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Shalom Tishrei 5778 Flipbook PDF
Shalom Tishrei 5778
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Published By Ohr-Natan In Memory of Natan Yakubov
Tishrei 5778
Yom Kippur
p.14
Sukkot
p.18
Nazi Hero and Mossad Agent
p.22
September 2017
Table of Contents
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21
5
WORD FROM THE EDITOR
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HOLIDAY CALENDAR
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WHAT IS ROSH HASHANA?
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TZOM GEDALIAH
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YOM KIPPUR
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TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE
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A BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
18 SUKKOT
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HOSHANA RABBA
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SHMINI ATZERET/SIMCHAT TORAH
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OTTO SKORZENY: NAZI HERO AND MOSSAD AGENT
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ERUV TAVSHILIN
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ISRAEL’S GUIDE
30
HALACHA CORNER
32
DID YOU KNOW?
34
SO LAUGH A LITTLE
36 RECIPES 38
SIYUM AT OHR NATAN
40
WORD SEARCH
SHALOM MAGAZINE ADDRESS: 98-81 Queens Blvd. PHONE: 718-275-3318 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: Shalommagazine.org
A Word From The Editor
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s it only me, or do you feel it also? Every year, as Rosh HaShana approaches, I am struck by the vast difference between our New Year and the non-Jewish New Year.
The Shalom Team
The New Year for us Jews is a time of retrospection. Unlike the other nations, we stop to think about our actions during the past year and contemplate on what we should improve upon. It is a serious time, though we are also happy and hopeful that Ha-Shem will forgive us for our wrongdoings and bless us with a year of happiness and success. Unlike the other nations, we don’t regard the New Year as a time of partying, drinking and foolishness. When we celebrate the New Year we request that HaShem bless us with a healthy and happy year. We prepare a festive meal for our family and our friends. We spend the day in prayer. It is a time to make positive changes in our life. We look back at the year behind us and take upon ourselves to improve in a cer-
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tain area – not losing weight or drinking less alcohol, as others view a New Year Resolution to be – but in the realm of spiritual and religious observance. We strive to have more emunah; be closer to Ha-Shem; observe a mitzvah which in the past we were lax about; pray with more kavana, concentration; try to honor our parents more - the Torah way. The list can go on and on, but what is certain is that it is deeper and more profound than any civil New Year resolution list out there. I think on Rosh HaShana we should find some time to relax with our family and have a lively discussion on why we are fortunate to be Jewish and to celebrate such a beautiful holiday as Rosh HaShana. May we all merit to be written in the Book of Life and have a wonderful, healthy, peaceful and sweet New Year. LeShana Tova Tekatevu Ve'Techatemu!
A Meaningful Elul to all! Till next time, The Editors! 5
For Our Loved Ones… Refuah Shelema:
• Miriam bat Mazal • Yehoshua Yosef ben Osnat • Karina bat Larisa • Solomon ben Gavriel • Tamara bat Hefsi • Sonya bat Rivkah • Bechor ben Oochool • Asher - Chai ben Ella • Ilya ben Ita • Rivkah bat Sonya • Ella bat Rosa • Namo bat Sonya • Esther bat Sonya • Mark ben Osher •Maya Mazal bat Ester Esya •Mordechai ben Osnat
• Rakhel Mafrat bat Leo • Amnun ben Yaffa • Sulaiman ben Malka
Leiluy Nishmat:
• Robert Yakov ben Ella • Refael ben Tzipora • Avraham ben Brucho • David ben Michal • Zulay bat Bluriyo • Mordechai ben Biti • Tzion Rivkah bat Tziporo • Mira bat Sveta • Mira Malka bat Tamara
Ohr Natan
expresses a profound sadness over the loss of
Assemblyman
Michael Simanowitz A beloved husband, father, son and brother, Assemblyman Simanowitz served the Jewish Community and the state of New York with utmost dedication. A man of great character and an exemplary legislator who was always there for any person or organization in need, his tireless efforts and big heart made a difference to all. Michael will be greatly missed. 6
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JUNE 5, 2017 IN OHR NATAN (718) 275-3318
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TISHREI HOLIDAY SCHEDULE During the course of Yom Tov we don’t go to work, drive, or switch on or off electric devices (just like on Shabbat). However we are permitted to cook and to carry outdoors.
• • • •
Wednesday, September 20 Erev Rosh Hashanah The holiday of Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown tonight. Women light candles tonight to usher in the holiday. Candle lighting time in New York City: 6:36 P.M. After the holiday’s evening prayers, a festive meal, complete with the recitation of the holiday Kiddush, is enjoyed. Eruv Tavshilin
Thursday, September 21 1st Day of Rosh Hashanah • Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows. • Candle-lighting. Light from a pre-existing flame. Candle lighting time in NYC 7:37 P.M. (or later). Second day begins. • After the holiday’s evening prayers, a festive holiday meal, complete with the recitation of the holiday kiddush, is again enjoyed. Friday, September 22 2nd Day of Rosh Hashanah • Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows. • Yom Tov Ends and Shabbat Candle Lighting is at 6:32 P.M. Sunday, September 24 Fast of Gedaliah • Fast begins 5:23 A.M. • Fast ends 7:30 P.M.
• • • •
Friday, September 29 Erev Yom Kippur and Shabbat Kol Nidrei It is customary to make Kapparot in the morning with chicken, fish or money. Eat Seuda Mafseket, last meal before fast. Candle lighting time 6:19 P.M. in NYC. Yom Kippur fast begins. Prohibitions are listed in separate article.
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Saturday, September 30 Yom Kippur and Shabbat • Yizkor services for the departed. • Fast, Yom Tov, and Shabbat Ends and regular Havdalah is made at 7:20 p.m.
• • •
•
Wednesday, October 4 Erev Sukkot The holiday of Sukkot begins at sundown tonight. Women light candles tonight to usher in the holiday. Candle lighting time in New York City: 6:13 P.M. After the holiday’s evening prayers, a festive meal in a Sukkah, complete with the recitation of the holiday Kiddush, is enjoyed. Eruv Tavshilin
Thursday, October 5 1st Day of Sukkot • Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows in a Sukkah. • Candle-lighting. Light from a pre-existing flame. Candle lighting time in NYC 7:15 P.M. (or later). Second day begins. • After the holiday’s evening prayers, a festive holiday meal in a Sukkah, complete with the recitation of the holiday Kiddush, is again enjoyed.
• • • • •
Friday, October 6 2nd Day of Sukkot Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows in a Sukkah. Yom Tov Ends and Shabbat Candle Lighting is at 6:10 P.M. Tuesday Night, October 10 Erev Hoshana Rabba Some have a custom for men to stay up all night and read the book of Devarim.
Wednesday, October 11 Hoshana Rabba, Erev Shemini Atzeret • We recite special Hoshanot during Morning Prayers • We hit our aravot against the ground after Shaharit prayers. • The holiday of Shemini Atzeret begins at sundown tonight.
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• Women light candles tonight to usher in the holiday. Candle lighting time in New York City: 6:02 P.M. • After the holiday’s evening prayers, a festive meal in a Sukkah, complete with the recitation of the holiday Kiddush, is enjoyed. • Eruv Tavshilin
• • • •
Thursday, October 12 Shemini Atzeret, Erev Simchat Torah Yizkor services for the departed. Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows in a Sukkah. Candle-lighting. Light from a pre-existing flame. Candle lighting time in NYC 7:03 P.M. (or later). After Evening prayers we dance with the Sefer Torahs in our shuls with Hakafot.
