by rabbifink on February 16, 2012 · 1 comment
Photo: Oded Balilty
One of the starkest differences between orthodox Jews and others can be observed at a wedding. The orthodox Jewish wedding is really two weddings. One for the men and one for women. They are in the same place but in today’s society, they eat and dance while completely separated. It can seem strange. But in another sense it can be quite beautiful.
The beauty comes from seeing a large gathering of people, usually orthodox Jewish wedding parties are attended by several hundred people, all joined together for one holy purpose. Marriage is a very important milestone in orthodox Judaism and the awe, reverence, and respect according the event creates a very special atmosphere.
The unity of the event can also be seen superficially by the uniform standards of dress. Everyone dresses conservatively and they kind of blend together. When one pulls back, it can be visually stunning. Especially to an outsider.
An outsider had a unique opportunity to photograph a superstar wedding in Israel. Oded Balilty is a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist. He lives right around Bnei Brak but his world is very different. Take a look at his perspective from behind the lens of this world that is closer to his own than he realizes. The photos are on the NY Times website today and they are amazing. His commentary is excellent as well.
Check out the photos on the NY Times Lens Blog:Â So Close, Yet So Far
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Tagged as: Jewish, NY Times, Oded Balilty, photos, wedding
by rabbifink on February 15, 2012 · 1 comment
Let’s assume for sake of this post that Obamacare is constitutional on its face. That is, there is no problem requiring all citizens to have insurance. I don’t think this is necessarily the case, but this issue will be decided in the courts over the next year or so. The more interesting question for people of religion is whether the requirement that employers insure their employees and provide all women with free access to birth control pills is a violation of the first amendment or more provocatively, if is an “attack against religion”.
To start, some math. The government is an insurer. With or without Obamacare. This is because the government provides public health care for many people. The poor, the elderly, and others all get their health care paid for by the government. Insurance costs have risen higher than the inflation rate. One proposed reason for this is because uninsured people weigh down the system. At this point there are three choices. One choice is to continue on this path and provide care to the uninsured without a plan to pay for it. The second choice is to cut off the uninsured and deny them care unless they pay up front. The third choice is to create a comprehensive plan to lower the cost and insure everybody. Obama has chosen choice number three as have many other countries across the world.
Choice three requires that costs be lowered. One useful tool in keeping health care costs down is to provide free birth control. This is a mathematical fact. It sounds crude and unkind. But it is true. Unwanted pregnancies are bound to happen in a free society and even if we all agree that it is amoral to engage in activities that can create an unwanted pregnancy that doesn’t change the fact that they still occur. Providing birth control to everyone helps alleviate this burden.
That is the math. It is not a decision by secularists to force people to stop having religious babies. It is an economic decision.
That being said, we need to analyze whether an unintended result of this policy is offensive or even an attack against religious people.
[click to continue…]
Tagged as: birth control, Catholics, government, politics, religion
The Code of Hammurabi: Stele (L), Closeup of Text (R)
Crossposted to Dovbear here: Adventures in the Code of Hammurabi
As a general rule, orthodox Jewish rabbis and teachers pretend that Bible Criticism does not exist. This is not necessarily a conscious choice, rather it was a choice made on their behalf over a century ago. The ugly result of this decision is that when the orthodox Jew encounters BibCrit he is left without any tools or foreknowledge to handle the issues and in a sense one can be blindsided by basic observations made in BibCrit. This, in turn, can take a disastrous toll on one’s beliefs in Torah and God.
One of the few exceptions to this rule in Rabbi J.H. Hertz. In his Chumash, R’ Hertz has several essays that, at least on a basic level, deal with some of the challenges raised by BibCrit. Some of the BibCrit he cites is outdated and some of his approach is also outdated. But it is still worth understanding and appreciating his efforts.
One major BibCrit challenge surrounds this week’s parsha, Mishpatim. In the Parsha, the Jewish people are taught the basic outline of their Civil Code. The parsha discusses property, chattel, damages, loans, and other seemingly non-religious laws. The issue is that there is an earlier code that precedes this Mosaic code of Parshas Mishpatim, The Code of Hammurabi.
