Reading the Tisha B'Av news
Reading the daily news is a good thing to do. It goes well with a cup of coffee.
Reading the news most days is enough to remind us of the churban. You can read about corruption in government, the rabbi stabbed by the guy unsatisfied with the bracha he got, the men who won't give gitten and the schools forced to close due to lack of funds. And that's considered a good news day, a day with no really bad news.
Most days we read these articles, krechtz, and move on because we have to. We have to bring home a paycheck, pay our bills, walk the dog and celebrate our kids’ birthday.
Going into Tisha B'Av this year it occurred to me how grateful I am for the halachot that we don't greet each other. I found myself in a beit knesset with a number of people who I hadn't seen in a while and not having to socialize allowed me to focus on my thoughts and on the issues of the day. In the same way that everyone understands that Yom Kippur is a day where we focus on teshuva and our connection with God, the halachot that free us from socializing allow us to be those mourners who, if they so choose, can wrap themselves in their own thoughts and in the sorrow that they feel.
I am also grateful that I live in a society that my boss understood when I told him that I was taking Tuesday off. I know that no matter what he won't think of calling me to discuss some technical problem or client (even though he would if I were home sick for the day). I can take the day and read the newspaper and not have to move on because today there is nothing more important than those articles.
תוויות: History, Israel, Jewish Society, Torah
Yom Ha'atzmaut Emunah
Emunah that God would redeem us used to be easier.
If one were to ask a Jew in Hungary or Iran 300 years ago if they believe in God’s redemption they’d say yes. If you were to ask them how they will be redeemed they would say that God will redeem them and the details are unknown. There might be some eagles and wings involved.
The Zionists messed it all up for us. It is now a lot messier a topic and a harder question to answer. Today only the truly anti-Zionist Jew can give the answer his great-great-grandfather gave. For him, the world is in the same state and as such we wait for the redemption as we always have. The challenge is presented to those who view the events of 1948 as game-changing.
An Israeli family we know sent us an email invitation to their Yom Ha’atzmaut barbecue. In the body of the email they wrote that they were pleased to invite us and that dinner was called for 5pm. There was also an attached document which I assumed was a repeat of the email text in a nicer font along with a picture or two.
Opening the attached document opened my eyes both to them as individuals and showed me a different type of emunah.
Most unusually, the invitation opened with recognition of a challenge. They wrote that it is not so clear that we should be celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut anymore. Many people are unimpressed by the current situation in Israel. We've given it our best shot and the government we have is no better than the others out in the world and more corrupt than many. We have no clear plan to build God’s temple or to establish a Torah-based society. The great hopes of those who said Shechiyanu in 1948 have not been fulfilled and it doesn’t look like we are on a path to do so.
Despite our efforts to give the day spiritual significance and a religious nature, Yom Ha’atzmaut is little more than a day off from work, in a first-world, western society, where the celebrants happen to be Jews. Nu. Is this really a reason to have a religious holiday? This was the challenge posed by their invitation.
The response was a very honest and very religious one. Emunah – faith. The tradition passed down to us says that the exile of Edom is the last exile. If we see the events of 1948 as removing Jews from the exile of Edom by granting us self determination, then our faith in our tradition allows us to grant religious significance to those events. We will not return to wandering the earth, subject to the whims of other nations. This is the beginning of God’s redemption.
But as I wrote at the beginning of this letter, it is a different and perhaps more challenging type of emunah than that of eagles and wings. While in the past emunah in the redemption was in spite of the world beating us up, celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut today requires an emunah in redemption in spite of our own flaws.
I can understand those who disagree with the above position that 1948 was the end of the exile of Edom. In that case, today should be a lovely day for a picnic and they can continue to have faith that God will redeem us from exile at some point in the future. But for those who point to the current problems of the state of Israel and say that the Zionist enterprise has failed or that Yom Ha’atzmaut no longer has religious significance... Well, they may just be lacking a bit in their emunah.
So I called up my friend and thanked him for his letter and I bless us all with emunah to celebrate despite the flaws.
תוויות: History, Israel, Jewish Society, Torah
Industrial Engineering, Abe Lincoln & Planning
I came across a wonderful quote that encapsulates, to my mind, everything about what industrial engineering is. It also is a wonderful rebuff to all the folk who say "enough with the paperwork and planning - just get it done!"
Abraham Lincoln:
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."How about that?
תוויות: History
Megilah I
When we step out of our day-school classroom Esther is odd relative to the other books in the Bible. There is no historical context, no timeline, no wars, lots of large parties. There are more descriptions of clothing and food then of the content of the parties. It's like listening to the tabloid reporters outside the Oscars. The exaggerations of the storyline: "A party for 180 days..." You mean to tell us that all the leaders of the world (Hodu to Kush) ignored their countries for half a year?!?
Consider the following idea: The megilah was written as a satire. A farce. A comedy.
Consider the following scene. After his accession to power in October 485 BC, in 483 BC Xerces goes to war with Greece taking 6 million people with him. The is the 3rd year of his reign. Sounds familiar? Prior to the war he holds council with his trusted advisers. 13 The king conferred with the sages, those knowledgeable of the times for this was the king's custom, to [bring such matters] before those who were versed in every law and statute. 14 Those closest to him were Carshina, Sheitar, Admata, Tarshish, Meress, Marsina and Memuchan. These were the seven ministers of Persia and Media, who had access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom. And what was asked of the wise councilmen?
"What should I do about my wife?" Right. Surely you jest.
We see this again towards the end of the story. Xerces goes to war with Greece and looses. What is recorded? King Achashverosh levied a tax upon the mainland and the islands of the sea. 2 And the entire history of his power and strength, ... are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.
Right. Power and strength. He lost!! Nu. We won't say it outright.
Thoughts?
תוויות: History, Torah
History??
In halachic discussion the intellectual truth is what holds sway. History is irrelevant. Which of the parties in the discussion lived when and under what circumstance is all irrelevant. Rava says... Rashi says... Rav Gifter says... Alive or dead the truth is the only thing that matters. We in learning the opinions and the sides of the debate are the arbitrators. Our arbitration may lead us to a different conclusion than that of the arbitrator from 100 years ago and that's OK.
Also, regarding the need for a historical truth to Jewish historical events. Do we need to answer the question of "What if it didn't happen"? A first reaction might be "of course we do!". If it didn't happen why would keep to the religion? On the other hand if Shmuel HaNavi made up the character of Gideon to tell us a moral lesson of leadership pre-monarchy would it shake our faith in God and Torah?
So why study history?
For halachic discussions, history may give a better understanding of each theory. By knowing when and how each debtor lived we can better understand their statements. Knowing medieval French may help us understand an explanation of Rashi. Understanding Arabic may reveal fine distinction in Rambam's writings that we were previously unaware of.
Regarding historical truth of events I feel there is a difference between the historical accuracy of Sinai vs the historical accuracy of Gideon's battles.
תוויות: History
A blog is a writer clearing junk out of his head by bouncing around the room of chipmunks that we call society.