Elul is the month that precedes Tishrei, it is the Month of Benevolence and of Apologies (hodesh rahamim ve slihot), it is the Month of Repentance (hodesh hazara be tshuva), it is the month for preparation for the "Days of Awe" (Yamim noraim) – the ten days between Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Atonement Day).
Elul is the preparatory month for the Judgment, therefore:
Evey morning (except on Sabbath), at the end of the prayer, the shofar (ram's horn) is blown in order to remind us that Rosh Hashana is near.
The chapter "To David" (le David) is added to the prayer, twice a day. The Ashkenazim add it to shaharit (the Morning Prayer) and to minha (the Afternoon Prayer) while the Sephardi add it to shaharit and aravit (the Evening Prayer).
In the beginning, Selihot (apologies) – pieces of penitential prayers – had been recited every morning, half an hour before the sunrise. The Sephardi Jews recite longer Selihot, from the beginning of month Elul until Yom Kippur. The Ashkenazim Jews start on Sabbath (Saturday) night, the last Sabbath before Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur (but there have to be at least four days of Selihot). Selihot are not being recited on Sabbath.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Sunday, 12 April 2009
About Moshe (Moses)
The Midrash teaches us that Moshe was born prematurely, three months before the term. His mother hid him (the Pharaoh ordered that all Hebrew male newborns be killed), and, in order not to raise suspicion, she hid the delivery by placing pillows under her clothes.
When her time "came", she took the little Moshe and she placed him in a basket. She let him go on the Nile, hoping to save his life this way.
And so it was. Moshe was found by the Pharaoh's daughter, he was than raised at the palace, while his nurse was his own mother.
The Midrash also tells us that when Moshe grew up a little, he used to play with the Pharaoh's crown by placing it on his head, thus scarring the Pharaoh's fortune tellers. They predicted him that Moshe will take his place.
To see if the prediction was true or whether the taking of the crown was just a child's game, the Pharaoh ordered to bring Moshe two trays: one filled will hot coal, the other with gold, both being of the same color. God sent an Angel that took Moshe's hand and point it towards the tray with musty coal. Moshe would than burn his hand and instinctively put it in his mouth.
The Midrash tells that later, because of this, Moshe had a speaking defect; he was stammering. God told him to take the Hebrew people out of Egypt and Aaron, his brother, was to help him by speaking with the Pharaoh.
The same Midrash recounts that Pharaoh (the Pharaoh that lived during the Exodus) affirmed that he is not like other mortal and that he is a deity and that is why he doesn't have physiologic needs…saving that in the morning, before everyone wakes up, he goes to ease himself.
That is where Aaron and Moshe went to talk to the Pharaoh the first time, thus showing him that he is like any other man… and that they know it.
Even more so, since he is a man like any other, he should acknowledge that there is someone above him and implicitly to understand the Hebrews' desire to go to the desert and pray to their God.
When her time "came", she took the little Moshe and she placed him in a basket. She let him go on the Nile, hoping to save his life this way.
And so it was. Moshe was found by the Pharaoh's daughter, he was than raised at the palace, while his nurse was his own mother.
The Midrash also tells us that when Moshe grew up a little, he used to play with the Pharaoh's crown by placing it on his head, thus scarring the Pharaoh's fortune tellers. They predicted him that Moshe will take his place.
To see if the prediction was true or whether the taking of the crown was just a child's game, the Pharaoh ordered to bring Moshe two trays: one filled will hot coal, the other with gold, both being of the same color. God sent an Angel that took Moshe's hand and point it towards the tray with musty coal. Moshe would than burn his hand and instinctively put it in his mouth.
The Midrash tells that later, because of this, Moshe had a speaking defect; he was stammering. God told him to take the Hebrew people out of Egypt and Aaron, his brother, was to help him by speaking with the Pharaoh.
The same Midrash recounts that Pharaoh (the Pharaoh that lived during the Exodus) affirmed that he is not like other mortal and that he is a deity and that is why he doesn't have physiologic needs…saving that in the morning, before everyone wakes up, he goes to ease himself.
That is where Aaron and Moshe went to talk to the Pharaoh the first time, thus showing him that he is like any other man… and that they know it.
