The Deeper Reason for Heter Mehira

As we have seen in the last post, Rav Kook held that Shmita was essential in order to build a moral nation on the land of Israel. It is used as a type of regulotary system which refreshes a nation which is required to be involved in actions of nation building which often force it to ignore the pure values it stands for such as caring for the less fortunate. Shmitta is therefore an extreme picture of those values in order to give back a spark of that morality which will last the next 6 years.

How then could Rav Kook institute a “heter mechira” which basically destroys the whole concept of shmitta by providing a loophole by which we will not need to follow it?

First of all, Rav Kook clearly said heter mechira should ONLY be used when no other option is available for the nation at the time. It is only in time of extreme need.

That being said, Rav Kook saw the resurrection of am Israel starting in the land of Israel. In my opinion, he was looking at all of the new yishuvim building up and told himself: We have two choice. We can either follow shmitta which is supposed to help build a moral nation, and loose our national resurrection. Or, we can use this heter, which is halachically correct (at least according to him), and preserve the nation building. We will worry about re-inserting the ideals of shmitta once the nation will have been better built.

In a type of tragic writing, Rav Kook wrote a whole halachic book on shmitta and his heter called Shabbat Haaretz. In the introduction, he wrote about the ideals which shmitta stands for. Maybe he meant to tell us that only a nation which will end up returning to the values expressed in the introduction can afford to temporarily go around shmitta. more...

Yud Tet Kislev

On Yat Kislev, The Admour HAzaken got freed from a Soviet Jail. Its considered the new year of Chassidut. It is also on that year that Rav Neriyah ZTSAL passed away.When Rav Neriyah ZATSAL was very sick, Harav Motty Elon SHLITA went to visit him. What he didn't know was that the doctors had just announced to Rav Neriyah that he would die soon. Rav Neriyah then decided to leave the hospital to go back to his house, his yeshiva, to die surrounded by his books of torah. When Rav Elon saw the commotion at the hospital, he asked a doctor what was going on. The doctor told him of Rav Neriyah's decision and Rav Elon decided it was not a good time to visit the Rav. He would come back another day.

Rav Neriyah's wife then saw Rav Elon and told her Rav Neriyah would be extremely happy to see him! Rav Elon did not know exactly how to say no so he went to see Rav Neriyah.

As he entered the room, he had a very awkward feeling. What can you say to someone who is about to pass away? So he stayed silent. Then, Rav Neriyah started singing: "Oz Vehadar Levusha, Vatishak Leyom Acharon" - a passage from Eshet Chayil which means "With Strength and Splendor, She laughs at the final days (the days of the mashiach, through prophecy)". He sang and sang and Rav Elon felt more and more awkward. Then Rav Neriyah ZATSAL asked Rav Elon why he wasn't singing and Rav Elon didn't know what to answer! Then Rav Neriyah told him, Oh! If you don't sing, it is because you don't understand what I am singing. He then explained himself: "Keshe Adam Chai Im Oz Vehadar kol Chayav, Az Yithak Bayom Haazcharon" - When a person lives his whole life with Strength and Splendor, then he will laugh on his final days. And so, since Rav Neriyah lived his whole life with Strength of the Torah and the Splendor of the Mitsvot, he was laughing, and singing in his final days!May we all merit to accomplish amazing things in our lives which will enable us to laugh and sing in our final days. May our lives be lives which help developp am Israel into Mamlechet Kohanim Vegoy Kadosh - a kingdom of priest, a holy nation. May great men such as the Admour Hazaken, Rav Neriyah ZATSAL and Harav Motty Elon SHLITA keep on inspiring us... Amen! more...

Rav Moshe Zvi Neriah - Hilloula this week!

His hilloula (Yarzeit) is this week, on Yud Tet Kislev! This is from http://www.bneiakivacleveland.org/Resources/People/RavNeriya.htm

Rav Moshe Zvi Neriah, the son of Rav P’tahia and Rachel Menkin, was born on the 21st of Sh’vat 5673 (1913). As early as his youth he absorbed the fragrance of Torah, since his father served at the time as the Rav of the town of Krotchka, in White Russia. His mother Rachel, was an educated woman, fluent in several languages, and would assist the people of the town with her wisdom.

Rav P’tahia was a great scholar and was not only admired by the people of the town, but also by his son Moshe Zvi. After fulfilling his community obligations, Rav P’tahia would sit down with his son and learn Torah with him. These were both enchanting and wonderful hours that they spent together. When they finished learning for the day, Rav P’tahia would repeat to him over and over; “My son, no matter what, you must learn Torah until you are twenty, at least twenty, so that you are not an am haaretz, an ignoramus [literally, a person of the ground].

After having learned in a cheder until his Bar Mitzvah, Moshe Zvi traveled to Minsk to study in the grand Yeshiva there. His talents with regards to learning quickly became known and he was considered one of the best students in the Yeshiva. But Moshe Zvi didn’t make do with learning Torah in the Diaspora, the galut: his soul longed for Eretz Yisrael, the Holy Land.

During the year 5690 (1930) he was notified that he would be allowed to immigrate to Eretz Israel, with a special visa granted to Yeshiva students. He immediately wrote a letter to Rav Kook, who lived in Jerusalem, requesting the visa, and added several Torah compositions of his own. Rav Kook was duly impressed by his work and not long afterwards he received an envelope from Palestine containing the visa and a ticket for the journey.

