EMUNA: ABINU, our Father

The names by which we call or refer to HaShem have much to teach us about our Emuna. First it’s worth noting that by saying EMUNA I do not mean our believe in God’s existence or how much we should trust HaShem (the latter would be called “bitahon”). In this case I am referring to EMUNA as learning how to think about HaShem. Since many times, perhaps unwittingly, we attribute to HaShem human conditions, images or representations, etc. which reflect what we are, not what He is. Such thinking about HaShem is incorrect. The Jewish strategy is to think of HaShem through His names. Each of His names, rigorously formulated by our Tora or our Hakhamim, has something very important to teach us about HaShem. Thus, when we think about God through His names, we do not visualize an image; rather, we reflect on an idea.
Previously, we explained the name Tsur . Today we will begin to explain the name ABINU, our Father.
The first one who explicitly referred to HaShem as “our Father” was Yesha’aya haNabi (64: 7) when he said, “And now [we declare] HaShem, that You are our Father. We are like the raw material, and You shape us. All of us are the work of Your hands. “
The most obvious reason to call HaShem “our father” is because He gave us life. HaShem is literally our “progenitor”. The Rabbis said there are three partners in the creation of a person. Father, mother and HaShem. What is the difference between what our earthly parents give us and what our Heavenly Father gives us? In my own words, all what allows our bodies to function, but is immaterial or invisible to the eye, is given to us by God. Our vital energy, or neshama, i.e., the fundamental difference between the body of a living human being and that same body lifeless, that’s what HaShem gave us, so to speak, “directly”. When we are born, it’s as if HaShem repeats the original act of the creation of man, in which He breathed life into a lifeless earthly body. When we say ABINU we think of God as our creator.
To differentiate it from our earthly father (“father” here means “parent”, father and/or mother) sometimes we call HaShem “ABINU SHEBASHAMAYIM”, “Our Heavenly Father”, a term other religions borrowed from our liturgy (“Our Father… in Heaven…. “).


Rabbi Hayim Abulafia (1660-1744), founder of modern Tiberias

The Abulafia family is considered one of the most famous Sephardic families of Castila, Spain, and according to their own traditions, they are descendants of David HaMelekh.
One of the most celebrated Rabbis of this family was Rabbi Hayim Abulafia, who was born in Hebron, Israel, in 1660. The family of Rabbi Abulafia moved to Yerushalayim and there Rabbi Hayim studied with the great luminaries of the time, Rabbi Shelomo Algazi and Rabbi Abraham Amigo.
From Yerushalayim he was sent to Turkey in a mission to encourage the thriving local community to support materially the Jews of Erets Israel. There in Izmir (Smyrna) he met the Rabbi of the city, Rabbi Israel Benveniste, who was so impressed with Rabbi Abulafia that he said about him that he was one of the greatest geniuses of his generation.

 

Rabbi Abulafia also lived for almost ten years in Tsefat, where he served as the rabbi of the community. He said that he “had the great merit of being born in Hebron, raised in Yerushalayim, and officiated as a Rabbi in Tsefat”, three of the four “holy” cities  in Israel (we’ll talk about the fourth).
In 1705 Rabbi Israel Benveniste died and the local community invited Rab Abulafia to take his place. Rabbi Abulafia accepted and directed for several years the Jewish community of Izmir, which  had over 15,000 families (sic). He was respected and admired by Yehudim and gentiles. And had an excellent relationship with the Sultan, who consulted with Rabbi Hayim on all kinds of subjects.
While he was in Turkey, Rab Abualfia kept thinking and worrying about Erets Israel. Rabbi Abulafia understood that his stay in Turkey might have been providential, not for him personally but for the future of Erets Israel. Thus his ambitious plan was conceived: to rebuild the city of Tiberias. Tiberias was the place where the last Sanhedrin functioned, after the destruction of the Second Bet haMiqdash. Since those days, the city was destroyed and despite the efforts of Don Yosef Nasi and Doña Gracia Mendes almost a hundred years ago, it was never restored.
He found a politically opportune moment, when the Turkish Empire was very influential in the Middle East. And he inspired the wealthy and very generous Izmir Jewish community to support its mission.
When he was 80 years Rabbi Abulafia traveled with his family to Israel and began to rebuild the city of Tiberias. He was engaged in creating jobs to stimulate Yehudim to settle in the city. And also founded schools and Yeshibot to study Tora. He also founded the Synagogue “Ets HaHayim”, which exists to this day, in the place of the old Synagogue of the Ari haQadosh.
Rabbi Abulafia z “l died and was buried in Tiberias in 1744.
His most famous book is “Ets haHayim” a profound commentary on the Torah. According to Rab Hida, the book “ets hajayim” can not be understood from a superficial reading, the greatest benefit is to discover its great depth. Click here to download it
He also wrote,
“Miqrae Qodesh” explaining some difficult texts of the Talmud.
“Yosef lemad” another commentary on the Tora.
“Shebut Ya’aqob” a commentary on the famous book ”’en Ya’aqob”.


