CHANUKAH

Oh Chanukah, O’ Chanukah, come light the menorah….” It is time again for glowing menorahs, spinning dreidles, delicious latkes (potato pancakes) and deep fried sufganiot (Jelly donuts). It’s Chanukah time. On Chanukah, Jewish families around the world gather together in their homes and light the Chanukah candles. Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the great miracles that happened during the Maccabee revolt in the time of the Second Temple period. In commemoration of the “miracle of the oil,” Jews light candles each night for eight nights. What was the miracle of the oil? Read the Chanukah story and find out

The Chanukah Menorah

The Chanukah Menorah is a candelabra with nine branches. It is also called a chanukiah.

The Ninth branch – While there are only eight nights of Chanukah, an extra candle is lit every night to be a “helper,” and is used to light the other candles. This candle is called the shamash. The place for the shamash on the menorah should be differentiated from the other lights. Usually it is higher, lower or out of line with the others.


--Instead of a menorah, one may light a series of tea candles (for example) one next to the other.

--The lights should be in a straight, even line without any differentiation in height between the eight Chanukah lights, or however many are lit that particular night. The lights may be in a semi-circle as long as all of the lights can be viewed at the same time.

--There should be enough space between lights so that two flames do not burn together or cause the candle next to it to melt.

Oil or candles — The sages said that it is preferable to use olive oil for the Chanukah lights, since the miracle took place with olive oil. One may use wax or paraffin candles or other types of oils as long as they produce a steady light.

Where To Light The Menorah

The purpose of lighting the Chanukah lights, and its essential mitzvah, is to proclaim the miracle (Pirsumei Nisa). It is important, therefore, to kindle the Chanukah lights where others will see them.

The Chanukah lights were originally lit at the entrance to one’s home, facing the street. It was placed on the left side of the entrance, across from the mezuzah.

--It is now a common practice to place the menorah in a window facing the street.

--If one lives on a high floor or is unable to place the menorah in a place visible from the street, it is permissible to place the Chanukah lights in any room where the people in the house will be able to see it.

NOTE: Please be sure to review fire safety procedures with your family

When To Light The Menorah

While there are several opinions about when one should kindle the Chanukah lights, the majority opinion is that it should be done at the time when three stars have appeared in the sky (approximately an 40-50 minutes after sunset).

Many people do, however, follow the opinion of the Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, 1720 – 1797), and light at sunset. This custom is commonly followed in Jerusalem.

If one is unable to light at the appropriate time, one may light later in the night as long as there is someone else in the household who is awake (thus fulfilling the requirements of publicizing the miracle).

---If it is very late and no one is awake, one should light without the blessing.

---If there are people in the street or in the apartments of a facing building who would see the lit candles, it is okay to light.

If one does not light at all during the night, they cannot do a “make-up” lighting. In such a case, one should just continue on the next night with everyone else.

Who Lights The Menorah

All adults are equally obligated in the lighting of the Chanukah lights and each one may light their own menorah.

Children over the age of 9 should light.

The head of the household may, however, elect to kindle one set of Chanukah lights for the entire household.

How To Light The Chanukah Menorah

On the first night, one light is placed on the far right of the menorah. Each succeeding night, one light is added to the left of the previous night’s candle(s). The newest light is always lit first.

Before lighting, the following blessings are recited:

Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech ha’olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzeevanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.

Blessed are You L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, who sanctified us through His commandments and commanded us, to kindle the lights of Chanukah.

Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech ha’olam, she’asah neesim la’avotaynu, bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.

Blessed are You L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, Who wrought miracles for our ancestors in those days at this season.

---The third blessing is recited on the first night only.

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, sheh’heh’cheh’yanu v’kee’manu v’hee’gee’anu la’zman ha’zeh.

Blessed are You L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.


As the lights are kindled, Ha’neyrot Halalu is recited.

Ha’neyrot halalu anachnu madlikin al hanisim v’al ha’niflaot, v’al ha’t'shu’ot v’al hamilchamot, she’aseetah la’avotaynu ba’yamim hahem bazman ha’zeh, al y’dey Kohanecha ha’k'doshim. V’chol shmonat y’mey Chanukah, ha’neyrot halalu kodesh hem. V’eyn lanu r’shut l’hishtamesh bahem, ehla lirotam bilvad, k’dey l’hodot u’leha’lel l’shim’cha ha’gadol al neesecha v’al nif’l'otecha v’al y’shu’otecha.

These lights we kindle upon the miracles, the wonders, the salvations and on the battles which You performed for our ancestors in those days in this season, through Your holy priests. During all eight days of Chanukah, these lights are sacred. We are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but to look at them, in order to express thanks and praise to Your great name for Your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations.


After the lights are lit, Ma’oz Tzur is sung.

Ma’oz tzur y’shu’ahtee, l’chah nah’eh l’shabeyach; Tee’kone beyt t’feelah’tee, v’sham todah n’zah’beyach; L’ayt tacheen matbeyach, mee’tsahr ham’nabeyach; Ahz egmor b’sheer mizmor, chanukat ha’mizbeyach.


Rock of Ages let our song, praise Thy saving power. Thou amidst the raging foes, was our sheltering tower. Furious they assailed us, but Thine arm availed us. And thy word, broke their sword, when our own strength failed us.

The Chanukah lights should stay lit for at least half an hour.

For the first half hour that the lights are burning, it is customary to refrain from common household chores.

One may not use the Chanukah lights for anything except proclaiming the miracle. For instance, one may not read using the light of menorah.

Special Prayers on Chanukah

AL HA'NISIM
“On the Miracles,” is inserted into the daily prayers.

o During the Silent Amidah of the morning, afternoon and evening service, Al Ha’nisim is recited after Modim (the Thanksgiving blessing).

o During Bentching/Bircat Hamazon (Grace After Meals), it is added in the middle of the second blessing, Nodeh L’cha.

o If one forgets to add Al Ha’nisim, neither the Silent Amidah nor Bentching should be repeated.

o Al Ha’nisim recalls the miracles that occurred on Chanukah, particularly the victory of the Jews over the Syrian-Greek army.

HALLEL
Psalms of Praise, is recited after the morning Silent Amidah. – Hallel is a collection of Psalms that are recited on the festivals and Rosh Chodesh (the new month).

Chanukah Gelt – Chanukah Gifts

a) Chanukah Gelt: – Gelt is Yiddish word meaning money. It is customary to give Chanukah gelt to the children.

o In earlier generations, it was usually shiny pennies or, at most, dimes. Now, probably as a result of inflation, one doesn’t give less than a shiny gold dollar (sometimes filled with chocolate).

o The custom of Chanukah gelt is often used to reward the child for knowing about the holiday or for learning about Judaism during Chanukah.

o ) The custom of Chanukah Gelt is actually found in the Talmud, where it states that even the poorest person must light Chanukah lights. If the person cannot afford oil or candles, than they should actually ask people for money. The Jewish perspective on charity, however, is very sensitive the dignity of the person in need. For this reason, it became customary to distribute money at Chanukah time so that it does not come across as charity, but as Chanukah gelt.

o The custom of giving gifts is often seen as an extension of Chanukah Gelt.

o Unfortunately, in the consumer driven American society, Judaism has to compete with the non-Jewish “Holiday Season.” Since children cannot distinguish between their spiritual needs and their material desires, many parents have found it necessary to give Chanukah gifts in competition with Xmas gifts, and thus developed the custom of giving Chanukah presents.

Shabbat Chanukah

Shabbat candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset on Friday night. Since the Chanukah candles are lit during or after sunset, which is already the Sabbath (on which it is prohibited to create a flame), there are specific rules for Shabbat Chanukah.

1) The Chanukah lights are kindled immediately before the Shabbat candles are lit.

2) Because the Chanukah lights must burn for at least a half an hour after sunset, extra oil is used or larger candles should be lit.

* Judaica stores often have special larger, longer candles available.
* Many people create makeshift menorahs and use Shabbat candles, which burn
much longer than the thin Chanukah candles.

3) After the Chanukah candles are lit, and a moment is taken to enjoy their light, the Shabbat candles are kindled. Click here for Shabbat Candle-lighting directions.

On Saturday night, the Chanukah candles are lit after the Havdalah ceremony, which separates the Sabbath from the weekday, is recited.

Dreidel

I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
With dreidel I shall play!

The Dreidel is a four sided top, with a single Hebrew letter on each of its sides. Before the game begins, all players are given an equal number of coins or candies. Each player makes an initial deposit of coins or candies to the middle of the circle and then takes a turn spinning the Dreidel. When it falls, depending on which Hebrew letter is facing up, the following occurs:

Nun: Nothing happens, on to the next player.
Gimmel: The player wins the pot.
Hey: The player takes half the pot.
Shin: The player must put a coin/candy in the pot.

Gambling?! On a Jewish holiday?

When the Syrian-Greeks ruled Judea (c. 167 BCE), they banned the study of Torah. The Jewish people defiantly continued to study and to teach their children. Under the threat of death, the children and their teachers met in secret, with a lookout to watch for soldiers. When the enemy approached, the books were quickly hidden and the Jews pretended to be gambling.

The letters on the Chanukah dreidel spell out Nayse Gadol Hayah Sham, A Great Miracle Happened There (referring to Israel). In Israel, therefore, dreidels have a Pey instead of a Shin, representing the word Poh, which means Here, since the miracle actually occurred in the land of Israel.

So go ahead, gather a few friends, spend a few pennies and spin the dreidel without any guilt.