He arrived in Eretz Israel on 20 Tammuz, 5690 and immediately headed for Jerusalem. Where would he go? To Rav Kook’s home, of course. Rav Kook welcomed the youth with loving, open arms and accepted him into the Yeshiva. Years later Rav Neriah spoke of his years in the Yeshiva: “In Russia, one’s life was centered around one’s personal problems – how to properly observe Shabbat when surrounded by the profane, how to get Kosher food when only one shochet (ritual slaughterer) was available, etc. In the Rav’s Yeshiva I learned how to make community or national Judaism the central part of my life. I learned that each and every person is obligated to think of, worry about, and care for Am Israel, the People of Israel, to see himself as responsible for the People of Israel.

It was these feelings that inspired Moshe Zvi, known to his friends as Neriah, to join the Bnei Akiva Snif in Jerusalem, initially as a madrich, and a short time later to take over as the merakez of the snif. His ties with the snif remained strong throughout his life, and from the merakez of a single snif – he became the founder and establisher of many, many snifim, wrote songs and prose for Bnei Akiva [including the movement’s himnon (anthem)]. He organized many nation-wide activities, authored many activity handbooks for madrichim, and much, much more – to name just a few of his ceaseless efforts for the t’nua.

In 5699 (1939) during one of the many seminars held for the madrichim, Neriah came to the conclusion that without an educational institution of our own, there was no way to stem the erosion or drift of religious youth towards the non-religious lifestyle. But how does one go about establishing such an institution? This was not a task to intimidate Neriah: He took three lirot, and traveled to K’far Haroeh with thirteen other youths, their hearts brimming with excitement: “We are going to establish a Yeshiva!”

The yeshiva grew and prospered – and in time became the Yeshivat Bnei Akiva K’far Haroeh, forerunner of the Bnei Akiva Yeshivot and Ulpanot [religious girls schools]. It also was the forerunner of tens of thousands of chanichim and chanichot, who have fulfilled in the past, and continue to do so today – the visions of Rav Neriah Z”L and of his teacher and mentor Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook Z”L.

How fortunate we are to be part of a generation that was zoche to have had Rav Neriah as one of its leaders.
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How Shtarkness destroyed the beit hamikdash

This is the continuation of the topic from a previous post: http://www.tsmicha.com/2007/11/to-be-shtark-or-to-be-emet-true.htm I got some positive response so I thought of going a bit deeper the subject.

Why was the first Sanctuary destroyed? Because of three [evil] things which prevailed there: idolatry, immorality, bloodshed. […]

But why was the second Sanctuary destroyed, seeing that in its time they were occupying themselves with Torah, [observance of] precepts, and the practice of charity? Because therein prevailed hatred without cause. That teaches you that groundless hatred is considered as of even gravity with the three sins of idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed together.

We have all heard this explanation before. The second temple, for which we are still trying to do the tikkun, was destroyed because of baseless hatred. However, it is hard for us to really internalize the fact that people were EXTREMELY religious at the time. There was absolutely nothing to criticize about their religious practice. They were SUPER SHTARK?

What happened then? How did things go so wrong?
Well, in an environment where religious practice is simply superficial, the deepest principles of Jewish thought are often ignored. When we concentrate so much on personal growth and “shtarkness”, we forget the bigger picture of Judaism.The gemara in Yoma gives us a tragic account of this idea: “Each morning at dawn, a shovel of burning ashes was taken from the Temple altar and deposited on the floor (Leviticus 6:3). This act, known as terumat hadeshen, was initially done by whichever priest rose sufficiently early. Later, many priests wished to perform this service and a daily footrace up the ramp of the altar was conducted. The winner of this race was accorded the honor of terumat hadeshen. This practice, however, was terminated following a wretched episode. One morning, two kohanim sped up the altar ramp, each vying for the honor of terumat hadeshen. Neck-and-neck they raced until one kohen, desperate for the privilege to remove the smoldering ashes, pushed his fellow, who fell and broke his leg. When the court saw the danger involved in the race they canceled the competition and instead enacted a lottery - as was the custom for other Temple tasks - for the right to perform the terumat hadeshen (M. Yoma 2:1-2). A more tragic calamity that occurred during one of these races is also related: Two kohanim - in one version of the account they were actually brothers - were racing up the ramp. At the finish line, one kohen pipped his colleague, winning the contest and the right to do the terumat hadeshen. At this point, the loser took a knife and drove it into his peer's heart. This base display of zeal was matched by the father of the dying boy, who, running to the scene, found his child writhing with his last breaths on the floor of the Temple. Indifferently, the father declared: "My son is still writhing and therefore the knife has not become impure!" implying that the knife should quickly be removed before the young kohen dies and renders it impure (T. Yoma 1:12; T. Shavuot 1:4).” (Paraphrased by http://pardes.org.il/online_learning/weekly-talmud/2006-01-11.php)

Yes, you read right! The dad was so shtark that the first thing that mattered when his son fell down dying was whether the knife was kosher or not!

Thank God, we have improved a lot since those tragic days. However, how many of us are going to run in a crowd, pushing and shoving everyone, in order to be on time for minyan (instead of saying “excuse me”). Its good to be that passionate about minyan right? Wrong! If your religiousness leads you to push and shove everyone around you, you are the reason the beit hamikdash was destroyed!
This is just one example. We can all list many more examples.

The Beit Hamikdash was not destroyed because women were wearing skirts which didn’t go down to the floor. The Beit Hamikdash was not destroyed because you were not eating only the most machmir hechsher kashrut. The Beit Hamikdash was not destroyed because people were not . Hey! It was not even destroyed because the government decided to give back some land!
The beit hamikdash was destroyed because individual zealousness created a situation where the very basic principles of Judaism became ignored!The Eim Habanim Semecha writes: If the beit hamikdash was destroyed because of baseless hatred, how can we even have the svara (the thought) that it will be rebuilt in a time where there is still hatred around.