MAIMONIDES on Ba’ale Teshuba and verbal abuse

In the Seventh chapter of Hilkhot Teshuba Maimonides discusses the tremendous merit of doing Teshuba. He also discusses the status of the “penitent” or ba’al teshuba.   A ba’al teshuba is not just a person who repents for one or two mistakes he has done.  Usually, a ba’al teshuba is a Jew who, for a variety of reasons was not observing Tora and Mitsvot and now he is. A ba’al teshuba undergoes a drastic change in his lifestyle, and he must face some big challenges. Beyond the personal difficulties of studying the basics of Tora at a more mature age and other intellectual and spiritual predicaments, sometimes he also has to face some “social” challenges. His friends, his former friends who, usually moved by their own insecurities, might make fun of him or hurt him with their words.
Maimonides refers to this case and describes it in three different steps:
First, in halakha 4 he explains that to God’s eyes, the penitent is as great as someone that was always a righteous person, or perhaps greater than him
“A ba’al-teshuba should not think that he is far from the level of the righteous (tsadiqim) because of the sins and transgressions that he committed. That is not the case. A person who repents is beloved and esteemed before the Creator, as if he never sinned. Furthermore, he has a great reward for he has tasted sin and yet, separated himself from it, conquering his [evil] inclination. “
Second, in Halakha 8, Maimonides describes how the ba’al teshuba needs to process the embarrassment and the mockery, considering it part of his process of growth, a very humbling experience.This is what he says:
“Ba’ale teshuba should be very humble and modest. If fool people shame them because of their previous deeds, saying to them [now you show yourself to be religious, but don’t you remember that yesterday you would commit such and such [sins]? “
The ba’al teshuba should not take these words to their heart. On the contrary, when hearing this abuse they should rejoice in their hearts, knowing that abandoning their previous lifestyle, means a great merit for them.
Finally, in the same halakha, Maimonides warns people never to remind the ba’al teshuba of his past. This is considered a great sin, a type of a verbal abuse [hona-at debarim] explicitly forbidden in the Tora.
“It is a great sin to tell a ba’al teshuba, “Remember your previous deeds?” or to recall them in his presenceand embarrass him or to mention the surrounding circumstances or other similar matters so that he will recall what he did. This is all forbidden. We are warned against it within the sin of verbal abuse which the Tora has warned us against, as is stated in vayqra 25:17 : “A man should not abuse his peers”


TEHILIM # 05: When a Jewish King prays

Like Israel today, David haMelekh had many enemies. Virtually in every border of his kingdom.  David fought against the Syrians in the north and against the Moabites in the east (Jordan). But the biggest threat came from the west. From the Philistines, who lived in Gaza. The word Philistines means “invaders”.  The Philistines are called by historians “The people of the Sea”. They had no culture or particular ethnicity. They were a mixed of various people mainly from the Mediterranean islands (Cyprus,  Sicily, Crete) who got together to colonize the Middle East. They came with their wives and children, because they came to conquer and stay.  They were extremely wild and dangerous, and they destroyed many empires and civilizations. The Hittites, the Minoans, the Mycenaeans, the Trojans and many other civilizations, all disappeared in the hands of the “People of the Sea”.

