Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Beshalach No 1608: 13 Shevat 5776 (23 January 2016)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES Rise Up and Go On! - by Esti Rosenberg, Head of the Midrasha for Women, Migdal Oz

The crossing of the Red Sea is part of the ongoing historical and national record which makes up the foundation of our faith. The Exodus from Egypt and its great power have been transformed into the mitzvot of remembering and telling the story of the redemption from Egypt. The giving of the Torah is included in the negative mitzva never to forget the awesome events at Mount Sinai, and the splitting of the Red Sea is remembered daily in the morning prayers.

This choice by the sages views the splitting of the Red Sea as revelation of the Shechina and the appearance of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in nature and in human history as a basis for faith. The intervention of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in nature and thereby in the redemption of Yisrael reaches its epitome at the edge of the sea. It is demanded of Bnei Yisrael that they play an active role in the continuing process by entering the tumultuous sea based on their faith, responding to a command given by G-d to Moshe: "Speak to Bnei Yisrael, and let them move on" [Shemot 14:15].

The sea will split only after Bnei Yisrael will "come into the sea on dry land" [14:22]. The Midrash explains, "While they stood there, Nachshon jumped forward and fell into the sea" [...]. When Nachshon made his move the dry land had not yet appeared. He entered the waves of the sea because of his firm faith in the Holy One, Blessed be He. Nachshon's faith released the potential of the impending miracle and the Divine guidance, and then the rest of the nation had the privilege of walking on the dry land, within the sea.

In a remarkable way, the Midrash describes the great fear that took hold of Bnei Yisrael when they were told to jump into the stormy sea:

"Moshe said to them, Rise up and go on! They said to him, We will not enter until we see the sea split. So Moshe took his staff and struck the sea, and holes opened in the water. Moshe said, Rise up and go through! They said to him, We will not go until the sea becomes a valley... So Moshe took his staff and the sea was transformed into a valley. Moshe said to them, Rise up and go through! And they replied, We will not go until..." [Avot D'Rebbe Natan].

The Midrash continues with a very long dialogue, with Moshe continuing to beg the people to go into the sea, while they are afraid and keep asking for ideal conditions. They demand complete security before they will agree to jump into the sea. With infinite patience, Moshe responds to every request and tries to calm them down so that they will go into the water. In the end, the water split as a result of Nachshon's daring jump into the sea, which was characterized by uncertainty on one hand but by absolute faith in the Creator and His guidance. This leap into the water is part of the foundation of our faith.

In many cases in our lives when we must take action, we would much prefer to jump into the situation only after all the details are ironed out and the sea has dried up. However, it is demanded from us that we show courage and have faith in the Creator and His behavior – and to jump, like Nachshon, into the waves and the unknown, confident that Moshe and his staff are doing their very best to provide safe and comfortable conditions. Jumping into the unknown is an act of faith in the Creator, and it shows that the human being believes a miracle can happen, in a memorable encounter between nature and a miracle, between faith and security, between the Creator and humanity.

POINT OF VIEW

1 The Shabbat Law: A Lesser Evil - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

"See that G-d has given the Shabbat" [Shemot 16:29]. "There He put down for him decrees and laws, and there He tested them" [15:25]. "He gave him some of the passages of the Torah for them to be occupied: Shabbat, the Red Heifer, and economic laws" [Rashi]. to you

Religious Laws, Bypassing the Religious People

For the last two months or so, a proposed law has been making the rounds in the Knesset – the "Shabbat Law" of MK's Miki Zohar and David Amsalem, both from the Likud Party. I raise a very perplexed eyebrow – as I assume is true of most of my readers – with a question: Where are the religious parties in all of this? What is going on here in political terms? The situation seems to be quite absurd! "Religious legislation" – which we have been told time and again "upsets" the people and is completely "outdated" – has suddenly renewed its popularity, and from a very unexpected direction, from within a party that is not defined as religious and is certainly not expected to innovate in this matter. Does this have anything to do with the increased numbers of religious people in the Likud who are proud of the traditions of their fathers and the Jewish heritage? Have they suddenly decided to enter the fray with this subject?

This "theater of the absurd" reaches greater heights when we find that other religious MK's are some of the most outspoken opponents of this legislation, such as Elazar Stern (from Yesh Atid) and Rachel Azaria (from Kulanu). Why? It is because the proposed law is not liberal enough for them. It prohibits commerce on Shabbat, to which these MK's agree, for both religious and sociological reasons. And it permits cultural and recreational activities. However, it does not allow public transportation on Shabbat, and therefore they as religious people are dead set against it.

Here is another matter: With my sharp political hearing, I can hear some "deafening silence" from the direction of the Bayit Yehudi Party. It is true that the ministers of the party supported the law when it was brought to the ministerial committee for approval, but no "Jewish" voice has burst out from the Bayit Yehudi in this matter. What worries me about this is that it makes me fearful: It may be that matters of "religion and the state" are being silently removed from the interests of the party. As far as I can see, this is a result of internal tension in the party and tugs of war between the "Chardal" (Chareidi Zionist) and the "liberal" segments of the party. The result of such factors is a feeling that it is best to "sit idly by" and take no action of any kind!