Only through honest, authentic practice of torah through the most basic principle of loving your jewish brother can we build the beit hamikdash.As Rav Kook said in Orot Hakodesh: If the beit hamikdash was destroyed through baseless hatred, it will be rebuilt through baseless love.This is our generation’s challenge. Not our kippah colour, not our tsitsit length, not our skirt’s length, not even Shabbat, not even kashrut, not even keeping every inch of erets Israel. Ahavat Chinam is our challenge!NOTE : I got 2 comments on my first post basically that someone who starts practicing Judaism for shtarkness can evolve to practice it for the right reasons. “Ma Shelo Lishma Ba Lishma”. I want to make it clear. I am not telling people: “Stop being Shtark, be secular”. I would much rather you be Shtark than secular. Keep being shtark if the only other option is secularism. What I am doing is encouraging you to take the next step. To live Judaism not just to practice its religious rituals which make you look shtark, but to internalize the deep principles of Judaism in a way which will let your Jewish practice be an expression of these principles and every mitzvah you do be a an step towards a deep relationship with God. Hope I made it more clear this time. more...

The Holy Kfira

This is the continuation of the topic from last post: http://www.tsmicha.com/2007/11/to-be-shtark-or-to-be-emet-true.htm I got some positive response so I thought of going a bit deeper the subject. The first post was mostly reactionary to the reality of Today’s Jewish World. This Post is more thought based.

Kfira in modern Hebrew means Athiesm. However, its root comes from the word “to reject”. In truth, it means “rejection” (in the case of atheism, rejection of God).
Rav Kook writes in many places that the kfira of his generation is not the same as the kfira of other generations. If we look at traditional Kfira, we see that people would leave religion out of “taava” (lust) for different pleasures. In Rav Kook’s generation, people left religion in order to go to what they belived were higher ideals – either secular nationalism or socialism.

Rav Kook explained that while Kfira is always bad (atheism is one of the worse sins), the root of Kfira in his generation was very holy. People were not leaving Judaism for lust, they were leaving Judaism in order to find deeper truths. They were presented with a superficial practice of Judaism which did not represent the deep ideals truly found in Judaism, and rejected it. Instead, they looked in secular ideologies for deeper truths.

Of course, they wrong to leave Judaism. They should have looked deeper into Judaism where the higher truth is really found. We can see confirmation of the fact they were wrong by today’s reality where everyone who left Judaism for these other ideals has also lost these ideals: Secular Nationalism is much weaker today (completely secular nationalism), Communism and Socialism are also very weak. What they should have done is look deeper into Judaism.

The root of Kfira is something amazing. It is not something bad. It is something definitely dangerous since it can lead to kfira but it is not something bad. If we took this root of kfira, which is asking so many questions of the truths of Judaism, and brought it to the right environment, brought it to the beit midrash, then we would be able to, through these hard questions, delve into the deepest depths of Jewish Thought.

We all have some form of kfira in us. We all have hard questions that we ask ourselves. There are 3 possible reactions to these questions and only one of them is correct.

The first reaction is to ignore those questions. Try to drown those question in an attempt to keep practicing Judaism in a superficial level. Stay “Shtark” without ever really understanding the depths of Judaism. This is a practice which is encouraged in a lot of religious circles but it is extremely destructive! Not only is it destructive to the religious community, since questions will always come up (if not today, tomorrow) and if there is no structure to deal with the questions, the questions then because very dangerous. It is also destructive to Am Israel as a whole, because the religious sector should be able to deal with the questions of the less religious sector in order to inspire them to accept and connect to God.

The second reaction is to take these questions and look everywhere for an answer. For example, after seeing how the religious community put so much emphasis on personal growth in the 1800s, some people asked themselves: “What about the nation of Israel?” “What about Humanity?”. Those who asked themselves about nationalism went to look at secular ideologies which encouraged secular Nationalism. Those who were worry about humanitarian issues looked at socialism and even communism. Unfortunately, by looking for answers in the whole world they left their own beliefs in order to espouse those of others.

The third reaction is the right one. The third reaction starts with a realization that God gave the Torah to the Jewish People. My point here is not to debate whether this realization should be attained rationally or through what some call “blind faith” – for the purpose of this post, what is important is that it should be attained. Once this is realized, then there is no reason to be afraid of questions. We know where the truth is found! Those questions will just make us delve deeper into this truth. We will bring those questions to the beit midrash in order for us to find the answer in the boundaries of Judaism.
This approach is not afraid of questions, it encourages them. It realizes that the root of kfira which is based on a quest for truth is a good root. It fosters this root and encourages it without allowing it to translate into kfira. It allows us to have an actual Judaism and not one which is based on “being “shtark””. It allows us to have an authentic connection to God and not just a set of blind rules. This is the whole point of Jewish Learning. The root of Kfira is also, when treated in the right way, the root of Jewish Growth.
Through this approach, Judaism will become deeper, more encompassing. Those who look for nationalism will be able to find it in Judaism which is full of it! They will realize that the fact that the people in the 1800s concentrated on personal growth does not mean it is all that is found in Judaism. Those who look for humanitarian messages will also find them in Judaism. They will not only find these messages but will also understand the right approach to them, which can only be found in Judaism. They will understand how ones nationalism, how one’s socialism can be a basis for ones connection to God. It does not need to be a contradiction.

More then that, it is through these questions which people will bring up that authentic Judaism will come out. It is through these questions that we will be able to being the light needed for the rebuilding of or temple on Har Habayit.

Only through the fostering of the root of kfira can we fight the two extremes: We’ll fight BLIND “Shtarkness” and we’ll fight the actual Kfira. Through it, we will bring AUTHENTIC Judaism. more...

