Rabbi Shelomo Serilio (ca. 1485-1555) and the Talmud of Jerusalem

Rabbi Shelomo Serilio (שיריליאו או סיריליאו) was born in Spain, before the expulsion of 1492.  From Spain, rabbi Serilio came to Constantinopla (today Istanbul), where he studied with rabbi Binyamin HaLevi, the author of zeqan aharon, and later on with the famous Rabbi Ya’aqob ibn Habib, the author of ‘en yaaqob (see here).  After a few years, rabbi Serilio moved to Salonica, in those days one of the most important cities in the Jewish world.

Around 1530 many Jews, and especially those who left Spain and Portugal, came to Erets Israel, fulfilling the dream of their ancestors. Among other famous rabbis who came from Salonica to Israel we can mention Rabbi Yosef caro, the author of the Shulhan ‘arukh, Rabbi Shelomo Alqabets, Rabbi Moshe MiTerani, (the Mabi”t), etc. A new Jewish settlement was established in Tsefat  (Safed) under the leadership of Rabbi Ya’aqob Berab ( see this).  Rabbi Serilio did not have any official rabbinical position in Safed, although we know of his involvement in a few debates that took place there. For example, Rabbi Serilio wanted to be lenient in the subject of “basar halaq”, by authorizing the nefiha (=inflating the animals lungs, despite it having fibers sirkhot, to declare it kosher if no perforations are found) in order to make meat more accessible, cheaper, to the Jews of Safed. In this, he was following the customs of the Jews of Salonica. Rabbi Ya’aqob Berab, however, rejected this leniency.

Rabbi Shelomo Serilio is famous for his commentary on the Talmud of Jerusalem. He was the first rabbi to write a commentary on one entire Talmudic Order (Seder Zera’im) of the Jerusalem Talmud. As we know, there are two sets of Talmud:  one written in Babylon (from 200 to 500 of the Common Era) and the other one written in Eres Israel (ca. 370 of the CE). One of the main differences between the Babylonian Talmud and the Talmud of Jerusalem is that the later deals extensively with the Mitsvot related to agriculture, also known as commandments which applied to the land of Israel (מצוות התלויות בארץ), while the Babylonian Talmud has no Gemara for these tractates. One of the  practical commandments Jews had to observe was the  Mitsva of shebi’it, the Biblical Mitsva that requires letting the land rest every seven years. Now, that the Jews were back in Israel, those Mitsvot wer again practical. And although Maimonides refer to them, the details of the practical applications of this Mitsva, required a renewed halakhic revision. One illustration: In those days, the Jews had no direct involvement in working the land. All the agriculture work was done by gentiles, who owned those lands.  Still, the question was if those fruits which were grown in the land of Israel, in the year of Shemita by non Jews, were subject to the laws of Shebi’it. Rabbi Serilio explained that they are. They would need Be’ur (=discarding those fruits, when that specific fruit cannot be found anymore in the fields) and that these fruits are exempt from terumot and ma’aserot.

Today, that BH we are again in Erets Israel, the commentaries and the halakhic rulings of rabbi Serilio on Shebi’it are an essential tool for reference and probably, one of the most authoritative Halakhic precedents for contemporary issues.

Rabbi Serilio moved to Yerushalayim around 1546. In Jerusalem he completed his commentary on Zera’im. He was among the most notorious rabbis of the city. He died in ca. 1555.

You can download here the booklet Minhague Shebi’it which contains the summary of Hilkhot Shemita in 5 pages, by Rabbi Serilio. This booklet was printed in Jerusalem, 1937, one year before the year of Shemita in Erets Israel.



MAIMONIDES and the journey into the King’s Palace

In More Nebukhim, ‘Maimonides Guide for the perplexed’ in the third section of the book, chapter 51, Maimonides talks about the way of ‘knowing’ God, finding Him, connecting to Him. Maimonides considers that seeking this type of knowledge , is our existential mission. Before he explains how to know and connect to God, he presents the following parable:

The King resides in the inner chamber of his palace.  The subjects of the King, some live in the city, the Kingdom where the palace is, and some live outside the city.