The Story of Chanukah - Under the Hellenist Rule

When the Greeks conquered the world, they brought with them their highly developed Hellenistic culture – the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, the multitude of Greek gods and goddesses, and the worship of the physical. At first, the Greeks were peaceful rulers, luring Jews to their culture by inviting them in and being open to searching the wisdom of Judaism. In the year 199 B.C.E., however, the land of Judea, which had been under the control of the Ptolemies (Greeks ruling from Egypt), was conquered by the Seleucids (Greeks ruling from Syria).

The Syrian-Greeks did not feel that it was appropriate for the Jews, now their subjects, to maintain their own national culture. By now, they felt, the Jews should have seen the error of their “primitive” ways and grasped the “far more advanced” Hellenistic culture with open arms…and many did. The majority of Jews, however, maintained the heritage of their ancestors, incorporating some Hellenistic activities, but remaining faithful to the Torah.

The Syrian-Greeks tried to force the Jews to assimilate. The study of Torah became a capital crime. If a parent was found to have circumcised an infant son, both the parent and child were put to death. The Syrian-Greeks set up idols in town squares and called the Jews to the square and forced them to bow to the statue or sacrifice a pig before it. They even forced Jewish brides before their marriage to sleep with the local Syrian-Greek commander. Their campaign against Judaism began slowly, but by 168 B.C.E. they had desecrated the Holy Temple by setting a statue of Zeus in the main plaza.

The Story of Chanukah - The Maccabees Arise

In the town of Modiin, west of Jerusalem, lived a man named Mattitiyahu (Mattithias). He was from the Hasmonean family, which is one of the branches of the Kohanim (priests). In 167 B.C.E., Syrian-Greek soldiers came to the town and demanded that the Jews sacrifice a pig to one of their gods. Knowing that Mattitiyahu was considered a righteous leader, they signaled him out. But Mattitiyahu refused to sacrifice the animal, even under threat of death. Not all the Jews of Modiin were so brave and devoted. When one of his fellow townsmen stepped forward and volunteered to sacrifice the pig, Mattitiyahu, outraged at the treacherous act, grabbed a sword and slew the heretic. Mattitiyahu’s sons joined him and they attacked the soldiers, decimating the force by the end of the day. Needless to say, Mattitiyahu and his sons fled Modiin and took refuge in the hills. While Mattitiyahu began the revolt, he did not live to see its end. After his passing, within a year of the start of the revolt, the leadership was taken up by his son Judah, a valiant soldier and a wise tactician. In the hill, Judah gathered a band of Jewish freedom fighters who were prepared to fight for the Jewish way of life. They became known as the Maccabees.

The Story of Chanukah - The Joy of Victory

Under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, the Jews led a guerilla war to free their nation, their primary goal being to cleanse Jerusalem and the Holy Temple from the pagan idols desecrating it.

It was a challenging fight, with the vast power, might and numbers on the side of the Syrian-Greeks. But the Jews had a steadfast will and the knowledge that they were fighting for G-d and Torah. In 165 B.C.E., the Maccabees succeeded in retaking the Temple. They were aghast, however to find that the soldiers had thoroughly rampaged and desecrated the holy site.

The Jews immediately set to work removing statues, scrubbing the altar, and the many tasks necessary to rededicate the Temple. On the southern side of the sanctuary stood the grand, golden Menorah, but there was no oil with which to light it. As the Jews cleansed the Temple they searched for an unopened jar of pure oil. When all seemed lost, however, one small jar, with its seal still in tact, was found. The Jews rejoiced and hurried to the Menorah to rededicate the Temple.

One small jar of oil…It would take another week for a fresh jar of pure olive oil to be made. The Jews were in a quandary. Do they light the Menorah and let it fizzle out while they waited for more oil, or do they wait and use the oil the day before the new oil will arrive, in order to keep the flame continuous. Not wanting to put off the mitzvah, they decided to light the Menorah – and the miracle of Chanukah occurred. Despite the small quantity of oil, THE MENORAH REMAINED LIT FOR THE ENTIRE EIGHT DAYS, announcing to the world that G-d’s presence once again resided in the Temple.

Judaism vs. Hellenism

Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? What was there about Hellenism that lured so many Jews to assimilate and at the same time, aroused in other Jews such staunch opposition?

Ironically, Greek culture and Judaism are the roots of modern Western civilization. And, in fact, they are similar in that both cultures put great value on understanding the world and the use of one’s intellect. The Greeks nurtured the great philosophers and gave the world Plato and Aristotle. The Jews gave the world the Torah, the Talmud, and the basic concept of ethical monotheism. If both sought “Truth” in the world, why were they hostile to one another?

In order to understand the Chanukah story, it is necessary to understand the differences between these two cultures. Here is a basic outline of Judaism versus Hellenism:

ONE G-D

The belief in one G-d is the first of the Ten Commandments. Judaism believes not only that there is only one G-d who created everything, but that G-d is actively involved in ruling the world.

VS GODS, GODDESSED AND WHO KNOWS WHAT!

The Greeks believed in a multitude of gods. For each object or state of nature there was a different god or goddess, such as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Poseidon, the god of the sea.

MAN IN THE IMAGE OF G-D

The Jewish view of the Divine is that G-d has no physical form. The Torah does, however, often speak of G-d in human terms, such as “a jealous G-d” or G-d took us out of Egypt with “an outstretched arm.” These are all, however, understood to be metaphors used to help humans relate to G-d by speaking in familiar terms. One of the Thirteen Principle of Faith laid out by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam) is that G-d has no corporeal form.


VS GODS IN THE IMAGE OF MAN

The Greeks gods were almost all conceptualized as humans with supernatural powers. Not only did they possess the same physical image as humankind, but the Greek deities even had human lusts and passions. Greek mythology is filled with images of gods fighting in jealous rivalries, plotting against one another and innocent mortals, and pursuing human lovers. In fact, numerous gods in mythology are born out of god-human relationships. By creating gods who were as spoiled and egocentric as humans, it was easy for a person to negate the will of a god by saying it was the will of a rival god.

THE BEAUTY OF BALANCE

Judaism views the physical body as a partner with the soul. Humankind was created from the physical and from the spiritual (And the L-rd G-d formed the human being of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Genesis 2:7). This dual level of creation distinguishes humans from animals (completely of the lower world) and angels (completely of the upper worlds), neither of which have free-will. It is the Jewish belief that people must work throughout their lives to synthesize the physical and the spiritual. Finding this balance is, in Judaism’s view, true beauty. Since the Jewish view is that humankind was created in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:27), it is impossible to come to a conclusion that a human may supplement the Divine.


VS BEAUTY AS IDEAL

Greek culture placed the highest value on the physical and gave the world the idea that beauty is, in itself, a supreme ideal. Epitomizing this worship of the physical was the Greek passion for athletics. Among their first actions, the Greeks built gymnasiums in every city they conquered. The Greek athletics were held in the nude, highlighting the beauty of the human being. This physical glorification is one example of the Hellenistic view of nature as supreme. The attitude that the greatness of the human being ruled over the belief in the power of their gods, culminated in Plato’s view that there was a Divine creation, and and then the world was left to run itself.

These differences created a clash of cultures. The Greeks could not understand why the Jews did not instantly embrace their culture, which catered to the human’s physical desires. They were infuriated by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism.

The Banning of Mitzvot

In their need to rid the world of Judaism, they singled out three mitzvot (commandments): The sanctification of the new month, the Sabbath, and circumcision. Here’s why:

ROSH HASHANA/THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE NEW MONTH – The Jewish people follow a lunar calendar and the very first commandment to the Jewish people in the Torah is: “This month shall be yours as the first of months.” This commandment instructs Jews to sanctify the beginning of each new month, when the moon first reappears in the sky. In ancient times, when there was a Temple and a Sanhedrin (High Jewish Court), witnesses would come and declare that the new moon had been seen and the sages would then declare the month sanctified.

What then could be the problem with setting a calendar? When the Jews sanctified the new moon, it, in effect, stated to the world that G-d is in control of time. The month was not declared based on the counting of days, but rather based on the appearance of the new moon, according to G-d’s commandment of how the months should be calculated. Since the Greeks wished to show that humankind was in control of nature, they felt threatened by the Jewish concept of Divinely ordained time. Also, by denying the Jews the ability to sanctify the new month, they inhibited the proper celebration of the Jewish holidays, which are based on dates which start with the declaration of the start of each new month.

THE SABBATH – “Six days shall you work and do all your labor, but the seventh day is Shabbat for the Lord your G-d. On it, you shall do no [creative] work.” The seventh day is the Jewish Sabbath on which a Jew does no work. Why did the Greeks have a problem with a day of rest? The Hellenistic culture was a center of great creativity. From ancient Greek traditions, the Western world has inherited a remarkable legacy of literature, sculpture, philosophy, and architecture. Through their marvelous creations, the Greeks proclaimed their might over the world. Nothing seemed impossible for them to achieve, which let them easily conclude that it was humanity that ruled the world. The idea of taking one day to let G-d run the world negated the Greek belief in their own control. It also forced them to acknowledge how lightly they treated their own deities, while the Jews were willing to set aside an entire day to their one deity

CIRCUMCISION – Remember, the Greeks idealized the beauty of the physical form, particularly the male body, as can be seen in so many of their sculptures. The idea that the Jews would willing mar the body was outrageous to them (of course, leaving a baby to die from exposure wasn’t a problem). On a deeper level, however, circumcision represents humanity’s ability to have control over one’s physical self. The Greeks believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaism’s devotion to self discipline. While Judaism teaches humankind to strive to be like G-d, the Greeks created gods who acted with less dignity than many humans. Remember, it was Greek mythology that created nymphs and satyrs, philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses. They abhorred circumcision because it focused on the fact that a person is capable of channeling his/her passions.

