra, Rabbi Joseph Grunblatt, got up to speak between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv, as was his practice.  In the course of his brief dvar Torah, he made reference to an insight from a "great modern Jewish theologian" whom he did not name.  I recognized the reference, however, so after the service I approached him, somewhat mischievously, to inquire as to the identity of this mystery theologian.
Rabbi Grunblatt acknowledged that he had been referring to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel z"l, whose book The Sabbath was, in his view, one of the best works of modern Jewish thought.  "I could get in trouble here quoting him by name," he added with a smile.  We never discussed it again, but I noticed that on a few subsequent occasions he did make reference to Heschel by name.  If anyone in the shul complained, I never heard of it.

That episode was the first thing that came to mind this past Shabbat morning, when I learned that Rabbi Grunblatt, who had been QJC's rabbi emeritus since his retirement in 2006, had passed away that morning at the age of 86.  It exemplified many of the qualities that I associate with him: the breadth of both his knowledge and his intellectual curiosity, his ability to find worthwhile insights in places that most Orthodox rabbis wouldn't think to look, his instinctive caution, his willingness to consider a change in course when he thought it appropriate, and his modesty, which enabled him to speak with such candor to a congregant whom at the time he barely knew.  I had joined the shul a few years before that conversation, but on Shabbat mornings I had initially attended not the main shul service where he spoke each week, but a small minyan that met on the third floor.  I had spoken to him privately a few times about shul-related matters, but for the most part we had had limited contact.
I had more contact with him in the years that followed, but I cannot claim to have known him well.  Most of the shul's current members knew him far longer than I, and many enjoyed far closer contact with him.  Yet over time I had many occasions to hear him speak and had conversations with him on a wide range of subjects .  I came to have a tremendous respect for him not only because of the breadth of his knowledge and his commitment to rational discourse, but also because he refused to conform to current Orthodox fashion, to simply follow the crowd.  He was by no means consistently meikil (lenient) in matters of Halakha, but when he was machmir (stringent), it was because he believed the Halakha required it, not because, as is too often true today, he felt obliged to conform, as do so many Orthodox rabbis today.
When circumstances brought  me to the Queens Jewish Center, it was with a certain amount of apprehension.  I had never before had a formal affiliation with an Orthodox institution, and I was profoundly uncomfortable with the trends that had been pushing Orthodox Judaism [Rightward].  Fortunately, I found those fears to be exaggerated.  Anti-intellectualism, in particular, had no place in QJC, and I soon realized why.  It was inconceivable that a shul of which Rabbi Grunblatt was mara d'atra could fall prey to anti-intellectualism.
Most of the issues around which the anti-intellectualism of contemporary Orthodoxy has developed in recent years -- the disdain for secular learning, etc. were no part of his worldview.  Whether in his major derashot on Shabbat Hagadol and Shabbat Shuvah, (which, when I joined the shul, were still drawing large crowds, including many who walked in from surrounding neighborhoods), the four-part Dynamics of Halakha series that he taught every fall (the very name of which speaks volumes) his regular Shabbat morning derashot or even in casual conversations, he displayed an intellectual openness that is hard to find in contemporary Orthodoxy, and is becoming increasingly hard to find in contemporary life across the ideological spectrum.
Rabbi Grunblatt's funeral on this past Sunday was held in the main sanctuary of the Queens Jewish Center, the shul that he served for nearly four decades.  Not surprisingly, the sanctuary was packed, with not a seat to be found and many standing; even the overflow room downstairs, where a hastily installed sound system enabled those who could not fit into the sanctuary to hear the eulogies, was crowded.  As I listened to the many eulogies from family members and others, I found myself hearing repeatedly, from different perspectives and with respect to different periods of his life, a description of the same qualities that were obvious to me even in my limited contacts with him.  There are some people whose public and private personas are substantially different, but Rabbi Grunblatt was emphatically not one of them.
One quality that nearly every eulogy touched on was Rabbi Grunblatt's modesty.  It was noteworthy not only because modesty is not generally an occupational hazard of the pulpit rabbinate, but also because it is easy for anyone held in such high esteem by so many to let it go to his head.  Yet it was hard to know Rabbi Grunblatt even slightly without realizing how deep his modesty ran.  It was particularly apparent when, after his retirement,  he continued to live in the community and attended, as a congregant, the shul whose pulpit he had occupied for so long. Such an arrangement is often fraught with peril, but Rabbi Grunblatt was careful to avoid anything that might undermine his successor.  He declined to continue sitting on the bimah, saying that he was looking forward to sitting with the rest of the congregation.
I have sometimes wondered, I must admit, whether Rabbi Grunblatt's modesty had a downside, diminishing some of the influence he might have wielded in the wider Orthodox community.  He sometimes seemed too deferential to prominent rabbinic figures whose wisdom, it seemed to me, was less than his.  His approach to Torah -- halakhically firm and intellectually open -- might have become more widespread in an Orthodox world that desperately needs such an approach had he been less reluctant to assert the breadth and depth of his own intellect.  My suspicion that he might have become more influential had he been a little less modest was reinforced by something mentioned in one of the eulogies that I had not heard before -- that he had at one point turned down an opportunity to become president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the rabbinical body of mainstream Orthodoxy.
On this past Shabbat after the congregation learned of Rabbi Grunblatt's passing and during the preparation for and conduct of his funeral, there was one phrase I heard over and over, from a wide variety of people -- that Rabbi Grunblatt's death marked the end of an era.  I'm not sure that we all meant the same thing by that phrase, or even that we were all certain precisely what we meant.  But our use of that phrase, at minimum, signified our recognition that with Rabbi Grunblatt's passing the Jewish world has lost a unique individual who touched the lives of many.  No human being is indispensable, but some are irreplaceable, and Rabbi Grunblatt is surely one of those.
Yehi zikhro barukh -- may Rabbi Grunblatt's memory be a blessing to all whose lives he touched, and may his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Douglas Aronin