David knows that, same as today, Israel could not afford to lose a battle.   For Israel wars are not about conquest but about survival.  Every war Israel fights is an existential war.

David also knows that although the enemy is, unlike us, bloodthirsty, and more numerous than us, HaShem is in our side.

And in this Mizmor David requests help from God to defeat his enemies.

David mentions in this Psalm the morning (5:4), apparently because the army and the King were preparing themselves for battle in the morning. And it is possible that this was one of the Tefilot that were recited by the King and his soldiers in the morning before going the war.

In this Mizmor David prays to HaShem to protect him against the enemies, whom he describes (5:10) as wicked, bloodthirsty and deceitful

To me, the most touching part of this Psalm is the second and third pasuq, in which David describes three different types of prayers.

The first type of prayer is “amarai”, my words. That is a normal prayer which is said with words. A calm prayer. Probably the prayer King David and his army would say before battle, when one is able to convey his  feelings with intelligible words.

The second level is “hagigi”, my thoughts.  David haMelekh acknowledges that sometimes, in desperate situations like the middle of the battle, words might not come out of our mouths.  All what is left is our raw, unspoken and perhaps chaotic thoughts.  Anticipating those difficult times, David haMelekh rquests HaShem that if he would unable to articulate prayers, HaShem should attend David’s raw thoughts and feelings.  In other words, David is asking HaShem to listen and pay close attention to him, if he cannot pray.

The third level of prayer is “shav’i”, my cry. Crying is a sign of desperation and sorrow. When the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt and suffered the miseries of slavery the Tora said that their cry reached God.  Crying is the way a person in pain and anguish reaches out to God. In front of God, David does not describe himself as an invincible Hercules but as vulnerable human being.  Admitting that he knows that he is at all times at HaShem’s mercy.

King David’s prayer was very far away from lip service. His prayers were coming from the depth of his heart, as words, as raw thoughts or sometimes as tears.


Rabbi Isaac Caro (1458-1535), from Toledo to Yerushalayim

Rabbi Isaac (Yitshaq) Caro was born in the city of Toledo, Spain in 1458.  His father was Rabbi Yosef Caro haZaqen, a great Rabbi and Talmudist of his generation. Rabbi Isaac was a student of rabbi Isaac Canpanton.

 In 1492, the year of the expulsion of the Jews from spain,  Rabbi Isaac escaped to Portugal and established himself in Lisboa. In 1497, the Jews were given the choice to convert or leave. So, rabbi Isaac left with his family to Jerusalem. That trip was very tragic for him: he lost his wife and all but one of his children. He did not reach Yerushalayim but established himself in the city of Constantinople, Turkey (modern Istanbul). According to some versions, at a later period Rabbi Isaac embarked again to Israel. And he arrived to Damascus, Syria, where he was appointed as a dayan (Rabbinical judge). At the end of his life, he finally reached Erets Israel, probably Tsefat (Safed) where his nephew rabbi Yosef Caro (1488-1575), the famous author of the shulhan ‘arukh, lived.

 His most famous book was Toledot Yitshaq, a commentary on the Tora. Since he could not afford the expenses of printing a whole book, Rabbi Isaac would publish his work in small pamphlets, Parasha by Parasha.

 He is also the author of Hasde David, a book of Derashot (sermons) on philosophy and the Agada (=the non-halakhic aspect of rabbinic literature)

 Rabbi Yosef Caro mentions his uncle, Rabbi Isaac, many times in his books. For example, Bet Yosef, OH, 31, where he discuses the obligation to wear tefilin in Hol haMo’ed, the intermediate days of the holidays of Pesah and Sukkot. After he brings the different opinions he says that his uncle, rabbi Isaac wrote that the tradition in Sepharad was to not using Tefilin in Hol haMoed.

 Rabbi Yosef Caro  also mentions Rabbi Isaac in two more cases. One of them regarding the debate about yibbum vs. halitsa. If when a husband dies without children, his wife should marry his brother (Levirate marraige) or perform a special ritual called halitsa  by which the widow is freed from the biblical obligation of marrying her brother-in-law, and then be able to marrying whoever she wants.

