Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » Israel

Forced Assimilation in Israel

rabbifink — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:17:04 +0000

Ethiopian Jews Arriving in Israel During Operation Solomon

One of my favorite things about visiting Israel is the diversity of Jewish people, practices and customs. In particular, the Kotel is a special place for so many Jewish people and even non-Jewish people. I always marvel at the beauty of the stones and all the people there to soak in their glory.

The only shul that I know of that rivals the Kotel in diversity is the Shul on the Beach where I am the rabbi. It really is remarkable. It is not quite the diversity of the Kotel, but Pacific Jewish Center is probably a slightly distant second.

Unfortunately, there are some people who do not value diversity. Some people desire uniformity in action, thought and dress. The latest victim of this attitude was chronicled in a recent AP article.

The Israeli rabbinate has proclaimed that the Ethiopian Jewish community religious leaders, called kessoch, no longer be recognized by the State of Israel. The control over who is recognized as a legitimate spiritual leader in Israel is in the hands of the Rabbinate.

At this point, most, if not all of the kessoch have abandoned their traditional dress and now conform to the standard of Ashkenazik rabbis who wear dark suits, white shirts and black hats. Traditionally, the kessoch worse turbans and clothing that is appropriate for a community with roots in North Africa.

Some of their customs were already abandoned when they emigrated to Israel. These were customs that varied greatly from the practiced version of orthodox Judaism in Israel. But now, they are being forced to completely assimilate into the dominant version of Judaism in Israel.

This is not a matter of whether or not the Ethiopian Jews are legitimate. The working assumption is that they have converted if necessary and are now full-fledged Jews. The issue is that once they are Jews, they are not being permitted to have official rabbis who hail from their communities. These communities were self regulated and ruled for hundreds and hundreds of years. Now, they are being forced to give that up.

I find it sad and ironic the Jews are forcing assimilation on other Jews.

Link: ABC News

Something About Those Weak Bladdered Marines

rabbifink — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:37:54 +0000

Clearly, there is no denying that urinating on dead bodies is a despicible act. Whether or not the Marines who performed the stunt intended for it to be a hateful act or were just horsing around is not the issue. Either way, it was wrong.

It also sheds light on how these Marines perceive their enemies.

One does not act in this manner towards an enemy with whom one has a mutual respect. Nor is there any room for mercy or compassion in the eyes of these Marines. If there were, it would be impossible to urinate on enemy soldiers.

It reminded me of a story one my congregants told me about his experience in the Six Day War in 1967. (Side note: How awesome would it be if we could have had a six day war in Afghanistan or Iraq instead of these endless campaigns…)

Anyway, my congregant who we shall call Joe and his partner shot down an Egyptian fighter jet and captured the pilot. The partner was about to kill the enemy soldier when Joe interjected. Joe said to his partner that it would be wrong to kill the enemy. At this point he was incapacitated and posed no threat to them. Further, there is no reason to feel vengeance against him, he is just fighting for his country in the same way that we are fighting for ours. Joe prevailed and they let the enemy pilot live. The pilot so appreciated Joe’s gesture that they became friendly and even exchanged personal information. The war ended and the pilot was released and he went home.

Some time later, Joe was in Egypt and he wanted to pay a visit to this pilot. He tracked him down and the pilot was ecstatic that Joe had come to visit. He told anyone who would listen that Joe was the man that saved his life. Joe, says that this was one of the most rewarding moments of his life.

War is evil. Sometimes it is a necessary evil. But even within war there is a way to maintain perspective of the human element of the enemy. The demonification of the enemy may boost morale or even recruitment numbers. But I think it comes at a cost of humanity that is so valuable, especially through the challenges of war.

These Marines could learn a thing or two from Joe.

No related posts.

How to Issue a Condemnation of Violence

rabbifink — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:57:46 +0000

Thugs and hoodlums from extremist religious groups in Israel have been terrorizing fellow Jews for some time now. They have done so without fear of condemnation or retribution from the religiously adjacent charedi community. This recent wave of violence is not new nor is it shocking or surprising.

Spitting on young girls, calling women whores, forcing segregation at bus stops and on buses are all acts cut from the same cloth as the violence at Manny’s Bookshop and a political beating in Meah Shearim. We’ve known about this for a while. Nobody has said a word.

However, this time the media found out about it. So now it’s national and international news.

This has prompted responses and condemnations from rabbis, rabbinic authorities and lay people. That’s great. Finally. The problem is that these condemnations are so weak, hedged and long-winded that they, in my opinion, are a failure.

There is only one way to condemn violence and abuse towards women. That would be something like this:

We strongly condemn any and all violence towards women under any and all circumstances. Those who commit such acts of violence will feel the full effect and power of the religious and secular court system. They will be excommunicated from all religious circles and are heretofore to be considered persona non grata. If you know of any individuals who have abused anyone, whether verbally or physically notify the police and rabbinic leadership immediately.

What we don’t need is an explanation of how these people are not “real charedim”. We don’t need poetry on the majesty of tznius. We don’t need snide remarks about the secular media. Just speak out against violence, promise retribution and to take action.

Enough with the apologetics and handwringing.

Feel free to copy and paste my version of an appropriate condemnation on all the blogs and news sites that have published the watered down condemnations to this point. If you can, please credit this blog. Thanks.

Links: NY Times, Cross-Currents, YWN

♫ The Driver on the Bus Says “Move on Back” ♫

rabbifink — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:19:15 +0000

In the United States of America the Supreme Court has held that “separate but equal” is inherently discriminatory. ~~Back in the dark ages,~~ I mean 60 years ago, white and black people in many states and cities were required to dine, shop, use the restroom and ride the bus separately. Riding in the back of the bus has become identified with discrimination.

Is it any wonder that when Hillary! Clinton, feminist extraordinaire, expressed her dismay when she heard that a democratic country like Israel had bus routes that were segregated by gender. On several bus routes in Israel men are in the front and women ride in back.

Hillary!’s comments drew the ire of many religious Jews. To them, this was such a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, and so unrelated to foreign affairs that Hillary! could only have been commenting on the bus situation because she is a jerk / anti-Semite / hates Israel / liberal / feminist / whatever. Now, I concede that Hillary! probably should not have created a big deal out of the segregated buses. However, I agree with her dismay.

There are three very big problems with these segregated buses.

1) They are illegal. I am indebted to Noah Roth for summarizing the Supreme Court of Israel’s ruling that public transportation may not be segregated. The reasoning for the holding is similar to the separate is not equal argument that was made in Brown v. Board of Education in the Supreme Court of the United States. The bus drivers are not supposed to let the bus riders enforce a “voluntary” segregation and there is litigation in the lower Israeli courts right now attempting to force the drivers to enforce the law.

2) They are halachically unnecessary. Halachically speaking, there is no requirement for segregation between men and women. Some will argue that men and women are not allowed to touch each other and incidental touching is very likely to occur in a crowded bus. This has already been deemed a non-issue by R’ Moshe Feinstein (Even HaEver 5:14). In his responsa, R’ Moshe says that incidental touching on a bus is not a problem because it is not “derech chiba” which means that it is not intimate touching. (Again, HT Noah Roth for the cite.)

