Point of Pinchas

TLATD #3: Living in Israel During a Recession

2009-11-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

The discussion of the Gemara (BB 91a) turns to the economy of Eretz Yisrael. It explains that to protect the economy of Eretz Yisrael certain staples (wines, oils and fine flours) were not allowed to be exported. The concern is that exporting these items could lead to a shortage and a price hike which would create hardships for the local population of Eretz Yisrael.

It is important to note how focused not just Tanach is on Eretz Yisrael, but even the Talmud Bavli which was written in Babylonia. The Gemara continues to explain that we are equally concerned about the economy in Eretz Yisrael if prices dropped too much (60% of its original value) and a special prayer would be recited on Shabbos in such an event. This seems much like the way Jews all over the world pray for rain in Eretz Yisrael and on Shabbos for the well-being. The Jewish people are always focused on our true Homeland.

The Gemara then makes an extraordinary statement about living in Eretz Yisrael. "One may not leave the land of Israel to go live outside the land unless two se’ah of wheat cost a sela." In other words inflation would have to reach a whopping 100% before one would be permitted to leave Eretz Yisrael according to the Rabbis. Rabbi Shimon however disagrees and holds this is only true if one can not even find wheat to purchase but otherwise, even if wheat costs double leaving the Land is forbidden.

A proof is brought for R’ Shimon's strict position from the Meggilas Rus. Artscroll's translation: "And similarly R’ Shimon ben Yochai used to say: Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon [who left the Land of Israel during a famine and moved to Moab where they died not long after,] were the great men of their generation and the caretakers of their generation. And for what reason were they punished? Because they left the land of Israel to go live outside the Land."

Nefesh B'Nefesh Hanukkah Flash Mob

2009-11-23T13:32:00.001-05:00

9/11 monument dedicated in Jerusalem

2009-11-12T10:15:00.003-05:00

Today a 9/11 monument was dedicated in Jerusalem. Below is the JTA article about the event along with some photos I took there.

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A monument to the victims of 9/11 was was dedicated in Jerusalem.

The monument, commissioned and built by the Jewish National Fund-USA/Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, depicts the World Trade Center and Pentagon through sculpture and landscape architecture.

A memorial dedication was held Thursday afternoon in Jerusalem's Arazim Park.

Designed by award-winning Israeli artist Eliezer Weishoff, the 30-foot high bronze sculpture is composed of a waving American flag transformed into a memorial flame. It rests on a gray granite base, part of which is from the original Twin Towers. The sculpture is surrounded by a circular, crater-like plaza and reflection area tiled in stone.

The memorial was donated by New York resident Edward Blank and the plaza was funded by the Bronka Stavsky Rabin Weintraub Trust.

The Jerusalem monument is the only site outside of New York to recognize the names of every victim of the attack.

"My wife died just a few days before 9/11," explained Blank, "and then the whole world was sent reeling by the events of that day. I was looking for a meritorious way to recognize the many feelings I was having, and this memorial was the perfect fit."

The Land and the Daf #1: Olive Oil

2009-10-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

Posted this on Kumah.

Last year I joined up with countless others on the noble project of learning Daf Yomi. We learn a daf, two side of a page, of Gemara (Talmid) every day. The beauty of this is you can discuss what you are learning with Jews all over the world no matter where you go since everyone learns the same thing at the same time.

One of the things I noticed right away was how many times the subject matter somehow relates to living in Eretz Yisrael. Sometimes the connection is quite obvious and jumps out of the page and other times it's more subtle but it’s still there. I thought it might be nice to share some of these thoughts as I came across them.

In today's daf for example (on B.B. 67B) the Mishna discusses what is included in the sale of an olive oil factory if nothing was explicitly specified. The Mishna actually uses very mysterious terms like “the sea” and “the maidens.” When learning this difficult Mishna I actually understood it a lot better today, now that I live in Israel than I would have before I made Aliyah.

The reason is because Yishai was nice enough to show me an ancient olive oil factory that was discovered right behind his home in Beit El. Actually there are many of these ancient olive presses all over Israel. Having become familiar with that it was a lot easier to understand all the parts of the press the Mishna is describing.