Rabbi Yosef Caro also quotes his uncle in a discussion about renting the house of a non-Jew, in that case, one of the officials of the city, for a matter concerning ‘erubin, the boundaries of cities and neighborhoods  to the effects of the laws of hotsa-a in Shabbat.

 After quoting his uncle in these cases in eben ha’ezer 392, Rabbi Yosef caro writes: “These responsa are from my uncle, the great rabbi R. Isaac Caro z”l, and I copied them next to my own responsa”.

Many of Rabbi Isaac’s responsa and his sermons are still in manuscripts in libraries and museums in Oxford and New york.

 Recently, professor Shaul Regev from Bar Ilan University published a new book with some of Rabbi Isaac Caro unpublished sermons. See here

 To download the book Toledot Yitshaq, printed in Amsterdam 1708, click this.



When A Rabbi Recommends To Work Out

In the fourth chapter of MT Hilkhot de’ot, Maimonides says that keeping a strong and healthy body helps to prevent sickness, allowing us to serve HaShem with all our strength.“Maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of [serving] God , for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator, if he is ill.”In that chapter, Halakha 14, the great rabbi and Cordovan physician explains the importance of working out.De’ot 4, Halakha 14
There is another principle with regard to physical well-being: As long as one exercises, exerts himself greatly, and does not eat to the point of satiation … he will not suffer sickness and he will grow in strength….This Halakha, written more than 800 years ago,  resonates in our modern ears, and allows us to appreciate that our Rabbis anticipated a long time ago the main principles of preventive medicine.Maimonides wrote in Hilkhot de’ot a brief summary of his medical advises. What is perhaps less knows is that he also authored many medical treatises, for Jews and non Jews alike.

Today I like to share with you some of Maimonides’ advises on the importance of physical activity.  I will quote the words of Maimonides from the book ‘The life transforming diet’, by David Zulberg, which is based on Maimonides’ medical principles.

“Hippocrates taught that exercise is the cornerstone of the preservation of health and the prevention of most illness. There is nothing that can substitute for exercise in any way” (p. 99)

“Without exercise diet alone is not sufficient for the preservation of health, and eventually medical treatment will be needed” (p. 100)

‘Hippocrates said that someone who is used to physical activity, even if he has a sick body or is old, is able to tolerate [illness and recover from it] better than a healthy person who is not used to physical activity” (p. 102)

This text is from a letter Maimonides sent to one of this patients “As to what you mentioned, that you feel weak after exercises, the cause of this is the omission of regular exercises. If you resume exercising gradually, little by little, you will achieve…strength and vitality…” (p. 102)

De’ot 4, Halakha 15
… whoever sits idle and does not exercise, … even if he eats the proper foods and takes care to follow the rules of medicine, will suffer pain [and illness]… and his strength will fade away.

A list of Maimonides medical works

Maimonides wrote ten known medical works in Arabic.  They have been translated by Rabbi Fred Rosner into contemporary English.
1. Extracts from Galen,
or The Art of Cure, is essentially an extract of Galen’s extensive writings.
2. Commentary on the Aphorisms of Hippocrates combined with Maimonides own views.
3. Medical Aphorisms of Moses,
titled Fusul Musa in Arabic (“Chapters of Moses,” Pirkei Moshe in Hebrew) contains 1500 aphorisms and many medical conditions are described.
4. Treatise on Hemorrhoids
discusses also digestion and food.
5. Treatise on Cohabitation
contains the medical advices for a healthy sexual life.
6. Treatise on Asthma
discusses climates and diets and their effect on asthma and emphasizes the need for clean air.
7. Treatise on Poisons and Their Antidotes
a toxicology textbook .
8. Regimen of Health
is a discourse on healthy living and the mind-body connection.
9. Discourse on the Explanation of Fits
advocates healthy living and the avoidance of overabundance.
10. Glossary of Drug Names
a pharmacopeia a with 405 paragraphs with the names of drugs in Arabic, Greek, Syrian, Persian, Berber, and Spanish.


Traditions, for Birkat haGomel

Birkat haGomel is not a berakha that we say for Mitsvot; it is essentially a Birkat haShebah, a form of public expression of gratitude to HaShem.

