Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » prayer

The Shelo Asani Isha “Discussion” (or does changing the liturgy remove one from orthodox Judaism?)

rabbifink — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:07:38 +0000

The orthodox Jewish world is in tumult over the recent essays published by a local Los Angeles rabbi. Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky wrote a series of blog posts in varying tones explaining why he is unwilling to say the blessing where men thank God for not making them women. The exact text of the blessing reads: Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, Master of the world, who did not create me a Woman.

This blessing comes from the Talmud quoting the Tosefta. It has been part of Jewish liturgy for nearly 2000 years. Any tradition, be it religious or not, that has that kind of cachet cannot be discarded willy nilly.

Indeed, Rabbi Kanefsky justified his position by articulating something that many have felt when reciting or hearing this blessing: by its plain meaning, and by the simple smell test, it has the effect today of justifying our lack of progress, and of affirming for us that women do not possess the spiritual dignity than men do.

There has been a very strong response from more traditionalist orthodox rabbis.

One blog has dedicated no less than four of its 28 blog posts in August to distancing itself from Rabbi Kanefsky and either by association, implication or explicitly tossed Rabbi Kanefsky out of orthodox Judaism.

There is much to say on this topic and much has already been said. My purpose in this blog post will be to deal with two separate issues. They could just as easily have their own independent blog posts. But I prefer one landing place for both of these issues.

The first issue relates to the actual blessing in question.

The second issue relates to the response from the traditionalists.

The Blessing

It was 11 years ago that Senator Joe Lieberman famously said on Imus in the Morning that he does not say this blessing. My less than 20 year old brain was met with the tension between tradition and modernity. I decided then that it was necessary to understand the blessing and what it meant.

There are several apologist explanations for the blessing. They all basically say something along the lines of women are really on a higher level than men, they don’t need to do as many commandments, they can if they want, but they don’t have to, men need the commandments to lift men out of the abyss, the blessing recognizes that men are appreciative for having those commandment to elevate them and thanks God for that opportunity. It is not insulting to women because it is not about who is better, it is about appreciating having more commandments.

While this is somewhat enticing, it falls short. The next logical step is that if the commandments are not indicative of higher status rather lower status, why are we blessing God for that? Could it be that it is something like tziduk ha’din – thanking God for the bad as we do after a death? Unlikely. The other morning blessings do not follow this form.

Further, there are several medieval sources that actually say that the blessing is to thank God for for not making man a woman because women are not as special as men. It is certainly a viable explanation for the blessing. As I have written previously, I don’t blame the rabbis of the Talmud for thinking that way – if they did. They were subject to the social values of their era.

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks offers this explanation:

“…they are acknowledgments of the special responsibilities of Jewish life. Heathens, slaves and women are exempt from certain commandments that apply to Jewish men. In these blessings, we express our faith that the commandments are not a burden but a cherished vocation”

In other words, the blessing is an affirmation that extra commandments are a privilege. Well, why doesn’t everyone have this privilege?

It is easy to see why the blessing is an affront to many women. It implies inferiority at worst or less opportunity at best. It could be argued that just because Judaism has some specific roles for men and women does not mean it deserves a blessing to that effect. I completely understand why some find it offensive.

Rabbi Kanefsky’s feelings about the blessing are justified. His actions are what are subject to scrutiny. His feelings are not.

The Response

Rabbi Shafran takes a strong stance against Rabbi Kanefsky. Rabbi Shafran’s approach to orthodox Judaism is that things are not supposed to change. Commitment to orthodox Judaism and its mesorah mean accepting the status quo and not changing anything. In his mind, not saying the blessing is a change and simply because Rabbi Kanefsky is “big enough” to impose a change in orthodox Jewish liturgy, he can’t. Not only that, but making such a change is enough to push Rabbi Kanefsky out of orthodox Judaism.

The punchline:

But when a contemporary rabbi, particularly one who has not yet garnered the wisdom that comes with many years of living and learning, proposes to reject an element—any element—of the Jewish mandate, there can be no question about his having relinquished the right to call himself Orthodox.

Speaking of change, a friend of mine put Rabbi Shafran’s opinion in perspective. The biggest innovation in the history of orthodox Judaism is that there is no innovation in orthodox Judaism.

This is especially true with regard to liturgy.

