PESAH: Why Matza?

In just a few days, on Wednesday, April 5th, in the evening, we will begin the celebration of Pesach. As mentioned below, there are eight biblical precepts in Pesach. The first two are “Telling the story of our redemption from Egypt ” and “Consuming Matsa.” In the following lines, we will try to understand this second commandment a little better.

The most characteristic Mitsva of Pesach is the consumption of Matsa. The Matsa replaces the “bread,” and in fact, it is a “bread,” but flat and with no spongy crumb. It is made without waiting for the dough to rise through the normal fermentation process and without adding yeast. Now then, why do we eat Matsa on Pesach?

There are two reasons. One of them is explicitly mentioned in the Tora. The second reason, less known, is briefly mentioned at the beginning of the Haggada that we read at the Seder.

THE POOR MAN’S BREAD (לחם עוני)

Let’s start with what the Haggada says. For many years, when we lived enslaved in Egypt, we only ate Matsa: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This low-cost “bread” – called at the beginning of the Haggada ‘Lachmá aniyá or ‘poor man’s bread’ – has no yeast, salt, or additives. The Matsa was the food conceived by the cruel Egyptian masters as the ideal food for Jewish slaves. It was not a nutritious or balanced meal, but it was digested slowly and lasted longer in the stomachs of Jewish slaves, who thus complained less about hunger. Matsa was also the lowest-cost food that could be produced: all that was needed to prepare Matsa was flour and water, two of the cheapest and most abundant elements on the banks of the Nile. In selecting the Matsot as the food for slaves, there was an additional purpose related to the psychological torture of the Jews: the time factor. Normally, to produce a common bread, the dough should rest for about 20 minutes, and only then, once the dough rises due to fermentation, it is placed in the oven. But the Egyptian masters did not want to give the Jews a twenty minutes lunchtime: the Hebrew slaves had to prepare the dough and bake it immediately, as it was, so no work time was going to waste. The improvised flat “bread” obtained thru this process was flavorless and did not have the smell of freshly baked bread, a luxury reserved for the masters. We probably ate Matsot in this way for at least three or four generations. The Haggadah reminds us of this by indicating that the Matsa we eat at the Seder “is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in Egypt.” The experience of eating only Matsa for so many years, and its psychological effect, was engraved in our memory. When we eat the Matsa, we reexperience the flavor of captivity.

THE OTHER MATSA

The explicit reason that the Tora mentions regarding Matsa is different: at the time of our exodus from Egypt, “we also ate Matsa.” Why? Because the order to leave Egypt occurred ‘suddenly’ (bechipazón), on the night of the 15th of Nisan, after the last plague, when Pharaoh finally gave in after so many refusals and negotiations, practically expelling us from his territory. The exodus from Egypt was a “lightning operation” that lasted only a few hours. Let’s try to visualize it: we have to get ready to leave our homes for ever and leave behind all our possessions. We know we are going to the desert, but we don’t know for how long we are going to walk. The most urgent thing we need, apart from water, is food for the journey. And we have just a couple of hours to get ready. We need to prepare as much food as possible in no time: who can patiently wait twenty minutes for each dough to rise? And so, when we left Egypt, we did not take bread with us but carried the Matsot on our shoulders. This event created an emotional memory in our DNA that the Tora immortalized with the commandment to eating Matsot at the Pesach Seder. Many Sephardim Jews dramatize this unforgettable event repeating at the Seder the words of the Tora משארותם צרורות. Watch this video of a teacher in a Sephardic school in Mexico teaching his students to pretend taking the Matsot on their shoulder and say (in Arabic): Where do you come from? From Egipt. And where are you going? To Yerushalayim!

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

Some time ago, while teaching Masechet Rosh Hashanah, I noticed a detail that I hadn’t paid attention to it in previous years. The Sages say that our slavery did not end on Pesach, that is, in the month of Nisan: the forced labor was interrupted on Rosh haShana of that year, that is, 6 months before the departure from Egypt (this fact is also referenced in the psalm of Tehillim that we recite on Rosh haShanah הסירותי מסבל שכמו). If so, I suppose that once our slavery ended, we began to consume “normal egyptian bread”, that is, fermented bread. But now, that we had to prepare to leave Egypt in a hurry, ironically, we were forced to bake the “poor man’s bread” again… But as we explained it, this time the Matsa had a different flavor: the taste of the freedom that was taking place hastily, in front of our eyes.

THE DOUBLE TASTE OF MATSA

The Matsa then represents both the bitterness of slavery and the sweet taste of our providential freedom. On the one hand, we remember the affliction we suffered as slaves in Egypt. When eating Matsa, we celebrate our redemption without forgetting our suffering. And on the other hand, our exodus from Egypt was not the result of a progressive “revolution” that fermented in the people over several years, and whose final outcome occurred after endless battles… We were rescued by the Creator in a Divine act of redemption, irrepetible in the history of humanity.

Handmade Matzot vs. Machine Made Matzot

ALL MATZOT ARE MADE EQUAL

in terms of their composition (flour, water, and a process that takes less than 18 minutes) and for centuries all Matzot were made by hand. This changed in 1838 when Isaac Singer invented the first machine for making Matzot. By the middle of the 19th century there was a great debate among European Rabbis. Some opposed the machine made Matzot arguing that it was impossible to clean the getting rid even of the slightest remaining of dough between one production and the other. This meant that for Rabbi Shlomo Kluger and others, machine-made Matzot were not be Kosher for Pesach! On the other hand, other rabbis argued that machine-made Matzot had a Kashrut standard higher than the handmade Matzot, machines would decrease the possibility of human errors, like leaving a portion of the dough unattended, that could lead to some accidental fermentation (Ketab Sofer and others).

This controversy lasted for a few years. But at the end most rabbis concluded that by establishing certain guidelines for cleaning thoroughly the machines, the Kashrut of machine-made Matzot was indisputable.

