By DANIEL EPSTEIN ’06

Everyone gets a certain amount of days off per year.  Generally we
want to try and spend those days having fun. We schedule vacations, we
have labor day barbecues and try and have a good time and relax. Last
year when I took off for Rosh Hashanah I told my boss that I had to
take off for the Jewish new year.  She — as well as others — pictured what new
years is like in New York and said, “Have Fun!”  As anyone who has
experienced Rosh Hashanah can tell you, I would not describe it as a
“fun” time.

Chacham Grossman makes a great point when it comes to the
difference between the Jewish and non-Jewish new year.  In America we
celebrate our new year by drinking, partying and staying out all night
counting down the seconds until the year is over.  Rosh Hashanah, on the
other hand, is a solemn and serious day. It is a day when
every person must reflect on their actions of the past year. We are
instructed to take stock of all our relationships and ask for
forgiveness from everyone.

These divergent methods of greeting the new year give us
insight in to the Jewish perspective regarding our brief time here on
earth and how we spend it. On December 31st, we count down ten seconds
until the end of the year; this is the high point of the celebration.

The preparation for the Jewish new year begins one month in advance,
during Elul. It is not over when the year begins again, but there is a
ten day period of repentance that is connected to the day.

The essence of the Jewish New Year is reflection, looking back on
the past and learning from our mistakes. Although this is a difficult
process for everyone, in the long run it will lead to a more fulfilling
and ultimately enjoyable life.  As Socrates put it, ” the unexamined
life is not worth living.”

One time, the Maggid of Mezritch summoned Reb Menachem Mendel of Horodok, Reb Pinchas and the Alter Rebbe, and presented them with a question in the revealed aspect of Torah (nigleh = Talmud).  In the course of discussing the issue, Reb Zusia of Anipoli approached, and inquired what they were speaking about.  Reb M”M answered that it doesn’t apply to him.  In the meantime, Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev entered the room, and they told him the entire issue under discussion, as Reb Zusia stood by and listened.

Reb Zusia left the room and began to cry, declaring, “Master of the universe, Zusia doesn’t have a portion in the Torah!  It isn’t shayach (pertinent) to him! etc.

Later on, Reb Zusia went to the Alter Rebbe and told him that he was embarrassed [to talk about this] in front of the others, אבער בא עם לייגט זיך אזוי — but this is how I understand the issue.  He then explained the entire issue.

The Alter Rebbe replied that this was “Torah from Above.”  Afterwards, the Alter Rebbe told the explanation in the name of Reb Zusia to the Maggid, who accepted it.

Another story:

When the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, was in Vienna, someone told a story to his father, Rabbi Sholom Dov Ber Schneersohn, about Reb Meir of Premishlan, who was asked a very difficult question regarding a passage in the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah by a tremendous Torah scholar (gaon).  Reb Meir said that he would answer the following day, and they set a time to reconvene.

The following day, Reb Meir learned this passage together with the great scholar, and enlightened him by explaining it.  The scholar was astonished at the explanation.  Sensing this, Reb Meir said, “When Reb Meir goes to the mikvah, גייט ער דורך הימעל — he goes through the heavens.  [When in the heavens,] I asked them to bring me to the chamber of the Rambam, where he learned with me this very passage.

Before the giving of the Torah, if a man and woman wanted to get married, they would simply agree on it and then move in together (Maimonides, Laws of Marriage 1:1).  However, once the Torah was given, marriage took on a new meaning.  When a couple desires to get married, they must follow the laws as set forth in the Talmudic tractate of Kiddushin, which are derived from this week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei (Deut. 22:13).

Although the customs and laws of marriage are plentiful, it seems to me that perhaps the most common misconception is that a rabbi must be present to officiate.  In fact, a rabbi is not necessary at all for a couple to get married!  Jewish law merely requires a willing man and woman; a ring of minimal value without gems (generally of gold; although some have the custom to use silver, because the Hebrew word for silver is etymologically related to the word meaning “to yearn”); and two witnesses who fulfill the characteristics as discussed in the Code of Jewish Law (the scope of which is beyond the pale of this essay).  In a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, witnesses are indispensible; without them, the marriage is considered null, as if it had never taken place.

