March 2019 • Adar II 5779
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think! again. March 2019
Adar II 5779
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5 | JEWISH SOUL
A Solution to the Jewish Problem
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10
8 | JEWISH THOUGHT
Unbowed
The Jews undoubtedly differed from one another in custom, garment and tongue according to the place of their dispersal, very much in the same way as Jews in different lands differ nowadays.
Many lessons have been gleaned from Mordechai’s refusal to bow down to Haman. What is less known is that Mordechai’s unwavering stand repaired a 1,214-year wound.
— From the Rebbe's correspondences
.— by Simon Jacobson
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editorial jewish soul made you think jewish thought ask the rabbi our community simchas life on earth
6 | MADE YOU THINK
Purim Cleaning
10 | JEWISH THOUGHT
Therapeutic Joy
When it comes to all other holidays, although being joyful is a mitzvah, they also feature a serious side, and the joy has limits and restrictions. On the other hand, in Purim...
The first warrant for genocide against the Jewish people (the second if one counts Pharaoh’s plan to kill all newborn Jewish males) had been frustrated. Is joy the appropriate emotion?
— by Adin Even Yisrael (Steinsaltz)
— by Jonathan Sacks
7 | MADE YOU THINK
18 | LIFE ON EARTH
When informed of the terrible decree, you would think their first and most natural move would be to use their great influence with the King to nullify the order. But this was not the case.
No one ever imagined the world gradually rolling itself into a messianic stage like you roll your car into the garage. But neither does it have to crash into an apocalyptic brick wall.
— by Shaul Leiter
— by Tzvi Freeman
See Different
Is the World Really Getting Better?
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The plot line is tragically familiar. The Jewish nation faces the first of many crises to its existence through the long years of exile following the destruction of the Temple and the Israelite Kingdom. Why do celebrate by dressing up, getting drunk, pulling pranks and living the most laughable day possible? The existence of the Jewish people for so long, under such extreme circumstances, is completely absurd. What are the odds of a people surviving a bitter exile as minorities in foreign lands? What are the odds of retaining an identity and culture through the seismic geographic, political and cultural shifts of two millennia of world history? What are the odds of these people being the greatest contributors to human progress in virtually every field? What are the odds of their culture surviving intact, and returning to rebuild their homeland after two thousands years? The only thing more absurd that our survival is the fact that, throughout history, people have hated us for surviving. We have never done anything to wrong humanity, at least nothing that would warrant such extreme derision. It is a hatred without any rhyme or reason. People throughout history – and today is no exception – perceive us as a threat. But a threat to what exactly is difficult to articulate. A threat to hegemony, a threat to the absolute power of reason, a threat to moral relativism… Perhaps they see our leadership in so many fields as a threat, or perhaps we have not done enough to capitalize on out collective talents and truly lead humanity to a new era; they accuse us of
plotting to take over the world, which is partly true since we possess and uncanny drive and desire to contribute toward humanity’s quest for utopia and make the world in our moral image. But these are very abstract criticisms, and there are plenty of people who have perpetrated very tangible evils, yet no such extreme hatred is reserved for them. The only answer to those who adopt the doctrine of Haman and desire to wipe us off the face of the earth (like the rulers of his Persian homeland today), is to laugh. You can’t argue with such absurdity, since there is no logic to it. So you have to simply acknowledge the absurdity of it – its utter futility and self-destructiveness. Futile, because those who propagate it betray an absurd arrogance that they can defeat that which the tides of history have never been unable to – and will never. Selfdestructive, because without the Jewish people humanity would never have evolved anywhere near where we are today. So the only options are to freak out and get overwhelmed by all the hatred, or to put it in perspective and laugh at the mongrels who spew it. Freaking out about it never helped anyone. So we laugh, recognizing the absurdity of hate for what it is. And then, having delegitimized our enemies, we can fight back from a position strength, detached from their absurd reality, and proceed with our plans to conquer the world – because world domination is what the Jews are really after (didn’t your grandmother tell you?).
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jewish soul
A Solution
to the Jewish
Problem
From the Rebbe's correspondences
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he story of Purim, as related in the Book of Esther, gives us a clear analysis of the “Jewish problem.” Being dispersed over 127 provinces and lands, their own still in ruins, the Jews undoubtedly differed from one another in custom, garment and tongue according to the place of their dispersal, very much in the same way as Jews in different lands differ nowadays. Yet, though there were Jews who would conceal their Jewishness, Haman, the enemy of the Jews, recognized the essential qualities and characteristics of the Jews which made all of them, with or without their consent, into “one people,” namely, “their laws are different from those of any other people” (Book of Esther 3:8). Hence, in his wicked desire to annihilate the Jews, Haman seeks to destroy “all the Jews, young and old, children and women.” Although there were in those days, too, Jews who strictly adhered to the Torah and Mitzvoth, and Jews whose religious ties with their people were weak, or who sought to assimilate themselves, yet none could escape the classification of belonging to that “one people,” and every one was included in Haman’s cruel decree. In all ages there were Hamans, yet we have outlived them, thank G‑d. Wherein lies the secret of our survival? The answer will be evident from the following illustration. When a scientist seeks to ascertain the laws governing a certain phenomenon, or to discover the essential properties of a certain element in nature, he must undertake a series of experiments under the most varied conditions in order to discover those properties or laws which obtain under all conditions alike. No true scientific law can be deduced from a minimum number of experiments, or from experiments under similar or only slightly varied conditions, for the results as to what is essential and what is secondary or quite unimportant would then not be conclusive. The same principle should be applied to our people. It is one of the oldest in the world, beginning its national history from the Revelation at Mount Sinai, some 3300 years ago. In the course of these long centuries our people has lived under
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extremely varied conditions, most different times and different places all over the world. If we wish to discover the essential elements making up the cause and very basis of the existence of our people and its unique strength, we must conclude that it is not its peculiar physical or intrinsic mental characteristics, not its tongue, manners and customs (in a wider sense), nor even its racial purity (for there were times in the early history of our people, as well as during the Middle Ages and even recent times, when whole ethnic groups and tribes have become proselytes and part of our people). The essential element which unites our “dispersed and scattered people” and makes it “one people” throughout its dispersion and regardless of time, is the Torah and Mitzvoth, the Jewish way of life which has remained basically the same throughout the ages and in all places. The conclusion is clear and beyond doubt: It is the Torah and Mitzvoth which made our people indestructible on the world scene in the face of massacres and pogroms aiming at our physical destruction, and in the face of ideological onslaughts of foreign cultures aiming at our spiritual destruction.
Purim teaches us the age-old lesson, which has been verified even most recently, to our sorrow, that no manner of assimilation, not even such which is extended over several generations, provides an escape from the Hamans and Hitlers; nor can any Jew sever his ties with his people by attempting such an escape. On the contrary: Our salvation and our existence depend precisely upon the fact that “their laws are different from those of any other people.” Purim reminds us that the strength of our people as a whole, and of each individual Jew and Jewess, lies in a closer adherence to our ancient spiritual heritage, which contains the secret of harmonious life, hence of a healthy and happy life. All other things in our spiritual and temporal life must be free from any contradiction to the basis and essence of our existence, and must be attuned accordingly in order to make for the utmost harmony, and add to our physical and spiritual strength, both of which go hand in hand in Jewish life. With best wishes for a joyous Purim, and may we live to see a world free of Hamans and all types of Amalekites, the enemies of the Jews, of their body, soul and faith. EM
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made you think
Purim Cleaning Adin Even Yisrael (Steinsaltz)
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urim is the most unusual Jewish holiday. When it comes to all other holidays, although being joyful is a mitzvah, they also feature a serious side, and the joy has limits and restrictions. On the other hand, in Purim, even if we strictly follow all the rules pertaining to the holiday, it features a certain aspect that is not only about good humor, but also about mischief, and at times even rowdiness. This is a puzzling matter, as the celebration of Purim followed a difficult and highly threatening period. During most generations, the people of Israel faced threats, wars, and enemies, yet most of these incidents were no different than the clashes and wars experienced by all other nations. However, the event that took place before Purim was essentially different and much graver, as this was no war, but rather, a plan to exterminate a people. It was the first display of anti-Semitism in history. Haman and all his collaborators were indeed defeated, yet over the generations we discovered that anti-Semitism may have started with Haman, but it did not end with him. Amalek’s seed is still in the world, and it flourishes even in our cosmopolitan and enlightened era. Over the years, many explanations and “justifications” were given to anti-Semitism: Religious ones, racial ones, and cultural ones. The fact such explanations are so numerous proves there is no truth to them and that they merely serve as a veneer for a more basic and hidden matter. That is, just like the existence of the people of Israel, despite all the suffering and distress, is an inexplicable mystery, antiSemitism is also very mysterious. As anti-Semitism is irrational in essence, we may be able to defend ourselves against it but we have no way of uprooting it. Jewish attempts in the last hundreds of years to resolve the problem using opposite means – extreme assimilation on the one hand, and the establishment of an independent state on the other hand – did not resolve the problem, but rather, merely changed or diverted it to other avenues. The conclusion of this is that we only have two possible responses. First, we can do our best, as was done in the days of Esther and
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in other generations, to defend ourselves against evil and fight it. This needs to be done in any case, even if only to gain a respite from the outbreaks of hatred. The second possibility is to laugh. Laugh not only about the defeat of our enemies’, but also about the absurdity, ridiculousness, and inherent contradictions of anti-Semitism. The laughter does not mean that there is an answer, yet this is our way of declaring that we have removed ourselves from the irrational interaction of hating Haman. We laugh at Haman, Ahasuerus, and all their successors, because after all we shall prevail and stick around, and they shall become the subject of jokes.