As a service to my readers, I have extracted the main features of this proposed law from various internet publications: - No industrial or commercial operations will be permitted on Shabbat. - The Economy Minister will be able to approve such activity on Shabbat. - It will be prohibited to make being open on Shabbat a condition for operating a business. Contracts that preceded the law with such clauses will be annulled. - Places will be allowed to operate on Shabbat for purposes of entertainment and culture, including theaters, movies, and museums. - Punishment: A business which is open on Shabbat will be fined three times the value of its cash flow on that day, but not less than NIS 4,000, for every instance of a violation of the law. - Businesses within 3 km of a business which is open on Shabbat can sue them for damages based on a claim of economic harm.

The Traditions of the Mafdal?

I have been in the front lines in activities involving Shabbat in Israel for the last forty years, in my capacity as the head of the Zomet Institute, with respect to government activity, the public in general, institutional matters, and through my own personal interests. In addition to the realm of technology, I played substantial roles in the public realm, including some

2 attempts to propose Shabbat legislation. In 5767 (2007), I supported a law titled "Shabbat as a day of culture and rest," which was proposed by MK (at the time) Zevulun Orlev. In a way similar to the current proposal, the idea then was to completely close down all commerce, for the "price" of ignoring cultural and entertainment activities (through very careful wording, without giving explicit permission). The proposal was written in the wake of a conference which was attended by dozens of rabbis, and the result was that I was appointed chairman of a committee of four "senior rabbis" (an awful term if I ever heard one!) – Yaacov Ariel, Tzefania Drory, Shaar Yeshuv Cohen, and Nachum Rabinowitz. (I have kept all the records of this activity). The "halachic policy" which we followed was based on the writing of Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli ("Coalition Halacha," Amud Hayemini, chapter 11), who ruled that it was necessary to "save whatever is possible" as opposed to demanding "all or nothing," even in strictly halachic matters. This means that we are allowed to ignore what cannot be effectively prohibited even if it can be understood between the lines that you will not object, and the result will definitely be some desecration of the Shabbat. In the end, the subject was dropped because of disagreements among the rabbis and a fear of "legitimization," even at the cost of increased commerce and the development of a culture of "shopping" on Shabbat.

From my personal viewpoint, as one who has "eaten in honor of Shabbat" [Beitza 16a] all my life, I definitely approve of this parliamentary initiative, with some small modifications. If rabbis have "abandoned" the realm of Shabbat – they are privileges to have their labors performed by others. If the Bayit Yehudi Party had been involved better results might have been achieved from the halachic point of view. But in the end, it seems that "sitting idly by" was the best policy in this case!

* * * * * *

Shabbat was presented to Bnei Yisrael before the Torah was given, as is quoted above. This includes matters related to the principle that "derech eretz – proper behavior – came before the Torah," and this is related to the sociological aspects of the issue. Even Pharaoh and his taskmasters understood the sociological needs, and during the early stages of the oppression "they used to rest on Shabbat. But then Pharaoh decreed that the labors should be increased and that they would not get involved in false ideas, they could not have recreation, and they could not rest on Shabbat." [Shemot Rabba 5:18].

(Written Motza'ei Shabbat Bo)

SWEETNESS FOR THE SOUL The Age of Adolescence: From a Void to Mending - by Rabbi Itiel Gilady, Lecturer in the School for the Soul and Editor of the Writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg

A basic subject in the Kabbalah of the ARI is the shattering of the world of void and building a world of mending (based on the words of the Midrash, that "the Holy One, Blessed be He, would create worlds and destroy them"). Chassidut explains that this process takes place by mending spoiled traits of the heart. Every spiritual crisis is in essence a replay of destruction of a world of nothingness, and the labor of healing is a process of mending.

Actually, the entire process of reaching maturity is a transformation from a void to mending. "A man is born as a wild donkey" [Iyov 11:12] – that is, with void traits that become concentrated into the crisis of adolescence, and ending with maturity and stability which mold the personality. Thus, transformation from the void to mending is not only a process of "fixing a fault" but is rather a necessary process of growth and development.

Let us "briefly" define some of the properties of the world of the void (an unstable world which stands only on one foot):

I will be in charge: A "void" personality feels that he is at the center of the world, such that every emotion or personal understanding is experienced with great intensity. As an extension of this, it seems to the "void" person

3 that he can solve all the problems of the world. Just let me (or my opinion) take charge of reality, and everything will be perfect.

