Gossip

Gossip

Q1. Has anyone here ever been a victim of gossip?/ What did it feel like?

 

Q2. What is gossip?

 

• A1. North American law only forbids slander:
• There are several ways a person must go about proving that libel has taken place. First, the person must prove that the statement was false. Second, that person must prove that the statement caused harm. And, third, they must prove that the statement was made without adequate research into the truthfulness of the statement. These steps are for an ordinary citizen. In the case of a celebrity or public official trying to prove libel, they must prove the first three steps and they must also prove that the statement was made with the intent to do harm.^[17] (Wikipedia)
• Defences to claims of defamation include:
• Statements made in a good faith and reasonable belief that they were true
• Opinion is a defence recognized in nearly every jurisdiction. .
• Consent is an uncommon defence and makes the claim that the claimant consented to the dissemination of the statement.
• Innocent dissemination is a defence available when a defendant had no actual knowledge of the defamatory statement or no reason to believe the statement was defamatory.
• Claimant is incapable of further defamation–e.g., the claimant’s position in the community is so poor that defamation could not do further damage to the plaintiff.
• Statute of limitations. Most jurisdictions require that a lawsuit be brought within a limited period of time. If the alleged libel occurs in a mass media publication such as a newspaper or the Internet, the statute of limitations begins to run at the time of publication, not when the plaintiff first learns of the communication.

^-Can people still be hurt?

Q3. Is gossip bad, not good, terrible?

Q4. What are the consequences?

A Chasidic tale illustrates the point: A man went about the community telling malicious lies about his Rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the Rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The Rabbi told the man, “Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds.” The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the Rabbi that he had done it, the Rabbi said, “Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers.” Evil speaking of another has been compared to an arrow that once released cannot be stopped or recalled. Likewise, the words spoken once released cannot be stopped from harming their intended target . . . the character and soul of another. The person who listens to gossip is sometimes viewed even worse than the person who tells the story, because no harm could be done by gossip if no one listened to it. It has been said that lashon hara (an evil tongue and speech) kills three people: the person who speaks it, the person who hears it, and the person about whom it is told.

 

Q5. How do we stop ourselves from gossiping?

• Put ourselves in the other’s shoes
• Judge favourably:

We think we know, it seems clear, and yet sometimes…

Tova Rothman needed a baby sitter. She had been calling girls all evening, but everyone was either busy or not home, and it was getting too late to make any more calls. By now she was desperate. One of her daughters said eagerly, “Hey, Ma! What about my friend’s sister, Dassy Engel?”

“That’s worth a try. We haven’t used her in a long time. Do we still have her number?

A minute later she was dialing the Engels.

“Oh, Dassy, I’m so glad you’re home. I hope you can do me this favor. I need a baby sitter for two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. It’s very important and I must leave at exactly two o’clock. Are you available?” Tova was thrilled when Dassy agreed and she hung up with a sigh of relief.

The next day at two o’clock Tova was standing with her coat on, ready to walk out as soon as Dassy arrived. The minutes ticked away and no bell was ringing. No one was knocking or calling to say she’d be right over. It was 2:05 and still no Dassy. Tova called the Engels, but their line was busy.

Dassy seemed like such a nice girl. How could she be so irresponsible? Tova let her family know how she felt about a girl who gives her word and then lets you down. She gave them an earful! — and they were only spared the rest by the ringing of the telephone. Tova dashed over. It was her husband. Whatever she hadn’t managed to say till now to Dassy’s discredit she let out on Mr. Rothman. And for good measure she threw in a few choice observations about the Engels. Tova might have said more, but she cut herself short so she could try the Engel’s phone again. This time it rang.

Imagine Tova’s astonishment when Mrs. Engel answered and in reply to her question, “Is Dassy home?” said, “Oh, are you the one who called her about baby sitting? You hung up and I guess you didn’t realize that you never gave her your name!”

 

Story #2: It was late Tuesday night when the phone rang. A good friend of mine by the name of J.P. was calling. “Perhaps you can help me,” he said. “I’m making a wedding soon, and I’d like you to recommend a good photographer.”

After giving it some thought, I gave him the name of a man who is both an excellent photographer and is also very reasonably priced. “I’ve heard about him,” came my friend’s reply, “but I was also told that he was unreliable.”

“Oh, really,” I said, quite surprised. “What makes you say so?”

“Well, I’m told that he was recently hired for a bar mitzvah and he first arrived after it was half over. He missed half the affair. There’s no way I’d hire a person who is so irresponsible,” J.P. said. (J.P. is not required to hire this photographer even though this decision is based on an unproven suspicion. However, he was wrong in accepting this rumor as absolute truth.)

It’s certainly a severe charge, I thought to myself. “Are you sure about it?” I asked. “That’s a very strong accusation!”

“I’m quite positive,” was his reply. “Yisroel was the head of the band that night, and he told it to me himself. In fact, I met someone else who attended that same affair, and he verified the facts. I’m not making it up. It’s 100% true! Go check it out yourself.”

“I sure will,” I said. I’ve learned to be very skeptical as to the authenticity of any story, and I also knew that even if perfectly true, there might be a good explanation.

“Maybe due to unforeseen circumstances he was delayed?” I said to the caller, trying my best to judge favorably. “Perhaps there was some sort of emergency. What makes you so sure that it was a case of negligence or pure laziness?”

“Perhaps you’re right,” replied J.P., “but I just can’t risk it. Besides, there is no reason in the world for coming late. He should have started out early enough so that even if his car broke down he could have taken a car service and made it on time. There is absolutely no good excuse for a photographer to walk in after half the affair is over!”

It was hard to argue with him. He had a strong point, and my defense wasn’t too convincing. When I hung up the phone I found myself in a real quandary. Could I really recommend someone who is unreliable? Was it truly negligence on his part? Was my argument in his defense just a cover-up for his lack of responsibility? Truthfully, I wasn’t really convinced myself of his innocence, so how could I convince someone else?

Firstly, I decided to check out the story on my own to see if it was really true. I called the musician, who was a close friend of mine, and he verified the entire story. There was no question as to its authenticity.

The very next day, I bumped into my good friend, the photographer. I brought up the subject of the bar mitzvah in question.

“Is it true that you arrived halfway through the bar mitzvah?” I asked.

“Yes, it certainly is,” he said. “But why are you asking?”

“I just recommended you for a job, and the people refused to take you. They claimed you were unreliable because you didn’t come on time.”

He looked at me in disbelief and shock, and then began telling me his story. I listened very carefully.

