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June 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Sivan 5779

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People are concerned about the loss of money, but they are not worried about lost time. Lost money can be regained, but lost time can never be reclaimed. This proverb accurately describes a disturbing mindset that we all share, and its truth is shockingly and embarrassingly foolish. I lose $180, and I feel terrible. I waste a 180 minutes, and I shrug it off like it was the sales tax I had to pay on the rest of my day. But tomorrow the tables can turn, and I can make back my money, quite easily recouping and even surpassing what was lost. But the lost time is gone forever; it can never be replaced. How did we get to the point that we can value a dollar more than a minute? Time is not money. Time is life – the very essence of life. How did its dismissal become so inherent to the human condition that it feels like second nature? Some would like to blame the oligopoly that is the corporate world for inventing endless distractions and gadgets and entertaining diversions to keep us wasting time focused on its wares and shelling out our hard earned money. Others have more complex villains to pin the blame on. But these are merely the agents and mediums of our downfall. We are the authors. In almost all areas of life, the most damage is done when we approach them with a mistaken assumption. In the case of time, we often begin with the assumption that we have time. Seem like a reasonably place to start. Then, given that we have time, we try to extrapolate what the purpose of this time – this lifetime – might be, so that we can determine how we should go about utilizing it. The problem is that the sequence of the assumptions is wrong. The

correct assumptive starting point is that we have a purpose; we are here for a reason. In order to fulfill that purpose, we are provided with a variety of tools and talents to use at our discretion – wisdom, talents, opportunities, emotional capacities, and physical qualities. Time is one of these tools. Now, operating under this assumption, there is no need for extrapolation to figure out how to live; if I begin with the assumption that I have a purpose, then obviously I have to utilize every moment of the time I have to accomplish the purpose for which I am here. Every moment that is not utilized for this purpose – or, even worse, is spent in activities that are detrimental to this purpose – is wasted time, wasted life.

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The same problem holds true in other arenas of life. In relationships, for example, we often begin by looking for love, seeking happiness in sharing life with another person. The dream is that we will then find purpose together, sail into the sunset and live happily ever after. But what happens when the common purpose is not found? What happens when purpose remains ambiguous, or, perhaps worse, the respective purposes of each person are uncomplimentary? Well, ask your friendly neighborhood divorce lawyer. But a relationship begins by seeking a unity of purpose, each individual bringing their worldview to the table to see if they match, then the common purpose will overcome challenges that love alone would never be able to face.

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Want to avoid a warped perception of time, or love, or work, or anything you can sink your teeth into in this fine world? Take the time to think about purpose before you begin anything, and cultivate an awareness of how this experience fits into the grand scheme of things. The effect on your life will be… momentous.

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think! again. June 2019

Sivan 5779

6 | JEWISH SOUL

Speaking Their Language

10 | LIFE ON EARTH

Meditation on an Embrace

The opening word of the Ten Commandments, "Anochi," (I am) is actually an ancient Egyptian word. What is the significance of using the language of a lowly and oppressive civilization?

Mount Sinai was a marriage of the Children of Israel and the G‑d who rescued them from Egypt, of a created being and its Creator, of earth and heaven, body and soul, being and not-being.

— From the Rebbe's teachings

.— by Tzvi Freeman

7 | MADE YOU THINK

12 | ASK THE RABBI

The Golden Mean and the Horses’ Path

What Are the Twelve Tribes?

Some say you should take the middle path of balance between extremes. Some say you should be passionate and embrace your path fully, to the extreme. Who is right?

I recently found out that some people have family traditions about which tribe they are from – not only Kohen but others as well, like Levites. Is there a way to figure out which tribe I belong to?

.— by Adin Even Yisrael (Steinsaltz)

— by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

8 | JEWISH THOUGHT

18 | PERSPECTIVES

The twin brothers Esau and Jacob represent two conflicting forces that drive us at all times, the battle – and tension – between matter and spirit that is an inherent part of every aspect of existence.

Words create. Words communicate. Our relationships are shaped, for good or bad, by language. Much of Judaism is about the power of words to make or break worlds.

— by Simon Jacobson

— by Jonathan Sacks

Duality and Unity

June 2019

editorial jewish soul made you think jewish thought life on earth ask the rabbi our community simchas perspectives marketplace memorials

4 6 7 8 10 12 13 17 18 21 25

The Sound of Silence

exodusmagazine.org

jewish soul

Speaking Their Language From the Rebbe's teachings

n commenting on the words, “I am — Anochi — the L‑rd your G‑d...,” the opening words of the Ten Commandments, the Midrash states: “The word ‘Anochi’ is of Egyptian origin.” The Ten Commandments encompass the entire Torah, for which reason they include all the mitzvahs — as explained in the Azharos of R. Sadya Gaon. This also explains why the Ten Commandments contain 620 letters — corresponding to the 613 commandments of Torah origin and the seven commandments of Rabbinic origin. Within the Ten Commandments itself, the first two commandments are of an even more general nature: the First Commandment, “Anochi,”includes all the positive commandments, while the Second Commandment, “You shall not have before you...” contains all the prohibitory commandments. Because of their importance, the Jewish people heard these two commandments from G‑d Himself. With regard to these commandments themselves, the commandment “Anochi” precedes “You shall not have before you...” — a precedence not only in physical order, but a qualitative precedence as well, to signify its loftier rank. This is also understood from the commandments’ content: The Second Commandment — “You shall have no other gods before Me” — speaks of a situation where the possibility exists for a person to — G‑d forbid — entertain a thought about “having another god.” The First Commandment of Anochi — “I am the L‑rd your G‑d Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” — leaves no room for any untoward thought. As such, the concept of “other gods” need not be forewarned. Being the first word of the First Commandment itself, Anochi encompasses the entire Torah. Moreover, Anochi — “I am”— refers to G‑d’s very Essence, “something that cannot be alluded to by any name or intimation.” How is it then possible for the word Anochi to be of Egyptian origin? How can it possibly be that the degrees of manifest G‑dliness that can be alluded to by names —

“L‑rd — Havayah” and “G‑d — Elokecha” — are of the Holy Tongue, while Anochi, the word that denotes G‑d’s Essence, is of Egyptian origin? The question becomes even greater when one bears in mind that the “seventy languages of mankind” are divided into various categories by quality and rank, with Egyptian being of the lowest order, since Egypt was the “abomination of the earth.” How then can it be that when the Torah required a word to express G‑d’s Essence, the Torah used an Egyptian word?! G‑d desired that beginning with the first word He uttered at the giving of the Torah, there immediately be known the purpose of His giving the Torah. He accomplished this by using the word Anochi: The revelation of Anochi, of G‑d’s Essence, was actually for the sake of the Egyptian tongue. That is to say, the ultimate intent of the giving of the Torah was to draw down holiness not only into the Holy Tongue, but into the other languages as well, even into Egyptian. If the Divine intent had been merely to draw down holiness within an already Holy Tongue and sacred language, it wouldn’t have been necessary to utilize the awesome