A lack of ability to combine with others: The world of the "void" is in essence very individualistic. One who views himself as the center of the world is not able to communicate with another person as an equal, to get to know the other's thoughts and feelings. For this reason there is also poor contact between people with different character traits. Anybody who is not able to empathize with a lifestyle that is different and even the opposite of his own sees everything sharply in black and white. For example, one whose main character trait is love cannot have any understanding of limitations and organization. And a person who makes strict demands of himself and of existing reality will not be able to feel the importance of mercy and behavior that goes beyond the strict demands of the law.

A fear of encroachment: In the world of the void, there are constant all-out battles. Each one is afraid that the others will encroach on his boundary, and he therefore guards his own self fanatically. In internal terms, this is a fear that the other one will understand my limitations (which I try to ignore). This can appear to be a feeling that "nothing matters to me... as far as I am concerned, everything is fine."

A plethora of light but a lack of vessels: The void world is characterized by a large amount of "light" – strong emotions, powerful experiences, exalted ideals, and great dedication to a cause. But the vessels needed to express these lights are few – the emotional world overflows, the personal mode of expression is not complex and sophisticated enough to encompass all the experiences. The resources and the available forces are too restricted to advance the ideals of reality in an efficient and practical way (in depth, this trait is the root and the common denominator of all of the characteristics listed above).

All of the above characteristics can be found in adolescents. The young person feels that he is brimming with reality, at the center of the world, and he believes that he can run the world in a much better way than it is run now. The young man is still single, he is not yet ready for complex and sensitive relationships, he sees the world in black and white. The adolescent fanatically guards his private area and his personal freedom, fiercely opposes any external interference, and is afraid that others will get to know his internal world, with all of its difficulties. And here is the main thing: The age of adolescence is an age of tremendous spiritual power and of dedication to great ideals, even if the adolescent does not yet have the complex and efficient means to accomplish his goals.

The last trait – many lights with few vessels – explains the significance of the void: Without the energy of the numerous lights, which pushes forward constantly, the man and the world would remain static, and no real growth would be possible. The challenge of the age of adolescence is to identify the multitude of lights hidden under the "thorns," to love them, and to provide them with the vessels they need. Proper maturing does not lead to a loss of the many lights but to gathering them together in the proper vessels so that they can be fulfilled in family life and through activity for many good days and years to come.

The public is invited to a conference organized by "Torat Hanefesh" on the subject of the void and mending in educating the youth (in Hebrew). Date: Monday, Tu B'Shevat, 09:30, at Rechov Shmuel Hanavi 26, Jerusalem. Details are available at the Torah Hanefesh website or by phone: 02-5662323.

A PARSHA INSIGHT What Taste do you Like? - by Rabbi Asaf Harnoy, Post-Graduate Beit Midrash for Torah and Leadership, Jerusalem

Do you Like Ice Cream or Cake?

4 In this week's Torah portion, we are told about the manna which came down from heaven to provide for Bnei Yisrael, who journeyed through the desolate desert. What did it taste like? The answer to this depends on whom you ask.

According to the Midrash, the taste of the manna varied and was tailored to the people who ate it. Everybody was able to taste in this magical food whatever he or she wanted. One person might want bread, another ice cream, and perhaps there were some who wanted the taste of a Yemenite soup. Thus, the novelty of this food was that its taste changed according to the desire and the choice of the person who was eating it.

The Song of the Sea – Why?

Before Bnei Yisrael had the privilege of tasting this remarkable and wondrous food, they were exposed to one of the greatest miracles in the history of our nation and of humanity in general. This was the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea, which accompanied Bnei Yisrael on their journey, such that even Rachav from Jericho, forty years later, clearly remembered the great and powerful event.

We do not always remember that in addition to the miracle of changing the water in the sea into huge solid walls, another miracle was performed, although it was not as exciting as the first one. Just like the hand of G-d caused the sea to split into two, it also returned the situation to its previous form when the miracle was no longer needed: "And as morning came, He returned the sea to its former strength" [Shemot 14:27]. The natural flow of the water, the return to the normal path of nature, is no less a "Divine" miracle than the splitting of the Red Sea.

It All Depends on How you Look At It

Many things in our lives are strongly influenced by the viewpoint which we choose and by the way we look at them. At times we tend to look at the world and at all reality by looking at the full half of the glass, while at other times we see the empty half. This is what the sages called a "good eye" or an "evil eye."

The miracle of the Red Sea too can teach us to sharpen our viewpoint, to enhance our perception. There are some people who see G-d only in the places where there are overt miracles, when nature itself is robbed and overturned, and unnatural events take place. However, the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea and its return to its former natural state force us to discern G-d's guidance and actions in nature itself, in the regular occurrences of a lifetime. We must not expect and wait for unusual events but rather we should recognize and see how G-d appears to us in our natural lives, which are so natural to us and seemingly mundane. The return of the sea to its usual natural status must also be recognized as an act of G-d, as Divine revelation.

The Taste of Life

The link between the miracle of the manna and the human control over its taste and the great miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea is the same as the link between how we choose to look at life and how we experience it.