Just like everything else in Judaism, joy should be expressed with actions. We therefore express our joy not only with high spirits, but also with the serious actions in the wake of the laughter. Indeed, immediately after Purim, we start the 30 days of preparations for Passover, where we clean the chametz in order to clear everything that is not us. EM Rabbi Adin Even Yisrael (Steinsaltz) is internationally regarded as one of the leading rabbis of this century. The author of many books, he is best known for his monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud. To learn more visit his website, steinsaltz.org.
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made you think
See Different Shaul Leiter
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ow can it be that of all the twentyfour books of the Written Torah, only in the Scroll of Esther, which we read this Wednesday night and Thursday on Purim, is G‑d’s name is not mentioned even once? The Ibn Ezra, in his introduction to the Megillah, gives a straight-forward explanation: since the story of the miracles of Purim was included also in the royal historical annals of Persia and Media, Queen Esther was concerned that each of the member nations of the kingdom would ascribe the miracles to their god, taking away from G‑d’s glory. Notwithstanding, since everything that happens, and especially the wording in our holy books, has a unique divine message, it is incumbent upon us to look also for a deeper meaning. Another interesting question concerns the name of the holiday. Purim, which means a lottery, has nothing to do with the miracles but rather is connected to the date of the evil decree that Haman set according to the results of his lottery. Purim is the happiest holiday of the Jewish calendar. We would expect a name more indicative of the joy and power of the holiday. To answer the above questions, we have to examine the positions of Mordechai and Esther in Shushan, the capital city at that time. Mordechai was not only a respected leader in the Jewish community, he was also one of the advisors to Achashverosh, the king. Esther was the Queen. What would you have done had you been in their place? When informed of the terrible decree, you would think their first and most natural move would be to use their great influence with the King to nullify the order. But this was not the case. Instead, Mordechai put on a burlap sack, smeared his face with ashes and sat in the public streets - something as embarrassing then as it would be today - while Esther, whose attractiveness to the King was a crucial part of her power and appeal, nevertheless fasted for three days. She also asked the entire Jewish community to gather together and fast as well. Only after the fasting, introspection and repentance did they turn to political action. Mordechai and Esther realized that the decree was not just some coincidence, but
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rather a wake up call to the Jewish people. G‑d was telling them that they must repair the damage done by the sin of inappropriately mixing –and indulging—with the nonJewish communities at the grand banquet of Achashverosh, described at the beginning of the Megillah. Only after Mordechai and Esther were certain that the Jewish people, including themselves, were cognizant of and on the way towards doing teshuvah (repentance), did they try in a direct way to combat the decree through their political savvy and influence. The Rebbe explains that Purim teaches us one of the most basic foundations of a Jewish world view. Nothing is random. Rather, all that happens around us are fronts for deep moves in the divine plan. When something difficult happens to us and even more, when something is facing us on a national level, each of us must look into its spiritual roots and ask ourselves what is it that the Almighty wants from us and how can we help to repair it. When we eventually do make our move in the public or political arena, we know that this is just an outer garment to the true
success that comes from G‑d. This entire concept is highlighted by the name Purim and by G‑d’s name not being mentioned in the Megillah. The arch villain Hamman’s lottery was not just a detail in the story. It came from G‑d, intended to arouse the Jewish people to a higher state of personal consciousness and to create the holiday of Purim. G‑d is found even in natural, perceivable, explainable events, as is highlighted by all the miracles that the Megillah describes without once mentioning G‑d’s name. Only when we are conscious of G‑d are we able to see the miracles in day to day events. Only when we deal with the inner cause first, will we succeed with the external effects. This is true for our personal lives and for the Jewish people, as a nation. It is this attitude that will hasten the arrival of Moshiach, speedily in our days. EM Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter is the co-founder, executive director and featured lecturer at Ascent Tsfat, a spiritual discovery center in the holy city of Tsfat in Northern Israel (ascentofsafed.com, myascent.org).
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jewish thought
Unbowed Simon Jacobson
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any lessons have been gleaned from Mordechai’s refusal to bow down to Haman: How we must always stand staunch in face of adversity; the power of uncompromising faith; fighting for principles and values; not conforming to social pressures and the need “to belong.” The lists go on and on of popular themes that we have heard – and will surely hear this weekend again – the messages we can learn from Mordechai, including their relevance to current events. What is less known is that Mordechai’s unwavering stand repaired a 1,214-year wound that would change the course of history, with implications that affect us until this very day. The full story of Purim, pitting Haman against Mordechai and the entire Jewish people, actually began over 12 centuries earlier, on a lonely dark night, when a lonely man fought a lonely battle, and was left wounded in the process. But as a result, we were all healed, never to be wounded again. The lonely man was Jacob and the nightlong battle he fought was with a “stranger” – his brother Esau’s archangel. In the Bible’s own words: “Jacob remained alone and a stranger wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When he saw that he could not defeat him, he touched the upper joint of Jacob’s thigh. Jacob’s hip joint became dislocated as he
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wrestled with him.” As a result Jacob “was limping because of his thigh” (Genesis 32:2532). In one of the most fluent interpretations you will ever read, the 16th century Kabbalist, Rabbi Abraham Galanti (student of the Ramak), places Mordechai’s unbowing resolve into historical context. In his Eichah commentary Kol Bochim, on the verse (Lamentations 4:18) “they hunted our steps so that we could not walk in our streets,” Galanti explains that Mordechai’s resistance to kneeling and bowing to Haman was a fundamental declaration of strength that originated and was a response to Jacob’s limp over a millennium earlier. (Galanti’s eloquent exposition is cited in the Shaloh Mesechta Megillah. See also the Arizal – Likkutei Torah and Sefer HaLikkutim Samuel I 10). Jacob’s limp is a watershed event in history: It reflects every wound that each of us and every person in history has ever endured. Jacob’s wrestling with Esau’s angel through the night represents all the battles of our lives, beginning with the biggest battle of them all – between the material and the spiritual. (see The Dislocated Hip and A Lunch to Remember). The tension between matter and spirit is deep and difficult. Yet even then, the soul (Jacob) cannot be defeated. But the material forces are relentless. Even when the
essence of our beings cannot be hurt, matter’s inherent narcissism “touches” our extremities – the part of your life that is vulnerable and exposed to the elements. When the “angel of darkness,” in whatever form it assumes, sees that it cannot conquer your soul, it attacks and wounds your “thigh” or “hip” – the part that protrudes from and is outside of the body, “our steps” (see Zohar I 146a. 171a). “They hunted our steps so that we could not walk in our streets” describes every type of abuse and hurt, which attack our very steps and movements. The scars and wounds of this dissonance are far and deep. Virtually every form of loss and suffering, every injustice perpetrated, personal or collective, is a result or an expression of the schism between matter and energy: The mechanics of the existence divorced from their “programming instructions,” the body misaligned from its spirit, is in effect a personal and cosmic limp the result is dislocation and displacement, and the inevitable pain that follows. In Jacob’s time the confrontation between the soulful Jacob and the warrior Esau left Jacob wounded. No matter how dominant Jacob was he still had to contend with Esau’s power. Indeed, Jacob and his family even end up bowing to Esau. Bowing is a symbol of submission and deference. So though Jacob
Adar II 5779
jewish thought