3) Segregated buses are a big deal with minimal benefit. Let’s assume that “kedushas einayim” is a super-vital element of worshiping God. (I believe it is overblown, but lets pretend that it’s not overblown for a moment). Does that mean that it is more valuable than many other Torah values? Does that mean that it is more important to have one’s eyes averted by default than it is to demean women?

If you are an apologist, you are saying to yourself that the women volunteer to move to the back, so what is the big deal? The big deal is the message it sends. It sends a message to the public that we appear to discriminate against women. Even if you don’t believe that seperate buses are discriminatory, and I concede that in some situations they might not be, they send a message to the less informed public that we do discriminate. This is an awful message. Not only does it affect our interactions with our non-Jewish friends and neighbors but I believe that the message of segregated buses to the public reflects back upon us and affirms to us that we are in fact discriminating. In other words, what others think of us can affect how we feel about our own actions.

But I think the more important message is the message we give ourselves when we institute (or tolerate) separate buses. The message is that people are so highly sexualized that a casual encounter with any woman is enough to wreak havoc on a man’s soul. This is not a new trend, but no less disturbing. Charedi periodicals don’t show pictures of women. Even modestly dressed women. Even saintly women. None. (Let’s not forget that Hillary! was photoshopped out of a historic photo by a Charedi publication.) Little girls are not portrayed either. In fact, I’ve seen periodicals that had the faces of female INFANTS blurred out. That is sick.

This is a real problem. First of all, it legitimizes thinking sexually about every female in the world. It’s as if there is no choice. Women are purely sexual and we are helpless to our base desires. It says that it is impossible for men and women to interact normally.

It also tells our community that women are required to be out of the public eye no matter what. They are the unseen and unheard part of our community. I believe we lose a strong voice in our community if women are marginalized or at the least, made to think that that they suffer an incurable disease of attractiveness. We should focus our attention and efforts into learning how to function as normal, healthy, well-adjusted people in a society of men and women. Fighting this hard for separate buses indicates a horrible state of missed priorities.

Hopefully, the buses will reintegrate and holy Jews will learn how to be holy in the real world.

The Future of Women in Orthodox Judaism

On Invented People

rabbifink — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:50:05 +0000

GOP Candidate and Presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich has made headlines with his recent claim that the Palestinians are an Invented People. The responses from across the idealogical and political spectrum have been as wild and varied as to be expected.

On one extreme, representatives of the Palestinians fired back at Gingrich. In a statement, they called Gingrich racist and said that his was the worst kind of insult that would only help the cycle of violence. On the other extreme are those nodding their heads in agreement at the prospect of a President who agrees with their perspective on the Palestinians.

Incredibly, the fact-checkers have confirmed and debunked Gingrich’s claim. There is evidence that the Palestinians existed as a small subgroup in the land that is currently Israel. However, there is little evidence that they had any sense of national pride or unity as a group before the State of Israel was established.

What strikes me is how silly this whole thing is. Gingrich’s comment could be equally said about a myriad of nations and peoples. It could really be said about anybody! What qualifies a nation as a “non-invented” people? How long do those people need to be where they are to be considered legitimate?

Is the United States of America not invented? Is the United Kingdom not Invented? Is Mexico not invented? Even historically ethnic countries such as Japan or Sweden are practically speaking “invented”. They lived in close proximity for a long time and eventually created a sense of national pride and unity. But they were not magically granted the land in which they live by some objective method of determining land division. Clearly land is not given only to nations who are not invented.

Further, let’s assume for a second that Gingrich is correct. The Palestinians are invented and invented people don’t get land. Now what? What are you going to do about it? Nuke the West Bank? Manufacture a tsunami and drown Gaza? There are millions of these so-called invented people. What now? Point being, invented or not, there is an issue that needs to be dealt with. By simply saying they are invented does nothing to resolve that issue. In fact, it probably has the opposite effect. It entrenches both sides and polarizes the parties.

And what about Gingrich himself? He is a Catholic. Is that an invented religion? If it is not, well that means that all other religions are invented. So are they all not granted the right to exist simply because they are invented? Everything is invented. Mazel tov.

Which brings us full circle. Gingrich said that Palestinians are an invented people simply to anger some people and excite others. It was a political statement that carries less meaning than most political statements. It is the kind of broad brushed, meaningless statement for which politics is famous.

I think the voting public would prefer to hear about solutions to a decades long conflict instead of whimsical platitudes. I wonder if Gingrich has any ideas for the conflict or if he can’t be bothered to deal with invented people.

Links: Forward, Israel Matzav

The Dead Sea Scrolls Are Alive Thanks to Google

rabbifink — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:20:03 +0000

Last week we learned of the digitized authorized copy of the Mishnah Torah. (Read Maimonides’ Personally Authorized Copy of His Mishnah Torah) This week the Google sponsored Dead Sea Scrolls project went live.

In the old days only a small, select, elite group of people had access to ancient texts and manuscripts. The Internat is changing that.

As of this moment, anyone with access to the Internet can study the Dead Sea Scrolls. Google has partnered with The Israel Museum to bring the Dead Sea Scrolls to the public. And now it is done.

This is a revolutionary accomplishment. It completely democratizes scholarship of the scrolls. As it relates to the Dead Sea Scrolls, this is a complete about face from the early years of Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship that was ruled by various factions that controlled their accessibility.

That is over now.

Anyone and everyone can read these important scrolls. I doubt many non-experts will be able to glean much from the manuscripts but their availability will certainly escalate the level of scholarship and engender a greater number of potential scholars of the scrolls.

Unfortunately, I have seen comments on websites and blogs that are using this monumental achievement to criticize religion. These are the kinds of people that do not appreciate the non-religious significance of these scrolls.

That tells me that they are ignorant and probably just bigoted. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a unique window into a world that is fascinating and relevant. Three major religions of the world draw from the wisdom in these texts. Millions of people use the interpretations of these texts as the basis for their very lives. To say that these scrolls are useless because “religion is a lie” or there is no point to these scrolls because “they were written by mortal men” completely ignores reality. Even if those contentions are true (I would argue that at least parts of those statements are patently false with regard to the Dead Sea Scrolls) the wealth of information to be learned from these ancient texts is almost infinite.

Great primer on the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Wikipedia

My cousins’ grandfather was one of the world experts on the scrolls. Unfortunately, he passed a few years ago. You can read about him and his accomplishments here: Joseph Baumgarten

Link: Digital Dead Sea Scrolls

Israeli and Palestinian Women Go to the Beach Together

rabbifink — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:37:10 +0000

In today’s NY Times there is an important article showing a more human side of the current conflict in Israel.

According to the Times, it is illegal for a Palestinian from the West Bank to travel to Israel without a permit. A group of Israeli women decided to take a group of Palestinian women to the beach. They all broke the law. The Israeli and Palestinian can be criminally prosecuted. So far, only some of the Israelis have been questioned. None charged.

For the Palestinian women it was their first trip to the beach in their lives. Many of these women are relatives of militants in Israeli prisons. One of them had a brother who was killed while brandishing a knife in a settlement Yeshiva.

To be sure, one can certainly take issue with some of the sentiments of the Israeli women and certainly with some of the sentiments of the Palestinian women. I need not point out the obvious. You will see it when you read it.

What is worth noting is that the article makes it super clear that these women experienced a freedom that is completely foreign to them. And they experienced it while in Israeli territory. They were able to smoke in public, dance in public, take off some of their traditional garb and perhaps most of all, they were able to develop relationships with Israelis.

