Exodus Magazine - December 2019

#206 | December 2019 • Kislev 5780

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December 2019

Kislev 5780

7

5 | JEWISH SOUL

Chanukah and the Future

9

10

9 | PERSPECTIVES

Gog and Magog. And ISIS.

How can the Mitzvah of Chanukah, which is derived from the Menorah in the Temple, be connected with eight candles, more light than the Menorah itself possessed?

There are some eerily striking similarities between recent events in Middle East and the prophesies of Ezekiel about the mysterious war of Gog from Magog.

— From the Rebbe's address

— by Yoseph Janowski

6 | MADE YOU THINK

A New Kind of Candle

10 | LIFE ON EARTH

The Core of Evil

The victories themselves are not the distinctive feature of Chanukah; rather, it was the very nature of these wars that make the holiday so unique.

The "live and let live" attitude of Sodom and Gemorah is considered the paradigm of all evil. Turns out that worse than running a corrupt business is having no business at all. But why is that?

— by Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz)

— by Tzvi Freeman

7 | JEWISH THOUGHT

18 | JEWISH THOUGHT

The struggles and triumphs chronicled by the Jewish calendar – the Exodus from Egyptian slavery, the salvation of Purim, the victory of Chanukah – are always more than the struggle for physical survival.

A series of short thoughts on Chanukah: We Can Change the World; The Light of the Spirit Never Dies; The First Clash of Civilizations; War and Peace; and more.

— by Simon Jacobson

— by Jonathan Sacks

Chanukah: Soul Over Body

Nuggets of Light: Chanukah Inspiration

18

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

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Why does it seem like the negative powers in the world, the evil forces and individuals that pursue paths of death and destruction, have a hand up on the rest of us normal folk? It almost seems as though we are always at a disadvantage, reacting to eruptions of hostility like unsuspecting travelers who walk into a waiting ambush. You would think that by now we would have figured out the Dark Side’s pattern of behavior and learned to be a little more proactive.

The truth is that the Dark Side has an advantage that it constantly exploits to its benefit.

The purpose of darkness is that it gives us the ability to choose light. If there was no such thing as darkness in our experience, then life would be a no-brainer; good would be an imposed reality that we lived with automatically. The existence of darkness gives us something to contrast the light against, allowing us to appreciate the goodness and giving us the ability to choose to live it. If life was all good, then each instance of goodness would be as imperceptible and unappreciated as a match on a sunny day. And since the “daylight reality” would be the only option, there would be no opportunity for choice. However, the very same match that barely exists when the sun is shining is impressive and brilliant when lit against the contrast of a dark night. This, in a nutshell, is why negativity exists in a world whose prime directive is to reveal goodness.

The order of creation, and hence the system by which the spiritual and empirical planes of existence derive their vitality, is divided generally into lights and vessels. The light is the life force energy emanating from the Source of All Things, and is enclothed within ten vessels that represent the various aspects and characteristics of creation – the sefirot.

All that is good within creation recognizes its source, and is subservient to it. In other words, good people are generally humble. Evil, on the other hand, is infused with an unnatural ego and air of haughty self-importance. This is a reflection of the fact that the sefirot vessels on the Dark Side are egotistical, so to speak, each one attempting to hold on to its own power and position within the

order. Therefore, the light that gives them life is unable to unite with them, and it remains a separate entity. In goodness, on the other hand, the sefirot vessels are humble – meaning that they accept the overriding influence of the light that gives them life and they work together to absorb the light, so the light becomes united with them.

As a result of all this, what we end up with is a conglomerate of evil on the Dark Side that has an eleventh element – the element of light – that operates as a separate power from the ten vessels.

Goodness, by contrast, absorbs its light into its ten vessels. This eleventh element on the Dark Side is the root of evil’s power over goodness in this world. It may explain why, both throughout history and in contemporary times, the power of tyrants and terrorists is very difficult to dislodge even by those with the best intentions. It may also explain why the perpetrators of the greatest evil can simultaneously view themselves as advanced, civilized, and even men of G-d; because each vessel remains separate, and there is coexistence, they can embody contradictory characteristics without flinching. Thus, Greece was the wisest and most philosophically advanced civilization in the ancient world, Germany in the 1930’s was the most cultured and advanced country and killers of civilians and children are divinely ordained freedom fighters…

The bottom line is, that in order to have a fighting chance against the Dark Side and transform whatever redeeming qualities it has, we have to find something within goodness that can combat the negative eleventh element. In other words, we need to tap into something that is beyond the natural order, beyond the normal power that good has – we need to access the Source of the light that is not residing within the vessels, but somewhere beyond them – the eleventh element of goodness. This is accomplished when people reach beyond their normal capabilities in their endeavors to stand for what is just and true, and they do this despite being held back by their own personal limitations and in the face of what the world around them might think about it. In short, it is a revolution that is born out of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

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jewish soul

Chanukah

and the

Future

From the Rebbe's address

T

he Mitzvah of lighting Chanukah candles is connected, as explained above, with the miracle involving the Menorah in the Temple. That Menorah had seven candles. At this point a question arises: How can the Mitzvah of Chanukah, which is derived from the Menorah in the Temple, be connected with eight candles, more light than the Menorah itself possessed?

The question can be answered as follows: The miracle of Chanukah came about after a period of time during which the Jewish people could not light the Menorah in the sanctuary because the Greeks “had made all the oils in the sanctuary impure.’ That action came after they had “made decrees against the Jewish people, tried to nullify their religion, prevented them from being involved in Torah and Mitzvahs, and applied great pressure to them” (Maimonides Laws of Chanukah, 3:1).

Whenever there is an increase in darkness — there, are difficulties involved with the study of Torah and the fulfillment of Mitzvahs G‑d gives us the power to overcome that additional darkness by making increases in “the candles of Mitzvahs and the light of Torah.”

On Chanukah, we have to light eight candles even though only seven were lit in the Temple. This increase is necessary in order to overcome the darkness that has been added. The increase in light and holiness (through fulfilling G‑d’s command of lighting Chanukah candles) outweighs and nullifies even great darkness.

Thus, we see the greatness of the Chanukah candles. As explained above, G‑d commands the Jewish people to recall the miracle that happened with the Menorah in the Temple in their homes, thus making them a miniature Temple. In addition, fulfilling the command to light eight candles, we add ever mare light than there was in the Temple. Furthermore, the manner in which we carry out this command each day, is significant. We add a new light (on the second night, two candles; on the third, three, etc.) each night. Thus on the seventh night, we light seven candles, which resemble the seven candles of the Menorah in the sanctuary. However, we don’t stop at this. On the following night

December 2019

we light eight candles, reciting the prayers Lehadlik Ner Chanukah and She’asa Nissim.

We then appreciate the full nature of the Mitzvah of Chanukah candle. By lighting eight candles, we add more light than there was in the Menorah in the Temple. This concludes the holiday of Chanukah. We must take with us the lessons, instruction and light of Chanukah and apply them to our lives throughout the entire year. In these times, as well, we must create more light than was brought forth by the Menorah in the Temple.

Based on the above, we can understand another difference between the Chanukah candles and the Menorah in the Temple.

The Menorah was lit inside the Temple sanctuary; tale Chanukah candles are kindled at the outer door of our homes. Since there has been an increase in darkness, we cannot remain content with lighting up only our private homes, rather, we mast try to shed light into our surrounding environment. This environment is connected to our homes and can effect our homes. Therefore, we light candles “at the outer doorway of our homes,” so that can cause light to shine in the environment that is close to our home, and also so that we can effect, and bring light into, the entire world.

When we compare our times to the times of the Chanukah miracle we may become frightened by the immensity of our task.

Then the miracle took place in the Temple, and the generation was inspired by the Maccabees and their head — Matityahu, the High Priest. We, on the other hand, are living in exile, without a High Priest, and we are confronted by many difficulties in fulfilling Torah and Mitzvahs. The evil inclination can argue as follows: How can you lead a Jewish life and behave as a Jew should? You live in exile; you are weak and few in number, while the gentiles are many and strong.

However, the Chanukah miracle teaches us how to counter the argument. The miracle took place during a time of darkness; when the Jews suffered under harsh decrees; the Menorah could not be lit because all the oil was impure. However, even in a situation as severe as that, the Jewish people were given the power to overcome the difficulties and, what’s more, G‑d gave them the power to bring about a holiday in which eight candles are lit. Each Jew lights more candles now than were lit in the sanctuary itself.

The above leads us to the awareness that, even after the destruction of the second Temple, and even when living in a neighborhood that is not illuminated with the “light of Torah,” every Jew has the potential to create light and place his eight candles “at the outer door of his home.”

Nachmanides declares that the Chanukah candles will never be nullified. Although the light of the Temple’s candles was nullified by the Temple’s destruction, the Chanukah candles will last eternally. This gives every Jew the potential to carry out G‑d’s mission, even when he finds himself within the darkness of exile, and to do so with joy. Chanukah shows how an increase in darkness brings about the potential for a Jew to add more light than was produced by the Menorah in the Temple, and for that light “never to be nullified.” This assures us of our ability to make our own home a Temple which will shed light throughout the entire world.

May the fulfillment of the Mitzvahs of Chanukah serve as preparation for the time when, speedily we will merit to see, with our eyes, the building of the third Temple. EM

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5

made you think

A New Kind

of

Candle

Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz)

T

he holiday of Chanukah commemorates the revolt, wars and victory of the Hasmoneans against Greece.

Chanukah is not the only holiday instituted to commemorate victories in the Jewish wars during the Second Temple period. But, while all the other days have been forgotten, the holiday of Chanukah has remained.

Furthermore, the Rabbis tell us that even if all other holidays were to disappear, Chanukah will never be abolished.