had good reason to bow to Esau (in order to gain Esau’s favor), the mere fact that he had to concede and acknowledge Esau’s power was a bow to the power of materialism in our lives, and the wounds that it inflicts. The Zohar (I 171b) is actually deeply disturbed by the fact that Jacob bowed to Esau. “How is it possible,” the Zohar wonders, “that the Divinely perfect Jacob, would prostate himself before the idolatrous Esau; tantamount to worshipping a false god?!” Explains the Zohar, that Jacob’s behavior was justified because he wasn’t bowing to Esau, but to the Divine presence that Jacob recognized was surrounding Esau. But, as Galanti emphasizes, this only explains Jacob’s behavior; it does not justify the fact that Jacob’s children bowed to Esau, which constituted a strong concession that further emboldened and empowered Esau and his progeny, allowing for Jacob’s wound to manifest and intensify. The connection between the bowing of the tribes to Esau and Jacob’s limp is striking: Standing upright requires strong legs to hold up the entire body. By contrast, prostration is the physical act of bending the knees and then thrusting the entire body forward, in effect neutralizing the power of the legs. The sacred act of prostration (as we do on Yom Kippur) symbolizes total subjugation to G‑d. But when the prostration is to Esau, then it constitutes weakness, surrendering your steadfast pride, as your legs give way to your prostrating yourself before the materialism of Esau. Since the tribes were so bound to Jacob, their bowing to Esau empowered him and allowed him (his angel) to wound Jacob’s hip and leg, causing him to limp. Jacob’s limp was then a manifestation of frailty in the face of Esau’s materialistic power, effecting, if not Jacob’s personality, his extremities, i.e. his connection and involvement with to the material world. Yet, within these events lay buried one silent, absent, detail: The unborn Benjamin was not part of the bowing procession. The remedy was born even before Benjamin was. Twelve centuries later Benjamin’s absence would blossom into Mordechai – Benjamin’s descendant – refusing to bow to Esau’s descendant, Haman. As the Midrash explains
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(Esther Rabba 7:9), that Haman challenged Mordechai’s stand: “Didn’t your grandfather bow down to my grandfather?” referring to Jacob and his wives and children bowing to Esau (Genesis 33:3-7). Mordechai replied: “Benjamin, my grandfather, was not yet born then. Just as my forefather did not bow to Esau, I, a Benjaminite (“ish yemini”) will not bow to his descendant either.” Mordechai understood the stakes: By not kneeling and bowing to Haman he was rectifying the concession that took place when the tribes bowed to Esau. “Mordechai would not kneel and would not bow” was a loud and resounding statement that enough is enough: We will no longer limp around wounded. We will stand upright and strong, and nothing can bring us down. Finally, Jacob’s long dislocated hip (“yerech”) was relocated by Mordechai, when his hips and legs held fast, and he stood proud and upright. [For the record, Galanti explains that Benjamin’s impact began earlier with King Saul, who also stemmed from Benjamin. In beautiful detail, Galanti weaves the verses in the book of Samuel to explain how Saul’s anointment as king and his war against Amalek (descendant of Esau and ancestor of Haman) all were rooted in Benjamin’s power of never having bowed to Esau. However, Saul was unable to stand strong, and the job was finished by Mordechai’s unwavering stand]. Mordechai’s stand, which lies at the heart of the Purim story, offers us a powerful lesson: Each of us faces our own particular battles. A “stranger” – within or without – wrestles with you in your lonely night. It may be the ghosts of your childhood, or your inner fears and insecurities; it may be your vulnerability in a relationship or the concerns around and unknown future. No one is without a dark corner or two in his or her psyche. And though you prevail, hardly does any person come away unscathed. Each of us has taken many punches, and we have incurred our particular limps. Life wears us down, and we are left hurt and wounded. Often the limp can seem irreversible. If the great Jacob did not remain intact after struggling with
his “stranger,” how can any of us expect anything better? Come Purim. Enter Mordechai. And demonstrates that Esau’s blow shall not stand. 1214 years of limping is quite enough. Now Mordechai “would not kneel and would not bow.” His legs, hips, knees and all would stand upright – and nothing, not Haman, not the king’s decree, could change that. Some say that Jacob’s battle took place on Yom Kippur eve. But, as the Tikkunei Zohar states, Purim is in some ways greater than Yom HaKippurim. It has the power to mend the wounds Jacob incurred on that lonely Yom Kippur night. 2364 years have passed since Mordechai made his grand stand against Haman. 2364 years since he prevailed and in the process healed the limps of history. Much has transpired in the interim. The Second Temple was destroyed. The long exile began. Persecutions, expulsions, oppressions, genocides – from the Crusaders to the Middle Ages, the Inquisitions, pogroms and finally the unspeakable Holocaust – “they hunted our steps so that we could not walk in our streets.” Yet, we are still here. Perhaps limping a bit, with a few scars, but intact. Not only have we prevailed, we are a free people, with the unprecedented ability to choose, with absolutely no restrictions, how to educate our children, how to serve G‑d, how to allow our souls to express themselves. It took a Mordechai to stand up against the dark forces that wanted to bring him and his people down, as they did so many times before and after. But his stand became an eternal source of strength to us all. “Our steps” are now firm; we walk with resolve. Empowered by Mordechai’s courage and self-confidence, we can stand today proud, with no need for compromise or apologetics, to fight with unwavering commitment for all the values and the virtues that define our common humanity, living up to the Divine Image in which we were all created. EM Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe and the director of the Meaningful Life Center (meaningfullife.org).
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Therapeutic Joy Jonathan Sacks
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here is a unique law in the approach to Purim. Mishe-nichnas Adar marbim be-simcha: “From the beginning of Adar, we increase in joy.” It is stated in the Talmud (Taanit 29a), and is based on the passage in the Megillah (Esther 9:21-22) in which Mordechai sends a letter throughout the land instructing Jews “to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year – the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday.” This in turn refers back to the text in which Haman decided on the timing of his decree: “In the first month, the month of Nissan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they cast pur (that is, lots) before Haman from day to day, and from month to month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar” (Esther. 3:7). The difficulties though are obvious. Why an entire month? The key events were focused on a few days, the thirteenth to the fifteenth, not the whole month. And why joy? We can understand why the Jews of the time felt exhilaration. The decree sentencing
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them to death had been rescinded. Their enemies had been punished. Haman had been hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordechai. Mordechai himself had been raised to greatness. But is joy the emotion we should feel in perpetuity, remembering those events? The first warrant for genocide against the Jewish people (the second if one counts Pharaoh’s plan to kill all newborn Jewish males) had been frustrated. Is joy the appropriate emotion? Surely what we should feel is relief, not joy. Passover is the proof. The word “joy” is never mentioned in the Torah in connection with it. Besides which, the Talmud asks why we do not say Hallel on Purim. It gives several answers. The most powerful is that in Hallel we say, “Servants of the Lord, give praise,” – meaning that we are no longer the servants of Pharaoh. But, says the Talmud, even after the deliverance of Purim, Jews were still the servants of Achashverosh (Megillah 14a). Tragedy had been averted but there was no real change in the hazards of life in the Diaspora. It seems to me therefore that the joy we celebrate throughout the month of Adar is
different from the normal joy we feel when something good and positive has happened to us or our people. That is expressive joy. The joy of Adar, by contrast, is therapeutic joy. Imagine what it is to be part of a people that had once heard the command issued against them: “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day” (Est. 3:13). We who live after the Holocaust, who have met survivors, heard their testimony, seen the photographs and documentaries and memorials, know the answer to that question. On Purim the Final Solution was averted. But it had been pronounced. Ever afterward, Jews knew their vulnerability. The very existence of Purim in our historical memory is traumatic. The Jewish response to trauma is counterintuitive and extraordinary. You defeat fear by joy. You conquer terror by collective celebration. You prepare a festive meal, invite guests, give gifts to friends. While the story is being told, you make a rumbustious noise as if not only to blot out the memory of Amalek, but to make a joke out of the whole episode. You wear masks.