1. Those who live outside the city, outside the Kingdom, are intentionally disconnected with the King. They don’t even want to be considered subjects of any King, and have no interest in finding him or knowing more about him. They have other interests and this is why they have chosen to live outside the King’s city.

2. Of those who live inside the city, there are some who are no heading towards the King’s palace. Actually, they are confused and have lost sense of direction. So much so that they have their backs turned to the King’s palace and they are facing the opposite direction. Ironically, the more they search for the King,  (and they do think that they are searching for the King), the further away they get from his palace.

3. A third group of people are those who know of the existence of a palace and although they have a basic idea of where the palace is, they have never seen it yet. Still, they are searching for the paths that lead to it.

4. Then, there are those who have found the palace and have a great desire to enter into the palace and meet the King. They have gone back and forth around the walls of the palace but they have not found the entrance door yet.

5. There are subjects who have entered the palace, but they have not found the inner chamber where the King sits at His throne. They wander in the palace’s hallways, looking for signs of the King’s chamber.

6. And finally, there are those who are inside the palace, and know where the inner chamber is. They have seen the light of the King’s chamber, filtering through the threshold of its door.

In this beautiful parable the King is obviously haShem.  The first category of subjects refers to those who live outside the city. For Maimonides, these are the people who have no interest in knowing God: either because they consider themselves agnostics or atheists, or mainly because they are pursuing other objectives in life, generally speaking, material objectives or physical pleasures. In their minds, looking for a King/God will distract their efforts and will get them further away from material goods and pleasures.

(To be continued...).


EMUNA, the name Abinu, our father (Part 3)

Previously, we explained that one of the names by which we refer to HaShem is ABINU, our father. We said that this particular way to call HaShem remind us that He is “our Father” in the sense of “our Creator”, He is the one Who gave us our lives.   We also explained that Abraham discovered (or uncovered) another layer of this word “ABINU”: That God loves us as a parent love his or her children. He is interested in our well being. He cares about us.

Visualizing HaShem as a loving parent is also useful to understand what the Tora is in this context. The rabbis have always indicated the connection between HaShem’s love and the fact that he gave us the Tora, for example, in the two Blessings that we say before the Shema, every morning and every evening.

Let us see this in the berakha “Ahabat Olam”, which we say in the mornings

AHABAT OLAM AHABTANU…
“You love us with an eternal love”, this means that God’s love for us is not conditional. That, like a loving parent, even when we misbehave, and even when we are punished for our misbehavior, HaShem still loves us. He might be “angry” at us, but His love for us is eternal, i.e., like a parent, He will never reject us.

VATELAMEDEMO HUQE HAYIM…
” You taught [our ancestors] the laws of life, so they will do Your will wholeheartedly”. Aristotle used to say abut his god that he created the world but abandoned it. Aristotle meant to say that his god behaved with cruelty, because he left his creatures without any direction, or indication of what to do, what is right in his eyes or for what purpose he created humans. Our berakha expresses that HaShem gave us “the laws of life”, the Tora contains all the indications we need to live a life according to His will. Thanks to the Tora we know what God wants from us, and what our purpose in this world is. We Jews regard the giving of the Tora as an act of love, the biggest gift we got from HaShem.

VETEN BELIBBENU BINA…
Now, after we acknowledge that HaShem gave us His Tora, we ask Him to grant us the necessary intellectual tools to study His Tora. “Grant us in our hearts [=minds] intelligence, to discern, to comprehend, to understand, to learn and to teach, to keep and to perform all Your commandments with love”. In the same way You love us, we are eager to love You. You love us Your children, we love You as our Father.  We declare that our ultimate is to get closer to You, by knowing and living by Your will. We understand that You gave us the Tora, because the role of a parent does not end when he brings a child to this world. A parent must educate his children. He must show them the way to live life, and do the right thing. The giving of the Tora (described in detail in this week’s Parasha) is a “paternal” act of love.