capacity that G‑d revealed and with which we were endowed at the giving of the Torah. The purpose of the giving of the Torah is that the holiness of the Divine Essence descend even within the domain of the “seventy languages,” even within the Egyptian language. The same is true in terms of man’s service as he seeks to connect with G‑d: The revelation of Anochi can be obtained and acquired specifically through the “Egyptian tongue”: As long as one does not descend to “Egypt” and merely occupies himself with Torah and prayer (i.e., the Holy Tongue) for his own purpose, then no matter how lofty this service may be, one can only attain that limited level of Divine revelation that is symbolized by G‑d’s “Names.” By serving G‑d only in a rational manner, we are only capable of connecting and receiving from “Elokecha,” the Divine Name Elokim, which refers to G‑dliness that is contracted within intellect and nature. By serving G‑d in a supra-rational manner, we are capable of connecting and receiving from “Havayah,” G‑d’s Ineffable Name, where past, present and future are as one. G‑d’s Essence, however, cannot be obtained through this form of service, for even the loftiest levels are not suitable vessels for G‑d’s Essence. It is specifically through our service in the lowest levels, working and refining the physical world, down to and including the “Egyptian language,” that we are capable of receiving from and connecting to Anochi. For as the verse states regarding the Holy Temple: “Behold, the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens cannot contain You, and yet this [physical] house can!” The lesson is clear: We cannot make do by only involving ourselves in personal matters of holiness; we must occupy ourselves in sanctifying the world as well, transforming the world into a receptacle for G‑dliness. So, too, with regard to our personal spiritual lives: Merely occupying ourselves with Torah study, prayer and the performance of mitzvahs does not suffice. We must know G‑d “in all our ways,” i.e., that also those permissible worldly matters — those things on the level of “Egypt” — with which we occupy ourselves, should similarly be connected to G‑d. EM

Sivan 5779

made you think

The Golden Mean and the Horses’ Path Adin Even Yisrael (Steinsaltz)

he Golden mean, which is the middle way in between extremes, the medium between the different contradictions, is the basis of Maimonides’ ethical theory. Maimonides speaks of avoiding extremism and choosing the moderate way in between extremes as the apex of Jewish and human elevation. According to him, any tendency towards the extreme, even if that extreme is usually considered good, is tantamount to casting off the yoke and is a saddening deviation, whereas the medium way is the good and true way. On the other hand, and in striking contradiction to this, stands Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk’s approach to almost the same issue. When this Rabbi was once asked why he is so extreme in his views and conduct, he took the person who asked that to his window which opened to the street, and explained: “You see, the two sides of the road are for human beings; only horses walk in the middle.” The Kotzker Rebbe thus defined the middle way, the average between the extremes, as the “horses’ path,” the way animals walk. Men must choose one extreme or the other, or else they are but horses. These two approaches seem in utter contradiction to each other, unbridgeably so. Yet a bridge between them must be created. Surely we can assume that there have been in Judaism differences of opinion in regard to very many problems, and especially regarding this particular issue, in which differences of temperament and character traits determine one’s approach towards it. There is, no doubt, a fundamental difference between Maimonides, whose person is the symbol of very stable solidity, and the Kotzker Rebbe, who was so very stormy. But this bridging work that must be done is not in order to complement artificially between different people and different approaches: The fact is that both views are correct, each one from its own distinct vantage point, and it is incumbent upon is to find a connection and a relationship between them, so that we, too, can determine our own stand in this issue. Objectively and theoretically speaking, the golden mean is surely the true way, the most choice path. In the Bible and in the writings of the Sages, this idea is stated often, both

June 2019

explicitly and implicitly. In the Kabbalah and Chassidic literature, too, the constant opinion is that the middle way is the true way. In fact, a large part of the basic assumptions of Chassidus is based on the recognition that the difference between good and evil in general is but the difference between Tikkun and Tohu, which is the difference between the average, sedate order and the unrestrained wildness of any kind of extremism. But just as theoretically speaking, it is true that the middle way is the objective line of truth, psychologically speaking the Kotzker Rebbe is correct; for what human being, who is really full of good will and yearning for truth and holiness, can help going to extremes? True, this extremism may not be exactly according to the pure truth; but can an enthusiastic man, yearning for G‑d, stand in between extremes, and measure and weigh things, so as not to leave, Heaven forbid, the golden mean? Who can, in the midst of ecstasy, check whether or not he has deviated from the middle way – if he is not a horse? But if we re-examine more deeply these two seemingly contradictory approaches, we shall see that the contradiction between them is, in fact, imaginary, for they do not deal with one and the same issue. There are, in fact, two paths, both of which go in the middle, between extremities. But the golden mean and the horses’ path, are not at all identical.

The horses’ path is the horse-like average between extremes, and is the necessary result of lack of power and courage to take one of the extreme ways. People who cannot muster energies and devote themselves totally to something, anything, always walk in the middle: Wanting to please everyone, and pleasing no one. Being always haunted by various motivations in every way, they make silly compromises between things. They measure the middle path with the standards of their smallness, and try to walk there; but in truth, it is the path of horses. The golden mean, on the other hand, is not just the average between extremes. In fact, the golden mean is the merging of extremes. It is made for people who are full of true passion and great enthusiasm, people who can take both extremes together, and who therefore constitute, in their soul, the inner merging of both extremes – the golden mean. Just as the horses’ path is, in fact, the evasion of both extremes, so the golden mean is their acceptance within a oneness which unites and merges them. Those who take the golden mean do not measure the middle, because the golden mean can also be in any extreme side, since its inception is precisely in the adherence to extremism. The golden mean and the horses’ path may run on the very same middle line; but the horses’ path is beneath contradictions, while the golden mean is above them. EM

exodusmagazine.org

jewish thought

Duality and Unity Simon Jacobson

In the Third Month [when the Children of Israel left Egypt and arrived at Sinai to receive the Torah] a supernal and recondite light shines forth… and that light is contained in two lights, which are one. The first light [Chesed] is white, too bright for the eye to behold. The second light [Gevurah] is one which gleams and sparkles in red. The two are united and become one… Because it is contained in two lights, it is called the “Twins” (Ti’umim). Therefore, in the month in which the Torah was given (Sivan), the constellation of the “Twins” (Gemini) rules, and from them issue lights of various grades below to illumine the world. Among all the other signs of the Zodiac there is not one possessing mouth or tongue, but this one has both, and the two are one. Therefore it is written in regard to the Torah: “And thou shalt meditate therein day and night” (Joshua 1:8), “day” corresponding to the tongue, and “night” corresponding to the mouth. And both these are one. Therefore the word ti’umim (twins), ‘there were twins [Jacob and Esau] in her womb” (Genesis 25:24), is written t’umim [without the letter alef], in order to indicate that Jacob alone is under the sign of this constellation. This is all one mystery. Jacob had two months, Nissan and Iyar, and is included in the mystery of Sivan, Twins. Esau’s months are Tammuz and Av [when the Holy Temple was destroyed by the descendants of Esau], but Elul is not his, and even in Av only nine days are his not more. He separated himself and turned toward impurity, in chaos and desolation, and he is not included in the Twins. And because Jacob is the Twins the Torah was given to his children in the month of the Twins. The Torah itself is a “twin”, the written and oral Torah; it was given in the third month (Sivan), symbolizing the treble Torah, Law, Prophets, Writings. And it is all one. — Zohar II 78b

cryptic Zohar indeed. Jacob is Esau’s twin. Jacob cannot be considered a twin without Esau. How then can the Zohar tell us that Esau is not included in the ‘twins’ of Sivan? The twin brothers Esau and Jacob represent dual forces in our lives. In microcosm and macrocosm – both in our psyches and the larger universe – two conflicting forces drive us at all times. In general terms: the battle – and tension – between matter and spirit is an inherent part of every aspect of existence. This dichotomy manifests itself in so many ways: The conflict between career and home, between our personal higher standards and the pressure to conform to marketplace standards. The battle between our yearning for transcendence and the need for material survival, between existential loneliness and the sense of connection to a greater whole – the war between the outer and the inner, form and function, packaging and substance – between the pull from above and the tug from below. The list goes on. Many philosophies and schools of thought have been espoused about this battling duality and ways to remedy or at least

minimize the inherent tension between matter and spirit. The Torah was given in the month of the ‘twins’ (Gemini) to teach us that these two forces are truly two sides of one coin – a set of twins that can either be at each other’s throat or unite into a synergetic force. The entire Torah was given in order to create peace in the world. — Maimonides end of Laws of Chanukah In the Midrash ‘twins’ refers to the human experience of light and dark (Pesikta Rabsi 20). Or to the human duality of two forces, the good and evil inclination, that comes with process of maturity (Tanchuma Haazinu). The giving of the Torah is all about creating unity in a world of duality – not by annihilating the duality, but by transforming it into ‘twins,’ two that are really one. Esau is the warrior. On his own he can go either way: Either he can be an aggressive force representing material belligerence. Or he can channel his warrior nature to conquer the elements of the world and transform