It is part of broader project that involves providing medical and legal assistance to Palestinian women and recently they helped open a kindergarten by donated toys. The women are trying to establish their own rapport with each other and not rely on the rhetoric of their leaders to form their opinions. That is a good thing.

The truth is, I believe that the experience of freedom from militant rule is at least as liberating as the experience of freedom from Israeli rule. The best case scenario for them under militant rule is not even close to the best case scenario under Israeli rule.

It is my hope, that by fostering friendships, experiencing true freedom and dispelling the notion that all Israelis want to kill all Palestinians, a mutual understanding can be reached between citizens, even if the leaders are still lagging behind.

Link: NY Times

When Did the Western Wall Become a Place of Prayer?

rabbifink — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:02:38 +0000

Here’s another, and probably the last post about my recent trip to Israel: (Read the previous three posts in the series here: A Jerusalem Wedding, The Zilberman Home: A Thriving Jewish Family in the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem and The Churva Shul Rises From the Ashes)

During our trip, we had one group tour scheduled. We were all invited to join a Western Wall Tunnel Tour. At first, I was not that interested. After all, I had been on several Tunnel Tours already, and my tours were with the absolute best Tunnel Tours guide of all time, Esther Schlisser OB’M. (See: Mourning The Living On The 9th of Av). So I was reluctant to go again with a subpar tour guide.

I went anyway and I am glad I did. On that tour, I learned something very, very interesting.

For many reasons, I was always intrigued by the Western Wall. One thing that I often thought about was that when the Temple stood, it was a pretty meaningless wall. It was a retaining wall for the Temple Mount. Functional, not spiritual. The Midrash tells us that the Western Wall will never be destroyed. It also tells us that there is a concentration of spirituality in the Western Wall.

It is apparent that the wall transformed for our great rabbis after the destruction of the Temple from mundane to meaningful. But I had not heard of a source that speaks of prayer at the Western Wall. So I always wondered when it became a place of prayer.

During this recent Tunnel Tour I think I got my answer.

The Western Wall that we see today is really just the southern corner of the western wall that surrounded the Temple Mount. The western wall was much larger than it seems today. Larger in height and significantly longer from south to north. The Tunnel Tour takes you along the wall going north so that you actually pass the area immediately west of the Temple and the Holy of Holies. It continues beyond the Temple footprint as well.

As you walk north there are several gates or arches that were once used to enter the Temple Mount. They were filled in many years ago but the outline of the arch is still discernible.

One of these gates is called Warren’s Gate. Warren was an archaeologist who did not discover the arch. A friend, Wilson, named it after his friend. This gate is very close to the area that is immediately opposite the Holy of Holies. It is the closest gate to that area.

At one time, the gate led to a series of steps that one could take to the Temple Mount. After the Temple was destroyed, Jews were prohibited by the conquering Romans and subsequently the Christians from praying in the area.

When the Arabs took control of Jerusalem (in the 600′s CE) they permitted the Jews to pray in the area of the gate and due to its proximity to the Holy of Holies, the area actually became a synagogue.

In the Cairo Geniza a prayer was found that describes a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount. The Jews would come to Jerusalem from far and wide, they would circle the Temple Mount on foot and pray at each of the gates. In 1033 an earthquake damaged Warren’s Gate and letters found in the Geniza show that the Jews tried to raise funds from wealthier Jews to help pay for the repairs of the gate as it held much value to them. It seems that it was important that they be able to make their pilgrimages and pray at Warren’s Gate.

I believe that these Jews set the precedent for praying at the Western Wall. Warren’s Gate was synagogue long before the area that we call the Western Wall today. It was those Jews who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem beginning in the 7th century that established the Western Wall as a place of prayer, a powerful tradition that is kept to this very day.

The tour also opened my eyes to the incredible significance of the Cairo Geniza. I have taken a strong interest in the Geniza beginning with reading Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza which will be reviewed on the blog sometime soon.

Sources: Our tour guide and corroboration via my own research including this great book: The Western Wall Tunnels: Touching The Stones of Our Heritage.
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The Zilberman Home: A Thriving Jewish Family in the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem

rabbifink — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:00:33 +0000

Here’s another post about my recent trip to Israel:

For many religious people, the most important city in the world is Jerusalem. In the early days of the city, after King David purchased the Temple Mount and the First Temple was built by his son King Solomon the city of Jerusalem was not where the “Old City” is today. It was on the opposite side of the Temple Mount. The “Old City” is a much newer city probably around 500 years old. It’s possible that people inhabited the area currently known as the Old City as early as the late Second Temple period, but it wasn’t formally fortified with the walls in their current position until about 500 years ago.

The Old City is rich in religious significance and religion. The Western Wall, the holiest site for Jews, is in the Old City as are the Dome of Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, two of the most important holy places for Muslims. Additionally, Christians place special significance on several places in the Old City including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Old City is divided into “Quarters”. The Quarters are not a quarter a piece. They are randomly shaped and sized. The smallest quarter is the Armenian and the second smallest quarter is the Jewish Quarter. The largest quarter is the Arab Quarter. Very few Jews live in the Arab Quarter. (Now, there are more than there had been for quite some time.) One of the more well known Jewish residents of the Arab Quarter is a family named Zilberman. They are also famous for their famed (and perhaps slightly controversial) Torah academy for boys.

It happens that a cousin of my wife married a Zilberman. But not one of the children of the residents of the Arab Quarter. That is his uncle.

He offered to take us to his uncle’s house and show us around. We immediately took him up on the offer.

The Zilbermans live pretty deep into the Arab Quarter. We walked through the Arab Shuk (market) and then up and around a few streets that I had never been on before despite my many trips to Jerusalem. I had never been through the main thoroughfares of the Arab Quarter before.

We arrived at their home.

In Hebrew: Zilberman

Their home is neighbored on one side by a Muslim family and on the other by a Christian family. The three of them get along well. They share a cup of coffee (literal, not figurative) every so often.

The first thing that was pointed out to us as we entered the home was something in the threshold. It was a nook for a mezuza. The nook is carved out of the wall so that a mezuza can be placed near the door. It is nearly impossible to affix a mezuza to stone so the nook is necessary. Interestingly enough, the nook was there when the Zilbermans bought the home about 10 years ago. This means that is was either built for Jewish inhabitants when it was first constructed or sometime along the way a Jewish family lived there. That was very interesting to me.

The nook for the mezuza is in the center

We went through the doorway and saw the entrance-way to the home. It is a very narrow house with at least 3 stories. The bottom level is the dining room. The room was full of garbage when they bought the home. They cleared it out and removed all the rubble and created a beautiful new space. The Zilbermans host a huge Shabbos meal (just about) every week. Their entertaining room is used as a place to welcome hundreds and hundreds of guests into their home every Shabbos. The room is beautiful.

Zilbermans dining room

The real treat of the home is the balcony. The Zilbermans have several balconies. The uppermost balcony has a view that most Jewish people don’t get to experience. The Zilberman’s home is much further north than any other Jewish homes so that the view of the Temple Mount is more straight away as opposed to on an angle. From the balcony there is a clear view of the Temple Mount square. The stone tiling on the floor of the Temple Mount is a rare sight for Jews seeing as we are prohibited from approaching the Temple Mount by Jewish law and the views from the Jewish Quarter don’t quite get the right angle. Here is the view looking a bit south from the Zilberman’s balcony. If you look carefully to the left of the photo you can make out some of the Temple Mount floor.