Hannah and her Seven Sons

When Antiochus tried to destroy Jewish culture by outlawing Torah, he mistakenly thought that the Jews would quickly adopt the Hellenistic lifestyle. While some Jews did assimilate without a fight, Antiochus was not prepared for the unprecedented obstinacy of the Jews who refused to give up their heritage. Since the Jews would not quietly submit, Antiochus launched a full-scale 'culture war.’

Those Jews who refused to give up studying Torah, who refused to eat pork, etc., were killed or tortured. Antiochus recognized that Judaism and Hellenism were antithetical and that he could not allow Judaism to survive or Hellenism would disappear. One of the well-known examples of the lengths to which Antiochus went to convert the Jews, and their fierce resistance to his attempts, is the story of “Hannah and her Seven Sons.”

Brought before the king for the crime of being devout Jews, Antiochus demanded that they bow down to an idol before him. The eldest son stepped forward and said:

“What do you wish from us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.”

Shocked and angered, the king ordered him tortured. His tongue, hands and feet were cut off and he was placed in a cauldron of boiling water. While the tortures continued, the wicked Antiochus turned to the next son and demanded that he worship the idol. This brother refused as well and was similarly tortured. Antiochus continued down the line and each brother held fast to his faith and gave up his life, tortured in front of his mother and remaining brothers until only Hannah and her youngest son remained.

Aware that this event had not gone the way he had planned, and, in fact, was becoming a public relations disaster, Antiochus called the child forward and begged him not to be a martyr for such a small thing as bowing before a statue. The king went so far as to promise him wealth beyond his dreams for this one act. When he saw that he was not getting anywhere, he called Hannah forward and beseeched her to talk some sense into her son so that she might have one child left. Hannah agreed to talk to him, and took him to the side, pretending to beg him for his life.

But Hannah was proud of her sons. She knew what this one small act would mean to her child and to the morale of the Jewish people. Without tears, Hannah told her youngest, a mere child: “My son, I carried you for nine months, nourished you for two years, and have provided you with everything until now. Look upon the heaven and the earth — G-d is the Creator of it all. Do not fear this tormentor, but be worthy of being with your brothers.”

Without a second thought, the boy refused to obey the king’s commandment and was put to death. As her child lay dying, she cradled his body and asked him that, when he arrived in heaven, he say to Abraham that he, Abraham, had been willing to sacrifice one son to prove his loyalty to G-d, while she had sacrificed seven. For him it had been a test, for her it was reality. Pleading with G-d that she should be considered worthy to her children in the world to come, Hannah fell to the floor and died.

Hannah is considered a heroine for her faith in G-d. By teaching her sons that sometimes one must give up even life itself for the sake of one’s beliefs and by not begging for mercy from this evil king, by encouraging even her youngest son not to bow to evil, Hannah made a stand that resonates with all who hear her story.

The Story of Yehudit/Judith

Life under the Hellenist aggressors was a constant trial. Not only did they forbid basic Jewish observance, but, after the beginning of the Maccabee revolt, they laid siege to cities and towns across the land. And the siege was not simply a siege of food and water, it was also a siege on morality and morale. By decree of the king, any Jewish maiden who was to be married had to first spend the night with the local governor or commander. The Hellenists loathed the very sanctity of Jewish family life, knowing that it was a source of strength for the Jews, and were determined to undermine this lifestyle.

The Hellenist armies, under the command of Holofernes, laid siege to the town of Bethulia where Yehudit, the daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, was a young widow. While she was beautiful and wealthy, Yehudit was also known for her piety and good deeds. Holofernes, let it be known that he desired the beautiful widow.

As the siege persisted against the town of Bethulia, the people grew discouraged. They began to suffer from severe hunger. Out of despair, the town gathered together and the elders announced that in 5 days time, when they ran out of food, they would surrender. But Yehudit spoke out at the meeting, expressing her disappointment in their lack of faith in G-d. As the meeting ended, Yehudit told the elders that she had a plan that would deliver the enemies into their hands, but they must not ask her what it was. They must simply have faith in her. Because of Yehudit’s reputation for wisdom and piety, they agreed.

Taking with her one maidservant and a large basket of cheese, bread and wine, Yehudit left the city and was immediately stopped by the soldiers. She told them that she wished to speak with their commander, Holofernes. When she was brought before him, he welcomed the beautiful woman.

Yehudit told Holofernes that she worried for those in the city who were suffering under the siege and had decided to come and tell him how to capture the city and, hopefully, receive, in return, mercy on her people. He encouraged her to go on.

The people’s faith in G-d remained strong, she explained. So long as they had faith, they would not surrender; and, G-d would not allow the army to take the city. On the other hand, she added, before long, every scrap of kosher food would be gone, and in desperation they would begin to eat the flesh of unclean animals, and then G-d’s anger would be turned against them and the town would fall. She proposed to stay with Holofernes in the camp of his army, but would return to Bethulia each day in order to find out how low the supplies were. Then she would tell Holofernes when the time to strike was. Eager to spend time with the beautiful widow as well as to end the siege victoriously, he agreed.

After several days of Yehudit relaying that the people in Bethulia were almost out of supplies, she felt that she and her maidservant had gained the trust of the army. They came and went as they pleased. It was time to implement the second half of the plan.

Yehudit informed Holofernes that the Bethulia was now out of food and there remained only to wait a few days until they would be eating the non-kosher animals. He invited her to come alone to his tent that night to celebrate. She agreed, insisting that he partake of her ‘renowned’ goat-cheese. As he ate the salty cheese, he grew thirsty and Yehudit hurried to give him the heavy wine she had brought with her. While Yehudit pretended to eat and drink, Holofernes became sluggish from imbibing and eating. Shortly thereafter, he was in a deep sleep. Calling her maidservant in, Yehudit took Holofernes’ sword and cut off his head. The two women wrapped the head in a cloth and returned to Bethulia.

The elders were surprised to see her. Yehudit showed them Holofernes’ head and told them that the men of the city must attack the Syrian-Greeks now. When the soldiers would go to wake their leader they would find him dead. The elders followed her advice and, sure enough, the Syrian-Greek army fled at the surprise attack and after learning that their commander was dead. Thus Yehudit saved the day.

Chanuka Recipes

Because of the significance of oil in the miracle of Chanukah, it has become customary to partake of foods fried in oil during the holiday. Two traditional treats are latkes and sufganiot (potato pancakes and doughnuts).


LATKES — POTATO PANCAKES
(Makes 16 3″ latkes)
Reprinted with the permission of Kosherfinder.com
Submitted by: bgoldberg

Ingredients:

1 medium-size onion, grated fine (1/3 cup approximately)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 pounds potatoes (approximately 6 medium)
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt (omit or reduce if on a salt-restricted diet)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil for shallow frying
Instructions:

1. If you are using a hand grater, place the onion and eggs in a large bowl. Peel the potatoes, then shred or grate them directly into the bowl. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper.

2. If you are using a food processor, grate the onion, then peel all the potatoes and grate or shred as many as you can at once. Place the potatoes and onions in a large bowl, mix in the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until it is hot but not yet smoking. For each latke, spoon about 1/4 cup of potato mixture into the oil, flattening slightly with the back of the spoon to make a 3-inch pancake. Cook until crisp and brown on one side, then turn and brown the other side. Add oil as necessary to cook all the latkes.

4. Drain well on paper towels. Serve hot.
Many people serve Latkes with applesauce or sour cream.

SUFGANIOT – DOUGHNUTS – Makes about 1 dozen
Reprinted with the permission of Kosherfinder.com
Submitted by: bgoldberg
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola, soybean, or other oil
1/4 cup orange juice or brewed coffee
2 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder
Extra flour for the work surface
Oil for deep frying Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons orange juice or brewed coffee, approximately


Instructions

FOR DOUGHNUTS OR FRITTERS.

In a medium size mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs with the sugar and oil until well mixed. Beat in the juice or coffee, the flour, and the baking powder.

FOR DOUGHNUTS
1. Spread a thin layer of flour on a clean, dry work surface. Turn the dough out onto the flour. Coat your fingers with flour. Flatten the dough a little, then flip it over to coat the other side lightly with flour. Gently roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. 2. Using a doughnut cutter dipped in flour, cut the dough into as many doughnuts and doughnut holes as you can. Reroll scraps, cut the remainder. 3. In an electric skillet or a large deep pot, heat an inch of oil until it is hot but not yet smoking. Carefully drop as many doughnuts and holes as will fit comfortably in the skillet or pot. Fry a few minutes on each side until nicely browned. Drain well on paper towels. 4. For the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar in a small shallow bowl that will be large enough to accommodate a doughnut for dipping. Blend in orange juice or coffee half a teaspoon at a time, until smooth and just thick enough to run off the spoon. While still warm, dip the doughnuts into the glaze. If you prefer, sprinkle the fried doughnuts with plain confectioners’ sugar.