Even more so, since he is a man like any other, he should acknowledge that there is someone above him and implicitly to understand the Hebrews' desire to go to the desert and pray to their God.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Elul, the King is in the Field (Hameleh be sade)
There is a story about a king that decided to dress in common clothes, as a peasant, and to walk through his kingdom and listen to what his people have to say about him and what their problems are.
The king reaches a forgotten village, where no one recognizes him and asks a peasant to take him in his house. He is received with open arms in the peasant's house, where, for 4 days, he is treated as the most important guest.
Being very pleased by the way he had been treated despite him looking like a common person, he returns to the village, but this time dressed in royal vestment with pomp, servants and attendants. As gratitude for the way he has been quartered by the community and in the peasant's house, and for the royal treatment he received, he tells the peasant that he can ask for anything, whatever the wish it will be fulfilled as gratitude.
The peasant thinks: "anything?", "Yes, answers the king" … The peasant scratches his head, thinks a little bit more, and, after gathering some courage he tells the king how, in the place of prayer, the seats are very uncomfortable and because of this, his back itches. Therefore, all he desires is…a piece of wood that placed behind, above the seat, will help him scratch his back.
Maybe the peasant shouldn't have asked for fortunes, maybe that piece of would was the most important thing for him or maybe, he just didn't think… that anything means anything, that he could have asked the king for the world and he would have got it.
Today, in Elul month, The God is among us, He speaks to us as equals, he provides us with the possibility to ask, to change something, to change the judgment's course, not in the last minute, in the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, but starting today.
The king is in the field, everything is possible, it is just upon us to know what we want!
The king reaches a forgotten village, where no one recognizes him and asks a peasant to take him in his house. He is received with open arms in the peasant's house, where, for 4 days, he is treated as the most important guest.
Being very pleased by the way he had been treated despite him looking like a common person, he returns to the village, but this time dressed in royal vestment with pomp, servants and attendants. As gratitude for the way he has been quartered by the community and in the peasant's house, and for the royal treatment he received, he tells the peasant that he can ask for anything, whatever the wish it will be fulfilled as gratitude.
The peasant thinks: "anything?", "Yes, answers the king" … The peasant scratches his head, thinks a little bit more, and, after gathering some courage he tells the king how, in the place of prayer, the seats are very uncomfortable and because of this, his back itches. Therefore, all he desires is…a piece of wood that placed behind, above the seat, will help him scratch his back.
Maybe the peasant shouldn't have asked for fortunes, maybe that piece of would was the most important thing for him or maybe, he just didn't think… that anything means anything, that he could have asked the king for the world and he would have got it.
Today, in Elul month, The God is among us, He speaks to us as equals, he provides us with the possibility to ask, to change something, to change the judgment's course, not in the last minute, in the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, but starting today.
The king is in the field, everything is possible, it is just upon us to know what we want!
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Sabbath and Yom Tov
Yom Tov refers to any holiday from the Torah in which we behave in the same manner as on Sabbath.
The major difference between Sabbath and Yom Tov is that on Yom Tov one can prepare food (only for that day).
On Yom Tov one can smoke (this is possible since cooking is allowed as well). On Yom Tov you can use fire (firecrackers, barbecue etc.), but you can't lit a fire, you bring the fire (before the holiday one will light a candle - ner nefesh - and will take the fire from it). Still, on this holiday one shall not switch on the light.
On Yom Tov, activities that are forbidden on Sabbath are allowed only inside the house (in order to make bread on Yom Tov, you can do it only if you already have the floor in the house, since on this day, like on Sabbath, you aren't allowed to take the grain, to mill and to sift in order to make floor).
If Yom Tov falls on Sabbath, than it becomes Sabbath and it follows Sabbath's laws.
If Yom Tov falls on Thursday evening, one is allowed to cook for the next few days (since Friday, by the time the holiday ends, Sabbath has already begun).
The major difference between Sabbath and Yom Tov is that on Yom Tov one can prepare food (only for that day).