View from the Zilberman's balcony

After we took some photos from the balcony we went back down to the dining room for some group photos and to ask a few more questions. Down there we also saw a very old cistern in the dining room bathroom. They also have an album of the construction of their home while they were living there. It was a very ambitious project and it turned out really well. I also got to take a photo with my wife’s cousin’s husband (a Zilberman) and just writing that, makes me realize how fortunate I am to have such wonderful family to share experiences and learn from.

Me and my wife's cousin's husband (it was cold and rainy - hence the sweater and coat)

Before we left I just had to ask how their relationship was with their non-Jewish neighbors. The answer was that they got along really well. As I mentioned above, they have coffee together every now and again. They consider their non-Jewish neighbors their friends. I asked what happens between them when there is tension or even terror attacks. I was told that their relationship is unaffected by the actions and rhetoric of others. They have mutual respect for one another and what happens politically or militarily is not of very important consequence between friends. I have to say, I was impressed with that approach and it mirrors my personal experiences as well.

The Zilbermans believe that they are doing good work by making a kiddush Hashem in an area that is generally devoid of Jewish influence and spirituality. They are doing a great job at that. I believe that they are a wonderful example of devotion to religion and tolerance.

We all can learn from them.

The Difference Between Murder and Terrorism

rabbifink — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:33:38 +0000

I was in Israel during the Itamar murders. I was in Israel when the Fogel family was slaughtered in their home. The Israelis I encountered over the days following the attack were split between those in agony and those who refused to contemplate the horror of the attack because it was too painful to consider. It was truly a national tragedy.

Aside from the humanity of the pain and suffering there was political trauma as well. Those who are more right wing were upset that the more lax parts of the Israeli government would even talk with Palestinians about peace. “There is no peace process” when a savage can murder a family in their home. Those who are more left wing were disappointed that their peace partners did not do more to prevent the atrocity.

As a law student, the first thing I thought of in a legal sense was what would happen in the USA under similar circumstances. I understand that the circumstances are completely different in the USA. I am speaking only hypothetically.

Typically, when 5 people from one family are killed in their home we would consider it a murder. The police would investigate. There would be a search for the serial murderer. Hopefully he would be caught and brought to justice in a court of law. A lawyer would defend him. The prosecution would need to prove their case. The jury would decide the defendant’s fate. In some states he might even get the death penalty. But before that, there would be several appeals.

When 5 family members living in an Israeli settlement are murdered in their home it is called terrorism. The suspect may be apprehended by the Israeli Defense Forces. He may be assassinated by the IDF. He may be placed in a military prison and exchanged for other prisoners of war left to sit out his days in Palestinian prison.

It’s very different.

But what is so different about the circumstances that makes one person a murderer and one person a terrorist? It’s not a question that can be taken lightly. We can’t just answer it by saying “it’s obvious”.

Do we look to motive? Is it because one murderer was trying to kill a family and the other murderer was trying to kill Jews? That’s not sufficient because we have hate crime enhancements in the USA that deal with crimes like these.

Is it simply that every murder caused by a Palestinian against a Jew is terror? I am not happy with that either. It be similar to the painfully archaic “gang enhancement” in the USA that basically makes any crime a memeber of a gang commits a felony in the furtherance of the gang, even when its not. That is not a good rule either.

Maybe it’s because when you take all the factors of the murders and all the facts of the circumstances and all the facts of the murderer the only logical conclusion is that it is terrorism? But is that true? Maybe. Maybe not.

The optimistic part of me still wishes that the heinous act was the work of a crazed man working alone, against the wishes of his friends, family, neighbors and government. I honestly wish we could believe that the murders were just that; murders. I wish I could be absolutely confident that this murderer is a social outcast and acted contrary to the beliefs of his environment.

But unfortunately, it’s seems painfully obvious that this was an act of terror. I just wish I knew how I knew that.

The Future is Now (or coming soon)

rabbifink — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:09:44 +0000

If you’ve known me for a little while you know I am an optimist. If we’ve talked about the conflict in the Middle East you know I am optimistic about that too.

For a little while now (at least a couple of years) I have maintained that the conflict will in effect, resolve itself, eventually.

Until recently, Gazans and West Bank Palestinians have heard one voice. A voice that told them in categorical terms that their life would be better under autonomous rule by Hamas or the PLO. Palestinians believed them. It created fanatics, fascists and suicide bombers. But people can only be told a lie so long as there is no evidence to the contrary.

If someone tells you that the world is flat you know he is lying because you have information that shows him to be lying. Information is king. Therefore, I have contended that my generation (Generation Y) is the information generation. My generation does not accept lies or legends at face value. We know there is a way to learn on our own to unmask lies passed off as facts or legends passed off as history. We are the Wikipedia generation. We know that the information is available and we are willing to find it ourselves.

So long as information can be controlled, the public will kneel to authority, corrupt or otherwise. But once information is freely available to the masses, the lies unravel, the legends are exposed and truth can prevail. Authority that told those lies and legends is discarded and the people want truth, a voice and democracy. I have been saying that my generation of Palestinians and Muslims in general who have access to information will undoubtedly prefer to join the West in its freedoms, capitalism and democracy.

When the choices are death or unilateral agreement with authority, the choice is easy. When the choice is money, entertainment, enlightenment or unilateral agreement with authority, the choice is even easier. With the wave of unbridled information entering the oppressed masses in Arab countries, fundamental fanaticism will be replaced with a thirst for information and the allure of modern civilization. A lifestyle of books and e-books, Facebook and Twitter, Playstation and XBOX, e-commerce and ebay sure as heck beats a Third World existence. This is why my generation will resolve the conflict. Conflict serves no one but the elite and corrupt leaders. It will mean out with oppressive rulers and in with freedom.

The beginnings of this movement has already been formed in Gaza. A few weeks ago the Guardian reported on a “Manifesto” written by disgruntled Palestinians. They don’t want Hamas, they don’t want Fatah, they don’t want Israel, they want freedom.

What happened in Tunisia and what is happening right now in Egypt is more of the same. The people will not be controlled by corrupt Heads of State who demand allegiance for no reason other than “I said so”. The people want their freedom. They want what we have in the West. And they will get it. (See: President Reagan’s Message for the Protesters in Egypt)

A little bit of patience and gentle prodding from the West will help the next generation of Arabs achieve their emancipation. I maintain that 9/11 was a final salvo. The fundamentalist establishment tried one last time to supress the free flow of information by trying to destroy it. They failed and freedom is around the corner.

Just ask the protestors in Tunisia and Egypt.

I do admit that the protests are not without flaws. It is entirely possible that the new leaders will be equally despotic as their predecessors. We can only hope that will not be the case. But even if it is, it won’t last long. Change is coming. The cat is out of the bag and freedom is like a drug that is addictive and readily available. The public won’t be satisfied until they can drink the elixir of freedom. And they will.

