tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35230412024-03-23T13:46:00.293-04:00Talmud תלמוד by Tzvee ZahavyThe Talmudic Blog of Rabbi Dr. Tzvee ZahavyTzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.comBlogger3566125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-85222451524272709882024-03-02T12:47:00.000-05:002024-03-02T12:47:41.912-05:00Best Seller: Elegant new 750 page edition of "The Zohar in English"<div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="titleblock_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="sca3hl-gz8z92-k2bpwb-1k5tzx" data-feature-name="titleblock" id="titleblock_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="a-section a-spacing-none" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;"><h1 class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 28px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Often the Best Seller #1 in Zohar </span></h1><h1 class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 28px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3SLizaX">The Zohar in English <span class="a-size-large a-color-secondary" color="rgb(86, 89, 89) !important" id="productSubtitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 24px; line-height: 32px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Paperback</span></a>!</span></h1></div></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="bylineInfo_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="v8i6x2-wslibd-5v61g8-w2nqjk" data-feature-name="bylineInfo" id="bylineInfo_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature" data-cel-widget="bylineInfo" id="bylineInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">by <span class="author notFaded" data-width="149" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="a-link-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Tzvee+Zahavy&text=Tzvee+Zahavy&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #007185; text-decoration-line: none;">Tzvee Zahavy</a> <span class="contribution" spacing="none" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" color="rgb(86, 89, 89) !important" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Author), </span></span></span><span class="author notFaded" data-width="178" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="a-link-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_2?ie=UTF8&field-author=Maurice+Simon&text=Maurice+Simon&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #007185; text-decoration-line: none;">Maurice Simon</a> <span class="contribution" spacing="none" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" color="rgb(86, 89, 89) !important" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Translator), </span></span></span><span class="author notFaded" data-width="173" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="a-link-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_3?ie=UTF8&field-author=Harry+Sperling&text=Harry+Sperling&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #007185; text-decoration-line: none;">Harry Sperling</a> <span class="contribution" spacing="none" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" color="rgb(86, 89, 89) !important" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Translator), </span></span></span><span class="author notFaded" data-width="184" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="a-link-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_4?ie=UTF8&field-author=Paul+P.+Levertoff&text=Paul+P.+Levertoff&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #007185; text-decoration-line: none;">Paul P. Levertoff</a> <span class="contribution" spacing="none" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" color="rgb(86, 89, 89) !important" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Translator), </span></span></span><span class="more notFaded" data-width="59" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="a-link-normal showMoreLink" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B92NQ38P?&linkCode=sl1&tag=zahavyinc&linkId=29a04e8b92469e95151c34bf0c20f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&fbclid=IwAR2orFx3w9NmreOq3l7vtr0OLSW39DRyygr_X_kcSBsfekoGt0eKfwfr0io#" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #007185; text-decoration-line: none;">& <span class="moreCount" style="box-sizing: border-box;">1</span> more</a></span></div></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="averageCustomerReviews_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="82q96f-vui7g8-ol6ovk-7b138h" data-feature-name="averageCustomerReviews" id="averageCustomerReviews_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; display: inline-block; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 7px;"></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"></span><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="seriesBulletWidget_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="kgr66t-g4jeb2-umclhi-32z7we" data-feature-name="seriesBulletWidget" id="seriesBulletWidget_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="giftguidebadge_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="c4so69-6szb02-846o4k-b1hwlf" data-feature-name="giftguidebadge" id="giftguidebadge_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="chartsBadge_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="55v44x-imtyc4-ut6fel-ik3pr8" data-feature-name="chartsBadge" id="chartsBadge_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="acBadge_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="nxxv62-pctqqp-dm9q4a-g4vrts" data-feature-name="acBadge" id="acBadge_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="climatePledgeFriendlyATF_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="rd1elo-va34nl-zee4x3-gxchlr" data-feature-name="climatePledgeFriendlyATF" id="climatePledgeFriendlyATF_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="zeitgeistBadge_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="gvh3ib-vd3rvl-qq1z6k-f4usvm" data-feature-name="zeitgeistBadge" id="zeitgeistBadge_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="socialFabric_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="nrz18o-950xhl-w4vabw-4so3ul" data-feature-name="socialFabric" id="socialFabric_feature_div" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><hr style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: 0px;" /><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">The Zohar is called the greatest work of Jewish Mysticism. From the Middle Ages to today people of all faiths have studied and pored over the Zohar to explore the mysteries of God and the universe and to seek knowledge of when the redemption of the world will arrive.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">The Zohar is a mystical novel whose hero is Rabbi Simeon son of Yohai, a rabbi and disciple of Rabbi Akiva from second century Israel. The original Aramaic work describes how Rabbi Simeon and his companions wander through the hills of Galilee, discovering and sharing mystical secrets of the Torah.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">This large format 750 page edition presents the entire work in one volume in eloquent English as translated by several great scholars of the 20th century.</span><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="adoptedData" data-csa-c-id="fhzv4n-qvy6j0-yfoq7d-dw23x9" data-feature-name="adoptedData" id="adoptedData" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div class="celwidget" data-cel-widget="MorpheusSidesheetCard_feature_div" data-csa-c-id="qla1pf-az382c-ox13r6-vtywih" data-feature-name="MorpheusSidesheetCard" id="MorpheusSidesheetCard_feature_div" style="background-color: white; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PvmoOw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="354" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYM1LvURDjBWcp87VXaLl01Tny1bSDmxeRKLKn6yv9VRwGWLCcj-3YwypU-z_fBNCh4gINGQSpcjW6w0mEvQxJR3S30fNIR3pWZoR4ppwewP2AtSMjYLOUsvGfk84adEwlF3nUQvBFabTuBjyDlw3iGuHhnQaxlg2Xnt6IVdaZuJgX7mVFHg" width="170" /></a></div><br /></div><div aria-expanded="true" class="a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content a-expander-content-expanded" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 20px; position: relative;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div></div></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-35575795396754800422023-11-28T18:32:00.003-05:002023-11-29T15:01:11.442-05:00The United Nations Resolution 181 (II). Future government of Palestine on 29 November 1947. Created a Palestinian State. Arabs rejected it.<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="75%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">UNITED</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">NATIONS</span></b></span></td><td width="25%"><div align="center"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; font-size: xx-large;">A</span></b></div></td></tr></tbody></table><hr align="left" noshade="" size="7" style="color: teal;" width="100%" /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="15%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><img height="61" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147im_/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/ba77eee37ce14d2085256068005052d7/$Body/0.3CAE?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif" width="72" /></span></td><td width="49%"><ul><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; font-size: large;">General Assembly</span></b></ul></td><td width="36%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147im_/https://unispal.un.org/icons/ecblank.gif" width="1" /></span></td></tr><tr valign="top"><td width="15%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147im_/https://unispal.un.org/icons/ecblank.gif" width="1" /></span></td><td width="49%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147im_/https://unispal.un.org/icons/ecblank.gif" width="1" /></span></td><td width="36%"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>A/RES/181(II)</span><br /><span>29 November 1947</span></span></td></tr><tr valign="top"><td colspan="3" width="100%"><hr align="left" noshade="" size="9" style="color: teal;" width="100%" /></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Resolution 181 (II). Future government of Palestine</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>A</span></b></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><span></span><i><span>The General Assembly,</span></i><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Having met</span></i><span> in special session at the request of the mandatory Power to constitute and instruct a special committee to prepare for the consideration of the question of the future government of Palestine at the second regular session;</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Having constituted</span></i><span> a </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/UNSCOP?OpenView"><span>Special Committee</span></a><span> and instructed it to investigate all questions and issues relevant to the problem of Palestine, and to prepare proposals for the solution of the problem, and</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Having received and examined</span></i><span> the report of the Special Committee (</span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/5ba47a5c6cef541b802563e000493b8c/07175de9fa2de563852568d3006e10f3?OpenDocument"><span>document A/364</span></a><span>) </span><u><sup><span>1</span></sup></u><sup><span>/</span></sup><span> including a number of unanimous recommendations and a plan of partition with economic union approved by the majority of the Special Committee,</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Considers</span></i><span> that the present situation in Palestine is one which is likely to impair the general welfare and friendly relations among nations;</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Takes note</span></i><span> of the declaration by the mandatory Power that it plans to complete its evacuation of Palestine by 1 August 1948;</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Recommends</span></i><span> to the United Kingdom, as the mandatory Power for Palestine, and to all other Members of the United Nations the adoption and implementation, with regard to the future government of Palestine, of the Plan of Partition with Economic Union set out below;</span><br /><br /><i><span>Requests that</span></i><br /><br /><span>(a) The Security Council take the necessary measures as provided for in the plan for its implementation;</span><br /><br /><span>(b) The Security Council consider, if circumstances during the transitional period require such consideration, whether the situation in Palestine constitutes a threat to the peace. If it decides that such a threat exists, and in order to maintain international peace and security, the Security Council should supplement the authorization of the General Assembly by taking measures, under Articles 39 and 41 of the Charter, to empower the United Nations Commission, as provided in this resolution, to exercise in Palestine the functions which are assigned to it by this resolution;</span><br /><br /><span>(c) The Security Council determine as a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression, in accordance with Article 39 of the Charter, any attempt to alter by force the settlement envisaged by this resolution;</span><br /><br /><span>(d) The Trusteeship Council be informed of the responsibilities envisaged for it in this plan;</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Calls upon</span></i><span> the inhabitants of Palestine to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put this plan into effect;</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Appeals</span></i><span> to all Governments and all peoples to refrain from taking action which might hamper or delay the carrying out of these recommendations, and</span><br /><br /><span></span><i><span>Authorizes</span></i><span> the Secretary-General to reimburse travel and subsistence expenses of the members of the Commission referred to in Part I, Section B, paragraph 1 below, on such basis and in such form as he may determine most appropriate in the circumstances, and to provide the Commission with the necessary staff to assist in carrying out the functions assigned to the Commission by the General Assembly.</span><br /><br /></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>B </span></b><u><sup><span>2</span></sup></u><sup><span>/</span></sup></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><span></span><i><span>The General Assembly</span></i><br /><br /><i><span>Authorizes</span></i><span> the Secretary-General to draw from the Working Capital Fund a sum not to exceed $2,000,000 for the purposes set forth in the last paragraph of the resolution on the future government of Palestine.</span><br /><br /><i>Hundred and twenty-eighth plenary meeting<br />29 November 1947<br /><br />[At its hundred and twenty-eighth plenary meeting on 29 November 1947 the General Assembly, in accordance with the terms of the above resolution [181 A], elected the following members of the United Nations Commission on Palestine: Bolivia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Panama and Philippines.]<br /></i></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><br /><b><span>PLAN OF PARTITION WITH ECONOMIC UNION</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>PART I</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>Future constitution and government of Palestine</span></b><br /><br /><span>A. TERMINATION OF MANDATE, PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.</span><br /><br /><span>2. The armed forces of the mandatory Power shall be progressively withdrawn from Palestine, the withdrawal to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.</span><br /><br /><span>The mandatory Power shall advise the Commission, as far in advance as possible, of its intention to terminate the Mandate and to evacuate each area.</span><br /><br /><span>The mandatory Power shall use its best endeavours to ensure than an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State, including a seaport and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration, shall be evacuated at the earliest possible date and in any event not later than 1 February 1948.</span><br /><br /><span>3. Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem, set forth in part III of this plan, shall come into existence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of the armed forces of the mandatory Power has been completed but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. The boundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem shall be as described in parts II and III below.</span><br /><br /><span>4. The period between the adoption by the General Assembly of its recommendation on the question of Palestine and the establishment of the independence of the Arab and Jewish States shall be a transitional period.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>B. STEPS PREPARATORY TO INDEPENDENCE</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">1. A </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/fd807e46661e3689852570d00069e918/feca435dae3b3deb85256c6000615518?OpenDocument" style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"><span>Commission</span></a><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"> shall be set up consisting of one representative of each of five Member States. The Members represented on the Commission shall be elected by the General Assembly on as broad a basis, geographically and otherwise, as possible.</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span>2. The administration of Palestine shall, as the mandatory Power withdraws its armed forces, be progressively turned over to the Commission; which shall act in conformity with the recommendations of the General Assembly, under the guidance of the Security Council. The mandatory Power shall to the fullest possible extent co-ordinate its plans for withdrawal with the plans of the Commission to take over and administer areas which have been evacuated.</span><br /><br /><span>In the discharge of this administrative responsibility the Commission shall have authority to issue necessary regulations and take other measures as required.</span><br /><br /><span>The mandatory Power shall not take any action to prevent, obstruct or delay the implementation by the Commission of the measures recommended by the General Assembly.</span><br /><br /><span>3. On its arrival in Palestine the Commission shall proceed to carry out measures for the establishment of the frontiers of the Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem in accordance with the general lines of the recommendations of the General Assembly on the partition of Palestine. Nevertheless, the boundaries as described in part II of this plan are to be modified in such a way that village areas as a rule will not be divided by state boundaries unless pressing reasons make that necessary.</span><br /><br /><span>4. The </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/fd807e46661e3689852570d00069e918/feca435dae3b3deb85256c6000615518?OpenDocument"><span>Commission</span></a><span>, after consultation with the democratic parties and other public organizations of The Arab and Jewish States, shall select and establish in each State as rapidly as possible a Provisional Council of Government. The activities of both the Arab and Jewish Provisional Councils of Government shall be carried out under the general direction of the Commission.</span><br /><br /><span>If by 1 April 1948 a Provisional Council of Government cannot be selected for either of the States, or, if selected, cannot carry out its functions, the Commission shall communicate that fact to the Security Council for such action with respect to that State as the Security Council may deem proper, and to the Secretary-General for communication to the Members of the United Nations.</span><br /><br /><span>5. Subject to the provisions of these recommendations, during the transitional period the Provisional Councils of Government, acting under the Commission, shall have full authority in the areas under their control, including authority over matters of immigration and land regulation.</span><br /><br /><span>6. The Provisional Council of Government of each State acting under the Commission, shall progressively receive from the Commission full responsibility for the administration of that State in the period between the termination of the Mandate and the establishment of the State's independence.</span><br /><br /><span>7. The Commission shall instruct the Provisional Councils of Government of both the Arab and Jewish States, after their formation, to proceed to the establishment of administrative organs of government, central and local.</span><br /><br /><span>8. The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall, within the shortest time possible, recruit an armed militia from the residents of that State, sufficient in number to maintain internal order and to prevent frontier clashes.</span><br /><br /><span>This armed militia in each State shall, for operational purposes, be under the command of Jewish or Arab officers resident in that State, but general political and military control, including the choice of the militia's High Command, shall be exercised by the Commission.</span><br /><br /><span>9. The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall, not later than two months after the withdrawal of the armed forces of the mandatory Power, hold elections to the Constituent Assembly which shall be conducted on democratic lines.</span><br /><br /><span>The election regulations in each State shall be drawn up by the Provisional Council of Government and approved by the Commission. Qualified voters for each State for this election shall be persons over eighteen years of age who are: (a) Palestinian citizens residing in that State and (b) Arabs and Jews residing in the State, although not Palestinian citizens, who, before voting, have signed a notice of intention to become citizens of such State.</span><br /><br /><span>Arabs and Jews residing in the City of Jerusalem who have signed a notice of intention to become citizens, the Arabs of the Arab State and the Jews of the Jewish State, shall be entitled to vote in the Arab and Jewish States respectively.</span><br /><br /><span>Women may vote and be elected to the Constituent Assemblies.</span><br /><br /><span>During the transitional period no Jew shall be permitted to establish residence in the area of the proposed Arab State, and no Arab shall be permitted to establish residence in the area of the proposed Jewish State, except by special leave of the Commission.</span><br /><br /><span>10. The Constituent Assembly of each State shall draft a democratic constitution for its State and choose a provisional government to succeed the Provisional Council of Government appointed by the Commission. The constitutions of the States shall embody chapters 1 and 2 of the Declaration provided for in section C below and include inter alia provisions for:</span><br /><br /><span>(a) Establishing in each State a legislative body elected by universal suffrage and by secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation, and an executive body responsible to the legislature;</span><br /><br /><span>(b) Settling all international disputes in which the State may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered;</span><br /><br /><span>(c) Accepting the obligation of the State to refrain in its international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations;</span><br /><br /><span>(d) Guaranteeing to all persons equal and non-discriminatory rights in civil, political, economic and religious matters and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, language, speech and publication, education, assembly and association;</span><br /><br /><span>(e) Preserving freedom of transit and visit for all residents and citizens of the other State in Palestine and the City of Jerusalem, subject to considerations of national security, provided that each State shall control residence within its borders.</span><br /><br /><span>11. The Commission shall appoint a preparatory economic commission of three members to make whatever arrangements are possible for economic co-operation, with a view to establishing, as soon as practicable, the Economic Union and the Joint Economic Board, as provided in section D below.</span><br /><br /><span>12. During the period between the adoption of the recommendations on the question of Palestine by the General Assembly and the termination of the Mandate, the mandatory Power in Palestine shall maintain full responsibility for administration in areas from which it has not withdrawn its armed forces. The Commission shall assist the mandatory Power in the carrying out of these functions. Similarly the mandatory Power shall co-operate with the Commission in the execution of its functions.</span><br /><br /><span>13. With a view to ensuring that there shall be continuity in the functioning of administrative services and that, on the withdrawal of the armed forces of the mandatory Power, the whole administration shall be in the charge of the Provisional Councils and the Joint Economic Board, respectively, acting under the Commission, there shall be a progressive transfer, from the mandatory Power to the Commission, of responsibility for all the functions of government, including that of maintaining law and order in the areas from which the forces of the mandatory Power have been withdrawn.</span><br /><br /><span>14. The Commission shall be guided in its activities by the recommendations of the General Assembly and by such instructions as the Security Council may consider necessary to issue.</span><br /><br /><span>The measures taken by the Commission, within the recommendations of the General Assembly, shall become immediately effective unless the Commission has previously received contrary instructions from the Security Council.</span><br /><br /><span>The Commission shall render </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/561c6ee353d740fb8525607d00581829/feca435dae3b3deb85256c6000615518?OpenDocument"><span>periodic monthly progress reports</span></a><span>, or more frequently if desirable, to the Security Council.</span><br /><br /><span>15. The Commission shall make its </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/db942872b9eae454852560f6005a76fb/bce2bd823185e523802564aa0056daea?OpenDocument"><span>final report </span></a><span>to the next regular session of the General Assembly and to the Security Council simultaneously.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>C. DECLARATION</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>A declaration shall be made to the United Nations by the provisional government of each proposed State before independence. It shall contain inter alia the following clauses:</span><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>General Provision</span></b><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The stipulations contained in the declaration are recognized as fundamental laws of the State and no law, regulation or official action shall conflict or interfere with these stipulations, nor shall any law, regulation or official action prevail over them.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Chapter 1</span></b><br /><i><span>Holy Places, religious buildings and sites</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. Existing rights in respect of Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall not be denied or impaired.