Tu Be'Av

Tomorrow (Friday) is the 15th of Av also known as Tu Be'Av (not to be confused with Tu Bishvat). In modern day Israel this holiday has become in secular Israeli society as Israeli Valentine's Day or Chag Ha'Ahava. It is a day for many weddings. But what exactly is this lesser known holiday all about and what are its origins?

Tu Be'Av is first mentioned in the mishna in Masekhet Ta'anit:

"Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel said: There were no holidays so joyous for the Jewish People as the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, for on those days, daughters of Yerushalayim would go out dressed in borrowed white clothing. And the daughters of the rest of the Jewish People would borrow from each other, so as not to embarrass those who didn't have. And the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards located on the outskirts of the city. And everyone who didn't have a wife would go there. And what would they say? Young man, lift up your eyes and choose wisely. Don't look only at physical beauty - look rather at the family - For charm is false, and beauty is vanity. A God fearing woman is the one to be praised."

The Gemara (Ta'anit 30b) asks a very basic question. Yom Kippur is a happy day because God forgives our sins. But what is so special about Tu Be'Av? Various Rabbis from the Talmud - Amoraim give six different answers.

1. It is the day on which permission was granted to the tribes to inter-marry. 

A man named Tzelophad had five daughters. They beseeched God that they deserved to inherit the land of Israel because they had no brothers. God granted them land, however, the men of their tribe were upset and said when these ladies marry their lands will go to men of other tribes. As a compromise the five daughters of Tzelophad had to marry within their own tribe. This decree of marrying in their own tribe was lifted a generation later on Tu Be'Av.

2. It is the day on which the tribe of Binyamin was permitted to re-enter the congregation of Israel.

In the book of Judges there was a terrible civil war between the Tribe of Binyamin and the rest of the Tribes. After the war the other tribes made a decree that no one would give their daughters or sons to marry men and women from the tribe of Binyamin. That decree was annulled one generation later on Tu Be'Av. 

3.It is the day on which the generation of the desert ceased to die.

(Fair warning that this is a Midrash and should not be understood literally) After the sin of the spies the Jews were punished with having to stay in the desert for 40 years till all the men over 20 died. According to Midrashic tradition, each year on Tisha Be'Av to commemorate the decree, all adult men dug their graves on the night of Tisha Be'Av. Each year 15,000 men died until the final year when no one died. They thought they had miscalculated the day so they repeated this until the 15th when they realised that the decree was over and they could now enter the land of Israel. I think that this Midrash is trying to convey the idea that for forty years the Jewish People were preoccupied with death and remaining in the desert. Tu Be'Av represents their mental shift to life and entering Israel. 

4. It is the day on which Hoshea the son of Elah removed the guards which Yerovam the son of Nevat had placed on the roads to prevent Israel from going up to Jerusalem for the Chagim. 
Yerovam was very upset with Rehovam for putting high taxes on the Jewish people and Israel was split into two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Israel (the Ten Tribes) and the Kingdom of Yehuda (The Tribes of Binyamin and Yehuda). Yerovam was concerned that his kingdom would not last if the tribes went up to Jerusalem in Yehuda's territory for Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. So he established idols and border patrols to prevent his people going to Jerusalem. This lasted for almost 200 years when Hoshea allowed his subjects to visit the temple in Jerusalem. He gave his permission on Tu Be'Av.

5. Rav Matna said: It is the day when permission was granted for those killed at Betar to be buried.
One of the tragedies of Tisha Be'Av was that all the inhabitants of the city of Beitar were killed. In an act of cruelty the Romans did not allow the Jews to bury their dead until Tu Be'Av. Despite this horrible act a small miracle happened that the bodies did not decompose. This gave the people hope that despite the horrific tragedy, God had not abandoned them. 

6. It is the day on which they stopped cutting trees for the altar since from the fifteenth of Av onwards the strength of the sun grows less and they no longer cut trees for the altar, because they would not dry sufficiently.
This last one is very cryptic and requires a bit of explanation. Since the nights were longer and they didn't need to cut wood during the night, they would have more time to learn Torah. 

