YIOP July Bulletin -- Three Weeks Halachah Guide

Different places and times have unique and specific attributes – both good and bad. The Land of Israel has a greater holiness than other places in the world. The high holidays are a time of holiness and closeness to God. But Jewish tradition considers certain times of the year inauspicious as well. The month of Av has historically been a difficult period in for the Jewish people. Whether we remember the mistakes and sins of our people in the desert (think golden calf), the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, or even the war in Lebanon last year, these three weeks in July bring with them worry and concern.

For this reason, we maintain practices of mourning and sadness during these weeks to heighten our own personal awareness of the calamities that befell the Jewish people and encourage us to evaluate ourselves personally and spiritually as well.

Below is a short primer on the basic halachot of the Three Weeks and Nine Days. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me by phone (248-967-3652) or email (rabbispolter@yiop.org) at any time.

The Three Weeks (17^th of Tammuz – Rosh Chodesh Av, July 3^rd – 24^th)

In their attack on Jerusalem, the Romans breached the walls of the city on the 17^th of Tammuz. As that breach marked the beginning of the end of the Jewish kindom, the rabbis instituted a public fast on that day. While the true period of mourning begins in the month of Av, Jews have accepted the custom to begin mourning on the 17^th of Tammuz. We refrain from making weddings, parties and other joyous celebrations. In addition, we refrain from taking haircuts, listening to music or attending shows for the entire three week period.

The Nine Days (1^st of Av – 9^th of Av, July 16^th – July 24^th)

These nine days mark the classical mourning period for the destruction of the Temples. In the words of the גמרא, “when Av enters, we reduce our joy.” We refrain from purchasing significant new items such as expensive clothes or anything that would require making a שהחיינו, (like a Subzero freezer), conducting home improvement projects such as painting or remodeling, and even engaging in avoidable litigation. It’s just not a good time to start new projects.

Tisha B’av Monday July 23rd – Tuesday, July 24th
Fast begins	9:02pm
Ma’ariv and Eichah	9:10pm
Shacharis and Kinos	8:00am
Chatzos (midday)	1:39pm
Minchah I	2:30pm
Tisha B’av Films	5:00pm
Minchah II	8:30pm
Fast Ends	9:46pm

We also don’t wear freshly laundered or pressed clothing during the Nine Days (so wear your clean clothes at least one time beforehand – underwear not included). We don’t bathe for pleasure, so we don’t go swimming in a pool or lake. When we bathe and shower, to ensure that we’re only showering to get clean, we only take quick, lukewarm or cold showers. It’s not about being dirty; it’s about refraining from activities that make us feel good. Therefore, we also don’t eat meat or drink wine on weekdays (we don’t mourn on Shabbos) during the Nine Days.

Erev Tisha B’av (July 23^rd)

In order to prepare for the long fast, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water throughout the day. We call the final meal before Tisha B’av the סעודה המפסקת – concluding meal. Because this meal takes on many elements of mourning, before this final meal, we eat a full, normal meal to prepare ourselves for the fast, finishing a short time before the onset of Tisha B’av. (It’s a good idea to eat a meal rich in starch.) Following that meal, we wash again, and eat bread and hard-boiled eggs, both dipped in ashes, while sitting on the ground. We eat this meal as individuals, and not together as a family, so we don’t bentch together.

Tisha B’av (July 23^rd – Tuesday, July 24^th)

Chazal designated Tisha B’av as the Jewish day to remember all the calamities that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history. We mark the day by reading Megillat Eichah, Kinos (Lamentations), and focusing on tragedies that have devastated us for so many years, from the destruction of the Temples, to the Crusades and massacres of the Middle Ages, up to and including the Holocaust of European Jewry and Arab terrorism in the Middle East. On Tisha B’av we refrain a number of different behaviors:

1. Eating and drinking, from sunset on Erev Tisha B’av until nightfall of Tisha B’av
2. Washing and bathing, except for hand-washing in the morning and cleaning soiled hands
3. Wearing leather shoes (canvas sneakers are fine)
4. Marital relations
5. Study of Torah (other than the calamitous and sad aspects that we learn on Tisha B’av)
6. Anointing oneself (Actually, I’ve never seen anyone pour oil over himself, but they used to do it during the times of the Talmud, and apparently, it feels good. So don’t do it. Please DO use deodorant.)
7. If you can take the day off and focus on the sad nature of the day, do it. It’s a very good thing to do, and will better sensitize you to the meaning of the day. If you can’t, it’s best not to go into work until chatzos (midday – see the chart above)
8. We also sit on the ground (or on low chairs) for the first half of the day, until chatzos.

