Preparing for the new year in Prospect Park
Max Polinsky knows Arabic and admires unsung heroes
Worth serving once a week for dinner
Paving the way for early diagnosis and treatment
4 rabbis-in-training will spend a year in Tucson
The Jewish outreach and education network of Southern Arizona 2443 E 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rabbi Yossie Shemtov
REBBETZIN
Chanie Shemtov
OUTREACH DIRECTOR
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Feigie Ceitlin
Affiliates: Congregation Young Israel, Chabad at the University of Arizona, Chabad on River, Chabad of Oro Valley, Chabad of Sierra Vista, Chabad of Vail and Lamplighter Chabad Day School of Tucson
EDITOR
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
COPY EDITOR
Suzanne Cummins
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Zalman Abraham, Seymour Brody, Feigie Ceitlin, Peter Himmelman, Mendel Kalmenson, Yulia Karra, Menachem Posner, Mordechai Schmutter, Benjamin Weiss
PHOTOS Unsplash.com
SPECIAL THANKS Chabad.org
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Phone: 520-881-7956 #12 Email: info@ChabadTucson.com
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Keeping Jewish is published in print periodically by Chabad Tucson and is distributed free in Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Chabad Tucson does not endorse the people, establishments, products or services reported about or advertised in Keeping Jewish unless specifically noted. The acceptance of advertising in Keeping Jewish does not constitute a recommendation, approval, or other representation of the quality of products or services, or the credibility of any claims made by advertisers, including, but not limited to, the kashrus of advertised food products. The use of any products or services advertised in Keeping Jewish is solely at the user’s risk and Chabad Tucson accepts no responsibility or liability in connection therewith.
Note: “G-d” and “L-rd” are written with a hyphen instead of an “o .” This is one way we accord reverence to the sacred divine name. This also reminds us that, even as we seek G-d, He transcends any human effort to describe His reality.
By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
This past summer, our family spent some time in New York—and I took the opportunity to go for my morning runs in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Getting in my steps amid G-d’s beautiful nature and observing the surroundings along the way made me think about the journey of life.
Here are seven realizations for the upcoming new Jewish year from a runner’s perspective:
1. We all start off slow.
At the beginning of a run, we are hyped up. We may be eager to go all in, to start cold—but our legs won’t keep up. A warmup and stretching are necessary. Similarly, before we reach the peak of our joy, the Jewish New Year begins with ten days of introspection. Instead of diving in, we take the time to warm up with prayer and resolutions. Only then are we ready to go outdoors during the Sukkot holiday, dance during Simchat Torah, and start the new cycle of reading the Torah.
2. The journey is available to everyone.
The people in Prospect Park were a crosssection of the surrounding neighborhoods— as diverse as Brooklyn is. No qualifications or uniforms are required. I’ve seen men in full Chassidic garb on bikes, Muslim women in hijabs briskly walking, elderly couples strolling, marathon runners, and families with children. The road of life is available to all, and everyone has the right to breathe and thrive in G-d’s world. So we give space to each other and learn to live— or run—side by side.
3. Fast or slow, we just need to keep moving.
We don’t have the same stamina every
day. There were days when I felt fierce and others when I felt sluggish. Along the track, there were people speeding through and others taking their time and talking. Everyone there was aware that the goal was simply to keep moving. Mitzvot require intent. We should take the time to learn not just how but why we do mitzvot. We should try and do them like a sprinter, full of passion and fire. But the fact that we’re doing them at all is great—even if we’re not at full speed. We’re making it a habit.
4. Distractions are inevitable
The paved loop mostly had pedestrians, bikers, or scooter riders. On occasion, a maintenance vehicle would disrupt the serenity. While such a truck is large and noisy, and people move to let it pass, it is hardly significant to each of our trails. The year will be filled with distractions—such as breaking news and gossip—but they will have little impact on us in the long run, so don’t get derailed.
5. Customize your path.
More than once, I’ve ventured to run on the unpaved paths through trees and over ditches. Google Maps directed me on a specific route, but I soon discovered that the directions weren’t accurate. Instead, I needed to forge my own path. Others may dictate how things should be done, but only you can customize your way forward.
6. Sometimes we will get lost.
Going on your own journey can come at a price. It meant that I got lost at some point in the 526-acre greenery and did not see anyone in the area who could help. But it also allowed me to be alone with my thoughts and see a marvelous sight— visible rays of sunshine beaming through branches. Errors can provide beautiful opportunities for discovery and growth.
7. Be ready to pivot.
There will always be obstacles along the way, such as a fallen branch, a large muddy puddle, or a person suddenly stopping to sip some water. Runners must be ready to pivot by changing lanes or speed to avoid altercations and injury. The year never goes exactly as planned, so be on guard to adapt to what the months ahead throw at you.
Ultimately, every run is an adventure to see, feel, and experience. We start it with expectations, and however it turns out, we can take satisfaction in having endured it and possibly even becoming healthier both spiritually and physically as a result. May the new year bring us all such blessings in abundance.
- Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin is the Outreach Director of Chabad Tucson, the Jewish network of Southern Arizona
The Jewish community in Tucson, Arizona, is set to welcome four rabbis-in-training from Brooklyn, New York, for the upcoming Jewish year 5785 (2024-2025).
This marks a significant milestone as Tucson joins the global network of communities participating in the Shlichus student exchange program under the auspices of the prestigious Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah.
The four young men - Levi Baumgarten, Aharon Hecht, Shimmi Tennenbaum and Arik Shemtov - are part of a select group of top students being sent to various locations, including Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Manchester, Sydney, Panama City, Moscow, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Budapest, and several cities across North America. Notably, Arik Shemtov is the son of Rabbi Yossie and Rebbetzin Chanie Shemtov, who lead Chabad Tucson.
Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, who previously operated the Yeshiva High School of Tucson over a decade ago, expressed his enthusiasm for the program. “We saw the positive impact that the Yeshiva boys had on the community, and we wanted to bring that back - though in a different format,” he said.
To realize this vision, Rabbi Shemtov collaborated with his alma mater, Oholei Torah, and Dean Rabbi Elchonon Lesches to establish the necessary qualifications.
“We are thrilled to have been approved,” Rabbi Shemtov added. “The presence of these four Yeshiva students will significantly enhance our community programming and activities.”
The students’ daily schedule will be evenly split between rabbinical studies and community engagement.
Mornings will be dedicated to prayer with
the daily Shachris minyan at The Shul (Young Israel) and rabbinical studies, with instruction from Chabad rabbis in person and virtually.
Afternoons will focus on community service, including providing one-on-one learning opportunities for community members, teaching at the Chabad Hebrew School, and operating CTeen Tucson, a new branch of the global Jewish teen network.
CTeen Tucson will serve as a social club for Jewish teens in grades 7 through 12, helping them explore their heritage and identity through volunteerism and
community activities.
“From our research, we found that many teens in town aren’t involved with a specific synagogue or organization,” said Rebbetzin Feigie Ceitlin, program director of Chabad Tucson and Head of School at Lamplighter Chabad Day School and Preschool. “We can use this time to ensure they have a place to strengthen their Jewish identity and connection.”
On Fridays, the Yeshiva students will conduct Mitzvotim, a cornerstone of Chabad outreach. They will visit shopping malls, stores, and offices to connect with Jewish individuals, offering them the opportunity to pray with Tefillin or take home Shabbat candles to light on Friday night.
Rabbi Shemtov concluded, “This past year has been an incredibly challenging and dark time for Israel and the entire Jewish people. Bringing these Yeshiva boys here is our response to the growing darkness and hate. As the Rebbe taught us, we must counter darkness by adding more light to the world.”
For more information on these programs or to help sponsor these initiatives, visit ChabadTucson.com, call 520-881-7956 ext. 11, or email info@ChabadTucson.com.
In the winter of 2015, after a concert my band and I had performed in Chicago, I spent the night at my friend Lou’s house to be close to O’Hare airport, from which I intended to leave at the crack of dawn.
At the time, I’d been coping with a rare ear disorder called idiopathic intratympanic sudden hearing loss (try saying that three times fast!), and just past midnight, it decided to act up. I experienced a terrible bout of vertigo - the room was spinning so severely that I felt as though I were strapped to a jet-powered merry-go-round. I was feverish and “desperate to use the bathroom,” but the vertigo was so bad that I couldn’t take a single step.
There was no choice left for me except to literally crawl like an infant down the hallway in my sweat-drenched T-shirt. Normally reluctant to ask for help, I was now pleading for it just outside Lou’s bedroom door.
“Lou, help me, please. I need you!”
Before long, Lou stumbled out the door in his pajamas, walked me down the hallway, and sat me on the toilet. When I felt I was able to stand, Lou guided me back through the hallway to his eleven-year-old son’s room, where I proceeded to convalesce for more than 24 hours under the Thomas the Train comforter that adorned his son’s bed. Lou’s poor kid, half asleep, had been exiled to his sister’s room while the world turned in frenzied circles around me.
At 4:30 in the morning, in the darkness and steadily chilling air of a burgeoning midwestern snowstorm, Lou’s wife, Amy, did the next round of heroics on my behalf. Still in her pajamas, she got on her hat, her parka, and her snow boots and headed out to the street. As Lou watched over me, Amy shoveled out the family minivan and headed off to CVS for some mint tea, a box of crackers, and a family-size bottle
By Peter Himmelman
of Antivert. As I languished in Lou’s son’s room, Lou held a straw to my lips so I could swallow water. Later, he called my wife to let her know I was too vertiginous to make my 6:00 AM flight.
When Amy returned, she held a wet compress to my forehead and asked if I’d like her to pray for me. “Please do,” I said. “Say anything.” She intoned what I took to be an improvised prayer. And because Amy cared—truly cared—her beautiful invocation helped me on many levels.
One of the issues many of us have with prayer is its formality. We often think, mistakenly, that there is a time for everyday activities and a time for prayerful activities and that the two should never intertwine. Worse yet, many of us have been conditioned to think that there always needs to be a special place for prayer—a house of prayer, for example. The problem with this is that it compartmentalizes our conception of prayer.