There are other explanations, historical accounts and stories about the miracles of Chanukah but – as explained clearly in the special Chanukah prayers that have been embedded in Jewish liturgy from ancient times — these victories are the main reason for the holiday.

The victories themselves are not the distinctive feature of Chanukah; rather, it was the very nature of these wars that make the holiday so unique. Until the Hasmoneans, all wars were intrinsically simple affairs: people went to war because of real or imaginary threats, out of greed for somebody else’s possessions, or due to personal and national desires for glory. This aspect of war has not changed very much: to date, most of the wars in the world – be they aggressive or defensive – erupt because of these political and economic factors.

The Hasmonean wars were the first ideological wars in history. They were fought because the Jewish people rejected foreign ideology and were willing to march into many bitter battles in order to maintain their ideological independence. Of course, national and economic elements were intermingled, but they were secondary to the main drive that created this revolt and kept the wars going. However, the notion that a people’s attachment to their religion is not merely sentimental – that religion and lifestyle are important enough to fight and die for – was something completely unknown before.

On a deeper level, the importance of the Hasmonean wars is not only the fact that they introduced a “new reason” for fighting. It is that they triggered a basic change in people’s perspective. From then on, religion and belief were no longer a mere matter of habit and convenience. They became a vital component

6

of life. These wars were a symptom of a more profound change – namely, a change in the perception of what is important and what is not. If people now go to war in order to protect or disseminate their faith, it means that faith has become a central motivation in people’s lives. If people are willing to die for their religion, it means that they are more than ready to live for it.

It may seem that this is all a matter of the past, but I assert that the message of Chanukah is still just as pertinent today. In many parts of the world, war – as well as life – has reverted to the most basic corporeal needs. In the present time, there seems to be a pandemic deluge: the world is shaking, the future is uncertain. At such times, it is important to devote a great amount of thinking to the fundamental drives of society. A tsunami or a volcanic eruption cause changes in the environment. After a deluge, there is an even more profound change. Now is the time for re-thinking and re-assessing the values that have been governing our society.

Times like ours create at least the possibility for finding new paradigms for society. The easy way out – which the powerful elements of our time uphold and preach – is to keep the old order as it was and make some minor corrections as the need arises: providing funds for big banks or major corporations in trouble, or even assisting some of the unfortunate who were caught in the deluge.

Such changes and amendments may keep things in place for a while, but what we have here is an all-embracing earthquake.

Putting plaster on cracked walls may keep a building from collapsing for some time, but for thorough reparation, one must penetrate the surface and re-examine the foundations.

In the past and present, the overwhelming enveloping attitude has been that only two things really count: money and individual advancement. It seems that now, these two elements have cracked to such an extent that mere whitewashing will not help. The time has therefore come for us to begin thinking in altogether different terms. The notions of good and evil should replace those of legal and illegal – not only from the moral point of view, but also from the practical one. The common good and the re-structuring and rebuilding of notions such as family and community should push aside the overwhelming desire for individual success.

This revision should also include giving much more room to the “vertical” relationship – namely, that between man and Heaven, rather than to the “horizontal” one which has been governing the lives of many individuals for quite some time. These ideas are not entirely new. One may say that in some way, the Hasmonean wars were the death signals of pagan society, which since then has been replaced by other types of ideology. The events of our time may also help demolish the nouveau-pagan western-style society, and instill in it values of right and wrong instead of feasibility and practicality. Perhaps now, as was the case at the time of Chanukah, the time has come for lighting a new kind of candle.. 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.

Kislev 5780

jewish thought

Chanukah: Soul Over Body Simon Jacobson

T

he Al HaNissim prayer, recited on Chanukah, recounts “the miracles … that You have done for our ancestors in those days, at this time”: In the days of Matityahu… the Hasmonean and his sons, when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget your Torah and to make them violate the decrees of Your will; You, in Your abounding mercies, stood by them in the time of their distress…. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few… the wicked into the hands of the righteous…. and you effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people Israel…. Then Your children entered the house of Your dwelling, cleansed Your temple, purified Your sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great name.

Isn’t something missing? Of course! Every child familiar with the story of Chanukah knows of how the small cruse of oil— sufficient to light the holy menorah in the Temple for but a single day—miraculously burned for eight days until new, pure oil could be produced. It is in commemoration of this miracle that we kindle the Chanukah lights each evening of the festival; it is this miracle, much more than the military miracle, that is the defining feature of Chanukah. Yet the Al HaNissim prayer ignores it completely!

[There is a passing mention of “lights” kindled in “Your holy courtyards,” but this does not refer to the lights of the menorah—whose appointed place was not in the courtyard of the Holy Temple but inside the Sanctuary—but to lights kindled in celebration throughout the Temple compound and the city of Jerusalem (which is why Al HaNissim speaks of “courtyards,” in the plural). In any case, even if the lights in question are those of the menorah, there is no mention of the miracles associated with its lighting.]

On the other hand, the Talmud, in its description of the miracle of Chanukah, concentrates solely on the miracle of the oil and virtually ignores the military miracle.

December 2019

“What is Chanukah?” asks the Talmud, meaning, “Over what miracle was it established?” The answer given is: When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they contaminated all its oil. Then, when the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious over them, they searched and found only a single cruse of pure oil that was sealed with the seal of the High Priest—enough to light the menorah for a

single day. A miracle occurred, and they lit the menorah with this oil for eight days. The following year, they established these [eight days] as days of festivity and praise and thanksgiving for G-d.

Here, there is only a passing reference to the military victory (“when the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious…”), but no mention of the fact that this was a battle in which a small band

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jewish thought

of Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth. The focus is wholly on the miracle of the oil, as if this were the only significant event commemorated by the festival of Chanukah.

In other words, there seems to be a complete separation between the “physical” and “spiritual” miracles of Chanukah, to the extent that the mention of one precludes any mention of the other. When the physical salvation of Israel is remembered and we thank G-d for delivering the “mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few,” we make no reference to miracle of the oil; and when we relate to the spiritual significance of Chanukah—the triumph of light over darkness—it is free of any association with the physical victories that accompanied it.

The struggles and triumphs chronicled by the Jewish calendar are always more than the struggle for physical survival. The Exodus, commemorated and re-experienced each Passover, was more than a people’s liberation from slavery to freedom; it was their extraction from a pagan Egypt to receive the Torah at Sinai and enter into a covenant with G-d as His “nation of priests and holy people.” On Purim we remember that Haman wished to annihilate the Jews because “they are a singular people… whose laws are different from those of all other nations”; Purim celebrates not only the salvation of the physical existence of the Jew, but of the Jew’s identity and way of life.

But the battle waged by the Hasmoneans against the Greeks was the most spiritual battle in Jewish history. The Greeks were “liberal” rulers: they respected the religions and cultures of the peoples under their dominion, and did not endeavor to convert them to their beliefs. They merely wished to “Hellenize” them—to “enlighten” their lives with the culture and philosophy of Greece. Keep your books of wisdom, they said to the Jew, keep your laws and customs, but enrich them with our wisdom, adorn them with our art, blend them into our lifestyle. Worship your G-d in your temple, but then worship the human body in the adjoining sports stadium we’ll build for you.

Study your Torah, but also apply to it the

8

principles of our philosophy and aesthetics of our literature.

The Hasmoneans fought for independence from Hellenic rule because the Greeks sought to “make them forget Your Torah and make them violate the decrees of Your will.” They did not fight for the Torah per se, but for “Your Torah”—for the principle that the Torah is G-d’s law rather than a deposit of human wisdom which might be commingled with other deposits of human wisdom. They did not fight for the mitzvot as the Jewish way of life, but for the mitzvot as “the decrees of Your will”—as the supra-rational will of G-d, which cannot be rationalized or tampered with. They fought not for any material or political end, not for the preservation of their identity and lifestyle, not even for the right to study the Torah and fulfill its commandments, but for the very soul of Judaism, for the purity of Torah as the divine word and its mitzvot as the divine will.

So when the Talmud replies to the question, “What is Chanukah?” it defines the festival solely in terms of its spiritual miracles—the discovery of the pure, undefiled cruse of oil and the rekindling of the divine light which emanated from the Holy Temple. Since this is the festival which commemorates our most spiritual battle, its spiritual content predominates to the extent that it completely eclipses its physical aspect. Although the military miracles preceded, and made possible, the lighting of the menorah in the Holy Temple, they are completely ignored when we speak of the miracle that defines the essence of Chanukah.

This is why the prayer instituted by our sages to give thanks to G-d for the military salvation omits all mention of the miracle of the oil. For only when it is regarded on its own can the military miracle be emphasized and appreciated; were it to be discussed in relation to the miracle of the oil, it would fade to insignificance. Within the superspiritual context of Chanukah, it would be reduced to a minor detail scarcely worthy of mention.

Man is comprised of a soul and a body, of a spiritual essence that is “literally part of G-d above”and the physical vehicle via which it

experiences and impacts the physical world.

The body was designed to serve the soul in its mission to develop the world in accordance with the divine will. Of course, man has been granted freedom of choice.

The body might thus rebel against the dominion of the soul; it might even subject its rightful master to its own desires, making the pursuit of material things the focus of life and exploiting the soul’s spiritual prowess to this end. But in its natural, uncorrupted state, the body is the servant of the soul, channeling its energies and implementing its will.

There are, however, many levels to this submission, many degrees of servitude of matter to spirit. The body might recognize that the purpose of life on earth lies with the soul’s aspirations, yet also entertain an “agenda” of its own alongside the greater, spiritual agenda. Or it might selflessly serve the soul, acknowledging the spiritual as the only goal worthy of pursuit, yet its own needs remain a most visible and pronounced part of the person’s life, if only out of natural necessity.

Chanukah teaches us that there is a level of supremacy of soul over body that is so absolute that the body is virtually invisible.

