Restarting Ourselves on Chanukah

by Rabbi Reuven Spolter, Jewish Studies Instructor

My computer wasn't working – at least not well. It started to freeze up, and was taking far too long to load even simple programs. When this happens, as it does every so often, there's a fix that usually solves the problem. I simply restart the computer, and often the problem goes away.
It seems so simple: restart. Somehow, the computer puts things back the way they should be, and things work again properly. If only life were so simple. After a fight with my son/wife/co-worker – wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply turn things off, and restart – and have everything work the way it should?
This idea of renewal and restarting applies, not only in the world of computers, but in our daily lives as well. For a long period of time, I was on a diet called SugarBusters!. The essence of the diet is: no refined sugars or grains, no processed food, and no corn or potatoes. It's pretty all-encompassing. People, when they heard about the diet would ask me: "Are you going to eat that way for the rest of your life?" (The answer, as it turned out, is 'no.') I would tell them, "I have no idea if I'm going to eat this way for the rest of my life. But I know that I'm going to eat this way today."
Each and every day during Shacharit, we refer to God as המחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית – "He who renews in His Goodness each and every day the act of Creation." Each day isn't a continuation from the last day. Rather, each day is a new day; a new creation, disconnected from yesterday.
We can find this idea in the halachot of Chanukah as well. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 675) writes that,

הדלקה עושה מצוה ולא הנחה...לפיכך, עששית שהייתה דולקת כל היום שהדליקה מערב שבת למצות חנוכה, למוצאי שבת מכבה ומדליקה לשם מצוה.

The lighting [of the Chanukah lights] established the mitzvah, and not the placing [of the lights]…for this reason, an ember that remained lit for the entire day [of Shabbat] that was lit on erev Shabbat for the mitzvah of Chanukah – after Shabbat one must extinguish [the light] and relight it for the purpose of the mitzvah.

At face value, if the purpose of the lighting of the Chanukah candles is פרסומי ניסא – spreading the miracle of Chanukah – then what difference does it

make when I lit the candles? Why should it matter whether I lit the candles today, yesterday, or three days ago? Yet, the Mishnah Berurah explain that,

ואינו מועיל מה שהדליקה אתמול לשם מצוה דכל יומא ויומא מילתא באנפי נפשה היא

The lighting from yesterday for the sake of the mitzvah does not help [for today] – for each and every day stands alone.

While the light may be the same, we are still required to perform the act of lighting each and every day. My actions from yesterday do not suffice. I must restart, relight and rekindle in order to properly perform the mitzvah.
The same rule applies to the rest of our lives.
Some of the very best things we do are repetitive. Yet that very repetitiveness can lead to a sense of staleness and boredom. Even the lighting of the candles itself can become repetitive. We all know remember the excitement of the first night; the exuberance with which we sing Maoz Tzur. The second night is still pretty good. But by the fifth and sixth nights, even the lighting of the Chanukiah takes on a tone of drudgery.
That's precisely the point at which we need to "Restart." Reinvigorate, and relight ourselves with the passion of the light of Chanukah.

New at Orot Israel College - "Briah" School for Complementary Medicine

by Sarah Bar Asher, Founder and Head, Orot Israel College’s School of Naturopathy, Elkana Campus

Orot Israel College is proud to announce the opening of the Briah School for Complementary Medicine – headed by naturopath Sarah Bar Asher – on our Elkana campus. The first course, “Jewish Herbal Medicine,” which began on 11 Marcheshvan 5774 (October 15, 2013), is being taught by Mr. Avraham Dahan, editor of Encyclopediat Talmud HaTz’machim.
Encyclopediat Talmud HaTz’machim is a comprehensive look at the world of Jewish herbal medicine. It is based on countless Jewish sources – ranging from Sefer Breishit to various 18th century works.
The course will introduce the students to a wide array of medicinal herbs, spices, and aromatic plants and will teach them about the plants’ uses and functions – as described in the Tanach, the Talmud, and the medical writings of Chachmei Yisrael through the ages. By the end of the course, the students will have learned about the plants’ health benefits as well as how to prepare brews, lotions, spiced wines, and more.
In addition, the students will get to concoct, cook, bake, and taste ancient recipes and prescriptions from hundreds and thousands of years ago – including the prescriptions of Ezra HaSofer, the Rambam, Assaf HaRofeh, R’ Chaim Vital, Tuviah Katz, R’ Natan ben Yoel Falaquera, R’ Meir ibn Aldabi, and others. Also, the students will, b’ezrat Hashem, head out on a field trip to Emek Yizrael, where they will be able to gather edible wildflowers.
At the first session, Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College, who greeted the students and shared a dvar Torah, enjoyed a cup of herbal tea. Inspired by the Talmud, the tea contained white-leaved savory, jasmine, and a touch of lemon verbena and was sweetened with sugar cane.
Naturopath Sarah Bar Asher will deliver the next course, “Nutrition and the Food Industry,” which will begin on 9 Kislev 5774 (November 12, 2013). For details and registration please call 1-800-500-210.

