TT 456 HALACHIC TIMES for Jerusalem Correct for TT #456 For the deadlines of Shma and Shacharit, the first times are according to the GR"A, the day being reckoned from sunrise to sunset. (The times in parentheses are according to the Magen Avraham, the day being reckoned from dawn to stars-out.) Candle lighting - 4:45pm Last opportunity for Kiddush L'vana for this month, Sh'vat 5761, was Wednesday night, February 7th. This is so because the NIGUD (opposition, full Moon) is/was Thursday morning, 10:14. This time, based on average, is fairly close to the astronomical (actual) full Moon of 9:12am. On a different note, CHATZOT, halachic noon, is at its latest time, 11:53:20, on Feb. 10-11. After that date, Chatzot will get progressively earlier until May 13-15 when it will be 11:35:24. Then it will get later and later until July 25-26 when it will be 11:45:36. From it will get earlier and earlier until November 3rd when it will reach its earliest time of 11:22:39. And from then, later and later until February 10, '02 when it reaches its latest time of 11:53:20. Notice the two different highs & lows in the year's cycle. Next came the glorious Exodus, but with it, another dose of reality. The people had the Sea in front of them, mountains to the left and right, and a pursuing Egyptian army coming from behind them. Another set of miracles and they were protected by Cloud and Fire. Then the Miracle of Miracles, the Splitting of the Sea. What the simplest person at the Sea saw, Yechezkeil HaNavi didn't see in his most vivid visions. And this miracle brought Bnei Yisrael to an unprecedented level of Emuna, belief in G-d and in Moshe His servant. For three days after K'ri'at Yam Suf, the people traveled in the wilderness in search of water. When they finally found it, it was undrinkable. This latest dose of reality overshadowed the wondrous miracles and evoked from the people another bitter complaint against G-d and Moshe. And another miraculous event came to the rescue and the water was sweetened. And then the food we brought from Mitzrayim runs out. The people are hungry. More reality. Apparently, we cannot drink or eat miracles. Ah, but we can. And the manna will come to the rescue. Miracle, once again, saves us from reality. And this time, the miracle is not a brief, bright flash in the pan (as the expression goes, no doubt dating back to the early days of photography before flash bulbs). The miracle of the manna will be with the people for forty years, and a sample of the manna will be kept so that the memory & message will not leave us. It is no wonder why the Meraglim wanted to prolong the stay in the Midbar, knowing (but perhaps not appreciating) that entry into Eretz Yisrael will mean living with reality. But that reality was to be filled with different kinds of miracles, the miracles of nature, and the blessings from G-d for our being His Nation. It takes a lot of time for us to realize that our reality is a true Torah Life. Kohen - First Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 13:17-14:8 [SDT] The Midrash tells us that Yosef's bones had been hidden by the Egyptians in the Nile in order to prevent the Israelites from leaving the country. Yosef's coffin miraculously surfaced just at the right time, so that the People could take it with them when they left. We are taught that Yosef merited being taken out for burial in Eretz Yisrael because he had arranged for his father's burial. Moshe, in turn, was accorded the highest honor - G-d Himself - took care of Moshe's burial, in reward for the attention he paid to Yosef's remains. [FYI] The Gemara teaches us that a dead body itself - and certainly one who is defiled to a dead body - is allowed into the "Levite Camp", and is only banned from the Mikdash area. This we learn from the fact that Moshe took Yosef's bones "with him". This halacha has significance today concerning the permissibility of ascending the Temple Mount in those areas that are not where the Temple and its courtyard stood. Har HaBayit - outside the Mikdash area - has the status of the Levite camp, and one may go there following immersion in a Mikve to rid oneself of "the defilement that comes from the body". (Defilement to a dead body cannot be removed without the Para Aduma potion.) - with certain restrictions. A person careful about Halacha should consult Rabbanim with Temple Mount experience before ascending to there. G-d provided an escort for the People in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. G-d tells Moshe of His plan to lead the People in such a way that Par'o will pursue them in the misguided hope of bringing them back to Egypt. When