We think: “Prayer is good here, but not there; it’s good in special circumstances, but not in mundane ones.” That’s how prayer ceases to feel meaningful. For a thing to be truly meaningful, it needs to be truthful in every circumstance.
It’s one thing to be open to asking for and receiving help from a fellow human being. It’s another thing to be open to asking for help from G-d. And fundamental to this latter kind of openness is prayer. You hear the word “prayer” in song lyrics, on television shows, and in hushed waiting rooms. We hear it so often that it’s sometimes hard to recall exactly what prayer is.
There are many motivations for prayer, but for now, let’s focus on just one of them: The longing of a human being to connect with G-d. It’s in seeking a connection with Him that we fulfill what scholars of mysticism
call the primary will of G-d, which is to relate to us and to give to us. (And, of course, if you don’t “believe” in G-d, you may have a difficult time with where I’m headed… but please give it a try.)
In the Chassidic tradition, we learn that it was from an infinite and unknowable desire to bestow goodness that G-d created the world from utter nothingness. Aside from the inability of any human being to conceive of “nothingness;” the idea of G-d desiring to bestow good is itself a very challenging notion. What kind of “desire” could G-d have? And how do we process the idea that G-d has any characteristics that we could possibly relate to? One admittedly strange way of looking at this is to think of humans as having a semblance of G-dly characteristics instead of trying to imagine that G-d has human characteristics.
It’s crucial to point out that I’m speaking about metaphors here.
For example, many of us would find it ridiculous to suggest that when we read about the “hand of G-d” in the Bible, the phrase is referring to an actual hand. But what if we inverted things and considered the possibility that our hands, our physical hands, aren’t essentially “real”—that they are only metaphors for the limitless, fundamentally true hands that only G-d possesses? What if, for just a moment, we were to think of our physical hands as somehow metaphorical and G-d’s hands as “real?” To understand this, we need to open our thinking to a fundamental idea —if not a fundamental truth: “real” and “physical” are not synonymous.
Now, for just a moment, dwell on the notion that our ability to think, see, touch, hear,
although our hands and the things our hands do are decidedly tangible, they are a mere facsimile when compared to G-d’s nontemporal “hands.” (And just to reiterate: a thing need not be physical to be real.)
We all experience many nonphysical things that are, in fact, very real. Consider love. Aside from the act of intimacy, there is no physical dimension to love itself. It does not take up space. It does not have any of the properties shared by other physical things. Yet anyone who has ever loved and been loved in return knows how utterly real love is.
For many of us, opening our minds to the existence of things and ideas that are not empirically provable, things and ideas that have no physical qualities, can feel strange and even frightening. Imagine, though,
that gaining a greater openness to things of a spiritual nature is like finally putting on a pair of glasses that allows you to see a whole new aspect of the world you’ve been
One last thought. Suppose you have trouble staying open to “irrational” subjects like prayer or a connection to an indefinable Force beyond the self and the world you can sense. In that case, you might want to consider how many things and experiences you encounter daily that you will never comprehend. The power of music, for example, the vastness of space, the absurdity of dreams, and the intensity of envy, joy, and grief are all part of it. Not to mention wind, water, or fire.
The list of what lies beyond our ken is endless — and still, we, as human beings, have become inured to the sheer normalcy of things that are beyond our comprehension. This is to say that it’s probable that there’s nothing in the world that we do comprehend, at least not fully. In this sense, the abstractions, the “unknowables,” are around us, always —and strangely, they are not so foreign to us. We are accustomed to them, even comfortable with them. Of course, we are. We exist alongside what is unknowable and utterly inscrutable.
Just a note: The Antivert worked, and the room stopped spinning. I drank some mint tea, ate a half box of crackers, and caught the same flight back to Los Angeles the following morning. You can bet I prayed with a new intention after that trying day.
- Peter Himmelman is a Grammy and Emmyaward nominated performer, songwriter and author. His latest book is “Suspended by No String - A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder” (Regalo Press, 2024).
Chabad.org
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and stocktaking—a time to review one’s deeds and spiritual progress over the past year, and prepare for the upcoming “Days of Awe” of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
As the month of divine mercy and forgiveness, Elul is a most opportune time for teshuvah (“return” to G‑d), prayer, charity, and increased ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), in the quest for self improvement and coming closer to G‑d.
Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when “the king is in the field” and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, “everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance, showing a smiling face to them all.”
The following are some of the basic customs and practices for the month of Elul:
Each day of the month of Elul (except for Shabbat and the last day of Elul), we sound the shofar (ram’s horn) as a call to repentance.
When writing a letter or meeting one another, we bless one another by including the greeting Ketivah vachatimah tovah— which roughly translates as “May you be
inscribed and sealed for a good year.”
Chapter 27 of the Book of Psalms is added to the daily prayers, in the morning and afternoon.
The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur. (On Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms.)
During this month, we give extra charity, accruing merit for ourselves and for all of humanity, who will soon stand before G‑d in judgment.
Elul is a good time to have one’s tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe, to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
During the last week of Elul, in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the Selichot prayers are recited. On the first night they are recited at midnight; on the following days, in the early morning.
