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Holidays
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What is Shavuot?
Shavuot is on the fiftieth day of the Omer counting. This holiday, is the anniversary of our acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai. On this day, we celebrate the fact that we have the Torah, and we acknowledge that we received all of the Torah, both oral and written. In the days of the Temple, this is one of the three holidays for which we are commanded to make the pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. On Shavu'os we would bring of the first fruits of the harvest to the Temple.
The Mission of Torah
By Rabbi David Aaron
I will share with you a very strange story from the Talmud. The Sages encoded deep ideas into such stories. This story conveys a profound truth about who we are, what Torah is, and why we were given the Torah.
When Moses ascended to Heaven to get the Torah, the ministering angels said to the Holy One, praised be He, "Sovereign of the universe, what is one born of a woman doing among us?" In other words, what is this imperfect human being doing among perfect beings? How could mortal man ascend to the level of angels?
"He has come to receive the Torah," responded God. "He's not staying. He just came to pick something up -- the Torah."
The angels were even more upset. "What?! Are You about to bestow upon frail man such a cherished treasure? How can You give human beings your holy Torah? Keep it in heaven. Give it to us!"
People often say that the Torah is a manual for living from God. But it is really more than that. It is an assignment from God. The Torah is a mission from God to be performed on God's behalf. That's why the Torah was in the angelic realm. An angel is an agent for God appointed to perform a divine mission. Man also has the opportunity to perform a mission on behalf of God. Accepting the Torah means you are accepting a Divine mission. You become a Divine agent. According to Jewish law, if you appoint someone to be your agent, he is equipotent to yourself. You have given him your power of attorney, to act on your behalf. This is the amazing power, responsibility, and privilege entrusted to us through Torah.
The angels did not know what was in the Torah. All they knew was that God must really cherish this mission if He had been holding on to it for so long time and had not yet appointed anyone to perform it. When Moses showed up to receive the Torah, they were in absolute shock. All this time, they had heard about this incredible, lofty, exalted mission, and who does God finally chose to entrust it to? A human! This is absurd. Humans are such lowly creatures, filled with base inclinations and evil deeds. Humans are going to act on God's behalf?!
God says to Moses, "You have to respond to these angels' complaints." In other words, you have to understand why you deserve this mission. What are your qualifications?
Most people think that the theme of Torah is about believing in God. That's only half the story. Torah is also about believing in yourself. To accept Torah, you must have a tremendous amount of self-esteem. You must believe that you are worthy to be God's agent on Earth -- you were sent here to fulfill a sacred mission.
The message of Shavuot is: You are important and significant to God. You have been given the opportunity to represent the Almighty. You have been entrusted with His power of attorney to act on his behalf.
Arguing with the Angels
God says to Moses, "I cannot answer for you. Unless you realize for yourself what your qualifications are, you can't be entrusted with the mission."
Moses holds on to the Holy Throne, and is charged with amazing confidence to face the angels. In their presence, he asks God, "What's in Your Torah?"
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt."
Moses then challenges the angels, "Did you go to Egypt and serve Pharaoh? What relevance is the Torah to you?" In other words, Moses argues, "Did you have to serve Pharaoh? Were you oppressed slaves for 210 years?"
The angels concede. They had lived only a perfect blissful life in heaven.
Moses continues to make his case, "God, what else is written in Your Torah?"
"Thou shalt not have other gods."
Moses confronts the angels, "Are you living among nations who worship idols?"
To really understand Moses' question you need to appreciate what idolatry was really all about. Idolatry was a lot of fun. Most idolatrous practices revolved around sexual promiscuity. The idolaters believed that orgies were a service to their gods. Therefore Moses' point to the angels was, "Do you live in a society which challenges you daily with constant allurements and seductions?"
The angels say, "Nahh, we're angels!"
Moses continues, "God, what else is in the Torah?"
"Keep the Shabbat. Honor your father and mother. Don't murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal."
"Angels," Moses challenges, "do you work hard? Do you need rest? Do you have fathers and mothers that you have to honor? Does jealousy exist among you? Do you have an evil inclination?"
These are the qualifications Moses presented to merit the mission of Torah for humankind: We live in a materialistic society filled with daily seductions. That's why we should get the Torah! We qualify for this mission because we make so many mistakes. We are inundated with problems and challenges from within and without. We are perfect for this job, because we are so imperfect! So the next time you call us "born of a woman," say it with respect.
The angels are indeed impressed. They even want to befriend humankind, and give Moses useful secrets to help humans in their difficult mission.
Human Goodness Inc
What is the mission of Torah? It is to overcome negative and destructive urges and choose goodness. Goodness that has been chosen is the highest form of goodness. We are highly qualified for this mission because we are inclined to the allurements and seductions. We are able to fail, but also to succeed. We are able to destroy, but also to build. We are able to choose to do great evil, but also to choose to do amazing good.
Angels are perfect; they have no negative inclination. They have no free choice. They can't struggle. They can't fail. They cannot choose goodness.
Our mission, if we're willing to accept it, is to choose goodness. This is how we serve God. Angels sing God's praises in a perfect heavenly world. However, human praises surpass those of the angels because we praise God from Earth, soiled with imperfections, problems, and challenges. This is our greatness.
God does not expect us to be perfect. In fact, if we were perfect, we could not have qualified for the mission of Torah. The Talmud teaches that a person can stand in Torah only after he has failed at it. In other words, part of the mission of Torah is to fail, regret, resolve, change, choose goodness, and succeed. We humans are the perfect candidates for the job.
When the angels understood this, they gave Moses gifts -- useful secrets. They wanted to invest in the human enterprise. They wanted to be shareholders in Human Goodness Inc. If you can't work for the company, at least invest in it, and enjoy dividends as a shareholder.
God is the major investor in Human Goodness Inc. God invested a spark of the Divine Self in human beings in order to participate in this world. This is the meaning of the mystical tradition that teaches that God desires to be in this world. God lives and participates in this world through you and me -- if we accept the mission. This is the real meaning of God creating man in His image.
Every human being has the potential to be an agent and vehicle for God. Everything we do can be for God's sake. This is the greatest honor and pleasure a person could experience. To live for myself is no great honor, but to live for God, to choose goodness for God's sake -- this is Heaven on Earth.
Number 7 in Judaism!
By Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
In the beginning... God created 7's.
Oh sure, He created light and dark, the heavens and earth, too. But for reasons unknown to us, He seemed to have a special affinity for the number 7.
The fact that the Torah begins with a verse containing 7 words and 28 letters (divisible by 7) is hardly remarkable. But when placed within the context of the overwhelming number of associations in Judaism with '7', a fascinating tapestry begins to unfurl. Let's take a closer look at this phenomenon.
WHY "SHAVUOT?"
Every spring, Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Shavuot --commemorating the most seminal event in the history of mankind, God's revelation at Mount Sinai.
Shavuot. Curious name for this holiday, no? Shavuot means "weeks," underscoring the 7-week period between Passover and Shavuot in which we count each day (and week) in anticipation and preparation for re-living the Sinai revelation. But why call it Shavuot -- "weeks"? Why not call the holiday "Torah," or "Sinai," or "Commandments," or "Tablets." Of what significance is "Weeks"?
Time contains many different entities. Nearly all of them are related to natural phenomena. Days, nights, months, seasons and years are all directly determined, in some way, by the constellations. There is one exception -- the week. The formulation of a week seems to be totally arbitrary. Who needs it? Let one day just follow the previous one. And why 7 days?
The concept of a week and its constitution of 7 days is one that is strictly God-invented and human-adopted. While we may quibble about creation -- how, when, by whom, why -- the world has consensually agreed to the concept of a week. The Beatles were wrong... there are only 7 days in a week. And whenever a week is completed it is yet another reminder to mankind (or should be) that God created the world in 7 days. (Only 6 days were required to manufacture the physical structures, but the process was not complete until the spiritual realm, Shabbat, was added.)
Call it the "week link."
WHY "7"?
Kabbalah teaches that 7 represents wholeness and completion. After 7 days, the world was complete. There are 6 directions in our world: north, south, east, west, up and down. Add to that the place where you are, and you have a total of 7 points of reference.
Shavuot, marking the emergence of the Jewish people into a nation, by virtue of their receiving and accepting the Torah, also marks a completion. Perhaps that is why the holiday is called Shavuot, "Weeks." We want to identify this holiday as a completion of the process of Jewish nationhood.
No one is certain why God chose the number "7" to signify completion. All we can do is speculate, observe and marvel.
In honor of our own completion of the 49 day period leading up to Shavuot, we present 49 allusions to the number "7" within Judaism. How many of these do you recognize? How many more can you add?
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENS!
- Shabbat is the 7th day of the week.
- There are 7 weeks in the counting of the Omer before Shavuot. (Leviticus 23:15)
- In Israel, there are 7 days of Passover and Sukkot. (Leviticus 23:6, 34)
- Every 7th year, the land lays fallow during Shmita (Sabbatical year). (Leviticus 25:4)
- After 7 cycles of Shmita, we have a Jubilee year (Yovel). (Leviticus 25:8)
- When a close relative dies, we sit Shiva for 7 days.
- On Sukkot we shake 7 species - 1 Lulav, 1 Esrog, 2 willows, and 3 myrtles.
- Yitro, the first real convert to Judaism, had 7 different names, and 7 daughters (one who married Moses).