Par'o is notified (by spies whom he had sent to accompany the Israelites) of the People's whereabouts, he (with G-d's help in making his heart "heavy" and "strong") takes a tremendous force with him and chases after the People of Israel. [SDT] "And G-d did not allow them to go DERECH ERETZ P'LISHTIM. Literally, they did not take the straight route to the territory of the Philistines. One commentator suggests an interesting DRASH based on a play on words. G-d did not take the People out of Egypt in DERECH ERETZ, in the normal, natural way of things. Normally, bread comes from the ground; for the People of Israel, G-d sent them bread from above. Normally, water comes from above; for the People of Israel, G-d provided water from below, from the miraculous Well that accompanied them on their journeys, in the merit of Miriam. Not taking us out in a natural manner, leaves us with no doubt that it was indeed G-d Who took us out of Egypt. This is a crucial foundation stone of Judaism. Not only did we get out of Mitzrayim, but it was G-d Who took us out. Not only did He take us out, but the people knew it well. [SDT] It might be suggested that what is happening is a clarification of who took the People of Israel out of Egypt. Par'o actually thought that he let the People go - that he expelled the People from Egypt. That's even what it seems to say at the beginning of this week's sedra. G-d arranged to have Par'o run after them. Then the events make it clear to him - and to us - that G-d, and only G-d took us out of Egypt. [SDT} Speaking of the opening words of the sedra, if G-d's point is that He took us out, why does it say VA'Y'HI B'SHALACH PAR'O ET HA'AM? Someone on the radio - I did not catch his name - answered by pointing out that it does NOT say that Par'o sent Israel out of Egypt, but "the nation". It was his nation that he sent with Bnei Y., some as spies and some as tag alongs. G-d tells Moshe to raise his hand over the Sea and split it, so the People will be able to pass through it on dry land. G-d informs Moshe that He will again harden Egypt's heart so that they will continue their pursuit. The Egyptians will finally know G-d's might. The guardian angel (pillar of cloud) that was leading the People now was repositioned between the Jews and the pursuing Egyptian army, thus preventing contact. Moshe raises his hand above the Sea and G-d causes a powerful eastern wind to blow all night, followed by a parting of the waters. The People of Israel enter the Sea on dry land, between walls of water. Egypt boldly follows, but the arrogant attitude of the Egyptians abruptly changes to fear and panic as their chariots lose their wheels and bog down in the seabed. (This is in sharp contrast with the perfectly dry land that Israel found beneath its feet.) Egypt finally (and too late) acknowledges G-d, not only now, but retroactively, as the One Who had fought for Israel in Egypt. [sdt] What was the purpose of the strong wind blowing all night? Could not G-d have split the Sea with the snap of a finger? The answer is: Of course. But the night's preparation for the miracles of the day serve several purposes. The Egyptians are lulled into a false sense of security when something is happening that they can explain. They don't want to accept that the G-d of Israel is performing miracles for His people. No doubt, their wizards explained the desert winds and the effects it can have. Etc. Among the Jews, there are always individuals who would also like not to admit to G-d's awesome powers. They too will have their "excuse" in the natural components of the miracle. Perhaps, most importantly, this wind (and similar elements attached to other miracles) allows us to relate to and appreciate more, the miracles themselves. A snap of the finger brings results too quickly for us to think about what is happening. A night to ponder what was going on, further enhanced the appreciation of the Children of Israel for what had happened, was happening, and was to happen. For your information... What makes the Song of the Sea so special is that it is a direct quote of the People of Israel that G-d put into His Torah verbatim. In other words, the rest of the Torah is written by G-d; we composed this part. It is an inspiring passage that has been incorporated into the daily davening. [SDT] Commentators point to the tense used in the beginning of the Song: Then Moshe and the Children of Israel WILL sing... This is taken as one of several allusions to the concept of T'chi'at HaMeitim being found in the Torah. It is written in Sefer HaChareidim that "he who says the Song of the Sea aloud and with joy, it is as if