Prohibition Against Casting Spells (and other magic related things)

When I was choosing my mitzvah for the mitzvah project I wanted to pick something that deeply intrigued me. For some reason I have always been interested in the prohibition we have against magic (maybe it comes from my love of Harry Potter). I decided to reserch the prohibition with a focus on casting spells. One might think that this prohibition is not relevant to us today. Years ago, magic and witchcraft was very popular, but it is unlikely for you to meet someone today who calls themselves a sorcerer and most people don't study spell books in their free time, and practice incantations. However, this mitzvah is fully applicable today to men and women. Why, because casting a spell is not limited to murmuring latin while waving a wand, the root of the averah is saying words that you believe have an inherit value to change the outcome of a situation you have no control over. For example, a sports fan must say, "I have to sing my team's fight song while holding an apple, so they win the game."

So why do we have such a strong prohibition against magic? There are two main reasons. Rambam explains that we shouldn't get involved with these things because they are not real. Ramban says that doing magic interferes with nature and it is not our job to do that, it is the responsibility of G-d. Modern day Rabbis such as, Rabbi Osher Chaim Levene and Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky, agree with the Ramban. Both saying that magic is not a "Jewish activity" or concept. Rabbi Lopiansky explains that if you don't appreciate nature as the creation of G-d (and under his control) you think that you have the ability to control which leads to disbelief in G-d. You may come to think that you have powers of G-d and not remember that no matter what we do, everything comes from G-d.

I enjoyed researching this mitzvah because I gained a stronger grasp on it's relevance to our lives. Obviously I knew that the mitzvah wasn't gotten rid of because witch craft is not common today, but I didn't realize how apperant it was in our everyday lives. Many people might be guilty of this without even realizing because they are just saying words. Now that I have a deeper understanding, I can see that this mitzvah isn't just another thing on the list of things we can't do; it is a mitzvah that protects our belief and relationship with G-d, and recognizing him as the Creator.

Chaya's Mitzvah Project: Pidyon Haben

For my Mitzvah Project, I learned about the Mitzvah of Pidyon Haben. Before starting this project, I had heard of the Mitzvah and some of the minhagim that go along with it, but didn’t have a real understanding of it. What I learned from my research was that the Mitzvah of Pidyon Haben originates from Shemot:13:13-15, where it states, “Every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem...”, as well as in Bamidbar:3 45-47, where is is written, “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborns among the children of Israel . . . You shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy shekel, by which the shekel is twenty gerahs”.

Some rationales for this mitzvah are given in the different statements of great Jewish thinkers. The Rambam states in Sefer Hamitzvot that “the first born is redeemed from the Priest, who has as it were a title to him, and is bought from him for five selas.” This is saying that the Kohein has an actual possession over all firstborns and technically, they belong to the mishkan/beit hamikdash, so it is necessary to physically buy them back from the Kohein to regain possession of them. Another interpretation is that of Rashi who said that Hashem originally made it that the firstborn from each family would be a kohein for the beit hamikdash. But after the golden calf, only the Leviim chose Hashem over idol worship, and therefore, everyone else was stripped of their Kohein status, and from then on, the kohanim only came from the tribe of Levi. Eliyahu Kitov, a contemporary Jewish thinker,suggested that Hashem gave the mitzvah of pidyon haben as a reward to the Jewish people for fulfilling the mitzvot of Brit milah and the korban pesach even under difficult conditions. We are being honored as a nation for being loyal to Hashem, who sanctifies the firstborns.

I learned that the baby must be the firstborn born to parents who are both neither kohanim or Leviim, and who was born on time, healthy, and naturally. The mitzvah has to be carried out when the baby is at least thirty days old, and should be done as soon as possible. The obligation for this mitzvah is on the father, so it is his responsibility to carry out this mitzvah. At the ceremony, the father brings his son before a kohein, gives the kohein the equivalent of 5 selahs (5 American silver coins) and recites a special bracha. The kohein accepts the money and circles it around the child’s head while reciting a passuk, and then placed his hands on the child’s head and blesses him. The ceremony cannot be on Shabbos or Yom Tov, and a festive meal should be served. It is a custom to bring the baby to the kohein on a silver tray adorned with jewelry.

Researching the mitzvah of Pidyon Haben has given me a deeper understanding of what a special mitzvah this truly is. Since the criteria are so specific, only about one out of ten families have the opportunity to do this mitzvah, which makes is incredibly special. Pidyon Haben is a fascinating mitzvah that one should definitely perform if they are lucky enough to have the opportunity to do so.

Women and Relationships in Jewish Thought

Let's start wading a little deeper into this unit by finding online articles or blog posts that address relevant topics-anything having to do with being an observant Jewish woman, from dating/marriage, to motherhood, to career paths, to leadership roles, to changing assumptions about what an ideal Jewish woman "should" be.

