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.
The preceding text is copyright protected © Thaneeya LLC: http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/dia-de-los-muertos-history.html#ixzz2ikRLijU0

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

Ahh, Ireland

 

A little about Uisce Beatha

 

Some time back I asked "Is your whiskey kosher?" The question was prompted by a gifted bottle of Chivas Regal. Chivas is a blended scotch and possibly is aged in a wine cask; Chivas' PR people don't know and don't tell. For those who are strict, Chivas does not meet the kashrut test.

I happen to like Tennessee sour mash (all American non-flavored bourbons are kosher). I also like Irish whiskeys.

The problem with many - most? - is that, like scotch, they are blended in casks formerly used to age wine.

What's the problem with wine casks? During the aging process, the residue from the wine once aged in the cask leeches into the (scotch or Irish) whiskey, adding both color and flavor to the whiskey. This is a deliberate decision on the part of the distillers . Had the leeching been unplanned, the amount of wine residue would be allowable; however, this process was done with full knowledge of the distillery and that is the cause of debate among poskim: "Is it kosher or is it not?"

To its credit - and most assuredly its cash income - the Irish Republic (that's everything except Northern Ireland (see Infoplease.com map, below) apaprently decided that all Irish whiskey in the future must be "matured" (aged) in barrels that never contained wine. At lest that's what I've been told. By Irish law, whiskey must be aged at least 3 years; it may, of course, be aged longer.

For those ancients who flew to Europe on Lockheed Connies and had to stop at Shannon, the town and airport are located south of Ennis before crossing the River Shannon on the way to Limerick.

Digging around the WWW, I happily discovered that there are many Irish whiskey's aged in former American Bourbon barrels (casks). Among them, alphabetically, are

All whiskeys from Cooley Distilleries; these products include:

• Connemara
  
• Finnegan
  
• Greenmore
  
• Kilbeggan
  
• Lockes (a Killbeggan product)
  
• Tyrconnell

with the exception of Tyrconnell Port, Madeira or Sherry finishes or and Connemara Single Malt Sherry Finish.

In addition to the Cooley/Killbeggan products, the following Irish whiskeys are listed by kosher certifying agencies as kosher (agency shown in parentheses):

• Bushmills except Green Label (JSOR)
  
• Jameson-Regular (CRC and JSOR)
  
• Kellan (Requires label)
  
• Middleton Very Rare (Star-K and CRC)
  
• Paddy (Star-K and CRC)
  
• Powers (Star-K and CRC)
  
• Tullamore Dew (Star-K)

 

By the barrel (cask)

The following is from the distillers' web sites.

Bushmills' plain ol' Bushmills doesn't offer a hint as to how it is "matured." The 10-year-old single malt (green label) is aged mostly in bourbon seasoned barrels while Black Bush, 16-year-old and 21-year-old single malt whiskeys are aged in Bourbon and sherry barrels.

According to the Jameson web site, "basic" Jameson, Jameson Black Barrel, and Rarest Vintage Reserve whiskeys are aged in Bourbon casks. Jameson 12-year-old Special Reserve and Gold Reserve are aged in Bourbon and sherry casks; 18-year-old Limited Reserve is aged in "American Bourbon barrels and European oak casks."

Kellan is, according to the Cocktail Enthusiast web site, "aged more than four years in used bourbon casks." It is a Cooley Distilleries product.

Middleton Very Rare is aged in Bourbon and sherry casks.

Paddy whiskeys are aged for up to 7 years in oak casks. The casks' history is not mentioned.

On the Powers page, the 12-year-old is matured in "carefully selected American oak barrels." Gold Label casks are not specified.

A video for Tullamore Dew states that its products are aged on "oak barrels." What those barrels may have previously contained is not specified.

 

Links to the kashrut agencies cited above are:

CRC
Star-K
JSOR

Thoughts for Parashat Vayera, October 19, 2013 Wickedness is a Strange Malady

 

By Rabbi Marc D. Angel
Used with permission

The Torah describes the wickedness of Sodom as being pervasive enough to be punished by God’s destruction of the city. There were not even ten righteous people in the entire city. When the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s home with the intention of doing harm to Lot’s guests, the Torah informs us that the wicked group included “both young and old, all the people from every quarter” (Bereishith 19:4).

Is it really possible for an entire city to be so steeped in evil? How can we imagine a town so corrupt that not even ten good people lived there?

If we peruse human history, we find instances of entire societies becoming mired in corruption, violence and wickedness of every kind. The names of Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot come to mind when we ponder the fate of humanity during the past century. These tyrants were able to mobilize their forces to destroy millions of innocent people. Their henchmen followed their orders blindly, even when those orders entailed the most shameful and immoral cruelties.

But tyrants and their henchmen succeeded in terrorizing their societies because many citizens were too afraid to rise in resistance. The “silent majority”—although composed of people who were not innately evil—went along with the evil by looking the other way.

