StairMaster

I’ve been learning Masechet Sheviit lately, well, for obvious reasons (I’ll also be teaching Hilchot Shemitta this upcoming school year). I was learning this past Shabbat afternoon when I cam across the following Mishna (Shevi’it 3:8):

אין בונין מדרגות על פי הגאיות ערב שביעית, משיפסקו הגשמים, מפני שהוא מתקינן לשביעית; אבל בונה הוא בשביעית משיפסקו הגשמים, מפני שהוא מתקינן למוצאי שביעית. לא יסמוך בעפר, אבל עושה הוא חיץ. כל אבן שהוא יכול לפשוט את ידו וליטלה, הרי זו תינטל

It reminded me of a Yerushalmi in Shabbat (7:2, 47b)that I had once learned:

החופר החורץ הנועץ המדייר המעדר המזבל המכבד המרבץ המפעפע גושים. המברה בחרשים. המצית את האור בחישת קנים ובאגד תמרים וכרבי זעירא אמת המים שהיא מכשרת צדדיה לזריעה. המסקל. הבונה מדריגות. הממלא את הנקעים שתחת הזיתים. והעושה עוגיות לגפנים. וכל דבר שהוא להניית קרקע חייב משום חורש

The connection should be obvious: there’s this activity, called ‘boneh madreigot’, which is both a derivative of plowing as far as Shabbat is concerned and a forbidden activity in preparation for Shemittah. The question is, what exactly is this activity?

A literal translation is ‘building steps’. In fact, this is how most commentaries understand the Mishna – it is forbidden to build a flight of stairs down to a pool of water, because you will end up using that water to water your fields on Shemittah. This explanation, as several acharonim point out, is very problematic. They note that it is not forbidden to water one’s field during Shemittah as long as the purpose is just to maintain, but not improve, one’s crops. The suggestion that it is forbidden to build steps because they provide access to water, when use of the water itself is permitted, is far-fetched to say the least. Furthermore, although none of the commentators point it out, this understanding of ‘boneh madreigot’ has nothing to do with ‘choreish’ and would not be considered a derivative of that category, which includes any action which improves the arability of the ground.

When I first learned that Yerushalmi, I was living in Israel. it was clear to me then, as it is clear to me now, that ‘boneh madreigot’ means terrace farming. Building something like this on Shabbat would clearly be a form of choreish; it is truly preparing land for planting. A short drive through the Judean Hills and one is immediately aware that this form of farming has been used in this area from time immemorial. /it just makes so much more sense than the other commentaries.

I’m trying to do more research into the issue. The word ‘madreigah’ comes up twice in Tanach – once in Yechezkel and once in Shir Hashirim – and in both cases it refers to some type of outdoor structure in the hills. I plan to look in the Targumim and in Dr. Feliks’ commentary to Shir Hashirim to see what they say. I’m pretty convinced that I’m right, though.

Flying the Friendly Skies

We were on this flight. We’re still in the States. It’s been a rough few days, though Shabbat was very nice. Just want to get home, though.

There was a rumor that the plane turned around because there was a chance it would land on Shabbat, and the Satmar Rebbe was threatening another boycott. I don't know how this rumor got started, but it's untrue. There were many religious people on the flight, and nobody refused to get on because it would land too close to Shabbat (and a number of us would have if it had gotten too late). I don't know the whole story, and it is quite possible that they realized that they wouldn't make it (i was watching the 'land speed' display, and the plane wasn't going nearly fast enough to have shortened the trip to 9 hours; to do that would have required an average speed of about 667mph, and we were going about 450) before shabbat, so they just turned around themselves rather than face boycotts, etc. they could have then blamed it on technical difficulties. i doubt, though, that any religious figure called that final shot. the decision was made from the air.

Mah Rabu on the Jewish Week Camp Kutz Article

Below are some excerpts of an excellent fisking. BZ really hits the nail on the head. If you haven't read his blog, you might want to consider it. I'm a big fan.

clipped from mahrabu.blogspot.com Just because Carlebach had a bigger beard than Klepper and sang with an Ashkenazi accent doesn’t mean that his music is any more “traditional” or less “modern”. Rabbi Rudin is falling into the Artscroll trap of identifying “more traditional” with “consonant with contemporary Orthodox practice, regardless of vintage”. Maybe they’d have more success if they weren’t trying to make it “meaningful to everybody”, and instead tried to pick one thing and do it well. “Led Zeppelin didn’t write songs that everyone liked. They left that to the Bee Gees.” Ok, so teenagers are looking for outward ways to display their Jewish identities. What’s the problem with that? This list might also include Tzahal T-shirts and chai necklaces. I think it’s harmless; it’s the adults who are turning this into an ideological movement, not the teenagers. The adults should stop projecting their own issues onto the campers and go read Erikson.

