SHABBAT: From fire to electricity (Part 3)

 

Previously, we have explained that lighting a fire on Shabbat is one of the 39 forbidden works or melakhot (see here).  In order to understand the source of the contemporary prohibition of using electricity during Shabbat, we have to examine the ways modern Rabbis have analyzed the similarities between fire and electricity.
The first Halakhic principle to bear in mind is that each one of the 39 melakhot includes ‘toledot’, which means, activities that are also forbidden on Shabbat as an extension of the 39 Biblical prohibitions, either because they are similar to the melakhot in their nature or in what they produce.
Two examples:
1. The melakha of ‘writing’ extends to the act of ‘printing’ (ketiba ‘al yede chotemet) or drawing letters.
2. Trimming the dry branches of a vineyard is forbidden as an extension of zorea’, planting (sic!), since the objective of this trimming is to facilitate the tree’s growth.
The question now is if we should classify the activation of an incandescent light (=light produced by heat) as an extension (tolada) of the Biblical prohibition of lighting a fire .
Modern Rabbis have expressed different views on this matter.
Most Rabbis have classified the turning-on of an incandescent light as the extension of the prohibition of lighting a fire. They based their opinion in the fact that two thousand years ago the Rabbis already ruled against using on Shabbat a “heated metal-pot removed from the fire” to heat water (See Shabbat 41a) .
Based on that Mishna and other Talmudic sources Maimonides asserted: “One who heats a metal-bar to temper in it water has violated the Biblical prohibition of lighting a flame” .
This is the closest Halakhic precedent we have in which a ‘heated element’, other that direct-fire is considered as fire itself, i.e., a tolada of lighting a fire.
(to be continued…)
Shabbat Shalom!!!
Candle lighting in NYC:  8:12 PM
Shabbat Ends in NYC:     9:20 PM
 READ: “Your airplanes shall rest on Shabbat”  Recalling the day when Menachem Begin stopped Israel’s national airline, El Al, from flying on Shabbat by Yehuda Avner from Aish
  


THE EIGHTH PRINCIPLE: The Tora is from Heaven

 

Last week we explained that the Eighth of the 13 Principles of Judaism asserts that the Tora that we now have is the same that was give to Moshe (see here).

 

Our belief is that the Tora was written by Moshe but authored by God Himself. In other words, we Jews believe that there is nothing that Moshe added from himself. No passages, words or even letters were added or written by Moshe’s own mind.

 

 

There are three categories of Sacred Books in our Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). To the third category belong the books (Ketubim) which were written and authored by men who were inspired by God. This is what we call in Hebrew Ruach haKodesh or “by Divine Inspiration”. Tehilim (the Psalms of King David) or Mishle (Proverbs of King Solomon), etc. belong to this category. 

 

In the second and higher category we have the books of the Prophets. These books were written by nebu-a or prophecy, i.e., a vision, a message or a dream coming from God. Sometimes the Prophets wrote the God-given visions in their own words and according to their own personal perception, and sometimes they quoted verbatim the Divine words that they heard in those visions (such words are usually introduced by the terms: ne-um haShem, i.e., “that says God”).
The Tora or Pentateuch is unique and belongs to the first and highest category. The Tora contains the words of God Himself.  In the words of Maimonides “Moshe wrote the entire Tora with his own hand shortly before he passed away. He gave a copy to each tribe and another Tora was placed in the Ark of Testimony…. When the Tora was transmitted to Moshe, Moshe merely wrote it down, like a secretary taking dictation“.
 
 
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RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Stealing people’s mind

In the previous weeks we explained the prohibition of lying. Today we will start to explore a similar concept which is called in Hebrew genebat da’at. genebat da’at could be understood as a form of “stealing” (stealing one’s mind).As such, this prohibition is learn from the pasuq in Vayqra lo tignobu (19:11) “You shall not steal”.

It is important to clarify that this prohibition is different from the Eighth of the Ten Commandments. The Eighth Commandment is understood in Judaism in the context of “stealing another human being”, in other words “kidnapping”, while the Pasuq in Vayiqra applies to stealing valuables.