Every community has its own traditions in the details of this berakha.

Let us see some of them.

MINORS: In many communities boys under 13 or girls under 12 do not recite haGomel. In some communities they do (Halakha Berura p.164 in the name of rabbi O. Yosef z”l, unlike what it says in Yalqut Yosef).

WOMEN: Women also say birkat haGomel, either in the Synagogue from the ‘azrat nashim (=the women’s balcony, Halakha Berura p.166) or in their homes, in the presence of ten men. According to Mishna Berura (Ashkenazi tradition) the husband can say haGomel for his wife. According to Bet Yosef (Sephardic tradition) the recitation of haGomel is not transferable, so a woman has to say haGomel by herself.

TWO TORA SCHOLARS: In principle, this berakha should be said in the presence of ten men from which two of them are Tora Scholars (=scholars that learn Halakhot). But if that is not possible, one can still say haGomel provided there is a Minyan. The tradition is to recite haGomel during or after the Tora reading which obviously requires the presence of  ten men.

TIME: The ideal time to recite haGomel is within three days of the event for which one is saying haGomel. The “three days rule” takes precedence over other considerations. Illustration: If a person recovered from illness Sunday and goes to the Synagogue Monday he should say haGomel then, even if he was not called to the Tora, and he knows that he will be called to the Tora Thursday.

EXPIRATION: If haGomel was not recited during the first three days, one can still say haGomel at a later time. The shulhan ‘arukh (219:6) takes a lenient position and says that if one did not say haGomel during the first three days, one can still say it any time he wants (kol zeman sheyrtze). Some rabbis are of the opinion that when not recited on time, haGomel could be said only for the next thirty days. Some say for one year, and some say even after a year. In principle, one should say haGomel as soon as possible, while the memory of the event for which he is thanking HaShem for, is still fresh in his memory (Penine Halakha).

HAGOMEL FOR SOMEBODY ELSE: Although we explained that haGomel is not transferable, as with any other blessing, a person could be included in someone else’s performance, with the condition that the one who says haGomel has him in his mind when he recites the blessing.  Illustration, if two, three or more people need to say haGomel, one of them could say haGomel for all of them, if he keeps them in his mind when he recites his berakha.  Those who are included should be standing while listening and, in principle, they have to answer “Amen”.

Again, because there are so many traditions in the details of this berakha, in case of any doubt, one should ask his or her own rabbi and follow the local custom.



EMUNA: Can you design 7,275,650,514 different faces?


אין צור כאלקינו

Last week we explained what the Hebrew word Tsur (צור) means when used referring to HaShem. We said that Tsur means “rock”, and it is sometimes used to refer to God as our Protector, like the rock that protects the soldier from the arrows of his enemies. But in its original metaphorical sense, Maimonides said, Tsur alludes to the rocky mountain, or the Mother-Rock from which all stones originate. Thus, when we refer to HaShem as Tsur, we mean to say that He is our Origin, our Creator. For example, in the Amida, we used this beautiful expression: TSURENU, TSUR HAYENU to say that “HaShem is our Creator, the Source/Creator/Origin of our lives. ”

Let us see now a third explanation of the word Tsur. This explanation is based on the fact that the word TSUR is grammatically associated with the word TSURA, form o design, and TSAYAR, designer, artist.

The Gemara in Berakhot analyzes the verse in Shemuel (I 2: 2) in which Hanna praises HaShem saying אין צור כאלקינו “There is no Tsur like our God.” Here, again, one could understand Tsur as Source or Origin.  Hanna used this word in gratitude to God Who gave her a son, Shemuel. However our Rabbis made a derasha, a non-literal (or a literary) interpretation of the word Tsur. They said: Here we should understand Tsur (=creator) as Tsayar (=Artist or Designer). “There is no craftsman like our God.” The Gemara elaborates and says that while a human being can design nice figures or sculptures, only HaShem can design something as perfect as a human being, who breathes and thinks (like baby Shemuel, that HaShem just gave to Hanna!). The Sages particularly praised the wisdom (or art) of our Creator referring to the phenomenon of pregnancy: HaShem can create a human being who breathes (Shemuel), inside another human being (Hanna).