- Moses was born and died on the same day - the 7th of Adar.
- Our Sukkah huts are "visited" by 7 guests - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David.
- The Menorah in the Temple had 7 branches.
- Achashvarosh, King of Persia during the miracle of Purim, held a party for 7 days. (Esther 1:5)
- There are 7 holidays in the Jewish year: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot.
- In addition to the 613 Commandments, the Sages added 7 more.
- There are 7 Noachide Laws pertaining to all humanity.
- At every Jewish wedding, 7 blessings are recited (Sheva Brachot).
- Each Shabbat, 7 people are called to the Torah reading (Aliyot).
- The first verse in the Torah contains 7 words (and 28 letters).
- Our Matriarch Leah had 7 children - six sons and one daughter.
- There were 7 days of preparation for the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert. (Leviticus 8:35)
- Traditionally, the bride circles the groom 7 times under the Chuppah (wedding canopy).
- We wind the Tefillin straps around the arm 7 times.
- Moses was the 7th generation after Abraham.
- Each plague in Egypt lasted 7 days.
- In Pharaoh's dreams there were 7 cows and 7 stalks of grain. (Genesis 41)
- The Biblical contamination period typically lasts 7 days. (Leviticus 13:4)
- God created 7 levels of heaven. (Hence the expression, "I'm in 7th heaven!")
- On Shabbat and holidays, we recite 7 blessings in the silent Amidah.
- There are 7 special species of produce by which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives, and dates. (Deut. 8:8)
- The world has 7 continents.
- The 7 weeks of the Omer correspond to the 7 "sefirot," the 7 behavior traits in which we serve God: kindness, strength, beauty, triumph, splendor, foundation, and kingship.
- Noah sent the dove and the raven out of the Ark for 7 days to inspect the weather conditions. (Genesis 8:10)
- 7 nations warred with Israel: Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites.
- On Yom Kippur, the High Priest sprinkled the blood in the Temple 7 times. (Leviticus 16)
- The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana occurs, surprisingly, in the 7th month -- Tishrei. (Leviticus 23:24)
- The Jewish calendar, largely lunar, has a cycle of intercalation that contains 7 leap years during each 19-year period.
- There are 7 notes on the musical scale.
- A Kohen (priest) should participate in the burial of 7 relatives: father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, and spouse. (Leviticus 21:2)
- We dance 7 circles (hakafot) on the holiday of Simchat Torah.
- The smallest allowable dimension of a Sukkah is 7 cubits by 7 cubits.
- The world has 7 seas.
- Joshua led the Jewish People around the walls of Jericho 7 times before the walls fell. (Joshua 6:15)
- Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years (twice) in order to marry his daughters. (Genesis 29:27)
- The Holy Temple contained 7 gates of entry.
- We recite 7 blessings every day before and after the "Shema" -- 3 in the morning and 4 at night.
- The Talmud lists 7 female prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther.
- A Jewish servant regains freedom after working for 7 years. (Exodus 21:2)
- We conclude our Yom Kippur prayers by proclaiming7 times, "The Lord is God!"
- A Jewish wedding is followed by 7 days of celebration (Sheva Brachot).
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ABC's of Yom Kippur
By Rabbi Shraga Simmons
ANGEL FOR A DAY
What are "angels?" Angels are completely spiritual beings, whose sole focus is to serve their Creator.
On Yom Kippur, every Jew becomes like an angel. As the Maharal of Prague explains:
"All of the mitzvot that God commanded us on [Yom Kippur] are designed to remove, as much as possible, a person's relationship to physicality, until he is completely like an angel."
Just as angels (so to speak) stand upright, so too we spend most of Yom Kippur standing in the synagogue. And just as angels (so to speak) wear white, so too we are accustomed to wear white on Yom Kippur. Just as angels do not eat or drink, so too, we do not eat or drink.
FIVE ASPECTS
There are five areas of physical invlivement which we remove ourselves from on Yom Kippur.
They are:
- Eating and Drinking
- Washing
- Applying oils or lotions to the skin
- Marital Relations
- Wearing Leather Shoes
Throughout the year, many people spend their days focusing on food, work, superficial material possessions (symbolized by shoes) and superficial pleasures (symbolized by anointing). On Yom Kippur, we restore our priorities to what really counts in life.
As Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writes:
"On Yom Kippur, the power of the evil inclination is muted. Therefore, one's yearning for spiritual elevation reasserts itself, after having lain dormant as a result of sin's deadening effect on the soul. This rejuvenation of purpose entitles a person to special consideration and forgiveness."
TESHUVA AND FORGIVENESS
Following the Golden Calf, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people. Finally on Yom Kippur, atonement was achieved and Moses brought the second set of Tablets down from Mount Sinai.
From that day forward, every Yom Kippur has carried with it a special power to cleanse the mistakes of Jews (both individually and collectively) and to wipe the slate clean.
Though while Yom Kippur atones for transgressions against God, this does not include wrongs committed against other human beings. It is therefore the universal Jewish custom - some time before Yom Kippur -- to apologize and seek forgiveness from any friends, relative, or acquaintances whom we may have harmed or insulted over the past year.
THE FAST ITSELF
The Yom Kippur fast begins at sundown, and extends 25 hours until the following nightfall.
The afternoon before Yom Kippur, it is a special mitzvah to eat a festive meal.
As far as making your fast easier in general, try to pace your intake throughout the previous day by eating something every two hours. At the festive meal itself, eat a moderate portion of food so as not to speed up the digestion process. Also, don't drink any coffee or coke, because caffeine is a diuretic. Heavy coffee drinkers can also avoid the dreaded headache by slowly reducing the amount of coffee consumption over the week leading up to Yom Kippur.
After a meal we generally get thirstier, so when you complete the festive meal, leave some extra time before sundown to drink. Also, drinking lukewarm water with some sugar in it can help make you less thirsty during the fast.
IN CASE OF ILLNESS
If someone is ill, and a doctor is of the opinion that fasting might pose a life-danger, then the patient should eat or drink small amounts.
The patient should try to eat only about 30 ml (one fluid ounce) and wait nine minutes before eating again. Once nine minutes have passed, he can eat this small amount again, and so on throughout the day.
With drinking, he should try to drink less than what the Talmud calls "melo lugmav" -- the amount that would fill a person's puffed-out cheek. While this amount will vary from person to person, it is approximately 35 ml (just over one fluid ounce) and he should wait nine minutes before drinking again.
How does consuming small amounts make a difference? In Jewish law, an act of "eating" is defined as "consuming a certain quantity within a certain period of time." Otherwise, it's not eating, it's "nibbling" -- which although it's also prohibited on Yom Kippur, there is room to be lenient when one's health is at stake.
The reason for all these technicalities is because eating on Yom Kippur is regarded as one of the most serious prohibitions in the Torah. So while there are leniencies in certain situations, we still try to minimize it.
Note that eating and drinking are treated as independent acts, meaning that the patient can eat and drink together during those nine minutes, and the amounts are not combined.
Having said all this, if these small amounts prove insufficient, the patient may even eat and drink regularly. In such a case, a person does not say Kiddush before eating, but does recite "Grace After Meals," inserting the "ya'aleh veyavo" paragraph.
Now what about a case where the patient's opinion conflicts with that of the doctor? If the patient is certain he needs to eat to prevent a danger to health, then we rely on his word, even if the doctor disagrees. And in the opposite scenario -- if the patient refuses to eat despite doctors' warnings -- then we persuade the patient to eat, since it is possible that his judgment is impaired due to illness.
Wishing you an easy fast and a meaningful Yom Kippur!
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The Sukkah Experience!
By Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller
By leaving the deceptive permanence of our homes to dwell in a temporary shelter, we let go of the most damaging illusion that blocks our inner eye from seeing God's presence.
The specifications for building a sukkah are both arcane and fascinating. The roof must be built from material (which is called schach) that comes from living source. Branches, bamboo in its various forms, and palm fonds are popular choices.
It must be arranged in a way in which the amount of shade is greater than the amount of sunshine that can enter the sukkah. The arrangement of the schach should be such as to give us a view of the stars.
In addition, the sukkah itself must be constructed in a way in which it is an inherently temporary structure. While it may have permanent walls (it may have four, but is ritually fit even with two and a half walls), its roof must be of an interim nature. The roof, therefore, must be rebuilt yearly.
Throughout the holiday, we are required to spend as much time as possible in the sukkah, and to treat it as our home. This often opens us to reflecting on the fact that by this time of year the weather is rather nippy, and had the holiday been set a month earlier we would find the sukkah a comfortable shady spot to sit in the balmy weather.
Let us examine each detail of these laws in order to grasp the elation that this, the most joyous of all holidays, can bring us.
SEEING GOD'S PRESENCE
The holiday itself celebrates the fact that as we traveled forty years in the desert, we were surrounded by God's presence. The physical manifestation of His encompassing love and protection were the clouds that encircled us. The laws concerning the construction of the sukkah are there to provide us with the opportunity to relive the experience of feeling God's life-force surrounding us without the distractions that blind us to Him.
By leaving the deceptive permanence of our homes, we let go of the first and most damaging illusion that blocks our inner eye from seeing God's presence. This is the illusion that material security protects our vulnerability. But nothing material is eternal; the feeling of security and stability that comes from possessions is transient. The only enduring possession that any of us have is our essence. Still, the illusion of permanence is one that we are reluctant to surrender, because, without it, we feel as if we are abandoned to an unknowable fate.