 



Visiting the Kotel

Immediately after the Temple was destroyed the rabbis established a number of traditions that should be kept year round to remember that our Temple is still in ruins. (See HERE)

 On of those customs is that when we visit and see one of the ruins of the Biblical Jerusalem, we should say a special Psalm (Tehilim 79), which talks about destruction and desolation, recite a blessing that is usually said when a close relative passes away: Barukh…Dayan haEmet, and tear our shirt apart, again, as a mourner would do when mourning for a close relative.
Contemporary rabbis discussed the application in our days of this last tradition–tearing one’s clothes apart as a sign of mourning.
Rabbi Kook z”l said that once we have the State of Israel and we govern ourselves, this tradition should not be mandatory anymore. Why? Because the ruins of Jerusalem are not considered a reason for mourning, since it is now up to us to rebuild it.  Furthermore, he said, it might be considered an expression of ungratefulness to God, that gave us back our Medinat Israel.
Rabbi Obadia Yosef and many other rabbis said that when we visit the ruins of Jerusalem we still should tear his garments when seeing the Kotel haMa’arabi, in sign of mourning for the Bet-haMikdash, until the day B’H the Bet-haMikdash would be physically rebuilt.
There is a way -also suggested by Rabbi Yosef– to avoid this debatable situation. By visiting the Western Wall, the first time, during Shabbat or Rosh Hodesh. The holiness of Shabbat and Rosh Hodesh overrides any display of mourning. So, even for the stricter opinion, we don’t have to tear our garments when we see the ruins of the Bet haMikdash on Shabbat or Rosh Hodesh. (For a full discussion of this issue see Penine Halakha, ha’am veharetz, 195-199)
 May we all see Yerushalayim and our Holy Temple rebuilt in our days!


TEHILIM # 9: Divine vs Human justice

ישבת לכסא שופט צדק

מזמור ט׳ , פסוק ה׳

El Rey David comienza este Salmo agradeciendo a HaShem por Su justicia (9:2-5) “ki ‘asita mishpati vedini”, porque, al final, mi justicia se realizará, cuando Tú te sientas en Tu trono,  Juez Supremo”
¿A qué se refiere el Rey David? ¿Qué quiere decir que la justicia se realizará cuando HaShem se siente “en Su trono, como Juez Supremo”?
El Rey David sabe muy bien que la justicia humana no siempre triunfa.  A veces hay demasiados intereses en juego, corrupción, y barreras que impiden que la verdad salga a la luz. A diferencia de la justicia Divina, la ejecución de la justicia humana no está garantizada.
Aún así David haMelej sugiere que existen al menos un par de vías, fuera de la corte,  por las cuales la justicia se manifiesta, y pide a D’s que le permita ver esa resolución de la justicia.  En primer lugar David menciona “nombre” (9:6) y “memoria” (9:7). Los malvados no siempre pagan sus crímenes con un castigo penal. Los malvados pueden ser absueltos de los peores crímenes, por ejemplo, cuando no hay suficientes pruebas para inculparlos. Pero sus nombres quedan manchados para siempre.  Y la memoria de sus crímenes no se borra fácilmente de la memoria de sus víctimas. Este castigo compensa, en parte, la lamentable ausencia de una justicia completa.
David haMelej también concibe otro tipo de justicia fuera de los tribunales humanos. Afirma (o reza para) que  (9:16) “los malvados caigan en los pozos que ellos mismos han cavado, que sus pies sean atrapadas por las redes que ellos mismos han tendido” .    “Caer en el pozo que uno mismo cavó”, significa, por ejemplo, que si yo establecí y usé para mi beneficio un sistema corrupto donde la justicia se puede comprar para hacer caer al inocente, eventualmente, alguien con más poder que yo, usará ese mismo mecanismo corrupto para condenarme a mí, aunque las evidencias legales en mi contra ya hayan desaparecido.
Y si bien el Rey David no se resigna y clama por la ejecución de la justicia en este mundo (9:20), termina afirmando que el nivel más alto (o efectivo) de la justicia es la justicia Divina. Cuando D-s “se sienta en el Trono del Juez Supremo”.Para entender la resolución de la justicia Divina debemos pensar en nuestra mortalidad y en nuestra creencia en la inmortalidad del alma (9:18).