On Yom Tov one can smoke (this is possible since cooking is allowed as well). On Yom Tov you can use fire (firecrackers, barbecue etc.), but you can't lit a fire, you bring the fire (before the holiday one will light a candle - ner nefesh - and will take the fire from it). Still, on this holiday one shall not switch on the light.
On Yom Tov, activities that are forbidden on Sabbath are allowed only inside the house (in order to make bread on Yom Tov, you can do it only if you already have the floor in the house, since on this day, like on Sabbath, you aren't allowed to take the grain, to mill and to sift in order to make floor).
If Yom Tov falls on Sabbath, than it becomes Sabbath and it follows Sabbath's laws.
If Yom Tov falls on Thursday evening, one is allowed to cook for the next few days (since Friday, by the time the holiday ends, Sabbath has already begun).
Friday, 6 March 2009
About Sabbath
It's being said that "The Jews didn't protect the Sabbath as much as the Sabbath protected the Jews"... and rightly so.
You can't forget who you are, you can't ignore your roots when the seventh day arrives, the most wonderful day.
Between the sunset (shkya) - when there is still light outside - and the time that stars come out (tzet a kochavim) - when it's already dark - there is a period of about 15-20 minutes, the twilight (bein a shmashot).
The Sabbath begins when the stars come out, but in order to be sure, the lighting of the candles is being done 15-20 minutes earlier. First the candles are being lit and only then the prayer will be said (the candles symbolizing the beginning of the Sabbath).
So many countries, so many customs: the number of lighted candles varies. The candles are usually lit by women, but if they aren't home (trip, hospital, widowed husband) the candles can be lit by men also.
An unmarried woman will light a single candle, a married one will light at least two candles. There are women that light the two Sabbath candles and one candle for each child, others add one candle for all the boys and one for all the girls in the family.
The number of lighted candles depends also on the number of Sabbaths in which you forgot to light the candles. For each forgotten Sabbath, one more candle will be lighted every Sabbath, all the life.
The forbidden occupations on Sabbath are mostly those related to creation (melacha mahshevet) and are based on the 39 occupations (avot melacha) that were needed to build the Temple in the desert (Mishkan): 11 occupations for bread making, 13 occupations for making cloth, 9 occupations for writing on skin (claf) and 6 occupations for building a house.
You can't forget who you are, you can't ignore your roots when the seventh day arrives, the most wonderful day.
Between the sunset (shkya) - when there is still light outside - and the time that stars come out (tzet a kochavim) - when it's already dark - there is a period of about 15-20 minutes, the twilight (bein a shmashot).
The Sabbath begins when the stars come out, but in order to be sure, the lighting of the candles is being done 15-20 minutes earlier. First the candles are being lit and only then the prayer will be said (the candles symbolizing the beginning of the Sabbath).
So many countries, so many customs: the number of lighted candles varies. The candles are usually lit by women, but if they aren't home (trip, hospital, widowed husband) the candles can be lit by men also.
An unmarried woman will light a single candle, a married one will light at least two candles. There are women that light the two Sabbath candles and one candle for each child, others add one candle for all the boys and one for all the girls in the family.
The number of lighted candles depends also on the number of Sabbaths in which you forgot to light the candles. For each forgotten Sabbath, one more candle will be lighted every Sabbath, all the life.
The forbidden occupations on Sabbath are mostly those related to creation (melacha mahshevet) and are based on the 39 occupations (avot melacha) that were needed to build the Temple in the desert (Mishkan): 11 occupations for bread making, 13 occupations for making cloth, 9 occupations for writing on skin (claf) and 6 occupations for building a house.
Monday, 2 March 2009
The Sun, the Moon and the Stars
The Midrash tells that at the beginning, the Sun and the Moon had the same dimensions, that God created them of the same size.
Just that one day, the prideful Moon went to complain to God about it.
God gave it right, rightfully - it wasn't possible for both celestial bodies to be of the same size....therefore He made the Moon smaller ... and from the "surplus" of material He made ....the Stars.
Just that one day, the prideful Moon went to complain to God about it.
God gave it right, rightfully - it wasn't possible for both celestial bodies to be of the same size....therefore He made the Moon smaller ... and from the "surplus" of material He made ....the Stars.
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