Collecting for Matanot La'Evyonim

It happens every year, everyone is really excited about what food they will be sending their friends for Mishloach Manot and what costumes they are going to wear at the Purim Party (by the way the Hassan costumes will be legendary) but most of us pay less attention to the Mitzvah of Matanot La'Evyonim.

One of the four mitzvot of Purim is Matanot La'Evyonim - gifts to the poor. These contributions to the poor allow them to celebrate Purim just like we do and helps them out with their day to day needs. The mitzvah of Matanot La'Evyonim – providing the equivalent of a Purim meal for two individuals on Purim day – was always understood by our rabbis as being even more important in priority than the monies spent on mishloach manot and personal seudot. Therefore, one should spend less money on mishloach manot and more on matanot la'Evyonim. I encourage you all to be generous. 

Once again, SBH is looking to raise funds for needy families in our community. We are collecting funds for the Nathan Etkin Chesed Fund. This Chesed Fund has already helped many families with saving homes from foreclosure, paying rent when a job is lost, paying health insurance premiums, debt reduction structure planning, certified financial counseling, money for weddings and everyday needs like groceries, utilities, and helping families make Purim, Pesach and other Holidays.

How can you help? The holiday of Purim is around the corner. And as we say at SBH, “Purim, Purim lanu, Pesach en la mano” – Purim is here, Passover is near.  

This time of year brings two wonderful opportunities to help:

1. We will be accepting Purim Matanot La’Evyonim donations starting now and until March 22nd, so we can distribute those funds in a timely fashion. You can make those donations by either sending a check to the SBH office with the word “Purim” in the memo line and the checks made payable to the Nathan Etkin Chesed Fund.

I can be reached at rabbibenhassan@gmail.com. Please note that sending in money early for Matanot La’evyonim is the best way of fulfilling this mitzva and I will be acting as your shaliach in this matter. Of course, we will also accept donations up until the day of Purim as well.

2. Rabbi Morton & Leya Moscowitz have established the “Chasdei Shmully” fund in honor of Rabbi Shmully Moscowitz, zt”l. This fund, part of the larger Seattle Chesed Fund, ensures that local families have enough food to feed their children and provides dedicated assistance for major Jewish holidays. In order to help financially struggling families with the significant costs of Passover, congregants are encouraged to give to this fund specifically. Donations for Pesach should be mailed to the SBH office by April 8th, so we can make our distributions. Please write “Chasdei Shmully Matzah Fund” in the memo of your check.

Please note all checks whether for Purim or for Pesach need to be made out to The Nathan Etkin Chesed Fund and NOT to SBH.

The Chesed Fund functions with total respect for the person in need, and all requests are handled with dignity and confidentiality. It partners with Jewish Family Services when the need becomes more long-term.  A dollar donated is a dollar distributed. The Chesed Fund is a registered 501(c)3 organization, and all gifts are tax deductible.   

Is Purim just Jewish Halloween?

Is Purim just the Jewish version of Halloween? It has costumes and treats after all. We know that there is a mitzvah to give mishloach manot - at least 2 types of food to one friend. Which for many means giving lots of candy to everyone you know. But where did the idea to wear costumes come from and is it a Sephardic custom?

Until 150 years ago Sephardim never even thought of wearing costumes on Purim. The custom of dressing up is brought by Rav Moshe Isserles in his glosses to the Shulkhan Arukh he bases his position on a responsum by Mahari Minz a 15th Century German rabbi who lived his last years in Padua, Italy. 

The Rema writes  (O.H. 696:8) "and regarding the customs of people wearing masks on Purim as well as a man wearing a woman’s garments, and a woman a man’s garment – there is no prohibition in the matter since their intentions are for mere rejoicing. This is also true regarding the wearing of garments  containing Rabbinically prohibited mixtures of wool and linen.There are some authorities who forbid this, but the practice is according to the  first theory. Similarly, people who snatch items from one another while rejoicing do not transgress the prohibition of “Thou shall not steal.” This is what has become the custom – providing that one does nothing which has been deemed improper according to the community’s leader".