Friday, October 13 Shemini Atzeret, Erev Simchat Torah • After Morning prayers we dance with the Sefer Torahs in our shuls with Hakafot. • Day Kiddush is recited, and a holiday meal follows. • Yom Tov Ends and Shabbat Candle Lighting is at 5:59 P.M.
BLESSINGS: EREV YOM TOV AND YOM TOV (SEPTEMBER 20, 21, OCTOBER 4, 5, 11, 12) BAH-ROOCH AH-TAH AH-DOHNAI EH-LOH-HEH-NOO MEH-LECH HAH-OH-LAHM AH-SHER KEE-DEHSHAH-NOO BEH-MITZ-VOH-TAHV VEH-TZEE-VAH-NOO LEH-HAD-LEEK NER SHEL YOM TOV (Some Have the Custom to Recite Shehecheyanu) BLESSING FOR YOM KIPPUR (SEPTEMBER 29TH) BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NAI E-LOHEI-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM A-SHER KI-DESHANU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZVI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHABBAT VE-SHEL YOM HA-KIPURIM. (Some Have the Custom to Recite Shehecheyanu) 9
What Is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashana is the bir thday of the universe, the day Hashem created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. On Rosh HaShana we all stand in judgement before Hashem. On this day Hashem judges all of us, Jews and non-Jews, religious and non-observant, alike. Metaphorically, two ‘books’ are open before Hashem, the Book of Life and the Book of Death. Hashem looks at our deeds for the past year. If we have done good deeds and kept Hashem’s commandments, we are inscribed in the Book of Life.
Customs and Practices on the Eve of Rosh Hashana • Some have a custom to fast on the Eve of Rosh Hashana. However, this fast is not obligatory. The main point is that one set time to contemplate about his past year and do Teshuvah (repentance). • Tachanun is not recited during Shacharit and Mincha. • During Mincha one should be meticulous in having kavanah since it is the last prayer of the year. • We do not blow the shofar. Never theless, if one 10
needs to practice for Rosh Hashana he may do so.
candle lighting times on pages 8-9).
• Some have a custom to go to grave sites and pray to Hashem in merit of the deceased.
• We recite Kiddush (text can be found in your Rosh Hashana machzor), eat bread, and enjoy a festive meal.
• We wear nice and laundered clothing to show that we are cer tain that through the kindness of Hashem we will be inscribed in the book of good life and prosperity. • The common custom is to go to the mikvah. • It is customary to annul our vows, this is called Hatarat Nedarim. The text and description of hatarat Nedarim can be found in the Rosh Hashana machzorim. • This year, do not forget to set an eruv tavshilin. (see ar ticle titled Eruv Tavshilin to learn how to set it up and why.)
Customs and Practices on Rosh Hashana • The first two days of the Jewish new year, Tishrei 1 and 2, begin at sundown on the Eve of Tishrei 1. All the laws of Yom Tov apply to these two days. • We light candles in honor of the holiday (you can find the beracot and
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• One should not act with lightheadedness since it is the judgment day. • It is customary to eat special foods on both nights to symbolize our hopes for blessing and prosperity in the coming year. These foods are: dates, black-eyed peas, leeks, spinach, squash, pomegranate, apple (Ashkenazim cook the apple with honey, Sephardim cook it in sugar), and the head of a lamb. One should recite the beracha on the date and intend that this blessing count for the other fruits. (Before you eat each foods do not forget to recite the special prayers which can be found in your Rosh Hashana machzor.) • It is a mitzvah from the Torah to blow the shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashana. Our sages ordained that the shofar be blown on the second day as well. • The mitzvah of blowing the shofar can be fulfilled (718) 275-3318
at any time of the day from sunrise until sunset. • The custom is that after micha on the first day of Rosh Hashana, everyone goes a lake, river, or pool of water and recite the Tashlikh prayers. Women are not obligated to do so. (The text for Tashlikh may be found in ones Rosh Hashana machzor.)
Why Rosh Hashanah Is Important
ly cour t “who shall live, and who shall die ... who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.” It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim Hashem King of the Universe. According to kabbalah, the continued existence of the universe depends on Hashem’s desire for a world, a desire that is renewed when we accept His kingship anew each year on Rosh Hashanah.
as Yom Teruah (Day of Shofar Blowing).1 In our prayers, we often call it Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Hadin (Day of Judgement) since this is the day when Hashem recalls all of His creations and determines their fate for the year ahead.
The Shofar The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar,the ram’s horn, on both mornings of the holiday.
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year.
The Four Names of Rosh Hashana
As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day “all inhabitants of the world pass before Hashem like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heaven-
The most common name for this holiday is Rosh Hashanah, the name used in the eponymous tractate of Talmud devoted to the holiday.
The first 30 blasts of the shofar are blown following the Torah reading during morning services, and as many as 70 are then blown during (and immediately after) the Musaf service. Many communities listen to 100 blasts over the course of the Rosh Hashanah morning services.
The Torah refers to this day
The shofar blowing contains a
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series of three types of blasts: tekiah, a long sob-like blast; shevarim, a series of three short wails; and teruah, at least nine piercing staccato bursts. The blowing of the shofar represents the trumpet blast that is sounded at a king’s coronation. Its plaintive cry also serves as a call to repentance. The shofar itself recalls the Binding of Isaac, an event that occurred on Rosh Hashanah in which a ram took Isaac’s place as an offering to Hashem.
A Means Of Improving One's Actions In his work, Menorat Ha-maor, R. Yitzchak Aramah writes:
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When hearing the shofar sounded on Rosh Hashanah, one is required to listen with intent and to realize and be cognizant that it is the Day of Judgment when the Holy One, blessed is He, sits on the throne of judgment and all of Creation passes before Him like sheep whom the shepherd inspects, and decides, "This one shall be slaughtered and this one shall continue to live." In the same fashion, man passes before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah and all of his actions that are all recorded are read before Hashem. No man knows whether he has been judged to die or to live. He must therefore lis-
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ten with intent to the shofar, for its sounding serves to remind man to repent and return to Hashem Who will have mercy upon him so that he will be judged not culpable on the Day of judgment. R. Berachyah taught in the name of Abba: [Hashem says:] Improve your actions, sanctify your actions. just as with the shofar one blows in from one side and the sound comes from the other side, so too do all of the accusers of the world stand before Me and accuse you [of sinning and being unwor thy of mercy]. But I hear their accusations from one side and remove them from the other side.
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TZOM GEDALIAH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND After the Babylonians destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiled many Jews in 3338 (423 BCE), they appointed Gedaliah ben Achikam as governor of the remaining Jews in the Holy Land. Jews who had taken refuge in the surrounding lands of Ammon, Moab and Edom heard of his appointment and returned to Judea to join his group—the last remnant of the once-mighty Judea. Under his wise and pious leadership, they tilled, planted and cultivated, coaxing the ravished land back to health. Prior to Rosh Hashanah 3339, Gedaliah received word that a certain Ishmael ben Netaniah, jealous of his position of power and dissatisfied with his tactical alliance with the Babylonians, was planning to kill him and remove the leadership for himself. But the trusting Gedaliah refused to believe that Ishmael would act treacherously, and restrained those who wanted to kill Ishmael.
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On Rosh Hashanah, Ishmael came to Gedaliah with ten men, ostensibly to celebrate the holiday with him. While they were eating together, Ishmael and his men got up and killed Gedaliah, as well as all the other Jewish men and Babylonian soldiers who were present.
This treachery was followed by more bloodshed. It also caused the Jews to flee to Egypt, effectively ending the prospects of Jewish settlement in the Holy Land until the return of the Babylonian exiles in the year 3390 (371 BCE). Thus, the Babylonian exile was absolute, and Judea was left bereft of her children.