In any case, some Rabbis (Ritba) explained that the pasuq of Vaiqra also extends to other forms of stealing, among them genebat da’at, stealing people’s mind. Other Rabbis asserted that the source of genebat da’at is a different Mitzva (Vayqra 19:18) “And you shall love your fellowman as yourself”, which means, do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you. Stealing one’s mind is different from stealing, because the intention is not to steal money from the victim. Stealing people’s minds is when I pretend that I care about someone and I do everything as if I’m trying to help that person, but after all, I just care about my own interest, which I will do every possible effort to conceal.

A common example of the transgression of genebat da’at is if a politician disguises his own personal interest and agendas, and acts as if he would care just for the poor or the weak, etc. concealing his intention for advancing his own private agenda. To achieve that, such a politician would hire professionals to teach him techniques to create a convenient perception in the public’s opinion and to build a image of himself as champion of somebody else’s cause. Obviously, genebat da’at does not occur solely in the world of politics, it could also take place in the world of business, in dating, in our social life, and much more. (to be continued…) From the book Penine Halakha



Gold, silver, and stones

 

We explained previously that the general custom today in most Jewish communities is to use a ring for the act of Kiddushin (see here), which will be giving to the bride by the groom.  The general custom is to use a gold ring, since gold is a noble metal, and according to some Rabbis, because gold is a metal associated with the Gan Eden (see Bereshit 2:11), where the first couple lived harmoniously.
In some communities they use a silver ring (Ben Ish Chay), however, Bet Yosef mentions that a silver ring should not be used (Eben haEzer 30). in any case it is important that the true metal out of which the ring is made not be disguised (gold plated, etc). The true value of the ring should be perfectly obvious because the qinyan kiddushin (=the legal procedure of the marriage) is not done with the ring itself but with the monetary value of the ring, and the bride should be able to ascertain the value of the ring at a glance.
For the same reason, it is a long established custom not to to use a ring that has any kind of stone in it. A stone is a blind item whose value is not readily apparent.   Some Rabbis explain that the reason–perhaps, an additional reason, which was mentioned by Keter Shem Tob–for not using a ring with a stone, was so as not to embarrass a poor groom which might not be able to afford a ring with a stone. So every Jewish groom uses a ring which is affordable for everyone else.
It is also customary to use a simple ring without any design, inscriptions or engravings.  An engraving or design can modify the ring value in a way that is not easily ascertainable. In our community although we tell the groom to bring simple ring if involuntarily they bring an engraved ring we still use it normally.
 (Adapted from “Made in Heaven”, by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan)


THE 13 PRINCIPLES: #8. The accuracy of the Biblical Text

The Eighth of the Thirteen principles of Jewish faith asserts that the Tora which at present time is in our possession is the same that was given to Moshe Rabbenu (Moses) in Sinai.
The Tora, as we have it today, contains the words which God gave to Moses. These words have been preserved all these centuries by the care of our scribes or writers (Soferim), our rabbis and other learned and pious men. The scribes were called Soferim, a term related to “counting”, not “writing”, because they counted the letters of the Tora. From a very early time we know by actual count how many sentences, words and letters are in each of the five books of the Tora. We know also how many times each letter is used. We reproduce in every copy the exceptional letters, those enlarged or reduced letters, etc.  A scroll of the Tora found incorrect or missing one single letter is not used in public worship until corrected. These are all precautions adopted to secure the accuracy of the text and that no alterations whatsoever take place.
I have a personal simple example to show how knowing the number of letters reassures the accuracy of the transmission of a word.  My email is “rabbibitton@yahoo…”.  When I dictate the first part of my email address to someone over the phone I always clarify and say: “one word, 11 letters”. Many times they tell me that they counted the letters and then they realize that they have to write a double “t”.  Knowing the exact number of letters prevents mistakes which could be made in such areas. Bear in mind that in Biblical Hebrew you can write the VAV or the YOD, or omit them (chaserot veyeterot) without altering the meaning of the word. That is why it was so critical to know the exact number of the letters in order to preserve the precise text during centuries of exiles, persecutions, etc.
Adapted from the book:  Jewish Religion Ethically Presented, by Rabbi Hayim Pereira Mendes. 
(To be continued…)
 
                          Words                Letters          
Bereshit              20,512                78,064
Shemot               16,723                63,529
Vayqra               11,950                 44,790
Bamidbar           16,398                 63,530
Debarim             14,294                 54,892
TOTAL             79,847                304,805

 



Emmanuel Hai Ricci (1688-1743)

Rabbi Ricci (or Riqi) was born in Ferrara, Italy. When he was six his father died and his mother’s brother, Jedidia Rabbino, undertook to provide for the family and the education of the children. On Rabbino’s death his son took charge of the family and married Ricci’s sister. At the age of 20 Rabbi Ricci began to travel around various Italian cities, making his living as a teacher.  In 1717 he was ordained rabbi in Trieste by R. Hillel Ashkenazi.
He then settled in Israel but because of a plague that ravaged the country, in which his daughter died, Rabbi Ricci left Eretz Israel. On his way back to Italy, his ship was captured and taken to Tripoli, but he was released after 40 days. He settled in Leghorn, but later journeyed to Smyrna, Salonika, Constantinople, and London. He spent two years in Aleppo and in 1737 he arrived in Jerusalem, where he stayed for three years. In 1741 he returned to Leghorn to settle business matters connected with his books. While on one of his trips he was murdered by robbers.
His books, in the order in which they were written, are
(1) Ma’ase Chosheb (Venice, 1716), a commentary on the building of the Mishkan, the tabernacle built in the desert
(2) Chosheb Machashabot (Amsterdam, 1727), on the technical Halakhic issues which bear no Biblical textual source,  known as Halakha leMoshe miSinai, like the size of a mikveh or some specifics of the Tefilin, etc. The book also analyzes homiletic commentaries on the Bible and Talmud;
(3) Hon ‘Ashir (Amsterdam, 1731), this is probably his main work, a commentary on the six orders of the Mishna, written in Gorizia and completed and expanded in Safed.
Click here Download Rabbi Ricci’s main work, HON ASHIR, on the Mishna, from Hebrewbooks.org 
See a new edition here
Rabbi Ricci also composed a famous Kabbalistic work: Mishnat Chasidim (Amsterdam, 1727), a book modeled on the six orders of the Mishnah, with each order divided into tractates. Rabbi Ricci considered that the act of Creation lies beyond the power of human understanding and arrived at the conclusion that the Kabbalistic idea of tzimtzum (withdrawal) is essentially metaphorical, based on the pasuq: melo kol ha-aretz kebodo as referring to the providence of God, which is found everywhere. 


RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Can we lie to avoid embarrasment?

The Tora instructed us to stick to the truth and stay away from lies. We have already seen, however, that in some exceptional cases the Rabbis acknowledged that it was permitted or even recommended to withhold the true facts (see here).
The Rabbis also considered that when a person is faced with an embarrassing situation, he is also allowed to change the story. For example, if a person goes to an hospital to see a doctor or a therapist and he does not want people to know about his or her specific problem, and he meets his neighbor in the hospital, he is allowed to withhold the truth and conceal the real reason for his visit to the hospital.
It is important to remember that all the exceptions we have mentioned so far, i.e., all the cases in which we can depart from the truth, refer to situations where our narrative does not affect, damages or hurts somebody else. If there are two partners, in a business, for example, and one of them made a mistake that somehow affects the company, he can not conceal his mistake from his partner adducing embarrassment.
Similarly, a son or a daughter should not lie to his or her parents (or teachers) in an attempt to avoid embarrassment. Adults are supposed to know (and accept!) that a son or a student might fail or make a mistake. And adults are there to guide and teach him or her to learn from mistakes.
By the way, we see how important is for parents to praise our children when, despite the embarrassment, they dare to tell us the truth. When children find a mature, confident and empathetic adult that helps the child processing his embarrassment in a positive way, learning for the future, in all likelihood, that child will have no reason to hide his mistakes from his parents, and he will be in a better position to avoid repeating them in the future.  


HUPA: Why the ring?

As we previously explained, it is an ancient custom to use a ring for the wedding ceremony to do the Kiddushin or consecration of the wife (see here).   According to some authorities (Tosafot) a ring was the normal means of binding a marriage, even in the time of the patriarchs as it could be interpreted from the story of Yehuda and Tamar (Bereshit 38:18).
Today the custom of the wedding ring or band is almost universal. However there are some communities that use a coin rather than a ring for marriage. For example, in some Syrian and Iraqi communities this is the prevalent custom (Ben Ish Chay).  In the times of rabbi Sa’adia Gaon the tradition was to make the kiddushin with the cup over which the wine blessing was said.  In other places, like Georgia (in Eurasia) it was the custom to place the ring in a cup. 
One of the reasons why a ring is used is that a ring is worn all the time, as a permanent reminder of love and commitment.  The rabbis compared the pact between God and Israel as a wedding. Every Jew, when he wears the Tefilin,  winds the straps around his middle finger saying: “ve-erastikh li le’olam…. “., “I (=God) will betroth you for ever” etc.,  symbolizing that in the same way the wedding band represents the permanent union between husband and wife, the Tefilin is a symbol of the constant love and commitment between Israel and God.  
A very original reason brought by Keter Shem Tob for using a ring is that giving a ring symbolizes giving over of authority. Pharaoh transfered his authority to Yosef and so did Achashverosh with Haman and later to Esther: the monarchs were empowering them and giving them authority over their kingdom. Similarly,  “In giving his wife a ring, the husband is symbolically giving her authority over his household and everything else that is his. From that moment on, everything in their lives will be shared”. 
(Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, “Made in Heaven”). 


CHUPA: The wedding ring

Once the Rabbi who presides the wedding (Mesadder Kiddushin) pronounces the first two blessings (see here), the ceremony of Kiddushin (=consecration) takes place.  The consecration of the bride is done by the means of a qinyan (a legal process) by which the bride and the groom are officially engaged.

This qinyan could be done in a different ways. For example, by the groom giving the bride a document (shetar) that states his intention to betroth her in accordance to Jewish Law. Alternatively, it could be done by the groom giving to the bride anything of a minimal value, not necessarily a ring. However, the custom in our days is that the qinyan Kiddushin is performed by giving a ring–the wedding band–to the bride.
There are different traditions regarding the metal used for the band. In some communities they would require to use only a band made of gold, or silver, etc.  In our community we allow any metal. The ring, however, should be plain without any stones or accessories. This is why grooms would refrain from having any inscriptions on the back of the ring, so its value is clear and visible.
If the ring is lost and could not be found, technically, any other ring or anything of a minimal value could be used by the groom to formalize the act of Kiddushin. Provided the object by which the Kiddushin is performed belongs formally to the groom. This is the reason the Rabbi would make sure that the ring belongs to the groom and, for example, he has not yet given it to the bride, etc.
It is only the groom that gives a ring to the bride. In our community we ask the groom to wear his own ring (if he wishes to do so) before the Chupa begins.
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THE 13 PRINCIPLES. # 7. Moshe reached the highest level of Prophecy

 

Previously, we explained that we Jews believe that Moshe attained the highest level of prophecy (see here).
One of the differences between Moshe and all other prophets was that Moshe could receive Prophecy whenever he wished.  He did not need to bring himself to a state of prophetic concentration since he was in a permanent state of prophetic concentration (See, Rambam, Yesode haTora 7:6).
I will explain this concept with an example.
Prophecy is a phone-call from God.    Now, you can only get a phone call, any phone call, if you have a functioning phone.  To be a prophet, one had to reach the highest level of huan perfection (remember: “wealth, wisdom and strength”?  See here).  In this sense, “to have a phone” means to have reached this high level of human perfection.   Many people mightimagine that they receive (or deserve to receive) a message from God. Which in light of what I just explained, it might be considered a bit arrogant, unless one feels that he or she have actually achieved that level of human perfection. Without that “phone” you can not receive God’s message!
Now, once an individual possesses ‘an active phone’, he will not necessarily get a call from HaShem!  Being a prophet means “achieving a level which deserves prophecy”, not necessarily the actual reception of a prophetic message. Calling or not calling the prophet is God’s prerogative: “All prophets (except Moshe) could not receive prophecy whenever they desired. It all depended on God’s will. A prophet might wait days and years, and still not receive prophecy” (Rambam, commentary to the Mishna).
Moshe Rabbenu, however, could receive a call from God at will. “Whenever he wished, he could be enveloped by divine inspiration, and prophecy will descend upon him” (Yesode haTora 7:6) enabling him to be in constant contact with God.
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