Tyrants utilize brute force. But they also utilize psychological warfare and intimidation. They vilify anyone who stands up against them. Those who resist the tyranny are branded as traitors or trouble makers. The tyrants, whose goal is to control the people into total submission, accuse opponents of attempting to control society. The tyrants, whose goal is to maintain total power for themselves, vilify opponents as being power-hungry.

And the masses stay quiet. And those vilified by the tyrants become frightened into silence.

Although there no doubt were good and brave people who found ways of resisting the evil dictators, they were so few that it may have appeared from a distance that “both young and old, all the people from every quarter” were accomplices.

In Ibsen’s powerful drama, Enemy of the People, Dr. Stockmann found that the water sustaining the local health spas was contaminated. His scientific tests proved beyond a doubt that the water would be dangerous to people who would bathe in it. Instead of being thanked for saving the lives of potential patrons of these spas, he was vilified by the leaders and the masses of the town.

His findings would ruin the town’s business. He was branded as an eccentric trouble maker who exaggerated the problem for his own glory. At a town meeting, Dr. Stockmann was declared an enemy of the people. He was fired from his position. His children had to leave school. The windows of his home were shattered. His patients were told to find another doctor. He was ordered to write a public repudiation of his scientific findings, which he would not do.

Were all the people of Dr. Stockmann’s town evil? No, they were not. But they were less concerned with truth and health than they were with their pocket books. If word got out that the spas were unhealthful, then the town—and its people—would lose the income brought in by tourists. If the town leaders agreed to have the water supply improved as per Dr. Stockmann’s suggestions, it would cost a lot of money and would take several years to accomplish. The people did not want to pay for the repairs and did not want to lose two years of business. They were not concerned about the endangerment of the lives of tourists; they were not concerned that if patrons of the spas got sick, people would finally realize that Dr. Stockmann’s reports were correct.

Wickedness is a strange malady. It doesn’t only come from wicked people. It also comes from weak people, frightened people, people more concerned with their own immediate gains than with the long-term needs of society. Wickedness is not the monopoly of vicious tyrants and dictators; it is shared by lower level manipulators and demagogues who seek to control and intimidate. It is shared by those who tolerate wickedness and who succumb to the lies and propaganda of the wicked leaders.

The Torah’s account of the wickedness of Sodom stands as an eternal warning about what can happen to a society if evil is allowed to persist, if good people are intimidated into passivity and silence.

The story about Sodom is not only about Sodom.

The Angel for Shabbat column is presented as a service of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Please visit the website jewishideas.org for a wide array of articles of special interest to those who wish to foster an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism.

The article above is found at http://jewishideas.org/angel-shabbat/wickedness-strange-malady-thoughts-parashat-va

Care-less plan?

First let me admit that I think the U.S. needs some sort of health care for everyone.

Now let's admit that the U.S. had some sort of healthcare for everyone before the Affordable Healthcare Act, a/k/a Obamacare. It was called indigent care and many, if not most, counties taxed their citizens to support indigent care at local hospitals.

In addition to indigent care, most counties also taxed its citizens for health care services such as pre-school inoculations, preventive medicines (flu shots, etc.) that might also be provided by private providers.

Healthcare for all, therefore, is not new with Obama.

Since almost everyone pays real estate taxes, either directly or, as a renter, indirectly as part of their rent, everyone who isn't living in their car or a cardboard box helped pay for indigent care. (We should be ashamed that anyone is forced to live in their car or in a cardboard box, but that's another issue.)

So what's new with the AHA/Obamacare?

Insurance companies can make money off of people forced to buy coverage from a select few.

Hopefully, AHA/Obamacare will put a cap on medical costs and on insurance premiums, but I have my doubts; after all, AHA/Obamacare is a political device.

I heard - second hand information, be forewarned - that while insurance PREMIUMS may be capped at what might seem an affordable level (hence "Affordable" Healthcare Act) the CO-PAYMENTS and DEDUCTABLES can defeat the "affordability" promised by the act.

I'm on Medicare and I use a Medicare Advantage plan.

I had what I considered a very good plan with AvMed. Although I checked the competition about this time every year, AvMed still kept my business. One of the reasons was hospital co-pays. Another was prescription coverage. Both of these can vary widely among plans. (Medicare Supplement plans have even higher co-pays and the Part B/D costs also are higher, but they have some advantages over Advantage plans.)

Being a fiscal conservative and social liberal, I think we need "universal" health care for our citizens and legal residents and visitors. I do not feel an obligation to provide anything to illegals except perhaps an economy plane ticket to any country that will take them. I think that everyone needs to pay something toward the welfare of this country and its citizens.

Judaism teaches that even a person receiving aid (tzedaka) has to give something to "charity."

Because I am of a suspicious nature, I have several problems with Obamacare.