HUMAN VS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

There is another point of debate that continues to this day. It is the subject of “intentionality” or kavana. To explain this point, I’ll have to elaborate a little more widely.

When a religious article is manufactured this article, and its accessories, must be done with the specific intent to be used for this particular Mitzva. Example: we cannot use a piece of leather, originally manufactured to make shoes, belts, furniture, etc., for making a Tefillin or its straps. Why? Because Jewish law requires that the leather used to make Tefillin has to be processed “explicitly” for the purpose of being used for the Mitzva of Tefillin. For this reason, before beginning the production of the leather to be used for the Tefillin, the person in charge says: “leshem mitzvat tefillin” [ “I am processing this leather to be used …] for the Mitzva of Tefillin.” Intentionality in the production of a religious article is a Halakhic requirement. The same principle applies, for example, for the threads of the Tzitzit (the fringes of the Talit). They must be made from the beginning for this specific purpose. If you have threads which were manufactured with a different purpose in mind, to produce curtains, or even without a specific purpose, these threads are not suitable to fulfill the Mitzva of Tzitzit. The same applies to the other Mitzvot.

Back to our subject: the Matzot that we consume during the first two nights of Pesach are “Matzot Mitzva” and must be made with the explicit purpose of fulfilling the Mitzva of eating Matza. And the question that arose when the machines to produce Matzot were invented was: can we assume that the “human intentionality” required for the production of any religious item is transferred from the man who activates the machine saying “leshem matzot mitzva to the machine itself? Or, should we assume that the intentionality is disrupted when a non-human factor gets involved in the process? This fascinating debate still remains. And it affects not only Matza production but many other areas of Jewish law, for example, many people would only use a Tzitzit with threads elaborated by hand.

FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY

In the case of Matzot, we must clarify that this discussion applies only to the Matzot that are used during the Seder, when we say the Berakha ‘al akhilat Matza and we need to have Matzot Mitzva. Some rabbis would say that machine made Matzot (there is also machine made Matza Shemura!) can be used for the first two nights, while other rabbis including Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l, would recommend, when possible, using handmade Matzot for the first two nights of Pesach. For the rest of Pesach any Matzot could be used.

Hasidim (Chabad and many other Hasidic groups) are very strict on this issue, and they would use exclusively handmade Matzot throughout Pesach.

Sometimes, there might be an economic issue involved in this matter. Handmade Matzot are more expensive than machine-made Matzot. Thus, in the case of a family that cannot afford the cost of the handmade Matzot, many rabbis would approve the use of machine made Matzot even for the two night of the Seder, relying on the less stringent views.

How to differentiate between handmade Matzot and machine made Matzot?

1. Handmade Matzot are significantly more expensive. 🙂

2. Machine made Matzot are square and of a standard size. Handmade matzot are circled, and with a more rustic look.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHAMETS

In just a few more days, on the night of Wednesday, April 5th, we will begin the celebration of Pesach. As mentioned below, there are eight biblical precepts associated with Pesach: the first two are “to tell the story of the Haggadah on the night of the Seder” and “to consume Matza”. All the other commandments are related to the prohibition of consuming or even possessing Chametz during Pesach. In the following lines, we will better understand the reason for the precepts associated with Chametz.
“More knowledge, less ego. Less knowledge, more ego.”
Albert Einstein

AIRS OF GRANDEUR
During Pesach, it is prohibited to eat or possess any food that is or contains Chametz. Why? Beyond the well-known historical reasons – our redemption was so rushed that there was no time for the bread dough to rise – our Rabbis saw in Chametz, the fermentation process that raises the dough, a very significant representation. They compared Chametz to arrogance. The dough that inflates itself, with the individual who allows their ego to expand and enlarge. Arrogance and Chametz are air: an illusory inflation of the self.

FREEDOM AND CONSUMPTION
But why do we specifically think about arrogance and humility during Pesach? Because not all people are exposed to the risk of becoming arrogant individuals. A Jewish slave in Egypt, for example, could not afford to be vain. The risk of excessive vanity is only relevant to a free, wealthy, self-possessed man. And on Pesach, when we commemorate our freedom, we have in mind that as sovereign individuals, we could easily fall into a different kind of self-slavery. Mental slavery. An addiction to the inflatable aspects of our ego: arrogance. Modern society, in its tireless efforts to make us slaves of consumption, more selfish, more narcissistic, and more hedonistic, pushes us to convince ourselves that we need everything we want and desire. This immense ambition, when satisfied, can easily lead to arrogance: feeling that I AM more than others because I HAVE more than others.

HUMILITY AND SELF-ESTEEM
Matza, a flat, unleavened bread with no frills, represents humility. To be humble does not mean to degrade or humiliate ourselves. It means to assume the true dimension of human life, become aware of our inevitable mortality, and recognize our dependence on God. Humility, on a psychological level, is also the essence of self-esteem. Love oneself and fundamentally accepting oneself is a prerequisite for being at peace with oneself. The arrogant individual is insecure. They need public flattery and the constant applause of others to survive emotionally. They seek the approval of the other, sometimes desperately, to compensate for what they lack or because they are incapable of facing their faults and errors. Only the humble, the person who does not need the applause of others to feel better, is genuinely free and independent. The humble person can admit their mistakes, change, and improve.
On the other hand, the arrogant person cannot admit mistakes and is, therefore, unable to change. And by being unable to correct themselves, they adapt to their own defects and enslave themselves. Arrogance is a tyrannical Pharaoh that condemns our personality to stagnation.

WHO IS IN THE CENTER?
Arrogance, this mental Chametz, is the main barrier between man and his neighbor. And also between man and God. The arrogant person does not conceive of “serving God”, but rather “using” God for their benefit. Our Rabbis explain that from the perspective of the arrogant person, “there is no place in this world for him and for God.” What does this mean? If reality were a circle, someone (or Someone) must be at the center of that circle. And at the center, there is no room for two. The arrogant person places himself in the center, displacing God to the periphery. In that relationship, they do not serve God but try to use Him.