It continues to attend to its own needs, because a soul can only operate within a functioning body; but these are completely eclipsed by the spiritual essence of life. One sees not a material creature foraging for food, shelter and comfort, but a spiritual being whose spiritual endeavors consume his or her entire being.

For all but the most spiritual tzaddik, it is not possible, nor desirable, to perpetually maintain this state; indeed, it is Chanukah for only eight days of the year. But each and every one of us is capable of experiencing moments of such consummate spirituality.

Moments in which we so completely “lose ourselves” in our commitment to our spiritual purpose that our material cares become utterly insignificant. 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).

Kislev 5780

perspectives

Gog

and

Magog. And ISIS

Yoseph Janowski

A

s the month of Kislev begins, full of miracles and light, it is an opportune time to appreciate the tremendous increasing in light and goodness that people and circumstances are bringing to the world.

As we traditionally recite in the blessing when lighting the Chanukah menorah, “in those days and in our time,” I ponder about the many miracles that G-d is doing for us these days.

About five years ago, thirty nations formed a coalition for one purpose: to eliminate ISIS. And a few weeks ago, the leader of ISIS was killed. ISIS represents the epitome of evil, and the nations of the world united to defeat evil. That itself is an amazing development.

As a child, I constantly heard about a time in the future, the days of Moshiach, when the world will be peaceful and no one will be hungry. Later, I learned about a future war that is prophesied to take place around the time of Moshiach: the battle of Gog from the land of Magog. I found this very mysterious.

Who was this person, Gog? Where was Magog?

These days, there are no major wars between nations. In the last two decades, a billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty. So it seems that Moshiach seems to be very close. And I started to think again about Gog and Magog. If Moshiach is in fact about to come, as the Rebbe and other sages have predicted, then certainly this should be very relevant and very, very real.

In light of recent events connected to the war against ISIS, I discovered some striking similarities. Here are some excerpts from the prophet Ezekiel, followed by some factual comparisons to ISIS. "So said the Lord: I am against you Gog ... I shall bring you forth, and all your army ... many peoples with you.” (Ezekiel 38:3-6).

Isis was joined by about 30,000 volunteers from many nations.

"At the end of years you will come to a land [whose inhabitants] returned from the sword, gathered from many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which had been continually laid waste, but it was liberated from the nations, and they all dwelt securely.” (Ezekiel 38:8).

ISIS planned to wage war against Israel,

December 2019

where survivors of the holocaust and other calamities had returned ("from the sword"), and where Jews had gathered from many countries to come to Israel, rebuild and rejuvenate the land, and to dwell there securely.

"And you will ascend; like mist you will come; like a cloud to cover the earth you will be; you and all your wings and many peoples with you.” (Ezekiel 38:9). ISIS quickly conquered much of Iraq and Syria, spreading like a dark cloud, together with the many foreign fighters who had joined them.

"Therefore, prophesy, O son of man, and say to Gog, So said the Lord G-d: Surely on that day, when My people dwells securely, you will know. And you will come from your place, from the sides of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses; a great assembly and a mighty army.”

(Ezekiel 38:14-15). ISIS occupied Mosul in

Iraq, and parts of Syria, both of which are north of Israel.

"And I will call the sword against him upon all My mountains, says the Lord G-d: every man's sword shall be against his brother.” (Ezekiel 38:21). The inhabitants of Syria and Iraq fought one another in bitter civil wars caused by ISIS. "And I will judge against him with pestilence and with blood, and rain bringing floods, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone will rain down upon him and his hordes and upon the many peoples that are with him. And I will reveal Myself in My greatness and in My holiness and will be recognized in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:22-23). The world united to bomb and defeat ISIS. Everyone witnessed the triumph of good over evil.

If you’re worried that a resurrected ISIS may be a threat to anyone, the Rebbe explained (based on the Talmud, Brachot 7b), that although Gog and his army will try to advance against Israel, G-d will laugh at them, and they won't be able to harm Israel at all.

The examples above are truly stunning, and there are even more. But where exactly is the land of Magog? The Talmud (Sanhedrin 94a) tells us that G-d wanted to make King Chizkiyahu Moshiach, and Sancheriv (the king of Assyria) Gog. Sancheriv must have come from the land of Magog (otherwise he wouldn't have qualified to be Gog).

Sancheriv's palace was in ancient Ninveh, today an archaeological site adjacent to the city of Mosul in Iraq. Five years ago, the leader of ISIS proclaimed his caliphate in a mosque in Mosul, two miles from Sancheriv's palace – in the land of Magog.

Was the leader of ISIS Gog? Was Mosul the modern incarnation of Magog? I don’t know for certain. I'll let you decide. But there is one thing that I am sure about. Five years ago the world united to defeat evil. When we all unite for good causes, we save the world. And we usher in the time when, as the prophesies say, humanity will unite and serve together as one. EM Yoseph Janowski lives in Toronto, Canada.

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9

life on earth

The Core

of

Evil

Tzvi Freeman

S

odom and Gomorrah have come to represent the epitome of evil. After all, G‑d destroyed them with fire and brimstone.

But, perhaps surprisingly, the Talmud does not associate Sodom principally with idolatry, murder, sexual impropriety, thievery or even corrupt business practices.

The Talmud uses term midat S’dom (roughly translated as “a Sodomite attitude”) to describe the person who cannot bear someone else benefiting from his property, even when it doesn’t hurt him in the slightest.

Here’s a classic example mentioned the Talmud: Joe owns a large tract of land that is not in use and that he doesn’t wish to lease, and discovers that some homeless individual is camping out on it. So he tells him to get off. We say to him, “The other guy gains and you lose nothing, so what’s your problem?” And Joe answers, “It’s my property. I want him out.”

Joe is infected with a Sodomite attitude. The Talmud even discusses whether the homeless camper can ask the court to prevent Joe from throwing him out—because the Torah says, “You must do that which is good and upright.”

What Joe is doing, from Talmudic eyes, is pure evil.

The final judgment is that we can’t legally compel Joe in this case, since that would be limiting the statutes of property ownership. But there are cases in which property ownership is not diminished and no significant inconvenience is caused. In such instances, the court can indeed compel or restrain someone with a stubborn Sodomite attitude.

There’s another description in the Talmud of the Sodomite attitude: One who says, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours.” Or, as Rabbi Obadiah Bartenura reads that, “I don’t want to give you anything, and I would appreciate if you don’t give me anything.”

Okay, so he’s not the kind of guy you want on your baseball team, but is he really the core of evil? He hasn’t ripped anyone off. He hasn’t lied to anyone. In fact, he’s brutally honest.

He tells you his approach to life and sticks to it. He’s not running a corrupt business. He doesn’t want to engage in any commerce at all.

He desires total independence and isolation. He says, “Let me be and I’ll let you be.”

Yet our sages teach that if you take this all the

10

way, this is the Sodomite. The worst of all evils.

Turns out that worse than running a corrupt business is having no business at all. But why is that?

A pinch of Lurianic Kabbalah could help us here. When the world was created, as Genesis says, it was at first “tohu.” Tohu, explains Rabbi Isaac Luria, is a state of isolated ideals.

A world of tohu is a world where no two things can work together. A world where the weather is either hot or cold but never warm, where people are either super-friendly or hostile but never just chill, where either I run things or you run things but we can’t cooperate, where I don’t need you and you don’t need me and so no one has any business with the other.

G‑d was not pleased with that world. But that was okay, because it rapidly erupted all on its own. Fragments of it fell and reorganized to become our world, a world where harmony, or tikun, is possible.

Now for some words from a more recent kabbalist and chassidic master, Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch, writing in 1914: The souls of the people of Sodom originated from the realm of Tohu. That explains why they were isolationists—neither wishing to benefit

anyone nor to receive from one anyone. In this way, their land was isolated from all other lands and they managed their own resources so that they didn't need to receive any goods from any foreign land. Even amongst themselves, each one was isolated and independent.

But when G‑d made the earth, He did so with wisdom, so that all the world functions in a way of tikun—the diametric opposite of Sodom's isolationism. The world is made so that each region must receive its needs from some other region. Indeed, that is what trade is all about—that each land both receives from others and gives to others.

This is the meaning of the verse, "And He established His agudah upon the earth." An agudah is a collaboration of individuals, such as a collective, in which everyone works together and no one is complete without the other. This is how G‑d created the world to operate.

But Sodom did not operate that way. No one would accept anything from anyone else. They said, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours.”

How do we see that among the people of Sodom? Well, they weren’t hospitable. Not only did they not take in guests, they couldn’t even allow others to have guests stay in their home.

That’s the central point of the story with Lot, Abraham’s nephew who lived in Sodom. When Lot, had some guests in his home, the people of Sodom staged a protest outside his door and threatened to harm the guests and their host.

The Talmud tells more stories about the people of Sodom and their nasty, even brutal treatment of visitors. You can read some of them here.

How did Sodom get this way? The Talmud explains that as well.

You see, Sodom, Gomorrah along with three other cities formed a large settlement at the terminus of the Jordan River. It’s a deep valley and before these cities were overturned the Jordan branched out into a delta, watering the earth well and sprouting rich, lush greenery.

The earth was rich in nutrients, as well as precious minerals. All in all, a virtual garden of Eden.

So the people who settled there decided, “We don’t need to trade with anyone. We have everything we need right here. And we don’t want them coming here, either. Why should we

Kislev 5780

share any of this with anyone else?”

Next thing, they constructed a bridge at the gateway to their land and charged a toll to enter—even if you would choose to swim across. They established laws prejudiced against visitors and found every way they could to discourage any passerby.

Things only got worse from there, until there was no friendship, no camaraderie even amongst each other. Eventually, the people’s treatment of merchants, transients, the homeless, the downtrodden and the needy became heartless and viciously cruel.