“The job was not mine at all,” he began. “The photographer who had been hired for the job failed to show up. I received an emergency call in the middle of the affair to come down immediately. Despite being very busy at that moment, I dropped everything I was doing and raced down to the hall as quickly as possible.”

With a hurt look written on his face, he added, “I only did it as a personal favor to them.”

 

According to Jewish law:

 

Lashon Hara: saying something true that can financially, physically or emotionally                                                 harm the one you are speaking about.

 

Motzi Shem Ra- The above, but untrue.

 

Rechilus: saying something true that will cause hatred between 2 people. (even if not negative…ex: had 2 parties to go to..)

 

Q: What happens if someone asks ‘What did so and so say about me?” (FYI – you can’t ask that)

A: If you have an answer that is lie and you will get away with it, do it (Even if it’s a flat out lie)

 

-applies to opinions

 

-applies to character traits

 

-applies even if the victim doesn’t think it’s bad (ex. foul language-but could cost him a job/people look down at him)

 

-even if someone pressures you to tell

 

• The listeners look down upon the teller-can’t trust him-even though they pay rapt attention to the juicy gossip!
• If you don’t gossip-people will trust you and will tell you things you really need to know
• Judging people favourably

 

Concept: To’eles: If your info, even if negative, is needed to help/protect someone     (even the “victim” themselves)

 

7 conditions to say:

1)      Must see it yourself (or say that you didn’t)

2)      Think hard-did they really do something wrong?

3)      Rebuke them yourself first

4)      No other way to bring about benefit

5)      Can’t exaggerate

6)      Positive intent

7)      No more punishment than deserves

 

Even so- you still can’t believe it. How is that possible?

A: This is what you should think

1) It is a known fact that everyone interprets things differently

2) The person telling you was mistaken

3) The person telling you was not precise

 

 

AVAK LH – THE DUST OF LH

 

 

Ex1-”Who would’ve though she’d turn out the way she did.”
Ex2-”I can’t say, it’s LH”

 

Ex3-To say something good about a person in front of someone who doesn’t like them and will respond with LH or something negative about the person.

 

Ex3 a- If someone publicly HEAPS praise on someone, you’re bound to have someone who disagrees and you may cause them to speak LH
Ex3 b- If your praises imply something negative

 

Ex4- You can’t praise someone if they will experience a loss

 

Ex5-Saying something that make other people think you are speaking LH

 

 

 

* The other side of the story.

 

 

Why don’t Jews believe in jesus?

I am a Christian, and I was just wondering why Jesus is denied as the Messiah, even though he fulfills every prophecy written regarding the Messiah.

I am not writing to be rude to you, I have a deep respect and love for the Jewish people, and I know there are those who call themselves Christians, who have said and done terrible things in the name of Jesus.

Thanks for taking time to read my letter. I hope to hear from you soon.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Thank you for your thoughtful question. For 2,000 years, Jews have rejected Christianity and the idea of Jesus as messiah. It is important to understand why Jews don’t believe in Jesus. The purpose is not to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position. The more data that’s available, the better-informed choices people can make about their spiritual path.

Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:

1) Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.

2) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.

3) Biblical verses “referring” to Jesus are mistranslations.

4) Jewish belief is based on national revelation.

At the end of this answer, we will examine these additional topics:

5) Christianity contradicts Jewish theology

6) Jews and Gentiles

7) Bringing the Messiah

——————————-

1) JESUS DID NOT FULFILL THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:

A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).

C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: “God will be King over all the world — on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One” (Zechariah 14:9).

The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these messianic prophecies.

Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists.

—————————————

2) JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF MESSIAH

A. MESSIAH AS PROPHET

Jesus was not a prophet. Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry. During the time of Ezra (circa 300 BCE), when the majority of Jews refused to move from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets — Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended.

B. DESCENDENT OF DAVID

The Messiah must be descended on his father’s side from King David (see Genesis 49:10 and Isaiah 11:1). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father — and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father’s side from King David!

C. TORAH OBSERVANCE

The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. (see John 1:45 and 9:16, Acts 3:22 and 7:37)

———————————-

3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES “REFERRING” TO JESUS

Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text — which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.

A. VIRGIN BIRTH

The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an “alma” as giving birth. The word “alma” has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as “virgin.” This accords Jesus’ birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.

B. CRUCIFIXION

The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads: “Like a lion, they are at my hands and feet.” The Hebrew word ki-ari (like a lion) is grammatically similar to the word “gouged.” Thus Christianity reads the verse as a reference to crucifixion: “They pierced my hands and feet.”

C. SUFFERING SERVANT

Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the “suffering servant.”

In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews (“Israel”) are regarded as one unit. The Torah is filled with examples of the Jewish nation referred to with a singular pronoun.

Ironically, Isaiah’s prophecies of persecution refer in part to the 11th century when Jews were tortured and killed by Crusaders who acted in the name of Jesus.

From where did these mistranslations stem? St. Gregory, 4th century Bishop of Nanianzus, wrote: “A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose on the people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire.”

——————————————–

4) JEWISH BELIEF IS BASED SOLELY ON NATIONAL REVELATION

Of the 15,000 religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation — i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He’ll tell everyone, not just one person.

Judaism, unique among all of the world’s major religions, does not rely on “claims of miracles” as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of “miracles” to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).

Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8):

The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone’s belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.

What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others… as it says, “Face to face, God spoke with you…” The Torah also states: “God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us — who are all here alive today.” (Deut. 5:3)

Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.

———————————————–

5) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS JEWISH THEOLOGY

The following theological points apply primarily to the Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination, and the one most familiar to the Western world.

A. GOD AS THREE?

The Catholic idea of Trinity breaks God into three separate beings: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

Contrast this to the Shema, the basis of Jewish belief: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE” (Deut. 6:4). Jews declare the Shema every day, while writing it on doorposts (Mezuzah), and binding it to the hand and head (Tefillin). This statement of God’s One-ness is the first words a Jewish child is taught to say, and the last words uttered before a Jew dies.

In Jewish law, worship of a three-part god is considered idolatry — one of the three cardinal sins that a Jew should rather give up his life than transgress. This explains why during the Inquisitions and throughout history, Jews gave up their lives rather than convert.

B. MAN AS GOD?

Christians believe that God came down to earth in human form, as Jesus said: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Maimonides devotes most of the “Guide for the Perplexed” to the fundamental idea that God is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that God assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: “God is not a mortal” (Numbers 23:19).

Judaism says that the Messiah will be born of human parents, and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, and will not possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an individual is alive in every generation with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah. (see Maimonides – Laws of Kings 11:3)

C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?