It’s very easy to learn Gemara, Mishnayos or even Chumish in America and to feel completely disconnected from the subject matter as if it’s only theoretical and not “real.” However when you live here in Israel the Torah really comes to life. I can't imagine how anyone that loves Torah wouldn't want to live in the land of the Torah.

NBN 5769 In Review - Shana Tova!

2009-09-17T06:11:00.001-04:00

Only In Israel #13: Why did the truck driver cross the road?

2009-08-25T09:14:00.001-04:00

So I was walking down King George St one day when I spotted a lady crossing the street. She had a bag over her shoulder and was wheeling a stroller while a toddler was pushing his own riding toy beside her. There was nothing unusual about that. She was crossing the street perpendicular from where I was waiting at the red light. (A policewoman recently warned me not to cross against the light just near this intersection so I wasn’t going to press my luck.)

Right smack in the middle of the street the toddler apparently resented his mother holding his hand and became very uncooperative. This forced mom to pick him up with one hand, and wheel the stroller with the other, all while still having the bag over her shoulder. Inevitably, that yellow riding toy was left behind right in the middle of a very busy intersection. The red light that kept the long line of cars from smashing it to pieces was about to turn green.

There was nothing the mother could do, as she wasn’t about to abandon her children for this toy. As I was about to cross against the light to help her out, policewoman’s warning or not, something truly unexpected happened. Sitting in front of this long line of cars that were waiting for the light to change was a delivery truck. The truck’s driver side door flew open and down jumped the truck driver who happily rescued the riding toy from its precarious position and deposited it safely on the corner. With a wave, nod, and a smile he jumped back in to his truck.

As I stood there watching I was awed. I was wondering what exactly would happen if the same scenario played out in New York City. Would any NYC truck driver ever abandon his vehicle to help a mother in need? Would any NYC truck driver even bother driving around the toy rather than simply running it over?

Who knows? But one thing I know. Here in Israel when people see that help is needed – they help! Because after all, we are all part of the same family.

What's in your backyard?

2009-08-24T12:28:00.001-04:00

There was a small news bite in the Israeli media which most people may not have even noticed. Today, there was a court hearing to decide the fate of a grave that was recently discoverd.

The story goes something like this. Mitch Pilcer owns a bed and breakfast in Tzipori in the lower Galilee. Business was going well so he decided to expand the hotel. But when they started digging in his yard they discovered something extraordinary.

Right there in his backyard was the grave of none other than Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi ! It's still being investigated to see if things pan out and it really is the grave of the important Amora sage. But it just goes to show you that when you are living in a land that contains thousands of years of our history you'll never know what you'll discover right in your own backyard!

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Sivan 5769

2009-05-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

The month of Sivan started on Sunday.

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Avocado
Carob
Dates
Grapefruit
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Nectarine
Olives
Paprika*
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Sivan
Chickpeas

On 10 Sivan
Cherries
Litchi
Mango
Mustard
Pumpkin

On 15 Sivan
Butternut Squash

On 24 Sivan
Pears

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Sivan
Chickpeas

On 10 Sivan
Mustard
Pumpkin

On 15 Sivan
Butternut Squash

------------------
Biur

On 1 Sivan 5769:
Medlar (Shesek)

On 4 Sivan 5769:
Oranges

On 6 Sivan 5769:
Olives
Olive Oil

On 20 Sivan 5769:
Grapefruit
Pomelo

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

On 1 Tevet 5769:
Persimmon

On 15 Tevet 5769:
Carob
Mango

On 17 Tevet 5769:
Apples

On 26 Tevet 5769:
Almonds

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs

On 14 Adar 5769:
Dates

On 15 Nisan 5769:
Grapes

On 10 Iyar 5769:
Pecan

On 18 Iyar 5769:
Etrog

The Fire From Sinai

2009-05-12T04:51:00.004-04:00

If you were some sort of head of State, and you decided to pay an official visit to Israel on say, Lag B’Omer, you would probably return home and tell people, “it's a beautiful land, but the locals there, those Jews, they sure are a bunch of pyromaniacs!”

