Rabbinical hutzpah

I get an R.Eli J. Mansour's Daily Halacha Sunday through Friday. The email for Friday, December 20, 2013 was titled “Peri Ha’gefen” or “Feri Ha’gefen” (http://tinyurl.com/m7ppx5w). (Which reminds me of the joke about "HaGefen, HaGafen" but that's for another time.)

The majority of the article revolved around a dagesh; its presence of absence in the letter פ.

I'm not going to join the debate on how to say the blessings over ground plants or wine. I'm not qualified.

Neither are the rabbis, gadolim they may be.

Whether or not there is a dagash in the character or not is a matter for grammarians and, although the blessings have been around for a very long time, the grammarians should examine the issue from today's Hebrew.

R. Monsour's column reads, in part:

"There is a debate among the Halachic authorities regarding the proper pronunciation of the Berachot recited over fruits and wine. According to some opinions, the text should be pronounced 'Boreh Feri Ha’etz' or 'Boreh Feri Ha’gefen,' as opposed to 'Peri.' Meaning, according to this view, the Beracha should be pronounced without a Dagesh (dot) in the 'Peh,' such that it is pronounced 'Feri' instead of 'Peri.' This was the view of Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his Or Le’sion (vol. 2, p. 304), who noted the grammatical rule that when a word ends with an 'Alef,' and the next word begins with a 'Peh,' the 'Peh' is pronounced without a Dagesh (e.g., "Feh').

'Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagreed. In his Yabia Omer (vol. 9, Siman 22), he explains that the aforementioned rule applies only when the two words are read together. But in the text of these Berachot, the words 'Peri Ha’etz' and 'Peri Ha’gefen' are read together, separate from the word 'Boreh.' As such, the letter 'Peh' is pronounced with a Dagesh, and the word should therefore be pronounced as 'Peri'."

I have a son-in-law who can - but fortunately for me does not - speak Temani Hebrew. He can pronounce ג with and without the dagesh - ah, you didn't know ג had a dagesh? Actually, you can find a dagesh lene in each of the following: ב, ג, ד, כ, פ, ת

(I just "discovered" there are TWO dagesh types: lene (ibid.) and forte. The commercial web site, Biblical Hebrew Made Easy ( http://tinyurl.com/m5lcjw5), explains the difference. )

There are two points to this rant.

Point 1: We can't even get together on how to pronounce unadorned (characters sans dagesh) Hebrew letters. Does a ת sound like a "t" or an "s" ? And what happens if that ת has a dagesh in it? Depends on who is saying the word in which the letter appears. (No, it's not just some Ashkenazim that make a ת sound line a ס.) Maybe some people put a dagesh into EVERYפ just as some Moroccans put a dagesh into every ב.

Point 2: Grammar is not part of the rabbinical purview. I understand that at one time the rabbis had a lock on how Hebrew was to be pronounced, but that was nearly two centuries in the past. Today, the use of a dagesh is the purview of the "Academy Of The Hebrew Language, an Israeli institution that is the supreme authority on the Hebrew language. Established by the Knesset in accordance with the "Law for the Supreme Institute for the Hebrew Language, 1953," it succeeded the Hebrew Language Committee (Va'ad ha-Lashon ha-Ivrit) inaugurated in Jerusalem in 1890. In 1889 a group calling itself "Safah Berurah" had been formed, with the object of "spreading the Hebrew language and speech among people in all walks of life." This group elected the Committee, the first members of which were Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, David Yellin, R. Ḥayyim Hirschenson, and A.M. Luncz. Initially the Committee devoted itself to establishing Hebrew terms needed for daily use and to creating a uniform pronunciation for Hebrew speech to replace the then current variety of pronunciations. After only one year of existence, organizational problems disrupted the Committee's activities, but in 1903 at the Teachers' Conference in Zikhron Ya'akov, it was reconvened with an enlarged membership, and thereafter held regular monthly meetings" (http://tinyurl.com/lwbyrox).

Flights of fancy?

Israel's knesset is considering whether the country's prime minister and president deserve an Air Force One of their own.

It seems the country's chief politician and its current has-been president now have to fly commercial and El Al, as many American Jews have found, is too expensive. It is embarrassing for a head of state to fly on another county's carriers.

But does Israel really need an especially configured 747 a la U.S. Air Force One?

Obungler is helping break America's bank by flitting all over the globe in AF1 and when he's not using it, his wife uses it for jaunts to places such as Hawaii. According to most reports, it costs the U.S. taxpayer nearly $182,000 an hour while it's in the air. The cost-per-hour does not include extras such as air crew (pilot, co-pilot, flight attendants), security, and catering to name a few "incidentals."

The fact that the United States cannot afford presidential jaunts should - but probably does not - give Israeli politicians promoting a similar chariot for the PM and president , even if they share it, second thoughts.

The U.S. president's plane can move along at about 530 mph (851 kph) and it's used for both short (DC to New York or, when the weather's cold, Miami or LA) and long (Far East and South Africa) flights.

Israeli politicians' travel normally is to Europe (roughly 5 air hours), with an occasional flight to D.C. (5,875 statute miles/5,105 nautical miles).

Things to keep in mind as you read on:
1 statute mile = 0.869 nautical miles (nm);
1 nautical mile (nm) = 1.151 statue miles;
1 knot = 1 nautical mile
mach 1 = 661 nm/hour

There must be a plane suitable for the head of state that won't break the bank. Indeed, there are several that could carry the PM or president AND family AND aides-de-camp in the style to which they think they deserve. Satisfactory aircraft that can make the Lod to D.C. flight non-stop include:

Dassault Falcon 7X, a tri-jet with a price tag of about US$50 million. It seats 16 passengers and has a range of 5950 nautical miles (6847 statute [land] miles) at a cruise speed of 459 knots with an estimated fuel cost of $4.81/mile.

Gulfstream 550, selling for US$57 million, is a twin-jet with a range of 6,750 nm and can carry 18 passengers. (A slightly used G550 can be had for a bargain price of US$30 million.)

Gulfstream 650, at US$71 million, is a twin-jet with a 7,000 nm range and can carry as many as 17 passengers with berthing for 7.

G650 configured for 17 passengers (Gulfstream graphic)

While paying $4.81/mile for a 11,570 mile flight (round trip Lod-D.C., US$56,517.5) is US$45,930 more than El Al's first class round trip fare of US$10,587, the politician can being along his pals for "free," leave and return on his whim (unlike sitting in a plane at Lod for 6 hours), and has a place to stretch out. Admittedly the US$56.5k fails to include the air crew, but IDF pilots probably need flight time just as USAF pilots do, so flight crew costs are an IDF write off.

Plus Israel can show its colors in a sensible-for-it aircraft.

Maybe the knesset committee looking into privileged person travel will crunch the numbers before trying to match the U.S

Political Correctness

 

REALLY?

 

Some folks, I suspect mostly white liberals, forced Walt Disney's company to shelve Song of the South, otherwise known as Uncle Remus Tales.

According to one source I found online, Joel Chandler Harris, the "author" of the Uncle Remus stories simply recorded morality tales told by slaves and ex-slaves, black Aesops if you will. According to Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/sots.asp:

Harris grew up in Georgia during the Civil War, spent a lifetime compiling and publishing the tales told to him by former slaves. These stories — many of which Harris learned from an old black man he called "Uncle George" — were first published as columns in The Atlanta Constitution and were later syndicated nationwide and published in book form. Harris's Uncle Remus was a fictitious old slave and philosopher who told entertaining fables about Br'er Rabbit and other woodland creatures in a Southern Black dialect.

Like Aesop, the Uncle Remus tales use animals to deliver the message.

The 1946 movies Song of the South included a series of "firsts," including the first combination of human actors and animated characters. The humans included James Baskett as Uncle Remus, Disney's first live actor ever hired by Disney. (See http://www.songofthesouth.net/movie/index.html for a list of all the characters in the movie.)

I saw Song of the South as a child and thought it wonderful; like most kids, I went around singing Zippidy do dah ; I still sing it many years later.

TO THE POINT, while the movie is available only overseas, you might be able to find a CD with four Uncle Remus tales. (The CD, if anyone is interested, is called Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby. There also are a number of books with Uncle Remus tales; check your local library Reference Desk.)

My Local Lending Library, hereafter LLL, had access to the CD and several Uncle Remus books. "Access" since the books were found in other libraries and shipped, albeit indirectly, to my LLL. I've been getting books this way for years.

The interesting thing about the CD is not the stores but the person telling the tales and the person providing the "mood" music.

Two gentlemen of - ahh - color are Danny Glover who reads the takes and Taj Mahal who provides the background music. (The "weasel words" are used since, in my lifetime, they have been called negro, colored, Afro-American, and black; I'm not sure what the term-du-jour will be when this is read; hopefully, "just folk.")