</span><br /><br /><span>2. In so far as Holy Places are concerned, the liberty of access, visit and transit shall be guaranteed, in conformity with existing rights, to all residents and citizens of the other State and of the City of Jerusalem, as well as to aliens, without distinction as to nationality, subject to requirements of national security, public order and decorum.</span><br /><br /><span>Similarly, freedom of worship shall be guaranteed in conformity with existing rights, subject to the maintenance of public order and decorum.</span><br /><br /><span>3. Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred character. If at any time it appears to the Government that any particular Holy Place, religious building or site is in need of urgent repair, the Government may call upon the community or communities concerned to carry out such repair. The Government may carry it out itself at the expense of the community or communities concerned if no action is taken within a reasonable time.</span><br /><br /><span>4. No taxation shall be levied in respect of any Holy Place, religious building or site which was exempt from taxation on the date of the creation of the State.</span><br /><br /><span>No change in the incidence of such taxation shall be made which would either discriminate between the owners or occupiers of Holy Places, religious buildings or sites, or would place such owners or occupiers in a position less favourable in relation to the general incidence of taxation than existed at the time of the adoption of the Assembly's recommendations.</span><br /><br /><span>5. The Governor of the City of Jerusalem shall have the right to determine whether the provisions of the Constitution of the State in relation to Holy Places, religious buildings and sites within the borders of the State and the religious rights appertaining thereto, are being properly applied and respected, and to make decisions on the basis of existing rights in cases of disputes which may arise between the different religious communities or the rites of a religious community with respect to such places, buildings and sites. He shall receive full co-operation and such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the exercise of his functions in the State.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Chapter </span></b><b><span>2</span></b><br /><i><span>Religious and Minority Rights</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. Freedom of conscience and the free exercise of all forms of worship, subject only to the maintenance of public order and morals, shall be ensured to all.</span><br /><br /><span>2. No discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants on the ground of race, religion, language or sex.</span><br /><br /><span>3. All persons within the jurisdiction of the State shall be entitled to equal protection of the laws.</span><br /><br /><span>4. The family law and personal status of the various minorities and their religious interests, including endowments, shall be respected.</span><br /><br /><span>5. Except as may be required for the maintenance of public order and good government, no measure shall be taken to obstruct or interfere with the enterprise of religious or charitable bodies of all faiths or to discriminate against any representative or member of these bodies on the ground of his religion or nationality.</span><br /><br /><span>6. The State shall ensure adequate primary and secondary education for the Arab and Jewish minority, respectively, in its own language and its cultural traditions.</span><br /><br /><span>The right of each community to maintain its own schools for the education of its own members in its own language, while conforming to such educational requirements of a general nature as the State may impose, shall not be denied or impaired. Foreign educational establishments shall continue their activity on the basis of their existing rights.</span><br /><br /><span>7. No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any citizen of the State of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the Press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.</span><u><sup><span>3</span></sup></u><sup><span>/</span></sup><br /><br /><span>8. No expropriation of land owned by an Arab in the Jewish State (by a Jew in the Arab State)</span><u><sup><span>4</span></sup></u><sup><span>/</span></sup><span> shall be allowed except for public purposes. In all cases of expropriation full compensation as fixed by the Supreme Court shall be paid previous to dispossession.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Chapter 3</span></b><br /><i><span>Citizenship, international conventions and financial obligations</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. Citizenship. Palestinian citizens residing in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem, as well as Arabs and Jews who, not holding Palestinian citizenship, reside in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem shall, upon the recognition of independence, become citizens of the State in which they are resident and enjoy full civil and political rights. Persons over the age of eighteen years may opt, within one year from the date of recognition of independence of the State in which they reside, for citizenship of the other State, providing that no Arab residing in the area of the proposed Arab State shall have the right to opt for citizenship in the proposed Jewish State and no Jew residing in the proposed Jewish State shall have the right to opt for citizenship in the proposed Arab State. The exercise of this right of option will be taken to include the wives and children under eighteen years of age of persons so opting.</span><br /><br /><span>Arabs residing in the area of the proposed Jewish State and Jews residing in the area of the proposed Arab State who have signed a notice of intention to opt for citizenship of the other State shall be eligible to vote in the elections to the Constituent Assembly of that State, but not in the elections to the Constituent Assembly of the State in which they reside.</span><br /><br /><span>2. International conventions. (a) The State shall be bound by all the international agreements and conventions, both general and special, to which Palestine has become a party. Subject to any right of denunciation provided for therein, such agreements and conventions shall be respected by the State throughout the period for which they were concluded.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) Any dispute about the applicability and continued validity of international conventions or treaties signed or adhered to by the mandatory Power on behalf of Palestine shall be referred to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court.</span><br /><br /><span>3. Financial obligations. (a) The State shall respect and fulfil all financial obligations of whatever nature assumed on behalf of Palestine by the mandatory Power during the exercise of the Mandate and recognized by the State. This provision includes the right of public servants to pensions, compensation or gratuities.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) These obligations shall be fulfilled through participation in the Joint economic Board in respect of those obligations applicable to Palestine as a whole, and individually in respect of those applicable to, and fairly apportionable between, the States.</span><br /><br /><span>(c) A Court of Claims, affiliated with the Joint Economic Board, and composed of one member appointed by the United Nations, one representative of the United Kingdom and one representative of the State concerned, should be established. Any dispute between the United Kingdom and the State respecting claims not recognized by the latter should be referred to that Court.</span><br /><br /><span>(d) Commercial concessions granted in respect of any part of Palestine prior to the adoption of the resolution by the General Assembly shall continue to be valid according to their terms, unless modified by agreement between the concession-holder and the State.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Chapter 4</span></b><br /><i><span>Miscellaneous provisions</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. The provisions of chapters 1 and 2 of the declaration shall be under the guarantee of the United Nations, and no modifications shall be made in them without the assent of the General Assembly of the United nations. Any Member of the United Nations shall have the right to bring to the attention of the General Assembly any infraction or danger of infraction of any of these stipulations, and the General Assembly may thereupon make such recommendations as it may deem proper in the circumstances.</span><br /><br /><span>2. Any dispute relating to the application or the interpretation of this declaration shall be referred, at the request of either party, to the International Court of Justice, unless the parties agree to another mode of settlement.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>D. ECONOMIC UNION AND TRANSIT</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>1. The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall enter into an undertaking with respect to economic union and transit. This undertaking shall be drafted by the commission provided for in section B, paragraph 1, utilizing to the greatest possible extent the advice and co-operation of representative organizations and bodies from each of the proposed States. It shall contain provisions to establish the Economic Union of Palestine and provide for other matters of common interest. If by 1 April 1948 the Provisional Councils of Government have not entered into the undertaking, the undertaking shall be put into force by the Commission.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><i><span>The Economic Union of Palestine</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>2. The objectives of the Economic Union of Palestine shall be:</span><br /><br /><span>(a) A customs union;</span><br /><br /><span>(b) A joint currency system providing for a single foreign exchange rate;</span><br /><br /><span>(c) Operation in the common interest on a non-discriminatory basis of railways; inter-State highways; postal, telephone and telegraphic services, and port and airports involved in international trade and commerce;</span><br /><br /><span>(d) Joint economic development, especially in respect of irrigation, land reclamation and soil conservation;</span><br /><br /><span>(e) Access for both States and for the City of Jerusalem on a non-discriminatory basis to water and power facilities.</span><br /><br /><span>3. There shall be established a Joint Economic Board, which shall consist of three representatives of each of the two States and three foreign members appointed by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The foreign members shall be appointed in the first instance for a term of three years; they shall serve as individuals and not as representatives of States.</span><br /><br /><span>4. The functions of the Joint Economic Board shall be to implement either directly or by delegation the measures necessary to realize the objectives of the Economic Union. It shall have all powers of organization and administration necessary to fulfil its functions.</span><br /><br /><span>5. The States shall bind themselves to put into effect the decisions of the Joint Economic Board. The Board's decisions shall be taken by a majority vote.</span><br /><br /><span>6. In the event of failure of a State to take the necessary action the Board may, by a vote of six members, decide to withhold an appropriate portion of that part of the customs revenue to which the State in question is entitled under the Economic Union. Should the State persist in its failure to co-operate, the Board may decide by a simple majority vote upon such further sanctions, including disposition of funds which it has withheld, as it may deem appropriate.</span><br /><br /><span>7. In relation to economic development, the functions of the Board shall be the planning, investigation and encouragement of joint development projects, but it shall not undertake such projects except with the assent of both States and the City of Jerusalem, in the event that Jerusalem is directly involved in the development project.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><span>8. In regard to the joint currency system the currencies circulating in the two States and the City of Jerusalem shall be issued under the authority of the Joint Economic Board, which shall be the sole issuing authority and which shall determine the reserves to be held against such currencies.</span><br /><br /><span>9. So far as is consistent with paragraph 2 (b) above, each State may operate its own central bank, control its own fiscal and credit policy, its foreign exchange receipts and expenditures, the grant of import licenses, and may conduct international financial operations on its own faith and credit. During the first two years after the termination of the Mandate, the Joint Economic Board shall have the authority to take such measures as may be necessary to ensure that--to the extent that the total foreign exchange revenues of the two States from the export of goods and services permit, and provided that each State takes appropriate measures to conserve its own foreign exchange resources--each State shall have available, in any twelve months' period, foreign exchange sufficient to assure the supply of quantities of imported goods and services for consumption in its territory equivalent to the quantities of such goods and services consumed in that territory in the twelve months' period ending 31 December 1947.</span><br /><br /><span>10. All economic authority not specifically vested in the Joint Economic Board is reserved to each State.</span><br /><br /><span>11. There shall be a common customs tariff with complete freedom of trade between the States, and between the States and the City of Jerusalem.</span><br /><br /><span>12. The tariff schedules shall be drawn up by a Tariff Commission, consisting of representatives of each of the States in equal numbers, and shall be submitted to the Joint Economic Board for approval by a majority vote. In case of disagreement in the Tariff Commission, the Joint Economic Board shall arbitrate the points of difference. In the event that the Tariff Commission fails to draw up any schedule by a date to be fixed, the Joint Economic Board shall determine the tariff schedule.</span><br /><br /><span>13. The following items shall be a first charge on the customs and other common revenue of the Joint Economic Board:</span><br /><br /><span>(a) The expenses of the customs service and of the operation of the joint services;</span><br /><br /><span>(b) The administrative expenses of the Joint Economic Board;</span><br /><br /><span>(c) The financial obligations of the Administration of Palestine consisting of:</span><br /><br /><span>(i) The service of the outstanding public debt;</span><br /><br /><span>(ii) The cost of superannuation benefits, now being paid or falling due in the future, in accordance with the rules and to the extent established by paragraph 3 of chapter 3 above.</span><br /><br /><span>14. After these obligations have been met in full, the surplus revenue from the customs and other common services shall be divided in the following manner: not less than 5 per cent and not more than 10 per cent to the City of Jerusalem; the residue shall be allocated to each State by the Joint Economic Board equitably, with the objective of maintaining a sufficient and suitable level of government and social services in each State, except that the share of either State shall not exceed the amount of that State's contribution to the revenues of the Economic Union by more than approximately four million pounds in any year. The amount granted may be adjusted by the Board according to the price level in relation to the prices prevailing at the time of the establishment of the Union. After five years, the principles of the distribution of the joint revenues may be revised by the Joint Economic Board on a basis of equity.</span><br /><br /><span>15. All international conventions and treaties affecting customs tariff rates, and those communications services under the jurisdiction of the Joint Economic Board, shall be entered into by both States. In these matters, the two States shall be bound to act in accordance with the majority vote of the Joint Economic Board.</span><br /><br /><span>16. The Joint Economic Board shall endeavour to secure for Palestine's export fair and equal access to world markets.</span><br /><br /><span>17. All enterprises operated by the Joint Economic Board shall pay fair wages on a uniform basis.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><i><span>Freedom of transit and visit</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>18. The undertaking shall contain provisions preserving freedom of transit and visit for all residents or citizens of both States and of the City of Jerusalem, subject to security considerations; provided that each state and the City shall control residence within its borders.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><i><span>Termination, modification and interpretation of the undertaking </span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>19. The undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom shall remain in force for a period of ten years. It shall continue in force until notice of termination, to take effect two years thereafter, is given by either of the parties.</span><br /><br /><span>20. During the initial ten-year period, the undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom may not be modified except by consent of both parties and with the approval of the General Assembly.</span><br /><br /><span>21. Any dispute relating to the application or the interpretation of the undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom shall be referred, at the request of either party, to the international Court of Justice, unless the parties agree to another mode of settlement.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">E. ASSETS</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">1. The movable assets of the Administration of Palestine shall be allocated to the Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem on an equitable basis. Allocations should be made by the United Nations Commission referred to in section B, paragraph 1, above. Immovable assets shall become the property of the government of the territory in which they are situated.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><span>2. During the period between the appointment of the United Nations Commission and the termination of the Mandate, the mandatory Power shall, except in respect of ordinary operations, consult with the Commission on any measure which it may contemplate involving the liquidation, disposal or encumbering of the assets of the Palestine Government, such as the accumulated treasury surplus, the proceeds of Government bond issues, State lands or any other asset.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">F. ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED NATIONS</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">When the independence of either the Arab or the Jewish State as envisaged in this plan has become effective and the declaration and undertaking, as envisaged in this plan, have been signed by either of them, sympathetic consideration should be given to its application for admission to membership in the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>PART II</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>Boundaries</span></b><span> </span><u><sup><span>5</span></sup></u><sup><span>/</span></sup><br /><span>A. THE ARAB STATE</span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">The area of the Arab State in Western Galilee is bounded on the west by the Mediterranean and on the north by the frontier of the Lebanon from Ras en Naqura to a point north of Saliha. From there the boundary proceeds southwards, leaving the built-up area of Saliha in the Arab State, to join the southernmost point of this village. Thence it follows the western boundary line of the villages of `Alma, Rihaniya and Teitaba, thence following the northern boundary line of Meirun village to join the Acre-Safad sub-district boundary line. It follows this line to a point west of Es Sammu'i village and joins it again at the northernmost point of Farradiya. Thence it follows the sub-district boundary line to the Acre-Safad main road. From here it follows the western boundary of Kafr I'nan village until it reaches the Tiberias-Acre sub-district boundary line, passing to the west of the junction of the Acre-Safad and Lubiya-Kafr I'nan roads. From south-west corner of Kafr I'nan village the boundary line follows the western boundary of the Tiberias sub-district to a point close to the boundary line between the villages of Maghar and Eilabun, thence bulging out to the west to include as much of the eastern part of the plain of Battuf as is necessary for the reservoir proposed by the Jewish Agency for the irrigation of lands to the south and east.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The boundary rejoins the Tiberias sub-district boundary at a point on the Nazareth-Tiberias road south-east of the built-up area of Tur'an; thence it runs southwards, at first following the sub-district boundary and then passing between the Kadoorie Agricultural School and Mount Tabor, to a point due south at the base of Mount Tabor. From here it runs due west, parallel to the horizontal grid line 230, to the north-east corner of the village lands of Tel Adashim. It then runs to the north-west corner of these lands, whence it turns south and west so as to include in the Arab State the sources of the Nazareth water supply in Yafa village. On reaching Ginneiger it follows the eastern, northern and western boundaries of the lands of this village to their south-west corner, whence it proceeds in a straight line to a point on the Haifa-Afula railway on the boundary between the villages of Sarid and El Mujeidil. This is the point of intersection.</span><br /><br /><span>The south-western boundary of the area of the Arab State in Galilee takes a line from this point, passing northwards along the eastern boundaries of Sarid and Gevat to the north-eastern corner of Nahalal, proceeding thence across the land of Kefar ha Horesh to a central point on the southern boundary of the village of `Ilut, thence westwards along that village boundary to the eastern boundary of Beit Lahm, thence northwards and north-eastwards along its western boundary to the north-eastern corner of Waldheim and thence north-westwards across the village lands of Shafa 'Amr to the south-eastern corner of Ramat Yohanan'. From here it runs due north-north-east to a point on the Shafa 'Amr-Haifa road, west of its junction with the road to I'Billin. From there it proceeds north-east to a point on the southern boundary of I'Billin situated to the west of the I'Billin-Birwa road. Thence along that boundary to its westernmost point, whence it turns to the north, follows across the village land of Tamra to the north-westernmost corner and along the western boundary of Julis until it reaches the Acre-Safad road. It then runs westwards along the southern side of the Safad-Acre road to the Galilee-Haifa District boundary, from which point it follows that boundary to the sea.</span><br /><br /><span>The boundary of the hill country of Samaria and Judea starts on the Jordan River at the Wadi Malih south-east of Beisan and runs due west to meet the Beisan-Jericho road and then follows the western side of that road in a north-westerly direction to the junction of the boundaries of the sub-districts of Beisan, Nablus, and Jenin. From that point it follows the Nablus-Jenin sub-district boundary westwards for a distance of about three kilometres and then turns north-westwards, passing to the east of the built-up areas of the villages of Jalbun and Faqqu'a, to the boundary of the sub-districts of Jenin and Beisan at a point north-east of Nuris. Thence it proceeds first north-westwards to a point due north of the built-up area of Zir'in and then westwards to the Afula-Jenin railway, thence north-westwards along the district boundary line to the point of intersection on the Hejaz railway. From here the boundary runs south-westwards, including the built-up area and some of the land of the village of Kh.Lid in the Arab State to cross the Haifa-Jenin road at a point on the district boundary between Haifa and Samaria west of El Mansi. It follows this boundary to the southernmost point of the village of El Buteimat. From here it follows the northern and eastern boundaries of the village of Ar'ara, rejoining the Haifa-Samaria district boundary at Wadi'Ara, and thence proceeding south-south-westwards in an approximately straight line joining up with the western boundary of Qaqun to a point east of the railway line on the eastern boundary of Qaqun village. From here it runs along the railway line some distance to the east of it to a point just east of the Tulkarm railway station. Thence the boundary follows a line half-way between the railway and the Tulkarm-Qalqiliya-Jaljuliya and Ras el Ein road to a point just east of Ras el Ein station, whence it proceeds along the railway some distance to the east of it to the point on the railway line south of the junction of the Haifa-Lydda and Beit Nabala lines, whence it proceeds along the southern border of Lydda airport to its south-west corner, thence in a south-westerly direction to a point just west of the built-up area of Sarafand el'Amar, whence it turns south, passing just to the west of the built-up area of Abu el Fadil to the north-east corner of the lands of Beer Ya'Aqov. (The boundary line should be so demarcated as to allow direct access from the Arab State to the airport.) Thence the boundary line follows the western and southern boundaries of Ramle village, to the north-east corner of El Na'ana village, thence in a straight line to the southernmost point of El Barriya, along the eastern boundary of that village and the southern boundary of 'Innaba village. Thence it turns north to follow the southern side of the Jaffa-Jerusalem road until El Qubab, whence it follows the road to the boundary of Abu Shusha. It runs along the eastern boundaries of Abu Shusha, Seidun, Hulda to the southernmost point of Hulda, thence westwards in a straight line to the north-eastern corner of Umm Kalkha, thence following the northern boundaries of Umm Kalkha, Qazaza and the northern and western boundaries of Mukhezin to the Gaza District boundary and thence runs across the village lands of El Mismiya, El Kabira, and Yasur to the southern point of intersection, which is midway between the built-up areas of Yasur and Batani Sharqi.