One of the most difficult aspects of Tisha B’av is the challenge of making it meaningful. Somehow, after shul in the morning we find ourselves engaged in our normal daily activities. How do we make the day meaningful in the mournful spirit that we know Tisha B’av is supposed to be?

It’s not a day for shopping or pleasure trips. If you can, read a book or watch a film about the Holocaust. Write letters to victims of terrorism in Israel. Make the day meaningful in a constructive manner. Have your children make cards for the Israeli soldiers still held in captivity. Don’t give them candy or ice cream; tell them that it’s a sad day, a fast day, and that they should feel that sadness as well. Have them draw pictures of Moshe breaking the לוחות הברית – the two tablets. Teach your children through your demeanor and the day’s activities that this is not a normal day – it’s a day of sadness and lamentations to allow us to feel the pain of our fellow Jews.

The Gemara tells us that כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה – “anyone who mourns for the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing it in its glory.” We make these three weeks, the Nine Days, and Tisha B’av meaningful, in the prayer that God transforms our sincere sadness into joy, gladness and celebration.

Table Talk -- Balak 5767

Unfortunately, forecasters for this summer – not weather – but geopolitical, are predicting storms. With Hizbullah creeping ever-closer to Israel’s northern border, and Hamastan consolidating its power in the south, conditions seem ripe for another regional flare-up. What’s most amazing is that while Hizbullah -- the Shiite-based proxy-army of Iran, and Hamas – the Sunni-based terrorist organization/political movement – have publicly supported their respective attacks on Israel, both groups actually hate each-other. Dr. David Luchins even suggested during his visit to YIOP this year that the kidnapping of two soldiers in Lebanon that precipitated last summer’s war was Hizbullah’s warped way of showing up Hamas.

Still, as much as they hate each-other, they can easily agree on one issue: they both hate Israel more. And, as we see from our parshah, things today have not changed much from the times of the Chumash.

When the Torah introduces Balak as the king of Moav at the outset of our parshah, the Midrash tells us that in reality, Balak was originally a Midyanite prince. Moreover, the nations of Moav and Midyan often waged war, as the two countries hated one-another. If so, why do the people of Moav accept a prince from their mortal enemy as their ruler? The Ohr Hachayim explains that when Moav sees the Jewish nation approaching, fear of the Jews forces the two nations to make peace, hoping that their combined strength would repel the onslaught of the Jews.

So, when mortal enemies make peace to fight the Jews, we really should not be that surprised. It’s happened before, so why shouldn’t it happen again?

Table Talk -- Chukas 5767

חקת תשס"ז – Moshe the Marketing Maven

We all think of Moshe a as talented in many different areas. We consider him a good leader; a great motivator, teacher, rabbi, and educator. But did you know that he also dabbled in marketing?

You see, every product needs a good slogan – a catchy title, a great tagline, or a eye-catching logo. After all, without proper presentation, people wouldn’t purchase the product. While we might think that we can exempt religion from this rule, Moshe understands that even religious items (and institutions) must market themselves to the public.

A case in point is the copper serpent we find in our parshah. When the people complain (once again) about being forced to take the long route to Israel, instead of fighting their way through Edom, God sends snakes to attack the camp. The people relent and beg Moshe to pray for their forgiveness. When he does, God instructs Moshe to construct a serpent, stick it up on a pole, so that should a person be bitten by a serpent, he need only gaze at the snake and he would be healed.

Following God’s instructions, Moshe constructs a copper serpent, places it on the pole, and once again saves the day. Rashi notes that nowhere does God tell Moshe what material to use to construct the snake. Why then does Moshe use copper instead of another metal?

Rashi explains that had he used silver or gold, it just wouldn’t sound right. Sound it out yourself: נחש כסף (nachash kesef) and נחש זהב (nachash zahav). They don’t really flow off the tongue. Now sound out the Hebrew for copper snake: נחש נחשת (nachash nechoshet). In this words of Rashi, לשון נופל על לשון – it’s complementary language. It’s sounds nice. Feel right.

And it’s also great marketing.

Table Talk -- Korach 5767

At the Yeshiva University Yarchei Kallah I had the privilege to attend this week in Chicago, we heard from an executive coach about organizational change. She noted the two possible factors that motivate change: the carrot and the stick. At times, while we like what we have, we desire change because we see the possibility of something better. That, she said, almost never happens. On the other hand, we usually seek change because the current situation has become untenable. In other words, the most powerful motivation to seek change is pain.

While she wasn’t quoting from our parshah, she could have been. Parshas Korach relates the rebellion of a few individuals against the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. What motivates Korach’s insubordination? The Midrash tells us of Korach’s anger at being passed over for the leadership position given to his cousin Eltzafan. It’s all about his personal power.

