Question: On the holiday of Shavuot, is the practice of learning Torah all night long a commandment or a just a custom?

Answer: The practice of staying up all night to study Torah on the holiday of Shavuot is a custom and not a commandment. However that does not mean that a personshould snuggle into bed thinking that he is not missing anything by not joining in with the rest of the Jewish people on this exalted night. On Shavuot night, a person who longs to come closer to G-d can do so in the study hall, rather than sleeping off his holiday meal in bed.

The festival of Shavuot commemorates G-d the giving the Torah to the Jewish nation on Mt. Sinai. The Midrash teaches that the Jewish people at Sinai slept all night instead of waiting anxiously for the giving of the Torah. By staying up the whole night and studying, we rectify the slighting this caused to the honor of the Torah.

The Zohar states that the early sages would learn Torah all night to insure that the blessing of Torah would be passed on to their children. A person who learns Torah with joy on Shavuot night is insured the blessing of life in this world and the world to come. The Arizal emphasizes that a person should stay awake all night and be rapturously involved in the study of Torah. This pious behavior guarantees that the person will not die in the coming year. He states that the holiness of Shavuot night is so exalted that a person should take special care to say only words of Torah and not to utter a single unnecessary comment.

For these reasons, many synagogues hold lectures all through the night on Shavuot, in order to provide a festive environment for people who have trouble staying up all night learning alone at home.

In the holy writings of the "Shelah," Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, a kaballist who lived in Safed several hundred years ago, an interesting story is told about Shavuot night in the study hall of Rabbi Yosef Caro, the author of the Shulchan Oruch. The Rabbi and his students were living in Turkey at the time and as was their habit, they spent the evening diligently studying the Tikun of Shavuot Night, a special order of holy texts established by the sages of the Zohar. In the middle of their learning, they heard a supernatural voice emerging from the mouth of their revered Rabbi. All of the neighbors heard the booming voice of the Divine Presence, which, with the exile of the Jewish People, had fallen from its throne. All those in attendance fell upon their faces, unable to look at the holy sight of the great Rabbi as the awe-inspiring voice sounded from his lips. Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Elkabetz, author of the song "Lecha Dodi" and one of the students present, documented the scene in a letter quoted by the Shelah.

"Listen my most devoted and beloved friends," the Voice said. ‘Happy are you and those who gave birth to you, how fortunate you are in this world and the next, you who took it upon yourselves to honor me with the crown of your learning this evening. For it is now many years that my crown has fallen and there are none to console me. And I am cast into the dust, and now you have returned my glory of old.’"

"Be strengthened, friends and loved ones, know that you are the lofty chosen few, for you have merited to enter the palace of the King, for all of your learning and the breath of your mouths have come before G-d and pierced many heavens until your voices ascended to the reaches of the angels. All of the Celestial Host stand hearing your words of Torah to listen to your voices. And behold, here I am, …I have come to speak with you and praise you, how fortunate you are my beloved, for keeping sleep from your eyes, for through you I have been magnified this evening…."

"You are not like those who are lying on their ivory beds in sleep, which is like a tiny portion of death. You have cleaved to G-d and He rejoices with you… Therefore my children be strong and brave. Be joyous in the study of Torah and in attaining the fear of G-d, my friends. Do not cease from your learning, for a cord of loving kindness is wrapped around you, and your Torah learning is cherished by G-d."

"Hearing these words, we stood on our feet. Then the Voice returned and said, ‘Do not ceaseyour studies for a moment, and now come to the Land of Israel, for not all times are equal and G-d does not require legions to bring salvation, for you shall eat from the exalted goodness of the Land. And if you take heed and listen to these the words, surely the goodness of the Land you shall eat. Therefore, be quick to come to the Land of Israel for it is I who supports you. And you shall dwell in peace, and peace shall be upon your households and all that you own will enjoy shalom. G-d grants valor to His nation; G-d will bless His nation with peace.’"

For people who don’t feel up to a rousing Shavuot experience like this, or if someone is afraid that he will be too tired to pray the morning service properly if he stays up all night, then he should not feel bad about retiring early.

Those who do stay up all night should try to hear the morning blessings from someone who slept and then simply answer Amen.

In the words of Rabbi Elkabetz at the close of his epistle, this Shavuot "May the merciful G-d instill within your hearts to have mercy upon yourselves, and may we merit to be united in the Holy Land to worship G-d in unison."

Hag sameach and lashana haba b’Yerushalayim habinouyah.

Question: Is it appropriate to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel which was established according to secular values? Would we celebrate Chanukah if the Macabees were interested in defeating the Greeks in order to run a secular Israel? Is not an essential aspect of Chanukah the fact that the defeat of the Greeks led to the re-establishment of the Temple’s services and other religious activity?