The solid stone, bricks and mortar of our homes create the ambiance of security which is not real. The inherent impermanence of the sukkah forces us into encountering reality. But in the very impermanence of the sukkah lies its security, because here we realize we are not alone! The reality that we face does not have to terrify us.
The schach symbolizes to us that the world in which we live is very much one in which God is with us. Although there is more darkness than light, we still see the stars.
The sukkah is a living allegory for our world, which presents us with far more questions than there are answers that human wisdom can provide. However, what makes this world a place of meaning rather than one of despair is the fact that we can see what the stars embody -- brilliance and illumination. We yearn for meaning and we find it when we focus our inner eye on the stars.
The Talmud tells us that it is no coincidence that the time of year that we celebrate our trust in God is the fall. The timing of Sukkot seems almost arbitrary. After all our stay in the desert took place over forty years, rather than a particular week in the year. The timing of Sukkot, no less than the physical structure of the sukkah is an integral statement of our identity. We are not leaving our homes for relief from the heat of summer, we are leaving our homes to experience our vulnerability. It is only then that we are not blinded to God's love.
PATHS OF THE JUST
Feeling beloved is not always easy. We all have times in our lives in which our faith is sorely tested. We lose sight of the invisible clouds of glory and fire that surround us. The classical 18th century Mussar work, "The Paths of the Righteous," explains how we often blind ourselves to the stars and presents four different ways to a solution.
One way to clear our vision is to recognize that God is far more compassionate than we are. It is only through His mercy that we survive either physically or emotionally all the absurd errors of judgment that have taken us to the brink of disaster. We have always been enveloped in His cloud. When we reflect on the compassion we have experienced as a result of His presence in our lives in the past, we get a new take on the present and the future. Hope suddenly seems pragmatic and realistic, while despair can be seen a native escape mechanism, which is what it is.
Another way to clear our vision is to become aware that all of the acts of kindness that have been done on our behalf by friends and relatives, ultimately are from God. We have paid for nothing -- not the air we breathe, nor the earth upon which we stand -- nor for the means by which other human beings can help us. The inspiration from their altruism stems from God; what they do for us is a gift from God.
We can never begin to repay what we have received not only from humans, but from God. We must be willing to be vulnerable enough to feel gratitude. This thought counteracts the "entitlement" mentality that clouds our ability to recognize goodness.
The third way to clear our vision is to re-define the word "possible." We must always keep in mind that with God anything is truly possible because God is not limited by any restrictions. Nothing can happen against His will, and nothing can prevent His will from being realized. Observing the ceaseless movement of the constellations and their timeless beauty can bring us back to this realization. We are in God's hand just as they are. While the people in our lives may affect us, ultimately they are not more than His agents.
The final thought in Rabbi Luzzatto's collection is that facing challenges is what life is for. We Jews are not designed for "permanent housing." We were designed for the Sukkah. The idealization of complacency has never sat well with us. When we are forced to travel the fast lane, we can be energized or frightened. It is a choice that we all make in the moments in which our faith is tested. The more we can envision the eternity of the Sukkah, the more we can welcome the trek through whatever type of "desert" God requires us to travel.
These four ways can be transformational.
What is even more powerful is actually coming into contact with the mitzvah of sukkah in the literal sense. Our nature is that we are less readily moved by realizations and thoughts, than by actions, because actions often redefine our capacity to think along new and untried patterns.
May this year bring us the joy of learning to feel and acknowledge what has been true all along. We are in God's sukkah and always have been.
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Chanukah, The Light of metrical!
By Rabbi David Aaron
Imagine for a moment that you have walked into a magic store. And there, they are selling special flashlights equipped with magic lights of different kinds. For example, you can buy the light of science, and when you point that flashlight at your hand, you see not a hand, but cells and blood vessels and tendons and ligaments. Or you can buy the light of art, and you point that flashlight at your hand, you see your hand as if it were a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci -- you see form, color and texture.
You're having a lot of fun trying out the different flashlights, and then you see one labeled "the light of Chanukah." What will you see in that light?
It is interesting that according to Jewish law, when we light the Chanukah menorah we are prohibited from using its light -- from reading by it, or doing some other task by it. Instead, we are commanded to simply look at the light. All year long we are looking at what we see by using the light, but on Chanukah we are to focus on seeing the light itself. We are to fill our eyes with the light of Chanukah so that when Chanukah is over, we will continue to see our lives in this special light. What is special about the light of Chanukah?
When King Solomon wrote: "There is nothing new under the sun," that refers to the light of nature.
The Zohar, however, teaches that everything is new when seen in the light beyond the sun.
The light of Chanukah is the light beyond the sun. It is the light beyond nature, the light of miracles. In the light of nature, to which Solomon referred, nothing is new. But in the light of miracles everything is new and novel.
When I point the light of science at my hand I see cells and veins. When I point the light of art at my hand I see form, shape and color. But when I point the light of Chanukah, I see a miracle. We fill our eyes with the light of Chanukah for eight days, so that when the holiday is over, we see that everything -- even nature -- is actually a miracle.
Albert Einstein once said: "There are two ways of looking at the world -- either you see nothing as a miracle or you see everything as a miracle."
Greek Tragedy
The Jews see everything as a miracle. The Greeks saw nothing as a miracle. To the Greeks, a miracle was an absurdity. To them only what is reasonable, logical, and rational can be real. Miracles are illogical and therefore not possible.
The Greeks could never access the light of Chanukah, the light of miracles, because they only believed in the light of reason. To them the world always existed; it never was created. History was an inevitable process -- the present linked to the past and the necessary outcome of the past. Nothing unusual can happen, history will march on, a consequence on top of the last consequence.
Similarly, their view of God, or rather of gods, was of super-beings detached from the world, contemplating themselves. Their Gods didn't care about man. For the Greeks, nothing is new under the sun -- what "was" always "will be." Thus miracles are impossible.
This is why the Greeks were so irritated by Judaism that they decided to wipe it out. Judaism said God created the world, cares about man, and invites man to be His partner in making history and perfecting the world. The Greeks assumed that the world was perfect already. Everything was as it should be. The world was eternal, history was inevitable, God was impersonal. No expectations of miracles, no hope. Life is a Greek tragedy.
Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik explained that the difference between the Jewish perspective of history and the world's perspective of history is that the world generally sees history as unfolding out of the past, as if the past is pushing history forward. But Judaism believes that it's actually the future that is activating history -- pulling us toward the future.
Light of Hope
If sometimes -- because man has free will as God's partner in making history -- history goes off the road, then God might interfere for the sake of the future with the natural transition from past into present. Then the present may not be determined by the past, but the present may be determined by the future. That's when miracles happen.
One example of this is the survival of the Jewish people, which historians have puzzled over for centuries. The Jews should not be here. We broke all the historical rules. No other nation has survived under such conditions. We are a people of miracles who believe in a God of miracles. And if God wills it, something radical and new can happen at any moment. We always have reason to be hopeful.
This is why we light candles on Chanukah, and bring that special light into our lives each year.
In fact, it is only because the Maccabees had the light of miracles already in their souls that they attempted to accomplish something very unreasonable and very irrational. A small group of weaklings stood up against the warriors of Greece and won. But they knew it was possible because God created the world and is free to do as He pleases.
Their victory was a miracle in itself, so why top it off by keeping the menorah miraculously lit for eight days? It seems most unnecessary. Okay, the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem from the Greeks and when they went to light the Menorah there was only enough oil for one day. And yes, unbelievably that oil lasted for eight days until more oil could be pressed and brought in. But this doesn't seem like a very important miracle. If they hadn't been able to light that Menorah the world would not have fallen apart. They'd have to wait another eight days -- would that have been so terrible?
But that is the definition of miracle -- it is unnecessary. Natural phenomena are necessary. If I put a drop of ink into water, it necessarily will dissolve. That's nature. But a miracle is just the opposite. It doesn't have to be. Indeed, in the light of nature it shouldn't be. But it is because God wants it to be. God needs no reason to make a miracle. God wants to, and God does it. That's why Chanukah is such an incredible holiday of miracle, because it is the holiday which celebrates the essence of miracle, the essence of the unnecessary.
When you look at the world in the light of Chanukah, you realize that everything in the world is unnecessary; that even you are unnecessary. And yet the world is here and you are here. Celebrating the unnecessary is really the celebration of love. Because the ultimate expression of love and kindness is not in doing what I have to do, but in doing what I don't have to do. If I dent your car and then offer to pay for it, that is not an act of love. That is the law. But if one day I decide to wash your car, that is an act of love.
Judaism believes that we are here because God -- out of His infinite love -- created us. It is a miracle that we are here and at Chanukah, more than at any time of the year, we marvel in that. We see ourselves in the light of miracle, in the light of hope.
In the light of science and in the light of art we see aspects -- and only some aspects -- of what is there. But in the light of Chanukah -- in the light of miracles -- we see that anything is possible. We see the triumph of God's love.
My Holocaust-Spoon Chanukah
I.I. Cohen
One of the items I smuggled out of Auschwitz, when the Nazis moved me into "Camp Number Eight" -- a quarantine camp, for those suspected of carrying typhus -- was my spoon. It wasn't much, but it was mine -- and it would come to play an important role in my Jewish life and in those of some of the 500 or so other prisoners there.