Let us analyze for a moment the concept of witnesses in Jewish law.  There are actually two types of witnesses.  The first are known as “clarifying witnesses,” while the others are referred to as “establishing witnesses.”

The framework of the first set of witnesses is to testify whether a certain event did or did not occur.  For example, two witnesses may testify that person A lent $100 to person B.  The loan occurred regardless of the witnesses’ testimony; the testimony merely affirms it in a court of law, and any legal proceedings can be made based on that evidence.

“Establishing witnesses,” on the other hand, play a completely different role.  They do not merely testify to an event that did or did not happen; but rather, they establish the event.  That is to say, that there are certain types of events (marriage, as noted above) that require the presence of witnesses to establish the veracity of the event.  If witnesses are not present at the said event, Jewish law considers the event simply to not have happened. In other words, establishing witnesses create the event.

We can view these two types of witnesses not only in a legal sense, but also through a psychological lens.  Each type of witness represents a different type of relationship with our Creator.  Known as the Chosen People, each one of us is a witness to G-d’s presence in the world.  However, one may say, that it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to choose which type of witness we will be.

In the psychological or spiritual sense, a clarifying witness indeed has a relationship with the Creator; however, that relationship is not one that s/he pursues actively, nor one that s/he seeks to express.  If asked, a clarifying witness will indeed testify to his or her Jewishness and belief in a Supernal Being.  Yet it is not something that is actively pursued.

An establishing witness is a much different persona.  Such a witness in the spiritual-psychological life yearns and strives for a relationship with the Primary Being.  Status-quo will not suffice.  An establishing witness does not merely reply, “Yes, I am a Jew” when probed; he or she seeks opportunities to “testify” about G-d’s presence in the world, and the actively generate the relationship.

This framework can also be extended to our interpersonal relationships.  For example, one who is married may simply state, “Yes, I am married” (clarifying witness) – or s/he may actively pursue ways to deepen and strengthen that relationship (establishing witness).  If one thinks for a moment, it is quite apparent how this can apply in different ways within different relationships.

So next time you attend a wedding and the witnesses are called to observe the chuppah process, think for a moment: If I were a witness, what type of witness would I be?

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Is a moral individual ever allowed to lie?  Can there be a situation where prevarication is not only permitted, but perhaps even encouraged?

A psychology study shows that people lie frequently, perhaps as much as 8-12 times every waking hour! (Geary, James (2000), “Deceitful Minds: The Awful Truth About Lying,” Time Europe, Vol. 155 (10), 56-61.) Jewish law strictly forbids deceipt and deception, and cautions one to stay far away from such situations, as in the verse, “Distance yourself from a false matter” (Exodus 23:7).

Yet, there are times when Judaism would actually encourage one to lie.

Ponder these situations for a moment:

-          May a physician ever lie to his patients?

-          May telling someone, “nice to see you,” ever be untrue?  How about, “You look good”?

-          When you ask someone, “how are you,” are you actually interested in the answer?

-          May one lie to retrieve something that was stolen from them?

-          In a business setting, may one make the customer believe that they are getting a better deal – “This is the best price you’ll find anywhere!” – than they actually are?

-          Is a parent allowed to promise a child a reward for good behavior and then provide it?

The Bible cautions us against lying in numerous places, including the prohibition of testifying as a false witness,  lying to cause financial loss, and, as mentioned above, the general warning of staying away from falsehood.

Remember Abraham and his wife Sarah?  Pretty righteous folks, right?  Let me remind you of an incident that took place in their lives, way back in the book of Genesis.  Angels arrive for a visit to Abraham’s tent.  Each angel has a different mission, and one of them has come to tell Abraham that Sarah – at the old age of 90 – will give birth to a son.  Abraham himself is 100 years old.

Sarah overheard the angel tell Abraham that she will bear a child; she laughs, saying, “After I have withered, will I (now) have smooth skin? And my husband is old!” (Genesis 18:12). In the very next verse, G-d Himself says to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Is it really true that I will give birth, even though I am old?’”

Notice anything here?

When G-d repeats the incident to Abraham, He changes her statement! She said, “Abraham is old,” but G-d tells Abraham that she said that she is too old!

