Archaeology is Part of Torah

Shushan Purim and the Slight to Eretz Yisrael

March 19, 2014
Laws of Megilla and Hanukka, 1:4-5:

Every city, whether in Eretz Yisrael or in the diaspora, that was surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua bin Nun should read the Megillah on the fifteenth ofAdar. This applies even when a wall does not surround the city at present. Such a city is called a כרך.

Every city that was not surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua bin Nun should read the Megillah on the fourteenth of Adar. This applies even when there is a wall surrounding the city at present. Such a city is called an עיר.

In the capital of Shushan, the Megillah is read on the fifteenth of Adar although it was not surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua bin Nun, because the miracle occurred within it and at that time, the Jews celebrated on that day, as Esther 9:18 states, “And they rested on the fifteenth.”
Why was the matter made dependent on the time of Joshua bin Nun? To give honor to the cities of Eretz Yisrael that were in ruin at the time of the Purim miracle. Although they are in ruin at present, this would allow them to read the Megillah on the fifteenth as do the inhabitants of Shushan, since they were surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua. Thus the commemoration of the miracle would include a remembrance of Eretz Yisrael.

One will notice that few cities in Israel actually do observe Shushan Purim, although it seems the intention all along was for them to observe it. Why not? As Wikipedia states, “Further doubts have arisen as to whether other cities were sufficiently walled in Joshua’s era. It is therefore customary in certain towns including Hebron, Safed, Tiberias, Acre, Ashdod, Ashkelon,Beersheva, Beit She’an, Beit Shemesh, Gaza, Gush Halav, Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Ramlah and Shechem to celebrate Purim on the 14th and hold an additional megillah reading on the 15th with no blessings.” That is, the Talmud makes the observation contingent on a positive Masora, tradition, that a cry was walled, and how do we know that those cities had walls?

The answer is, of course, that we know those cities had walls. All of the cities that were worth mentioning in biblical times were by definition walled. In our days, the problem is not knowing which cities were walled; rather it is finding where those walls were. In Talmudic times maybe it was possible to see the remnants of some, or there were still some positive traditions where they had been, but we would need to resort to archeology to answer the question now. And, because archeology and deciding halacha don’t mix – Rabbis don’t care to ask the archeologists where the walled cities were, and archeologists don’t care to keep religious holidays – the information is not shared, and the pious Jewish masses and their leaders continue to insult the Land of Israel by observing Purim on the 14th of Adar.

From Avraham Ben Yehuda, here.

Against War (and Feuds)

War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that the enemy too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.

 

מידך נתנו לך

ר’ יאיר ויינשטוק – סופר חסידי

בירושלים חי הצדיק הירושלמי ר’ אשר פריינד (המכונה רֶבּ אוּשֶר), שהקים בשנות השישים ארגון צדקה גדול בשם “יד עזרה”. הארגון סייע לנזקקים בהיקף עצום. תלמידיו לקחו חלק בגיוס הכספים, ואחד מהם סיפר כך:

כיתתי את רגליי עבור איסוף כספים לפעולות החסד של יד עזרה. בתחילה הלכתי ל’דגי רקק’, אך עם הזמן למדתי איפה גרים העשירים הגדולים, וביקשתי מהם להשתתף בפעילות. פעם אחת הצלחתי במיוחד. עשיר גדול אחד מסר לי סכום שעלה על כל חלומותיי הוורודים ביותר.

חזרתי לירושלים בתחושת שיכרות, והנחתי בחיוך זחוח את הסכום על השולחן של ר’ אושר, מרוצה מאוד מעצמי.

ר’ אושר אמר, “אני רוצה לספר לך סיפור קטן. אתה יודע, אני מטפל בכל מיני אנשים שצריכים ישועה, אחד מהם הוא יוסל’ה. יוסל’ה הוא בחור אומלל עם דימוי עצמי נמוך ורגשי נחיתות איומים. רציתי לרומם את רוחו והתחלתי לשלוח אותו בכל יום שישי לחלק סכומי כסף למשפחות עניות על פי כתובות שהעברתי לו. יוסל’ה ממש נעשה אדם חדש, האור זרח בעיניו. הוא עושה משהו בחיים! מדי שבוע נתתי לו סכומים קטנים כדי לבדוק שהוא לא גונב ולא מאבד את הכסף. לאט לאט הסכומים הלכו וגדלו, וגם תחושת החשיבות של יוסל’ה. ‘אתה יודע שהיום חילקתי 300 שקל לצדקה?!’, אמר לי יום אחד, נפוח מגאווה. לאחר שבוע נתתי לו 500 שקל, וגם אז הוא חזר מסוחרר. בשבוע שלאחר מכן הוא כבר חילק 1000 שקל לצדקה, וחזר אלי כולו שואג: ‘מי ידמה לי ומי ישווה לי?! חילקתי היום אלף שקל!'”.