First and foremost is the way the Act was passed. Thousands of pages never read were approved by people who were supposed to be our advocates. They were derelict in their duties. The bill was bulldozed through Congress

Second, I don't like government interfering between me an my practitioners. I don't want an Israeli healthcare system that I firmly believe works on an "ROI" basis; "Return On Investment." For seniors, that means less care and failure to provide needed services. If you are 50 and need a heart valve, you are likely to get it. If you are 70, maybe you'll get it. If you are 90 and a BIG SHOT, you'll probably get it. I admit that as a person ages, the surgery becomes more dangerous and that figures into the equation.

Third, I'm skeptical of the insurance plans. Again, I've heard that due to high deductables and co-pays, some people still won't go to a practitioner for routine and preventive health care, waiting until a simple-to-treat situation turns into a major hospital event.

I would have preferred to see more primary care options for all people; more local clinics where people could go for very-minimal-cost (read "highly subsidized) treatment and where primary care providers would stick around for more than a year. (Having a good patient-practitioner relationship is important to the juvenile patient as well as the elderly patient.)

Work the primary care clinics as the military does - or did in my day. The clinics housed general practitioners (internists, family practice) and a few specialists - primarily OB/GYN, pediatrics . There was an on-site basic laboratory and pharmacy.

Even better than a brick-and-mortar clinic would be clinics-on-wheels to go to areas where access to primary medical care is lacking.

Never mind forcing people to buy commercial insurance. As taxpayers we already are paying for indigent care - everyone of us who rents or owns real property helps foot the bill.

We need something but I don't think we need the AHA/Obamacare; we just need to adjust we have to better serve all the people.

AvMed revisited

Why?

I received a very nice email from Corey Miller, AvMed’s PR and Communications director in Miami who wrote that “I came across your blog and would like to put you in touch with a member of AvMed’s provider network management team to discuss your concerns.”

I’m assuming that AvMed has a program that searches the WWW for mention of its name.

I thought I laid out my concerns fairly well on the previous blog entry, but I responded to the director’s request with a “by the numbers” email (substantially shorter than this entry). Since AvMed apparently monitors the WWW for references to it, this is my expanded answer to Corey’s offer to discuss my “concerns.”

 

The Good

I’ve always liked AvMed. I had AvMed coverage in the 80s, long before I came of Medicare age. The company for which I worked had it as its health plan.

When I returned to south Florida I was working and had coverage from the employer. Then my job was eliminated and with that, my health coverage.

When I signed up for Medicare, I checked out several Medicare Advantage providers. AvMed got my business partly based on my past experience with the company and partly because the sales person seemed to know what he was selling.

What I FAILED to check was to see if my Primary Care Provider (PCP) was on AvMed’s list of providers. He was not, and I was forced to find a new PCP. I did, but it was not a happy arrangement. Then, at the beginning of 2011, AvMed took on Dr. Pepe & Associates and my PCP, Dr. Eduardo (Eddy) Perez-Stable was available. I was back in a flash.

What make’s Dr. P-S special? He listens, he’s an excellent diagnostician, and when action is needed, he acts.

Between January of 2011 and October 2013 I’ve had two surgeries: an open Triple A* procedure at Hollywood Memorial Regional and repair of an umbilical hernia that resulted from the Triple A surgery. (The is a 20% to 30% chance of a hernia after the Triple A; I was a 25 percenter.)

Also between January 2011 and October 2013 I made twice-a-year visits to an ophthalmologist; I have developing cataracts in both eyes and my high (albeit controlled) blood sugar has the eye docs checking for diabetes. (So far no signs of diabetes have been found.)

When I was over charged by an AvMed/Delta dentist, AvMed pressured Delta to pressure the dentist to refund the over payment.

When the hospital billed me for 3 days (over my 5 free days), I complained to AvMed and the charge disappeared. (I was discharged during my free days.)

At the same time, being a good AvMed client, I recommended it to a number of people; I know several who did sign up with AvMed and with my PCP.

 

The “not so good”

When I made my first appointment in 2012 with my then ophthalmologist, Dr. Alan Mendelsohn of Eye Surgeons and Consultants I learned that AvMed had delisted him.

Fortunately, his practice partner, Dr. David Goldberger was listed with AvMed so I could at least stay with the practice.

At the end of 2012, Dr. Goldberger was delisted. I had to find a new ophthalmologist on AvMed’s list.

When calling around, several ophthalmologists told me they wouldn’t know if they would be listed with AvMed until March of 2013.

I found a new ophthalmologist and paid to have my records forwarded to the new practice. The new practice was “OK,” but it was “less comfortable” than Eye Surgeons and Consultants, lacked Sunday appointments (a major convenience), and was substantially farther from my residence. (Driving with dilated eyes in Florida’s sun is no picnic.)

I received a letter from Eye Surgeons and Consultants in September informing me it had been relisted by AvMed. I was delighted.

This month, October, 2013, I received a letter from my PCP’s practice telling me that AvMed had delisted the practice. I had a choice: I could

(a)   Stay with AvMed and find a new PCP or

(b)   Sign up with one of the four Medicare Advantage plans that listed Dr. Pepe and Associates.