* * * * *
I met R Grunblatt Z"L only a few times, but I always admired him "from afar". He was one of my prototypes as a "Centrist" Orthodox Rav; someone who could appeal to Observant Jews across the spectrum. Y'hee Zichro Baruch

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Jewish Tribune: It's about community, not just the individual

If the only value in being Jewish is our contribution to universal, personal ethics, the question emerges: if everyone is adopting these ethics, even to our credit, what significance still exists in being distinctively Jewish? In my latest Tribune article, this is the issue I address.

Please go to http://www.jewishtribune.ca/religion/2013/11/26/its-about-community-not-just-the-individual.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Public Candle Lighting - 1

Guest BloggerR Ari Enkin

---------

Chanuka: Public Menora Lightings

The Chabad-Lubavitch public menora lighting ceremonies are a familiar feature of the organization's worldwide outreach activities. These annual events are extremely valuable, as they serve to awaken Jewish pride and offer the Chanuka experience to those who might otherwise not observe the holiday in any way. In addition to the speeches, concerts, and free sufganiot, the central feature of these events is, of course, the actual lighting of the menora. It is not completely clear, however, whether the practice of reciting the accompanying blessings when lighting the menora at these events is halachically permitted.

The reason for this uncertainty is because all the classical halachic texts rule that one may only recite the blessings when lighting a menora in the home or the synagogue.[1] Indeed, it has been noted that, while the Lubavitcher Rebbe certainly encouraged these public Chanuka menora lightings, he actually never commented as to whether or not the accompanying blessings should be recited. No one is quite sure why he was silent on this issue, though the speculation is plentiful.

As a matter of fact, even the current practice of reciting the blessings when lighting the menora in the synagogue is not without its detractors. This is because there is no source in the Talmud or early halachic codes that authorizes doing so. Indeed, there have been many halachic authorities in the past who opposed the custom of lighting the menora in the synagogue. Even in more recent times there were great Rabbis, including the Chatam Sofer, who would decline the "honor" of lighting the menora in the synagogue for this reason.[2] According to this approach, congregations that insist on lighting the menora each night should do so without reciting the accompanying blessings.[3] Nevertheless, normative halacha is not in accordance with this view, and the menora is lit in synagogues each night of Chanuka along with its accompanying blessings.