The Princess Whose Prince Had Not Yet Come

Dr. Zipi Rhein – Psychologist and Lecturer,
Orot Israel College and Bar Ilan University

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom across the sea, there lived a princess. Like most princesses, she spent her formative years in the usual educational frameworks, and she always knew that when she graduated, she would get engaged to a royal prince from one of the neighboring kingdoms. It was all supposed to be very simple: By her 21st birthday, she was to have met and married her true love.
But when the fateful day arrived, and offers started pouring in from across the realm, a strange thing happened. She met countless princes from all the neighboring kingdoms, but not one of them proved to be the knight in shining armor of her dreams. The first was not religious or idealistic enough. The second was not good-looking enough, and the third was too short for her. Although the fourth was a good match on an intellectual level, there was no emotional connection, and the fifth did not seem to know how to act on a date.
The king and queen were beside themselves. All their daughter’s friends were already engaged. Even the princess had started to feel the pressure. After all, it is not easy to be an unmarried 21-year-old princess. Desperate, the king turned to his trusted advisors and asked them to figure out a way to help his daughter.
In our own world, it is also supposed to be very simple: All one has to do is find the right cover for every pot – that is, the right guy for every girl. But sometimes, matchmaking is as hard as Splitting the Sea. For instance, last week, I spoke to a wonderful guy, who told me that he had been going out with a certain girl for three months. He felt something toward the girl but did not think that it was enough to propose marriage. Another girl asked me if she was doing something wrong, because she rarely made it past the first or second date. Meanwhile, a different girl, who made an appointment with me for next week, wants to talk about getting over a breakup before going out with the next guy.
And in fact, this used to be enough. A couple would marry because they were compatible – not emotional compatibility, but compatible in terms of economic status and values. They would build a home and bring children into the world. And even if they did not get along, and even if they argued, they would stay married, because divorce was not an option. People did not get divorced. People did not stay single. And the few remaining singles apparently had some sort of flaws and could not be married off. Moreover, being single used to be very difficult. Between housework (laundry, cooking, etc.) and earning a living, it was too much for one person to handle. Keeping on top of everything required a team effort.
So why is it so complicated to find a husband or a wife? Perhaps the answer is that today, one no longer needs to get married. Instead, one chooses to get married. In the past, not only was it hard to be single, but it was considered to be the non-normative state. In today’s world, however, getting married is a choice. Thus, one needs to learn how to make that choice. How do you choose the right person? How do you know when the relationship is not going to work out?
A successful relationship must include three elements:
1. Every relationship must be based on some sort of attraction/love. Yet, for some individuals, that attraction/love is constant, but for others, it fluctuates. Therefore, do not compare these two types of people. Young men and women who fit the latter model must learn not to be alarmed by emotional “downturns.”
2. Communication – Communication develops over time. Therefore, at the beginning of the relationship, one must look for the beginning stages of good communication. In other words, one should be able to share not only the nice and pleasant aspects of oneself but also the less pleasant things.
3. Finding a good person with good midot (character traits).

Furthermore, whenever relationship questions or problems arise, consult a professional, who can help one choose wisely and reach the end of the fairy tale: the princess finds her true love, and they live happily ever after.

Thoughts on the Beginning of the New Semester

Rabbanit Dr. Leah Vizel
Dean of Students (Elkana Campus) and Dean of Extramural Studies