I also could sign up with a PPO, a Medicare Supplement plan, of go back to "original" Medicare, although the letter failed to mention these options.

Since I see my PCP three or four times-a-year – and I owe my life to his diagnostic skills and ability to listen to the patient - the decision for me was a no brainer: good bye AvMed. Several of the people who followed me to the practice and are Dr. Perez-Stable’s patients also came to the same conclusion.

 

So

Given my medical history and knowing what lies ahead, AvMed’s delisting of yet another of my physicians has me checking with the four insurers who still list my PCP’s practice. I want to keep my ophthalmologists; they specialize in cataract surgery. I need to keep my vascular surgeon – I have a follow-up with him and a small iliac aneurism that will need attention “someday.” I want to keep access to Hollywood Memorial Health System facilities; the food’s horrible, but the care is great.

Fortunately, the four insurers who list my PCP’s practice all want my business so I am getting some replies to my “do you list” queries. Unfortunately, so far it seems that only AvMed had the desired “line-up.”

Even with its plan changes, I would have stayed with AvMed; I had every intention of renewing until I received the letter from the PCP’s practice.

I simply have too much invested in my PCP to abandon the practice. If I means going with a plan that lacks my specialists, I will reluctantly do that.

I’m fortunate. I have basic computer skills and the time to research my options. I feel for the people who lack the skills and access to the WWW. If I’m frustrated by AvMed’s move, imagine others that lack my mellow disposition.

I’m really sorry that AvMed, for whatever reason – and I am reasonably certain it was not a medical reason – delisted my PCP’s practice.

Will I go back to AvMed if it relists my PCP? Only if it does so before December 1 (the last day to sign up for a Medicare Advantage program is Pearl Harbor day which, any geezer will tell you, is December 7.

I'm not holding my breath that this will happen.

 

* Triple A: Aortic Abdominal Aneurysm

Iliac aneurism : An aortic aneurysm that extends beyond the aorta into the iliac arteries (the blood vessels that go to the pelvis and legs).

מחיצה

EYES … FRONT!

 

The congregation where I “make minyan” is having a מחיצה crisis.

For awhile, the ladies had a half wall and a muslin curtain from the ceiling in front of them to protect them from the looks of the male congregants.

There were several problems with this arrangement.

First, the synagogue's one door was about 3/4s of the way to the back of the women’s section. The ladies could see, and be seen, by everyone entering the building.

Second, the men and boys had to pass by the ladies on the way to the their bathroom.

Third, some of the younger children ran back and forth between mom and dad, disrupting the service for the ladies who came to pray.

Solution: Enclose all but a small entrance=way in thick cloth. The nicer ladies called it a tent; the less gentle ladies called it something else. Worse, the ladies, except one “hutzpanette” in front, could not see the Torah while it was out of the ark. Forget about touching the Torah. (No, a woman cannot make the Torah טמא even if she is. Most Sefardi and Mizrahi women would stay home at that time anyway.)

The rabbi, correctly fearing an insurrection that would first cause the ladies to abandon ship only to eventually bring their husbands and children with them, tried a compromise.

He thought to buy one-way glass and install it from ceiling to the half-height wall that originally separated the men from the women. Turned out, one-way mirrored glass was too expensive, and anyway, lights would have to be rigged so that the glass on the men’s side would be a mirror. (There might be a problem with a mirror in any event.)

He did what he thought was the next best thing.

He bought doors with 2 by 2 inch windows from top to bottom. Each pane had a semi-opaque design. Nobody likes it.

My table mate grumbled that “you still can see them.”

My wife grumbled that she had to bend this way and that way to see past the frames around the glass. Another woman complained that because the solid doors are floor-to-ceiling, she couldn’t hear the Torah or the rabbi’s 5-minute talk.

My answer to my tablemate and all other men who can still see the women is simple:

Don’t look

Put your eyes on the sedur or humash in front of you

Pay attention to the Torah reader – he may need your help if he mistakes “va” for “ve.”

Basically, there rarely is need for a man – who ought to be busy with “manly things” - to look at the women or even in their direction.

I have to wander about the מחיצה.

The original מחיצה was in place at the Temple to protect women as well as weaker men (young boys and geezers) from the excesses of the Water Festival. It was not to separate men from women per se. Rather like an old man in 2013 going to sit in the corner during Simhat Torah to avoid being stabbed in the eye by a child carrying a paper flag.

I think a man should be able to control his desires, to overcome his evil inclination when he sees a woman other than his wife or hears a woman’s voice in song. If he can’t, then he should live in a shower that only has cold water.

At least the ladies where I go dress appropriately. I know places where, between the low cut of a woman’s blouse and the shortness of the woman’s skirt, she’s seems barely to be wearing a belt. In that case I reach for my large tallit – to cover my head since she can’t cover … well, what she ought to cover in synagogue. The bottom line for me that that I must keep my urges in control, no matter how provocative my surroundings.