The Code of Hammurabi was written in the days of Abraham by King Hammurabi. Some scholars identify him as King Amraphel from the Bible. Hammurabi’s code is preserved by a stele and tablet in its complete and original form. There are 282 laws that govern civil law for followers of Hammurabi. Many of these laws are either the same or very similar to the Mosaic laws, many others are significantly different. The challengers hold that the reason these two codes are similar is because Moses (or some other later figure), when “writing” his code simply borrowed from The Code of Hammurabi and adjusted a few items before pasting it into the Torah. Clearly, this does away with the Divine Author of the Torah.
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Tagged as: Bible Criticism, Code of Hammurabi, Mishpatim, Rabbi J.H Hertz, Torah
A light hearted article in Tablet Magazine caught my eye today. The writer, Allison Hoffman, is a reform Jew who is in the midst of a pregnancy.
As a reform Jew, Ms. Hoffman takes pride in her enlightened, rational, science and fact based beliefs. She is not superstitious, nor does she use halacha as a guide for living her life. Like many reform Jews, she may equate the two as one and the same.
The problem for Ms. Hoffman is that during her pregnancy she has developed some nasty superstitions. Like many women who are carrying a fetus inside their body, Ms. Hoffman has developed a need to protect her baby at all costs. And this includes tapping into tried and true superstitions like not calling the baby by name until the baby is born and formally named.
We’ve all seen this happen. Perfectly rational people become irrational at certain times. Ms. Hoffman talks about her experience as a pregnant mom. Death does the same thing to other rationalists. Illness does it to others. Ironically enough, this phenomena has a scientific explanation too. When there is a uncertainty and doubt, the mind seeks to establish some control over the situation. Thus superstitions emerge. [click to continue…]
Tagged as: God, kabbala, maimonides, religion, superstition, Tablet Magazine
by rabbifink on February 10, 2012 · 1 comment
Rabbi Tendler at my Wedding. (Photo: Esky Cook)
My eight year old son knew that I went to Baltimore to attend the funeral of Rabbi Yosef Tendler, Of Blessed Memory. My wife told him that Rabbi Tendler was one of my rebbeim. She reminded him that we spent a Shabbos with Rabbi Tendler at the Shabbos Sheva Brachos of his grandson Yitzi who married my cousin. My son remembered the Shabbos.
I remember it too. It was a delight to see Rabbi Tendler in such a different light, as a Zayde with his family. It was a stark contrast to his authoritarian role as headmaster of the Mechina. This side of Rabbi Tendler was the side of Rabbi Tendler that we knew he possessed but was hidden beneath the veneer of authority. We had time to talk for a little while and overall it was a very lovely Shabbos that holds a firm place on a short list of my favorite Shabbosim.
Remembering the Shabbos, my eight year old son recalled when I formally introduced him to Rabbi Tendler. [click to continue…]
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Tagged as: Rabbi Yosef Tendler
Rarely does a day go by without the words of Rabbi Yosef Tendler echoing through my mind. This is how great an impact one man was able to make upon me.
What are Rabbi Tendler’s words that echo in my mind and the mind of the thousands of other students who were fortunate to pass through “The Mechina”? The answer would be the same for each and every one of those people: “Don’t waste your life”. It’s a mantra and a mantra to live to by.
The eulogies for Rabbi Tendler ended just a little while ago. Two hours of speeches with which we try and encapsulate this giant of a man. At moments, the eulogies excelled. They moved us to tears as we had come to realize what we have lost. But no speech or set of speeches is sufficient to describe Rabbi Tendler. Nevertheless, it behooves us to make the effort. This is my effort.
Rabbi Tendler was different than any other rabbi or rebbe I have ever encountered.
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Tagged as: Mechina High School, Ner Israel Rabbinical College, obituary, Rabbi Yosef Tendler
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a historic event. The new building of a synagogue in Los Angeles, to be more precise, North Beverly Hills, opened its doors for the first time. Young Israel of North Beverly Hills dedicated their new shul at an inspiring ceremony.
