MAGAIN DAVID SEPHARDIM CONGREGATION
San Francisco's First Sephardic Congregation
Founded 1935


351 Fourth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 752-9095
info@magaindavid.com
  • Visitors
  • Donate
    • Donate
    • Kiddush Sponsorship
    • Membership
  • Daily Services / Events
    • Schedule
    • Recent or Upcoming Events
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • History
    • Contact Us
    • Mailing List
  • High Holidays

Corona virus Update

3/6/2020

0 Comments

 
A word from Rabbi Benzaquen on the Corona Virus:

We are all watching, reading and listening with care and concern, the spread and danger posed by the corona virus. While there is no reason to panic, I want to use this opportunity to remind the community of precautions we should all be taking:
 
I ask that if you have symptoms of illness, including fever, coughing, stomach bug or any other sickness, please DO NOT come to Magain David , during the week, on Shabbat or Purim. This is true even if you are a mourner saying Kaddish and even though this coming Shabbat we have the Biblical mandate to hear Parashat Zachor. Protecting and preserving health supersedes these other considerations. 
 
Pesak Halakha: (Halachik Implications) If one is unable to come to synagogue, they should read the verses of Parashat Zachor from a Humash at home on Shabbat and also intend to fulfill the mitzva of remembering Amalek by listening to the Torah reading in synagogue when Shabbat Ki Tetzte arrives, during the Torah reading cycle on Shabbat August 29
 
We have taken a number of steps to be proactive, to ask every body to follow recommended guidelines by the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in protecting the synagogue environment.

For Purim:
The Purim Party will take place with modifications. There will be no face painting, but we will have a good time with Magain David friends and family!  
 
Pesak Halakha: (Halachik Implications) If you are unable to attend the Megillah due to illness, or compelled to stay home because you can be in danger or endanger others you are exempt from the Mitzvah and do not need to listen to a recording online. 
 
Public Health of San Francisco CA urges residents to follow these recommendations:
 
People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible, including public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others.
 
People at higher risk include: People 60 and older, people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, people who have weakened immune systems, people who are pregnant. More detail on these measures will be available at: 
  • www.kingcounty.gov/covid 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d914EnpU4Fo.

 
How can I protect myself?
Perform hand hygiene either with alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60 percent alcohol) or soap and water.

Pesak Halakha: (Halachik Implications) It is permitted to use hand sanitizer and wash with soap and water on Shabbat.
 
Practice respiratory hygiene.
(1) Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
 
(2) Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
 
(3) Try as possible to not touch with your hands commonly touched surfaces.
 
(4) Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
 
(5) Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surface.
 
(6) Limit Shaking hands.
 
(7) Stay home when you are sick.
 
May HaShem bless us all with good health, wellness and prosperity.
 
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
 
Shabbat Shalom. Purim alegre. Buen Purim
 
 
Rabbi S Benzaquen



0 Comments

The Importance of Apologies

9/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The following is presented by our 2015 scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Simon Benzaquen. 

Rabbi Benzaquen is a native of Spanish Morocco and has served as the rabbi of communities around in the world, including Essex England, Maracaibo Venezuela, and most recently Seattle Washington as Rabbi of Bikur Holim and member of the Va'ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle.
In addition he has been a co-chair of the board of Rabbis for the American Sephardi Federation and Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America.

For his full biography, please click here.

In the Mishnah of Tractate Yoma it is spelled out what is the purpose of Yom Kippur, and what does Yom Kippur do for us (8:9). “Averot Sheben Adam La’makom, Yom Kippurim Mechaper”: On Yom Kippur, G-d forgives the sins committed by transgressing against G-d’s commandments. However, “En Yom Kippur Mechaper Averot Sheben Adam La’habero, Ad Sheyeratze Et Habero”: Yom Kippur does not atone for interpersonal errors until a person has placated his friend. That is the reason why it is right and proper to not only go and apologize to our friends for sins committed against them, but to also ask genuinely for their forgiveness before Yom Kippur.

This apology must not become an empty gesture, after which we continue with our original behavior. There is a deadline to consider if, how, and when we apologize to those, especially our most beloved, friends or family, whom we may have really hurt this year.
 
So what of our apologies, or better yet, our really feeling sorry? How do we consider apologizing? What is a genuine  apology that is not considered an empty gesture?  Maimonides, (The Rambam, spells out in great detail how we apologize to G-d, and it applies to interpersonal apologies too.
 
Maimonides writes that a genuine apology is when it emanates from wanting to do Teshuvah, i.e. repent from his transgression, and when he has accomplished these three steps:

  1. Hakarat ha’Het, “Admitting that we were wrong” - admission of our personal responsibility. 

  2. Viduy, “To confess” - our sincere confession for the wrong and bad things we've done.

  3. 'Azibat ha’Het, “To forsake our transgressions” - the resolution to leave our bad habits behind, and to correct our actions.

We know that out of these three steps, the first is the most difficult to do; to admit in the first place that we were wrong, and take full responsibility for our actions. We have a tendency to automatically rationalize and justify all our wrong doings, even putting the blame on someone else.

Let us hope that we come in to Yom Kippur with a clean slate, and G-d should grant us another Year of good health and prosperity. And above all, peace and harmony in our homes, our community, In Israel, in our United States, and in our world.