And so the prophet Ezekiel describes the sin of Sodom as “arrogance,” saying “She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquillity; yet she did not support the poor and the needy.”

Certainly there were many detestable sins in Sodom and her daughter cities. But it all began with a need not to need anyone.

What we learn from the story of Sodom is that commerce is good. Just the fact that one person sold and the other bought is good.

Because people needing people is good. Being insufficient is good. Good for the world, good for the community and good for the individual.

Self-sufficiency, on the other hand, is a bad deal all around. We all say we want to be perfectly self-sufficient, but deep down we recognize that would be a nightmare.

Ultimately, it’s our interpersonal needs and the commerce between us that bind all of humanity together as a single, healthy organism. What’s a healthy organism? A counter-entropic entity united by circulation of energy. And that is what makes a healthy human world as well: A world where people add value to life by discovering how much they need one another.

The ancient Midrash describes King David asking of G‑d, “Why couldn’t You make everyone in Your world equal in means?”

G‑d replied, “If I would do so, how would kindness and truth be sustained?”

When someone wrote to the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory, that the final redemption cannot be complete until “the needy disappear from the earth,” the Rebbe responded that he did not concur. People must always need one another.

There will always be poverty and inequality.

Not poverty of basic means—we will live in a

prosperous world where “delicacies will be as plentiful as the dust.” Rather, there will always be a healthy imbalance of commodities that will require commerce for redistribution.

One person may be richly steeped in abstract knowledge but poor in application, while another does not fair well in abstractions but has a knack for putting ideas to work. One has water while the other has bread. One has a fire inside him while the other stays cool. All have in common one thing: They all need one another for their own wholeness.

And it must be that way because every person, every created being, indeed even the Creator and Manager of the universe at times in some way must act not only as a provider but also as a recipient. Neither role is less important than the other. It’s that dynamic that makes a beautiful world.

Perhaps it was the Talmudic take on Sodom that inspired David Ricardo, the great Jewish economist, to come up with his highly influential theory of competitive advantage which explains why specializing and trading is beneficial not only for individuals but for nations as well.

People need to need each other, not only in commerce, but in every aspect of life. That’s perhaps the most ignored but vital need of the human being: the need to be needed. Yet deeper—and even more vital—the need to need others.

“Acquire yourself a friend!” our sages taught.

People ask, “Why use the word acquire? That makes it sound like you have to buy friends.

Why not just make friends?”

But now it makes sense. People are friends and stay friends because they need one another.

Even with all the love in the world, they are only truly bonded when they find a need for one another in their hearts. Make yourself a person who is needed and you will acquire at least one true friend.

And allow yourself to need that friend. Really need. 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.

future tense

MOSHIACH MUSINGS

According to Maimonides, there will be two periods in the Era of the Redemption: one directly following the coming of Moshiach in which the current natural order will continue to prevail, and a subsequent period of miraculous occurrences, including the Resurrection of the Dead.

From a philosophic perspective, we can appreciate the necessity for two periods. In the Era of the Redemption it will be revealed that our world is a dwelling for G‑d. Were it necessary for the Era of the Redemption to involve miracles, this would seem to imply that the world as it exists in its present form could not, Heaven forbid, serve as such a dwelling. It would thus appear that the natural order stands in opposition to the manifestation of His presence. Therefore the Era of the Redemption will include a period when the natural order remains and yet, “the occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d.”

In this framework, Moshiach’s goal will be to initiate a new age of understanding and knowledge. To do this, he will be a teacher and leader. The wonders he works must be within people’s minds, not necessarily within the world at large.

The concept of the world as G‑d’s dwelling, however, leads to a further concept. Just as a person expresses himself freely in his own home, G‑d’s essence will be revealed within our material world.

This implies the revelation, not only of the limited dimensions of G‑dliness that can be enclothed within the confines of the natural order, but also the expression of transcendent aspects of G‑dliness whose manifestation will nullify that natural order. These transcendent qualities will be revealed in the second period of the Era of the Redemption.

ask the rabbi

Some Chanukah Questions

by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

Q

I have a few questions about Chanukah: What is the source of the Chanukah story? I couldn’t find it anywhere in the Tanach

(Bible). Also, why couldn’t they just gets some more oil - why did it take eight days for them to get new oil? And I noticed that people customarily place the Menorah on the left side of the doorway why?

You couldn’t find the story of Chanukah in the Bible because it occurred after Biblical times. The last of the Biblical prophets lived at the onset of the Second Temple Era. Shortly afterwards, the group of sages known as the Men of the Great Assembly canonized the twenty-four books of the Tanach, or Hebrew Bible. The Maccabeean war and the ensuing miracles happened close to two centuries later. Most of the events of Chanukah were recorded in the Books of the Maccabees.

These books, of unknown authorship, were written by a Jewish chronicler who lived as the story of Chanukah unfolded, and are universally accepted as being quite accurate.

The basic Chanukah story is also recorded in Tractate Shabbat of the Talmud.

Regarding the eight-day delay in procuring new oil, Rabbi Yoseph Caro gives two possible explanations: The olive presses were located in northern Israel (in the portion of the Tribe of Asher). It is a four day journey from Jerusalem to northern Israel, thus the eight day delay -- four days to travel and four days to return. Alternatively, all Jews were assumed to be impure at the time. They had been in contact with dead bodies because they had just emerged from battle. It takes seven days to be purified from "capital" impurity and on the eighth day they produced a new batch of pure oil.

Regarding the placement of the Chanukah Menorah: The Chanukah Menorah is identified with the Divine revelation which will be experienced during the era of the Moshiach. The eight lights represent eight expressions of the Divine name of G-d as enumerated in the book of Samuel. This level eight supersedes nature and combats the

12

forces of evil.

Seven is a natural number. There are seven days of the week, seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, seven years in a sabbatical cycle, and seven sabbatical cycles in a jubilee cycle. The length of time here on earth will be seven millennia. Eight indicates a Divine light which is higher than nature. By lighting the Chanukah menorah we draw down an overpowering revelation of G-d which cancels the effects of the forces of evil.

It is for this reason that the Chanukah menorah is placed on the left side of the door opposite the Mezuzah facing out to the public domain. The left side corresponds to divine judgement or limitation. These limitations are the source of the forces of evil (even evil is created by G-d). The public domain (in Hebrew reshut harabim, the domain of the multitude) represents the many levels of the forces of evil. We direct the light from the private domain (in Hebrew reshut hayachid, the domain of the one – an expression of the oneness of Divine holiness) to nullify the forces of evil by shining the Divine light upon them so that the many is transformed into the one.

The Greeks did not want to kill the Jews. They wanted the Jews to give up the notion of Holiness, of oneness. The oil in the Temple was not poured out, nor was it defiled by some gross act. The Greeks merely destroyed the seals on the bottles, destroying their presumed holiness. The holiday of Chanukah shows that the Jews were not defeated spiritually but grew and became stronger. 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.

В 2016 году в Канаде была легализована эвтаназия - практика прекращения жизни больного и очень страдающего человека по его просьбе. Канадские врачи сообщили, что они применили эвтаназию уже к 3714 пациентам. Ужасно констатировать, что данная практика пользуется достаточно большой популярностью. Каково мнение Торы по этому вопросу, рабби? Тора запрещает прерывать человеческую жизнь. Тора говорит, что жизнь человека – самое ценное из всего, что существует на Земле. Она дается Вс-вышним, и только Он вправе ее забрать. Кроме Него, никто никогда не имеет права этого делать. Даже если сам человек дает согласие и просит помочь ему уйти из жизни, - нельзя следовать его решению: самому человеку запрещено распоряжаться своей жизнью и, не дай Б-г, прервать ее. Сама только мысль о возможности лишения жизни человека не укладывается в рамки морали, данной нам Вс-вышним. Мы должны отдавать отчет, что, узаконив прерывание жизни, мы вступаем на скользкий и опасный путь: сначала ссылаются на то, что человек сам дал cогласие, затем, ввиду того, что больной не может принять решение, следуют указаниям его близких, потом (неизбежно!) включаются материальные интересы – то ли пациента дорого содержать в клинике, то ли присоединяется заинтересованность в наследстве и т.д. В конце концов, можно прийти к страшным результатам. Решать, жить человеку или нет, - нам никогда не было дано. Иудаизм впервые открыл человечеству понятие ценности и святости человеческой жизни. Причем, ценность и святость жизни не зависят от уровня ее качества. Рабби, иногда бывает, что больной очень мучается, и доктора говорят, что было бы милосерднее прекратить его мучения. Это выглядит милосерднее с поверхностной точки зрения. Приведу пример, может быть, излишне резкий. Жестокость в гитлеровской Германии началась с того, что приняли решение избавляться от неполноценных людей, которые, наверное, сами страдали от своих немощей и были обузой для семьи и государства. Это явилось предвестником последующих зверств...

The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

Kislev 5780

‫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 .

DECEMBER 2019 | KISLEV 5780 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

DECEMBER2019 SAT

FARBRENGENS In honor of 9-10 Kislev See ad on page 14

THURS

14 KISLEV FARBRENGEN JRCC South Thornhill See ad on page 14

07 1:00pm 12

8:00pm THURS

12

8:00pm MON

16

8:00pm

13 TO

18

19 KISLEV FARBRENGEN JRCC West Thornhill See ad on page 14 PRE-CHANUKAH PARTIES FOR KIDS See ad on page 15 CHANUKAH WONDERLAND Family Carnival See ad on back page

SUN

MENORAH LIGHTING at Mel Lastman Square See ad on page 14

22 6:00pm 22 TO

28

COOKING DEMO BY SURIE WEINBERG

PARENTING WORKSHOP at JRCC East Thornhill See ad on page 14

SUN

22 11:00am

COMMUNITY SHABBAT DINNERS In November, the JRCC branches in West Thornhill, Concord and Rockford each hosted a Friday night Community Shabbat Dinner. The evening, which was open to anyone, brought together dozens of regular community participants as well as many new faces. The evening – filled with great food, good company, a friendly atmosphere, and of course the wonderful, uplifting tranquility of Shabbat – was a great opportunity for families and people of all ages to spend time with friends, get to know new people, and connect with their community.