This phenomena has also affected the orthodox Jewish community. The more information that becomes available, the more the religious leaders are concerned about losing their authority. This is silly. The authority of rabbis was never binding except in a rabbinic court or perhaps via an uncontested responsa. It is a folly of this generation’s leadership (or its handlers) that asserted this unilateral power. It never existed and yes, with information this imagined power will disappear. This is why the Internet is so feared by these rabbis. That is why the Internet is banned in charedi circles. It is because of the information and free flow of ideas that the Internet provides which in turn minimizes their invented power. Orthodox Judaism does not depend on charismatic or authoritarian rabbis, it depends of individual commitment to Jewish law and theology. Information is a boon to that kind of religious practice. If we are confident in orthodox Judaism as a viable way of life, information must be a friend, not a foe. I know that I am confident, I can’t say the same for those who cower in fear from information.

The future is now, or coming soon enough. The Internet is giving people a thirst for freedom and independence. Totalitarianism cannot win against the almost infinite amount of information that is easily accessible from a device smaller than George Costanza’s wallet.

Say hello to the future.

Hello.

The Future of Women in Orthodox Judaism

If You Criticize Israel You’re Not a Jew?

rabbifink — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:59:34 +0000

Roger Cohen has an Op-Ed in the New York Times that addresses an important issue. The issue is Jewish criticism of Israel. But the sub-issue is when Jews call others “not real Jews”. Of course knee jerk reactionaries will say the NY Times is Anti-Semitic and Cohen has no credibility etc. In my opinion. that just proves his point.

This “you’re not a Jew” calling happens all the time. In Judaism there are so many passionate causes and ideals that sometimes those who believe in some of those causes and ideals feel like they have a license to determine one’s Jewishness or lack thereof by their commitment of lack thereof of that cause or ideal. (See this post for more: Our Penchant For Defining Ourselves By Excluding Others)

The subject of the article is a liberal American Jew who was in Israel for a year. There were several incidents that were disturbing but the worst incident was on his way back from a rally carrying a sign that said “Zionists are not settlers”.

A group of religious Jews wearing yarmulkes approached, spat on them and started punching.

“About 20 people saw the whole thing and just watched. They were screaming, ‘You are not real Jews.’ Most of them were American. It was one of the most disappointing moments of my life — you can disagree as much as you want with a banner but to allow violence and not react is outrageous. For me it was a turning point. Nobody previously had said I was not a real Jew.”

Obviously, this is horrible and I am ashamed. Jews should not be beating up other Jews for expressing an opinion. The aggressors clearly believe that the protestor is not “Jewy enough” to warrant their concern. It’s fine to beat him up because he is not “one of us”. It’s disappointing to see and it really calls into question the legitimacy of their position.

Cohen then goes on to argue (by implication) that all liberal Jews (and non-Jews) must disagree with Zionism and settlements. Further, Cohen says that really the president wants to exercise more pressure on Israel to change their policies toward the Palestinians. He uses the word “occupation” a few times as well.

It’s fine for Cohen to express his opinions. That doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is that he is guilty of a similar flaw he exposes in Zionists. Cohen is basically saying that you are not a good American Jew if you don’t criticize Israel. That is just as egregious as the Zionist calling the more liberal Jew “not a Jew”.

And what of this claim? If it was an anecdote in an Op-Ed I would try to tell Cohen to be less reactionary and chalk it up to a few morons. But unfortunately this is not the case. I have seen what Cohen describes with my own eyes.

Well meaning Jews will tell anyone who criticizes Israel as a traitor or less of a Jew. It happens. I have seen it.

If we cannot be critical of ourselves then of whom can we be critical.

If the reaction to anyone that disagrees is that “you are not one of us” that doesn’t speak well for the confidence in that position. If there is no conversation, no discussion, just “not a Jew” knee jerk responses nothing will change.

The situation is incredibly complex. Israel was granted to the Jews by the U.N. but there were non-Jews living there. That must have hurt. A lot. Many of their supporters refuse to recognize Israel as a legitimate country. That hurts too. For years, Israelis lived in fear of terror attacks. More recently, the terror attacks have been quelled. Palestinians have been told by their leadership that they are refugees, they have not lived the full lives that they deserve. The local Palestinian governments are linked to terrorists and corruption is rampant. Yet, they are human beings who are living marginlized lives a few short miles away from a thriving First World country. See, it’s complicated.

And in the end Israel is an important place. It is the most democratic state in the Middle East. But sometimes it can be hard to tell. It can still do better.

Link: NY Times

Self Improvement | A Guest Post

rabbifink — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:07:43 +0000

A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.

Parshas Lech Lecha

Self Improvement

Parshas Lech Lecha is filled with the lessons of the Jewish experience past, present and future. Each nuance of the parsha is emblazoned with yet another yesod of maassei avos siman labanim and the gift of netzach Yisrael. Moreover, the unique relationship and destiny Klal Yisrael has with Eretz Yisrael is entwined with almost every narrative of this week’s parsha as the first chapter in our legacy of a people is recorded for eternity. No less than four times does Hashem Yisborach promise, commit and reassure Avraham Avinu that Eretz Yisrael is to be his and his children’s forever. Ultimately, Bris Milah solidifies the covenant that the Eibeshter executes with Avraham Avinu and Am Yisrael – Eretz Yisrael is ours forever.

The relationship between the gift of Eretz Yisrael and the covenent of Bris Milah is curious. What is the quid pro quo? A fascinating Sifrei in Parshas Devarim provides an incredible insight.

The Sifrei explains that Hashem Yisborach gave Eretz Yisrael to Avraham (and to Yitzchok and Yaakov) in “as is” condition. The message – the land of Eretz Yisrael will be what you make of it. The Avos understood this and each of them made improvements to upgrade, embellish and enhance the holy land and our relationship to it. They not only improved the land, they made it personal -Avraham by planting an eishel, Yitzchok as he planted meah shearim and Yaakov when by purchasing Shechem. In so doing they validated the trust Hashem Yisborach placed in them. They not only took what Hashem Yisborach gifted to them, they made it better! This aspect of maasei avos siman labanim is vital for us all. Indeed life is given to us in an “as is” condition – it is up to us to make the necessary improvements through tikkun hamiddos, limud haTorah and maasim tovim.

This too is the essence of the mitzvah of Bris Mila. The Gemara recounts how the Roman general Turnus Rufus once taunted Rabbi Akiva and queried, “What is greater the accomplishments of man or of G-d?” Rabbi Akiva responded, “Man’s accomplishments are superior.” The emperor mocked Rabbi Akiva and pointed to the beauty of nature, the magnificent sky above the horizon, asking, “Can man do this?” Whereupon Rabbi Akiva responded with sheaves of wheat and delicious cakes alongside loaves of bread and retorted “who made the bread and the pastries – is it not the power of human creativity?” Such is the analogy to Bris Milah, to Eretz Yisrael and even to our everyday life.  Each of us is created in the image of Hashem. We arrive in an “as is” condition and it is up to each individual to perfect himself or herself. We are born with so much opportunity and unbelievable potential but it is up to us actualize it. We must develop ourselves to serve Hashem as He intends. With blood, sweat and tears we can do what it takes to make a difference, to serve as a light to all nations and reveal the hidden truths of Hashem Yisborach’s glory for all to see.

This lesson of self-improvement is part and parcel of the maasei avos siman labanim defined in our parsha. It sets the tone for defining Jewish destiny, and creating a home and family environment with which to rear children into adulthood. Let us make each day better than the last. It is a sacred mission we must live to the fullest.