Tizku Leshanim Rabbot

Rabbi S. Benzaquen

0 Comments

High Holiday Highlights (Part 2)

9/9/2015

1 Comment

 

Two Aspects To Rosh Hashanah
(Or: Observations on the approach of Sephardic tradition to ROsh Hashanah Services)

by Rabbi Simon Benzaquen



When Rosh Hashana arrives
we are keenly aware of its significance.  On one hand it is the awesome Day of Judgment when G-d determines the outcome of our entire year. We become anxious and frightened not knowing what awaits us.  On the other hand, on Rosh Hashana night we also dip our apples into honey or sugar and partake of those symbols which signify what we hope for in the coming year; in which a happy and joyous mood prevails.

Sefaradim emphasize this happy and joyous mood of the Holiday especially in our Liturgy.

Notably, we do not recite “Unetane Tokef “ ("Let us express the mighty holiness of this day") one of the most solemn and powerful prayers of Rosh Hashana, recited by our brethren Ashkenazim as introduction of The Kedusha during The Amida of Mussaf. Attributed to Rabbi Amnon of Mainz (10th century), “Untaneh Tokef” is a heart wrenching prayer, filled with emotional and powerful words which would lead us to cry and emphasize the sad aspect and judgment of the Rosh Hashana Yom Tov. In contrast, our sister Congregations, The Ashkenazim, make this Prayer the central theme of the Rosh Hashana Amidah.

Reviewing the laws of Rosh Hashana further reminds us that within judgment itself there is cause for rejoicing.  We enter the day clean and dressed in our best garments as a sign of our confidence in a favorable judgment.  On Rosh Hashana we do not recite the vidui (confession).  Rather than focusing on past sins and seeking forgiveness, we look forward with optimism to the future.

When we properly understand the future of the judgment on Rosh Hashana, however, the apparent paradox of rejoicing in judgment evaporates.  We recognize that it is we who require the Divine Judgment, the annual opportunity for spiritual stocktaking.  We summon G-d to judge us with the blasts of the Shofar that herald the convening of the Divine Tribunal.  Our voluntary submission to judgment arouses Divine Mercy; that is the secret of the Shofar.  The shofar also reminds us of the merits of our patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the love of G-d, and in their place a ram was brought.

On the two nights of Rosh Hashana we should make sure that we partake of the symbols that we hope for in the coming year. Also, during the two days of Rosh Hashana, Monday, September 14th, and Tuesday, September 15th, we blow the shofar in our Synagogue. Everyone should come to the Synagogue both days of Rosh Hashana.

Hearing the Shofar is the most important obligation of the two days of Rosh Hashana.


TASHLICH
We have a beautiful custom.  On the first day of Rosh Hashana we recite the Tashlich Ceremony near a body of water. Tashlich are prayers recited while symbolically throwing away our sins.

Minha: 5:00 PM
Tashlich (at Lake Park & 12th Avenue): 6:30 PM
Arvit: 7:30 PM



Ziara - Cemetery Pilgrimage
On the Eve of Rosh Hashana, or Sunday before, it is customary to make a pilgrimage to the cemetery (Ziara) to recite memorial prayers at the grave of the righteous, including members of our families who are buried there.  The purpose for doing this is to pray to G-d to hear our prayers in the merit of the righteous. 



Tizku Le’Shanim Rabbot.

Rabbi Simon Benzaquen

1 Comment

High Holiday Highlights (Part 1)

9/1/2015

0 Comments

 
by Rabbi Simon Benzaquen


We are now in the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish calendar.  It begins a period of intensive introspection, to clarify life’s goals, and to come closer to G-d. It is a time when we step back and look at ourselves critically and honestly, with the intention of improving.

The four Hebrew letters of the word Elul (aleph-lamed-vav-lamed) are the first letters of the four words Ani l’edodi v’edodi li — “I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me” (Song of Songs 6:3). These words sum up the relationship between G-d and His people.  In other words, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah is a time when G-d reaches out to us in an effort to create a more spiritually-inspiring atmosphere, one that stimulates Teshuva (repentance). It is a time for us to take advantage, and get closer to G-d, since He, as it were, has put Himself in a situation of closeness with us and desires our presence in any way that we acknowledge Him, and especially when it brings credit to Him.

40-DAY PERIOD

Over 3000 years ago, when the Jewish people were privileged to hear G-d utter the Ten Commandments set in tablets of stone, the Jews later sinned with the Golden Calf.  Moshe desperately pleaded with G-d to spare the nation. He did, and that same day that G-d spared the Nation, it became a “Day of Forgiveness” - “Yom Kippur”.

On the first day of Elul, Moshe ascended Mt. Sinai, and 40 days later — on the seminal Yom Kippur — he returned to the people (Jews) with a new, second set of stone tablets in hand.

For us as well the month of Elul begins a 40-day period that culminates in the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur.  During this period, many people increase their study of Torah and performance of good deeds.
 

Selihot

We Sefaradim begin reciting Selihot from the first day of the month of Elul onward until Yom Kippur. Selihot is a special series of beautiful prayers that invoke G-d’s mercy.  These prayers began Monday Aug 17th, and in most Congregations, including Magain David, Selihot are recited early in the morning, before Shaharit.

After the sin of the Golden Calf Moses asked G-d to explain His system for relating to the world. G-d’s answer, known as the “13 Attributes of Mercy,” forms the essence of the Selihot prayers.