Sivan 5779

jewish thought

The universe has evolved to a point where matter and spirit have become interchangeable the material universe into a Divine home. Because in this mundane world we need intense strength to stand up to the challenges of life and not conform; we need a forceful attitude to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the world and conquer it.” (see the article Esau’s Two Faces). Jacob (the soul) is the one that directs and channels the aggressive Esau (the body) into a healthy partner and ‘twin’ that joins forces with the soul to transform the universe. The Zohar, therefore, tells us that when Esau ‘separated himself’ and indulged in material conquest, he essentially disqualified himself from being a part of the ‘twins’ as a unit in Rebecca’s womb. Technically, he remains Jacob’s twin, but conceptually he has allowed the apparent duality of the universe to control his life, hence, no true twins, only two separate forces at war with each other. In truth, Sivan, the month of Twins, is actually the Third month, which corresponds to the third emotional sphere of Tiferet. Tiferet – beauty – creates harmony within diversity. Chesed (love) reigns in month one

June 2019

(Nissan), when the Divine revelation from above freed the people from constraints (Mitzrayim). Gevurah (diversity, discipline) is the energy of month two (Iyar), when our human initiative from below works on refining our 49 (7×7) emotions as we count the days of the Omer leading up to month three (Sivan), tiferet, which integrates chesed and gevurah, into one greater harmony. The giving of the Torah – which is called tiferet – united heaven and earth. As the Midrash explains that up to that point in history there was a schism that divided the ‘upper’ from the ‘lower;’ at Sinai we were given the power to marry the ‘upper’ and the ‘lower,’ spirit and matter. And the way we achieve this is through spiritualizing the material – fusing them both into a ‘twin-like’ relationship. It takes the special energy of the third dimension (tiferet) that transcends both body and soul, to ultimately integrate the two into one whole, without annihilating or compromising either one of them. These twin forces have been consumed in raging battle from the beginning of time. Beginning in Rebecca’s womb “two nations” have been struggling, and: Two governments will separate from inside you. The upper hand will go from one to the other. – Genesis 25:23 As history unfolded these two forces – which began as two individuals in Esau and Jacob – magnified and multiplied into global confrontations. Before Sinai (the children of) Esau is offered the Torah, but he rejects it; he has separated himself and is not yet ready to be a true ‘twin.’ (see article Esau, Ishmael and Sinai) As the centuries rolled on, Esau’s children (the Romans) would destroy the Temple, and years later they would begin to embrace in their own way some of the Torah’s message. Two millennia later much has transpired. The world of Esau has evolved and continues to refine itself, aligning itself more and more with the teachings that the original Esau learned from his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. The universe as well has evolved to a

point where matter and spirit have become interchangeable (e=MC2), and they continue to evolve to the point where we can now see that they soon may be synonymous, or better put – ‘twins.’ In physics, technology, communications, medicine, we are witnessing the convergence of a duality that has always been the staple of the universe. Yes, the twins Esau and Jacob are about to finally meet and join hands. Thousands of years ago Jacob told Esau (even after they reconciled): …that the children are weak and I have responsibility for the nursing sheep and cattle. If they are driven hard for even one day, they will die…Please go ahead of me… I will lead my group slowly, following the pace of the work ahead of me, and the pace of the children. I will eventually come to you, my lord, in Seir [Edom]. — Genesis 33:12-13 The time had not yet come for the ‘twins’ to unite. And when will he [Jacob] go [to Seir]? In the days of Moshiach, as it says (Ovadiah 1:21) Redeemers will ascend Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom will be G‑d’s. — Rashi on Genesis 33:12-13 After over three millennia they are finally ready to unite. The stage is set for the ‘twins’ to emerge – in science, medicine and politics. The final frontier is personal and psychological: to allow the ‘twins’ to emerge in our psyches. We now have the power to finally bring some peace to our fragmented (if not tortured) spirits, and by extension, to our ailing world. Two twins have been wandering for so long, isn’t it time to finally come home? 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).

exodusmagazine.org

life on earth

Meditation

on an

Embrace

Tzvi Freeman

he Exodus was a romance, Mount Sinai was a marriage—a marriage of the Children of Israel and the G‑d who rescued them from Egypt, of a created being and its Creator, of earth and heaven, body and soul, being and not-being. Marriage is a story in three parts, each part an eternal moment. First, two must fall in love. Not a rational love—no, that won’t do. They must be nuts for one another. Obsessed. They must feel they cannot live without one another, as though their very existence depends on their closeness to one another. They must feel that they are truly one, even as they are apart. But they are not yet one. There must be a covenant. A covenant that excludes all others, that says “only you and I exist in this space.” He says to her, “You are sanctified to me”—you are separate from all others, distinct and unique. That covenant is an intertwining of souls, bound by love, and not easily untied, because it is meant to last forever. But still they are not yet one.

The love is not enough, for each feels a different love. The covenant is not enough, because they remain two beings. They must rise and enter a space that can hold the two of them as one, a space in which there is no other, because there is no otherness, there is only One. And that is the chuppah (wedding canopy). Here they are one. From now on, every moment of the rest of their lives together, they will continue to make two into one, in a constant union of love, covenant and embrace.

ALL OF YOU The chuppah of the Jewish people was Mount Sinai. The chuppah for each one of us is a mitzvah. Any mitzvah. Because every mitzvah of the Torah carries you into a space beyond all things, a space where there is no otherness, only the One. Every mitzvah is an embrace, a kiss, and a union of spirits.

An embrace, because as an embrace grasps you from all sides, so the mitzvahs of Torah embrace every facet of your being. Not your heart alone, not your mind alone, but your every limb, your every sinew, and all the kishkes within you. Give a few dollars to a homeless veteran so he can spend the night in warm and decent quarters. Your hand gave the dollars. Your entire being worked hard to earn it. You could have bought something else for yourself with that money. So now, all of you is tied up in this mitzvah. Divine light embraces your entire being. The same occurs when you prepare a royal Shabbat meal. Carpool your kids to a Jewish school. Wrap yourself in a tallit—all of you. Bind the leather straps of tefillin on your arm and head. Munch your matzah on Passover. Feel the hunger of Yom Kippur. Immerse in the joy of learning Torah. Each is a caress and a hug, each grasping another part of you, until every limb of your body and every facet of your life is held tightly in His embrace, pulling you close in oneness from head to toe, enveloping all your

Sivan 5779

From now on, every moment of the rest of their lives together, they will continue to make two into one, in a constant union of love, covenant and embrace. being. DIVINE KISS, MYSTIC UNION “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine.” So begins King Solomon’s Song of Songs, a parable of the love between us and our G‑d. What is a kiss? It is when love can no longer be expressed in words of love— because there are no words for such love. It is when lips no longer speak as one speaks to another—because there is no other. And so two lips become one. “When you read and speak words of Torah,” the Midrash tells, “G‑d reads and speaks every word along with you.”1 So that every word of Torah is a kiss. Our lips and His in union. They are His words, the words He speaks to Himself, the words that speak of what he desires from heaven and earth, of His deepest desire. They are the words of Jewish Law—of what we are meant to do, of how His desire is to be expressed in this world.