Whichever reason is your particular favorite, traditionally this became a day of young people choosing their partners. It is a day of unity and comes as a healing period after the sadness of Tisha Be'av. It is the ray of light after the storm. It is a day for optimism and opportunity for new beginnings and new possibilities. It is a day of national harmony and a day of the Jewish People seeing their close relationship with God.

Preparing for Tisha B'Av

I'm calling this blog post preparing for Tisha B'Av because the mourning customs we have leading up to the fast day are all designed to prepare us for the intensity of the day. Without preparation a person can struggle to really feel the significance and poignancy of the day.

In just over 3 weeks we will commemorate Tisha B'av when we will mourn the destruction of our two holy temples and every Jewish tragedy that has befallen our people from the sin of the spies to the holocaust. There is no other day like Tisha B'Av. At the same time it is hard to feel a personal tragedy for the destruction of the 2nd temple that happened almost 2000 years ago. This is something our rabbis understood very well and as such they instituted a number of mourning customs to lead up to this sobering day.

The customs of different Jewish communities vary, I will try and concentrate on the main ones and explain them a little bit. 

There are four stages of mourning. The first stage is the 17th of Tammuz till Rosh Hodesh. In this period Sephardim don't listen to music or wear new clothes or say the blessing of Shehecheyanu on a new fruit except on Shabbat. When it comes to buying new things the general rule is it is forbidden unless the sale is an unusually great sale. Then the purchase can be bought and used after Tisha B'Av. Likewise for major purchases like a car or a house, one should avoid the purchase unless the availability will vanish if delayed. Such purchases should not be used till after Tisha B'Av

The next period of mourning intensity is from Rosh Hodesh Av till Shabbat. The third period is called Shevua Shechal Bo - the week that Tisha B'Av falls. (E.g. if Tisha B'Av falls on a Monday night/Tuesday then Shevua Shechal Bo is from Saturday night until midday the day after the fast.) Finally we have the most severe mourning customs on Tisha B'Av itself. Generally speaking the Sephardic customs are more lenient than for Ashkenazim. 


Starting on Rosh Hodesh and including Rosh Hodesh Jews from Turkey, as well as Ashkenazim have the custom to abstain from meat (including chicken) and wine until the 10th of Av. The exception being on Shabbat when we eat meat to the same level that we would on a regular Shabbat. Other Sephardic communities including many from Rhodes refrain from meat from the 2nd of Av till the 10th. When it comes to drinking the wine/grape juice after havdallah, Ashkenazim give the cup to a child whereas for us we follow Rabbi Yosef Caro and drink it ourselves.

Shevuah Shechal Bo
Starting from Saturday night, Sephardic men refrain from haircuts and shaving. (Some follow the custom of our Ashkenazic brothers and do not have haircuts for the entire three week period from the 17th of Tammuz.) We do not do any laundry, we only take cold showers, we only change our undergarments or any clothes that are soiled. We also aren't allowed to go swimming for pleasure (and most people don't have swimming lessons either since they can be fun too).

This year since Tisha B'Av is nidche (pushed off) to Sunday. Many halachic authorities do not consider there a need to have a Shevuah Shechal Bo at all. As such it is permitted to do laundry and shower and even to swim. Most people are strict and avoid having haircuts. 

Erev Tisha B'Av
The day before Tisha B'Av we continue to learn Torah until sunset. (Ashkenazim stop learning regular Torah portions at midday.) After this time we are only allowed to learn Torah that is upsetting such as reading Eicha - The book of Lamentations describing the destruction of the First Temple, Sefe Iyov - The Book of Job, Sections from the prophet Jeremiah, Sections from the Talmud dealing with the destruction of the First and Second Temples and Kinot - poems about Jewish tragedies throughout the ages.

On Erev Tisha B'Av we have a Seudah Hamafseket. This is the last meal before the fast. The meal should consist of only one cooked dish. Two foods that are normally cooked together are considered one dish. So for example a dish of egg and lentils would be ok to eat. One can also eat bread with this meal too. My practice, has been to have a normal pre fast meal a few hours before the fast. Then just before the fast I have a piece of toast and I sit on the floor and think of the destruction. 