On the day before Rosh Hashana (Erev Rosh Hashana), morning prayer services (which do not include shofar) are longer, starting with early morning Selichot and
concluding with the annulment of vows.
During this day, we prepare the festive and symbolic foods we will enjoy on Rosh Hashanah. These include kosher wine and sweet, round challah bread (often studded with raisins) and apples to be dipped in honey, fish (or ram) heads, pomegranates, and sweet foods made with honey, such as carrot tsimmes, teigelach, honey cake (lekach), and more.
It is customary to visit the graves of tzaddikim (righteous, saintly people) and there to pray for a sweet new year. We ask the tzaddikim to intercede On High on our behalf, and we pray to G‑d to have mercy on us in the merit of these righteous people at whose resting places we are standing. If you can’t personally visit one, you can send a request for a blessing at OhelChabad.org.
Before the onset of the holiday, give charity
freely, accruing merit for ourselves and for all of humanity, who will soon stand before G‑d in judgment.
It is customary for men to visit a mikvah (ritual pool) on this day, to be purified before entering the High Holy Days. Speak to your rabbi to find out mikvah hours in your location.
On the day before Rosh Hashanah, every spare moment should be spent reciting Psalms. Thus, one already enters the new year with a clean slate. The continuous Psalms recitation should continue throughout the 48 hours of Rosh Hashana.
Rosh Hashanah is ushered in with candle lighting, followed by synagogue services and a festive meal.
For more, visit Chabad.org/RoshHashana
and for stand before
mikvah purified Days. Speak hours in every reciting the new continuous Hashana. candle services
Chabad.org/RoshHashana
By Menachem Posner
The shofar, created from a ram’s horn, is one of the symbols of the High Holidays as it is sounded on Rosh Hashanah and at the close of Yom Kippur. What is lesser known is that the shofar is also sounded throug hout the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish year.
When to blow the Shofar?
The optimum shofar blowing time is right after morning services when everyone is still together. Missed it? You might still want to catch a shofar blowing sometime before sundown. We blow the shofar every day other than Shabbat, starting from Elul 1 and ending on Elul 28. We do not blow on Elul 29, the day before Rosh Hashanahh.
What to Blow?
Using a kosher ram’s horn, we blow a con densed version of the full sequence blown on Rosh Hashanahh:
One long blast, three midsized blasts (with a little tiny blast), nine short blasts, one long blast.
One long blast, three midsized blasts (with a little tiny blast), one long blast. One long blast, nine short blasts, one long blast.
That’s how it’s done in Chabad; there are others who just blow the first segment. On Rosh Hashanahh, the sequence is much longer, with many more requirements and specifications.
Why Blow the Shofar?
For lots of reasons. Here are just a few:
a. After Israel sinned with the golden calf, Moses spent 40 days pleading for forgive ness. Then he ascended Mount Sinai once again for another 40 days—after which he descended with the second tablets. This ascent, which began on the first of Elul and lasted until Yom Kippur, was accompanied by shofar blasts. To commemorate this, we blow the shofar during the month of Elul.
b. Elul is the month during which we search our souls in anticipation of the High Holidays. The soul stirring shofar blasts inspire us to come closer to G‑d, as we read, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?”
c. c. Blowing the shofar—a Rosh Hashana practice—for an entire month beforehand is said to confuse the prosecuting angel (Satan).
But how? Wouldn’t the angel catch on after all these years?
The Rebbe offers an insightful explana tion: We often take steps to “confuse” the prosecutor, like blowing the shofar more than required on Rosh Hashana. Rashi explains that when the prosecutor sees us going beyond the minimum, he has nothing to argue.
Similarly, by blowing the shofar for a month, we’re inspired to repent early, secu ring G‑d’s favorable judgment before Rosh Hashana. The prosecutor is left without a case, and the trial is effectively over. This explains why we skip blowing on the day before Rosh Hashana—our work is done, and the prosecutor is out of a job.
By Benjamin Weiss
A little about yourself:
I was born in the Chicago area and studied business and psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University. I then earned a Masters in International Relations from the University of Haifa. In Israel, I also learned at the Yeshivas of Temimei Darech in Tzfat and Nehar Shalom in Jerusalem.
As a Benjamin A. Gilman scholar, I’ve had the opportunity to conduct research and study Arabic in Morocco. My career has spanned a variety of industries, from entertainment and startups to life coaching, mental health, non-profits, private equity, and government work.
Moving to Tucson:
I came to Tucson to complete a master’s program in social work at Arizona State University and to start working at a local hospice. This is my first time in a desert climate, and I’m discovering a spiritual connection to the desert landscape.
Currently reading/learning:
Learning Beis Halevi on Bitachon (an essay on faith by Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk), and reading Alien Summer by Stacey S. Thompson.
Favorite Mitzvah/holiday:
I love the energies of Rosh Hashana, Purim, and Chanukah because they inspire positivity and hope.
Cherished Jewish memory:
My first trip to Israel when I was 16. My Aunt and I had the trip of a lifetime, roadtripping and exploring all sorts of places.
