The new day, in the Hebrew calendar, begins at some point between sunset and nightfall. Nightfall is defined as the time when is so dark that three medium size stars are visible in a clear sky. The length between sunset and nightfall is relative to the geographical location and the season of the year (for a great technical discussion about this issue see minhat cohen, by Rabbi Abraham haCohen Pimentel, Amsterdam 1668). In Israel, for example, this time is calculated at approximately 15 minutes. In New York, approximately 30 minutes. The window between sunset and nightfall is known as twilight or ben haShemashot.

Again, the new Hebrew day, any day, begins at some point between sunset and nightfall. This exact point cannot be established Halakhically. But we know that (i) the previous day does not end before nightfall and (ii) the next day does not begin before sunset.

The rabbis, therefore, established that Shabbat begins at sunset and ends at nightfall, i.e., the strictest possible consideration.

There is another element to bear in mind in order to understand the standard time Shabbat begins and Shabbat ends: our tradition (based on TB, Yoma 81b) is to add time to Shabbat, at the beginning and at the end of it. In other words, although Shabbat officially begins at sunset, we receive Shabbat before sunset. And although Shabbat ends at nightfall, we delay the end of Shabbat for a few minutes after nightfall.

In New York, for example, sunset is today at 4:57p.m.. The “conventional” custom is to receive Shabbat 18 minutes before sunset, i.e., 4:39 p.m. However, if we did not receive Shabbat at 4:39 p.m. we can still receive Shabbat a few minutes later (if, for instance we need to drive, cook, etc)  as long as (i) we add a few minutes to Shabbat and (ii) we don’t cross the sunset line.

(To be continued…)

* Calculating the end of Shabbat at 40 minutes after sunset. In many communities the end of Shabbat is determined at 50 minutes or more after sunset. 

Previously, we explained that according to Jewish tradition in the times of the Mashiaḥ the Jewish people will live in Israel in an independent state,  ruled by the Mashiaḥ, a descendant of King David.

Maimonides (in his Pirush haMishnayot and MT) writes;

“Our sages did not long for the Messianic age in order that the Jews might rule the world and dominate the gentiles.  They did not desire that the nations should honor them, etc. They only hope for one thing: to be free to involve themselves in the Tora and its wisdom. They wanted nothing to disturb them or distract them, so that they should be able to strive to become worthy of the life in World to Come (‘olam habba)”.

“Do not think that the ways of the world or the laws of nature will change in the Messianic times. This is not true. The world will continue as it is. It is true that the Prophet Isaiah predicted ‘The wolf will live with the sheep…’, this, however, is merely an allegory that the Jews [the sheep] will live safely, even with the nations that are like wolves [who wish to devour Israel]. War will no longer exist, as the prophet (Isaiah 2:4) says ‘Nation shall no longer lift up sword against nation’.”

“They will no be changes in nature. People will live longer lives but they will eventually get sick and die. The Mashiaḥ’s kingdom will last for a very long time, This is because mans lifetime will be vastly extended. Worries and troubles will no longer exist, and therefore people will live much longer. The Mashiaḥ, obviously, will also die (Isaiah 42:4), and his son will rule in his place.”

“It will be a time when the number of wise men will increase. ‘All the world will be filled with knowledge’ (Isaiah 11:9). The main occupation of humanity will only be to know God. The Jews will therefore become great sages, know many hidden things, and achieve the greatest understanding of God possible for a mortal human being.”