Our sages actually had to go to great lengths in order to justify the lighting of the menora in the synagogue. Some authorities defended the practice by arguing that lighting the menora in the synagogue accomplishes the mitzva of "pirsumei nisa", publicizing the miracles of Chanuka.[4] Other authorities explain that the menora is lit in the synagogue on behalf of those who are unable to light a menora themselves.[5] Even so, the halachic authorities are quick to assert that the dispensation to recite the blessings on the menora in the synagogue does not extend to any other venue.[6]

Nevertheless, there may be grounds to justify reciting the blessings at these public menora lightings based on other considerations. There is a precedent cited in halachic literature that allows for study groups who meet nightly during Chanuka to light the menora along with the accompanying blessings.[7] It is also noted that the original institution and intention of the menora lighting at home was for it to take place outdoors, a practice that is uncommon in most of the world today. As such, it is argued that the recitation of the blessings at these public menora lightings is justifiable because they often include some form of Torah study, such as relating the Chanuka story. They also recall the original enactment of the sages to light the menora outdoors.[8]

There is additional justification for reciting the blessings at these events if they include mincha and ma'ariv prayers, as well.[9] Similarly, one will also find that weddings that take place on Chanuka often include a menora lighting ceremony in which the accompanying blessings are recited and this practice has won the support of many contemporary halachic authorities.[10] Ultimately, therefore, although the issue of outdoor menora lighting ceremonies is not directly addressed by contemporary halachic authorities, the features of these events are similar enough to the synagogue menora lightings. As such, reciting the blessings on the menora at these events is justified accordingly.[11]



[1] Rema, OC 671:7.
[2] Maharam Shick, YD 374; Mishnat Sachir, OC 2:202.
[3] Shibolei Haleket 185; Tanya Rabati 35.
[4] Beit Yosef, OC 671; Meiri, Shabbat 23a; Shu"t Rivash 111.
[5] Beit Yosef, OC 671; Orchot Chaim, Chanuka 17; Kol Bol 44.
[6] Tzitz Eliezer 15:30, 22:37; Minchat Yitzchak 6:65; Shevet Halevi 4:65, Az Nidberu 6:75; Kinyan Torah 1:131:3.
[7] Mishne Sachir 2:202.
[8] Az Nidberu 6:75.
[9] Mishna Berura 671:39; Kaf Hachaim, OC 671:65; Yabia Omer 7:57:6; Torat Hamo'adim p.312 note 97; Rivevot Ephraim 8:409.
[10] Yabia Omer 7:57:6; Shemesh U'magen, OC 3:33; Rivevot Ephraim 7:190:4.
[11] Eleh Hem Mo'adai 2:17; Az Nidberu 6:75, 5:37.

Rabbi Ari N. Enkin
Author - Educator - Halachic Research www.torahmusings.com/AriEnkin.html

*****


I'm currently learning R Enkin's volume VI of his Daled Amot Series titled Da'at V'Din.
This gives the reader a great sample of that sefer, and in a sense serves in lieu of a book review.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Chanukkah and Thanksgiving - The Common Denominator

Does anyone realize that both Chanukkah and Thanksgiving are related to a common denominator?

And that would be [drum roll please]
Chag Hasukkot!

Kol Tuv,
RRW

Public Candle Lighting - Intro

The original construct for Hanukkah Candle Lighting is Ner Ish uVeito.

Out of this original construction have come various extrapolations. Some seem more rooted in the original paradigm than others.

EG if one has a mobile home, then it stands to reason to light near that "bayit". Maybe the same for a compartment on train or for a state room on a ship. However, one REALLY needs to stretch to light in a seat on a plane or bus. Where is the "Beito"?

Similarly, the halachah has "bent" to allow or require lighting in shul. There are a number of justifications which appear to be reasonable.

OTOH how can we justify the lighting with a B'rachah at City Hall? Where is the "Beito" there?

In order to address this modern phenomenon, we have several posts from contemporary scholars who have done some of the digging on our behalf.

Kol Tuv,
RRW

THE MENSCH ON A BENCH

THE MENSCH ON A BENCH IS A NEW HANUKKAH TRADITION MEANT TO BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER.

Warning: SOLD OUT

The Mensch on a Bench
http://www.themenschonabench.com/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Breaking up is Hard to Do

R Eliyahu Safran:

«Getting married is easy – the joy, the grace, the dignity of the wedding day!  The beauty of the bride.  The nervous anticipation of the groom.  The proud and delightful parents.

Ending a marriage is hard, hurtful, painful.  There is sadness and shame.  Where there had once been joy and respect, there is now recrimination.  And questions.  Hard questions.  What had gone wrong?  Where should you go from here?

Marriage and divorce are not two sides of the same coin but polar opposites on the same spectrum.  Still, they have one thing in common.  In both, there must be respect and dignity.   We must embrace the same dignity and care at the end of a marriage just as we do at the beginning.  We must.  And yet, too often in the Orthodox community we do not.  Too often, we are seeing men withholding a Get as an emotional – and practical – cudgel which, in effect, enslaves a woman, damning her to a life that is neither here nor there, neither married nor able to move on with her life.»