The “13 Attributes” speak of G-d’s patience. The same G-d who created us with a clean slate and a world of opportunity, gives us another chance if we’ve misused the first one.

Selihot should be said with a minyan. If this is impossible, then it should still be said alone, omitting the parts in Aramaic and the “13 Attributes of Mercy”. 

Selihot are held every Sunday and weekday morning at 5:30am.

0 Comments

unity

8/23/2015

0 Comments

 
by Rabbi Simon Benzaquen

One of our greatest aspirations throughout our Jewish History as a Nation has been to achieve unity. That it is an aspiration in itself clearly indicates how difficult it has been to achieve! Our past is marked with intricate tangles of rifts and chasms, especially internal dissension, creating divisions and separations.

Our Hachamim (wise Rabbis), in their commentaries and interpretations of many incidents of the Torah did not waste an opportunity to emphasize the need for unity, while also shedding some light onto the negative aspects of disunity: the destruction of the Temple because of “causeless hatred” which led to internal dissension and disunity. They too emphasized the positive aspects of Unity, whether in the realm of an individual, the Family, The Nation, and even with inanimate objects.

Begin with our patriarch Jacob, just before he attained the great vision of the Ladder connecting heaven and Earth and the promise of G-ds protection to deliver him home safely. When he finds himself alone at night, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, Jacob lies down to rest, and sees not a nightmare of fear, but an epiphany:

He came to a certain place [vayifga bamakom], because the sun had set. Taking some of the stones there, he placed them at his head and lay down to sleep. 

 The great commentator Rashi quotes the Talmud [Chullin 91b]:  
"and placed [them] at his head": He arranged them in the form of a drainpipe around his head because he feared the wild beasts. They [the stones] started quarreling with one another. One said, “Let the righteous man lay his head on me,” and another one said, “Let him lay [his head] on me.” 
Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, made them into one stone. This is why it is stated (verse 18):“and he took the stone [in the singular] that he had placed at his head.” By G-d Making all the stones into one, then with unity the problem is solved.

Second scene: Jacob’s sons gather around their father's death bed to hear his final words to them. A most powerful vision of unity, it represents the ideal to which the Jewish nation has, throughout its history, aspired. Yet it was an ideal that was only accomplished through turmoil, deep introspection and pain, as we read the saga of Joseph and the brothers - a unity only achieved by actively working for it.

Another third example of a unified people comes from after the departure from Egypt (Kabbalat Hatorah Vayihan, Shemot/Exodus 19:1-2).
                   1 In the third month of the children of Israel's departure from Egypt, on                      this day they arrived in the desert of Sinai.
                   2 They journeyed from Rephidim, and they arrived in the desert of Sinai,                    
and they encamped in the desert, and Israel encamped there opposite the                    mountain.
Rashi asks
                   Why did [Scripture] have to repeat and explain from where they had                               journeyed? Did it not already state (Exod. 17:1) that they were encamped                    in Rephidim? It is known that they journeyed from there. 

                   But [it is repeated] to compare their journey from Rephidim to their                              arrival in the Sinai desert. Just as their arrival in the Sinai desert was                            with repentance, so was their journey from Rephidim with repentance.                         [from Midrash Mechilta].
                   
                   and Israel encamped there in Hebrew, [the singular form vayichan,                              instead of the plural vayachanu] as one man with one heart, (i.e. United)                    but at all the other encampments they were [divided] with complaints                          and with strife. [from Midrash Mechilta]

As a final example look at the Dor Ha’pelaga, (The Generation of Dispersion, Bereshit/Genesis Ch 11.). Because they were united it gave them an advantage.

1 Now the entire earth was of one language and uniform words.
2 And it came to pass when they traveled from the east, that they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly"; so the bricks were to them for stones, and the clay was to them for mortar.
4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of the entire earth."
5 And the Lord descended to see the city and the tower that the sons of man had built.
6 And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do?
7 Come, let us descend and confuse their language, so that one will not understand the language of his companion."
8 And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of the entire earth, and they ceased building the city.
9 Therefore, He named it Babel, for there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth, and from there the Lord scattered them upon the face of the entire earth.

Rashi: and from there… scattered them: It teaches [us] that they have no share in the world to come (Mishnah Sanh. 107b). Now which [sins] were worse, those of the Generation of the Flood or those of the Generation of the Dispersion? The former did not stretch forth their hands against God, whereas the latter did stretch forth their hands against God to wage war against Him. Nevertheless, the former were drowned, while the latter did not perish from the world. 
The reason being, because the Generation of the Flood were robbers, quarreled with each other, and there was constant strife between them, and therefore they were destroyed. While these, were united, they behaved with love and friendship among themselves, as it is said (verse 1): “one language and uniform words.” This demonstrates how hateful is dissension and discord, and how great is peace (and unity). — [from Gen. Rabbah 38:6]


Four Types of Personalities

On the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, beginning this year September 28, 2015 and continuing for the following week, Jews bring into their homes four species of fruits and plants: the citrus fruit (Etrog), the palm branch (lulav), the willow (Two Willows (aravah) and the myrtle branch(Three Myrtles) (hadas). Each morning (except on Shabbat), they hold these four species close together, recite a blessing and give them a wave or a nice shake.