he was leaving Egypt at that moment - and his sins will be forgiven." In the merit of the Song of the Sea, G-d split the Sea for the People and forgave their transgressions. The People continue their journey and fail to find water for three days. When they do find some, they complain bitterly (pun intended) of the inability to drink it. G-d directs Moshe to perform a miracle whereby the water becomes sweet. [sdt] Aside from the literal meaning of the text, this episode is considered an allusion to the primacy of Torah in the life of a Jew. Both Torah and water sustain life - spiritual and physical. In the same vein, "three days without water" resulted in our reading the Torah on Monday and Thursday, so that in our wandering in the spiritual desert of life, we will not go 3 days without spiritual water. This is but one "use" of the well-known analogy between Torah and water. Included in the instructions about the Manna is the command not to "leave our PLACE on the seventh day (to collect the Manna)". This was not just a rule for that generation; it is a mitzva among the 613 - the mitzva of T'chum Shabbat [24]. B'KITZUR (as they say), the point of T'CHUM is not about how far we may walk on Shabbat. It is about how far AWAY FROM HOME we may go. The weekdays are for going. Shabbat is for staying put (as defined by halacha) and being able to "relax" and ponder G-d's Creation and Mastery.over all. The episode of the Manna is the context in which the Shabbat was first introduced to the People of Israel. A sample of the Manna was stored as a remembrance for future generations. The final nine p'sukim (which constitute the Torah reading for Purim morning) tell of the attack by Amalek on the fledgling nation of Israel. It is the archtypical fight against those who would seek to destroy us. This battle repeats itself - differently - throughout Jewish History. MUKTZE This emphasis is echoed later in the same chapter, as Moshe explains to the people, “Tomorrow is a solemn day of rest, holy to Hashem. Bake what you will bake, and cook what you will cook, and everything left over from today leave over and save for tomorrow”. (Shemot 16:23.) Again, the preparation of the manna is mentioned specifically in the context of preparing on Friday for Shabbat. These verses hint at the special importance of preparing on weekdays for Shabbat. Of course this preparation is partially a matter of practical necessity. Baking and cooking are forbidden on Shabbat, and so if we want cooked food on Shabbat we need to prepare it in advance. “One who toiled on erev Shabbat will eat on Shabbat; but one who didn’t toil on erev Shabbat, what will he eat from on Shabbat?” (Avoda Zara 3a.) But behind the necessity is a matter of principle. After all, HaShem could have freed us from the need for food one day a week, as He did for the forty days Moshe ascended Mount Sinai without eating or drinking. Or for Shabbat He could have provided special manna which requires no preparation. In both cases, no preparation would need to be done on Shabbat; yet no weekday preparation would be necessary. Instead, the Torah emphasizes that there is a special importance of preparing on weekdays for Shabbat. Weekdays are not merely days when we may do labors of preparation; they are days which are intended to prepare specifically for Shabbat. The fourth commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath day; our Sages learned that already from Sunday we should have Shabbat in mind (Mechilta Yitro, Mechilta deRashbi Yitro). In all, we have three levels of distinction. In a previous shiur (Chukat), we explained that weekdays are a time of giving, Shabbat a time of receiving. On Shabbat, work which contributes to the world is forbidden, while enjoyment (oneg Shabbat) is mandatory. This principle creates a contrast between weekday and Shabbat. The mitzva of preparing some Shabbat needs on weekdays, as we did in the desert, sharpens this distinction: Shabbat is specifically a time of receiving from the weekdays; there must be a relationship between weekday and Shabbat. In the laws of muktze, the Sages sharpen this distinction further: Shabbat is to receive only from the weekdays. Anything which was not ready before Shabbat is muktze and forbidden to use. This addition creates a dependency between weekday and Shabbat. Given this background, we can easily understand the various categories of muktze: Items which the owner specifically demonstrated are not meant for Shabbat use (the literal meaning of muktze); objects that are not prepared for any use as Shabbat comes in; items which did not even exist as Shabbat came in, like an egg