If, then, Song of the South and the Uncle Remus tales are so offensive to people of color, why are these two famous people involved with the CD?

Granted, "different strokes for different folks"; when the replica of the slave ship La Amistad was offered to Tampa FL, the locals rejected it; the folks of New Haven CN gladly accepted the chance to host the ship. (Read about the boat at - among other sites - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Amistad.)

Mr. Glover, who voices all of the characters on the CD, does does not use " Southern Black dialect" - no "dis 'n dat" but the story comes through just fine.

Still, I think maybe some folks are a little too sensitive to dialects; they are too quick to assume they are a "put down" yet those accents are very much a part of Americana. I have an accent, my wife has an accent, my neighbors all have accents; those accents make life interesting, colorful, and as long as they are mimiced in a kind way, no one is offended.

I think Disney's capitulating to a few, most likely Caucasian, liberals is a pity. Kids today need the morality lessons of Uncle Remus as much, if not more, than I did when I was a youngster.

Maybe I'll ask some of my acquaintenance overseas if they can get a DVD copy of the movie. My grand-daughter deserves to see it with her grandfather.

Draw your own conclusion

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called invalid a press release by the White House alleged to be the text of the nuclear agreement struck by Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) in Geneva on Sunday.

The above was reported by:

Iran's FARS News Agency - http://tinyurl.com/jwu62de

Israel's Ynet in Hebrew - http://tinyurl.com/psxa46b

Israel HaYom - http://tinyurl.com/p2ma5e6

Arutz Sheva - http://tinyurl.com/qapwdwa

Washington (DC) Free Beacon - http://tinyurl.com/nyvbadr

The FARS hed reads: "Iran Strongly Rejects Text of Geneva Agreement Released by White House"

According to Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham on Tuesday, “What has been released by the website of the White House as a fact sheet is a one-sided interpretation of the agreed text in Geneva and some of the explanations and words in the sheet contradict the text of the Joint Plan of Action (the title of the Iran-powers deal), and this fact sheet has unfortunately been translated and released in the name of the Geneva agreement by certain media, which is not true."

She said that the four-page text under the name of the Joint Plan of Action (which has been released by the Iranian foreign ministry) was the result of the agreement reached during the Geneva talks and all of its sentences and words were chosen based on the considerations of all parties to the talks. In fact one of the reasons why negotiations between Iran and the G5+1 took so long pertained to the accuracy which was needed for choosing the words for the text of the agreement, Afkham said, explaining that the Iranian delegation was much^sic rigid and laid much emphasis on the need for this accuracy.

The full text of the agreement, at least as FARS has it, is displayed on the FARS website (ibid.).

GRANTED, any agreement among people having different first languages is open to some interpretation, but apparently what John Kerry told his boss and what Iran's participant told the ayatollah are two different things.

For all that, given the Moslems' respect for truth and honoring agreements, the claims by Iran's spokeswoman come as no surprise.

Many people apparently have said it: Treaties are just pieces of paper.

Certainly Oslo has no value.

Except for the most left wing and a few Jew and Israel bashers, everyone has to admit that the Muslims breeched every one of the Oslo agreement's articles.

It would appear that the U.S. Secretary of State failed to learn from recent history, or perhaps he is a Pollyanna who believes, as apparently his boss believes, that appeasement a la Neville Chamberlain will win friends for the U.S. and spare it from the Muslim goal of a global caliphate.

Of course Kerry's boss understands Muslims. Although he claims to be something other than a Muslim, he did attend a madras as a youngster and while his Chicago church is not a mosque, its preacher spews hate for all not like him; it seems safe to think POTUS does understand the Muslim mentality.

It would be nice if the Muslims could be trusted to honor agreements, but - correct me if I am wrong - doesn't the Koran permit lying to achieve a Muslim purpose? - so far there is NO indication that Muslims as a group CAN be trusted; certainly Israelis are painfully aware than a treaty with the so called Palestinian Authority is worth less than the paper on which it is printed.

TO BE FAIR, despite internal turmoil, Egypt has kept, more or less, its treaty with Israel, much to the benefit of both countries. Likewise Jordan. Turkey and Morocco are a different story if recent reports from Morocco are correct.

MEANWHILE, the Hurriyet Daily News, which bills itself as the "leading news source for Turkey and the region" ( http://tinyurl.com/lqauly7), reports under the hed "Turkey, Iran to become backbone of regional stability: Davutoğlu" that "A growing partnership between Turkey and Iran will enhance the region’s stability," Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said in Tehran, where he is attending the Economic Cooperation Organization 21st ministers’ meeting, on Nov. 26.

“In my point of view, when Turkey and join hands, this will not only benefit both countries, but also become the backbone of regional stability,” Davutoğlu said, pointing to the potential of further cooperation in energy.

“Turkey’s annual energy demand is $60 billion. Turkey is a corridor country, is a producer country. If we fuse both potentials, Turkey could become the corridor of energy provider Iran,” Davutoğlu said. He also added that closer ties would also have a major impact on the sectarian divide in the Middle East."

I'm not certain what Davutoğlu means by "sectarian divide in the Middle East." Sectarian divide as in Shia vs. Sunni or as in Muslim vs. all others, in particular the Jews of Israel.

Turkey used to have civil relations with Israel and its national airline carried many Jews to and from Israel. Naturally, the split is Israel's fault; it had the nerve to enforce a legal blockade of Aza; although it offered an alternative port (Ashdod), the organizers of the trip - including an Israeli MK ! - refused the offer.

The Iran Deal

 

Different perspectives

 

POTUS:Some 53 percent of the American public believes that U.S. President Barack Obama is neither honest nor trustworthy, a CNN poll conducted last week has found. The CNN/ORC International survey, released on Thursday, also found that just 40% of Americans believe Obama can manage the government effectively, a fall of 12 percentage points in the president's approval ratings since June.

According to the report, Obama scored lowest for honesty out of nine personal characteristics tested in the poll.

http://tinyurl.com/kw99lru

A deal NOT done: “There is actually no deal yet,” a senior Republican aide told The Hill. “Apparently, they now need to negotiate an implementation agreement — the framework didn't actually compel any action by any side. No idea how long that could take.”

The deal would loosen sanctions in exchange for Iran freezing its nuclear program for six months during negotiations toward a final agreement. The six month clock only starts ticking once the implementation framework is agreed to.

The White House says the deal was the heavy lift, while the details of how to make it work are a technicality. Not all such agreements have implementation agreements, but in this case Iran and its six negotiating partners — the United States, Russia, China, France, Great Britain and Germany — wanted to have arrangements in place regarding nuclear inspectors, the joint monitoring mechanism of Iran's program and the details of sanctions relief for Iran.

http://tinyurl.com/l8frtgx

http://tinyurl.com/k885roo

The EU view: "It's important that both sides of the bargain are implementing this agreement, so we would coordinate timing-wise also with the Iranian side," EU foreign affairs spokesman Michael Mann told reporters in Brussels

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague put the total estimated value of sanctions relief at $7 billion over a 6-month period, but stressed it would not all come at once.

"They do not receive 7 billion on the first day and then decide if they want to implement their side of the agreement," Hague said, calling the amount of sanctions relief "a very small proportion" of the total frozen assets and value of sanctions applied to Iran.

"The way we're doing sanctions relief leaves Iran with a huge incentive" to go for a comprehensive agreement since Tehran wants complete sanctions relief, Hague said.

http://tinyurl.com/muxm6lf

Jerusalem:Israel will continue to act in the “diplomatic arena” and “in other areas” to ensure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons, a senior Israeli official said Sunday night as Jerusalem braced for continued battle over the Iranian nuclear issue.

“The ball is still in play,” the official said, as Israel digested the significance of the agreement signed in Geneva in the early morning hours that legitimizes Iran’s enrichment of uranium, but freezes the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program for six months in exchange for sanctions relief estimated at $7 billion.

The official said Jerusalem would continue to make its case to “relevant people, we are not giving up.”

http://tinyurl.com/owwkxf9

In the U.S.: Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), estimated this weekend would ultimately amount to roughly $20 billion. Dubowitz and FDD senior fellow Orde Kittrie today outlined how "the agreement greatly weakens Western economic sanctions" inasmuch as "Iranian sanctions-busters will be in position to exploit the changing market psychology and newly created pathways to reap billions of additional dollars in economic relief beyond those projected by the Obama administration."

http://tinyurl.com/m8ryn4v

According to the NYT: President Obama’s biggest critics — in Congress, the Arab world and Israel — argue that he has the strategy entirely backward. By changing the psychology around the world, they argue, the roughly $100 billion in remaining sanctions will gradually be whittled away. Wily middlemen, Chinese eager for energy sources and Europeans looking for a way back to the old days, when Iran was a major source of trade, will see their chance to leap the barriers.

http://tinyurl.com/me9ad88

Others in Israel: “If in another five or six years a nuclear suitcase explodes in New York or Madrid, it will be because of the agreement that was signed this morning,” Naftali Bennett, Israel’s economy minister, declared on Sunday. According to a poll commissioned by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, three-fourths of Hebrew-speaking Jewish Israelis don’t believe Iran will halt its nuclear program as a result of the accord, which places limits on the Iranian program over the next six months in exchange for sanctions relief.