Jewish app on phone: Sefaria (online library of Jewish texts).
Go-to Yiddish or Hebrew word: Magniv, Hebrew for “cool” or “awesome.”
Historical Jewish figure:
The unsung heroes - the countless Jewish
figures who were never recorded on paper but contributed so much.
October 7, 2023.
The first few months were incredibly difficult for me and Jewish people all over the world. In response, I’ve committed to becoming a better person and increasing my prayers and acts of kindness.
Chabad:
No other Jewish organization matches Chabad’s level of dedication to outreach.
Tzedakah:
A holistic approach to righteousness. The Chofetz Chaim taught that it’s both physical charity and also including kindness in our thoughts and words.
Happiness:
Finding simple joy even when it may not be readily apparent.
Hobbies:
Reading, creating and listening to music, hiking, camping, and playing video games.
Comfort food:
Homemade stir-fry or Thai dishes.
Kvetch:
People’s obsession with social media.
Kvell / nachas:
Mastering a new skill, helping someone in need, or celebrating a milestone with loved ones.
Your claim to fame:
Family and friends know me as the “pizza king” for perfecting my own recipes and always looking to try others.
Something you’re looking forward to… I never thought I’d end up in Arizona, and I’m excited for the new adventures and chapters ahead.
Trent & Ariel Waller
By Feigie Ceitlin
This meatball recipe has become a staple in our family, making an appearance about once a week. It’s a dish that everyone, from the adults to the kids, enjoys. Typically served with pasta, it quickly moves around the dinner table. I hope it does the same at yours as well.
Meat Mixture:
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Italian seasoning
- 2 eggs (If you prefer not to use eggs, you can soak a piece of sandwich bread, squeeze out the excess water, and add the bread to the mixture.)
Sauce:
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 2 cans of tomato sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1. In a glass bowl, gently mix together the meat mixture ingredients. Be careful not to overwork the meat.
2. In a pot, sauté the onions until softened. Once sautéed, add the tomato sauce, spices, and bring to a simmer.
3. While the sauce simmers, form the meatballs. We prefer small meatballs, about 1.5 tablespoons in size.
4. Carefully add the meatballs to the simmering sauce. Keep them simmering for 1 hour, then reduce the heat. For garnish, add sliced cherry tomatoes and diced herbs of your choice.
* The blessing: Shehakol
Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam shehakol nihiyah bed’varo.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be.
B’tayavon!
— Rebbetzin Feigie Ceitlin is the program director of Chabad Tucson and head of school of
Thursdays, 12 noon @ Handmaker - 2221 N. Rosemont Blvd
Order lunch by Thursday morning: www tinyurl com/maeskosherkitchen For more information, email: nlevy@handmaker org
By Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham
The Jewish concept of sin differs radically from the common understanding of this fraught term. The English word sin comes from the Latin word sons, which means guilty or criminal. Whereas the Hebrew word for sin, chet, means something akin to a missed opportunity, like an arrow missing its mark.
Many people believe that sin leaves an
indelible blemish on a person’s soul—as if a person’s actions can affect their essential state of being.
Inevitably, this approach to the consequences of immoral behavior will induce not only feelings of guilt for the action itself but feelings of shame as well, which conflate the sinner with their sin.
According to Jewish thought, sin doesn’t mean that one’s soul has become tainted or corroded, it merely means one acted in conflict with their essence, which is eternally pure and incorruptible.
In Talmudic thought, to sin is to be overcome by a moment of temporary insanity, as the Sage Reish Lakish teaches: “A person doesn’t commit a transgression
unless a spirit of madness enters them.”
Like an amygdala hijacking, a transgression similarly blocks out the spiritual voice of reason and logic emanating from our G‑dly soul. It harnesses our faculties in pursuit of a deed or experience that does not reflect our true essence and well being.
Sin is, therefore, a foolish investment in an empty and worthless behavior; it does not, however, ultimately define us.
For the innermost core of our soul is always pure and holy; it is just a matter of whether we respect and reflect that innate state of being, or whether we devalue and desecrate it.
We find this idea expressed poignantly in the following story in the Talmud: “There was a group of hooligans in R. Meir’s neighborhood who caused him a great deal of pain. R. Meir prayed that they should die. R. Meir’s wife, Berurya, said to him, ‘What is your thinking?’ He replied, ‘It is written: Let sins cease from the land.’ Said Berurya, ‘Is it written, “let sinners cease?”… Moreover, look to the end of the verse, and the wicked will be no more… [implying that] transgressions will cease [not the sinners], and [as a result] the wicked will be no more. Instead, pray that they should repent.’ Indeed, he prayed for them, and they repented.”
If wickedness was an essential aspect of our inner being, it would make sense to pray for the eradication of the wicked themselves, but Judaism doesn’t see humanity that way. All people have a Divine spark at their core that is indestructible. True, people are also capable of doing bad things, but once they stop engaging in those negative behaviors, their essential goodness can radiate once more. From this perspective, sinful behavior merely covers up one’s inner Divine light; it does not extinguish or even alter it. In other words, a sin is what one does, not who they are.