CHANUKAH EVENTS FOR ADULTS See ad on page 15

KABBALAH SEMINAR The JRCC at 18 Rockford was honored to once again host acclaimed scholar Rabbi Michael Gitik for a mini-Seminar in Russian based on Kabbalistic teachings under the theme of Personal Redemption. About twenty people enjoyed insightful lectures on “The Era of Moshiach” and “Self Discovery,” followed by a lively question and answer session.

NEAR NORMAL MAN The JRCC East Thornhill hosted a truly special evening, featuring a screening of “Near Normal Man” and conversation with its protagonist, Holocaust survivor Ben Stern. Near Normal Man is a half-hour documentary film, told in a first-hand account by Ben Stern, a Polish Jew, who survives two ghettos, nine concentration camps and two death marches. The Nazis identify him as one of the dangerous Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto. Despite his suffering, Ben’s courage, kindness and faith remain intact, and are tested once again in a fiercely public battle against the Nazis in Skokie, Illinois. Participants were deeply moved and inspired by the powerful film, as well as the intensely personal discussion with Mr. Stern that followed.

RCS OFF TO A GREAT START

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES December 6, 2019

4:23pm

December 13, 2019

4:23pm

December 20, 2019

4:25pm

December 27, 2019

4:29pm

www.jrcc.org

The JRCC hosted special “Healthy Family. Healthy You.” evenings with Surie Weinberg at two of its branches last month. The evenings, hosted by the JRCC S Richmond Hill and Maple on November 13 and by the JRCC East Thornhill and JRCC Concord (at the Concord branch), featured a cooking demo and talk showcasing how to increase winter immunity as well as long term disease prevention. Surie, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, shared immunity boosting food ideas and led a cooking demo and presentation. Participants also enjoyed a nourishing soup bar, as Surie also shared elements of her fascinating personal story and journey about how healthy eating transformed her health and healed her from a debilitating condition.

The JRCC’s Rosh Chodesh Society for women launched a new seven-part course last month called “Insight,” which focuses on practical wisdom from the Rebbe’s teachings that provide insight into meaningful living in the real world. The course began with a discussion of the core teachings that informed the Rebbe’s indefatigable optimism and positive outlook on the world. Participants gained tools to help dig beneath the surface and uncover the goodness and virtue within, resulting in an entirely different view of the world. The women left having experienced a truly inspiring, mind-shifting experience, and a thirst to learn more life-changing ideas in the upcoming monthly installments of the course. For details, times and locations, visit jrcc.org/rcs.

BABKA-LLAH: NEW TWISTS ON OLD TRADITIONS One of the age-old Jewish philosophical dilemmas going back centuries (and maybe more), is: When baking, should you bake a challah or a chocolate babka? Being a revolutionary and progressive organization, the JRCC has decided to do something revolutionary: We’ll do both.

Together. At the same time. Yes, it might sound crazy. You might not want to try this at home. But don’t worry, we know what we’re doing.

Through its newly minted CKids program at the JRCC East Thornhill, two dozen children and their parents baked their own chocolate babka and kneading backing and shaping their own challahs – all from scratch.

JRCC Our Community

13

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child

Photo of the Month

Thursday, Dec 12 at 8pm JRCC East Thornhill 7068 Yonge St., #3 Mrs. Victoria Prooday, occupational therapist and psychotherapist, educator, motivational speaker and blogger on modern-day parenting, will discuss and give us practical tools to help our children develop emotional intelligence skills, self regulation and more. $10 in advance, $15 at the door | RSVP/info: JrccEastThornhill.org/parenting

KISLEV

A INTERNATIONAL GATHERING

UPCOMING

bat@jrcc.org JRCC rabbis were among contact: those participating in the annual Kinus HaShluchim, the international conference of Chabad emissaries from around the world. Over 5,000 people joined the conference, punctuated by an inspiring, festive banquet (pictured above) celebrating the flourishing of Jewish life around the world.

FARBRENGENS

14 KISLEV / Thursday, December 12, 8:00 PM JRCC South Thornhill - 1 Cordoba Dr., party room The day of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin’s wedding.

jrcc.org

9-10 KISLEV / Saturday, December 7, 12:00 PM At all JRCC Branches (see list on page 16) The Yahrzeit and Liberation of the Mitteler Rebbe.

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

vwwc

The Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario (JRCC) Еврейский Центр русскоязычной общины

FARBRENGEN

YUD

TES KISLEV Monday, Dec 16 at 8:00pm

Join an inspiring evening of song and discussion, celebrating the “New Year” for Chassidus.

Special Guest Speaker: Rabbi Zalman Wilshanski Morristown, NJ JRCC West Thornhill: 1136 Centre St., #2

14

December 2019 / Kislev 5780

ХАНУКА

LIGHT UP

THE NIGHT A Chanukah Celebration of Light SUNDAY DECEMBER 22, 6PM

At Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge St. Amazing Fire Show • Giant Menorah Lighting • Dignitaries Greetings • Hot Latkes & Doughnut • Live music • Chanukah Gelt •

For more information call

ВОСКРЕСЕНЬЕ 22 ДЕКАБРЯ, 18:00

На площади Mel Lastman, 5100 Yonge St. • Огненное шоу • Зажигание Большой Меноры • Приветствия официальных лиц • Ханукальное угощение • Музыка • Ханука Гелт

Информация по телефону

416-222-7105 WWW.JRCC.ORG/CHANUKAH

Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario

416.222.7105

musicgamesfundoughnutsdriedelsprizesgeltlatkes

Faces of the Community

Chanukah Events — FOR ADULTS — • Chanukah Party SUNDAY, DEC. 22, 4:30PM

NORTH YORK CIVIC CENTER 5100 Yonge St., Committee Room 3

• Menorah Lighting & Party MONDAY, DEC. 23, 6:30PM ETOBICOKE CIVIC CENTER 399 The West Mall

• Bistro Chanukah MONDAY, DEC. 23, 8:00PM JRCC S. RICHMOND HILL & MAPLE 9699 Bathurst St.

• Wine & Cheese MONDAY, DEC. 23, 8:00PM JRCC WEST THORNHILL 1136 Centre St., #2

• Menorah Lighting & Party TUESDAY, DEC. 24, 6:30PM SCARBOROUGH CIVIC CENTER 150 Borough Dr.

• Chanukah Café TUESDAY, DEC. 24, 8:00PM JRCC SOUTH THORNHILL 1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room

• Chanukah Party WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25, 7:00PM JRCC STEELES & HILDA 175 Hilda Ave., Party Room

• Chanukah Party THURSDAY, DEC. 26, 8:00PM JRCC CONCORD 411 Confederation Parkway, #14

• Chanukah Café SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 28, 8:00PM JRCC EAST THORNHILL 7608 Yonge St. #3

• Drinks & Dreidels SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 28, 8:00PM JRCC @ ROCKFORD 18 Rockford Rd.

Pre-Chanukah Parties — FOR KIDS —

✭ Kiddie Holiday Chefs SUNDAY, DEC. 15, 11:30AM Nellie McClung Public School | 360 Thomas Cook Ave.

LESSON 1 SUNDAY, DEC. 15, 3:30PM 1 ✭ Mother LESSON & Child Painting

JRCC West Thornhill | 1136 Centre St., #2

of the Garden ChangingChanging of the Garden

✭ Chanukah Party TUESDAY, DEC. 17, 5:00PM

RAISA ORSHANSKAYA MUSICIAN You are an accomplished musician. Please tell us a little about your career.

By profession, I am a musician – a cymbalist and conductor of a folk instrument orchestra. I graduated from the Vitebsk School of Music, and continued my studies at the Minsk State Institute of Culture. I worked as the Art Director in the club of the Vitebsk Orchestra.

After the Chernobyl accident, my young son’s health deteriorated, and my parents and I decided to emigrate to Israel. There my son, fortunately, got stronger.

In Israel, I worked at a music school and played cymbals in the Israeli Andalusian Music Orchestra and toured extensively throughout the country.

In 1998, I moved to Canada with my 12-year-old son. And, although everyone advised me: “Forget about cymbals, become a programmer,” I could not imagine my life without music. Of course, I did not immediately succeed in getting a job in my specialty, especially since I needed to support myself and my child alone. By the way, I am very grateful to my son: he, as an adult, supported me in my quest for a professional path, and helped me with advice. Fate smiled upon me: I met a musician, a pianist named Victor Kotov.

He also lived in Israel in the past, but we met in Toronto. We developed a duet with him, and not only professional, but also personal. Victor is a versatile, talented musician: he is a composer, a jazz improviser, and plays a variety of ethnic instruments. And now, for 15 years, we have been performing together with various programs. Our repertoire includes classical, popular and Israeli music, Victor's jazz improvisations and, of course, klezmer.

At the invitation of cantor Marcel Cohen, we took part in his project “Jewish ‫ב”ה‬ Music.”‫ב”ה‬We held two musical presentations of klezmer music in Eastern Europe. We are invited to play at Bar Mitzvah celebrations and all kinds of receptions. Knowing that Victor plays the Armenian folk instrument duduk, he was invited to play at a reception arranged in honor of the arrival in Toronto of maestro Charles Aznavour. The performance impressed the great artist so much that upon returning home to Paris, he personally called Victor and thanked for the wonderful music.