Since the Rema's lenient ruling many Ashkenazic rabbis (The Bach, The Taz, and The Be'er Hei'tev) came out against wearing sha'atnez - forbidden mixtures of linen and wool as well as men wearing women's clothing and vice versa. However the prominent custom of Ashkenazim is still to wear masks and costumes. For those interested to learn more see this article by Rabbi Moshe Sharbat.

So can Sephardim wear costumes on Purim? Rav Yosef Messas has a responsum to this question (Mayim Hayim Helek O.H. 298). He writes that the custom of wearing masks and costumes comes from a Christian custom and therefore Sephardim should abstain from the custom. He was referring to Mardi Gras.

Wikipedia has the following to say about Mardi Gras: "Popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition, as it is associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins. In many areas, the term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some American cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day"

The Ben Ish Hai notes (Parashat Tezaveh Ot 22) that the Sephardic custom has always been to wear Shabbat clothes on Purim. Haham Ovadiah writes that Shabbat clothes should be worn for the readings of the megillah and that Purim costumes are permitted and he sees no reason to forbid them. The only costumes he forbids are wearing wool and linen together or clothes of the opposite gender. 

My personal practice is to wear Shabbat clothes for the megillah reading and to change into costume for the Purim Party. 

Wishing everyone a Buen Purim and Purim Sameah!

Ramifications of Jewish Leap Years

This year we are in the middle of a Shana Meuberet - a Jewish Leap Year. A Jewish leap year doesn't just have an extra day every 4 years it has a whole extra month every 3 years. Or to be more precise 7 times every 19 years. There are two months of Adar. With Purim celebrated in the 2nd Adar since there has to be 30 days between Purim and Pesach.

A person born on a gregorian leap year (February 29th) can celebrate their birthday on either February 28th or March 1st. But in our calendar with a whole month difference the question arises in a which Adar do we celebrate birthdays on? Adar Aleph or Adar Sheni? On which month are Bar and Bat Mitzvahs celebrated? On which month are meldado/yarhrtzeits commemorated?

I'm personally interested in the question as I was born in a regular year. Do I celebrate in Adar RIshon, Adar Sheni or both? According to most halakhic authorities you can celebrate both dates in Adar although some say just Adar Bet. For someone born in a leap year E.g. 12th  of Adar Sheni they would celebrate their birthday on the 12th of a regular Adar in a non-leap year. My Hebrew birthday is today 23rd Adar Rishon and in case you miss it, it's also on 23rd Adar Sheni.

But the real question is not birthdays but Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. At what age are they halakhically considered adult men and women and obligated in Mtzva observance? At what date does a boy count for a minyan? 

There are three possible scenarios:-

1. A boy is born in a leap year and has his bar mitzva in a non-leap year. 
2. A boy is born in a leap year and has his bar mitzva in a leap year.
3. A boy is born in a regular year and his bar mitzva is in a leap year.

For the first scenario E.g. his birthdate is the 23rd of Adar Sheni he celebrates his bar mitzva on the Shabbat following the 23rd of the regular Adar.

For the second scenario E.g. his birthdate is the 23rd of Adar Sheni 5755 he celebrates his bar mitzva on the Shabbat after the 23rd of Adar Sheni in 5768.

In the third scenario of a regular year into a leap year which was my bar mitzva, the halakha follows that the barmitzva is celebrated in Adar Bet. 

(For those interested in seeing the halakha inside see Shulkhan Arukh O.C. 55:10 Maran and Rema there)

For Meldados and Yahrtzeits the Sephardic custom based on Maran is to commemorate on Adar Sheni whereas the Ashkenazic custom is to commemorate Adar Rishon. The Vilna Gaon holds that one should commemorate in both Adars. (For more information see Shulkhan Arukh O.C. 568:7 Maran and Rema there as well as this very good piece on VBM.

The custom at SBH is if the person passed away in Adar Rishon the Meldado is in Adar RIshon but if a person passed a way in a regular Adar the meldado is commemorated in Adar Sheni of a leap year. Which is why this past month there have been very few meldados.