This is not to say that Judaism does not hold individuals responsible for the choices they make; it does. As G‑d tells Cain: Sin crouches at your door and desires that you let it in, but you can control yourself. According to Judaism, it is our responsibility to guard ourselves from the “spirit of folly” that constantly lurks, waiting for us to drop our defenses, so it can infiltrate our lives and wreak havoc.
We alone are responsible for the influences we allow to enter our psyches and senses. In the words of a Talmudic proverb: “It is not the mouse that is [to blame], but the hole [it came through].”
For this reason, rather than using the feelings of guilt and shame that often follow one’s regrettable actions as motivators for behavioral change after the fact, Judaism encourages us to invest our efforts in proactive and preventative measures to ward off sins before they happen.
In fact, according to Chasidic teaching, the negative feelings one entertains following a transgression can themselves be considered a sin of sorts, a kind of emotional indulgence that only serves to bring one down even further. Such feelings can be a ploy of the negative inclination to make us feel even worse about our previous
behavior in order to plunge us even deeper into the quagmire of depression, despair, and lethargy.
One way to ascertain whether your feelings of compunction derive from a noble impulse or from a deceptive influence (i.e., the yetzer hara) is to look at their end result. Do your feelings of failure and inadequacy impel you to improve your behavior, or do they keep you stuck in self defeating patterns and block your path forward? If they are holding you back, then such feelings themselves are “sinful” according to the Jewish definition, because they cause you to continually “miss your mark.” As the early Chasidim would say: “Depression is not a sin, but it can take you lower than any sin can take you.”
But what is the appropriate response for one who has “missed their mark” according to Judaism?
Ultimately, everything that transpires in our lives, even sin, has a purpose and is a necessary part of our life’s journey. Indeed, once a person has already sinned, they now have an opportunity to attain greater spiritual sensitivity and growth than they could have achieved without it.
For this reason, the Sages teach: A baal teshuvah or penitent is considered to be
of even greater spiritual standing than a tzaddik—a saintly individual who has never known sin.
This is because, having experienced the intense feeling of distance from G‑d brought on by sin, the penitent experiences a uniquely intense yearning and thirst for closeness to G‑d, triggered by their prior feelings of separation and disconnection.
The tzaddik, however, can never experience such fervor, because he has never strayed from the path of G‑d and does not know the pain and suffering caused by sin and the consequential burning desire for connection.
In sum: Sin is not an expression of a corrupted nature, nor does it fundamentally mar one’s essence. The soul is eternally pure and good, and nothing can ever change that spiritual reality. Sin is simply what happens when a person is distracted from their soul mission and veers off course. But, with effort and support, we can always redirect our energies, realign our priorities, and reclaim our essential goodness. It would surely be a sin to not make the most out of such an opportunity.
Noted psychologist Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky once shared a valuable lesson
from his childhood:
“One of the few memories I have of being disciplined by my father for something of which he disapproved was his telling me in a quiet, firm, and no-nonsense tone three Yiddish words, ‘Es past nisht,’ which means ‘this does not become you.’ The message was clear. I knew what I was not to do, but it was not until many years later that I appreciated the full content of my father’s rebuke. He had told me that I was not to do something [not because it was bad, but because I was good, therefore] that particular behavior was beneath me. Es past nisht meant simply that I was too good for that. This is the diametric opposite of a putdown. I was told I was a person of excellence. [Essentially, my father was telling me]: This [behavior] is incompatible and out of character for someone like you.”
The Big Idea: In Judaism, a sin is understood as a moment of temporary “insanity” rather than a permanent stain on our soul, which always remains irrevocably good and G‑dly.
—An excerpt from People of the Word, by Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham, exploring 50 key Hebrew words that have been mistranslated and misunderstood for centuries.
By Yulia Karra - Israel21c.org
My mom, a daycare teacher, recently told me that over the past decade, she and her colleagues have been seeing a gradual increase in children who exhibit behavior associated with autism. Many of these children are later diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder.
“It could be that what your mother and her colleagues are seeing are characteristics that the children exhibited in the past; [teachers] just weren’t as aware of them as they are now,” Idan Menashe, director of Israel’s national autism research center, says.
Indeed, an Israeli study published last January revealed that between 2017 and 2021, toddlers up to three years old were four times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than in the past. Children aged four and older were twice as likely to be diagnosed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 36 children in the United States was diagnosed with autism in 2020, compared to 1 in 150 children in 2000.
“The increase in new diagnoses stems from an increase in awareness among parents and educators, and improved diagnostic capabilities,” says Menashe, adding there’s no evidence that more autistic people are being born as time goes on.
“Additionally, today many adults who have never been diagnosed, and no one really suspected they should be, receive the autism diagnosis,” he adds.
What is now classified as ASD used to be split into three different neurodevelopmental conditions: autism, Asperger’s syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
On the spectrum
Tesla founder Elon Musk and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg both have
Israel is paving the way for early diagnosis and treatment
described themselves as being on the autism spectrum. So, is autism that big a deal if those diagnosed with it can go on to become wildly successful?