Being next to Victor, I also developed my composing talent and began to write music. My symphonic poem "Spring Fantasy" gained the interest of American producers, and they signed a contract with me. This past February, I went to the Czech Republic to record my poem with the Ostrava Symphony Orchestra. Next year, the release of an album of contemporary classical music is scheduled, which will include my poem.

I really love children, writing poetry for them and teaching me how to play the piano. In 2012, in Toronto, my first book of poems for children called “Wonder Song” was published. I’m very close to the work of my great countryman, artist Marc Chagall. My husband and I prepared a literary and musical composition dedicated to his life and work. The demonstration of Chagall's work was accompanied by klezmer music. The audience really liked the program, and we hope to perform with it more than once.

| 1136 A WORLD ABLOOM IN GOODNESS. One of the Rebbe’s JRCC West Thornhill Centre St., A WORLD ABLOOM IN#2 GOODNESS. One of the Rebbe’s

Where does your family come from?

outstanding was his indefatigable optimism. He insisted outstanding qualities was hisqualities indefatigable optimism.

He insisted As mentioned earlier, I am from Vitebsk, a city with a long Jewish tradition. ✭ Chanukah Party WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18, 4:00PM on seeing the good everything—in event and in all event and in all on in seeing the good inevery everything—in every

JRCC @ Rockford | 18 Rockford Rd.

My grandfather read Hebrew fluently and, although it was impossible to pray

phenomena. Was this optimism anchored in reality?

The Rebbe phenomena.

Was this optimism anchored in reality? TheinRebbe the synagogue in Soviet times, he regularly visited an underground prayer WEDNESDAY, 18, house.

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JRCC Directory

JRCC Program Spotlight

BUILDING DEDICATION EVENING IN EAST THORNHILL Last month, the JRCC East Thornhill hosted a Building Dedication and Appreciation Dinner to mark the official dedication of its new facility on Yonge Street in Old Thornhill. After hosting a gala launch five years ago and opening the new center, the last five years have been spend building up the programs and servers of the new center and shoring up the final stages of the funding.

The evening provided an opportunity for the organization and the community to thank all those involved in helping enable this amazing project to come together in different ways – responding to the need with generosity, getting involved in developing programs, helping spreading the word, or bringing unique individuality to community gatherings. The dinner also focused on gratitude for the incredible generosity of our lead donors, Marat and Irina Ressin and Alex and Anna Garber, and acknowledging the support of the JRCC in contributing matching funds to the building campaign, Since opening the new JRCC East Thornhill Community Centre, synagogue, holidays and general program attendance suddenly skyrocketed.

In response to growing interest, the diversity of programs being offered doubled, with unique and creative programs being created for women, children and families thanks to active involvement and the efforts of community leaders and volunteers. Behind the substantial quantitative growth is a much deeper story – the story of a united community emerging, of connection, of individuals and families experience real growth. The JRCC East Thornhill community has become a source of pride for the whole JRCC community and the Jewish community in general.

“As the founder and senior rabbi of the JRCC, it is especially gratifying to see one of our branches acquire its own permanent facility, as we now have in East Thornhill.” writes Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman.

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in the near future. It is amazing to see the collective effort of the community rallying together to build this community and its new centre.”

All of this growth is a reflection of how far the JRCC has come in what is now close to forty years of serving the community. Through the dedication and focus of many in our community, our hardworking staff and the generosity of supporters in our community and beyond, we have evolved from a fledgling group of new immigrants to a dynamic organization with a dozen branches in the GTA, in addition to a network of educational programs and Пожертвуйте свою social services. мебель нуждающимся!

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MARRIAGE! Ilan Samehov & Anat Shimonov Moshe Mittelman & Leora Enkin Dunn Olevson & Stacy Ash 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 Avraham Weinstein Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman

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jewish thought

Nuggets of Light: Chanukah Inspiration Jonathan Sacks

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD Twenty-two centuries ago, when Israel was under the rule of the empire of Alexander the Great, one particular leader, Antiochus IV, decided to force the pace of Hellenization, forbidding Jews to practice their religion and setting up in the Temple in Jerusalem a statue of Zeus Olympus.

This was too much to bear, and a group of Jews, the Maccabees, fought for their religious freedom, winning a stunning victory against the most powerful army of the ancient world. After three years they reconquered Jerusalem, rededicated the Temple and relit the menorah with the one cruse of undefiled oil they found among the wreckage.

It was one of the most stunning military achievements of the ancient world. It was, as we say in our prayers, a victory of the few over the many, the weak over the strong.

It’s summed up in wonderful line from the prophet Zechariah: not by might nor by strength but by my spirit says the Lord. The Maccabees had neither might nor strength, neither weapons nor numbers. But they had a double portion of the Jewish spirit that longs for freedom and is prepared to fight for it.

Never believe that a handful of dedicated people can’t change the world. Inspired by faith, they can. The Maccabees did then. So can we today.

THE LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT NEVER DIES There’s an interesting question the commentators ask about Chanukah. For eight days we light lights, and each night we make the blessing over miracles. But what was the miracle of the first night? The light that should have lasted one day lasted eight. But that means there was something miraculous about days 2 to 8; but nothing miraculous about the first day.

Perhaps the miracle was this, that the Maccabees found one cruse of oil with its seal intact, undefiled. There was no reason to suppose that anything would have survived the systematic desecration the Greeks and their supporters did to the Temple. Yet the Maccabees searched and found that one jar.

Why did they search? Because they had faith that from the worst tragedy something would survive. The miracle of the first night was

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that of faith itself, the faith that something would remain with which to begin again.

So it has always been in Jewish history.

There were times when any other people would have given up in despair: after the destruction of the Temple, or the massacres of the crusades, or the Spanish Expulsion, or the pogroms, or the Holocaust. But somehow Jews did not sit and weep. They gathered what remained, rebuilt our people, and lit a light like no other in history, a light that tells us and the world of the power of the human spirit to overcome every tragedy and refuse to accept defeat.

From the days of Moses and the bush that burned and was not consumed to the days of the Maccabees and the single cruse of oil, Judaism has been humanity’s eternal flame, the everlasting light that no power on earth can extinguish.

CHANUKAH IN OUR TIME Back in 1991 I lit Chanukah candles with Mikhail Gorbachev, who had, until earlier that year, been president of the Soviet Union.

For seventy years the practice of Judaism had been effectively banned in communist Russia.

It was one of the two great assaults on our people and faith in the twentieth century. The Germans sought to kill Jews; the Russians tried to kill Judaism. Under Stalin the assault became brutal. Then in 1967, after Israel’s victory in the Six Day War, many Soviet Jews sought to leave Russia and go to Israel. Not only was permission refused, but often the Jews concerned lost their jobs and were imprisoned. Around the world Jews campaigned for the prisoners, Refuseniks they were called, to be released and allowed to leave. Eventually Mikhail Gorbachev realized that the whole soviet system was unworkable. Communism had brought, not freedom and equality, but repression, a police state, and a new hierarchy of power. In the end it collapsed, and Jews regained the freedom to practice Judaism and to go to Israel.

That day in 1991 after we had lit candles together, Mr. Gorbachev asked me, through his interpreter, what we had just done. I told him that 22 centuries ago in Israel after the public practice of Judaism had been banned, Jews fought for and won their freedom, and these lights were the symbol of that victory.

Kislev 5780

jewish thought

And I continued: Seventy years ago Jews suffered the same loss of freedom in Russia, and you have now helped them to regain it.

So you have become part of the Chanukah story. And as the interpreter translated those words into Russian, Mikhail Gorbachev blushed. The Chanukah story still lives, still inspires, telling not just us but the world that though tyranny exists, freedom, with God’s help, will always win the final battle.

THE FIRST CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS One of the key phrases of our time is the clash of civilizations. And Chanukah is about one of the first great clashes of civilization, between the Greeks and Jews of antiquity, Athens and Jerusalem.

The ancient Greeks produced one of the most remarkable civilizations of all time: philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, historians like Herodotus and Thucydides, dramatists like Sophocles and Aeschylus.

They produced art and architecture of a beauty that has never been surpassed. Yet in the second century before the common era they were defeated by the group of Jewish fighters known as the Maccabees, and from then on Greece as a world power went into rapid decline, while the tiny Jewish people survived every exile and persecution and are still alive and well today.

What was the difference? The Greeks, who did not believe in a single, loving God, gave the world the concept of tragedy. We strive, we struggle, at times we achieve greatness, but life has no ultimate purpose. The universe neither knows nor cares that we are here.

Ancient Israel gave the world the idea of hope. We are here because God created us in love, and through love we discover the meaning and purpose of life.

Tragic cultures eventually disintegrate and die. Lacking any sense of ultimate meaning, they lose the moral beliefs and habits on which continuity depends. They sacrifice happiness for pleasure. They sell the future for the present. They lose the passion and energy that brought them greatness ion the first place. That’s what happened to Ancient Greece.

Judaism and its culture of hope survived, and the Chanukah lights are the symbol of

December 2019

that survival, of Judaism’s refusal to jettison its values for the glamour and prestige of a secular culture, then or now.

A candle of hope may seem a small thing, but on it the very survival of a civilization may depend.

WAR AND PEACE There is a law about Chanukah I find moving and profound. Maimonides writes that ‘the command of Chanukah lights is very precious. One who lacks the money to buy lights should sell something, or if necessary borrow, so as to be able to fulfil the mitzvah.’

The question then arises, What if, on Friday afternoon, you find yourself with only one candle? What do you light it as — a Shabbat candle or a Chanukah one? It can’t be both. Logic suggests that you should light it as a Chanukah candle. After all, there is no law that you have to sell or borrow to light lights for Shabbat. Yet the law is that, if faced with such a choice, you light it as a Shabbat light. Why? Listen to Maimonides: ‘The Shabbat light takes priority because it symbolizes shalom bayit, domestic peace. And great is peace because the entire Torah was given in order to make peace in the world.’