Move Over, Burkini

Indirect Hat Tip: Wolf
Think this ad is related to the trend noted here?

Uncle Moishy’s Last Recording

(This could have been much better if I had the equipment to make it a podcast; alas, this is a low-budget affair)
The Scene: Uncle Moishy’s recording studio, Shabbos Parshas Shoftim, 5767
The Event: Uncle Moishy and his Mitzvah Men record a new song, encouraging observance of the mitzvah of ‘al pi ha-Torah asher yorucha’ as it is understood by today’s chareidi world, against the majority, and possible unanimity, of Rishonim. The song is set to the tune of ‘yamim al yemei melech tosif’:

Producer: Hit it, Moish.
Music begins.
UM (singing):

(Low):
Every Jew should obey a gadol
In order to be a Mitzvah Man
He knows what best for your neshama
Even when you don’t undersand

(High):
‘al pi ha-Torah asher yorucha’
You must heed their ev’ry single word
‘lo sasur yamin u-smol’
No matter if it sounds absurd

(Ringing sound interrupts)
Producer: Moish – cut. Hey, Moish. It’s for you. It’s Rav Elyashiv.
UM (we only hear his side of the conversation):

“Yes?

“Aleichem Shalom. What can I do for the Rav, shlit”a?

“Yes. I heard something about it. I think it’s about time.

“Perhaps the Rav has never heard of me? Well (with annoying inflective flourish) let me introduce myself. I’m the famous Uncle Moishy, and me and my Mitzvah Men travel all around the world, teaching Jewish boys and girls all about Torah and Mitzvos.

“Aha. I understand. Well, I could make it ‘teaching Jewish boys or girls all about Torah and Mitzvos.

“Yes, I know what ‘lo plug’ means. I was working on a song about it to teach the kinderlach not to shake hands with people of the opposite gender.

“But, with all due respect (in pleading voice which retains its annoying over-emphasized, over-inflective baritone), Rebbi, this is my parnassah. I have no other qualifications. I was just some mediocre yeshiva bachur who started entertaining the kids in the bungalows by pasting a big paper ‘mem’ on my hat, making an iron-on T-shirt that says ‘Mitzvah Man’ and singing lousy songs. Then the kids discovered Monticello so I took my show on the road. Please, Rebbi, this is everything I have, everything I am.

“The tapes and CDs make bupkus. It’s all about public appearances in this business. All of the kinderlach will end up listening to Barney, or Raffi, or rachmonon litzlon, Counrty Yossie.

“He can still do it because he’s just some MO balabus with too much free time. For me, it’s parnossah and avodas ha-Kodesh

“Yes. I understand. I just…

“I understand.”

UM (wipes away a tear, begins to sing, slowly, with much flourish and feeling):
Give a little tzedakah
Give a little tzedakah
Give some, remember don’t be greedy
(bum-bum-bum)
Give a little tzedakah
Give a little tzedakah
Give some, to good ol’ Uncle Moishy

First Jewish Charter School

I'm using a new feature called 'clipmarks' to blog about news items I read. It's an interesting concept - the tool lets you highlight excerpts (up to 1000 characters) of the article and post it directly to your blog. We'll see how it goes.

The news item below marks the next step in the coming revolution in Jewish education. As I wrote here and here regarding the Five-Towns public school proposal,I do not think that the day-school system that has worked so well for the last few generations is ultimately sustainable. It costs too much.
Well, now it begins in earnest. If a parent sends their kids to this public school, and the kid gets instruction in Hebrew language, Jewish history, and Israel studies, not to mention kosher meals and the availability of a minyan, how difficult would it be to supplement this non-religious curriculum with some after-hours Chumash, Mishna, and Gemara? Is the difference really upwards of 10 Gs a year?

clipped from www.jta.org Tzipora Nurieli, an Israeli-born Hallandale woman, said she registered her three children -- ages 11, 9 and 7 -- at Ben Gamla, thereby saving a combined $48,000 in annual tuition fees. families are set to take advantage of a groundbreaking option: the nation's first Jewish-oriented charter school. When the school year starts Aug. 20, Schorr's daughter and Barnett's daughter will be among the 430 or so students attending the new Ben Gamla Charter School in this city. The taxpayer-funded institution says it will offer two hours of instruction a day in Jewish-related topics "In other countries we Jews were forced to support religious institutions of the dominant religions," said Rabbi Allan Tuffs of Temple Beth El, a Reform congregation in Hollywood. "The Jewish community has succeeded in America largely thanks to the principle of separation of church and state." of the more than 800 applicants, 37 percent had listed Hebrew as their native language, while 17 percent listed Spanish

