We all talk about the idea of "passing
along our values" to our children, and, if
we're
lucky, we can see in our own lives the values
that have been passed along to us from our
parents. An ethical will is one way to keep
that chain of values and behaviors alive from
generation to generation. As parents and/or
as adults in the lives of others, we hope that
our everyday words and deeds show not only
how we feel but also what we believe and hold
important. An ethical will takes that kind
of daily behavior and encapsulates it in a
document to be shared with those we care for.
It does not take the place of,
nor can it outweigh, our daily actions any more than
a request for forgiveness on Yom Kippur can undo
a year's worth of less than
honorable living. But it does give us a precious
opportunity to look inward to determine who we are
and how we want to be remembered. We owe it to ourselves
to make that mental inventory of the values and ideals
we want to pass on - and we owe it to those
who are important to us to commit those thoughts
to paper (or videotape, or CD-ROM, or your
medium of choice) so that their lives will,
we hope, be influenced by our love, values,
and aspirations long after we are gone.
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Did Moses Write
the Torah?
by Jonathan Gross
Did the historical Moses write
the Torah himself(1)?
This nutshell of a column summarizes a fraction
of the vast literature on this issue.
Some parts of the narrative
(e.g., see Gen. 36)(2) happened
after Moses died. A supernaturalist position
asserts that it was his prophetic powers that enabled
Moses to record such things. In fact, our tradition
teaches(3) that
Deut. 34:5-12 (beginning with Deut. 34:5 "And
Moses died.") was written by Joshua.
Moreover, Tanach itself may be suggesting
(see Neh. 8) that Ezra the Scribe augmented
Parshat Emor(4) (see
Lev. 23: 39 -43) with some details of Succoth.
Such changes are sometimes sprung upon the
unaware as if they were sufficient reason
to say that Moses did not write(5) (6) the
Torah?
Moses was almost certainly
a real person. DNA tests(7) have
established that Jewish men today who are
Kohanim are predominantly descended from a single Semitic
male (who but Aaron?) who lived about 3300 years ago,
the appropriate time. Although these DNA tests do not
establish the accuracy of the narrative in Exodus,
it seems quite an ax to grind to dispute the likelihood
that there were historic figures underlying that narrative.
Yet this falls short of establishing Moses as author
of the Torah.
Associated with the name of
Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918), there arose what
is commonly called the "documentary
hypothesis". Its radical form is that
there "must
have been" latter-day authors who conceived
and wrote it all. Hypothesized(8) authors
called(9) "E" and "J" putatively
wrote most of the narratives of Genesis,
and hypothesized "P" wrote
the rules of ritual, especially in Leviticus.
While describing Abraham, Sarah,
et al, as legends(10),
the radical hypothesizers paradoxically make
their own leap of secularist faith in discussing
fictional E, J, and P as if they were actual
people, thereby tarnishing some excellent
textual scholarship. Curiously, various Jewish
commentators have adopted this extreme antitraditionalist
perspective. Unlike supposed alternative
authors of the plays of Shakespeare(11),
there are no historical figures offered as
candidates. There is no DNA traceable to
the siblings of E, J, and P.
A more harmonious middle view
was taken by Ibn Ezra.
Abraham Ibn Ezra (c.1092-c.1167),
rabbi, mathematician, and poet, was among
the first to examine the Torah literally and scientifically,
a departure from the dominant poetically midrashic
perspective. He wondered whether Moses would actually
have written about himself in the third person. Indeed,
would Moses, the humblest man on earth, have described
himself (Num. 12:3) superlatively as the humblest man
on earth? Perhaps this verse is an editorial addition.
Quite plausibly, given the
existence of persons even today who have memorized
the entire Torah, the content of the Torah was transmitted
word by word, first to Joshua and then on down the
line, until it was recorded in writing, with reasonable
fidelity to the Original. Those who think that our
written Torah today differs little from the Sefer Torah
of Ezra the Scribe may cite the absence of substantive
discrepancies among different ancient Sefrei Torah
(e.g. the Leningrad codex c.1010 and the Aleppo codex
c.920)(12) as
evidence.