The Talmud (Yevamot 65b) offers an explanation: “At the Academy of Rabbi Yishmael it was taught: Great is the cause of peace, seeing that for its sake, even the Holy One, blessed be He, changed the truth, for at first it is written, ‘My lord [i.e., husband Abraham] is old,’ while afterward it is written, ‘And I am old.’”

Another pertinent Talmudic passage (Ketubot 16b):

The sages taught: How should one dance [i.e. what should one say] before a bride? Beit Shammai says, “[refer to her] as she is [i.e. her beauty or lack thereof]; Beit Hillel says, “[one should say] such a beautiful and kind bride [even if that is not the case].” Beit Shammai said to Beit Hillel, “If she was crippled or blind, would you still say that she was beautiful and kind?! But doesn’t the Torah say, ‘Distance oneself from falsehood’?! Beit Hillel responded, “According to you, if someone makes a bad purchase in the marketplace, should one praise it or denigrate it in front of the purchaser? One should certainly praise it [in front of the purchaser]!” From here our sages say that one should always deal sweetly with others.”

We see from these sources that Judaism indeed permits lying in certain situations.  One may be permitted to lie for the sake of peace, or to avoid offending someone.  Thus, telling someone that you like their new jacket – even if you don’t – may be permitted.

Even if one may encounter a situation where it may be permitted or even encouraged to lie, one should take to heart the words of Jeremiah, “They have taught their tongues to speak lies” (9:4), which emphasizes that one should never become accustomed to prevarication, and one must be extra cautious when it comes to education.

This essay is intended to get you thinking about honesty, truthfulness and how we define and apply them to our lives.  It is important to conclude that Judaism places great emphasis on the importance of dealing honestly in business and being truthful.

Our sages even tell us that the first question a person is asked after they pass away and stand before the heavenly courts is, “Have you been honest in your dealings?” (Talmud, Shabbat 31a).

All said and done, a trip to Israel is something that everyone I know would look forward to with relish, although recent current events sometimes leave one with a less-than-sanguine feeling.

I am fortunate to have visited Israel a few times, and have toured most of the famous sites, as well as many of the lesser-known locations.

One thing that most people comment about Israel is its remarkable beauty.  Such a tiny country contains an extremely diverse geography, from the Negev desert in the south, to the Galil and Golan mountain ranges in the North.

The Torah portion for this week, Eikev, contains a description of the qualities of the Land of Israel.  The accolades include:

“The Land… is a land of (arable) mountains and plains, and it is watered by rains from the skies, a land which G-d, your G-d, cares about.  The eyes of G-d Almighty are continually upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deut. 11:11-12).

It is common for us to point out the striking beauty of the Holy Land.  Everyone seems to have a favorite city or place, and the common denominator seems to be, “Israel is so beautiful!”

A person could spend days, even weeks, walking the streets in awe, snapping photos at every turn, admiring the fig trees and grape vines, and gazing at the Mediterranean Sea.

Yet all of this could distract one from Israel’s true beauty: the physical beauty of the Land is merely reflective of its spiritual beauty.

Off all the lands and countries on this planet, only regarding Israel does the Torah testify, “The eyes of G-d Almighty are continually upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”

One who is fortunate enough to live in Israel should certainly strive to live their life in accordance with the inner spiritual beauty of the Land.

And what of us, Americans, who from time-to-time are fortunate enough to visit, bringing back memories and a digital memory card of photos?

When visiting the Holy Land, we should recall that it is the “land which G-d cares about,” and we should not treat it as just another tourist attraction.  Our visit should be imbued with consciousness and awareness of what constitutes the essential beauty of Israel.

A mere visit should impact who we are, as the Talmud (Bava Batra 158b) states, “the air of the Land of Israel makes on wiser.”

If Israel is merely a tourist attraction – one of many in the world – this does not contribute to the future of our Land.  A higher consciousness when visiting will imbue our day-to-day activities when we return from a visit with greater meaning, purpose, and a greater commitment to Jewish values.

With our greater commitment and dedication, we will merit the coming of Mashiach, when we will all return to the Holy Land, and be able to appreciate its physical and spiritual beauty.