But that begs the question: Korach lost his leadership bid long beforehand. Why does wait until now? Ramban explains that before this point, the opportunity had never presented itself. The Jewish people had enjoyed the blessings of God in the desert; life was good. They did not experience enough pain to motivate change. According to Ramban, “Had anyone rebelled against Moshe at that time, the people would have stoned him.” Yet, after the deaths over the meat and especially the terrible decree of forty years of wandering following the sin of the spies, Korach sensed his opportunity. The people were in pain. They were ready for change. He failed to realize that instead of being the solution, he was part of the problem.

Table Talk -- Shelach 5767

Dr. Howard Klausner told me recently about a recent survey published in the Economist magazine of violent countries throughout the world. Of the 122 countries in the civilized (and not-so-civilized) world, which are the most violent? Number one, of course, is Iraq with its sectarian violence, terrorism and murder, followed by Sudan, world-renown for the massacres, violence and pillage of Darfur. What’s number three – the third most violent country in the world? Is it Iran, committed to supporting and funding world-wide terrorism and building a nuclear military arsenal? How about Syria, a nation currently massing troops on the Israeli border that has been only too happy to transport arms to Hizbullah in Lebanon? What about Lebanon, a hotbed for Islamic fanaticism, and current home to Hizbullah, other jihadist groups and a military skirmish that no one cares about? Nope, nope and nope. The third-most-violent country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index (you can look it up yourself at www.visionofhumanity.com) is none other than, you guessed it…Israel.
That’s right – Israel. Now, we can give all the justifications and explanations, but it really wouldn’t matter. The bottom line, especially with surveys, is that you can arrive at any answer you want, as long as you ask the right questions.
Just ask the מרגלים – the spies that Moshe sends to scout out the Land of Israel. To them, the Land is lush and beautiful and bountiful and wonderful – but it’s still worth nothing, because they already know the answer. They just have to ask the proper questions to arrive at their answer.

Table Talk -- Beha'alosecha 5767

When the Jewish people complain to Moshe, and actually threaten to return to Egypt because they miss the Egyptian meat, God responds swiftly. “They want meat?” He asks. “I’ll give them meat, but only meat. And by the end of thirty days, they’ll be so sick of the meat that it will come out of their noses.” Obviously, this was before the Atkins diet.
But then, when the quail begin to fly and the people collect huge piles of quail to satisfy their craving, the Torah tells us that הַבָּשָׂר, עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם -- “Even as the meat was between their teeth,” the wrath of God struck the people. So which really happened: did the people eat the meat growing progressively disgusted with it until it literally killed them, or did they perish swiftly and suddenly at the first bite? Rashi tells us that it was both. Some died suddenly, while others only after a month. Who got which punishment? That’s less clear.
According to the first opinion in Rashi (see Rashi on 11:20), the כשרים – the more worthy – lived through the month of meat, while the רשעים – the truly evil – perished immediately. But Rashi presents the position of the Midrash that presently precisely the opposite position: the evil lasted a month, while the meritorious lost their lives right away.
So what’s worse: getting a punishment up front, or suffering through a long and difficult process? I guess that depends upon your point of view. But I’d like to ask the opposite question (which is also a good discussion for the Shabbos table): if you had to receive a reward or a gift, which would you rather have: getting a big reward all at once, or receiving a little bit at a time over a long period?

Table Talk -- Naso 5767

Democracy and equality play crucial roles in American life. In fact, our founding fathers openly declared one of their most cherished “self-evident beliefs” that “all men are created equal.” While we might hope for that belief to be true, in the words of George Orwell, “some animals are more equal than others.” Money, prominence, power and influence do affect decisions and actions in the real world. In politics, this has the unwanted effect of alienating most normal people, who come to believe that what their leaders do in the halls of power has very little to do with them and their needs. And unfortunately, they’re often correct.

Yet, God takes great strides to avoid that pitfall – to whatever degree possible – in the sphere of Jewish religious life. When commanding the Kohanim – the priests – to give His blessing to the Jewish people, God tells them, כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – “So you shall bless the children of Israel.” What does the word כה teach us?

Rabbi Yisrael of Modzitz explains that God instructs the Kohanim to bless the people as they are, without giving preference to one individual or group of people over another. If you think about it, that’s precisely the way our Kohanim bless the members of the community: they stand together, covering their eyes from the looking at the people, and bless the congregation as a whole. In this way, every Jew receives God’s blessing, and not only the wise, or righteous, or wealthy.

This reminds us that while we might not always realize it, at least in God’s eyes, all Jews really are created equal.