Adar II 5779
The first warrant for genocide against the Jewish people (the second if one counts Pharaoh’s plan to kill all newborn Jewish males) had been frustrated. Is joy the appropriate emotion? You drink a little too much. You make a Purim spiel. Precisely because the threat was so serious, you refuse to be serious – and in that refusal you are doing something very serious indeed. You are denying your enemies a victory. You are declaring that you will not be intimidated. As the date of the scheduled destruction approaches, you surround yourself with the single most effective antidote to fear: joy in life itself. As the three-sentence summary of Jewish history puts it: “They tried to destroy us. We survived. Let’s eat.” Humour is the Jewish way of defeating hate. What you can laugh at, you cannot be held captive by. I learned this from a Holocaust survivor. Some years ago, I wrote a book, Celebrating Life, to write my way out of the depression I fell into after the death of my father, z"l. It was a cheer-you-up book, and it became a favorite of the Holocaust survivors. One of them, however, told me that a particular passage in the book was incorrect. Commenting on Roberto Begnini’s comedy about the Holocaust, Life is Beautiful, I had said that though I agreed with his thesis – a sense of humour keeps you sane – that was
not enough in Auschwitz to keep you alive. “On that, you are wrong,” the survivor said, and then told me his story. He had been in Auschwitz, and he soon realized that if he failed to keep his spirits up, he would die. So he made a pact with another young man, that they would both look out, each day, for some occurrence they found amusing. At the end of each day they would tell one another their story and they would laugh together. “That sense of humour saved my life,” he said. I stood corrected. He was right. That is what we do on Purim. The joy, the merrymaking, the food, the drink, the whole carnival atmosphere, are there to allow us to live with the risks of being a Jew – in the past, and tragically in the present also – without being terrified, traumatised or intimidated. It is the most counterintuitive response to terror, and the most effective. Terrorists aim to terrify. To be a Jew is to refuse to be terrified. Terror, hatred, violence – the dark forces that are currently ravaging country after country in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia – are always ultimately self-destructive. Those who practise them are always, as was Haman, hoisted on their own petard, destroyed by their very will to destruction. And yes, we as Jews must fight antisemitism, the demonization of Israel, and the intimidation of Jewish students on campus. But we must never let ourselves be intimidated – and the Jewish way to avoid this is marbim be-simcha, to increase our joy. The people that can know the full darkness of history and yet rejoice is a people whose spirit no power on earth can ever break. EM
Rabbi Dr. Sir Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth and a member of the House of Lords, is a leading academic and respected world expert on Judaism. He is a the author of several books and thousands of articles, appears regularly on television and radio, and speaks at engagements around the world.
future tense
MOSHIACH MUSINGS
"Ignorance is bliss." How facile — and how true! Are you sick to your soul of all the ugliness and injustice in the world? Just close your eyes, and make believe it ain't so. And when reality barges in your door and comes crashing down on your head, close your eyes tighter, imagine harder. If you sing loud enough to drown out the sounds of carnage in the next street or continent, you can experience peace (or at least participate in a ceremony celebrating the same). "When the righteous wish to settle in tranquility," explain our sages, "G‑d says: Is it not enough for them what is prepared for them in the World to Come, that they also ask for a tranquil life in this world?" But why not? Does G‑d have a limited quantity of tranquility to mete out? Why can't we have the peace and perfection of the World to Come, and a few years of respite in this world as well? The world to come is a world of truth. It is a world in which what happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow cannot be divorced from what's happening today, and what's happening to your fellow man cannot be separated from what is happening to yourself. Peace in our still unperfected world, viewed from the perspective of the "World to Come", is a lie. Many are content to live this lie: to forget what happened yesterday, avoid thinking about what will happen tomorrow, ignore the sadness in a neighbor's eye, the poverty on the other side of town and the bombs in the other time zone. But then there are the righteous: men and women who cannot relish their meal as long as someone, somewhere, remains hungry; who, if there is ignorance in the world, know their own wisdom to be deficient; who, if there is discord anywhere in G‑d's creation, cannot be at peace with themselves. Yes, you can have some peace in this world, and then experience the real thing in the World to Come — if you're willing to let the World to Come come when it comes. The righteous are not that patient. Their physical selves may be stuck in this world, but their minds and souls inhabit the world to come. They refuse to close their eyes.
ask the rabbi
The Jewish Calendar Explained by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman
Q
Can you please explain to me what the Jewish calendar is all about, and why some years (like this year) the month of Adar is repeated?
The Jews follow a lunar calendar. Since the lunar month is approximately 29.5 days, the Jewish month varies, some months are 29 days and some are thirty. This adds up to an average year of 354 days. The fact that the lunar year is eleven days less than the solar year is problematic. The Torah designates Passover as the holiday of the "month of springtime", Shavuot is the "Harvest Holiday", and Sukkot is dubbed the festival of the "ingathering [of the wheat]". If the Jewish calendar were to lose eleven days each year, Passover would not be restricted to springtime, every few years it would be in a different season. The same is true with all the other holidays too. For this reason, an extra month is added to the Jewish calendar every few years. On those years, called leap years, a second month of Adar is added, so we have Adar I and Adar II. This allows the lunar calendar to catch up with its solar counterpart. The lunar and solar cycles symbolize two basic spiritual principles, namely, consistency and innovation. The sun symbolizes stability in that the amount of light it radiates each day is constant. The "sun pole" in our lives is our regular pattern of observance and our basic principles and goals, areas where it is important to be consistent, and unwavering. The moon symbolizes change in that the amount of light it reflects varies continuously. As such, the "moon pole" in our lives is the striving for improvement, progress and growth, and utilization of one's creativity. The original Jewish calendar wasn't precalculated. Instead, on the 30th day of every month the Sanhedrin would be in session, awaiting witnesses who saw the crescent new-moon. If witnesses arrived, that day would be consecrated as Rosh Chodesh, thus the previous month would be a 29 day month. If no witnesses arrived, then automatically the next day was Rosh Chodesh, and the previous month was a 30 day month. Similarly, the leap years weren't
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precalculated. Rather, when the Sanhedrin realized that Passover would be too early on any given year, they would add a new month, thus ensuring that Passover (and all the other holidays) remained in its proper season. As soon as the Sanhedrin established Rosh Chodesh of any month, or if they decided to designate the year as a Leap Year, they would send emissaries to all the Jewish communities in the Diaspora, informing them of their decisions. The Jewish calendar is supposed to be, and originally was, based on the ongoing proclamations of the Sanhedrin. Only a Sanhedrin which was ordained in the Land of Israel was allowed to consecrate Rosh Chodesh or designate a Leap Year. In the 4th century CE, the sage Hillel II foresaw that the Jews would be exiled from Israel, and be spread over the entire globe, therefore they would no longer be able to follow a Sanhedrin-based calendar. So Hillel and his rabbinical court established a perpetual calendar. They consecrated every Rosh Chodesh and leap years until Moshiach will come and reestablish the Sanhedrin. The bottom line: Tishrei, Shevat, Adar I (in case of a Leap Year), Nissan, Sivan and Av are always 30 days. Tevet, Adar (in a non-leap year) and Adar II (of a leap year), Iyar, Tammuz and Elul are always 29 days. Cheshvan and Kislev fluctuate, depending on the year. The Jewish calendar runs in 19 year cycles. Years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 are leap years. This way, every 19 years the Jewish calendar will be exactly caught up with the solar calendar. For this reason, every 19 years your Jewish and secular birthday fall out on the same day. EM
Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario. You can Ask the Rabbi at jrcc.org or fax to 416.222.7812. To meet with Rabbi Zaltzman in person, feel free to call 416.222.7105 to book an appointment. Appointments are generally available on Tuesday evenings after 7 p.m. Rebbitzin Chiena Zaltzman is also available for private consultations by appointment on Wednesday evenings from 9 to 10pm by calling 416.222.7105.
Вопрос, который мы хотим обсудить, был задан раввину в прошлом году. Но дело в том, что тема вопроса является не просто важной, а просто кричаще важной! Речь идет о законе еврейского захоронения: на каком кладбище хоронить супругов, если один из них не является евреем, почему категорически запрещено кремировать евреев и т.д. Эти вопросы являются жизненно важными, так как возникают постоянно: как хоронить своих близких. И вот, не так давно к нам обратилась женщина с вопросом, который ее очень волновал. Дело в том, что они с мужем – пожилая супружеская пара – хотят приобрести место на кладбище. Вообще-то в этом нет ничего необычного: еврейская традиция говорит о том, что заблаговременное приобретение места на кладбище продлевает жизнь человека. Проблема заключается в том, что женщина – еврейка, а ее муж – нет. И, конечно, супруги хотят, чтобы их могилы находились рядом. Но ей сказали, что муж не может быть похоронен на еврейском кладбище. Рабби, скажите, пожалуйста, что Вы посоветуете делать семьям с похожей ситуацией? Прежде всего, хочу начать с того, что захоронение еврея на нееврейском кладбище мучительно болезненно для его души. Написано, что еврейская душа невероятно страдает от этого. Поэтому евреев хоронят только на еврейском кладбище. Часто люди, далекие от религии и традиций, говорят: «Для нас это не важно». Нужно понять, что им «неважно» сейчас, здесь, в физическом восприятии человека, которое формировалось в соответствии с его нееврейским воспитанием. Но когда речь идет о жизни в другом – духовном - мире, мы должны считаться с тем, что для души еврея мучительно находиться на нееврейском кладбище. То же самое нужно сказать и о кремации: душе и даже телу умершего очень больно переносить процесс сожжения. В еврейском законе посмертное сожжение всегда считалось одним из самых ужасных мучений для еврейской души. Хорошо известно, что жгли евреев только наши кровные враги – инквизиторы, погромщики и фашисты. Скажу даже больше: кремация болезненна для каждого человека...