There were no labor details in this new camp, but we inmates were ordered to help in its construction, which was still underway. Having had some experience in the Lodz ghetto as a mechanic, I helped the electrical technician install the camp's lighting.
With my new access to tools, I brought my spoon to work and filed down its handle, making it into a sharp knife. Now I could use it both to eat my soup and to cut my bread. This was useful because we would often receive one chunk of bread to divide among two or three people, and without a knife it was difficult to apportion the bread fairly. Now I was regularly called upon to use my spoon-knife to help avoid disputes and maintain relative peace among the prisoners.
When winter came, though, my spoon became involved in an additional mitzvah. By then, we had been transferred to "Camp Number Four" in Kaufering, a camp more similar to Auschwitz in its daily ordeals. Despite the horrendous hardships we suffered daily, however, we tried whenever possible to remember to do a mitzvah and to maintain a self-image as God-fearing Jews, despite all the dangers that involved.
Having always kept mental track of the calendar, I knew when Chanukah had arrived. During a few minutes' rest break, a group of inmates and I began to reminisce about how, back home before the war, our fathers would light their menorahs with such fervor and joy. We remembered how we could never seem to get our fill of watching the flames sparkling like stars, how we basked in their warm, special glow, how they seemed to imbue us with a special sanctity.
And then we got to thinking about the origins of Chanukah, about the war of the Hasmoneans against their Greek tormentors, who were intent on erasing Judaism from Jewish hearts. We recalled the great heroism of the Jews at the time who risked their lives in order to keep the Sabbath, practice circumcision and study Torah. And we remembered how God helped them resist and rout their enemy, enabling Jews to freely observe the Torah and mitzvot once again.
ENTRANCED BY THE LIGHT
And then we looked around ourselves. Here we were, in a camp where our lives were constantly in danger, where we were considered sub-human and where it was virtually impossible to observe the most basic practices of Judaism. How happy we would be, we mused, if only we could light Chanukah candles.
While we talked and dreamed, we were all suddenly struck, as if at once, by the same resolution: We simply must discover a way of doing the seasonal mitzvah. One fellow offered a small bit of margarine he had saved from his daily ration. That could serve as our oil. And wicks? We began to unravel threads from our uniforms...
What, though, could be our menorah? I took out my spoon, and within moments, we were lighting the Chanukah "candle," reciting the blessings. We all stood around entranced, transfixed, each immersed in his own thoughts... of Chanukahs gone by... of latkes, dreidels, and Chanukah gelt we'd received as children.
Our unusual Chanukah menorah kindled in us a glimmer of hope. As we recited the blessing about the miracles God had performed for our forefathers "in those days" -- but also "at this time" -- we well understood that the only thing that could save us would be a miracle. A great miracle like the one hinted at on the dreidel's acrostic.
SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR
The celebrated Viennese psychiatrist Dr. Viktor Frankl, who was himself an inmate of Kaufering, asserted in his book "Man's Search for a Meaning" that to survive the concentration camps, a person had to have something larger to live for. Those with goals had a better chance to remain alive.
Many Jews in the camps were good examples of that phenomenon, living for our Sabbaths, our Jewish holidays and our daily recognition that there is an Almighty, whether or not we could ever fathom His ways. And I often felt that our convictions helped us cling to life when others sank to the depths of despair.
Today, I am overwhelmed at times with gratitude to God for my personal miracle -- my survival -- especially when I am surrounded by the children and grandchildren He has granted me, all of whom are committed to Torah study and observance. And the gratitude comes rushing in as well every winter, when I light my menorah, a real one today. And as always, I remember my Auschwitz spoon Chanukah.
I.I. Cohen, a Polish-born survivor of three concentration camps, lives in Toronto, where he is writing a book about his wartime experiences. Excerpt courtesy of Am Echad Resources
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Sages of Jerusalem
By Rabbi Noah Weinberg
In Jewish consciousness, a fast day is a time of reckoning, a time to correct a previous mistake. What happened on the Tenth of Tevet that we have to correct?
On the Tenth of Tevet, 2,500 years ago, Nebuchadnezzar began his siege of Jerusalem. Actually, there was little damage on that first day and no Jews were killed. So why is this day so tragic? Because the siege was a message, to get the Jewish people to wake up and fix their problems. They failed, and the siege led to the destruction of the King Solomon's Temple.
Today we are also under siege. Much of the Jewish world is ignorant of our precious heritage. Children whose Jewish education ended at age 13 now carry that perception through adulthood. The results are catastrophic: assimilation in the diaspora, and a blurring of our national goals in Israel.
So what's the message for us? Wake up and understand. What does the Almighty want? If there's a siege, hear the message now. Don't wait for the destruction.
If the Jewish problem today is a lack of appreciation of our heritage, then the solution is clear: increased love of Torah, love of Jews, and love of Israel and Jerusalem. The Almighty is telling us: The siege will not be lifted until you correct the mistake.
RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH
The Talmud speaks about two sages concerned over the threat of Torah being forgotten by the Jewish people. As a precaution, Rav Chiyah captured a deer, slaughtered it, and gave the meat to orphans. Then he tanned the hides and wrote five separate scrolls, one for each of the Five Books of Moses. He took five children, and taught each of them one book. He then took six more children, and taught each of them one of the six orders of Mishnah, the oral law.
Then he told each of the 11 children: Teach what you've learned to each other. With this, the Talmud says, Rav Chiyah ensured that the Torah would never be forgotten by the Jewish people.
This raises a question: 11 children is a pretty small class. Why didn't Rav Chiyah simply teach all the children all the books? Why did he teach each child only one book?
The answer is that the children having to teach each other was essential to the process. To ensure that Torah should not be forgotten, you have to teach what you've learned to others. That's the secret. You've got an obligation to your fellow Jews. If you know something -- teach it.
Realize that the most destructive, painful, contagious disease of all is ignorance. Ignorance leads to wasted lives and untold suffering.
So if you know the key to happiness, teach it. Do you see human beings walking around depressed, half dead? Give them some joy. If you have the ability, you must help. Otherwise you'll always bear the knowledge of what you "could have done."
This is not about "forcing your opinion" on others. No. A good teacher conveys information that allows the student to get in touch with what he already knows -- and re-discover it on his own. Get others to see and understand it on their own terms.
Don't sell yourself short. You have the ability to make a dramatic impact on others. You don't have to be a U.S. Senator to make a difference. With one piece of wisdom you can help humanity.
SOVIET SYSTEM
The director of Aish HaTorah's Russian Program is Rabbi Eliyahu Essas, a former refusenik from the Soviet Union. He lived there at a time when it was totally illegal to study Torah. Consequently, Rabbi Essas had nobody to teach him, and at the time, he didn't know how to even read Aleph-Bet. So he got a hold of some underground books, hid out from the KGB, and began to teach himself Torah.
After awhile, word got out that Rabbi Essas knew Torah, and people started coming to study in secret. But of 5 million Soviet Jews, Rabbi Essas was one of the few teaching Torah. So you can imagine that his time was in great demand. That's why Rabbi Essas made a rule: "Before I begin teaching you, you must agree to teach over what you've learned to others." In this way, Rabbi Essas was able to multiply his effect.
Although we don't live under an oppressive Soviet regime, the concept still applies to us as well. You learned something precious? Say to yourself: "That was fascinating. How did it change me? What did it teach me about living? Now how can I transfer this insight to others?"
Don't forget: Teaching benefits you as well. Until you share an idea, it's not yours. It remains but a hazy notion in your imagination. Having to explain an idea to others forces you to clarify it for yourself. You've taken it out of potential and made it a reality.
When you teach someone, make sure they understand how important it is to teach it over to someone else. If they do, then that's part of your success as a teacher. That's ensuring that Torah would never be forgotten by the Jewish people.
ONE NATION
There's one more lesson to be learned from the story of Rav Chiyah. By teaching the 11 children only one book each, these children knew they had to learn from one another. The Jewish people are one and we're all in this together. Every person is worthy of profound respect, regardless of their beliefs and level of observance, and there is something to be learned from everyone.
We live in serious times. Whether it's assimilation in America, or international forces pressing our holy city of Jerusalem, the message is essentially the same: The siege is on and the clock is ticking. We have to communicate the Torah message to our people. It is a matter of utmost national urgency.
Who is responsible? We who believe in the power of Torah and the eternal mission of the Jewish people are required to act. To teach wisdom and be a "Light Unto the Nations."
On the Tenth of Tevet, when Nebuchadnezzar surrounded the city of Jerusalem, we did not get the message. Will we get the message now? Will we change? Will we wake up to reality?
You've got to care. If you don't make the effort, you don't care enough. You have powers. Are you going to use them?
We must get the message. Before the destruction. Now is the time.
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The ABC's of Purim!
By Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Purim is Judaism's most dramatic, fun-filled holiday. When else can you dress up like a bunny rabbit and eat doughy triangles filled with prunes and poppy seeds?
Purim occurs on the 14th of Adar. (In certain walled cities like Jerusalem, "Shushan Purim" is celebrated on the 15th of Adar.)