Answer: The recognition that the State of Israel is a holy precept of the Torah is not always understood. A superficial perspective sees shortcomings in the State of Israel, and an absence of Torah ideals. However, the level of Torah observance in Israel is not even one aspect of the redemption of Israel which begins with the establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the Land.

All of the Rishonim and Achronim (the early and later Torah authorities) agree that the commandment to settle the Land of Israel is a positive commandment of the Torah, applicable at all times. In delineating the mitzvah (commandment), the Ramban emphasizes that it is not only a mitzvah incumbent on the individual, but a national obligation as well, requiring that the entire Land of Israel be in Jewish hands, in a national sense, under Jewish statehood, and not in the hands of any other nation.

Problems and shortcomings are sure to be corrected with time. The important thing to realize is that the institution of Jewish statehood is holy. Out of the holiness of the mitzvah comes the holiness of the State.

The intrinsic value of the State is not dependent on the number of observant Jews who live here. Naturally, our aspiration is that all of the Jewish People embrace the Torah and the mitzvoth. Nonetheless, the State of Israel is holy, whatever religious level it has.

There are religious Jews who express a type of criticism, and say, ‘If the State and its lifestyle were run according to our way and spirit, we would accept it. Until then we abstain from it. However, anyone who refuses to recognize the State of Israel does not recognize the return of the Divine Presence to Zion.

Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook would emphasize to his students that, "Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is the celebration of the existence of our State. With this, it must be remembered that our statehood does not start from Ben Gurion’s proclamation in the Tel Aviv Museum. Rather, it evolves from the holy words of the Ramban that we are commanded by the Torah to possess and dwell in the Land."

Even though there are aspects of the State of Israel which are not yet in line with the Torah, every Jew should have a fundamental joy with its establishment. Only out of this positive orientation, this "ayin tova," can we overcome the problems we face.

Regarding the question whether we would celebrate Hanukah if the Macabees had set out to establish a secular state, the Rambam emphasizes that our celebration of Hanukah and the reason we say Hallel is over the return of the Kingdom to Israel for over two-hundred years. During that period, many of Israel’s rulers were vehemently secular. King Yannai, grandson of Simon the Macabee, slaughtered on Sukkot all of the Orthodox Jews praying on the Temple Mount. The Saducees overran the Sanhedrin and used it as a tool to kill the Orthodox leaders. The High Priesthood was seized by power-grabbers, many of them Saducees who were opposed to the Torah. Herod the Great (the great murderer) killed all of the rabbis, save one, Bubba Ben Butta, whom he blinded by gauging out his eyes. Yet, still the Rambam rules that we are to celebrate the return of Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel. This is why we say Hallel on Hanukah, because of the absolute value of establishing Jewish rule in Eretz (the Land of) Yisrael.

In contrast to the voices which sought to find fault with the Zionist State and its secular character, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook taught his students to see the events of our time with an enlightened understanding of our history.

"Secularism does not lessen the essential holiness of our State," he said. "In the Talmud, our Sages explain that all of the material used in building the Temple became sanctified only after it was set into place. We build with the secular and sanctify it afterward. The Temple was built in this fashion, and this is the way the redemption of Israel develops, in stages, a little at a time. The building of Eretz Yisrael is accomplished by every segment of the nation, by the righteous and by the less righteous. We build with the non-holy, even though this causes complications and problems, yet little by little, all of the various problems will vanish, and the sanctification of G-d will appear in more and more light."

Question: I’m about to get married and have a question. I have curly blonde hair, which is like a part of my personality. Everyone who has ever known me knows me by my long blonde hair. Needless to say, my fiancé likes it too. Is there any way to get out of having to cover my head after we get married?

Answer: In order to understand the underlying principles of the law requiring a married woman to cover her hair, we have to first explain the reason for the laws of modesty in general. These laws come, not to detract from physical beauty and natural love, but to turn physical beauty and love into something that has lasting meaning, rather than mere momentary desire. The laws of modesty teach us to place the emphasis on the spiritual aspect of our marriage partners, and as a result, their natural beauty is enhanced.

Marriage should not be seen as the end of the road to love, but rather as its beginning. Therefore it is incumbent upon a married woman to be meticulous about her modesty in order to guard her beauty for her husband, for the sake of deepening the connection between them. This deeper, intimate connection, shared only by them, enables them to achieve ever-growing vistas of love.

