Newsflash: King David had Literate Servants

January 8, 2010

From today’s press [physorg.com]:

Professor Gershon Galil of the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa has deciphered an inscription on a pottery shard discovered in the Elah valley dating from the 10th century BCE (the period of King David’s reign), and has shown that this is a Hebrew inscription. The discovery makes this the earliest known Hebrew writing. The significance of this breakthrough relates to the fact that at least some of the biblical scriptures were composed hundreds of years before the dates presented today in research and that the Kingdom of Israel already existed at that time.

The ostracon (pottery shard with writing) has the following text: Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Arie Folger

Equal Justice for All – even in Israel?

December 17, 2009

The Torah introduces the injunction to appoint judges and officers of the court in the just society the Children of Israel are to build and maintain, it provides an explicit mandate and raison d’être: צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף – Justice, justice shalt thou follow (Devarim 16:20). While the repetition of a verb or noun is not uncommon in the Bible, it always comes for extra emphasis or to hint at something. While the source escapes me, I do recall a most worthy explanation of the doublet “justice, justice shalt thou pursue”: it is not sufficient to achieve a just result, the court must also act justly to arrive at those means. Another injunction in the same passage is: לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים – Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons (ibid. v. 19).

These two principles are the basis upon which justice is carried out in enlightened societies. Justice must apply equally to all, and the ends do not justify the means.

Hence, it behooves us to decry violations of these principles, regardless whether or not we sympathize with a defendant. Haaretz, a strongly left leaning Israeli daily, has done exactly that in publishing the following opinion piece by Israel Harel, in defense of R’ Eliezer Melamed, a rosh yeshivat hesder who would not incline before the Israeli defense minister (selected quotes included below). Read the rest of this entry »

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The Warmongering Laboring Amazons

December 14, 2009

R’ Yaaqov Emden (“Yaavetz”) remarks that it is appropriate for a woman in the throes of labor to recite Psalm 20, which is also part of the daily morning liturgy.

Does it thematically fit?

Thematically, Psalm 20 seems far removed from birth stools and midwives. Its theme is a military one, for soldiers going to battle against a powerful, well equipped enemy.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will make mention of the name of LORD-ETERNAL our God. They are bowed down and fallen; but we are risen, and stand upright. (verses 8-9)

Is this custom preserving some vague memory of women becoming particularly aggressive during labor, of all times? Did ancient women pray to turn into fiery warmongering Amazons, thinking that those heroines don’t fear birthing pangs? Or is this psalm about the various implements used to make women most comfortable during the painful birthing pangs? Some modern women prefer giving birth in a bath or on a Roma Wheel, rather than in a bed or birthing stool. Did our ancient Israelite ancestresses prefer reclining on a horse or a wagon?

By the same token, we may ask why this psalm was incorporated into the daily liturgy of sedentary farmers and merchants. Is this not a prayer for officers and soldiers? Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Arie Folger

But is it Still Pork?

December 10, 2009

The Talmud, Shabbat 30b, reports how Rabban Gamliel taught how in Messianic times, our daily material needs will be met without effort, and some of the pain and drudgery that is a hallmark of life, will disappear:

R. Gamaliel sat and expounded, the Land of Israel is destined to bring forth cakes and wool robes [from the trees and the fields–af], for it is said (Tehillim 72:16), There shall be an handful of grain in the land. יתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידה ארץ ישראל שתוציא גלוסקאות וכלי מילת שנאמר (תהילים עב) יהי פסת בר בארץ

This statement didn’t earn Rabban Gamliel universal admiration. Indeed, the Talmud reports that one disciple reacted with derision and laughter, quoting from Kohelet: there will be nothing new under the sun. Not to be undercut, Rabban Gamliel replied by pointing out that these phenomena already exist and won’t represent any radical change in nature:

But a certain disciple scoffed at him, saying, but it is written, ‘there is no new thing under the sun!’ Come, and I will show you their equal in this world, replied he. He went forth and showed him morels and truffles [which resemble cakes–Soncino]; and for silk robes [he showed him] the bark of a young palm-shoot [which has a downy, silk-like substance on the inside–Soncino]. ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד ואמר אין כל חדש תחת השמש אמר ליה בא ואראך דוגמתן בעולם הזה נפק אחוי ליה כמיהין ופטריות ואכלי מילת נברא בר קורא

Rabban Gamliel clearly envisages the material transformation of the world in the Messianic era not to be any major departure from the nature of nature today.

What if that day is slowly but surely arriving? Read the rest of this entry »

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How Trustworthy is the Fish Monger or Fish Restaurant?

November 24, 2009

EnglishSome news articles that stimulate our consideration of halakhic standards.

Here is the case of …

Mysterious Sushi.