 

Si bien el tema del  mundo por venir, la vida después de esta vida, es demasiado complejo para elaborarlo en una pocas lineas, trataremos de describir brevemente lo que sobre el mismo se deduce del pasuq (versículo) que mencionamos al principio de este Mizmor: “D’s, el Juez Supremo sentado en Su Trono”
En el mundo por venir estaré YO, es decir, mi conciencia (la conciencia de que “soy yo”) y mi memoria (la memoria de todo lo bueno o lo malo que hice en esta vida)  frente a D’s,  “el Juez Supremo sentado en Su trono de Justicia”. Cuando estamos frente a Él, se acabaron las mentiras, las falsas pistas y las cortinas de humo.  A Él no se lo puede engañar. Lo que hicimos, lo malo y lo bueno, está filmado en la “Memoria Divina”,  imposible de alterar o manipular.El “paraíso”, en este sentido, consiste en el placer que sienten los hombres y mujeres justos (tsadiqim) de estar frente al Juez Supremo con sus buenas memorias, con lo bueno que hicieron en sus vidas. El paraíso de las personas de bien es sentirse “cómodos” frente a Su Presencia (nehenim miziv hashejiná), la insuperable satisfacción de saber que el Juez Supremo aprueba (¿aplaude?) su gestion.

Y el “infierno”, en esta breve metáfora,  consiste en el insuperable dolor de quedar en evidencia frente a D’s. Cuando el malvado –la vívida memoria de sus crímenes, y la conciencia de que él es el protagonista de esos crímenes– se presenta frente al Juez Supremo, sentado en su trono de Justicia inefable. Es un infierno hecho de culpa, vergüenza y (¿eterna?) humillación.

Para el Rey David, la justicia, tarde o temprano, en este mundo o en el próximo, llegará.
 En memoria del fiscal Alberto Nisman
y de las otras 85 víctimas del atentado a la AMIA


TEHILIM # 8: Is Man Important for God?

(Pasuq 2) מה אדיר שמך בכל הארץ David haMelej comienza este Mizmor diciendo que el nombre de haShem, es majestuoso en toda la tierra. O sea, que vemos en en cielo y en nuestro planeta una gran cantidad de maravillas (=milagros) que apuntan a la existencia de un Creador Majestuoso: HaShem.

(Pasuq 3) מפי עוללים ויונקים  Los comentaristas explican este enigmático pasuq que habla de “la boca de los bebes y los niños” de la siguiente manera. En la tierra somos testigos de milagros permanentes.  Una de las maravillas que más sorprenden al rey de Israel es, en palabras modernas,  el milagro de la cognición infantil. De cómo un niño de 2 a 4 años, cuando su cerebro aun no está desarrollado para muchas otras cosas, aprende a hablar. La capacidad de un infante para aprender un idioma completo, incluyendo la complicada semántica de ese idioma, está en su máximo nivel.  Tanto es así que cuando una persona quiere aprender otro idioma a una edad posterior, es casi imposible llegar a controlar ese segundo idioma, no importa lo inteligente que uno sea. David haMelej vio este fenómeno como una señal más de la sabiduría y majestuosidad del Creador del mundo.