laid on Shabbat (nolad). Rather, we use those objects which were prepared on weekdays, in order to use them on Shabbat. The 7th Day and the 7th Year Rabbi Meir is in the process of writing a monumental companion to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch which beautifully presents the meanings in our mitzvot and halacha. He is also directing the Jewish Business Response Forum at the Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, Jerusalem College of Technology - Machon Lev. The forum aims to help business people run their firms according to Torah, by obtaining prompt, relevant responses to their questions. The next Torah oath that we shall discuss is the situation where the plaintiff has one witness to substantiate his claim (that which I designate as Oath #2). In the situation where the plaintiff has no complete way of proving his claim, if the plaintiff produces one witness to substantiate his plea, the defendant in order to win the case, must take a Torah oath to deny the testimony of the witness. Failing to take the oath will result in the plaintiff obtaining a judgment against the defendant for the relief demanded by the plaintiff in his complaint. The defendant, in order to win the case, will have to take an oath, although the plaintiff is not certain that the debt is due, if the witness testifies with certainty that the debt is due. There are differences between Torah judicial oaths and non-Torah judicial oaths. The Torah judicial oath is always on the defendant; if he elects to take the oath he wins the case. If he refuses to take the oath he loses the case, and the plaintiff will obtain judgment for the relief demanded in the complaint. The non-Torah oaths are divided into two classes, Mishna oaths and the Talmudic enacted hesseth oath that I have designated as Oath #27. There is also an oath enacted by the Geonim, which I have designated as Oath #28. The Mishna oaths are divided into two groups. Group A that are oaths taken by the plaintiff to win the case, which oaths I have designated as Oaths 4 to 17, and Group B that are oaths that are taken by the defendant to win the case, which oaths I have designated as Oaths 18 to 27. If the non-Torah oath is Group A, where the plaintiff will win the case if he takes the oath, if he refuses to take the oath, his complaint will be dismissed. If the non-Torah oath is Group B where the defendant could take the oath and win the case, he will not lose the case if he refuses to take the oath. The plaintiff cannot win since he does not know the facts to prove a case in his favor. In this situation the Beth Din puts the defendant under a ban for thirty days or until he takes the oath whichever comes sooner. If at the end of thirty days he does not take the oath, he is flogged under the direction of the Beth Din. After he is flogged he is released from the ban, but no judgment is entered against him in favor of the plaintiff. In cases of Torah oaths if the defendant is not permitted to swear, as for example if he is a proven perjurer, he may not take the oath and he loses the case. In non-Torah oaths if it is the defendant who has to take the oath and he is a perjurer, he wins the case without taking the oath. However, the plaintiff may proclaim a ban on all those who should take an oath and fail to do so. See the procedure in my “A Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law” volume 2, chapter 71. In all cases of oaths, except for hesseth oaths instituted by the Rabbis of the Talmud, the person taking the oath must stand and hold a sacred object, such as a Torah scroll while taking the oath. He need not hold a sacred object when taking a hesseth oath. The current practice, however, is that even in cases of hesseth oaths the person taking the oath holds a sacred object. The purpose of requiring the holding of a sacred object even in the case of the hesseth oath is to instill fear into the heart of the person taking the oath. The person who takes the oath stands while holding a Torah in his arms. He swears an oath employing the Name of God or by a recognized substitute of His Name. The oath is stated by the person taking the oath or by the judges. The oath may be administered in any language understood by the person taking the oath. The oath and each part should be fully explained to the person. If after hearing the admonitions he states that he will not take the oath then all of the laws of a person failing to take an oath follow. The simplest form of the oath taken by the person himself is: “I hereby swear by the God of Israel, that I owe nothing to the plaintiff”. If the judges make the statement they