A Jewish wedding service is consummated by the man stating, "You are sanctified to me by the laws of Moshe and the Jewish People." This means that the wife is exclusively given over to the husband. This chastity is the foundation of a Jewish home. Immodesty can lead to the destruction of the family. Even seemingly slight infractions of modesty impinges on the holiness of the family unit. A woman’s attractiveness should be extended only to her soul mate, for only with him can her love be manifested in its entirety. When a woman tries to appear attractive in the eyes of other men, this breach of the nuptial bond weakens the love in the home, by blemishing the unique holy bond between husband and wife. It also blemishes the children’s education as well. A woman who attempts to be provocative is certainly not consecrating herself to her husband and will never reach the zeniths of love. On the other hand, if she will uphold the tenets of modesty, she will radiate all of her love to its natural place, her mate.

As far as covering the hair is concerned, this is often a difficult challenge. During her unmarried life, a woman is perfectly free to go about with her hair uncovered. Suddenly, with her wedding, a Jewish woman is called upon to cover her hair. This new image and new self-identity is not always easily accepted, especially in the modern, permissive society we live in, with its focus on esthetic, physical aspects of life.

The Talmud describes how the Kohen would unloosen the hair covering of a women suspected of adultery. From this we learn that woman wore head coverings since Biblical days. During the siege of the city of Lachish by Sennacherib, the Assyrian King, a fresco engraving was made, which shows all of the Jewish women adorned with head coverings. One of the interesting finds of the archeologist Yigal Yadin, at the northern Palace of Masada, was the skull of a woman with hair and a scarf still covering her head.

The Mishna Berurah states that even in a society where women do not cover their hair, a Jewish woman must be stringent in covering hers. "Know that even if the women of the place walk about the marketplace with their hair uncovered, it’s forbidden to do so, because it is like walking with the thigh uncovered, which is always prohibited. Hair must be covered by the law of the Torah, as it says in the verse, "The Kohen will uncover the woman’s hair." And also, all of the G-d fearing women of Israel have been careful in this from ancient days until today."

Rashi commenting on this Torah verse states "The Kohen undoes the braids of the woman’s hair in order to embarrass her. We learn from this that uncovering the hair of a Jewish woman is a disgrace."

It is taught in the Talmud, Tractate Ketubot, that if a woman goes with her hair uncovered, her husband is allowed to divorce her without having to pay her dowry money (the Ketubah).

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein writes that it best for a married woman to strictly adhere to the law of covering her hair. Nonetheless, he rules that she can expose up to a "tefach" which is approximately 64 square centimeters.

According to this ruling, curly blond hair could still see the light of day, approximately the width of two fingers across the front of the head.

IN THE SHADOW OF REDEMPTION

One of the more fascinating individuals in the Torah is Bezalel, the chief architect of the Mishkan. He had a wide range of skills: He could work in diverse media (gold, silver, wood, cloth, precious gems); he had great creativity and artistic vision; and he could teach others how to produce lasting works of art.

Yet where did all this immense talent come from? After all, Bezalel had been a slave just weeks earlier. Surely, slaves did not have the time nor material to perfect their craft. Moreover, the Rabbis tell us that Bezalel was only 13 years old at his appointment. While youth must be served, how did one so young become so proficient, so fast?

While the parsha, VaYak’hel-Pekudei, informs us that "Hashem (God) filled him with a wise and godly spirit," I suggest there is another factor at work. The pasuk (verse) makes a point of saying that Hashem called Bezalel "by name" and then proceeds to identify not only the boy, but also his father and grandfather, an extended lineage not given for others. Why?

Who was Bezalel´s grandpa? He was Chur, the same Chur who held up Moshe´s arm and inspired faith in Am Yisrael, the same Chur who stood up to the creators of the Golden Calf and was murdered by them. The courage and self-sacrifice of Chur ran in the blood of his grandson, Bezalel. That, I suggest, is what set him apart from his peers and qualified him to fashion the House of Faith that would hold the Presence of Hashem. Adversity and suffering breed character, and create the heart and soul of the true artist.

As a nation, we Jews have displayed unbelievable faith and mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) throughout the generations, that which we in Israel are experiencing at this very moment. Like Chur, we have faced wild mobs and have not backed down an inch. Like Chur, we have upheld faith in G-d despite the cruelest of crimes perpetrated upon us by inhuman foes. Do not we, also, deserve to build a Mishkan, to be released from our chains of terror so that we can let our spirits sing freely? Are not all of us living here B´zel El, in the shadow of the Almighty, waiting for Him to bring us into the blazing sun of a new and better day?

Nisan arrives this week and with it the hope for liberation. Nisan - as it´s name implies - is the month designated for nisim, miracles. We sure can use some right now. Yet, come what may, let us be strong and strengthen each other.

Background. As this Shabbat coincides with the second day of Rosh Chodesh Iyar (the beginning of the Hebrew month of Iyar), a special Haftorah is read from the book of Isaiah, Chap. 66:1-24, followed by a repetition of verse 23 (because we wish to conclude the reading on a positive note). This Haftorah is read whenever Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh coincide, as prescribed by the Talmud in Tractate Megillah.