Menashe notes that although autism is primarily characterized by repetitive actions and impaired social functioning, the disorder’s wide range of physical and cognitive symptoms affect everyone differently.
“All of us are neurodivergent in some way; autism actually has many positive characteristics that make a person unique,” he says. “However, many autistic people have co-occurring disorders, or symptoms that complicate their lives, like sensory hypersensitivity or insomnia.”
According to Menashe, scientists are studying the possibility of genetically removing ASD’s undesirable traits. “Today, we can identify some of the genes that cause autism; the research is now focused on learning their molecular mechanisms,
a better understanding of which could lead to the development of new treatments or genetic intervention methods.”
Menashe says the national center is conducting exome sequencing — a type of genetic sequencing that could explain what may be causing symptoms or a disease — on autistic children and their immediate family members.
But what makes the Israeli research center extraordinary internationally is its extensive database, which provides much more information beyond genetics. “We can cross-reference medical, behavioral and genetic records. That’s something that practically doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” he says.
How it all began
Menashe has a doctorate in genetic epidemiology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and is a lecturer at the Department of Public Health and
Faculty of Health Sciences in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). He became interested in autism while working at an American medical startup. He returned to Israel and entered academia with the goal of advancing autism research here.
Menashe linked up with Prof. Gal Meiri from the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, who at the time was the primary doctor for autism diagnosis in Israel’s south; and Ilan Dinstein, a professor in the psychology and cognitive and brain sciences departments at BGU.
In 2015, the three established a database of children diagnosed with autism and their immediate family members. This database — among the first of its kind in the world — includes behavioral assessments, audio and video recordings, interviews and questionnaires, birth and medical records, MRI scans, genetic evaluations and biological samples.
Their initiative eventually received funding from Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and in 2018 BGU and Soroka opened the national center, now officially called the Azrieli National Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research.
“Compared to similar centers [in other countries], ours is truly unique; we begin collecting data from before the child is even diagnosed and monitor their behavioral development to see which treatments work and which don’t,” Menashe explains.
The center’s study two years ago revealed that children diagnosed before 2.5 years of age were three times more likely to exhibit considerable improvements in the core social symptoms of autism in comparison to children diagnosed at later ages.
“In Israel, the average age of ASD diagnosis is three years old, thanks to the government system of development monitoring [of babies] at family health clinics. For comparison, in the US the average diagnosis age is six to seven years old,” Menashe notes.
By Seymour Brody
Samuel Gompers began working at age 10 when his parents took him out of school to apprentice as a cigar maker, earning money for his impoverished Jewish family.
He was born Samuel Gumpertz on January 27, 1850, in a working-class area of London’s East End. His parents were Sarah (Root) and Solomon Gumpertz, a cigar maker. The family hailed from Amsterdam.
At age six, Samuel attended the Jewish Free School in North London, the world’s largest Jewish school at the time, with over 4,000 students.
After leaving school, Gompers continued his education at a night school. In his autobiography, Seventy Years of Life and Labor, Vol. 1, he wrote that he learned Hebrew and studied the Talmud—a process he compared to studying law.
Despite the ongoing Civil War in the United States, the family immigrated there in 1863 in search of better financial prospects. Gompers’ father manufactured cigars at their home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, with Samuel soon becoming a skilled cigar maker himself.
In his free time, the young Gompers formed a debate club with friends, gaining practical experience in public speaking and parliamentary procedure. At age 17, he married a fellow worker, Sophia Julian.
Gompers joined the Cigarmakers’ Union and became active. After the union’s 1877 strike failed due to a lack of funds and discipline, Gompers reorganized it, raising dues to create a strike fund and establishing benefits for sickness, accidents, and unemployment.
In 1881, Gompers helped found the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, a coalition of like-minded unions. In 1886, it reorganized as the American Federation of Labor (AFL), with Gompers as president—a position he held until his death (except for one year in 1895).
Gompers began his labor career sympathetic to Georgism and socialism but gradually adopted a more conservative approach. By 1896, he and the AFL moved from advocating class conflict and abolishing “wage slavery” to promoting class harmony and “a more benevolent capitalism,” according to labor historian Melvyn Dubofsky.
While serving as AFL president and editing its publication, The American Federationist, Gompers remained devoted to his family. He had five children and valued family loyalty. After his wife died in 1920, he married Grace Gleaves Neuscheler the following year.
Today, the AFL-CIO (the post-merger organization that combined the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955) is the largest representative organization of labor unions in the United States.
Gompers is memorialized across the U.S. with monuments, a Navy destroyer tender, and schools, including one in Phoenix, Arizona. As a dominant figure in the American labor movement for nearly four decades, he broadened the horizons of workers and trade unions, pioneering a free and robust labor movement.
- Originally published in Jewish Heroes & Heroines of America: 150 True Stories of American Jewish Heroism (Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.)
A legacy of caring
with
If there’s somewhere you want to visit, flying is safer than driving. That’s what they tell you anyway. Of course, when we get on a plane, they give a whole safety speech. But we don’t pay attention to that, because they have already told us that flying is safer than driving.