Yet they are our words, the words given to us, in our mouths to expand, explain and apply. And they remain His words. Because in them we and Him are one in soul and spirit, as two minds think as one, experience as one, desire as one, in that intimate union of a kiss. And there is a union of souls. In the discovery of the wisdom of His Torah as your mind becomes absorbed in a divine way of thinking, and in the heartfelt focus of that prayer, in the tears that drip down your cheek as you return to Him, in the joy of a mitzvah that bursts out in spontaneous song, there your soul calls to the Soul of All Life, and the two are drawn together to merge as one in perfect union.

future tense

MOSHIACH MUSINGS

The Jewish people at Sinai sensed this ultimate and absolute unity joining them together. In that frame of mind, therefore, “as one man, with one mind,” they jointly desired and anticipated receiving the Torah, and that is when G‑d gave it to them. It is likewise, with the Messianic redemption. Of the Messianic era it is said that “the one preoccupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d.” All knowledge of G‑d derives from the Torah. Moshiach’s ultimate

WE ARE HIS, HE IS OURS That is why a Jew doesn’t just do a mitzvah. A Jew says, “Blessed are You, G‑d, our G‑d, Majesty of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His mitzvot…” Just as a man says to his beloved beneath the chuppah, “Behold, you are sanctified to me with this ring…” Rabbi Schneur Zalman walked out from his study and heard his wife teaching other women. He heard two words. She said, “Mine says…”—referring to him, her husband, who became hers through marriage. He leaned against the doorpost in a deep trance, uttering, “With one mitzvah, I became hers. With how many mitzvahs, have I become His!” At Mount Sinai, we became His, and He became ours. EM

function, therefore, will be to “teach the entire people and instruct them in the way of G‑d, and all nations will come to hear him.” He will reveal new insights, novel understandings of the presently hidden, unknown and esoteric teachings of the infinite Torah, allowing people “to attain knowledge of their Creator to the extent of human capacity.” In order to make it possible for the world to partake in these new revelations, the Messianic era will thus be a time of peace and harmony, with “neither famine nor war, neither envy nor strife.” As we look forward to the bliss of the Messianic redemption, therefore, we must prepare for that new revelation even as we had to prepare for the

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.

revelation at Sinai. We must overcome all differences that may lead to dissension and divisiveness, to become as “one man, with one mind” by concentrating on that which unites us, on the common denominator we all share. Peace and harmony among ourselves is assured to hasten the universal and everlasting peace of the Messianic era.

ask the rabbi

What is my Tribe? by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

What exactly are the twelve tribes of Israel? I recently found out that some people have family traditions about which tribe they are from - not only Kohen but others as well, like Levites. Is there a way to figure out which tribe I belong to?

Jacob had twelve sons whose descendants became the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zevulun, Benjamin, and Joseph (which was split into Ephraim and Menashe). The tribes together form one nation, but at the same time each tribe has unique characteristics. We see this when they were blessed by Jacob and then later by Moses. Each tribe received a unique blessing that touched on their individual nature and mission, which was also manifest in their later histories as well as in their flags and symbols. Each of the twelve tribes had its own flag with its symbol emblazoned upon the flag. When the Israelites traveled through the desert, they would travel and camp in a precise formation. The Tabernacle would be in the middle of the formation, while the twelve tribes would form a square surrounding it from all four sides, with three tribes on each side. Each tribe had a flag to mark its place in the encampment formation. The flag's color paralleled the color of that tribe's stone in the High Priest's breastplate. In most cases, the flag's symbol corresponded to the blessing given that tribe by Jacob before his passing and/or that tribe's spiritual service: • Reuven: Red flag with mandrake flowers • Shimon: Green flag with buildings of the city of Shechem • Levi: Red, white and black flag with the High Priest's breastplate • Yehudah: Sky blue flag with a lion • Yisasschar: Bluish black flag with a sun and moon • Zevulun: White flag with a ship • Dan: Blue flag with a snake • Naftali: Deep wine colored flag with a deer • Gad: Black and white flag with a tent camp

• Asher: Pearlescent colored flag with a tree • Yosef: Pitch black flag with Egypt depicted upon it. • Binyamin: Multicolored flag with a wolf The Levites would camp in the center, as it was their duty to assemble, disassemble and transport the Tabernacle. Kohen is not a tribe, but a family within the tribe of Levi. The tribe of Levi was the most pious of the tribes and received special status. While the Jews were enslaved in Egypt, the Levites remained steadfast in their Judaism and were never enslaved, serving as a reminder to the rest of the nation of how a Jew is to live. The Levites became the spiritual leaders of the nation. Most notably, Moses was a member of the tribe of Levi. After the Exodus, when G‑d commanded that a Tabernacle be built, the Levites were chosen to serve there as representatives of the other tribes. Aaron, a Levite, became the first high priest, and his offspring hold the honorable position of priests, Kohens. The primary services of the Temple or Tabernacle must be performed by the priests, grandchildren of Aaron. For the most part, tribal identities have been lost through the generations, and the majority of Jews do not know which tribe they are from. There are a number of people whose families have passed down their identity as Kohanim(Priests) or Levites, which means they descend from the tribe of Levi. There are also a handful of nonLevite families who can trace their ancestry to a particular tribe, but these are few and far between. When Moshiach comes, we will all find out which tribes we are from. 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.

Одной из главных основ еврейского образа жизни является кашрут. Кошерный стиль питания настолько важен для евреев, что на протяжении истории они скорее соглашались расстаться с жизнью, чем съесть что-то некошерное. Известно, что евреи, находясь в тюрьме или на фронте, чтобы не съесть трефное (некошерное), ели только картошку и пили воду. Да что далеко ходить? Не так давно произошла история, нашедшая отклик в сердцах евреев всего мира. Речь идет о реб Шоломе Рубашкине, директоре крупнейшего в Америке кошерного мясокомбината, оказавшемся в неприятной ситуации: некая компания стала требовать, чтобы он пересмотрел принципы забоя скота, так как, по их мнению, еврейский способ – негуманный. Расскажите, пожалуйста о том, что случилось с Шоломом Рубашкиным. Шолом Рубашкин - отец десятерых детей. Он был вице-президентом, фактически руководителем «семейного бизнеса» — крупнейшей в США и, вероятно, в мире компании по производству кошерного мяса. Владелец фирмы — его отец, Аарон Рубашкин, выходец из Невеля Псковской области. Потомственные хабадники, они жили еврейской жизнью даже в советскую эпоху и уж, конечно, продолжали соблюдение традиций и в Америке. Сначала его отец владел магазином кошерного мяса в районе Боро-Парк в Нью-Йорке, а затем (это было лет 30 назад) он приобрел в маленьком городке (меньше 1 000 жителей) штата Айова закрывшийся мясокомбинат и решил, что он превратит его в кошерное место. Он пригласил сына – Шолома Мордехая, который, как теперь говорят, раскрутил бизнес, подняв его на такой уровень, что его компания снабжала кошерным мясом все крупные магазины Америки. До этого евреи многих городов Америки не могли достать кошерное мясо. Причем, были такие, которые, не имея кошерного мяса, не ели никакого. Но, к сожалению, были и такие, которые, не достав кошерного мяса, начинали есть некошерное... The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105. Sivan 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 .

