One of the banes of urban living is the insularity and surliness that it breeds among humans. In small towns, people usually say "good morning," "thank you" and "excuse me" to one another on a constant and regular basis. My experience when living in large cities, both here in Israel and in the United States, is that such pleasantries are often omitted and even when offered remain unanswered. I...
For the tens of thousands of full time yeshiva students, both Israelis and young men from the Diaspora, who are now studying Torah and Talmud here in Israel, this period of time marks the beginning of the "winter zman." The "winter zman" extends from the beginning of the month of Mar Cheshvan until the beginning of the month of Nissan. Because this year of 5765 is a leap year containing two Adar...
There is a custom amongst Jews that in the period after the holiday season of Tishrei, and after Pesach as well, that is popularly called "behab." This word is the Hebrew acronym for the days of the week - bet, hay, bet - Monday, Thursday, Monday. On the first series of the days of Monday, Thursday, Monday falling in that order in the months of Cheshvan (after Succot) and Iyar (after Pesach),...
One of the elusive goals of human beings is to become "secure." We search for financial security and certainly hope for physical security. The promise of every Israeli politician (and American, British, French, etc.) is to provide physical security for the citizens of the country. Yet, even in times of peace and quiet - rare as they may be - humans are always gripped by a certain unease regarding...
The central theme of Yom Kippur is naturally repentance and heavenly forgiveness. This theme is emphasized in the order of the prayer services of the day. The recitation of the confession of our sins and shortcomings and our commitment to try and do better are an integral part of all of the prayers of this holy day. Yet, there is another, more subtle and not openly expressed idea that haunts the...
The sounding of the shofar serves as the centerpiece of the services of Rosh Hashana. The rabbis of the Talmud considered the ability to sound the shofar a skill and not "work" in the halachic sense of the latter word. The sounds of the shofar are relatively simple ones - a long flat note called tekiah; a breaking, wailing, three note sound called shvarim; and a nine-note staccato sound called...
This period of time on the Jewish calendar is the time of Selichot, when penitential prayers are recited in the early morning before the actual shacharit morning services. The Ashkenazim will begin the recital of selichot this coming Saturday night/Sunday morning while the Sephardim have been reciting selichot since the beginning of Elul. The selichot that precede Rosh HaShana are of a national...
One of the salient points of Judaism is that it treats and deals with individual Jews and their behavior while at the same time it sponsors a program for the national entity of Israel as well. In Judaism, the individual is responsible not only for personal behavior but for society as a whole. The Talmud long ago reminded that we are all guarantors one for another. Personal piety, if not extended...
Yosef Mendelovitch, the famous Prisoner of Zion who helped bring down the "Evil Empire" of Soviet communism and atheism, relates that he decided to wear a kippah while in prison. He cut out a piece of cloth from his flimsy prison garb and placed the cloth on his head. Though the prisoner warden ordered him to remove the cloth from his head, it being a violation of prisoner clothing regulations,...
Judaism has a formula for dealing with tragedy when it strikes. That formula is contained in the halacha of aveilut, mourning itself. The recognition of death and tragedy as being inescapable parts of one's life experience is what forms the underpinnings of that process of halacha which eventually leads to the ability to move forward in life even though one's heart may be forever irreparably...
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