ר’ אושר סיים כאן את הסיפור והשתתק. 

צחקתי. מי האידיוט הזה שמשתחצן עם הכסף שאתה מסרת לו? הרי הוא בסך הכל גזבר, צינור להעברת הכסף. מה הוא מתגאה כאילו חילק את הכסף שלו?

ואז המשיך ר’ אושר: “אתה יודע מי זה יוסל’ה? אני. אתה. כל אחד בעצם. הקדוש ברוך הוא נותן לנו את הכסף שלו, כמו שאומר הפסוק: לי הכסף ולי הזהב נאום ה’. אנחנו זוכים מדי פעם לתת משהו לצדקה, ואז מתגאים ובאים אל אלוקים נפוחים מגאווה, ואומרים לו: ראית? אלף שקל נתתי… טיפשים שכמותנו, וכי הכסף שלנו? והרי אין לנו כלום משלנו, אנחנו בסך הכל נותנים את מה שהוא מסר בידינו…”

מאתר קרוב, כאן [הדף עודכן.]

Are State Subsidies for Learning Torah a Good Thing?

Being Meqori – Is there a halakhic imperative for one to make a living?

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One of my goals in this series – and indeed one of the goals that inspires many who end up on the path of meqoriyuth – is to demonstrate that an honest and simple return to the sources (particularly to those unaffected by the Zohar) will ultimately solve many of the social and religious ills that have cropped up during the current exile. Poverty, entitlement, sectarianism, ethnocentrism, sexual abuse, etc. – could all be either avoided or overturned through a return to the sources and a submission to the unique authority of Hazal, as opposed to the widespread hashqafah that (other than the effects of a supposed “yeridas ha-doros” common to all Jews) the rabbis of our time are essentially an extension and continuation of Hazal.

One such problem is that of the mass reliance on public charity and state-sponsored welfare that has become almost standard among Haredi Jewry. The system of kollels, yeshivoth, and other institutions today within [mainly] Haredi/ultra-orthodox circles utilize certain latter-day “heterim” that supposedly allow one to make his living from the full-time study of Torah. This phenomenon has spread to all parts of the Jewish world including the US, Canada, Europe, and Israel. And the non-Jewish world has sat up and taken notice, [understandably] negative comments having made their way into the news media.

There is a (seemingly) little-known halakhah in the Mishneh Torah which leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination of whether or not it is desirable or permitted to make living from learning Torah.

The Rambam writes the following in Hilkhoth Talmudh Torah 3,10:

“Everyone who determines in his heart that he will be occupied with learning Torah and will not engage in labor, and therefore sustain himself from public charity – behold, such a one profanes the Divine Name, denigrates the Torah, extinguishes the lamp of the Jewish religion, brings evil upon himself, and removes his life from `olam haba because it is forbidden to benefit from the words of the Torah in this world. The Sages said, “Everyone who derives [monetary] benefit from the words of the Torah removes his life from the world [to come].” They further commanded and said, “Don’t make them [the words of the Torah] into a crown to make yourself great with them, nor a spade with which to till the ground.” They further commanded and said, “Love engaging in labor and hate the service of being a public rav. And all study of Torah that is not accompanied by engaging in labor, in the end it is worthless and the one who engages in such [exclusive Torah study] will in the end become one who steals from his fellow creatures.”

Now, to be sure, nearly everyone needs financial help (i.e. hesedh and ssedaqah) at certain times throughout their life, and to varying degrees – and this is why the Torah commands us to be open-handed toward our brothers and to care for the poorer segments in Jewish society (e.g. orphans, widows, and converts). To do so is certainly a misswah. However, the Rambam writes in the next halakhah (3,11) that:

“It is a great virtue for one to be sustained through the work of his own hands, and to do so was a character trait of the ancient devoted ones (the “hasidhim rishonim“, a group often mentioned in the Mishnah for their particular piety and devotion to God). And in doing so, one will merit all of the honor and goodness that is available in this world and in `olam haba. As it says, “When you eat from the labor of your hands, you will be contented and it will be good for you” (Tillim 128:2) – “contented” in this world, “good for you” stored for`olam haba which is entirely good.”