Poles Complain about Obnoxious Jewish Tourists

“A recent incident in which 35 Hasidic Jewish tourists forcibly entered the museum of the Majdanek concentration camp after the facility's closing time, removing gates from their hinges and breaking into one of the barracks, has highlighted the misunderstandings so prevalent in the hugely complicated relationship between modern Jews and modern Poland…

…the incidents have also underscored that these travellers often understand little about the Poland of today. Many Israeli tour groups arriving in Poland greatly restrict their contact with Polish society, and security guards are a standard feature of package travel. To Poles it often seems they are uninterested, even uncivil, in their relations with locals. Moreover, the message they send is clear: Poland is the land of the Shoah, and little more.”

(from the Warsaw Business Journal)

On one hand, as the article points out, Jewish tourists to Poland really have little or no interest, in general, in modern Poland. Visiting Poland is, for young Israelis, a rite of passage, and, for them and most others, akin to visiting a cemetery. While there, strong emotions tend to be running high, and as such there is a tendency for individuals and groups to become very inward-focused and, consequently, very selfish.

Since Jews began visiting in droves with the fall of the Iron Curtain, there has been no small measure of ambivalence toward these journeys. On one hand, their impact on these young Jews is unassailable. On the other hand, very few people are terribly keen on ‘pouring money’ into Poland. In the eyes of many Jews, justifiably or not, Poles are held partially accountable for the catastrophe that was perpetrated on their soil. There is a tendency to keep away from the Poles, remain insular, bring one’s own food, and limit expenditures in Poland so as not to ‘reward’ it for its role in the Holocaust.

There is ambivalence from the Polish perspective as well. As an emerging economy, liberal democracy, and a recent addition to the EU, it is one of the most rapidly Westernizing countries of the former Soviet Bloc. Although it is home to an ancient culture and heritage and some beautiful historical sites, Jews represent a serious chunk of its tourism industry as they visit the huge number of Jewish-related sites in Poland. Thus, they want to encourage the continued visits by Jews from around the world. At the same time, many Poles struggle with the heritage of the Holocaust as well, though perhaps not as much as Germans (perhaps they don’t need to as much as Germans). There are over 6000 Poles that have been recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations”, more than any other nationality by far. Granted, they had more opportunities than other nationalities. Nevertheless, there is a real heritage of peasants hiding Jews in barns which is as long, if not as weighty, as their tradition of assisting aggressors. The documentary film “Hiding and Seeking: Faith and Tolerance After the Holocaust” makes this point better than I ever could.

It is therefore no surprise that the encounter between these two populations is somewhat bumpy. In fact, it has been surprisingly smooth. The fact that other countries have been complaining about the obnoxiousness of Israeli tourists for many years attests to the fact that, to the credit of the Jews, the Poles, or both, the situation there has been somewhat better. Nevertheless, these are two groups which carry serious prejudices against each other (there is an old Polish fascination with Jews, who were present yet Other for most of Poland’s millennium-long history, which has renewed itself in recent decades). Confronting these feelings, inwardly or together, would benefit both cultures. I cannot speak for the Poles, but I think that it would behoove us as Jews to strive for an understanding of Polish attitudes toward the Holocaust and toward the richness of Jewish life there which remains a treasured part of Poland’s cultural and historical legacy.

I still remember the absolute fascination of my Polish tour guide with my tefillin on our March of the Living bus (I overslept that day and davened shacharis on the bus). He was completely enthralled with all things Jewish, and although he acknowledged that his friends thought he went a bit overboard in his Philosemitism, he did not think it was terribly out of the ordinary. And as much as he learned from us, we learned a lot from him, too, both about Polish history, Jewish history in Poland, and contemporary Polish attitudes. I remember that we got a lot of stares and a ‘Heil hitler’ as we walked to shul on Shabbat morning. I also remember seeing an ad in a Polish magazine for Kosher vodka, and that it was a very popular brand in Poland then (1994). Yet, our general attitude toward the Poles was similar to the distrustful one I outlined above. In hindsight, I believe that the experience would have been enhanced by a more open encounter with the Polish people (though in a controlled environment), to discuss how the Holocaust has shaped our respective identities, and to think about how these two groups, who lived together for so many centuries, can move forward together in a productive way.