(Ed. Note: See my podcast Circumcision and Perfection for more on this topic.)

Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Beirut Lebanon: A Symbol of Tolerance

rabbifink — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:25:10 +0000

In 1925 the Maghen Abraham Synagogue was built in Beirut Lebanon. Jews prayed there for many years. Judaism was (and still is) recognized as an official religion in Lebanon.

During the civil war in Lebanon during the 70′s through 90′s most of Lebanon’s Jews left the country and emigrated to Israel and other Sephardic communities.

In 1982 the Israel Defense Force had reason to suspect that the PLO was hiding weapons inside the synagogue. The IDF bombed the synagogue.

The synagogue lay in ruin for almost 30 years.

The synagogue is now being restored.

Soon, Jewish visitors to Beirut will have a place to pray once again.

There are three things that I think are worth mentioning.

First, the official position of Lebanon and Hezbollah is that they are not anti-Jewish, they are anti-Zionist. This is a distinction that gets muddied by Jews and non-Jews alike. It is possible to be a religious Jew and not be in favor of the Israeli Government or even the right of Jews to settle the Land of Israel exclusively. It is also possible for people who dislike Israel’s Government but still like Jewish people. I think this is an important point.

Second, the restoration of the synagogue is a wonderful gesture of tolerance. Israel and Lebanon fought a war not too long ago. There is still tension between Hezbollah and Israel. However, it is possible that CITIZENS of Israel and CITIZENS of Lebanon can get along. I find the restoring of the synagogue very optimistic and a positive step toward understanding and peace.

Third, Maghen Abraham Synagogue has been compared to Park51 (The center that is being called the Ground Zero Mosque). Some have even called it the Ground Zero Synagogue. I support BOTH projects but I do not think they are quite the same. 3000 civilians died in an unprovoked attack against a financial building. There is no way to twist the Twin Towers into a military target. The synagogue was shelled. It was a military target and no one died. The symbolisms may be similar but it is disingenuous to compare the two. Again, I am in FAVOR of Park51 and Maghen Abraham Synagogue, I just think they are different projects. Park51 is a cultural center with a mosque. It is a building that is supposed to demonstrate moderate Islam. The synagogue will be very utilitarian with no universal message. Again, they are just very different initiatives.

It is my fervent hope that all people will continue to exhibit tolerance and willingness to learn about others. The more we know about one another, the more we will realize that we share much more than we don’t. Let these two symbols of freedom and tolerance promote more freedom and tolerance across the world.

(Hat Tip: Rabbi Mintz)

Stop Complaining About the "Anti-Semitic" Time Magazine Article

rabbifink — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:37:20 +0000

Time Magazine’s September 13th cover article is called “Why Israel Doesn’t Care About Peace”.

Unlike some other bloggers, I have actually read the article, not just the excerpt or the headline.

It is an unfortunate title for an article. Unfortunate because it has set off a firestorm of condemnation and consternation from Israel lovers everywhere. But even more unfortunate because the title is betrayed by the actual article.

The article is not about why Israel doesn’t care about peace. The article is about why Israeli citizens are not obsessed with peace.

And that is a compliment.

That is a good thing.

The article blames the Palestinian leadership for failing to agree to several peace deals. The moderate Palestinians are praised but the article does not express hope that they will survive. The article justifies the “Wall” as a necessary security measure and the Gaza Incursion as a necessary military operation. These two controversial moves have borne fruit – no suicide attacks in over 2 years and until the August 31 shooting that killed 4 people, no deaths of more than 2 people from any attack in over 2 years. In short, Israel has succesfully quashed the insurgance of violence that began with the second intifada.

What has happened as a result of the relative peace in Israel? Israelis have been industrious. They have been working hard and accumulating wealth. They have been inventing things and contributing to the world economy. They have been building families, taking vacations and enjoying life. They have been acting as if they don’t live in a war-zone because for the last few years they haven’t.

The article indicates that Israelis are happy with the way things are. And they should be.

The article assumes that if there were a peace partner that was willing to recognize Israel as a State and provide the same types of freedoms as Israel provides there would be more talk about peace. But as it stands now, Palestinians are led by politicians who don’t want to negotiate with Israel seriously and since the violence is under control, there is no reason to discuss anything.

The article concludes the Palestinian issue by saying that Palestinians need to make themselves heard again. How? With violence? Absolutely not. By giving a voice to the moderates who want to talk to Israel. Who can argue with that?

There is no mention of a “Humanitarian Crisis” in Gaza. There is no mention of “War Crimes”. There is no mention of “Disproportionate Response”. No mention of “Illegal Settlements”. The article is favorable to Israel. No question about it.

I have two and a half minor gripes with the article.

1) The article kind of glosses over the rocket attacks. Those are not negligible and the fear of attack is worth noting.

2) The article says almost no Palestinians are allowed into Israel. As far as I know that is inaccurate.

3) (only half a gripe) The title is provocative – but then again, headlines are meant to grab attention. This one grabbed everyone’s attention. So maybe it was a good title.

But I have two major gripes with Israel friends who lambasted the article.

1) I always hear from Zionist friends that “It is so good here”, “It’s more dangerous in America”, “The economy is booming”, “Israel is a Western State”, etc. And now, Time Magazine is reporting that yes, Israel is in fact a peaceful, productive place and somehow that is not allowed?! Talk about “Double Standard”.

2) People should just read the darn thing before complaining about it! There are times where Israel is treated poorly in the court of popular opinion. This is NOT one of those times! We lose credibility if we cry “Wolf” any time we can sniff a trace of anti-Israel sentiment. Here, you’ll need to sniff extra hard.

My One Sharp Criticism of the Museum of Tolerance

rabbifink — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:06:18 +0000

This post has been cross-posted to DovBear. Way more discussion here.

I really like the Museum of Tolerance. The overall message of the museum is a message that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Tolerance is a very important value in my worldview and the museum does a super job teaching that message.

(For a more complete review of the museum read my previous post My Visit to the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.)

There was one thing I noticed, or rather, did not notice that I find necessary to question and perhaps even criticize.

For all the talk and exhibits representing the horrors of racism, prejudice and segregation there was something missing. I could not help but imagine myself as a (hypothetical) average liberal, civil rights activist visiting the museum.

I am sure I would be impressed with the exhibits and their message. There is a possible segregation issue in one region of the world that is intimately related to the MOT. In fact this area is mentioned in various museum exhibits. Yet nowhere is the important civil rights issue mentioned or explored.

The region is the Middle East and specifically I am referring to Israel.

Objectively speaking, there is a level of segregation on Israel. There is a more privileged class and a less privileged class. The Jewish Israelis are the privileged class. They control the policies and laws of the country. The less privileged class are the Arab Muslims in general and in particular the Palestinians living in Gaza.

There is a wall (depicted rather satirically in the photo above) that separates Israelis from Palestinians. There are laws that prevent some services and benefits from Gaza. In essence there is a level of segregation.

Of course, supporters of Israel explain that these measures are not segregation – they are protection. They will explain that these policies are justified. That may be true. But on its face, the situation certainly has an appearance of intolerance or racism.

I wish the Museum of Tolerance would have dealt with this issue. It should be presented and rebutted to the best of their ability. If it cannot be rebutted the museum should not be ashamed to admit that. Its omitance seems problematic to me.