Assignment: 
Find a recent (no older than a few months) article or blog post, written in an intelligent and articulate fashion (no crazy rants...you get the idea).  The article/blog must speak about one or more of the possibilities listed above.  Write a 2-3 paragraph summary of the article's thesis, along with your personal thoughts on it.  Then reply to at least 2 classmates' comments below.

This assignment is due tomorrow, Wed. May 13th, before class.

The Prohibition of eating milk and meat

From a young age, parents raise their children to know that we cannot eat milk and meat together. If you grow up doing this it does not seem weird, but if you stop and think about what you are doing it seems very strange. Not only can you not eat them together, but you have to wait up to six hours in between eating them! This is not only waiting to eat dairy, the Zohar says you should also wait an hour to eat meat after you have eaten dairy. After the Maharam found cheese in his mouth six hours after eating it, some Ashkenazim even took on the custom to wait six hours to eat meat after eating hard cheese! Even if we taste a piece of meat and spit it out why must we still wait before eating dairy? Why do we have all these weird laws?

This mitzvah is found in the Torah in the phrase Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk (codified in Rambam, Mishna Torah, Sefer Kedusha, Hilchot Ma’achalot Assurot, Chapter 9). This phrase is repeated three times: Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21. A Talmud in Chulin say that every time the phrase repeats itself, it is giving us a different prohibition. The prohibitions are against eating, cooking, and benefiting from meat and milk.

The Torah is only talking about domestic, kosher animals. The Rabbis felt it would be best to add further restrictions as a safeguard. They added the prohibition against wild, non kosher animals as well. They also add the prohibition of eating milk with meat if they were both uncooked, which the Torah did not specifically state. The last thing the Rabbis add was the idea of waiting between eating meat and milk. The number of hours vary depending on where the family originated. The most common amount of time is six hours, but some people wait three. Why did the Rabbis add all these extra prohibitions? What is really so bad about eating milk and meat together?

These questions have been asked countless times. Although there is no answer given to us, many possible explanations have been given by Chachamim. Sefer HaChinuch says there are some things in this world that are forbidden for us to mix together. Just like we cannot mix wool and linen, we also cannot mix milk and meat. It is unnatural of them to be together. The Rambam takes a different approach. He explains that there was an ancient pagan ritual that involved cooking meat and milk. The prohibition for us eating meat and milk is to help distance us for that idol worship. The Sforno adds to this by saying that the pagan ritual was a blessing for plentiful crops or flocks. There are also some Kabbalistic Sources that explain that meat represents gevurah and milk represents chesed. These two opposing characteristic should not be mixed. There are many recent Rabbis who cite and agree with these explanations.

After researching this mitzvah, I have a deeper understanding about this prohibition. After wondering for years why I have to do this, even though it seems weird, I finally can comprehend why it is so bad.

Part I צדיק ורע לו

We've spent the last few classes speaking about what is perhaps the biggest challenge to the average person's faith in G-d; the dual problems of צדיק ורע לו and רשע וטוב לו.

You spent time today exploring classical sources about this issue, and I'd like each of you to share some of the ideas you encountered via this blog.

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY AND BE SURE TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE ASSIGNMENT.

Assignment: Please write 2-3 paragraphs in the comments section below about something you read today that made you think, whether it seemed to confirm OR contradict things we've already discussed, if it confused or surprised you in any way, and if it reminded you of any specific real-life situations. THEN, reply to at least 2 classmates' comments and explain WHY you agree, disagree, or have something to add to their thoughts.

This assignment is due before class tomorrow, Thursday April 30.

*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).

**Please note: Before you post anything at all on this blog, create a Google Doc titled "JL&F Blog" and write everything there first. Then copy and paste it into the blog (this goes for all blog submissions). Occasionally people will write a lengthy response and then hit "submit", only to see it all instantly disappear. As long as you've got the original version in your Google Doc, this isn't a big problem; you can just send me your submission and I will post it for you.

Yehudit's Mitzvot Project

At first, the mitzvot involving Amalek may be confusing. The torah certainly does not support or encourage genocide. If this is true, why is there a strict obligation to remember what Amalek did and to completely wipe them out? Even if they did attack us, it seems very harsh. Through my research, I have learned a lot about the reason and need for both Remembering Amalek and Destroying Amalek.

There are two Mitzvot regarding Zachor Amalek. One is a positive commandment that says we must always remember Amalek. The other is a negative commandment that says there is a prohibition against forgetting Amalek.  These two commandments, although they sound the same, call for very different ways of performing the category of Zechor Amalek. The Sefer Hachinuch suggests that we must remember the matter once a year, or once in two or three years, being the positive commandment, and if a person never mentioned it at least once in their lifetime, then they have sinned, being the negative commandment. The Chatam Sofer says that in order to make sure a person constantly remembers, they must set a time to recall the story of Amalek at least once a year, because they might forget after a whole cycle of holidays and stories. The Rambam suggests that the reason we have both commandments is a fence to make sure our hatred does not weaken to any degree. If our hatred slowly fades, it will eventually disappear.