The incursion of foreign words
into Hebrew, also noted by Jewish scholars
centuries before Wellhausen, may enable us to place
the date of origin of parts of the written version
in centuries later than the traditional time of authorship,
even though the themes and details of the stories may
correspond authentically(13) to
the times the stories are reported to have
occurred. A moderate documentary hypothesis posits
only that three (or more) different groups preserved
compatible traditions from antiquity and contributed
to the edited Sefer Torah of Ezra. A conservative pursuit
of establishing such an hypothesis would consider tracing
these traditions back to a common origin in the time
of Moses.
In summary, there have been
believing and secularist attempts to explain the authorship
of the Torah. Without appealing to faith, even without
debating the historical accuracy of the events
described therein, it remains reasonable to think that
what we read at the bima on Shabbat is indeed the Torah
of Moses, even if in this skeptical age one might also
reasonably put an asterisk after his name.
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Footnotes (click on number to return to main text)
1 Someone once
told me that according to her family, the
Star Spangled Banner was written not by Francis Scott
Key, but by one of their ancestors. Although this alternative
composer was an established American composer, others
who heard this account agreed that the burden of proof
was on those who dispute the traditional attribution.
So let it be with Moses.
2 Gen. 36 names
as descendants of Esau some Edomite kings
who lived after the time of Moses. Such things can
creep a few centuries later into an oral tradition.
3 Our mainstream
tradition includes less extraordinary explanations
of everything not inherently supernatural.
Supernatural pietistic elaborations of Tanach narrative
was often given by midrashim. Such midrashim have been
taught simultaneously with Torah, in order to
reinforce the traditional moral perspective. One reasonably
distinguishes emphatically between what is represented
as the writings of our designated prophets and what
any subsequent storyteller has added. (Some modern
authors seeking to undermine traditional moral values
have deceptively represented their twisted portrayals
of biblical characters as "midrashic".
An honest label would be "anti-midrashic".)
4 The later chapters
of Leviticus are commonly thought by scholars
to be an editorial addition (by R - see below - who
is plausibly identified with Ezra).
5 The ultimate
question (surely from an historical perspective,
and perhaps also religiously) is "ownership" of
the intellectual property. Oversimplifying naysayers
seem to think that it is sufficient for them
to find evidence of drifting text or to invent alternative
theories, far easier tasks than identifying an
historically authentic alternative originator and concrete
corroborative evidence (beyond theories of text analysis)
that the alternative is correct.
6 Over the ages,
various unknown authors have attributed their
works to distinguished persons of the past, so that
their works would live on, even if the names of these
author did not. Although various parts of Tanach could
have been created this way, the question is whether
they did.
7 Entering "Kohanim
DNA" on Google yields a wealth of information
supporting the authenticity of our traditional
way of ascertaining descent from Aaron.
8 The Wellhausen
school actually did an excellent job of analyzing
the text into strands. Yet the inference from textual
strands of uncertain origin of the existence of individual
authors of those strands seems self-contradictory
for persons who object to inferring the existence of
God from natural events of unknown origin.
9 "E" stands
for "Elohim", the name of God
used in E-strand. "J" stands
for the tetragrammaton, which is used for
the name of God in the J-strand. A fourth
name "R" stands
for "redactor". Unlike E, J,
and P, there is a plausible historical figure,
namely Ezra the Scribe, offered as a candidate.
The possibility that Ezra was an active editor
of Tanach is consistent with tradition from
many centuries before the era of modern text
analysis. A fifth name "D" stands
for "Deuteronomist".
Chron II 34 says that a Torah Scroll was
discovered by Hilkiah, without saying that
it was Deuteronomy. It has been speculated
that D was Jeremiah. Thus, the question of
R and D differs greatly from that of E, J,
and P.
10 From Lech
Lecha on, the Torah narrative is consistent with known
history. Unfortunately, although there are definitive
archaeological artifacts from David and Solomon, there
are none from the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. However,
since fabricated national histories of other peoples
are typically self-adulatory, one must ask why this
one people, the Jews, would include so many unflattering
details (sale of Joseph, etc.) if they were not so.