In Masekhet Sanhedrin (38a) the Hakhamim formulated a similar idea, inspired by the same pasuq. They said: “when a person wedges coins, using the same mold, all are identical, but when HaShem designs people with the same mold, they all look different. ”  HaShem uses the same exact mold: a nose, two eyes and a mouth, and with these few elements he designs over 7 billion different faces!

אין צור כאלקינו – אין צייר כאלקינו

When we say Tsur referring to HaShem, we need to remember that He is the Supreme Creator, the incomparable Designer of the world and its unique creatures.



Maimonides’ Diet

לעולם לא יאכל אדם אלא כשהוא רעב ולא ישתה אלא כשהוא צמא

Maimonides begins the fourאי chapter of his Hilkhot De’ot explaining the religious obligation to keep ourselves healthy4:1: “Maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God… one must avoid that which harms the body and accustom himself to that which is healthful and helps the body becomes stronger”.
Keeping a good health requires staying away from bad habits. The very first sensitive area to improve according to Maimonides is our eating habits.
Maimonides teach us that we should eat in moderation. Eat to live and not live to eat.
In Chapter 4, Halakha 2 Maimonides refers to overeating, in Hebrew akhila gasa, i.e., gluttony .4:2: “One should not eat until his stomach is full. Rather, [he should stop eating when] he has eaten close to three quarter’s of his full satisfaction.”  In other words, it is not bad to stay a bit hungry after we are done eating. It is actually a desirable habit.
We live in a time in which B”H most of us have no problem getting food in our tables. In America, for example, the main problem related to public health is not malnutrition (=not having enough food)  but overeating. Obesity has become epidemic and it is said to be the number one health hazard for millions of people.
Maimonides said this explicitly more than 800 years ago:
4:15: “Overeating (akhila gasa) is like poison to anyone’s body. It is the main source of all illness. Most illnesses which afflict a man are caused by harmful foods or by his filling his stomach and overeating, even of healthful foods. This was implied by King Solomon in his wisdom: ‘Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from distress’ Proverbas, Mishle, 21:23. ‘Guards his mouth’, from eating harmful food or overeating and guards ‘his tongue’ from speaking [about things] other than his needs.”
I left for the end of this Halakha what I consider to be the most comprehensive and practical of Maimonides’ statements referring to the habit of eating.
4:1 “Do not eat unless you’re hungry”.


Clint Eastwood, Shlomi and the Jewish people

November 21st, 2014

Two days ago, as Coty and I were leaving ‘Mamila’, near the Old City we met Shlomi, a young ‘cool’ Israeli taxi driver, probably 30 years old, didn’t look very religious. He had a sign in his windshield with his phone number (xxx 827 8120) and a smaller sign saying ‘Lo beShabbat’ which means, ‘this Taxi does not work on Shabbat…’

Knowing that Israeli taxi drivers are talkative, very friendly, and always updated about Israeli politics, I asked him about the military situation in the North: Hizbullah claims to have 20,000 missiles ready to attack; Syria is deploying its forces and of course, Iran is threatening Israel as a response to the US sanctions…

Very relaxed and with a big smile Shlomi said: “Don’t worry, my friend, nothing bad is going to happen..…”. And I said: “Why? Do you know anything about the Israeli army that the press doesn’t know or is not telling us?”

Surprisingly, he asked me: “Do you know who Clint Eastwood is?” I said: “Yes!”

He said: “Have you ever watched a Clint Eastwood movie”. Thinking about a ‘cowboys’ movie, I said: “Yes”.

And then Shlomi said:  “Have you ever seen Clint Eastwood dying in the movie? No. Right?. He can’t die because he is the main actor. The whole movie revolves around Clint Eastwood’s character. Without Clint Eastwood, the movie wouldn’t make any sense…. and we, AM ISRAEL -my friend- we are the ‘Clint Eastwood’ of the world’s movie. God, our Almighty movie Director, will never let Clint Eastwood disappear”. 

Shlomi, the taxi driver, calmed me down and strengthened my EMUNA, articulating the most amazing philosophical and uplifting argument about the role of the Jewish people I’ve ever heard in my life.