Religious Divorce Must Not Be an Emotional Weapon - Judaism - Israel National News
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/14128#.Uo6CgJuwHQV


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RRW

Shiur Central on Hanukkah

אף הן היו באותו הנס | Shiur Central


http://shiurcentral.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/%D7%90%D7%A3-%D7%94%D7%9F-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%95-%D7%91%D7%90%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%95-%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%A1/

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RRW

First Joint European Muslim-Jewish Petition

SIGN OUR PETITION

Sign  JEWS AND MUSLIMS JOIN TOGETHER TO OPPOSE COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S ASSAULT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

We, Muslims and Jews of Europe, united under the leadership of the Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders (GEMJL), representing a coalition of organizations and individuals who have endorsed this petition in association with the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, call on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to rescind its anti-democratic and hurtful resolution labeling male ritual circumcision a "violation of the physical integrity of children" and calling on member states to "adopt specific legal provisions to ensure that certain operations and practices will not be carried out before a child is old enough to be consulted."
 If adopted by member states, a ban on circumcision of male children would make it impossible for Jews and Muslims of conscience to go on living on this continent. In fact, the practice of circumcision is at the very core of our two faiths; mandated in the covenant between God and our common forefather, Abraham/Ibrahim. Both religious faith and millennia of tradition enjoin Jews and Muslims to circumcise our sons. We cannot do otherwise if we are to live according to the dictates of our respective faith traditions.
Read the full petition here

GEMJL is the European affiliate of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
To learn more, contact the European Coordinator of the FFEU in Paris, Samia Hathroubi, at samiahathroubi@gmail.com

Sign Initiators of the Petition: Members of the Executive and Steering Committees of the Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders:

Rabbi Marc Schneier  USA-President Foundation for Ethnic Understanding,
Aymin Mazyek-GERMANY Secretary-General of the Zentralrats der Muslime in Deutschland (ZMD),
Rabbi Avichai Apel--- GERMANY Rabbi of Dortmund Synagogue, head of German Orthodox Rabbis Assn,
Rabbi Reuven Livingstone-UK President of Imams and Rabbis Council of the United Kingdom ,
Afzal Khan, UK co-president of Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester, former Lord Mayor of Manchester,
Rabbi Michel Serfaty   FRANCE President, Amitie Judeo-Muslulame de France,
Imam Ahmed Miktar FRANCE President, Association of Imams of France,
Imam Yahya Pallavicini   ITALY, vice president, Communita Islamica Religiosa d'Italia, COREIS,
Rabbi Joseph Levi  ITALY, Chief Rabbi of Florence,
Imam Mustafa Ceric BOSNIA-HERZOGOVINA former Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzogovina) ,
Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp  NETHERLANDS, President of Soetendorp Foundation, The Hague),
Moussa Hassan Al-Diaw  GERMANY and AUSTRIA head of program for the education of imams in training, University of Osnabreuck,
Aicha Haddou BELGIUM-MOROCCO co-chair of Belgian Muslim-Jewish Women's group),
Rabbi Albert Guigui, BELGIUM Grand Rabbin de Bruxelles ,
Imam Senaid Kobilica -NORWAY Chief Imam of Norway,
Fiyaz Mughal UK (head of Faith Matters),
Barbara Spectre -SWEDEN (head of Paideia) ,
El Hadi Khelladi, GMJF and RAMSA-GERMANY,
Esmond Rosen  UK Jewish Volunteering Network,
Jonny Weinberg UK co-founder of The Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester,
Rabbi Jackie Tabick UK womens leader,
Imam Mohamed Jusufpahic, SERBIA (Grand Mufti),
Jonathan Ornstein  (POLAND) director Krakow JCC,
Alexander Goldberg UK chief executive of the London Jewish forum,
Ahmed Larouz, NETHERLANDS, president of the CEDAR, community of European Muslim entrepreneurs,
Coexister Interfaith Youth Movement FRANCE Nabila Khinache,
Samuel Grzybowski Founder,
Ilan Scialom,
Mohammed Amin UK.

Mussar: Not to Worry about Tomorrow

"Fret not over to-morrow's trouble, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, and peradventure to-morrow he is no more: thus he shall be found grieving over a world that is not his."

Babylonian Talmud
Sanhedrin 100b

Cited in GateWay to Happiness page 156 in much more modern English!