</span><br /><br /><span>From the southern point of intersection the boundary lines run north-westwards between the villages of Gan Yavne and Barqa to the sea at a point half way between Nabi Yunis and Minat el Qila, and south-eastwards to a point west of Qastina, whence it turns in a south-westerly direction, passing to the east of the built-up areas of Es Sawafir, Es Sharqiya and Ibdis. From the south-east corner of Ibdis village it runs to a point south-west of the built-up area of Beit 'Affa, crossing the Hebron-El Majdal road just to the west of the built-up area of Iraq Suweidan. Thence it proceeds southwards along the western village boundary of El Faluja to the Beersheba sub-district boundary. It then runs across the tribal lands of 'Arab el Jubarat to a point on the boundary between the sub-districts of Beersheba and Hebron north of Kh. Khuweilifa, whence it proceeds in a south-westerly direction to a point on the Beersheba-Gaza main road two kilometres to the north-west of the town. It then turns south-eastwards to reach Wadi Sab' at a point situated one kilometre to the west of it. From here it turns north-eastwards and proceeds along Wadi Sab' and along the Beersheba-Hebron road for a distance of one kilometre, whence it turns eastwards and runs in a straight line to Kh. Kuseifa to join the Beersheba-Hebron sub-district boundary. It then follows the Beersheba-Hebron boundary eastwards to a point north of Ras Ez Zuweira, only departing from it so as to cut across the base of the indentation between vertical grid lines 150 and 160.</span><br /><br /><span>About five kilometres north-east of Ras ez Zuweira it turns north, excluding from the Arab State a strip along the coast of the Dead Sea not more than seven kilometres in depth, as far as Ein Geddi, whence it turns due east to join the Transjordan frontier in the Dead Sea.</span><br /><br /><span>The northern boundary of the Arab section of the coastal plain runs from a point between Minat el Qila and Nabi Yunis, passing between the built-up areas of Gan Yavne and Barqa to the point of intersection. From here it turns south-westwards, running across the lands of Batani Sharqi, along the eastern boundary of the lands of Beit Daras and across the lands of Julis, leaving the built-up areas of Batani Sharqi and Julis to the westwards, as far as the north-west corner of the lands of Beit Tima. Thence it runs east of El Jiya across the village lands of El Barbara along the eastern boundaries of the villages of Beit Jirja, Deir Suneid and Dimra. From the south-east corner of Dimra the boundary passes across the lands of Beit Hanun, leaving the Jewish lands of Nir-Am to the eastwards. From the south-east corner of Dimra the boundary passes across the lands of Beit Hanun, leaving the Jewish lands of Nir-Am to the eastwards. From the south-east corner of Beit Hanun the line runs south-west to a point south of the parallel grid line 100, then turns north-west for two kilometres, turning again in a south-westerly direction and continuing in an almost straight line to the north-west corner of the village lands of Kirbet Ikhza'a. From there it follows the boundary line of this village to its southernmost point. It then runs in a southernly direction along the vertical grid line 90 to its junction with the horizontal grid line 70. It then turns south-eastwards to Kh. el Ruheiba and then proceeds in a southerly direction to a point known as El Baha, beyond which it crosses the Beersheba-El 'Auja main road to the west of Kh. el Mushrifa. From there it joins Wadi El Zaiyatin just to the west of El Subeita. From there it turns to the north-east and then to the south-east following this Wadi and passes to the east of 'Abda to join Wadi Nafkh. It then bulges to the south-west along Wadi Nafkh. It then bulges to the south-west along Wadi Nafkh, Wadi Ajrim and Wadi Lassan to the point where Wadi Lassan crosses the Egyptian frontier.</span><br /><br /><span>The area of the Arab enclave of Jaffa consists of that part of the town-planning area of Jaffa which lies to the west of the Jewish quarters lying south of Tel-Aviv, to the west of the continuation of Herzl street up to its junction with the Jaffa-Jerusalem road, to the south-west of the section of the Jaffa-Jerusalem road lying south-east of that junction, to the west of Miqve Israel lands, to the north-west of Holon local council area, to the north of the line linking up the north-west corner of Holon with the north-east corner of Bat Yam local council area and to the north of Bat Yam local council area. The question of Karton quarter will be decided by the Boundary Commission, bearing in mind among other considerations the desirability of including the smallest possible number of its Arab inhabitants and the largest possible number of its Jewish inhabitants in the Jewish State.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">B. THE JEWISH STATE</span></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">The north-eastern sector of the Jewish State (Eastern) Galilee) is bounded on the north and west by the Lebanese frontier and on the east by the frontiers of Syria and Transjordan. It includes the whole of the Hula Basin, Lake Tiberias, the whole of the Beisan sub-district, the boundary line being extended to the crest of the Gilboa mountains and the Wadi Malih. From there the Jewish State extends north-west, following the boundary described in respect of the Arab State.<br /><span><br /></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The Jewish Section of the coastal plain extends from a point between Minat et Qila and Nabi Yunis in the Gaza sub-district and includes the towns of Haifa and Tel-Aviv, leaving Jaffa as an enclave of the Arab State. The eastern frontier of the Jewish State follows the boundary described in respect of the Arab State.</span><br /><br /><span>The Beersheba area comprises the whole of the Beersheba sub-district, including the Negeb and the eastern part of the Gaza sub-district, but excluding the town of Beersheba and those areas described in respect of the Arab State. It includes also a strip of land along the Dead Sea stretching from the Beersheba-Hebron sub-district boundary line to Ein Geddi, as described in respect of the Arab State.</span><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /><span>C. THE CITY OF JERUSALEM</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">The boundaries of the City of Jerusalem are as defined in the recommendations on the City of Jerusalem. (See Part III, Section B, below).<br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>PART III</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>City of Jerusalem</span></b><br /><span>A. SPECIAL REGIME</span><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a </span><i><span>corpus separatum</span></i><span> under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations. The Trusteeship Council shall be designated to discharge the responsibilities of the Administering Authority on behalf of the United Nations.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">B. BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY</span></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">The City of Jerusalem shall include the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of which shall be Abu Dis; the most southern, Bethlehem; the most western, Ein Karim (including also the built-up area of Motsa); and the most northern Shu'fat, as indicated on the attached sketch-map (annex B).<br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>C. STATUTE OF THE CITY</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The Trusteeship Council shall, within five months of the approval of the present plan, elaborate and approve a detailed Statute of the City which shall contain inter alia the substance of the following provisions:</span><br /><br /><span>1. </span><i><span>Government machinery; special objectives.</span></i><span> The Administering Authority in discharging its administrative obligations shall pursue the following special objectives:</span><br /><br /><span>(a) To protect and to preserve the unique spiritual and religious interests located in the city of the three great monotheistic faiths throughout the world, Christian, Jewish and Moslem; to this end to ensure that order and peace, and especially religious peace, reign in Jerusalem;</span><br /><br /><span>(b) To foster co-operation among all the inhabitants of the city in their own interests as well as in order to encourage and support the peaceful development of the mutual relations between the two Palestinian peoples throughout the Holy Land; to promote the security, well-being and any constructive measures of development of the residents, having regard to the special circumstances and customs of the various peoples and communities.</span><br /><br /><span>2. </span><i><span>Governor and administrative staff</span></i><span>. A Governor of the City of Jerusalem shall be appointed by the Trusteeship Council and shall be responsible to it. He shall be selected on the basis of special qualifications and without regard to nationality. He shall not, however, be a citizen of either State in Palestine.</span><br /><br /><span>The Governor shall represent the United Nations in the City and shall exercise on their behalf all powers of administration, including the conduct of external affairs. He shall be assisted by an administrative staff classed as international officers in the meaning of Article 100 of the Charter and chosen whenever practicable from the residents of the city and of the rest of Palestine on a non-discriminatory basis. A detailed plan for the organization of the administration of the city shall be submitted by the Governor to the Trusteeship Council and duly approved by it.</span><br /><br /><span>3. </span><i><span>Local autonomy. </span></i><span>(a) The existing local autonomous units in the territory of the city (villages, townships and municipalities) shall enjoy wide powers of local government and administration.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) The Governor shall study and submit for the consideration and decision of the Trusteeship Council a plan for the establishment of a special town units consisting respectively, of the Jewish and Arab sections of new Jerusalem. The new town units shall continue to form part of the present municipality of Jerusalem.</span><br /><br /><span>4. </span><i><span>Security measures.</span></i><span> (a) The City of Jerusalem shall be demilitarized; its neutrality shall be declared and preserved, and no para-military formations, exercises or activities shall be permitted within its borders.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) Should the administration of the City of Jerusalem be seriously obstructed or prevented by the non-co-operation or interference of one or more sections of the population, the Governor shall have authority to take such measures as may be necessary to restore the effective functioning of the administration.</span><br /><br /><span>(c) To assist in the maintenance of internal law and order and especially for the protection of the Holy Places and religious buildings and sites in the city, the Governor shall organize a special police force of adequate strength, the members of which shall be recruited outside of Palestine. The Governor shall be empowered to direct such budgetary provision as may be necessary for the maintenance of this force.</span><br /><br /><span>5. </span><i><span>Legislative organization.</span></i><span> A Legislative Council, elected by adult residents of the city irrespective of nationality on the basis of universal and secret suffrage and proportional representation, shall have powers of legislation and taxation. No legislative measures shall, however, conflict or interfere with the provisions which will be set forth in the Statute of the City, nor shall any law, regulation, or official action prevail over them. The Statute shall grant to the Governor a right of vetoing bills inconsistent with the provisions referred to in the preceding sentence. It shall also empower him to promulgate temporary ordinances in case the council fails to adopt in time a bill deemed essential to the normal functioning of the administration.</span><br /><br /><span>6. </span><i><span>Administration of justice.</span></i><span> The Statute shall provide for the establishment of an independent judiciary system, including a court of appeal. All the inhabitants of the City shall be subject to it.</span><br /><br /><span>7. </span><i><span>Economic union and economic regime.</span></i><span> The City of Jerusalem shall be included in the Economic Union of Palestine and be bound by all stipulations of the undertaking and of any treaties issued therefrom, as well as by the decision of the Joint Economic Board. The headquarters of the Economic Board shall be established in the territory of the City.</span><br /><br /><span>The Statute shall provide for the regulation of economic matters not falling within the regime of the Economic Union, on the basis of equal treatment and non-discrimination for all members of the United Nations and their nationals.</span><br /><br /><span>8. </span><i><span>Freedom of transit and visit; control of residents.</span></i><span> Subject to considerations of security, and of economic welfare as determined by the Governor under the directions of the Trusteeship Council, freedom of entry into, and residence within, the borders of the City shall be guaranteed for the residents or citizens of the Arab and Jewish States. Immigration into, and residence within, the borders of the city for nationals of other States shall be controlled by the Governor under the directions of the Trusteeship Council.</span><br /><br /><span>9. </span><i><span>Relations with the Arab and Jewish States.</span></i><span> Representatives of the Arab and Jewish States shall be accredited to the Governor of the City and charged with the protection of the interests of their States and nationals in connexion with the international administration of the City.</span><br /><br /><span>10. </span><i><span>Official languages.</span></i><span> Arabic and Hebrew shall be the official languages of the city. This will not preclude the adoption of one or more additional working languages, as may be required.</span><br /><br /><span>11. </span><i><span>Citizenship.</span></i><span> All the residents shall become ipso facto citizens of the City of Jerusalem unless they opt for citizenship of the State of which they have been citizens or, if Arabs or Jews, have filed notice of intention to become citizens of the Arab or Jewish State respectively, according to part I, section B, paragraph 9, of this plan.</span><br /><br /><span>The Trusteeship Council shall make arrangements for consular protection of the citizens of the City outside its territory.</span><br /><br /><span>12. </span><i><span>Freedoms of Citizens.</span></i><span> (a) Subject only to the requirements of public order and morals, the inhabitants of the City shall be ensured the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, religion and worship, language, education, speech and press, assembly and association, and petition.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) No discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants on the grounds of race, religion, language or sex.</span><br /><br /><span>(c) All persons within the City shall be entitled to equal protection of the laws.</span><br /><br /><span>(d) The family law and personal status of the various persons and communities and their religious interests, including endowments, shall be respected.</span><br /><br /><span>(e) Except as may be required for the maintenance of public order and good government, no measure shall be taken to obstruct or interfere with the enterprise of religious or charitable bodies of all faiths or to discriminate against any representative or member of these bodies on the ground of his religion or nationality.</span><br /><br /><span>(f) The City shall ensure adequate primary and secondary education for the Arab and Jewish communities respectively, in their own languages and in accordance with their cultural traditions.</span><br /><br /><span>The right of each community to maintain its own schools for the education of its own members in its own language, while conforming to such educational requirements of a general nature as the City may impose, shall not be denied or impaired. Foreign educational establishments shall continue their activity on the basis of their existing rights.</span><br /><br /><span>(g) No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any inhabitant of the City of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the Press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.</span><br /><br /><span>13. </span><i><span>Holy Places.</span></i><span> (a) Existing rights in respect of Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall not be denied or impaired.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) Free access to the Holy Places and religious buildings or sites and the free exercise of worship shall be secured in conformity with existing rights and subject to the requirements of public order and decorum.</span><br /><br /><span>(c) Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred character. If at any time it appears to the Governor that any particular Holy Place, religious building or site is in need of urgent repair, the Governor may call upon the community or communities concerned to carry out such repair. The Governor may carry it out himself at the expense of the community or communities concerned if no action is taken within a reasonable time.</span><br /><br /><span>(d) No taxation shall be levied in respect of any Holy Place, religious building or site which was exempt from taxation on the date of the creation of the City. No change in the incidence of such taxation shall be made which would either discriminate between the owners or occupiers of Holy Places, religious buildings or sites, or would place such owners or occupiers in a position less favourable in relation to the general incidence of taxation than existed at the time of the adoption of the Assembly's recommendations.</span><br /><br /><span>14. </span><i><span>Special powers of the Governor in respect of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in the City and in any part of Palestine.</span></i><span> (a) The protection of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites located in the City of Jerusalem shall be a special concern of the Governor.</span><br /><br /><span>(b) With relation to such places, buildings and sites in Palestine outside the city, the Governor shall determine, on the ground of powers granted to him by the Constitutions of both States, whether the provisions of the Constitutions of the Arab and Jewish States in Palestine dealing therewith and the religious rights appertaining thereto are being properly applied and respected.</span><br /><br /><span>(c) The Governor shall also be empowered to make decisions on the basis of existing rights in cases of disputes which may arise between the different religious communities or the rites of a religious community in respect of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in any part of Palestine.</span><br /><br /><span>In this task he may be assisted by a consultative council of representatives of different denominations acting in an advisory capacity.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>D. DURATION OF THE SPECIAL REGIME</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>The Statute elaborated by the Trusteeship Council on the aforementioned principles shall come into force not later than 1 October 1948. It shall remain in force in the first instance for a period of ten years, unless the Trusteeship Council finds it necessary to undertake a re-examination of these provisions at an earlier date. After the expiration of this period the whole scheme shall be subject to re-examination by the Trusteeship Council in the light of the experience acquired with its functioning. The residents of the City shall be then free to express by means of a referendum their wishes as to possible modifications of the regime of the City.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>PART IV</span><br /><span>CAPITULATIONS</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>States whose nationals have in the past enjoyed in Palestine the privileges and immunities of foreigners, including the benefits of consular jurisdiction and protection, as formerly enjoyed by capitulation or usage in the Ottoman Empire, are invited to renounce any right pertaining to them to the re-establishment of such privileges and immunities in the proposed Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem.</span><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>* * *</span><br /><i><span>Notes</span></i><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span></span><u><span>1</span></u><span>/ See </span><u><span>Official Records of the second session of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 11, Volumes I-IV</span></u><span>.</span><br /><br /><span></span><u><span>2</span></u><span>/ This resolution was adopted without reference to a Committee.</span><br /><br /><span></span><u><span>3</span></u><span>/ The following stipulation shall be added to the declaration concerning the Jewish State: "In the Jewish State adequate facilities shall be given to Arab-speaking citizens for the use of their language, either orally or in writing, in the legislature, before the Courts and in the administration."</span><br /><br /><span></span><u><span>4</span></u><span>/ In the declaration concerning the Arab State, the words "by an Arab in the Jewish State" should be replaced by the words "by a Jew in the Arab State".</span><br /><br /><span></span><u><span>5</span></u><span>/ The boundary lines described in part II are indicated in Annex A. The base map used in marking and describing this boundary is "Palestine 1:250000" published by the Survey of Palestine, 1946.</span><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Annex A</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/5ba47a5c6cef541b802563e000493b8c/164333b501ca09e785256cc5005470c3?OpenDocument"><b><span>Plan of Partition with Economic Union</span></b></a></span></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><b><span>Annex B</span></b><br /><br /><b><span>City of Jerusalem</span></b><br /><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171010090147/https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/5ba47a5c6cef541b802563e000493b8c/3f1bd9477022a0c285256cc500530c1f?OpenDocument"><b><span>Boundaries Proposed By The Ad Hoc Committee On The Palestinian Question</span></b></a></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-51141793772611481782023-11-27T13:26:00.000-05:002023-11-27T13:26:27.708-05:00Thanksgiving Sermon of Rabbi Zev Zahavy from 1943 Here is my dad's incredible inspiring and uplifting sermon from 1943 for the holiday of Thanksgiving. It was a dark year in the history of humankind. Yet Rabbi Zahavy found ways to weave together precepts from our classical Jewish tradition to give hope and optimism to those who faced the bewildering frightening world of 1943.<br />
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I read this sermon every year and it inspires me more each time. My father was an impresario of the rabbinic pulpit.<br />
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<span class="fullpost"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5PDpQqe2-HZNTk4NWEwZjktMjFjZC00MDc1LWE1ZjMtNTFhZjQwODlkMDY5&hl=en">Click here for Rabbi Zev Zahavy's 1943 Thanksgiving Sermon, published by the RCA, Rabbinical Council of America.</a> </span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="560px" src="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=false&embedded=true&srcid=0B5PDpQqe2-HZNTk4NWEwZjktMjFjZC00MDc1LWE1ZjMtNTFhZjQwODlkMDY5&hl=en" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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A big hat tip to Zechariah for finding this and sending it to us.Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-27025072856504687512023-10-31T12:39:00.001-04:002023-10-31T12:41:08.229-04:00Understanding the Extensive Connections Between Religions and Terrorism?<img align="right" src="http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer4/2014/11/18/5704728/570467644873672640360no.jpg" width="250" /><span style="line-height: 17.9861px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In light of the awful terrorist attacks that have been launched once again in Israel I thought it urgent to repost this item.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="line-height: 17.9861px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are the connections between religions and terrorism? </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 17.9861px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's a big question. I tried to answer, explain and understand it in the past through my extensive scholarly research and my academic teaching.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Here is a selected list of my blog posts of study resources in the analysis of the connections between terrorism and religion (compiled when I taught a course on religion and terrorism at FDU a few years ago). Click on each one to read it.</span></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/09/faq-on-christian-terrorism-isnt.html" style="color: black;">Questions about American Christian Terrorism</a></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2005/09/religion-and-terror-iii-jewish.html" style="color: black; line-height: 18px;">Religion and Jewish Terrorists</a><span style="line-height: 18px;"> (<a href="http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/06/24/1005829/behind-the-headlines-radical-jewish-settlers">and see the JTA</a> report)</span></u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2005/09/god-and-terror.html" style="color: black;">What is a Religious Culture of Violence and Terror?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2005/10/religion-and-terror-vi-buddhist.html" style="color: black;">Who were Shoko Asahara and the Buddhist Aum Shinrikyo Religious Terrorists?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/10/religion-and-sikh-terror.html" style="color: black;">How did Religion Motivate Sikh Terrorists?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/10/religion-and-theater-of-terror.html" style="color: black;">What is the Logic of the Theater of Religious Terror?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/10/martyrs-demons-and-religious-terror.html" style="color: black;">Why Do Religious Terrorist Martyrs say that they aim to kill the demons?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/11/sex-men-and-terrorism-why-guys-throw.html" style="color: black;">What do Sexuality and Humiliation have to do with Terrorism?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/11/continuum-and-characteristics-you-have_15.html" style="color: black;">Will the War Against Religious Terrorism Ever End?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/10/religion-terror-and-cosmic-war.html" style="color: black;">From Kahane to Osama: How Do Men Make Religious Terrorism Into Cosmic War?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/11/peace-of-god-finishing-course-war-and.html" style="color: black;">How can we end religious terrorism and achieve the peace of God?</a> </u></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://tzvee.blogspot.com/2006/11/continuum-and-characteristics-you-have.html" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Concluding Questions on Religion and Terrorism</span></a></li>
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<b><br /></b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I have studied this subject at great length and taught courses in the area because I believe that understanding can help us resolve tragic conflicts. </b></div>
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<b>I also believe in the power of prayer to help us bring peace to the world.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>I recommend to you all of my books: </b><b><b><a href="http://www.tzvee.com">My Home Page</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=zahavyinc&l=as2&o=1&a=B005D5CD02" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></b></b></div>