The prophet Isaiah was the son of Amotz who, according to the Talmud in Tractate Megillah 10b, was the brother of Amatziah, King of Judah. Hence, Isaiah was the king’s nephew. According to the Talmud in Tractate Pesachim 87a, Isaiah prophesied during the same period as the prophets Hosea, Amos and Micah. Tradition has it that Isaiah was born circumcised and he is likened in his greatness to Moses. The Midrash in Deuteronomy Rabbah (2:4) states, "There were no greater prophets than Moses and Isaiah…" Though he did not hesitate to reproach Israel when necessary, Isaiah’s prophecies are largely devoted to comforting the Jewish people and reassuring them about the future. The Midrash (Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah 16) says that Isaiah prophesied more good things and more consolations to Israel than any other prophet. Indeed, in Hebrew, Isaiah’s name means "G-d will redeem."

Summary. The Haftorah begins with the prophet rebuking the wicked, reminding them of G-d’s awesome power: "Thus says the L-rd: ‘The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool.’" (verse 1) Though no house or earthly structure can contain or limit G-d, He nevertheless chose to have the Jews build a Temple in His honor. Despite this gesture, the wicked desecrate His house. For what G-d prefers is the person of lowly and crushed spirit, one who hastens to do His bidding. The evildoers offer sacrifices to G-d even as they persist in their sinful ways, mistakenly thinking that in so doing, they are fulfilling His will. The wicked will be shamed, says the prophet, and those who are loyal to G-d shall yet rejoice. At the end of days, G-d will judge the nations who have mistreated His people Israel and the Jewish people will return to the Land of Israel. Those who mourned over Jerusalem during the Exile shall rejoice and be comforted, while those who worshipped idols will be punished. The nations of the world will assist the Jews in returning to Zion, according to the prophet, and Israel will live forever. Then, on every Sabbath and every New Moon, all of mankind will prostrate themselves before the one, true G-d – the G-d of Israel.

Connection Between the Haftorah and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh: Since the Haftorah stresses the importance of the Sabbath and the New Moon, saying, "And it shall be from New Moon to New Moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath that all flesh shall come to prostrate themselves before me, says the L-rd," (verse 23), it is read on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh.

When the prophet Isaiah reassures those Jews who are loyal to G-d, he contrasts them with "your brethren who hate you, who cast you out." (verse 5)

Question: Why does the prophet refer to the people he is rebuking as "your brethren who hate you, who cast you out"? Why is it important to stress that they are "your brethren"?
Answer: The Ibn Ezra and others explain that the prophet is referring to Jews who hate their fellow Jews and treat them contemptuously, seeking to distance themselves from them. The fact that they are "your brethren" – that they too are Jews – and yet they behave in such a hateful manner, is what makes it even more difficult to bear, says the Ibn Ezra. This, then, is among the reasons why the prophet Isaiah seeks to reassure the righteous – because of the pain they certainly feel at being singled out by their fellow Jews.

The Lesson: The kind of painful phenomenon that the prophet Isaiah described above – Jews who arrogantly deride their fellow Jews and treat them in an unseemly manner. The Jewish people have suffered from this divisiveness throughout the centuries. The rabbis tell us that it was just this type of senseless hatred that led to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jews from their Land. At this difficult hour in Jewish history, when the people of Israel are literally fighting for the future of the State, it is particularly appalling that extremists would choose to break ranks with their own people. Sadly, it seems, they have failed to learn from history.

There Will Never Be Another Exile Towards the end of the Haftorah, the prophet says that the Jewish people will return to the Land of Israel at the end of days and they will again bring sacrificial offerings to G-d. The Jews are then told that just as the heavens and the earth "stand before me, says the L-rd, so shall your seed and your name stand." (verse 22)

Question: After telling the Jews that they will return to the Land of their forefathers, why does the prophet then offer them reassurance that they will stand forever?

Answer: The Radak says that the verse is intended to reassure the Jewish people that once they will be redeemed and return to their Land, they will never again be exiled, nor will they have to fear that their name or their descendants will disappear (i.e. assimilate) in the Diaspora. Rather, just as the heavens and the earth will stand forever, so too will the people of Israel remain firmly in their Land. Though the enemies of the Jewish people might conspire to throw them out of the Land, their plot will never come to pass. Thus, the prophet is coming to assure the Jews that once they return to the Land of Israel, they need never fear being exiled from it again.

The Lesson: Many Israelis are becoming increasingly anxious about daunting events which need not break our spirit, because the Jewish people will never again be exiled from their Land. The process of redemption has begun, and the Divine clock of history cannot be turned back. Try as they might, our enemies will never defeat us, for, as the prophet Isaiah foretold, just as the heavens and the earth "stand before me, says the L-rd, so shall your seed and your name stand." (verse 22)

Simply put - the Jewish people are here to stay.