While livestock and fowl, which halakhically require she’hitah, need to be produced under strict kashrut supervision, fish is exempt from the requirement of ritually regulated slaughtering, and may be purchased without supervision. Nonetheless, purchasing fish from an unsupervised merchant is not worry free. Substitution by related species is quite common, even though sometimes a genus consists of both kosher (with scales) and non-kosher species (lacking scales). Thus, fillets should not be purchased from unsupervised stores, unless they are made into fillets in presence of the customer, so that the customer can identify the fish first, usually by seeing the skin with scales still attached (exception: salmon may reliably be identified by its peculiar pink flesh).

Nonetheless, many kosher customers are either not aware of the severity of matter, or consider substitution unlikely. So, the following report may come as a surprise: Read the rest of this entry »

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UK Commander Challenges Goldstone Report

October 19, 2009

Israel and its Defence Forces are once again being dragged through the mud, pelted with biased and untrue accusations, which has now resulted in a resolution of the UN Human Rights Council passing a draft resolution accepting some of the findings of the Goldstone Report (AP article). [Conveniently, only the part accusing Israel was mentioned by the UNHRC resolution, while the part accusing Hamas was mysteriously forgotten (Jerusalem Post article)]

This diplomatic bomb has the potential to cause loss of life among our brethren in Israel, as, in the words of John Bolton (WSJ editorial), this may bring about the diplomatic equivalent of “putting a loaded pistol to Israel’s head.”

A response against the Report’s vile accusations is in order, so I am interrupting regular programming to bring you the testimony to the UNHRC, of UK commander, Col. Richard Kemp, courtesy of UNWatch:

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The Tzaddik of Yerushalayim – a Documentary

September 29, 2009

EnglishComing down from the lofty heights of the Yom Kippur liturgy, I felt in need of inspiration for the rest of the year. Some of the greatest Mussar (ethical teachings) come not from books, but from the life of illustrious people.

R’Aryeh Levin was known as the Tzaddik of Yerushalayim, and as I discovered in this most moving documentary, his spirit and work still lives on. This feature is guaranteed to make one laugh and cry several times in succession. It is moving, heart warming and inspiring. A worthy tribute to a man who transcended boundaries.

The full length feature is – for now – no longer available on wejew.com, but there is no guarantee that it will stay up forever, as this movie will probably be distributed through conventional distribution channels. For the full length feature, click here. For information on screenings and distribution, click here (12 Tribe Films).

Below is an embedded preview clip from YouTube:

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Posted by Arie Folger

Complex Memories – the Notion of ה’ זכרך

August 27, 2009

EnglishThe verses, which constitute the Verses of Praise (פסוקי דזמרא) are not always easy to understand, and erroneous associations can make understanding these verses an even greater challenge.

One verse I find particularly difficult is part of יהי כבוד (more on that payer below):

ה’ שִׁמְךָ לְעֹולָם\ ה’ זִכְרְךָ לְדֹר־וָדֹֽר׃

Artscroll translates it as [quotes are in the AS translation]:

“HASHEM” is Your Name forever/
“HASHEM” is Your memorial throughout the generations.

What does is mean that “HASHEM is Your Name forever?” Did anyone suggest that G”d would, as it were, contemplate changing his name?

And how is a name a “memorial?” Read the rest of this entry »

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How did Psalm 30 Land in the Morning Service

July 31, 2009

EnglishOne of the pleasures of having come to Basel was, that I was suddenly confronted with what seemed to me rather strange liturgical minhaggim, as up until then I had assumed that my tradition was of course the standard; a common human fallacy. One of the things I discovered, is that, while every synagogue I could remember visiting up until then, included Psalm 30 (מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית) in the morning liturgy, to be recited before Baruch SheAmar, in Basel, it was ignored.

My first indication that this Psalm’s inclusion in the liturgy deserved some scrutiny came even before I encountered Minhag Basel, from hearing about R’ Joseph Ber Soloveitchik’s personal minhag of reciting said Psalm only after Barukh SheAmar, for in his opinion it was only within the framework of Pessuqei deZimra that one could begin to recite Psalms in the morning liturgy. (However, he had no objection to the liturgical recitation of Psalms after Pessuqei deZimra.) However, that was a chiddush of R’ Soloveitchik; it never was an established minhag.

So how come that it is recited in most communities, while many Yeckishe communities skip it? Read the rest of this entry »

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Schande! !שאנדע

July 30, 2009

EnglishOn the 23rd of June, the FBI and associated law enforcement agents arrested 44 individuals on, mostly in New Jersey. The arrested individuals were mostly charged with money laundering, but some also on organ trade. As it happens, many of those arrested were Jews, four or five of them even Orthodox rabbis. You can read more on the arrests here and here. Thankfully, there are still upright people among us (stories: I, II) It should be noted that, both in Judaism and in Western democracies, the principle of innocent until proven guilty applies. Particularly, there are sensible claims that some, but surely not all, of those charged, were entrapped. Nonetheless, some of the accusations are very grave, very serious.

The Rabbinical Council of America has issued a press release. A salient paragraph is:

We are appalled at the allegations which, if true, violate the letter and the spirit of Jewish law, decency, good citizenship, and the norms of our great society. Read the rest of this entry »

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