Let there be a מחיצה, but let it be so the ladies can at least see and hear the Torah. Lest someone forget, the women are responsible for saving us on the way from Egypt and they are the ones who today educate our children to be observant Jews and to follow in their parent’s path.

 

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

Judaism and the 3 bears Rephrase, please

Every week, the The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals sends out an email querying its members with a “Question of the week.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Recent polls have indicated that 10% of American Jews identify as Orthodox. About 20% identify as Jewish without religion! When 90% of American Jews are not Orthodox, Orthodoxy seems to be becoming more insular and less interested in connecting with other Jews. Should Orthodox Jews engage more creatively and more often with non-Orthodox Jews, or should we build higher walls around ourselves to protect us from negative religious influences?

I have a problem with the question, especially as it comes from Sefardi rabbi Marc Angel.

The problem is the word “Orthodox” and variations of same.

“Orthodox” is, first and foremost, a European concept. It is foreign to Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. The label is an effective barrier – a מחיצה - where there should be no barrier.

In fact, the question suggests it own answer when it asks: Should Orthodox Jews engage more creatively and more often with non-Orthodox Jews, or should we build higher walls around ourselves to protect us from negative religious influences?

I see far, far too many Jews who reject out of hand any Jew who is “not like me.” Makes no difference if the Jew is (alphabetically) Conservative, Orthodox, or Reform (and flavors in between) or non-observant, whether the Jew is Ashkenazi, Sephardi/Mizrahi, or a blend; ditto for both “accident-of-birth” Jews and converts, “righteous” or otherwise. The “you’re not like me” malady seems less prevalent in Israel – “less” albeit not “non-existent” – than in the U.S.

In general - and remember, “all generalities are lies” - Sephardi/Mizrahi Jews look at other Jews as (a) less observant than, (b) more observant than, or (c) observant like me. The level of observance is dependent on the perception and level of observance of the person making the observation. In other words, how observant I am depends on your level of observance – and, to a lesser extent, your narrow mindedness.

A few quick words on “narrow mindedness.”

The late Hakham R. Ovadia Yosef (נפטר יום ב' חשון תשע''ד) wrote many books and ruled on many things based on his Iraqi heritage and his education. Those who followed him, and there were many, accepted his authority without looking right or left.

I have a book in my library, דברי שלום ואמת, the sole purpose of which is to explain that there are other valid traditions that are equally correct.

Someone in the Shas camp would, for example, tell a woman that she must say the blessing over the Shabat candles before lighting them while the North African – and possibly others – tradition is to light the candles, cover the eyes, then recite the blessing. A minor point, perhaps, but one that caused grief in the family.

There was a time when I was guilty of “looking down” at others who were not like me. The hasid who tucks his trousers into his socks and insists on wearing a fur hap in the hottest weather; the (classical) Reform lady rabbi who absolutely forbids kippa and tallit in her synagogue, and the Jew who drove to shul on Shabat.

I’m older – much older, as it happens – and, thanks to my late father-in-law אליהו בן זהרה לחיאני ע''ה, hopefully much wiser. I learned from him that a Jew is a Jew is a Jew, regardless of the person’s “take” on Judaism.

My father-in-law was not a rabbi. He was not a particularly learned man, at least as far as formal book and yeshiva learning. But he was truly a hakham when it came to people, Jews and non-Jews alike.(He came from Morocco where he daily dealt with Moroccan Jews, Moroccan Muslims, and French Jews and non-Jews.) Lest anyone think Morocco was a place sans hakhamim, there were a number of Moroccan communities with yeshivot of note and it was home to more than a few world renowned rabbinical families; my father-in-law worked with one such family.

I make minyan with a “mixed” congregation. We have Syrians, Egyptians, several Ashkenazim, at least one Turk, and a Moroccan or two. The shul’s sedur is, I think, Ben Ish Hai, but you’ll see other sidurim on the tables (including the Moroccan וזרח השמש and אבותינו). Some were tzit-tzit outside, some not; some have payot, others do not; some are clean shaven all year round, some are bearded from time to time while others’ faces are hirsute all year round. I have never heard anyone even suggest that “that” person is less of a Jew that the speaker.

That’s not to say that every Jew has to be every other Jew’s best friend forever – BFF to the texters – but it is to say that the Jews in my circle are tolerant of Jews with a different perspective on the religion. There is a Chabad center down the street. It starts on Rebbe time – that is, much later than our HaNetz start time. It occasionally lacks one or two to make a minyan, so the rabbi sends a runner to us to “borrow” however many it takes to fill out the minyan.

I am fortunate to live in an area (Hollywood FL) that has an abundance of congregations; many are of the “more observant” category. People float from minyan to minyan. Late for ours? Go to the other Ben Ish Hai shul or the Moroccan synagogue or for a different flavor, try the large Ashkenazi synagogue or the small Ashkenazi storefront shul. Go a little father and there are “non-traditional” congregations.