JUNE 2019 | SIVAN 5779 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JUNE2019 TUES

8:00pm SAT

12:30am SUN

SUN

7:00pm

THE AFTERLIFE in memory of Shloimele z"l See ad on page 15 ALL NIGHT LEARNING Shavuot tradition See ad on page 14 ICE CREAM PARTIES Shavuot See ad on back page BAT MITZVAH CELEBRATION JRCC Bat Mitzvah Clubs jrcc.org

SUN

COMMUNITY BBQ JRCC West Thornhill Location TBA

SUN

COMMUNITY BBQ JRCC S R-hill & Maple 9699 Bathurst St.

TUES

ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY JRCC East Thornhill See ad on page 15

MON

KABALLAH LECTURE Esther Kaye (in Russian) See ad on page 15

23 5:00pm 23 5:00pm 25 7:00pm 27

8:00pm SUN

30 5:00pm

COMMUNITY BBQ JRCC @ Rockford Location TBA

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES June 7, 2019

8:38pm

June 8, 2019

after 9:55pm*

June 9, 2019

after 9:52pm*

June 14, 2019

8:42pm

June 21, 2019

8:45pm

June 28, 2019

8:45pm

* = Light from a pre-existing flame. www.jrcc.org

POST-PASSOVER CHALLAH BAKE The longstanding custom of post-Passover challah baking known as Shlissel Challah, was celebrated simultaneously in seven JRCC Branches following Passover last month. Though communal Challah baking sessions are organized throughout the year, and are a tremendous source communal blessing for those in need, the post-Passover challah baking is known to be especially auspicious for eliciting healing energy and sustenance. The custom usually involved a key - according to some versions the key is baked into the challah, some pierce the challah with a key, and some bake a challah shaped like a key. They “key” connection is that the channel from which heavenly blessings flow is often referred to as a gate - such as, the gates of mercy, the gates of healing, the gates of forgiveness, the gates of wealth, etc. Since we are asking that the gates of blessings be open, we symbolically connect a key to the custom, as if to say that this challah will serve as a key to open the gates of blessings for the Jewish people. SUMMER WOMEN’S CLASSES Throughout the year, the JRCC organizes various events and educational programs specifically for women. As the days get longer after the Passover holiday, it is customary to set aside some time on Shabbat afternoon for the study of Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers. The JRCC’s Institute of Jewish Studies recently launched its annual Summer Women’s Classes, with dozens of women coming together in three locations each week. Every Shabbat afternoon women gather to network, connect, and glean wisdom from the Sages through study focused on one chapter of Pirkei Avot. For exact times and locations, see the ad on page 15. IYAR 2 FARBRENGEN On May 6, the JRCC marked the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, with a special farbrengen (Chassidic gathering) at the JRCC@Rockfrod, complete with food, song and words of wisdom. One of the Rebbe Maharash’s best known teachings is the approach of “L’chatchila ariber” – elevating oneself above life’s challenges without hesitation. Indeed, that is one of the cornerstones of what a farbrengen gathering is all about – listening and supporting one another trough the challenges we face in living meaningful, spiritual lives, so that we may transcend those challenges together as we learn and grow from them. Stay tuned for upcoming farbrengens in the community. LAG B’OMER FAMILY CELEBRATION The GTA Jewish community experienced another amazing Lag B’Omer Family Celebration at Earl Bales Park on May 23. Organized by the JRCC together with Tzivos Hashem Canada and The Interactive Torah Education Centre, and generously sponsored by Natan and Flora Aronshtam, the annual carnival-like Lag B’Omer event draws thousands of people from different communities throughout the GTA and beyond for an afternoon of fun and unity. This year’s event featured live music, a bird show, rides, and carnival games, along with a children’s rally and parade, a bonfire, and lots of awesome food. By far the greatest aspect of the event is the mere fact that some many Jewish people from different backgrounds celebrated together – a tremendous show of unity that is very much in the spirit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, for whom the day of Lag B’Omer is established. Thank you to all staff, volunteers and Rabbi Yonah Vilenken from Tzivos Hashem and TIJEC. See photo collage on page 3. JRCC LIBRARY COLLECTION GROWS The JRCC and the Library staff express gratitude and appreciation for books recently donated to the JRCC Library by Dr. Alexander Aronov, the family of Eugenia Solomonovna Shuster, of blessed memory, and Alexa Salmon. The additional books will expand the Library’s collection, enrich the minds and lives of people on our community, and bring added joy to more readers and lovers of modern literature. Thank you very much!

JRCC Our Community

Photo of the Month

SHAVUOT ALL-NIGHT LEARNING

Saturday Night, June 8, 12:30 a.m. at the JRCC Branch near you

See page 16 for a complete list of JRCC Branches.

Garden Part y

WOMEN’S CLASSES ON SHABBAT AFTERNOON Visit jrcc.org/ijs for details.

JRCC East Thornhill Mrs. Chanie Zaltzman | 6:00pm | Rotating homes

STUDENT STUDIES THE JRCC Thank you Victoria for letting us know about your school project studying the JRCC as an organization and the work that it does in the community. We're proud that we inspired you to look into how people can help each other, and you inspired us as well!

JRCC West Thornhill Mrs. Nechama Dina Jacobson | 6:00pm | Rotating homes JRCC@Rockford Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman | 6:30pm | 18 Rockford Rd. RSVP: www.JrccEastThornhill.org/GardenParty

Visit jrcc.org/pictures FOR MORE PHOTOS OF JRCC EVENTS AND PRGRAMS

THE BEST START FOR Y OUR CHILD Детс кий сад Евре йско

Faigy Kass - Daycare Supervisor LICENSED UNDER THE MINI STRY

onths - 6 Years

• Email: Faigy.Kass@Jrcc.org • 416.222.7105 x 501 • 5950 Bath urst St, North York, ON

w w w. J r c c D a y C a r e .

What Really Happens On The Other Side?

With guest speaker

OF EDUCATION AND CHIL DREN SOCIAL SERVICES

TORONTO. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES

M2R 1Y9

ACCEPTABLE

org

JSPCRabbi TRIAL APPEAL LAWYERS Leizer&Gurkow,

JSPC TRIAL & APPEAL LAWYERS

PROBONO DAY - 30 минут бесплатной юридической

PROBONO DAY COMMUNITY FREE 30 MIN LEGAL CONSULTATION SERVICE

www.jspc.ca London ON

TUESDAY, JUNE 4 | 8PM

консультации для членов нашей общины

JRCC East 7608 Yonge St.

Джонатан Шульман, Light Refreshments

Free Admission

лицензированый адвокат и нотариус, предоставляет бесплатную 30-и минутную юридическую консультацую. Условия бесплатной юридической Для получения дополнительной информации, даты, in campaigns To do Mitzvot or participate in memory of консультации: www.jspc.ca или времени бесплатного обслуживания, пожалуйста www.probonoday.ca или позвоните MeirпоShlomo ben Menachemдоб. Mendel www.JrccEastThornhill.org/Shloimele позвоните тел. 416-222-7105 254.OB"M visit по тел. 416-907-6011.

DAYC A RE 15 M

Law Services

THE AFTERLIFE:

й общ ины Онта рио

L&M Gelfand

Shloimele's 10th Yahrtzeit

го Цент ра русс кояз ычно

June 2019 / Sivan 5779

www.jspc.ca

Lawyer Jonathan Shulman,

PROBONO DAY free 30 min legal consultations. For more information, dates, time of the free service, For terms, please visit and to schedule your appointment, please call www.jspc.ca or www.probonoday.ca 416-222-7105 ext. 254. or call 416-907-6011.