Founding President of Pacific Jewish Center, Michael Medved was the Master of Ceremonies for a speaking lineup that included members of congress and local government. The keynote address was magnificently delivered by Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks.
It was a beautiful event and a ceremony befitting such an auspicious day.
The highlight for me was the live performance by the Shabbaton Choir. They sang several stirring songs and had the crowd buzzing. They were phenomenal. Their style is a mix of cantorial and chamber music that is not often associated with Jewish music. Most people think of Klezmer music as the Jewish music standard. Others, from Sephardic backgrounds think of middle-eastern music as Jewish music. Orthodox Jews in the 21st century think of the pseudo-pop-rock Jewish music as Jewish music.
The Shabbaton Choir has a different take. It is a beautiful take too. [click to continue…]
Tagged as: Michael Medved, music, Pacific Jewish Center, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Shabbaton Choir, YINBH
Politicians from the Right often cite God or Jesus as a basis for political positions. Some even make the claim that they are running for office upon the advise of God Himself.
Now, it is impossible for God to have told more than one particular person that they are destined to be the next president. So either all but one are lying or they are all lying. You decide.
Either way, the whole concept of appealing to God’s authority in politics is very silly. The reason it is silly is because none of these people have had any specific revelation. Rather, they apply their interpretations of ancient texts, or worse, their personal feelings or emotional stirrings and claim that these are Divine messages. What makes matters even fuzzier is that politicians are usually businessmen or lawyers. They are not theologians or members of the clergy. Their understanding of their own religions is as basic as the average American’s understanding of their religions. Their understanding of other religions is even poorer.
Case in point: President Obama invoked the teachings of Jesus as a basis for taxes. The response has been vicious. Most of the criticism has been because of the seeming transparent pandering to the religious voters. This is a valid criticism. But only to a point. Politicians are professional panderers. We just don’t like it when we can tell.
The more important point, that is being overlooked, is how religious beliefs are able to conform to political positions. [click to continue…]
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Tagged as: charity, Christianity, Jesus, NY Times, politics, President Obama, religion, taxes
Menachem Kellner is a scholar par excellence. I enjoy his books, and other writings very much. One book that I particularly enjoyed was the provocatively titled: Must a Jew Believe Anything?
The book is not really about what the title implies. Instead, the book is an analysis of required beliefs in Judaism. It is an excellent book and a joy to read. I heartily recommend the book to anyone interested in the evolution of fundamental beliefs in Judaism.
One important issue that is thoroughly discussed is the importance the Sages of the Mishna and Talmud placed on actions while placing less importance on faith or beliefs. This is true. But the significance of this fact is debatable. That is because faith or belief in a deity was a basic assumption of life in the era in which the Sages lived. One had to be insane to be an atheist 2000 years ago. How would one even begin to explain the world in which they lived. However, today one can certainly be sane and deny the existence of God. In fact, some might argue that the tables have turned and belief in God is the less sane position. After all, there is no scientific proof of an all-knowing, all-powerful Creator. So, while I enjoyed the discussion in the book about actions having more meaning than beliefs in the eyes of the Sages, how well that transfers to modern times is another discussion entirely.
Another core point of the book is that in adopted the 13 Fundamental Beliefs of Maimonides there is an odd irony. [click to continue…]
Tagged as: book review, books, Conservative, Judaism, Menachem Kellner, orthodox, Reform, unity
Last Sunday, two NFL teams advanced to the Super Bowl. Two other teams lost and were sent home for the winter.
One of the notable things about both games was the lack of heroes for the winning teams. Instead of the winning teams making a great play to win the game, both of the losing teams made mistakes that gave the game away. Instead of heroes we had goats.
In the first game, the Ravens made three consecutive heartbreakingly poor plays. First a dropped touchdown, then a bad pass when the quarterback could have run for a few yards and then a missed field goal from close range. The players who made the biggest mistakes, the receive who dropped the pass and the kicker who missed the kick lost the game for their team. Or at least it appears that way to the observer. Obviously mistakes in the beginning of the game are just as costly as mistakes at the end of the game. Yet, we somehow place greater emphasis on the glaring mistakes at the end of the game.