I’ve written before about how in America I used to think Lag B’Omer was about softball. After all the softball is symbolic of Torah and the light that shines forth from it symbolizes the light that Rav Shimon Bar Yochai brought to the world by authoring the holy Zohar. Now, however, I know that using bonfires in place of softballs fit the symbolism much more aptly.

This year I didn’t go to Har Meron. Instead, I hung out in Jerusalem. What struck me the most about last night, was not how many fires there were around the city, in every park, and open lot, but the absolute breadth of the types of people enjoying them. From the most charedi godal hador down to the most secular Jew that never even heard of the Zohar, let alone Rashbi, all were singing and smiling at a huge bonfire somewhere in the country.

And that got me thinking. Even if one isn’t particularly religious, just by living in the holy land of ours some religion is going to rub off on them. Take Purim as another example. Every single eight year old in this country - from ultra-secular to ultra-religious - dresses up for Purim and could likely relate to you the entire Purim story. This is not the case in America, where many secular Jews there never heard of Purim.

I came across an interesting Rashi on this week’s Parsha. Perhaps the most commonly found verse in the Torah is “And G-d spoke to Moshe saying.” This week the Parsha opens with an interesting variation. “And G-d spoke to Moshe, on Mount Sinai, saying.” Rashi asks, “Why here?” Hashem said all of the Torah to Moshe on Sinai! Why is only this one spot, which discusses the laws of Shmittah (the Sabbatical year) singled out?

Without going into depth (see it inside for details) Rashi answers that we could learn out from here that all commandments with all the details and fine points they involve, were taught on Har Sinai and completely repeated with full details by Moshe “at the Plains of Moab.”

A question that came to me is that the Torah could still have applied the words “on Mount Sinai” to any other commandment in the Torah and we would have been able to come to the same conclusion. Why did it specifically choose the commandment of Shmittah?

Shmittah is an example of something, even the most religious Jews living in America know very little about. It’s something that simply doesn’t apply there and so not much effort is spent studying it. The Talmid Bavli (which was written in Babylonia) doesn’t even have a tractate on it. Whether one was written but lost or never written is debated but the reason for either scenario would simply be because those laws “didn’t apply” to them. (Incidentally, the Talmid Yerushalmi written in the Land of Israel does contain a tractate on the laws of Shmittah.)

Two years ago, I remember being terrified by the upcoming Shmittah year, which I knew nothing about! I attended shiur after shiur trying to get up to speed on what all the laws are (and there are many of them!) The shiurim were all very heavily attended which demonstrated that lots of people felt the same way. Now that we have to keep these laws we should learn what they are.

And now we can understand why Hashem chose this commandment out of all the others to apply the words “on Mount Sinai.” First, this commandment was given to us by G-d via Moshe on Har Sinai just like all the other ones. There is no reason not to be studying it regardless of where you are living. Don’t forget about it! And second, just like all the other commandments, this one, was also given on Har Sinai and it’s one that you should be keeping too. And if the only way to keep it is by living in the Land of Israel, then what are you waiting for?

Make Aliyah!

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Iyar 5769

2009-05-06T06:53:00.001-04:00

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Avocado
Butternut Squash*
Carob
Chickpeas*
Dates
Grapefruit
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Litchi
Mango
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Paprika*
Pears
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Pumpkin*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Iyar
Barley
Lemon

On 10 Iyar
Apricots

On 18 Iyar
Apples
Etrog

On 20 Iyar
Figs

On 22 Iyar
Plums (Japanese Round)

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Butternut Squash
Chickpeas
Mustard
Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Iyar
Barley

------------------
Biur

On 10 Iyar 5769:
Pecan

On 18 Iyar 5769:
Etrog

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

On 1 Tevet 5769:
Persimmon

On 15 Tevet 5769:
Carob
Mango

On 17 Tevet 5769:
Apples

On 26 Tevet 5769:
Almonds

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs

On 14 Adar 5769:
Dates

On 15 Nisan 5769:
Grapes

A FREE LUNCH?