The issue is in fact at the forefront of many humanitarian groups. The UN takes it very seriously as well. I would have loved to see a well reasoned, clearly articulated, intelligent response.

Instead I got nothing.

I like the museum a lot. On this issue they can do better. A lot better.

Repost: Truth or Consequences – Drasha Vayigash (Sermon 2008)

rabbifink — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:45:42 +0000

Last year I spoke from the pulpit about the Israeli Military operation in Gaza, and the issue of partial truth and whole truth.

It was posted last year and you can read Truth or Consequences – Drasha Vayigash, by clicking here.

It is worth a read and I would love to hear your thoughts.

Essay: The Oral Law in Judaism

rabbifink — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:38:01 +0000

This essay was inspired by a recent post on DovBear. I have cross posted this post there as well. Head over there for more discussion.

What follows is my understanding of The Oral Law and its transmission to us. This article does not attempt to validate or prove its transmission as fact, rather it explains just what is being transmitted when we refer to Torah SheBaal Peh (TSBP).

I am sure there are plenty of maamarei Chazal that are not 100% congruent with this approach. I am also sure that there are many maamarei Chazal that do jive with this approach. I have spent many hours studying and analyzing the concept of TSBP and what follows is what I believe to be a rational, coherent, non-apologetic approach.

Much of this essay is accessible in audio format by clicking here.

The Torah preceded the world. One tradition tell us that God looked into the Torah and created the world. That means that the Torah contains within it the spiritual genetic code of the world and the world is a physical manifestation of that code. Another metaphor would be a blueprint. All the information necessary to build is in the blueprint, yet it is merely ink and paper. What can this mean? God looked at the stories of Adam and Eve and created the world? Or God looked at the sale of Joseph and created the word? Impossible. The metaphor does not even make sense. I believe Chazal are telling us that Torah is not the stories or even laws in the Chumash. “Torah” refers to the all encompassing Oral Law (this idea is attributed to Rambam). In other words, the Oral Law refers to the natural and supernatural rules of the universe that manifested themselves in a physical sense once God put them into motion during “Creation”.

What this means is that the Torah and our universe are really two sides of one coin. The spiritual code on one side and the physical manifestation on the other side. Thus, someone could potentially rewrite the spiritual code by examining the physical manifestation side. Just as with a blueprint, a talented architect could possibly rewrite a blueprint by examining a building a talented spiritualist would be capable of figuring out the spiritual code the world is made of.

This spiritual code contains within it the natural rules of our universe and some of those rules are recommended limitations on human activity designed to help a person maximize their existence in the world. In this light, the Torah is a guide that gives the physical world its characteristics and contains the instructions for living in that world.

A few individuals were in tune with this reality and implemented some of the Torah’s concepts into their lives. Shem, Ever, Noach and Enosh were a few of the first people who were able to glean spiritual rules from their observations of the world.

Abraham was the first to grasp enough of the code for God to choose him to begin a nation of people to whom God would eventually charge with keeping and teaching this code. Slowly, Abraham taught these concepts to whomever would listen. The Abrahamic family was also aware of these Torah rules and whether they kept them or not is not relevant. They knew them and may have practiced them.

Upon Abraham’s family being enslaved in Egypt, the concepts and their rules became more and more forgotten. The exodus occurred just before the point of no return. The point that Chazal call the 49th level of impurity. The slaves were just as Egyptian as their slave-masters save for 3 (or 4) areas. Such, a large nation of people would need a guide book to remind them of their Abrahamic, monotheistic, Torah tradition. The Bnei Yisrael left Egypt for the sole purpose of receiving these instructions in the form of the Torah.

At Sinai, God gave Moses the entire code. This code included the spiritual rules, the laws, the stories (which all contain important moral and quasi-historical lessons) as well as all the information necessary to live according to those laws. God then gave Moses a written version of notes to this code. These notes were the bare minimum necessary to reconstruct the entire code as God gave it to Moses.

At this point, Moses has all the information in his head and gives the people this written book of notes that we call the Written Law or Torah SheBiksav (TSBK). As time progresses Moses added (probably divinely inspired) notes to the end of the TSBK to complete the books. The Jewish people try to live a lifestyle as Moses taught them according to the code and had the notes in TSBK to help them remember their obligations. As we are taught at the start of Ethics of our Fathers, Moses “kibbel” (received) the “Torah” (including the TSBP) (and again this does not mean the Chumash, why would there need to be a mesora for that if it was written) and gave it all to Joshua, who gave it to the elders etc. There was a central Torah authority who could resolve disputes. Originally, it was a one man show starring Moses. But at the behest of Jethro, some delegation gave Torah authority to others. There was no machlokes (disagreement) among the Torah authority as Moses could always be consulted to give them the truth.

The system was designed to ensure that there would be a transmission from parent to child and teacher to student. This guaranteed the Torah would remain a “living” Torah and not relegated to a library. Codifying the bare minimum in text form forced the Jewish people to rely on a system of relationships and living the life of Torah to remember all its laws. This is an integral part of the Oral Transmission that has stood the test of time, as we shall see.

This system remained in place throughout the 1st Temple. A central Torah authority was the final arbiter of disputes and there was no machlokes as to what Moses claimed God wanted the Jewish people to do in their service of God.

Many called this entire concept into question. Korach, Yeravam and others wished to undermine the Mosaic Torah authority. But it always existed.

During the Second Temple, due to oppression it was literally impossible to maintain a central Torah authority. Torah study was banned, Torah scholars were killed and Yeshivas were disbanded. Students began taking notes to ensure TSBP would be remembered.

In a revolutionary move, Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi collected many of these notebooks and canonized a version of TSBP notes called the Mishna. He too, followed the Mosaic formula of writing just the bare minimum necessary for a scholar to recreate the code from the Mishna. He wrote the Mishnayos in a format that would induce questions and those questions would in turn produce the TSBP tradition. He was successful to an extent. But due to the increased hostility and lack of central Torah authority disputes were common. R’ Yehuda HaNassi completely succeeded in the broader goal of maintaining the need for the parent to child, teacher to student relationship to transmit TSBP.

Mishnaic literature was discussed, argued and taught for a couple hundred years. Students continued taking notes and eventually these notes became the Talmud. Ravina and Rav Ashi collected these notes and recorded these conversations to canonize the understanding of the Mishna in order to recreate the entire code. Although to a lesser degree, they also made an effort to be concise and include only the discussion necessary for recreating the method of Jewish life briefly described in the Mishna that was based on the written notes of the Chumash that God gave to Moses. Their brevity, once again maintained the familiar generation to generation connection that TSBP demands.

Since the closing of the Talmud it has been discussed and argued vociferously. This is a good thing. It gives its scholars the chance they need to arrive at the truth. TSBP is not their discussions, it is what they are discussing. TSBP was given to the Jewish people at Sinai but in truth it exists all around us. It is the rules of nature and spirituality that govern our world. Distant cultures and tribes can come to similar conclusions as the Torah because they are examining the world that is the physical manifestation of that Torah. People who never heard of Torah can relate to many of its laws as they seem natural to them. In fact they are natural to the world.