The origin of this tradition is in the Torah and dates back more than 3,300 years. "You shall take for yourselves on the first day," instructs the Torah (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:40), "the fruit of the goodly citron trees, branches of palm-trees, the thickly leafed sprigs of the myrtle, and willows that grow by a brook".
What is the significance of this mitzvah? Why do we take these four species, and why do we need to wave or shake them?

The Midrash Rabah (Vayikra 30:12) observes that these four kinds possess distinct characteristics. The citron has both a delicious taste and a delightful fragrance. The palm branch generates taste (dates) but no smell; the myrtle branch professes a delightful aroma but lacks any taste, while the willow is both scentless and tasteless.

On a deep level, the Midrash suggests, the citron represents the individual who is both knowledgeable in Torah and spiritual wisdom (taste) and replete with good and noble deeds (aroma). The date palm personifies the learned but deed-deficient individual -- the scholar who devotes his life to the pursuit of wisdom (taste) but shuns the active sphere (aroma). The myrtle embodies the active but unlearned Jew. Finally, the willow represents the Jew who lacks all outward expression of his Jewishness.
When you look into your own spiritual mirror, you can identify whether you are a citron, a palm branch, a myrtle or a willow.


Yet on Sukkot, the Torah instructs us to bind the palm frond, myrtle, willow and citron and join them together to perform a single mitzvah. The four distinct and even paradoxical categories of people must unite.

The entire message of Sukkot is The Unity of the Jewish People under all circumstances. Under one roof.

These are just a few examples of how our Rabbis never lost an opportunity to unravel or inject the historical accounts and incidents in the Torah, with the values of unity, coexistence, and peace, and to shun disunity, dissension and discord. 

We may have different points of views in different matters, but like the organs of the body, or like the different instruments of an orchestra, each one of them have a different function, but they have a unity of purpose -
  • The organs make sure the body keeps functioning and stays healthy, fulfilling its goal and purpose
  • the orchestra, comes together to create music that is pleasant to the ear. 

Every Jew, every one of us, has a task and a purpose. We are called upon to play a part to keep our People “Am Israel” functioning as a “Light unto the Nations”. 

And every one is important no matter what level of observance they ascribe to. Each one is precious and vital for the others to fulfill their Mitzvah and destiny. 

There is no better time than these days of owe when we are, and we want to be together and United.

Tizku Le’Shanim Rabbot

Rabbi S. Benzaquen

 
0 Comments

The Passage of Time.

8/16/2015

0 Comments

 
by Rabbi Simon Benzaquen


The saying goes in Ladino with words that rhyme: "Purim Purim Lanu Pesah en la mano” i.e. Purim Purim for us, Pesah is at hand - meaning as soon as Purim is here, we are already thinking about Pesah.

I am tempted to recite “Pesah Pesah Lanu Rosh Hashanah esta en la mano”, because it seems as though Pesah was only a short time ago. Truly the passage of time as we grow older seems to be speeding - in fact, life is fleeting. We have to make the most of the time that is granted to us by the All Mighty, and to realize that life is precious.

We cannot afford to waste a minute, we have to do those things that life is worth living for. To set us in this mood, we have been given this season of the High Holidays. Rosh Hashana. Ten days of Penitence. Yom Kippur. Succoth. Simhat Tora. An entire month dedicated to reflection and to action.

Every aspect of our lives has an ingredient of that, which needs retrospection, and evaluation, leading us to action, whether it is in sad, reflective moments, or afflicted or happy and joyous moments. All of them requires introspection to make the most of it in a positive way, learning to value every moment of our lives to appreciate the difference of what is good and real in our lives, what is false and fleeting and wasteful. 


This year, before Rosh Hashanah, many of us will find ourselves very busy thinking about what is happening to our world, to our United States, to our Israel, and to our community at large, even to ourselves. We are living in trouble times. The economy is just the latest of challenges facing us all. Even though many people are working - and for some there is optimism that things are going to improve - and many have permanent jobs, many others have lost their jobs, or they are waiting to learn what might happen to them.

Insecurity is prevalent. Even those who have jobs and money are profoundly affected. The climate is one of fear about an uncertain future. Add to this the personal and emotional anxieties that many of us grapple with daily. Between the psychological forces and the health issues that many of us face which drains us, we realize we have a lot to deal with. We cannot fathom how 

G-d runs this universe of ours, since He does this in combination with our actions and our free will.  Yet nothing is clear, for we are faced with things that happen in front of us that confound us and cloud our perspective of what is right and wrong.

Many of us looked forward to the future, with our own plans of what we think ought to happen. Suddenly we can find that all of our plans are disrupted.  Then we begin to wonder why.  When it was planned it looked perfect, it was well thought out. Yet as the saying goes, again in Ladino, “El hombre propone y D-ios dispone” i.e. “Man proposes, G-d disposes.”  In reality, we might be thinking hard and calculating, planning, evaluating about how it ought to be - only to find out that in the bigger scheme of things, our thoughts, our plans and our evaluations amount to nothing.

This is why I believe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and this entire season is necessary to awaken in us our inner faith, hope and believe in a better future, not to succumb to the quagmire of despair. To activate our inner energy within our souls, to pray to the One who is All Powerful.
We may not have an exact strategy, but if we assume a resigned attitude, we will lose even before we begin. 