But not all Israelis are opposed to the deal. Israeli leaders like President Shimon Peres and former military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin have expressed cautious optimism about the diplomatic breakthrough, and some in the press have thrown their support behind the initiative as well, including some prominent commentators for Channel 2, Israel’s most-watched television network.

http://tinyurl.com/k367zm8

Choice: Advertise Hanukah? Or risk a conflagration

CAVEAT: I am not a rabbi and I don't play one on tv.

The Question: If you live in a high rise building, high enough that people on the sidewalk in front of the building cannot see anything in your window, where do you put the hanukiah?

What's a "hanukiah?" It is Hebrew for the Hanukah menorah.

According to the late leader of extreme haridim in Israel, Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, there is no value in placing a hanukiah in the window since he determined that no one at street level can see the hanukiah or the flames.

The late leader of Shas, Ovadia Yosef, agrees with Elyashiv and rules in one of his books, Yalkut Yosef, that the proper place for the hanukiah is opposite the mezuzah on the front door. This was the traditional position of the Hanukah lights in the days of yore.

There are other opinions that DO say to light in the window to advertise the miracle to the folks across the way who can see the high rise apartment's window.

Since Hanukah, like Purim, is "post-Torah" the only rules for where to place the hanukiah are "d'rabbanan" - by the rabbis.

The whole idea of the hanukiah is to advertise the miracle.

While causing a fire in a high rise building would most assuredly make people aware of Hanukah, I seriously doubt that it the type advertisement the rabbis of old wanted. Besides, in most high rises, a real fire, especially an unattended fire, in a hallway would be discouraged at best and likely illegal in any event.

Rabbis Elyashiv and Yosef not withstanding, it seems safer and more sensible to put the wicks on the window ledge where there is a chance they will be seen without endangering anyone.

It should go without saying that curtains and anything else flammable must be kept far aware from the flames, but in a time when a cautionary label on a sleeping pill must state "May cause drowsiness," maybe the obvious isn't quite so obvious to all.

The minimum height from the floor for a hanukiah is roughly three handbreadths. According to the rabbi of Nahar Shalom in Dania Beach Florida, a hanukiah sitting so low shows that the lights are only for the holiday; the flames are too low to be useful for any function other than to look at and enjoy. The only problem with that is unless the building has floor-to-ceiling windows, no one passing by will see the lights.

Where I live - Hollywood FL - we are expecting continued winds of 20 mph, with gusts to 35-40 mph. Unless I can build a wind-proof hanukiah (maybe 8 lanterns with a hurricane lamp as the shamash), the flames of an across-from-the-mezuzah hanukiah would stay light about 3 seconds - 29 minutes and 57 seconds too little to satisfy the rabbinical requirement.

In any event, the south Florida minhag for mezuzot are to put them inside the door, rather than outside. The reason: thanks to hurricanes, Florida requires that doors open outward - hurricane winds will force doors closed. We don't normally have storm doors or mud rooms protecting the entrance doors. (See Minhag "Florida" elsewhere in this site.)

The bottom line: The hanukiah and the lit wicks have two purposes:

One: To advertise the miracle to the world, to both Jews and non-Jews alike.

Two: To give us some visual pleasure, "us" meaning everyone in the family, including the women who traditionally do no work while the flames remain.

חג חנוכה שמח

There will be Peace in our time

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry & his European buddies are all aglow over a "no nukes" treaty with Iran.

It is the first of a two-part treaty that might mean Iran won't develop nuclear weapons IF if agrees with Part 2.

This truly must remind all thinking people who know anything about history of Britain's Neville Chamberlain and his infamous "There will be peace in our time" after his "successful" session with the nazi's leader, may his name be erased forever, that took the Sudetenland from what was then Czechoslovakia.

It might be well to note that Czechoslovakia was not invited to the meeting, just as Israel, Iran's primary target for nuclear destruction was not invited to the confab with the so called P5 + 1 ( United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France, plus Germany) and Iran.

But would Iran's representative from the Supreme Ayatollah have been allowed to sit in the same room with an Israeli or even an acknowledged Jew?

Interestingly, of the P5 + 1, none of the countries has been threatened by Iran, although the U.S.,UK, France, and Germany are being overrun by Muslims many of whom would like to see the pseudo-democracies replaced by the caliphate.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Mediterranean, not only is Israel concerned with the continuing Iranian threat but likewise Saudia.

According to Arutz Sheva Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK has declared the kingdom would not “sit idly by” if world powers fail to halt Iran’s nuclear program," reports Al Arabiya.

Ambassador Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, who was speaking to the British Times, called the Obama administration’s “rush” to embrace Tehran “incomprehensible.”

“We are not going to sit idly by and receive a threat there and not think seriously how we can best defend our country and our region,” Prince Mohammed, who is Saudi King Abdullah’s nephew, said.

Meanwhile, in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu said "For the first time, the world's leading powers have agreed to uranium enrichment in Iran while ignoring the UN Security Council decisions that they themselves led. Sanctions that required many years to put in place contain the best chance for a peaceful solution. These sanctions have been given up in exchange for cosmetic Iranian concessions that can be cancelled in weeks."

"Implications of this agreement threaten many countries - including, of course, Israel. Israel is not bound by this agreement," Netanyahu affirmed. "What we achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement; it is a historic mistake."

Naftali Bennett said "We awoke this morning to a new reality. A reality in which a bad deal was signed with Iran. A very bad deal," Bennett stated on his Facebook page. "This bad deal gives Iran exactly what it wanted: a significant easing of the sanctions while retaining the most significant parts of its nuclear program

"It is important that the world knows: Israel will not be committed to a deal that endangers its very existence," Bennett concluded.

What makes Kerry & Friends think the Iranians are any different then their cousins the so-called "Palestinians" - Jordanians in Israel. Not once have the leaders of the "Palestinian Authority" kept their agreements with Israel. Not at Camp David, not at Oslo, never.

The Iranian ayatollahs have proven, time and time again, that their promises are only words; there is no worth to them.

There is more similarities between Chamberlain and his meeting the the chief nazi and the P5 + 1 meeting with Iran' representative.

In neither case did the German nor the Iranian have any intent to honor an agreement. The German and the Iranian gained time to advance their agendas - just as the "Palestinians" gain time to gain theirs -- at the expense of the fools who are party to the agreement - and that most certainly includes Netanyahu.

Peace in our time?

Not likely with enemies such as Iran and the PA.

Could Obama Bring peace To Mid-East?

From The Israel Project daily email for Novermber 21, 2013:

The Associated Press describes a burgeoning "strange alliance" between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the latest development in what has become a cascade of regional adjustments by traditional U.S. allies concerned that Washington is ceding its traditional role as a regional power. Jerusalem and Gulf nations have reportedly been shaken by the Obama administration's decision-making in Egypt, where the White House vacillated and then eventually punished Cairo over the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Mohammed Morsi government; in Syria, where the White House vacillated and then failed to attack after its "red line" against chemical weapons use was crossed; and Iran, where the White House is widely seen as vacillating on its pledge to only strike an interim deal with Iran that prevents Tehran from making progress in pursuing a nuclear weapons capability. The AP tersely noted that "the stepped-up anxieties on Iran could bring new space for the Gulf-Israel overlap." CNN yesterday carried analysis by Barak Seener, Associate Middle East Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, describing how "GCC States and Israel have increased their intelligence sharing to counter an Iranian threat."

Can Obama's bungling and mishandling of foreign affairs have accidently led to - if not peace in between Israel and its neighbors - at least recognition of Israel by the leading powers in the Muslum world?

Could he win a second Peace prize? Stranger things have happened.

"Golden" Rule Ignorance is bliss

 

Almost everyone knows the so-called "Golden Rule." It is attributed to Jesus by at least two of his apostles Luke (6:31) and Matthew (7:12)

Most of Jesus' followers believe this is the first time this idea saw the light of day.

Ignorance is bliss.

But the Internet provides an education.

Almost everyone knows that it is easier to tell someone to avoid doing something than to do something. It doesn't work on children. "Don't leave your clothes on the floor" works no better than "Put your clothes in the hamper," but "Don't hit you sister" may work better than "Give your sister a hug."