The ones who understand that all of existing reality reveals the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He in the world will be the ones who "taste" the Holy One, Blessed be He, in every corner and at every moment of their lives. However, the ones who wait for an exalted heavenly miracle in order to prove the existence of G-d are also the ones who will be forced to search for the Holy One, Blessed be He, in every corner of their lives. And they will almost never get a true "taste" of G-d.

It is said that on a dark night two Jews saw an indistinct event at the top of a nearby tree. One of them said to his colleague, "Did you see the crow up there?" And his friend replied, "It wasn't a crow, it was a cat that climbed up into the tree." His friend said, "What's wrong with you? You must

5 be imagining things. Let's throw a stone at it and find out once and for all what it really is!"

So the two of them took a stone and threw it at the figure in the tree, and suddenly, something flew away from the tree. The first one said, "I told you it was a crow!" But his friend replied, "Wow! This is the first time that I have ever seen a cat fly!"

What "taste" do you choose for yourself?

NOTES FROM THE HAFTARAH "And Devorah Sang" - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir, Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem

There is a lot to be learned from the poem of praise which Devorah wrote (Shoftim Chapter 5).

1. Like every victory song, it teaches us that we should rejoice about a victory over the enemies of Yisrael. In addition, we should also be happy about the suffering of our enemies: "By the window she sat looking, and weeping, Sisera's mother... In this way let all of Your enemies be lost, G-d." [28, 31].

2. We should thank G-d for a military victory even if it appears to have been achieved by human action. The tribes waged war and took advantage of natural events, such as the sudden surge of the Kishon River. It stands to reason that today we should recite the Hallel to praise G-d for our current redemption.

3. The memory of the momentous events at Mount Sinai spontaneously rises up when we come to praise G-d, even though they are not the theme of the poem: "Mountains became fluid before G-d. This is like Sinai, when it faced the G-d of Yisrael." [5]. This shows the primal character of the story of these events and the impression it left on the nation. It is contrary to various theories of a void which were raised by generations of Bible critics.

4. Even after victory, lessons should be derived from failures during the war. Devorah gives voice to praise for the tribes which participated in the war, while she harshly criticizes the tribes which refused to help, including putting a Divine curse on the city of Meroz.

5. The participation in the battle is not "with G-d's help" but rather "in order to help G-d" [23]. The purpose of the war is to sanctify the name of G-d in His world, and the victory is a fulfillment of the will of G-d.

6. The warriors do not depend on their spiritual merits, such as Torah study, the performance of mitzvot, and good deeds. Rather, they show dedication during the battle: "Zevulun risked its life to the death, and Naftali did the same on the heights of the battlefield" [18].

7. The fight must be continued even in situations of technological weakness without despair: "Was even a sword or a spear seen among the forty thousand fighters of Yisrael?" [8].

8. We learned from Yael, the wife of Chever, the Kenite, that a single individual has the power to determine the outcome of an entire campaign. Let no man ever say, Who am I that I can bring salvation to Yisrael?

9. Even a mighty warrior like Sisera can fall in the end if he remains captive to his own lusts, as can be seen from the words of the wise women who advised Sisera's mother. After all, the true mighty person is the one who conquers his own evil inclinations: "Let those who love him have the mighty power of the rising sun" [31; see Gittin 36b].

10. When the Shechina is revealed, the prohibition that "the voice of a woman is sexually arousing" is not in effect. This was derived by the 6 Chida ("Rosh Yosef," Beshalach, page 223) and by his teacher the "Or Hachaim" (ibid). That is how they interpreted the verse, "Be happy and joyous, she who sits in Zion" – that is, women can sing without any qualms - "for the Holy One of Yisrael is within your midst" [Yeshayahu 12:6]. We can thus view the singing of "Jerusalem of Gold" in a positive light, during the time when the Shechina temporarily appeared among us during the Six Day War.

Rabbi Cherki is the head of Brit Olam – Noahide World Center, Jerusalem

KLEZMER MELODIES From the Song at the Sea to the Songs of the People - by Moshe (Mussa) Berlin

From the Epic Poem of Moshe to the Modern Songs of Shlomo (Carlebach)

(The epic poem sung at the Red Sea is "Shirat Hayam." The songs of the people are "Shirat Ha'am.")

The song at the Red Sea was an expression of uplifting, giving thanks for the end of the process of redemption. Our era – the generation of redemption - is characterized by "a new song, sung by those who were redeemed" [Shacharit prayer]. We have renewed our song, but now the theme is the return of our people to our land, in anticipation of a coming era of uplifted spirits.

Thus, for Moshe the song was the end of a process, while for Reb Shlomo it accompanies an ongoing renewal.

As a singer always on the move, Reb Shlomo appeared in nightclubs and pubs, where he met Jews at the edge of assimilation. He sang with them and danced with them. On the beach and in cabins on the sand, he sat with the "hippies" of the sixties and played for them until dawn (that was Reb Shlomo's version of the Song of the Sea).