Our Jewish tradition is that every challenge, every adversity must begin with absolute fortitude and belief that victory is at hand. This is the root of faith. Faith that we will prevail with 
G-d's help. The breaths of fresh air of the newness of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the resolve of our faiths will have the power to counter the winds of our uncertainty. Rosh Hashanah is urging us open the window of your heart and breathe the fresh air of faith, as you are. Smell the flowers of gratitude for what you have and feel the hopeful breeze of your life.

In Deuteronomy chapter 11, verse12. “The eyes of The L-rd your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” is interpreted by our rabbis to mean that, “At the beginning of the year, G-d decides and plans the entire year according to the deeds of man”.

This year I am praying to Hashem to grant us miracles to see with our own eyes the healing of our sick congregants, to answer our prayers with a yes, for Refuah Shelema, to grant us and our families a good healthy and peaceful year with good Parnassa (livelihood) to be able to do Tzedaka and kindness for others. To receive good news from our children and grandchildren, to be granted harmony and to crown the efforts of our members for the enhancement and strength of our congregation.

May this year bring us closer to our complete redemption and may we be blessed with a good and healthy year. ”Tizku Leshanim Rabbot Neimot Vetovot Amen.



Rabbi Simon Benzaquen

0 Comments

The Rosh Hashanah Survival Kit

9/11/2014

1 Comment

 
Provided to the congregation from online sources by 2014 scholar-in-residence Rabbi Abraham Sultan
This article is an excerpt from "Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit". This book masterfully blends wisdom, humor and down-to-earth spirituality. It's like having a knowledgeable friend sitting right next to you in the synagogue.

Amidah—The Standing Prayer
The Amidah is commonly referred to as the silent prayer. This, however, is a misnomer, for the Amidah is to be said softly, not silently, to yourself. The words should be audible to your ears and your ears alone. To your heart and your heart alone. Far too often the Jewish people have been faced with despair. But rather than wither we have responded with hope, with courage and even with joy and optimism. Much of the Amidah is an expression of our longing for a better, more humane world.

Hashem Sefatai Tiftach / G-d Open My Lips
A toddler thinks that she cannot walk, but she can. A child fears he will never swim, but he will. Each of us is aware of our abilities and potential, and we all experience fear, doubt and hesitation. Many of our limitations in life are more perceived than real. Often, it is only phantoms that are holding us back. In Hebrew the word for lips is the same as the word for banks, as in river banks. The banks of a river define its limits. When we say "G-d, open my lips," we are also saying, "G-d, help me to see beyond my perceived limitations. Help me to see all the way to the horizon of my potential."

I will create time in my life to nurture my soul. Life is a gift I received; I will find a way to "give something back." - Man: Microcosm of the Universe

G-d created two worlds: One of immense proportions and another equally vast, though not manifestly so. In Hebrew the word for world, or universe, is olam. The universe is referred to as olam hagadol, the macro-universe. Man is known to our sages as olam hakatan, the micro-universe. The word olam also has another connotation: it means concealment. The fullness of what is contained in an olam, a universe, is not always apparent. Man, microcosm of the universe that he is, is the keeper of a potential that borders on the infinite. On one level this thought defies our comprehension, while in the same instance it is clearly understood. We all wonder if there is anything that lies beyond the reach of human beings. Each and every one of us is a unique olam, a universe of potential. One minute you see it and the next it seems to vanish. Our potential stretches as far as the eye can see.

Zachreynu L'Chaim / Remember Us for Life
The voice was that of one who survived the unfathomable hell of Auschwitz. A silent terror still lines his face—even when he smiles. "If I had a choice," he said, "of having to relive every torturous moment again or to be a German guard in the camps, I'd go through it all again rather than serve for even one hour as a guard."

The German guards lived and breathed. They went home to wives and children, they enjoyed the finest classical music and they laughed: All in a day's work. But they were dead.

The life that we ask for and strive for on Rosh Hashanah is more than just survival. It's a life of value and meaning. You can be alive and dead or you can be alive and live. Choose life!

Magen Avraham / Shield of Abraham
There is, they say, a spark of Abraham in all of us. Abraham, the founder of the Jewish nation, was one man in a very foreign world. No one—literally no one—thought the way he did. No one shared his values, his vision, his dedication to meaningful actions.

Each of us is the fusion of body and soul, physical and spiritual. At times it seems the soul is so alone, forever lost in the fatty recesses of the body, in the murky world of materialism.

In Yiddish there is a particular term for the special spark in every Jewish soul, it's known as the pintele yid (the Jewish essence). This pintele yid, this essence, is a deep part of every Jew, a longing that can never be extinguished. A bit of light, no matter how dim, forever shines. The miracle of the exodus of Russian Jews to Israel is not so much that they are finally free, not so much that there even exists an Israel to receive them, but that by the thousands and hundreds of thousands they still care very much about being Jewish. Seventy years of relentless physical and psychological oppression was unable to extinguish the Abraham—that spark in the Jewish soul.

An Israeli newspaper reported that tens of thousands of recent Russian immigrants, children and adults, have received a bris mila (circumcision) upon their arrival in Israel. Many of these take place in almost assembly line fashion with the mohel performing one after another. A newspaper reporter was questioning the immigrants waiting in line about the motivation for their actions. When asked if he believed in G-d, one middle-aged Russian who was raised on a steady diet of Communist propaganda declared, "No, I don't believe in G-d, I'm an atheist." The curious reporter, a bit taken aback, went on, "Then why are you having a bris?" There in the land of Israel, the land of King David and the Maccabees, of the Western Wall and Ethiopian Jews, the Russian answered proudly, "Without a bris, it is impossible to be a Jew!"