To be Shtark, or to be Emet (True)

It happens all the time. You know you do it yourself sometimes. We all sometimes do something which looks religious in order to look “Shtark”. “Shtark” is the yeshivish word used to describe what someone does when he does something which looks religious.
I have a big problem with this reality we live in. I have a big problem with the fact that many religious people today worry more about looking “Shtark” then about their personal relationship to God. They worry more about being the “Shtark” kid then being the kid who does most for Am Israel. They worry more about being “Shtark” then connecting to the land of Israel.

Why does being Shtark even matter?
Since when is the Jewish religion limited at what looks religious?

This has become ridiculous. I know many people who wear a black hat and go clubbing at nights. Why not? A Black Hat is shtark. True, its not halacha. True, there is probably no requirement to wear one. But its still Shtark! (Don’t get me wrong, I never criticize the fact of wearing a hat… to each its own. I am criticizing the reason for which SOME wear it). Clubbing is a sin on so many levels – girls dancing, girls touching, girls not dressed tsniout. But you can still look shtark with your nice black hat, so who cares?

A beard makes you look shtark – the longer the better! (Note: I do let my beard grow, so again, not criticizing that fact, just criticizing the mentality behind some people who do it). Yes, learning torah is much more important. But its so hard to learn a daf of gemara. I can always let my beard grow and look shtark and my learning… well…. No one really knows how much I learn anyways.You know what? Even the learning people do is defined by that. How many people will refuse to learn any Machshava (Jewish Thought) because if someone sees them learning this, its almost “bitoul toyreh”! True, the GRA wrote some books in Machshava, and he probably wanted some read it. But no, I’ll what the GRA wrote in the gemara because its shtark. Learning his machshava books is not shtark! The rambam did write moreh nevuchim, shmona prakim… But no, I’ll just learn Mishnei Torah in my Iyun seder because that is what is Shtark!
Last but definitely not least. How many Shtark people who are careful to follow all the houmrot of halacha live in Chuts Laaretz? They ignore the fact that according to many, they are going against a Mitzvah Mideoraita. Even according to one of the most lenient opinion who says the mitvah of Yishuv Haaretz is a mitzvah Kiyumit (only a mitzvah when you do it, but its not a requirement), this is also true of Tsitsit! Do you know any of these shtark guys not wearing tsitsit? No, but that’s different! Wearing Tsitsit (and preferably long ones) is shtark. Living in Israel, being Zionist, not so shtark. You know what? Rav Kook has said, about 100 years ago, that the reason why people are leaving the religion is because they were looking for truth, and all they found in the jewish community was a superficial practice of this truth. 100 years later, in chutz laaretz and in some places even in erets Israel, the problem is still the same! How can you expect someone looking for truth to join a community where one needs to change his kippah in order to get a better shidduch? How can you expect someone who looks for truth to be a part of Todays “Shtark” community? How can you expect someone who walks half naked (untsniout) to impress her friends to change her ways and start walking with the “shtark clothing” not because it is right and emet (true), but because it is “Shtark”?

If someone wears a black hat, let him do so but not because it’s Shtark, because he believes its Emet! If someone lets his beard grow let him do so but not because its shtark, because its Emet! If someone starts dressing tsniout, let her do so, but not because its shtark, but because its Emet! Instead of caring about being shtark, lets start caring about our relationship to God!

The assimilation in today’s world is our problem: Not just because we care of other jews, but because we, the religious community, are responsible for it! The world is asking for authentic Judaism, they are asking for Emet, and all we provide them with is “Being Shtark”

Stop caring about accepted norms. Start looking for the real truth! Hopefully, our brothers and sisters who are not religious can see past this “Shtarkness” and understand the truth is really found deep into our torah, even if we, as religious jews, are not good ambassadors for this truth.

To be Shtark, or to be emet… Its your choice!

NOTE : I got 2 comments on my this post basically saying that someone who starts practicing Judaism for shtarkness can evolve to practice it for the right reasons. “Ma Shelo Lishma Ba Lishma”. I want to make it clear. I am not telling people: “Stop being Shtark, be secular”. I would much rather you be Shtark than secular. Keep being shtark if the only other option is secularism. What I am doing is encouraging you to take the next step. To live Judaism not just to practice its religious rituals which make you look shtark, but to internalize the deep principles of Judaism in a way which will let your Jewish practice be an expression of these principles and every mitzvah you do be a an step towards a deep relationship with God. Hope I made it more clear this time. more...

Why I am a Jewish Warrior

Note: I will not be commenting on the actual innacuraties in the CNN Documentary. If you are interested in that, please refer to: http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=3&x_outlet=14&x_article=1354

After watching CNN’s special God’s Jewish Warrior, I thought I should share with everyone what makes ME a Jewish Warrior. No, I am no terrorist. No, I do not believe in hurting any innocent Palestinian. For some reason, Christiane Ammanpour made it sound as if every supporter of the settler movement is anti palestianian. This isn’t so. I actually believe the Palestinian’s are better off with Jewish Leadership than with Palestinian leadership (as history has shown). I am also not here to defend the settlements from the perspective of international law although as a Law Student I could easily come up with many arguments which have been ignored.

I am sorry if the arguments will be disorganized, but I am just trying to put my feelings down on this paper.

So what did I come to speak about?

I want to let everyone know what makes ME a Jewish Warrior.What makes me support the right of the Jewish People to come back to their land after 2000 years of exile?
What makes me see the hand of God in this miraculous return?
What makes me support the right of the Jews to build their houses on the land their forefathers owned?
What makes the land of Israel valuable enough for it to be worth the sacrifices of Warriors?And also, interestingly, what makes Jewish Warriors the greatest protectors of human rights?Let’s start with the miracle.
I have a rabbi which often repeats one very interesting fact:Everyone agrees that the story of the Jews redemption from Egypt was a great miracle. Even those who do not believe in its accuracy agree to its miraculous nature.
We are living in even more miraculous times!