One of the strangest, most perplexing events in the Torah occurs in our Sedra. We are told that if the plague of tzara´at is found in the walls of a person´s home, that home may ultimately have to be destroyed. Yet, says Rashi, the demolition is a b´sora tova - good news - that results in the discovery of gold, silver and other valuables, secreted there by previous residents.

Two things about this scenario bother me. First of all, I thought that tzara´at was a physical punishment for the spiritual offense of lashon hara (improper speech). What does the demolishing of a house have to do with improper speech? If a human being sins, let him be punished, not his house! Secondly, it´s quite wonderful that the broken-down walls of the home yield a treasure, but couldn´t a less traumatic, more pleasant way be found to unearth the gems? Why can´t the kohen be told by Hashem that "there’s gold in them ‘thar walls!" and then inform the owners?

The Kli Yakar addresses the first problem: The pasuk begins, "Ki tavo´u el Eretz Cana’an asher ani notein lachem…" – "When you come to Israel which I give you to possess." Yet, then it says, "…v´natati nega’ tzara´at b´bayt eretz achuzatchem..." – "And I shall place the affliction in the house in the land of your possession." If we stop acknowledging that G-d gave us this land and that we are here by His kindness, instead telling everyone that we created all this, that we alone built all these homes, then Hashem will cause those homes to crumble and our cherished edifices to fall. Only a humble appreciation of the Divine hand invisibly propping up our Land will ensure its safety and survival.

As for our having to wait until the walls fall before we receive our windfall, isn´t that simply the way Hashem works? Didn´t we suffer in slavery for more than a century (117 years, to be exact) before experiencing Geula (Redemption)? Didn´t we fight and cry and undergo enormous anxiety before defeating our enemies in 1948, 1967 and 1973? Doesn´t Hashem always bring the dawn only after the darkest night? Like the rofeh ne´eman (faithful healer) that He is, G-d decrees that the path to health is often via complex, painful, but precise, surgery.

Ribono Shel Olam (Master of the World), if You are reading this, and I believe You are, I pray to You: Enough walls have fallen upon our fragile bodies; enough pain and trauma and destruction has been visited upon Your Chosen People. Isn´t it time to bring those b´sorot tovot we so desperately await? Please, bring Shalom and Geula Shleima. Bring it now.

Purity and impurity are not very popular subjects in today´s modern world. Because of this current mind-set, the subject matter of the two parshiyot that form this week´s Torah reading is certainly strange, foreign, even completely alien to us. What is the Torah’s view of tahara - purity – and tumaah - impurity, and how does it affect us? What are we to understand from the complicated laws of nega’aim - the dreaded dermatological diseases described in these two parshiyot?

These questions are not only real in our world, but they have nagged at the souls of many generations of Jews. Yet perhaps in our times, more than at any other times in the recent centuries, we are able to identify with the benefits of purity and the damage done to our souls and psyches by impurity. Purity is a goal, a state of achievement and accomplishment. It represents the conscious effort to raise one´s self from being a mere mortal, a mere higher species of animal. Therefore, in order to accomplish this process and to reach this exalted goal, the Torah describes for us the painstakingly difficult method of discovery, diagnosis, isolation, contemplation and sacrifice which alone leads to purity and can ward off and even transform for good the most dreaded of impurities.

Purity, in Jewish life, thought and tradition, is built upon correct and holy speech, rigorous observance of the Torah norms of sexual morality and behavior and upon honest and compassionate behavior towards one´s fellow human beings. The violation of any of these three basic pillars of Judaism allows the cancer of impurity to take root in the heart, soul and mind of the person. Impurity of heart and mind is what allows one to mock the righteous and ridicule the pious. It seduces us to think that sin is not evil, wrong is somehow not harmful, that there can be such an action as ‘victimless crime.’ Impurity desensitizes us to the needs and problems of others. It allows us to speak maliciously and harmfully about others and not even realize the harm that we are perpetrating thereby. It makes us callous and empty, boorish and dangerous.

It is not for naught that the Rabbis commented in the book of Avot that "a boor cannot be a God-fearing person." Impurity defeats us as no other state of being can. Therefore, the Torah stresses, constantly, the requirement of striving for purity in our thought processes, in our attitudes, in our behavior patterns and human relationships. In biblical times, purity and impurity were more easily identifiable than they are today. One´s skin, so to speak, told the person at what level of purity or impurity he stood. The kohen, the holy priest, was present to diagnose and cure impurities, to provide the necessary moral and physical help to encourage the transformation into a holy person.