Many people criticized his behavior and boycotted his songs. Others mocked the "Dancing Rebbe" who warmly embraced people whose Jewishness was dubious, while he became close to them. Reb Shlomo realized what was happening, but he did not change his behavior.

Perhaps the image of Yosef the Tzadik appeared before him and helped him establish the direction his life would take. We are told about Yosef, "And the master of the prison put all the prisoners into Yosef's hands... and he would do everything that they did there. The master of the prison did not see anything in his own hands, because G-d was with him, and whatever he did G-d turned into success." [Bereishit 39:22-23]. Yosef descended to the level of the prisoners and joined together with them in order to get close to them and raise them up from the deep pit and onto a straight path.

In his life, Reb Shlomo did not have a "prison master" who could ignore everything he did with the prisoners. There was nobody who looked on from the outside, seeing that "whatever he did G-d turned into success." In contrast to a master of prisoners, Reb Shlomo had to face "prison masters" who were strict and stringent, and who rejected him and his ways. There were people who did not understand that all of his actions were performed in the name of heaven, in order to bring mistaken people back from their ways.

While he was alive, Reb Shlomo Carlebach did not receive the acclimation that came to him after his death. Today, his path is recognized as a proper one. Testimony for this can be seen in the many people he brought back to become faithful Jews. His melodies accompany, guide, and encourage the nation of Yisrael in these troubled times.

"Venomar lefanav shira chadashah - Let us sing before Him a new song" [Haggadah of Pesach]. To hear Shlomo Carlebach sing this song, click here.

For reactions: [email protected]

7 HALACHA FROM THE SOURCE Are we Allowed to Use Secular Dates? - by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Director of the Center for Teaching and Halacha and a Teacher in Yeshivat Har Etzion

The press recently printed their good wishes for a "new year." We are clearly opposed to such a message since for us the new year is the beginning of the month of Tishrei. However, many of our people do use secular dates. We will try to investigate whether we are permitted to do so from halachic and philosophic points of view.

Is it Idol Worship?

The main problem with using the secular calendar is that the date in its simplest form was established to commemorate the birth of the founder of Christianity. According to Responsa Maharam Shif, this fact means that it is a Torah prohibition to use the calendar, and one who does so is violating the prohibition, "Do not mention other gods" [Shemot 23:13].

However, in looking over halachic rulings, we can see that the rabbis themselves often used the secular date in their writings. Beit Yosef writes about the laws of asking for rain, "The sixtieth day comes on the twenty- second of November, if February that year was twenty-eight days." [Orach Chaim 117]. Similarly, the RAMA describes a sequence of dates in a specific case using the secular dates: "In the year 1546 in the month of December, as they count." That is, the RAMA uses the Christian calendar, but he adds the note, "as they count."

How can they allow themselves to use a Christian date? Perhaps they feel that in using this form of the date we are not counting from the date of birth but only using the term in a technical manner to denote the year in an accepted way, and therefore they are not violating any prohibition. In addition, according to our own traditions, the man lived several decades earlier than according to their traditions, at the time of Yehoshua Ben Perachia (see Sanhedrin 107b, restoring the parts blocked out by censorship, and the book of Kabbalah of the Raavad). Modern historians also agree that he was born four years before the start of the count.

In addition, we can add that the Shulchan Aruch discusses the prohibition of observing "laws of the Gentiles," and he writes that we are allowed to do something that the other nations instituted if it is for practical reasons. He seems to imply that something which is known as stemming from idol worship cannot be done even if there is a practical reason for it, but since the date is known not to be the precise birthday and the purpose of using it is for commerce and business, it can be used. It is written in Responsa Yavia Omer (volume 3, Yoreh Dai'ah 9) and in Tzitz Eliezer (8:8) that one can be lenient and use the secular date when there is a need to do so.

Evidently the reason of "a need" has a special meaning in this case that is different from the usual meaning. Usually there is an element of doubt, such that it is possible to be lenient if it is necessary. However, in this case, in addition to the fact that the law is in question, the hour of "need" is an essential part of the permission to use it. If a person writes a secular date only because "he has a need," this shows that he is not interested at all in the essence of the date but rather has no other choice but to use it. By this reasoning, if a person makes use of the Christian date when there is no need, such as to mark a birthday, he might indeed be in violation of the halacha.

The Significance of the Hebrew Date

There is another consideration for the great importance of using the Hebrew date as much as possible. The Chatam Sofer writes that by using the Hebrew date, which gives us a count since the time of the Creation, we confirm our belief that there is a Creator who guides the actions of the world.