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Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-19711332123195906802023-10-31T12:32:00.000-04:002023-10-31T12:33:00.001-04:00Thanksgiving Turkey Drumstick Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Pie Table Song - A Lone Pumpkin GrewThanksgiving is upon us soon and we sing traditional holiday songs at our Thanksgiving dinner.<br />
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Here are the words to one of our classic favorites...<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Oh a lone pumpkin grew on a green pumpkin vine.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">He was round</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">he was fat</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">he was yellow.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">"No silly jack-o-lantern shall I make," he said.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">"I'm determined to become a useful fellow."</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">So he raised up his head</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">when the cook came around</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">and at once he was chosen the winner.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">His fondest wish came true</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">he was proud pumpkin pie</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">and the glory of the great thanksgiving dinner...</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">For the glory of the jack is in the lantern</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">as he sits up on the gatepost oh so high;</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">and the glory of the turkey is the drumstick</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">but the glory of the pumpkin is the pie.</span></b></div><div style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Here we are singing the song in 2006:</span></b></div><div style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: red;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kuBsAT_zkjw" width="320" youtube-src-id="kuBsAT_zkjw"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br /></span></b></div>
Here's a YouTube 2009 home video of the song -- we don't know the folks -- it sounds like our familiar melody and we endorse it.<br />
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/mKiB8mDb6f0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480"></embed></object>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-1150852083155112552023-10-30T11:04:00.002-04:002023-10-30T11:12:31.775-04:00Life Advice from a Long-time Swimmer: Swim 100 laps every dayThe Tosefta quotes Rabbi Meir (2nd century CE Talmudic scholar) saying that everyone should strive to recite 100 blessings each day. It then goes on to enumerate them - mostly in daily prayers.<br />
<br />Let's play with the word for blessings. They are <i>berakhot </i>ברכות in ancient Hebrew. Okay then. In modern Hebrew the laps that one swims in a pool are called <i>berechot </i>בריכות. A blessing is a <i>berachah </i>and a pool - and a lap in a pool - is a <i>berechah.</i><br />
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I playfully read the ancient Talmud this way: Don't say 100 <i>berakhot (blessings)</i>, say 100 <i>berechot (laps)</i>.<br />
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Footnote about Meir from Wikipedia: Meir was buried in a standing position near the Kinneret. It is said that he asked to be buried this way so when the Final Redemption occurs, Rabbi Meir would be spared the trouble of arising from his grave and could just walk out to greet the Jewish Messiah. He requested that he be buried in Israel by the seashore so that the water that washes the shores should also lap his grave (Jerusalem Talmud, Kelaim 9:4).</blockquote>
And so I have crafted some Talmudic encouragement for myself to swim 100 laps a day. On many days each year, I do get to that goal.<br />
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Here are a few of my past reflections on swimming...<br />
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Some time ago, <a href="http://www.hashkafah.com/Liberal-Men-Plunge-Ritual-Immersion-Slowly-t27038.html&mode=threaded&pid=597740">JTA reported</a> that "Liberal men take the plunge into ritual immersion, slowly" -- Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish men were going to <i>mikvah pools </i>and finding it meaningful. Sue Fishkoff wondered why and so did I.<br />
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She ended her article with a quote from mikvah user and attorney Merrill Hassenfeld, “We’re always doing things for others, why don’t we set aside time to go to the mikvah?” he asked. “It prepares us to go out into the world and start yelling and screaming again.” (Has a greater non-sequiteur ever been uttered?)<br />
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Now, my confession. I am a pool addict. I am a lap swimmer.</i></b><br />
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Starting in 1982 my aim was to try to swim a mile - 64 laps every day. Finding the time. Finding a pool. Finding the energy. Not easy. Since 2013 I raised the lap level to 100 a day - a mile and a half. About 400 miles a year.<br />
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When I come out of my pool, I find that I feel healthier, more centered and completely relaxed. Swimming a mile in around 30 minutes is hard, aerobic work. That is what I have to invest to get results from my "mikvah" experience. I'm happy to observe that others can achieve their own "incredible" positive benefits from splashing around in a state of heightened imagination.<br />
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I have sought out pools to swim my laps all over the world. My most favorite pool was the old Gordon Pool on Tel Aviv beach near the Sheraton, pictured below from a few years ago (c. 2007).<br />
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It was one of the wonders of the world. Each night they emptied the entire 50 meter pool, cleaned it and refilled it from underground saltwater wells 120 meters below. The pool opened at 5 AM at 24 degrees, which was just fine for us lap swimmers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6ahrdqFfN3JJRSth4RmF-6zWqcD_NQZglwgUuPOsbUuQdF2C-9SH8h1tf6DFShYKA1D6AC-VEHSkjJq93TjmipECf3fux1xCpnnZxUUi2UZRHrS3vPRha1fzyTL1Yi-m_1qOCY1_BceAtyisqGmwijxm9m6DyR0DANSxuit3uXdtU64JpE7b/s384/gordon%20pool%202008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="384" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6ahrdqFfN3JJRSth4RmF-6zWqcD_NQZglwgUuPOsbUuQdF2C-9SH8h1tf6DFShYKA1D6AC-VEHSkjJq93TjmipECf3fux1xCpnnZxUUi2UZRHrS3vPRha1fzyTL1Yi-m_1qOCY1_BceAtyisqGmwijxm9m6DyR0DANSxuit3uXdtU64JpE7b/s320/gordon%20pool%202008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;">Suddenly, the Gordon pool was </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/941588.html">leveled in 2008 without warning</a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> by the city of Tel Aviv. Happily, they rebuilt and reopened it </span><a href="http://www.yourway.co.il/gordon_pool_tel_aviv_virtual_tour.html" style="text-align: left;">as a more modern facility.</a><span style="text-align: left;"> I swam there in 2011. It's wonderful.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0elvXDald7wdIVMK7zOA3pKi5vuFq9ophBEk8RbrmRkeoHZb0-oVgaBjL7Q1fWIrhJy1SJGcjJJagbjy3uGXpwcZUiLi1F1RTP80sN3YcDLku19uwdbMW_kdgZHedQmJZiHKm/s1600/IMG_0622.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0elvXDald7wdIVMK7zOA3pKi5vuFq9ophBEk8RbrmRkeoHZb0-oVgaBjL7Q1fWIrhJy1SJGcjJJagbjy3uGXpwcZUiLi1F1RTP80sN3YcDLku19uwdbMW_kdgZHedQmJZiHKm/s400/IMG_0622.JPG" /></a> </div>
I admit that 100 laps is an arbitrary goal. But for me, most days, it's exhilarating!<div><br /></div><div>2023 update: Sorry Rabbi Meir - most days I now swim 80 laps - 2000 yards. My aim now is for a good pace and an efficient stroke. I try to keep my workout to under 1000 strokes and under 40 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is it a blessing to continue swimming daily? Yes, it is like 100 blessings!<br />
<br />
[reposted with enhancements each year from 5/20/09]</div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-18335022602739037222023-09-15T13:46:00.000-04:002023-09-15T13:46:48.808-04:00My Jewish Standard Dear Rabbi Zahavy Column for October 2016: Binging at Weddings and Not Believing in Sin<b>My Jewish Standard Dear Rabbi Zahavy Column for October 2016: </b><br />
<b>Binging at Weddings and Not Believing in Sin</b><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Dear Rabbi Zahavy,</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>I went to a big Orthodox Jewish family wedding recently in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The music was so loud that some of my relatives, who had expected it, brought along earplugs. There was so much food at the smorgasbord and the main meal that the next day I weighed myself and saw I had gained more than three pounds in one night.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>I’m tempted to turn down invitations to future frum family simchas just to keep my hearing intact and my waistline under control. Is that a reasonable course of action?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Binging in Bergenfield</i><br />
<br />
Dear Binging,<br />
<br />
Sure you can skip family weddings to preserve your health and well-being, and you should do that if you have no other solution. But some of your kin seem to have found modalities that allow them to participate and preserve their hearing. Surely ear plugs are an option for you too. Why not avail yourself of them?<br />
<br />
And regarding the food, you know that you do not have to eat all of it! One possible alternative is to attend the smorg and the chuppah and gracefully decline the elaborate dinner that follows. Who needs to drive home at midnight from Brooklyn anyway? Of course, doing that you will miss the chance to bond and share at greater length with your family. But with such loud bands, how much schmoozing could you do with the relatives anyway?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
You are challenged with the fact that some Jewish weddings are overly loud and can be exercises in excess eating. If you do go to one, use as much self-restraint and wisdom as you can.<br />
<br />
<i>Dear Rabbi Zahavy,</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>This time of year, around the High Holidays, I have some troubling religion questions. First one, I don’t believe in the religious idea of sin. I guess that makes me a heretic. And I saw that recently that a theologian gave a seminar at a local synagogue on the topic of whether a heretic is eligible at all to repent.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Second, I ask myself at this time of year, Why do we so overemphasize these 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Why do we not continually work on repenting all year long?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Sinful in Secaucus</i><br />
<br />
Dear Sinful,<br />
<br />
Sin exists, of that I am sure. The Hebrew word for sin is chet, which implies missing the target. Actions are sins if they are not hitting the norm, not adhering to the highest level of behavior, as judged by one’s peers, community, society or religion.<br />
<br />
When you say, you don’t believe in religious sin, I surmise that means you do not accept the narrative that there is a God, the heavenly accountant, who keeps records in a big book (or perhaps if it were written today, the narrative would refer to a giant data storehouse in the cloud), the all-in-one policeman, judge, and jury, who tracks each person’s actions and metes out rewards and punishments accordingly.<br />
<br />
The moving High Holiday Unetaneh Tokef prayer assures us that such accounting is the case. That liturgy assures us that fasting, repentance, prayer, and charity all facilitate the mitigation of the punishment for the sins that are tracked.<br />
<br />
But you don’t believe that story and you think that makes you an apikores, a heretic who denies the reality of sin. And therefore, you cannot repent.<br />
<br />
And indeed, the medieval philosopher Maimonides makes clear his view that we cannot ever accept the repentance of a heretic (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 2:5).<br />
<br />
Surely you could argue against that standpoint. Who better would we want to return to the fold than the outright rejecter? But it seems that the tough line prevailed in the medieval view. Like a spurned lover, the rabbi says to the heretic, once you walk out that door, you are not welcome ever to come back in!<br />
<br />
Now I expect that you are a serious and thoughtful person who wishes to return to a better circumstance, to improve yourself morally and ethically. And as such, you can and should “repent of sin” in the conceptual framework that makes sense to you.<br />
<br />
Let me give you an alternative repentance narrative that may fit your personality and beliefs better than the classical one that we sing and chant in the synagogue.<br />
<br />
In the 10 days from the New Year to Yom Kippur you could take some extra time to consider how to get your life on a better track. Over the course of the year, everyone gets diverted or even derailed in one way or another from the direction that they set as optimal for themselves.<br />
<br />
We fall short of personal goals. We mess up our interpersonal relationships. We may violate societal expectations. We may break laws. We may do terrible rotten things that we regret in retrospect and wonder what in the world motivated our missing the mark?<br />
<br />
We often end up beating ourselves up for being bad, or lazy, or mean or thoughtless. And then there we are. In a place we don’t want to be, feeling lousy about our lives.<br />
<br />
What to do? How to go forward? In the secular scenario, the path is not so mysterious. You need to have compassion for yourself. You need to forgive yourself of your shortcomings — to free yourself from all your bad vows of the past. And you need to chart a course going forward to get back to a better, safer, calmer place.<br />
<br />
And let me tell you, all that is easy to say, and yet it is utterly hard to do. To accomplish that you likely will need help. Perhaps talking with good friends, family members, or a professional; a talented therapist can assist you along this road.<br />
<br />
But many of us do turn to religion to seek support in this process. The whole dramatic arc of repentance in the Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur liturgy unfolds in two acts. In act one we meet the Lord, King of the Universe, the creator of heavens and Earth. He is no stranger to us having forged a relationship with us through several covenants. And we have proven our faithfulness, passing many tests along the way from the testing of Abraham and onward.<br />
<br />
The Lord revealed to us his Torah, the template for a proper life. And here we are, unable to rise to the requirements of the revealed law, falling short of our assigned tasks and goals. Curtain falls — end of Act One.<br />
<br />
Act Two opens at Kol Nidre with us, the subjects, standing in dejection and sin, wanting a way out of our sad situation. Before we address the Lord, we seek legal redress, we ask that our vows be released, that our bad habits be nullified. And throughout the Day of Atonement we ask repeatedly for our Lord’s compassion, mercy, forgiveness and pardon.<br />
<br />
And at the end of a long day, and a lengthy 10-day period of seeking God’s compassion, we blow the shofar and we are sure that our sins are forgiven.<br />
<br />
In the classical liturgical telling we rely on our belief that our great Lord will grant us forgiveness, release us from our past mistakes, and clean our slates to start over.<br />
<br />
I hope you can value how the religious modality affords a strong means of assisting a way out of “sin” by calling on a higher power to help us, to forgive us.<br />
<br />
The secular story arc puts the burden more on you to find the way forward to absolve yourself of bad actions. It seems simpler at first, but may end up being more complex to achieve.<br />
<br />
And finally yes, I agree that self-betterment not be confined to one annual intensive 10-day period. Constant activity over the year to forgive yourself and fix what is broken in your life makes perfect sense to me. Go for it.<br />
<br />
<i>Tzvee Zahavy of Teaneck received his Ph.D. from Brown University and his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. He is the author of many books about Judaism, including “Jewish Magic,” a new Kindle eBook on Amazon, and he also has published “The Book of Jewish Prayers in English,” “God’s Favorite Prayers,” and “Talmudic Advice from Dear Rabbi,” which includes his past columns from the Jewish Standard and other essays.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>The Dear Rabbi Zahavy column offers mindful advice based on Talmudic wisdom. It aspires to be equally open and meaningful to all of the varieties and denominations of Judaism. You can find it here on the first Friday of the month. Please mail your questions to the Jewish Standard or email them to zahavy@gmail.com</i>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-73162828602207081252023-09-10T22:04:00.001-04:002023-09-10T22:07:24.148-04:00My Puffin Foundation Lecture on Religion and Terrorism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2023 update: I will never forget it. It changed our world. 9/11 is a terrible day for us all. Every year. I saw the second plane hit while I was driving in to work from the hill across the river. I saw the towers fall a short time later from my office window in Jersey City. Just know well that the terrorists acted in the name of Islam. Do not ever minimize or forget this. See the last five pages of my PPT for salient details: MAKING AN ACT OF TERROR INTO A SACRED COSMIC RITUAL. Awful horrible unforgivable. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KrlfOTUK4hLW21pwiMcBdAOxG_8SDEuW">My lecture presentation link is here:</a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KrlfOTUK4hLW21pwiMcBdAOxG_8SDEuW">https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KrlfOTUK4hLW21pwiMcBdAOxG_8SDEuW</a></div>
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<a href="https://tzvee.blogspot.com/search/label/terrorism">My numerous blog posts about terrorism and religion are linked here.</a></div>
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Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-32626475727184109222023-06-23T13:36:00.000-04:002023-06-23T13:36:09.161-04:00Yahrzeit of my mother Edith Zahavy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are observing today the 23nd Yahrzeit of my mother <b>Edith Zahavy </b>(<i>aleha hashalom</i>).<br />
<br />
We miss her so very much. She would have loved to see the progress of her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and take pride in all of their accomplishments. She would have loved to read books to her great-grandchildren and to watch them play and grow.<br />
<br />
She was born in NYC and attended the public schools in Washington Heights. She watched from her classroom window as they built the George Washington Bridge.<br />
<br />
She graduated from Hunter High School, Hunter College and went on to a career in public service at the OPA and then into the field education. <div><br /></div><div>Together with my dad, she founded the Park East Day School when my father was rabbi at the Park East Synagogue, then called Congregation Zichron Ephraim. She subsequently taught in NYC public schools for many years.<br />
<br />
She is interred on Har Hamenuchot in Jerusalem. Her beautiful memorial photo site is <b><a href="https://goo.gl/photos/KE3ZtZ6mbN3vEAPr6">here</a>. </b></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-35813000569369885962023-05-01T11:00:00.000-04:002023-05-01T11:00:46.352-04:00Rabbi Dr. Zev Zahavy - Yahrzeit Number 11<table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left; width: 194px;"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/a99qeAeUUfW5DvYR9" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">Photos</span></a><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Rabbi Dr. Zev Zahavy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">New York City </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">September 8, 1918 - May 1, 2012</span></div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/41462836"><span style="font-size: large;">Nine Minute ZZ Slideshow</span></a><br />
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Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-5209811965553941752023-01-07T22:22:00.001-05:002023-02-08T09:33:12.228-05:00The Mishnah in a new and affordable English Edition<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_2nu" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A new English translation of Mishnah edited by Robert Goldenberg (OBM), Shaye Cohen, and Hayim Lapin has been published for a hard to justify or afford price of $645. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In the Introduction two of the editors heap high praise on Rev. Herbert Danby's classic translation, which <a href="https://amzn.to/3uUYUeb?fbclid=IwAR3IRhxxtiuBvlL-aEipmHhSYagbWbW1yz9mQk6jb071lsaAwBiGaeJXqSc">I edited and released and is now available in a beautiful new edition for $29</a>. Here is what the other editors say about Danby.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">--------------------------</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">The Rev. Herbert Danby </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">================</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">[From page 8] "In 1933, the Clarendon Press of Oxford University published The Mishnah Translated from the Hebrew with Introduction and Brief Explanatory Notes, by Herbert Danby, a volume of some 900 pages. It is a mark of the quality of Danby's work that it remains in print almost ninety years later. Our translation is completely independent of his, but we are aware that we are walking in his footsteps. For the Hebrew-less reader, unaccustomed to Mishnaic rhetoric and technical terminology, Danby's translation, [is] excellent in itself...</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Danby was a master translator, but the modern reader demands more from a translation than Danby provides. The goal of our Mishnah translation is to equal Danby's in quality and to surpass it in utility. In tribute to Herbert Danby, a philo-Semitic Christian Hebraist, we have retained almost unchanged his index of biblical passages and his table of weights, measures, and currency. We would have liked to retain his subject index, but we reluctantly came to the conclusion that it is too closely keyed to Danby's own translation and notes for it to be usable in a new setting. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"For biographical information about the Rev. Danby and an appreciation of his work, see the excellent article by Shalom Goldman in the journal Modern Judaism ("The Rev. Herbert Danby (1889-1953): Hebrew Scholar, Zionist, Christian Missionary," Modern Judaism-A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience, 27:2 (May 2007), pp. 219-245)."</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505;">From Goldman's article - we garner these insights:</div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505;">"Danby’s most useful and widely-used contribution to the study <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">of Jewish texts was his Mishnah translation. This translation quickly </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">became a standard text in the English-speaking world and it </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">remains in print seventy years after its publication. When, in 1988, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Yale University Press published a new translation of the Mishnah, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">its editor, Jacob Neusner, made it clear that ‘‘publishing this fresh </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">translation of the Mishnah constitutes no criticism of the great and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">pioneering translation by Herbert Danby. His translation has one </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">fundamental flaw . . .He does not make the effort to translate the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Hebrew into English words following the syntax of Mishnaic </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Hebrew . . . that is what the present translation, into American </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">English, provides.’’ While Neusner’s translation takes us closer to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">the syntactical structure of the Hebrew of the Mishnah, Danby’s </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">translation renders that text more immediately accessible and for that reason it remains the translation of record."</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></div></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">-------------------------</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My reaction is that it's good to see nice words about a classic Mishnah English Translation by Danby. But mystifying and a bit disappointing that the editors of the $645 edition have nothing to say in their introduction about numerous other recent and brilliant translations of Mishnah into English by for instance - Rabbi Steinsalz, or the edition by Artscroll (Schottenstein Edition of the Mishnah Elucidated - Complete 23 Volume Set), or the academic work edited by Jacob Neusner (which I contributed to), or the set by Pinhas Kehati, or editions rendering Mishnah into English by dozens of other scholars and rabbis.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">--------------------------</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3uUYUeb?fbclid=IwAR3IRhxxtiuBvlL-aEipmHhSYagbWbW1yz9mQk6jb071lsaAwBiGaeJXqSc">I recommend you go immediately and get the new edition from Amazon for $36. It is a gorgeous book.</a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZCW3PJY?crid=36EM8EIG74ZUX&keywords=the+mishnah+zahavy&qid=1652111113&sprefix=the+mishnah+zahavy%2Caps%2C41&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR3IRhxxtiuBvlL-aEipmHhSYagbWbW1yz9mQk6jb071lsaAwBiGaeJXqSc&linkCode=li3&tag=zahavyinc&linkId=276090bd97cb9c96658532060b7867f9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B09ZCW3PJY&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=zahavyinc&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=zahavyinc&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B09ZCW3PJY" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-87758423054478540812022-10-14T10:54:00.000-04:002022-10-14T10:54:14.569-04:00Post-Pandemic Kohelet: An Israelite Form of Meditation: Ecclesiastes is a cynical reflection on life’s futility that we can resonate to now more than ever. <a href="https://www.thetorah.com/article/kohelet-an-israelite-form-of-meditation">I think you will like this article published on TheTorah.com! </a>
Kohelet: An Israelite Form of Meditation.