In conclusion, when we say that Moses received Torah SheBaal Peh, what we mean is that Moses had all the information necessary to live and appreciate the Torah lifestyle. The Written Torah were the original notes to this information as time progresses, we now have Mishanic and Talmudic notes as well. Thus, our study of Talmud today continues the Oral Transmission of TSBP as we attempt to decode the original version of the Oral Law handed from God to Moses on Sinai. Today, our greatest resource to that end is the study of Talmud.

Mourning The Living On The 9th of Av

rabbifink — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:06:53 +0000

A few years ago I was a campus Rabbi for the Jewish Awareness Movement (I even made the video on their home page) at USC. One of my primary responsibilities was to lead large groups of Jewish college students on inspiring trips to Israel.

Of course, the personal inspiration for me, was very often, greater than the inspiration for some of the students.

One episode has inspired me since the moment it occurred and it is directly related to today’s Tisha B’Av fast.

We always were sure to take the students on the Tunnel Tours of the Western Wall. For me, it was incredible to see the beauty and grandeur of the gigantic white stones at the original base of the Western Wall. The Talmud in Sukkah tells of the beauty of the Second Temple that Herod rebuilt. It is hard to imagine such beauty when we see the above ground Western Wall today. Erosion and time have taken its physical beauty. But underground the stones are a pristine white and appear good as new.

Our tour guide was always the world renowned Esther Schlisser (who has since passed May Her Memory Be Blessed). Esther Schlisser was a one of a kind woman who took these tours very seriously. She allowed no talking, no photographs of her and she brazenly single-handedly led us through the Arab Quarter at the end of the tour during the second intifada.

We began the tour sitting in front of a really cool model of Herod’s Second Temple and with the magic of technology it transforms into the current Old City layout. The route of the tour took us deep down to the lower Western Wall base stones and along the Wall below the Arab Quarter. What we see of the Wall today, is a fraction of the size of the original Wall.

We finally arrived at my favorite spot. There is a section of floor from the Second Temple era that has been excavated and this is where Esther had us all sit on floor. I really enjoy touching history, and walking and sitting on the floor where our grandparents sat 2000 years ago is very powerful for me.

Esther then begins to tell us where we are sitting and the great men who must have walked these same cobble stones. She then begins to cry. Esther tells us the following (paraphrased to the best of memory):

“These stones are alive!

My husband died many years ago. When he died I was sad. I cried for days, for months, but eventually, I began to heal and I no longer cry for my husband. This is because my husband is dead and we cannot cry over something that is dead forever. I miss him terribly, but I do not cry.

However, I come to this spot, the floor right in front of the Western Wall of the Second Temple at least once a day for the past 10 years. Every single time I come here, I cry. I cry that we are exiled and that we cannot see the Temple in its true grandeur and I cry that we are at the mercy of the nations of the world and we cannot rule ourselves as per the Torah’s command. Jews have been crying here for centuries. We will continue to cry until we are redeemed from this exile.

There is only one way to explain this. The stones are alive. The Wall is alive. There is a soul in the bricks that lives. Its voice is small, it is weak, but it is alive and that is how we can cry centuries of tears for a destroyed Temple. The Temple may have been destroyed but still, it lives.”

A very powerful experience and one I think of very often.

On this Tisha B’Av, remember that we are not crying over a dead Temple. If it were so, we would have stopped crying eons ago. The stones are alive. They are kept alive by the promise that we will see a Third Temple. They are kept alive by the souls of the Jewish people yearning for their Temple to be rebuild. And they are kept alive by the tears we cry on Tisha B’Av every single year.

Misleading Charity Campaign

rabbifink — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:15:21 +0000

A Religious charity in Israel has embarked on what I and many others feel to be a misleadeing charity campaign.

Promises 0f safety from danger, special perks and privileges and out of context quotes from great Rabbis permeate the campaign.

I wrote all ab0ut in on DovBear. You can check it out by clicking below.

What Is Going On With Kupat Ha’ir?

We're All Family

rabbifink — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:33:20 +0000

This morning I found this article in my inbox. From time to time, PJC board member, Judd Magilnick sends me (and everyone else he knows) interesting links from all around the web, stretching to the outer limits of the blogosphere and conventional media.

Today’s link covers something that is always on my mind.

The column discusses the latest research in DNA testing to identify if one is Jewish. There is a gene that is only passed from the mother to the child and it can be tested using a cheek swab DNA test.

Jewish roots are cropping up in the least likely of places. Al Qaeda spokesmen, Catholic Priests, a former Buddhist Catholic Radio Host to name a few. Historically, Fidel Castro, Madeleine Albright also claimed Jewish ancestry.

Now, it is testable.

DNA testing makes it possible to identify your Jewish gene as well.

What is fascinating to me is the idea that we are all related and it is scientifically “trackable”. The first time I went to Israel as a teen I experienced a profound feeling. I felt like I was among family. Everywhere I went was family. Every person I saw was a relative. I have always felt this way and in Israel it was an elevated sense of consciousness.

When I worked at University of Southern California for Ashreinu I felt it every time I met another Jewish student.

Now, at the Pacific Jewish Center, and especially when we are at the Shul on the Beach, I feel it whenever someone new wanders in to our Shul.

Frequently, I remark to fellow Jews the first time we meet, “We’re cousins ya know! We’re all cousins.” I don’t need DNA tests to prove it to me. I can feel it.

Taken to the next level. Not only are all Jewish people one family. The entire human race is one family. Yes, we have our disagreements about things, but in the end we are all family.

I think this is a powerful idea. I think we should consider this when hate creeps into our minds. I think we should teach this to our children. I think the more we see our similarities in one another the more peaceful our world will be.

Just last week I blogged about a tragedy that happened to one of our “closer relative s”. I think a lot of us felt strongly about the issue raised then because we innately feel that this happened to family. This is a fair reaction.

We must treat our “closer family” like the closer family that we are. But we must also not lose sight of our broader family. The entire world is family, because “we are all related”.

Israel & The Jewish People | Connections 4/27/09

rabbifink — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:30:20 +0000

With the upcoming Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim holidays I felt it was a perfect time to discuss the role Israel plays within the Torah system.

For many people Israel serves as a bastion of democracy in the Middle East, for others it is a Jewish homeland where no Jew will be denied access, for others it holds tremendous historical value, there are others who cherish its spiritual significance and there are yet others who pine for the elevated Torah study of the Land of Israel.

Our goal was to find the meaning of the Land of Israel and its connection to the Jewish people from the Torah. We went to the source to find why there is an intrinsic connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

This relationship did not begin in 1948.

The class ended with some really interesting anecdotes (I don’t want to give anything away – but suffice to say, very interesting stuff) and a few great points from our Connections attendees.

Click through to listen to the class right now.

You can listen to the entire class below (50 minutes)

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Dov Dalin in Gaza

rabbifink — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:21:53 +0000

Normally I don’t like to tread the dangerous waters of politics. That is why you find no commentary on the current skirmish in Gaza. However I feel it necessary to mention that our thoughts and prayers are with Dov Dalin – Dov Chaim ben Masha Chana. Dov is the son of community members Gary and Marsha Dalin. He is a reserve in the Israel Defense Force and serves as a sniper in the paratroopers. He is currently being deployed to Gaza. We pray for his safe return and the success of his mission.

A war is on the news and in the papers – we don’t necessarily feel it. When we know someone fighting in the war – we feel it. Right now – I feel it.

Bracha V’Hatzlacha Dov!