In addition, the Hebrew date is unique to our nation, and it is a way of expressing our Jewish character. The Hebrew calendar is based on setting the

8 beginning of the new month, and the first mitzva that Bnei Yisrael were commanded to keep was to sanctify the beginning of the new month. Why is this mitzva the very first one? Evidently, the Holy One, Blessed be He, wanted not only to take the people physically out of Egypt, but to remove from them the mentality of being slaves to Pharaoh. One characteristic of a slave mentality is that the slave is required to follow the time schedule of the king. As is written, "Why did you not complete the required amount of bricks for yesterday and the day before, both yesterday and the day before?" [Shemot 5:14]. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, takes the people out of Egypt he gives them a new time system, one that is uniquely suited for the nation of Yisrael.

In this new system, Bnei Yisrael are no longer obligated to the time, rather they control it. "Yisrael sanctifies time" [Berachot 49b]. The Talmud notes that if the court did not manage to sanctify a new month, then even if the entire nation of Yisrael saw the new moon, the month does not begin. That is, Yisrael is the one who sets the months.

Thus, the use of the Hebrew calendar demonstrates the unique relationship between the nation of Yisrael and its own time system.

Disgust for the Christian Calendar

Even if there is no formal prohibition in the use of the secular calendar, we should feel disgusted by the use of these dates. Even if they do not incur a formal prohibition of idol worship, the dates are considered as marking the birth of the man who founded Christianity. We can never forget the terrible massacres that the Christians performed among the Jews during all the years. Therefore, the use of a calendar which is linked to the birth of the founder of the religion should give us a feeling of distance and disdain.

In many places, our mentor Rav Kook expresses his disgust of Christianity. He writes in "Arfilei Tohar" (58) that in his childhood, when he went past a church, he would feel as if he were passing a toilet (see Igrot Hare'iyah 4:277). That is how we should feel with respect to Christianity! We are not suggesting that we actively fight them, but we should certainly not look for ways to show companionship.

In Practice

We can conclude from the above discussion that we should use the Hebrew calendar whenever we can. When it is necessary, we can use the secular calendar, but it is best to also give the Hebrew date. (This will give two benefits: First, we are mentioning the Hebrew date, which as noted above has a special significance. Second, we are showing that the use of the secular calendar is only because of a technical need.)

It is best to write only the last two digits of the year ('16) and not the entire year. Some people say that it is preferable to write the names of the months and not their numerical order, because the Torah always counts the numerical sequence of the months. Some people add the note "as they count" to the written date.

"For the Avenger of blood will remember them, He has not forgotten the cry of the humble" [Tehillim 9:13]... "When I cleanse I will not cleanse their blood, when G-d dwells in Zion" [Yoel 4:21].

NATURE AND THE TORAH PORTION The Importance of the Right Side - by Dr. Moshe Raanan, Herzog College and the Jerusalem College for Women

"Your right hand, O G-d, has the glory of great strength - Your right hand, O G-d, will destroy the enemy" [Shemot 15:6].

The above verse shows us the special preference for the "right hand" with respect to the Holy One, Blessed be He. A similar concept can be found in

9 another verse, "There is a sound of happiness and salvation in the tents of the righteous, the right hand of G-d is valiant" [Tehillim 118:15]. In almost all of the places where both right and left are mentioned, the right appears first. Here are just two examples out of many. "If not, tell me, and I will turn to the right or to the left" [Bereishit 24:49]. The right side is important when a blessing is given: "Yosef said to his father, This is not the way, my father, this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head" [48:18].

The importance of the right side can be seen in many halachot, particularly in the service in the Temple. The Deputy High Priest stands to the right of the High Priest when he casts lots on Yom Kippur, and if the goat on the right side is chosen to be sacrificed to G-d this is taken as sign of a blessing. "If the one dedicated to G-d is chosen on the right, the Deputy says to the High Priest, 'My honored sir, High Priest, raise your right hand high..." [Mishna Yoma 4:1]. The right side is also the preferred direction for moving through the Temple: "Every day the priests climb on the eastern side of the ramp and descend on the western side" [ibid 4:5]. Rashi notes, "Those who ascend to the Altar walk on the eastern side of the ramp, such that the east is to their right, since they face north as they go up the ramp, which is south of the Altar. And since all turns should start with the right side, it would not be proper for them to take a roundabout path if this was not necessary..." [Yoma 43b].

The Status of Directionality and the "Right Hand" in Nature

One of the most prominent phenomena of righthandedness in nature is the way man most often gives preference to the right side. In general in man the right hand is the preferred one for various motor skills. In most of the population groups in the world (between 87% and 90%), the right hand is the dominant one. This behavior has a very strong genetic component, and it is not merely a reflection of the behavior of the parents. The probability that a person will be left-handed if both parents are right-handed is a mere 2%. However, the probability for a child born from one right-handed and one left-handed parent to be left-handed is 17%. And the probability that a child of two left-handed parents will also be left-handed is 46%. More men tend to be left-handed than women. It has been estimated that the number of left-handed men is 1.5 times the number of women. Because of this genetic trait, much of existing human engineering is geared to people who are right- handed. For example, in general screws are tightened in the right-handed direction (clockwise) – and there are many more examples of this.