 

 

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Cairo was also home to an Ashkenazi community, which was founded in the aftermath of the progroms that hit Europe in the latter part of the 19th century.  The Ashkenazi community had its own Synagogue where they would hold services according to their customs and traditions.  Still the basic community services (cemetery, sheḥita, education) were provided by the  Sephardic community for both. In 1893 the lay leaders of the Ashkenazi community decided to have their own services. Rabbi ben Shimon (1847-1928) did not refuse and the Sephardic community gave the Ashkenazi community a parcel in the cemetery for free.  They also appointed their own Rabbi, Rabbi Rafael Ginzburg, who passed away three years after his appointment. At the end of the 19th century he was succeeded by Rabbi Aharon Mendel haCohen, a great rabbinical scholar from Tiberia. Rabbi ben Shimon and rabbi Mendel worked together for the benefit of the Jewish community. Rabbi Ben Shimon brought Rabbi Mendel as part of his Bet Din (rabbinical court). Even though Rabbi Ben Shimon in his position as the Chief rabbi of Egypt, appointed in 1893 by the Turkish Sultan, was technically the single authority of the entire Jewish community, before he issued a new rule, he would consult with rabbi Mendel and seek his approval.  The relationship and camaraderie between the two Rabbis was known as an example of team-work and mutual respect between a Sephardic and an Ashkenazi rabbi.

Even when they would disagree on certain issues, they would still respect each other greatly. In 1903, rabbi Mendel together with rabbi Zvi Makowsky (va-ashiba shofetaikh) planned to reestablish the Sanhedrin (ḥiddush hasemikha), i.e., a universal Rabbinical Supreme Court that, among other things, would (i) resolve all the disagreements between Rabbis and arrive at one final Halakhic decision, mandatory for all (ii) appoint community rabbis who will act on behalf of this Sanhedrin. Rabbi Ben Shimon was very enthusiastic about the idea in general, but he was skeptic about its realization.  In a  beautiful letter addressed to rabbi Mendel (which could be found in nehar miṣrayim B, pp. 583-587) he tried to dissuade him. Rabbi ben Shimon’s opposition to this idea was based purely on pragmatic grounds: In present times –he said– with so many divisions among the Jews, it will be impossible to persuade all the Rabbinical and lay leaders to surrender their local authority and empower one single entity above them.   Unfortunately, Rabbi ben Shimon was right and the project never came to fruition.

 Read more  HERE about past and present attempts to renew the Sanhedrin

“Blessed are You haShem. our God, King of the universe,  Who gives strength to those who are exhausted. “

Following the same idea of birkot hashaḥar, this blessing too describes what we do or experience when we wake up in the morning. In this case, the feeling that last night we were exhausted and, thanks God, in the morning we feel reenergized and ready to start a new day.

Our rabbis were very conscious of the positive effects of sleep for the renewal of our energy. Analyzing the verse “And God saw all He had made and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31) R. Shimon bar Yoḥai said: “very good” refers to sleep. As explained by R. Menashe ben Israel in The Conciliator: “Sleep is good for although it suspends the operation of the nobler faculties of the soul, yet the repose obtained by it gives fresh vigor and strength for study and the exercise of the arts and virtues.”

There is a technical issue with this particular blessing: unlike all other blessings we recite today in birkot hashaḥar, this blessing was not mentioned in the Talmud or Maimonides. The bet yosef actually questions its recitation and in some Sephardic Siddurim this berakha is not found.

In his book Keter Shem Tob (p.19) , Rabbi Shem Tob Gaguin (see here) says that in his opinion this berakha must have been formulated “in times of religious persecution, when the Jews were mistreated and tortured to renounce to their faith and convert to a different religion.” The Jews still persisted because God renewed their courage and gave them the strength to endure such suffering. An additional proof for this idea seems to be the context in which the words noten laya’ef koaḥ  appear in the Scripture (Isaiah 40: 29 and 31):  “HaShem gives power to the faint…they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run [escaping from the enemy] and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”

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Lighting Shabbat candles is a rabbinical decree. The candles should be lit mainly to have light in the room where the family will have dinner.   The Shulḥan Arukh, however, says (OH, 263:6) that a single young student who lives outside home should light a candle in his bedroom [the same applies for a girl] saying the blessing for it.  In other words, if dinner takes place in a different place, then both places should have their candles lit.

