Manicures and Tefillin

Got my nails done the other day. It was the beginning of The 3 weeks. That period that begins the 3 weeks before Tisha B’Av, the day when we commemorate the destruction of the Temple and attribute all the other bad things in history that have happened to the Jewish people. 

Technically, the 3 weeks begins on the 17^th day of Tammuz and is observed by fasting. It marks the day the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem in 69 CE. This day begins the saddest period of the Jewish calendar and culminates on Tisha B’Av, 3 weeks later. 

While I do not fast, I thought I’d mark the day by taking off the bright pink nail polish I was wearing and changing it to something less garish and bright. So I found a nail place and in the best Hebrew I could muster explained what I was looking for. What followed was an arduous exercise wherein I had to convince the young woman manicurist that I did not want another loud bright color (even though I secretly really did) but required something quite muted. Finally I outed myself by identifying myself as a Rabbah, explaining that the 3 weeks were starting and that I wanted my nails to be appropriate. How ridiculous does that sound?! But she bought it. 

And all was right with my world. Until the next question… 

"!את רבה? אך זה? אי אפשר? יש תפילין? אסור!"

“You are a Rabbi? How is that possible? No way? Do you have/use Tefillin/phylacteries? It’s forbidden!!”

And so it began. She wanted to know how I could possibly wear tefillin. Where was it written that it was allowed? I countered with asking where was it written that it was forbidden. In the end, as my nail polish was setting, we agreed that the Jewish world was better off for having lots of different types and opinions and the key was everyone respecting everyone else. Pluralism at the nail salon. She agreed, a bit skeptically. 

All I wanted was to have my nails done in peace to commemorate the upcoming commemoration of the destruction of the Temple(s). But I suppose, if at least one of the Temples was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam, baseless hatred, then this conversation was a good start toward repairing the world. At least I hope it was. And the nails came out looking okay.  

NOTE: The prayer the Siddur is open to in the picture below is Baruch She'amar - Blessed is the One Who Spoke and the World Was... Our world, our very existence is fueled by words. Seemed only appropriate to chose this page.  

Eikev: The Song Unsung

The Song Unsung

Parsha Eikev Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25

Shabbat Saturday 11, 2015

These past weeks we entered into the month of Av and observed two very different yet related holidays. The first, Tisha B’Av (the 9^th of Av) is a solemn fast day that represents for us all the evil that has befallen our people. The primary representation centers around the destruction of the Temples, particularly the second Temple that the Rabbis teach was destroyed for the sin of sinat chinam or baseless hatred. 

Six days later is the second holiday, Tu B’Av (the 15^th of Av), also a post-biblical holiday, but this day is a day of love. Some even call it the Jewish Valentine’s Day! But look what we do – we take a full day to mourn and remember what baseless hatred can do, not only to us but to the entire world, and then less than a week later, we devote a day to love, unconditional love. What a balanced way to live a life!

This summer I have been working as a Pastoral Care Intern at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. I’ve been privileged to spend my summer around our elders who have graciously shared with me their life stories – their sorrows and joys;  their hopes, dreams, fears and regrets; their wisdom and yes, even their pettiness. From each encounter I come away enriched, having learned something about how to live, or not live, a life. All valuable lessons freely shared. These are their life stories. These are their legacies.

In this week’s parsha we find the verse, “man does not live on bread alone, but that man may live on anything that God decrees.” (8:3) This summer this verse spoke to me more strongly than it ever has before, loudly affirming that we all have souls as well as bodies.  And if we neglect these souls, our spiritual sides, these sparks of life and uniqueness within each of us, then we do so at our own peril. 

For it is not only bread – food and other material things that nourish and keep us alive – it is our inner selves that sustain us even when we get to the point when the outer world and all its trappings no longer seem as important. We cannot control where our bodies will take us. As individuals, we cannot control the economic condition of the world or the ecological state of the planet. We can, however, control our inner lives, our faith and our spirituality.

I recently learned a beautiful piece of poetry by Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

"I have spent many days stringing and unstringing my instrument

While the song I came to sing remains unsung"

Most of us spend our lives rushing and doing and planning – stringing and unstringing our instruments. It is only when we take the time and listen to the words of Torah, when we remember that there is a power greater than ourselves out there, when we admit that we cannot control everything, that we will remember to take time to sing our own individual songs and truly live our lives. Then we will reach the Promised Land.

Food for Thought:

1.     How would you interpret the verse Deut 8:3 quoted above?

2.     The poem by Rabindranath Tagore mentions the song unsung. What is the song that you want to sing? How can you live a life to make sure that you will be able to sing it?

(Appeared in Washington Jewish Week Newspaper)

Baseless Love

Sinat Chinam. Baseless Hatred. Time to change to love. Now!

"If we were destroyed, and the world with us, due to baseless hatred - sinat chinam, then we shall rebuild ourselves, and the world with us, with baseless love - ahavat chinam."

Rav Kook, Orot HaKodesh, vol III, p. 324

Sinat Chinam: Will We Never Learn?

Anat Hoffman, who is often the most public face of Women of the Wall (Nashot HaKotel) was arrested this morning during 

WoW's Rosh Hodesh Av service. 

Shalom Chevre,

I wanted to share this article in Jewschool about Anat Hoffman being arrested this morning for holding a Torah at the Wall. She was there with Women of the Wall for davening for Rosh Chodesh Av. Several friends of mine from RRC were there as well. This blog presents an accurate account of what went down there. If you are on facebook, you can see some pictures on the page of the "Women of the Wall Nashot HaKotel."

The blog entry ends with the very words that I had just typed to a friend of mine. Today, Rosh Chodesh Av, begins a 9 day period of semi mourning before enter a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of the Temple over Sinat Chinam - baseless hatred.  Have we learned nothing??

May me all go into these 9 days with open eyes and open hearts.



Arlene

Anat Hoffman of Women of the Wall Arrested | Jewschool
http://jewschool.com/2010/07/12/23549/anat-hoffman-of-women-of-the-wall-arrested/