Only a Jewish atheist could utter such words, and only the spark of Abraham could yield such an atheist.

U'Vchayn Tayn Pach'dcha / Instill Awe and Fear
"There aren't many injuries in BASE jumping. You either live or you die." - Frank Gambalie, expert BASE jumper
"I expect to lose three to four friends a year." - 
Nancy Prichard, prominent ice climber

Did you ever notice how people will pay good money to be frightened? Millions of people visit amusement parks each year. And where do you find the longest lines? At the roller coaster: a ride that tries to convince you that your next moment will be your last.

A brush with death is exhilarating. In an article about extreme sports, U.S. News & World Report observed that, "many athletes go to the extreme because they feel most vibrantly alive when straddling the line between safety and danger." If you've ever had a "close call" in a car then you know that you were far more alert and alive after the narrow escape than you were the entire day before.

In Hebrew the word for fear is Yira, which also means to see or to perceive. If you choose to see life for what it is, an enormous opportunity and a serious responsibility, rather than look the other way, well, that can be frightening—or exhilarating.

U'Vchayn Tzadikim / The Righteous Will See and Be Glad
Far too often the Jewish people have come face to face with utter despair. Surely history would pardon us if we succumbed to despondency and lethargy in the face of this relentless confrontation.

Yet we have chosen to do otherwise. We have responded with optimism and hope, even where there seemed to be none, with quiet courage and with joy. You read the newspapers, day in and day out, and you long for a more humane world. We believe that it is possible—despite the headlines.

Avinu Malkeinu / Our Father Our King
A father has a very special love for each and every one of his children but not necessarily the means to give them everything he wants to give. An omnipotent king looks out from his palace and sees a nation—faceless individuals he will never know.

There are moments in Jewish history when we sense both Avinu, our Father and Malkeinu, our King.

A high-tech war in the Persian Gulf brought down a shower of missiles on a largely undefended Israel. In such a scenario, Israeli military experts predicted, hundreds if not thousands would be lost.

Avinu Malkeinu, hundreds of residential buildings were reduced to rubble and yet there was scarcely a casualty.

The love I feel for my (sister, husband, daughter, father etc.) is transcendent; I will cherish it forever and seek ways to express it.
It is a privilege to be a part of the Jewish people; I will search for ways to deepen that connection.

1 Comment

Thoughts on Elul

9/3/2014

3 Comments

 
Our 2014 Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Sultan has shared these thoughts from Rabbi Eli Mansour

During the month of elul we are to prepare ourselves for the period of the High Holidays, which begins with Rosh Hashana, continues with Yom Kippur, and reaches its culmination on Hoshana Rabba, when the final judgment is rendered. It was on Rosh Chodesh elul when Moshe ascended Mount Sinai to beseech the Almighty to forgive Benei Yisrael for the grave sin of the golden calf. Forty days later, on Yom Kippur, God announced His forgiveness. Thus, this forty-day period has traditionally been a time of forgiveness, when God is – if we are allowed to say such a thing – in a "forgiving mood." It behooves us to take advantage of this unique period and do what we can to earn atonement for the wrongs we committed during the year.

It is proper to read works of Musar during the month of elul. One recommended book is "Sha'arei Teshuva," the classic work by Rabbenu Yona (Spain, 1180-1263) describing the process of Teshuva. Other recommended works include Rabbenu Yona's famous letter about repentance known as "Iggeret Ha-Teshuva," and the Rambam's Hilchot Teshuva, which presents the various requirements of Teshuva. Another work, "Orchot Chayim," is divided into thirty sections, which many have the practice of studying on the thirty days of elul. Some also have the practice to read "Tikunei Ha-Zohar," a collection of inspirational passages from the Zohar (the basic text of Kabbala). The Kabbalists taught that the reading of this work has the capacity to cleanse and purify one's soul even if he does not understand the material he reads.

One must be particularly diligent during the month of elul to recite each night "Keri'at Shema Al Ha'mita" before he goes to sleep. He should include the "Ana" prayer, petitioning God for forgiveness for whatever wrongs he may have committed over the course of that day.

One of the Berachot in the Amida service is that of "Hashivenu," in which we ask God to help us perform Teshuva. During the month of elul, it is proper to insert in this blessing the names of people who have strayed from the proper path of observance, before the concluding blessing "Baruch Ata Hashem Ha'rotzeh Be'tshuva."

Many people have the custom to have their Tefillin and Mezuzot checked during the month of elul. According to strict Halacha, a person is required to have his Mezuzot checked only twice in seven years, and Tefillin worn every day do not require checking at all. Nevertheless, there are those who make a point of having their Tefillin and Mezuzot checked during elul.

Although one must ensure to recite Birkat Ha'levana (the blessing over the moon) every month, the Rabbis admonish us to be particularly diligent with regard to Birkat Ha'levana for the month of elul.

In general, one must raise his level of observance during the month of elul in preparation for the High Holidays, and in the merit of our efforts we should be deserving of a year of peace and happiness for ourselves, our families and our community, Amen.
1)It is proper during the month of elul to include in the heading of every personal letter a wish for a good year, such as “Le’shana Toba Tikateb” (“May you be inscribed for a good year”). Today, when people send dozens of emails every day, we might want to consider having such a greeting automatically appear at the top of our email correspondences during the month of elul, in accordance with this Halacha.