Dear Students,
Shalom u’vrachah!
The chagim have long since given way to our normal, everyday routine. How does one cope with the transition from the Tishrei festivals to the month of Marcheshvan? That depends on the individual person.
Unusual events – such as holidays and celebrations – cannot replace a regular routine. After all, constructing a building is a long, arduous process that requires hard work and much dedication. Our challenge is to find meaning within our daily lives. It is the small, ordinary actions that combine to form our personalities - not just the extraordinary ones.
Those who choose to join the Orot Israel family believe that educating Israel’s children is one of our generation’s most significant missions. Yet, it is not always easy to hold on to that sense of mission during the days, weeks, and months that comprise the typical academic year.
As a student heads out on the path she sets for herself, she will, b’ezrat Hashem, encounter numerous and varied sources, which will enrich her inner world. She will gain the critical knowledge and the essential tools she needs to become an accomplished educator and teacher, to add another key layer to her personality, and to make for herself a Rav and acquire for herself good friends. (See Pirkei Avot 1:6.)
Based on my own experience, here is what I recommend: Do not let the hours, days, months, and years slip by you. Wherever you happen to find yourself, play an active role, and try and learn something from everyone. As you reach for your goals, you will likely encounter tasks and topics that do not “speak to you” and do not seem to be important. However, if you keep your mind on your goal, you will recognize that these mundane parts combine to form a complex whole. In addition, maintaining a sense of mission along the way will help you complete and identify with the task at hand.
A bit about my job at Orot Israel College: At the start of the current academic year, I became dean of students at the Elkana campus and am also responsible for extramural studies. Primarily, my job is to take care of the students’ needs – including technical matters, such as the dorms and scholarships, as well as more substantial issues, such as arranging various activities and solving problems.
Orot Israel College functions like a real family and tries to meet the students’ diverse needs. I am always open to new suggestions and ideas, and I welcome the opportunity to meet with you on an individual basis.
As Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohein Kook zt”l famously stated:

"כשהנשמה מאירה גם שמים עוטי ערפל מפיקים אור נעים."

“When the soul shines, even the fog-veiled heavens emit a pleasant light.”

When one takes a deeper look at reality and focuses on one’s sense of purpose, even winter’s fog-veiled skies and daily life’s drab routine will emit a pleasant light.
Best wishes for a bright and fruitful winter.

Why Must I Say "I'm Sorry"?

by Rabbi Reuven Spolter

Jewish Studies Lecturer

Judaism is anything but easy. While most nations celebrate their New Year with drinking, partying and staying up late, we spend our New Year coronating God as king of the world, while we also engage in an extended process of self-evaluation and introspection. The entire period culminates with…that's right, a day of fasting spent entirely in shul.
Moreover, Teshuvah can be quite complicated. While repentance suffices for the sins I committed against God, the same cannot be said for the sins I committed against someone else. The Mishnah in Yoma (8:7) tells us that, עבירות שבין אדם למקום, יום הכיפורים מכפר – "Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and God". (Of course, you have to repent for Yom Kippur to work its magic.) But what about עבירות בין אדם לחבירו – "sins between man and his fellow man? Teshuvah is not enough. For these sins, we must do more.

שבינו לבין חברו אין יום הכיפורים מכפר, עד שירצה את חברו.  את זו דרש רבי אלעזר בן עזריה, "מכול, חטאותיכם, לפני ה', תטהרו" (ויקרא טז,ל)--עבירות שבין אדם למקום, יום הכיפורים מכפר; שבינו לבין חברו--אין יום הכיפורים מכפר, עד שירצה את חברו. 

Yom Kippur does not atone for [sins] between man and his fellow man until he appeases his friend. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria extrapolated this idea from the following verse: 'From all your sins, before God, you shall be purified." (Vayikra 16:30) Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and God. [But] Yom Kippur does not atone for [sins] between man and his fellow man until he appeases his friend.

Indeed, Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:9) adopts this approach in Mishneh Torah, stating that you must first appease the victim of your sin before Yom Kippur can offer atonement.
We've always taken this fact for granted. After all, it makes intuitive sense, at least at first. How can God forgive you if you haven't even apologized to the person you hurt? And yet, the more I think about it, the less sense it seems to make. Why indeed should I have to apologize to the person I hurt? Let's assume that I stole money from a neighbor. I feel terrible about it, and vow never to repeat my sin. Moreover, I return the money, leaving an anonymous envelope full of cash on his doorstep. I've made him whole. I confessed my sin to God, and will truly never commit that sin again. Why should I have to then go to the neighbor and confess? Why should my atonement hinge on his goodwill (or lack thereof), state of mind, and sensitivity?
Moreover, it's not so clear that the verse that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria quotes says what we think it says. The verse he quotes says,

כִּי-בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם, לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם:  מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם, לִפְנֵי ה', תִּטְהָרוּ.

For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord.