This year (2016) since erev Tisha B'Av is on Shabbat none of these laws apply and we treat the day like a regular Shabbat just. However, one must be careful to finish Seudah Shelishit before the fast starts. Please note that the fast begins before Shabbat ends. 

Tisha B'Av
Apart from learning Torah that makes us happy there are five things which are prohibited on Tisha B’av. Eating and drinking, washing, rubbing one’s body with oils or lotions, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations. Although not strictly forbidden, it is strongly recommended to take the day off on Tisha B'Av or at least not to work until halachic midday (1:15pm). Since we are all considered mourners on this day, we do not greet each other.

Ladies who have given birth within 30 days are exempt from the fast. Similarly, anyone who has a serious illness or would become ill from fasting is exempt.

The liturgy on Tisha B'Av is very powerful and the tunes are very moving. Although one isn't supposed to enjoy the tunes on Tisha B'Av, my grandfather of blessed memory would love to hum the melodies of Tisha B'Av throughout the year. One of the powerful kinot contrasts the festival of Pesach with Tisha B'Av using the famous "Ma Nishtana - Why is this night different from all other nights?"

On Tisha B'Av night the lights are dimmed low, or tea lights are used. We sit on the floor and read Eicha - The book of lamentations. On Tisha B'Av day we don't wear talet and tefillin in the synagogue and we continue to sit on the floor. (Some Sephardim have the custom to wear them privately at home before coming to services but that is not the SBH minhag). We again read Eicha and more sad kinot. After midday we are allowed to sit on regular seats and at minha we wear talet and tefillin. Since we are forbidden to learn Torah on Tisha B'Av, if one learns daily, that learning should be done either the day before or the day after Tisha B'Av. Tehillim may be recited on Tisha B'Av itself but only after halachic midday (1:15pm).

The mourning practices are in reverse to those of a loved one. Instead of most intense to least intense, we go from least to most. The idea being that we must prepare ourselves for it. If we were to go straight into the strict mourning of Tisha B'Av without the three weeks of preparations we would struggle to find meaning. Instead we build up gradually. As we do that this year let us work on our mitzvah observance and the way we interact with others. May Hashem grant peace in Israel.

When the fast finishes, one should still not eat meat or drink wine until Midday the following day. The reason being that when the Second Temple was destroyed it continued burning for much of the 10th of Av. Other restrictions such as showering and shaving etc. are permitted from the end of the fast. (Ashkenazim wait until midday for those too).

This year (2016) since we commemorate Tisha B'Av on the 10th, one does not need to wait until midday of the next day.

What's the 17th of Tammuz?

This Tuesday (July 23rd, 2024) is the 17^th of Tammuz. It is a fast day that commemorates five tragedies as described in the Talmud (Tractate Ta’anit 26b). The Talmud states that the first tragedy was the Sin of the Golden Calf. After the Children of Israel miscalculated the time/date for Moshe’s return they built a Golden Calf. Meanwhile, Moshe was receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. He came down carrying the Ten Commandments, crafted and written by the Finger of God. As Moshe saw the Golden calf he smashed the tablets. That date was the 17^th of Tammuz.

Also on this day the Korban Tamid was stopped - the daily offering of two sacrifices one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This was because the siege of Jerusalem was so severe that they had ran out of lambs to offer for the Korban Tamid. 

The third catastrophe was the walls of Jerusalem were breached during the Second Temple under the Romans led by Titus who later became Emperor Titus. Jerusalem was breached on the 9th of Tammuz when the First Temple was destroyed by The Babylonians.

During the Greek oppression before the Hasmonean Victory and the Miracles of Hanukah, a Greek General called Apostomus burned a Sefer Torah. This was the first recorded instance of book burning and led the way for all the book burnings throughout our history. There is a debate if Apostomus was actually a Roman in a later time period. Have a look here.

And finally an Idol was placed in the Temple. There is a dispute whether this was done by the evil Jewish King Menashe during the First Temple Period or whether it was done by Apostomus during the Greek persecutions during the Second Temple period.