Table Talk - Bamidbar 5767

As happens most years, we read Parshat Bamidbar on the Shabbos before Shavuos - the holiday of the receiving of the Torah. What connection can we find between our parshah and the coming holiday?
The rabbis teach us that before the revelation, the Jewish people display an unusual sense of unity and togetherness. In fact, when the Torah tells us that the people camp at the base of Mount Sinai, it describes the people as a single unit: ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר -- "and he -- Israel -- camped near the mountain."
Parshas Bamidbar begins by telling us that God speaks to Moshe במדבר סיני -- "in the Sinai desert." Rabbi Haim Yosef David Azulai (known as the Chida) notes that the gematria of the words במדבר סיני is equal to the word בשלום. God spoke to Moshe precisely because the Jewish people lived with one-another in peace.
Through this subtle message in the beginning of the parshah, explains Rabbi Azulai, we learn that the very best way to receive the Torah this week is through acts that promote Jewish unity. We should increase our acts of kindness for one-another, as well as our sense of love and caring for our fellow Jews. In this way, we pray that we truly merit to receive the Torah in the fullest sense.

A Quiet Kashrus Resolution

Many of you might remember that a few months ago, the JCC in West Bloomfield considered allowing non-kosher catering at the JCC, thereby threatening the kashrus status of Milk and Honey, the only upscale kosher restaurant in Detroit. If you don't remember, check the post here. At the same time, the restaurant is still operating, remains kosher, and seems to be running as it always had. Did the issue die a quiet death? Hardly. Through the diligent efforts of a number of members of our community, the JCC decided to maintain its kashrus policy, thereby ending the crisis.
First and foremost, numerous members of the Jewish community communicated with the JCC leadership -- both lay and professional -- regarding the importance of maintaining Milk and Honey as a kosher restaurant, and emphasizing the value that the restaurant brings to the JCC as an institution. Kudos for that.
Secondly, the rabbinic leadership on the Vaad maintained a unified stance against the possibility of having non-kosher catering in the JCC and allowing Milk and Honey to remain a kosher restaurant. Had the JCC board heard different messages from different members of the Vaad, they would have easily been able to argue that there was room to allow non-Kosher catering and still maintain kashrus on site. This was an important lesson about just how much we can achieve when we present a unified front to the community.
Third, many members of the non-Orthodox community came forward, especially those with a stake in the Jewish Academy, whose new building will be the second and third floors of the main JCC building. Having a non-kosher restaurant in the same building as the Jewish Academy would not have been a tenable situation.
Fourth -- and probably most significantly -- the leadership in Federation -- both lay and especially professional, communicated the impact that this decision would have on the entire community to the JCC Board, and strongly pushed for the maintaining of the status quo, allowing Milk and Honey to remain kosher. Moreover, the Jewish Federation has encouraged the JCC to apply for funding to supplement some of the financial hit that it takes in lost revenue because it maintains a kosher-only policy. If you read that and didn't think that's a big deal, think again. It's important to emphasize that in many other communities around the country, federations are the organizations pushing against traditional values like Kashrus. Here, we see precisely the opposite - where our federation is pushing for the values and needs of the traditional community, even when it's going to cost some money. Again, that's a testament to the unique sensitivity of our federation's leadership, and also to the Orthodox community's continued involvement with federation activities.
Finally, we must also thank the members of the JCC Board. While I disagree with their initial desire to allow non-kosher catering at Handleman Hall, I understand the financial realities and pressures that they face. In the end, they too compromised for the sake of the community's well-being, and shouldered a greater financial burden in the process.
I guess one of the great lessons from this episode is the importance of our involvement in the broader community. If we close ourselves off from the larger community, then when we have needs and concerns, we have no one to turn to. On the other hand, experience shows us that when we engage with Jews from across the religious spectrum on a host of issues, they open themselves to the needs of our community as well.

Table Talk - Behar-Bechukosai 5767

If you were born after 1950, you probably don't know what it means to be hungry. Sure, we've all fasted on Tisha B'av and Yom Kippur. But that's not real hunger; it's delayed eating. While we might not eat until after sundown, we know that we'll have a nice filling meal waiting for us at the end of the fast. Put simply, we live in a time of such prosperity that most of us cannot remember not having enough food to eat.
Contrasting this reality with the blessings we find in our parshah can help us appreciate what we already have. At the beginning of Parshas Bechukosai, God guarantees His people great blessing should we follow the commandments of the Torah meticulously. Among those blessings God promises that, - ואכלתם לחמכם לשבע - "and you shall eat bread to satiation." (26:5) Basically, you'll have enough to eat that you'll actually be full.
While we in our generation find that blessing hard to appreciate, throughout much of world history, simply having enough to eat sufficed to fulfill most people's dreams - and blessings. If nothing else, understanding the meaning of the blessing then -- and how we take it for granted now -- gives us a new appreciation for the prosperity that God blesses us with today.