Still, Leviticus, about 1400 BCE writes in Chap. 19, V. 18: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” That's about as "positive" as it gets.

Shamai's partner, Hillel, told a potential convert to Judaism "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you." (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rabbi_hillel.html#H57kgDwaHQEl04C5.99). Hillel already was established as a leading scholar when Jesus was born.

The Chinese philosopher Confucius, who lived from 551–479 BCE., is said to have written, "Do not do to others that which we do not want them to do to us." A Hindu text written in about the same time period, the Mahabharata, includes the phrase, “Do not unto others which would cause pain if done to you.” Similar concepts are expressed in Taoism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and many other religions and philosophies. (http://www.wisegeek.org/ what-is-the-golden-rule.htm) As Solomon is credited with saying: אין שום חדש תחת השמש – there’s nothing new under the sun.

Jesus allegedly said the same thing in the positive and his followers are convinced this is the first occurrence of the philosophy, certainly as a positive. The philosophy, however, hardly was new; it can be accurately dated to 1400 years prior to his birth when Leviticus, about 1400 BCE. tells us in; Chap. 19, V. 18 states: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Ignorance is bliss.

Both Hillel, and later Jesus, opined that this philosophy was the centerpiece of the law; Hillel, however, told the convert to "go and study." Since Hillel was senior, one suspects Jesus of plagiarism, knowingly or otherwise.

I am not trying to convince Jesus' followers to abandon their beliefs. What I am attempting to do is to convince them that theirs is not the "correct path" for all people. In other words, DON'T TRY TO CONVERT ME or any other "non-believers."

Proselytizers are not welcome. (Try proselytizing a Muslim in Saudia and see what happens!)

It is enough that my tax dollars go to fund city decorations for Christmas and Easter. Easter especially which in Europe was accompanied by pogroms. Still, I don't complain.

My largely Jewish complex pays for holiday lights - and one small hanukiah in the gate shack - and I don't complain. I don't think any of the other Jewish residents complain either.

But don't try to convince me I'm doomed to eternal damnation if I don't believe in Jesus-as-god. It is a waste of time and I hate to waste my time. Actually, I don't want to waste a proselytizer's time either. (I show such people the mezuzah on the doorpost and explain when they see anything similar, to just keep on keeping on; there is no ROI stopping at a house with a mezuzah on it.)

I'm retired - before I was just tired - so I don't have the at-work interaction I once had; consequently I am spared people who want to spread the "good news" (gospels) and insist on everyone sharing their beliefs. Younger people aren't so fortunate.

Maybe Jews should once again seek converts.

It's a hard sell though, especially for some men. Paul, nee' Saul, gained converts to his religion by telling potential converts that while Jesus was a Jew - and by some accounts a knowledgeable one - they (the potential convert) didn't have to become Jewish and suffer all that "Jewish stuff" - the dietary laws, the modesty laws, the ban on incest, circumcision."Accept my god and have life everlasting; accept my god and no matter how much you sin you are forgiven." In other words, dear pagan, keep doing what you're doing but at least pay lip service to my god and you're good to go.

Sounds good, but I'm not convinced and I cannot be convinced. The one thing of which I AM convinced is that I don't abide proselytizers.

I know you mean well, but if you are trying to sell Jesus-as-god to me, you are wasting your time and my time and certainly NOT "winning friends and influencing people."

When missionaries come recruiting

Recently several Jews told me they have had their religion challenged by Jesus' followers.

Neither the challenged Jews nor I are sufficiently knowledgeable about Judaism's responses to the "Jesus story."

But, the World Wide Web (WWW) to the rescue.

There is a wealth of Jewish experts who have written pamphlets and books, both brief and lengthy. There are, likewise, a plethora of videos.

None of the ones I would recommend attack Jesus' followers' religion. Rather they take what the missionaries - be they actual proselytizera or simply friends and acquaintenances - typically say as proofs and they debunk the proofs using the same document, the Tanak, that the proselytizers carelessly cite.

Note that I carefully do NOT suggest that Jesus started a religion for himself.

Not even his apostles seem to have made that claim in any of their gospels - all of which were scribed well after Jesus' demise.

The Jesus-is-god comes from a fellow formerly known as Saul, later renamed as Paul.

No matter what you think of Jesus, you have to give Paul credit as the world's greatest PR man; he single-handedly created, and spread, the Jesus-as-god belief across the Mediterranean; his greatest successes were with the pagans of southern Europe; less so in the Arab - but not yet Muslim - lands, and least of all Judah and Israel.

When I was much younger I used to ride the bus. There were a couple of drivers with whom I was friendly. Neither were Jewish and our conversations on occasion would turn to "being saved" and - to them, that meant first, last, and always acceptance that Jesus is god.

I usually terminated these chats with "Well, you're waiting for the second coming (of your messiah); I'm waiting for his first coming."

These two gentlemen were certainly not anti-Semites or anti-Israel or anti-anything else; they were simply pro-Jesus and could not understand how anyone could reject their Jesus-as-god belief. They are entitled, and I never tried to disabuse them of their convictions.

The bottom line: In looking for "How to answer missionaries," I came across a number of what I think are valuable resources, including

Video resources

• How to Answer a Christian Missionary
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=EvpD3FFa_0Y
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chb8g3S3g38
  

  The Jews for Judaism ( http://www.jewsforjudaism.ca) site has a great many audio, video, and paper/PDF documents that may be freely downloaded. A visit to Jews for Judaism should be on the "Things to do, Places to go" list of all readers of this blog.
  

• A Six-Minute Counter-Missionary Course http://www.youtube.com./watch?v=49l-g_TtGhI

Books and pamphlets

• Far and away the best starting point is Jews for Judaism (ibid). Some worthwhile titles for the subject at hand include:
  The Jewish Response To Missionaries: Counter-Missionary Handbook
  Missionary Impossible: Counter-Missionary Survival Guide
  Choose Life: A Counter-Missionary Study Guide and
  The Real Messiah? A Jewish Response to Missionaries.
• Their Hollowed Inheritance, by R. M. Drazin at http://www.drazin.com/

On the WWW

Some Web sites to visit re "What Jews Believe" include:

• What Jews Believe, http://www.whatjewsbelieve.org/
  
• Ask the Rabbi, http://ohr.edu/ask/ask00j.htm

In order to refute missionary misinformation, and perhaps to enlighten a few as well, it behooves us to know why Jesus is not the messiah, at least not for us.

And how is it that a religion of love threatens everyone who believes differently with an afterlife of eternal damnation? Is that really the way to "win friends and influence people?"

Who gave America the right To interfere in others' affairs?

Israel HaYom carried an "op ed" by Elliott Abrams, "a senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations" that takes Secretary of State John Kerry to task for failing to interfere in Saudi domestic policies.

"On the move for Saudi women to be allowed to drive, Kerry was careful not to appear to take sides. Noting that while the United States embraces gender equality, 'it is up to Saudi Arabia to make its own decisions about its own social structure and choices and the timing of whatever events.'

Whether women may or may not legally drive in Saudia is a matter for the Saudis, not the United States.

U.S. citizens may look askance at a country so "backward" that it severely restricts women's "rights" (if driving by anyone can be considered a "right"), but that does not give them the right to tell the Saudis what they should - or should not - do within their borders. Had Kerry publicly sided with the Women of the Wheel he would be representing the United States of Chutzpah.

If anyone wants to condemn the Saudis, there are lots of serious issues to raise.

Corporal punishment - unlike Judaism's maximum of 39 lashes, Islam has no limits.

Lack of Religious freedom - try and bring a non-Islamic holy book into Saudi and end up in jail; non-Muslims are banned from Mecca and Medina.

Slave trafficking - pre-teen and teen age girls are bought in - correct, bought in, not simply brought from - India and Pakistan to satisfy Saudi men.

A woman's right to drive pales in comparison to the real issues, yet few Americans seem as upset over these issues as they are about women behind the wheel of cars. Saudi women can't travel outside the country without permission from their husband or guardian.

Meanwhile, another Israel haYom columnist, Zalman Shoval complains that Obungler allegedly said America no longer wants to be the "world's policeman," and his national security adviser, Susan Rice -- to justify the lethargic stance against Syria and Iran -- says "there is an entire world where the U.S. also has interests and opportunities."

For once I whole-heartedly agree with POTUS; too bad he failed to live up to the words he uttered. America has enough problems of its own; we don't need to be either policeman or nursemaid to the world. We cannot afford it financially or politically.

Is it America's problem that there is a civil war in Syria? By the way, look up the definition of "civil war" and you'll see it doesn't concern the U.S.