In orthodox Judaism there are three primary nuschaos (prayer styles). They all follow a basic formula but transferring from one to the next is a difficult proposition. There are enough words, sentences and paragraphs that would make it uncomfortable for one who prays using nusach A to lead the services for a nusach B congregation.

How did this happen?

Simple. Different communities felt different prayers were important enough to incorporate into their services. Some did. Some didn’t. Over hundreds of years some prayers were added, others were deleted.

In the Aleinu prayer a line was taken out because it was offensive to the non-Jewish community. Some have said it should be put back. Others leave it out. No harm; no foul.

My great-great-grandfather, Reb Elya Lopian, a Torah giant with impeccable credentials (the Brisker Rav said of him: He is what R’ Yisrael Salanter had in mind when he created the Mussar movement) adjusted his personal prayers several ways. In the introduction to his classic work, Lev Eliyahu, we are told that Reb Elya did not say “ki shem Hashem ekra…” before his Mincha amida, When Reb Elya would lead the services on the High Holidays he would omit the line “hineni he’ani mi’maas nir’as v’nifhad…” because he felt it was not honest. He felt he wasn’t really afraid so he just skipped it. Reb Elya also changed the words of “Elokai nitzor l’shoni” into “Elokeinu nitzor l’shonenu” because he felt that the author of the prayer was honestly trying his hardest to avoid the things mentioned in the prayer, but we don’t necessarily try our hardest so how could we ask God to do it for us? Instead Reb Elya switched the words to be general prayer on behalf of everyone.

I have been told, although I can’t find it in the book, that on Tisha B’Av Reb Elya even omitted the references to Jerusalem being desolate and destroyed. His reasoning was how could he say those words when they were no longer true?

In short, prayer for Reb Elya was an exercise in truth and honesty. The rigidity of the words in his prayer book were not impenetrable barriers to be accepted without careful consideration.

There is precedent for changing prayers and adjusting the liturgy based on many factors.

Of course Rabbi Shafran knows this. His problem with Rabbi Kanefsky is two-fold. One, he is not “choshuv” enough to make changes. Two, Rabbi Shafran makes that disingenuous claim that orthodox Judaism does not change.

As to the first claim: This is a classic ad hominem attack. If the change is valid, the source of the change is irrelevant. Very weak argument by Rabbi Shafran.

As the second claim: The entire concept is a lie. Things do change, especially in the liturgy.

Rabbi Shafran, and anyone else for that matter, would be taken much more seriously if he would make an actual argument against the change other than “we don’t change”. Does he have such an argument? I don’t know.

What does Rabbi Shafran really mean to say?

I think he means to say that changes that were made in the past were either needed, necessary or important enough to make. This change is not. In his opinion, the sensitivities of women who find this blessing offensive are not sufficient to warrant a change to the liturgy.

This is fair position. He can say it is not important enough and others can disagree. But by drawing the lines as he did, there is no room for discussion. One side is presenting halachic analysis and reasoning. The other is just closing its ears and saying “I can’t hear you”.

I think the way forward is to have a genuine discussion about the liturgy. Tossing your opponent out of orthodoxy doesn’t make the issue disappear nor does it win any argument.

As always, debate and discourse will provide the best way to analyze the issue and give orthodox Jews the tools they need to make the most appropriate informed decision for themselves.

Links: Morethodoxy, Cross-Currents

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 Power of Prayer | A Guest Post

rabbifink — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:01:23 +0000

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

Joseph and His Brothers in the Palace

Parshas Mikeitz

The Power of Prayer

Parshas Mikeitz is chock full of vital yesodos for the ages. From the rags to riches saga of Yosef Hatzadik’s ascent to power as the viceroy of Egypt to the ten tribes search for their long lost brother, inspiring details of Hashgacha Pratis unfold before our eyes. So many deep lessons jump off the pages of our Chumashim that some of the subtle insights can get lost. One such message is found in the dialogue between Yaakov Avinu and Yehuda, as Yehuda implores Yaakov Avinu to entrust his youngest brother, Binyomin, to his care so that they can get food in Egypt.