Ecclesiastes is a cynical reflection on life’s futility. The constant sonorous repetition, visualizations, and references to breath serve as a sustained meditation to help free the reader’s soul from the agonizing struggle of life.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets-global.website-files.com/5b8fd783bee52c8fb59b1fac/5f7600b1475be4ee39260dbd_kohelet-meditation.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="800" height="217" src="https://assets-global.website-files.com/5b8fd783bee52c8fb59b1fac/5f7600b1475be4ee39260dbd_kohelet-meditation.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-43451507004181523252022-10-09T09:34:00.000-04:002022-10-09T09:34:26.932-04:00Electricity on Shabbat? My Dear Rabbi Zahavy Jewish Standard Column for March 2020<b>Electricity on Shabbat? My Dear Rabbi Zahavy Jewish Standard Column for March 2020</b><br />
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</i> <i>Dear Rabbi Zahavy,</i><br />
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</i> <i>Members of my community of Orthodox Jews who are shomer Shabbos refrain from turning on and off all electrical devices to observe their Shabbat rest. So, on Friday nights and Saturdays our practice is not to use, for instance, our phones or TVs or computers. And we don’t turn on or off lights or fans or heaters.</i><br />
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</i> <i>Lately, I’ve become lax in keeping these rules, especially regarding my use of my smart phone, my computer and my Alexa Amazon Echo devices. I feel that using these devices enhances my rest and my leisure. And I have found that avoiding them makes me uneasy, not relaxed or restful.</i><br />
<i><br />
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<i>I don’t publicly advertise my actions. But it’s increasingly evident to me that my family knows what I am doing and that they quietly disapprove.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>I am worried and need your advice. Am I sinning by my behavior? I feel strongly that what I am doing is not a violation of any rules and likely will continue my uses. But what can I do regarding my actions if this all blows up and causes social friction in my family and community?</i><br />
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</i> <i>Electrified in Englewood</i><br />
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Dear Electrified,<br />
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Establishing sacred time is a powerful part of all religions. The notion that we Jews spend one day a week in a special world of restful restrictions starting on sundown on Friday is an amazing claim to make. And at the same time, it is hard for the community to enforce the Sabbath taboos.<br />
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On the one hand you should recall that to keep people aware of the seriousness of the Sabbath, the biblical punishment for violating the Sabbath was announced as stoning to death. That gives you an idea of how earnestly keeping the Sabbath was treated within traditional Judaism. For Orthodox Jews, being shomer Shabbos is at the essential core of being a good Jew.<br />
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But on the other hand, you should not agonize overly much about this. You are not going to get stoned or electrocuted for your behavior by anyone these days. Should you become known as a lax observer, at most you may find yourself subject to quiet disapproval and perhaps some social ostracism from the tribe by those who are adamant that what you are doing is forbidden.<br />
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And you should know that these Shabbat electricity taboos are complex and subject to numerous debates and disagreements. Sabbath regulations are one of the most intricate areas of Jewish law. And thus, some great rabbis have ruled at times that some actions that people refrain from in our commonplace communal life are not technically prohibited by Torah law.<br />
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To be sure, throughout the ages there have been disputes over what is permitted and what is forbidden within the tradition about many behaviors. The ancient Talmud is built on the analysis of disputes between rabbis and their followers over the thousands of details of Jewish life.<br />
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In the first century for example, the Houses of Hillel and Shammai went on record, as we find in the Mishnah, clashing about more than 300 issues of Jewish law. Yet we are told clearly that this did not create a schism in the society of the time. And we know that they did not stone anyone for engaging in disputes.<br />
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The children of one school still married the children of the other. They knew back then how to argue legitimately over interpretations of what the Torah mandated for a proper life.<br />
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More recently though, the Talmudic attitude abiding a pluralistic Judaism has given way over the years, the centuries, to a much more rigorous form of social expectation. The rigorous halachic world of contemporary Orthodox society does not tolerate much diversity of opinion or action. The ancient sages of the Talmud likely would be uncomfortable with the expectations of rigid conformity now implicitly expected in our Orthodox synagogues, neighborhoods, and towns.<br />
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But plural behavior is going to be part of any healthy society, no matter how much it values inflexible traditionalism. And as you vividly bring up, today, we know there is a growing of concern and discussion in the Orthodox community over this type of issue regarding the Sabbath use of electronic devices.<br />
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Mostly the discussion takes the form of technical analyses of how and why using various electrical devices violates the Shabbos regulations. These deliberations often are lengthy and complex, involving the opinions and alleged precedents of rabbis going back through the Middle Ages to the age of the Talmud in Late Antiquity.<br />
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But hold on. We know that before 100 years ago there were no electronic devices to discuss or debate. There was no electricity in ancient times. Plainly, the Torah could not know of it. So, it cannot be a direct Torah prohibition to refrain from using the devices in question on Shabbos.<br />
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Obviously, the Talmud could not conceive of electricity. Likewise, the medieval rabbis could not have imagined electronic devices. So how, you may ask, could anyone forbid actively using electronics on Shabbos, even as a rabbinic taboo?<br />
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Add to this the obvious fact that electricity itself is not a visible entity in any of its forms. You cannot see the electricity in our wires or in our over-the-air transmissions of TV, through mobile networks (2G, 3G, 4G or 5G) or in our Wi-Fi waves. It’s valid to ask, then, how can you forbid the invisible?<br />
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The answer is that through clever analogies and metaphoric techniques, the contemporary rabbis say that pressing a button or flicking a switch to activate invisible electrical actions is analogous to building a visible structure or at least to hammering a physical nail — and both of those are labors that are forbidden by the Torah on Shabbos.<br />
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But as you may already have been told, the most prevalent justification for the electricity taboo is that activating or de-activating the devices that run on electricity violates “the spirit of the Shabbos.” And it is said to be “not Shabbosdik.”<br />
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This “no” to telephones and TVs and cell phones — all powered by invisible electrons — is because these devices negate the “sanctity of the Sabbath day.” That holiness of the day also is powered by invisible spirits — such is the mystical nature of religious belief.<br />
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You find yourself in the middle of the clash of these imperceptible and unseen powers, and in a quandary, and you are asking for advice.<br />
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Well, my apologies to you. All of this is an area of authority that is way above this humble rabbi’s pay grade. I cannot tell you in this instance how to rectify your actions to conform to the unseen powers of the universe, whether electrical or metaphysical.<br />
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Hence, I cannot tell you if you are sinning on the Sabbath by eagerly texting to your friends on your iPhone, or by enjoying a Bill Maher comedy show on HBO, or by quietly reading a book on your Kindle tablet.<br />
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Maybe you are sinning — violating critical norms of sanctity and spirit — or maybe you are engaging in those perfect and valid forms of rest and leisure that are proper and appropriate fulfillments to your Shabbos and to your being.<br />
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However, I can tell you that this divide in your life is emblematic of larger social divides in our Jewish communities. And that is a problem that urgently and constantly needs the attention of prudent religious leaders.<br />
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It really comes down to continually and sensitively clarifying the question of who is a good Jew. Who is validly observing our core lifestyles and religious values?<br />
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Right now, Orthodox Jews, by consensus, publicly and universally accept the Shabbos electricity prohibition. So yes, you do put yourself outside that community if you choose to flout that taboo.<br />
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If you come out in the open on this matter, Orthodox people will say that “Electrified” is not a good Jew because he/she uses a phone and TV on Shabbos.<br />
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Do you want to be subject to that criticism? The good news may be that you can be discreet and hide your actions and use your electrical devices in private and still maintain your good standing.<br />
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But I will ask on your behalf, to follow up on your inquiry, wouldn’t that bifurcate your existence and cause you to act hypocritically? You will need to decide how to live comfortably within your own religious skin.<br />
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Whatever you do about these electrical devices, the overwhelming result of keeping the Sabbath for any Jew is to gain a sharper focus on your state of mindful actions. Sabbath becomes a day of mindfully considering every action that we take and asking whether it is permitted or forbidden for us.<br />
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And the Sabbath teaches us that we ought to consider as well whether our every activity is good or bad for the world.<br />
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This is not a new insight. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said in 1951, in his classic book “The Sabbath,” “To set apart one day a week for freedom, a day on which we would not use the instruments which have been so easily turned into weapons of destruction, a day for being with ourselves, a day of detachment from the vulgar, of independence of external obligations, a day on which we stop worshipping the idols of technical civilization, a day on which we use no money … is there any institution that holds out a greater hope for man’s progress than the Sabbath?”<br />
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That’s some profound food for thought for you, Electrified, as you ponder this Friday night or Saturday morning whether or not to ask your Amazon Alexa Echo device for the weather report as you dress to prepare to attend your synagogue services.<br />
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<i>Tzvee Zahavy of Teaneck has been a distinguished professor of Jewish studies, religious studies, Talmud, halacha, Jewish law codes, and Jewish liturgy at major U.S. research universities and seminaries. He has published many scholarly and popular articles and books about Judaism and Jewish life. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University and his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Go to www.tzvee.com for details.</i><br />
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<i>The Dear Rabbi Zahavy column offers mindful advice based on talmudic analysis and wisdom. It aspires to be open and meaningful to the adherents of all the varieties and denominations of Judaism. You can find this column in the Jewish Standard, usually on the first Friday of the month. Please email your questions to zahavy@gmail.com</i><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">[First published March, 2020]</span></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-53401147153334889582022-10-08T20:44:00.002-04:002022-10-08T21:08:01.309-04:00Atlantic: Can You Read on an Amazon Kindle on Shabbat?I originally posted this 12/23/2010. <div>The questions keep recurring so we are bringing this post back. And by the way, I published a lot of books on Kindle since then, <div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The first was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Favorite-Prayers-ebook/dp/B005D5CD02">The Kindle Edition of <i>God's Favorite Prayers (2011).</i></a> </li><li><a href="https://www.halakhah.com/kindle.html" target="_blank">And then in 2011 I published the entire 30 volume Soncino Talmud. </a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tzvee+zahavy&i=digital-text&rh=n%3A133140011&ref=nb_sb_noss" target="_blank">And all these numerous (17) other Kindle titles - please click through.</a></li></ul><div><div>Now back to the 2010 blog post...<br />
<hr />Our Jewish calendars have always told us what time to Kindle for the Sabbath, when to "Kindle the Shabbat Candles."<br />
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Nowadays we have another kind of Kindle to know about, the Amazon book reader. And the question arises, can you Kindle on the Sabbath?<br />
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We think yes, without any qualifications, that you can Kindle on the Sabbath. The e-ink device does not create actual light. You cannot read it in the dark. And it obviously does not create any durable writing. When you turn it off it goes blank. <br />
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In halakhic terms we find no transgression, no prohibition to using the reader. In fact it's a feat of great imagination to extend Sabbath prohibitions to that invention. It involves believing there is a set of electrical apparatus that is prohibited, or defining a broad category of technology-things that all are outside the spirit of Sabbath rest.<br />
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That's quite a lazy and unsophisticated approach to Jewish life and law. And broad strokes like that, blanket decisions that have no nuance, leave average Jews wondering what rabbis actually do to earn those big salaries.<br />
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So we read with some dismay the account in the Atlantic magazine, "<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/people-of-the-e-book-observant-jews-struggle-with-sabbath-in-a-digital-age/68289/#">People of the E-Book? Observant Jews Struggle With Sabbath in a Digital Age</a>" by Uri Friedman. It's not Uri's fault that most "observant" Jews assume that all devices are forbidden. He reports something we did not know,<br />
<blockquote>E-readers are problematic not only because they are electronic but also because some rabbis consider turning pages on the device - which causes words to dissolve and then resurface - an act of writing, also forbidden on the Sabbath. </blockquote>No, as we said, there is no physical act, no actual ink or paper, nothing of duration. So by simple definitions, there is not writing going on in the digital world of Kindle.<br />
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Then Uri tells us something more Talmudic, "The blogger Morris Rosenthal, for example, imagines a special Kindle that can bypass Sabbath prohibitions by disabling its buttons, turning itself on at a preset time, and flipping through a book at a predetermined clip." No again, that's a needless work-around to avoid a non-prohibited action.<br />
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Citing Orthodox Rabbi Jeffrey Fox in support of our assessment of the "technical" permissibility of Kindle, Friedman writes, <br />
<blockquote>Fox believes that e-readers - like other electrical appliances that don't generate light and heat - are technically permissible on the Sabbath but should not be used because they are a step away from forbidden activity and because, in epitomizing our weekday existence, aren't appropriate for the Sabbath.</blockquote>Yes, but the rejoinder to the reluctance is that these devices also are a "step away" from desirable and permissible reading, the very epitome of what so many observers claim is the essence of appropriate Sabbath activity.<br />
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Conservative Rabbi Daniel Nevins makes a more far-fetched attempt to put the Kindle out of bounds, "The problem with virtual experiences is they distract our attention from our local environment and break all boundaries of space and time. Shabbat is about reinforcing boundaries of space and time so we can have a specific experience." The rabbi is not a fan of the Kindle because, "devices like e-readers ...could disturb the Sabbath's tranquility." Or, we say, they could contribute to the Sabbath's tranquility.<br />
<br />
All in all, the case against the Sabbath use of Kindle is a weak one that can be pushed aside by a reed.<br />
<br />
The truly amazing part of this discussion is that it is being aired in such venues as the Atlantic magazine. We think this is an instance of Jewish practice as social metaphor. Many people have trouble keeping up with the fast changes of the world of technology. They ask about its value to them. They query whether perhaps it is best to shut it out of their pat and comfortable lives and keep change from happening.<br />
<br />
That is a big reason for the durability of religion, to afford a static comfort zone for people who do not welcome rapid change, who choose to, "Avoid Technology".<br />
<br />
We respect that attitude, that need. Just please don't tell us that it is the divine law from Mt. Sinai that we must welcome the absolute absence of change on our Sabbath. We are not comfortable with that.</div></div></div></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-79480762803798042222022-10-07T08:32:00.002-04:002022-10-07T08:32:35.664-04:00Purchase "The Book of Jewish Festival Prayers in English" for your Sukkot celebrationPurchase "The Book of Jewish Festival Prayers in English" for your Sukkot enjoyment.<p>
<iframe type="text/html" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" width="336" height="550" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen style="max-width:100%" src="https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B09QZ1G93F&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_T8PRREDWQVQAV6R3TM6T&tag=zahavyinc" ></iframe>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-78651846555885827182022-09-28T18:23:00.001-04:002022-09-28T18:24:09.749-04:00Can a Jew Pray Directly to the Divine Attribute of Compassion?Can a Jew pray directly to the Divine Attribute of Compassion? Yes, in just one prayer each year.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3RhWzCp ">Yom Kippur Machzor - the book of Jewish Prayer for the Day of Atonement</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=zahavyinc&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B09Q1YSH42&asins=B09Q1YSH42&linkId=be69589c3ed959f4ab651aebd0f7a69c&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div></div><div><br /></div><div>
On Yom Kippur in Neilah, in the final series of the prayers of compassion that we call the <i>selihot</i>, we utter the catalogue of God’s thirteen mainly emotional attributes over and over again, the familiar:<br />
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“Lord, Lord, God, Compassionate, with loving kindness, patient, with kindness and truth; keeper of mercy for thousands, forgiver of iniquity, transgression and sin; clearing us. Forgive our iniquity and sin and accept us.” (cf. Exodus 34:6-7)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FqElp0IVnhbgM2P_TfCPEwo9KNBSmWkVlfyu08gu2DCFfyevxldwAoLDijTaL1WhWDq4skYvAQh2pSNVg_eHZGUw0O1WwuEnYuz1BD6OZ3gt4-EuIZHOv8JsXu1DGNiQnMz2/s1600/compassion2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FqElp0IVnhbgM2P_TfCPEwo9KNBSmWkVlfyu08gu2DCFfyevxldwAoLDijTaL1WhWDq4skYvAQh2pSNVg_eHZGUw0O1WwuEnYuz1BD6OZ3gt4-EuIZHOv8JsXu1DGNiQnMz2/s320/compassion2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Within this sequence of repeated meditations, the tenth century Italian payetan Rabbi Amitai ben Shepatiah presents in his prayer a direct appeal to the divine attribute of compassion to intercede for us:<br />
<blockquote>Attribute of compassion, pour upon us<br />
In the presence of your creator, cast our supplications<br />
For the sake of your people, request compassion<br />
For every heart has pain and every mind is ill<br />
(Goldschmidt, YK, p. 778)<br />
<a name='more'></a></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMrUUIXwiz2O0vpm2_eDs5NmB0i7wuq0U_zJDFWJ6nGqj2CdllwyMKgIPgY-2rVPKHIR9cAAcHB2J9RjhaOfizuYa_Via03zt64awuNuZH0jr3jjxeZ1cCTeefNvRquYvT6dl/s1600/compassion.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMrUUIXwiz2O0vpm2_eDs5NmB0i7wuq0U_zJDFWJ6nGqj2CdllwyMKgIPgY-2rVPKHIR9cAAcHB2J9RjhaOfizuYa_Via03zt64awuNuZH0jr3jjxeZ1cCTeefNvRquYvT6dl/s400/compassion.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Our teacher, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, the noted Orthodox theologian, went out of his way in his monograph, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halakhic-Man-Joseph-B-Soloveitchik/dp/0827603975?ie=UTF8&tag=zahavyinc&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Halakhic Man</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=zahavyinc&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0827603975" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" />, to comment upon this line: “The Halakhah views this prayer and other similar prayers as a deviation from legitimate Halakhic prayer, which is fundamentally exoteric in nature (p. 44).”<br />
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The Rav says further, “Man needs no outside help or special agents to approach God…A person needs no advocates when he knocks at the gates of heaven (Yom Kippur Machzor, p. 818).”<br />
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We disagree with the Rav and would formulate matters differently. Ordinarily, it is true that we do not find an instance in the authorized rabbinic prayers in which we direct a prayer to a divine attribute as if it were an exoteric intercessor. <br />