When we came out of Egypt, we were ONE NATION, which was spread out in ONE country for 210 Years. And God Took us out. Good, not bad.

In our generation, we were one nation which was spread out in HUNDREDS OF COUNTRIES for 2000 years!THIS IS THE GREATEST MIRACLE OF HISTORY! It is the start of our final and ultimate redemption!Now, why is the land of Israel even so important to the Jewish People? How can it be that such nationalism and attachment to the land turn out to be what I have called “the greatest protection for human rights”?

To answer this we will do an exercise in linguistics:
In every language, the male of the word “man” is irregular.
In English, instead of being called Maness, we say Women.
In French instead of saying Homma, we say Femme.

In Hebrew, however, it is regular. Ish and Isha. The reason for that is that when we have a deep relationship with our wife, we recognize that we are not two beings, but rather two parts of the same being: the masculine and the feminine part. We are connected together with a strong bond which makes us one being!In the torah, when man and women are linked together, they are called ADAM. Adam was the name of the first creature on earth which was really a combination of Man and Woman (Adam and Eve Linked Together). There is one other thing in our scriptures called Adam and that is the Jewish People (Yehezkel, Perek Lamed I think…).

Let’s start another exercise in linguistics:
How do nations usually call their land?
In English, we call it “motherland”.
In French, we call it “Patrie” (from the word dad in French).In hebrew, we call it ADAMA. In Hebrew, the word for land is the feminine of the Jewish Nation!
The link between the Jewish Nation and its land is like the link between a husband and his wife. It is the deepest link of love. It is the deepest bond possible.When other nations express extreme nationalism, they express some sort of incest. It always turns out wrong (German Nationalism, Arab Nationalism etc…)
When Jews express Nationalism, it is a blessing for all nations. It is healthy: like a husband loving his wife.

True, there are SOME (VERY LITTLE) Jewish terrorists. But a quick research will show you they were not inspired really by torah law, but by American Nationalism. The leaders of Jewish Terrorism were ALL American who imported their ideology to Israel. (Don’t get me wrong, I am not criticizing America, but just making the point that the only healthy nationalism is the Jewish one).

So, how exactly does this lead to the greatest protection of Human Rights?Well, already, Zionism is the greatest message of hope for humanity. The fact that a nation can return to its land after 2000 years of persecution and come back from the dead is the greatest human rights accomplishment of history!

Every person who puts a brick ANYWHERE in Israel is a partner in this accomplishment.The return of the Jews not just to Tel Aviv, but especiallJerusalem, Hevron, Kedumim, Elon Moreh etc.. is the greatest message of Hope for mankind.Also, we believe that by creating a strong Israel, we will ultimately be providing a light for all nations. Our goal is to build a house of prayers FOR ALL NATIONS.

Am I a Jewish Warrior?
I sure hope so!A Jewish Warrior is someone with higher values. It is someone who understands the value of Justice being made to a nation persecuted for 2000 years. It is someone who is connected enough to his heritage that he wants to actualize it. It is someone who brings light into this world by creating and strengthening a state which is God’s Throne on this earth. It is someone who believes in the right of refugees to return to their homes after 2000 years of exile. It is someone who understands that God’s representatives on this world are full of strength, and not on the sidelines of society.“Jewish Warriors” are Jewish Heros.
“Jewish Warriors” are Universal Heros!

May the building of the holy communities in Judea and Samaria continue until enough light has been brought into this world for Christiane Ammanpour to make a live coverage of the building of the Beit Hamikdash.
Some photos (view comments) by:
Menachem Brody
www.tsel.org
photo@tsel.org

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Jewish Student Activism - Part 1

This is the first of a 5 part series I am starting on Jewish Student Activism. Feel free to share it on facebook, on your blogs, or by email. Send all comments to dillouz@gmail.com (or if you are on tsmicha.com, comment on the posts). I will be publishing some comments which are relevant to the discussion.

Originally Posted on http://www.tsmicha.com

It's in Our Hands

For thousands of years, Jews have positively influenced the world in all areas of life: sciences, philosophy, art, morality etc… It is well known that the mission of the Jewish People is to be “a light unto the nations”. However, what is our way to shine our light? What is the Jewish Way to influence the world?

There has been much discussion in the world as to what constitutes the base of Jewish Thought. Some people consider Judaism to be a religion. Others consider Judaism to be a Nationalistic Message of belonging to the Jewish Nation. Finally, others also considered Judaism to be a Universal Message of Morality. In the eyes of Rav Kook, all of these 3 values are included in the Jewish Message. We have a message of Godliness, which is to be brought out by our nation, and this message is for the universal good.

If this is so, how exactly should these seemingly contradicting messages interact? The Religious aspect seems to concentrate on the individual, the nationalist aspect concentrates on the nation while the universal message is to the whole world! The answer lies in the blessings God gave to Abraham in Parashat Lech Lecha. After telling Abraham to go to the land of Israel, God tells him: “I will make you into a great nation”. Clearly, from this we see that Judaism is first and foremost a Nation, not a religion. Rav Kook teaches that the particularity of the Jewish Nation is that we look at the world with Godly Lenses (Introduction to Shabbat Haaretz). In other words, we are first and foremost a nation. Every Nation has something special: Americans are particularly found of Freedom, Arabs are particularly passionate, the Jewish Nation’s particularity is its message of Godliness which it brings to the world.

