Opuscula Be the first To offer A greeting

I READING A Code of Jewish Ethics Vol. 1 by Jos. Telushkin. I’ve had the book for some time and I probably opened it once or twice before.

This time I am reading it.

One thing that caught my eye relates to two of my favorite Jewish personalities: Yohanon (bar Nappacha, brother-in-law to Shimon ben Lekish a/k/a Resh Lakish) and Shamai.

Yohanon made a point, according to the book, of being the first to greet everyone, even non-Jews.

Shamai said to greet everyone with a pleasant disposition.

Rambam (Moses Ben Maimon, a/k/a Maimonides) said that “A scholar should greet all men before they greet him so that the spirits of others derive pleasure from him.

While I would not presume to be a Yohanon of the famous Yohanon of the talmud, we do share two things: the name Yohanon, and the desire to be the first to greet others.

Similar to Shamai, I try to greet others with a pleasant demeanor.

(Anyone who “puts down” Bet Shamai really doesn’t know about Shamai. In many respects he was more liberal, especially when it came to rulings dealing with women, than Hillel the Elder. Hillel’s reputation largely is based on one incident when a man came to Shamai and Hillel demanding to be taught everything about Judaism while he stood on one foot. Shamai chased the man way; Hillel told him one thing and said “the rest is commentary, go study.” Did the man “go study”? There is no evidence either way.)

Greeters must consider the person they are greeting.

This morning, Shabat, on the way back from minyan, I met a non-observant Jewish neighbor working on his car.

Pesach is next Shabat.

I greeted the man with “Are you ready for the holiday?” I didn’t ask if he was done cleaning for Pesach or did he sell his hametz. He told me he is going to visit family in another state for Passover.

Even if his house is not “K4P,” he is aware of the holiday and intends to spend it with family. The point of the matza and hagadah is to remember the exodus from Egypt and what led up to it. The Torah tells us not to have anything leavened in our possession, but the rabbis allow us to pretend to sell hametz while keeping possession of it.

Strictly speaking . . .

 

On the way to the minyan I met the neighbor across the street from the Jewish guy. The neighbor is not Jewish. With him we discussed neighborly things and his upcoming knee replacement surgery.

A third neighbor, an observant Jew, passed by with a Shabat shalom greeting as he made his way to a different minyan. (Where I live there is no shortage of minyanim, all within easy walking distance for the able bodied and a few within walking distance for geezers such as this scrivener.) This neighbor “beat me to the punch” by sneaking up behind me; had I seen him first . . .

I do not try to greet everyone downtown or even in the supermarket, although I do speak to many. I nod to strangers who make eye contact. Unfortunately, the current state of affairs makes many people suspicious of strangers who greet them; they respond like the Tar Baby in an Uncle Remus Br’r Rabbit story. (I do not respond as Br’r Rabbit responded.)

By the way, I don’t see that Uncle Remus stories are racist. On the contrary, I think it acknowledges the positive role some blacks had in developing ethics in children, regardless of the amount of melanin in their skin.)

Still, in my neighborhood, I try to be the first with a greeting.

I tried to instill that attitude in my children. (My spouse thinks I’m nuts.)

I’m glad I decided to read Telushkin’s book (one of many), finding out my habit is endorsed by some Big Names (Shamai, Yohanon, Rambam), I’m definitely in good company.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

עינים להם ולא יראו * אזנים להם ולא יאזנו

Comments on Greetings

Opuscula If we were All haridim

 

R. ELI MANSOUR WROTE in his Daily Halacha for 3 January 2016 that we should follow the tradition of our forebears to spend our time engaged in Torah, which brings wisdom and fear of God. We should not be studying secular philosophy, which causes confusion and raises questions without providing adequate answers, thus threatening a person’s fear of God and commitment to Torah. Indeed, Hakham Ovadia Yosef writes explicitly that one should not involve himself in the study of secular philosophy.

He allowed that Moses Ben Maimon a/k/a Rambam or Maimonides studied philosophy, but, R. Mansour noted, the Rambam delved into philosophy only after he mastered the entire corpus of Torah scholarship. Secondly, he studied this material for the purpose of formulating a response to the non-believers of his time, who denied the Torah on the basis of Greek thought. Since most modern day Jews are not as accomplished as Rambam, we cannot claim to have reached the level of spiritual greatness attained by the Rambam, such that we can be assured to emerge unscathed from the study of secular philosophy.

"Philosophy" is the haredi (Orthodox) code word for secular studies; anything other than the written Torah (the two Talmuds), the commentaries, and the oral Torah we received at Har Sinai - pretty much in that order.

But what if

Niels Henrik David Bohr * was a Danish physicist who made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

Gustav Mahler * was a composer and conductor, born in Bohemia (formerly part of the Austrian Empire, currently located in the Czech Republic), and identified throughout his life as a German-speaking Austrian. Mahler was best known during his own lifetime as one of the leading orchestral and operatic conductors of the day.

Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza * was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Jewish origin. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza’s work was not fully realized until years after his death. Today, he is considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy,

Sigmund Freud, * born Sigismund Shlomo Freud, was an Austrian psychiatrist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology.

Albert Einstein * was a German-born theoretical physicist. He is best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass–energy equivalence, E = mc², the most famous equation of the twentieth century.

studied only Torah and not science and philosophy?

How about inventors? There are pages of inventors listed with their discoveries and inventions at Jewish Inventors. A sampling includes:
Ruth Arnon - Israel biochemist ; co-developer of a multiple sclerosis drug
Samuel E Blum - LASIK eye surgery
Paul Ehrlich, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1908 noted for curing syphilis and for his research in autoimmunity, chemotherapy & immunotherapy.
Waldemar Mordecai Wolff Haffkine, CIE, the first microbiologist to develop and use vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague.
Paul Maurice Zoll - Defibrillator/Cardiac Pacemaker

As with Jewish scientists, the list of Jewish philosophers goes on and on and on. A visit to the Jewish Philosophers & Thinkers page of JINFO.org brings up a list of more than 100 names including:
Isaac & Judah Abravanel, Alfred & Felix Adler, Noam Chomsky, Hasdai Crescas, Solomon Ibn Gabirol (Avicebron), Ernest Gellner, Gersonides, Judah Halevi, Jeanne Hersch, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Karl Marx, Fritz Mauthner, Alexander Men, Moses Mendelssohn, Joseph Soloveitchik, Baruch (Benedict) de Spinoza, Edith Stein, William Stern, and Leo Strauss.

Mind, the list does not include merchants, entertainers, authors, or a host of other categories of people who elected to do something in addition to Torah study; people who elected to earn their livelihood rather than beg or send others to beg for them.

The rabbis tell us that Torah scholars are Israel's defense and certainly Torah is Israel's crown, but sitting safely in a yeshiva while others risk their lives in battle hardly seems in Israel's defense. If the yeshiva boys really are Israel's defense as the rabbis claim, let them study at the front to provide morale support to the men and women who are laying their lines on the line for the rabbis and rabbi want-to-bes.

 

* From Top 10 Most Influential Jews In History

How does it look In your synagogue?

Rabbi Marc D. Angel, in his start-of-the-week email, writes about the beauty of the Sanctuary and then asks:

What would happen, though, if upon entering the sanctuary the worshiper found papers strewn on the floor or other litter scattered about randomly? What impression would be made if the priests arrived late for the service, or if they chatted and joked with each other? What if the High Priest was busy reading a book rather than attending to the ceremonies of the sanctuary? What if the others who attended the sanctuary were busy socializing rather than focusing on the service?

In synagogues that are used exclusively as synagogues, order usually prevails.

That doesn't mean you won't find someone reading something other than a sedur or humash, but you won't normally find books and flyers scattered on tables and chairs.

But when the synagogue also is a bet midrash - a study hall - then as Star Trek's Hikaru Sulu (George Takei)would say, "Oh my."

I usually unlock the door to the netz (sunrise) minyan where I don tallit and tefillin.

I know that when I flip on the lights I'll be greeted by books of various types - talmuds, humashim, musar - scattered on many, if not all, tables.

No one, it seems, knows how to return a book to its place.

Where there are no books, very often tallit/tefillin bags are left on the tables. That's not so bad IF the owners show up for the minyan. Since the synagogue now has a late minyan, it would be nice of the folks from either minyan would find a place for their gear other than on the shared tables. We don't buy seats so there is no proprietary ownership; first come, first served or, alternatively, "you snooze, you loose."

Most of the congregants are Americans of Mizrahi (Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi) descent; a few are ex-pat Israelis who did time in the IDF. Likewise, most have gone from Mommy to Wife and - apparently - never learned to pick up after themselves. I'm not sure this behavior is limited to Mizrahi males or even males who missed out on spending time with the military - Israel, U.S., or otherwise.

(Yes, Virginia, I did play at being military, serving in the USAF back as America "transitioned" from the "police action" in Korea to "military advisory groups" in Vietnam, and yes, Virginia, I DO return books I use to their place.)

R. Angel goes on to note that:

"The physical sanctuary was still beautiful. The priestly robes were still glorious. But somehow, the sense of holiness would be dramatically missing. What makes holiness is not merely the physical structure or priestly garments or technical ceremony: holiness is evoked by the spirit of reverence which people bring to the sanctuary. If the ingredient of holiness is missing from the participants in the service, then the physical beauty and splendor become empty shells. The body may be intact, but the soul is missing.

"The Mishkan and the later Temples in Jerusalem set the model for Jewish worship. The physical structures and accouterments were splendid; and the spiritual content of the service was to be conducted with proper devotion. When the spirit of holiness was absent among the priests and among the people, the Divine Presence itself was driven from the Temple.