These five reasons each in their own right would make for a day of fasting for the Jewish People but together they make this day the second saddest day in our calendar. This day is also three weeks before the 9th of Av which is the saddest day of our calendar. I will write more about that day in the coming weeks.

As we enter this period of the three weeks our Ashkenazic brothers and sisters take on a number of mourning practices. The vast majority of Sephardim don’t have mourning practices until the week of Tisha B’Av.

Nevertheless this is a sad period in our calendar and it is time when mitzvah observance specifically better relationships between man and his fellow are emphasized. Wishing you all a meaningful Fast of Tammuz. May our fasting, sincere repentance and improved mitzvah observance see an improvement in the situation in Israel.

Tattoos, Cremations and Jewish Funerals

As always, I like to sneak football (soccer) into my conversations and the occasional sermon so this time I thought I would mention it in one of my blogs. I've never been a fan of tattoos but I really don't like all the players at the World Cup completely covered with tattoos. I've always found them off putting and I think our young can be easily influenced into wanting to have them. I would say 25 years ago tattoos were not a common site but today 40% of Americans aged 25 to 40 have tattoos (according to a Pew Research Study). 

So is there a problem with tattoos? The Torah (Vayikra 19:28) states "You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves. I am the Lord." Rashi (ibid) notes that a tattoo is defined as "sunken never to be erased, for one etches it with a needle, and it remains permanently black." Therefore temporary tattoos or henna tattoos do not form any prohibition as the paint erases after a period of time. 

All that being said there is perhaps one of the biggest babajadas (Ladino for old wives' tale or in the Yiddish bubba meise) out there is that a person with a tattoo cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery. Although as I have outlined it is a Torah prohibition, nevertheless a Jewish person will still be buried in the Jewish cemetery. Now that doesn't mean everyone should go out and get tattoos!

What isn't well known is the huge problem of Jewish people opting for cremations. Cremations are becoming more popular as the cost of burial is driving people to seek cheaper alternatives. However, halachically speaking it is probably up their as one of the biggest transgressions. Just as we are forbidden from taking our own lives or hastening our end so too we are forbidden to desecrate our bodies by having them cremated.

Hashem tells  Adam (Bereshit 3:19) "You will return to the ground, for it was from the ground that you were taken". 

Rabbi Maurice Lamm writes (The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning pp 56-57) "cremation is never permitted. The deceased must be interred, bodily, in the earth. It is forbidden - in every and any circumstance - to reduce the dead to ash in a crematorium. It is an offensive act, for it does violence to the spirit and letter of the Jewish Law...

1.Even if the deceased willed cremation, his wishes must be ignored in order to observe the will of our Father in Heaven. Biblical law takes precedence over the instructions of the deceased. 

2.Cremated ashes may not be buried in a Jewish cemetery...

3. Jewish law requires no mourning for the cremated. Shiva is not observed and kaddish is not recited for them. Those who are cremated are considered by tradition to have abandoned, unalterably, all of Jewish law and, therefore, to have surrendered their rights to posthumous honor."

Why does Rabbi Lamm write so sternly that one cannot even say kaddish for them? That they have abandoned Jewish Law? The answer I think lies with the fact that the act of willful cremation is a denial of one of our cornerstone beliefs of Techiyat HaMetim - The Resurrection of the Dead at the coming of Mashiach. By cremating oneself one is stating that they deny this belief and therefore they are set aside to not be included.

All that I have written so far is with willful cremation. This does not include the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. They did not choose their fate and they are obviously not held accountable for that. Far from it they are on the highest spiritual level of anyone who has lived. For those who aren't interested in halachic concerns some use the Holocaust to not disgrace the memory of our people who were killed through the crematoriums. 

There are many more details on this topic and I have merely touched the surface. For further information online please visit the following Chabad Article. This situation is becoming so severe it was mentioned at the recent Rabbinic Council of America Convention. There it was mentioned that at least 1 in 3 Jews are choosing cremation. Please use the information in this blog to encourage people to plan for a traditional Jewish funeral.

Do we have to bring in Shabbat early if everyone else is?