The Catholic belief is that prayer must be directed through an intermediary — i.e. confessing one’s sins to a priest. Jesus himself is an intermediary, as Jesus said: “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

In Judaism, prayer is a totally private matter, between each individual and God. As the Bible says: “God is near to all who call unto Him” (Psalms 145:18). Further, the Ten Commandments state: “You shall have no other gods BEFORE ME,” meaning that it is forbidden to set up a mediator between God and man. (see Maimonides – Laws of Idolatry ch. 1)

D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD

Catholic doctrine often treats the physical world as an evil to be avoided. Mary, the holiest woman, is portrayed as a virgin. Priests and nuns are celibate. And monasteries are in remote, secluded locations.

By contrast, Judaism believes that God created the physical world not to frustrate us, but for our pleasure. Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates. Intimacy in the proper context is one of the holiest acts we can perform.

The Talmud says if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the World to Come. Jewish rabbinical schools teach how to live amidst the bustle of commercial activity. Jews don’t retreat from life, we elevate it.

————————————–

6) JEWS AND GENTILES

Judaism does not demand that everyone convert to the religion. The Torah of Moses is a truth for all humanity, whether Jewish or not. King Solomon asked God to heed the prayers of non-Jews who come to the Holy Temple (Kings I 8:41-43). The prophet Isaiah refers to the Temple as a “House for all nations.”

The Temple service during Sukkot featured 70 bull offerings, corresponding to the 70 nations of the world. The Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much benefit they were getting from the Temple, they’d never have destroyed it.

Jews have never actively sought converts to Judaism because the Torah prescribes a righteous path for gentiles to follow, known as the “Seven Laws of Noah.” Maimonides explains that any human being who faithfully observes these basic moral laws earns a proper place in heaven.

————————————————-

7) BRINGING THE MESSIAH

Maimonides states that the popularity of Christianity (and Islam) is part of God’s plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world. This moves society closer to a perfected state of morality and toward a greater understanding of God. All this is in preparation for the Messianic age.

Indeed, the world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. War and pollution threaten our planet; ego and confusion erode family life. To the extent we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions a Jew is asked on Judgment Day is: “Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?”

How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.

Despite the gloom, the world does seem headed toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom again. Additionally, a major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.

The Messiah can come at any moment, and it all depends on our actions. God is ready when we are. For as King David says: “Redemption will come today — if you hearken to His voice.”

For further study, read “The Real Messiah” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

READER COMMENTS:

> From: Bob Burg of Florida – “BBurg@aol.com”

Thank you for your kind, tactful, and informative response to the nice woman who asked, “Why don’t Jews believe in Jesus?” In reaching out to our Christian friends (to educate, not convert) it is so important that we do so with the lovingkindess that embodies our Jewish nation. Thanks again.

> From: “Lasassop@aol.com”

Thank you, thank you, thank you for that concise explanation of why Jews do not accept Jesus as messiah. I converted to Judaism after being raised in a Christian community. When people ask why I converted, I say something simple about “beliefs.” But your response brought back so many memories of all the questions I had begun to ask myself even in childhood! And eventually the answers led me to Judaism. Thanks again for your wonderful letter.

> From: David D. Pruett – hesedlv@ipa.net

I am a Christian who realizes that God exists in ways human beings cannot understand. I do not understand much, but try to grow. I do believe that the Gospels were written to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, and that the Writings were manipulated to prove this. The Jewish way is a better one than modern Christianity. Thank you so much for your valuable time. We waste so much on myth that we miss the heart and spirit of God.

> From: Natalie Mamann of Toronto, Canada – “nmamann@home.com”

This is one of the most pragmatic, logical and clear explanations I have ever heard to the questions of Jesus. Thank you. I will pass this on to at least 20 people who have asked these questions, or to Jews who would not be able to respond to these questions.

http://www.jewsforjesus.ca/messiah_claims.aspx

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=DYZPYGNX

Why does antisemitism exist?

http://www.simpletoremember.com/media/a/Ken_Spiro-AntiSemitism/

Hitler Quotes

1. The struggle for world domination is between me and the Jews. All else is meaningless. The Jews have inflicted two wounds on the world: Circumcision for the body and conscience for the soul. I come to free mankind from their shackles.”

(Herman Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 220)

---

2. “The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between us, between Germans and Jews.  All else is facade and illusion.  Behind England stands Israel, and behind France, and behind the United States.  Even when we have driven the Jew out of Germany, he remains our world enemy.

- Rauschning,Hitler Speaks,p. 234

 

---

3. “ I urge the German people to continue the struggle against the enemy of humanity-the Jew”

---

4. “.. Do you now appreciate the depth of our National Socialist Movement?  Can there be anything greater and more all comprehending?  Those who see in National Socialism nothing more than a political movement know scarcely anything of it.  It is more even than religion; it is the will to create mankind anew.”

- Rauschning,Hitler Speaks

---

5. “They refer to me as an uneducated barbarian.  Yes, we are barbarians.  We want to be barbarians, it is an honored title to us.  We shall rejuvenate the world.  This world is near its end.”

- Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 87

---

6. “Providence has ordained that I should be the greatest liberator of humanity.  I am freeing man from the restraints of an intelligence that has taken charge, from the dirty and degrading self-mortification of a false vision called conscience and morality, and from the demands of a freedom and independence which only a very few can bear.”

- Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 222

 

7. “The Ten Commandments have lost their validity.  Conscience is a Jewish invention, it is a blemish like circumcision.”

- Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 220

8. We are the joyous Hitler youth,
We do not need any Christian virtue
Our leader is our savior
The Pope and Rabbi shall be gone
We want to be pagans once again.”

- Song sung by Hitler youth

---

9.“If only one country, for whatever reason, tolerates a Jewish family in it, that family will become the germ center for fresh sedition. If one little Jewish boy survives without any Jewish education, with no synagogue and no Hebrew school, it [Judaism] is in his soul. Even if there had never been a synagogue or a Jewish school or an Old Testament, the Jewish spirit would still exist and exert its influence. It has been there from the beginning and there is no Jew, not a single one, who does not personify it.”

- Robert Wistrich, Hitler's Apocalypse, p. 122; from a conversation with Croatian Foreign Minister General Kvaternik, July 21, 1941

---

10. “The heaviest blow which ever struck humanity was Christianity; Bolshevism is Christianity’s illegitimate child.  Both are inventions of the Jew.”

- Norman Cameron and R.H. Stevens, trans., (Oxford, 1953), Hitler's Table-Talk, p. 7

---

 

**Class #4:Athiests can be friends with everybody

Q1. Is the inference true? Religious Jews can’t be..?