Today we see no visual signs of impurity on our bodies, but we would have to be completely bereft of our senses not to be aware of the impurities of the society that we live in. We literally wallow in a sea of impurity of thought and evil behavior. We are bombarded constantly by messages and examples of gross impurity and malicious behavior. We are alone in combating these evils, since the impurity of society ridicules any public attempt at raising the level of purity of that society. Thus we are left to pursue our own lonely, painful, but necessary, struggle for self-improvement and the search for personal purity and immortality. We need to search within ourselves instead of on our external skin alone for the ravages of impurity. We must commit ourselves to the struggle for purity that the Torah demands of us. In essence, we must become our own kohen and thereby raise ourselves to Torah standards of purity.

Arutz Sheva News Service

The Israeli Postal Authority recently issued two new stamps in honor of the Jewish Diaspora languages Yiddish and Ladino. The stamps, issued for the month of Adar come in NIS 2.10 denominations. The stamp honoring Yiddish was designed by Moshe Bernstein and Zvika Roitman and the stamp issued in honor of Ladino was designed by Ben-Tsion (Benny) Nahmias.

Yiddish, a combination of Hebrew with old German and other European tongues, was the language of the majority of Jews of Europe prior to World War II. It was the language of a vibrant culture, producing Yiddish-speaking rabbis, scholars, authors, poets, playwrights, entertainers and singers. The Yiddish culture continues to thrive today in ultra-Orthodox enclaves, among enthusiasts and among Jews from pre-War Europe and their children.

Ladino, the language that was prevalent among the Jews of Spain prior to and after the Inquisition, was preserved for hundreds of years, wherever Spanish Jews (Sepharadim in Hebrew) migrated. Pockets of Ladino speakers are still to be found among Jewish communities of Spanish ancestry from North Africa, Turkey and South America. Ladino, a combination of Hebrew and old Spanish, stood out for its rich folklore, extensive literature and many theatrical productions.

In 1996, the Knesset passed two laws aimed at preserving these two linguistic monuments to Jewish culture and history. The laws were intended to preserve and increase public awareness of the Yiddish and Ladino cultures.

We are all aware that organized sports are a very major commercial enterprise today all over the world. It is a multi-billion dollar industry with enormous effect and influence upon the millions of its followers. The thrills, excitement and pleasure that sports provides for its followers is immeasurable, even though the high costs of being a spectator to the events of sports is painfully calculable. The devotion of fans to their favorite teams borders upon idol worship and has many times spilled over into violence and depression. The modern world is hooked on sports.

The Jewish position regarding sports is a different one than most of the modern world. Judaism encourages athleticism; exercise, care of the body, activity, ingenuity, even physical strength and well-being. It does not encourage violent behavior of one human being against another. Thus boxing, wrestling, judo, violent contact sports such as ice hockey, rugby and tackle football, would seem to fall outside the acceptable pale of permitted sports. Yet, we find in the rabbinic writings of the early middle Ages that Jews engaged in a jousting tournament in order to enliven weddings and "gladden the bride and groom!" The rabbis seemed to oppose the practice, but who listens to rabbis?

One of the greatest objections that the Jews had to the Greeks and Romans and to their culture was the violence of their sporting activities. Most Jews also condemned the nudity of the participants and the accompanying drunken spectacles, sexual orgies and animal sacrifices to the pagan gods. The use of gladiators, of sports events that were preordained to cost human lives, saddened the Jews, who believed that human life was the highest value in society. Making a sport out of maiming or killing someone was and is repugnant to the ethos of traditional Judaism. The current rampant and outlandish commercialization of sports, the exploitation of the athletes (no matter how high their salaries are) and the attendant hoopla of questionable good taste and borderline behavior also are foreign to the Jewish spirit and view of humans and their world.

In our modern era, Jews looked at organized sports in a different light. In the twentieth century, Jewish sportsmen, fans, team owners, sports writers, media broadcasters and commentators abounded. It was as though the Jews became sports crazed, since this avenue of activity served as their confirmation of being fully accepted into modern society. It was Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax who blazed the path of success for Jewish American acceptability, long before Jewish CEO´s of major American corporations became more common. Thus, Jews became and are inveterate sports fans, not only for the love of the game itself, but also for the unseen but essential benefit of societal acceptability that the sports arena ostensibly afforded them.

In Israel, the same benefit of international acceptance and respectability fueled the development of Israel´s sports leagues and teams. The appearance of Israel at the Olympics has become a matter of national self-vindication. How else can we explain the muted Israeli reaction to the murder of its athletes at the Olympic games in Germany or the refusal of the UEFA Soccer League to play its games in Tel Aviv? Would not a proud nation disdain participation in sports events so politically biased and insensitive to the Jewish people? Yet it is the drive that we must somehow belong, and that sports means belonging, that fuels Israel´s desire to participate at all costs, no matter what the price or the shame.