The most critical goal in the life of a Jewish individual is to attain a level of humility that recognizes that God is at the center of reality. This mission is impossible for the arrogant individual, who is enslaved by his own pride.
Just as we eliminate every crumb of Chamets from our homes, we must erase every trace of vanity and arrogance from our hearts.

A New Pharaoh, Yosef and Abraham Lincoln

וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף

A new king arose over Egypt, who did not recognize Joseph.

Shemot, Exodus, 1:8

We have already explained (Exodus 1: 7) that after two or three generations of arriving in Egypt, the Jews born there began to feel at home: the first thing they did was to leave their community, Goshen, and venture into Egyptian territory looking for new economic opportunities (see here). The next verse tells us how the situation of the Jews began to get worse.

Exodus 1: 8 says, “And then a new king arose in Egypt, who did not recognize Yosef.”

A NEW DYNASTY

There were two ways to become a new Pharaoh in Egypt: inheriting the throne from the father (or grandfather), or leading a coup against the monarch on duty. Everything seems to indicate that in this case it was the latter, a military revolt that produced a new dynasty, something not uncommon in Egypt. As usual in these cases, the allies of the previous government are now the enemies of the government in power. The Jews enjoyed a privileged position with the Pharaoh of Yosef’s time. This new King, however, “did not recognize” Yosef. This is not to say that he had never heard of him: Yosef was extremely famous. He saved Egypt’s economy with his prophetic predictions of the famine years and served Egypt loyally. The Egyptians deeply thanked Yosef for saving their lives and giving them food and seeds to plant. Yosef was a national hero. But now the new Pharaoh decides to rewrite history and sentence Yosef not to oblivion but to disgrace. Why?

THE NEED FOR AN ENEMY

The Italian philosopher Umberto Eco explained in his essay “Building an enemy” that for many rulers, especially dictators, an enemy, real or imagined, is an essential necessity. It serves the dictator to consolidate his power by creating a feeling of national unity based on hatred for a common foe. The enemy will be blamed for all the ills of the state. Which will serve the tyrant as a perfect distraction from internal problems that he cannot solve. For centuries, humanity’s favorite enemy has been the Jewish people. And this phenomenon, which still persists — for example, in the United Nations’ obsession against Israel — was born in Egypt. The new Pharaoh redefined Yosef and his descendants as “enemies of the people.” And for a long time I asked myself how did it happen? Was it possible to rewrite history, erase the national memory of a people and turn heroes into villains?

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

I’ve seen some similarities between what happened with Yosef and some events that took place in America during recent months. There are some extremist groups in the United States who are dedicated, among other things, to erasing the historical memory of this country, by demonizing “national heroes.” Take, for example, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; who served as the third president of this country, and was, among other things, the main author of the Declaration of Independence and a defender of democracy and individual rights. But since he was a slave owner, which in those days was the accepted norm, he is criticized and demonized as if he “would own slaves today, in 2021”. Or Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the president who put an end to slavery in the United States! The statues of these heroes have been destroyed or vandalized. Schools that bear their names will be renamed. And the same is happening with Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or in England with Captain James Cook and others. These radical revisionist are trying to rewrite history in an anachronistic way, based on a political agenda, turning the heroes of the past into the new villains of the present.

A MIDRASH AND CURRENT EVENTS

Despite the obvious differences what one sees today sheds light on what happened then. It gets clearer for me to understand what transpired in Egypt, and what were the tactics Pharaoh used to “demonize” Yosef and make believe the Egyptians that all their problems were caused by him. And that now his descendants will have to pay for it! The Midrash Tanchuma presents an opinion that seems surreal for its unbelievable contemporaneity. It says the new Pharaoh “had Yosef’s remains unearthed from his luxurious tomb and thrown into the Nile, as a show of contempt on the part of the new Egyptian ruler for the great Jewish leader.” The Tora is not a collection of ancient myths or stories. Some times the present helps us to better understand the Tora; and the Tora allows us to better analyze and grasp present events, showing us patterns of behavior from the past that we can identify even today.

Medication and non-edible products

Products that are not edible, such as cosmetics, glues, shampoos, deodorants, soaps, detergents, and other cleaning products, may be kept in possession or used during Pesach, even if they contain Chamets. Therefore, it is unnecessary to verify the absence of Chamets or obtain a special rabbinical seal or certification for these products (Rabbi Obadia Yosef, Yalqut Yosef, 360: 31, 361: 68).

For Sefaradim, medications that come in the form of non-chewable capsules or hard pills can be used during Pesach, as they are considered “inedible.” This includes medication that may contain Chamets elements. However, nowadays, it is highly unlikely (Yalqut Yosef Mo’adim, 362: 40). Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, a prominent rabbinic authority, notes that many Ashkenazi rabbis follow a similar Halakhic criterion and that most medical hard pills are made with potato or corn starch, which is permitted for Pesach consumption (see Penine Halakha Pesach 102, 103).

If possible, asking doctors to prescribe non-chewable pill medication for Pesach is advisable (obviously, in the case of a serious medical condition, any necessary medication should be taken).

Some Ashkenazi rabbis hold stricter opinions regarding consuming non-edible Chamets for Pesach, with some Ashkenazi rabbis stating that only non-chewable medication should be allowed. Vitamins, even in the form of non-chewable capsules or pills, cannot be used during Pesach unless it has been verified that they do not contain Chamets (many Sephardic rabbis agree with this criterion). Additionally, some Ashkenazi rabbis adopt a stricter stance on using non-edible Chamets for Pesach, such as cleaning products or perfumes made from wheat alcohol.

Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi rabbis agree that liquid or chewable medicines, syrups, powdered vitamins and/or medications, or vitamins with a pleasant flavor that is drinkable and/or chewable should be certified as “Kasher for Pesach” or verified not to contain any Chamets ingredients. Many dietary supplements and vitamins are made with elements that are 100% Chamets (e.g., grain fibers, wheat germ, etc.), so it is important to be cautious. Similarly, oral perfumery or personal hygiene products with a pleasant taste, such as toothpaste or flavored lipsticks, should also be checked for any Chamets elements.

We recommend the advanced level reader who wants to understand the relevant Halakhic details of the issue of medications in Pesach to see the following links:

Rabbi Melamed (Hebrew)

Star-K (English)

As the reader can appreciate, in all these Halakhot, there are diverse customs and traditions. For a final verdict, consult with the Rabbi of your community.

ZAKHOR. Antisemitism does not stop: it must be stopped

The Shabbat that precedes Purim is called Shabbat zakhor (= Remember!). This Shabbat we take out two Sefarim, one for the weekly Parasha, this year 2022: Vayqra, and the other Sefer for a special Maftir in Debarim 25:17, zakhor. “Remember… what Amaleq did to you when you left Egypt … Amaleq attacked the defenseless … and did not fear God … do not forget !!!”.

THE STORY OF AMALEQ

When we left Egypt, escaping a 140 years period of slavery, Amaleq attacked us. It was an unprovoked attack, without reason or motive. Israel was not a threat to Amaleq’s possessions or territory. The reasons for Amaleq to attack the Jews were not “logical” but rather, using a modern term “ideological”. Moreover, we were superior in number to Amaleq. But Amaleq still –irrationally—attacked us. To be more effective and cause maximum damage, Amaleq attacked the weak, the infirm, the old.

There was nothing specific about the Jews that triggered Amaleq’s hatred. It was not the power of the Jews, or the money of the Jews. The Jews had just escaped from a lengthy captivity. What power or money would slaves have? It was not a territorial issue either: we were in the desert, not even in the Promised Land. Amaleq territory was not in our plans!

What characterizes Amaleq is a radical irrational hatred for Jews.

I think the best way to identify Amaleq (and anti-Semitism in general) is that Amaleq hates Jews “unconditionally”. Is not because of what we Jews “have” or what we Jews “do” but because of what we Jews “are”: the people of God. It is an existential hatred. What the Jew has or does is something Amaleq might use as an excuse to justify his hatred. To disguise hatred as a politically correct fight against this who wish to dominate the world, etc.

Amaleq and his “ideological” descendants (known as ”zekher Amaleq”) can be clearly identified by the following characteristics:

1. UNCONDITIONAL HATRED

Amaleq’s hatred towards Jews is not motivated by territorial disputes, revenge or by feeling threatened. It is an obsessive hatred toward the Jewish people . Look for example at Iran. Iran threatens to wipe Israel off the map although it has no common borders with Israel. There are not disputed territories between the two countries.

2. CIVILIANS

Amaleq would attack and would try to kill Jews, whether they are civilians, women, elder or children. Remember Ma’alot in 1974? 22 little children were massacred by Arafat and the PLO. The murder of the Fogel family in Itamar, including a woman, her children and a baby. The synagogue of Har Nof in Jerusalem. And many more. In the last years, representatives of Amaleq have killed Jews in Israel and have stabbed to death Jews also outside Israel. In Paris, Milan, London, Brussels, Miami, California, Buenos Aires, New York, Pittsburg, and unfortunately there are no signs that this will stop.

3. SUICIDAL

Amaleq’s hatred for Israel is suicidal. Amaleq is willing to practice martyrdom (self-immolation, suicide attacks, etc.) if as a consequence he would kill a Jew. Amaleq’s hatred towards Jews is greater than Amaleq’s love for their own lives or even the lives of their own children.

4. SINGLE OBSESION

Amaleq may hate other people temporarily, but his endless obsession is against Israel. Amaleq does not hate the Jews for what happens in Israel. On the contrary, Amaleq hates Israel because is a Jewish state. Anti-Zionism is Amaleq’s way to disguise its anti-Semitism.

5. EXISTENTIAL HATRED

The most important and practical point to consider in our confrontation with Amaleq is that it is not possible to negotiate with Amaleq. Because Amaleq will never be satisfied with land, money, or even with us changing our religion. Think of the Shoa. The Nazis killed also those Jews who were willing to renounced their religion. Amaleq wants the Jewish People to disappear, period. Israeli politicians and Jews around the world are divided precisely on this point: Everyone Jew wishes to live in peace. But some believe that peace with our enemies can be achieved through negotiations. Others believe that, like Amaleq, our enemies (Iran, Palestinians, Hizbollah, BDS, etc.) will NEVER stop attacking us, even if Jews or Israel concede their demands. The greatest internal conflict of the modern Israeli politics has to do with identifying or not identifying our modern enemies with the Amaleq the Tora warned us about.

6. SELF HATRED

For many Jews, especially for those who are unfamiliar with or unwilling to accept the Biblical concept of Amaleq, it is extremely difficult to recognize and acknowledge the true nature of Amaleq. And since the behavior of Amaleq is beyond rationality, intelligent and educated but extremely naive Jews, believe that something “rational” must be triggering Amaleq’s hatred toward us. And instead of accepting the irrational nature of Amaleq’s hatred, they blame it on ourselves!. They assume, for example, that terrorist attacks or Amaleq killing of Jewish civilians, or the BDS movement that aims to delegitimize Israel is the consequences of a new settlement. Or that hatred to Jews has to do with some Jews being wealthy or powerful. When a Jews accepts Amaleq’s narrative he or she might end up hating their own people instead of holding Amaleq accountable.

7. DENIAL

Foreseeing the danger of the well-meaning but naive Jew, the Tora warned us not only to “zakhor” (remember) Amaleq. In the same text, with an exceptional tautology, the Tora exhorts us to not forget Amaleq’s suicidal obsession and irrationality (“Lo Tishkakh”).

