The Tenth of Tebet and ezra haSofer

This coming Friday, December 13th we will observe the Tenth of Tebet, a fast day which remind us of three tragic events.  The main event we remember on this day is the onset of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuhadnezzar, the King of Babylonia.  But there are two other events that we also recall on this fast day. The translation of the Tora to Greek (which occurred on the 8th of Tebet,  see this) and the death of Ezra haSofer (9th of Tebet).  
 
Seventy years after the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, approximately the year 516 BCE, the Jews were allowed to come back to Erets Israel by the Persian Emperor Cyrus. Roughly forty thousand Jews were led back to Israel by Zerubabel and years later  by Nehemia and Ezra the Scribe. 
 
Ezra had the tremendous responsibility of reeducating the Jews who, after two or three generations in exile without Jewish institutions (schools or synagogues) and living, and in many cases marrying, with the local population.  Most Jews had forgotten the Tora and its laws, and adopted many customs and values from the surrounding Babylonian culture. Ezra established  the Anshe Keneset haGedola, the first Jewish Parliament, composed of 120 scholars and prophets.  With the court that he presided, Ezra issued many new rulings to reclaim and revive Jewish values and reeducate the Jewish people.  He increased the days of public reading of the Tora,  composed the text of the Amida (main prayer), adapted the names of the Hebrew months and the fonts of the Tora-text, etc.  Ezra also had to make very tough decisions, like excluding the Samaritans, a semi-pagan mixed population living in Israel from the times of the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, who reclaimed to be considered as Jews. Thanks to his wisdom and courage the Jewish people was able to survive and reestablish again in Israel as the Nation of God.  Ezra was also considered by the Rabbis as the historical link between the written Tora and the oral Tora, which was forgotten in the long Babylonian captivity and retrieved by Ezra the Scribe. Together with Nehemia, they also concluded the building of the second Bet haMiqdash and the protective wall around the city. Ezra died on a 9th of Tebet. He was regarded by our Rabbis as second to Moshe Rabbenu.
IMPORTANT NOTICE 
about the 
FAST DAY TOMORROW
The Tenth of Tebet is the only fast that might fall on a Friday. In NYC the fast will begin tomorrow morning, Friday Dec. 13th, at 6:16am.  We will be receiving Shabbat while fasting and we will break the fast with the Kiddush, which cannot be said before 4.49pm, NYT.  Minha service this Friday will probably be early than a normal Friday, because we will have Tora reading and birkat Kohanim.  Follow your community’s calendar and notifications.

 



The Tenth of Tebet and the Septuagint

This coming Friday, December 13th, we will observe the Tenth of Tebet, a fast day which remind us of three tragic events.  The main event we recall on this day is the onset of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuḥadnezzar, the King of Babylonia.  But there were other two events that we also remember in this day, the rendition of the Tora into the Greek language and the death of Ezra haSofer. 
On the 8th of Tebet (=today), approximately in the year 300 BCE, in Alexandria, Egypt, King Ptolemy ordered 72 Jewish scholars to translate the Tora (the five Books of Moshe or Pentateuch) to Greek. King Ptolemy sought to disprove the existence of an unified Jewish tradition to find an excuse to humiliate the Jews. The 70 scholars were placed in separate workrooms. Yet, they all translated the Tora in the same exact way.  
This translation of the Tora is known as the Septuagint. Although it was done by prominent Rabbis, the Septuagint is not considered a translation which follows necessarily rabbinical tradition. As explained in Talmud Yerushalmi (Megila 9) in many cases the authors of the Septuagint deliberately deviated from the traditional Jewish understanding of the Tora and adapted the Biblical text to the Greek mentality and sensitivities to please the king and avoid a situation of danger for the Jews 
As a whole, translating the Tora to Greek was considered a dark event by Jewish historiography. Why? Because the new Greek Bible was used to advanced the agenda of the Hellenist Jews who sought to syncretize Greek and Jewish values.  Eventually the Septuagint paved the way for the advancement of non-Jewish “Biblical” religions. Unlike pagan cults which were clearly antagonistic to the Tora, these new religions were now supposedly based on the Jewish Scripture.  The Bible was now reinterpreted and used to justify non-Jewish ideas or beliefs “in the name of the Bible”, all of which caused uncountable tragedies to the Jewish people. 
As Timothy McLay explains, “the Jewish Scriptures as they were known, read and interpreted in the Greek language, provided the basis for much, if not most, of the interpretive context of the New Testament.”
BTW, the official Jewish translation of the Tora is the Targum Onqelos (aka Targum Didan) done ca. 100 CE.



