This Thursday we commemorate the attack on Jerusalem by the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, in 426 BCE. The fast  begins at 6:08 AM and ends at 5:28PM.
The fast is a refraining of eating and drinking, and has none of the other stringencies of Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur (washing, using cosmetics, wearing leather shoes and marital relations are permitted). Pregnant and nursing women, the infirm, and children are exempt from the fast. Please call or email me if you have any questions about the fast, or issues about fasting.
In Israel, this day commemorates the deaths of those who perished during the Holocaust on an unknown date, and kaddish is recited.

We first learn about the historical significance of the day in the Bible, in the Second Book of Kings (Melachim 2):
“Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And in the ninth year of his reign, on the 10th day of the 10th month Nebuchadnezzar moved against Jerusalem with his whole army. He besieged it; and they built towers against it all around. The city continued in a state of siege until the 11th year of King Zedekiah.  On the ninth of the month famine was intense in the city, the people had no bread, and the city was breached.‘”
( II Kings, 25:1-3)
The date is memorialized in the Book of Ezekiel, and the tradition to fast on this day is written in the Book of Zecharia, 8:19.
Because of the explicit mention of the date our sages declared that this fast, like Yom Kippur, could take place on Shabbat itself. The formation of the fixed calendar ensured that this would never actually happen (nor on Mondays..), but the fast does fall on Fridays 20 percent of the time.

Why fast at all?
The Rambam (Maimonides) taught that our spiritual shortcomings were the ultimate cause of all national calamity. He writes:
“There are days in which all the people of Israel fast to repent the misfortunes which befell them. The fasting will serve as a reminder of our bad deeds and the deeds of our fathers which have caused us hard times. Remembering our misguided ways gives us the opportunity to be better people…“  (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Taaniot, Chapter 5, 1).

Ultimately, at the time of our redemption, these days will all be days of great joy.
May that time come speedily, and in our own lifetime!
Wishing you a tzom kal, an easy fast, and a Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Greg

Sukkot- Z’man Simchateinu, The Time of Our Joy.

After our best attempts to spiritually rendevouz with our creator on his exalted level on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we are rewarded with the first of our three festivals, and a chance to wallow in the world of the physical. We are commanded in the Torah to live in the sukka, “You shall live in booths seven days….” (Lev. 23:42), and the first day (as well as the second day, outside of Israel) are to celebrated as Yom Tov, a joyful holiday.

The mitzvah of l’aishaiv b’sukka, living in the sukka, gives us the rare opportunity to do a mitzvah with our entire body, for an extended time.
Although many people, especially in Israel, literally move into their sukka for the duration of the holiday, in our urban setting and temperate climes we observe the mitzvah by having our meals in the sukka, and spending as much time in the sukka relaxing, learning and socializing.

The flimsy construction of the sukka, protected only by the leaves,twigs and branches of the schach covering it ,demonstrates our faith in G-d and our realization that divine protection is the only security we ever really have and need.

The Torah also states,“You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of the beautiful tree (etrog), branches of palm trees (lulav), and the boughs of thick-leafed trees (hadasim), and willows of the brook(aravot), and you shall rejoice before Hashem your G-d seven days. “(Lev 23:40)

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 30:14) tells us that
The lulav, whose central pillar is referred to as its “backbone” (shidrah) resembles the backbone of man.
The leaves of the myrtle branch (hadas) resemble the eyes of man.
The leaves of the willow branch (aravah) resemble the lips of man.
The etrog resembles the heart of man.

The ritual of shaking or waving the lulav and etrog while reciting or chanting prayers is seen in Judaism as fulfilling the verse in the book of Psalms (Chapter 35:10), which declares that “All of my bones shall proclaim, ‘Oh G-d, who is like You?‘” By performing the ritual in this manner, it symbolizes that a person is devoting one’s entire body to the worship and praise of G-d.

The “Etrog” has both a pleasant taste and a pleasant aroma, symbolizing one who possesses both the blessings of knowledge of Torah and of good deeds. The “Lulav,” the branch of a tree (the date palm) the fruit of which has good taste but no aroma, symbolizes the person who has Torah knowledge but not good deeds. The “Hadas,” the myrtle, which has pleasant aroma only, symbolizes the person who has good deeds but not Torah. And the “Aravah,” the willow branch, which has neither pleasant taste nor pleasant aroma, symbolizes the person who has neither Torah nor good deeds.
Holding these four in a tight bond represents the unity that is G-d’s goal for the Jewish People. The bond represents the conversion of a set of separate individuals into a People, which is far greater than any individual in both the Crown of Torah and the Crown of Good Deeds, and is far more deserving than any individual of the blessings of G-d.