may for example say, “We adjure you in the name of the Lord of Israel that you have nothing in your possession that belongs to the plaintiff”, and the defendant answers “Amen”. The judge should tell the person who is about to take the oath that the entire world shook when God told Moses the command Thou shall not take the Name of the Lord, thy God, in vain. (Exodus 20:7) Also regarding transgressing oaths it is stated, He will not hold guiltless (Exodus 20:7), while regarding other transgressions it is written, and holding guiltless (Exodus 34:7). For all other transgressions the transgressor alone is punished, but in the case of false oaths, both the transgressor and his family is punished. The oath must be taken in the presence of the person who caused him to take the oath. In most situations this will be in the presence of the other litigant. If the other party is not present but Beth Din administered the oath, it is nevertheless valid. Also the oath should be administered in open Beth Din where many people can be present, so that the person taking the oath might be shamed into admitting that his plea is not true. He may feel that the public will know about his oath and someone may come forward to show that he took a false oath, if that is the case. Beth Din should determine the time and place of the oath so that it will be most effective to have the swearer tell the truth. Similarly the beth din may want to have the oath administered in the community where the occurrence took place about which he is taking an oath, since there may be some people there who may know the facts of the case. If a person is required to take an oath to win a case, he may pronounce a ban on all those who make him take an oath, although the other person knows that he is not liable to take the oath, since the other person’s plea is false. The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed in Volume III, Chapter 87 of A Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law by E. Quint and on sale at local Judaica bookstores. Questions to quint@inter.net.il The reasons given for this custom help us in a gentle way to become more sensitive to the needs of the animals around us. There is a tradition that on the first Shabbat of the Manna, not only did people go out looking for Manna, but they (wicked people, says Rashi) had previously scattered Manna around the camp in order to find it and "make a liar out of Moshe". Birds came by early in the morning and ate up the Manna, thus protecting the honor of Moshe, and of G-d Who had said that Manna would not fall on Shabbat. In repayment "one good turn deserves another" style, we feed the birds around this Shabbat when we read of the Manna in the weekly portion. Another reason for the custom is given. In this sedra, we joyously sing praise to G-d for His having taken us out of Egypt and saved us from the Egyptians. Singing is the special domain of the birds. That is how they express themselves in acknowledgement of the Creator (so to speak - or so to sing). We borrowed their skill; therefore we "pay royalties" on our Song by feeding birds on (before) this Shabbat. We should not see this custom as just throwing a few crumbs to the birds. The act is a reminder of our obligation to repay kindnesses, HAKARAT HATOV, and of our attitude and treatment of the world's creatures in general. One idea reminds us of others. In last week's sedra, we read of the night of the Exodus when the firstborns of Egypt were being killed and in sharp contrast, there was utter tranquility in the Jewish area. The Torah says that "no dog barked". Barking under the circumstances of the Egyptian panic would have been natural for dogs. The Torah assigns to them a role in focusing on the miraculous nature of that special night. The Torah itself repays the "kindness" of the dogs by "recommending" that we give to them the meat that we may not eat - N'VEILA and T'REIFA. Another lesson in HAKARAT HATOV and in caring for the creatures of the Earth. The following is based on the halachic section of YEINA SHEL TORAH on SHABBAT KODESH by R. Binyamin Adler (Feldheim Publ.). His sources include Rambam, the Shulchan Aruch, Mishna B'rura, and other halachic works. Everyone is required to have of Seuda Shlishit; one should be careful to do it, even if one is satiated (from lunch). Shulchan Aruch states clearly that women are obligated too. The Mishna B'rura elaborates on this point and reiterates that women have equal requirements for all aspects of Shabbat. Furthermore, women were equal beneficiaries of the miracle of the Manna, this being a/the source for Shalosh Seudot. Women should take this