Hilkhoth `Eduth 10,14 further explains that making a living from playing dice – or apparently from any other form of non-labor – is called “avaq gezel” (a phrase meaning, “not technically theft, but it might as well be”). In addition, it invalidates someone as being a reliable witness in a beth din.

And see also Hilkhoth `Aniyyim 10,18 which says:

“A person should always push himself and exist in painful difficulty rather than cast himself on the mercy of the community. Thus the Sages commanded and said, “Make yourShabbath like a weekday and do not demand your needs from your fellow creatures. Even if a poor person is a greatly honored hakham, he should sustain himself through a trade, even if it is a miserable one, and not demand his needs from his fellow creatures. It is better for a person to spread out the tanned skins of neveloth in the shuqrather than saying to the people, ‘I am a hakham, I am a great person, I am a kohen, so support me.” And in this matter the Sages commanded us to do thus. Even the greatest of the hakhamim were woodchoppers, carriers of building materials, water drawers for use in vegetable gardens, smelters of iron and producers of charcoal, and they did not ask for charity from the community, nor would they accept gifts from the community even while serving the community.”

There can be no doubt that there is certainly a halakhic imperative for a person to make a living to support himself.

So, what would a return to the sources mean practically? It would mean a public teshuvahby those leaders that currently support the welfare-based system of “learners.” I personally think that such a prospect is unlikely to happen, as this way of thinking is ingrained  so deeply within the minds of many. However, on a grass-roots level, it would mean that people begin to encourage religious Jewish youth to learn Torah well inyeshivah, but then prepare for marriage and family by acquiring a trade of some sort. Whether it is being a plumber, electrician, or carpenter, or whether it means attending college and getting a degree in higher education, Jewish youth should be encouraged to do well in their chosen profession(s) – all the while being told that it is a great misswah that has no shame attached to it. Shame should rather be attached to willingly living off of welfare.

I have personally heard of yeshivoth being advertised that teach trades, but they are largely seen as options for those young men who are in danger of “going off.” Many young men from these groundbreaking institutions end up apprenticing within the trades or starting their own businesses. If we want true change, then places like these need to be seen as le-khatehilah and not bedi`avadh.

The effects of such changes over time would arguably be transforming, eventually bringing about an almost complete metamorphosis in the Torah world. Depression and alienation due to a culture of elite “learners” would be all but undone, an emphasis onmiddoth and respect for the Torah would return, financial crises would be ameliorated, marriages would be strengthened and broken marriages could be healed, and a generalsimhath ha-hayyim would return. As it says in Qoheleth 2:24-26

“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and cause his soul to have goodness from his labor. This, too, I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. For who will eat and who will enjoy, if not I? For to a man that is good before Him, [God] has given wisdom and understanding and joy, but to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting in order to give it to the one who is good before God. This is also vanity and striving after the wind.”

May HaShem help us to return to the simple truths of Jewish faith, once safeguarded to His people by Hazal.

Love and Blessings,

Shabbath Shalom,

YB

From Forthodoxy, here.

Baby Steps To Prophecy

Prayer–A Secret to Prophecy?

by Reb Aharon Rubin, from Eye to the Infinite, shared with permission.

& Inspired prayer – praying with Ruach HaQodesh

The secret to prophecy, says Rav Hai Gaon, is knowing that you are the first conduit to theShechinoh (the Divine Presence) and that all spiritual worlds depend on you. Similarly, theRamban, Rosh and Ba’al HaCharei­dim all describe the Shechinoh –Throne to G-d’s Glory – as being above one’s head, sensitive to our every thought.[1]

Thus, the masters recommend praying “as if” with the Di­vine Spirit, pic­turing the Divine Spirit upon you. First, meditate on the Shechi­noh, as if resting on your head. Everything flows from It to your soul-root, and from your soul-root to all the angels and worlds. Now say a few verses, or what­ever prayers come to mind.

The more you practise this, the closer you approach this reality. Once you become adept, pray an en­tire prayer in this fashion. It will be very powerful.[2]

[1] See Iggereth HoRamban (Nachmanides’ Epistle), Orchoth Chaim LeHoRosh, Sefer Chareidim, Chap. 13, and introduction to Siddur Kether Nehorah (by Rabbi Aharon of Zhelikhov).

[2] See note 105. One might also repeat the words of the hymn: נפשי חמדה בצל ידך לדעת כל רז סודך – “My soul desires in the shadow of Your Hand, to know all the mystery of Your se­cret” זמירות) אנעים – An’im Zemiroth, end of Shabboth morning service).

From Mystical Paths, here.