If it's NOT "America's problem" and if it MUST be someone's problem, let it be the Arab League of which Syria is a member.

Sudan a U.S. problem? No. The human suffering in the wars of Africa is tragic, but the U.S. has no role to play or right to inject either its politics or its military into - here's that word again - "civil" strife.

Ditto Egypt.

What Obungler HAS done, with his interfering in other nation's domestic political issues, it to make the U.S. what China called us long ago, a paper tiger. The U.S.' reputation would be far better around the globe if Obungler HAD been an isolationist.

Long ago a wiser man occupied the White House.

In President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823, Monroe basically told the European powers du jour that the U.S. would not interfere in Europe's affairs and that, in return, European monarchs need to keep their politics and political systems out of our hemisphere.

In a pointed statement, he noted that "It is impossible that the allied powers (i.e., Europe) should extend their political system to any portion of either continent (i.e., North and South America) without endangering our peace and happiness; nor can anyone believe that our southern brethren, if left to themselves, would adopt it of their own accord. It is equally impossible, therefore, that we should behold such interposition in any form with indifference."

Madison clearly recognized that installing a political system foreign to the indigenous population was clearly contra-indicated.

That reasoning remains valid today; the only difference is that the U.S., in the person of John Kerry and his staff, are attempting to impose a U.S. political mentality on people who cannot accommodate that mentality.

That is NOT to say different cultures and mentalities are inherently wrong, only "different."

Bottom line: America needs to fix its own problems before even considering other's problems. If that makes the U.S. isolationist, so be it.

We know, from decades of experience, that rarely does our interference win friends for America.

Whether or not women drive in Saudia is not a U.S. concern. If Americans want to pressure Saudis to let women drive, that's fine, providing this is not clothed as official U.S. policy.

Phrasing it out?

CAVEAT: I am not a rabbi and I do not play one on tv.

We are rapidly approaching Hanukah - also Chanukah, but assuredly חנוכה.

My Moroccan sedurs - וזרח השמש and אבותנו - tell me to say

מזמור שיר-חנובת הבית לדוד

before starting ארוממך.

The place where I make minyan uses a Ben Ish Hai sedur. This sedur specifically states NOT to include the Mizmor Shir Hanukat HaBiet for David even during Hanukah.

Like Popeye, "I yam what I yam" - stubborn and curious or perhaps curious and stubborn - so I started pulling down the sundry sedurs on the shelves in the synagogue. There are a variety.

The result: Mixed bag.

IN GENERAL, Mizrachi sedurs; those from Iran, Iraq, Syria, omitted the phrase. Ashkenazi sedurs tend to include the phase every time the song (mizmor) is recited. Because North African Sefardim are peaceful people willing to compromise, the phrase is recited only during Hanukah.

Chabad's תהלת השם includes it with each occurrence. Likewise the Ashkenazi sedurs חיים ושלום, יצחק יאיר, and סדור שמחת יהושע.

On the Mizrachi side, sedurs קול יעקב (Syrian with English translation), עוד יוסף חי , ספרדי השלם, and עת רצון all omit the phrase.

What I don't know is WHY.

Psalm 30 clearly starts off with the phrase מזמור שיר-חנובת הבית לדוד

Psalm 100 includes (מזמור (לתודה.

Rarely are things done sans some reason, even a far-fetched reason.

According to Hakham Yosef Messas, ע''ה, writing in הוד יוסף חי, the reason we add/include מזמור שיר-חנובת הבית לדוד is because adding the opening line enhances awareness of the miracle of Hanukah

כי בימים אלה דוקה חניחו הפסוק להתגדל בו משום פרסומי ניסא, ורהבת הכוונות וספירת התיבות לא תכריע לדלג פרסוקים ותיבות

A "word" about the blessing before lighting the hanukiah (Hanukah menorah).

According to R. Ovadia Yosef, ע''ה, the blessing is:
להדליק נר חנוכה. The North African tradition, according to דברי שלום ואמת is to add the word של in להדליק נר של חנוכה.

A few additional Hanukah traditions from North Africa from the book ילקות שמ''ש:

Hanukiah lighting time: When stars appear; but, if it's impossible to light the wicks as soon as the stars appear, they may be lit until the morning with the blessing. The hanukiah should not be lit before the stars appear; HOWEVER, the wicks MUST be lit before the Shabat candles, but AFTER evening services on Motzi Shabat. (See How long must the flame last?)

Light first or evening prayers? The Hanukiah wicks may be lit before evening prayers.

Blessings first, then kindle the wick: All the relevant blessings are recited before the first wick is lit. On the first night, the blessings are:

   צונן להדליק נר של חנועה
(that commanded us to light the Hanukah wicks))

   שעשה נסים לאבותנו
(Who performed miracles for our fathers)

   שנחיינו
(that brought us to this time)

שנחיינו is said the first night only.

One hanukiah or many? In most Sefardi and Mizrachi homes, only the father lights the hanukiah; all others are included in the ceremony. This includes a son who, although having his own residence "takes his meals" at his father's house. Many Ashkenazim have the tradition that everyone in the family lights their own hanukiah.

Don't mix and match: Either EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or candles may be used for the Hanukah lights, however, they may not be mixed; either all candles or all oil. I have heard that some authorities are allowing electronic hanukiahs in areas (hospitals, motels, etc.) where flames are forbidden.

How long must the flame last? At least 30 minutes; longer is better. On erev Shabat (Friday night) the candles must last 30 minutes after the stars come out which means the wicks should burn 48 minutes are more - Shabat candles normally are lit at least 18 minutes before kabalat (accepting) Shabat - add 18 to 30 and by my math that's 48 minutes.

Misreading Hebrew for new meaning

In the (Sefardi and Mizrachi) sedur^Note1 we read (erev Shabat, just before לכה דודי that R. Elazar said in R. Hanenah's name that it is written that students of the hakhamim bring peace to the world we should read בניך (your children) as בוניך (your buildings).

Previously I mentioned that I wrongly read (in the Akedah) שניהם יחדו (together) as שניהם ידו (hand-in-hand).)

So it comes as no surprise to me that I did it again in the public guilt offerings^Note2 זבחי שלמי צבור ואשמות paragraph, reading שיחה חריפה (harsh words, lit. "spicy" words) instead of שפחה חרופה (violating a female slave, alternatively, maid servant^Note2).

For me, the misreading is both logical and a good thing.

Anyone who has following my ramblings from the beginning knows I sometimes (too often?) say things I come to regret later, so when I came to, and misread, שפחה חרופה I was reminded to consider the damage my tongue can cause/has caused - both to the person to whom or about whom I was speaking and to the speaker as well.

Even though I know שפחה חרופה has nothing to do with שיחה חריפה, the "watch your words" admonishment from the misreading remains.

And after all, if R. Elazar in R. Hanenah's name can "massage" words for a positive end, why not this scrivener.

If nothing else, today's exercise reminded me that the "standard" Ashkenazi sedur and the my Sefardi sedurim, while they have a very high degree of commonality, are different. As Jews, we have variety, but "bottom line," we are more alike than different.

 

Note 1: The sedurim most frequently used by this scrivener are
וזרח השמש and אבותינו, both "נוסח מרוקו" .

Note 2: Artscroll sedur translations

 

Three final words on sedurim: "Index Avascular Necrosis." Proving there is humor in this, you are invited to view the video linked from Jewish Humor Central.

שידוך For boys who stay home

I was actually paying attention as the hazan was reading חיי שרה last Shabat and I was struck that Abraham had to send his servant/slave (עבד) to find a wife for his son Isaac.

Because I have a curious mind, I started to wonder: Why couldn't Isaac get up and go off to Haran, from whence his father came, to find a wife? Others had managed to find wives on their own. I can't give HaShem credit for the first sheduk (שידוך) since Havah, a/k/a Eve, was taken from Adam; no one asked her if she wanted him, and a sheduk is made when both sides agree.

I asked a rabbi I know why it is that

• Ishmael found a wife who gave him 12 tribes (בראשית י''ד כ)
  
• Yakov was sent to find a wife (בראשית כ''ח 2) and found two.
  
• Esau found a wife for himself. (בראשית כ''ח 9)
  
• The kings of Israel found wives for political advantage.
  
• The sons of Benjamin found wives (dancing before them).
  
• Ruth found a husband (Boaz).
Isaac, on the other hand, had to have a wife brought to him (בראשית כ''ד 4).

In fact, Abraham cautions his servant that if the servant fails to find a wife for Isaac in Haran, he is not to take Isaac to Haran (בראשית כ''ד). According to a footnote in the Soncino humash, 2nd edition (page 82), Abraham was concerned that Isaac - who midrash tells us was raised in a yeshiva - might abandon the land promised to Abraham.