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THE FAST In memory of Gedaliah’s tragic death and its disastrous aftermath, we fast every year on the 3rd of Tishrei, the day after Rosh Hashanah. If the 3rd of Tishrei falls out on Shabbat, the fast is postponed to the 4th of Tishrei. Like other “minor” fasts, it begins at dawn (alot hashachar) and ends at nightfall. During morning services, it is customary to add special selichot, penitential prayers. During both morning and afternoon prayers, the Torah is taken out, and we read the portion from Exodus 32:11–14 and 34:1–10 in which Hashem forgives Israel for the sin of the golden calf. During the afternoon prayers, we also read a haftorah, from Isaiah 55:6– 56:8. As it is written in Zechariah 8:19, Tzom Gedaliah is one of the four fasts that will be converted to joy and feasting with the arrival of Mashiach. May it happen soon.
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YOM KIPPUR
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
Y
om Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. On Rosh Hashanna Hashem has judged mankind and has recorded His judgment in the Book of Life. But Hashem has given a 10 day reprieve – the 10 days from Rosh Hashanna until Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur the book of life is closed and sealed. Those who have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year.
parents, teacher, spouse and acquaintance. The wearing of white clothes is prescribed for Yom Kippur. We are filled with and confidence that, through Hashem’s abundant mercy, our repentance will be accepted and we will come out of this day clean and pure like angels. We honor the festival with festive
clothing a Shabbat atmosphere in the house. The candles are lit with the blessings. These blessings respectively usher in the festival, and express our gratitude to Hashem for our living to enjoy this auspicious occasion. Many also light Yahrzeit candles for the departed, for “the soul of man is the candle of Hashem.”
Preparation For Yom Kippur:
On Erev Yom Kippur we prepare ourselves for the awe-filled day ahead of us. During the last hours of the night, the day before Yom Kippur, Kaparot- a formula of atonement– are made using chicken or money. If possible, we should eat twice the amount of food we normally would eat on one day. Hattarat Nedarim is made. Forgiveness is asked of one’s 14
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4. Washing
What do we do on Yom Kippur?:
The entire day should be spent in prayer and repentance. The prayers that one utters should be said with understanding and recited in a tearful voice.
Prohibitions:
Yom Kippur is a day of “NOT” doing. There is no blowing of the shofar. In addition to not doing any type of work (melacha) prohibited on Shabbat, there are five more prohibitions:
5. Wearing leather shoes
Why all these prohibitions?:
The idea behind all these prohibitions is to remove all physical distractions including the eating of food and all the pursuits that keep us busy every day, and, in this way, to enable us to devote the entire day and all our thoughts to moving closer to Hashem and asking Him to forgive us.
The concept of “You shall afflict 1. Eating and drinking your soul...” mentioned in the Torah, has been interpreted as spir2. Anointing with perfumes or lotions itual suffering. The five prohibitions fall within this domain. 3. Martial relationship
It is believed that to fast on Yom Kippur is to emulate the angels in heaven, who do not eat, drink, or wash.
Yom Kippur Comes To An End:
As Yom Kippur ends, the last hour of service called “Ne’ila,” offers a final opportunity for repentance. The service closes with the verse, said seven times, “The Lord is our Hashem.” The shofar is sounded once and the congregation proclaims –“Next year in Jerusalem.”On the first day of Elul, Moshe learned more details of the Torah directly from Hashem. At the end of 40 days, Hashem handed Moshe two sapphire tablets of identical shape and size – upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved.
THE TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE
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ut of His great love for His people, Hashem seeks to be merciful, and would prefer that man repent rather than perish, so that He might grant him good in the end. He therefore awaits and anticipates the repentance of those who transgress. In His abundant mercy, He granted us special days when He is closest to us, so that our penitence might be immediately accepted. As the verse (Isaiah 55:6) states: “Seek Hashem when He is to be found, call out to Him when He is near.” Our sages commented: This teaches us that there are times when Hashem is to be found and times when Hashem is not to be found, times when He is near and times when He is not near. When is He to be found and near? In the ten days (718) 275-3318
between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Therefore, even though repentance and prayer are always appropriate, they are especially appropriate in the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and are immediately accepted. During these days, additional prayers are recited, and we are especially careful in fulfilling mitzvot. In some communities, special selichot [penitential prayers] are said before dawn. It is fitting for a person to decrease his involvement with worldly occupations during these days, and to increase his study of Torah and practice of charity. The pious and G d-fearing take care of their debts and obligations before Yom Kippur. Scrupulous people who are eager to perform mitzvot make a point of buying an especially beautiful etrog early, during these ten days.
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A SMALL MIRACLE A Baal Shem Tov Story On the day before the Sabbath before Rosh Hashanah, the last Sabbath of the year, the Baal Shem Tov and some of his followers went out of the city in a horse and carriage. They journeyed through several smaller towns and then out into the forest. Eventually they stopped at a small run-down farm in a clearing among the trees. Before they got out of the carriage, the Baal Shem said, "Promise me that no matter what happens here, you will not reveal by word or gesture who I am." The hasidim trusted their rebbe implicitly, so they agreed to this. The Baal Shem knocked at the door and it was opened by the farmer, a poor and plain man named Avi. Behind him stood his wife, Sarah, and their four daughters. "We are hungry," the Baal Shem said. "Please come inside. We are honored to serve you," Avi said. Then he turned to his wife and whispered, "We'll have to kill the cow." "But ... the cow's milk is all our children have to eat." 16
"We have guests. It's an honor to have guests. We must kill the cow." So, with the Baal Shem to say the blessings and ensure that all was properly done, they slaughtered the cow. Sarah cooked the cow. And the Baal Shem ate the cow. His followers, knowing how important the animal had been to the family, couldn't bear to eat. The Baal Shem sat up all night, eating and eating, and he never even said, "Thank you." The next morning, he announced what he wanted to eat for the Sabbath: six loaves of challah, six kinds of vegetables, two kinds of meat, two kinds of fish, ten desserts and three kinds of wine. The hasidim were appalled. This was the Baal Shem Tov, the Master of the Good Name. The very heart of his teaching was loving kindness. Honor and respect and kindness to all people, he said time and again, were more important even than study and learning. The hasidim thought their rebbe had gone crazy. But every time one of them began to speak, the Baal Shem would look at him and he would
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remember his promise. If the hasidim were horrified, imagine how Sarah felt? She had watched this man eat all night long, and she was full of fear and anguish. Avi tried to comfort her and tell her not to worry. "Worry! I'm beyond worrying. What about our children? Who is thinking about them? That's what I want to know." There was nothing else to be done, so Avi went into town and sold his farm to the banker to get money to buy food. He asked only that they be allowed to stay in the house until Monday. And he returned home with a cartload of food. Sarah prepared everything the rebbe wanted. At sundown they lit the candles and sang the blessings and sat down to the Sabbath table. The rebbe began to eat. He ate and he ate and he ate. His followers were so worried and unhappy that they could scarcely swallow. It seemed to them that all they did for that entire Sabbath was sit in the little hut and listen to the rebbe's chewing. The meals seemed all to run together and the time passed very slowly. (718) 275-3318
At last, it was over. The sun went down and the first stars appeared. They lit a braided candle and sang the songs and prayers that close the Sabbath, looking forward to the coming week and the joy of another Sabbath. Then, as the Baal Shem and his followers were climbing into their carriage to return home, the rebbe turned suddenly and called out to Avi, "I am the Baal Shem Tov. I bless you to ask for whatever you need." The carriage door closed and the hasidim drove away into the forest. Avi was astounded. The Baal Shem, the holy Baal Shem Tov, had been a guest in his house. He had dreamed of going to see him someday, of sitting near him for a while and listening to him teach. To think that he had been honored to share the Sabbath with him in his own house. Avi was filled with joy and turned toward his wife. A look of joy come into Sarah's face also but was quickly replaced by one of worry. That night the family went to bed without food.