I’m not a Pollyanna; there are a couple of classes of Jews I heartily dislike; one consists of those who drop their children off at Sunday school – or send them to a Hebrew day or afternoon school – and can’t bother to make minyan; great example, people. The other class is composed of those aliyah managers who ignore recently bar mitzvahed boys (or bat mitzvahed girls in non-traditional congregations). The youngsters soon learn that while everyone tells them their presence is important, it’s not important enough to give them the honors they deserve as children of the commandments, their obligations and benefits. דו פנים doesn’t work for me. (“My” congregation gives honors by The List; everyone eligible for an honor gets an honor in his turn, from the 13-plus a day to the oldest geezer.)

ADVERTISEMENT: Congregation Nahar Shalom (Dania beach/Hollywood FL) needs a cohen. We have several levi’m but no permanent cohen. While every Jew is welcome to Nahar Slalom’s HaNetz minyan, cohanim are especially welcome.

The bottom line for a Jew should be that a Jew is a Jew is a Jew – perhaps less observant, perhaps more observant, or just observant like me.

 

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

Medicare providers AvMed does it . . . again

AvMed, which promotes long-term patient-physician relationships in its PR, seems to make a habit of making such relationships impossible.

I’ve been an AvMed Advantage plan “member” since 2010.

Before signing on with AvMed I had an agreeable Primary Care Provider, a/k/a “PCP.” He’s an internal medicine specialist (“Specialize; you’ll do half the work and get twice the money” a cutter from my Air Force days told me) – in truth, he’s a General Practitioner (GP) and, I think, a darn good one.

BUT, in 2010 he wasn’t on AvMed’s physician’s list. I found a new, AvMed-listed PCP and went for a visit. I immediately disliked the new PCP, but I was “stuck.”

The I discovered that at the beginning of 2011, my old PCP was now on AvMed’s list so I quickly returned to his office. The medical staff is good; the office staff is not. But never mind.

The other day I receive notice that effective 1 January 2014, AvMed delisted my PCP.

This is not the first time AvMed has played the delisting/listing game.

I have high sugar and developing cataracts. A PCP of several years back told me to see an ophthalmologist to check for signs of diabetes. The result was negative – no signs of the disease. Since, I have had annual or twice-a-year visits with an ophthalmologist.

I had a good one listed by AvMed. Then he wasn’t. But a partner was, so I stayed with the same practice, but with a different doctor. Same office. Same techs and office staff. Different doctor.

Then AvMed delisted the second doctor. I was forced to find a new ophthalmologist and have my records forwarded – at my expense – to the new doctor. The new ophthalmologist is “OK,” but when the old practice advised me that AvMed had relisted my original ophthalmologist – and his partner – I planned to return to that practice come January 1, 2014.

AvMed has provided decent coverage and I have has two hospital stays under its Medicare Advantage plan. All-in-all, I was pleased with AvMed. (I’d had AvMed’s regular policy many years ago as an employee benefit; based on that I selected AvMed as my Medicare Advantage provider years later.)

The delisting of my PCP has a ripple effect on my health care.

I need to find a plan that lists both my PCP and the specialists and hospital I have used since 2011.

This turns out to be borderline impossible.

Last year, when my ophthalmologist was delisted, I tried to find out why. No success.

When I went looking for a replacement ophthalmologist, several told me that AvMed would have its physician’s list cast into concrete only in the following calendar year.

I’m not sure the other plan providers are any better.

One I just checked failed to list the hospital where I have a history, yet listed physicians who have privileges there.

In the end, I may start looking at Medicare Supplement plans that let me have access to any physician or facility that accepts Medicare. Unlike Advantage programs, however, the Supplement programs come at a cost over and above the Medicare Plan B premium.

Of course there always is “Original Medicare” with a Plan D (Rx) extra cost supplement. At least with “Original Medicare,” the patient doesn’t have to play “Find a new plan or provider” every couple of years.

I’m sure AvMed management (thinks it) has a reason for dropping my PCP, but it doesn’t win the plan any friends and it doesn’t promote long-term patient-provider relationships, and that (patient-provider relationships), in the end, is the true “bottom line.”

Never mind Syria, Africans die trying To flee homelandterror

The mass tragedy du jour reads Rome: Oct. 3 2013: Scores killed as African migrants' boat capsizes

According to the report, “A ship carrying African migrants toward Italy caught fire and capsized off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa Thursday, spilling hundreds of passengers into the sea, officials said. Ninety-four bodies were recovered and more than 200 people remain unaccounted.

“It was one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks in recent times and the second one this week off Italy: On Monday, 13 men drowned while trying to reach southern Sicily when their ship ran aground just a few yards from shore.”

The passengers were from Eritrea, Ghana, and Somalia.