The Tenth of Tebet and the Kaddish haKelaly

This coming Friday, December 25th 2012, we observe the fast of the Tenth of Tebet. We remember the siege of Yerushalaim, in the year 586 BCE, at the time of the destruction of our first Bet haMiqdash (see this).
On the 10th of Tebet there are only two prohibitions: eating and drinking. The fast begins at dawn and it ends at 5:03 p.m. NYT.
NO additional limitations apply, such as the prohibition of wearing leather shoes, working, driving, washing the body, etc.
Most contemporary Rabbis (R. E. Melamed, Rab O. Yosef) authorize to wash one’s mouth or brush one’s teeth in this Ta’anit, when necessary, provided you are very careful to lower your head, avoiding swallowing water unintentionally.
In modern Israel, the 10th of Tebet is also recognized as the day of the Kaddish haKelaly. According to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, on the Tenth of Tebet a remembrance-candle should be lit in the Synagogue and the Hazkara leHalale haShoah should be recited. Additionally,  all those whose parents are not alive should say the Kaddish Yatom (luach dinim uminhaguim 5772, pages. 55,109).
This point requires more explanation.
In 1949, and before the day of Yom HaShoah was established, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel decided that the Tenth of Tebet should be assigned as the national remembrance day for the victims of the Holocaust. They recommended traditional Jewish ways of remembering the dead, such as the study of Mishna Mikvaot, saying Tehilim, lighting a candle and a communal recitation of the Kaddish for the victims of the Holocaust whose names and date of death remain unknown. Fasting, the most common Jewish expression of sorrow, was already prescribed for this day.
In Israel many people felt that the horror of the Holocaust should be remembered on its own, and a special day should be dedicated to the Shoah’s victims’ memory.   “For the Holocaust survivors there was only one day worthy of being a memorial anniversary for the Holocaust–April 19, the beginning day of the Warsaw ghetto revolt the greatest revolt of them all, the uprisings that had held the Nazis at bay for a longer period than the great French army”  (I. Greenberg). That is how the 27 of Nissan was chosen to commemorate Yom haShoah. Yom HaShoah was inaugurated in 1953, by a law signed by the Prime Minister of Israel David ben Gurion.
Since then, and in practical terms, there are two days in which we mourn for the Holocaust: Yom haShoah, the official day, and‘asara beTebet, in which people say the Kaddish haKelaly to remember the victims of the Nazi genocide.


The Tenth of Tebet and the Greek Translation of the Tora

Yesterday we mentioned two of the three events that we remember in the Tenth of Tebet (see here). Once again, it is important to clarify that the main reason for which we fast on this day is the siege of Yerushalaim. The other two events are brought to our memory because they roughly coincide with the same date. 
  