Our Hakhamim prescribed to publicly read the text where the Tora mentions Amaleq the Shabbat before Purim. Why? Because Haman was the first descendant of Amaleq who was about to succeed in erasing the entire people of Israel off the map.

The Tora assures us that HaShem will not let Amaleq destroy us. But it exhorts us not to be naive about the true nature and intentions of Amaleq. Forgetting, can be tremendously costly for us.

Parashat Zakhor has the special status of being a biblical text whose reading is a direct commandment of the Tora. Women are also expected to fulfill this obligation and attend Synagogue to hear Parashat Zakhor.

UMJCA Community Notice on COVID-19

Shabbat And Cellphones

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Addiction to electronic devices is a growing concern in our modern society because we never part with them. Even when we finish our work and come home to relax, we still connect to our computers, cables, and Wi-Fi. Cell phones are particularly problematic, especially for children and adolescents. Teachers don’t know what to do to control their use. And many parents have already given up, until one day they realize that their little children would rather have an iPhone in their hands than hold hands with them. The syndrome of “separation anxiety,” which in the recent past referred to the fear of being separated from their parents, has become the panic adolescents feel when their cell phones are not within reach.

Being able to disconnect from this addiction is extremely important, but it seems that no one knows how to do it. Except for the Jewish people. In the first part of this Parasha, the Tora tells us about the “Sabbath rest.” Shabbat is a Divine gift whose relevance is not for modernity but for eternity. Miraculously — I have no other way of explaining it– the meaning of Shabbat has always been transforming, adapting to what we most need in those moments. In the times of slavery, when we left Egypt, Shabbat helped us feel free and experience physical rest, which we did not have for generations. In difficult times, in our long exile, Shabbat was an emotional refuge, a family space, a community identity, and an island of peace. In times of poverty, the Shabbat table, with its mandatory “two” loaves, helped us regain a sense of dignity.

In modern times, Shabbat once again surprises us, revealing its magical renewed significance to the point that it makes me think that Shabbat was NEVER more necessary than in 2023. From Friday afternoon to Saturday night, all contact with the electronic world is suspended. On Shabbat, we relearn to enjoy the true pleasures of the real world. We sit down to talk, not chat, with our beloved families. We don’t listen to digital music; we sing along with our children. We talk about Tora without the intromission of Alexa or Siri, and our children do not listen to a podcast but to words that come from human lungs and vocal cords.

The images of our family around the Shabbat table will not be shared in family chats, nor will they end up in a virtual cloud. They will be stored in the hearts of our children and will create memories that will become their identity and the feelings that will unite parents and children for generations. Shabbat invites us to disconnect from a fake virtual world to build a real family.

It has never been so necessary.

My opinion on Israel and the end of democracy

SMOKE SCREEN?

Our beloved State of Israel is currently experiencing a deep crisis: weekly demonstrations against the government, media hysteria, and even threats of military desertion and civil war. This time, it is not an armed conflict with the enemy – though those never cease – but rather a civil protest from the opposition. The political mobilization has declared its goal to prevent “the end of democracy” in Israel. What is happening in Israel that poses such a danger to its democracy? The official story from the opposition is that the new Knesset, or Israeli Parliament, which took office a couple of months ago, is proposing a judicial reform that “will bring irreparable negative consequences to Israel in the short and long term.” Initially, I was concerned about these arguments, but then I applied some basic principles of Talmudic logic, which trained me to differentiate between empty slogans and solid facts. I realized that I have nothing to worry about regarding the future of democracy in Israel. So, what is this reform proposing? Listening to the opposition, one would think that there will be no more elections in Israel, women would not be able to vote, or every man will be forced to wear a Kippa. Let’s start by understanding a little better what the proposed judicial reform is all about. There are four points in the proposal, with the first and most fundamental being that future new judges of the Supreme Court of Justice of Israel shall not be elected through the vote or veto of the judges currently serving in the court. Instead, the new judges shall be elected by the representatives of the people, as happens in all democracies around the world. While there are other details, this is the most relevant issue. I know this because it is the first point the government is addressing, and it is the only point of the reform that the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, is unwilling to negotiate.

WHAT IS THIS REFORM GOING TO MODIFY?

So far, the system for electing new judges in Israel is “unique” in the democratic world, and not in a positive way. In Israel, sitting judges have the veto to disqualify new candidates. Let’s compare it with the United States, for example. When a vacancy in the Supreme Court opens up, new justices are nominated by the President, vetted, and after many investigations, inquiries, and public hearings, are approved by the Senate with a majority of at least 51 to 49. SITTING JUDGES DO NOT HAVE ANY SAY, VOTE, VOICE, OR VETO IN THIS PROCESS. On the contrary, they stay completely out of the picture to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest and to allow the process to be genuinely democratic and transparent. With some minor variables, this is the case in almost all democracies worldwide. In Israel, unbelievably, the judges of the Court (in Hebrew BAGATZ) choose the new judges. The candidates are not even subjected to a public hearing by the Knesset! Without these hearings, nepotism, conflict of interest, favoritism, lack of diversity, discrimination, or overrepresentation may remain undetected under the radar. This definitely non-democratic system has allowed the Supreme Court to multiply and perpetuate itself ideologically by choosing new judges from the same ethnicity, the same political views (socialism), and the same religious ideology (secular) as their predecessors. This outrageous fact was denounced a few days ago by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who said that the Supreme Court of Israel “does not have significant Sephardic representation.” I add to that: neither religious nor conservative representation, although these sectors constitute more than 60% of Israel’s Jewish population today! It is clear then that the new proposal for the election of judges is anything but anti-democratic. But why, then, so much scandal? Who can be bothered by the fact that the Knesset would choose the future judges as the rest of the world does? Especially considering that the maximum term of a Knesset is four years (although in practice, it is much less; from 2019 to 2023, for example, the Knesset changed five times!). In four years, three or four judges may retire or resign and need a replacement. This implies that if this Knesset, which is leaning to the right, chooses judges of a similar ideology, the next Knesset, if it leans to the left, will be able to choose its left-leaning judges. And so, the balance is always restored. Take, for example, the case of the US Supreme Court. Thanks to its normal democratic system of electing new judges, a balance in terms of ideological representation will be achieved in the long term. Even if, once in a while, the US court might be 6 to 3, in the long term, the ratio between liberal and conservative judges will normally be 4 to 5 or 5 to 4. This is the new system that the new Knesset is proposing to elect new judges: a transparent and absolutely democratic one, while the present system is definitely not! Why so much noise, then? I believe this relates to the problems of the Israeli left-leaning parties.