The fact that the Torah includes two versions of various
stories could be regarded as evidence that Ezra did
the most conscientious possible job in reconstructing
it from multiple streams of collective memory.
11 This is also
unlike the family who designated a specific
musician ancestor as the alternative composer of the
Star Spangled Banner.
12 St. Petersburg
(once called Leningrad ) and Aleppo are where
these ancient documents reside.
13 Giving the
origin of the Torah as a century or two before the
Babylonian captivity raises questions as difficult
as some of the ones it purports to answer. For instance,
how would someone writing then have known what cities
existed sufficiently many centuries ago to be mentioned
in Genesis, unless there was at least a reliable oral
tradition?
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Tashlich
by Mik Rosenthal
On the first day of Rosh HaShanah, after our morning in the synagogue, and after the afternoon Mincha prayer, it is customary to go to a moving body of water for Tashlich. If the first day of Rosh HaShanah falls on Shabbat, then Tashlich is recited on the Second Day.
It is at this time that we symbolically, using pieces of bread as the vehicle, cast away our sins from the past year into the water. The symbolic concept underpinning this ceremony is that we freely choose to identify and leave our shortcomings and misdeeds behind so that we may start the New Year afresh. Such decision inspiring thoughts are intended to arouse us to repentance. It is interesting to note, that if we are unable to perform this ceremony on Rosh HaShanah, some traditions stare that we can recite it until Yom Kippur, and others state that we may do so until the last day of Sukkot, also known as Shemini Atzeret.
Tashlich is recited standing at or near a body of water, preferably in which fish live, but it is still acceptable to recite Tashlich there if they do not. Water symbolizes kindness and life, and, since fish have eyes that never close, they symbolize that HaShem is constantly watching over us and protecting us, and also serve as a not so subtle reminder to maintain decorum. In addition, just as fish are caught in nets, so to are we caught in the net of judgment for life and death. Also, in the ancient world, kings were proclaimed by flowing rivers because rivers were considered to be long lasting and indestructible.
The last three verses from the Prophet Micah, which are included in the Tashlich ceremony, contain the explanation for this custom.
We say "Who is G-d like unto Thee, pardoning iniquity and forgiving transgression to the residue of his heritage. He maintains not His anger forever, because He delights in kindness. He will again have mercy on us. He will suppress our iniquities; yes, You will cast our sins into the depth of the seas."
Another aspect of the Tashlich prayer reminds us of the insecurity of life as demonstrated by the fact that the fish that are in danger of falling for bait or otherwise being caught. Our lives, too, are fraught with pitfalls and temptations; it is up to us to consciously choose to stay away from that which will hurt us.
Though we use bread in our ritual, it is interesting to note that it is prohibited to throw breadcrumbs to the fish (or the ducks and the geese) on Yom Tov. Perhaps we can comply with this by throwing our pieces of bread in areas where there are no fish and, because of our presence, there are no ducks or geese.
The theological reason for the custom of standing by a river stems from the story of the Akeida, in which HaShem commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In this story Satan, attempting to block Abraham's performance of the mitzvah commanded by HaShem, appeared in the form of a river that Abraham had to cross in order to perform the mitzvah. Undeterred, Abraham entered the river, and, when the waters reached his neck, cried out "Save me, G-d, for the waters have reached my soul!" (Psalm 69:2), whereupon the Satan in the form of the river immediately disappeared. Therefore, one of the reasons for the recital of Tashlich by the waterside is intended to invoke the spirit of the Akeida.
The utter devotion of Abraham, stated Rabbi Ya'acov Moelin, a 14th century German Rabbi, also known as the Maharil, the Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi Ya'acov Levi," writing in his best known work Minhagim, (Customs) exemplified that "no obstacle should keep us back from fulfilling any command of G-d. He who can show the selfless love of Abraham and his readiness to die for the Divine word can be sure that his sins will be cast into the sea."