2009-04-23T09:37:00.004-04:00

I was asked to post the following:

A FREE LUNCH?

We are clearly experiencing the "Birth pangs of Mashiach". Both Rav Ulla and Rava said, "Let Mashiach come, but we don't want to witness it because of the difficulties we will experience." There is a simple and easy way to significantly reduce our pain. Chazal say that King Achav was always successful in his military campaigns (despite the fact that he encouraged Avodah Zarah) because of the unity of Klal Yisrael in his day. Chazal say that if we have unity we will be spared from suffering. True, the suffering comes from HaShem to encourage us to do Teshuvah, which we must do. But here is a quick and painless way to gain significant protection from HaShem. We lost the second Beis HaMikdash because of Sin'as Chinam (baseless hatred among Jews). Now we need Ahavas Chinam (baseless love among Jews). We need to change our attitude towards other Jews; this will promote unity.

Here are some practical and easy ways to express Ahavas Chinam (baseless love for fellow Jews):

1) After reading or hearing about some Jew’s problem anywhere in the world, we should say a short prayer for him/her and end our prayer with one chapter of Tehillim (Suggestion: Psalm 13 is very appropriate because it is a prayer for the end of our long Galus and it is a short perek). Choose an easy chapter that you know by heart so you can do this at a moment's notice without any preparation. We must show HaShem that we are concerned about ALL Jews, whether or not they are similar to us.

2) Try to greet all Jews with a "Good Morning!" or a "Good Shabbos!" especially if you don't know them. If you don't know them, then it is definitely Ahavas Chinam.

3) Try to do at least one extra Chesed every day for any Jew that you were not doing before. If in addition, you happen to dislike the Jew you are helping out, then you are definitely creating Ahavas Chinam and saving yourself from much suffering. One easy Chesed is to call up someone to wish him a "Good Shabbos!"

4) Try to mention at least one Choleh in what one can add during "R'fa'einu" in the silent Sh'moneh Esrei, and try to have in mind one person out of work during "Bareich Aleinu" in the silent Sh'moneh Esrei.

Please share this with all of your Jewish friends. Thank you!

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Nisan 5769

2009-04-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

The month of Nisan 5769 began last week.

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Barley*
Butternut Squash*
Carob
Chickpeas*
Dates
Etrog
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Lemon
Litchi
Mango
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Paprika*
Pears
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Plums (Japanese Round)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Pumpkin*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 15 Nisan
Grapes

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Butternut Squash
Chickpeas
Mustard
Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

There are no items that Sefuchim ends this month.

------------------
Biur

On 15 Nisan 5769:
Grapes

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

On 1 Tevet 5769:
Persimmon

On 15 Tevet 5769:
Carob
Mango

On 17 Tevet 5769:
Apples

On 26 Tevet 5769:
Almonds

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs

On 14 Adar 5769:
Dates

Only in Israel...

2009-03-11T14:53:00.002-04:00

...do the buses wish you a Happy Purim instead of telling you where they are going!

The Falafel King

2009-02-19T16:42:00.001-05:00

They call him the Falafel King. If you ever stop by Afula in northern Israel be sure to drop by and buy a falafal just to watch him make it. He installed special stainless steel on the ceiling over the counter, cleaned daily, so don't get too grossed out by the falafal balls that hit the ceiling. This video is just a small taste of what he could do, as I didn't have time to film some of the cooler tricks.

The Secret Weapon II of the IDF

2009-01-15T18:54:00.001-05:00

Handing out Tzitzis to Soldiers.

Working To Bring Redemption Safely

2009-01-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

For Thus Saith The L-RD

2009-01-06T09:42:00.001-05:00

The following prophecy from Amos 1:6-8 is circulating in email in Israel and around the world:

כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, עַל-שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי עַזָּה, וְעַל-אַרְבָּעָה לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ: עַל-הַגְלוֹתָם גָּלוּת שְׁלֵמָה, לְהַסְגִּיר לֶאֱדוֹם

Thus saith the L-RD: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea, for four, I will not reverse it: because they carried away captive a whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom.

וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אֵשׁ, בְּחוֹמַת עַזָּה; וְאָכְלָה, אַרְמְנֹתֶיהָ

So will I send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof;

וְהִכְרַתִּי יוֹשֵׁב מֵאַשְׁדּוֹד, וְתוֹמֵךְ שֵׁבֶט מֵאַשְׁקְלוֹן; וַהֲשִׁיבוֹתִי יָדִי עַל-עֶקְרוֹן, וְאָבְדוּ שְׁאֵרִית פְּלִשְׁתִּים--אָמַר, אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon; and I will turn My hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord G-D.

Chanukah In Yerushalayim!

2008-12-25T15:41:00.003-05:00

Tonight, the fifth night of Chanukah, I spotted this at the Machne Yehuda Shuk!

Keep Rivka's Flame Alive!

2008-12-04T18:45:00.001-05:00

Spread the word!

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Kislev 5769

2008-11-30T08:01:00.001-05:00

The month of Kislev 5769 began Friday.

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Barley*
Butternut Squash*
Carob
Chickpeas*
Cucumbers*
Dates
Etrog
Figs
Garlic*
Grapefruit
Grapes
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Lemon
Litchi
Mango
Medlar (Shesek)
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Onions*
Paprika*
Peaches
Pears
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Plums (Japanese Round)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Pumpkin*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Kislev:
Scallion

On 15 Kislev:
Parsley

On 20 Kislev:
Beets

On 25 Kislev:
Artichoke
Asparagus
Banana
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Eggplant
Fennel
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Melon
Peas (in pod)
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Pineapple
Potatoes
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Butternut Squash
Chickpeas
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Mustard
Onions
Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Kislev:
Scallions

On 15 Kislev:
Parsley

On 25 Kislev:
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Dill
Fennel
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Melon
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Potatoes
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon

------------------
Biur

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

Obama In The Torah Codes

2008-11-11T11:47:00.004-05:00

Okay, here we go. Yes, whether you believe in the Torah Codes or not, this one is interesting. Or not. Well let's just say it (since it's already spreading all over the blogosphere.)

The name Obama spelled אובאמה appears exactly two times in all of Tanach having a 7 letter skip forward pattern. (A 7 skip forward pattern is considered the most significant kind in Bible Code land.)

The first place is in ~~Yermiyahu 30:10-11~~. Yermiyahu 46:27-28. (See "Update" at bottom.)

This is how it reads:

וְאַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם יְקֹוָק וְאַל תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק וְאֶת זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד: אַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם יְקֹוָק כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה וְאֹתְךָ לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ

This is how it translates:

10 27 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the L-RD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
11 28 For I am with thee, saith the L-RD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

Okay, so it sounds like now is a good time to make Aliyah. Shall we go on to the second place it's found?

The second place is in Yechezkel 38:2-3.

It reads:

בֶּן אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ אֶל גּוֹג אֶרֶץ הַמָּגוֹג נְשִׂיא רֹאשׁ מֶשֶׁךְ וְתֻבָל וְהִנָּבֵא עָלָיו: וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי י-ה-וִה הִנְנִי אֵלֶיךָ גּוֹג נְשִׂיא רֹאשׁ מֶשֶׁךְ וְתֻבָל

Which translates as:

2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him
3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign L-RD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

Okay, so maybe not only is it a good time to make Aliyah... but you better make it quick!

This is the code that is being emailed around and what was posted here.

Okay - now for the debunking part. The first code simply doesn't work unless you spell Yaakov with a vav - which we don't. There are only 6 letters skipped between the second letter and the third letter. So that's out... but the second code still works... and amazingly the code starts on the letter aleph of the word נְשִׂיא which besides meaning prince also means President!

Is Obama Gog?

UPDATE: The site I linked corrected their error. It seems there are two places in Yermiyahu where almost identical verses appear. There is one difference. The second time Yaakov, for some reason is indeed spelled with an extra vav. And that extra letter does allow the 7 letter skipping to spell out Obama. I have corrected the error above.