"The Shulhan Arukh, the classic code of Jewish law, has a special section on the sanctity of the synagogue (Orah Hayyim 151). The laws underscore the separateness and specialness of this sacred structure. It is forbidden to act in a light-headed fashion in synagogues. Silly laughter, extraneous conversation, eating and drinking are forbidden in these holy places. If one finds people talking and joking, one feels that the holiness of the synagogue has been defiled. (Emphasis mine)

"The sanctity of synagogues is not only exemplified by the rules governing behavior within them; the physical structure must be respected. The Shulhan Arukh notes that it is customary to keep synagogues clean and to light candles in them as a sign of honor. If one enters a synagogue and sees papers, books and prayer shawls strewn around, one feels that the sanctuary has been diminished."

When it comes to talking, no one group seems to have a franchise. I'm told Ashkenazim talk as much as - perhaps more - than Sefardim and Mizrachim. I left a congregation partly because of the constant chatter during services. (Several of the talkers followed me to my new minyan and even the rabbi has been known to chat with members during korbanote.)

After all, synagogue is a social club, right?

I encourage my friends who want to chat to take the conversations outside (as long as we have 10 for kadish). It's OK is someone has pressing business that cannot wait until after Aleynu - some folks have to be at work early and consequently cannot hang around to the end.

If anyone wants to turn the synagogue into a social club, let them come before or after services.

As for this scrivener, when I open the door in the morning, I grab a copy of Rambam's Mishneh Torah (I'm on the second of five books now) - read until time for korbanote and just before donning tallit and tefillin, I put the book back in its place on the shelf. I really do "practice what I preach."

Change you passwords frequently.

Food for the poor, food for thought

This morning we had a schnorer collecting money to help the poor buy Passover provisions.

Without going in to my opinion of schnorers from Israel coming to the States to beg, I will suggest that Rambam - Moses ben Maimon, a/k/a Maimonides - was right when he told us that our charity - check that, our obligation - begins at home and works outward:

* Family
* Jewish Community
* City
* Country
* Israel
* Rest of the World

While it is commendable to donate to schnorers from Israel, or, for that matter, any place, we need to set aside a greater portion for the poor in our midst. Trust me, there ARE Jewish poor, especially in this economy.

While we are told that even a poor person must give צדקה - and to repeat my earlier point, tzdakah is NOT "charity," it is an obligation that falls on all of us - we should distribute our resources to others based on Rambam's approach (ibid.).

Here in southeast Florida we have several food banks. There's a Jewish - therefore "kosher products" - food bank almost within walking distance. My wife occasionally works there and the food bank is a frequent debit entry into the check book. As it should be.

Typically, in Conservative and Reform congregations, the schnorer approaches the religious leader who gives from the congregation's Discretionary Fund. In so-called "Orthodox" congregations, the schnorers approach the rabbi who then lets the congregants know it's OK to donate; the schnorer's purpose it legitimate.

Here, most schnorers check in with a committee that issues - rubber stamps, actually - a document certifying the schnorer's purpose.

Pesach - Passover - is nigh. Passover prices likewise are both "nigh" and "high." Local food banks need help, both financial and physical.

If you don't know if there is a food bank - Jewish or otherwise - in your community, ask a rabbi or synagogue administrator. Check at the JCC or Federation office.

Failing that, check on line. I used the Dogpile (http://www.dogpile.com) search engine to find "Jewish food banks in South Florida" and got several hits. Unfortunately, the hits failed to include my nearby food bank. (Turns out "We Are One" lacks a Web presence, ergo no hit.)

Now - a note to food merchants.

I understand why prices are raised for the Passover buying season.

Supply and demand.

The manufacturers and wholesalers raise their prices as the demand from Jews who might keep "semi-kosher" for a meal or two increases. (Semi-kosher in that the food left the market kosher, then went into a non-kosher utensil to cook, later to be served on non-kosher plates and eaten with non-kosher knives, forks, and spoons. Still, if it is the thought that counts. . .) I cannot fault the food chain for the higher prices given the sudden, and brief, demand.

But we keep kosher year round.

It would be nice if one of the markets offered us either (a) coupons valid for Pesach products or (b) a discount card valid for Pesach products.

We have many kosher markets in the area; if any one offered a break to its regular customers on Pesach prices, we’d probably make that our primarily market. As would our circle of friends (mostly Sefardim/Mizrachim, so Bet Yosef/Halak meat is in order.)

I suggested this in the past, but the words always fell on deaf ears.

Back to the point: It's fine to give, directly or indirectly (via the congregation's Discretionary Fund), to out-of-town schorners, but remember to take care of the Jews in your own community.

And once Pesach is over, remember that people still have to eat; just because you celebrated memunah doesn't mean you should cease giving to the food bank.

Find a food bank in your community - ask at the synagogue, the JCC, the Federation - and support it however much you are able.