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There is one exception to this pattern in the present piyyut, <i>Ezkerah Elohim</i>, which we recite at the very end of the Neilah, at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. By this time we have spent so much effort to find God’s compassion, our compassion, and to embrace it within us.<br />
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Rabbi Amitai knew that nowhere else do we deem it prudent to turn to the attribute of compassion and project it as if it were an intercessor before God. But here at the close of Yom Kippur, we do, and we should, his <i>piyyut</i> prayer tells us. We have earned the right and the duty to address the compassion that through our strenuous efforts of twenty five hours we have brought into being.<br />
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And we may turn that compassion into our intercessor to God – just this one time. Theological principles must step aside, for in our actual synagogue, that is how the Halakhic prayer operates. Accordingly, we deem it preferable to ask those critics of the liturgy who are concerned here that you slightly modify your Halakhic principle if you must, but always to respect the integrity and insight of your liturgy.<br />
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So can a Jew pray directly to the Divine Attribute of Compassion? Yes, in this one prayer. <br />
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Liturgy and theology are two distinct and highly complementary domains of Judaic expression. In the rare instance when they do conflict, we opt to favor the great expression of Judaic emotion and drama, the liturgy. [re-published from 9/18/11]</div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-53443107613925791002022-09-17T11:32:00.001-04:002022-09-17T11:37:03.664-04:00Does the Talmud say that Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes?<img align="right" src="http://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/mn0068901.gif" width="200" /><br />
<a href="http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/did-gay-sex-cause-the-earthquake-in-nepal">I'm quoted </a><a href="http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/did-gay-sex-cause-the-earthquake-in-nepal"> in the Pacific Standard</a> <a href="http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/did-gay-sex-cause-the-earthquake-in-nepal">as an authority on the cause of earthquakes, "Gay Sex Caused the Earthquakes in Nepal."</a><br />
<br />
On 8/23/2011 I wrote this post:<br />
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Does the Talmud say that Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes? In 2010 I covered this nonsensical topic after the Haiti earthquakes. (At that time<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/02/does-gay-sex-cause-earthquakes/36039/"> Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic cited me on this subject.</a>)<br />
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Here it is again.<br />
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Yes, the Talmud does say that gay sex causes earthquakes. <br />
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I mused, That must be some awesome gay sex.<br />
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But seriously, if one can get serious over this bizarre idea, some cockamamie rabbis were going around preaching that gay sex caused Haiti's earthquakes.<br />
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See <b><a href="http://www.ameridane.org/random-rants/423-talmud-says-gay-earthquakes-beware">here </a></b>and <b><a href="http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/28073.html">here</a></b> for the reports about<b> </b>Rabbi Yehuda Levin and the Rabbinical Alliance of America. (These materials are gone now.)<br />
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Now not only is this a strange teaching. I must chastise these rabbis for not doing their Talmud homework and for not paying closer attention to the text in <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talmud-Land-Israel-Berakhot-Chicago/dp/0226576582?ie=UTF8&tag=zahavyinc&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Yerushalmi Berakhot</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=zahavyinc&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0226576582" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important; padding: 0px;" width="1" /></b> (9:2), which several years back I translated and published through the University of Chicago Press.<br />
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According to the Talmud text, earthquakes are caused by any one of a number of acts: yes one of them is gay sex, but others are by disputes, and also by not taking heave offering and tithes from your produce, and also because God is just upset that the Temple is in ruins and there are theaters and circuses in Israel. <br />
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Rabbis ought to know better than to cherry pick among the Talmudic reasons for earthquakes.<br />
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So rabbis, stop all of those disputes that you keep stirring up, get busy separating your heave offerings and tithes, and go rebuild the Temple, and maybe the earthquakes will stop.<br />
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And be sure to review the Talmud more carefully next time. <br />
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Here is my translation of the pertinent Talmud text: <br />
<blockquote>
[III.A] Elijah [the prophet] of blessed memory asked R. Nehorai, “Why do earthquakes occur?” He said to him, “On account of the sins of [those who do not separate] heave offerings and tithes [from their produce].” <br />
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[B] One verse says, “[God protects the Land of Israel], the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it” [Deut. 11:12]. And a second verse says, “[God] who looks upon the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke” [Ps. 104:32].<br />
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[C] How can one reconcile these two verses? When Israel obeys God’s will and properly separates tithes then, “The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” [Deut. 11:12], and the Land cannot be damaged. But when Israel does not obey God’s will, and does not properly separate tithes [from the produce of the earth], then he, “Looks upon the earth and it trembles” [Ps. 104:32].”<br />
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[D] [Elijah] said to him [Nehorai], “My son, on your life, what you say [about earthquakes] does make sense. But this is the main [reason that there are earthquakes]. When the Holy One, blessed be He, looks down on the theaters and circuses that sit secure, serene and peaceful [in Israel], and [he looks down] on the ruins of the Temple, he shakes the world to destroy it [and the earth trembles]. In this regard [the verse says], ‘The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice’ [Jer. 25:30]. [It means he will roar] on account of [the destruction of] his Temple.”<br />
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[E] Said R. Aha, “[The earth quakes] on account of the sin of homosexual acts. God said, ‘You made your genitals throb in an unnatural act. By your life, I shall shake the earth on account of [the act of] this person’".<br />
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[F] And the sages said, “[The earth quivers] on account of disputes. [As it says, ‘And the valley of my mountains shall be stopped up, for the valley of the mountains shall touch the side of it;] and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah’ [Zech. 14:5].” [Uzziah contested the authority of the priesthood and attempted to enter the Temple and offer an incense offering, cf. II Chron. 26:16 23. This dispute caused an earthquake.]. <br />
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[G] Said R. Samuel, “An earthquake is a sign of the cessation of kingship. As it says, ‘The land trembles and writhes in pain.’ On what account? ‘For the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.’ [Jer. 51:29].”</blockquote><p>[Previously re-posted 5/16/2015]</p>
Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-77026029874471431702022-09-11T09:26:00.000-04:002022-09-11T09:26:00.812-04:00Will the War Against Religious Terrorism Ever End?<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Will the War Against Religious Terrorism Ever End? (Repost for 9-11-2022)</span></b><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>I always feel deep sadness as I recall - as if it was this morning - that awful day 21 years ago when I saw the planes fly into the towers from my vantage on a hill in across the river in Jersey City. <br /></b></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3B6iir4">Mark Juergensmeyer, in </a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3B6iir4">Terror in the Mind of God</a>,</span> lays out five ways that the reign of religious terror can come to an end. Let's consider each. First consider the end will come with the forceful eradication of the terrorists, what appears to have been the US response to the 9/11 attacks, continued with the more recent killing of OBL.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Juergensmeyer outlines,</span><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The first scenario is one of a solution forged by force. It encompasses instances in which terrorists have literally been killed off or have been forcibly controlled. If Osama bin Laden had been in residence in his camp in Afghanistan on August 10, 1998, along with a large number of leaders of other militant groups when the United States launched one hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles into his quarters, for instance, this air strike might have removed some of the persons involved in planning future terrorist acts in various parts of the world.</span><br />
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It would not have removed all of them, however, and the attempt may well have elevated the possibility of more terrorist acts in reprisal. The war-against-terrorism strategy can be dangerous, in that it can play into the scenario that religious terrorists themselves have fostered: the image of a world at war between secular and religious forces. A belligerent secular enemy has often been just what religious activists have hoped for. In some cases it makes recruitment to their causes easier, for it demonstrates that the secular side can be as brutal as it has been portrayed by their own religious ideologues.<br />
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The 1998 U.S. attack on Osama bin Laden's camp neither destroyed the militant Muslim's operations nor deterred his aggression. Immediately after the attack several other American embassies were targeted, and several months later, in February </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">1999, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">George Tenet, head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, announced to the press that he had "no doubt" that "Osama bin Laden and his world-wide allies and sympathizers" were plotting "further attacks" against U.S. installations and symbols of American power. In Algeria, attempts to eliminate Muslim militants also had violent repercussions. When the military junta in Algeria halted the elections and began running the country with an iron hand, popular support for the Islamic party and violent resistance against the junta escalated. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">In order for the destructive strategy to work, a secular government must be willing to declare total war against religious terrorism and wage it over many years, as the Israeli government attempted to do against its terrorist opponents. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Second consider the approach of "cracking down" -- one step back from wiping them out. Juergensmeyer suggests this has not been and will not be a fruitful path.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">A second scenario is once in which the threat of violent reprisals or imprisonment so frightens religious activists that they hesitate to act. This is the strategy adopted by many law enforcement agencies to "crack down" on terrorists: even if the authorities cannot eliminate the terrorists completely, they can at least frighten them by raising the stakes associated with involvement in terrorist activity.<br />
<br />
Though some fringe members of activist groups may have been sobered by such threats, it is doubtful that the "get tough with terrorists" strategy has had much of an effect on the more dedicated members. In the view of most of them, the world is already at war, and they have always expected the enemy to act harshly. In fact, they would be puzzled if it did not. So the threat of an additional increment of penalty to be meted out for their actions has had little if any deterrent effect.<br />
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The case that is sometimes offered as a successful instance of terrorist intimidation is the one involving Libya. In the mid-1980s Libya was thought to harbor Muslim activists responsible for a series of acts of international terrorism against the United States. In 1986 the United States undertook an air strike against the leader of the country, Muammar el-Qaddafi, in reprisal. The missiles were aimed at one of his residences, and in fact a member of his family was killed in the attack, but el-Qaddafi himself survived. Over ten years later there were very few terrorist acts aimed at the United States attributed to Libya. Were the air strikes effective?<br />
<br />
It is doubtful. Although it is possible that Libya was eventually intimidated by the strikes, the immediate response was quite different. According to the RAND--St. Andrews Chronology of International Terrorism, the number of terrorist incidents linked to Libya and directed against the United States rose in the two years following the U.S. air strikes: fifteen in 1987 and eight in I988. The most devastating terrorist attack against the United States in which Libya has been implicated--the tragic explosion of Pan Am flight 103<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b>over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 on board--occurred in December 1988. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Third consider the possibility of violence winning. This example that Juergensmeyer cites seems less compelling when you consider that Rantisi was assassinated in April 2004:</span><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The third scenario is the reverse of those cases in which terrorism is defeated or diffused: it is when terrorism, in some way, wins. This is the outcome for which every religious activist, understandably, has yearned. When I asked the Hamas leader Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi whether Jews and Muslims could live in harmony in the area he described as Palestine, he affirmed that they could--but not under the present arrangement. He could not accept "Israel's sovereignty over Palestinian land," he said. But the two groups could live in peace if the situation were reversed and the land were controlled by Palestinian Arabs. "Jews would be welcomed in our nation," Rantisi explained, adding that he did not hate Jews as such. He pledged not to mistreat them "when we become strong." He hoped for a South Africa-type solution, where the whole of the area would be united--Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank--and the Palestinians who had left the region would be allowed to return. With Arabs then a majority, Rantisi would accept democratic rule over the united region, which would be called something other than Israel. </span></div><div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">It is a solution that would delight Palestinians both inside and outside the Hamas movement. Needless to say, it has not been a solution enthusiastically embraced by Israel. Given that fact, and considering that Israel holds a preponderance of military power in the region, could any part of the radical Islamic Palestinian objective be achieved? As I suggested earlier, acts of terrorism tend to be strategically unproductive and do not usually lead to transformations of power. If one is not willing to wait, as Dr. Rantisi claimed he was willing to do, beyond his own generation and perhaps the next, symbolic action will have to be replaced by the kind of strategic planning aimed at achieving goals either totally or incrementally. Revolutionary changes can occur through a well-organized mass movement, as in Iran, or an effective military force, as in Afghanistan. They might also come about through political pressures, as in Sudan and Pakistan, where regimes have capitulated to religious nationalist ideologies in what have been incremental but virtually bloodless coups. But as noted earlier, none of these cases has involved terrorist acts as the primary means of achieving power. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">A fourth path to resolution entails the separation of religion from politics. Many would like to see this happen, but the likelihood now seems more remote than ever. Juergensmeyer discusses,</span><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The fourth scenario for peace is one in which religion is taken out of politics and retired to the moral and metaphysical planes. As long as images of spiritual warfare remain strong in the minds of religious activists and are linked with struggles in the social world around them, the scenarios we have just discussed--achieving an easy victory over religious activists, intimidating them into submission, or forging a compromise with them--are problematic at best. In some cases where religious politics had previously been strong, however, the image of cosmic war itself has been transformed. A more moderate view of the image of religious warfare has been conceived, one that is deflected away from political and social confrontation.<br />
<br />
The extreme form of this solution--one in which religion returns to what Casanova described as its privatization in the post-Enlightenment world--is unlikely, however. Few religious activists arc willing to retreat to the time when secular authorities ran the public arena and religion remained safely within the confines of churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues. Most religious activists regard the social manifestation of cosmic struggle to be at the very heart of their faith and dream of restoring religion to what they regard as its rightful position at the center of public consciousness.<br />
<br />
Yet, in the 1990s, many Islamic countries witnessed a certain reaction against politicized religion. In 1999, Iranian students demonstrated in support of such leaders as the moderate theologian Abdol Karim Soroush, who argued that interpretations of religion are relative and change over time. He made a distinction between ideology and religion, and claimed that Muslim clergy had no business being in politics. Similar statements have been made by such moderate Islamic thinkers as Hassan Hanafi in Egypt, Rashid Ghannouchi in Tunisia, and Algeria’s Mohammed Arkoun. For them, the image of struggle consists largely of a spiritual battle or a contest between moral positions rather than between armed enemies. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The fifth path is one wherein, "secular authorities embrace moral values, including those associated with religion." Juergensmeyer gives several examples,</span><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0in 12pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">These moderate solutions have required the opponents in the conflict to summon at least a minimal level of mutual trust and respect. This respect has been enhanced and the possibilities of a compromise solution strengthened when religious activists have perceived governmental authorities as having a moral integrity in keeping with, or accommodating of, religious values. This, then, is the fifth solution: when secular authorities embrace moral values, including those associated with religion.<br />
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In some cases where religious violence has been quelled, religion has literally been subsumed under the aegis of governmental authorities. In Sri Lanka, for instance, the efforts of the government to destroy the Janarha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)--the People's Liberation Front--a movement supported by many radical Buddhist monks, were double-pronged. The harsh measures involved tracking down and killing the most dedicated members of the movement. The more accommodating measures included efforts to win the support of militant religious leaders. In 1990 </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">President Ranasinghe Premadasa provided a fund for the financial support of Buddhist schools and social services, and created a Ministry of Buddhist Affairs, naming himself the first minister. Premadasa created a council of Buddhist advisers, including Buddhist monks who had been quite critical of the secular government previously. One of these told me in </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">1991<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">that after Premadasa's pro- religious measures, the government was finally beginning to "reflect Buddhist values."<br />
<br />