A few months ago I wrote a post about Early Shabbat. One of the important outcomes of that blog post was to note that one cannot bring in Shabbat earlier than the time listed. For example if candle times are listed as 7:28-8:49pm, if one lit Shabbat candles at 7:15pm and made a beracha on them not only would one not be taking on Shabbat it would also be a beracha levatala - Taking Hashem's name in vain since it is too early to bring in Shabbat the blessing cannot be said at that time. 

(There are a few poskim that allow candle lighting before Pelag under certain conditions but they are not mainstream positions and are only relied upon in extremely northern latitudes.)

One area we didn't touch upon was, can individuals, families, or groups bring in Shabbat later/on time if the majority of the community is bringing in Shabbat late? What happens if there is no minyan in the community praying at the normal time (18 minutes before sunset) does that mean a person has to taken in Shabbat early? Are they forced to comply with the rest of the community?

The Mordechai is the first person to address this question. Hew writes that if the majority of the community has accepted Shabbat (early) the minority must follow them regardless." This position is brought by Rav Yosef Caro in his commentary Bet Yosef (O.H. 263.12) to the Tur and He codifies it in the Shulkhan Arukh in paragraph 12 of that same Chapter.

The Kaf HaChaim (O.H. 263:76) and Mishna Berura (O.H. 263:51) quote the Magen Avraham who limits the scope of Rav Caro's ruling writing "Where there are many synagogues in a city, one synagogue need not follow the practice of any other, even if one of them consists of the majority of the community." 

This implies as long as there is a synagogue minyan praying at the regular/late time individuals can bring in Shabbat at that time even if the majority of the community decides to bring Shabbat in early. However, the Mishna Berura and Kaf HaChaim quote the Hayei Adam that "If one gathers a minyan and holds services in his home, even if it is a regular minyan, they are subordinate to the majority and must follow their practice." 

Rav Moshe Feinstein writes (Igrot Moshe O.H. 5:15) that a congregation with two minyanim can have a later minyan in the Summer time even when the majority is praying at the earlier time. The question was asked about Bridge Lane Beth HaMedrash in London.

The bottom line is that there needs to be at least one synagogue minyan that prays late/regular time in the Summer in a community. In Seward Park we find the situation where there is only one late minyan at BCMH and the numbers are tight. We should make every effort to support it especially if you are a person who likes to bring in Shabbat at a later time in the Summer.

Birkat Cohanim in the Diaspora

One of the things that Ashkenazim notice when they go to Israel is that they do Birkat Cohanim every day in Israel, whereas in the diaspora Ashkenazim only do it at the Musaf of Yom Tov. There are also several Sephardic communities that did not/do not do Birkat Cohanim outside of Israel too. 

When we look at the formulation of the mitzvah of Birkat Cohanim it looks very clearly that it is a mitzva De'oraita - a positive mitzvah from the Torah for the Cohanim to bless the Jewish People every day. This is how it is codified by the Sefer HaHinuch. So how did the custom of not doing Birkat Cohanim daily start in the Diaspora? 

There are three main reasons brought by Ashenazic Rabbis. The first reason cited by the Agur is that the custom was to immerse in a mikveh before doing Birkat Cohanim. This was very hard to do in the Winter in Eastern Europe so they stopped doing it every day. 

Rav Yosef Caro comments on this custom and explains that this is completely illogical. Blessing the people is a Torah commandment and going to the mikveh in order to bless the people is a custom not even mentioned in the Talmud. He writes it would make far more sense just to bless the people without going to the mikveh!

The second and third reasons are brought by the Rema - Rabbi Moshe Isserles. He wrote that "It has become the practice in all these states that the Cohanim do not raise their hands in blessing except on Yom Tov, as then they are in a state of happiness because of Yom Tov and a person who is in good spirits should administer the blessing. They are not in a state of happiness on other days even on Shabbatot as they are preoccupied with thoughts concerning their sustenance and over the cessation of their work. Even on Yom Tov they only do it at Musaf as then they are about to leave synagogue and rejoice in the celebration of Yom Tov."