 

Map courtesy of The World Factbook 2013-14. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2013

 
Searching for the story on Dogpile pulled up a multitude of hits, only a few relating to this latest incident.

A Feb 25, 2011 article heded Somali refugees drown after boat capsizes tells the story of 59 Somalis who tried to reach Yemen; only one survived.

On Dec. 20, 1012, an article titled 55 drown off Somali coast after boat capsizes reported on the death of 55 more Somalis and Ethiopians trying to reach Yemen. According to the U.S. High Commission on Refugees, 95 Somalis died between the first of the year and the mid December.

Refugees attempting to reach Europe fare no better.

An article in The Australian dated July 29, 2013 declares 31 drown after boat capsizes off Libya leads off stating “More than half the people aboard a rubber boat carrying 53 African migrants died when it capsized off Libya, Italy's Ansa news agency says. Thirty-one people drowned in the accident that occurred late Friday, and the rest were rescued by a freighter and brought on Sunday to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, Ansa reported, citing the survivors.” Most of the migrants came from Nigeria, Gambia, Benin, and Senegal.

This is the same destination as the today’s tragedy.

Worse is another article out of Libya, this time, June 4, 2011, the hed reads At least 150 drown when boat from Libya capsizes and is followed by “At least 150 people drowned when a boat leaving Libya capsized off the Tunisian coast this week, the U.N. refugee agency said Friday.

“Scores more were still missing as a rescue operation by Tunisian authorities continued. But at least 578 people survived the sinking Wednesday, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.”

According to the UNHCR, “The overcrowded boat, which set sail May 28 from Tripoli, was headed for the Italian island of Lampedusa carrying about 850 people. The passengers were mostly migrants from West Africa, Pakistan and Bangladesh who were fleeing fighting in Libya.”

The report concluded: "Boats loaded with migrants fleeing the ongoing conflict in Libya have been making the journey to Italy and Malta over recent months, sometimes with tragic consequences," the refugee agency said in its statement. "Just last month, hundreds died as a vessel carrying about 600 people broke up shortly after departing Tripoli."

Finally, a story heded Boat carrying 600 refugees capsizes off Libyan coast, hundreds feared drown reports that “Several hundred people are feared to have drowned off Libya, after a boat carrying some 600 refugees trying to reach Europe broke up at sea on Friday.

“The UN's refugee agency said 16 bodies, including two babies, had been found.”

The article reported that “The Guardian newspaper said 61 of the 72 people on board the boat died of hunger or thirst, despite being spotted by a military helicopter and NATO ship.”

In at least one report (55 drown off Somali coast after boat capsizes), the UNHCR Representative for Somalia, Bruno Geddo blamed the deaths-at-sea on “people fleeing conflict, violence and human rights abuses in the Horn of Africa."

Although the body count-to-date still is not complete, we have to ask ourselves: Why?

Why leave home?

What is going on in Africa that is driving these people to risk – and often lose – their lives trying to escape their homelands.

A clue may be gleaned from the U.S. State Department travel warnings

• Eritrea: Crime in Asmara has increased as a result of deteriorating economic conditions accompanied by persistent food, water, and fuel shortages, and rapid price inflation. The combination of forced, open-ended, low-paying, national service for many Eritreans and severe unemployment leads some Eritreans to commit crime to support their families.
  Piracy on the Red Sea continues to occur.
  Landmines and unexploded ordnance remain a serious problem throughout the country.
  

• Ethiopia: A number of al-Qaida operatives and other extremists are believed to be operating in and around Africa. Since the July 11, 2010, terrorist bombings in Kampala, Uganda, for which the Somalia-based, U.S. government-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility, there have been increased threats against public areas across East Africa. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against US interests in multiple regions, including Africa. In February 2012, leaders of al-Shabaab and al-Qaida announced a merger of the two groups.
  There are periodic attacks on civilians as well as security forces in the Somali region of Ethiopia. In 2011, Kenyan and Ethiopian forces initiated an offensive against al-Shabab in Somalia, together with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which has been in Mogadishu since 2007, resulting in an increase in the threat level in Ethiopia and neighboring countries.
  In southern Ethiopia, along the Kenyan border, banditry and incidents involving ethnic conflicts are also common. You should exercise caution when traveling to any remote area of the country, including the borders with Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan, and avoid travel outside of the major towns in these border areas.
  

• Ghana: There are a number of ongoing chieftaincy disputes in Ghana that generally involve competition over limited resources. Several of these disputes have erupted into violence and unrest during recent years, most notably in Yendi in the Northern Region and Bawku in the Upper East Region. Visitors should exercise caution when traveling in these areas and remain alert to outbreaks of unrest.
  

• Nigeria: An extremist group based in northeast Nigeria known as Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for many attacks, mainly in northern Nigeria, which have killed or wounded thousands of people during the past three years. Multiple Suicide Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Devices (SVBIED) targeted churches, government installations, educational institutions, and entertainment venues in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Taraba, and Yobe states.
  Ansaru, an internationally-focused jihadist group considered an offshoot of Boko Haram, has operated in Nigeria since 2012. It has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and execution of seven foreign nationals in Bauchi in early 2013, the kidnapping of a French national in Katsina in December 2012, and a November 2012 prison break at the headquarters of the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Abuja.
  