The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.
Adar II 5779
ב”ה
Our
Community T H E M O N T H I N R E V I E W. U P C O M I N G E V E N T S & P R O G R A M S .
MARCH 2019 | ADAR II 5779 COMMUNITY CALENDAR
MARCH2019 WED
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6:00pm THUR
7
MON
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7:30pm
PURIM KIDS EVENT JRCC East Thornhill See ad on page 14 GOT MATZAH? Order matzah at 10% off See ad on page 15 LARGER THAN LIFE Course for Women See ad on page 15
TUES
LARGER THAN LIFE Course for Women See ad on page 15
SUN
PURIM KIDS EVENT JRCC East Thornhill See ad on page 14
12 7:30pm 17
11:30am TUES
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5:00pm WED
20 7:00pm THUR
21 5:00pm
MELEHA IN CONCERT
PURIM KIDS EVENT JRCC East Thornhill See ad on page 14 PURIM COMMUNITY PARTIES See ad on page 15 PURIM BANQUET "Purim in the USSR" See ad on back page
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES March 1, 2019
5:48pm
March 8, 2019
5:57pm
March 15, 2019
7:05pm
March 22, 2019
7:14pm
March 29, 2019
7:22pm
www.jrcc.org
RABBI ZALTZMAN’S BIRTHDAY FARBRENGEN As in past years, the JRCC’s senior rabbi and founder, Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zatzman, used the occasion of his birthday to create a meaningful community gathering. “The Rebbe taught us that a birthday is not just a day to celebrate,” explains Rabbi Zaltzman, “it is a day to reflect and make positive resolutions, and encourage ones’ friends and family to do the same. It’s like a personal Rosh Hashana.” During the course of the evening, hosted at the JRCC at 18 Rockford Rd., dozens of community members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, along with several local celebrities, stopped by to wish Rabbi Zaltzman a happy birthday and partake in the celebration. In addition to the words of inspiration, song, refreshments and l’chaims, participants were also requested to dedicate a special gift: A positive resolution connected to Jewish life. Dozens of people obliged the rabbi by committing themselves to various acts of goodness, including to light Shabbat candles, done tefillin, observe Shabbat, and speaking more thoughtfully. To bring in the month of Adar, the JRCC’s Women’s League presented a special evening featuring a concert by Meleha, the internationally acclaimed French singer, who wowed the audience with her golden voice and unique flair at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. After a storied career in pop music, including recording with and opening for several famous artists, Meleha was inspired to return to her Jewish roots and focused her career in a more spiritual direction, seeking to share her inspiration with other Jewish women. In the singer’s own words, “the idea is to send a message that will reach and touch every jewish women and their daughters, and help them identify with these songs about Judaism and faith.” Jewish tradition teaches that, “when the month of Adar enters, we increase in joy,” and thanks to Meleha, the community organizers and the volunteers who made it happen this evening was truly joyous, meaningful and uplifting.
READY FOR PURIM IN USSR? Purim is just around the corner, and for those planning in joining the JRCC’s annual purim banquet on March 21 at the Sephardic Kehilla Centre, it will be a trip back in time. Each year, the banquet, the main Purim community event, draws over 1,000 participants to a fun-filled evening of music, entertainment and a celebratory feast. And each year, the event features a different theme. Recent themes have included “Purim in Outer Space,” “Purim at Mount Sinai,” and last year’s “Purim in Morocco.” This year’s theme is Purim in the Soviet Union, so it promises to be especially memorable. The banquet will also feature a special interactive Purim Spiel performance by our community’s very own improv comedy troupe. In addition, there will be several community events for both families and adults hosted by various JRCC branches, along with megillah readings and mishloach manot distributions. To get in on the action, see the ads on pages 14 and the banquet ad on the back page, or visit jrcc.org/purim. JRCC OF CYBERSPACE
vwwc s Ontario present вас на Centre of Community ы приглашает Jewish RussianРусскоязычной Oбщин Центр Еврейский
Purim Banquet
rch T21 ay| ,6:00Ma ursdILLA PM BANQUE Th CENTRE 5:00PM MEG DIC SEPHAR Bathurst 7026
KEHILLA St.
FEATURING
PURIM SHPIEL A
DONO DOTHEO CLOW S FOR KID
er, Sit-down dinn music and e dancing, mak ning this an eve joy of superb ss. and happine
DJ &
PERCUSSIONS
PHOTOH BOOT
TICKETS BEFORE MARCH 13: $40 ADULT, $20 CHILD AFTER MARCH 13: $50 ADULT, $25 CHILD
FOR MORE INFORMATION, JEWISH RUSSIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE OF ONTARIO
OR VISIT
CALL 416-222-7105, WWW.JRCC.ORG/PURIM
Did you know that in addition to its branches and various services throughout the GTA, the JRCC also has a robust presence online. In addition to its powerful jrcc.org website, featuring community events and a virtual library with tens of thousands of online articles, classes, books, and videos, the jrcc also boasts an active Facebook page and is now also active on LinekIn. The website alone currently as has an average of over 13,000 monthly visitors. You can connect by signing up for our email newsletter at jrcc.org, liking our Facebook page, or join our network on LinkedIn.
JRCC Our Community
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ב״ה
ИО Ц Е Н Т Р Р У С С К О Я З Ы Ч Н О Й О Б Щ И Н Ы О Н ТА Р Й И К ЙС ЕВРЕ H RUSSIA RIO N COMM IS Jewish Russian W U N I T Y C E N T R E O F O N TA Community Centre J E of Ontario
Photo of the Month
2019 PURIM
PARTIES @the JRCC BRANCH NEAR YOU WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 AT 7:00 P.M . MEGILLAH READING • MUSIC • PRIZE FOR EVERY CHILD IN COSTUME • REFRESHMENTS JRCC
JRCC
S. RICHMOND HILL & MAPLE
ROCKFORD
Featuring: MAGIC SHOW WITH GAMBIT
Featuring: THE MAGIC OF ROBERTO
JRCC
Featuring: GIANT BALLOON SCULPTING
18 Rockford Rd.
NELLIE McCLUNG PS
360 Thomas Cook Ave.
EAST THORNHILL
JRCC
WEST THORNHILL
1136 Centre St., Unit 2 JRCC
SOUTH THORNHILL
JRCC
HILDA
Featuring: PURIM BASH
Featuring: BIRD SHOW
Featuring: KARAMELA BALLOON SHOW
1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room
7608 Yonge St., Unit 3
175 Hilda Ave, Party Room
JRCC
JRCC
BATHURST & SHEPPARD
411 Confederation Pkwy, #14
SENIORS RESIDENCE 4455 Bathurst St.
CONCORD
BAT MITZVAH CLUB @ JRCC WEST THORNHILL At the Bat Mitzvah Club, girls learn and discover what a Bat Mitzvah really means, and what becoming a Jewish woman is all about through weekly meetings featuring learning, discussions, friendships and a variety of creative activities.
JRCC
BATHURST & LAWRENCE SENIORS RESIDENCE 3174 Bathurst St.
FOR THE JRCC PURIM BANQUET, MEGILLAH READING & MUCH MORE
Visit jrcc.org/pictures
call 416.222.7105 or go to www.jrcc.org/purim
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF JRCC EVENTS AND PRGRAMS
The Jrcc East Thornhill women’s circle presents
PURIM for kids
Silk Painting
S. Richmond Hill March 17, 2019 | 11:30AM-12:30PM at Nellie McClung PS 360 Thomas Cook Ave. West Thornhill March 19, 2019 | 5-6pm East Thornhill March 6, 2019 | 6-7pm Hamantash Bake Off and Purim craft!