So basically the Ashkenazim in the 1500s were in a depressed state because of the difficulties in their lives. As in those times they were exceedingly poor and their was always a threat of Antisemitism in the air. The only time they were really happy was on Yom Tov and since Birkat Cohanim needs to be done with joy Ashkenazim stopped doing it daily.

In the 1700s the Vilna Gaon and Rav Chaim Volozhin made a decision that they wanted to try and restart daily Birkat Cohanim. The day before it happened the Vilna Gaon was imprisoned and half the town of Volozhin burned down! The two Rabbis decided it must be that a Bat Kol - heavenly voice has decreed that Birkat Cohanim cannot happen outside of Israel. When the Vilna Gaon's students made aliyah to Israel they did set up daily Birkat Cohanim hence the practice found today in Ashkenazic synagogues in Israel.

Now the Sephardic communities too are not uniform on Birkat Cohanim. Despite the fact that Rav Caro writes that it should be done daily not all Sephardic communities follow that. Rav Shem Tob Gaguine notes in his books on customs - Keter Shem Tob that "in London Birkat Cohanim is said only on Yom Tov, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The Amsterdam custom is that the Cohanim do it every Shabbat and this is the custom in Moroccan cities too. But in Israel, Syria, Turkey and Egypt the Cohanim do it every day."

Yet a teacher of mine, Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar, notes some different Sephardic customs. "The Moroccan minhag is to say Birkat Kohanim every day, in contrast to the custom in some other communities. However, several Sefaradi communities traditionally did not have the practice of saying Birkat Kohanim every day, among them the Jews of Izmir in Turkey, who said Birkat Kohanim only on days where the Torah is read, the communities of Italy and Amsterdam, who did so only on Shabbat and the Jews of Algeria, who said this blessing only during Musaf on Shabbat."

So we don't find a unified position for Sephardic communities. We have Rav Gaguine saying in Turkey they said it every day, Rabbi Lebhar noting the custom in Izmir was when the Torah was read and here in Seattle, the tradition was that in Tekirdag,Turkey they didn't do Birkat Cohanim except on Yom Tov. So why are there different Sephardic customs on this?

One answer is that Ashkenazic Pesak had an influence on some Sephardic communities. Another answer brought by the Keter Shem Tob is that they didn't always have a minyan during the week so they couldn't do Birkat Cohanim. Another answer he gives is that his community was very secular and assimilated. They wouldn't always have Cohanim present on a regular Shabbat and even if they were present they wouldn't necessarily have the ability to know how to bless the congregation!

Rav Gaguine then goes into a fascinating history of the failed Mashiach - Shabbatai Tzvi. One of the things he brought into focus was an emphasis on doing Birkat Cohanim daily. It may have been that some communities were already doing Birkat Cohanim daily but after he converted to Islam, the leading Sephardic Rabbis of the day tried to back away from anything that looked like Shabbatean practice. They went from daily Birkat Cohanim to just on Yom Tov. In Amsterdam they compromised and did Birkat Cohanim on Shabbatot only. 

In Seattle, my synagogue did not do Birkat Cohanim until 25 years ago. Some say because we didn't have Cohanim in the congregation who came daily or even on Shabbat. Some say because in Turkey they didn't do it because of Shabbatai Tzvi as it was in Turkey where he converted to Islam, so there the communities would most want to distance themselves from his teachings. Either way we now have several Cohanim who bless us daily and on Shabbat and it is a wonderful thing to be blessed by Hashem through the Priestly Blessing.

This write up is based on a short presentation I gave this past Shabbat Parashat Naso. Here is a link to the source Sheet. Here is the link (in Hebrew) to Rav Gaguine's piece to read. (see pages 245-247).


Here is a postscript from Rabbi Yossi Azose (Hazzan Ike Azose's son) 

It’s worth noting, as it relates to the Seattle Sephardic community, that in Shu”t Tzitz Eliezer (7:6) Rabbi Avraham Shalem submitted a query on the subject to his teacher R’ Eliezer Waldenberg in 1960, shortly after he was hired as rabbi at Cong. Ezra Bessaroth in Seattle. (As an historical aside, In the beginning of his teshuva Rabbi Waldenberg writes:

“I was especially pleased to learn that, with G-d’s blessing, he (Rabbi Shalem) has found a new position that he was yearning for, a wholesome and fervent congregation (Ezra Bessaroth) that thirsts for the word of G-d….”)