3. Approximately in the year 300 BCE, on the 8th of Tebet, in Alexandria (Egypt) King Ptolemy forced 70 (some say “72”) Jewish scholars to translate the Tora (the five Books of Moshe or Pentateuch) into Greek. King Ptolemy wished to disprove the existence of an unified Jewish tradition on the understanding of the Scripture, so the scholars were placed in separate workrooms. Yet, they all translated the Tora in the same exact way.  
This translation of the Tora is known as the Septuagint. Although it was done by prominent Rabbis, the Septuagint is not considered a translation which follows necessarily rabbinical tradition. As explained in Talmud Yerushalmi (Megila 9) the authors of the Septuagint in many cases deliberately deviated from the traditional Jewish understanding and adapted the Biblical text to the Greek mentality and sensitivities to please the Monarch and avoid a situation of danger for the Jews 
As a whole, translating the Tora to Greek was considered a dark event by Jewish historiography. Why? Because the new Greek Bible advanced the agenda of the Hellenist Jews who sought to incorporate Greek values into Jewish life.  Moreover, eventually the Septuagint paved the way for the advancement of non-Jewish “Biblical” religions. Unlike pagan cults which were clearly antagonistic to the Tora, these new religions were now supposedly grounded on the Jewish Scripture! The Hebrew Bible was now interpreted and reinterpreted to justify whatever ideas or beliefs non-Jewish monarchs or priests wished to say or teach “in the name of the Bible”. 
(BTW, the official Jewish translation of the Tora is Targum Onqelos (=Targum Didan) done ca. 100 CE).
Read here more about 
the month of Tebet , 
from ou.org.



The fast of the Tenth of Tebet

This coming Sunday December 23rd, 2012, we will observe the Tenth of Tebet, a fast day, which reminds us of three tragic events. 
1. The main event we remember in this day is the onset of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuḥadnezzar, the King of Babylonia. The siege of the city signaled the beginning of the battle that ultimately destroyed Yerushalayim and the first Bet haMiqdash in the year 586 BCE. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed or sent as captives to the Babylonian exile. The date of the Tenth of Tebet was recorded by the prophet Yeḥezqel, who was already in Babylonia, with the first group of Jews exiled by Nebuḥadnezzar, eleven years earlier than the actual destruction of the Temple.
2. On this day we also remember the death of Ezra haSofer (=the Scribe).  Approximately in the year 516 BCE a group of Jews (roughly forty thousand) came back to Ereṣ Israel with the blessing of the Persian Emperor Cyrus. They were led by Neḥemia and Ezra the Scribe. Ezra had the responsibility to reeducate the Jews who, after more than two generations in exile, had forgotten their language, the Tora and its laws and adopted many customs and values from the Babylonian culture. In the absence of a King or any other political institution, Ezra formed the Anshe Keneset haGedola, the first “Jewish Congress”, composed of 120 scholars and prophets. They established many rulings to maintain and retrieve Jewish values. For example, the days of Tora reading, the text of the Amida (main prayer), many decrees to prevent intermarriage and much more. Ezra was considered by the Rabbis as the historic link between the written Tora and the oral Tora. Together with Neḥemia, they began the building of the second Bet haMiqdash. Ezra died on a 9th of Tebet. He was regarded by our Rabbis as second to Moshe Rabbenu.
(To be continued…)  

Click here to read 
Talking to your kids about the Connecticut school shooting.
by Yvette Alt Miller, from Aish



Music during the three weeks (Part 2)

Yesterday we saw the opinion of Rabbi Eli’ezer Melamed regarding playing or listening to music during the three weeks. The thrust of his opinion is not all music is the same, and what should be avoided is happy or celebratory music ( see here).  The primary source for this criteria is Maimonides (Ta’anit 5:14) that says “…qol shel shir asur lismoach bahem…  “…it is forbidden to joy with musical songs”. In other words, when it is not intended for joy and happiness, it is not forbidden.    
In the same text, Maimonides also said before: “Vekhen gazru shelo lenagen bikhle shir…” “The rabbis forbade playing musical instruments (in remembrance of the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash)”. Rabbi Obadya Yosef explains that what makes music a source of happiness is not its content  (as rabbi Melamed claims) but the fact that is played (live or electronically) with instruments.  This is why Rabbi Yosef would authorize only playing or listening to Jewish songs a cappella, i.e., without instruments, until Rosh Chodesh Ab, even if the music is of a celebratory nature. 
This is a good example to see how two or more opinions among rabbis are formed even when both analyze one single source (=Maimonides). In this case, the two rabbis understand differently the nature of ‘celebratory music’. For Rabbi Melamed is about the content, for Rabbi Yosef, if it’s played with instruments. 
In the Mashadi community the custom is to avoid listening to live music from the 17 of Tamuz until Rosh Chodesh Ab. After Rosh Chodesh Ab we should not listen to music even when played over the media, MP3s, Ipods, etc. (Mr Nassim Bassalian explain to me that some families in Teheran were strict with music only during the week of Tish’a beAb, especially when–unlike this year– Tish’a beAb would fall in the middle of the week). 