I am not writing this as a killjoy or in opposition to organized sports. I definitely appreciate the beauty of a well-turned double-play or a fabulous three-point shot at the buzzer. I merely raise the issue that sports, like all other areas of modern life, should be seen within the wide and deep perspective of Jewish tradition. As such, we will be able to absorb the good, enjoy the game and discard the large amount of chaff, which is present in today´s sporting society.

Yom Kippur and Tisha B´Av may share the distinction of being the only night-and-day fasts of the year, but they are as different as, well, Day and Night. In fact, Yom Kippur is known as the White Fast, while Tisha B´Av is called the Black Fast. Though we refrain from food, drink, bathing, marital relations, etc. on both days, there is a distinct difference in the atmosphere and mood of the two events. On Yom Kippur, we are exhilarated by our surge of spirituality, as we lunge excitedly for the brass ring of Teshuva being extended to us. After eating a festive meal before the fast, we spurn material needs and desires for 25 hours, looking absolutely angelic in our white Kittels, davening until the stars finally appear. We greet our fellow Jews exuberantly, with confident wishes of good tidings, signed and sealed.

But Tisha B´Av is as decidedly DOWNbeat as Yom Kippur is UPbeat. The Seuda HaMafseket (meal before the Fast) is meager and subdued. We chant dirges in the gloom, sitting low or on the floor, avoiding greetings or social niceties. The Parochet is off the Ark; the Tefilin is off our arm. If Yom Kippur excites and uplifts us with the promise of our G-dly potential, Tisha B´Av depresses us with the realization of just how low we can fall. Yom Kippur heralds a sweet New Year; Tisha B´Av leaves the sour taste of a bitter past in our mouths.

Our overriding sin on Tisha B´Av was our lack of faith: In our leaders, in G-d, but most of all, in ourselves. We cried at the prospect of entering Israel; we failed to act as a holy, chosen People with a unique way of life all our own. We engaged in Sinat Chinam - literally, the hatred of other´s "chayn," or special contribution to the Universe - because, deep down, we doubted our OWN niche in G-d´s world. The failure to recognize our own greatness led us to doubt everyone else´s, pulling us into the vortex of self-doubt and slander, imploding our Jewish world from within. The operative sound of Yom Kippur is the majestic Shofar; but the operative sound of Tisha B´Av is the sob, and the sigh.

Yet, in Hashem´s great mercy, we are left with a ray of hope amidst this grim climate. Tisha B´Av is still characterized as a "Moed," a festival (thus we do not say Tachanun on this day). The clear implication is that one day, when we have reaffirmed our belief in ourselves and have re-established our love and appreciation for every other Jew, we will turn this day into a celebration of life.

At that moment, black and white will merge, and out will come the color of....the Geula! May the day come soon.

Background The Haftorah that is read in Israel this week is from the Book of Zechariah, Chap. 2:14-17, Chap. 3:1-10 and Chap. 4:1-7. Yemenite Jews read the same selections except that in Chap. 4 they conclude with verse 9. Outside of Israel, due to last week’s observance on the Sabbath of a second day of the festival of Shavuot, the Haftorah for Parshat Naso is read.

According to the Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin (99a), the prophet Zechariah prophesied during the era of the Second Temple. Together with Haggai and Malachi, he was among the last prophets of Israel. Zechariah’s grandfather Iddo was also a prophet, and the Talmud in Tractate Megillah (23a) says that Zechariah was also referred to as Meshulam (in the Book of Nehemiah 8:4) because he was perfect [shalem in Hebrew] in his deeds. Zechariah’s tomb is located in Nahal Kidron at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Summary: The Haftorah begins with the prophet Zechariah foretelling the Final Redemption, when G-d’s presence will again dwell among the Jewish people. Many nations will recognize G-d and cleave to Him, and G-d will again cause Judah to inherit his share in the Holy Land. G-d will once more choose Jerusalem as the seat of His earthly abode and the nations of the world will be silent when they see what G-d has wrought. The prophet then describes his vision of Joshua the High Priest dressed in filthy garments, who stands facing an angel as well as Satan, there to accuse him. However, G-d rebukes Satan, and then instructs that the dirty clothes be removed from the High Priest and replaced with clean garments, signifying atonement. The angel says to the High Priest that if he walks in the ways of G-d, his children will be meritorious and he will be rewarded. The prophet then relates a vision he was shown depicting a golden menorah with seven branches, surrounded on each side by an olive tree. Miraculously, the olives press themselves, and the oil flows of its own accord into the lamps on the menorah. This, concludes the Haftorah, is intended to demonstrate that "not by might, nor by strength, but by My spirit, says the L-rd of Hosts," (Chap. 4:6) because just as the Menorah is filled because it is the will of G-d for that to happen, so too will the Messiah come and redeem Israel, because that is what G-d desires.