-difference between friend and acquaintance.

 

Baseline: 1) “Love your neighbour like yourself” (Vayikra 19,18)

2) “greet everyone with a smile” (Ethics of the Fathers (1,15)-even non –Jews

 

Q2. Is it smart to be friends with everyone?

A. Would an athiest want their child to hang out with druggies, gangsters?

-similarly-not a good idea to hang out with someone who would negatively impact your torah & mitzvos.

-Be cordial and nice to them, but not close to them..

Shmuessin re: negative impact: 1. C.H. Breishis P.42

2. C.H Shmos    P. 7-8

 

-don’t want others to think that what the other guy is doing is ok

-if you can help, change them-you have responsibility to do so.

 

Q3. What type of person should you be friends with?

-someone: you can trust

who will be there for you (help/advice,etc..)

who will be a positive influence on you

Testing an Idealized Dynamic Cascade Model of

the Development of Serious Violence in Adolescence

Kenneth A. Dodge

Duke University

Deviant peer associations. The final domain of predictors of adolescent violent behavior

is association with deviant peers. This factor has received a wide variety of empirical support as a proximal predictor of adolescent deviant behavior. Patterson et al. (1992) found that involvement with deviant peers in grade 6 (measured by parent, peer, and self descriptions) predicted subsequent delinquency even controlling for prior antisocial behavior. Simons, Wu, Dynamic Cascade Model 9 Conger, and Lorenz (1994) also found that association with deviant peers predicted subsequent arrests. Laird et al. (2001) found that deviant peer associations predicted growth in antisocial behavior, and Keenan et al. (1995) found that in the Pittsburgh Youth Study authority conflict was twice as likely to occur among those disruptive boys who had truant or disobedient best friends as among those who did not. Two important features of this study were the fact that onset was the dependent variable, thus controlling for previous disruptive behavior, and the fact that

peer influence was tested within a specific type of antisocial activity as a way of examining the extent to which peers truly were models of deviant behavior.

The antecedents of deviant peer associations are varied, but low parental monitoring has

been implicated in several studies. Snyder, Dishion, and Patterson (1986) found a strong path relation between low parental monitoring and increases in deviant peer associations. Simons et al. (1994) found that problems in parental discipline practices (including poor monitoring) predicted increased deviant peer associations and later criminal arrests. Thus, it is plausible that the effect of the lack of parental monitoring on antisocial outcomes is mediated through enhanced deviant peer associations.

 

What is Kosher?

Q1. What does “kosher” mean?

 

A1. Following the Torah’s dietary laws-not “blessed by a Rabbi!

These laws are in different places of the Torah:

 

1.    Only certain types of animals are kosher:

Land animals: Cow, sheep, goat, addax, antelope, bison, deer, gazelle, giraffe and ibex.

 

-All chew cud (describe: 4 stomachs. According to Torah sources, cud-chewing is distinguished by five criteria:

• The animal regurgitates nearly all its food
• The food is regurgitated as a bolus (soft ball)
• The animal chews this bolus
• The animal chews the bolus using a lateral motion

*This process is done for imperative nutritional purposes)

and have split hooves.

Only one animal has split hooves w/o chewing its cud-the pig.

Only 3 animals have the opposite: Camel, Shafan, Arneves.

 

Sea animals: Must have fins and scales

-even if scales fall off (tuna)

There is no requirement that a kaskeset must have a particular shape, color or texture.  Any scale that can be removed without ripping skin would qualify as a “kaskeset”.  The only limit discussed is the size of a scale, namely that it must be large enough to be viewed by the naked eye.

Both the Aruch HaShulchan and the Tiferet Yisroel mention that the kaskeset must be perceivable by the naked eye from a normal distance in order to be halachicly significant.  A single “kaskeset” anywhere on the fish,⁵ appearing at any point during its lifetime is sufficient for it to be kosher.  Even if the “kaskeset” fell off before the fish was caught or if the fish had yet to grow a “kaskeset” (but is of a species known to grow “kaskeset” later in life), the fish is still kosher.

 

-all fish that have scales also have fins

 

Birds: The Torah lists all non kosher species (ex. owl, eagle, bat, ostrich, raven, vulture) all else are kosher. Since we don’t know exact definitions-we only eat birds we have a tradition to eat: chicken, turkey, duck, goose, muscovy duck, mallard, pigeon, dove, pheasant, partridge, quail, guinea fowl, sparrow

 

Re: turkey:

The terminus ante quem for the discovery of domesticated turkeys by Europeans is the Cortez expedition of 1519. The Spanish Conquistadors brought turkeys back to Europe where they were savored as a delicacy at state dinners. ⁴⁸ They were eventually acquired by other European countries, probably reaching England in 1524, and being raised domestically in Italy, France, and England by 1530. When the Pilgrims came to settle the New World in 1620 they brought turkey back to its native land, indicative of its wide-spread general acceptance in Europe.

 

Certain types of grasshoppers (no shchita needed)
2. N’veila: Must be slaughtered the correct way

A.    No nicks in knife

B.     No delay

C.     Very little pressure (violin)

D.    Can’t stick knife in neck

E.     Must be in the correct place on neck

 

 

3.      Treifah: Animal can’t have disease or injury that would cause it to die within the year.

Animals are internally inspected after slaughter

Mad cow almost non issue-can’t stand, shechted young

 

4.      Cheilev (always offered as part of sacrifice-best fat)-Kares

 

 

5.      Sciatic nerve –back legs, too hard to remove for cows so we sell back to non kosher places.

Source-Yaakov Avinu

 

6.      Blood no matter what –not kosher: that’s why kosher meat is salted (“kosher salt”=large grains of salt-draw out the blood)

-blood spots on eggs

-blood libels

 

7.      Limb from a live animal-only kosher law that applies to non Jews as well.

-to prevent us from being cruel (sefer hachinuch)

 

8.      Milk & meat together (no benefit-even as dogfood!)

 

Rabbinic laws: Stam yayin

 

Bishul Akum

 

Meat that was unsupervised

 

 

* Proper Kashrus supervision:

Out on a Limb

Look at an animal. Look at its feet. Look at the goo in its mouth. If the foot is split and the mouth is pasty, bon appétit. The Torah mentioned these two signs. And that is all it needed to say. It taught a simple rule to determine if an animal is kosher or not. And that is what makes these verses in the Book of Leviticus 11:4-8 so unusual:

Among the cud-chewing, hoofed animals, these are the ones you may not eat: The camel shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it does not have a split hoof. The shafan shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it does not have a split hoof. The arneves shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it does not have a split hoof. The pig shall be unclean to you although it has a split hoof, since it does not chew its cud. Do not eat the flesh of these animals.