There is also a custom among especially righteous Jews to have their Tefillin and Mezuzot checked each year during elul. According to the strict Halacha, Mezuzot must be checked once every three-and-a-half years. Even though the Mezuzot were confirmed valid when they were purchased, and they remained untouched on the doorpost inside a case ever since, they still require checking once every three-and-a-half years. (An advisable way to remember to check the Mezuzot is to check them every leap year.) However, there is a laudable practice on the level of Midat Hasidut (an extra measure of piety) to have the Mezuzot checked each year during the month of elul.

As for Tefillin, one is not required, according to strict Halacha, to have his Tefillin checked at all. Tefillin have a presumed status (“Hazaka”) of validity once they were confirmed valid at the time of purchase, and thus do not require checking. The Tefillin produced today are written on “Gasot,” thick leather, which is far more durable than the thin “Dakot” parchment used long ago. We may therefore presume the validity of our Tefillin even without periodically checking them. The only time one must check his Tefillin according to Halacha is if he treated them negligently, such as if he wore them with wet hair, which could ruin the parchment, or if he left his Tefillin inside his car on a hot day. In such cases, one must have his Tefillin checked to ensure that they were not damaged. Otherwise, Tefillin do not require checking. Nevertheless, there is a custom on the level of Midat Hasidut to have one’s Tefillin checked each year during the month of elul as part of our spiritual preparations for Rosh Hashanah.

Summary: It is proper to include a wish for a good year in the heading of written correspondence (including email) during elul. Strictly speaking, Mezuzot must be checked only once every three-and-a-half years, and Tefillin do not require checking at all (unless they were treated negligently). Nevertheless, there is a laudable practice to have one’s Tefillin and Mezuzot checked each year during elul.

2)Rosh Hashana- Men Dipping In Mikveh On Erev Rosh Hashana
 
The Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chayim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Nitzavim, discusses the widespread custom that men immerse in a Mikveh on Erev Rosh Hashanah in order to be Tahor (ritually pure) on the Day of Judgment.  Immersion before Rosh Hashanah is particularly important for men with Tum'at Keri (the status of ritual impurity that results from a semenal emission).  The Ben Ish Chai adds that before immersing in a Mikveh, a man must ensure to comb any knots in his hair and remove all traces of dirt from his entire body, including under the fingernails.  In order for the immersion to be effective in eliminating Tum'a, no substance may come in between the body and the water.  Just as a woman must untangle the knots in her hair and thoroughly cleanse herself before immersing to rid herself of her Nidda status, so must men undergo this process before immersing on Erev Rosh Hashanah.
 
However, Chacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Halichot Olam, claims that the Ben Ish Chai's ruling is overly stringent.  Halacha follows the view that one may pray and study Torah in a state of ritual impurity, and it is only a "Midat Chasidut" – an additional level of piety – to immerse before prayer or study.  Therefore, since this immersion is altogether on the level of "Midat Chasidut," a man is not required to prepare his body for immersion on Erev Rosh Hashanah as a woman must upon completing her Nidda period.  Thus, one need not remove his contact lenses or untangle his knots before immersing on Erev Rosh Hashanah.
 
What is the deeper meaning behind this practice of immersing on Erev Rosh Hashanah?
A human being originates in the mother's womb, where he is surrounded on all sides by water.  (As we know, one of the stages of childbirth is the "breaking of the water," when the water surrounding the fetus exists the woman's body to allow for the child's delivery.)  Immersing in a Mikveh likely serves as a reenactment, of sorts, of man's initial emergence into the world.  As part of the process of Teshuva (repentance), a person returns to the water, to his origin and source, to the initial state of pristine purity in which he was first created, representing his efforts to spiritually cleanse himself and become pure like he had been at birth.
 
This symbolism takes on even greater significance on the festival of Rosh Hashanah, which we describe in our liturgy as "Harat Olam" – the day of the world's creation.  In truth, the world came into existence one week earlier, on the 25th day of elul.  Rosh Hashanah marks the day when man was created, and it is therefore appropriate as part of the commemoration of man's emergence to immerse in a Mikveh, symbolizing our efforts to return to our roots and our initial state of purity through the process of Teshuva.
 
Summary: It is proper for a man to immerse in a Mikveh on Erev Rosh Hashanah, which symbolizes the emergence of the human being from the womb in a state of pristine purity.  Before this immersion, a man is not required to undergo the thorough process of cleaning his body and removing foreign substances such as contact lenses, as is required of a woman who immerses to divest herself of her Nidda status.

3)Earning Atonement Through Repentance
 
In the opening chapter of his Hilchot Teshuva, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) establishes the Torah obligation of verbal confession.  He writes that anybody who commits a transgression, regardless of its severity and whether he transgressed willfully or unintentionally, must verbally confess his sin as part of the process of Teshuva (repentance).  It does not suffice to merely acknowledge in one's mind that he has acted wrongly; he must verbally declare that he has sinned, specify the precise sin he committed, and express his remorse, his feeling of shame, and his resolve never to repeat the given offense.
 