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RRW

The Pope and the Rabbi

«Pope Francis "lives with his mind in heaven and with his feet on Earth," Rabbi Skorka told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday. "And Ratzinger lived totally in heaven."

Abraham Skorka, a prominent Argentine rabbi, has had frank and open conversations with Pope Francis since he was Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. Those discussions are the topic of a book written by both, "On Heaven and Earth."

Rabbi Skorka and Cardinal Bergoglio formed their friendship, the rabbi said, over that most beloved of traditions: soccer.»

"The beginning was through jokes," R

Amanpour
http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/07/pope-francis-lives-with-mind-in-heaven-and-feet-on-earth-says-rabbi-friend/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Poll Results: Psak

Results of
New Poll: Psak

Which of the following best describes your personal sheetah as to how P'sak should be derived:

A. It should be a function of the Poseik; his gravitas, his community, etc. Because the Poseik accesses a Holy Intuition, therefore is totally subjective to his feelings on a given matter. B. It should be a function of Halachic Consensus. [BE"H HC will be defined in a future post.] C. It should be a function of the Bavli. The Bavli is THE last word on matters of Halachah. We follow it when it's explicit. When the Bavli is silent, then the Poseik has virtually unlimited latitude. D. It should be a function of Tradition/M'sorah.
Your Responses (total 5) Choice 1 - 20%  (1) Choice 2 - 40%  (2) Choice 3 - 20%  (1) Choice 4 - 20%  (1)

 

Has "Open Orthodoxy" Crossed the Line Outside of Orthodoxy?

Rabbi Arie Folger:

«Seventeen years ago, Rabbi Avi Weiss prepared the grounds for the emergence of Open Orthodoxy, with a program for supplementary education for rabbinical students at Yeshiva University called Meorot. In 1997, he expanded the ground work with a program for women called Torat Miriam, and that same year he published his manifesto, entitled Open Orthodoxy! A Modern Orthodox Rabbi's Creed.
[ http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Open+orthodoxy!+A+modern+Orthodox+rabbi%27s+creed.-a020583577
or
http://www.yctorah.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,143/.]


In that article, he laid out a vision for his enthusiastic religious vision full of compassion and devotion to traditional Judaism. Back then, no one imagined how, or even whether Open Orthodoxy would develop. In fact, some of Rabbi Weiss' statements were positively reassuring:

"As a modern orthodox rabbi, I profess an unequivocal commitment to the truth, validity and eternal applicability of the Halakhic system. … I believe in Torah mi-Sinai, the law given by God at Sinai, to which the Jewish people committed itself…. Human thinking tends to be relative. What is unethical to one person is ethical to another. If, however, the law at its foundation comes from God, it becomes inviolate. No human being can declare it null and void. … all those who hold to Orthodoxy contend that "new Halakha," which emerges constantly from the wellspring of the halakhic process, must always be based on the highest caliber of religio-legal authority. There must be an exceptional halakhic personality who affirms the new ruling on the grounds of sound halakhic reasoning."

The above statements convey important shared notions were meant to insure that his Open Orthodox vision resting on the six pillars of openness always remain within the boundaries of classical Orthodoxy....»

It's Not a Witch Hunt, But the Expression of Genuine Concerns | The 5 Towns Jewish Times
http://5tjt.com/its-not-a-witch-hunt-but-the-expression-of-genuine-concerns/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Air Brushed?

I just received an invitation from a Yeshiva that solicits funds from me from time to time, let's call it Yeshivat Sukkah.

Yeshivat Sukkah is honoring 3 People or 3 Couples

The Text has names like -

Rabbi Avraham and Mrs. Sarah Cohein

Mr. & Mrs. Yitzchak Levi

And
Mr. & Mrs. Yaakov Sh'lishi.

Photos accompany the names of the couples, but only the male "half" is depicted.

Historically speaking, when did this practice, honoring couples while omitting the females from the pictures, begin?

On a related topic

--------------
Photo Retouching:


File:Voroshilov, Molotov, Stalin, with Nikolai Yezhov.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Voroshilov,_Molotov,_Stalin,_with_Nikolai_Yezhov.jpg


Compared with

File:The Commissar Vanishes 2.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Commissar_Vanishes_2.jpg



Yezhov is clearly visible to Stalin's left. The photo was later altered by censors.