In our house we are fans of the Ravens. It was shocking and disappointing to see them lose in this fashion. Especially so, for my eight year old son. He was upset as I am sure millions of other Ravens fans across the country.
The second game featured an even worse anti-hero. Kyle Williams fumbled the ball twice in crucial kick return situations. He gave the ball back to the Giants and cost his tea the game. It was heartbreaking for him and for 49ers fans everywhere. It was his fault that the Giants won and people were really mad at him.
[click to continue…]
Tagged as: 49ers, NFL, parenting, Ravens, sports, Sportsmanship, Yahoo
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Bo
A Good Time
Parshas Bo heralds the birth of Klal Yisrael as the Am Segulah. So profound are the events contained therein that they define our destiny as banim la’Makom till today. Most importantly, one detail in the Parsha is so fundamental that it singularly defines the spiritual mission of every Jew. Surprisingly; our tachlis Hachayim is not defined by the climactic conclusion of the eser makkos, the korban Pesach or even our physical exodus from Mitzrayim. Rather the essence of Klal Yisrael is wrapped in the ribbon of the very first Mitzvah gifted to us by Hashem Yisborach; the mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh. [click to continue…]
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Tagged as: Bo, dvar Torah, kiddush hachodesh, Rabbi Aaron Fink, time, Torah
The Jewish Week has an exposé on the controversial Rosh Yeshiva of a certain yeshiva in Israel. For purposes of this blog post, it is irrelevant who this person is and what yeshiva he presides over. I have not met this rabbi nor have I ever been in his yeshiva. I have no personal experience to draw from. The issue I would like to address is a general issue brought to light in discussions about this rabbi (and others).
Examples of behavior by this rabbi include, emotional manipulation, intense yelling, embarrassment in public, forcing boys to wait for him for hours on end after he called them in for a meeting, insulting students, gathering information from student’s therapists, among other anti-social behaviors all designed to elicit change in the recipient of the abuse. I call it abuse because without justification it certainly is abusive. The question is whether or not there is justification.
The claim has been made that the rabbi is a genius or savant who understands human nature so well that there is a method to the madness. It usually works. Sometimes it does not. The victims of cases where it does not work are the ones who speak out. The others are appreciative that it did work and claim that the rabbi is amazing.
Similar claims have been made about other rabbis. Sometimes the rabbis are too touchy-feely. They hug or kiss their students in a non-sexual way and for many this is a welcome sign of affection. For others it is abuse. Other rabbis have been said to have hit students. Sometimes the hitting was playful or with camaraderie, like when an athlete congratulates another athlete with more force than the average person can bear. Other times the hitting is unequivocally abusive.
I find these sorts of claims, whether emotional or physical or sexual to be under one broad category. [click to continue…]
Tagged as: abuse, rabbis, The Jewish Week
Photo: Lloyd Wolf
Yesterday, Rebbeztin Chana Weinberg passed away. She was a heroic woman and an important figure in the lives of many people including my father and grandmother. Her public claim to fame may have been her pedigree as a daughter of Rabbi Ruderman and the wife of Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg. But to those who knew her or knew of her, Rebbetzin Weinberg was a person worthy of individual accolades and recognition separate from her illustrious father and husband.
Personally, I did not have a relationship with the Rebbetzin. I do have many fond memories of meeting her, being in her home and hearing of her greatness. As a young child I remember visiting the Rosh Yeshiva with my father and I remember him making a point of telling me that part of the visit was to see the Rebbetzin as well. We were not just visiting the Rosh Yeshiva and she happened to be there too. We were visiting her as well.