At that moment, Yaakov Avinu was frightfully worried about what would befall Binyomin. He saw the prospects as alarmingly bleak. Indeed, Yosef was gone and Shimon, if alive, was languishing in a dungeon somewhere in Egypt. Bereft of nevuah, due to his profound sadness, Yaakov felt all alone. He wondered, what promise could the future hold? What could he do to assure that tragedy would not befall his beloved Binyomin? Though Yehuda was persuasive in trying to reassure his father that Binyomin would be safe with him, Yaakov Avinu was not convinced. But with the hunger taking its toll, despite his misgivings, Yaakov reluctantly agrees to allow Binyomin to travel with his brothers to Egypt under Yehuda’s watchful eye. And Yaakov Avinu conceives a plan. He instructs his sons to package the delicacies of Canaan, honey, nuts, spices and almonds, as a gift for the powerful viceroy. He insists that they return the money found in their sacks as soon as they arrive. Perhaps this will appease the ill tempered keeper of the Egyptian storehouse. What else could he do, to be reunited with Shimon and to assure the safe passage of Binyomin to and from Mitzrayim? From where else could he draw strength?

And then it hits him, as it impacts all who find themselves “mimaakim,” at very depths of frustration and despair, He cast his eyes to Shamayim and davens. Indeed, the the Torah tells us that Yaakov blessed his sons, v’Keil Shakkai yiten lachem rachamim – May Hashem Yisborach grant you mercy in the eyes of this feared man you are about to greet. And Yaakov continues, v’shilach lachem es achichem acher v’es Binyomin – may Hashem send you Shimon the other and Binyomin (so that you can return with them to me). It is interesting to note that Chazal teach us that Yaakov prophesized but did not know it. The word acher in the aforementioned posuk is referencing Yosef who is soon to be reunited with his father.

The text and context is profound. When Yosef was sent to seek his brothers, there was no mention of tefilla. Soon thereafter, he is sold. When the brothers embark on a journey to purchase food in Mitzrayim, again there is no mention of prayer, and Shimon is taken hostage. Without G-d in the picture, enriching and safeguarding each step along the way, anything can (and often does) happen. Now with the final blow seemingly so near and Yaakov Avinu at wits end, he davens and everything “just happens” to work out.n

This message should not be lost on us. Without prayer, all is lost. It is tefilla which energizes our dreams and animates our hopes for tomorrow. Davening brings Hashem Yisborach more closely into our lives and gives us the meaning we so yearn for. If we daven, we might even prophesize – although we don’t know it. So strong is the power of prayer. But we need not wait till we are desperate to activate its power.

In many ways, it is prayer that is the very essence of our Chanuka celebrations. The Maccabim’s cry of mi laHashem aili was not only a battle call – it was a tefilla. The lighting of a menorah with enough oil for only one day was not merely an act of re-dedicating and consecrating the Bais Hamikdash, it was heartfelt prayer to our Master on High to renew His profound ahava with His people once again. This is why we emphasize in Al Hanissim thrice daily and in our bentching that the Chanuka holiday is “l’hodos ulihallel” – to give thanks and praise – through prayer to the Ribbono Shel Olam. It is He who is the source of all goodness and it He who quests for our tefilos. We can take advantage of this moment so ripe for prayer to bring ourselves closer to the Ribbono Shel Olam and with His help, may we merit shiyamelu mishalos libeinu l’tova! Chag Urim Sameach!

Prayer in Judaism | Connections 11/2/09

rabbifink — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:37:45 +0000

Prayer is something so basic to all faiths and religions. Jewish ideas of prayer are decidedly different from other cultures. It is very important to learn about the Jewish approach to prayer.

I began the class by announcing that this was a topic I longed to discuss for a very long time. I finally felt that the time was right.

We asked all the basic questions about prayer. We asked some advanced questions about prayer.

Using ideas from Rabbi Chaim Volozhin and others we pieced together a rational approach to prayer that made sense to us.

It was a very exciting class with outstanding participation and a very alert listening audience.

I really recommend giving this class a listen.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Enjoy.

A Post Stained With Tears | Moish Gluck Of Blessed Memory

rabbifink — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:03:21 +0000

I have not been to a lot of funerals in my life. I have been blessed.

Yesterday evening my family celebrated Sheva Brachos for a cousin in my parents home. It was a joyous occasion.

Immediately following its conclusion, I walked the 200 feet from my parent’s home to the neighborhood shul. At about 11:00 PM a very moving funeral began.

The juxtaposition of these two events and the nature of the deceased brought tremendous emotion. What follows is an attempt to do those feelings justice in writing.