Further information: Photo manipulation

Airbrushing has long been used to alter photographs in the pre-digital era. In skilled hands it can be used to help hide signs that an image has been extensively retouched or "doctored".

As a result of Stalin's purges, and later destalinization, many photographs of officials from the periods show extensive airbrushing; often entire human figures have been removed. The term "airbrushed out" has come to mean rewriting history to pretend that something was never there. In contemporary academic discourse, the process of removing components from an image is formally known as object removal.

Airbrush - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbrush


Kol Tuv,
RRW

JVO: Egalitarianism and Numbers

Jewish Values Online is a website that presents the Jewish view on a variety of issues. Some of these issues are specifically Jewish, and some relate to the world around us --  then presents answers from each of the denominations of Judaism. Nishmablog's Blogmaster, Rabbi Wolpoe and Nishma's Founding Director, Rabbi Hecht, both serve as Orthodox members on their Panel of Scholars.

This post continues our series on the Nishmablog that features responses on JVO by one of our two Nishma Scholars who are on this panel. This week's presentation is about one of the questions to which Rabbi Wolpoe responded.

* * * * *
Question: While I support tolerance, acceptance and unity for the Jewish people, I can’t help noticing that when I have visited the Kotel many times during morning hours, there does not appear to be even a minute base of women that want to pray in an egalitarian style minyan. At the same time there are thousands davening at the Kotel every morning peacefully, representing many threads of Judaism. Why all the commotion to create an area for egalitarian minyanim (prayer groups) on a regular basis at the Kotel, when there doesn’t appear to be the numbers to justify using very limited prime real estate for this purpose? My question is more about the need to accommodate a very small specific group for a once a month event. Wouldn’t it be great to see thousands of Jews show up at the Kotel every morning demanding an egalitarian style minyan? That would show a different level of seriousness to the Women of the Wall (WOW) cause. But, as of now, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Wishing for peace and unity for the Jewish people, I want to know what this is really about.

Rabbi Wolpoe's answer

This question touches upon so many different topics, that I'm not sure where to begin.

Here are but a few aspects to consider.

1. The nature of the Kotel or Western Wall.

2. Egalitarianism

3. Holiness, Kedushah

4. The Ends Justifying the Means.

-------------------------------

1. The Wall has many aspects.
A. A Holy Shrine
B. A piece of history, like a museum
C. A place of worship

2. Egalitarianism -
A. Women have rights, too.
B. Separate but Equal

3. Holiness
A. What is appropriate behavior at the Holy Temple
B. Similarly at a Synagogue

4. Assuming the Ends are Jusitified, what means are justified?
Illustration: Rosa Parks
A. Would Rosa Parks have been justified in shooting the Bus Driver?
B. Hijacking the Bus?
C. Preventing the Bus from Moving?

Questions abound:
1. Which forms of worship are appropriate at the Kotel and which are not?

2. Which forms of protest are legitimate at the Kotel and which are not?

3. What kind of protesting behavior
is acceptable during Services?

4. When is it OK to call attention to one's own cause while distracting others who are focused upon serving G-d?

4. We light Hanukkah Candles in the Synagogue to proclaim the Miracle of Hanukkah.  What other proclamations would fall under this rubric?

5. One of Micah's exhortations is "Hatzn'eia Lechet im Hashem..." To Walk Humbly with G-d.  Is calling attention to one's personal cause in a Place of Worship within the spirit of this Prophesy?  Or is it a violation of Humitilty and Modesty to voice outrage during worship?

------------

Some Random Comments

When I was a young man, a very powerful personality decided to impose his will and ego on the congregation.  The Acting Rabbi got up and made a speech:

"When you walk into shul, you check your ego at the door." Meaning a synagogue is not the proper venue to air one's political grievances.  There may be some exceptions, but not egotistical ones.

-------

In the Ancient Holy Temple, even shoes and money purses were off limits.  The reverence for the Holy Sites was quite demanding.  It would be a shame to turn this plaza into a political battleground.

-------
Newton's 3rd law of motion often comes to mind:
For every Action
There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction

Or for every provocation
There is backlash.

This dance of the Yin Yang often perpetuates hostility, without much peaceful resolution in sight.

Certainly WOW has some right to worship as they see fit. How they manifest their desires is one side of the issue; the other side is how they get mistreated.  This seems to be a lose-lose confrontation without any winners.

If this dispute were conducted quietly without the glare of the media fanning the flames, possibly some amicable win-win resolution might result.  Neither side would need to dig in its heels, and a form of compromise or accomodation might be forthcoming.