Because of the work of the Maharil, we know that Tashlich was practiced in the 14th Century, but we are also aware that there were some times when it had to be abandoned in the European Diaspora because Jews were often wrongfully accused of casting spells on the waters, or even poisoning it. Jews were especially persecuted during the time the Black Death swept over Europe in the last two thirds of the 14th Century because they were falsely accused of causing it by poisoning water in rivers and wells.
If the closest river is not near one's home, Tashlich may be recited if a river may be seen in the distance. If there is no river, one may go to a natural body of water, such as a spring, a well, a lake or a pond. In some communities, Tashlich is said by a mikvah. If no natural body of water is available, one may recite Tashlich by an artificial body of water, such as an aquarium or even a water filled jar.
The English text of the core of the Tashlich ceremony is as follows:
Who is like You, G-d, who removes iniquity and overlooks transgression of the remainder of His inheritance. He doesn't remain angry because He desires kindness. He will return and he will be merciful to us, and he will conquer our iniquities an He will cast them into he depths of the sea.
Give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, like that you swore to our ancestors from long ago.
From the straits I called upon G-d. G-d answered me with expansiveness. G-d is with me, I shall not be afraid, what can man do to me? G-d is with me to help me and I will see my foes (annihilated). It is better to take refuge in G-d than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in G-d than to rely on nobles.
In addition, many people read Psalms 30 and 130.
As for further insight concerning what Tashlich represents, we turn to Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva lived and taught during the Rabbinic Period, and defied the edict of the Roman Emperor Hadrian against teaching Torah. He was later painfully executed by the Romans for continuing to do so. During his life, he was often asked why he continually put himself at risk, and it is believed he answered his questioners with the following parable:
A hungry fox came to the bank of a stream. In the stream he saw fish restlessly swimming about. Said the sly fox to the fish: "It appears to me that you are greatly fearful of being caught by the fishermen. I invite you to come out onto the dry bank-you will escape the fishermen, and we'll all live happily together as my ancestors did with yours." The fish scoffed at the cunning fox, and replied: "If in the water, which is our very life we are in danger, certainly, our leaving the water would mean certain death to us."
The Torah is our way of life and the length of our days. We cannot live without it any more than fish can live if removed from water. Could we save ourselves by abandoning our way of life, the way of the Torah? The answer, of course, is a definite and resounding "NO!"
These are the thoughts that Tashlich bring to us; those of teshuvah (return) and a desire live ethical, kindly, productive, meaningful and successful lives.
These thoughts brought to reality, will provide us with the strong and focused motivation needed to make these aspects of our lives reality.
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The History of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah
by Jane LeGrange
The ceremony of a Bar Mitzvah is not mentioned in either the Bible or Talmud, and is a minhag or custom, that developed in the Middle Ages. In the Bible, the age of majority was 20 and was not tied to the obligation to do mitzvot.
Later on in the Talmud as a result of Roman influence, the age of majority was considered to be around puberty, which was determined by "medical examination". Eventually, this was replaced by the ages of 12 for girls and 13 for boys. The Talmudic understanding of "majority" was focused on the child's intellectual and moral abilities, rather than being related to ritual responsibilities. In fact, minors were permitted to perform public mitzvot such as reciting the Torah blessings and wearing tefillin. The right to practice such mitzvot was tied to the child's understanding and maturity, rather than to a particular age. For girls, reaching the age of majority meant a Shidduch (an arranged match with a future husband) and then a wedding under the chupah.
The first mention of anything resembling a Bar Mitzvah was in 13th century Germany, by one Mordecai ben Hillel. Early B'nai Mitzvah consisted of the blessings of she-heheyanu and baruchshe- ptarani and then a toast. The baruch-she-ptarani prayer was recited by the father, giving thanks that he is no longer responsible for his son's observance of the mitzvot. Some people might invite more guests and serve a festive meal in addition to the toast.
Public Bar Mitzvah ceremonies occurred later as a result of limitations imposed on the right of minors to perform mitzvot publicly. By the 14th century, sources mention a boy being called up to the Torah for the first time on the Sabbath coinciding with or following his 13th birthday. By the 17th century, boys were also reading Torah and delivering talks, often on talmudic learning, at an afternoon seudat mitzvah (ritual meal). Today's more lavish celebrations had their origins in that much more modest ritual meal. In fact, even as early as 1595 in Poland, such meals had become excessive enough that communal taxes were imposed in order to discourage extravagances.