When I was 12 my family moved to a fledgling Monsey community, our sole neighbors up the block were the Glucks.

Blessed with wonderful children, the Glucks were proud and humble people. Performing anonymous kindnesses was a hallmark of their lives.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck a few short years ago when Mrs. Gluck was taken from this world. The tragedy shook up the neighborhood. It was one the my parent’s first contemporaries death and it was painful for everyone.

The Glucks were resilient. They bounced back. The children were successful in achieving their goals and Mr. Gluck, Moish (George) Gluck remarries.

Yesterday, tragedy struck again. Driving home from work, Moish Gluck suffered a fatal heart attack, literally yards away from his home.

The pain is indescribable. Four surviving children under 30. The oldest was my classmate. The youngest my sister’s age. A recently married widow. A community still reeling from the untimely departure of Mrs. Gluck, now struck again is left to help repair their torn hearts and help the family pick up the pieces.

Listening to the youngest Gluck eulogize his father last night was one of the most emotionally difficult moments of my life. The cracking in his voice, coupled with his eloquent words were too much for me to bear. I cried. Tears were streaming down my face. It was the first time I have cried freely at a funeral in my life.

I, as countless others, my father included, owe Moish Gluck tremendous gratitude for a variety of things. In my case, the gratitude I have for Moish Gluck directly correlates to my profession as a Rabbi and a teacher. The mere fact that you are reading this post, is somewhat due to Moish Gluck.

Moish Gluck was my first employer. As a 12 year old neighborhood kid, Moish Gluck gave me my first opportunity to teach. Their eldest son needed someone to study Mishna with him. I was asked, and given a fair remuneration for my time.

I will never forget preparing for those sessions. Teaching Torah to the boy who was just 3 years my junior, was my first taste of the joys of teaching, and I will never forget that. I will never forget the smile on the boy’s parents faces when they gave me my monthly stipend. I will never forget the encouragement that Moish Gluck gave me, in the face of my first challenge to teach.

It must have been a good experience as since then I have been teaching in many capacities. As a Campus Rabbi, as a High School adviser for Yeshiva Students and Public School Students, and now as the Rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center I draw upon my first moments as a teacher. All directly caused by a man whose friends and neighbors will all miss, Moish Gluck.

If this post were on paper and the words written in ink, my tears would stain the paper instead of falling onto the desk from where I type.

Let us remember to cherish the ones we love. Let us enjoy each second we spend with the people we care for most. Let us not waste the opportunities we have for love and friendship.

It was too difficult for my ears to hear a loving son pine for one more moment with his precious father. If we have those moments let us treasure them.

May the Lord comfort us amongst the mourners of Zion.

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.

Great Post on ParshaBlog

rabbifink — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:28:57 +0000

I have had so many conversations about the issue posed today on ParshaBlog.

A couple weeks ago the Chinuch Roundtable in the Yated dealt with this as well. We have become the Segulah Generation. We look for shortcuts and magic to avoid the effort involved in Personal Growth.

In short Messilas Yesharim > Segulahs. But Segulahs tempt us with their instant gratification, no effort results.

I urge everyone to read the article on ParshaBlog.

You can read all about Segulahs on ParshaBlog by clicking here.

Birkas Hachama on the Beach in Venice California

rabbifink — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:01:39 +0000

Once every 28 years the Jewish people give thanks for the sun. Why once every 28 years? Because the sun returns to the exact spot in the horizon once every 28 years. This is what we celebrate when we make the blessing once every 28 years.

You can read all about it in the LA Times. I am even quoted in the article! My first time in the LA Times. Thanks to Duke Helfand for putting such a great article together.

Today Jews all of the world made the blessing for the sun.

You can read about a lot of these celebrations and see their photos here.

One of the last places in the continental United States to make this blessing was the Pacific Jewish Center.

Special thanks to Judd Magilnick for spearheading the birkas hachama efforts in Venice.

The blessing is to be recited upon seeing the sun in the morning. Venice is one of the most western Jewish community in the USA and thus sees the sun later than nearly everyone else. We celebrated with a community gathering on the beach to make the blessing. The blessing was preceding by a short Torah thought on the concept of the blessing of the sun.