Consider: Chanukah commemorates one of the greatest military victories in Jewish history. Yet Jewish law rules that if we can only light one candle — the Shabbat light takes precedence, because in Judaism the greatest military victory takes second place to peace in the home.

Why did Judaism, alone among the civilizations of the ancient world, survive?

Because it valued the home more than the battlefield, marriage more than military grandeur, and children more than generals.

Peace in the home mattered to our ancestors more than the greatest military victory.

So as we celebrate Chanukah, spare a thought for the real victory, which was not military but spiritual. Jews were the people who valued marriage, the home, and peace between husband and wife, above the highest glory on the battlefield. In Judaism, the light of peace takes precedence over the light of war.

TO LIGHT ANOTHER LIGHT There’s a fascinating argument in the Talmud. Can you take one Chanukah light to light another? Usually, of course, we take an extra light, the shamash, and use it to light all the candles. But suppose we don’t have one. Can we light the first candle and then use it to light the others?

Two great sages of the third century, Rav and Shmuel, disagreed. Rav said No. Shmuel said Yes. Normally we have a rule that when Rav and Shmuel disagree, the law follows Rav. There are only three exceptions and this is one.

Why did Rav say you may not take one Chanukah candle to light the others?

Because, says the Talmud, you diminish the first candle. Inevitably you spill some of the wax or the oil. And Rav says: don’t do anything that would diminish the light of the first.

But Shmuel disagrees, and the law follows Shmuel. Why? The best way of answering that is to think of two Jews: both religious, both committed, both living Jewish lives. One says: I must not get involved with Jews who are less religious than me, because if I do, my own standards will fall. I’ll keep less.

My light will be diminished. That’s the view of Rav. The other says No. When I use the flame of my faith to light a candle in someone else’s life, my Jewishness is not diminished.

It grows, because there is now more Jewish light in the world. When it comes to spiritual goods as opposed to material goods, the more I share, the more I have. If I share my knowledge, or faith, or love with others, I won’t have less; I may even have more.

That’s the view of Shmuel, and that is how the law was eventually decided. 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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Wishing : h a k u n a You a Celebrate Ch-30, 2019 22 r e b m e c e Happy D Chanukah

Holiday Guide

For a kosher Chanukah menorah, any candles will do, as long as they are arranged in a straight row.

Each night of Chanukah, just after dark. The menorah should remain lit for at least half an hour after the first stars appear.

For the most authentic experience, use olive oil and wicks, the way it was done back in the day.

On Friday, we light the Chanukah candles before lighting the Shabbat candles on Friday night.

WHO SHOULD LIGHT IT?

WHERE DO WE LIGHT IT?

HOW DO WE LIGHT IT?

All family members should be present at the time of the nightly menorah lighting.

On a chair or low table, next to a doorway of the main room in the house, opposite the mezuzah.

Children should be encouraged to light their own menorahs.

Some have the custom of lighting it near a window, facing the street.

On the first night, we place the oil and wick (or candle) on the extreme right of the menorah.

Each night, we add one light to the left and light the new candle first. The lights are kindled using a “shamash” candle (the candle used to light the other candles, which is not counted as one of the candles).

On Saturday night, we light the candles after Shabbat is over, after reciting Havdallah.

Chanukah Blessings

To Do List

1. RECITED EACH NIGHT: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI, E-LO-HEINU ME-LECH HA-OLAM, A-SHER KIDESHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV, VETZI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER CHA-NUKAH.

A. There should be at least one menorah lit every night of Chanukah in every house. Each male adult, and preferably every child as well, should light their own menorah.

2. RECITED EACH NIGHT: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI, E-LO-HEINU ME-LECH HA-OLAM, SHE-A-SA NISIM LA-AVO-TEINU, BA-YA-MIM HAHEM BI-Z’MAN HA-ZEH. 3. RECITED ON THE FIRST NIGHT ONLY: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI, E-LO-HEINU ME-LECH HA-OLAM, SHE-HECHEYA-NU VE-KI-YI-MA-NU VE-HI-GIYA-NU LIZ-MAN HA-ZEH.

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For the order of blessings, see below.

HOW TO CHANUKAH?

WHAT IS IT?

WHEN DO WE LIGHT IT?

B. Gather together, especially with children, to recall the story of Chanukah and light the Chanukah candles. Get everyone into the spirit of Chanukah.

C. Give Chanukah gelt (money) to your children, both young and old. Get children to give to their friends, as well, and a portion of what they receive to charity.

D. Add in Torah learning during Chanukah, especially regarding Chanukah itself.

E. Be happy and join the festivities!

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Luxury Penthouse, 3 bdrm, 2 wshrm, Luxury new condo, 2 bdr, 2 wshrm, 9 ft ceilings, many upgrades, granite, over 1000 sq.f. great amenities, close pot lights, blinds, MUST SEE. Luxury to good schools and Transit.

Complex with amazing amenities. $1500 Classes$599,000 TOTS 2 TEENS

5799 Steeles Yonge St., Unit West, 1107, 1600 Avenue Toronto, Suite 304ON Concord, ON L4K 4M2

Greg Nilevsky M.A., M.D.R.T Margaret Nilevsky M.A., C.L.U. Tel: (416) 640-2600 Visit our website: Cell: (416) 697-9979 www.ftic.ca Cell: (416) 704-1375 info@ftic.ca

FINANCIAL PLANNING AT EVERY STAGE OF YOUR LIFE: Life Insurance, Investments, Medical Insurance, Children’s Education Plans, Retirement Savings Plans, Mortgages.

F.T.I.C

BATHURST/CENTRE

Happy over 31 years holidays! in business!

Aspirals Gymnastics Centre

Gymnastics Recreational & Competitive Dance Acrobatics Classes for Orthodox Jewish Girls

Happy Hanukkah!

Concord 905-760-0092 www.aspirals.ca

DESIGN OF MONUMENTS ENGRAVING CEMETERY LETTERING PORTRAITS ON STONE ALL MONUMENT SIZES FOR ALL JEWISH CEMETERIES (starting at $750)

80 Martin Ross Ave Toronto, ON M3J 121 Brisbane Rd.,2L4 Unit 1 Downsview, ON M3J 2K3 (416) 667-1474 (416) 667-1474

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Exodus Magazine

Kislev / Tevet 5780

marketplace

The EUROPEAN FURNITURE Our qualified sales staff will help you select the style of furniture that suits your taste, lifestyle and decorative needs.

Our store features a wide selection of fine European furniture and the best furniture around the world.

Contact us: 416-736-7558

Visit us: 4699 Keele St, Toronto, ON M3J 2N8 (1 Block South of Steeles) Open daily 10 am to 8 pm

Наши квалифицированные продавцы помогут вам правильно подобрать мебель, со вкусом полностью обставить ваш дом. Большой выбор европейской мебели и гарнитуров лучших дизайнеров.

Visit www.TheEuropeanFurniture.ca

THE BEST START FOR YOUR CHILD Детский сад Еврейского Центра русскоязычной общины Онтарио

L&M Gelfand

DAYCARE 15 Months - 6 Years

416.222.7105 x 501 LICENSED UNDER THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CHILDREN SOCIAL SERVICES TORONTO. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES ACCEPTABLE

w w w. J rcc D ay Ca re. o rg

December 2019

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marketplace

OSCAR YOLLES

Do you have a July 29, 2019 / 26 Tammuz, 5779

Certificate of Jewish Identity BASED UPON CAREFUL INVESTIGATION IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY OUR RESEARCHERS THAT

First / Last name Son of a (nee) DATE OF BIRTH: OCTOBER 23, 1948 IS JEWISH, AS HE WAS BORN TO A JEWISH MOTHER Our research was focused exclusively on establishing Jewish lineage and did not touch on any other possible halachic issues

THIS NUMBERED CERTIFICATE IS ON PERMANENT RECORD IN THE JRCC DATABASE, AND CAN BE VERIFIED BY CONTACTING THE JRCC OFFICE OR THE UNDERSIGNED RABBIS.

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman JRCC of Ontario - Senior Rabbi & Founder 416-222-7105 x 278

www.jrcc.org/jewishidentity

Rabbi Levi Jacobson JRCC of West Thornhill-Rabbi 416-222-7105 x 240

jewishidentity@jrcc.org

‫ב”ה‬

Confirmation of your Jewish Identity?

It is advisable for every Jewish person to have confirmation of their Jewish Identity that is internationally recognized.

Why is a Jewish ID important?

• Confirmation of Jewish identity is needed for a variety of circumstances, such as: Baby naming, Brit, Daycare, School, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Marriage, Aliya, Burial plot, Funeral.

• Obtaining certification takes research and time – if you wait until you need it, it might not be possible to obtain it in time.

• The longer you delay, the more difficult it becomes – documents get lost, witnesses move or pass away.

A certificate confirming your Jewish identity will help you, if your Jewish lineage is ever questioned. Do it for your peace of mind and that of your family.

Upon completion, you will receive: • A genuine, numbered certificate recognized by leading rabbis internationally.

• A permanent record with the JRCC Ontario, Canada.

For more information or to apply, contact: Jewish Identity Department Coordinator Jewish Identity Verification Service

Phone: 416-222-7105 x237 | Email: jewishidentity@jrcc.org Website: www.jrcc.org/JewishIdentity

This service is provided free of charge by the JRCC. Suggested donation to cover research and administrative costs is $250 per applicant - any donation is appreciated.