(Pasuq 4) כי אראה שמיך מעשי אצבעתיך Ahora David haMelej mira para arriba. Contempla el cielo estrellado y le dice al Creador: “Cuando veo Tus cielos, la obra de Tus dedos, la luna y las estrellas que Tu estableciste”. David haMelej nos dice que los cielos también son un testimonio de la existencia de HaShem y Su infinita Sabiduría. Hay que prestar atención a los detalles del pasuq, a las palabras que el más grande de los poetas del pueblo judío utiliza. ¿Que significa “la obra de Tus dedos”? Que ni se nos ocurra pensar que David creía que HaShem tiene dedos o manos! Los dedos de HaShem o Sus manos son metáforas,  expresiones poéticas, motivos literarios. Cuando David habla de la Creación a veces se refiere a lo hecho por las manos de HaShem y a veces , como en este caso, por los “dedos de HaShem”. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estas dos metáforas?  Cuando David quiere resaltar los detalles exquisitos de lo creado por haShem, utiliza la metáfora de los “dedos” (en el mismo sentido que en pedagogia se habla de la motricidad fina). Tal como el artesano termina los detalles de su obra con la destreza sus dedos, así el Creador, que es el Artista supremo de la Creación, ha diseñado Su mundo coordinando con “Sus dedos” hasta los más pequeños detalles.
Al margen de los detalles del universo, está la inmensidad del universo, lo que HaShem ha creado con “Sus manos”. Los números que se manejan respecto al tamaño del universo marean. Pero a David haMelej lo inspiran a reflexionar en la increíble pequeñez del hombre.  Hay por lo menos 100 billones (entendiendo 1 billón como 1000 millones) de galaxias en el universo. Se calcula que cada galaxia contiene, por lo menos, 100 billones de estrellas. Y no se sabe cuantos planetas hay alrededor de cada estrella. Si nuestro sistema solar se toma como referente, tendríamos que estimar que habrían unos 8-12  planetas por cada estrella. Pero este no es el tamaño definitivo del universo. Es sólo lo que podemos ver con nuestros limitados telescopios. De cualquier manera creo que estos números son suficientes para entender lo que David haMelej sintió cuando observó el cielo estrellado.

(Pasuq 5) מה אנוש כי תזכרנו  La astronomía lleva a David haMelej a la reflexión. ¿Qué es el hombre para que Tú lo consideres, o para que Tú, el Creador de este infinito universo, lo tengas en cuenta? Nuestro planeta es ridículamente minúsculo, imperceptible, comparado con el resto del universo. En cuanto a nuestro tamaño, ¡somos absolutamente insignificantes! ¿Por qué HaShem prestaría atención a algo aparentemente irrelevante, como la tierra o la humanidad?

(Continuará…)


Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto (1565-1648), rabbi of Damascus, Siria.

The family of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, came from Portugal.  The famous patriarch of the family, Rabbi Yosef Pinto, established himself in Damascus the year of  the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal, in 1497. He was a wealthy and generous philanthropist, known for his kindnesswith those in need.

The father of rabbi Yoshiahu Pinto, also named Yosef,  devoted his attention to the education of his son, and did not spare efforts to get the best teachers for him, making sure that his son would finish the six tractates of the Mishna, probably by heart, before the end of his childhood.

The main teacher of rabbi Yoshiyahu was rabbi Ya’aqob Abulafia, one of the greatest luminaries of Syrian Jewry.  Rabbi Abulafia was a “musmakh”, one of the seven ordained rabbis of his time. This point requires some elaboration. When the Jews left Spain and established themselves again in Erets Israel, one of the leading rabbis, rabbi Ya’aqob Berab, decided to “renew” the official rabbinical ordination, which could be issued only in Erets Israel.  That ordination allowed the ordained rabbi (or musmakh) to legislate, not just for his particular community, but for all Am Israel. One of the first rabbis to be ordained in Tsefat (Safed) around 1550 was rabbi Yosef Caro, the author of the shulhan ‘arukh. Part of what makes the shulhan ‘arukh a book with authority for all Jews is the fact the Rabbi Yosef Caro was a “musmakh”. Those who were ordained could ordain other Rabbis. Rabbi Ya’aqob Abulafia was the grandson of rabbi Ya’aqob Berab, and was also a musmakh. The ordination had to be given with the consent of all living ordained rabbis. Rabbi Abulafia, with the other six ordained rabbis (musmakhim), granted the ordination to rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who became one of the last rabbis to hold this prestigious renewed semikha. In the presentation of his books, one can notice the way Rabbi Pinto is always addressed by other rabbis “HaRab  haMusmakh…” .

Rabbi Pinto became the rabbi of Damascus when the famous Rabbi Hayim Vital died in 1620.