IN THE BEGINNING

The modern State of Israel was founded in 1948 by European Zionist Jews who came from a socialist and secular culture. For example, David Ben Gurion and the vast majority of those who signed the Declaration of Independence of Medinat Israel belonged to socialist parties such as Mapai and Mapam, or Maki. These parties founded left-wing institutions such as the Kibbutzim, a social experiment unique in the world that put into practice the communist socio-cultural-economic utopia in its purest form. According to Professor Mordechai Kedar (see see this video for more detailed information), the socialist ideology that prevailed in Israel during those years was the reason why the Soviet Union was the first country in the world to vote in favor of the creation of the new Jewish State. The reason why Czechoslovakia, then a Soviet satellite, was the only country that supported Israel with planes and weapons in its independence war was that a socialist state was supporting another socialist state. Let there be no misunderstanding! The generation of Ben Gurion produced heroes who, although they did not have formal Jewish education, were responsible for founding the wonderful Jewish state that we enjoy today. They were the ones who literally gave their lives for Medinat Israel! We owe them a lot! And I believe that despite his secular ideology, David Ben Gurion did not ignore the religious magnitude of his political achievements. He said, “In Israel, whoever does not believe in miracles is not realistic.” And I think that part of that miracle is that the modern state of the people of the Book , the homeland of the people chosen by God, was founded by Jews who “declared” themselves atheists (I definitely believe that they were not!).

THE DISAPPOINTING PEACE PROCESS

Let’s now return to our topic. Over time, many changes took place in Israel that implied a transformation of the left and a sustained loss of its electoral strength. On the one hand, the fall of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism meant that the Jewish state grew economically through booming capitalism. Mapai’s socialist platform was transformed, and the national Zionist values that characterized Ben Gurion were replaced by less Jewish and more universal ideas. On the other hand, there was the well-intentioned willingness to dialogue with the Palestinians and concede territories in exchange for peace. However, the average Israeli citizen became tired of seeing that concessions only brought more attacks and wars. Then came the Oslo fiasco and the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, which did not bring peace to Israel but, on the contrary, led to suicide attacks, terrorism, intifadas, underground tunnels, missiles, etc. This is when many left-leaning pacifist Israelis, such as Gadi Taub or Professor Mordechai Kedar, who believed in a sincere peace dialogue with the Palestinians, woke up from their illusion and realized that they were naive. They understood that on the Palestinian side, there is no partner for peace and that the Palestinians do not want to coexist with Israel but to replace Israel. It was a tough blow for the left, as more and more Israelis leaned to the right or at least to the center. Extreme left-wing parties, such as Shinui, Chadash, and what is now Meretz, became less representative of Israeli society.

RETAINING BUREAUCRATIC POWER

Although the left has been in decline in terms of its electoral power, it has strategically consolidated itself within the “deep state” – powerful institutions that do not depend on the votes of the Knesset. The Israeli left now dominates universities, the air force, elite army groups like the 8200 intelligence unit, the media, the national prosecutor’s office, and the secret services, among others. In this way, the socialist elite has retained much of the power it lost at the polls. The most coveted prize, however, is the Supreme Court. In 1995, Aharon Barak, the President of the Supreme Court, a man who identifies with the left and has recently confessed his complete ignorance of basic Judaism, obtained the authority to veto any law issued by the legislative body, the Keneset, in a questionable manner (see this video). Barak proclaimed his Court of Justice as the supreme authority virtually “above the Keneset”. It should be clarified that Israel does not have a constitution; it is a parliamentary democracy, like England. Therefore, when the Supreme Court rejects a Kenset legislation it is not because that law is against the constitution, as might happen in the US, for example. In Israel, the Supreme Court can veto a law even if it considers it “unreasonable,” giving the Court an authority higher than the Parliament and seriously disabling the Keneset’s ability to legislate. This does not exist in any democracy, whether constitutional or parliamentary). To ensure that the Court will not change its ideology in the future and will remain faithful to the left-wing philosophy, an election system was established in which current judges can veto new judges. In other words, Barak produced a “judicial coup or dictatorship” with the power to annul laws legislated by any Keneset, especially right-leaning, and maintained its hegemony, cloning itself regardless of the results of democratic elections. Today, according to Israeli journalist Jacob Vardugo, 12 o 13 of the 15 current judges are left-leaning judges! Can you imagine the US Supreme Court with 8 out of 9 conservative or liberal judges with a say and a veto in the election of new judges?