The rabbi asked me if this wasn't how it - finding a bride - was done presumably in Isaac's time. I replied that I am old - certainly older than the rabbi - but I'm not THAT old. Then he asked how it was done in the 19th century. Again, I'm not so old that I was alive in the 1800s. (It is confusing - the 1900s were the 20th century; I know that because I used to go to to movies and often saw "20th Century Fox" displayed on the big screen.)

Isaac has a reputation for staying close to home; he was a placeholder for Judaism between his father and his son Yakov; Abraham did things and went places; ditto Yakov whereas midrash tells us that Isaac stayed home and studied in yeshiva. Midrash is interesting, but it is not Torah.

Was Isaac a Momma's boy? Was he unfit to travel to find a bride? Was he, as Abraham may have thought (given the Soncino footnote) weak willed and easily influenced?

Conjecture. Supposition. Certainly not rabbinicaly sanctioned thoughts. But then I'm not a rabbi, nor am I a heretic. None of the avot (or emahot) are perfect; all fall short.

 

Quick Quiz

Q1: How many times did HaShem command: "Be fruitful and multiply"?

Q2: How many times does HaShem tell us "Don't cook a kid in its mother's milk"?

A1: 3 - בראשית א' 22, א' 28, ט' 1

A2: 3 - דברים י''ד 21 ,שמות ל''ד 26 , שמות כ''ג 19

Irradiation Is it kosher?

Recently an acquaintance and I got sidetracked to a strange tangent:

Is irradiated meat and poultry kosher?

More and more foods are being made bug-free through irradiation.

In the non-kosher poultry processors, birds are defeathered by scalding. Not the way Savta did it, picking off feather by feather. Kosher poultry processors are forbidden to scald the birds since the rabbis consider scalding - even surface scalding - to be cooking, and that is prohibited until the fowl has been kashered (soaked and salted).

That prohibition is one of the many reasons the price of kosher fowl is foul; it is labor intensive. (Likewise glatt and Bet Yosef meats; labor intensive.)

I am not a scientist and all I know about irradiation is how to spell the word, and I have to check each time to be sure. I did look on the WWW - I use Dogpile as my search engine of choice, with Google as a backup - for "irradiation"

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (May 2000), "Food irradiation is a process in which products are exposed to radiant energy including gamma rays, electron beams, and x-rays in amounts approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Irradiation is only one of many processes that can be used to prevent food borne illness. It is not a substitute for good manufacturing practices. Establishments that use irradiation must meet the same sanitation and processing standards required by all meat and poultry plants."

"At a food irradiation plant that uses gamma radiation, food is irradiated in an area that is surrounded by concrete walls at least 6-feet thick which keep any rays from escaping. The radiation source, usually Cobalt 60, is held in a resting position in a pool of water. A conveyor system transports the meat or poultry product to the area. The radiation source is then raised out of the water and the food is exposed for a defined period of time. When the source is raised, lights and alarms are sounded to make people aware that the product is being irradiated. Once the food is irradiated, the source automatically returns to the resting position and the food leaves the area for further processing.

"If a machine source (for example, electron accelerator) is used, electricity to the machine is switched on and a beam of electrons passes across the meat or poultry."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that there currently are three radiation options: gamma rays, electron beams, and x-rays.

Under a heading How does irradiation affect foods?, the CDC writes that "The foods are not changed in nutritional value and they are not made dangerous as a result of the irradiation. The high energy ray is absorbed as it passes through food, and gives up its energy. The food is slightly warmed. My emphasis. Some treated foods may taste slightly different, just as pasteurized milk tastes slightly different from unpasteurized milk. If the food still has living cells, (such as seeds, or shellfish, or potatoes) they will be damaged or killed just as microbes are. This can be a useful effect. For example, it can be used to prolong the shelf life of potatoes by keeping them from sprouting. The energy can induce a few other changes. At levels approved for use on foods, levels of the vitamin thiamine are slightly reduced. This reduction is not enough to result in vitamin deficiency. There are no other significant changes in the amino acid, fatty acid, or vitamin content of food. In fact, the changes induced by irradiation are so minimal that it is not easy to determine whether or not a food has been irradiated."

For all that, neither the FDA nor the CDC answered our question, although the CDC did allow that during the irradiation process "the food is slightly warmed." How slightly may depend on the radiation dosage. The CDC notes that "At higher doses, irradiation could be used on a variety of different foods to eliminate parasites and bacteria that cause food borne disease. Many foods can be irradiated effectively, including meat, poultry, grains, and many seafoods, fruits and vegetables. It is likely to have greatest application for raw foods of animal origin that are made by mixing materials from many animals together, such as ground meat or sausage."

Interestingly, the CDC cautions that "Irradiated foods need to be stored, handled and cooked in the same way as unirradiated foods. They could still become contaminated with germs during processing after irradiation, if the rules of basic food safety are not followed. Because the irradiated foods have fewer microbes of all sorts, including those that cause spoilage, they may have a longer shelf life before spoiling."

It turns out there are two (2) questions to consider.

Question #1: What constitutes cooking: how hot must the stove (top or oven) be for the heat to be at a "cooking" level.

I asked, via Web forms,

• Aish
  
• Ask the Rabbi (asktherabbi.org)
  
• Chabad
  

for their opinions.

Question 2: On Sunday, October 20, 2013, I queried the following kashrut agencies (alphabetically) if irradiation was allowed for meat and poultry:

• Circle K
  
• COR
  
• cRc
  
• MK
  
• ORB
  
• OU
  
• Star-K

As of today (October 27, 2013), I have answers from (by date of reply):

Question 1: How hot?

October 20, 2013 Rabbi Reuven Lauffer of asktherabbi.org: I do not really know enough about the subject to give you a definitive answer. I would suggest that you contact one of the large Kashrut agencies to speak with the experts as they are at the vanguard of all the technical advancements and their impact on the world of Kashrut.

October 22, 2013 Rabbi P. Waldman, Aish.com: The temperature that constitutes cooking for many Halachot is 45 degrees centigrade – (source: “Shmirat Shabbat” by R’ Y. Neuwirth, I 1:1 [3]). 45 ^o C is roughly 113 ^o F.

Question 2: Is irradiation allowed?

October 21, 2013: Rabbi Shmuel Heinemann, Kashrus Administrator of Star-K Kosher Certification: Irradiation does not cook the food and therefore does not pose any problem as far as bishul akum is concerned. The issue with scalding chickens is that the scalding is done before the salting and the concern is that the blood will get absorbed (due to the heat) in the meat and therefore not come out in the salting. Any irradiation that would be done on kosher chicken and meat would be done after the salting and would therefore not be an issue.

October 22, 2013 Dina Fraenkel, OK Kosher: I spoke to one of the rabbis in our office and he has informed me that “irradiation” is not a cooking process.

October 22, 2013 Rabbi P. Waldman, Aish.com: We generally refrain from eating meat that was processed through irradiation, smoking, etc., that was done before Kashering the meat – (source: “Sridei Aish” by R’ Y. Weinberg, II 13).

October 22, 2013 Unsigned from MK (Canada): Cooking in Halacha is only when food is processed by heat. This includes microwave ovens because although there is no external heat source nevertheless the food is heated by the electromagnetic waves and is ultimately 'cooked' by heat. Therefore the answer to the question if irradiation is considered 'cooking', depends if the process heats the food or not. Can you please advise us regarding the process and if it uses heat, in order that we can respond accordingly.

October 22, 2013 Dovid Cohen of cRC only noted that It is acceptable to irradiate kosher meat.

October 22, 2013 OU's The Web(be) Rebbe wrote that The OU only permits meat to be irradiated after melicha.

 

For general kashrut questions, the BEST source is Kashrut.com at http://www.kashrut.com .

Halloween Is Not a Jewish holiday

 

Nor is it an "American" holiday;
It is a Christian holy day

If costumes are what you want, wait for Purim.

The name "halloween" is a corruption of "All Hallows Eve."

That event was "borrowed" by early Christians in Ireland from the local pagans who, on that time, communed with their dead.

Neither pagans communing with their dead not Christians "adapting" the superstitions is unique to Ireland; Mexico has its Día de Muertos, the day of the dead.

The difference between halloween and Purim? We send gifts on Purim; on halloween, people demand treats or there will be "tricks" - such as defacing property and other vandalism.

Samhain - Halloween's foundation

Samhain was halloween's predecessor in Ireland.

In its ‘dark' aspect, Samhain marked a period of destruction and chaos. Perhaps the most dramatic illustration of this was the ritual killing of the Irish kings of Tara.

According to Irish mythology, November 1st marked the day that the demonic Fomorian race oppressed the people of Nemed. During the festival, bands of men, women and children dressed in masks and costumes embodied the havoc-causing divinities and inflicted their own terror and chaos on the neighborhood.