FOR FRITTERS
Omits steps one and two above. Heat the oil as in Step 3 above. Carefully drop the dough (which will be sticky) by rounded teaspoons into the hot oil. Fry until golden all over. Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, dip into a glaze, or serve with a little bowl of honey for dipping.
In honor of Yehudit, many people have the custom of eating dairy foods. A popular combination of the custom of dairy and oil is Cottage Cheese Pancakes:

COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES – Makes 16 2″ pancakes

Reprinted with the permission of Kosherfinder.com
Submitted by: bgoldberg

Ingredients:

Cheese latkes use the same basic ingredients as cheese blintzes, minus the milk in the batter, but they are considerably easier to prepare. Measure, stir, cook, and enjoy these golden, crisp cheese pancakes. Top the latkes with cinnamon and sugar, applesauce, or sour cream. Fresh fruit, either sliced strawberries or sliced ripe peaches, make a good topping as well.

1 cup (8 ounces) cottage cheese
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs (graded large)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter for frying, approximately
Optional accompaniments described above
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, use a large spoon to beat together the cottage cheese, flour, sugar and cinnamon, and the eggs.

In a 10-inch skillet, melt part of the butter over moderate heat until sizzling but not brown.

Using 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake, spoon the batter into the hot butter.

Fry until set and brown on one side, then turn and brown the other side. Add more butter to the skillet, continue cooking.

Serve immediately with any accompaniments you like.

The Ten Days of Repentance

As the sun sets on Yom Kippur, the judgment handed down on Rosh Hashanah is sealed. Known as the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Y'mei Teshuva), the first ten days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah until the end of Yom Kippur) are highlighted by an intensified desire for teshuva (repentance).

How to Change the Sentence in Ten Days: Teshuva, Tefila U’Tzedukah (Repentance, Prayer and Charity)

Teshuva, repentance, is the major focus both before and after Rosh Hashanah. During the Ten Days of Repentance, it is customary to scrutinize one’s actions and to review the process of teshuva that was begun during Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah. Many people make extra efforts at self-improvement during the Ten Days. For instance:

* Someone just starting to get more involved with Judaism may determine that the perfect time to begin eating kosher food is during the Ten Days.
* Someone who is farther along in his/her involvement may decide to use the Ten Days to begin davening (praying) regularly.
* Some people choose to strengthen themselves during the Ten Days by designating one hour a day during which they are particularly careful not to speak Lashon Harah (evil or gossip)

Tefila
* The concluding words of the first blessing are changed to: Remember us for life, O King Who desires life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life — for Your sake, O Living G-d
* The conclusion of the second blessing is changed to: Who is like You, merciful Father, Who recalls His creatures mercifully for life.
* The third blessing is amended to end with the holy King instead of the holy G-d.
* The ending of the blessing for the restoration of justice is changed to: the King of Judgment.
* During the second to last blessing, we insert the line: And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life.
* The ending of the final blessing is changed to: In the Book of Life, Blessing, and Peace, good livelihood, may we be remembered and inscribed before You – we and Your entire people, the Family of Israel, for a good life and for peace. Blessed are You, G-d, Who makes peace.

Avinu Malkenu, “Our Father, Our King,” a petitional prayer asking G-d to intervene for our benefit, is recited during the morning and afternoon services.

Tzedakah, charity, is an additional method one may seek to revise or avoid a negative verdict.

*Isn’t that bribing G-d? No. The life-long goal of the human being is to move closer to G-d. While Judaism has mandated laws about giving charity, these laws are meant to develop a person’s sensitivity to those in need. During the Ten Days, when we seek to show G-d that we have grown and are striving to be better, giving charity fortifies our fundamental giving instinct. Rather than bribing G-d, we are actively reminding ourselves of the direction in which we should be moving.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sunset.

There is something mystical about Yom Kippur in that almost all Jews recognize the holiness of the day: On Yom Kippur, G-d graces the world with amnesty--all one needs to do is to come and ask for it. When we spend the day talking with G-d, we are discussing, privately, all the things for which we need such amnesty, thereby cleansing ourselves and helping us recognize how we can improve our lives. In fact, the holiday is structured for us to build towards this connection with our inner-selves and with G-d.

To make that connection, the Torah instructs that:
"...on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all...for on that day God will forgive you and cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before God" (Leviticus 16:29-30).

How does one “afflict one's soul”? The oral law enumerates the following five restrictions:

Fasting (No Eating or Drinking) - From sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur until nightfall the next day, it is forbidden to eat or drink. However, those who are ill, as well as pregnant and nursing women, should and, in some cases, must, eat on Yom Kippur, as decided by their rabbi in consultation with their doctor,. In such cases the rabbi should also be consulted about specific details of eating on Yom Kippur. Additionally, girls below the age of 12 and boys below the age of 13 are not required to fast.

Washing - During the fast, one may not wash for pleasure, but one may wash to get rid of dirt or when preparing food (e.g. for children). One may also bathe a baby.

Anointing - It is forbidden to anoint oneself with oil. Thus, the use of perfumes, liquid or cream make-up, suntan lotion, and other such items is prohibited.

Wearing Leather Shoes - During the fast it is forbidden to wear leather shoes. Some people wear only socks, but others wear shoes of canvas or other non-leather materials (i.e. crocs).

Marital Relations - It is forbidden to have marital relations.

It may seem that refraining from the above actions would make one focus on the body, due to hunger or thirst, or the discomfort of not washing. However such discomforts are temporary and, in fact, turn one’s attention back to the importance of the day and the fact that we can transcend physical discomfort in order to connect with the spirit of the day.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

How We Prepare For Yom Kippur I

Kapparot – This is a ritual of symbolic atonement

1) Before Yom Kippur, we make every effort to rid ourselves of sin. The custom of Kapparot is recorded in the Shulchan Aruch, The Code of Jewish Law, written 500 years ago and is described there as an ancient custom.

2) Kapparot is generally performed during the night before Yom Kippur, although it may be performed earlier.

3) Traditionally, kapparot is performed by taking a live hen or rooster, depending on one’s gender, and swinging it over one’s head while reciting a passage transferring one’s sins onto the bird. The bird is then slaughtered according to Jewish Law and given to a family in need. -- An alternative custom (which is widely practiced in modern times) is that, instead of a chicken, one takes the appropriate amount of money to feed a family and donates it to a charity that provides food to the needy.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

How We Prepare For Yom Kippur II

Mincha – During Mincha, the afternoon service, the Vidui, confession, is added to the Silent Amida.

Eating a Festive Meal – It is a mitzvah to partake of a festive meal the day before Yom Kippur. This meal should be eaten early so that one may have the special seudah hamafseket, meal before a fast, after the afternoon service.

a) Whoever eats on erev (the eve of) Yom Kippur and fasts on Yom Kippur, it is as if (s)he
fasted both days.

b) The fasts in Judaism are not about deprivation, but about reaching a more focused spiritual
level. It is, however, important that one has the strength to focus on the activities of Yom
Kippur day.

Seudah HaMafseket, The Meal Before the Fast.

1) This meal can actually be eaten any time during the day, although most people partake of it after mincha, the afternoon service. The meal must be concluded during the daytime.

2) One should only eat light foods which are not too salty in order not to make fasting difficult. (It is therefore the custom not to eat fish at this meal.)

3) No intoxicating beverages should be served.

4) It is customary to eat kreplach dumplings, (usually served in soup) before Yom Kippur. The kreplach are hidden bits of meat in dough, symbolic of our desire that G-d will hide our sins.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

How We Prepare For Yom Kippur III

Yahrtzeit Candles: It is customary to light memorial [yahrtzeit] candles which burn for 24 hours just prior to lighting the festival candles.

Festival Candle Lighting: All Jewish holidays begin at sunset the evening before. On the Sabbath and Yom Tov [festival], candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset to welcome the holy day. The procedure for lighting candles for a holiday varies slightly from Sabbath candle-lighting:

The end of the blessing is changed to represent Yom Kippur:

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav
v’tzeevanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom ha-Kippurim.

Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d ruler of the world, who sanctified us through His
commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Yom Kippur.

An additional blessing is made to acknowledge the good fortune of being able to experience the holiday:

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, she’he’che’yanu v’kee’manu
v’hee’gee’anu la’zman ha’zeh.

Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d ruler of the world, Who has kept us alive, sustained us,
and brought us to this season.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Kreplach Recipe

(reprinted with permission from “Jewish Art Calendar” published by A cable to Jewish Life www.cablejew.com)

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsps. oil
2 egg yolks
½ cup water
1 ½ tsps. baking powder or baking soda

Combine flour, salt, and oil. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, water and baking powder (or soda). Add to flour mixture. Knead and rollout, thinly, on floured surface. Cut into 3 inch squares or circles.

Filling Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
2 Tbsps. oil
1 cup ground cooked meat or chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp. matzoh meal

Saute onion in oil. Add chopped meat and brown for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Add salt, pepper, egg and matzoh meal, and mix well.

Fill center of each square or circle of dough with meat mixture. Fold into triangles, or bring both sides and bottom together towards center, pinching together, and thus forming a triangle.

Place folded triangles in lightly salted boiling water for approximately 20 minutes until kreplach float to top.

When ready, remove from pot and serve in soup or as a side dish.

For firmer kreplach, fry in heated oil in skillet over medium flame until golden brown on both sides.