We now understand the place of the Nationalist and Religious messages of torah, but what about our universal messages?

In the next passouk, God continues blessing Avraham and says: “all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you.” The Goal of our Jewish Nationalism is to bring our a light which all the nations will be able to gain from.

In order to simplify these complicated concepts, let us define 3 words: Prat, Tsibbour and Klal.

The Prat can be translated as the Individual.

The Tsibbour can be translated as a group of individuals. When many individuals come together, they create a Tsibbour.

Then, there is another concept called Klal. The Klal is more then just a group of individuals. It has an overarching theme. It’s a concept which englobes all individuals into one unit giving out one message. Klal Israel’s message is Godliness.

The Goal of Am Israel is to take the Tsibbour of individual Jews and to turn it into a Klal.

One of my friends gave me an amazing metaphor once.

It is like a nice painting. When you look at a painting, there is an image which comes out. This image is the klal. Each brush stroke is a prat, an individual. All the brush strokes together on the canvas is called the tsibbour. If each brush stroke gives out the right color in the right place, then the right image will come out: The tsibbour will be a klal. If any individual does something wrong, it will hurt the representation given by tsibbour on the canvas but the image (conceptually) will still be pure, the image is always pure. It will just not be well represented on this canvas.

This image which needs to be brought out is a universal message of morality based on Godliness. This is how we improve the world. Each individual joining into the message of Godliness in the Klal in order to bring it out to the world.

This is an extremely meaningful teaching. There are a few conclusions which come out from this which I want to outline.

First of all, even when we do individual actions such as wearing tfillin or lighting candles for Shabbat, we do it for the whole nation. We do it for the painting to come out right! Not only do we do it for the whole nation, we do it for the whole world!

Second of all, we can see that the religious level of Judaism only makes sense when you look at it from a national point of view. Therefore, how can we close ourselves up and work on personal growth when other Jews need us?

Third of all, we need to realize the incredible level of responsibility this creates. If we do not shine our light the right way, the whole world looses. It’s all in our hands! We are the ones, each, individually, who decide if the picture will come out accurately or not! It is our responsibility to “save the world”! No one else can shine the color we need to shine. No one else can take the position on the canvas which we need to take. It is all up to us. Are we going to stand up and do our job, or will we just stay passive and stop the full picture from coming out?

As a law student in a few classes on international law, I learn a lot about all the different crises in the world. I also learn that the main reason why these are not resolved is because people do not care to do something about them: Why should America go into another country to stop a genocide? Why sacrifice our own for them? Why should I care?

Judaism gives you the answer: You have to do your role because no on else can, and because the whole world is dependant on you doing it. Now, I’m not at all saying that what we should do is encourage our government to do so and so. No, as we saw, even wearing Tfillin with the right intention or lighting candles with the right intention becomes a nationalist message.

Sepharadim and Hassidim have the tradition of saying Leshem Yichoud before each mitzvah. In that prayer, we remind ourselves of the kavanah we need: We say we come in order to unite the name of God in this world (universal message) in the name of all of Israel (national message). Each individual action contains all of these aspects.

May all our actions, the individual, national and universal ones, contribute to the shining of God’s light into this world.

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First Shmitta in the State of Israel - Time Magazine 1952

Here is the start of an amazing article from 1952 on the first shmita in Modern Israel! We don't realize what a miracle it is for us to have Shmita again!

Shmita: 5712

Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard and gather in the fruit thereof;

But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy "vineyard.

—Leviticus 25:3-4

When the kingdom of Israel was governed by the Law, farmers scrupulously deserted their fields at the end of each six-year period. Throughout the sabbatical year, called shmita, the whole land lay fallow. The ancient Jews ate only meat and the grain they had stored, trusting in the Lord's bounty to see them through their man-made drought.

The year 1951 (by Hebrew count 5712) was the first shmita to come round after Israel gained its independence. But with a partly Socialist government and a farming population that is generally far from Orthodox in its religious views, Israel's modern Orthodox rabbinate was hard put to observe the Law. To avoid flouting it openly, the rabbis technically "sold" the entire territory of Israel to an obliging Arab named Mahmoud. Mahmoud gave the rabbis power of attorney, which enabled them to "sell"the state back to themselves, at the close of the sabbatical year.

Read more

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What Are We Afraid Of?

by Noah Sarna

A guest post from someone in law school with me which was first posted on aish.com . Enjoy! It has much to do with this week's parasha!

Why is my home so far from my homeland? Why don't I live in Israel where history and destiny weave the streets of our identity as a people?

To Jews who live in the Diaspora, the experience of walking through the streets of Jerusalem makes most of us question our country of residence. Watching bar mitzvah boys help Holocaust survivors onto buses that never run on Shabbat, paying for challah with currency that hold the faces of Jewish heroes -- the contradiction is so overwhelming it comes nearly as an afterthought.

Why is my home so far from my homeland? What am I afraid of? Why do I not live here, where history and destiny weave the streets of our identity as a people?

We live outside the Land of Israel with that twinge of confusion and guilt associated inevitably with our commitment to Israel and Jewish continuity on the one hand and life in the Diaspora on the other. Nothing can feel more unnatural than living in exile, so why do we choose to do it?

It's a difficult question to confront. It often looms large when terror shows Israel's pain in prime time sound bites, when Israeli relatives unintentionally demonstrate the life you could have lived had you made the same courageous decision they did. If we want to live honestly as Jews, the very least we can do is be honest about our reasons for staying in a place with hockey and bilingual cereal, far from the modern land of milk and honey. We have to ask: what keeps us away?