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Exodus Magazine

OSCAR OSCAR YOLLES YOLLES

GIVE YOUR CHILD THE GIFT OF A JEWISH EDUCATION GIVE THE OF JEWISH GIVE YOUR YOUR CHILD CHILD THE GIFT GIFT OF A AREGISTER JEWISH EDUCATION EDUCATION LEARN MORE AND AT

LEARN LEARN MORE MORE AND AND REGISTER REGISTER AT AT WWW.JRCCSCHOOLS.CA WWW.JRCCSCHOOLS.CA WWW.JRCCSCHOOLS.CA

LOCATIONS

LOCATIONS LOCATIONS “ JRCC Hebrew School was great“ for my kids. The program is ““

““

JRCC Hebrew School was great

JRCC Hebrew School waspay great amazing and theThe teachers for my kids. program is for my kids.

The program is and teachers pay close amazing attention to the each and every amazing and the teachers pay closeOverall, attention to kids eachhad and aevery child. my close attention to each and every child.

Overall, kids had a great time and my grew their child.

Overall, mygrew kids had a time and their Jewishgreat knowledge. already great time andI’ve grew their Jewish knowledge.

I’ve already signed for nextI’ve year!

Jewish up knowledge. already signed up for next year! signed up for next year!

- Isaac Salama - Isaac Salama

- Isaac Salama

North Richmond Hill North Hill BeynonRichmond Fields Public School North Richmond Hill 258 Selwyn Road

Beynon Fields School Tuesdays: 6:00Public PM to 7:45 PM Beynon Public School 258Fields Selwyn Road 258 6:00 Selwyn Tuesdays: PM Road to 7:45 PM Tuesdays: 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM

Maple

Maple

Maple Nellie McClung Public School Nellie McClung Public School 360 Thomas Cook Ave. Nellie Public School 360McClung Thomas Cookto Ave. Sundays: 10:00AM 12:30PM

360 Thomas Cook Ave. Sundays: 10:00AM to 12:30PM Sundays: 10:00AM to 12:30PM

Concord Concord Concord

ForestRun RunPublic Public School Forest School Forest Run Public School 200Forest Forest Run Blvd.

200 Run Blvd.

200 Forest Run Mondays: 6:00PM toBlvd.

7:45PM Mondays: 6:00PM to 7:45PM Mondays: 6:00PM to 7:45PM

West Thornhill West Thornhill 1136 Centre St. Unit 2 West Thornhill Tuesdays: 4:00PM to 6:00PM

1136 Centre St. Unit 2 1136 Centre St.toUnit 2 Tuesdays: 4:00PM 6:00PM Tuesdays: 4:00PM to 6:00PM

East Thornhill

East Thornhill East Thornhill 7608 Yonge St. Unit #3

7608 Yonge St. 5:00PM Unit #3 to 7:00PM Wednesdays: 7608 Yonge St. Unit #3 Wednesdays: 5:00PM to 7:00PM Wednesdays: 5:00PM to 7:00PM

North North YorkYork North York

18 Rockford Rd. 18 Rockford Rd. 18 11:00AM Rockford Rd. Sundays: 11:00AM to 1:30PM Sundays: to 1:30PM Sundays: 11:00AM to 1:30PM

Kislev / Tevet 5780

Sponsored by:

memorials

350 Ste­e­les Ave. West, Thornhill (416) 733-2000 • (905) 881-6003 • www.steeles.org

Our Deepest Sympathies to the families of: Heimov Joseph Dr. Shmorgun Ilyana Frankel Yitzchak Arye Halevy Goldfild Lily Leah Golubev Boris Baruch Gromberg Lev Leib Isakov Margarita Jarchin Nelli Kaifa Moshe Katz Yakov Magergut Dusya Devora Matz Roman Nudelman Mikhail Moishe Pekker Felix Efraim Poverejski Alexander Shevtel Reb Lipsh Eliezer Reb Rosenberg Yehoshua Arye Savage Michoel Shandalov David Shapiro Reiza Szilagy Steven Vekselshtein Sarra Stuart Zalman Boruch Winik From the rabbis of the Jewish Russian Community Centre Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman (Senior Rabbi) Rabbi Levi Blau Rabbi David Davidov Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim Rabbi Levi Jacobson For all your family bereavement needs (funeral, Rabbi Shmuel Neft unveiling,Rabbi kaddish services,Weinstein shiva, yahrzeit and Avraham memorial plaques) the JRCC rabbis are here to Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman assist you, 24 hours a day. Services available Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman in Russian, Hebrew, English and Yiddish.

Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman 416.222.7105 x221

December 2019

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marketplace Now a days this company with more than 118 years of history holds a leading position among the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages in Moldova. Unique climate, fertile soil, hilly terrain and vicinity of the river Dniester created most favorable conditions for growing best grapes; modern equipment, advanced technologies, original recipes, respect to ancient traditions and passionate work of KVINT professionals – all these factors allow to produce admirable beverages, which compete with world renowned brands.

Locals consider KVINT a national treasure and a symbol of their country.

Its factory is shown on the 5 Transnistrian ruble banknote.

Kvint distillery is the oldest enterprise still in operation from 1897 in the region. KVINT is one of Transnistria's largest exporters, to Italy and China as well as Russia and Ukraine; its brandy has gone to the Vatican and into space.

Kvint XO brandy was first produced by the Tiraspol Wine & Cognac Distillery KVINT in 1967 as a dedication to the jubilee of the October Revolution. It is made from the premium quality “eaux-de-vie” spirits seasoned in oak barrels not less than 20 years according to classical “French methode”.

KVINT (acronym for Kon’iaki, vina i napitki Tiraspol’ia ("divins, wines, and beverages of Tiraspol") is a winery and distillery based in Tiraspol, the administrative center of Transnistria. Even though it underwent through many difficulties, being twice destroyed by

S ubscription

for

E xodus

wars, becoming a part of prohibition law in the 80s, the company is now an important economic player in a region, producing more than 20 million bottles of alcoholic beverages per year.

Although the distillery's roster includes an assortment of wines, gins, and vodkas, by far the most famous of its products are its award-winning brandies. Like all top-notch spirits, the high quality of this liquor begins with the region's grapes. Occupying the land east of the River Dniester, Transnistria is in the heart of the ancient Bessarabian wine region, a gem of viniculture perched above the Black Sea that has also survived the many ups and downs of centuries of Russian rule.

Plucked from the Bessarabian vine, the grapes fortunate enough to make their way to Tiraspol are transformed into brandy using a process identical to that used to make Cognac in France—double distilled in copper pots, aged in oak barrels, and then carefully blended with water and sugar. The grapes are of a typical Cognac variety, an assortment that includes Colombard, Riesling, and Ugni Blanc. Despite the company's rigid adherence to the French production methods, Kvint is not located in Cognac, France and therefore cannot formally call their products "Cognacs." Instead they use the Moldovan word divin, hence Kvint's name, which is an acronym for the Russian phrase "divins, wines, and beverages of Tiraspol." But in a land where international laws don't seem to really apply, most local people still refer to Kvint's products as Cognacs, and it is called Brandy everywhere else in the world.

Also Kvint is focusing their efforts on making a wide assortment of wines. Along with ordinary table dry, semi-sweet and dessert wines, the KVINT’s portfolio can boast of some excellent varietal and blended wines matured in oak barriques, according to traditional production process from 9 months to 3 years.

Shop for the best selection of Kvint Wine : KVINT CABERNET SAUVIGNON KOSHER 2015, LCBO #455138 This wine is made under control of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of New York (USA), OU, it has the status of Kosher for PASSOVER, Mevushal (approved for Passover, pasteurized). This wine is made from the selected grapes grown in own vineyards of KVINT. It features pleasant astringency and harmonious acidity. Its bouquet is complex with aroma of nightshade berries enriched with hints of morocco leather.

KVINT MERLOT KOSHER 2015, LCBO # 455112 Bright berry aromas: hints of cassis, and delicate nuances of prunes and cherry.

It is velvety on the palate, with barely perceptible astringency and freshness.

BRANDY KVINT KOSHER and DIVIN KVINT KOSHER FOR PASSOVER are now available at LCBO stores, Vintage # 577817 and # 540039.

It is made under control of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of New York (USA), OU, it has the status of Kosher for Passover (approved for Passover).

It is made by special production process with eauxde-vie and wine-distilled spirits aged in oak barrels not less than a year. It features fine golden color, harmonious taste and bright floral aroma with light tones of maturity.

magazine

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Exodus Magazine

Signature: ______________ Date: _________

Kislev / Tevet 5780

Wishes the entire Jewish Community a Happy Holidays!

Visit your local NOFRILLS 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 Anthony’s NOFRILLS: 1054 Centre St, Thornhill, ON L4J 3M8 Andrew & Shelley’s NOFRILLS: 270 Wilson Ave. North York, ON M3H 1S6

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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JRCC

U K N A A H H C

WONDERLAND

2019

ХАНУКАЛЬНЫЙ КАРНАВАЛ SUNDAY

22

DECEMBER

LEBOVIC CAMPUS 11:009600 BATHURST ST.

4:00 PM

Join the annual JRCC Chanukah Wonderland: a dazzling carnival offering shows, music, booths, rides, arts & crafts, prizes and food.

HS

BOOT

S& ART FTS CRA

Admission $5*

MUS

IC

S

E RIZ

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*Includes shows and a craft for children.

Rides & games are at an extra cost.

Don’t miss this family event! www.jrcc.org/chanukah

Pre-Register online by December 16 for a 20% discount.

Children 2 and under free admission.

416.222.7105

Parking will be at the underground parking lot which is accessed at the front of 9600 Bathurst.

Sponsored by the Mazur family Partnered with:

Address correction requested

RIDES

PM 40062996

Hosted by:

Jewish Gorsky Community Rabbi David Davidov