Connection Between the Haftorah and the Parsha: The Haftorah contains the prophet Zechariah’s vision of the Menorah and its lamps, and the Parsha describes the Menorah, its construction and the kindling of its light.

At the beginning of the Haftorah, the prophet Zechariah foretells the end of days, prophesying "And the L-rd shall cause Judah to inherit his share on the Holy Land, and He shall again choose Jerusalem." (Chap. 3:16)

Question: What is the meaning of the verse?

Answer: The Mahari Kra (Rabbi Joseph Kara, a contemporary of Rashi) explains it to mean that G-d will cause Judah to inherit its share, as before, in the Land of Israel. Though he offers a different interpretation, the Radak says that Judah is mentioned specifically because he was the ruling tribe, the tribe from which the monarchy emerged. Put together, these two explanations tells us that eventually, the Jewish people will again inherit their original ancestral patrimony in full – the Land of Israel.

The Lesson: While various parts of the Land of Israel are still under foreign control, with sites such as Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus or the ancient synagogue of Gaza currently out of reach, we can take solace in the fact that this is but a temporary situation. For, as the prophet Zechariah so vividly reassured us, Judah will again regain his inheritance, all of his inheritance, and the entire Land of Israel will again be ours. May it happen speedily and in our time.

Basking in the Silence

In his vision of the Final Redemption, the prophet Zechariah says that G-d will again dwell in the midst of the Jewish people, and that they shall return to their Land, which will be theirs as an inheritance. (Chap. 3:16) This is followed by a verse stating, "Be silent, all flesh, before the L-rd, for He is aroused out of His holy habitation." (Chap. 3:17)

Question: What is the meaning of this silence to which the prophet is referring?

Answer: The Metzudat David says that the nations of the world will suddenly fall silent out of fear of G-d, and they will no longer speak out against Israel. In other words, when the nations see that G-d has redeemed the Jewish people and restored them to their land to dwell among them, they will no longer dare to raise their voices in protest against Israel.

The Lesson: Israel has come under unprecedented criticism. However, as we saw above, we need not allow the verbiage directed against Israel to weaken our resolve. What matters more is what we do, not what others say for the Jewish people are eternal. As the prophet Zechariah foretold, there will yet come a day when Israel’s enemies and critics alike will fall silent. May we all merit to bask in that silence very soon.

The Jewish national pastime, we all know, is kvetching. We are world-class complainers, going way back. Our sedra discusses at length the mit´o´n´nim, who griped about the hardships of the desert, the need to fight in battle, the lack of meat and the banality of the Manna.

Yet, with all the complaining, there was a certain under-lying logic to their unrest. The Torah introduces this section by saying that the people "Hit´avu ta´ava" - "desired a desire." Let´s explore what this strange phrase means.

The people say: "We fondly remember the fish we ate in Egypt; the onion, the garlic, the leeks and cucumbers. But now our souls are dried up; we have nothing to look at except this Manna!" (11:5-6) This is puzzling, since the Manna could assume any taste that one desired. So, how could anyone ever tire of it?

The answer lies in the essential nature of a human being. We are a people of emotions, feelings, drives. We Jews, especially, are passionate about almost everything in life. The Manna, though it was a heavenly, perfect food, lacked visual diversity, spice and sauce. We ate the Manna, but something was missing; it wasn´t ´geshmakt´ (tasty). It - like us - needed to be spiced up, to have an earthy, earthly quality to it. Wafers and sprouts and carrot juice are fine and good, but every once in a while, we want meat (or a salmon steak or a Spanish omelet, if you like).

Thus, the people complained that their human nature was being suppressed. Not only in cuisine, but also in sexual matters (they were now, after Matan Torah and much more limited in whom they could marry, and they had to keep Taharat Hamishpacha), and even in attire (wearing the same clothes day after day).

Passion, it is true, can lure us into sin, but it can also be our greatest incentive: Passion makes for great romance and inspires great teachers; passionate indignation spurs our fight for justice; passionate zealotry powered our return to Israel and keeps us here even in tough times. The Yezer Hara (Evil Inclination) is a formidable foe, but when it was temporarily subdued, says the Gemara, "chickens stopped laying eggs" and people became listless. Without desire, we stopped caring and stopped trying; we simply lost our chayshek (desire). Productivity and creativity took a nosedive.

So, Hashem hears the people. He has Moshe appoint 70 z´kanim (elders), who have real, human desires (unlike Moshe, who could go 40 days without eating and separated from his wife) and can better relate to the masses. He also sends us meat to eat. Yet He warns us to eat in moderation, for those who "stuff themselves," who let their passions rule them instead of rile them up, will pay a heavy price indeed.