Rashi comments that on Sukkot the entire nation of Israel can dwell in the same, virtual sukka. Let’s be conscious of that while we are in our own sukkot, that we can be part of something much bigger than ourselves, and through our performance of this mitzvah we can merit an answer to our holiday request, “Harachaman hu yakim lanu et sukkat David hanofalet“, May the Merciful One rebuild the fallen Sukka of David, and bring us to our ultimate redemption speedily, and in our own days.

Wishing that Sukkot this year brings you even greater joy than you ever though possible.
Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Greg

Parashat Naso

Next Wednesday and Thursday, during the Mussaf service for Chag Shavuot, we will hear the kohanim recite the formula, found in our parasha, for bestowing blessing on the Jewish people.
“Y’varechicha Hashem, v’yishmarecha.

Ya’air Hashem panav elecha, v’yichunekka.

Yisa Hashem panav elecha, v’y’saim l’cha shalom”

“May the Lord bless you and watch over you.

May the Lord cause His countenance to shine to you and favor you.

May the Lord raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.”
(Num. 6:24-26)

One of the most satisfying rituals in my life is my weekly opportunity to bless my children on Friday nights, before making Kiddush. It is a wonderful, private, albeit brief moment to connect with them, and focus my entire being towards each of them, and  give of myself to them, spiritually.  When I recite the traditional formula given to the kohanim in our parasha,the same blessing Jewish parents have been bestowing on their children for generations, I am connected to a spiritual force able to sustain a people and civilization for thousands of years.

When my children starting spreading their wings and spending shabbatot away from home I gave them their b’racha (blessing) on the phone. During this past year, with my daughter in school in Jerusalem, I made sure to connect with her erev shabbat to give her my blessing. In fact, because of the time difference, I started to feel the special just -before-shabbat energy emanating from the Holy Land in the morning, and Fridays began to feel more and more special.

I remember Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach saying that we all have the power to bless each other, and we should, at every opportunity.

Unfortunately, the only time most people extend a blessing is after hearing someone sneeze, and most of the time do not actually have the intent of bestowing a genuine blessing, of giving of themselves to another. More on this in a moment…

As we approach our festival of Shavuot, our celebration of the giving of the Torah to our people, it is fitting to examine the events preceding that historic moment of revelation.

The scene: The Israelites are camped in the Sinai desert, opposite the mountain, shortly after being liberated from Egyptian bondage.

Moshe went up to [the Presence of] G-d, and Ad-noy called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the House of Yaakov, and tell to the Bnei Yisrael. You saw what I did to Egypt; and [how] I carried you on wings of eagles, and brought you to Me.  And now if you listen diligently to My voice, and preserve My covenant; you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. You will be to Me a kingdom of kohanim, and a holy nation.”
These are the words that you shall speak to the Bnei Yisrael.” (Ex. 19:3-6)

A kingdom of kohanim, of priests.  A priest is a special emissary of the Divine, capable of extending G-d’s blessing to whomever they come in contact with.

Rashi quickly points out that this verse is not meant to be taken literally, and offers a proof text that refers to Kind David’s descendants as kohanim.(Only the descendants of  Moses’ brother Aaron are technically called “kohanim”, the special family line that is the spiritual conduit for the the offerings in the Temple, and all matters of holiness.)

Yet, we were all created for just that purpose.
G-d’s covenant with Abraham stipulated that we would be a blessing, and the entire world would be blessed through us. “Through your children, will be blessed all the nations of the world, because you heeded My voice” (Gen. 22:18)

Then, at Sinai,  as we as a nation were preparing to receive the Torah, we were reminded of our innate ability to reflect the G-dliness in each of us, and bless others.

Now, as we symbolically reenact the receiving of the Torah next week, let’s not forget our inherited abilities.

Don’t let this coming Chag Shavuot pass, with only the memory of taste of cheesecake to show for it.
Rejoice, bask in the light of our inheritance, and realize that we have the power to spread this light to others.

That is surely nothing to sneeze at…

Blessing all us to have a Shabbat Shalom, and a Chag Shavuot filled with meaning, and joy.

Rabbi Greg