The main event is reading the Book of Esther. Set in Persia 2,300 years ago, the "Megillah" (as it is commonly called) recounts how a seemingly unrelated series of events spun together to save the Jewish people from annihilation. The quickie version is as follows:
When King Achashverosh throws a huge six-month party and the queen refuses to follow orders, she is replaced by a new queen - Esther the Jewess. Esther's uncle Mordechai, the leader of the Jews, uncovers a plot to assassinate the king -- putting him also in a favorable position with the king. All this comes in handy when Haman, the king's top advisor, obtains a decree to have all the Jews destroyed.
In the end, through a complex twist of events, Esther gets the decree reversed, Haman is hanged on the gallows, and Mordechai becomes prime minister.
The name Megillat Esther (Scroll of Esther) actually mean "revealing the hidden." Unlike every other book in the Bible, Megillat Esther never mentions God's name even once. The hidden hand of God is revealed through the maze of events. There are no coincidences.
Megillat Esther teaches us that life challenges work out for the best, because what appears as obstacles are really opportunities to develop ourselves for the better. And it all comes from God's invisible hand that guides our fate, every step of the way.
CELEBRATING PURIM TODAY
There are four mitzvot specific to the holiday of Purim:
- Reading the Megillah (Scroll of Esther)
- Festivity and rejoicing (the Purim meal)
- Sending food to friends (Mishloach Manot)
- Giving gifts to the poor (Matanot La'evyonim)
- The Book of Esther is read on Purim night, and again the next day. Every word must be clearly heard. We read it in the synagogue, because the larger the crowd, the greater publicity is given to the miracle of our being saved.
On Purim morning, we bustle around town visiting friends and delivering tasty treats -- Mishloach Manot. Purim is the day we reach out to embrace our fellow Jews -- irrespective of any religious or social differences. After all, Haman did not discriminate amongst us... that's why it is particularly good to give gifts to those who you may have had an argument with, or someone new in the community who needs a new friend.
On Purim, it is also a special mitzvah to give gifts of money to the poor. The Jewish people are one unit -- we can't possibly enjoy the holiday if poor people don't have enough.
Then comes the day's grand finale -- the festive meal. We eat our fill and pamper our bodies -- because it is the Jewish bodies that Haman sought to destroy. Also, we are obliged to imbibe alcohol (responsibly, of course) until one doesn't know the difference between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai."
We dress up in costumes, to let our defenses down and open up to the deeper reality of ourselves and our world. All our current problems and life's imperfections blend into good, until they become one unified expression of the Almighty's infinite perfection.
There is truly no other holiday like Purim!
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Why do we read the haggadah?
By Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
The holiday of Passover marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation. The story of the Jewish nation is one of individuals who became a family who became a people. The great individuals who laid the spiritual foundation of Jewish peoplehood were Abraham and Sarah, their son and daughter-in-law Isaac and Rebecca, and their son and daughters-in-law Jacob, Rachel, and Leah.
From Jacob, Rachel, and Leah came a family of 70 people who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt this family grew and prospered to such an extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat by their Egyptian hosts. Respect and admiration turned to contempt, and finally to an organized program of enslavement and oppression. After 210 years, and a series of unheeded warnings by Moses to Pharaoh which resulted in the Ten Plagues, God liberated a nation which had grown from the original family of 70 people. Seven weeks later this newly conceived nation received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
The Haggadah is the story of the birth of the Jews as a people. It deals primarily with the events in Egypt which led from slavery to liberation, though it also spans the entire period from Abraham to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. One could say that the Haggadah is our national birth certificate as well as our Declaration of Independence. More than just a historical document, it also speaks of the ideals and values which constitute the essence of our national consciousness and identity.
The word haggadah means to tell, or to relate. The Haggadah is a vivid narrative which is set in the context of a parent-child dialogue. Passover, with the Haggadah as its focus, tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you stand for.
The message inherent in the Haggadah is that Jewish identity and continuity hinge on encouraging children to ask questions - and being prepared as parents to provide sensitive and substantive answers. In Judaism, being learned, knowledgeable, and wise is not only a goal, it's a prerequisite. www.leviathanpress.com
Putting the Seder into Perspective
By Rabbi Shraga Simmons
The story is told of Dan and Bob, two homeless people who are talking one afternoon. Dan says: "Do you know what tonight is? It's the holiday of Passover. That's when the Jews have the Seder feast - the fine food and delicious wine - all served in the most elegant manner. I went to a Seder last year and it was incredible. All you have to do is go to the synagogue tonight, and when the services are over, someone will invite you to their home." That evening, the two friends stand in the back of the synagogue waiting. Sure enough, when services are over, they each get invited to separate homes for the Seder. "Good luck," says Dan, "you're gonna love it."
At the Seder, Bob is really excited. He's hungry and hasn't had a home-cooked meal in months. He can already smell the delicious food wafting from the kitchen. He sits patiently as the family reads in a language he doesn't understand. He's getting hungrier, but finally he sees a plate of food being passed around. But it's only little pieces of celery (for the "Karpas")! After this, they go back to reading from the book.
An hour goes by and Bob is really hungry now. He's willing to eat anything. Finally they pass around some Matzah and Bob takes a big piece. Then they serve a bowl of some white vegetable and Bob heaps a big pile on his plate. He stuffs his mouth full with it and ... FIRE!!! The horseradish burns Bob's mouth and stomach, and he runs out of the house screaming and cursing.
Later that night, Bob and Dan meet up again. "I'm so mad at you," shouts Bob. "You sent me to a Seder and it was terrible." "What do you mean?" says Dan. "At my house, they had incredible fish, soup, chicken, kugel and dessert! All you had to do was hang in there and you'd have gotten yours, too!"
This story captures the theme of Passover night. On one level, it is a metaphor for the dramatic turnaround of events the Jews experienced in Egypt. They went from the bitterness of slavery to the glory of freedom - all in one day. So too, when we feel enslaved and in pain, remember that God can redeem us in the blink of an eye. On another level, this story is a good introduction to the Seder itself. The Seder goes from bitter herbs to feast in a matter of moments. For while the Haggadah may seem long at times, hang in there. Food is on the way!
(story attributed to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov)
Lessons for Life
By Rabbi Stephen Baars
Each Jewish holiday is a lesson in life. What is the unique lesson of Passover? Freedom. It's the type of freedom that has given the Jewish people it's power to survive and to thrive. It's not a freedom of the body as much as a freedom of the spirit. And this freedom is available at Passover-time to help you achieve whatever you want. A person with true freedom knows no bounds, and can achieve whatever they wish. They are free to change themselves and change the world! On Sukkot, the holiday of joy, we focus on the need to increase our joy. On Rosh Hashana, we commit to working on goals. On Yom Kippur, we focus on a sense of regret and a returning to where we should be. On Passover, the holiday of freedom, everyone thinks they are free.
The challenge of Passover is to appreciate that this may not be true. Slavery takes many forms; not all shackles are made of iron. Once slavery becomes a way of life, the slave may even become unaware of his own servitude. Passover is a "virtual reality experience" in freedom - and the Haggadah is our guidebook. It assists each Jew in unearthing his own "slavery." The Seder is a seminar on how to be truly free, and on Passover night we can reenact the transformation of leaving Egypt, from slavery to freedom.
Out of the original events of Passover emerged the greatest and longest standing empire of the world. Not an empire of space but an empire of thought - Jewish thought. The story of Passover is the story of the beginnings of the Jewish people, a people that set out to form a "new world order" with a new morality and new concepts of life. The 'old' world was a pagan one, where war and violence were not only ways of life but often national pastimes. The world the Jews ushered in includes ideas with which we are all familiar - equal rights, universal education, social responsibility, and peace for mankind.
Experiences come through two vehicles: Experiences of the body, and experiences of the mind. Passover is a "mind" holiday. We have to become free - not from a physical oppressor, but from a spiritual, mental one. Ideas may enslave us. Pressures, self - imposed limits - all these are in our mind. To be free of them, we must first understand them. But first we must become aware of those things that enslave us on a 'subconscious' level.
That's why the Haggadah encourages us to ask questions to exercise our mind. So as you encounter questions throughout the Haggadah, take them seriously. Try to answer them, and encourage others to ask more questions. Give each of the guests some candies before the Seder starts, so that they can toss a candy to whoever asks a good question.
This is a particularly effective way of keeping children interested. The key is that the Seder should be relevant, not dry and boring. Read ahead, familiarize yourself with the text and look for interesting questions to discuss during the Seder. Circle those points you want to read out during the Seder and write in your own comments.
Discuss the ideas in a deep and meaningful way. Don't just rush through the text in order to get to the meal! One good way to start your Seder is by asking everyone to recollect their childhood experiences of what their Seder was like. If everyone at the Seder is thinking, then the Haggadah seminar is sure to show you how to be truly free.
Can I Skip the Boring Parts?
By Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
The reading of the entire Haggadah is the way in which one fulfills his or her obligation to speak about the exodus from Egypt on the night of Passover. In order to realize the full benefit of this mitzvah, one must both read and understand the complete text of the Haggadah. This means that if you don't understand Hebrew, then you shouldn't read it in Hebrew. This also implies that - beyond understanding the words - you should strive to discern their deeper meanings and messages. Let your imagination loose for a moment and picture this: you have just concluded a marvelous encounter with the most adorable extraterrestrial you could ever hope to meet. A conversation transpired (though no words were actually spoken) and clearly your rendezvous was with a being of superior intelligence whose understanding penetrated the many layers of life and the universe. As a parting gift, you are left with a book, but there's one catch - in twenty-four hours it will mysteriously vanish. Now ask yourself: over those next twenty-four hours, how much time will you spend preparing and eating meals, watching television, or sleeping?