If we are not supposed to hold a grudge against our fellow human, then why are we obligated to now? And if we are not allowed to murder a fellow man, then why are we obligated to now? There are a few answers to this question that helped me relate to a Mitzvah that seems very difficult to perform. One answer is that it is not necessarily to destroy the nation of Amalek. Amalek wanted to destroy us and attack us for no reason. The obligation is not to destroy the physical nation of Amalek, but the pure evil they represent. The Mitzva is to destroy whatever inside of us that attacks goodness and truth.

This answer is satisfying for someone who is living now and cannot identify who is apart of the nation of Amalek, but why  would Hashem ever make a commandment for complete genocide. Rabbi Menachem Leibtag gives an answer that gives us a deeper understanding of the reason for this mitzvah. In the Torah, it says that Moshe went with with the stronger men to get water for the people near Har Sinai. This means that people that were in Refidim, where Amalek attacked the Jews, were the weakest of Bnei Yisroel. They attacked the women and children. This means that Amalek was not upholding to the standard ethics of war that everyone upholded to. Therefore, we need to defeat what is purely unethical and immoral.

Taking into account both of these answers, the Mitzvot having to do with Amalek are to never forget the pure acts of evil and to completely extinguish anyone and anything that represents pure evil. Because the story of Amalek was so long ago, to find a deeper connection to this mitzvah I compared it to the Shoah, which is more recent. When it comes to the Holocaust, we always say “Never Forget”. What good comes from remembering the details of the Holocaust and the evil of the Nazi’s forever? History repeats itself. It is important to remember the evil and intolerance of the Holocaust, because the next time we see any intolerance or pure evil, we can immediately defeat it. This is how we perform the Mitzvah of Amalek. We “Never Forget” the story and pure evilness of Amalek and when we see the history repeating itself, we defeat it right away. This does not necessarily mean when we see anti-semitism or one nation attacking another. It could also mean defeating our yetzer hora when we are struggling to do good or stopping a situation of bullying you see at school. Although the mitzvot of Amalek at first seem terrible and gruesome, it is something so crucial in keeping peace and is completely relevant today.

The Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith

We began watching this video today, starring Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in which he discusses the 13 Principles.  Please continue to watch through to the end (we watched the first 9 minutes or so already). Then, when you are finished watching, please answer the questions listed below, and share them with me via email. This assignment is due before class on Friday, Feb 27.
(The first 4 questions are contained in roughly minutes 10-20.  The next 4 are discussed in minutes 20-29, if you'd like to split up the assignment over the next 2 nights.)

1. Explain Rabbi Becher's analogy between what he terms "physical suicide" and "spiritual suicide", and how it pertains to the 13 Principles.
2. What were some of the prime objections to the Rambam's formulation of those Principles?
3. How do our beliefs about another individual affect the kind of relationship we can have with them?  What does this have to do with the 13 Principles?
4. Is it really accurate to refer to them as the Principles of Faith or Belief?  What did the Rambam really call them, in his original Arabic writings?  Why is the terminology so significant?
5. What ties the first 4 Principles together?  Briefly discuss a new concept that you learned about one of them.
6. What ties the next 5 together?  Briefly discuss a new concept that you learned about one of them.
7. What ties the last 4 together?  Briefly discuss a new concept that you learned about one of them.
8. Why are both proper beliefs/understandings AND proper actions necessary in Judaism?

Famous Jewish Philosophers-Roundup

We have so far studied the historical backgrounds and enduring contributions of the Rambam, Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, the Ba'al Shem Tov, the Ramchal, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, and to a lesser degree, those of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, and Rabbi Emanuel Feldman and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (yibadlu l'chaim tovim--they should both live and be well).

Assignment:  Ask one of your Judaic studies teachers, administrators, rabbis, rebbetzins, or other spiritual role models which one of these great Jewish thinkers has had a significant impact on their life, and why (you can transcribe an interview with them in person, by phone, or by email).  Please copy their answer in a comment below, and then tell us what intrigues you about their answer. Does it motivate you to want to learn more about that philosopher?  What else does it make you want to know about the person you interviewed? 

I would like each of you to respond to this post in the comments section below.  After you contribute a comment of your own, read your classmates' comments and write an additional response to at least one of them.

This assignment must be completed by Monday, Feb 23.  If you have not heard back from the person by Sunday night, please inform me.  Make sure to (politely) request a response by then so that you will be able to complete this assignment on time, but do so right away so as to give them enough time to get back to you.

*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).