Wearing White on Yom Kippur

Many people have the custom of wearing white on Yom Kippur. Some men, wear a kittel, a simple white robe, over their clothing. On Yom Kippur evening, men wear their tallit, prayer shawl, which is usually worn only during the day. Wearing white serves several purposes:

i) One’s burial shroud is white and one is therefore reminded of one’s mortality and the need to do teshuvah, repentance.


ii) On Yom Kippur one wishes to resemble an angel, and therefore one symbolically dresses in white.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Yom Kippur Prayers

Yom Kippur night

Kol Nidre: This most famous of prayers is the opening of the Yom Kippur service. It begins before sunset, when the ark is opened and two Torah scrolls are removed to the bimah where the cantor is standing. The Kol Nidre service is an annulment of vows that one took in the past year or that one may take in the forthcoming year. This annulment refers only to voluntary vows between man and G-d and does not remove one’s obligation to repay debts or fulfill personal agreements.


Vidui/Confession: One aspect of the teshuvah/repentance process is to verbalize one’s sins. This takes place during the confession. The confession must be with a true heart – one must truly repent the action (s)he is confessing.

Vidui is recited during every Yom Kippur service, including the afternoon service (mincha) preceding Yom Kippur.

The Vidui service is made up of a list of 22 sins (one for each letter of the aleph-bet). Examples of the confessional lines are:

i) For the sin that we have sinned before You under duress and willingly…

ii) For the sin that we have sinned before You with harsh speech…


The confession is recited standing up, head bowed in humility. As each confession is stated, one strikes the left side of his/her chest with his right fist.


Focusing on Vidui
* On first reading through the Vidui, one may think “I didn’t do that!” Each time one reviews the Vidui lines, however, one can gain a deeper insight into what is being said. For instance, one confession reads:For the sin that we have sinned before you by causing subservience through bribery.

“Subservience through bribery” does not necessarily mean giving a judge money to change a verdict. Every day people bribe each other with promises or flattery. When reading the Vidui, perhaps one may realize that they have coerced someone into doing something not quite right by promising them something or by encouraging the continuation of a negative character trait.

Reviewing the confession lines and reading them with a slightly different outlook will make the Yom Kippur experience all the more meaningful. Through this service, we realize how important our every action is.

The Torah Reading on Yom Kippur: During the Morning Service two Torah scrolls are removed from the ark. An account of the Yom Kippur Service of the High Priest in the Holy Temple is read from the Book of Leviticus, followed by a listing of the special sacrifices of the holiday in the Book of Numbers. The Haftorah is from the Book of Isaiah.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Afternoon Service/The Story of Jonah

Yom Kippur is the only holiday on which there is a weekday afternoon Torah reading. The section is taken from the portion of Acharei Mot in Leviticus and deals with the laws of forbidden sexual relations.

The Haftorah is the story of Yonah (Jonah), one of the prophets of the Bible:

G-d chooses Yonah go to the Assyrian city of Nineveh and warn them that they will be
destroyed unless they change their ways. Instead of following G-d’s command, Yonah flees
onto a ship, hoping to avoid this mission.

G-d sends a great storm. The people on the ship, fearing for their lives, discern that Yonah is
the cause and, at Yonah’s instruction, throw him overboard. Yonah is swallowed by a large fish
(commonly interpreted as a whale). He lives inside the fish for three days, praying to G-d and
accepting G-d’s will. When he is returned to dry land, he goes to Nineveh and gives them G-d’s
message. The people repent and are saved.

Yonah, however, leaves the city depressed that this city of idol-worshipers heeded G-d’s
warning when his fellow Jews do not. He sits outside the city waiting to see what will happen.

While he sleeps, G-d makes a vine grow over him to shade him from the heat. Yonah awakes
and rejoices over the vine; but that night, G-d sends a worm to destroy the vine, causing Yonah
to weep. G-d then rebukes him for having pity on a plant that appeared and disappeared in one
night, but not having pity on the hundreds of thousands of souls of Nineveh.

We read from the Book of Yonah on Yom Kippur because it highlights the idea of teshuvah, repentance.

Yonah realized that he had done wrong in trying to run away from G-d’s command. Yonah
actually follows the pattern for teshuvah: He recognizes his mistake while on the ship during
the storm; He verbally confesses that he was wrong by telling the men on the ship that he is
the cause and instructing them to throw him overboard; He regrets his actions as expressed
by the prayers he says while in the belly of the fish; and, when once again commanded by
G-d to go to Nineveh, he does so.

The men on the ship, seeing the power of the G-d of Israel, repent their worship of idols and
convert to Judaism.

The city of Nineveh heeds Yonah’s warning. The king of Nineveh decrees that his subjects
must don sackcloth and repent. G-d sees that the people actually change their actions. The
city is saved, highlighting the fact that G-d desires and accepts repentance from all people.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Yizkor – The Memorial Service

The Yizkor Memorial Service is recited on the last day of each festival – Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, and on Yom Kippur (as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are considered like one holiday). The Yom Kippur Yizkor Service, however, is considered more significant than the other holidays.

While those who have passed away are unable to grow spiritually, the deeds of their children earn merit for their souls.

During the Yizkor Service, it is customary for people to offer a pledge to charity in memory of their loved one(s).

In Ashkenazic custom, those whose parents are both living leave the sanctuary during Yizkor. In Sephardic custom, everyone remains in the sanctuary while the cantor recites Yizkor.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Ne’ilah – The closing prayers

As the sun begins its descent on Yom Kippur, the Gates of Mercy, opened during the period of Teshuvah, are closing, and it is the last hour before the sentence is sealed.

Only on Yom Kippur is a fifth Silent Amida added to the day, and this is during the Ne'ilah Service.

As the day closes, the Ne'ilah Service concludes with the blowing of the Shofar, heralding the closing of the Heavenly gates and announcing our optimism that our prayers were accepted and that the day will have a positive outcome.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

After the Fast

After the Havdallah (separation of holy and weekday) ceremony, everyone returns home and partakes in a festive meal. Because one wishes to extend the holiness of the day, many begin preparing for the next holiday, Sukkot, by starting to build their sukkah right after Yom Kippur.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Fast Of Gedaliah (Tzum Gedaliah)

The Fast of Gedaliah is observed to commemorate of the murder of Gedaliah the son of Achikam, which is described in the last chapter of the Second Book of Kings. This murder resulted in the final Babylonian exile and destruction:

After the first Holy Temple was destroyed and the Babylonians had driven the majority of the Jewish people into exile, a small minority of Jews were permitted to remain in the Land of Israel. Also, Jews who had fled during the war returned and began to work the land.

Nebuchadnetzar, the King of Babylon, appointed Gedaliah to be the governor over the remaining population.

The King of Ammon, a neighboring country, was vying for control over the Land of Israel against the Babylonians. He commissioned Yishmael the son of Netanyah to remove Gedaliah.

Murder! Yishmael, who was a descendant of King David, came to the town of Mitzpeh and murdered Gedaliah and all those that were with him.

In fear of retribution for the murder of the appointed governor, the remaining Jews fled the Land of Israel, thus completing the exile.

When

The Fast of Gedaliah is observed on the third day of Tishrei, the day after Rosh Hashanah. The fast begins at the break of dawn and ends at nightfall .

* Some people will get up before dawn and have an early morning breakfast (but this is only permitted if a decision to do so is verbally expressed the night before).

Do’s and Don’ts

1) During the duration of the fast, eating and drinking are prohibited.

2) Unlike Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av (The Day of Atonement and the Ninth of Av), bathing, anointing, marital relations and wearing leather are permitted.

3) Pregnant and nursing women, and others with health considerations may be exempt from fasting (please consult your rabbi). Children under the age of bar/bat mitzvah (13 for boys, 12 for girls) are not required to fast.

4) Special prayers are added to the synagogue services:

a) Selichot (Penitential Prayers) and Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King) are recited.

b) At the morning service, Exodus 32:11-14 and 34: 1-10 are read from the Torah.


**5) If the third of Tishrei falls out on Shabbat, the fast is postponed until Sunday, as it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat (with the exception of Yom Kippur).

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana, which literally means the Head of the Year, is the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashana is Yom Harat Olam, The Birthday of the World.

According to the Biblical narrative, it took six days to create the world, and on the sixth day God created Adam. During the first six days, animate and inanimate objects were formed, but the world was inactive until after the creation of the first human, who could appreciate and use God’s creations. Rosh Hashana is actually the day that Adam was created, but, even though there was prior creativity, it is nevertheless considered the birthday of the world because on this day the world came to life. With the creation of Adam, time was sectioned into hours, days, years, etc., and, therefore, we begin counting the years from this day.

Rosh Hashana is celebrated on the first and second days of Tishrei.

In the Torah, Rosh Hashana is given several names, each of which characterizes the day:

Yom Hazikaron – The Day of Rememberance – It is the day on which God recalls all of humankind’s deeds of the past year.

Yom Hadin – The Day of Judgement – It is the day on which God judges the actions of humankind.

Symbolic Foods

The symbolic foods: Since Rosh Hashana is the day of judgement, it is customary to eat foods with symbolic meanings to invoke God’s blessing. We therefore utter a prayer and then eat these items. (Except for apples and honey, which is universally practiced, the exact items eaten depend on family custom.)

Apples and Honey:
A slice of apple is dipped in honey, and the blessing for the fruit of the tree is recited:

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam, Borai p’ree ha’aitz.
Blessed are you Lord, our God ruler of the world, Creator of the fruit of the tree.

Take a bite and then recite the following brief prayer:

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year.”

Dates
(t’marim – from the word for “to consume”)

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that our enemies be consumed.”

Some people eat the date first because it is one of the fruits for which the Land of Israel is known.

Squash
(kara – from the word for “to tear”)

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that the decree of our sentence be torn asunder; and may our merits be proclaimed before You.”