Monday, April 1 | 8:00 PM JRCC East Thornhill, 7608 Yonge street, #3 Create your own silk matzah cover to use at the Seder. Get inspiration from the Passover Heroine Miriam. Light Refreshments $25/person at the door RSVP & Info:
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March 2019 / Adar II 5779
www.JrccEastThornhill.org/Silk
416.222.7105
Faces of the Community
LESSON 5 Whistle While You Work: The Balancing Fact
SEMYON ZILBERMAN CLOTHING CUTTER, TAILOR (RETIRED)
For more details & registration: jrcc.org/rcs Three convenient locations:
EAST THORHILL MONDAY, MAR. 11 AT 7:30PM 7608 YONGE ST., #3
WEST THORHILL
TIME AND DATE TBA 1136 CENTRE ST., #2
S.THORHILL
TUESDAY, MAR. 12 AT 7:30 PM 18 ROCKFORD RD.
MATZAH SALE Hand-made Shmura matzah for Passover.
Selection of wheat, spelt and oat matzah from Israel, New York, Montreal and Ukraine. 10% off online orders until March 7.
In person: 5987 Bathurst St., #3
By phone: 416.222.7105
Online: jrcc.org/Pesach
INCOME TAX RETURNS
FREE OF CHARGE FOR THOSE IN NEED
During the upcoming tax season, the JRCC will be offering a FREE program to prepare income tax returns for community members who are unable to afford the service of an income tax professional. This service is intended for individuals with an income of less than $20,000 and families with an income of less than $30,000. To take advantage of this service, you must make an appointment. 416-222-7105
INFANTS & TODDLERS Special programs for infants and toddlers. Your child will enjoy a unique program of dancing, singing, puppet show, finger gymnastics, painting, and more. oug Br
h t to y o u b y
A Taste of Klyuchik for Toddlers (18-36 months)
MARCH-APRIL SESSION TUESDAYS, 10-10:45AM | RUSSIAN $75 for 8 weeks.
at JRCC East Thornhill, 7608 Yonge St. #3 Contact: chanie.zaltzman@jrcc.org Registration Required:
oug Br
h t to y o u b y
By profession, I was a men's clothing cutter. I inherited this profession from my father. For ten years I worked as a tailor in a Riga studio, and for 25 years as a cutter in Leningrad. WHERE DOES YOUR FAMILY COME FROM? My father and mother come from Poland, but later moved to Riga. Riga is my hometown: I was born and raised there, and I studied in a Jewish school there. Studies were conducted in Hebrew until the Soviets came to power, at which time instruction was in Yiddish. There were five children in our family (three boys and two girls), and we lived a strictly observant Jewish lifestyle. We didn’t even no any other way – we ate only kosher food, observed Shabbat, celebrated all the Jewish holidays, and attended the synagogue. It was a large synagogue known as the “Gogol Shul” because it was located on Gogol Street. Like many Jews, we were not able to have a separate set of dishes for Passover, so before Passover would kosher our dishes at the synagogue in a huge vat of boiling water in which the glassware was immersed. Silverware was koshered using the hot ash of the fire burning under the vat. The special pot used to make gefilte fish was plated with a new layer of tine every year. In our school, boys and girls studied separately. In the second grade we learned all the prayers, and in the fifth grade we started studying Talmud. We were also taught to work: In the winter, the children of the lower grades were taught to weave fishing nets, and from the 4th grade to make skis. As a result there was no delinquency as everyone was busy with useful work. The inspector of the Jewish schools of Riga at that time was Rabbi Haim Mordechai Khodakov, personal secretary of the Rebbe Rayatz, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. The historic wedding of the previous Rebbe’s daughter to the Rebbe took place in our school, “Torah Derech Eretz.” YOU WORKED AS A CUTTER IN LENINGRAD. HOW DID YOU GET THERE? I fell in love with a girl from Leningrad. She came to visit my neighbors, and they asked me to show her Riga. We corresponded for six years and eventually got married. We have two wonderful sons. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES? When I became a pensioner, my son gave me a keyboard as a gift. I starting making music, and became interested in writing songs. I found poems and composed music to them. I wrote and composed two original songs in Russian and Yiddish. Today I am the author of twenty-five songs. In addition to music, I wrote two books: the historical and biographical “War-Scorched Years” and the reflective book “Women, Wives, it’s Not Too Late…” I also enjoy cooking. I love to bake Teramisu, biscuits, and crackers. I also cook salmon and make soup. I go to the synagogue for prayers and attend classes, I take part in various programs of the Jewish community. I also love to dance and attend dance evenings. IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A “L’CHAIM” WITH SOME FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Most of all I miss my dear wife. She was an unusually bright and interesting person, the most significant person in my life. She was the core of our family, and she planned our life. Our departure from the USSR was also her idea. First, we lived in America for a period, and in 1981 we came to Canada. She was a pianist and all her life, even in Canada, she worked as a music teacher. When she was gone, it was very difficult for me to come to terms with this sad fact. And I really miss her… WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? I recently turned 90 years old. I am interested in everything that life has to offer: travel, performances, books, singing in a choir. And in order not to weaken to my spirit, I try to do a bit of everything. I want to mention that ught you by I doBronot have a special musical and literary education. Nevertheless, people are grateful to me for the songs and books I created. Human qualities are determined not by education, but by personal achievements. From the height of my age I want to wish all people of the “golden age” to be more active and spend less time watching TV. I wish everyone to get involved and live life to the fullest.
www.JrccEastThornhill.org/Klyuchik
www.jrcc.org
JRCC Our Community
15
JRCC Directory
JRCC Program Spotlight
NEW RABBI & REBBETZIN FOR JRCC@ROCKFORD
The JRCC@Rockford, the original JRCC branch at 18 Rockford Rd., recently added a young couple as the directors of the centre. Rabbi Shmuel and Esther Neft, who arrived in Toronto earlier this year with their newborn son Menachem Mendel, were appointed by the JRCC’s senior rabbi and founder Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman to join the JRCC team as the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of the JRCC@Rockford community. It’s no small task, as the community boasts about 1,500 families and some 5,000 individuals, but they are taking it in stride. “Our focus right now is on meeting everyone – one family, one person at a time,” explains Rabbi Shmuel. “The only way for us to know what people here need and how we can best serve the community is to really get to know the people, to speak to them, connect with them. And that’s really the essence of what we’re here to do – to connect to people, and help them connect to one another and to their amazing heritage.” Indeed, Rabbi Shmuel and Esther plan to create focused community programs that cater to particular groups within the community, such as youth and seniors, as well specific interests, such as advanced learning, music and the arts. It’s definitely a huge undertaking for a young couple still in their twenties, but if initial reactions are any indications, Rabbi Shmuel and Esther will to use their youthful energy to their advantage. “When I first met Rabbi Shmuel it definitely struck me that, ‘wow, this is a very young man, probably just our of Rabbinical school,’” expresses Evgeny, a longtime community member. “But very early into the I quickly realized that yes, this is exactly te? conversation what our community needs – young energy and optimism that will attract young people and revitalize the community for people of all ages.” JRCC Furniture Depot | 1416 Centre St | Vaughan, ON
mited cess to
JRCC S. Richmond Hill & Maple: 9699 Bathurst St. Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman x247 JRCC Concord: 411 Confederation Parkway, #14 Rabbi Avrohom Erlenwein x278 JRCC Affiliate CRC of Thornhill Woods: 8808 Bathurst St. Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim (416) 818-8492 JRCC West Thornhill: 1136 Centre St., #2 Rabbi Levi Jacobson x240 JRCC East Thornhill: 7608 Yonge St., #3 Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman x227 JRCC South Thornhill: 1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room Rabbi Levi Blau x288 JRCC Steeles & Hilda: 175 Hilda Ave., Party Room Mr. Melekh Brikman x282
The truth is that despite their youth, Rabbi Shmuel and Esther bring with them significant experience in directing Jewish educational programs. Esther ran a successful teen program in the Ukraine, while Rabbi Shmuel organized summer camp programs and also served as one of Chabad’s “roving rabbis,” visiting isolated communities in Ukraine and Kazakstan. They are both passionate about building community, especially the personal interactions that come about when connecting with people on an individual level, and have both always envisioned a life of community service and shlichus. Пожертвуйте свою “Our plan is to listen to whatмебель our community wants нуждающимся! and needs,” explains Esther, “and to harness our experience and the expertise of those at the JRCC Звоните нам @ 416-222-7105 and in the community to make things happen.”ext. 248 Indeed, the Rockford community and the JRCC as a whole are excited with anticipation at what the Rabbi Shmuel and Esther will make happen in the Partly funded by near future, and in the long term.