An answer may be hard to articulate. It could be we're afraid our Hebrew isn't strong enough, that the context of life anywhere is always language and that in Israel, despite our Jewishness, we would always be at a loss for words.

It could be we're worried about our jobs, concerned that, like many others, our immigration will fail and send us back to winter vacations, medi-care and bigger housing.

It could be we're afraid of our children having to graduate from childhood into the military, getting frisked before buying milk, treating terrorism like Canadians treat the weather, wondering if we'll be waiting at a bus stop marked for terror.

Maybe we've been given the impression that we're not wanted or, as historian Benny Morris said at a fundraiser near Montreal three years ago, "the country's full."

Maybe we're afraid the culture is too different, that Israeli Jewishness is too unlike North American Jewishness, that Israel is so connected culturally to the Middle East, or to Europe, that we could, as Herzl dreamed, find ourselves in a Jewish Switzerland, (and who wants to move to Zurich?).

It could be we're simply afraid of being immigrants in any country, especially our own, having to repeat many of the same difficulties endured this century by Jewish immigrants in North America, where English will be our Yiddish, making fun of Israeli politicians like our grandparents mocked French leaders.

Maybe it's a fear of uncertainty, afraid of jumping from a stable, superpower-protected neighborhood to one where Jews have to live behind F-16s; unsure whether participating hands-on in the Zionist enterprise is worth trading the peace-and-prosperity of a centuries-old country for the controversy-and-conscription of a state as old as your average baby boomer.

Perhaps we feel we can do more for Jews by living here, as if being involved in Jewish fundraising and writing impassioned letters to editors can match paying income tax to the Israeli government or taking Egged buses to work everyday.

Perhaps we feel we missed the last boat powered by sufficient idealism and prophetic certainty, which sailed into Haifa and Tel Aviv harbors in the mid-1950s, and again in 1967, when the winds of Jewish revolution would have been strong enough to send us to a land where none is too few, as opposed to one where none is to many.

Perhaps it's because the revolution has ended, and our life is here in Canada. This is where we are comfortably taking root. Our families are here. Perhaps, inevitably, we feel ourselves to be Canadian Jews, not simply Jews, like the late Mordecai Richler described in This Year In Jerusalem, that although a Canadian culture is intelligible, we are certain it exists in us nonetheless. Perhaps we are bi-nationalists in the sincerest sense, feeling that Trudeau and Ben Gurion both, in varying degrees, played a crucial role in molding what we're apart of. Perhaps both countries make us feel like we belong.

The answer may be one, all or none of these. Who knows? The important thing is that we ask the question and honestly search for our own answer. Only by confronting them we can overcome them.

Author Biography:
Noah Sarna is the former co-president of Hillel at Concordia University in Montreal and is currently in law school at MCgill University with me.

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Jewish Reconnection Project - Intro

I was once sitting in a meeting with my Rav, HaRav Mordechai Elon Shli"ta, and we started speaking about different organizations working together for the purpose of Jewish Education. We spoke about the problems which arise when you work with an organization which disagrees on key issues with you: be it a non-zionist orthodox organization, or a secular zionist organization. His answer (which he had said many other times in yeshiva) was clear: Communication between Jews is ALWAYS good! This is the first premise.
So what about our disagreements? Rav Elon said that we should never budge from our positions. Always say what we think and believe and when we disagree with the people we work with, there is no problem in making clear what our position is. However, that being said, why should that stop us from working on what we have in common?
If me and Chabad both provide programming for Jewish Students, why not make an event? Is their Non-Zionism a good enough reason? What does Channukah Candle Lighting for students have to do with being Zionist or not ? I think this perspective is a very clear one: We believe what we believe. We believe it strongly. But we are willing to listen. We are willing to talk with people who disagree with us. We are willing to discuss, argue, disagree etc... This should be even more true when "the other" is our Jewish Brother.

The truth is: History has shown us that anyone who needs to censor someone else is not holding the truth. If you need to censor someone else, it means your truth cannot stand against their arguments.

There is a new Project online which I think bases itself on this perspective.

5 young Jews from New York speak to 4 young Jews in Jerusalem. Some are from the Left, others from the right. Some are Orthodox, others go to "temple". Some are Religious, Others are secular. Yet, they communicate. They talk! No one is trying to convince anyone. Each of them are just giving their own perspectives.

I plan on starting a series over here where I will take each episode which is about 3 minutes long and comment on it. My comment will sometimes be analyzing their opinions on the issue, sometimes giving my own opinion, sometimes just expressing the feelings I got when watching the episodes. I encourage everyone to posts comments with their own opinions, their own comments and their own thoughts. If we learn to communicate, we will learn to be united. True Unity is not Uniformity. True Unity is only possible when we recognize that our peers are different, and yet respect their difference. Even the lowest level of respect includes an open ear, a willingness to listen. Let's prepare the building blocks of our national unity.

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Good Shmitta Post on Jpost

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411432370&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%

Good perspective on the machloket and the situation today. more...

Great Blog Post

On the fact that Anti-Zionism in the sfardi community is an invention of modern times (and influence from other communities)
http://blogcentral.jpost.com/index.php?cat_id=4&blog_id=80&blog_post_id=1422


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The Rav Ovadiah Media Fiasco

Before starting my post, I think I need to make it clear that I am in no way commenting on the statement made by Rav Ovadia Yossef Shli”ta but rather, I am commenting on the media fiasco which followed. This is not the first time there is a Fiasco surrounding one of Rav Ovadia’s statements and until now, it has always been caused by misinterpretation from the Media. I do not know what Rav Ovadia meant in his latest statement, but I do know what people interpreted it to mean. And it is this meaning which I have come to rebute.