The next day Avi got up very early. He went out into the yard, recited his prayers, and then walked into the forest. What could he do now? The banker would be coming the next morning to take his farm. Who would help him? Then he recalled that the holy Baal Shem had said, "I bless you to ask for what you need." He stopped there on the path and began to rock back and forth. And he prayed, "Creator of the Universe, I have never asked you for anything before, so please listen. My wife and children have no food. We have no house. I (718) 275-3318
need money to feed them. I need money to buy back our farm. And Sarah, my wife, she would be so happy if there was money for dowries for our daughters and to pay for the weddings. Four weddings! And, Creator of the Universe, one more thing, since I'm asking: please make a small miracle. Let my house and my purse be large enough to provide for others who need."
Then Avi began to sob. He fell down flat on the ground, weeping and praying, praying and weeping. He lay there for a long time. Finally, Ivan the town drunkard came wandering by. "Oh! Oh! please don't cry. Whatever it is, don't worry. Maybe I can help. You have always been kind to me. Every one else in the village makes fun of me and treats me miserably, especially my own children. And I don't feel so well. If I die, I want you to have my fortune. Come, I'll show you where I hid it." Ivan led Avi to a big stone nearby and showed him a box hidden under it. On Monday, the banker came and took Avi's farm. That same day, Ivan the drunkard died. Avi went into the forest and pulled out the hidden box. It was full of
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coins. Gold coins. Enough gold coins to buy a house in town even bigger than the banker's. Exactly one year later, just before Rosh Hashanah, a fine carriage drew up before the house of the Baal Shem. The rebbe's followers did not recognize Avi and Sarah in their new clothes. "We've come to see the master," Avi said. They were led inside to the Baal Shem, who knew them immediately and invited them to sit down. "Tell us, what has happened since we last saw you?" And all the hasidim crowded around to hear the story. Avi told them about his prayers in the forest, about meeting Ivan the drunkard, and the box of treasure. "Now we have a house in town and everything we need," he said. "We are able to provide for our daughters. One is already married, and preparations are underway for another wedding." "We have heard also," said the Baal Shem, "that you are truly a friend to those in need. Those who come to you for help are treated with kindness and respect. There is joy in heaven because of this." "It is due to your blessing that our good fortune came to us. We have come to thank you." Then the Baal Shem said to Avi, "You know, a year ago it was decreed in heaven that you were to become a rich man. But you were so humble and would never ask for anything. I had to come and eat you out of your home so that you would ask for the blessings that were waiting for you. Mazel Tov my friend. The very best of years!" 17
F
or forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah – a hut of temporary construction with a roof-covering of branches – for the duration of the autumn Sukkot festival. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home. Weather permitting, some even sleep there. Another mitzvah that is unique to Sukkot is the taking of the Four Kinds: an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), at least three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches). The Midrash tells us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity we emphasize on Sukkot. On each day of the festival (except Shabbat), during the daytime hours, we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands
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SUKKOT and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and to the rear. (The Four Kinds are also an integral part of the holiday's daily morning service.) Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly Water-Drawing Celebrations, reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music, and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
Sukkot runs from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Tishrei. The first two days of this festival (in Israel only the first day) are a major holiday, when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by the
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Kiddush. The remaining days of the festival are Chol Hamoed ("intermediate days"), when most forms of work are permitted. We try to avoid going to work, writing, and certain other activities – many families use this time to enjoy fun family outings. Every day of Sukkot, including Chol Hamoed, we recite the complete Hallel, Hoshanot, and Musaf, and the Torah is read during the morning service. The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah ("Great Salvation"). According to tradition, the verdict for the new year – which is written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur – is not handed down by the Heavenly Court until Hoshanah Rabbah. On this day we encircle the bimah (synagogue reading table) seven times while holding the Four Kinds and offering special prayers for prosperity during the upcoming year. During the course of the morning prayers it is also traditional to take a bundle of five willow branches and beat them against the ground five times. Sukkot is immediately followed by the independent holiday of Shemini Atzeret/ Simchat Torah. (718) 275-3318
HOSHANA RABBAH
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n each day of the Sukkot festival, after the recitation of hallel or after Musaf -each congregation according to its custom - a Torah scroll is removed from the ark and brought to the Bimah (where the Torah is read). The chazan and congregation say the first four Hoshanot responsively. They then circle the bimah holding the Lulav and Etrog and recite the longer Hoshana prayer for the respective day of the Festival, as they appear in the Siddur. These prayers for redemption are referred to as Hoshanot because each stanza of the prayer is accompanied by the word hoshana - a combination form of the words hosha and na (bring us salvation, please). On the first six days of the Festival, the bimah is circled once. On Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of the Festival, seven circles are made. This custom commemorates the service in the Bet ha-Mikdash during which the kohanim would circle the altar once daily and seven times on Hoshana Rabbah. (718) 275-3318
Hoshana Rabbah is the last day on which we fulfill the mitzvot of the Four Species and dwelling in the sukkah (although there are many in the Diaspora who dwell in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret as well). The day is referred to as Hoshana Rabbah (literally, the great Hoshana) because more Hoshana prayers are recited on this day than on the other days.
This day was also known as "the day of the beating of the aravah." The Mishnah (Sukkah 4:2) records: How was the mitzvah of aravah fulfilled? There was a place below Jerusalem called Motza. They would go down there and pick branches of willows and would then come and place them alongside the altar with the heads (of the willow branches) bent over the altar. They then sounded the sho-
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far: a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah. Each day they would circle the altar once and say, "Ana Hashem Hoshiah Na (Please, G-d, bring us salvation), Ana Hashem Hatzlichah Na (Please, G-d, bring us success)"... On that day (i.e., Hoshana Rabbah) they circled the altar seven times. When they had finished they would say, "Beauty is yours, O altar, beauty is yours." As was done during the week was done on Shabbat (i.e., if Hoshana Rabbah fell on a Shabbat) except (that if it was Shabbat) they would gather them (the aravot) on the eve (of Shabbat) and place them in golden basins so that they would not become wilted. To commemorate the hakafot (the circling) around the altar, we circle around the Torah scroll on the bimah, for after the destruction of the Bet ha-Mikdash we have nothing left except the Torah and it serves as an altar of atonement. The Hoshana service includes prayers that G-d grant us a year of abundant rain and dew. Although the Torah does not give this day any special status, the people of Israel have traditionally observed many customs that are particular to this day and invest 19
it with an especially solemn character. There is a custom from the time of the Prophets Chaggai, Zecharyah, and Malachi to take an aravah, recite a special prayer, and then beat it on the ground. Unlike other Rabbinic obligations, no berachah is recited on this practice since it was enacted as a custom rather than as an obligation. It is customary to stay awake all night on Hoshana Rabbah and recite the tikkun service, read from the Book of Deuteronomy, recite the entire Book of Psalms, and thus "unite" the night and the day through study
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and prayer. Those who are especially careful in observing mitzvot immerse themselves in a mikvah before dawn. Festival clothes are worn, and some have the custom of wearing white clothes as on Yom Kippur, and of lighting the candles which remain from Yom Kippur. In most Sephardic communities, there is no difference between the text of the prayers on Hoshana Rabbah and the other days of chol ha-mo'ed. In Ashkenazic communities, there are some minor variations, as appear in the Siddur.