Or... imagine that while rummaging through a long-neglected corner in your attic you were to find a dusty, handwritten manuscript authored by your great-grandfather. Wouldn't you be curious to see what he wrote? And what if the opening lines read: "To my dear children, this is the most important book you will ever read. It is about Jewish life and the wisdom of living written by a Jew who dedicated his life to the pursuit of wisdom. Countless hours have been devoted to finding the words and the thoughts which I trust will serve as a faithful guide in life, and as a key to your freedom..." The yellowed pages of that manuscript are the timeless folios of every Haggadah. That great-grandfather is the collective wisdom of our greatest sages. You are the heir who happened upon those lost words. A multilayered message about the meaning of Jewish existence, about life, and, most of all, about freedom. And all you've got is one night. The legacy of freedom is yours to discover.
(from the "Passover Survival Kit Haggadah" www.leviathanpress.com)
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13 YEARS IN THE CAVE
Rabbi Shimon was a great sage who lived during the Roman conquest of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. He was one of Rabbi Akiva's five students who -- despite terrible persecutions -- ensured that the Torah would not be forgotten.
The Talmud (Shabbat 33b) describes a seminal event in the life of Rabbi Shimon:
When the Romans outlawed the study of Torah, Rabbi Shimon spoke out against them. The Romans thus pronounced a death sentence against Rabbi Shimon, who was forced to go into hiding.
Rabbi Shimon and his son Elazar fled to a cave in the northern region of Israel. They had no means of subsistence, but a miracle occurred and a carob tree sprouted in the cave, along with a stream of water.
Rabbi Shimon and his son had no change of clothes. In order to preserve their clothes from wearing out, they each dug a deep hole, removed their clothes and buried themselves neck-deep in the sand. (Out of modesty, they wanted to be covered.) They would spend the entire day immersed in Torah study. When the time for prayer arrived, they would put on their clothes, pray -- and then return to the sand.
Rabbi Shimon and his son remained in the cave for 12 years, involved in nothing but the study of Torah. One day, Elijah the prophet came to the cave and announced that the Caesar had died, and the decree against Rabbi Shimon was lifted.
Rabbi Shimon and his son ventured out of the cave. They saw some farmers working in the field. Rabbi Shimon was shocked that his fellow Jews were not continuously occupied in Torah study. "How could anyone forsake eternal life by indulging in mundane, worldly pursuits?" he said. Rabbi Shimon then cast his gaze upon the farmers -- and they were immediately vaporized, due to the power of Rabbi Shimon's spiritual stature.
At that point, a voice from heaven proclaimed: "My world is not to be destroyed! Return to your cave!"
Rabbi Shimon and his son returned to the cave, in order to learn better how to control their spiritual powers. At the end of one year, a voice from heaven announced: "Emerge from your cave!"
Rabbi Shimon and his son emerged, and again encountered people involved in mundane, worldly pursuits. It was Friday afternoon, and they saw a man running with two bundles of myrtle blossoms. "Where are you going with these flowers?" they asked him. "They are in honor of Shabbat," said the man. "But why do you have two bundles?" they asked. "One is for 'zachor,' and one is for 'shamor,' " he said, referring to the two aspects of Shabbat observance mentioned in the Ten Commandments.
At which point Rabbi Shimon turned to his son and said, "Now I see the power of a Jew and his mitzvot" -- Shabbat is a day within the physical world which bridges the gap to the transcendent dimension. On Shabbat, even the most physical pursuits -- whether a delicious meal or an afternoon nap -- carries with it a special degree of holiness.
RABBI SHIMON REVEALS THE ZOHAR
Rabbi Shimon went on to become the greatest Torah teacher of his generation. When he reached the final day of his life, he called together his students and told them to pay close attention.
The Zohar (3:291b) describes the scene:
Rabbi Shimon spent the entire day in a prophetic stream of consciousness, revealing the deepest mystical secrets of Torah. He told his students: "Until now, I have held the secrets close to my heart. But now, before I die, I wish to reveal all."
Rabbi Abba, a student assigned with the job of transcribing Rabbi Shimon's words, reports: "I couldn't even lift my head due to the intense light emanating from Rabbi Shimon. The entire day the house was filled with fire, and nobody could get close due to the wall of fire and light. At the end of the day, the fire finally subsided, and I was able to look at the face of Rabbi Shimon: He was dead, wrapped in his Tallis, lying on his right side -- and smiling."
Why was Rabbi Shimon bathed in light and fire? Because Torah is compared to fire -- for example, "Aish HaTorah". Fire is that material which converts physical matter into energy. So too, Torah shows us how to transform the material world into a transcendent energy. In fact Rabbi Shimon's Kabbalistic work, "The Zohar," literally means "shining light."
CELEBRATING LAG B'OMER TODAY
To celebrate Lag B'Omer, Jews from around Israel light bonfires, to commemorate the great fire that surrounded Rabbi Shimon. For weeks before, Israeli children scavenge wood to arrange as impressive sculptures -- often 20 and 30 feet high. Great public celebrations are held and the wood towers are burned on Lag B'Omer.
But if Lag B'Omer marks the date of Rabbi Shimon's death, why is it such a celebration?
The reason is that Rabbi Shimon had been convicted of a capital crime by the Romans. By all rights, he should have died well before his time. But through tremendous self-sacrifice (hiding in the cave) and a series of miracles (the carob tree and the stream), Rabbi Shimon was able to live out a full life. The climax of this great life was the revelation of Torah's greatest inner secrets. All this is cause for celebration.
Lag B'Omer is a day of great pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon in the Galilee town of Meiron. In one day, an estimated 250,000 Jews visit Meiron -- dancing, praying, and celebrating the wonderful spiritual gifts that Rabbi Shimon bequeathed to us. Some people camp out for weeks beforehand in anticipation.
On Lag B'Omer, the entire town is filled with torches and bonfires -- in the streets and on the rooftops. Planes flying overhead are perplexed, and satellite maps of Israel take on a different glow. Symbolically, they illuminate the paths of those who seek to understand the deeper truths of Torah, as revealed by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
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Kabalistic Insights into Shvat
By Rabbi Max Weiman
The word shvat is related to the Hebrew word for a staff or rod. A staff can be used as a symbol of power, or as a cane to lean on. It serves a master. This is an underlying theme of the month.
The constellation associated with Shvat is the water bucket. This symbol also represents an object that serves someone. It draws water. In secular astrology, the symbol is not the bucket but the carrier. (This is one of two out of 12 signs of the zodiac that differ slightly from secular astrology signs.)
The symbolism of the water bucket is very important. A bucket has but one function, design, and purpose: to draw and carry water. That is, to be a vessel of transmission. Its whole essence is one of serving. It is not an end unto itself. It is meant to be a vehicle for something else.
Water, in many places throughout Jewish thought, is a metaphor for the wisdom of Torah. There are a number of qualities that water has, which are conceptually parallel to Torah.
One of the qualities of water is that it always flows to the lowest spot. How is this parallel to Torah? The out-pouring of wisdom that comes from God rests on the most humble personality. The more selfless a person is, the more wisdom flows toward him. If a person devotes himself to ideals, to living truth, to helping others... then he becomes a vessel fitting to receive the Torah's wisdom.
This sign, known as Aquarius, is the sign of the Jewish people. Just as a person is designated by a sign of the zodiac, so to nations also have a sign designated to them.
The natural element is associated with Shvat is wind. Out of the four elements (wind, earth, water, and fire), wind is the least tangible. It often acts as a conduit for other things. It transports moisture, and brings seedlings and other particles of nature from one location to another. Earth, fire and water are more important for what they are, than for what they do.
The tribe of Asher is kabbalistically associated with Shvat. Asher in Hebrew grammar connects the subject of a sentence to a verb. It supports the subject. This is another example of Shvat's relationship to being subordinate to a master.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
All of these points suggest that the month of Shvat is prone to be a conduit for us. A stepping-stone to the next step in our lives.
Many things in a person's life can be looked at from two viewpoints. One view looks at the act itself. The other view is how the act is a means to an end. For example, I may enjoy playing tennis once a week for the pure enjoyment of the game, the exercise, or the company of my playing partner. However, I can also use my weekly tennis game as a means to keep me physically healthy, which gives my whole life more enjoyment, which allows me to serve God with more vigor and joy.
That second viewpoint is not a contradiction to the first view. It's an added, more elevated outlook that makes my tennis playing a more powerful spiritual experience.
The letter kabbalistically associated with Shvat is the tzadi, otherwise known as the tzaddik. That word in Hebrew also means righteous one. One of the qualities of the tzaddik is that he uses all of his activities for a higher purpose. When he eats, it is not just to enjoy the food. He eats in order to better serve his creator. The Talmud says, A righteous person eats to satisfy his soul.
Coincidentally, the human attribute kabbalistically associated with Shvat is eating. This daily experience is connected with the first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve -- not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Through eating, we have a daily opportunity to correct a part of our soul, so deep and intrinsic that it reaches back into the Garden of Eden.
Shvat is a month to focus on this idea of using your normal daily behavior as a medium for spirituality. This month, think through your work, play, exercise, eating, reading, etc. -- and focus on the spiritual side of them.