In other cases, such as the British response to Irish terrorism, the government's stance in following the rule of law and not overreacting to terrorist provocations demonstrated its subscription to moral values. This made it difficult for religious activists--with the exception of Rev. Ian Paisley--to portray the government as a satanic enemy. It also increased the possibility of some sort of accommodation with religious activists on both sides of the Northern Ireland dispute--leading to the signing of a peace accord in 1998. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">So, will the War Against Religious Terrorism Ever End? We hope and pray that it will. But based on our learning and experience, we expect that it won't.[reposted]</span></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-39391020271242774652022-09-09T11:12:00.002-04:002022-09-11T09:10:57.969-04:00New for 2022 - the Jewish High Holiday Prayer Books in English - Sale! Order them all!<div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; overflow: hidden;"><ol class="n8H08c BKnRcf" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3DGiXj4&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2U-TDjDj77l6mJqEOwZysC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: sans-serif; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; overflow: hidden;"><ol class="n8H08c BKnRcf" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><br /></li></ol></div></div></li></a><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3DGiXj4&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2U-TDjDj77l6mJqEOwZysC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: sans-serif; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11pt; overflow: hidden;"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; overflow: hidden;"><ol class="n8H08c BKnRcf" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><br /></li></ol></div></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11pt; overflow: hidden;"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; overflow: hidden;"><ol class="n8H08c BKnRcf" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><br /></li></ol></div></div></a><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3DGiXj4&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2U-TDjDj77l6mJqEOwZysC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: sans-serif; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F31tqGTn&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1vAUPSjA9TKZd4B1a-nyds" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The Book of Jewish New Year Prayers in English - </strong></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F31tqGTn&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1vAUPSjA9TKZd4B1a-nyds" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">for</strong></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F31tqGTn&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1vAUPSjA9TKZd4B1a-nyds" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> Rosh Hashanah</strong></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> </strong></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: red; font-family: Lato; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">SALE</strong></span></span></p></li></ol></div></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;" target="_blank"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div></a><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;" target="_blank"></a><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;" target="_blank"></a><ol class="n8H08c BKnRcf" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: sans-serif; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;" target="_blank"></a><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; display: inline; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;" target="_blank"></a><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3F4S0Fu&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1jJieqcd3dCdoMk5uI3oDC" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3K3Ku0E&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2FDwqWZmUGk0OQk1JfqaN1" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The Book of Jewish Day of Atonement Prayers in English - </strong></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3K3Ku0E&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2FDwqWZmUGk0OQk1JfqaN1" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">for</strong></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3K3Ku0E&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2FDwqWZmUGk0OQk1JfqaN1" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"> Yom Kippur</strong></a></span></p></li></ol></div></span></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3u8Gpnd&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw31gXe46gIoKbEpFqoxuxcU" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div></a><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F35AcLwT&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1d7a3n4f5AeFjQTTfYROya" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The Book of Jewish Festival Prayers in English - </strong></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F35AcLwT&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1d7a3n4f5AeFjQTTfYROya" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">for </strong></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Lato; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F35AcLwT&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1d7a3n4f5AeFjQTTfYROya" style="box-sizing: border-box; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot</strong></a>
</span></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3x9S9W0&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1IwKVENYb5rIS1KJkrNILJ" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div></a><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="fqo2vd" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F3x9S9W0&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1IwKVENYb5rIS1KJkrNILJ" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"></a><a class="XqQF9c rXJpyf" href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB00MH4UAY8%2Fref%3Das_li_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D390957%26creativeASIN%3DB00MH4UAY8%26linkCode%3Das2%26tag%3Dzahavyinc%26linkId%3D32MNMDC2BMLVPQOL&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3cwt6if4s_CRpFyAY7NRhW" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; pointer-events: all; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The Book of Jewish Prayers in English</strong></a></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><a class="XqQF9c" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTzvee-Zahavy%2Fe%2FB001HOR8DU%2Fref%3Daufs_dp_mata_dsk&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2umlBTbWHchelXijdZzCv9" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato; font-variant-ligatures: none; pointer-events: all; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: large;">Visit Dr. Zahavy's Amazon Author Page.</span></strong></a></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div><div class="t3iYD" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><br /></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-27321996143334291752022-08-31T23:26:00.006-04:002022-09-11T09:29:02.073-04:00On Sale: Jewish Memes by Tzvee Zahavy at Amazon<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="d2hqwtrz r227ecj6 ez8dtbzv gt60zsk1" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_u2" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="alzwoclg cqf1kptm siwo0mpr gu5uzgus" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="jroqu855 nthtkgg5" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="gvxzyvdx aeinzg81 t7p7dqev gh25dzvf exr7barw b6ax4al1 gem102v4 ncib64c9 mrvwc6qr sx8pxkcf f597kf1v cpcgwwas m2nijcs8 hxfwr5lz k1z55t6l oog5qr5w tes86rjd pbevjfx6 ztn2w49o" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="m8h3af8h l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf n3t5jt4f" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And so another one of my new books is on SALE! Jewish Memes – January, 2022 - a collection of my analytical essays - I frame it like this:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> The term meme was introduced in 1976 by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. He conceived of memes as the cultural parallel to biological genes and considered them as being in control of their own reproduction.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> The genes in your body carries chemical instructions that make up the characteristics of who you are. Those instructions <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>are in the DNA that makes your personality distinctive. And you transmit the DNA data down to your descendants. That is how the continuity of biological life works.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> What Dawkins proposed was that there is a chemical unit of culture that contains the instructions for the characteristics of who you are as a member of a cultural family. That is what he called a “meme”. It is spread and transmitted across space and time to propagate and perpetuate a distinctive cultural group.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> But this is not a tight scientific notion with rigorous rules. The DNA of the double helix is comprised of units of amino acids that pair up in ACTG units to define precise elements of the genetic code.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> The cultural parallel that Dawkins and his successors identified – the meme – is a whole lot less rigorous and has a non-scientific chemistry that controls its composition and its transmission.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> As an analogy or metaphor I find the idea of the meme attractive and I will use it in this book in many ways to make some points about what makes a particular cultural group distinctive and how the traits of that group have been passed on from parents to children.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> There is a chemistry and a DNA to the basic ideas and concepts that make someone Jewish. They are distinctive to defining an identity of a person as Jewish and transmissible to the next generation.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> There is also of course the fact that Jews claim affiliation to a biological heritage. We proudly say we are Members of the Tribe.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> I spent my life formulating and transmitting Jewish memes in a long a rich career of teaching and writing.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> This volume is a recapitulation of some of those most important things that I learned about some central Jewish memes. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="qi72231t nu7423ey n3hqoq4p r86q59rh b3qcqh3k fq87ekyn bdao358l fsf7x5fv s5oniofx m8h3af8h l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk srn514ro oxkhqvkx rl78xhln nch0832m cr00lzj9 rn8ck1ys s3jn8y49 icdlwmnq jxuftiz4 b6ax4al1 l3ldwz01" href="https://amzn.to/3KDULSM" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><div class="kgnml90y mfycix9x om3e55n1 l3ldwz01" style="background-color: var(--comment-background); border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); display: inline; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="bdao358l om3e55n1 g4tp4svg alzwoclg jez8cy9q sl27f92c i85zmo3j sr926ui1 jl2a5g8c nuznn79q snu7ymun rj2hsocd r227ecj6 gt60zsk1 s1m0hq7j" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin-left: -6px; margin-right: -6px; padding: 12px 16px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="bdao358l om3e55n1 g4tp4svg gvxzyvdx aeinzg81 jg3vgc78 cgu29s5g i15ihif8 i5oewl5a nnzkd6d7" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="lq84ybu9 hf30pyar bdao358l hpj0pwwo mtzt5fvk mmwt03ec o9wcebwi d2hqwtrz cmnf262q" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.0625rem; margin-bottom: -4px; margin-top: -4px; max-height: calc(2.35294em); overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px;"><div class="alzwoclg cqf1kptm siwo0mpr gu5uzgus" style="display: inline; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="jroqu855 nthtkgg5" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="gvxzyvdx aeinzg81 t7p7dqev gh25dzvf exr7barw b6ax4al1 gem102v4 ncib64c9 mrvwc6qr sx8pxkcf f597kf1v cpcgwwas m2nijcs8 hxfwr5lz hpj0pwwo sggt6rq5 innypi6y pbevjfx6 ztn2w49o" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.0625rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.1765; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span class="b6ax4al1 lq84ybu9 hf30pyar om3e55n1 tr46kb4q" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; display: inline; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 1px; position: relative;"><span dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Jewish Memes</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></a></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-62856347755803006882022-08-08T10:04:00.000-04:002022-08-08T10:04:30.689-04:00My Jewish Standard - Dear Rabbi Zahavy - Talmudic Advice Column for June 2018 - The Milk and Meat Kosher Taboo Explained<b><a href="http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/your-talmudic-advice-column-16/">Why Not Milk and Meat? </a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/your-talmudic-advice-column-16/">Because we must Segregate Men from Women to be a Sacred People</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/your-talmudic-advice-column-16/">My Dear Rabbi Zahavy Talmudic Advice Column for June 2018</a></b><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Dear Rabbi Zahavy,</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Though I was raised observant of the commandments in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, I woke up one day recently and realized that I don’t understand the ban on cooking or eating dishes that combine dairy and meat ingredients. The logic of those laws suddenly puzzles me. If the milk and meat foods are kosher separately, why are they forbidden when they are mixed together? </i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Flustered in Fair Lawn</i><br />
<br />
Dear Flustered,<br />
<br />
You do understand that most of the time, each religion is based on its own brand of logic. You don’t apply the general laws of deduction and inference to a religion. You accept how the system works internally, and you build on it. That buy-in and acceptance of the reasoning of your own religion is a big part of what we call faith.<br />
<br />
Apparently, you do accept that God decreed that his chosen people avoid mixing milk and meat. Unique beliefs and practices like this one can be found in Judaism — and in all the major world religions.<br />
<br />
You would like to apprehend the deeper meanings in this set of Jewish rules.<br />
<br />
Jews have been questioning the relevance of these laws for some time. In 1885, classical Reform Judaism officially scuttled the laws of kashrut, calling them “foreign to our present mental and spiritual state. They fail to impress the modern Jew with a spirit of priestly holiness; their observance in our days is apt rather to obstruct than to further modern spiritual elevation.”<br />
<br />
But in 1979, backtracking speedily (that is, speedily for religious leaders), the Reform rabbinical association proclaimed that “It is reasonable to ask the Reform Jew to study and consider kashrut so as to develop a valid personal position.” In 2011, the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis published “The Sacred Table,” which encourages an “ethical, health-based, spiritual approach to culinary culture in the Progressive Jewish community.”<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
We know that Orthodox and Conservative Jews endorse laws of kashrut that are not spelled out explicitly in the Torah text, since they accept the authority of the Oral Torah, those rabbinic laws thought to be equal in importance to those spelled out in the Torah. Since 2008 the Conservative movement has promoted Magen Tzedek, the certification of kosher food products “based on a whole spectrum of food issues from labor practices to health concerns.”<br />
<br />
I’m guessing that while your question may be about mixing milk and meat on the surface, it’s more likely you may be awakening from a simple acceptance of your faith to a more complicated encounter with some of its components. Maybe you are in the midst of developing “a valid personal position” to your own devotions.<br />
<br />
So it’s not going to be enough for me to tell you to cherish these practices solely because they define a major part of rabbinic Judaism over two millennia.<br />
<br />
Let’s see if in this case of milk-meat taboos some background explanation of the origins and working of the system will pacify your doubts. I know that’s not a direct answer, but in the tradition of our people, presenting myriad details may distract you, dazzle you, and encourage you to go back to the roots of keeping your faith. That’s one approach rabbis can take to “explain” the rules. For many people that suffices.<br />
<br />
And trust me. The laws of kashrut in general and milk and meat taboos in specific are complex and varied. In my rabbinic training, I cherished most highly of all mastering the details of the arcane chemistries of the laws of forbidden mixtures that are part of the Shulhan Arukh, the codes of Jewish law of Rabbi Joseph Caro. The laws of kosher food, including the separation of milk and meat, are a major part of the curriculum in the course of study for traditional rabbinic ordination.<br />
<br />
After I was ordained, I spent several years in academic research studying and translating the entire rabbinic Talmud tractate of Hullin, which addresses the kosher laws from all angles.<br />
<br />
But I won’t go into all that, since I suspect you are looking for a more direct and to-the-point explanation to satisfy your needs for this religious observance, an explanation that is consistent with general logic, or at least with general religious or ethical instructions. You want to know the meaning of the mixing ban.<br />
<br />
Oddly, in your quest for larger meaning you picked out one set of rules that resists explanation in logical or in other terms. Strange as it may seem, there aren’t any obvious valid meanings in the meat-dairy taboo system.<br />
<br />
I won’t try to dazzle and distract you with spelling out what in all this massive system is biblical, rabbinic, science, health, culinary, what has social impact, what has tribal impact.<br />
<br />
But perhaps it would help if I review some of the classic explanations: That the quintessential case of mixing milk and meat — seething a kid in its mother’s milk — was an idolatrous practice in the ancient Near East. (Maimonides suggested that view.) Or that it was a magical practice to increase the fertility of the land. (Some Protestant scholars thought this was the case.) Or that it was deemed by some to be too indulgent, or too cruel and unethical. (Philo of Alexandria opined along this line.) It does seem inhumane to kill a baby animal and cook it in the milk of its own mother.<br />
<br />
Other authorities feel that no logical explanation is needed, and we do this mitzvah “because it is a commandment.” Or we do this as “a bulwark against intermarriage and assimilation.” For someone who keeps kosher, eating and socializing with non-Jewishly observant people can be awkward or challenging.<br />
<br />
If all the above discussion fails to satisfy your query, I’m glad to report that beyond such traditional reasons and explanations I discovered a fresh spin on the issue, which I hope will serve as a more “meaningful” potential answer for you.<br />
<br />
At the end of a 2012 article, “Once Again Seething a Kid in its Mother’s Milk,” Professor Alan Cooper, provost of the Jewish Theological Seminary, provides a new and interesting angle into your query.<br />
<br />
After reviewing many sources, texts, and previous studies, Cooper found significant meaning for this taboo in the work of those who view the practice of separating meat and milk through the prism of gender studies.<br />
<br />
In specific, Cooper’s student Nicole Ruane, an anthropologically oriented biblical scholar, sees milk as a quintessential feminine fluid. That instantly makes sense to us all. In contrast, she (and others) see meat as a masculine substance. This makes sense in large degree because the animal sacrifices of the biblical Temple were designed and run by men in an entirely patriarchal mode. And beyond that we know that in today’s world, red meat often is related to a manly image.<br />
<br />
The sacrificial offerings in the Temple focused on masculine animal meat and blood, along with grains and oils and wines. No overtly feminine entities such as milk and honey were offered up in the cultic worship in ancient Israel. Yes, Israelite women were entitled to bring some sacrifices to God at the ancient temple. After childbirth they could offer the burnt offering of a bull, ram, goat, doves, or pigeons, and sin-offering of fine flour or an animal. But the priestly men ran the sacrifice system.<br />
<br />
As Cooper sums up the novel interpretation of his student, “Seething a kid in its mother’s milk might have been acceptable quotidian practice, but in the sacrificial cult, the feminine fluid could not be blended with the masculine flesh. Meat (masculine) is the officially sanctioned ritual substance in a sacred activity in which milk (feminine) has no part.”<br />
<br />
I’ll extend this insight further. We rabbinic Jews believe that our kitchens and dining tables represent an image of the Temple, that we ordinary Jews try to act in purity and sanctity at home, as if we were priests carrying out the rituals of the sacred space of the Beit Hamiqdash, the holy Temple of antiquity.<br />
<br />
For ancient Israelites and for contemporary Orthodox Jews, sanctity is achieved by the segregation of the feminine and masculine, represented today in synagogues by the mechitzah separating the seating areas of men and women, and, for the most part, in Orthodox education by maintaining separate classes or schools for boys and girls, and separate seminaries for women and men.<br />
<br />
Such segregation is not accidental to Orthodoxy — it is essential to the fiber of its religious society. In Orthodox terms, the separation of male and female is a critical way that we sanctify our lives.<br />
<br />
And yes, it means that to foster sanctity we also segregate and separate the feminine milk foods from the masculine meat dishes on a deeply symbolic level. I believe that is a powerful deep meaning that we can point to in our religious rules for cuisine.<br />
<br />
Of course, our modern American culture does not embrace such gender segregation values. Quite the contrary. Liberal society considers gender segregation to be a profane anathema. Hence Orthodoxy finds itself in a tense relationship with secular culture at large. And, respectfully, that is not something we can address or resolve in this advice column.<br />
<br />
I do hope you appreciate this discussion, especially the final fresh perspective on the meaning inherent in the laws of segregating milk and meat foods, and that it provokes for you even more such questions about our food practices and beyond. And of course, I wish you a hearty kosher bon appetit!<br />
<br />
<i>Tzvee Zahavy of Teaneck has been a professor of advanced Talmud, halachic and Jewish law codes, Jewish liturgy, Jewish history, Near Eastern and Jewish studies, and religious studies at major U.S. research universities and seminaries. He is a prolific author who has published numerous articles and books about Judaism and Jewish texts. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University and his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Visit <a href="http://www.tzvee.com/">www.tzvee.com </a>for details.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3daps&field-keywords=tzvee%20zahavy" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9N4R7eunZ8iAkDI-viBwCray_PfRsruZANas4_2Jr2ARQ_rM8TR11j1J-gc0hUz53eBZB2Oy3pqaAQ1LMi1cv1b8TCxQanItVKDNL03ZiIkJ4EvZeWELuhnRji1mv7vNrOzFl/s200/NewBooks600.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-54745760562689706312022-08-03T22:43:00.000-04:002022-08-03T22:43:41.970-04:00My July Dear Rabbi Talmudic Advice Column: Raging over Rabbis in Randolph<img align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqWtNB9R4hPuZLtlD4ERYtWh4S678o5xv-9qLQwyEDaCj3jXNJ4-NIS-ihyphenhyphen6qNre5sXK64Bldu0wL4eNcRgE59M1YWAT2sdyYm8lJlz_5f0K2NYYadTtbAcpnoZZJzhJa23yo/s1600/dearrabbi.jpg" /><b>Dear Rabbi Zahavy: Your Talmudic Advice Column (July 2014)</b><br />
<br />
Dear Rabbi,<br />
<br />