Judith Kaplan, daughter of Reconstructionism's founder Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, was the first woman to become a Bat Mitzvah, in 1922. In this ceremony, she chanted the blessings over the Torah and then read a passage in Hebrew from a printed Bible. For many years after that, B'not Mitzvah were often celebrated at Friday night services by the recitation of the week's haftarah portion. Today, of course, Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations are identical in all of the liberal movements.
The idea of adult B'nai Mitzvah started in the 1950s with the recognition that Jewish men who had not had a Bar Mitzvah did not have complete Jewish educations. In 1971, the first "belated" or adult B'nai Mitzvah were performed. Today, synagogues use these adaptations of the coming of age ceremony to offer opportunities for the study of Jewish history, text, and ritual to adults.
Although both the ceremonial and celebratory aspects of B'nai Mitzvah can be traced back to the Middle Ages, they have a greater significance today. Ideally, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremony is a recognition of Jewish learning that the child has completed preparing him or her for adult responsibility. The new Bar or Bat Mitzvah has responsibility for his or her actions, for following the mitzvot, and for continuing in a lifelong process of Jewish learning.
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May Two (or More) People Share an Aliyah?
At The Jewish Center, we sometimes call people up to share an aliyah. We have had groups of two, three and sometimes more people come up to the Torah. At times there is confusion about the blessings, e.g., should people say them together? Should one person say them? Should one person say the blessings before the reading and another say the blessing after? And, what is the halakha regarding this?
We are guided not to say unnecessary blessings (bracha livtola). Blessings are important and should not be treated casually. An unnecessary blessing is considered to be a "wasted blessing" and should be avoided. An example of an unnecessary blessing is saying the blessing for hand washing but not washing your hands. Another example is to make Kiddush and not drink the wine or juice.
The question of shared aliyot raises several complications. As a practical matter, it seems there are never enough aliyot (in our congregation or any other) to meet the needs and wishes of congregants. At The Jewish Center, when we have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah on Shabbat morning, the B'nai Mitzvah family has up to five aliyot, and the other three aliyot are reserved for members of the congregation.
Congregants often request aliyot for various reasons. For example, we have congregants of all ages who want to celebrate their B'nai Mitzvah anniversaries; among them are our teens, and we are fortunate that they want to come back year after year to mark the anniversary, but the question arises about which teen should get an aliyah, and whether every anniversary should be thus marked or just selected ones? Other examples include people going on trips to Israel or those marking yahrzeits, wedding anniversaries, special birthdays and other noteworthy occasions.
One possible solution is to divide the weekly parasha so there is a larger number of aliyot available to be assigned. This would be a complicated task due to the many laws of Torah reading, and would also lengthen our service.
Originally, the person called for the aliyah would both say the blessings and do the reading. This custom was changed when it was discovered how challenging it is to read the Torah properly and only those with the proper training and confidence in their ability were allowed to do so. Today the custom is for most honorees to say the blessings and stand beside the reader and follow along as he/she reads it on behalf of those who have the aliyah.
There is a Talmudic opinion concerning who says the blessings that states, "Two voices simultaneously cannot be made out and therefore do not fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the blessing." One way to address this issue when two or more people are sharing an aliyah is for one person to say the opening blessings and the other person to say the closing blessing. People who would like to follow this model are encouraged to do so. It is also acceptable to have people sharing an aliyah to say the blessings together; we simply ask that they do their best to say the blessings clearly and simultaneously. Those who are called to the Torah are given this honor as representatives of the entire congregation, and we are always glad when guests and members of our congregation accept the honor with the proper respect.
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The Ten Commandments and the Torah
Most people think about the Ten Commandments in the Torah - as we recently encountered them (at Exodus 20:1-14) on Shabbat of February 10 when we read Parashat Yitro. They are, of course, the rules we are all obligated to live by as good Jews and good humans.