After a few years, Rabbi Pinto decided to leave his position in Damascus and went to Erets Israel. In one of his books, kesef mezuqaq, he explains why he left to Tsefat. His son, Yosef, was a genius, a prodigious Tora scholar, and Rabbi Pinto knew that the best Rabbis in the world lived in Erets Israel.  Unfortunately, after a short time his son Yosef became sick and died at the age of 24. Devastated, rabbi Yoshiyahu came back to Damascus, and to find solace and consolation for his great loss, he dedicated himself to writing and publishing books.

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto died in Damascus in 1648. His other son, Rabbi Daniel Pinto, moved to Aram Tsoba (Aleppo) and became one of the most important rabbis of the city.

HIS BOOKS

Rabbi Pinto was a very prolific writer. The first book Rabbi Pinto wrote was kesef nibhar. This is the only Hebrew book ever printed in Damascus. Kesef Nibhar is divided according to the wekly sections of the Tora (perashiyot). For each section there are two or more sermons (derashot). The sermons begin with the exposition of one Midrash, one of the fields of expertise of rabbi Pinto,  and includes commentaries from the Talmud,  the weekly Tora section and the exposition of selected practical Jewish laws (halakhot). Rabbi Pinto quotes very often, in this and in his other books, his teacher and mentor, Rabbi Ya’aqob Abulafia.

His second book, kesef mezuqaq, is also organized according to the weekly sections. But in this book rabbi Pinto writes mainly about musar (morality, ethics and Jewish philosophy). For example: the reason for the existence of man in this world; the ways to increase our trust in God (bitahon); the ways to appreciate the goodness and kindness of God to His creatures; the ways in which HaShem educates and teaches us when we suffer (yisurin, nisionot); the principle of divine reward and divine punishment; etc.

 

He wrote also a book explaining the Hagadot and Midrashim, called me-or ‘enayim, and a book on Mishle, the proverbs of King Solomon,  kesef tsaruf.

Finally, he most important book he wrote is nibhar mikesef, a selection of his rabbinic responsa to a variety of Halakhic questions on the four sections of the Shulhan Arukh. In the introduction one can see the Haskamot, the licenses of approval to rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, the “Rab haMusmakh”, given by the prestigious rabbis of Aleppo and Damascus of his time.

Click here to download the book nibhar mikesef. This edition was published in Aram Tsoba (Aleppo) in 1869.


TEHILIM # 07, the boomerang effect

יגמר נא רע רשעים
מזמור ז’, פסוק י

This Mizmor describes the Tefila that David compose, before he became a King, asking for HaShem’s assistance and help, when he was escaping from his enemies.

Although opinions abound regarding the identity of the enemies that this Mizmor refers to, it seems that David felt threatened by domestic enemies, not by the gentiles who sought the destruction of Israel, such as the Pelishtim. Here, David is chased by internal enemies, other Yehudim who wanted to end the life of the future King of Israel. Most Rabbis said those enemies are King Saul’s men, who felt threatened because of the great popularity of David, and sought to get rid of him. According to this opinion Kush ben Yemini (Pasuq 1) is Shaul Hamelekh.

We also know that these enemies of David were previously his allies, his former partners who are now seeking to betray David. And to justify their betrayal, they falsely accuse David of treason, of planning to betray his covenant with King Saul (7: 4). David claims to HaShem that he is innocent. What is more and uncommon, is that David asks HaShem to be the Judge and he says: (7: 5): “HaShem, if I were guilty of what they are accusing me, if I have betrayed my allies, (7: 6) then, let all the bad things they wish to do to me, to happen to me.”  David ends this appeal to HaShem saying (7: 9)”HaShem judge me (or defend me), since You know my innocence. You know that I have acted with integrity. You are “Eloqim shofet tsadiq” (7:12) The Almighty Judge who always acts righteously.

The most important point of this Mizmor is an idea that David HaMelekh formulates in this Psalm more than once, regarding the consequences of wrongdoings. He says: “igmor na ra reshaim”. (7:10) “May evil destroy the evildoer”. Many times we can witness a boomerang effect in good and in bad things we do. When someone plans to do evil to someone else, that evil deed backfires against the one who conceived it. Imagine that Mr. A wants to harm Mr. B. To do that Mr. A speaks ill of Mr. B to his friends. At the end, the friends discover that A lied about B, and now the words that Mr. A used to harm B, will harm Mr. A. Mr. A has become the victim of his own evil. This is probably the allusion of pasuq 7:14, “a man sharpens his arrows (arrows many times refer to “damaging, lethal words”), which will come back against those who used them.”