"Left-Handed" Snails

Preferred directionality (left or right) also exists in the way animals develop. For example, the shells of snails grow with a spiral structure, and the direction of the spiral is specific to every species. Moreover, more than 90% of all the approximately 60,000 species of snails in the world turn towards the right (in a clockwise direction). The other species can be divided into some with a counterclockwise spiral and others which do not have any set direction. In Israel there are about 100 species of land snails and only 4 with a counterclockwise direction. It is no surprise that three of these four species were given names that take the unusual directionality of their shells into account. In order to see the direction of the spiral of a snail, it is necessary for the observer to turn the "fetal spiral" towards himself and look at it (this is the small shell in which the snail came out of its egg).

The Fish that was Sliced in Half by the Sea

Another example of preference for the right can be seen in the development of flatfish (called "Moshe Rabeinu" fish in Hebrew). When these fish are young, they maintain a two-sided symmetry, and both sides of the fish look the same. As they develop, some organs "migrate" from one side to the other, and the fish begins to swim on its side. These fish lie on the ocean floor, and therefore their upper side is dark, as a means of camouflage, while the side that is on the ground is light-colored, sometimes even white. This gives them the appearance of having been sliced into two separate fish. In

10 Hebrew, this is named for "Moshe Rabeinu" – our mentor Moshe. According to a legend, the fish was caught in the turmoil when Moshe split the Red Sea, and it was actually split into two fish. The edible fish, the "sole" (Solea solea), has two eyes as an adult which are both on the right side. Thus, this species and others show a preference for the right side. There are other species in which the left side is better developed than the right.

Climbing to the Right

The phenomenon of directionality is not limited to the animal kingdom, and it is also encountered in plants. Research of directionality on a global scale studied the direction which climbing plants took in the northern and southern hemispheres. Out of 1485 species which were checked, about 92% wind around towards the right. This is of course very different from what would be expected from random orientation. The results also showed that the direction was not linked to the position of the plants with respect to the equator. This proves that the direction of the growth is not influenced by the angle and the direction of the sun in the sky. I was exposed to this phenomenon without having any intention to study it when I grew beans in potted plants, and all six plants wound around to the right.

For more information in Hebrew and for pictures, and to regularly receive articles about plants and animals linked to the Daf Yomi, write e-mail to: [email protected]

STRAIGHT TALK Why Don't we have a Cultural Alternative? - by Rabbi Yoni Lavie, Manager, "Chaverim Makshivim" Website

In my last column I wrote about the great revolution in leisure time, which changed the face of the world. The technological advances lightened the burden of labor in the world, opening up for mankind a new frontier of leisure time. However, the new open space was quickly taken over by the world of entertainment, and its influence, both overt and covert, has gone too far. The driving force behind this phenomenon is economics and not education or morality, and the messages which it spreads are infused with violence and strife, a lack of modesty and explicit materialism, and a broad range of values which are contrary to the educational path in which we believe.

The huge question that comes up because of all of this is simple: What is the alternative? Besides wringing our hands and rejecting what is going on, can we propose anything else? Can the average boy or girl who wants to spend their free time in a pleasant and constructive way find some path that will give then an opportunity for consumer goods that will fulfill their needs?

In the last article, we looked at available realms: journalism and music, and theater, literature, and cinema. We found that in some cases there already are products that are not too bad, but in most cases the realms are in a very sorry state, very far from being able to satisfy the huge demand. In this article, we will address two basic questions: How did it happen that we reached this state? What pitfalls stand in the way of creating true and viable cultural alternatives to the current ones?

Freedom to Create

We start with the first question above. How did it happen that we fell asleep at the wheel and ignored such a vital area, or worse yet, left it to become a vacuum? Well, it may be that this was severe negligence which we are still paying for today, but it is also quite likely that this is a result of a conscious decision to turn our efforts in other directions. We wanted very much to have an influence on others, and we tried very hard to establish facts on the ground. Therefore, we established settlements and built an educational system, we sent Torah "garinim" on outreach missions, and we gave our support to the army. Leisure time activities always seemed to us as being bland and of very little consequence – something of a side task for people bored by other activities. We did not catch on to the fact

11 that the motive force behind all of the activity is the world of the spirit and thought, and what influences and shapes it most of all is the cultural nourishment which a person absorbs into himself.

Another reason that we turned our backs on cultural creativity was the tendency of television, the movies, and literature to be pulled like a magnet towards the low end. They all take great pleasure in conflict, enjoy intimate subjects, and are at their best when they can zoom in on marginal phenomena. All of this is difficult and almost impossible to digest by our religious and educational viewpoints, and they often break out beyond the limits of modesty. In addition, there is always in the background a basic need for "artistic freedom," which is the very soul of culture. Creativity must stem from within the depths of the soul, it must be absolutely free. It must never be constrained or guided towards a specific didactic goal, or be limited by obstacles and censorship. And it is very hard for the religious world to accept such demands.