Why does the Torah list these four animals? True, they are exceptions to the rule – each animal has one sign but not the other. But listing exceptions is unnecessary. The rule is already clear: both signs, kosher; one sign or no signs, not kosher. Simple.

And if you look carefully at the Hebrew grammar, it makes it clear that these four animals are the only exceptions. The camel, shafan, and arneves are the only animals that ruminate but don’t have split hooves. The pig is the only animal that has split hooves but doesn’t ruminate.

That is a gutsy thing to say. What happens if you discover another animal with only one sign? Oops.

Why take the risk? Listing the exceptions is risky and unnecessary. The kosher laws are clear without the extra information. Think about it. People discover new animals all the time. People discovered new animals in the ancient world, too.

The ancient Egyptians had zoos. They had animals from all over Africa. They even had bears. The Jews were slaves in Egypt 3,300 years ago. It isn’t farfetched to think that some Jewish slaves visited the zoos of their masters.

Or imagine a different scenario. Maybe a rich Egyptian master took his Jewish slave with him on vacation. If he vacationed up the Nile in Sudan or Ethiopia – and wandered into the wilderness – the master and his slave saw new creatures they never saw before. Exotic beasts live in distant lands.

These are possibilities. You can probably think of a few more. And if an ex-slave helped write the Torah, he would not state: “Four animals have one kosher sign, but not both. There are no other exceptions.” He knows that someone could discover another animal. Why gamble?

The Only Exception

But is it a gamble if you know that you’re right?

The Torah was written 3,300 years ago. Thousands of new animals have been discovered. And none of the new animals are a fifth exception. Pigs are still the only non-ruminating animals with split hooves. Camels, shafans, and arneveses, are still the only ruminating animals without split hooves.

Look at this quote from the Talmud (Chulin 60b):

Was Moses a hunter or an archer? This is to answer those who say that the Torah isn’t from heaven.

Moses was not familiar with every type of animal in the world. But God was. It was risky for Moses to list only four possible exceptions. It wasn’t risky for God.

But you probably have a question: What is a shafan and what is an arneves? Camel and pig are familiar. Shafan and arneves are not. The shafan and arneves are most likely both extinct species. How convenient.

Pigs are the only animal with spilt hooves but don’t chew their cud.

If someone discovers an animal that ruminates but doesn’t have split hooves, just claim it is a shafan or arneves. Maybe the author inserted a fudge factor into the text. He covered all his bases.

But what about the pig? The pig is the only animal listed that has split hooves but doesn’t ruminate. The Torah doesn’t include an extinct animal to cover in case a new animal with split hooves that doesn’t ruminate is discovered. And scientists have classified thousands of animals since the Torah was written. Pigs are still the only animals that have spilt hooves but don’t chew their cud. Incredible.

Moses wasn’t a zoologist. He didn’t know the Torah’s PIN number. But the author did. Who do you think he was?

• NOTE: The Torah clearly states that the shafan and arneves are cud-chewing animals.

THIS year, for the first time, glatt kosher food will be sold at the Super Bowl.

 

Donna Alberico for The New York Times

VOLUME IS UP The deli section of Pomegranate, a kosher grocery store in Midwood, Brooklyn.

Certainly, faith will prompt some of the fans at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., to line up at one of two carts selling grilled salami sliders and garlicky knoblewurst. But for others, the appeal of a kosher hot dog will have nothing to do with religion.

In an era of heightened concern over food contamination, allergies and the provenance of ingredients, the market for kosher food among non-Jews is setting records.

Only about 15 percent of people who buy kosher do it for religious reasons, according to Mintel, a research group that last year produced a report on the kosher food explosion. The top reasons cited for buying kosher? Quality, followed by general healthfulness.

“It’s keyed into the issues of food safety and consumer fear,” said Larry Finkel of Packaged Facts, a consumer market research company that also released a study last year on the growing market for kosher foods. “The reputation of kosher is stretching beyond chicken, whether there is truth to it or not.”

Most people who buy kosher because they think it’s safer or more healthful are likely not well versed in the complex set of ancient Jewish dietary laws that include, among other things, rinsing blood from carcasses with salt and water, never mixing meat and dairy, and allowing fin fish but not shellfish.

The non-Jewish kosher market has been growing in earnest since the 1990s, when the koshering of the Oreo was hailed as a watershed event and ConAgra Foods bought the Hebrew National hot dog brand. Now, 40 percent of the food sold at grocery stores has a kosher imprint, according to the kosher and halal food initiative, a research project at Cornell University.

Recently, the pace has picked up. Major retailers including Wal-Mart, Costco and Trader Joe’s have kosher programs. At FreshDirect, the New York City grocery delivery company, orders for kosher chicken were up 30 percent in 2009. The kosher Tootsie Roll was introduced last month.

Because so many packaged foods carry a kosher seal, shoppers unwittingly buy kosher food every day. But people who buy products specifically because they are labeled kosher could be spending as much as $17 billion by 2013, according to Packaged Facts.

At Mississippi State University, Prof. Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton added ritual halal and kosher slaughter to her poultry science syllabus after she realized it was a niche that should not be ignored by conventional poultry processors.

She is not convinced that salting and other steps involved in koshering produce better chicken than conventional methods, but a few years ago she started to notice a marked increase in the number of people who do believe it. The industry, she said, needs to take a good look at the potential for growth.

“We’ve been too narrow in our perspective,” she said.

Some shoppers who were not raised in kosher families use the label as a stand-in for other signifiers. “I prefer to buy local and organic, but when I get to the market late and they have sold out of the chicken, I end up buying kosher because I feel it is the second-best thing,” said Myra Kohn, a food blogger in Seattle who goes by the digital pen name Seattle Bon Vivant.

For some shoppers, kosher means purity of ingredients. Vegetarians know a parve label means absolutely no meat or dairy products. (Vegans, though, are out of luck. Parve food can contain eggs and honey.)

Families with food allergies like the increased availability of kosher products for a similar reason. Bryan Adams is an entertainment publicist from Teaneck, N.J., whose son had terrible skin problems when he was born. A holistic medical adviser suggested the family cut out a number of foods, including soy and gluten. The child’s skin cleared, and Mr. Adams discovered his own gluten intolerance.

Now, the family stocks the kitchen with certain brands of kosher mayonnaise and margarine that aren’t made with ingredients that trigger outbreaks.