All for One Tisha BeAb and the secret of Jewish unity by Charlie Harary



Music during the three weeks (Part 1)

Yesterday we explained that during the three weeks between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Ab we keep certain traditions of mourning like not celebrating wedding or not reciting Shehecheyanu (see here). 
In Jewish sources playing music is seen as one of the highest expressions of happiness.  What is the opinion of modern Rabbis regarding playing or listening to music during these three weeks? 
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed (Penine Halakha, Zemanim, 141-146) explains that not all music should be banned during these days.
In his opinion the original rabbinic restriction (which theoretically should be applied beyond these three weeks, see Mishne Tora Ta’aniot 5:14) forbids playing music in remembrance of the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, whenever music is played as a celebration of happiness, for example, when music invites to dancing (weddings, Bar Mitzva, etc.) or at a live concert. But, he explains, not all music is an expression of happiness. 
The Talmud relates that in ancient Israel they use to play music–sad, melancholic music–in funerals with a type of flute which brought peoples minds to a mood of grief (Shabbat 151a).
Music lessons or the National Anthem or most classical music are other examples of non-celebratory or inspirational music, where happiness is not involved. 
Based on this distinction, in the opinion of Rabbi Melamed,
1. One should avoid listening to happy music (any live concerts, parties, etc.) during the three weeks. Music lessons are permitted until the week of the 9th of Ab. The Rabbi suggests, however, that during these days the students should not practice cheerful melodies.
2. Until the beginning of the month of Ab, one could listen to inspirational or non-celebratory music, and then, from that day until the 9th of Ab, only melancholic Jewish music should be allowed. 
This is, by the way, the criteria the Israeli national religious radio station Arutz Sheva follows during these days.   
Tomorrow, B’H, we will compare Rabbi Melamed’s opinion with Rabbi Obadya Yosef’s opinion on this subject. 

Israeli National Radio Station  “ARUTZ SHEVA”
HEBREW 
ENGLISH 


The fast of Seventeenth of Tamuz (4:19 AM-8:58 PM)

This coming Sunday July 8th we commemorate the Seventeenth of Tamuz. A day in which five tragedies happened to the Jewish people (see here) 
√ The fast begins at dawn, which in Great Neck NY is at 4:19 AM.  The starting time of the fast is only relevant if before you went to sleep you were planning to wake up early — before the fast begins– to eat or drink. However, if at the time you went to sleep you planned to wake up after dawn, in fact you have already accepted and started the fast from the night.   So, if you randomly wake up earlier than 4:19AM, you cannot eat or drink. The Ashkenazi custom, however, is to allow drinking in this case because drinking water, for example, is not like a planned meal or a snack.  
√ If during the fast you forgot about the fast and you ate or drunk something, you still have to continue with the fast when you realize it is a fasting-day. You should not cancel the fast altogether because of that mistake. In this involuntary case, also, you don’t need to make up for this fasting day by fasting another day. 
√ If you forgot it is a fast day and you said a berakha (blessing), for example, on a glass of water, according to the Sephardic tradition you should take a little sip of water because a berakhain vain is considered a Biblical transgression, i.e., a violation of the Third Commandment “You shall not pronounce the name of HaShem your God in vain”.  Ashkenazi rabbis, however, considered that saying a blessing in vain is not a Biblical but a Rabbinical violation, and therefore one should still abstain from eating or drinking upon realizing his mistake.    
  