You may not be quite as familiar with what we will refer to here as the Ten Commandments about the Torah - that is, the basic rules for how the Torah is written, cared for, and used in Judaism.
With no disrespect intended, here is that other set of commandments:
1. Thou Shalt Rely Upon a Sofer to Write a Torah - A sofer, or scribe, is specially trained for the task of writing a Torah. A sofer need not be a rabbi, though many are. A woman can act in this role, and is referred to as a soferet. Sofrim also write other holy articles including the small scrolls in tefillin and mezuzot. Sofrim learn their craft through apprenticeships, and there is an international organization called Vaad Mishmeret Stam whose purpose is to preserve the craft and certify sofrim.
2. Thou Shalt Use Only Klaf for the Torah - Klaf is kosher parchment, made from the hide of a kosher animal (usually a deer, cow, bull or goat) that is prepared in an elaborate process of soaking, removing any hairs, stretching, scraping, and sanding. A complete Torah may require skins from eighty animals or more.
3. Thou Shalt Use Proper Pens and Inks- All writing is done with quills, or pens, made by the sofer; the feathers must come from a kosher bird, usually a goose or a turkey. Many quills are needed to complete a Torah, and a special quill is used only for writing God's name. The ink is blended using powdered gall nuts, copper sulfate crystals, gum arabic, and water; only a small amount is prepared at a time, so that the ink will always be fresh.
4. Thou Shalt Achieve Perfection - Very few things in life must be absolutely perfect, and writing a Torah is one of them. If a sofer makes a mistake, it can usually be corrected by scraping off the ink of a letter made in error with a knife or a pumice stone and rewriting it. If a mistake is made in writing any of the names of HaShem, no correction may be made because God's name may not be erased. The entire sheet of parchment must be buried and the sofer must begin that section of the Torah again.
5. Thou Shalt Not Improvise or Be Creative - Writing a Torah requires very precise adherence to more than 4,000 laws concerning this sacred task. There are 304,805 letters in a Torah on 248 pages with 42 lines each. If only one letter is missing or if there is an extra letter, the whole Torah is pasul (not ritually acceptable).
6. Thou Shalt Use Correct Names for Torah Parts and Adornments - Part of the beauty of the Torah service is the ritual of undressing and dressing the Torah. Here is a partial list of the things we see during this service: a. Atzei Hayim - These are the wooden rods or spools to which the ends of the scroll are connected. Etz Hayim is a "tree of life" and we are commanded to hold fast to it. b. Garter - This is the sash or elasticized belt that is tied or hooked around the two sections of the scroll when it is rewound. c. Mantel - We cover the Torah with this elaborate cloak to protect it when it is not in use. d. Breastplate - This decorative silver ornament hangs from the Atzei Hayim. e. Keter - This is the ornate silver crown that sits on the top of the Atzei Hayim. f. Yad - It is no accident that the end of the silver pointer used to keep one's place while reading is shaped like a handfor that is the meaning of the word yad.
7. Thou Shalt Honor the Torah - We rise when the Torah is "standing" (such as when it is removed from the Ark, carried around the Sanctuary, lifted for all to see during the Hagbah ritual before it is re-rolled, and whenever it is being held upright) as a sign of respect and admiration.
8. Thou Shalt Read the Torah Correctly- You may have noticed that whenever a Torah is being read, there are two people called gabbaim standing on either side of the Torah. As the person reads the Torah, the gabbaim's role is to follow along in their humashim to make sure that the words are being said correctly. No matter how well-practiced the reader is, he/she must read the Hebrew correctly - with no vowels, while remembering the proper melody, or trop, and with the eyes and ears of all the congregants paying attention. Should a mistake in the Hebrew (but not the melody) be made, it is the role of the gabbaim to quietly and gently state the correct word or words so the reader can say them properly and thus convey the content of the weekly portion accurately.
9. Thou Shalt Not Drop a Torah - No revered object should be allowed to touch the floor or the ground, and the Torah certainly is highly revered. There are various interpretations of what must be done if a Torah is dropped - but it's much more important to simply make sure it isn't dropped. This is why we limit those who can receive the Hagbah honor to people who can lift the Torah comfortably and safely. If you are ever given the opportunity to carry a Torah in any kind of Torah procession and are not confident in your ability to do so, please don't. Nobody should feel uneasy when carrying a Torah.