First Response Team in Monticello

My wife and I took a drive to Monticello last week. We went to get out of camp for a few hours, and to get some pizza, but I must admit that I wanted to see a bit of the ‘scene’ thar these bungalow capitals are famous for. I had only heard about these scenes, and I hadn’t yet read Rabbi Horowitz’s article about it. It was a weekday afternoon, and therefore relatively tame, but it was nevertheless pretty amazing to see just how Brooklynized that part of the country becomes during the summer.

Today, I received the following email about this issue:

It is been brought to our attention that there are gatherings of hundreds of kids taking place in the mountains. At these locations boys and girls are getting together in homes for “parties” and are behaving in a completely un-tznius and indecent manner. Our children are at risk more than ever before. Many of them are finding themselves in situations that are beyond any of our imaginations and are dangerous to both their RUCHNIUS and GASHMIUS. These are children from homes in Boro Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Williamsburg, Monroe, Staten Island, Lakewood, Monsey, Five Towns, many out-of-town cities, and Eretz Yisroel and WE WANT TO SHOW THEM THAT WE CARE AND THAT HASHEM LOVES THEM. Regardless of whether they are your children or not, they are Hashem’s children and we must take responsibility for them!

Therefore based on the Psak and behest of Rav David Feinstein Shlita, two organizations have stepped forward to finance the renting of two of these major hangout locations beginning this Motzei Shabbos and every Motzei Shabbos through Labor Day. The pool hall Hi-Cue in Monticello will be open exclusively for boys and Liberty Lanes will be open exclusively for girls from 1am to 4am, free of charge with free food provided. Our primary goal is to have you come out and show support, love and compassion to our children and help them realize that Hashem loves them.

We will need all our married members to come help staff and provide vital assistance in these locations from 11pm to 5am. We will also need members to make themselves available to provide assistance in other locations (i.e. Walmart, Pizza Stores, etc.). We will need married couples to be drivers, mentors, general assistance, and most of all a smile throughout the night. There will be a briefing on Friday afternoon at the Irvington Bungalow colony from 3pm to 4pm. Mechanchim and Mosdos who deal with children at risk and mental health professional will be coordinating this operation. At the behest of the Rosh HaYeshiva, HaGaoan Rav Dovid Feinstein Shlit”a, we encourage everyone’s attendance (married members only). This is truly a matter of Pikuach Nefoshos.

I thought this response was pretty good, yet incomplete. It’s kind of like Arkady Gaydamak trying to buy out the ‘Tiv Taam’ supermarket chain in Israel, and making it Kosher. It would never stop those who want trayf from obtaining it and eating it, but it may help the undecideds or those who are simply going with the flow. I’m not sure there is a complete solution, or even of the degree that there needs to be one. Kids will be kids. Of course, I have no idea what it means that these kids are being ‘un-tznius’. Does it mean the girls are wearing short skirts? The kids are holding hands? Kissing? Having unprotected sex? Why is this being left to the reader’s imagination (‘beyond any of our imaginations’)?

Reading this letter, though, I noticed the glaring absence of the mention of drugs at these hang-outs. That was the focus of Rabbi Horowitz’s article. Let’s face it, behaving ‘un-tznius and indecent’ is small potatoes next to hard drug use. The only reference to dangerous behavior, as opposed to religious breaching, is the reference to “situations that are beyond any of our imaginations and are dangerous to both their RUCHNIUS and GASHMIUS”. Perhaps that means drugs, or its milder and less taboo forms of smoking and underage drinking.

I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry at the equation between immodest dress and drug use. I have been taught that in order to be a good Jew, one must first be a good human being. Being Jewish does not absolve one from being a mensch. All of the behaviors discussed are symptomatic of the ‘at-risk’ youth. And I ask: at risk of what? Becoming Modern Orthodox? Intermarrying? Dying of a drug overdose? Contracting STDs? I think that a hierarchy of ‘risks’ must be catalogued, and fast, lest mountains be turned into molehills and vice versa (like in the old ‘it leads to mixed dancing’ joke).

To clarify: I think that this response is admirable and a good idea. I am critiquing certain assumptions about WHY kids do this kind of thing and the value judgments between the lines of the letter.