CHANGES
And this “inbalance of power” is exactly what the judicial reform promoted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin wants to modify. They desire a Supreme Court that reflects the serving Knesset, whether right or left. If the demand is for “democracy,” then let the left win the next elections and choose their judges, as it happens in all countries worldwide! Moreover, if the opposition wins the next election, they can “reverse” all the other points of the judicial reform. These are the rules of any healthy democracy. However, the Israeli left is losing more and more supporters, and in the last elections in November 2022, the left-leaning party Meretz did not receive enough votes. For the first time in history, it was left out of the Knesset! This is why the Israeli left is in “panic” mode, organizing demonstrations to survive the “mortal”- but democratic- blow it received . If this analysis is correct, then the opposition to the judicial reform proposed by the new government is not the reason for this crisis, but a new excuse used by the opposition’s leaders who are desperately trying to regain relevance. They are threatening a civil war, withdrawing money from Israel, and trying to destabilize or damage the current government. In this political war, the opposition has many allies in all media outlets, such as channels 11, 12, and 13 (except for channel 14), newspapers such as Haaretz, retired army generals formed with a socialist ideology, former Prime Ministers who have lost relevance, political rivals of Netanyahu, and even right-wing political adversaries. However, the opposition only has 47 seats (without counting the Arab parties) against the government’s 64, which means that the judicial reform will pass through a democratic vote.

FEAR OF DEMOCRACY OR FEAR OF DEMOGRAPHY?

As long as it is done within the law, every attempt to survive politically is valid. But it hurts me that the left is cynically spreading fake news and arguing that all these demonstrations are being held to prevent the “end of democracy”, when in reality, the goal is to prevent the “end of the left’s monopoly” in a Supreme Court that is anything but democratic. The left knows that if the future Supreme Court judges are democratically elected by the Knesset, they will lose representation in the long run. Why? On the one hand, as we have explained, the traditional left lost countless supporters who were disappointed by the insistence on negotiating peace with those who only seek our extermination. But there is something else: the left fears that they are irretrievably losing their electorate due to Israel’s demographic projection. In 1999, the experienced religious and political leader Menachem Porush said the following to his left-leaning political opponents: “Instead of protesting, secular Israelis should have more children… we… every time we open a Talmud Torah or a traditionalist or religious school, they immediately fill up! While secular schools are increasingly empty! Why don’t you help your own schools and institutions grow? Today, left-leaning Israelis have negative birth rates… the biggest tragedy you have created is this low birth rate… have more children and I assure you that we will get along just fine together…”. In the long run, this demographic projection that includes traditionalist and right-wing Israelis will render the left irrelevant. Once we understand this, we will realize that the left’s demonstrations and threats of civil war are not because they fear losing democracy, but because of the panic over the new demographic reality, which was already felt in the last elections. THIS IS THE REAL PROBLEM OF THE OPPOSITION.

In conclusion, no one wants a civil war. The new government does not want to impose religious lifestyles by force or limit individual freedoms. The goal of this new government and the judicial reform is precisely to respect the will of the people expressed through democratic elections, in the present and in the future. The judicial reform is a historic step towards a truly democratic Israel, proudly reclaiming its national and Jewish identity. Towards that end, with God’s help, the State of Israel is heading.

What should we do with our Broken Tablets?

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי לבניו: הזהרו בזקן ששכח תלמודו מחמת אונסו, שלוחות ושברי לוחות מונחים בארון
ברכות דף ח

THE GOLDEN CALF

In this week’s Parasha the people of Israel experience one of the most shocking events in its long history: the worshipping of the Golden Calf. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai, he announced that he would return in 40 days. On the eve of the 40th day, the people thought that Moses would never return (“no human could survive without food or water for so long”, they thought). To replace Moshe, they built a golden idol, a calf, one of the many Egyptian idols. This was a great sin. Only a few days ago, the people of Israel witnessed the revelation of God at Mount Sinai. And just a few weeks before that, they saw the opening of the Red Sea and the ten plagues in Egypt. How could it be possible that now they come back to idolatry? Moshe was coming down the mountain with the Tablets of the Law, but when he saw the people completely uncontrolled and worshiping an Egyptian idol, he threw the Tablets and broke them into pieces.

THE OLD TABLETS

Today, I will not focus on the most important question: why Moshe broke the tablets? I want to concentrate on something that perhaps seems secondary or irrelevant but has a great moral lesson for all of us. As we know, later on, Moses received a “copy” of the Tablets of the Law. He placed a new set of Luchot in the Ark of the Covenant (Aron haBerit). And the question is: what happened to the first Tablets, the little pieces of the broken Tablets? Perhaps they were left there, abandoned, in the desert, because now they were useless tablets? Our rabbis explain that the remains of the broken tables were collected by Moshe and deposited in the Ark of the Covenant next to the new tables. A famous rabbi of the Talmud, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi derived from this action a wonderful lesson in respect to our elders. “This event comes to teach us, he said, that to an old man who lost his memory, we owe the same respect we gave him when his memory was intact …”.

BROKEN MEMORY

Imagine a great Tora scholar, someone who for years was invited to sit in the front row of the synagogue because he taught Tora to others and captivated everyone present with his eloquent speeches. And now, at his advanced age, he lost his eloquence and his memory because of senility or Alzheimer, and he can no longer speak or even reason as before. What type of honor do we owe him in his present situation? Do we still invite him to sit in the front row? Or perhaps, because he has lost his memory and does not have any content to give, we sit him in the back? The unequivocal answer of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is: we honor him as we used to do. Why? Because this old man is like the broken Tablets of the Law, which were no longer intact, complete, or useful, and still Moshe placed the broken, “useless” old Tablets in the same honorable place: inside the Ark! This old man has lost his wisdom. His memory is now broken, and his mind is in one piece anymore. He no longer has any content to share with us. And still, we should honor him exactly as when his memory and mind were intact. This is a beautiful lesson of respect and honor that we learn from a seemingly superfluous detail of the Tora: the placement of the old, broken Tablets.

BROKEN MEMORIES

There might be another answer to why the old broken tablets were not discarded or buried but “treasured” alongside the new ones. Perhaps the Tablets were not buried to serve as a testimony for the Jewish people. So we Jews never forget the greatest sin we committed. And future generations don’t repeat the same mistakes. We all had bad experiences. We all make mistakes. But we should not bury these mistakes in our memory. Rather, we should learn from those negative experiences. With the right mindset, past negative experiences can be transformed into critical lessons for the future. And not only for ourselves but also for our loved ones, friends, and others in need.