mitzva seriously, especially in families where the men have Seuda Shlishit in shul between Mincha and Maariv. Many women in that setting feel it unnecessary for them to have the third Shabbat meal. One should have KAVANA (have in mind) to fulfill the mitzva of Three Meals on Shabbat when eating Seuda Shlishit. One need not torture himself in order to eat Seuda Shlishit. If one is stuffed from lunch (and afternoon snacks), he is exempt from Seuda Shlishit. The mitzva is part of ONEG Shabbat and was not given to us for our discomfort. (On the other hand, one should pace himself so that this situation does not occur.) The third Shabbat meal may be eaten from Mincha time - the earliest time that one may daven Mincha, namely from a half-hour after halachic noon. It is preferable to eat Seuda Shlishit, not just after Mincha time, but actually after one davens Mincha. If this is not practical, the meal can be eaten before Mincha. How late can one eat Seuda Shlishit? One should be careful to begin the meal before sunset. If begun on time, Seuda Shlishit may continue as late as you like. How much after sunset may one still begin Seuda Shlishit is a matter of differing Psak Halacha; consult your Rav if this situation occurs. It is proper to use Lechem Mishna for Seuda Shlishit. Can one do less? Yes. But why would you want to? Does one need to cover the Challot? No, for one reason and yes for another. Recommendation is to cover the Challot at Seuda Shlishit, but to remove the cover for the HaMotzi bracha, even if it is your custom to leave them covered during the bracha at the other Shabbat meals. There are opinions that Mezonot is sufficient. Some allow other foods as well. One should follow the first opinion, that requires Challah, unless one is too full from lunch to have a whole meal. In other words, "I don't feel like washing" should not be the reason that one does not have bread at Seuda Shlishit. One should sing Z'mirot at Seuda Shlishit; Mizmor L'David is traditional for this meal; some say/sing it three times. Y'did Nefesh is also a traditional Seuda Shlishit song. One should learn Torah at this meal, and share divrei Torah with family and guests. R'tzei for Shabbat is included in Birkat HaMazon regardless of how far into the night one's Seuda Shlishit has been extended. If one davened Maariv before benching, or said Baruch HaMavdil bein Kodesh L'chol before benching, then R'tzei is not said. A The reasons for saying BOREI PRI HA'EITZ and then SHE'HE'CHE'YANU: [1] It is similar to a mitzva-bracha which always precedes SHE'HE'CHE'YANU, e.g. Shofar, Lulav, Megila, Chanuka candles... [2] TADIR - when you have two mitzvot to perform at the same time, the more frequent one (bracha for the fruit) goes first, then the less-frequent (SH.) RITE and REASON is available at local Sfarim stores, in the original Hebrew as well as in English translation. It makes a great gift... even for yourself! The greatest bit of cleverness: Never try to be clever. Just as the sweeper who cleans the courtyard gets dirtied himself, so can one who seeks to repair the world be contaminated by evil. The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in the areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of the questions are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli, zt"l to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. The Ask the Rabbi project is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah... Question: When I give tzedakah for miscellaneous purposes (e.g. kaparot, before Shabbat, matanot la'evyonim, etc.), is that included in the requirement of ma’aser kesafim? I ask, because I heard one shouldn’t give more than 10% of his net income to tzedaka. Answer: The rule is that one is not allowed to kill two birds with one stone with tzedakah. What I mean is that one cannot use tzedakah money to fulfill mitzvot which he is obligated to do (buy arba’ah minim, Shabbat meals, etc.) for himself. This concept is based on a gemara in Chagiga 8a. One may receive indirect benefit (honor, debt of gratitude) from donating. Matanot la’evyonim is an independent obligation, halachically separate from tzedakah (even though there is a strong philosophical connection) and thus, should not be taken from ma’aser. Since it is sufficient to give to two poor people, once one has given to them, he has no further obligation. If he wants to give more, he can choose to give any additional money from ma’aser(Mishna Berurah 694:3; see also Yechave Daat I, 87). One would not be fulfilling (with the additional ma’aser money) the special mitzvah of matanot la’evyionim at that point, but rather, regular