Alumnus of the Year

I cannot recall the last time an opinion piece in the mainstream media generated as much dialogue within the Orthodox community as Noah Feldman’s now in famous ‘Orthodox Paradox’ essay from last week’s New York Times Magazine. I assume there’s no need to rehash the issues or link to the numerous blogs, discussion forums, and media outlets which have covered this phenomenon from pretty much every angle. I’ve been very impressed with some of the responses, and less than impressed by some others. One can write a book on the issue and the controversy it’s generated, and I have no intention of doing that. I don’t think that the issue is a new one; the tension between universalism and particularism has been present forever. It’s a theme that I intend to discuss on an upcoming series of posts on the Book of Ezra, which I’ll be teaching second semester this year.

As my regular readers know, I am generally a critic of formal education (see, for example, here, here, here, and here). It’s a Procrustean Bed (or a Sdoim Bettle, as Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky reportedly called it) and always has been. The ideal relationship between schools and homes is that the schools provide the tools and skills to develop the values that the student imbibes in the home. If Shmuely Boteach is right that Prof. Feldman can layn any parsha at the drop of a hat, then Maimonides can be proud of the training that they gave him. Of course, they are not proud of him, because schools always have ambition to do more than reinforce and develop the parents’ values. They wish to mold a particular product, with specific attitudes and values, or at least aim for their alumni to fall within a certain defined spectrum of belief and practice. Maimonides, far from being the exception, set itself a goal of producing graduates who would be as comfortable with Shakespeare as with Tosafot. I’d recommend An American Orthodox Dreamer: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Boston's Maimonides School to get a picture of the founding vision of the school. It was built on a very particular ideological vision.

This brings us to the attitude of schools toward alumni who do not ‘toe the line’, and this can even mean things that are examples of egregious and flagrant violation of the school’s ideology or values. Schools make an effort to inform and maintain relationships with alumni only to the extent that this information furthers the school’s aims and advertises its culture and mission. Basically, it’s for recruitment and fundraising. These newsletters are marketing material, no more and no less, and the school is trying to market itself as a supplier which can produce a particular type of product. I had the good fortune of taking a graduate school class in the history of Jewish Education with Prof. Shaul Stampfer. His emphasis on community-driven ‘market forces’ as a major determinant of the success or failure of educational institutions was truly eye-opening. Every educational institution in the world makes ‘business’ decisions about what alumni accomplishments to take pride in and what not. Every announcement and every photo in their publications and on their websites are part of this general promotion of their product. News concerning alumni which does not promote the school’s vision in some way will simply not be advertised. News which really provides an example of the type of alumni achievement that the school strives for will be celebrated.

For example, my brother-in-law recently completed a Ph.D. in Talmud, and is now doing postdoctoral work at Yale, where he earned a prestigious fellowship. Had he graduated from the Maimonides School, these accomplishments would, no doubt, be noted and perhaps celebrated. Perhaps they would invite him to travel to the next state north to speak to the highest-level Gemara class. But, alas, he graduated from Ner Israel, where he earned both his high-school diploma and his Bachelor’s degree (that’s right, Yale postdoc with a BTL from NIRC). I would be absolutely shocked if the institution would acknowledge his achievements in any way at all. By the same token, his marriage, ke-das Moshe ve-Yisrael, would be duly noted in the ‘Mazel Tov’ pages, if they exist.

A few years ago, my closest friend from high school (TA of Baltimore) was honored as ‘Alumnus of the Year’ at our alma mater’s annual dinner. He is a great guy, without a doubt. But his selection as alumnus of the year spoke volumes about what the school strives for. This friend was a good guy in school – a good ball player, a good friend to many, and a respectful student. He worked hard and got solid grades, but was not a valedictorian. After a few years in Yeshiva, in Israel and in Baltimore, he married the daughter of a talmid chacham and became an accountant. He now works as an accountant, is kove’a itim, bought a house in town, and sends his sons to our alma mater. He’s not the wealthiest graduate from those years, nor is he the smartest or the biggest talmid chacham. He is living the school’s dream, though, and in many ways, the ‘Baltimore’ dream. He learns, he supports Torah, he started a family, he identifies with a more yeshivish outlook and lifestyle, and he earns a nice livelihood through an umanus nekiyah ve-kallah. That’s exactly what the school loves to see! Those of us who have achieved success in various aspects of our lives, even if we’ve achieved greater success by most standards, can really have no qualms about the school’s selection; the job of the school is to market those products who best serve as its ambassadors (Indeed, the school celebrates alumni such as Rabbi Aharon Feldman, Rabbi Yisrael Newman, and even Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, but not Rabbi Menachem Liebtag or Rabbi David Samson, whose grandfather was principal for many years). Similarly, school carefully choose to display only those achievements which seek to reinforce its values and mission; would any other business advertise its failures?