The Rambam adds that this obligation applies even in contexts where one is required to undertake other measures to rectify the wrong he has committed.  In the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, when sinners in certain situations were required to offer an atonement sacrifice, the sacrifice did not bring atonement in the absence of Teshuva.  Only if the individual repented and verbally confessed as he brought the sacrificial offering did the offering have the capacity to earn him atonement.  What more, even when the court would administer capital punishment, the sinner's death did not earn him atonement without repentance.  Likewise, if a person committed an offense against his fellow that requires monetary compensation, he does not achieve atonement unless he performs sincere Teshuva.
 
During the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Rambam adds, the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah – the goat sent into the wilderness as part of the annual Yom Kippur service – atoned for all of Benei Yisrael's sins.  Even if a sinner did not repent, he earns atonement through the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah for "minor" transgressions – namely, transgressions that are not punishable by capital punishment of Karet (eternal excision from the Jewish people).  For this reason, before the Kohen Gadol would send the goat away into the wilderness, he would place his hands upon it and declare confession on behalf of all of Israel's sins.  So significant was the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah ritual that it atoned for certain transgressions even in the absence of Teshuva.
 
Nowadays, the Rambam adds, when we do not have a Mikdash and thus the Se'ir Ha'mishtale'ah ritual is not performed, we rely solely on Teshuva for earning atonement, and repentance atones for all sins.  The Rambam emphasizes that even if a person lived his entire life in sin and then repented, nothing of his wrongdoing remains on his record.  This power of Teshuva should encourage and inspire us as we work towards performing Teshuva during the month of elul.  Regardless of what we have done and how grievously we have sinned, we are able to "delete" all our misdeeds by performing sincere and genuine Teshuva.
3)The Custom to Perform Hatarat Nedarim Before the Month of Elul
 
Many congregations in the Syrian community have the custom to perform a congregational Hatarat Nedarim (annulment of vows) in the synagogue on the Mosa’eh Shabbat after Tisha B’Ab, or the Mosa’eh Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh elul. It should be noted, however, that this is not the original custom that was observed in Halab (Aleppo, Syria). The work Derech Eretz, which documents the religious customs of the great community of Aleppo, writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that the original custom was to perform the communal Hatarat Nedarim on Ereb Rosh Hodesh elul, regardless of what day of the week it was. The entire community – men, women and children – would come to the synagogue on that day for the Hatarat Nedarim to absolve any vows that were taken in preparation for the holidays. Later, the custom changed, and the communities began performing the congregational Hatarat Nedarim earlier, on 19 Ab, in the morning. (The Hatarat Nedarim was made again on Ereb Rosh Hashanah and on Ereb Yom Kippur.) At some point the custom changed again, as it was difficult for families to come to the synagogue in the morning, and they began doing the Hatarat Nedarim on the night of 19 Ab, after the Arbit prayer.

The common practice here in the United States, where the Hatarat Nedarim is performed on Mosa’eh Shabbat, began on these shores as a matter of convenience, as people were anyway in the synagogue at the end of Shabbat. This is not how it was done back in Aleppo, and therefore in our synagogue we perform the congregational Hatarat Nedarim on 19 Ab, in accordance with the practice observed by our ancestors in Syria.
Rabbi Mansour 
3 Comments

HALACHOT ON SELIHOT AND ELUL

8/28/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
By Rabbi Avraham  Sultan, our 2014 High Holiday Scholar in Residence.
The Halachot are shared by Midrash Sefardi Yeshiva Jerusalem.

29 of Ab, 5774 
Tomorrow morning we will begin our preparation for Yom Kippur.

The Sephardic custom is to recite the Selihot prayer from the second day of the month of Elul (tomorrow) until Yom Kippur.

Selihot is a special set of Tefilot that we say for forty days which lead us to reflect on our past actions and ask forgiveness from HaShem for our mistakes and wrongdoings. Selihot is traditionally said before dawn, prior to the morning prayer (Shaharit), although technically Selihot could be said also during nighttime (after midnight) or even during the day.

The Ashkenazi Minhag is to start Selihot services the last Sunday before Rosh haShana. However, when Rosh haShana falls on a Monday or Tuesday (it can never fall on a Sunday) Ashkenazi Jews will begin Selihot two Sundays before Rosh haShana.

Also, during the entire month of Elul Ashkenazim and many Sephardim (Moroccans, Persians, etc. but not Syrians) have the custom to blow the Shofar.

The goal of the Selihot is to inspire us to begin the process of Teshuba. Teshuba consists of introspection and repentance. But ultimately it means coming back or closer to God (depending on one's point of departure).  This high spiritual goal, which we aspire to reach in Yom Kippur, cannot be achieved overnight or just by making the decision to change. It demands a serious and patient course of actions in which we revisit our deeds and particularly our values, reexamine our existential goals and the material distractions that have driven us away from those goals. This intense spiritual and intellectual process begins tomorrow and culminates during Yom Kippur.  

To better understand the role of Selihot think of Yom Kippur as a spiritual marathon: a whole day consecrated exclusively to appealing to HaShem, begging His forgiveness and committing ourselves to major changes in our lives. No one will run a marathon without a previous intense training. Similarly, to be in good shape for Yom Kippur, we need a serious training in the field of introspection and in the area of priorities reevaluation.  Only then, we will have the mental clarity to make in Yom Kippur the best resolutions for the coming year.   

1 Comment

    scholars- in-residence

    Archives

    March 2020
    September 2015
    August 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.