Nosheen Nazakat, a Muslim from Pakistan, often buys kosher when she cannot find halal food. She is also a discerning cook who is happy to browse the aisles at Pomegranate, a 20,000-square-foot store in Midwood, Brooklyn, whose fans call it the kosher Whole Foods.

The neighborhood is home to several large Orthodox synagogues and the largest mosque in the borough.

Although Pomegranate sells dry-aged prime steaks for $36.99 a pound, pristine marrow bones and rows of whole chickens, Ms. Nazakat buys all her meat from the halal butcher a few blocks away. But the salads, the fresh hummus and the olive bar?

“Very, very good,” she said.

Increasingly, a certain brand of non-Jewish gastro-tourists are making their way to the store as well.

On Sundays, we call it visiting day,” said Mike Steigman, who is in charge of Pomegranate’s three kitchens — one each dedicated to meat, parve and dairy preparations. “A lot of Park Slope, no matter what their background is, comes that day.”

Donna Alberico for The New York Times

Pomegranate’s deli section.

Related

Librado Romero/The New York Times

The kosher meat section of the Whole Foods store on West 97th Street in Manhattan.

 

Librado Romero/The New York Times

Kosher chicken at the Whole Foods store on West 97th Street in Manhattan.

Neil Glick, a real estate agent active in local Washington politics, was raised in a mixed Reform and Conservative household that didn’t keep kosher. But after reading books and watching films that depicted horrific examples of conventional slaughterhouses, he was essentially scared kosher — at least when it comes to meat.

“One thing about kosher food — I do feel less guilt in eating it because I know the end was not as cruel,” he said.

That point is debatable. Certainly, humane treatment is built into Jewish dietary law. Animals must be handled with care, fed a specific diet and slaughtered with a swift cut to the carotid artery. (In addition, rabbis inspect carcasses for defects like broken bones or infection. Washings in salt and cold water help remove all traces of blood.)

The cattle expert Temple Grandin has worked extensively with some large kosher processors to develop humane standards. But some experts in animal welfare warn consumers not to assume that kosher means humane. (Animals slaughtered in accordance with religious law are an exception written into the federal Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act, which requires that mammals be stunned unconscious before killing.)

“Like anything else, it depends on the management and the quality of the operation and the training of the personnel,” said Adele Douglass of Humane Farm Animal Care. The group certifies processors like Applegate Farms and Murray’s Chicken, which meet its strict standards of humane treatment and slaughter. It certifies one halal poultry producer who stuns chickens after throat slitting, but has had no kosher producers who have asked to complete the program.

Ms. Douglass and others point to Agriprocessors, once the largest kosher meatpacking plant in the United States, as an example of what can go wrong. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2008 amid charges of labor abuse and inhumane treatment of animals.

Science is mixed when it comes to the relative safety of kosher meat, said Carl Custer, a former federal Agriculture Department microbiologist.

In 2007, researchers at the Agriculture Department infected chicken skin with salmonella. Then they applied kosher salt and rinsed the skin, measuring pathogen levels along the way. Salt alone didn’t reduce contamination, but the combination of salting and rinsing reduced salmonella levels by 80 percent.

That same year, another study of 353 whole or cut raw chickens offered different results. Agriculture Department researchers compared conventional, kosher and organic chickens. The conventional chicken had the least amount of total contamination. The organic poultry had the most salmonella, the conventional poultry the most campylobacter and kosher the most listeria.

As far as taste, the jury remains out. Anyone who has ordered a kosher meal on a plane can tell you there is plenty of unappealing kosher food in the world. And an Oreo tastes like an Oreo, whether a rabbi supervised its creation or not.

Still, cooks like Christopher Kimball, who founded Cook’s Illustrated magazine, swear by the juiciness of Empire Kosher birds. And a whole chicken from Kosher Valley, a new, antibiotic-free kosher brand from the Hain Celestial Group, a natural and organic food producer, made for a delicious dinner roasted with fresh fennel and lemon.

The Kosher Valley chickens are raised on vegetarian feed in Pennsylvania and processed in upstate New York. Priced as much as 40 percent less a pound than organic kosher chicken, they’ve been a good seller at Whole Foods, which began offering them late last year. “This new line brings it to a more affordable price point, so kosher has become an option for everyone,” said Jim Zola, a Whole Foods regional meat coordinator.

Not every expert on the Jewish market buys the reasons behind the growth of kosher food. Elie Rosenfeld is the chief operating officer of the New York firm Joseph Jacobs Advertising, which helped introduce Rebecca Rubin, the first Jewish doll in the American Girl line.

He doesn’t disagree that kosher food is growing more popular, especially among higher-end cooks and chefs. But he doesn’t think it is a mass movement and believes food companies continue to expand their kosher lines to serve the Jewish community, not to capture the nonkosher consumer.

“It’s an unexpected side benefit to a certain extent, but the volume is there for people who keep kosher,” he said.

Why quibble over why, said Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, the Manischewitz company rabbi and director of its kosher development operations.

“I consider this trend an unusual grace of God,” he said.

 

Chanuka Vs. Xmas

Chanuka

1.     40 minute mp3-R’ Kelleman. link:

http://audio.simpletoremember.com/misc/Real-Story-of-X-mas-and-New-Years-b.mp3

-assignment: Write down the different customs and their sources.

 

2.     Short Chanuka clip

http://www.aish.com/v/ho/78754242.html

3.     What is Chanuka all about?

A.   Alexander the Great (320 BCE)

B.   Greek culture

C.   Antiochus-175 BCE

 

4.     Chanuka customs:

 

A.   Latkes and sufganiyot-oily foods

B.   Dreidel- hide torah learning

C.   Gelt-reward fro torah study

D.   Milk foods-yehudis..

E.    Women don’t do work after candles lit

At the beginning of the Second Temple Period, Israel was under Persian rule. After the Persian Empire’s downfall, Israel was subjugated to Greek rule. In 3442 (318 BCE), the 19-year old Alexander succeeded his father, Phillipus, as Greek ruler. Alexander of Macedonia transformed the Greek Kingdom into a mighty empire which spread across Africa and the Middle East. The Emperor Alexander showed reverence towards Israel’s Sages, especially towards Shimon Hatzadik, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). After Alexander was poisoned to death in 3454 (407 BCE), the Greek Empire was divided into four among the rulers Ptolemy, Selecus, Antigonus, and Philippus. Their kingdoms eventually became known as Egypt, Greece, and Syria.