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After Hallel or after Musaf (customs differ), the Hoshana prayers are recited in the prescribed order, the bimah is encircled seven times, and when the section that begins with the words ta'aneh emunim is reached, the esrog and lulav are put aside and the aravah is taken. During the chazan's repetition of Musaf, the complete Kedushah is recited instead of the abbreviated version recited on Chol Hamo'ed. It is customary to eat an especially festive meal. Later in the day, a light snack is eaten and a special prayer is recited after this last act of dwelling in the sukkah.
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SHEMINI ATZERET & SIMCHAT TORAH
I
mmediately following the seven-day festival of Sukkot comes the two-day festival of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. (In the Land of Israel, the festival is “compacted” in a single day). Shemini Atzeret means “the eighth [day] of retention”; the chassidic masters explain that the primary purpose of the festival is to retain and “conceive” the spiritual revelations and powers that we are granted during the festivals of the month of Tishrei, so that we could subsequently apply them to our lives throughout the year. The “Four Kinds” are not taken on Shemini Atzeret. We still eat in the sukkah (according to the custom of most communities), but without making the special blessing on the sukkah. On the second day of Shemini Atzeret (i.e., the ninth day from the beginning of Sukkot) and in the Land of Israel, we go back to eating in the home. (718) 275-3318
The second day of Shemini Atzeret is called Simchat Torah (“Rejoicing of the Torah”). On this day we conclude, and begin anew, the annual Torah reading cycle. The event is marked with great rejoicing, especially during the “hakafot” procession, in which we march, sing and dance with the Torah scrolls around the reading table in the synagogue. “On Simchat Torah,” goes the chassidic saying, “we rejoice in the Torah, and the Torah rejoices in us; the Torah, too, wants to dance, so we become the Torah’s dancing feet.” Other festival observances include the special prayer for rain included in the musaf
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prayer of Shemini Atzeret, and the custom that all are called up to the Torah on Simchat Torah. We celebrate this acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot. Yet their promise of total trust was incomplete. The mind can know and decide what the heart is not ready to accept. Only after living with Torah - only after completing a yearly cycle of reading and experiencing the Torah’s teachings as “Its ways are pleasant and all its paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17) - only then is the Jewish people ready, on Simchat Torah, to express their great joy over G-d’s precious gift. 21
CHRISTOPHER WOOLF
How A Famous Former Nazi Officer Became A Hitman For Israel
OTTO SKORZENY: NAZI HERO AND MOSSAD AGENT
Otto Skorzeny was one of the most outstanding military men of the 20th century. His specialty was daring, guerrilla-style, commando raids. He was an unrepentant Nazi, a senior SS officer, who remained involved in right-wing causes his whole life. And now it’s emerged that he was also an agent and hitman for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service.
The extraordinary story of Skorzeny’s work for Israel is documented for the first time. The piece was written by Dan Raviv, a correspondent with CBS Radio News, and Yossi Melman, an Israeli author. Together the two men have written five books on Israeli intelligence operations. “He was Adolf Hitler’s favorite military officer,” says Raviv. Skorzeny was an Austrian, from an old distinguished but impoverished family, proud of its long military tradition. The 6-foot-4 Skorzeny was a noted duellist, and ‘fencing’ left him with a massive scar across his face. He was an enthusiastic Nazi, joining the Austrian equivalent of the Nazi party in 1931. When World War II broke out in 1939, Skorzeny volunteered for the SS, joining a unit called Leibstandarte, which had been set up as Hitler’s bodyguard. Ostensibly a military unit, it left a trail of burned villages, massacred civilians and murdered PoWs. Skorzeny distinguished himself for his resourcefulness, daring and deception, and soon began his commando career. His most famous exploit was perhaps the rescue of Italy’s Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, from rebels in 1943. Skorzeny brought troops in silently by glid(718) 275-3318
er, landing near a mountaintop fortress, and overwhelming its defenders. For that Hitler personally awarded Skorzeny the Iron Cross. His action helped keep Fascist Italy fighting as Germany’s ally for another two years. The Fuhrer met with Skorzeny often, and in turn he clearly admired the dictator. In the Battle of the Bulge, it was Skorzeny who led the German effort to send commandos behind the lines in captured US uniforms to sow confusion and sabotage key targets. Fighting in enemy uniform is a war crime, punishable by death. But Skorzeny managed to get himself acquitted by an Allied military tribunal after the war, in 1947. A year later, he escaped custody, allegedly helped by former fellow SS officers — dressed in stolen American uniforms. Skorzeny made his way to Spain, where Fascist dictator, Francisco Franco, sheltered Nazi refugees. He became a businessman — he was an engineer by trade. But Skorzeny was not content with that. It’s alleged he helped other Nazis escape to safety in Spain or Latin America. He also became involved in Egypt’s efforts to beef up its armed forces to confront Israel. He’s believed
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Skorzeny distinguished himself for his resourcefulness, daring and deception, and soon began his commando career. to have provided commando training to Egyptians and Palestinian refugees. One of his graduates is said to have been none other than Yasser Arafat. Other Germans — scientists — were helping Egypt build up a rocket and missile program to strike Israel. This was the late 1950s, into the 1960s. It was a nightmare for Israel, says Raviv, “thinking that German Nazi scientists were working on that … And so the Mossad did everything it could 23
to stop it, to intimidate the Germans. (They) sent them all kind of threatening letters; phone calls in the middle of the night, both in Germany and in Egypt.” Skorzeny was involved with the scientists. “We learned,” says Raviv, “from really impeccable sources,” that after considering killing Skorzeny, Mossad decided to try to recruit him instead. “And that’s what they did,” adds Raviv, “in 1962.” Skorzeny agreed to help Israel in exchange for being taken off Israel’s hit-list. He even turned down offers of money. Simon Wiesenthal refused to take Skorzeny off his list of Nazis who should face justice for their crimes. But Mossad forged a letter from Wiesenthal and gave it to Skorzeny to try to persuade him to help. He agreed. “They flew him to Israel,” says Raviv. “They tried to work on him a little bit. They took him to Yad Vashem, the famous Holocaust memorial and museum.”
thusiastic and cooperative agent for the Jewish State. He obtained and provided key intelligence on the scientists working for Egypt, including personal information and addresses. He mailed at least one letter bomb. “Not only that,” says Raviv. “we have found out that he willingly participated in at least one assassination. In fact it was Skorzeny who pulled the trigger and killed one of the German scientists.” Modern Israeli analysts, who have seen the original files on Skorzeny, cannot explain why he was such an enthusiastic agent, really helping the Israelis. “I guess he thought it was adventure,” says Raviv, “and that Mossad is the best in the business, and somehow he enjoyed being involved with them.”
Mossad did take Skorzeny off their hit-list. In later life he got involved again in right-wing causes, founding a "consulting group," that acted as a front for recruiting and training mercenaries to fight for right-wing regimes and military juntas from South Africa to Greece and Chile. Skorzeny died peacefully in Madrid in 1975. At funeral ceremonies there and in Vienna, the Nazi hero was given the Hitler salute by former SS comrades and others. One man at the funeral was none other than his now retired Mossad handler, Yosef Raanan — a fellow Austrian who lost much of his family to the Holocaust. He flew at his own expense to pay his respects to his former agent, SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny.