The same principle applies in a case of an Hotel, when we eat in the Hotel’s dinning room and we sleep in our own room, we need to have a candle in both.  Rabbi Obadia Yosef (yalqut yosef, Shabbat 1, p.148) clarifies that if the Hotel does not allow to have a candle lit in the room, for safety reasons, one should leave an electrical light lit, and before turning it on, the correspondent blessing should be said.

Now, as to the Hotel’s dinning room, while there is an obligation to have candles lit there, there is no “personal” obligation to light a candle in the dinning room. In other words, if someone else already lit a candle in the dinning room, there is not need for me or my wife to light another candle.

However, if someone still wants to light an additional candle in the dining room, then, there is a difference of opinion between the Sephardic and Ashkenazi tradition.  Sephardim do not say a berakha for lighting an additional candle (OH 263:8) because it is considered an unnecessary berakha [berakha lebatala]. While the Ashkenazi tradition (Rama, idem) holds that one should recite the berakha on an additional candle [tosefet ora], because it adds to the splendor and enjoyment of Shabbat.

   Previously, we described what the characteristics of the Mashiaḥ are (see this). Today, within the 12th principle, we will touch upon the subject of messianic times, in other words, what do we Jews believe that will happen with us and with the world in the times of the Mashiaḥ?

Maimonides (Mishna Sanhedrin 10:1, written ca. 1160 CE) explains that : “In the messianic age, Jews will regain their independence and all return to the land of Israel. The Messiah will be a great King whose government will be in Zion (=Jerusalem).”

Besides political independence: “Nothing will change in the Messianic age…Rich and poor,strong and weak, will still exist in the Messianic age.It will be easier for people to make a living, however, and with very little effort they will be able to accomplish very much.”  

Maimonides also clarifies why the Jews desire so much the messianic age “We do not hope and long for the messianic age in order that we might have much grain and wealth. We do not want it so that we will be abel to ride horses and indulge in wine and songs, as those with confused ideas believe…. The main benefit of the Messianic age will be that we will no longer be under the subjugation of foreign governments who prevent us from keeping all the commandments.”  

In the words of rabbi Hayim Pereira Mendes (written ca. 1905):“The Messiah will be king in the sense of the Hebrew word, which means a “leader,” or “guide,” or “captain,” the head of our government so far as government is required for law and order. He will be identified with the restoration of Palestine to the Hebrews, and the reconstruction of the Hebrew nation, when “the Lord will set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people,” “will assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isa, xi, 11-12).”

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כשלובש את בגדיו הוא אומר:  מלביש ערומים

Previously (see here) we have explained that the Birkot haShaḥar  are organized as a careful description of all the steps that we take when we wake up every morning, from the moment we regain consciousness. We praise HaShem for our sight, for our working body, for our erected posture, etc.

Today we will explore the blessing in which we praise (and thank!) God for providing us with clothing. “Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, Who clothes those who are naked”. The rabbis established this blessing to be said when we are getting dressed, upon getting out of bed.

Humans are the only mammals that were created without fur.Every other mammal have a dense covering of fur. Primates included, from the short black pelage of the howler monkey to the flowing copper coat of the orangutan. Anthropologists are at odds over how to explain from an evolutionary point of view that humans have no fur. Because they find it impossible to imagine any benefits provided to naked people by natural selection.  In his “The descent of man and selection in relation to sex” Charles Darwin himself was convinced that no naturally selected advantage could be cited as evidence for the lack of body-fur in humans.

When saying this berakha we remember that unlike other creatures, we have a unique dependency on clothing and that God Himself made for Adam and Eve their first clothes (Gen. 3:21), an act that the Rabbis understood as an expression of compassion and love from our Creator to us (Abuderham, 14th century). Every morning, we acknowledge that–directly or indirectly– it is thanks to Him that we have clothes to cover our bodies and protect ourselves from the inclemencies of the weather.  Incidentally, this berakha also reminds us that we are commanded to imitate HaShem’s actions, providing clothing and other basic needs to those who lack the means to take care of themselves.