In 2016, I received the devastating news that I had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. It was undoubtedly the most difficult and painful experience of my life. However, with the grace of God, I am now in a much better place and feeling healthier than ever before. Despite my hesitance to talk about it, I am writing about my cancer for the first time today. The memories of chemotherapy, nausea, pain, fatigue, hospital rooms, dizziness, fears, and tears still linger in my mind. Still, I try to keep these broken memories safely stored away from the world, and even my family, in my personal Ark.

However, there are instances when I open up about my experiences. When? When I meet a community member, a friend, or anyone who was diagnosed with cancer, I feel compelled to show them my scar from the chemo port. The scar may be small, but it carries immense weight for the person sitting across from me. By sharing this vulnerable aspect of myself, I hope to show them that I truly understand what they are going through. As a rabbi, I have always tried to understand and support people with cancer. However, I now realize that despite my best intentions and genuine efforts, there are some things that can only be truly understood through personal experience. My own struggles have given me a new perspective and empathy for those who are facing similar battles. While I may still keep my broken memories in my personal ark, I am now more open to using them as a source of comfort and support for others who are going through difficult times.

Purim and the Shoah

DEATH SENTENCE

Purim took place in the year 474 BCE, which corresponds to the 12th year of the Persian Emperor Ahasuerus or Xerxes. At that time, all the Jews of the world lived under the same political roof: the Persian Empire. They were scattered throughout the empire and were very successful in international trade. But now, all the Jews of the empire had been sentenced to death, and the world would be Judenrein, “free of Jews.” This was Haman’s “final solution,” and it was the goal of the Nazis during World War II. Haman’s method of killing Jews was much more effective than the Nazis. Haman did not have to recruit any army or spend a bullet from the empire. His malevolent method was summarized in two words included in the edict: USHLALAM LA-BOZ, which means “on the 13th of Adar, every citizen of the Persian Empire can kill a Jew and keep all their possessions: their properties, their money, their businesses.” Thus, Haman encouraged neighbors to kill their Jewish acquaintances by offering them the guarantee that everything would be legal and the executioners would not suffer any consequences for their crimes. On the contrary, they could keep the belongings of the Jews they killed. The imperial army, it seems, would be on the side of the oppressors, preventing the Jews from defending themselves. All of this is expressed directly or indirectly in the edict Haman signed and sent in the name of King Ahasuerus. The decree established that the genocide of the Jews, the mega-execution of hundreds of thousands of Jews, including the approximately 50,000 Jews living in Israel – which also belonged to the Persian Empire – would take place on the 13th of Adar that year. The letters containing the royal edict were sent 11 months earlier, on the 13th of Nisan. After Esther and Mordecai thwarted Haman’s sinister plan and the evil Persian minister was executed, new official letters were sent announcing that the Jews could defend themselves against their enemies and the law would be on their side. These letters were dispatched on the 23rd of Sivan, 70 days after the first letters were sent.

COULD THE JEWS ESCAPE?

One of the themes that is most difficult to visualize in the history of Purim is what the Jews must have gone through once they heard the death sentence and during the next 70 days until the new decision of the king arrived. Midrashim tells that many gentile neighbors delighted in showing their sharp knives to poor Jewish mothers, warning them that they would use those weapons to kill their little children. The Midrash also explains that the oppressors celebrated the massacre in advance and distributed the property and possessions of the Jews in advance. Rabbi Yom Tob Tsahalon (1559-1619) in his book Leqaj Tob says – when referring to Mordecai’s urgency to cancel Haman’s decree, even though there were 9 months left for its implementation – that the Jews had been “detained” or “enslaved” with the collaboration of the imperial army to prevent them from escaping the empire or liquidating their property, or saving their lives before the 13th of Adar. Thinking about Europe from 1940-1945, it is not difficult to imagine the “concentration camps” where thousands of Jews were concentrated, waiting for the day of their execution. The Yehudim could do nothing more than pray and wait for a miracle, which in the end, B”H happened. Rabbi Tsahalon also mentions an opinion that the enemies of the Jews had begun to kill the Jews as soon as they received the decree, interpreting the words “velo ya’abor” as authorizing them to kill Jews “until” the 13th of Adar. Hence the urgency of Mordecai and Esther.

HAMAN’S WILLING EXECUTIONERS

Who were the enemies of the Jews? Rabbi Abraham Saba (1440-1508) in his book Eshkol HaKofer suggests another theory: to kill the Jews, Haman recruited his own people, the Agagites, who were ethnic descendants of Amalek. These ancient “anti-Semites” believed, like the Nazis, that their existential mission was to destroy the Jewish people. The Agagites thus became the executing arm, like the SS, of their maximum representative: Haman. Rabbi Saba explains that once Haman was executed for treason, for hiding the details of his diabolical plan from the king, all those who collaborated with Haman would suffer the same fate as Haman: execution by order of the king, as they were considered accomplices in the crime of “treason against the state” committed by Haman. It is possible that the enemies of the Jews were “opportunists,” ordinary people who responded to Haman’s irresistible invitation to “kill a Jew and take his possessions.” During World War II, thousands of ordinary citizens of Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, etc. betrayed their Jewish neighbors to the Nazis to seize their homes and possessions. Once again, what happened in the Holocaust allows us to imagine with more realism what probably happened in Persia 2,500 years ago (for more information, read Daniel J Goldhagen: Hitler’s Willing Executioners).

On Purim, we celebrate that in the end, everything “turned upside down.” That is, not only were we miraculously saved from certain death, but we were also able to liberate ourselves from those who sought our destruction. The high number of oppressors who died – 75,800 – offers us an approximate idea of the magnitude of the Jewish genocide that, thanks to God, was avoided.