This idea was reiterated in other words by the son of David HaMelekh, King Solomon in Mishle (1: 18-19). When he says that those who tended traps to deceive and rob others, will end up falling into the ambush they prepared … this is the fate of those who pursue evil, evil takes the life of those who planned it.”

Towards the end of our Mizmor this idea reformulated with a different literary motif. Deliberate deception is compared with the process of giving birth. The evildoers (7:15) “Plant the seeds of evil, conceive betrayal and give birth to deceit”. What they do not know is that they are (7:16) “Digging a deep hole, into which they will end up falling”. And so the pit dug by the wicked to bring down the innocent, becomes his own grave. ”

David HaMelekh understood that when evil turns against those who planned it, Divine Justice is being served.  Confident that Divine justice will prevail,  David ends this Mizmor (7:18) praising HaShem for His infinite righteousness.


The Tenth of Tebet

Today is the Tenth of Tebet. The main event we remember on this day is the onset of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebukhadnezzar, King of Babylonia. The siege of the city signaled the beginning of the battle that ultimately destroyed Yerushalayim and our first Bet haMiqdash. Hundreds of thousands of Jews died of starvation during the siege, were killed in battle or sent as captives to the Babylonian exile. The date of the Tenth of Tebet was recorded by the prophet Yehezqel. At the time of the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash Yehezqel was already exiled in Babylonia with the first group of Jews who were taken there by Nebukhadnezzar eleven years earlier.

According to Maimonides (MT, Hilkhot Ta’anit, 5:1), as every other fast day, today is a day that needs to be dedicated to Teshuba. To remember our present transgressions and mistakes , which are similar to the mistakes done by our ancestors. Those transgressions brought the destruction of our Bet haMiqdash and the distancing of the Shekhina, God’s Presence, from our midst. Shortening the distance between us and our Creator is within our power. And that renewed closeness will be bring us closer to have our Bet haMiqdash, once again, rebuilt.

LAWS OF ‘ASARA BETEBET

On the 10th of Tebet there are only two restrictions: eating and drinking. NO additional limitations apply, such as the prohibition of wearing leather shoes, working, driving, washing the body, etc. Most contemporary Rabbis (for example Rab O. Yosef z”l, or Rab E. Melamed) authorize to wash one’s mouth or brush one’s teeth in this fast day, provided you are careful to lower your head, avoiding swallowing water unintentionally.

*Minors: boys under 13 and girls under 12 years old are completely exempted from fasting.

*Nursing women: According to the Sephardic tradition after giving birth women are exempted from fasting for 24 months, even if they are not actually nursing their baby.

*Pregnant women, especially after the first 3 months, are exempted from fasting.

*A person who feels sick–for example, flu or fever– or one who has a chronic disease–for example diabetes– should not fast.

*Elders should consult with their physicians if the fast will not affect their health. If it will, they are exempted (and in some cases, prohibited) from fasting.

The fast of the Tenth of Tebet ends in NYC at 4:59pm.

YOM HAQADDISH HAKELALI

In modern Israel, the 10th of Tebet is also considered the day of the Kaddish haKelaly. According to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, on the Tenth of Tebet a remembrance-candle should be lit in the Synagogue and the Hazkara leHalale haShoah, the memorial prayer for the victims of the Holocaust, should be recited. Additionally, all those whose parents are not alive should say in ‘asara beTebet the Kaddish Yatom (Rabbanut haRashit LeIsrael, luah dinim uminhaguim 5772, pages. 55,109).

This point requires more explanation.

In 1949, and before the day of Yom HaShoah was established, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel decided that the Tenth of Tebet should be assigned as the national remembrance day for the victims of the Holocaust. They recommended traditional Jewish ways of remembering the dead, such as the study of Mishna Miqvaot, recitation of Tehilim, lighting a candle and a collective recitation of the Kaddish for the victims of the Holocaust whose names and date of death remain unknown. Fasting, the most common Jewish expression of sorrow, was already prescribed for this day.