And in addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore the economic factor. "If there is no flour, there will be no creativity." This is especially true for cinema, where the costs of producing even a very short movie are huge. The organizations which support efforts by new artists are interested in promoting their own agendas and not necessarily in helping culture of highly ethical values or of Judaism.

The Best Ones Belong in Culture

Whoever looks back to where we stood twenty years ago and compares it to the situation today cannot deny that we are in the midst of a revolution. The religious youths are endowed with talent and bubble over with motivation, and we see how they are successfully integrating into the army, government bodies, academics, and even in the various branches of the media. In order for this wave not to be stopped, heaven forbid, with the realm of culture, and in order that our children's children will have much more positive content available for their leisure time, I want to make the following proposals:

(1) Many yeshivot and ulpanot offer studies of music, dance, and cinema. This trend should be encouraged and openly supported as much as possible. After "the best ones learn to fly" and "the best ones go to the media," the next generation is waiting for the slogan, "the best ones are involved in culture." We are very proud of every religious brigade commander or scientist. We eagerly wait for the day when a Jewish mother will proudly tell her neighbor that her son is a successful movie director or a standup comic!

(2) Raising the banner of the realm of culture must also find expression in the world of politics. (Is there any possibility that when government ministries are next handed out, the Bayit Yehudi Party will demand the Ministry of Culture?) This also requires involvement in the economic realm, with investments of money and resources. Will we continue to search for donations and free performances, or will the basket of consumer goods for the family include a reasonable budget for cultural activities?

(3) It is necessary to enlist the existing educational experts to review existing materials, in order to find and to create a stockpile of movies, reality shows, books, and so on, that are clean and recommended. The "kipa" website has started doing this, but their effort is not enough.

(4) we need a comprehensive Torah-true and educational analysis of dilemmas which are connected to the limits of creativity and artistic freedom, of the relationship between positive exposure and negative revelations, between an open approach and being carried away, between the value of creativity and a fear of "wasting time better spent on Torah," and so on. The books "Responsa about Art" and "Vacation Time" which were published in the past few years are a blessed first step in this direction, but there is much left to do. For two thousand years of exile we were mainly occupied with survival, and we existed as dispersed individuals. We had no need for Jewish military and cultural agendas, or for belonging to a nation living a full life in its own 12 land. The era of redemption demands of us to develop an organized approach to such matters.

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The cultural challenge is at our doorstep, and it is waiting for everybody who believes that the influence on the generation and on the future of the country passes not only through the establishment of yet another settlement and the appointment of yet another religious officer at the command centers of the IDF, but also on giving somebody who is looking for a good movie or a good play excellent Jewish subjects produced by a new genre of culture.

For reactions, added material, and to join an e-mail list: milatova.org.il

EXHIBITION ABSTRACTS A Holiday for Trees - by Keren Chakak, Heichal Shlomo Museum

Here are five wooden pieces in the museum which you may not know about:

1. The biggest surprise: A document printed on a leaf! It is from Kutschin, and it is a license to build a synagogue.

2. The oldest item: A holder for a Havdalla candle from the year 1521 which includes a box for spices.

3. The item closest to a famous person: A single handle from a Torah scroll, a remnant from the Beit Midrash of the Gaon of Vilna.

4. The best survivor: A portable holy ark used for houses of mourning which survived the burning of the synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem during the War of Independence.

5. The most prominent "tree" that is not made of wood: The family tree of the Epstein-Levin family, which includes branches of the family going back from the Middle Ages and leading up to the twentieth century.

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"

Beshalach Compared to one of the tribes, It is meant for the use of knights.

Answers for last week's riddle – it was: Find three words. The middle one has two letters. In the first word replace the first "zayin" by a "daled." And in the third word, replace a "daled" by a "yud." And from Pesach we have moved on to unwelcome summer guests.

- The answer is in the verse, "Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it in the blood in the basin, and touch the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts from the blood in the basin" [Shemot 12:22]. - The words in bold, "doorposts from the blood," are "hamezuzot min hadam." Making the above replacements gives: "hameduzot min hayam" – the jellyfish at the sea, which often appear on the Israeli coasts during the hottest days of the summer.

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We will be happy to publish your riddles here, with proper credit to the author. Send your suggestions to the e-mail address given below.

Do you have a bar/bat mitzva coming up? Are you looking for a special quiz? To order: www.hidonim.com e-mail: [email protected]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 13 SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed free of charge in hundreds of synagogues in Israel. It is published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices of the National Religious Party. Translated by: Moshe Goldberg To subscribe: http://www.zomet.org.il/eng/?pg=subscribe&CategoryID=165 Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the link between modern technology and halacha at: [email protected] Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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