The Seventy Two Sages

The Egyptian King Ptolemy Philodolphus amassed a vast collection of books on the sciences. He concentrated his collection in books on religion, and he was especially impressed by the logic of Judaism. There was one crucial book that was lacking from Ptolemy’s library: The Five Books of Moses, otherwise known as the Torah. Before the advent of ArtScroll or Feldheim, the Torah, written in Hebrew, was inaccessible to the Hebrew-illiterate Ptolemy. It was “Greek” to him! Ptolemy wished to make the treasured Torah just that: Greek to him! He ordered seventy two Sages to come to his seaside resort near Alexandria. Each of the 72 Sages would be quarantined in a separate house, unaware of his purpose until arrival.

The Sages’ work of seventy two days commenced. A total of thirteen textual changes were made in translation, in order to minimize heretical misinterpretations by the Greeks. Although the Sages wrote in solitary confinement, their thirteen changes were miraculously identical!

Syrian Greece

The Syrian dominion became known as the Selucidean kingdom, after Selecus, founder of its royal family. In contrast to Alexander’s relatively cordial relationship with his Jewish subjects, Antiochus, the tyrannical Syrian-Greek ruler, resented the Jews’ separatist policies. The tiny Judean kingdom in the midst of the mighty Empire became a thorn in his eyes.

Although there existed a noticeable segment of the Jewish population who embraced Hellenism — Greece’s values of paganism, strength and assimilation — the majority of Judea rejected its foreign ideas. In 3610 (151 BCE), the Northern ruler, Sylvacus-Sautier, was murdered. Sylvacus’s brother, Antiochus Epiphanies, replaced him. In contrast to his brother’s relatively positive philosophical position towards Jewish ideas, Antiochus, often drunk from his frequent partying, was a pure Hellenist.

Of course, the title of kohen is a result of Jewish patralineage; its title could never be bought. Even more so, the title of Kohen Gadol (High Priest) would only be granted to a kohen who was a Talmudic scholar fit for such an important position; however, in the Hellenistic era, the title of Kohen Gadol could be bought!

Yeshua-Jason, a Hellenistic Jew, made a pact with Antiochus. Jason bought the position of Kohen Gadol for the price of 60 silver kikar, with a promise to raise an additional 80 silver kikar from donations! Under Jason’s leadership, an Olympic stadium was built in Jerusalem. The Olympics represented the Greeks adulation of the body and a form of worship to their gods. The Greeks would play sports naked, anointing their body with oil. Jason encouraged the strong youth to exercise in the stadium. Many kohanim exchanged their holy tasks in the Temple for sports. The Jewish participants would hide their circumcision, in order to be further accepted into Greek Society. The effects of Greek culture were felt. Many Jews refused to circumcise their sons. Others would bathe with the Greeks on the Judean seashore, from Akko (Acre) to Gaza, under the impression that it would be easier for a Jew to assimilate rather than maintain one’s separate identity.

Internal Strife

Jason the Kohen Gadol still owed the king payment for his position. The greedy Antiochus was offered an even higher amount from Jason’s friend, Choniov, who had recently become a complete Hellenist, changing his name to the Greek “Menileus.” Menileus was instated as the new Kohen Gadol, notwithstanding his not being even a kohen by descent. Not even Menileus could raise the promised funds, which was a sore point for money-hungry Antiochus. The Greek ruler appointed Jason’s brother, Lizimakeus, in his place. Menileus was not to despair. Pillaging from the Temple’s treasury, he hoped to obtain the required funds, but was killed in the interim. Lizimakeus was indebted to Antiochus for his position, and also pillaged the Temple to attempt “compensation.” Jerusalem’s residents could not stand idly anymore. The Jerusalemites caught Lizimakeus in the act of pillage, killing him. In the interim, Antiochus went to battle in Egypt. Rumors spread that Antiochus had died. Jason and his army went to reclaim his title as Kohen Gadol from Menileus. The Jewish Hellenists told Antiochus that the Jews were happy about the false rumors. As a result, Antiochus took revenge in 3616, when he waged a surprise attack against Jerusalem. Antiochus did not even have to barge through Jerusalem’s fortified gates, as the Hellenists had already opened them. Jason, in the meanwhile, had fled for his life. History has shown that the Jew is the Jew’s worst enemy!

Spurred by the Hellenists, Antiochus proclaimed an official ban on observing the Sabbath, calculating the New Moon, and circumcision. Recorded in Megilat Antiochus is Antiochus’ libelous decree:

“Are you aware that the Jewish People amongst us in Jerusalem don’t offer sacrifices to our gods, they don’t observe our religion, and even abandon it for their religion? They are even waiting for the day that our rule will end, saying ‘When will our King rule, we shall rule over the sea and land, the entire world shall be given to us.’ Since our army is vastly superior, let us arise against them and ban their covenant — their Sabbath, the New Moon, and circumcision.”

Nikanor’s Arrival

Megilat Antiochus relates that in the year 3618 (143 BCE), Antiochus sent his general, Nikanor, to Jerusalem, along with military support. Many Jews were killed. A pagan altar was erected in the Jewish Temple. Nikanor brought a pig on the altar, offering its blood to the Temple’s Holy Courtyard. The Kohen Gadol, Yochanan ben Mattityahu, was outraged at this breach of holiness. Concealing a sword, Yochanan requested an appointment with Nikanor. Surprised by the rebel’s arrival, the evil Nikanor questioned Yochanan’s motives. Yochanan replied by stating that he has come to heed the ruler’s command.

Nikanor stated, “If you wish to heed my rule, then slaughter a pig and offer it on the altar! You will be clothed with royal raiment, ride the king’s horse, and become one of the king’s friends.”

Yochanan replied: “My lord, I fear the children of Israel, lest they find out and stone me for my deeds. Remove all the people amongst us lest they inform others.”

After Yochanan was alone with Nikanor, Yochanan beseeched G-d’s Mercy that he should not fall into the tyrant’s hands. Yochanan took three steps forward, and lunged his sword into Nikanor’s heart.

After Nikanor was slain, Bagris was appointed in his stead. Bagris enforced the banning of the Sabbath, circumcision, and New Moon calculations. Any circumcised infant would be hanged, along with his parents. Nevertheless, many Jews risked their lives in order to fulfill this precious tenet. Megilat Antiochus relates that many Jewish women would throw their circumcised infants, and subsequently themselves, from Jerusalem’s walls, rather than be killed by Bagris’ henchmen.

Secret Sabbath Cave

Many Jews who held Shabbat (Sabbath) precious hid in a cave in the wilderness in order to keep the Shabbat precepts. Unfortunately, informers notified Bagris of their hidden location. As a result, Bagris sent troops to the cave’s opening, calling out: out! Eat our bread, drink our wine, join our ways.” Nonetheless, the cave’s residents remained steadfast to G-d’s commandments at Mount Sinai: “Six days shall you work, doing your creative acts; however, the seventh day shall be a Sabbath for Hashem, your Lord.”