Black-Eyed Peas
(rubia – from the word for “increase”) or
Carrots
(merrin, in Yiddish – from the word “more”)

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that our merits increase.”

Raisins and Celery
(this is a recent, somewhat humorous, English addition)

“May it be Your will to grant us a “raise in salary.”

Pomegranates

It is said that each pomegranate has 613 seeds, representing the 613 commandments of the Torah:

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that our merits be as plentiful as the seeds of a pomegranates.”

Fish
A fish is considered to be a symbol of fertility and blessing:

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that we be fruitful and multiply like fish.”

Head of a Sheep/Fish:
Some have a custom to have the head of a sheep or a fish on the table and to say:

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that we be as the head and not as the tail.”

Nuts
On Rosh Hashana, nuts are not eaten since the numeric value of the word for nut, egoz, is equivalent to the numeric value for the word for sin, chet.

Shofar Service

“…It shall be declared a holiday for you, a day of sounding a teruah for you”
(Numbers 29:1).

Teruah is the word for one of the sounds of the shofar.

* The shofar is made from the horn of a ram. A special person to serve as the Shofar blower is designated for the holiday. This person has studied the various laws of the shofar service and is trained to properly maintain strong consistent sounds.
* The shofar is not sounded on Shabbat.
* It is a Torah obligation to hear the shofar during the Rosh Hashana Mussaf service (the additional service). If one is unable to attend services, during the daytime one may:

Find out what time the shofar will be blown and go specifically to hear the shofar blown and then return home.

Check with the local synagogue if there will be a special shofar sounding for people who miss it in the morning.

Have someone blow the shofar for him/her privately.

There are three types of shofar blasts:

Tekiah – The Long, Solid Blast.

* The tekiah sound is like the blast of the trumpet at a king’s coronation, reminding us that God is the King of Kings.
* The tekiah is a strong note of joyous happiness, to remind us that we are standing before God, our Maker, who loves us and judges us with mercy.

Shevarim – The Three Medium-Length Blasts

* The shevarim is reminiscent of deep sighs or soft crying, (where one is gasping for breath).
* The shevarim is the beginning of the recognition of all that God does for us, and all that we could be doing, thus the sighing sound.

Teruah – The Nine Quick Blasts

* The teruah evokes the feeling of short piercing cries of wailing.
* The teruah is the recognition that the year is closing and that the time for teshuva will soon pass.

Tekiah Gedolah

The elongated, solid note that is blown as the last blast of the shofar service. The regular tekiah is a note of joy – the tekiah gedolah is a triumphant shout that reaches out to the hearts of all to assure them that their prayers have been heard.

Tashlich – The Casting Away of Sins

It is customary after the afternoon service on the first day of Rosh Hashana, to go to a body of water in which there are live fish (or to a place where one can see the water) and to symbolically cast away one’s sins. While standing by the water, several verses from the books of Micha and Psalms are recited expressing the desire for the sins to be carried away.

When the first day of Rosh Hashana is Shabbat, tashlich is postponed until the second day.

If one does not perform tashlich during Rosh Hashana, for instance if one is unable to get to a body of water, it may be performed until Hoshana Raba (the seventh day of Sukkot).

Rosh Hashana Recipes

Tammy Reid’s Sweet Challah:

6 cups flour
3 eggs
3 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup sugar
2 envelopes dry yeast
4 Tbsp oil
drop vanilla
½ cup raisins

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Knead in raisins. If it seems too wet, add flour. If seems too dry add juice or water.

Allow to rise for 1 hour.

Knead down.

Mold dough into thick strands and curl into circular loaves. Allow to rise for another hour. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.


Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes

1 bunch carrots peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
6 sweet potatoes (large) peeled and quartered
½ cup pitted prunes
1 cup orange juice
½ cup honey
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine

Cook carrots and sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water. Cover until firm yet tender. Line a 2-quart, shallow casserole dish with heavy foil. Drain carrots and potatoes and place in dish with prunes. Stir gently.

In a separate bowl, mix orange juice, honey, salt and cinnamon. Pour mixture evenly over potatoes- carrots-prunes. Dot with margarine. Bake covered (with foil) in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Stir gently and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.


Applesauce Kugel

1 lb noodles (wide is better)
4 eggs (beaten)
2 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup melted margarine
½ cup raisins
2 cups applesauce
½ can pineapple pieces (Drained)
cinnamon and sugar mixture

Cook noodles until nearly tender and drain.

Mix all ingredients except cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Mix well.

Pour into a large greased baking dish.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until brown on top.

Although Rosh Hashanah is a time for eating sweet foods (in the hope of having a sweet new year), this Carrot Cake is a delightful treat:


Dietetic Carrot Cake from Beryl Levenson

1 cup grated carrots
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins
2/3 cup Sugar Twin
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt

Combine Sugar Twin, oil, and eggs in a bowl and beat until blended.

Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, carrots, nuts and raisins. Stir well.

Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

A Season of Repentance

Imagine that you receive a notice from the IRS that you are going to be audited in one month. You are frantic. After all, receipts and credit slips are scattered in drawers and piles throughout the house; and, now you have only one month to find them. The beginning of the month of Elul marks the one month notice until the “Divine audit” on Rosh Hashana. Throughout the month of Elul, Jews search for every receipt and credit slip left by their behavior. “Did I belittle the secretary who couldn’t remember my name?” “Did I borrow $20 and forget to return it?” “Did I…?”

Elul is the time to look back over the past year, sort out our strengths and weaknesses, and see what impact our deeds have had. Like sorting the receipts, we can put our actions into little piles: wrong to God, our fellow humans or even ourselves, and good to God, our fellow humans or ourselves. Sometimes an action may fall into several categories. Reviewing our behavior is, according to the Medieval scholar Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides), the beginning of the first step in teshuva, repentance. The Jewish view of repentance goes much farther than mere regret. Teshuva is a pro-active process that recognizes our fallibility and our ability to change.

People err. The Bible is full of people “messing up.” What is important, however, is that one learns from his/her mistakes; and, the first step in setting it straight is recognizing the problem and stopping the behavior. For many, recognizing a negative behavior is painfully difficult. After all, it’s so easy to justify our actions -- “Well, he shouldn’t have cut me off, I had every right to yell at him!”"The government already gets enough money, I don’t have to declare this on my taxes!” “Hey, so what if I told them that I saw her out last night, everybody knows she’s a real partier!” But rationalizations don’t make the action right, they only make the rationalizer feel better about their behavior. Admitting that an action was wrong or that it may have hurt someone, takes courage and honesty. Stopping the behavior is an even greater challenge.

Humankind, however, was created to meet this challenge. As the only one of God’s creations with a soul, humans alone are capable of spiritual growth. Unlike physical development, spiritual growth must be a conscious effort, with both short and long term goals. For instance: long term, one may wish to be able to read from the Torah, but the short term goal may be to learn the Aleph-Bet. When setting the long term goal of becoming the best possible person, Rosh Hashana is the date by which one sets a short term goal of evaluating the direction in which one is heading.

On Rosh Hashana the world came to life. It was the sixth day of creation. The trees had been planted, the seeds for the grasses were sown, fish, birds, mammals and all other creatures were formed…and then God created the human being. How can Rosh Hashana be considered the birthday of the world if the world was already six days old? A baby is conceived and exists for nine months before the child is born, yet only the day of its first breath is considered its actual birthday. So too, only on the sixth day, when God “formed Adam of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” did the world become actualized.

That first breath set the world in motion. It was also from that day forth that humankind has had to face the battle of free-will. While it may appear to be a burden, free-will, the ability to choose one’s actions, is actually the necessary ingredient for spiritual growth. After all, if one works solely upon natural instinct, one will always have the same reaction in similar situations. Without free-will there are no choices about behavior and there can be no reflection about right or wrong. With free-will, however, what we did yesterday is not necessarily what we do today or tomorrow. However, with free-will comes responsibility and accountability; and, on Rosh Hashana God holds each man and woman accountable for his or her actions over the last year

While people should strive to improve themselves throughout the year, as the month of Elul begins and the Shofar is sounded, we are reminded that there is just one month left. Thirty days remain to check one’s balance and settle old accounts. By using Elul to prepare, one is able to face the Divine audit on Rosh Hashana with clarity and confidence, knowing that one has moved towards his/her spiritual goal and has made a better connection with the power of the day, and with God.

The Festival Laws for Shavuot

Shavuot is a low-key, pensive holiday, unlike Passover with its long Seder nights and crunchy, matzah-filled days. The following are the general laws of the holiday of Shavuot:

Candle lighting
Shabbat and all Jewish holidays always begin at sunset of the evening before. On the Sabbath and Yom Tov [festival] candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset to welcome the holiday.

Two candles (minimum) are lit, then both hands are waved towards the face, symbolically drawing in the light of the candles and the sanctity of the Sabbath/Yom Tov. The eyes are covered and the blessing is recited.

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech Ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzeevanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, who sanctified us through His commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Yom Tov (festival).

An additional blessing, Sheh'heh'cheh'yanu, is pronounced to acknowledge the good fortune of being able to experience the holiday:

Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu Melech Ha-olam, sheh'heh'cheh'yanu v'kee'manu v'hee'gee'anu la'zman ha'zeh.

Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the world, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

Evening Services are Held in the Synagogue
A festive meal is eaten, preceded by the Festival Kiddush, ritual washing of the hands and Ha'Motzee, which is made over two whole challot. The meal is followed by the Grace After Meals with the addition of Y'aleh V'Yavo, "May there rise and come...", in honor of the holiday, and the Harachamon for the festival.

Changes in the morning synagogue service
1) During Shacharit, the morning service, the Festival Amidah is recited.
2) Hallel
---Hallel is a collection of Psalms that are recited on the festivals and Rosh Chodesh (the new month).
---Hallel can be found in the siddur (Jewish prayerbook).
3) The Book of Ruth (http://www.jewishtreats.org/2009/05/book-of-ruth.html) is read on the last day of the holiday.
4) The Torah Reading
---On the first day of Shavuot, Exodus 19:1-20:23 is read in synagogue. On the second day of Shavuot, Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 is read in synagogue.
---The maftir (additional reading) on both days is Numbers 28:26-31.
---The haftorah (prophetic message) on the first day is from the Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12. The haftorah on the second day is from Habakuk 2:20-3:19.
5) Yizkor - The Memorial Service
---The Yizkor Memorial Service is recited on the last day of all festivals -- Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot and on Yom Kippur.
---While those who have passed away are no longer able to effect their own spiritual growth, the deeds of their children may result in additional merit for their souls.
---According to some Ashkenazic customs, those whose parents are both living leave the sanctuary during Yizkor. In Sephardic custom, everyone remains in the sanctuary while the cantor recites Yizkor.

Festival Meal
A festive meal is eaten, preceded by the daytime festival Kiddush, ritual washing of the hands and HaMotzee, which is made over two whole challot. The meal is followed by the Grace After Meals with the addition of Y'aleh V'Yavo, "May there rise and come...", in honor of the holiday and the Harachamon for the festival.

Mincha
The afternoon service is recited with the special Festival Amidah (and the special insertions for Shabbat, as well as including the weekly Torah reading for Shabbat Mincha, when applicable).

Havdalah
At the conclusion of the second day of Yom Tov, Havdalah, separating holy days from week days, is recited in the evening Amidah. This Havdalah is followed by the formal Havdalah, which consists of only the blessing over grape juice (HaGafen) and the Havdalah blessing (HaMavdil), which can be found in the prayer book.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Royal Feast

Tonight, celebrate your royal spirit with a Shabbat feast.

The Customs of Shavuot

There are three main customs observed on Shavuot:

All-Nighters:
To demonstrate our love for the Torah and our appreciation for G-d's revelation on Mount Sinai, it is customary to stay up all night either learning, listening to lectures, or simply discussing Jewish matters.

Decorating the Synagogue with Greens:
There are several reasons given for this custom:

1) More than just a recognition that Shavuot takes place at the blossoming time of spring, the custom of decorating synagogues is related to the Talmudic description of Mount Sinai when the Torah was given. Although located in the wilderness, Mount Sinai blossomed with flowers

2) When the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was standing, Shavuot was the time when Jewish farmers brought their first fruit offerings. To enhance the beauty of the mitzvah, the baskets containing the fruit were usually decorated with flowers and greenery. Thus, one of the names for the holiday of Shavuot is Chag Ha'Bikurim, the holiday of the first fruits.

Dairy Foods:
On Shavuot, it is customary to eat dairy foods – cheesecake and blintzes being particular favorites! Those who have the custom to specifically eat meat meals on festivals as a sign of joy, usually have a small dairy kiddush and then, after rinsing their mouths, have a meat meal. Again, numerous reasons are suggested for eating dairy on Shavuot:

1) Prior to receiving the Torah, the Jews did not know the dietary laws. Among the first laws that were taught to the Jews were those of kosher slaughtering. The Jews refrained from meat at that time until they were able to properly prepare the utensils and learn, with precision, the laws of shechita, ritual kosher slaughter.

2) In the times of the Temple, Jews celebrated the bounty of the land on this holiday of the first fruits. Dairy foods represent the fulfillment of G-d's promise to bring the Israelites to a land "flowing with milk and honey."

3) The Song of Songs, (Shir Ha’shirim) written by King Solomon, has been interpreted as a love song between G-d and the Jewish people. Chapter 4, verse 11 reads: "...honey and milk are under thy tongue," an allegory for the sweetness of learning Torah.

4) On more mystical level, the gematria (numeric value of the letters) of the word chalav, milk, is 40, which corresponds to the forty days and nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai learning the Torah.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Ruth: A Summary in Chapters

She was a former princess, left widowed with her mother-in-law, destined to abandon her royal past to join the Nation of G-D and become the mother of Kingship...RUTH!

RUTH 1
In the time when the land of Israel was ruled by judges, the territory of Judah was struck with a great drought. Elimelech, one of the leading citizens of the city of Bethlehem, watched as the people around him grew gaunt from want of food.

RUTH 2
Indifferent to the people's needs, concerned only about preserving his family's wealth, Elimelech gathered his wife Naomi, his two sons, Machlon and Khilyon, and all their transportable wealth, and left. Not only did he leave the city and the land of Israel, he chose to settle in the land of Moab, a not-so-friendly neighbor with whom Israel had a history of ill-will. When the Nation of Israel sought food, water and safe passage on their journey from Egypt to Canaan, the Moabites refused to help, sending them back into the harsh wilderness.

RUTH 3
Time passed and Elimelech's sons brought home two nice, young Moabite ladies, Orpah and Ruth. They were not just any young women, but daughters of the royal house who had been raised in a home dedicated to the Moabite traditions and beliefs! Time passed and the family did not return to Bethlehem, Elimelech and both of his sons died, and Naomi was left in the land of Moab with her two foreign daughters-in-law.

RUTH 4
However, the Jewish mother is a force to always be reckoned with! The beginning of the Book of Ruth, which describes their flight to Moab, does not record any of Naomi's feelings or reactions. Her silence confirms her unhappiness in leaving Israel and dwelling in Moab. After the death of her husband and two sons, Naomi resolutely packed her bags to head back to her home in Bethlehem. Remarkably, both Orpah and Ruth desire to go with her, demonstrating that while living under Naomi's roof they had indeed been influenced by her, renouncing their previous idolatrous lives.

RUTH 5
At the border of Israel, Naomi decided that the Holy Land would not be the appropriate place for her two daughters-in-law. Her return to Bethlehem would not be glorious, in fact, it would be filled with shame knowing that her husband fled rather than share his wealth, and that her two sons took Moabite wives. The time had come to send her daughters-in-law back to their father's home. When pressed, Orpah returned to Moab. Ruth, however, refused. She listened to no arguments. "Where you go, I shall go, your people will be my people, your land will be my land, and your G-d will be my G-d." In this most famous of statements, Ruth confirmed not only her complete identification with the Jewish people, but also her acceptance of G-d's laws in her life.

And so Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem.

In Israel, the lives of Naomi and Ruth were difficult. The community did not welcome Naomi with open arms. They remembered that she had abandoned them, and Naomi was too meek to try to force her presence upon her former relatives and neighbors. Furthermore, when it became known that Ruth was a Moabite princess...you can imagine.

RUTH 6
Ruth and Naomi lived a lonely and threadbare existence. To keep from starving, Ruth went out into the fields to collect the excess harvest during the gathering of the barely. The field to which she went was owned by a wealthy man named Boaz...a relative of Elimelech. Seeing her in the field, distanced from the usual group of women and humbled in her state, Boaz had mercy on Ruth and insisted that she continue to come to his field. He also made certain to assure her that she would not be molested by those who saw her as only a Moabite princess, and not the daughter–in-law of Naomi who had accepted the Torah.

RUTH 7
Ruth's presence in the community caused much commotion. The elders in the town debated her status, whether she was a true convert and whether they were obligated to find her a husband.
Naomi, however, knew the right path to follow. Her daughter-in-law was a devout, sincere, young woman. It was time for her to establish a home.

Naomi understood that Boaz's kindness in the field was a sign of favor upon Ruth. He was a man of integrity who would not only fulfill his familial obligation to redeem the family land, keeping it in the tribe of Judah, but would also take care of Ruth. She directed her daughter-in-law, therefore, to go to him at the threshing ceremony and to present herself to him as a potential mate.

RUTH 8
Ruth, the former princess, took herself to the festival of the threshing and, in the darkness of the night, lay herself at the feet of Boaz, signaling to him her desire for him to recognize their relationship. Boaz was not a young man. He was an established landowner and a leader in the community. While he had seen Ruth and knew that she was the daughter-in-law of Naomi, his relative's widow, he had not thought of himself as one to take her hand or redeem Elimelech's land. On the night of the threshing, Boaz realized that he had a mitzvah to perform.

RUTH 9
There was one remaining stumbling block. Boaz was Ruth's second closest relative, and there was yet a closer relative whose obligation preceded his to redeem the family land. In the middle of the day, Boaz waited in the public square for his relative to pass by and told him that Naomi's land needed to be redeemed and that he, the nearest kinsman, had the first responsibility and opportunity to purchase it. The relative expressed interest. With the purchase of the land, however, Boaz added, comes the obligation of taking care of Ruth. The cousin hesitated and then declined, proving that his intention was not the Biblical design for the family's continuation, but rather his own monetary gain.

RUTH 10
And so, Boaz and Ruth were married. And Ruth bore a son named Oved, whose own son, Jesse, was the father of David, the greatest King of Israel.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Book of Ruth and Shavuot

The Book of Ruth is read during the morning service prior to the Torah reading (On the first day of Shavuot in Israel, and on the second day in the diaspora). The reasons that we read the Book of Ruth are:

A) Acceptance of the Torah - The Book of Ruth is the story of a courageous Moabite woman who took upon herself the laws of the Torah. Since Shavuot commemorates the receiving of the Torah by Israel, the story of Ruth's journey from Moabite princess to the wife of one of Judea's leading citizens, is an inspiration for all.