When Rabbi Shalem came, he found that Ezra Bessaroth did not do birkat cohanim daily, despite the presence of cohanim, and he very much wanted to reinstitute the practice. And so he sent a letter to R’ Waldenberg for his opinion. Rabbi Shalem asked his predecessor, Rabbi Isadore Kahan, why he did not encourage the practice of birkat cohanim, and he responded that in any event, since the cohanim at his kehilla were not Shabbat observant, it wasn’t proper for them to do nesiyat kapayim. 

(Rabbi Shalem disagreed with Rabbi Kahan on this point. It should also be noted, that for a brief time, Rabbi Kahan held the position as rabbi of both Ezra Bessaroth and Bikur Holim). Rabbi Waldenberg explored all these issues in the above-cited teshuva, including the tidbit about Shabetai Zevi, and concluded that indeed, birkat cohanim on a daily basis should be encouraged.

Looking to Shavuot

Shavuot is the holiday where we celebrate Hashem giving us the Torah at Mount Sinai over 3300 years ago. One would surmise that this would make for a remarkable holiday. But it is noted more by its absence of any unique mitzvot than by anything active. There is no matza, no lulav, no frantic cleaning beforehand and no building of a sukah. Although we do have is a series of customs that have developed over the years, Shavuot is unfortunately the forgotten holiday.

Most people, when asked about Shavuot, will give one of three answers. Dairy food, staying up late, or 'did I miss that holiday?' Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote a very thought provoking article recently where he touched upon Jewish continuity and identity.

“Throughout a century of reflection on how to sustain Jewish identity in an open, secular society, the case has often been made that we need to make Judaism easier. Why make the barriers so high, the demands so steep, the laws so rigorous and demanding? So, one by one, the demands were lowered. Shabbat, kashrut and conversion were all made easier. As for the laws of taharat ha-mishpacha (family purity), in many circles outside Orthodoxy they fell into abeyance altogether. The assumption was that the less demanding Judaism is to keep, the more Jews will stay Jewish.

To show that this is a fallacy, I once asked a mixed group of observant and non-observant Jews to list the festivals in order of difficulty. Everyone agreed that Pesach was the hardest, Shavuot the easiest, and Sukkot somewhere in between. I then asked, which festivals are kept by the greatest number of Jews. Again, everyone agreed: Pesach was kept by most, Shavuot by the least, with Sukkot in between. There was a pause as the group slowly realized what it had just said. It was counterintuitive but undeniable: the harder a festival is, the more people will keep it. The proof is Yom Kippur, by far the most demanding day of all, and by far the best attended in synagogue.”

In essence Rabbi Sacks was saying in order for us to foster the next generation of Jews who are engaged in Judaism we should not be lowering the standards at all! All that does is dilute things and cause more apathy. Rather we should be looking for ways to teach, explain and inspire about the depth of Judaism.

On Shavuot we read the book of Ruth which tells the story of Ruth a non-Jew accepting the God of the Jews as her God and the Jewish people as her own. She says the famous words “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.”

Ruth is the quintessential convert to Judaism and her inspiring words are the basis for the intricate halakhot of conversion that a person must totally accept the yoke of heaven. She is an inspiration to aspiring Jews and Jewish-born people alike. She embodies the lesson that Judaism isn’t a series of half measures and quaint customs but something, rather it is part of our very essence and being.

There are several reasons why we read the book of Ruth on Shavuot – both Shavuot and the book of Ruth take place in the harvest time, King David who is the great grandson of Ruth died on Shavuot. But I think there is a much more powerful reason and that is on Shavuot we affirm and commit ourselves to the Torah, an act which our ancestors did 3300 years ago at Mount Sinai. Ruth, as the righteous convert, totally accepts the Torah too, showing us, whether we are born to Judaism or we choose Judaism it is something that we must strive to do wholeheartedly.