In Israel many people felt that the horror of the Holocaust should be remembered on its own, and a special day, in which nothing else is remembered, should be dedicated to the Shoah’s victims’ memory. “For the survivors there was only one day worthy of being a memorial anniversary for the Holocaust, April 19, the beginning day of the Warsaw ghetto revolt the greatest revolt of them all, the uprisings that had held the Nazis at bay for a longer period than the great French army” (I. Greenberg). That is how the 27 of Nissan (April 19, 1943) was chosen to commemorate Yom haShoah. Yom HaShoah was inaugurated in 1953, by a law signed by the Prime Minister of Israel David ben Gurion.

Since then, and in practical terms, there are two days in which we mourn for the Holocaust: Yom haShoah, the official day, and ‘asara beTebet, in which many people would say the Kaddish haKelaly to remember the victims of the Nazi genocide.



TENTH OF TEBET: Ezra haSofer and the return of the Jews to Erets Israel

Tomorrow, Thursday January 1st, we will observe the Tenth of Tebet, a fast day which remind us of three tragic events (see here).  One of the events we remember is the death of Ezra haSofer .

Seventy years after the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, approximately by the year 516 b.c.e., the Persian Emperor Cyrus allowed the Jews to come back to Erets Israel. 42,360 Jews were led back to Israel by Zerubabel (see Ezra 2:64), and years later, more Jews came back to Israel lead by Nehemia and Ezra the Scribe.

Nehemia was the leader that persuaded the new Persian Emperor, Artahshasta, to allow more Jews to return to Zion, in order to strengthen the Jewish population in Yerushalayim (Nehemia, chapter 1-2), and Ezra had the tremendous responsibility of reeducating the Jews who lived for three or more generations in the Babylonian exile, without schools or synagogues, in the midst of the local population. Many Jews had forgotten the Tora, its laws and even its language, and adopted the values of the surrounding Babylonian culture.

In Yerushalayim, Ezra established the Anshe Keneset haGedola, the first Jewish Parliament, composed of 120 scholars and prophets.  With them, Ezra issued many rulings to reclaim and revive the Tora and reeducate the Jewish people. He increased the days of public reading of the Tora, he composed the text of the Amida (main prayer) because people forgot how to pray, he adapted the names of the Hebrew months and modified the fonts of the Biblical text to facilitate the study of Tora, etc.  Ezra also had to make very critical decisions, like excluding the Samaritans, a semi-pagan mixed population living in Israel from the times of the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, who expected to be considered part of the Jewish people, and dealing with the issue of mixed marriages. This last dramatic event is narrated in chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Ezra.  Thanks to Ezra’s wisdom and courage the Jewish people was able to survive and be reestablished again in Israel as the Nation of HaShem.

Ezra was considered by the Rabbis as the historical link between the written Tora and the oral Tora. The oral Tora, the rabbis said, was forgotten in the long Babylonian captivity, and it was retrieved by Ezra the Scribe. Together with Nehemia, they also completed the building of the second Bet haMiqdash and the protective walls around the city.

Ezra died on a 9th of Tebet. He was regarded by our Rabbis as second to Moshe Rabbenu.

 Who is exempt from fasting?

The fast of the Tenth of Tebet begins tomorrow, January 1st, at dawn and ends at nightfall.   In NY the fast will begin at 6:25am and end at 4:59pm.

*Minors: boys under 13 and girls under 12 years old, are completely exempted from fasting tomorrow.

*Nursing women: According to the Sephardic tradition after giving birth women are exempted from fasting for 24 months, even if they are not actually nursing their baby.

*Pregnant women, especially after the first 3 months, are exempted from fasting.

*A person who feels sick, for example, flu or fever, or a person who suffers from a chronic disease like diabetes, should not fast.

*Elders should consult with their physicians to find out if the fast will affect their health. If it will, they are exempted from fasting.