ВЕСЕННЯЯ УБОРКА?
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FURNITURE DEPOT
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SPRING CLEANING? Donate your furniture to those in need! Call us @ 416-222-7105 ext. 248 to get a quote for pick-up
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life on earth
Is
the
World Really Getting Better?
Tzvi Freeman
N
o one ever imagined the world gradually rolling itself into a messianic stage like you roll your car into the garage. But neither does it have to crash into an apocalyptic brick wall. Don’t expect us human beings to resolve all the world’s problems—for every problem we solve, we create a whole slew of new ones. But don’t rely on space aliens or some celestial beings to do it for us either. Rather, instead of talking about the world evolving into a new era, talk about it preparing itself for the time when that will happen. Think of the birth process: From the outside, you see nausea, cranky moods and a swelling belly. From the inside, you see an entire being miraculously forming—and you still have no idea how on earth that baby’s going to make it out of there. That’s a whole other miracle of its own. Think of an orchestra tuning up in a crescendo of noise and cacophony—until the conductor lifts his baton and the symphony begins. Or a movie set, with the stage crew running about madly setting everything in place, tearing down and propping up; the camera and lighting crew laying wires everywhere and shining lights in all the wrong places; the actors rehearsing lines out of order, acting out who they are going to be in the most ridiculous ways. But when the director shouts, “Action!” suddenly everything fits together and makes sense in the most magnificent way. Or, perhaps you’ve been in a Jewish home on a Friday. Dead, naked birds lie on the kitchen counter. Flour has spilled onto the kitchen floor, and the little ones are down there mixing it with orange juice. From upstairs you hear the blood-curdling scream of a teenager, “I have nothing to wear!” And her little brother is screaming even louder because she made his bath too hot. As for the husband, he is running in and out on last-minute errands, relieved that he has an excuse to escape the madness indoors. Then the doorbell rings. It’s you, the guest, who has politely brought a bottle of wine beforehand, since you can’t carry it there on Shabbos. The lady of the house opens
18
the door, but only a crack—firstly, so that you won’t see the disaster zone inside, and secondly, to prevent the little guy who has escaped the bathtub from running out stark naked into the street. But the aroma from the kitchen does manage to waft out the door, and you exclaim, “Ah! Shabbos!” Shabbos?! Shabbos is a day of rest! This place looks like a tornado hit it! And you smell Shabbos? But you, and the lady of the house, and everyone else involved as well, know the story. Within a few hours, the dead birds will be a tasty chicken soup, the flour a delicious challah, the teenager will find something to wear, the little boy will stand up and tell everybody about the weekly parshah, and the father and mother will sit proudly together over their brood, with you, their guest, imbued with the delight of Shabbos Kodesh. Those are all parables for the messy, noisy, totally maddening state of our world, especially in its most recent stages of development. The world, like the human body and like Friday afternoon, is on a clock. From the time it first came into being, it has been
steadily moving towards its destiny. The motion is not steady—it rises and falls like the crests of waves. Like the formation of the fetus, there are stages at which new developments occur—developments that would be impossible to predict if you had never watched this before. Especially that last and final step—how on earth that baby is going to get out of the very tight spot it’s gotten itself into. But it will happen—very soon. If you know what to look for, and you have a wide enough lens, you’ll see those shifts rapidly occurring in recent times—in human attitudes, in technology, in science, and in trends in world events. The world is preparing itself for a shift into a new modality, so that when the music begins, the instruments will be in tune, and we will be attuned to appreciate the concert. Let’s get come clarity as to our destiny and how this world is really meant to be. We talk about the messianic times as a world of peace and a world filled with wisdom. But most important, it is a world unlocked. Like the movie set, or the orchestra, this world starts off with its true meaning locked
Adar II 5779
life on earth
inside. The greatest of the kabbalists, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, “The Ari,” described our mission as human beings: to release the hidden meaning of each thing. As the bits and pieces of the universe that we touch start to sing their true song out loud, more pieces demand tuning up, and then yet more, until the noise drowns out the symphony. Theoretically, this could go on forever. The belief in Moshiach is that at a certain point, a conductor will arrive, the noise will be dispelled, and the concert will begin. The world will have arrived. That’s what the prophet is envisioning when he hears G‑d saying, “I will pour my spirit upon everybody, and your sons and daughters will prophesy.” Hearing the symphony will be the natural state of living organisms. That’s never happened before—other than a brief few hours at Mount Sinai. Even at the time when the Israel was filled with many thousands of prophets, prophecy remained a special experience. You had to remove yourself from thoughts of this world, meditate daily for many hours, go with little food and speak only that which was necessary, and, eventually, you may have been privileged to tap into the supernal consciousness of the Creator. Prophecy, basically, was out of this world. Because you got it from out of this world. You saw the world differently as a prophet, because you were no longer its citizen. You were above and beyond it, seeing a light that shone from above into this world. But that’s not how the world is meant to be. “All that G‑d created,” the sages taught, “He only created for His glory.” It’s a piece of art—but it’s still in the making. It’s a very messy process, this making. But once done, the Master Artist lifts the veil, and voila!— there’s the masterpiece for all to behold. Even little boys and girls, and wolves and lambs, and every other creature of this world. The messianic era is not about some great revelation from beyond. It’s about the world singing its own song—and being able to hear itself. Now let’s look at how we’re getting there. Or better—as I said—how the world is preparing itself for that time.
March 2019
Civilizations have risen and fallen in many parts of the world, many times before. But ours, somewhere in the mid-18th century, hit a point that has no precedent in anyone’s history. We call it the Industrial Revolution. Before this time, all but the fortunate few lived at bare subsistence levels, most children didn’t make it to six years of age, the average life span was around 30 years, only a minority knew how to read and write, and almost nobody ever moved out of their class in society. Then, the human world changed more drastically in a hundred years than it had changed in all the years preceding. A caveman would have been more at home in an 18th century European village than the villager would have been in a city of industry and technology a century later. Undoubtedly, your rabbi has told you this, but it’s an amazing fact: The Zohar predicted the whole thing. On the verse, “In the sixhundredth year of the life of Noah . . . all wellsprings of the great deep burst open, and the windows of heaven were opened,” the Zohar predicts: In the six-hundredth year of the sixth millennium the gates of supernal wisdom will be opened, as will the springs of earthly wisdom, preparing the world to be elevated in the seventh millennium. The sixth millennium began in the secular calendar in 1240 CE. The sixth century of the sixth millennium then calculates to the period of 1740–1840. Yes, that’s the century we were just speaking about, when all these changes took off. But that’s not my point here. My point is the words of the Zohar, that all this was “preparing the world to be elevated in the sixth millennium.” This is when Friday starts preparing for Shabbos. This is when all the props needed for the show are finally being set in place. What are those props? Well, try to imagine a world of peace and wisdom emerging out of the ignorance and hunger of the masses before industrialization and communications technology. It could only have been by some apocalypse and supernatural magic. Today, we have all the tools to provide for every human being on the planet a life of comfort, along with access to the entire
corpus of human knowledge in hi-res video and graphics. More than that, technology has provided us the tools to discover the underlying oneness of G‑d’s creation. Beforehand, we could only see the world from the outside, and so we beheld only more and yet more fragments. With the aid of modern optics and measurement devices, luminaries such as Maxwell and Einstein were able to decipher the unity of all these forces, even of matter and energy themselves, so that today we speak of the universe acting as a single whole that transcends locality and time. That’s not a revelation from out of this world—that’s the world itself singing the song of its One Creator. Technology makes that all very real. Our own vast planet has become one global shtetl. Not long ago, a massacre of some village somewhere meant nothing to anyone outside of a fifty mile radius—if they ever heard about it. Today, it shakes the entire planet. And that’s where the second misconception I mentioned comes in: The world is not becoming a more violent, nasty place. Quite the contrary: Welcome to the most peaceful era of history. There are less violent deaths per capita, worldwide, than ever before. It’s we who have become more aware and less tolerant of that violence and nastiness. For one thing, because it’s in our faces. In the First World War, there were photographs. In the Second World War, there was film— with the real grim news arriving far too late. In Vietnam, there were embedded reporters getting out the video-record the next day. Today, we are all not just recipients of news, but reporters ourselves. So the horror is much more real—which is another way that the world is preparing itself for an era of peace. For thousands of years, the world glorified war. Writing from the warfront in 1914, one of the “Poets of the Great War,” Captain Julian Grenfell captured the spirit of the times when he wrote: I adore war. It’s like a big picnic without the objectlessness of a picnic. I have never been so well or so happy . . . Here we are in the burning centre of it all, and I would not be anywhere else for a million pounds and
exodusmagazine.org
19
life on earth
the Queen of Sheba. By the time WWI was over, it was hard to find anyone who felt that way. Grenfell fell in battle, and his fellow poet, Wilfred Owen composed the words engraved on his tombstone: “My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity.” When people glorified war, an era of peace had no window through which to enter. Today’s world, revolted by the ugliness of war, is a world preparing itself to embrace peace. And when we look at the actual statistics, the casualties of military conflict have decreased in the last seventy years more than in all the years of history preceding. Or look at it this way: During World War II, death by war was running at 5.5 million a year. During the Cold War (1950–1989) that shrunk to 180,000 a year. In the 1990s, they were down to 100,000 a year. In the current century, we’re down to 55,000 a year—one one-hundredth of WWII. Just from the Cold War until now, that’s a shrinkage of over a third. And that’s without taking into account the quadrupling of world population in the last century. Take into account the growing population since the Korean War until now, and you have this: Yes, there’s these wildcard barbarians plaguing the Middle East with a penchant for beheadings, and a brutal, prolonged civil war in Syria. History, as I wrote, has it’s ups and downs—but it’s something like walking uphill while playing with a yo-yo. Four years in Syria has produced less than a quarter of the casualties of the four years of the Korean War, when three major world powers were embroiled in conflict. And neither compares to the cataclysms of the First and Second World Wars or the Stalinist and Maoist purges of innocent civilians. Alongside all this, the World Health Organization reports that over a 20-year period, extreme poverty worldwide decreased by a whopping 50%. Health care worldwide is also increasing: As late as 1970, only around 5 percent of infants were vaccinated against measles, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, and polio. By 2000, it was 85 percent, saving about 3 million lives annually—more, each year, than world peace would have saved in the 20th century.