Although the Talmud states that “saving a life takes precedent over Sabbath observance”, since the cave’s residents were sure that their lot would be death by the Greek army, they calculated that it would be better for them not to violate the Sabbath, even in these dire circumstances. On that day, approximately one thousand men, women, and children decided to sanctify Hashem’s Name by dying a martyr’s death. The Jews were burned alive by the enlightened Greeks.

Jewish Response

Mattityahu, son of Yochanan Kohen Gadol, dwelled in Modi’in, located in the Judean hills. Mattityahu was also known as Mattityahu Chashmonai (the honorable). Mattityahu had five sons: Yochanan Kodshi, Shimon Tasi, Yehuda Maccabi, Elazar Chorni, and Yonatan Hufsi. Mattityahu was outraged by the desecration of the Holy Temple, the religious persecution, and assimilation by the Hellenists. Although Mattityahu was advanced in years, in 3621 (140 BCE), he and his sons led guerilla warfare against the mighty Greek Empire. Hiding in caves throughout the Judean plains, Mattityahu and his sons, known as the Chashmonaim, would mobilize at night, setting fire to the Greek encampments. Their movement was far from being purely military. They would promote the clandestine teaching of Torah and perform ritual circumcisions.

Yehuda Maccabi & Valor

After a year of physical and spiritual fighting, the aged Mattityahu realized that his end was near. Mattityahu appointed his son, Yehuda Maccabi, as leader of the Jewish People. In 3622 (139 BCE), Mattityahu had died. Yehuda assumed his father’s position as restorer of Israel’s glory. Josephus writes that “Maccabi’ is Greek for valor. Emblazoned on Yehuda’s flag was “MaCaBi,” which some explain as an acronym for: “Mi Camocha Ba’elim Hashem” — Who is like You among the heavenly powers, Hashem! (Exodus15:11).

Yehuda Maccabi enlisted an army of 7000 Jewish fighters. With Divine aid, the out-numbered army was able to overthrow the Greek army positions in Judea, killing many, and causing the rest of the Greek soldiers to flee to Gaza. In 3622, in an act of Divine Providence, Antiochus’s horses, apparently afraid of the elephants used as Greek ‘tanks’, threw Antiochus out of his carriage. The fallen Antiochus suffered mortal wounds from his smashed bones. His wretched carcass was left for days in the sun.

The End of the Third Exile

Antiochus’ death symbolized the end of the Greek Empire of 180 years. Thus, the prophecy of Yaakov (Jacob) was fulfilled: The Yalkut Shimoni gives us an historical insight into Yaakov’s dream of angels ascending and descending a stairway to Heaven. The first group to ascend and descend represents the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish People; the second group represents the Persian-Median Exile; the third group represents the Greek Exile. In his dream, Yaakov saw the third group of angels ascending the ladder 180 rungs and then descend. So, too, the Greek nation would become a world power for 180 years, then fall; However, Yaakov’s descendants will always remain.

Temple’s Re-Dedication

Megilat Ta’anit (chapter 9) relates: “During the days of the Greek Kingdom, the Chashmonaim entered the Sanctuary, rebuilt the altar, repaired the Sanctuary’s walls, replaced the sacred vessels and were engaged in its rebuilding for eight days.”

The Chashmonaim fashioned a make-shift pipe menorah and, miraculously, found a small flask of undefiled olive oil, closed with the Kohen Gadol’s seal. The day was the 25th of Kislev, the same day that Aaron Hakohen, the brother of Moses, was commanded to dedicate the original altar. The small flask contained enough oil for only one day’s lighting. Miraculously, the minuscule amount lit the menorah for eight day, ample time to press a new supply of oil.

Chanukah: Banishing the Darkness

A year later, the Sages enacted the eight-day festival of Chanukah, in commemoration of the miracle of oil. Chanukah means “dedication.” It also means “Chanu- Ka’H” or “They encamped on the 25th (day of Kislev).” When the Torah was translated into Greek, three days of darkness emerged into the world. The Greeks outlawed three precepts: Shabbat, calculating the New Moon, and circumcision. On the 25th of Kislev, the Jewish People’s Third Exile ended; the mighty Greek Empire had been extinguished by the small light of the Jewish People.

Sources:

• Chanukah: Halachot, Minhagim, V’Megilat Antiochus, Rav Zvi Cohen, Bnei Brak
• HaRav Shlomo Rotenburg, Toldot Am Olam, volume 2
• HaRav Eliyahu Kitov, The Book of Our Heritage, volume 1

Class #17 Why is Israel special to the Jewish people?

Q. Why is Israel special to the Jewish people?

 

A. 1. Hashem told Avraham that He is giving Israel to the Jews.

 

2. The entire land is holy, and certain parts even holier-site of the bais hamikdash                                                         A. (story)/ where Yaakov had his dream

B. Can’t enter temple area if impure

C. Holy of Holies-only Kohen gadol 1x/year (in 2^nd temple when the position was bought-the Kohen gadol died each year)

 

3.      Every 4 amos a person walks in Israel is a mitzvah

A.    There are many mitzvos that can only be done in Israel

Ex. Terumah

Maaser

Sacrifices

Courts

Chofetz Chaim: only 271 (77+194) of the 613 can be done outside Israel today!

 

4.      Best land to be buried in-no pine box

-rolling bones by techiyas hamesim

(relates to no cremation)

 

5.      The air of Israel makes one wise

 

Two brothers lived on two sides of a mountain. One was rich but had no children, one had many children but was very poor.

The rich brother thought, I have so much my brother has so little, let me secretly cross the mountain in the middle of the night and bring my brother extra crop. The poor brother said, I derive so much happiness from my children, let me secretly bring my brother some of my crop so he could have a little extra joy in this world.

And so it went every night each of the brothers secretly crossed the mountain to bring their brother food. Every morning the brothers would inspect their stock to learn nothing was missing. Neither could explain the phenomena but they thanked G- d for His kindness and continued in their good will.

After years of this routine a schedule change occurred. Instead of the two brothers missing each other in the night, there on top of the mountain the two brothers met. They looked at each other in surprise and then simultaneously realized what had been happening for all the years. They both spontaneously embraced one another there on top of the mountain as they cried for joy.

Who these two brothers were we do not know, but it was on that mountain top, says the Medrash that G-d decided the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, should be built.