• Senegal: The threat of terrorism in Senegal has increased due to the conflict in Mali. It should be noted that Senegal shares porous borders in the north and east with both Mauritania and Mali. Terrorist attacks involving members of Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have occurred in Mauritania and Mali in recent years. In February 2013, AQIM made a public statement indicating that it regards Senegal as a hostile country for contributing to the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
  

• Somalia: Terrorist operatives and armed groups in Somalia have demonstrated their intent to attack the Somali authorities: African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM): and other non-military targets. Kidnapping: bombings: murder: illegal roadblocks: banditry: and other violent incidents and threats to U.S. citizens and other foreigners can occur in any region.
  In February 2012: Al-Shabaab announced that it had merged with Al-Qaida. Al-Shabaab-planned assassinations: suicide bombings: and indiscriminate armed attacks in civilian populated areas are frequent in Somalia. While Mogadishu and parts of south/central Somalia are now under Somali government control with the military support of African Union forces: al-Shabaab continues to demonstrate the capability to carry out attacks in government-controlled territory with particular emphasis on targeting government facilities.

With the exception of African Union forces in Somalia, there seems to be no intervention by Islamist governments to put down the terrorism that is forcing people to (try to) flee their homelands.

Africa is not - at least in my opinion – a U.S. problem. It is a problem for the Arab Union since most of terror is caused by Islamists. It is a problem for a pan-Africa organization, if there is such a thing.

The only time something becomes a U.S. problem is when American’s are involved, e.g., when a U.S. flag carrier is attacked as it sails around the Horn of Africa. The U.S. went to war over piracy in the past (“From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli”), back when U.S. President Thom. Jefferson ordered a naval and military expedition to North Africa, without the authorization of Congress, to put down regimes involved in slavery and piracy.

The Brits, Dutch, French, Germans, and to a lesser extent, the Spanish once controlled Africa; let these nations get involved.

Pols get theirsAnd we lose ours

Politicians continue to get our money in salary and benefits while Joe and Jane Citizen suffer.

One of the the things Obungler and company shut down with the most recent tit-for-tat spat between political foes is the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

Meanwhile, the pay checks continue to roll in for members of congress, the executive branch, and (probably) all the staffs.

What could have been sacrificed?

Six days-a-week mail delivery could be cut to 5 days-a-week. That probably should be done in any event, at least for residential customers.

Some military expenditures could be delayed; certainly payments to contractors who have projects overdue or that have gone over budget could be halted. Maybe the U.S. could forego a misadventure in the middle east – at least until we figure out which side, if any, is on OUR side.

Do we really need to patrol our border with Mexico? Any workers who cross over illegally will soon be given citizenship anyway, and apparently there is no stopping either guns or drugs. We also can reduce Customs and Immigration details at air and sea ports; terrorists pass through like water through a sieve since the spooks on one hand refuse to talk to the spooks on the other hand. Maybe FBI, CIA, NSA, and other spooks should be furloughed; they don’t seem to do their jobs anyway. 9-11 anyone? How about Benghazi?

Israel’s equivalent to the State Department went on strike and the government continued more or less normally. Maybe State could have a reduction in personnel for the duration. So it takes an extra two weeks for a passport; travelers can adjust.

Funny enough, the IRS has been shut down. Since that is one of the primary sources for picking the taxpayers’ pockets (robbing Peter the taxpayer to pay Paul the politician), it seems as if Obungler & Company is cutting off its collective nose in spite of itself. Is it the air in Washington or is it the water that leads our Dilbertian leadership in its peculiar ways?

This following the “sequester” and preceding the coming soon battle over raising the nation’s debt limit – again. Didn’t Obungler manage to do that last year? Failure, we are told, would mean the U.S. would be in default on its debts and the national credit score would be down the proverbial tube. As Americans, do we care?

Rather than raise – once again – the debt ceiling, Obungler & Company, he’s not in this alone you know, should look at where the budget can be trimmed.

Start with foreign aid. True, a lot of it has strings attached, strings that benefit the U.S. military-industrial complex so that the countries getting the aid must buy killing supplies from the likes of the Boeings, Littons, Northrop Grummans, Electric Boat, and GE-type organizations. Cancel membership in the U.N., consistently proven to be no friend of America.

Obungler closed the nations’ parks and furloughed the rangers. That was smart – like the IRS, the parks generate income and are a destination for many foreign tourists. Shortsightedness on a field of a starless night.

It seems our politicians, in all branches and of all parties, are determined that American will follow all the previous “powers” into second rate status.

The politicians' pettiness will make America a petty nation.

I’m glad I’m a geezer who knew America in a better time.