Getting the real pleasure
By Rabbi David Aaron
The celebration of Tu B'Shvat -- the 15th of the month of Shvat on the Hebrew calendar-- is not mentioned in the Bible. The oldest reference is found in the Talmud, where Tu B'Shvat is called "the new year of the trees." The Talmud ascribes significance to this date only in terms of the legal implications of taking tithes (10%) from fruits. However, about 500 years ago, the kabbalists revealed the deeper meaning of Tu B'Shvat. They taught that Tu B'Shvat is an opportune time for fixing the transgression of
Adam and Eve. Amazingly, just through the simple act of eating fruit during the Tu B'Shvat festive dinner, we are able to contribute to this cosmic repair.
But how?
The Torah says that God put Adam and Eve in the garden "to work it and to guard it." The Jewish oral tradition teaches that this refers to the do's and don'ts of the Torah. The do's are the positive mitzvot and the don'ts are the negative mitzvot. Adam and Eve were given very little to do: eat from all the trees of the garden. And their only don't -- their single prohibition -- was not to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. What was that about?
The Torah teaches that God created the world so that we could experience goodness in general, and His goodness in particular. Experiencing His goodness -- bonding with God -- is the greatest joy imaginable. God empowers us to bond with Him by serving His purpose for creation. Just as when we do for others, we feel connected to them, so, too, serving God enables us to bond with Him. Ironically, serving God is actually self-serving -- profoundly fulfilling and pleasurable.
If we eat and enjoy the fruits of this world for God's sake -- because this is what He asks of us -- then we are actually serving God and bonding with Him. We serve God by acknowledging that the fruits of this world are His gifts to us, and by willfully accepting and enjoying those gifts.
The root of Jewish life is, in fact, enjoyment -- the pleasure of connecting to God. We connect to God by serving Him, and this means obeying His command to enjoy the fruits of this world.
While in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve's entire obligation was to enjoy all the lush fruits -- with the notable exception of one forbidden fruit. Sure enough, they went after that one. This misdeed demonstrated their confused orientation to the real meaning of pleasure. Rather than seeing the fruits as pleasurable because they are God's gifts and enjoying them as part of their service to God, they wanted to partake of them independently of God -- in fact, contrary to His will.
The Art of Receiving
As already explained, real pleasure is experiencing a connection with God. We enjoy the ultimate spiritual pleasure when we enjoy the physical pleasures of this world as part of our divine service. Then, the act of receiving and enjoying God's gifts to us is amazingly transformed into a selfless act of serving God. True pleasure was not in the taste of the fruits, but in eating and
enjoying these gifts from God. But Adam and Eve sought pleasure independent of God.
This is the root of all wrongdoing. Do we see the pleasures of this world as a gift from God, enjoying them in the service of God, and using them as conduits to a connection to God? Or, do we seek pleasure independent of any connection to God? In other words, is the pleasure about our bodies, or is the pleasure about our souls?
Following Adam and Eve's fatal mistake, God told them, "Because you ate from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from, the earth has become cursed." God was not punishing the earth because of Adam and Eve's transgression, rather He was informing them that their distorted orientation toward physical pleasures had turned the earth into a source of curse rather than blessing, for them and for their descendants.
Depending on how we view the physical world, it is cursed or blessed. If we look at the physical world as a conduit to a connection with God, and if, as a service to God, we gratefully receive His gift of delicious fruits, we
thereby experience His presence and the physical world becomes blessed. The physical world then becomes a bridge between the human and the divine. But if we fixate on the physical, independent of any relationship with God, and mistakenly perceive this world as the source of our pleasure rather than as a bridge to God, then this world becomes a barrier to God and a curse for us.
The Power of Blessing Now that we understand the transgression of Adam and Eve, we can begin to appreciate how we can contribute to its fixing on Tu B'Shvat.
On Tu B'Shvat, we attempt to fix the transgression of Adam and Eve when we enjoy the fruits of the earth, preceded by the recitation of an appreciative blessing to God -- "Blessed are you, God..." in other words, "God, You are the source of this blessing."
An apple is not just an apple, an apple is a blessing. Maybe I could believe that apples come from trees, but a blessing could only come from God. If I really contemplate the mystery and miracle of the taste, fragrance, beauty and nutrition wrapped up in this apple, I see that it's more than just a fruit -- it is a wondrous loving gift from God. When I taste an apple with that kind of consciousness, I cannot but experience the presence of God within the physical.
When I recite a blessing before I eat and acknowledge it as a gift from God, I reveal the divinity within it, and the transient sensual pleasure of the food is transformed, because it is filled with eternal spiritual pleasure. The food then feeds not only my body but also my soul. However, when I eat without a blessing, it's as if I stole the food. Perhaps it will nourish
and bring pleasure to my body, but it will do nothing for my soul. The soul is only nourished when it experiences its eternal connection to God.
When we enjoy the fruits of the previous year as wonderful gifts from God and affirm our yearning for God's presence manifest in the fruit, we are like a baby sucking his mother's milk with great appetite. We draw forth with great abundance the "milk of the earth"-the sap in the trees rises up with great abundance, so that they will bear much fruit in the coming year.
On Tu B'Shvat, we enjoy the fruits as God's gift and experience their pleasure as a connection to God. In this way we fix the transgression of Adam and Eve. We celebrate how eating and enjoying the fruits of trees can be a bridge to God, and how it can bring back the blessing to the earth.
Excerpted from the forthcoming book, "Inviting God In: The True Meaning of the Jewish Holy Days" (Trumpeter/Random House)
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What is Shavuot?
Shavuot is on the fiftieth day of the Omer counting. This holiday, is the anniversary of our acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai. On this day, we celebrate the fact that we have the Torah, and we acknowledge that we received all of the Torah, both oral and written. In the days of the Temple, this is one of the three holidays for which we are commanded to make the pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. On Shavu'os we would bring of the first fruits of the harvest to the Temple.
The Mission of Torah
By Rabbi David Aaron
I will share with you a very strange story from the Talmud. The Sages encoded deep ideas into such stories. This story conveys a profound truth about who we are, what Torah is, and why we were given the Torah.
When Moses ascended to Heaven to get the Torah, the ministering angels said to the Holy One, praised be He, "Sovereign of the universe, what is one born of a woman doing among us?" In other words, what is this imperfect human being doing among perfect beings? How could mortal man ascend to the level of angels?
"He has come to receive the Torah," responded God. "He's not staying. He just came to pick something up -- the Torah."
The angels were even more upset. "What?! Are You about to bestow upon frail man such a cherished treasure? How can You give human beings your holy Torah? Keep it in heaven. Give it to us!"
People often say that the Torah is a manual for living from God. But it is really more than that. It is an assignment from God. The Torah is a mission from God to be performed on God's behalf. That's why the Torah was in the angelic realm. An angel is an agent for God appointed to perform a divine mission. Man also has the opportunity to perform a mission on behalf of God. Accepting the Torah means you are accepting a Divine mission. You become a Divine agent. According to Jewish law, if you appoint someone to be your agent, he is equipotent to yourself. You have given him your power of attorney, to act on your behalf. This is the amazing power, responsibility, and privilege entrusted to us through Torah.
The angels did not know what was in the Torah. All they knew was that God must really cherish this mission if He had been holding on to it for so long time and had not yet appointed anyone to perform it. When Moses showed up to receive the Torah, they were in absolute shock. All this time, they had heard about this incredible, lofty, exalted mission, and who does God finally chose to entrust it to? A human! This is absurd. Humans are such lowly creatures, filled with base inclinations and evil deeds. Humans are going to act on God's behalf?!
God says to Moses, "You have to respond to these angels' complaints." In other words, you have to understand why you deserve this mission. What are your qualifications?
Most people think that the theme of Torah is about believing in God. That's only half the story. Torah is also about believing in yourself. To accept Torah, you must have a tremendous amount of self-esteem. You must believe that you are worthy to be God's agent on Earth -- you were sent here to fulfill a sacred mission.
The message of Shavuot is: You are important and significant to God. You have been given the opportunity to represent the Almighty. You have been entrusted with His power of attorney to act on his behalf.
Arguing with the Angels
God says to Moses, "I cannot answer for you. Unless you realize for yourself what your qualifications are, you can't be entrusted with the mission."
Moses holds on to the Holy Throne, and is charged with amazing confidence to face the angels. In their presence, he asks God, "What's in Your Torah?"
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt."
Moses then challenges the angels, "Did you go to Egypt and serve Pharaoh? What relevance is the Torah to you?" In other words, Moses argues, "Did you have to serve Pharaoh? Were you oppressed slaves for 210 years?"
The angels concede. They had lived only a perfect blissful life in heaven.
Moses continues to make his case, "God, what else is written in Your Torah?"
"Thou shalt not have other gods."
Moses confronts the angels, "Are you living among nations who worship idols?"
To really understand Moses' question you need to appreciate what idolatry was really all about. Idolatry was a lot of fun. Most idolatrous practices revolved around sexual promiscuity. The idolaters believed that orgies were a service to their gods. Therefore Moses' point to the angels was, "Do you live in a society which challenges you daily with constant allurements and seductions?"
The angels say, "Nahh, we're angels!"
Moses continues, "God, what else is in the Torah?"
"Keep the Shabbat. Honor your father and mother. Don't murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal."
"Angels," Moses challenges, "do you work hard? Do you need rest? Do you have fathers and mothers that you have to honor? Does jealousy exist among you? Do you have an evil inclination?"