As it stands now, the Kotel Conflict  seem to be mere pawns in the larger socio-political conflict which is perhaps best conducted outside the precincts of the "City of Peace".

Egalitarian prayer is an affront to many Orthodox Jews. That said, tolerance and accommodation are certainly possible.  The less confrontation, the better; thereby increasing the likelihood of any peaceful compromise.

Rabbi’s Chelsea Clinton Jewish Status Quip Stressing Tear with Reform

«Rabbi Stav spoke after the visiting head of the Reform movement, Reform Rabbi (nebech) Rick Jacobs, had told the Knesset forum that Reform and Conservative Jews outnumber and outweigh the Orthodox.

...
In a public debate at the Knesset Israel-U.S. lobby on Tuesday, chaired by Labor MK Nachman Shai, Rabbi Stav had this to say about the Reform movement's demand that their conversions be recognized by the Jewish State: "The problem of assimilation among American Jews is not only an American problem, it's our problem, too. There's an ocean of ceremonies and an ocean of people eager to conduct ceremonies. Chelsea Clinton married a Jewish guy. I'm not arguing the legitimacy of it, you're free to think what you want. But do you want me to recognize Chelsea Clinton's child as a Jew? You want me to recognize the rabbi who officiated at her wedding as a rabbi? Are you trying to push intermarriage through my back door?"»

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/rabbis-chelsea-clinton-jewish-status-quip-stressing-tear-with-reform/2013/11/13/


Kol Tuv,
RRW

Glatt - the Straight Story

Misconception: "Glatt Kosher" means something like "extra kosher" and applies to chicken and fish as well as meat.

Fact: Glatt is Yiddish for smooth, and in the context of kashrut it means that the lungs of the animal were smooth, without any adhesions that could potentially prohibit the animal as a treifa, an issue only applicable to animals, not fowl or non-meat products.

Background: In colloquial discourse treif refers to anything that is not kosher. The technical definition of treifa is based on Exodus 22:30 ("Do not eat meat from an animal torn [treifa] in the field") and refers to an animal with any of a specific group of physical defects that are detailed in the Talmud (most of the third chapter of Chullin; 42a-59a) and codes (Rambam, Maachalot Asurot 4:6-9 and Shechitah ch. 5-11; Shulchan Aruch, YD 29-60). Examples of these "defects," which often go far beyond the health inspection of the USDA, include certain lesions, lacerations, broken limbs, missing or punctured organs, or the result of an attack by a larger animal. Such defects can occur in and thereby render both animals and fowl treif. Because most of these defects are uncommon, it may be assumed that most animals are healthy (Shach, YD 39:1) and hence there is no requirement to inspect every animal for them. An exception is the lung of an animal, on which adhesions [sirchot] and other problems may develop. While these problems are not common, they do occur more frequently than other treifot. Their relative prevalence led the rabbis to mandate that the lungs of every animal be examined, both manually while still in its natural position in the animal, and visually following its removal from the thoracic cavity (YD 39:1).2 Because a hole in the lung renders the animal a treifa, adhesions, i.e. pathologically arising bands of collagen fibers, are problematic either because they indicate the presence of a perforation that has been insufficiently sealed (Rashi) or because they can become loosened, thereby causing a hole to develop (Tosfot). In the U.S., lung adhesions usually do not occur on fowl; hence the rest of this discussion concerns only meat, not chicken.3»

What?s the Truth About... Glatt Kosher
http://www.kashrut.com/articles/glatt/


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RRW

Caveat Emptor: Glatt Kosher

Beware: Glatt May Not Always Mean Kosher

Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Star-K Rabbinic Administrator

«It can be reasonably stated that today's kosher consumer is caught up in a glatt kosher frenzy, and meat purveyors, suppliers, and manufacturers are the first to capitalize on this growing phenomenon.  The problem is that there is a marked shortage of true glatt kosher meat; sometimes only one in twenty animals will be truly glatt kosher.  Some have extended the glatt standard to include animals whose lungs have small, easily removable adhesions; others have reduced the glatt standard even more.  We must bear in mind that even if the meat is advertised as glatt, the kosher meat process does not end with the examination of the lungs.  There are many more steps that need to be taken before the meat reaches the homemaker's kitchen.»

Star-K Kosher Certification - Kosher Consumer
http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-beef-glatt.htm


Kol Tuv,
RRW