**Please note: Before you post anything at all on this blog, create a Google Doc titled "JL&F Blog" and write everything there first. Then copy and paste it into the blog (this goes for all blog submissions). Occasionally people will write a lengthy response and then hit "submit", only to see it all instantly disappear. As long as you've got the original version in your Google Doc, this isn't a big problem; you can just send me your submission and I will post it for you.

Rabbi Oxman

Rabbi Oxman spoke about many interesting things he id in his career. As a Chaplin in the army it was his job to facilitate and organize Jewish affairs. One of the things I found interesting about what he said, was that some programs drew in people who didn't have so much religious connection. Maybe people just wanted some connection to their Jewish lives at home, even if its not exactly what they are used to. It also shows the community aspect of Judaism. It drew people in and made them feel like they were connected to each other. It's also nice that in the middle of war and craziness, people still view their religion that important. They don't say they're to tired or busy to practice Judaism, they want to do it.

One thing I still don't understand is, is his job only for Jews? Does he also do religious things for people of other religions? I can't imagine there are THAT many Jews on any given base, so why does the American army make a position to help a few people on each base. If so, that's great but I don't understand the need to hire a whole group of people just to help the Jews on the base. Also, is their a Chaplin for every religion? 

First Guest Speaker

Since we don't really have much time together this week, the blog will be our best format for a follow-up discussion based on Rabbi Brett Oxman's visit to our class yesterday.  I want to start off again by expressing my appreciation to Rabbi Oxman for taking the time to join us, and for preparing such an extensive photo slideshow and array of "artifacts" from his time in the U.S. Air Force.

What I'd like each of you to do is reflect on the stories and messages he shared with us and write a few paragraphs (2-3) about what ideas or vignettes made the biggest impression on you and why, as well as what questions you still have about his experiences or Jewish outlook that you'd like Rabbi Oxman to answer.  I will then pass those on to him so that he can have the opportunity to continue the conversation virtually.

I'll בעזרת 'ה be weighing in with some of my thoughts as well, but first I'm eager to hear what you think!  
We will do this a little differently from last time, based on your feedback: instead of writing your thoughts in the comments section, create a new blog entry of your own.  Make sure to read what your classmates post as well, and comment on at least 2 of them, stating what you agree with, disagree with, or would add to.  This assignment is due Friday, Feb. 6, before class.

*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).

**Please note: Before you post anything at all on this blog, create a Google Doc titled "JL&F Blog" and write everything there first. Then copy and paste it into the blog (this goes for all blog submissions). Occasionally people will write a lengthy response and then hit "submit", only to see it all instantly disappear. As long as you've got the original version in your Google Doc, this isn't a big problem; you can just send me your submission and I will post it for you.

ברוכות הבאות!

Welcome to the Jewish Life & Faith class blog!  This will be our virtual forum for sharing thoughts and ideas on a wide variety of topics pertaining to Judaism, as well as a place for us to ask deep and difficult questions. I know that we will all gain from hearing each other's perspectives, and I ask that you take the time and effort to produce worthwhile content.

In the past week and a half we've touched on some fundamental ideas and questions that go straight to the core of what it means to think and live as a Jew in the 21st Century. I've been greatly impressed by your contributions, and now it's time for us to put some of them in writing.

Assignment: By Monday (Feb 2nd), please write in the comments section of this post 1-2 paragraphs on some of the ideas we've discussed so far in class that spoke to you in some way--maybe because they resonated with you as being truthful, intrigued you, or even disturbed or bothered you in some way. After you have shared your thoughts, comment on 2 other classmates' responses, and tell them why you either agree with, disagree with, or would add to what they wrote.

*Keep in mind: Although I am not going to be grading this assignment on the basis of your English language skills, I do fully expect you to use your best writing, so that you can be sure you're communicating clearly and efficiently. That includes using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions (complete sentences and paragraphs, topic sentences, etc.).

**Please note: Before you post anything at all on this blog, create a Google Doc titled "JL&F Blog" and write everything there first. Then copy and paste it into the blog (this goes for all blog submissions). Occasionally people will write a lengthy response and then hit "submit", only to see it all instantly disappear. As long as you've got the original version in your Google Doc, this isn't a big problem; you can just send me your submission and I will post it for you.

Women and Relationships Part II

Before we begin to explore the teachings of some important and interesting Jewish thinkers on the subject of Jewish women, I'd like us to take the opportunity to put some of our own thoughts and observations in writing here on the blog.  In the comments section below, please address the following:

• What different kinds of relationships might a person have in their lifetime, and with whom? Challenge yourself to think of many varieties, and tell us a bit about what makes each one unique and important.
• What do you see as some differences between the way we approach relationships from a Torah perspective, versus a secular American perspective?
• In your opinion, how do you think men and women differ, aside from the obvious biological considerations?
• Does American society encourage these differences, or reject them? Explain your thoughts.

When you've finished writing, reply to the comments of at least 2 classmates, and specify why you either agree or disagree with what they wrote.