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But he showed no sign of remorse or guilt. Israeli intelligence analysed him and decided he had no moral compass. But Skorzeny became an en24
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O
ERUV TAVSHILIN
n Jewish holidays, within each 24hour (night-day) holiday unit, we are permitted to make preparations for all of that unit, but we are forbidden to make any preparations for the following unit, which begins after nightfall. (For example, on a Wednesday night holiday, one may cook for Wednesday night and Thursday. But anything to be used on Thursday night or Friday may be done only beginning Thursday night after nightfall.) The one exception is when a Friday holiday is followed seamlessly by Shabbat, in which case, cooking is permissible on Friday through a mechanism known as an eruv tavshilin, whereby the cooking process is begun prior to the holiday. An eruv tavshilin is a halachic device that allows one to cook food on the festival for use on the Shabbat that immediately follows it. The idea of Eruv is this: The sages banned cooking on a festival for Shabbat, so that it not mislead a person into cooking on a festival for a weekday. However, if one prepared a cooked food for Shabbat the day before the festival, it is then permissible to continue cooking it during the festival: for then it is considered that he has begun all his cooking
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for Shabbat on the day before the festival, and now he is only completing his work.
With this we will have a reminder: If it is forbidden simply to cook on the festival for Shabbat, how much more certainly is it forbidden to cook on the festival for the weekdays. And this is why it is called an eruv, “a mixture” – it “mix-
es together” his cooking for Shabbat with his cooking for the festival, and it becomes a single activity. The eruv consists of bread or two matzot, and a cooked food, such as meat, fish, or a hard-boiled egg. The eruv tavshilin is put away for Shabbat and the following blessing is recited:
Baruch Attah Ado-nai Elo-henu Melech Ha’olam Asher Kiddeshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Mitzvat Eruv
Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctied us with His commandments and has instructed us regarding the commandment of Eruv. AFTER THE BLESSING, SAY:
Beden Eruva Yehei Sharei Lan Lemefa Ul’vashulei Ul’atmonei Ul’takunei Ul’adlukei Sharga Ul’me’vad Kol Tzorchana Miyom Tov Leshabbat. (Lana Ul’chol Benei Yisra’el Sheba’ir Hazzot) Through this Eruv may we be permitted to bake, cook, fry, insulate, kindle flame, and do anything necessary on the festival for the sake of the Shabbat (for ourselves and for all of the residents of this city).
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ISRAEL'S GUIDE PART 2
Hurva Synagogue /Belz Great Synagogue: In Jerusalem, the Hurva Synagogue is a historical synagogue that is the symbol of Judaism in Jerusalem. The Belz Great Synagogue is the largest synagogue in the entire world and is also found in Jerusalem. Natanya/Bat Yam: beaches and coastline.
Great
Bnei Brak: A nice center of Orthodox Judaism. Meah Shearim: Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem with a great Judaica (Jewish books) store.
Eilat: The resort city of the Red Sea is great for any type of water activity. Enjoy cruises, boats, ships, snorkeling, or scuba-diving with the fish in Eilat. Water sports here are great as you can jet-ski, water-ski, stand-up-paddleboard, pedal-boat, yacht, wind-surf, kite-surf, go paragliding, go on a banana boat, go recreational tubing, and more. If that isn’t enough, you can also enjoy the aquarium or coral reef in Eilat. As well as play with dolphins in the dolphinarium or visit the astonishing Red Canyon. Meron: Mount Meron contains the burial of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the Zohar. Haifa: City with beautiful botanical gardens which contains flowers, trees, and overall plant life. 28
Beersheba: In the heart of the Negev Desert one can find theaters and amphitheathers. Beersheba holds the Abraham Wells, wells that are said to have been built by Avraham Avinu! Not far away in the Negev Desert is the burial site of the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion. Rishon LeZion: Has a fun amusement park “Superland” similar to Tel Aviv’s amusement park, “Luna Park”, but includes bungee-jumping. This is also the first city founded under modern Israel. Holon: A fan of water parks and pools will definitely love Holon’s, “Yamit Alpaim”. Hamat Gader: A great place for hot springs, spas, Jacuzzis, and pools.
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Metula: High up in the north, Metula is home to the recreational “Canada Centre” which contains an ice skating rink, pool, Jacuzzi, bowling alleys, shooting range, and a cinema movie theater. Jordan River: Starting in the Hula Valley and the Jezreel Valley (near Mount Carmel), the Jordan River is a great place to kayak, canoe, or white-water raft. Golan Heights: This is the region for people who love to camp outside, snowboard, ski, hike, drink wine, eat chocolate, do ATV jeep driving, and/or bird watch. Shuk/Shopping: For fans of shopping, Israel is a trade center. The shuk in Jerusalem, Machane Yehuda (not to be confused with the Jerusalem shopping area Ben Yehuda Street) is colored with clothings, foods, jewelery, toys, and more. Shuk Hacarmel in Tel Aviv (near Nahalat Binyamin) is also a great place to find every(718) 275-3318
day needs. For those who don’t want to do outdoor shopping, Israel has you covered as there are many indoor malls like the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem or Dizengoff Center Mall in Tel Aviv.
second longest zip-line in the entire world and also includes other zip-lines, rock climbing, bungee trampoline, paintballing, petting zoo, ropes course, 4x4 Jeeping, a carousel, and a kiddie train.
teering opportunities for tourists and one can go to Yad Eliezer or Yad Sarah to help the poor and hungry. Other opportunities include sending gift packages to the IDF or Save A Child’s Heart.
Kibbutz/Moshav/Shvil Hasalat: If you like small communities/villages/towns, Israel has you covered with their numerous kibbutzim and moshavim. Each kibbutz and moshav is usually very agricultural based and one can find animal farms, or produce growing communities in these quiet and peaceful areas. In addition, if you like vegetable or fruit-picking then make sure to visit the southern town, Shvil Hasalat.
Museums/Mini-Israel/Yad Vashem: There are many museums in Israel ranging from educational like the Israel Museum to historical like the Latrun Tank museum, and so many more. Israel also has a cool attraction called Mini-Israel where pretty much the entire country of Israel is put into
Jerusalem Biblical Zoo/ Ramat Gan Safari/Yotvata Nature Park: Animal lovers look no farther, as Israel has numerous zoos. One of the bigger zoos is the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, in which the goal of the zoo is to have every animal mentioned from TaNaKh. For getting up close to animals the Ramat Gan Safari is the largest safari in the Middle East and is a fun and interactive way to meet the animals. For a more natural way of seeing animals head on to Yotvata Nature Reserve Park (although Yotvata is in the desert it is also a dairy factory based area and the nature park is similar to its northern counterpart, Carmel HaiBar Forest).
Mitzpeh Ramon (Ramon Crater)/Rosh Hanikra/Timna Park/ Avshalom Cave: If you love nature and want to see some wonders than make sure to check out these areas. First off, is the Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) which, has a beautiful array of different colored sand and has a beautiful view. For adventurous people, you can mountain rappel here. Rosh Hanikra contains grottoes which are really just a natural phenomenon, and has caves and cliffs thus making it great for caving. Timna Park is a rich source of resources and mining and is great for viewing nature or mountain biking. In Avshalom Cave there are wondrous stalagmites or stone pillars. Deer Land Park: In Gush Etzion, this place contains the (718) 275-3318
an extremely miniature size. For people wanting a true understanding of the atrocities of the Holocaust, a visit to solemn Yad Vashem is necessary (this is usually paired up with Mount Herzl which is a military and former prime ministers cemetery). If you are looking for an inspirational museum, a visit to the Dialogue in Dark Museum shows regular people how it feels to be blind or deaf, and as you walk through dark environments you are assisted by a blind guide. Volunteer: Volunteering is a great and kind thing to do (Chessed). Israel has volun-
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Other activities: Israel has skydiving, horseback riding, laser-tag, petting farms, academic institutes, sand dunes, and so much more. If you love to hike mountains (there is an Israel National Hiking Trail) or go to archaeology sites and discover mosaics or Biblical findings, Israel has many of those too (in fact it’s just too much to list). Of course, there is still so much more to explore and do in Israel. However, I tried my best to compile a general list which is incorporating of all types of activities. So, enjoy! 29
HALACHA CORNER Q: IF A PERSON DID NOT HAVE KAVANAH WHEN LISTENING TO THE SHOFAR BLOWING, HAS HE FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION? A: In order to fulfill the obligation, the one who blows the shofar and the one who listens both have to have kavanah (Rosh Hashanah 29; S”A 589:8).