Read the last phrase again: "From all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord." It doesn't say "some". It says "all." This would seem to go against both the Mishnah and the Rambam. Yet, the translation really hinges on how you read the verse, and where you pause during the reading. I'll explain:
Option 1: If you read the phrase: מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם, לִפְנֵי ה', תִּטְהָרוּ (with a pause after the word חטאתיכם), then the phrase means "from all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord."
Option 2: If you read it without a pause after the first two words the meaning changes dramatically: מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה', תִּטְהָרוּ – "from all your sins [committed] before the Lord, you shall be clean."
Which reading is grammatically correct? When we check the trop (טעמי המקרא), 

מִכֹּל֙ חַטֹּ֣אתֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י ה֖' תִּטְהָֽרוּ

we see that there's a zakef katan – a small pause – after the words מכל חטאתיכם. Option 1 is correct. The Torah seems not to distinguish between different types of sins. At least according to the simple text, Yom Kippur offers atonement whether we apologize or not.
This, I believe, is why the Mishnah notes that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria extrapolated this idea from the verse. It's not the simple meaning. It's a drush, and the Mishnah says so explicitly. The Mishnah continues:

אמר רבי עקיבא, אשריכם ישראל, לפני מי אתם מיטהרין ומי מטהר אתכם--אביכם שבשמיים:  שנאמר "וזרקתי עליכם מים טהורים, וטהרתם . . ." (יחזקאל לו,כה), ואומר "מקוה ישראל ה'" (ירמיהו יז,יג)--מה המקוה מטהר את הטמאים, אף הקדוש ברוך הוא מטהר את ישראל.

Rabbi Akiva says: Fortunate are you O Israel! Before whom do you purify yourselves? [And] who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven! As it is said: “I will sprinkle upon you pure water and you shall become purified” (Ezekiel 36:25), and it is further said: “The hope of Israel is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:13), just as a mikvah purifies the defiled, so too, does the Holy one Blessed is He, purify Israel.

It's a famous quote, and a beautiful idea. But is it just a nice ending to the Masechet (it is the last Mishnah of Yoma), or is Rabbi Akiva chiming in on the previous issue? One could suggest that Rabbi Akiva is in fact arguing with Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, and suggesting that Yom Kippur purifies everyone, for every sin – regardless of what category the sin falls in. In fact, this is exactly what the Sefer Meor Einayim (quoted by the Tosfot Yom Hakippurim) suggests:

וראיתי בספר מאור עיניים (דף קכד ע"ב) דפירש דראב"ע סבירא ליה דמי שיש לו עבירות שבין אדם לחבירו אין הקב"ה מכפר לו אפי' על עבירות שבין אדם למקום. ור"ע חולק עליו וס"ל דאפילו על עבירות שבין אדם לחבירו הקב"ה מכפר אף על גב שלא ריצה את חבירו ואין דבריו מחוורין אצלי.

I saw in the book Meor Einayim who explained that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria held that God does not offer atonement to someone with sins between himself and his fellow man – even for the sins he committed against God. Rabbi Akiva argues with him and it is his opinion that God atones even for sins committed against one's fellow man, even though he did not appease his friend. And [Meor Einayim's] words are not clear to me.

While the Tosfot Yom Hakippurim (and Rambam and pretty much everyone else) disagrees with Meor Einayim, the opinion is fascinating. Why indeed should my atonement hinge not only my asking for, but my receiving my friend's forgiveness? It's not enough just to ask; I have to actually make strenuous efforts to secure his forgiveness. Why is it so important that the person I hurt forgive me?
This is a great question to ask ourselves as we struggle to pick up the phone, call and offer a sincere apology before Yom Kippur.

Students From Beit Chana in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine Spend the Summer at Orot Israel College