This combination of darkness and light, fear and hope, order and chaos gave Samhain its particular coloring of a merry time of misbehaving.

According to the article, some Samhain traditions are maintained in today's halloween:

• The symbolic kindling of fires in the lit pumpkin
  
• Games of worth in the popular ‘bobbing for apples' – a water ordeal.
  
• The havoc wreaked by deities and the dead in modern movies like Halloween, Scream, Dracula and vampire stories, American Werewolf in London and other horror classics;
  
• The identification of the living with deities and the dead in Halloween trick-or-treating and costume-wearing
  
• The sacral fear surrounding the Samhain celebration survives in urban legends of ‘razors hidden in apples' to harm children.
  
• The tradition of Samhain feasts in Halloween parties, trick-or-treating and Halloween candy;
  
• Mischief survives in the mild "tricks" played on those that do not propitiate the costumed revelers
  
• Abolition of traditional hierarchy is still present in the ascendance of children over adults during the Halloween season.

From Wikipedia we read: Today's Halloween customs are also thought to have been influenced by Christian dogma and practices derived from it. Halloween falls on the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (also known as All Saints', Hallowmas or Hallowtide) on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2, thus giving the holiday on October 31 the full name of All Hallows' Eve.

"Souling", the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls,has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom was found in parts of England and dates back at least as far as the 15th century.Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Hallowmas, collecting soul cakes, originally as a means of praying for souls in purgatory. Similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. The custom of wearing costumes has been explicated by Prince Sorie Conteh, who wrote: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities"

In France, Christians, on the night of All Hallows' Eve, prayed beside the graves of their loved ones, setting down dishes full of milk for them. On Halloween, in Italy, families left a large meal out for ghosts of their passed relatives, before they departed for church services. In Spain, women, on this night, made special pastries known as “bones of the holy” (Huesos de Santo) and put them on the graves of the churchyard, a practice that continues to this day.

Could any of these customs have led to leaving a glass of milk and a cookie out for "Santa Claus" or carrots for the "Easter" bunny?

Dia de Muertos

Once a year the Aztecs held a festival celebrating the death of their ancestors, while honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Queen of the Underworld, or Lady of the Dead. The Aztecs believed that the deceased preferred to be celebrated, rather than mourned, so during the festival they first honored los angelitos, the deceased children, then those who passed away as adults. The Mictecacihuatl festival lasted for an entire month, starting around the end of July to mid-August (the 9th month on the Aztec calendar), during the time of corn harvests.

After the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs in 1521, they tried to make the Aztecs adopt their Catholic beliefs.

What the Spaniards accomplished was more like a compromise; a blend of beliefs. The Spanish conquerors succeeding in shortening the length of the Mictecacihuatl festival to two days that conveniently corresponded with two of their own Catholic holidays: All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which take place on November 1 and 2 of each year.
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According to Wikipedia, "Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased."

American holidays for all

There ARE holidays Jews and non-Jews alike can celebrate together.

Thanksgiving is one, although there are a few in the Ashkenazi Orthodox community who forbid celebrating this day. On the other hand, at least one Gadol b'Dor approves of the holiday. (See http://yohanon.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving.html)

Fourth of July, America's Independence Day. Unlike Thanksgiving, it has no obvious religious aspect.

Memorial Day, honoring those who served in the military.

Labor Day, honoring those who earn their daily wages.

There are minor holidays as well; Columbus Day, and Presidents' Day (Jeff Davis Day in some places in the South) to name two.

Are Jews lacking holidays?

We have holidays on top of holidays.

There are The Big Three, the שלוש רגלים: Passover, Sukot, Shavuot. Not only do we have The Big 3, but they all are multi-day events.

There is Purim where we dress up and send, often at our children's hands, food gifts to our friends, relatives, and neighbors.

And Hanukah, an 8-day feast.

On a more somber note, there are the two days of Rosh HaShana and the long day of Yom Kippur.

Finally, we have our 52 times-a-year holiday - Shabat.

Do we need to borrow holidays from others?

In a word: No.

We have our Jewish holidays and our American holidays. If we need more, we can add Israeli holidays to our list.

For me, I'll skip halloween and go directly to Thanksgiving.

By the way, Christmas, New Years, and Easter also are not "American" holidays; they are strictly Christian. (OK, New Years marks a Jewish event; the melah of their god.)

Oh Brother(hood)

According to the Bloomberg News in an article headed Two Girls Among Four Dead in Attack on Egypt Church Wedding ,
"Egypt boosted security at churches after gunmen killed four people during an attack on a wedding ceremony, the latest attack on the country’s minority Christians following the ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

"The shooting outside St. Mary’s Church in the Warraq district of Giza left eight-year-old and 12-year-old girls dead and drew condemnation from both the military-backed government and the Muslim Brotherhood organization that has been the target of a crackdown since Mursi was removed from power on July 3. Four people were subsequently arrested, the state-run Ahram Gate website reported. "

"The Muslim Brotherhood also condemned the violence, blaming the incident on the lack of police protection, according to an e-mailed statement." "

The lack of police protection may have something to do with the fact the Brotherhood and those who share its terrorist bed are attacking police and army personnel at every opportunity, so the police are busy trying to track down the brothers.

Meanwhile, Obungler and the liberals are punishing the Egyptian army for deposing a dictator in the early stages of his reign; an army that is the only hope Egypt has of stability.

At the same time, Obungler & Company have driven the Egyptians into Russia's hands. The president-dictator want-to-be has managed to undo what previous presidents of both parties, from Kennedy on managed to accomplish; to turn Egypt aware from U.S. influence.

He also has endangered the Egypt-Israel peace agreement, ignoring the fact that the peace was kept because Egypt's army wanted the peace to be kept.

It's a pity Obungler could not have settled to be a Kennedy-like pretty boy who did nothing to embarrass the United States; who smiled at the camera and mouthed words penned by his speech writers. "Ich bin ein Berliner"

It is amazing how the liberals of the world - the U.S. does not have a monopoly on fools - ignore Muslim atrocities in Africa and the Middle East - consider who is keeping the "Palestinians" in the camps; not Israel. The answer is the UN and their fellow Muslims.

No one ignores, for now, Muslim misbehavior in Pakistan because a little girl who only wanted to go to school was shot by a Muslim who preferred she stay ignorant and she made headlines around the world. But she is an exception - she survived.

Any Egyptian who thinks other than what the Brotherhood thinks - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - is a target for the brothers.

Thanks to Obungler, Egypt may turn into another Lebanon.

AND NOW, the Wall Street Journal reports under the headline Spy Chief Distances Saudis From U.S., that "Saudi Arabia intends to scale back the degree to which it cooperates with the United States in arming and training Syrian rebels, a decision that comes amid what the Wall Street Journal describes as "a growing dispute between the U.S. and one of its closest Arab allies over Syria, Iran and Egypt policies." Riyadh late last week declined a seat on the United Nations Security Council for similar reasons, with Prince Bandar Bin Sultan al-Saud reportedly telling diplomats that the decision "was a message for the U.S., not the U.N." The move was broadly praised by Saudi Arabia's regional allies, including Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. Arab governments have become increasingly public in expressing frustration with the Obama administration, which they fault for withholding aid from Egypt's anti-Muslim Brotherhood interim government and for being overeager to cut a deal with Iran on the country's nuclear program. Privately, Saudi officials in Washington have expressed that they "increasingly feel cut out of U.S. decision-making on Syria and Iran." Secretary of State John Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal on Monday in Paris in an effort to reassure the Saudis that the administration takes seriously the concerns of its long-time allies."

He messes up domestic politics and he messes up international politics. But the liberals love him.

Pity.

What Foods Require Jewish Action in the Cooking (Bishul Yisrael)?

The laws pertaining to Bishul Yisrael (food cooked by a Jew), are much more stringent than those for Path Yisrael (baked goods made by a Jew). There is also a difference between Sephardim and Ashkenazim, with Sephardim following a substantially stricter approach.

Foods that require Bishul Yisrael, require the participation of a Jew in the cooking process, without which they are forbidden. This holds true even if they were cooked in the utensils of a Jew in a Jewish home. There are two reasons for this enactment of the Hakhamim (sages). One is that they were concerned about the possibility of forbidden relations and intermarriage. Another reason is due to the concern that one might come to eat food that was not Kasher.

Not all foods are required to be Bishul Yisrael. Anything that is regularly eaten raw is exempt from the requirements of Bishul Yisrael if it is cooked. In addition, it must be the type of food that has some importance attached to it. Specifically, it must be the kind of food that would be served at a king's royal banquet or a banquet of one of his ministers. Food that does not fall into this category may be eaten without the participation of a Jew in the cooking process, (provided one knows that the food is Kasher in other respects).