Hashanah 16b says it’s to remember Akeidat Yitzchak. Also quoted in m”b (2) to shu”a 586:1. Q: CAN A WOMAN BLOW THE SHOFAR ON BEHALF OF A MAN?
A: The general rule is that anyone who is exempt from a mitzvah cannot perQ: ARE WOMEN OBLIGAT- form that mitzvah on behalf ED IN THE MITZVAH OF of someone who is obligat- and the 2nd Luchot were ed in it. Therefore, one will BLOWING THE SHOFAR? not fulfill his obligation in given. A: No, since this is a this manner. time-bound mitzvah. HowQ: MAY ONE BRUSH HIS ever, it is recommended for women to do so, and if Q: IF SOMEONE DID NOT TEETH ON YOM KIPPUR? they do, they will certainly RECITE TASHLIKH ON A: No. receive a reward. ROSH HASHANAH, WHAT SHOULD HE DO? A: If he missed it on the Q: WHY DO WE EAT APPLES WITH HONEY ON ROSH HA- first day of Rosh Hashanah, he can do it on the SHANA? second. However, if he A: The Ramah writes in also missed it on the sec583:1 that it is a custom in ond day of Rosh Hashaorder that we should pray nah, he can do it during the for a sweet year. Ten Days of Repentance. Q: WHY DO WE USE A RAM’S HORN AS A SHOFAR AND NOT THE HORN OF ANOTHER ANIMAL? A: The Gemara in Rosh 30
Q: WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BEGIN BUILDING THE SUKKAH? A: Right after Yom Kippur, since we move directly from one mitzvah to the next.
Q: ARE WOMEN OBLIGATED IN THE MITZVAH OF Q: IS YOM KIPPUR A HAPPY SUKKAH? OR A SAD DAY, AND WHY? A: No, since it is a timeA: Happy day. The Mish- bound Mitzvah (see also na in Taanit says that it is Sukkah 28a). Neverthebecause we get Kapara less, if a woman wishes to SHALOM
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sit in a Sukkah she may do Q: DOES ONE FULFILL HIS so and will certainly be re- OBLIGATION BY USING warded for it. STOLEN SPECIES? A: one cannot fulfill the mitzvah with species that Q: WHICH FOODS ARE RE- have been stolen. QUIRED TO BE EATEN IN THE SUKKAH AND WHICH MAY BE EATEN OUTSIDE Q: IS IT A MITZVAH TO THE SUKKAH? DECORATE THE SUKKAH? A: One may eat fruits, A: Yes the Gemara Shabvegetables, and rice outside of the Sukkah; one bat 133b, Chazon Ovadymay certainly drink wa- ah (Sukkot pg 74). Mishna ter or juice outside of the Brurah 638:11 writes that Sukkah. If one wishes to it’s a mitzvah to decorate eat more than an egg’s the sukkah with important volume of cake or other fruit and clothes, however, pastries, one must do so in one should not hang nice the Sukkah, however, one fruit if one has children would not recite the “Lee- and one knows that the shev Ba’Sukkah” blessing children will rip them down and eat them. in this instance. If one plans on eating an amount of cake or pastries which others would consider a meal (approximately 162 grams), one would need to recite the blessing of “Leeshev Ba’Sukkah." Q: MAY ONE FULFILL HIS OBLIGATION OF THE FOUR SPECIES AT NIGHT? A: The mitzvah of "taking" the four species applies only by day and not by night.
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The concept of hidur mitzva, beautification of mitzvot is brought down in Shabbat 133b based on the pasuk “Zeh Eli VeAnvehu” - “This is my G-d and I will Beautify His Mitzvot”. The Raavad (cited in Chidushei Anshei Shem, Brachos 38a, no. 2) suggests that Hiddur Mitzvah is a biblical commandment, whereas the Ritva (Sukkah 11b s.v. Vi’ee) holds that it is only rabbinic. SHALOM
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For every human on Earth there are 1.6 million ants. The harder you concentrate on falling asleep, the less likely to fall asleep. A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber.
On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.
DID YOU RANDOM
There are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on every beach in the world.
In France, it is legal to marry a dead person.
If you started with $0.01 and doubled your money every day, it would take 27 days to become a millionaire.
Saturn’s density is There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body.
low enough that
A person can live
the planet would
without food for
float in water.
about a month, but only about a week
It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. A flea can jump up to 200 times its own height. That is the equivalent of a human jumping the Empire State Building. 32
without water.
There’s an opera house on the U.S.–Canada border where the stage is in one country and half the audience is in another. SHALOM
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KNOW?? FACTS
In 2006 someone tried to sell New Zealand on eBay. The price got up to $3,000 before eBay shut it down.
The chance of you dying on the way to get lottery tickets is actually greater than your chance of winning. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food.
68% of the universe is dark energy, and 27% is dark matter; both are invisible, even with our powerful telescopes. This means we have only seen 5% of the universe from earth.
Blueberries will not ripen until they are picked.
About 150 people per year are killed by coconuts.
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On Jupiter and Saturn it rains diamonds.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
You can’t hum while holding your nose closed. The founders of Google were willing to sell Google for $1 million to Excite in 1999, but Excite turned them down. Google is now worth $527 Billion.
Dolphins sleep with one eye open!
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Some worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food! 33
Doctor’s Got Your Nose John Robinson took up a new position as a pediatrician in Brooklyn. Originally from Wyoming, Dr. Robinson didn’t have much experience with the Jewish community. But what he did have was experience with kids, and he always liked to break the ice with his young patients by testing their knowledge of body parts. On his first day, while pointing to little Shmueli Zimmerman’s ear, Dr. Robinson asked him, "Is this your nose?"
"I thought he wouldn't need them," explained Rivky. "Abba says Uncle Morty always eats like a horse!"
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Immediately Shmueli turned to his mother and said, "Mommy, I think we'd better find a new doctor!"
Rivky’s Setting the Table Little Rivky Speilman loved helping her mother. In particular, she loved to help set the Shabbat table. One Friday night, the guests came home from shul, and everyone sat down. Mrs. Speilman noticed something was missing. 34
"Rivky," she said, "you didn't put a knife and fork at Uncle Morty’s place."
Yankel Epstein decided that it was time to get in shape, so he took up jogging and signed up for the New York City Marathon. Problem was, he wasn’t that “strong” a runner. As soon as the race started he was almost immediately in last place.
To make matters worse, the guy who was in front of Yankel, second to last, started making fun of him. He said, "Hey buddy, how does it feel to be last?" Yankel replied, "You really want to know?" Then he dropped out of the race.