The fast ends at 8:58 PM
Shabbat Shalom!
Candle lighting in NYC 8:11 PM
Shabbat ends in NYC  9:19 PM. 

Click here to see who is exempted from fasting
Due to the current hot weather situation in NY, people should take extra precautions to avoid dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration are: vomiting, feeling very nauseated or very weak or light headed, despite lying down.  If you have any symptoms of dehydration you must break the fast and drink water immediately. 
  
FOR MINYANIM, TIMES OF PRAYERS and 
OTHER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES SEE kanissanews


The fast of seventeenth of Tamuz (Part 2)

This coming Sunday we commemorate the Seventeenth of Tamuz. A day in which five tragedies happened to the Jewish people (see here)

We fast and elevate our prayers and supplications (tachanunim) to haShem, which inspire us to introspect and do Teshuba.

On the 17th of Tamuz there are only two prohibitions: eating and drinking. 

No additional restrictions apply, such as the prohibition of washing the body, wearing leather shoes, working, driving, etc.


Who is exempted from fasting?


Minors: boys under 13 and girls under 12 years old are completely exempted from fasting.

Nursing women: According to the Sephardic Minhag, after giving birth, a woman is exempted from fasting for 24 months, even if they are not actually nursing their baby.

Pregnant women, especially after the first 3 months, are exempted from fasting.

A person who is sick, with flu or fever or a chronic disease, for example, diabetes, is excused from fasting.

Elders should consult with their physicians if the fast might affect their health. If it will, they are exempted (and in some cases, prohibited) from fasting.

A healthy person who is affected from a temporary headache or other discomfort, is allowed to swallow a pill–like a tylenol, ibuprofen, or any other non-chewable pill– without water.  However, if a person suffers from a more serious illness, he should take his or her medication with water or in any way the doctor indicates.   

All other healthy people should fast and remember the tragedies that fell onto the Jewish people in this day.

 



THE FAST OF THE 17th of TAMUZ

 

This coming Sunday, July 8th, we will commemorate the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz. (The fast is moved from Shabbat Tamuz 17th to  Sunday Tamuz 18th)
Why is the 17th of Tamuz a day of fasting?  
Five tragedies happened to the Jewish people on the 17th of Tammuz:
1. In Biblical times, Moses descended from Mount Sinai and upon seeing the Jews worshipping the golden calf, he broke the first set of tablets that carried the Ten Commandments.
2. King Menashe, a Jewish King, and the worst sovereign of the Kingdom of Yehuda, placed on that day an idol in the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple, around the year 700 BCE.
3. In the time of the First Temple, on the 17th of Tamuz, 587 BCE, the Kohanim (priests) stopped offering the daily sacrifices due to the shortage of sheep during the siege of the city by the Babylonian army.
4. Around the year 50 of the Common Era, Apostomus, a Roman captain, seized a Tora scroll and with abusive and mocking language, burned it in public. (According to Maimonides, it was Apostomus who placed an idol in the Holy Temple, as well).

 

5. In the year 68 ACE the walls of Yerushalaim were breached after many months of siege by the Roman army. Three weeks after the breach of the wall, the Bet haMikdash was destroyed on the 9th of Ab.

Because of these five tragedies we fast and say special prayers that inspire us to mourn and to repent for our transgressions and those of our ancestors.
The fast begins at dawn and ends with the appearance of the three stars.
More details about the fast, B’H tomorrow.
From “July 4th, history and the Jews”by Joseph Michelson, in Jweekly. 
“John Adams, second president of the United States, in an 1808 letter criticizing the depiction of Jews by the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire: ‘How is it possible [that he] should represent the Hebrews in such a contemptible light? They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their Empire were but a Bauble in comparison of the Jews. They have given religion to three quarters of the Globe and have influenced the affairs of Mankind more, and more happily, than any other Nation, ancient or modern’.”