I spoke about two concepts. 1 was the idea that the grand things in life are there to remind us of the power and beauty of the small things. We make the same blessing that we make for the sun on several other occasions which occur more frequently. For example when we see a majestic mountain or the flash of lightning. I believe the blessing of the sun can remind us to appreciate the beauty in those smaller things as well.

2, the Jewish life is full of cycles. Life and death, morning and night, the week, the month and the year, among others) We use these cycles as opportunities for a new freshness and rebirth. A chance to kick-start our growth. But these cycles are mostly short. I think one of the beautiful things about the blessing of the sun is the sheer length of the cycle. Sometime one needs perspective and a wide angle lens to appreciate life. Sometimes, patience helps us out of a dark time. The blessing of the sun shines its light on that darkness.

We made the blessing on the beach and sang some songs before ending the ceremony.

I had my iPhone with me and I took 2 beautiful shots with its camera.

View of the Blessing of the Sun with the Shul in the background

Ladies and Gentlemen, A Moment of Silence for… A Moment of Silence

rabbifink — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Yes. It is true. The Moment of Silence in Public Schools in Illinois is unconstitutional. Let’s take a moment of silence to remember the moment of silence.

A total of 18 states have similar statutes in their legislation giving students a moment of silence or prayer during school time.

In 1969 the Illinois legislature passed the following act:

Illinois Complied Statutes, Chapter 105 Act 20, § 1. In each public school classroom the teacher in charge shall observe a brief period of silence with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled at the opening of every school day. This period shall not be conducted as a religious exercise but shall be an opportunity for silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day.

Today, a federal judge ruled that this act is in violation of the constitutional line which separates church and state.

The suit was filed by “outspoken atheist” Rob Sherman. His claim is that the teachers in the younger grades were teaching the students to pray. In my opinion the teachers were in violation of a very good statute. The statute is very clear about its intentions. Give students a moment to reflect on their day and some may use this for prayer and some may choose not to pray.

I think we all need a moment to reflect and meditate on our day. In fact psychologists claim that meditation makes you calmer and happier. Jewish prayer is supposed to be part prayer and part meditation. Meaning that we use prayer as a time to focus and center in addition to thanking and recognizing God.

If the statute is being followed it is clearly beneficial. I wonder why the plaintiff did not attempt to require strict adherence to this great statute and instead decided to lash out against the idea completely and have the statute removed? Wouldn’t that be better? If the teachers followed the statute it would okay – right?

Or maybe the “outspoken atheist” does not want anybody to meditate and reflect? Maybe that is too dangerous? Maybe if you meditate or reflect you are one step closer to prayer, which is one step closer to belief in God (“God forbid”)?

Next time there is a moment of silence at a concert, ball game or at the White House I expect the “outspoken atheist” to protest.

The iPhone / iPod Touch Siddur Misheberach List

rabbifink — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:59:21 +0000

The Amazing iPhone Siddur (iTunes link – will open iTunes) has impressed me from day 1. I was in my Camp Regesh office on Tisha B’Av talking to my friend / colleague Mo Kiss. I had just got my iPhone and he tells me about a friend of ours who does web development who had just finished coding a siddur for the iPhone. The application is impressive with the full range of Tefillos for all nuschaos and all the brachos you could ever need. The siddur knows when to add special sections for special days like Rosh Chodesh and the Torah reading for Moday and Thursday is automatically adjusted to the day’s reading. Additional it uses the built in GPS to find the nearest Minyan as well as all the pertinent zmanim such as sunrise, sunset, candle lighting times and havdala times. All these features are great and I purchased the application for these basic features. I use it and recommend it to friends. It is nothing short of ingenious.

What prompted this post is the latest feature the have added. There is now a section for each user to add their own “misheberach” list (prayer for sick people) and it pops into your iPhone siddur at the appropriate spots. This is a great addition on its own but the most beautiful thing that has been added is the fact that this list can be shared with all the other iPhone siddur users. This means that if you allow your list to be public then anyone with the application can also pray for the people on your list and you can pray for anyone on their lists. That is amazing. Now misheberach lists can be shared effortlessly across the world! We can all pray for complete strangers who are sick using their full Jewish name. What a tremendous service and idea this is! That is worth a blog post! I must say that this idea is incredible and I hope it is used across the board. Anyone who has an iPhone or iPod Touch should pay the $10 for the application and use it. Especially the misheberach list feature…