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Hard Headed
The Sweet Hereafter
Little Rivkah Saltzman, the Rabbi’s daughter, ran into the house, crying as though her heart would break. "What's wrong, dear?" asked the Rabbi. "My doll! Moishie broke it!" she sobbed.
Rabbi Saltzman made it a habit of visiting his congregants at home, especially his elder members. On one such visit to Morty Rubenstein he asked, “Mr. Rubenstein, do you have thoughts of what comes next…Olam Haba?” “What do you mean?” asked Mr. Rubenstein.
"How did he break it, Rivkah?"
“You know, the afterlife, the hereafter,” said Rabbi Saltzman.
"I hit him over the head with it."
Coffee Kindness As Rachel was getting to know Jacob and his family, she was very impressed by how much his parents loved each other. "They're so thoughtful," Rachel said. "Your dad even brings your mom a cup of hot coffee in bed every morning." After a time, Rachel and Jacob were engaged, and then they married. On the way from the wedding to the reception, Rachel again remarked on Jacob's loving parents and even the coffee in bed. "Tell me," she said, "does it run in the family?"
"Oh, I do all the time,” said Mr. Rubenstein. “No matter where I am – in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement – I ask myself, 'Now, what am I here after?'"
Beauty School Dropout "What happened to you?" asked a bystander of Herman Himmelman, lying on the sidewalk outside of the beauty parlor. Herman shook his head groggily and rubbed his bruised chin. "Well, the last thing I remember was my wife Sadie coming out of the beauty salon. I took one look at her and said, 'Well, honey ... at least you tried.'"
"It sure does," replied Jacob. "And I take after my mom." (718) 275-3318
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S E P C E R
APPLE NOODLE KUGEL
INGREDIENTS 1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles 2 tablespoons butter, melted 3 Macintosh apples, sliced 3 eggs, separated 1 cup white sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.
Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4.
Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5.
Stir melted butter and noodles in a large bowl.
6.
Mix apples, egg yolks, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla extract into noodle mixture until well blended.
7. 8.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape.
9.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 40 minutes.
1/4 cup golden raisins
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1.
Fold egg whites into noodle mixture; pour into prepared baking dish.
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HONEY CAKE
INGREDIENTS
1.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2.
Grease and flour two 9×5-inch loaf pans or one 9×13 pan. Set aside.
3.
In a saucepan, combine the honey and coffee and bring to a boil. Cool and set aside.
4.
In a large mixing bowl, blend the eggs, brown sugar and oil. Do not overbeat.
5.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda and spices together.
6.
Stir the flour and honey into the eggs alternating and ending with the liquid.
7.
Stir in the raisins. Blend well.
8.
Pour into the prepared pans and place the almonds over the cake.
9.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the cake springs back. Let sit overnight before serving.
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 Tablespoon baking powder 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar 4 Tablespoons canola oil 1 3/4 cups honey 4 extra large eggs 1 cup very strong coffee (decaf is fine) 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup whole or half candied or plain almonds
1 cup raisins
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I
n its nearly 30 years of operation, the Rego Park-based Ohr Natan organization has led the effort in religious outreach in the Bukharian Jewish community through its synagogue, magazine, and public events. Among these is the Shabbat afternoon Talmud shiur led by Rabbi Moshe Shimunov, which held a siyum on Masechet Berachot on August 27 at the Ohr Natan shul on Queens Boulevard. “We started five years ago and this is our fourth sefer,” said Rabbi Shimunov. “The siyum creates a sense of accomplishment.” The maggid shiur comes from a family with a long tradition of spiritual leadership among Bukharian Jews in America. Born in Uzbekistan, Rabbi Nerya Shimunov was among the first to make aliyah during the detente of the 1970s, studying at the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak. He continued his learning in Brooklyn at the Mir Yeshiva, where he was its first Bukharian student and later founded the Bukharian synagogue in Borough Park. His sons Moshe and Gavriel followed in his example, devoting years of Torah learning before making their mark in Queens. Rabbi Gavriel resides in Monsey and teaches at Shaarei Zion Ohel Bracha as the seventh grade rebbe. Rabbi Moshe settled in Queens five years ago, and the idea of a scheduled learning program arose at his first Shabbat meal in Queens, hosted by his wife's cousin. “We try not to rush it but we do move and come out of every sugya with an understanding and a life lesson,” said Rabbi Shimunov. For Ohr Natan, which has a strong following among older, middle aged, and youth Bukharians, the arrival of Rabbi Shimunov created a learning opportunity for members of a younger generation who are growing in their observance and have an interest in learning Shas. “We gained a lot by Rav Moshe moving here,” said Ohr Natan founder Rabbi Nahum Kaziev. “Baruch HaShem he's attracted a lot of young(718) 275-3318
sters and they are the hardest age group.” At the siyum banquet, participants shared their enthusiasm for the program. “It's an obligation to set time to learn,” said Malkiel Matatov. “It starts with a little bit and then it gets you higher and higher.” His cousin Avaham Matatov said that the group began with three students and has since grown to 20. Among the students is Rabbi Kaziev’s son Natan, who recently graduated from Yeshiva Far Rockaway high school and will be studying at the Beit-midrash of Yeshiva Far Rockaway. “Rav Shimunov starts with a parsha question to get us interested, he gives the answer after we learn. He gives us the Sephardi halacha that we get out of the gemara,” said the younger Kaziev. “It took us almost two years, a daf each Shabbat with tosafot and Rashi.” To give the students the feeling of accomplishment, a sumptuous dinner was served, attended by well-known rabbis who work in the Bukharian Jewish community including Rabbi Label Lam, Rabbi Zalmen Deutscher of Yeshiva Primary, Rabbi Asher Vaknin of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center youth minyan, and Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union, among others. “It’s incredible. I got to know the Bukharian community through my barber,” said Rabbi Elefant. “He told me of the wonderful learning going on here, at Ohr Natan. The Torah connects all of us.” As was customary at the time of the tannaim and amoraim, rebbeim from other academies brought their students along to the siyum. Speaking to his own students and those of Ohr Natan, Rabbi Vaknin spoke of the lessons of Masechet Berachot. “It is a reminder that HaShem runs the world, providing a set time for things on a daily basis. It is kovea itim HaTorah,” said Rabbi Vaknin. “Ask yourself whether you’ve become a more refined human being from learning a Masechet.”
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SERGEY KADINSKY This article was first published by Queens Jewish Link
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Send entries to: [email protected] or to our address: Ohr Natan, 98-81 Queens Blvd. Rego Park, NY, 11374 Please include your name, phone number, address, and age. Feel Free To Send Us Any Comments!
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You can also view our website and enter this contest at: shalommagazine.org We would like to thank all those who took part in our contest. We would also like to thank Sushi Fusion-Hibachi for sponsoring this contest. The winner of the previous contest is: Erena Mullokandov from Rego Park, NY. You will receive a gift certificate to Hibachi Express through mail. CONGRATULATIONS! 40
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Ohr Natan - Briarwood
Mikveh fund
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE
Dedications opportunities available K’HAL NACHLAS YITZCHOK 141-43 73RD AVENUE KEW GARDENS HILLS, NY 11367 (718) 544-0115 NOACH ISAAC OELBAUM RABBI AUTHOR OF SEFORIM MINCHAS CHEN
April 2016 I am very glad to hear the news of plans to build a mikvah in Briarwood, Queens. The mitzvah of mikvah is one of the tenets in the Jewish religion and throughout Jewish history it is a mitzvah that was fulfilled by women with mesirus nefesh. I therefore endorse those organizing this important endeavor, and encourage our fellow Jews to support them generously and wish them and their supporters many blessings and goodness from above.