20
Try to imagine an age of wisdom arriving in 1500, when, in the most advanced countries, a mere 5% of the adult population could read and write. Today, 80% of the entire world adult population is literate. Here’s just one instance that, for me at least, brings it all alive: When I was young, India was a write-off—mass starvation, multiple natural disasters, disease and the state of its ecology brought predictions of imminent total collapse. A lot of those problems have yet to give way, but now a third of that country’s 1.2 billion people are holding smartphones in their hands. That’s no small deal. A smartphone means a family that has moved into the middle class, with the whole wide world suddenly opened to them wherever they go. There’s no doubt that, with all its concomitant problems, technology and global commerce has made the world a far more peaceful, prosperous and healthy place than any educated person could have imagined even 100 years ago. Even 30 years ago. Like I said, for every problem we solve, we create plenty of new ones. And only the most naive idealist could visualize all this neatly
bringing us into an era of universal peace and wisdom. But then, history has never been predictable. The Berlin wall fell in a week and the Bolshevik party disappeared overnight. The world rode a maverick bronco through the revolutions of technology, commerce, communications and science of the past 200 years—and especially of the last 30 years. The fetus is already fully formed in the womb. The props are all in place, the instruments all in tune. Your rabbi just wants you to be one of those fortunate enough to have prepared for the grand show to come, with front row seats and dressed for the occasion. All that’s left is for us to switch our mindsets and start living now in the world as it soon will be. At this point, if we can imagine it, we will be there. EM
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth and more recently Wisdom to Heal the Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing or purchase his books, visit Chabad.org. Follow him on FaceBook @RabbiTzviFreeman.
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350 Steeles Ave. West, Thornhill (416) 733-2000 • (905) 881-6003 • www.steeles.org
OUR BELOVED AUNT KATYA PASSED AWAY…. her a JRCC representative; and she really was one. The JRCC has many volunteers, but none can compare to Aunt Katya who was always at her desk, rain or shine working faster and more accurately than most. She was energetic and talkative relating stories of her youth, her childhood near Riga, her Jewish school, her exile to Siberia, the war, the occupation and evacuation, Vladivostok, Sovetskaya Gavan, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kazakhstan Magnitka, Tatarstan and more. She had an interesting life. Aunt Katya had three medals: one for valiant work in World War II; and one each for 60 and 65 Years of Victory in World War II. In 2005, at the awards ceremony for honorary members of the community, held at the Toronto Center for the Arts, Aunt Katya received the award of «JRCC Volunteer». In November 2015, at the solemn ceremony held in the Ontario Parliament building, our dear Aunt Katya received the award “For the Most Longlasting and Committed Volunteer” from the hands of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdswell and the Minister for Senior Citizens in the Ontario Government, Mario Sergio. Aunt Katya lived a decent life, full of good deeds and love of people. We will always remember and love her. Rabbis and JRCC Staff Aunt Katya was the epitome of stability and eternity in this world. She lived for nearly a century, passing away just a few short months before her 100th birthday. Aunt Katya was full of vitality and optimism and she was a hard and conscientious worker. For almost 30 years she was a permanent volunteer at JRCC, heading the postal department, sorting and mailing letters, greeting cards, Yahrtzeit letters (reminder letters of the upcoming anniversaries of deaths), flyers and notices of upcoming events and festivals. She filled the envelopes, thousands of them, and insisted on schlepping them to the post office herself. She refused help, saying she was not old and she could not trust anyone to mail the letters for her. She also scrutinized the letters finding and reporting errors despite the fact that they were in English, not Russian. She was always eager to help and saved Jewish money by hand delivering mail and donations to and from people in and around her building. Her neighbors called
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Exodus Magazine
Adar 5779
BUYING & SELLING
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COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTAL
in the GTA and MONTREAL Wishes the entire Jewish Community a Happy Purim! Visit your local NO FRILLS store to find a large variety of fine Kosher products Carlo’s NoFrills: 6220 Yonge St. North York, ON M2M 3X4 Vince’s NoFrills: 1631 Rutherford Rd. Vaughan, ON L4K 0C1
*
FRGEINEG!
STA
Cell: 416-268-7770 *Certain conditions apply, please inquire for details
Ratherford & Bathurst Area, 130 Gesher Cres, finished basement with LEGAL separate entrance!
Detached House $1,299,000
FOR SALE BEST VALUE COMMERCIAL UNIT! Located on the main floor a very nice North York Condo.
Justin’s NoFrills: 1054 Center St. Vaughan ON L4J 3M8 Pat’s NoFrills: 270 Wilson Ave. North York, ON M3H 1S6
FOR SALE
FIERA FOODS COMPANY IS HIRING! As one of North America’s largest, privately-owned large-scale bakeries, Fiera Foods Company and affiliated companies has an incredible history of expansion, innovation and quality over the past 30 years. We’re looking for outstanding people to join our outstanding team. • Production (Mixers, Scalers, Oven Operators, Production Line Operators,
General Production Staff, Forklift Operators, Shipper/Receivers); • Skilled Trades (Electricians, Mechanics, Refrigeration Mechanics, PLC Technicians) • Sales (Canada and US); • Management (Lead hand, Supervisory, Management, Project Engineers)
Our commitment to quality, excellence, and responsiveness are critical to our team and our success. Superior communication, teamwork and attention to detail are expected of everyone. Please submit your resume and your compensation expectations to jobs@fierafoods.com or call 416-707-9424. We thank all in advance for their interest, however only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
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Purim t e u q Ban
1 2 h c r a M , y a ET d U Q s N r A B u M h P 0 T5:00PM MEGILLA | 6:0A CENTRE L L I H E K C I D R SEPHA rst St. 7026 Bathu
FEATURING
PURIM SHPIEL A
O DOTHOE CDLOWON S FOR KID
r, e n n i d n w o Sit-d music and ke a dancing, m ing n this an eve oy j of superb ss. e and happin
D J& PERCUSSIO
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PHOTOH BOOT
TICKETS BEFORE MARCH 13: $40 ADULT, $20 CHILD AFTER MARCH 13: $50 ADULT, $25 CHILD
Address correction requested
PM 40062996
JEWISH RUSSIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE OF ONTARIO
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 416-222-7105, OR VISIT
WWW.JRCC.ORG/PURIM