These are the qualifications Moses presented to merit the mission of Torah for humankind: We live in a materialistic society filled with daily seductions. That's why we should get the Torah! We qualify for this mission because we make so many mistakes. We are inundated with problems and challenges from within and without. We are perfect for this job, because we are so imperfect! So the next time you call us "born of a woman," say it with respect.
The angels are indeed impressed. They even want to befriend humankind, and give Moses useful secrets to help humans in their difficult mission.
Human Goodness Inc
What is the mission of Torah? It is to overcome negative and destructive urges and choose goodness. Goodness that has been chosen is the highest form of goodness. We are highly qualified for this mission because we are inclined to the allurements and seductions. We are able to fail, but also to succeed. We are able to destroy, but also to build. We are able to choose to do great evil, but also to choose to do amazing good.
Angels are perfect; they have no negative inclination. They have no free choice. They can't struggle. They can't fail. They cannot choose goodness.
Our mission, if we're willing to accept it, is to choose goodness. This is how we serve God. Angels sing God's praises in a perfect heavenly world. However, human praises surpass those of the angels because we praise God from Earth, soiled with imperfections, problems, and challenges. This is our greatness.
God does not expect us to be perfect. In fact, if we were perfect, we could not have qualified for the mission of Torah. The Talmud teaches that a person can stand in Torah only after he has failed at it. In other words, part of the mission of Torah is to fail, regret, resolve, change, choose goodness, and succeed. We humans are the perfect candidates for the job.
When the angels understood this, they gave Moses gifts -- useful secrets. They wanted to invest in the human enterprise. They wanted to be shareholders in Human Goodness Inc. If you can't work for the company, at least invest in it, and enjoy dividends as a shareholder.
God is the major investor in Human Goodness Inc. God invested a spark of the Divine Self in human beings in order to participate in this world. This is the meaning of the mystical tradition that teaches that God desires to be in this world. God lives and participates in this world through you and me -- if we accept the mission. This is the real meaning of God creating man in His image.
Every human being has the potential to be an agent and vehicle for God. Everything we do can be for God's sake. This is the greatest honor and pleasure a person could experience. To live for myself is no great honor, but to live for God, to choose goodness for God's sake -- this is Heaven on Earth.
Number 7 in Judaism!
By Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
In the beginning... God created 7's.
Oh sure, He created light and dark, the heavens and earth, too. But for reasons unknown to us, He seemed to have a special affinity for the number 7.
The fact that the Torah begins with a verse containing 7 words and 28 letters (divisible by 7) is hardly remarkable. But when placed within the context of the overwhelming number of associations in Judaism with '7', a fascinating tapestry begins to unfurl. Let's take a closer look at this phenomenon.
WHY "SHAVUOT?"
Every spring, Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Shavuot --commemorating the most seminal event in the history of mankind, God's revelation at Mount Sinai.
Shavuot. Curious name for this holiday, no? Shavuot means "weeks," underscoring the 7-week period between Passover and Shavuot in which we count each day (and week) in anticipation and preparation for re-living the Sinai revelation. But why call it Shavuot -- "weeks"? Why not call the holiday "Torah," or "Sinai," or "Commandments," or "Tablets." Of what significance is "Weeks"?
Time contains many different entities. Nearly all of them are related to natural phenomena. Days, nights, months, seasons and years are all directly determined, in some way, by the constellations. There is one exception -- the week. The formulation of a week seems to be totally arbitrary. Who needs it? Let one day just follow the previous one. And why 7 days?
The concept of a week and its constitution of 7 days is one that is strictly God-invented and human-adopted. While we may quibble about creation -- how, when, by whom, why -- the world has consensually agreed to the concept of a week. The Beatles were wrong... there are only 7 days in a week. And whenever a week is completed it is yet another reminder to mankind (or should be) that God created the world in 7 days. (Only 6 days were required to manufacture the physical structures, but the process was not complete until the spiritual realm, Shabbat, was added.)
Call it the "week link."
WHY "7"?
Kabbalah teaches that 7 represents wholeness and completion. After 7 days, the world was complete. There are 6 directions in our world: north, south, east, west, up and down. Add to that the place where you are, and you have a total of 7 points of reference.
Shavuot, marking the emergence of the Jewish people into a nation, by virtue of their receiving and accepting the Torah, also marks a completion. Perhaps that is why the holiday is called Shavuot, "Weeks." We want to identify this holiday as a completion of the process of Jewish nationhood.
No one is certain why God chose the number "7" to signify completion. All we can do is speculate, observe and marvel.
In honor of our own completion of the 49 day period leading up to Shavuot, we present 49 allusions to the number "7" within Judaism. How many of these do you recognize? How many more can you add?
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENS!
- Shabbat is the 7th day of the week.
- There are 7 weeks in the counting of the Omer before Shavuot. (Leviticus 23:15)
- In Israel, there are 7 days of Passover and Sukkot. (Leviticus 23:6, 34)
- Every 7th year, the land lays fallow during Shmita (Sabbatical year). (Leviticus 25:4)
- After 7 cycles of Shmita, we have a Jubilee year (Yovel). (Leviticus 25:8)
- When a close relative dies, we sit Shiva for 7 days.
- On Sukkot we shake 7 species - 1 Lulav, 1 Esrog, 2 willows, and 3 myrtles.
- Yitro, the first real convert to Judaism, had 7 different names, and 7 daughters (one who married Moses).
- Moses was born and died on the same day - the 7th of Adar.
- Our Sukkah huts are "visited" by 7 guests - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David.
- The Menorah in the Temple had 7 branches.
- Achashvarosh, King of Persia during the miracle of Purim, held a party for 7 days. (Esther 1:5)
- There are 7 holidays in the Jewish year: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot.
- In addition to the 613 Commandments, the Sages added 7 more.
- There are 7 Noachide Laws pertaining to all humanity.
- At every Jewish wedding, 7 blessings are recited (Sheva Brachot).
- Each Shabbat, 7 people are called to the Torah reading (Aliyot).
- The first verse in the Torah contains 7 words (and 28 letters).
- Our Matriarch Leah had 7 children - six sons and one daughter.
- There were 7 days of preparation for the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert. (Leviticus 8:35)
- Traditionally, the bride circles the groom 7 times under the Chuppah (wedding canopy).
- We wind the Tefillin straps around the arm 7 times.
- Moses was the 7th generation after Abraham.
- Each plague in Egypt lasted 7 days.
- In Pharaoh's dreams there were 7 cows and 7 stalks of grain. (Genesis 41)
- The Biblical contamination period typically lasts 7 days. (Leviticus 13:4)
- God created 7 levels of heaven. (Hence the expression, "I'm in 7th heaven!")
- On Shabbat and holidays, we recite 7 blessings in the silent Amidah.
- There are 7 special species of produce by which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives, and dates. (Deut. 8:8)
- The world has 7 continents.
- The 7 weeks of the Omer correspond to the 7 "sefirot," the 7 behavior traits in which we serve God: kindness, strength, beauty, triumph, splendor, foundation, and kingship.
- Noah sent the dove and the raven out of the Ark for 7 days to inspect the weather conditions. (Genesis 8:10)
- 7 nations warred with Israel: Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites.
- On Yom Kippur, the High Priest sprinkled the blood in the Temple 7 times. (Leviticus 16)
- The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana occurs, surprisingly, in the 7th month -- Tishrei. (Leviticus 23:24)
- The Jewish calendar, largely lunar, has a cycle of intercalation that contains 7 leap years during each 19-year period.
- There are 7 notes on the musical scale.
- A Kohen (priest) should participate in the burial of 7 relatives: father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, and spouse. (Leviticus 21:2)
- We dance 7 circles (hakafot) on the holiday of Simchat Torah.
- The smallest allowable dimension of a Sukkah is 7 cubits by 7 cubits.
- The world has 7 seas.
- Joshua led the Jewish People around the walls of Jericho 7 times before the walls fell. (Joshua 6:15)
- Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years (twice) in order to marry his daughters. (Genesis 29:27)
- The Holy Temple contained 7 gates of entry.
- We recite 7 blessings every day before and after the "Shema" -- 3 in the morning and 4 at night.
- The Talmud lists 7 female prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther.
- A Jewish servant regains freedom after working for 7 years. (Exodus 21:2)
- We conclude our Yom Kippur prayers by proclaiming7 times, "The Lord is God!"
- A Jewish wedding is followed by 7 days of celebration (Sheva Brachot).
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What is 17 of Tamuz?
The 17th of Tammuz is a fast day commemorating the fall of Jerusalem, prior to the destruction of the Holy Temple. This also marks the beginning of a 3-week national period of mourning, leading up to Tisha B'Av.
The 17th of Tammuz is the first of four fast days mentioned in the prophets. The purpose of a fast day is to awaken our sense of loss over the destroyed Temple - and the subsequent Jewish journey into exile.
Agonizing over these events is meant to help us conquer those spiritual deficiencies which brought about these tragic events. Through the process of "Teshuva" - self-introspection and a commitment to improve - we have the power to transform tragedy into joy. In fact, the Talmud says that after the future redemption of Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple, these fast days will be re-dedicated as days of rejoicing and festivity. For as the prophet Zechariah says: the 17th of Tammuz will become a day of "joy to the House of Judah, and gladness and cheerful feasts."
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