416.222.7105

Faces of the Community ZYAMA ROSENBERG CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GLORIOUS MILESTONE YOUR REACHED THIS MONTH, YOUR 100TH BIRTHDAY! WE WISH YOU MAZEL TOV, GOOD HEALTH AND NACHES FROM YOUR FAMILY. In honor of Gimmel Tammuz

Departing: Sat. Night, July 6, 2019 Returning: Sun. Night, July 7, 2019 Departure & Arrival at 18 Rockford Rd. Round Trip Coach Bus: $120 (Includes program & one meal)

Space is limited. For more information: 416.222.7105 | jrcc.org/triptorebbe

GrillEatShmoozeMeet

community barbecues JRCC WEST THORNHILL June 23 | Location TBA

JRCC S RICHMOND HILL & MAPLE June 23 | 9699 Bathurst St. JRCC @ ROCKFORD June 30 | Location TBA JRCC EAST THORNHILL July 14 | 1 Brooke Street

Garden Part y

Tues., June 25 at 7:00pm

Delectable Desserts (Dairy)

Guest Speaker: Mrs. Goldie Plotkin "Is it Possible to be a Surrendered Wife? Secrets to a Happy Marriage"

At the garden of

Mrs. Missou Seni 19 Thornridge Dr.

Chinese Auction Cover: $20 before June 19 $30 at the door

www.JrccEastThornhill.org/GardenParty

KABBALAH THE AFTERLIFE:

Shloimele's 10th Yahrtzeit FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR BY ESTHER KAYE AUTHOR & SPEAKER

Really Happens On The Other Side? THE KITCHEN, THEWhatBEDROOM With guest speaker & THE QUANTUM REVOLUTION

Leizer Gurkow, INRabbi RUSSIAN London ON

June 27, 2019, 8pm 4 | 8PM JRCC @ 18 Rockford TUESDAY, Rd.JRCC EastJUNE 7608 Yonge St.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR LIFE. WHERE DOES YOUR FAMILY COME FROM? I was born exactly 100 years ago in a Jewish place in Ukraine in a religious family. We had seven children: three brothers and four sisters. My father was the Gabai of the local synagogue. Jewish traditions were observed in the family, including Shabbat, holidays, and kosher food. Our childhood was difficult, especially during the hungry thirties in Ukraine. After completing seven grades at the local cheder, at the age of 14, fleeing the pervasive hunger, I moved to the city of Korosten where my older sister lived and went to work at a shoe factory. In December 1939, during the Finnish War, I was conscripted into the Red Army and assigned to an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, located in Azerbaijan, 50km from Baku, where I was stationed when World War II broke out. In order to be protected from the attacks of the German aviation, we dug trenches for shelter and for our guns. Since Baku was a large oil capital, the Germans made desperate attempts to break through to Baku from the air to bomb Azerbaijan’s oil fields in order to paralyze the oil production. Our task was not to allow German pilots to reach the oil facilities. In 1942, German air raids increased significantly. But we firmly held the defense, and only rare bomber managed to break through our defense. I was noted for excellent service, eventually reaching the rank of platoon commander. I must say that I was the only Jew among all the personnel, and, as you understand, it was not at all easy. Nevertheless, I was awarded the medals "For Military Merit", "For the Defense of the Caucasus", "For Victory over Germany", and subsequently several commemorative medals for various memorable military dates. Victory Day is forever etched in my memory. When the end of the war was announced, everyone jumped out of the trenches and began kissing and hugging, dancing and shooting into the air. After the end of the war, my family, returning from evacuation, was in extreme distress. When I returned from military service, my relatives advised me to go to Riga, where life was easier. From 1946 to 1953 I served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs there as a policeman. In 1953, before the death of Stalin, I learned that cars were being prepared for the deportation of Jews from Latvia. Rather than wait to be dismissed, I decided to resign my position myself. Later I got married, my daughters were born. To support my family, I worked at different businesses in Riga. I tried as much as possible to convey to my children the Jewish traditions laid down by my parents in my childhood. In Riga there was a significant Jewish community, especially before the war. After the war, only the large synagogue operated in the old city, where my children and I went on holidays. In this synagogue, before Passover, they baked matzah, and we, together with other Jews of the city, bought it for the holiday. My daughters were very fond of Simchat Torah, for which all Riga Jewish youth usually gathered to celebrate. During school holidays, my wife and I sent our daughters to our homeland — to Ukraine — to their grandmother, my wife's mother. There they had more opportunity to live a Jewish life, and they returned from there inspired and full of impressions of the Jewish way of life. In the town, the girls admired the fact that all the surviving Jews spoke Yiddish, and it was there that our daughters first heard and fell in love with Jewish songs. Through the years they passed this love to their children, my grandchildren, who know many Jewish songs, such as “Lomir ala Inneim”, “Aidishe Mom”, and “Aleichem, Sholom Aleikhem.” Before coming to Canada, I worked as an equipment mechanic at a plastics plant in Riga, and this was my last job in that country. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME? I devote all my free time to my grandchildren. In addition, I must say that throughout my life I tried to catch up in my education. I literally studied with my daughters, studying with them through school textbooks. I am generally a reading person and still am a regular reader of Exodus magazine. Every Saturday and holidays, if health permits, I attend the synagogue in the building where I live. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? In my years, I would like to be less ill, enjoy life, my children, my grandchildren, without causing them too much trouble.

For more info: 416.222.7105 | www.jrcc.org Light Refreshments

www.jrcc.org

Free Admission

To do Mitzvot or participate in campaigns in memory of Meir Shlomo ben Menachem Mendel OB"M visit www.JrccEastThornhill.org/Shloimele

JRCC Our Community

JRCC Directory

JRCC Program Spotlight

416-222-7105 | www.jrcc.org Jewish Russian Community Center of Ontario

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

Work experience as a student is crucial component of setting oneself up for career success and accessing the right opportunities upon graduation. Many recruiters and employers are unlikely to hire a student who had little or no work experience, regardless of the student’s academic qualifications. Access to the right work experience opportunities, particularly with popular or prestigious firms, is often dependent on informal networks and personal acquaintances. It can even be influenced by where you live. For those looking for a well-rounded experience where they will gain exposure and skills in a variety of fundamental workplace skills, the JRCC offers and attractive option through its Student Summer Jobs program. The program provides young people with the opportunity to gain meaningful work and life experience while supporting the communitybased initiatives of the JRCC. “Being part of the JRCC’s Student Summer Jobs program is a unique opportunity to gain highlevel experience in a professional setting, while developing meaningful relationships and having the experience of being a valued, contributing member of a proven team on an important mission,” explain Roi Aftabi, the JRCC’s COO. “It’s the type of experience that serves students well no matter what type of career or industry they are pursuing.” Students at the JRCC typically focus on community outreach, data collection and data analysis, seasonal te? work that is crucial to the JRCC’s ability to effective serve the Jewish Russian-speaking community. As such, students with degrees or courses in Social

mited cess to

JRCC Furniture Depot | 1416 Centre St | Vaughan, ON 416-222-7105 ext. 500 | www.jrccfurnituredepot.org

JRCC of Ontario: 5987 Bathurst St., #3 Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman x278 Roi Aftabi, COO x257 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 JRCC@Rockford: 18 Rockford Rd. Rabbi Shmuel Neft x235