by Mrs. Aliza Lipsker
Program Coordinator, Elkana Campus

At the end of an exciting, challenging, and experiential month-long learning program, one of the students declared, “What will I take back to the Ukraine? I will take all of Eretz Yisrael with me!”
The student was part of a group from Beit Chana in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine – a branch of Orot Israel College, where young Jewish women study to become teachers in Jewish schools throughout the former Soviet republics. The students spent a month in Israel, focusing on Hebrew, Judaic studies, pedagogy, and Israeli life and culture.
From nine in the morning until ten at night, the daily schedule included stimulating classes, fun trips, and assorted extracurricular activities. The students slept in Orot’s beautiful new dormitory in Elkana and enjoyed Rachel’s delicious cooking. All the meals were designed to showcase Israel’s bountiful food and produce.
Every day after davening in the morning, Beit Chana’s own Rav Moshe Webber delivered a shiur on Chassidut. Next, the students spent four hours learning Hebrew. Under the able tutelage of Mrs. Sarit Gizbar and Mrs. Nurit Alkalai, the classes – many of which were held in Orot’s state-of-the-art pedagogic center – revolved around the study of classic Hebrew songs. And as the girls traveled the country, these songs were always on their lips.
Other classes included teaching methods, Torah, Halachah, the Jewish home, and the Holocaust, and the students visited the renowned Shem Olam Institute of the Holocaust and Faith in Kfar HaRo’eh.
Evenings were devoted to dance, art, make-up, and flower arranging classes as well as various social events, such as a special activity in honor of Tu B’Av. During the day, the girls had time to swim in Orot’s pool and catch some waves at the Herzliya Beach.
The program included numerous trips. For example, on Tisha B’Av, the girls visited Yad Vashem and recited Kinnot at the Kotel, and on a different occasion, they toured the Knesset, the Old City, and Ir David. Other trips included stops in Acco, Teveriyah, Meiron, Tzfat, and the Golan Heights. The girls went rafting, jeeping, and boating; visited Mini Israel, the Armored Corps Museum in Latrun, Luna Park, and the Invitation to Silence exhibit in Holon; and spent Rosh Chodesh Elul in Hevron and at Kever Rachel.
During the moving farewell ceremony, the students planted trees from the Seven Species on the Orot campus and were awarded diplomas. Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College, spoke to the students. Each girl shared – whether in Hebrew, Russian, or some combination thereof – what she had gained from the incredible program and her wonderful stay in Israel. All the girls agreed that they hoped to return!

To Learn and To Teach

by Rabbanit Nomi Shachor 
Tanach Department, Orot Israel College
 

When the Education Ministry recently unveiled a brand new junior high school Tanach curriculum, many teachers felt unprepared to handle some of the more complicated topics in Breishit and Vayikra. In particular, they were unsure how to approach such daunting subjects as marriage, childbirth, and forbidden sexual relations.

With these teachers in mind, Orot Israel College decided to offer an advanced in-service training course to provide teachers and educators with a broad array of tools and skills for teaching Tanach to junior high school students. Some ninety teachers from across Israel participated in the three-day program.

Among the program’s highlights were talks by guidance counselor Mrs. Avital Ben-Hur and Orot Israel College’s own Rabbanit Nomi Shachor, who focused on appropriate pedagogic techniques, educational values, and how to decide which topics to emphasize and which topics to underplay.

The program proved to be a huge success, and the organizers received numerous letters from the grateful participants. For example, Talia Arad, a physical education teacher, wrote about Rabbanit Dr. Yael Zohar’s fascinating lecture on Megilat Esther:

“The idea behind the words, ‘Do not imagine to yourself.’ (Esther 4:13) With these extremely stirring and inspiring words – which speak to Esther’s very essence - Mordechai addresses Esther. ‘Who knows whether it was for a time like this that you attained the kingdom?’ (Esther 4:14)

“Do not think only of yourself. Have faith and confidence. You have the power to change history and your nation’s fate. And so, Mordechai tells her, you must be alert. HaKadosh Baruch Hu sends you signals, and you must pay attention and act. Do not waste this opportunity.

“Before going to the king, Esther prays and thus gets in touch with her inner essence. With great self-sacrifice, she accepts the mission of saving her brethren. ‘And if I perish, I perish.’ (Esther 4:16) It is true that ‘the dead cannot praise God.’ (Tehilim 115:17) However, self-sacrifice is necessary, and I will do everything in my power to save my people.

“These words are still relevant today. How many times have we found ourselves facing signs from Hashem Yitbarach? How many times have we planned on traveling to a certain place but instead arrived somewhere else, and by chance (and there is no such thing as chance), we met someone new?

“Although we choose our own paths, we are accompanied by endless signs. Sometimes we heed these signs, and sometimes we ‘scorn’ them. We often ask ourselves if this is the right time? For a wedding? To give birth? To go to work? And so on…

“On a personal note, I was able to relate to Rabbanit Zohar’s words, when she spoke about Esther and opportunities. I almost wasted the opportunity to marry a widower and his four children. After having been a single-parent with four children of my own for about seven years, I was presented with this opportunity. But when I felt that the relationship was going nowhere, I ended it. Two months later, HaKadosh Baruch Hu once again signaled that this was my life’s course. Today, we have been married for two years, and about half a year ago, a sweet baby girl joined our family. So yes, the signs and the questions always exist, and self-sacrifice is necessary…

“I pray that Esther will continue to inspire us with her self-sacrifice and her connection to her inner roots, and may we always remember where we came from.

As we begin the new year, we add our voices to her beautiful prayer.