10. Thou Shalt Not Use a Torah That is Pasul - Many things can make a Torah no longer acceptable for use, or pasul - most notably excessive wear to the parchment pages and/or to the lettering, an extra or missing letter, or a mistake in a word that cannot be corrected. Minor repairs can be made to both, and the sofrim must follow guidelines in doing so. Once a Torah becomes pasul, it cannot be read in public and is put in a special container and then buried in a Jewish cemetery. Next time you are at services for Shabbat, take a special look at the Torah as it goes by or when you see it on the bimah, and keep in mind all that it represents and how important it is for us to observe the rules concerning its preparation, care and use.
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What are the Duties of the Shamash?
by Gil Gordon
Our synagogue has a 'Shamash Corps', a group of men and women who are specially trained to assist during Shabbat and Holiday services. They assist with all the Shabbat morning and Mincha B'nai Mitzvah services. The duties of a shamash are wide ranging throughout the course of the service. The shamash assures that the service runs smoothly and assists the clergy as needed.
The most obvious role is to assist those receiving honors. For each Shabbat or Holiday service, there is an 'Honors Sheet' which identifies individuals who will be receiving the various honors that day. They include the names of those who will be performing Ark door and curtain openings and closings, have aliyot, are performing the duties of hagbah and g'lilah and Torah carriers. The shamash finds those individuals who will be receiving honors where they are seated in the congregation and assists them to the bimah at the appropriate time in the service. The shamash may explain how the honor is performed if the honoree is unsure of how to perform the honor. If honors are not assigned, the shamash may choose those individuals in the congregation to receive the honors with the assistance of the Rabbi, Cantor and others.
The shamash brings the honoree to the bimah in a timely fashion to receive the honor and makes sure the service flows smoothly. He/she assists with removing the Torah from the Ark and hands it to the Cantor or Torah carrier as needed and returns the Torah to the ark at the end of the Torah service. They assist the clergy as needed throughout the service.
The shamash is there to make the service a relaxed and spiritual experience for the entire congregation. The 'Shamash Corps' rotates on a weekly basis. If you are interested in being trained as a shamash, please contact Gil Gordon, VP of Religious Affairs, at gil@gilgordon.com.
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Help Us Enhance Kavanah: When to Enter the Synagogue
by David Greenberg
We are always trying to enhance the meaningfulness of our services at The Jewish Center. This article by Religious Affairs committee member David Greenberg discusses one way in which we can all help make our services even better by being more mindful of when it is appropriate to enter the Sanctuary.
What is kavanah? Kavanah is generally translated as concentration or intent. Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin suggests that to transform reading into prayer, there must be at least a sense of standing in the presence of God and the intent to fulfill one of God's commandments.
To enable this transition from reading to prayer we should strive to free our minds of other thoughts, increase our understanding of the prayers, and, finally, think about our prayers. These various layers of thought constitute an individual's achievement of kavanah.
So, what does kavanah have to do with entering the synagogue? At certain times during the service it is important to respect fellow congregants who are concentrating on prayer. Other people entering and exiting the Sanctuary, and/or trying to slip past those who are praying may be disrupting the people who are praying even if they try to move very quietly.
Here is a brief list of these times when we ask that you not leave or enter, to enhance our prayer service for everyone:
- If the congregation is standing (during the Amidah, Kaddish, Aleinu, Hallel, Barukh She'amar, when the Torah is being raised or carried, etc.)
- If the Ark is open
- During the D'var Torah and sermon.
During these times we ask that if you enter the Sanctuary, you remain at the door until the congregation is seated. This will allow fellow congregants and guests to maintain their concentration and kavanah, and also shows respect for the nature of our service and for our service leaders.
We offer these guidelines to help everyone feel confident and at home in our Sanctuary. Please help us enhance kavanah for everyone.