ВЕСЕННЯЯ Sciences are the best fit and are given preference. All УБОРКА? students must be fluent in English, while proficiency in Russian and/or Hebrew are also helpful. Пожертвуйте свою The skills developed and мебель the camaraderie that нуждающимся! emerges from the experience of working closely Звоните нам with community leaders and fellow students make @ 416-222-7105 ext. 248 the JRCC Student Summer Jobs program both memorable and valuable. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their resumes to resume@jrcc.org. Partly funded by The Regional Municipality of York

FURNITURE DEPOT

es)

cc.org

JRCC Affiliate Jewish Gorsky Assn.: 465 Patricia Ave. Rabbi Dovid Davidov x255 JRCC Sheppard & Bathurst Senior’s Building 4455 Bathurst St., Party Room / Mr. Roman Goldstein x221 JRCC Lawrence & Bathurst Senior’s Building 3174 Bathurst St., Party Room / Mr. Mordechai Natarov x221

JRCC AFFILIATES Danforth Beaches Rabbi Shalom Lezell (416) 809-1365

Durham Region Rabbi Tzali Borensein (905) 493-9007 Georgina, Ontario Rabbi Yossi Vorovitch (905) 909-8818 Hamilton Region Rabbi Chanoch Rosenfeld (905) 529-7458 London, Ontario Rabbi Lazer Gorgov (519) 438-3333 Niagara Region Rabbi Zalman Zaltzman (905) 356-7200 Ottawa, Ontario Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn (613) 218-8505 Waterloo Region Rabbi Moshe Goldman (519) 725-4289

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS Leib & Mindel Gelfand Daycare Ohr Menachem Preschool x501

JRCC Hebrew School Sunday and after-school program x225 Gen J Activities for Young Adults (18-31) x240 Institute of Jewish Studies Classes & Lectures for Adults x221 Exodus Magazine Monthly Publications in Rus & Eng x222

An agency of the Government of Ontario. Relève du gouvernement de l’Ontario.

MOVING?

RENOVATING? Donate your furniture to those in need! Call us @ 416-222-7105 ext. 248 to get a quote for pick-up

te?

ointment*)

JRCC BRANCHES

FURNITURE DEPOT

ointment*)

mited cess to

5987 Bathurst Street, #3 Toronto, ON M2R 1Z3 Canada Office Hours: Sun: 12 — 5 Mon to Thurs: 9 — 6 • Fri: 9 — 3hrs before Shabbat

JRCC Bookstore & Library jrcc.org/bookstore x221

SOCIAL PROGRAMS Furniture Depot: 1416 Centre St. #6 x500 jrccfurnituredepot.org Hospital & Jail Visitations x221 Family Counselling & Legal Advice Holiday Programs x234 Events, Parties & Holiday Awareness Jewish Identity Verification x237 Mazal Makalski jewishidentity@jrcc.org Simcha Gemach x234 Chanie Zaltzman chanie.zaltzman@jrcc.org Volunteering x0 Get involved in your community!

JRCC Furniture Depot | 1416 Centre St | Vaughan, ON 416-222-7105 ext. 500 | www.jrccfurnituredepot.org

June 2019 / Sivan 5779

Partly funded by The Regional Municipality of York

YEDinstitute – Entrepreneurial Mentorship x221 yedinstitute.org

416.222.7105

SHARE THE JOY! t he ex odus ma g azine sim cha sectio n IT’S A BOY!

MAЗЛ ТОВ!

Sholom Dovber Kabacznik Shmuel Eitan Sadovsky Binyomin Kartuz

Congratulations

Zyama Isaakovich Rosenberg

IT’S A GIRL! Ona Rozenfeld Mila Mereshensky Briana Reizel Sitnik

There is no more perfect an amount Than 100 years – it is a full count Your 100th birthday has arrived Who’d have dreamed you could have survived For life can pass, but not with ease

BAR-MITZVAH! Aron Menachem Shteynberg Naftali Sadikov Aron Mittleman

ENGAGEMENT!

Yet you made it seem like a breeze You reached the peak – 100 years Congratulations with love and cheers May you have the health and much more in store To celebrate another century mor

Dear beloved daddy congratulations on your centenary. We wish you health, vitality and joy from all your loved ones

Sergey Mashkin & Kayla Kaplan

MARRIAGE! Yisroel Moshe Browd & Chana Faigy Gancz

Galya, Inessa, Sveshchinsky and Olshansky families, all relatives in Canada, USA and Israel.

Wishing you much health, happiness and nachas, from the rabbis of the JRCC

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman (Senior Rabbi) Rabbi Levi Blau Rabbi David Davidov Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim Rabbi Levi Jacobson Rabbi Shmuel Neft Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman

Celebrate your Jewish birthday! To learn more on when and how to celebrate your Jewish birthday visit

www.jrcc.org/birthday

Happy Shavuot! 1172 Eglinton Avenue West Toronto, ON M6C 2E3 416-256-1010 eglinton@israelsjudaica.com 441 Clark Avenue West Thornhill, ON L4J 6W7 905-881-1010 • 877-511-1010 thornhill@israelsjudaica.com

www.israelsjudaica.com

SPREAD THE JOY!

June 2019

NAMES LISTED ABOVE AND ADS IN THIS MAZEL TOV PAGE ARE NO PROOF OF JEWISH IDENTITY

CHUPPAH

BAT MITZVAH

BAR MITZVAH

OPSHERN

BABY NAMING

PIDION HABEN

BRIT

For the next special event in your friend’s or family’s life, post a special greeting ad in Exodus Magazine’s Simcha section. Call 416.222.7105 x222 for details.

www.exodusmagazine.org

perspectives

The Sound of Silence Jonathan Sacks

amidbar is usually read on the Shabbat before Shavuot. So the sages connected the two. Shavuot is the time of the giving of the Torah. Bamibar means, “In the desert.” What then is the connection between the desert and the Torah, the wilderness and G‑d’s word? The sages gave several interpretations. According to the Mechilta the Torah was given publicly, openly and in a place no one owns because had it been given in the land of Israel, Jews would have said to the nations of the world, “You have no share in it.” Instead, whoever wants to come and accept it, let them come and accept it. Another explanation: Had the Torah been given in Israel the nations of the world would have had an excuse for not accepting it. This follows the rabbinic tradition that before G‑d gave the Torah to the Israelites he offered it to all the other nations and each found a reason to decline. Yet another: Just as the wilderness is free – it costs nothing to enter – so the Torah is free. It is G‑d’s gift to us. But there is another, more spiritual reason. The desert is a place of silence. There is

nothing visually to distract you, and there is no ambient noise to muffle sound. To be sure, when the Israelites received the Torah, there was thunder and lightening and the sound of a shofar. The earth felt as if it were shaking at its foundations. But in a later age, when the prophet Elijah stood at the same mountain after his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, he encountered G‑d not in the whirlwind or the fire or the earthquake but in the kol demamah dakah, the still, small voice, literally “the sound of a slender silence.” I define this as the sound you can only hear if you are listening. In the silence of the midbar, the desert, you can hear the Medaber, the Speaker, and the medubar, that which is spoken. To hear the voice of G‑d you need a listening silence in the soul. Many years ago British television produced a documentary series, The Long Search, on the world’s great religions. When it came to Judaism, the presenter Ronald Eyre seemed surprised by its blooming, buzzing confusion, especially the loud, argumentative voices in the Bet Midrash, the house of study. Remarking on this to Elie Wiesel, he asked, “Is there such a thing as a silence in