But things do happen - things happen that aren’t even in the safety speech. I mean, we have no idea how much they have shortened it. I teach high school, and it used to be that every time something happened in class, I added more rules to the speech that I planned for next year’s class. That made the speech longer, but at some point, I felt like I might just be giving the ninth graders ideas, so I had to reconsider.
“Don’t jump out the window.”
“People can jump out the window?”
Anyway, I thought I would share some of the disasters that have actually happened that they don’t mention in the safety speech.
1. You could get sucked out the door.
Take the passenger in Manchester who opened the plane’s emergency exit thinking it was the bathroom.
I’m not sure how she did this. The exits are clearly marked. She probably didn’t listen to the flight safety speech. Which I never listen to either. I am like, “If I thought the plane might crash, I wouldn’t have gotten on. When am I ever going to use the emergency door?”
As soon as I have to go to the bathroom, possibly.
The good news is that in the case of the passenger mistakenly opening the not-abathroom door, the plane was still taxiing along the runway. The bad news is that she couldn’t just say, “Whoops, sorry!” and
By Mordechai Schmutter
was delayed 7 hours.
PREVENTION TIP: Passengers should be informed that bathroom doors say, “No smoking,” whereas exit doors don’t. Explain that it is not necessary for them to have this precautionary instruction as there are no long-term health risks associated with smoking while plummeting to your doom.
2. Everyone else could disappear.
Take the woman who fell asleep on an Air Canada flight and woke up after midnight to find herself alone in an empty plane nowhere near the terminal. In case you’re wondering how thoroughly they clean the planes after each flight…
Anyway, her phone was dead, and she didn’t want to open the emergency door, because no one likes that person. So she opened the regular door and sat in the doorway, trying to signal someone with a flashlight she’d found in the cockpit.
Is it in case there’s a blackout? In midair?
PREVENTION TIP: Always fall asleep on the shoulder of the person next to you.
3. You could be seated dangerously close to the bathroom.
Take the passenger in Indonesia who boarded a plane to find that her seat assignment was in the plane’s bathroom. The ticket said “35A”, but the plane only had 34 rows. Row 35 was the lavatory.
And she wasn’t the only passenger assigned a seat in there. There was also a couple with a small child.
As you can imagine, they were not thrilled. They didn’t want to spend the entire flight fielding knocks from passengers who were looking for the emergency exit. Also, they knew that if they fell asleep, there was no way anyone would find them. Especially not the cleaning staff. Plus, the
complimentary neck pillows were too thin.
PREVENTION TIP: Always buy your plane tickets from an authorized dealer.
4. You could pull a muscle.
Take the recent news article titled, “American Airlines Removes Passenger Who Won’t Stop Doing Pull-Ups.”
I love the phrasing: “He won’t stop doing pull-ups.”
“Well, did you ASK him?”
“No.”
“Should we just wait for him to get tired?”
“He’s not getting tired!”
“Should I fake some turbulence?”
I understand the need to keep moving so your back doesn’t seize up, and they do say to bring something to do on the plane. What should he do? Bring weights? There’s a weight limit for baggage. Plus, in the X-ray, all his kettlebells look like bombs.
PREVENTION TIP: Put your seat back as far as it will go and do some sit-ups instead.
5. There’s bacteria everywhere.
In July, a man on American Airlines was spotted using the touch screen in front of him with his bare feet.
American Airlines. Write that down.
I do get it, though. Sometimes when I’m lying in bed and feeling lazy, I use my nose.
PREVENTION TIP: Don’t use your nose after you see a guy using his feet to operate the touch screen. Plan B: See if you can get a seat with a soap dispenser.
1. What is challah?
A. The fluffy bread served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays
B. The piece of dough that is set aside for the priests (and burned)
C. Both
D. Neither
2. How many loaves of challah are served at each Shabbat meal?
A. At least 2
B. At least 4
C. No more than 4
D. No more than 8
3. We dip the first piece of challah into:
A. Wine
B. Salt
C. Honey
D. Garlic
4. What do some Sefardic Jews dip their challah in?
A. Oregano
B. Thyme
C. Za’atar
D. Cumin
5. When is round challah served?
A. Rosh Hashanah
By Menachem Posner
B. Friday nights C. Passover
D. The Shabbat blessing of the new month
6. True or false: Challah is brought to the table after kiddush is said True False
7. What is the most popular shape for the challah loaf?
A. Long like a baguette
B. Round like a ball
C. Braided
D. Flat like a pita
8. On Passover, instead of challah we eat:
A. Matzah
B. Bitter herbs
C. Banana bread
D. Nothing at all
9. True or false: We wash our hands before eating challah True False
10. What blessing is said before the challah is cut and distributed?
A. Hamotzie (Blessed are You … who brings forth bread from the earth)
B. Mezonot (Blessed are You … who creates various kinds of food)
C. Shehakol (Blessed are You … by whose word all things came to be)
D. Mevarech Hashabbat (Blessed are You … who blesses Shabbat)
11. Water challah is:
A. Objectively tastier than poppy challah
B. The only challah eaten in Tzfat
C. Made without egg
D. Forbidden for Ashkenazim