It’s interesting to me that one of the things I remember most about Rabbi Weinberg was his vibrant smile. I have the same kind of memory of the Rebbetzin. Her warmth exuded from her smile. Oftentimes, young children find elderly people scary. I only remember pleasant and loving vibrations from my early visits with the Rebbetzin. [click to continue…]
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Tagged as: Ner Israel, Rebbetzin Chana Weinberg
January 10, 2012
The world famous Pella Singers performed at our Chanukah lighting on Santa Monica Promenade a c0uple of weeks ago. It was a great event. People from all over the world joined in for a few minutes of our Chanukah celebration. The news cameras were there. I was interviewed by KABC-TV for a segment that never [...]
Tagged as: chanukah, KTLA, Pella, Santa Monica, video
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January 9, 2012
We did a family trip to the California Science Center at Exposition Park in Los Angeles yesterday. The museum is nice, albeit a bit outdated. Such is the fate of any museum that has exhibits of the latest and greatest in technology. Cell phones were a new obscure invention according to the exhibit on technology. [...]
Tagged as: 1001 Inventions, arabs, Hubble, Islam, maimonides, museum, Muslims, science, space, technology
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December 29, 2011
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series. Parshas Vayigash Yaakov’s Shlomim Following the dramatic news of Yosef Hatzaddik’s survival in the flesh pots of Mitzrayim, Yaakov Avinu readies himself to visit his long lost son. With [...]
Tagged as: chanukah, dvar Torah, peace, Rabbi Aaron Fink, Torah, Vayigash
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December 28, 2011
Thugs and hoodlums from extremist religious groups in Israel have been terrorizing fellow Jews for some time now. They have done so without fear of condemnation or retribution from the religiously adjacent charedi community. This recent wave of violence is not new nor is it shocking or surprising. Spitting on young girls, calling women whores, [...]
Tagged as: Agudath Israel, charedim, Cross-Currents, Israel, NY Times, terrorism, violence, YWN
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December 23, 2011
Separation of Church and State is widely regarded as a modern concept. For most of the world this is an accurate assessment. In some places in the world there remains no separation. What I mean by a separation between church and state is that quite simply there are two different and exclusive bodies that legislate [...]
Tagged as: chanukah, dvar Torah, hanukah, Hasmoneans
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December 21, 2011
I don’t remember where or how I came across this book, but when I saw Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism referenced somewhere, I knew I had to snatch it up. I saw it just after I wrote about the modern day exorcist here: Demons, Dybbuks, Devils and Exorcism. Buying this book was a smart decision. [...]
Tagged as: Arizal, book review, books, Christianity, dybbuk, Islam, J.H. Chajes, Judaism, mysticism, religion
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December 15, 2011
It’s that time of year again. That time of year when everyone is supposed to be preparing for their respective holidays full of good cheer and spirits. What ends up happening is people tripping over themselves to be insulted or to make statements about their beliefs. First, a bit of history. It might be that [...]
Tagged as: Christmas, Disneyland, LA Times, Patheos, Rabbi Adlerstein, religion, Santa Monica
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December 14, 2011
Way back in 2009, I did a review of iTalmud English for the iPhone. See:Â iTalmud English Edition: Review A few months ago we got an iPad and I could not wait to try iTalmud – iPad Edition. Torah learning is much easier on a bigger screen and the navigation through an iPad app is less [...]
Tagged as: app review, iPad, iTalmud, review, talmud, technology
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December 13, 2011
This morning, Matisyahu shaved his beard. Matisyahu, the self-proclaimed chasidic reggae pop-star, has always identified as an orthodox, chasidic Jew since his rise to stardom almost a decade ago. His signature look was that of a chasidic man. He had an untrimmed beard, long side locks and wore the chasidic garb. All of this while [...]
Tagged as: beards, kabbala, Matisyahu, mysticism, shaving
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December 12, 2011
GOP Candidate and Presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich has made headlines with his recent claim that the Palestinians are an Invented People. The responses from across the idealogical and political spectrum have been as wild and varied as to be expected. On one extreme, representatives of the Palestinians fired back at Gingrich. In a statement, they [...]
Tagged as: Forward, invented, Israel, Israel Matzav, Newt Gingrich, Palestinians, politics
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