Judaism?” Wiesel replied: “Judaism is full of silences … but we don’t talk about them.” Judaism is a very verbal culture, a religion of holy words. Through words, G‑d created the universe: “And G‑d said, Let there be … and there was.” According to the Targum, it is our ability to speak that makes us human. It translates the phrase, “and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7) as “and man became a speaking soul.” Words create. Words communicate. Our relationships are shaped, for good or bad, by language. Much of Judaism is about the power of words to make or break worlds. So silence in Tanach often has a negative connotation. “Aaron was silent,” says the Torah, after the death of his two sons Nadav and Avihu (Lev. 10:3). “The dead do not praise you,” says Psalm 115, “nor do those who go down to the silence [of the grave].” When Job’s friends came to comfort him after the loss of his children and other afflictions, “Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.” (Job 2:13). But not all silence is sad. Psalms tells us

Sivan 5779

perspectives

Words create. Words communicate. Our relationships are shaped, for good or bad, by language. Much of Judaism is about the power of words to make or break worlds. that “to You, silence is praise” (Ps. 65:2). If we are truly in awe at the greatness of G‑d, the vastness of the universe and the almost infinite extent of time, our deepest emotions will indeed lie too deep for words. We will experience silent communion. The sages valued silence. They called it “a fence to wisdom.” If words are worth a coin, silence is worth two. R. Shimon ben Gamliel said, “All my days I have grown up among the wise, and I have found nothing better than silence.” The service of the priests in the Temple was accompanied by silence. The Levites sang in the courtyard, but the priests – unlike their counterparts in other ancient religions — neither sang nor spoke while offering the sacrifices. One scholar has accordingly spoken of “the silence of the sanctuary.” The Zohar (2a) speaks of silence as the medium in which both the Sanctuary above and the Sanctuary below are made. There were Jews who cultivated silence as a spiritual discipline. Breslev Chassidim meditate in the fields. There are Jews who practise a “fast of words.” Our most profound prayer, the private saying of the

June 2019

Amidah, is called the “silent prayer.” It is based on the precedent of Hannah, praying for a child. “She spoke in her heart. Her lips moved but her voice was not heard” (1 Sam. 1:13). G‑d hears our silent cry. In the agonising tale of how Sarah told Abraham to send Hagar and her son away, the Torah tells us that when their water ran out and the young Ishmael was at the point of dying, Hagar cried, yet G‑d heard “the voice of the child” (Gen. 21:16-17). Earlier when the angels came to visit Abraham and told him that Sarah would have a child, Sarah laughed inwardly, that is, silently, yet she was heard by G‑d (Gen. 18:12-13). G‑d hears our thoughts even when they are not expressed in speech. The silence that counts, in Judaism, is thus a listening silence – and listening is the supreme religious art. Listening means making space for others to speak and be heard. As I point out in my commentary to the prayerbook, there is no English word that remotely equals the Hebrew verb sh-m-a in its wide range of senses: to listen, to hear, to pay attention, to understand, to internalize and to respond in deed. This was one of the key elements in the Sinai covenant, when the Israelites, having already said twice, “All that G‑d says, we will do,” then said, “All that G‑d says, we will do and we will hear [ve–nishma]” (Ex. 24:7). It is the nishma – listening, hearing, heeding, responding – that is the key religious act. Thus Judaism is not only a religion of doing-and-speaking; it is also a religion of listening. Faith is the ability to hear the music beneath the noise. There is the silent music of the spheres, about which Psalm 19 speaks: The heavens declare the glory of G‑d The skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day to day they pour forth speech, Night to night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech, there are no words, Their voice is not heard. Yet their music carries throughout the earth.

There is the voice of history that was heard by the prophets. And there is the commanding voice of Sinai, that continues to speak to us across the abyss of time. I sometimes think that people in the modern age have found the concept of “Torah from heaven” problematic, not because of some new archaeological discovery but because we have lost the habit of listening to the sound of transcendence, a voice beyond the merely human. It is fascinating that despite his often fractured relationship with Judaism, Sigmund Freud created in psychoanalysis a deeply Jewish form of healing. He himself called it the “speaking cure”, but it is in fact a listening cure. Almost all effective forms of psychotherapy involve deep listening. Is there enough listening in the Jewish world today? Do we, in marriage, really listen to our spouses? Do we as parents truly listen to our children? Do we, as leaders, hear the unspoken fears of those we seek to lead? Do we internalize the sense of hurt of the people who feel excluded from the community? Can we really claim to be listening to the voice of G‑d if we fail to listen to the voices of our fellow humans? In his poem, ‘In memory of W B Yeats,’ W H Auden wrote: In the deserts of the heart Let the healing fountain start. From time to time we need to step back from the noise and hubbub of the social world and create in our hearts the stillness of the desert where, within the silence, we can hear the kol demamah dakah, the still, small voice of G‑d, telling us we are loved, we are heard, we are embraced by G‑d’s everlasting arms, we are not alone. 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.

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YOUR SHAVUOT GUIDE During the course of the two-day Shavuot festival we don’t go to work, drive, write, or switch on or off electric devices. We are permitted to cook or warm food only if the stove is left on from before the festival, so most food should be cooked in advance. This year, because Shavuot is preceded by Shabbat, preparations should be made on Friday, June 7, since no cooking or any preparations are permitted on Shabbat.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 7 (4 SIVAN) | PRE-SHABBAT PREPARATIONS •

It is customary to decorate synagogues and homes with flowers and branches, since Shavuot is also called the “Harvest Festival.” Also, although Mount Sinai was situated in a desert, when the Torah was given the mountain bloomed and sprouted flowers.

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Women and girls light Shabbat candles at 8:38pm

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Light a 24-hour candle from which to light holiday candles after Shabbat

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 (5 SIVAN) | SHAVUOT EVE •

The holiday of Shavuot begins tonight at nighfall.

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Women and girls light Yom Tov candles from a pre-existing flame after 9:51pm

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Also light a 24-hour candle at this time from which to light tomorrow

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After evening prayers, a festive holiday meal, complete with recitation of the holiday kiddush, is enjoyed.

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It is customary to stay up all night studying Torah until dawn. The Jewish people did not rise early on the day G-d gave the Torah, and it was necessary for G-d Himself to awaken them. To compensate for this, we have the custom of remaining awake all night, which also shows our excited anticipation of receiving the Torah. If you knew you were going to win the lottery in the morning, would you be able to sleep?

SUNDAY, JUNE 9 (6 SIVAN) | FIRST DAY OF SHAVUOT •

Morning services

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The Ten Commandments are read from the Torah scroll in synagogue. It is customary for all to attend – men, women and children (even babies). Since we all stood together the first time over 3,000 years ago, we all stand together now and the Torah is given anew each year.

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Kiddush and festive meal following services

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Dairy Buffet: It is customary to eat dairy during Shavuot. Most people do so as an appetizer or snack before the festival meal today, after kiddush. We then wait at least an hour before beginning the festive meal with meat.

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Women and girls light Yom Tov candles from a pre-existing flame after 9:52pm

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Those who will be reciting the Yizkor memorial prayer should light a Yizkor candle from a pre-existing flame.

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After evening prayers, a festive holiday meal, complete with recitation of the holiday kiddush, is enjoyed.

MONDAY, JUNE 10 (7 SIVAN) | SECOND DAY OF SHAVUOT •

Morning services

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The Yizkor memorial service is recited (and charity is pledged) for the souls of departed loved ones.

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Kiddush and festive meal following services

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The Book of Ruth is studied on the second day of Shavuot. Shavuot is the birthday and yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of King David, and the Book of Ruth records his ancestry. Also, Ruth was a sincere convert who embraced Judaism with all her heart. On Shavuot all Jews were converts—having accepted the Torah and all of its precepts.

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Festival ends at 9:53pm

Sivan 5779