The accepted interpretation in the Media to Rav Ovadiah’s statement was that he said the soldiers who died in the wars of Israel (some understood the war in Lebanon) died because of their sins. Yes, we could say we all die because of our sins. It is actually a big theological question as to why people who are not bound by any commandments die (babies for example). However, this statement was understood to mean that the soldiers of the IDF are known to be sinners and therefore deserved to die in the war. This is not something I can listen to without responding!

Again, once last time, I do not know what Rav Ovadiah actually said, but anyone who looks at a soldier in the IDF and sees sin instead of “sanctification of God’s name” is absolutely blind.

Rav Soloveitchik once said that during the holocaust, while he was an academic in America, he felt like the holocaust was t he biggest chillul hashem. When Jews die, when the Jewish People is suffering, the light of God in this world is dimmed. If the ambassadors of God are part of the lower class of society, Gods light cannot shine fully. Rav Soloveitchik then said, when the state of Israel rose, and the Jewish people returned to their land and established an independent state for the first time in 2000 years, that was the biggest Kiddush hashem. I think the biggest blessing, and the biggest tragedy of our generation, is that we have been born with the state of Israel already created. We take it for granted! We do not realize how huge of a miracle it is! Do you realize that for 2000 years every day we prayed to be back? EVERY DAY, 3 times a day! And now we’re back! This is the biggest Kiddush hashem!

Today, the state of Israel is the foundation for the throne of God on this earth. Granted, it is not perfect. But it is the beginning of our redemption.

Every single soldier who joins the IDF is a soldier of God. He fights in order to keep this foundation intact. He also fights, whether consciously or not, to bring forth the continuation of the process of redemption. Every one of these soldiers is of the holiest people the Jewish Nation has had since David Hamelekh. They are the ones who continue the tradition of Avraham, Yossef, David, Rabbi Akiva, Bar Kochba, etc… They are the one who are opening the door to Mashiach who will also be a king who will fight the wars of Israel. The clothes they wear is more “Beged Yehudi” then any streimel you can import from Europe! This is authentic Judaism!
While the State of Israel is still not perfect, every soldier who is ready to risk his life defending it is risking his life defending the Jewish People. This is much more valuable then sitting down in front of a book saying you are defending the Jewish people (even if you are while doing so).

At the end of the day, Rambam says that everyone is forced to go out when there is a “Milchemet Mitsvah”, a special type of war which includes a war on erets Israel like the one we are fighting today. Therefore, based on the Rambam, in a time of war, the ones who should really ask themselves about their sins are not the Holy Soldiers of the IDF but rather the people who deferred their draft for whatever reason.
May every soldier of the IDF be blessed with the personal protection of God and may their strength and courage lead us to our complete redemption, speedily in our days more...

Should the Temple Be Rebuilt? - TIME

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,837052-1,00.html

Israel's conquest of Jordanian Jerusalem, which sent thousands of devout Jews to pray in freedom before the historic Wailing Wall for the first time in centuries, has raised an interesting theo...

WOW! Look at what were the questions that came up in TIMES in 1967! This is
incredible. May we soon see the answers to these questions take shape in front
of our eyes! And may Israel get a leadership which will know to find the right
answers.

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Birth pangs of the Mashiach Part 2

As I stated in the first part of this series, the biggest problem the Jewish People have right now is the internal problems the Israeli society is having. In many ways, if this was solved, we can expect that all our other problems will be marginal.

After having the discussion that I related in the first post with one of my Israeli cousins, I had another discussion with another one. With her, we discussed some more detailed issues which were dividing the people in Israel. For example, she told me that many secular people would want to send their kids to religious schools for cultural and traditional purposes. However, when they do send them there, when the kids return, they return completely detached from their parents reality. Its as if these school try to be factories for creating religious kids out of secular kids and when the kids go back home, there is a great incoherence between what they believe and what their parents believe. This creates two main problems: 1. the kids many times decide to completely reject the religious education they got. 2. When they don’t reject it, their religiosity many times comes at the expense of their relationship with their parents, giving an image in the Israeli Population of the Torah creating conflicts rather then bringing peace, thus creating a big hillul hashem.

I think the source of this problem is from a twofold misunderstanding of the word kiruv. First, we religious people have to understand that kiruv is not about looking at our brothers who are less religious and trying to make them like us. We are not point of reference! Kiruv is on the one hand educating but also on the other hand learning from the other. If you think you have nothing to learn from your secular brother who goes to the army, sacrifices his life for the good of klal Israel, works hard to bring food on the table for him family, smiles to everyone when he sees them on the street, then you are not in a position to teach him anything about religion. Rav Kook in a very famous essay explained how the 3 main messages of Judaism were spread out in his generation in 3 different sectors of klal Israel: Kodesh (religion) was represented by the orthodox jews, Uma (nationalism) was represented by the secular Zionists, Adam (Universalism) was represented by the Socialists. Rav Kook explained that we each had to learn from each other in order to have the ultimate homogenous message which includes all 3 messages.

Kiruv is about going to your secular Zionist or socialist brother not only to change him, but because you feel you need something out of him the way he is. Kiruv means that while I will teach him about religion, I will strive to learn some socialist or nationalistic messages out of him. Its not that I am better and everyone has to be like me. Its that we need to learn from each other. Its less kiruv (me bringing you closer to something) then hitchabrut (us getting closer to each other). And I don’t mean me becoming less religious or you less nationalistic, but both of us becoming very religious, very nationalistic and very socially minded.

The problem is that while 99% of people will say they agree with this, I think 99.5% of Kiruv workers do not work like that. Rather, the way its presented is that you go to lectures where a rabbi “shows you the light” because he knows the truth which you don’t know. Unfortunately,