B) The Harvest Time - The story of Ruth takes place during the period of the Counting of the Omer and culminates at the time of the wheat harvest, which is the time of Shavuot.

C) King David - According to tradition, King David, the great-grandson of Ruth, was born and died on Shavuot.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

What is Shavuot

Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, corresponds to the 6th and 7th of Sivan. The many names of the holiday best describe exactly what is celebrated:

Shavuot, Festival of Weeks - Shavuot is the only holiday not listed in the Torah by the day and month on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah instructed that this festival take place the 49th day after the second day of Passover, the day on which the Omer Sacrifice was offered. The name, therefore, reflects the fact that this holiday occurs seven complete weeks (shavuot) after Passover. In mystical terms, the number 7 represents the natural order of things, and so a complete, natural cycle has occurred.

Chag Ha'Bikurim, Holiday of the First Fruit - The natural cycle that has been completed is agricultural. On Chag Ha'Bikurim, the offering of the First Fruit of the harvest was brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as a gesture of thanksgiving for the successful yield.

Z'man Matan Torateinu, Time of the Giving of the Torah - But Shavuot takes place one day after the seven weeks, which is one step beyond the natural cycle and is, therefore, also representative of a supernatural event as well. On Passover, we celebrate the miraculous Exodus of the People of Israel from Egypt. The Israelites at the time, however, were, at best, a family, a loose assortment of cousins bonded together by their mutual misery. At the end of seven weeks, however, at the base of Mount Sinai, the former slaves rose above their human limitations and, by accepting the Torah, took upon themselves a total commitment to G-d, thus creating the Nation of Israel. Shavuot is therefore also known as Z'man Matan Torateinu, the celebration of the giving of the Torah.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Counting of the Omer

Sefirat Ha’Omer - Counting the Omer
The departure of the Jews from Egypt was only the beginning of our redemption. The Exodus actually culminated in the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which is commemorated by the holiday of Shavuot. This connection is clearly marked through the Sefirat HaOmer, the counting of the Omer.

I. Leviticus 23:15 instructs us to count the 49 days immediately following the first night of Passover. Seven weeks (49 days) after Passover is the holiday of Shavuot.

A. Every night, starting with the night of the second Seder, a blessing is said and the new day is counted.

1. The blessing is as follows:

Ba’ruch ah’tah Ah’do’nai, Eh’lo’hay’nu melech ha’o’lam, ah’sher kidishanu b’mitz’vo’tav v’tzee’vanu ahl s'feerat ha'omer.

Blessed are You Lord, our God ruler of the world, who sanctified us through His commandments and commanded us, regarding the counting of the Omer.

a. "Omer" refers to the barley offering that was brought to the Temple on Passover.

2. The blessing is followed by the actual counting of the day. For example: "Today is day one of the Omer"...."Today is eight days, which are one week and one day, of the Omer."

3. The official counting of the day is followed by a prayer for the restoration of the Temple: "The Compassionate One! May He return for us the service of the Temple to its place, speedily in our days. Amen, Selah!"

B. If a person misses the counting of a complete day, counting may be continued on subsequent nights, however, the blessing is no longer recited.

II. The Omer is a Period of Mourning

A. In the times of the Romans, the great Rabbi Akiva, one of Israel's greatest sages, took a group of students with him into hiding so that they could continue to learn Torah, even though it was banned by Roman law. The students, each brilliant in his own right, argued amongst themselves. They stopped treating each other with respect and began showing off their Torah knowledge in order to "one-up" their fellows. As a punishment for this disunity and disrespect, the students all died during the period of Sefirat HaOmer. For this reason, 33 days of Sefirah are considered days of mourning.

1. Depending on custom, the first 33 days of Sefirah, or the last period of Sefirah, starting at the beginning of the month of Iyar, are days of mourning.

B. Restrictions of Sefirah: During the appropriate period of mourning, people refrain from:

1. Cutting hair

2. Buying new clothing

3. Going to live performances of musical entertainment

4. Getting Married

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

Celebrating the Seder With Abba

by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald

American Jews who have some traditional background usually speak of "conducting" a Seder. My friend, RL, once told me that most assimilated Jews who attend a Seder use a different expression: They "sweat it out!"

My father of blessed memory, never "conducted" a Seder, and certainly never "sweated it out". Abba (father) always "prah'vidt" (celebrated) a Seder, as he said in Yiddish. William Safire would probably say he exulted, jubilated or reveled in the Seder.

Abba was the type of Jew who feverishly anticipated Pesach's arrival, and began preparations for his beloved festival long before the customary 30 days. Born in Poland, and arriving at these shores in 1919 at age 16, Abba vividly recalled (and made certain his "Yankee" wife and 3 children recalled) what it was like preparing for Pesach in Biala Podlowska, a small shtetel of 10,000 Jews and 4,000 gentiles near Poland's northeastern border with Russia. The house was literally taken apart piece by piece. The straw mattresses were changed with great fanfare. The shtetel Jews were so poor, that it was usually only at Pesach time that the Hebrew greeting "Tischadesh" ("wear it in good health") was heard, for those lucky enough to have new clothes especially tailored for Pesach.

Abba's vivid memories of Europe never seemed to leave him for even a moment of the 72 years he subsequently dwelt in the USA. My big sister, 12 years my elder, and my little sister, 2 years my elder, and I, watched with eyes aglow, as Abba, unusually late in February or early March, started taking down the special corrugated boxes marked "Pesach" in Hebrew, filled with the Passover dishes and utensils. By then, Abba had already prepared his special "Kosher for Passover sink" -- a new wooden fruit box obtained from the local market. He built it to fit perfectly in the bathtub, where he washed each Pesach plate, glass, spoon, fork, knife and silver utensil with special care and heartfelt devotion.

Abba loved his Pesach dishware with a passion. Each year he would, on numerous occasions, excitedly call his wife and children into his Passover "kitchen" to kvell with him over the beautiful long stemmed exotically colored glass which he had just polished to a high sparkle. (Being one of America's all time great bargain hunters, Abba had probably bought the glass for less than a nickel at Gimbel's or Macy's "double close-out basement remnant sale," long before the cellar had become the fashionable boutique it is today.)

Mother prepared the Seder meal with great care, of course, according to Abba's tastes and abundant instructions. There was a palpable sense of excitement when the Seder began, which is probably not uncommon in many homes. But Abba's enthusiasm was so contagious, that each member of our family approached the Seder in an emotional state approaching ecstacy. We truly felt the Divine presence descending.

The Buchwald family did not "read" the Haggadah, we "chanted" the Haggadah text with the special chanting melody Abba had learned in Biala. All of us were expected to master that chant, and Abba would often repeat a portion of the Haggadah if one of the designated readers missed the proper intonation while leading the chanting. Many songs were sung, often in harmony, and amazingly Abba joyfully allowed his younger children to intrude on his Biala traditions by singing the Passover songs we had learned in the Soloveitchik Yeshiva choir. Everyone was expected to lead a portion of the Haggadah reading -- even poor mother, whom my father often described as possessing the "dearest" (most expensive) Hebrew, having taken countless Hebrew Ulpan classes with limited success. Inevitably, we would convulse with laughter to tears when mother really savaged a particular Hebrew word in her assigned reading.

Each year Abba would tell the same stories -- about the old widow who opened the door for Elijah the Prophet. The sudden light startled the bearded goat who was resting in the backyard. The goat jumped into the old lady's hut, and made shambles of the table. The little old lady, who had already imbibed three cups of wine, begged the "guest": "Reb Elya (Elijah), eat, drink -- but please, don't break the dishes!" Or the limerick about Pharaoh losing his pants. It was more than fun, it was more than spiritual, it was Fantasyland come true.

When we received a "slinky" or a climbing-ladder-man as a reward for returning the Afikoman -- we children were ecstatic. (Much more excited by that gift, than the walkman or CD disc player kids receive today!)

We danced with great fervor at Leshana Haba'a Bi'rushalayim (Next Year in Jerusalem), and sang Adir Hu and Chad Gadyah until the wee hours of the morning. In his traditional steadfastness, Abba would announce each year that if he moved to Israel (which was his lifelong dream), he would insist on celebrating two Seders, because he did not feel that he could fully appreciate only one seder, being too exhausted from the preparations.

The last year of his life (1992), Abba celebrated his Pesach Seder for the first time without his beloved wife of 59 years. He refused to join me or my sisters in Israel, a hotel or at our homes. He wanted to be with his beloved Passover utensils. Sure enough, more than a month before Passover, he began his regular ritual of preparation -- letting us know at each step how beautiful things looked. And so at age 88 1/2 years, he celebrated together with an elderly gentleman friend of his, whom he had invited over for the holiday, and regaled him with his customs, melodies, witticisms, Torah, and the delicious food he had cooked -- the traditional Buchwald fare.

Pesach without Abba has never been the same -- despite the wonderful traditions which he bequeathed to us as our legacy. When Moshiach comes, I have a sneaky suspicion that it will be Abba who will be called upon to lead the celestial Seder--making certain that the angels sing with the proper intonations when they chant the Haggadah.

Reprinted from Bereshith, the Beginners newsletter, March 1993.
Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.