tzedakah. Regarding kaparot, Sefer Tzedakah u’Mishpat ch.6, note 37 rules that since it has been accepted as an obligation, ma’aser money should not be used. As far as tzedakah before Shabbat is concerned, I don’t believe it has been accepted by those who give it as a new obligation, but as an appropriate time to give tzedakah. It is probably best to have in mind when one starts the practice that he will take from ma’aser (if that’s what he wants). However, even without such a stipulation, the money for tzedakah before Shabbat can be taken from ma’aser. There are other good uses of money which need to be analyzed if they are independent obligations or can be taken from ma’aser. In the past several years, many sefarim have come out on the topic of ma’aser kesafim. One is allowed to give more than 10% to tzedakah. The limit is 20%, while 10% is considered a positive, average percentage. What you may have heard is that it is proper to make an accurate calculation of 10%, as opposed to giving more without calculating (Chavot Yair, 224). However, if you calculate, put aside the money, and then decide to give more as regular tzedakah (or don’t count certain donations toward ma’aser, which comes to the same thing), that is wonderful. May you always have the desire and resources to fulfill the beautiful mitzvah of tzedakah in its various forms. This “Ask the Rabbi” Q&A is part of this week’s Hemdat Yamim, the parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org. If you would like to receive Hemdat Yamim by e-mail, on a weekly basis, please send an e-mail to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message Join Hemdatya. Please leave the subject blank. And if you really don’t want to wrack and warp your brains in this endeavor, we still recommend that you read the weekly TTriddles report. They are fun and also provide a SDT once in a while. And a lot of trivia. And here are the solutions... This Week's TTriddles From the Desk of the Director Sincerely yours, Menachem Persoff Director, Israel Center Discussions centered around the theme of the State’s identity- Jewish, masorati, or secular. It was a wonderful opportunity for all to reconnect and see old friends. Our Lichyot B’Yachad program continues with their mutual learning together with the Giv'at Brener High School. Last Thursday, 35 religious high schoolers from Neve Chana and Mekor Chaim met with their secular contemporaries to examine the primary Jewish sources for child-parent relationships. The learning went well, and the connections were meaningful and promising. That night, 12 guys from Yeshivat Har Etzion went to Emek Ha'Ela to meet with 40 madrichim from the youth movement “HaOved V’HaLomed”. There they sat together to learn the Jewish sources and attitudes towards violence. They enjoyed music together and took one more step towards blurring the lines between our young people. The next morning, our very special advisor, Michi, took the same group out to find their spiritual sides in nature. They hiked the fields in honor of Tu B’Shvat, and contemplated their inner selves in an effort to connect with a higher source. Only Michi could have done the job. Kol Hakavod! GESHARIM - NCSY’s new Gesharim program is up and running. We invite anyone who knows Russian olim in need of bar/bat mitzva preparation to contact us. The program organizes fun-filled activities for youth and their families to introduce them to basic concepts in Judaism. How old are you? What are you doing Wednesday evenings? If you are 13-14 years old, Makom BaLev Raanana is waiting for you at Beit Knesset Shivtei Yisrael, at 6:00pm for lots of fun and interesting activities Questions? Call Shlomit at 054-578-937. Fiddlin' & Food continues this Tues. when Perchik does some "no no's " with Hodel. While we will discuss briefly the role of women's Torah studies in Judaism, the main focus will be on the concept of "shomer negiah". The Israel Center's youth program for Anglo-Israelis tel. 566-7787 ext. 245 • fax: 561-7432 silvera@mail.biu.ac.il • www.zyworld.com/nesto LAST CALLS Davening in our own beautiful, just-now completed Wolinetz Family Beit Knesset "Ohel Shmuel". Meals in the Blumenfeld Hall, Kiddush in the Teichman Youth Center (or in the Garden, weather permitting) Mehadrin - Shmita L'chumra, meals catered by Chaim S. Shiurim, Divrei Torah, discussion groups on The Aseret HaDibrot with scholars-in-residence Rabbi David & Linda Derovan Call the Center and dial 204 for Ita Rochel or 211 for the Tiyul Hotline OU ISRAEL CENTER• Seymour J. Abrams • Orthodox Union•Jerusalem World Center [The
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