I read about rabbis in Israel who offer cures, amulets, talismans and the like to their followers. They attend family events of their followers and give advice to businessmen. The rabbis receive fees for these services, sometimes lavish donations. Some of these rabbis have become quite rich, even multi-millionaires. Forbes has published a list of the richest Israeli rabbis! I personally think these guys are despicable con men who use religion to prey on vulnerable people in need of help. Shouldn’t we do something to stop these people?<br />
<br />
Raging over Rabbis in Randolph<br />
<br />
Dear Raging,<br />
<br />
<iframe align="right" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=zahavyinc&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00LE1S7OK&asins=B00LE1S7OK&linkId=MJNLHXJCQKE7SBOJ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe>Whoa! It is hard to ask a rabbi to condemn a rabbi. On the one hand, we rabbis need to stick together. If you attack one of our colleagues, common sense dictates that we ought to step up to defend him. However, on the other hand, you are right in your inquiry. If we find that a professional colleague is a fraud, it makes good sense for us to step up to discipline him, lest our whole profession be tarnished.<br />
<br />
We rabbis derive our authority primarily from our study and special knowledge of rabbinic literature including Talmud, Codes, Responsa and yes, also from Kabbalah. Secondarily, many Jews believe that some or all rabbis have special charisma, which is power that derives from their closeness to the sacred and from their more direct link to God. This latter belief is more common in the Hasidic and Sephardic communities.<br />
<br />
And you no doubt realize that, on the one hand, if you are affiliated with any form of organized religion, that you already are paying significant amounts to rabbis for their services. Nearly all rabbis serving in a professional capacity in America are paid – some quite handsomely. You may derive personal benefits from their services. Some provide solace and counseling in a professional manner based on academic training. I assume that you have no problem with that means of livelihood and you do not consider such practitioners to be con men.<br />
<br />
But on the other hand, you may be rightfully indignant if a rabbi exploits his station to demand from his reverential flock exorbitant fees for whatever it is that he offers: presence at events, blessings, advice and the like.<br />
<br />
In this case, since you don’t seem to know directly the rabbis that you question, you need to step back and ask if you are incensed specifically about these charismatic holy men making too much money. And you need to consider what provokes you to conclude that they are fakers and charlatans who exploit the weak and helpless. There are many testimonies from their followers praising and thanking these holy men. Celebrity charismatic rabbis, who earn the big bucks for providing the cures and remedies that you dislike, also can and do alleviate much suffering among their followers.<br />
<br />
If a rabbi breaks the law by committing fraud or engages in an outright scam, you are justified to call him a con man. But if he engages in legal activities that are within the professional parameters of what rabbis do, you have little basis to label him a fake.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, you may choose to disapprove of extremes of rabbinical activity. For a religious believer, like yourself, if you believe a rabbi's activities are outrageous, you are entitled to your subjective opinion to declare a flashy healer a fake, while you continue to deem the other more modest counselors legitimate.<br />
<br />
I do hope that you find helpful this brief Talmudic analysis and (rabbinic) advice for the day-to-day reality of our contradictory world, where one person's holy man may be another person's con man.<br />
<br />
<i>The Dear Rabbi column offers timely advice based on timeless Talmudic wisdom. It aspires to be equally respectful and meaningful to all varieties and denominations of Judaism. You can find it here on the first Friday of the month. Send your questions to DearRabbi@jewishmediagroup.com</i><br />
<br />
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Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-86676340291966667072022-07-18T08:08:00.002-04:002023-09-10T22:03:23.564-04:00Shall we fast and mourn on Tisha B'Av? No!<a href="http://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/images/megila-sidebar-ss.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/images/megila-sidebar-ss.jpg" /></a>No. I believe we should abolish the practice of fasting to commemorate the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple on the ninth day of the month of Av, known as Tisha B'Av.<br />
<br />
Now before you convene a synod to excommunicate me, know that I am in good company. In the third century CE the greatest Tanna, Rabbi Judah the Prince, tried to abolish Tisha B'Av.<br />
<br />
My son Yitz called my attention to this passage below which records the rabbi's action [Soncino Babylonian Talmud (2012-04-25). Megillah and Shekalim (Kindle Locations 739-743). Kindle Edition.] and to Tosafot's glosses (at Megillah 5b) which reject the premise that someone could entertain the notion of abolishing Tisha B'Av.<br />
<blockquote>
R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Hanina: Rabbi planted a shoot on Purim, and bathed in the [bathhouse of the] marketplace of Sepphoris on the seventeenth of Tammuz and sought to abolish the fast of the ninth of Ab, but his colleagues would not consent. R. Abba b. Zabda ventured to remark: Rabbi, this was not the case. What happened was that the fast of Ab [on that year] fell on Sabbath, and they postponed it till after Sabbath, and he said to them, Since it has been postponed, let it be postponed altogether, but the Sages would not agree.</blockquote>
Of course, if Rabbi Judah the Prince (compiler of the Mishnah) once tried to abolish Tisha B'Av but the sages would not agree to it, I do not expect that the sages of our times will agree with me to abolish Tisha B'Av.<br />
<br />
Yet here is why they should.<br />
<br />
I concur that as a culture we need to remember the calamities of the past so that we can be vigilant and prevent the calamities of the future. But we need effective ritual memories that are clear and unequivocal. Tisha B'Av commemorates that the city of Jerusalem and the Temple in it were destroyed.<br />
<br />
Because the city has been rebuilt in modern Israel, this befogs the symbolism of the past destruction and renders it less effective.<br />
<br />
I have been mulling over this issue for thirty years or more. In 2012 I mused as follows (with a few edits added).<br />
<br />
Is Tisha B'Av relevant? No I do not think that the fast of Tisha B'Av is relevant anymore. I need a holiday <i>from </i>Tisha B'Av.<br />
<br />
That day was for a long time a commemoration through fasting and prayer over the destroyed city of Jerusalem and the Temple. I visited Jerusalem in May of 2011 (ed.: and again in 2013, and many more times since then) and can attest that the city is not desolate. It is without reservations, glorious.<br />
<br />
Who then wants the bleak story to be told? Archetypally the militant "celebrity" archetype wants to keep recalling defeat, destruction and desolation, to spur team Jews on to fight the foes and to triumph at the end of time. That scheme may work for that archetype as long as the facts of reality do not fly smack in the face of the narrative. And when they do, what then? The narrative loses its force. It becomes absurd.<br />
<br />
I cannot imagine Jerusalem in ruins. Period. And indeed, why should I perpetuate an incendiary story of gloom and doom into a diametrically opposite positive world of building and creativity? The era of desolation has ended.<br />
<br />
For over twenty-five years, I've been lamenting the irony of lamenting over a city that is rebuilt. It's more rebuilt now -- way more -- than it was twenty five plus years ago. What do I do then about Tisha B'Av, the Jewish fast day of lament and mourning? Here is what I said those many years ago.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I wrote this op-ed for the Jerusalem Post in 1986 where I summed up many of my thoughts about Israel in our day, and of Jerusalem in particular. The article appeared in the Post on the day before Tisha B'Av:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>I shall be fasting this week from sundown Wednesday until sundown Thursday. But this year, more than ever before, I feel silly mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem. I really do not know what to do when it comes time to listen to and to recite for myself the classical laments for the fast of Tisha B'Av. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Much of what we say about Jerusalem in the synagogue is just not true any more.<br />
<br />
It is obvious to anyone and everyone that Jerusalem does not lay in ruins. On the contrary, this is my fourth extended visit to Jerusalem in the last seven years. [They say: your not in galut if you commute.] Over the last seven years I have watched as buildings spread out from the center of town to the new neighborhoods. Now Jerusalem sprawls across the hills of Judea, south and north from Gilo to Ramot and beyond.<br />
<br />
On the ninth day of Av this year the observant Jews of Jerusalem will congregate in synagogues throughout the city to mourn and lament. What they say inside these halls will not reflect the reality immediately outside them.<br />
<br />
And so this year I have resolved to add some few paragraphs for myself, silently, to my prayers. Then when I leave the synagogue and step out into the rebuilt city of our people, I will feel that I have been candid in my meditations and forthright in my worship. I shall say something like this:<br />
<br />
"Jerusalem is not desolate. It stands glorious above our Land. Our capital looks down on the miracle of the modern state of our people, rebuilt by the sweat and labor of our brethren and sisters. A thousand settlements testify to our return and we our homeless no more.<br />
<br />
"The inhabitants of Jerusalem are not homeless. Beautiful buildings abound. Apartments, condominiums, villas, large and small. Hotels and hostels, old and new. Whosoever wishes may come and live here. Whosoever is hungry shall find sustenance here.<br />
<br />
"Enemies do not govern our land. The Knesset building, the site of our self-government, stands at the center of our new metropolis, a vibrant testimony to our freedom. Independent and sovereign we struggle with each other, and with the states of the world, and somehow we manage to live in harmony among ourselves, and to survive in the swirling community of nations. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"Yes, the Temple was destroyed. But we have built other edifices in its stead. Long ago, in another age, our national center was taken from us by forces we could not resist. But now we have built new structures where we symbolize and express our spirit, our minds and our creative energies, and most of all, our freedom.<br />
<br />
"A great synagogue and many more stand in our capital and throughout the land. They serve as the many beating hearts of our spiritual organs. In dozens of Yeshivot teachers build the religious minds of our youth. Schools abound. When school is in session, wherever you turn their are children on their way to classes from kindergartens to high schools, soaking up the knowledge of our world.<br />
<br />
"A great Hebrew University answers to the essence of our wider educational appetites, right here in the capital of our nation. In its laboratories, classrooms and libraries, students try to unravel the mysteries of nature and society and strive to construct a new and better order.<br />
<br />
"The Israel Museum, the Bezalel School, the Jerusalem Theater and other institutions small and large, cater to our cultural needs. In Jerusalem today we display our past and our present. We sing and dance and we mourn no more. We paint and draw and sculpt and adorn the urban hub of our people, the crown of our Land.<br />
<br />
"As we watch, day-by-day, luxury hotels go up and up. Lush green gardens bloom before us. We repose in parks and swimming pools. We find our needs in supermarkets, bakeries, and department stores. And we indulge our extravagances in shops and markets, elegant restaurants and offbeat cafes.<br />
<br />
"The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt. Still, the work is never done. And the struggle will not end. But our city is not desolate. How can we mourn? We must, yes, we are obliged, indeed, it is the highest duty, for us to celebrate. For with God's help, but in accord with our own will and with our own hands we have raised Jerusalem beyond its highest heights. Never before in all of our history has this city attained such glory.<br />
<br />
And so that is what I shall add as I conclude my lamentations on Tisha B'Av this year. I shall be cheerful this year, and I will not mourn. But I shall do so silently because this is my own private devotion. Will others join me?</i></blockquote>
In a public lecture in Minneapolis in October 1986 I read this editorial and expanded upon it:<br />
<blockquote>
The personal response I received to this article was enormous. More people read this than any other piece I have written and almost all agreed with its sentiments. Only a few Orthodox friends hesitated in their praise because they interpreted my words as a call to abolish Tisha B'Av. Not at all, I told them. And they had better be more careful in what they read lest they make a mistake in interpretation when they consult the Shulkhan Arukh. More than a month later I am still hearing good words about my reflections on the rebuilding of our holy city.<br />
<br />
I could say much more, though the Jerusalem Post is not the only forum for criticism and discussion of the impact of modern Israel on the future of Judaism.<br />
<br />
I felt strongly and for the first time without equivocation that we in the galut do not adequately appreciate the achievements of those who built the modern state. Never, even in the greatest ages of our people's history, in the kingdoms of David and Solomon, after the rebuilding of the Temple by Ezra and Nehemiah, or in the era of Herod the Great, never did our people achieve so much in the building of our land. Israel today is a true marvel. Its streets and infrastructures in all of its settlements, its political system, and of course, its military might, make it one of the great countries in the world.<br />
<br />
And this accomplishment is even greater in light of the destruction and devastation which preceded it in Jewish history. Yet does the average American Jew understand or appreciate the modern state? I often doubt it. </blockquote>
[edit and repost from 2007]Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-39162717770127620282022-07-14T20:31:00.000-04:002022-07-14T20:31:17.794-04:00NYC Triathlon Swim: My Hudson River Diary 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cQNWf6hbas-pjEfJGjdfGVgw0igZzFMP2J8nCHec9MkLgc-rGP3WHAfYA3MaVo8T3H9xRUSSNG_ImKNUbQadwCXO6DFys5xvB8Vzhdpro8K3oB1Y1ksSRIoGRnY3cF68dNKa/s1600/734200-1053-0002s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cQNWf6hbas-pjEfJGjdfGVgw0igZzFMP2J8nCHec9MkLgc-rGP3WHAfYA3MaVo8T3H9xRUSSNG_ImKNUbQadwCXO6DFys5xvB8Vzhdpro8K3oB1Y1ksSRIoGRnY3cF68dNKa/s320/734200-1053-0002s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
New York City Triathlon, July 14, 2013, 6:45 AM<br />
<br />
Minute Zero: Coming down the ramp onto the race-start-barge in the Hudson River at 99th Street.<br />
<br />
Goggles, check; swim cap, check; stopwatch on zero, check. Interview with the race announcer over the public address, I’m Tzvee from Teaneck, New Jersey. Yes, it’s my first triathlon; yes, I’m on a relay team.<br />
<br />
Line up, look into the river. Fourteen other swimmers in my wave and many of them sit down on the barge and jump in at the tone. So do I. It’s four feet from the barge to the water.<br />
<br />
Minute One: I’m in the Hudson. It’s dark. I go in much deeper than I thought I would. It’s dark all around me. This was a mistake. I need to get out.<br />
<br />
Wow, I now finally understand the psalm, “Out of the depths I cry out to you O Lord.” I do not like this at all. I’m back to the surface. It’s choppy. My heart is racing. My chest is tight. I’m not swimming. I need to swim. But where am I? Not sure. Start to do the breast stroke. Others around me are swimming. It’s cold. What a bad idea this was.<br />
<br />
Minute Two: Still not swimming the crawl. Wetsuit. Should have worn one. Would float better. Another real dumb decision. Still doing the breast stroke and my breathing is too shallow. Realize that I am in full panic. Adrenalin starting to pump.<br />
<br />
I’m not gonna make it. I see tomorrow’s obituary, “Teaneck Rabbi Drowns in Hudson… He always loved swimming, family recalls.”<br />
<br />
I pray, “Shema Yisrael.” “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”<br />
<br />
Okay, so how do I get out of here? I am dizzy and disoriented. Just in case, I pray some variations, “Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Oh heck, “Hail Mary full of grace.” Hey, you never know. Oh, cover those bases, “Allahu akhbar.”<br />
<br />
Minute Three: Still floundering. Tell myself to take deeper breaths. Urge myself to start to do the crawl. You can do this! No I can’t. I will swim over to that kayak and hop on board.<br />
<br />
“Put your head down and swim!” That tight chest feeling is just panic. Not a heart attack. You wimp, you have six stents in your coronary arteries. You will be okay. Breathe, just breathe. Stroke, just stroke.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtny23FvM5wlgsFqYY8W8H5qSimRBbpOQO4qEU0U_1qqW0GW3L1MpFTJN2wsZos2jmRMs9k_GCF79maURk3xWWPU_rbTnTKDSpNYBRXHsQIMJLqiScMIoOpm0zwyLvXh6tCzBO/s1600/734195-1005-0016s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtny23FvM5wlgsFqYY8W8H5qSimRBbpOQO4qEU0U_1qqW0GW3L1MpFTJN2wsZos2jmRMs9k_GCF79maURk3xWWPU_rbTnTKDSpNYBRXHsQIMJLqiScMIoOpm0zwyLvXh6tCzBO/s320/734195-1005-0016s.jpg" width="212" /></a>Minute Four: I’m coming back to grips with my reality. Ha! I muse that I will call out to the lifeguard on the surfboard, “I made a pledge to the United Jewish Appeal and haven’t paid it yet.” Old joke. The UJA definitely will make sure I get out alive.<br />
<br />
I’m swimming now but going sideways. A guy in another kayak is pointing and waving at me to go in another direction. I am zigging and zagging. I’ve been swimming nearly every day for thirty years but boy, am I sucking at this swim.<br />
<br />
Minute Five: I’m starting to get awareness for where I am and where are the other swimmers. “How long O Lord?” I sure haven’t made much progress. A long, long way to go.<br />
<br />
Guess I really don’t like open water swimming in the Hudson. A little late to think about that now. Okay. Just stroke, breathe, stroke, breathe.<br />
<br />
Minute Six to the Exit: Okay wow, we are doing this. Holy moly, it is far. No turning every 25 meters at the end of the pool. Can’t see any lane markers on the bottom of the river. No plastic lane dividers to gauge the direction. I am still veering right and left. There are currents and wakes. Salty I don’t mind. But feh. It’s dirty water.<br />
<br />
Starting to bump into other swimmers. That’s good. Seems like a very long time. Stroke, breathe. Heart is strong. Breathing is better. Panic is easing.<br />
<br />
Seems now like forever. Finally see the exit ramp ahead at 79th Street and a crowd of swimmers in front of it. A New York moment. Traffic jam is slowing us down at the Henry Hudson River off ramp.<br />
<br />
Get to the ramp, a strong hand grips my hand and pulls me up. I’m out! Alive. But oh crap, I never started the stop watch. And double crap, now I have to run barefoot on asphalt to the bike transition. It’s long, it’s annoying. I reluctantly jog over half a mile. Hey, I am getting happier anyway.<br />
<br />
I give my chip to my teammate, our rally team biker. He rides off.<br />
<br />
I am done.<br />
<br />
Check off that one.<br />
<br />
Halleluyah.<br />
<br />
Rabbi Dr. Tzvee Zahavy, who lives in Teaneck and writes the monthly Dear Rabbi Zahavy column for the Jewish Standard, was inspired by his triathlete son Yitzhak, who did the entire NYC triathlon and raised money to help victims of terror through Team One Family. Tzvee did the NYC Tri swim leg with help from his two Team One Family teammates, Harvey Lederman and Leiba Rimler, who did the biking and running legs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.teamonefamily.org/yitzhakzahavy">Donate here to help the families.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://jstandard.com/content/item/hudson_river_diary/28032">Published in the Jewish Standard, July 26, 2013.</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005D5CD02/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=zahavyinc&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005D5CD02">Read God's Favorite Prayers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=zahavyinc&l=as2&o=1&a=B005D5CD02" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </b></div>
Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-1492398405540019642022-06-21T07:41:00.000-04:002022-06-21T07:41:17.522-04:00The Mishnah in English hits #1 2022 Release on Amazon In Talmud Books
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PpM0h2"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Mishnah in English</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Mishnah in English. $29. Elegant, accurate and affordable. A masterpiece. Buy today for yourself and for all your friends. <a class="gofk2cf1 t5a262vz py34i1dx" href="https://amzn.to/3n5Rlx0">https://amzn.to/3n5Rlx0</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Pg9ntc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1000" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhhaAAXn07bW5aG4gaQqEcl2zv0JKR3VJWIXPHravfv3CRr4mIzOLh076C8Myt4UXcSETcaDdkYOnp3IJVSJEZLNSZs29sqiFT9Kc_-KCiuaK33Fb5KLo7Sdb-5Op-NiVPJoj0jSxp8cE668KddwH_MLDdVEMyhvC8c1PAGKz6B1Irn6WByg=w212-h275" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">Judaism teaches that the Mishnah contains the revealed Oral Law that Moses received along with the written Torah from God on Mount Sinai. It was compiled into written form in Hebrew by Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi in around 220 C.E. in Beit Shearim, Israel. The Mishnah has been studied for millennia by all classes and ages of Jews including learned rabbis, laypeople, young children and women. The Mishnah serves as the basic framework for the much larger subsequent work known as the Talmud, which has been the core curriculum of Yeshiva study for Jewish scholars for more than 1500 years..</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: justify;">This volume presents the Mishnah in an elegant and literate English Translation based on the work of Rev. Herbert Danby. Rabbi Tzvee Zahavy added a new forward about the Mishnaic Era and formatted and simplified this edition. Most of the translator's footnotes have been removed leaving the clear, polished and stately English text to stand out as a source of the Divine Revelation for people of all faiths to study and to find in it timeless wisdom and inspiration.</div></span><br /></div>Tzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.com1