(See Yoreh De'ah, 113:1. Ben Ish Hai, 2nd year, Parashath Huqqath, Oth 9)

 

Adding to R. Menashe's remarks:

What are two main differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardi kashrut?

One: The Ashkenazi need only light the fire; the Sefardi also must have a hand in preparing the food. theory, while an Ashkenazi can eat in any restaurant that has a legitimate certificate of kashrut, the Sefardi must check both for a certificate AND assurance that a Jew participated in the food preparation.

Two: For meats, an Ashkenazi accepts "glat" while the Sefardi requires Bet Yosef/Halak.

In theory, while an Ashkenazi can eat in any restaurant that has a legitimate certificate of kashrut, the Sefardi must check for a certificate, assurance that a Jew participated in the food preparation, and that the meat is Bet Yosef/Halak.

Shabat or Shabbos, Yom Tov or Yom Tob

Transliteration trials and tribulations

Or why Jews can’t communicate

A person I like to think of as a friend writes a weekly column on his father’s blog. My friend, one of his brothers, and his father are rabbis, the father is a rosh yeshiva.

I read my friend’s words almost every week. They usually are thought provoking and always worth my time.

But

But my friend – even though he claims a Sefardi connection – is Ashkenazi.

His Hebrew pronunciation is Ashkenazi Hebrew.

What little Hebrew I speak is mostly Israeli Hebrew.

The problem is compounded by my friend’s transliteration.

A final tav (ת) becomes a samach (ס).

I encourage him to put in parentheses the actual Hebrew for words he has transliterated. If you read Some thoughts on Sukkot you would see a number of examples of that I wish everyone who transliterates Hebrew would do.

My friend is not alone. I received, 6 days-a-week, emails from several rabbis-in-America. One is Syrian and one is Iraqi. I usually can comprehend their transliteration, but sometimes the spelling gives pause. One writes “Qiddush” and the other writes “Kiddush” and both intend קידוש. One writes "pasuq" while most write "pasuk" but "q" or "k," it's still פסוק .

Is it “etrog” or “esrog”? Actually, it’s אתרוג .

Spoken Hebrew can sometimes be “problematic.” Not just because of the Ashkenazi vs. “Sefardi” vs. Temani (Yemenite) accents, but because where some people – I think North Americans, mostly – place the accent on the word. Hebrew (and I suspect Japanese as well) usually places the emphasis on the last syllable: דוש קי.

Transliterations and variations on the spoken word make life interesting, sometimes with amusing results, but more often the result is someone left wondering “what did he/she mean – really?”

Still it could be worse; try deciphering roshi tavot ראשי תיבות (abbreviations).

 

יוחנן גלו

With a nod to Pete Seeger Blame it on Israel

Of course; who else?

A commenter on an an editorial titled Who Stole $3 Billion from the PA Cookie Jar? wrote that

"A recent article in the UK's Guardian newspaper, citing a World Bank report, blamed Israel for the backward state of the Palestinian economy due to 'the occupation'. A view endorsed by many Guardian readers - including BDS and other Israel haters who need no excuse to vent their spleen and also by a large contingent of half-wits who would have trouble finding Israel on the map let alone understand the issues. Light fingered pals have some explaining to do!"

Mark Langfan, who wrote the editorial, writes on security issues, has created an original educational 3d Topographic Map System of Israel to facilitate clear understanding of the dangers facing Israel and its water supply. It has been studied by US lawmakers and can be seen at www.marklangfan.com.

Langfan cites a report by the European Court of Auditors, a Luxembourg-based watchdog, that more than $3 billion dollars (or 2 billion Euros) of European aid given to the Palestinian Authority between 2008 and 2012 "may have been misspent, squandered or lost to corruption."

The auditor report further stated there were "significant shortcomings" in the management of funds sent to "Gaza and the West Bank." Also, the auditors "complained about the lack of measures to mitigate ‘high-level’ risks, such as "corruption" or funds not being used for their" designated purpose.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Abu Mazen blamed the "Israeli occupation" for his not having enough money to pay his government's 150,000 Palestinian Arab "employees". The Palestinian Authority's 2013 budget was expected to reach $1.4 billion.

Where is the money going? Langfran writes that Abu Mazen and Hamas are not paying teachers to teach physics or computers to Palestinian Arab children so they can compete in the modern world. Instead, they are paying Palestinian Arab terrorist murderers who are sitting in Israeli jails, and terror tunnel builders who intend to kidnap Israeli school children. These are the leaders for whom the Palestinian Arabs voted and empowered in the barely remembered last elections held in the PA.

Yet the U.S. and Europe continue to pour good money after bad and, at the same time, sing the Hamas and Hezbollah song that "Everything is Israel's fault."

Pete Seeger asked the question in 1955: "When will they ever learn?"
Pete wrote it, but Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul, and Mary and some others made it famous in the 60s. (The song title is "Where have all the flowers gone?" If you've never heard it (impossible!) listen to the video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXqTf8DU6a0 as Seeger and Arlo (Woody's boy) Guthrie sing it.)

 

If you're interested in Pete Seeger's thoughts, visit
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/30113.Pete_Seeger

What was Abraham thinking On the way to the Akedah?

R. Ya'aqob Menashe, in his Torah Minute titled Wayyera: Why Is it Not Called Isaac's Test?. raises an interesting question.

I kept R. Menashe's spelling that reflects his pronunciation of Hebrew.

He writes that "The Alshikh, 'a"h, asks a very interesting question. Shouldn't the Torah have said that G-d tested Abraham and Isaac? After all, it was a very major test for Yis-haq Abinu (Isaac), also. He was 37 years old and was willingly going to sacrifice himself."

Keeping in mind that I am not a rabbi and I do not play one on tv, my take on the Akedah is a bit different than many, including real rabbis (and a few on tv as well).

R. Menashe continues quoting the Alshikh as follows: "He answers that there is a difference between Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, and Yis-haq Abinu, 'a"h. Yis-haq Abinu, 'a"h, represents the attribute of justice (Din). This means that his entire desire and entity was to do the will of G-d without any hesitation or second thoughts. Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, on the other hand, represents the attribute of kindness (Hesed), and desired kindness and mercy. We see this clearly in how he even tried to find some merit to save the wicked people of Sedom."
The critical words are, IMO, "Abraham Abinu, 'a"h, on the other hand, represents the attribute of kindness (Hesed), and desired kindness and mercy."

Abraham must believe that HaShem has the same traits. He tells the young men who traveled with him and Yitzak to "Stay here with the ass while I and the lad (Yitzak) go to the mountain (in Moriah); we will go and worship and come back to you." (Genesis 22, 5)

True, he goes through the motions: he tells Yitzak to load up the wood - Yitzak is at this point 37-years-old so even if, according to the midrash, he spent all his time in the tents, he probably was strong enough to tote the load; he takes the fire and the knife and father and son go off together.

At one time, when my sons were little, I misread יחדו (together) as ידו (hand-in-hand). I liked that better, even if Yitzak was 37 at the time. When I was 37 I walked hand-in-hand with my Father-In-Law ע''ה and now, with my first born nearing 37, he walks hand-in-hand with me.

Abraham had a relationship with HaShem that allowed him to bargain, perhaps argue, with HaShem (think of Sodom). Isn't it reasonable to think that Abraham would believe in his heart that "worshipping" HaShem he could convince HaShem to "rethink" his order to offer Yitzak for a burnt offering? (Genesis 22, 2)

In addition to the confidence in HaShem that Abraham developed since he was Abram, he knew that G-d promised him his descendents would become a "goy gadol," a great nation; since Abraham already - at Sara's demand and G-d's acquiesce - had sent Ismael away (and Ismael was no child at the time), Yitzak was Abraham's only hope that G-d would honor His promise to make of Abraham a "goy gadol."

As Abraham and Yitzak are walking, Yitzak queries his father (Genesis 22, 7): "We have the fire and the wood, (but) where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham replies, and I think probably with the confidence of a person who "walks with G-d," "HaShem will provide the lamb for the burnt offering." The verse ends with "and they went on together (יחדו).

At the end of R. Menashe's brief, the rabbi comments that "When G-d commanded him (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, he had to make a 180 degree about turn and change his whole nature from kindness to justice, and take a knife in his hand to slaughter his son."

I don't understand where "justice" comes to play in the Akedah. The Torah never suggests than either Yitzak or Abraham did anything to require capital punishment

But maybe I'm missing something.

Ben Bag Bag said: Turn the Torah over and over for everything is in it. Look into it, grow old and worn over it, and never move away from it, for you will find no better portion than it." (Pirke Avot, 5, 26)

הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי