The meaning of the word “Barukh”

Last week we discussed the issue of Kavana, consciousness, and a level of a deeper understanding, beyond the words’ translation, which helps the person who prays to meditate on each word of the Amida.
First we “say” the word. We have to actually articulate the word and whisper it to ourselves, not just think about it. Once we say the word we need to “understand” its meaning. Then, we need to “stop on that word and delve into its meaning”, letting the word to inspire us back.
Let’s illustrate this idea with the word Barukh: Commonly translated as “Blessed” this word involves some difficulties even in its plain understanding. One can immediately notice that we cannot possibly bless God in the sense we bless another human being, wishing him or her well. Neither are we invocating God’s blessing to someone else, like we do in a Misheberakh or in Bircat Cohanim.
When we say Barukh we are acknowledging that God is the ultimate source of every blessing in our lives. Everything we have, beginning with our life, is a gift/blessing from God. Barukh inspires gratitude. And it invites us to find His presence in things that we take for granted. When taking seriously, thinking about Barukh or any other word in the Amida, could take us more than a few seconds.


Receiving Shabbat before it begins

7th of Shebat, 5770

Officially, Shabbat starts at sunset (Shekia). Sunset or sundown is when the sun disappears from the horizon. It wasn’t easy to know when does sunset time precisely occurs: it changes virtually every day and from location to location, even within the same State. Besides, if it is a cloudy day it could only be estimated. Nowadays, BH, we can know the exact time of sunset checking in any newspaper or online http://www.ou.org/holidays/calendar#calendar or calling 5167962626 (My Zmanin).

Although Shabbat officially begins at sunset, we receiveShabbat earlier than sunset time. Why? Because we have a Mitzva to add time to Shabbat, before it starts and after it finishes. So we take a few minutes before sunset and “convert them” into Shabbat time and we do the same at the end of Shabbat, extending Shabbat a few minutes after we see the 3 stars.
How long before sunset we should receive Shabbat? The conventional custom is to receive Shabbat 18 minutes before sunset. In case of need, however, one can still light the candles or do anything up to five minutes before sunset. The Mitzva of adding time does not specify how much time to add, as long as we add “some” time before sunset.

In most calendars, nowadays, we are given already the time of candle lighting time, which is 18 minutes before sunset. Today, Friday February 22 , 7th of Shebat, for example, sunset is at 4:59 and Candle Lighting 4:41.

Shabbat shalom!



Lending money and paying back (Part 2)

3rd of Shebat, 5770

It is forbidden for a borrower to spend the borrowed money recklessly (unnecessarily) in a way that the lender will not be able to recover the loan from him/her. This is true even if the lender is very wealthy; the Halakha does not permit to borrow without truly intending to repay.

When a person borrows money, the Halakha expects him/her to feel a very strong responsibility towards the lender, and to do everything to pay the lender back as soon as possible. After all, a loan is not a gift – the money still belongs to the lender. Just like the poor is not allowed to steal from the rich, so too is the rule regarding loans. Our Rabbis said “the money of your fellowman should be treated with the same care you would treat your own.”

ILLUSTRATION: Josh, having lost everything to the recession, asks David – whose wealth recently grew tenfold – for a loan. David lent Josh what he asked. Regardless of David’s wealth, Josh must act responsibly with this loan. He must care for David’s money as if it were his own, and repay him as soon as possible.



Lighting Shabbat Candles

29th of Tebet, 5770
The Mitzvah of lighting the Shabbat candles is one of the special Mitzvot of a Jewish woman. Our Rabbis instituted this Mitzvah to honor the Shabbat and promote Shalom Bayit, peace at home. The traditional custom is to light two candles, one represents ”Shamor” and the other one represents “Zakhor”.

 

“Shamor” and “Zakhor” are the two versions of the first word of the fourth commandment. “Shamor” means, to keep Shabbat, in the sense of keeping ourselves from transgressing the Shabbat by working or doing any forbidden Melakha (creative task). “Zakhor” means “remember” in the sense of honoring Shabbat using festive clothing , having special food and mainly welcoming it with the Kiddush and honoring its departure by the Habdalah ceremony, same as one would do with an important guest: welcoming when he comes and honoring him as he leaves.

 

Although the woman of the house has priority to light Shabbat candles, if she is away from home the husband or one of the adult members of the family could light the candles as well.

 

Single girls or boys, when away from home, if for example they have to spend Shabbat in the dorms, or a husband that spends Shabbat in a Hotel room overseas, should light the candles and say the blessing for it.
Shabbat Shalom!


Preparing ourselves to pray

26th of Tebet, 5770
The Amida is the most important prayer. It is said every day, three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening.
In preparation for the Amida we have to visualize that we are in front of the King of Kings. This is one of the reasons we say the Amida facing Jerusalem. Because it is in Yerushalaim where the divine presence dwells.
The name of this prayer Amida means “standing” because in the Jewish the protocol a servant stands in front of his King, hisfeet firmly together and bowing down his head a little. (For the same reason, some people would also place their hands on the middle of the chest, the right hand holding the left closed fist). Strictly speaking, Amida means: standing at Your service/waiting for Your command.
Normally, you should hold a Siddur in your hands and read the Amida, word by word from it. However, if you know the Amida by heart, you should close your eyes to better concentrate in the words that you’re saying.
The Amida is said quietly, so low no one else could hear your words, so loud you could hear your own whispering.


Lending money and paying back (Part 1)

25th of Tebet, 5770

One of the 613 Mitzvot is lending money, without interest, to a fellow Jew who needs it. Helping a needy person through a free loan is the highest form of Tzedaka. However, harassing a needy person into paying back the loan when one knows he/she lacks the money at the moment is a very grave transgression.

ILLUSTRATION: David, knowing that Josh’s business is in the verge of insolvency, offers to lend him the $10k needed to keep afloat. “You’ll pay me when things get better again” said David to Josh.
David has just fulfilled a great Mitzva. Not only did David help a fellow Jew financially, but he did this without affecting Josh’s dignity. In fact, he prevented Josh from getting to the point that he would need to ask for financial help.
As long as David knows that Josh cannot yet repay the loan, he is forbidden from harassing Josh. The Halakha is that David cannot even “inadvertently” pass by Josh’s place in order to remind him of the loan, if David knows that Josh doesn’t yet have the money.
On the other hand, Josh is forbidden from withholding payment longer than necessary. In other words, if Josh does have the money, it is forbidden for him to unduly delay paying back David.


Checking the Mezuzah

15th of Tebet, 5770

A Mezuzah must be examined at least twice every seven years. Temperature and weather changes, as well as age, may cause the ink to fade and crack, thereby invalidating the Mezuzah.
If a mistake is found, the Mezuzah cannot be fixed. In other words, if even one letter is missing, written in the wrong way or corrupted (by humidity, mold, etc) it cannot be added or written back. The Mezuzah needs to be replaced.
If you change your Mezuzah or even affix your old Mezuzah back after it has been examined, you have to say the Berakha again … LIKBOA MEZUZAH.
If you have one or two Mezuzot to check, you could ask your rabbi to check them for you. If you have more than that, it is recommended to send them to a professional scribe.

Recommended Link: http://www.learn613.com/mezuzah.pdf
Watch Checking Mezuzot (0:34) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKXA-ymV-4I



Birkat haMezuza

14th of Tebet 5770

Before reciting the blessing, the case with the Mezuzah enclosed should be held against the doorpost — ready to turn the first screw or tap in the first nail. If using glue or foam tape, be prepared to firmly affix the case on the doorpost immediately upon completing the blessing. (Tape that would easily fall off if bumped into is regarded as too temporary to be considered “affixed”)
Once the Mezuzah is in position, but before affixing it to the doorpost, the following blessing is recited:
Baruch Ata Ado-nay, Elo-henu Melekh Ha’olam, asher kid’shanu bi’misvo-tav, ve’sivanu leek-bo-a Mezuzah.
(Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His Mitzvot, and commanded us to affix a Mezuzah).
If you are hanging many Mezuzot at the same time, you would say one blessing on the first Mezuzah -usually the front door- and include in that blessing the remaining Mezuzot. In the Mashadi community, however, families have different Minhaguim on this issue. (Ask a rabbi).
A woman can place the Mezuzah and say the blessing by herself. But when other people are present is not customary, for reasons of modesty.
Recommended reading on various subjects: http://www.aish.com/sp/so/80048777.html


One Mezuzah in each room?

13th of Tebet, 5770

The custom today is to put a Mezuzah on virtually every door of the house. Therefore, a Jewish home has Mezuzot on the front and side doors, porch, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, playroom, etc. The exceptions are: Bathrooms and rooms with an area smaller than 36 square feet. If a room has more than one door, one Mezuzah is required for every door.

On an entrance without a door we should put a Mezuzah but without saying a berakha for that specific Mezuzah, because this is a case of a Halakhic controversy (Machloket between HaRambam and the Rosh). Alternatively, when affixing another Mezuzah in the house and saying the berakha for it, have in mind the entrance Mezuzah and affix it afterwards.

In addition to private places of residence, a Mezuzah should also be affixed in businesses, offices and stores, when they belong to a Jewish owner.

Read: “Mezuzah and surveillance” http://www.aish.com/jl/m/48971621.html



Kosher Mezuzah

12th of Tebet, 5770
The Mezuzah is a handwritten scroll, written on genuine parchment, prepared from the skin of a kosher animal, that contains the first two parts of the Shema Israel. A Mezuah written on paper; a printed Mezuzah or a Xeroxed Mezuzah are not Kosher. The Mezuzah should be written by a Sofer. This scribe carefully writes the words using special black ink and a quill pen. The letters must be written according to strict Halakhic rules and any mistakes or missing letters invalidates the entire parchment.

It is not possible to know if a Mezuzah is kosher just by looking at it, since part of its being kosher has to do with the scribe who wrote it, his knowledge and his thoughts at the time of writing the Mezuzah. Mezuzah requires a human hand and a clean Jewish mind. (Mezuzah is one of those few things that cannot be made by machines or be mass produced in China!). It is for this reason that one should buy a Mezuzah exclusively from a trustful God-fearing person.
A professional scribe is usually certified by “Vaad Mishmeret Stam”.

FYI see this interesting article: http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/orgs/stam/guide2.htm