Yet how many Jews have ever even heard of Tu B’Av, let alone consider it (one of) the greatest days of the year?  Seemingly, many holidays can be ranked “higher” than Tu B’Av, amongst them Passover, Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim and more.

In fact, although I have written in the past that the most enigmatic of all Jewish holidays is Lag BaOmer, perhaps this statement would be more accurately attributed to Tu B’Av!  The Code of Jewish Law makes reference to the holiday by instructing us to omit the Penitential Prayer (tachanun) from the day’s prayers, and to increase our Torah study beginning from this day.  The Talmud (ibid.) tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever did not have a wife would go there” to find himself a bride.

The greatness of the day is expressed in the fact that it follows the ominous day of destruction and mourning, Tisha B’Av.  Even after destruction so powerful that one may wonder how the Jewish people could continue, we find renewal.

This renewal is expressed in three ways: 1. The fifteenth day of the Jewish month always coincides with a full moon, alluding to the comparison of the Jewish people to the moon.  Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too, the Jewish people may experience travail and difficulty while in exile, but we will be renewed just like the moon; 2. The fact that Tu B’Av was a day when young Jewish men and women would meet, also teaches us that even after the destruction of the Temples and upheaval of our People, we will still continue to grow and flourish; 3. The Talmud (ibid.) recounts another event which occurred on Tu B’Av.  On the day of Tisha B’Av, it was decreed that the Jewish people who left Egypt and were wandering in the desert, would not enter the land of Israel.  Each year, on Tisha B’Av, the Jews of the desert would dig graves, assuming that since the day was so terrible, there would once again be tragedy.  And indeed, so it was each year.  Until the last year of their wandering in the desert, when although they dug graves for themselves, no one died.  When they reached the 15^th of Av, and still no one had passed away, they realized that this was the end of the decree.

So how do we tap into this power of renewal contained within the holy day of Tu B’Av?

The answer may be contained in this first Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, Shabbat Nachamu.  The unique name of this Shabbat (“Shabbat of Consolation”) is taken from the opening verse of the reading of the Prophets (Haftarah), from Isaiah chapter 40.  The verse states, “Comfort, oh comfort My people!”  What is the reason for the repetition of the word “comfort”?  Wouldn’t the point have been conveyed even if the word comfort was only mentioned once?

Yet the explanation is that in order to be comforted after the destruction of the Temples, one must exert a double effort.  It is never enough what one is currently doing, but one must always strive to double and re-double one’s efforts in all areas of holiness, Torah study, prayer and mitzvot.

We all yearn for renewal.  We all dream of a time when there will be no war, famine or jealousy.  This is what Judaism speaks of when it refers to the Messianic Era.  The instruction is contained in the book of Isaiah, Hebrew for “salvation.”  In order to experience the renewal of the Messianic Era which Tu B’Av refers to, we must double our previous efforts.  Don’t sit by thinking that you are doing enough.  Certainly you can find more ways to help other people.

As Maimonides writes, one should always view the world as in an equal balance between good and evil, requiring only one deed to tip the scale for the good.  That next deed could be yours.  Make it a good one!

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An opportunity to chill with some good friends during the summer time.

Events include BBQs, boating, classes and more.

All events take place in the Chabad House unless otherwise noted.

Special Class commemorating the 16th Yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Tuesday, June 22 – Motzei Gimmel Tammuz

Topic: BODY, SOUL AND A NEEDLE

Tuesday, July 6th – 8:30pm

Euthanasia according to Jewish Law & Kabbalah

Tuesday, July 13th – 8:30pm

Who Will Build the Holy Temple?

Monday, July 19th – Tisha B’Av – 10:15pm

Class discussion on the Talmudic passage about the destruction of the Temple (Gittin 55b).

Drugs & Judaism: A Perspective.

Tuesday, August 10th – 8:30pm

Resurrection of the Dead: Who will come back? If my soul lived more than one life, which body will it be resurrected in?

Tuesday, August 17th – 8:30pm

Chassidic discourse by the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Rosh Hashana 1982.

Other CHILL Events

Trip to the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe – date/time TBA

Hike – date & location TBA

Boating – Flushing Meadows Park, date/time TBA