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Lift It Up & Tie It Up: The Why and How of Putting the Torah Away
by Gil Gordon
All it takes is one Shabbat visit to any synagogue anywhere in the world to realize how central the Torah is to our religion, and to see the care and respect with which it is treated. The Torah service is the focal point of the Shabbat service, and it is accompanied by a number of rituals and traditional practices - some of which are better understood than others.
One aspect of how we treat the Torah that bears some explanation is what happens when we are done reading from the scroll. At the conclusion of the reading, two members of the congregation are called up to assist in preparing the Torah to be placed in the Ark once again.
The first (the Magbeah, or if it is a woman, the Magbehah) lifts the Torah and carries it to a seat where it can be rolled and covered. When the Magbeah lifts the Torah, he/she unfurls it so that at least a section of three columns is visible, and holds it aloft (with his/her back to the congregation) so that all may see the written parchment. Simultaneously, the congregation stands and chants a phrase (v'zot ha'- Torah....) that translates as, "This is the Torah that Moshe placed before the Israelite people, at the command of God."
As this phrase is sung, you will notice that many congregants raise a pinkie and/or a tzizit from their tallitot in the direction of the raised Torah. Why is this done? Here's an explanation from <judaism.about.com> that sheds some light on this practice: "There is no known source in Jewish literature for this widespread Jewish custom. Perhaps it is one of those customs that has just developed and survived over time because it is so fitting. Many people raise their small finger as described above just as the words "This is the Torah" are being recited (sung) in the prayer. Thus, the raising of the finger is like pointing. There is a Midrash that says the Jews "pointed at God" when they said the words "This is my God" at the splitting of the Red Sea. Perhaps there is a connection between the pointing at God as the Sea parted and the pointing at the Torah as it is being lifted. In both cases, there is recognition of the holy via both reciting words and pointing a finger."
The honor of lifting the Torah is arguably the only Torah service honor that requires a degree of physical strength and coordination. It is important not only to avoid dropping the Torah but also to lift it in a way that doesn't put stress on the parchment and thus risk tearing it. This can be tricky at any time of the year, but especially so when the Torah is unevenly wound on one side or the other and thus somewhat unbalanced and awkward to handle. To make things even more challenging, the Magbeah or Magbehah must do this adroitly and carefully while the entire congregation watches. For these reasons, we have a list of trained congregants at TJC who are available to accept this honor. Anyone who would like to be trained to join this group should contact me at gil@gilgordon.com or 732-329-2266.
(One reason why the congregants watch all of this with some apprehension is the belief that if the Torah is dropped, the entire congregation is obligated to fast for forty days and nights. Actually, current rulings say that those present when the Torah is dropped are obligated to fast for only one day, and/or obligated to give tzedakah. God willing we will never have to face these obligations.)
As with any physical task, there's a right and wrong way to do it. Here is an excerpt from a description written by Rabbi George Dreisen of Congregation Adat Shalom: "The Torah lifter moves behind the reading desk, grasps the Torah by the bottom portion of its staves (atzei hayim) and moves it down atop the reading desk so that the mid-point rests on the edge of the reading desk. Using the reading desk as a fulcrum, she/he then rotates the Torah to a vertical position and with knees bent (to save the back muscles, not for religious reasons), lifts the Torah at least to shoulder height, turns around so that the writing is facing the congregation, and, to the extent comfortable, spreads out the scroll so the congregants can see it."
When the congregation finishes singing v'zot ha' Torah, the lifter is seated. Then, the second person (the Golel, or if it is a woman, the Gollelet) re-rolls the Torah and replaces its coverings and embellishments. The sequence for dressing the Torah is: hagorah (belt or sash), me'il (cloth cover), tas (breastplate), yad (pointer) over the left etz hayim (wooden post) as you face the Torah, rimonim (silver finials for tops of the atzei hayim), and then the keter (crown).
After this is completed, the Torah is generally placed in a special holder on the bimah where it remains until the processional around the Sanctuary and then its replacement in the Ark. This series of very visual activities is designed to draw the congregation's attention to the Torah and its role in the service, and to accord the respect that the Torah deserves.
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