Hatip: Moshi

Yartzheit of our Mother

2008-11-08T17:57:00.001-05:00

Rachel, our Mother, died on the 11th of Heshvan 3,562 years ago.

Below is a live feed from Kever Rochel.

Or click here to watch.

Stream provided by keverrochel.com. Please visit thier site!

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Cheshvan 5769

2008-10-30T12:38:00.001-04:00

The month of Cheshvan 5769 began today!

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Barley*
Beets*
Broccoli*
Butternut Squash*
Cabbage*
Cabbage (Red)*
Carob
Carrots*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Chickpeas*
Coriander*
Corn (Fresh)*
Cucumbers*
Dates
Eggplant*
Etrog
Fennel*
Figs
Garlic*
Grapefruit
Grapes
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Horseradish
Kiwi
Kohlrabi*
Lemon
Litchi
Mango
Medlar (Shesek)
Melon*
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Onions*
Paprika*
Parsley*
Peaches
Pears
Peas (in pod)*
Pecan
Peanuts*
Pepper (Jalapeno)*
Peppers*
Persimmon
Pineapple
Plums (Euro Longated)
Plums (Japanese Round)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Potatoes
Pumpkin*
Sabra
Scallion
Strawberries*
Sunflower Seeds*
Sweet Potatoes*
Tomatoes*
Turnip*
Watermelon*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Cheshvan:
Zucchini (Squash)

On 8 Cheshvan:
Radish - small

On 15 Cheshvan:
Lettuce

On 20 Cheshvan:
Dill

On 23 Cheshvan:
Spinach

On 27 Cheshvan:
Radish

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Beets
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chickpeas
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Melon
Mustard
Onions
Paprika
Parsley
Peanuts
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Strawberries
Sunflower Seeds
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Cheshvan:
Zucchini (Squash)

On 8 Cheshvan:
Radish - small

On 15 Cheshvan:
Lettuce

On 20 Cheshvan:
Dill

On 23 Cheshvan:
Spinach

On 23 Cheshvan:
Peas in Pod

On 27 Cheshvan:
Radish

------------------
Biur

On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Tishrei 5769

2008-10-05T07:05:00.001-04:00

The month of Tishrei 5769 began on Rosh Hashana!

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables will start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

Important: Bi'ur is required for Butternut Squash on the first day of Sukkot! It's likely many people will have this in soup then so people consult with your LOR about this.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Barley*
Beets*
Broccoli*
Butternut Squash*
Cabbage*
Cabbage (Red)*
Carob
Carrots*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Chickpeas*
Coriander*
Corn (Fresh)*
Cucumbers*
Dates
Dill*
Eggplant*
Etrog
Fennel*
Figs
Garlic*
Grapefruit
Grapes
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Horseradish
Kiwi
Kohlrabi*
Lemon
Lettuce*
Litchi
Mango
Medlar (Shesek)
Melon*
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Onions*
Paprika*
Parsley*
Peaches
Pears
Peas (in pod)*
Pecan
Peanuts*
Pepper (Jalapeno)*
Peppers*
Persimmon
Pineapple
Plums (Euro Longated)
Plums (Japanese Round)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Potatoes
Pumpkin*
Radish*
Radish-Small*
Sabra
Scallion
Spinach*
Strawberries*
Sunflower Seeds*
Sweet Potatoes*
Tomatoes*
Turnip*
Watermelon*
Zucchini (Squash)*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 3 Tishrei:
Basil
Mint

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Beets
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chickpeas
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Cucumbers
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Melon
Mustard
Onions
Paprika
Parsley
Peas in Pod
Peanuts
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Radish
Radish-Small
Spinach
Strawberries
Sunflower Seeds
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon
Zucchini (Squash)

Sefichim Ends

There are no items that Sefichim ends this month.
------------------
Biur

On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke

On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots

On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

Google Translate Now Speaks Hebrew

2008-09-28T04:55:00.001-04:00

Google can now translate Hebrew word into English words, paragraphs, or full web pages. And the reverse. Here is how this page looks in Hebrew.