Happy Chanukah!

Scroll down for the English

חַג חֲנוּכָּה שָׂמַח לְכוּלָּם!

לִכְבוֹד חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה נְבָרֵר - מִי הֵם המקבים? וּמָה הֶקְשֵׁר בֵּינָם וּבֵין קְבוּצַת הַסְּפּוֹרְט שֶׁל מַכַּבִּי?

הַכֹּל הִתְחִיל בְּזֶה שֶׁמַתִּתְיָהוּ הַזָּקֵן, אֲבִי הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הָחָשְׁמוֹנָאִית, מִינָּה אֶת יְהוּדָה, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הַבֵּן הַבְּכוֹר, לִמְפַקֵּד הַמֶּרֶד. הוּא בָּחַר בּוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה מַצְבִּיא דָּגוּל, וְעַל כֵּן דָּבַק בּוֹ הַכִּינּוּי "מַקַבִּי", שֶׁזֶּה "פַּטִּישׁ"- בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיָה "כְּמוֹ פַּטִּישׁ עַל רָאשִׁי אוֹיְבָיו". וְיֵשׁ עוֹד אֶפְשָׁרוּת, שֶׁהָרוֹמַאִים שִׁינּוּ אֶת שְׁמוֹ מֵ"יְהוּדָה הַמַּצְבִּיא" לִ"יהוּדָה הָמַקַבִּי"- כִּי הָרוֹמַאִים הֶחֱלִיפוּ אֶת הָאוֹת צ' בִּ ק'.

לְפִי יוֹסֵף בֵּן מַתִּתְיָהוּ, מַשְׁמָעוּת הַשָּׂם "מַכַּבִּי" הִיא רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת שֶׁל הַפָּסוּק "מִי כָּמוֹךָ בָּאֵלִים י'".

בְּמֶשֶׁךְ הַשָּׁנִים, חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה יָרַד מִגְּדוּלָּתוֹ. פָּחוֹת וּפָחוֹת יְהוּדִים חָגְגוּ אֶת הַחַג. בַּתְּפוּצוֹת הוּא כְּבָר כִּמְעַט נֶעֱלַם, אַךְ לְפֶתַע קָרוּ שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים-  אֶחָד הוּא הָפִיכָת חַג הַמּוּלָד לְחַג כְּבַד מִשְׁקָל בַּתַּרְבּוּת הָאַמֶרִיקָאִית, וּבִגְלַל זֶה הַיְּהוּדִים הָאַמֶרִיקָאִים שָׂמְחוּ לְאַמֵּץ אֶת חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה כְּחַג מַקְבִּיל (מִכָּאן גַּם הַמִּנְהָג הָאַמֶרִיקָאִי לָתֵת מַתָּנוֹת בְּעַרְבֵי חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה) וְהַשֵּׁנִי- הֲקָמַת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִיסּוּס מִיתוֹס הַיְהוּדִי הַלּוֹחֵם. בִּגְלַל שֶׁיְּהוּדָה הַמַּכַּבִּי וּצְבָאוֹ הָפְכוּ לְסֵמֶל הַגְּבוּרָה הַיְהוּדִי, שֶׁבְּאֵיזֶשֶׁהוּ מָקוֹם סִימְּלוּ אֶת צָבְאָה הַקָּטָן שֶׁל מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַצְּעִירָה אֶל מוּל צְבָאוֹת עָרַב- הַשֵּׁם "מַּכַּבִּי" קָנָה לוֹ מָקוֹם שֶׁל כָּבוֹד בַּתַּרְבּוּת הַיְהוּדִית- קוּפָּ"ח מַּכַּבִּי, קְבוּצוֹת הַסְּפּוֹרְט שֶׁל מַּכַּבִּי וְעוֹד.

אַגַּב, לָאִידֵאוֹלוֹגְיוֹת וּלְמִיתוֹסִים שֶׁהִתְבָּסֵסוּ בִּתְקוּפַת הֲקָמַת הַמְּדִינָה יֵשׁ זֵכֶר עַד הַיּוֹם בִּשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל גּוּפִּים גְּדוֹלִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ בַּנְק הַפּוֹעֲלִים, קְבוּצוֹת הַסְּפּוֹרְט שֶׁל הַפּוֹעַל, בֵּיתָר וְעוֹד.

שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְכוּלָּם חַג חֲנוּכָּה מֵאִיר וְשָׂמַח,

אסנת.

Happy Channukah to you all!

In honor of Channukah we are going to clarify just who were the Maccabeas and what is the 

connection between them and the sports team- Maccabi.

Everything begins from Mattityahu the elder, the patriarch of the Hasmonean dynasty who appointed Yehuda, his eldest son, to be the head of the rebellion. He was chosen because he was an outstanding military commander and therefore they gave him the nickname "Maccabi" which is another word for "hammer" because he was "akin to a hammer on the head of the enemy".   There is also an additional option as to why he received this nickname; the Romans changed his name from  יְהוּדָה הַמַּצְבִּיא (Yehuda the military commander) to יהוּדָה הָמָקַבִּי  (Yehuda 

the Maccabi) because the Romans changed the letter "צ" to "ק".

According to Yosef Ben Matityahu the significance of the name Maccabi " מְכַבֵּי" is an acronym for the phrase ""מִי כָּמוֹךָ בְּאַלִּים י' ; "Who is like you oh L-rd our G-d. "

During the years, the festival of Chanukkah has lessened in its magnitude; fewer and fewer Jews celebrate the festival. In the Diaspora Channukah would have almost disappeared but for two things- the first being the weighting that Christmas has now in American culture. It is because of this that American Jews are happy to embrace Channukah as a festive parallel (from here originates the custom of exchanging gifts on the nights of Channukah). The second reason comes from the establishment of the state of Israel on the basis of Jewish myths and warriors. Yehuda the Maccabi and his army became a symbol of the might of the Jews that in some place symbolized the small army of the young state of Israel versus the might of the Arab armies. The name "Maccabi" thus found itself in an honored place in Jewsih culture- Kupat Holim Macabbi, Maccabi sports teams and more.

Additionally, the ideologies and myths upon which the state of Israel was founded have lent their names to the major bodies in Israel such as Bank Hapoalim, Hapoel and Beitar sports teams and more.

May you all have a light and happy Channukah,

Osnat 

The exclusion of women from the social arena and the upcoming festival of Chanukah

If you can, scroll down and have a go at the Hebrew first and then take a look at the English. 

The exclusion of women from the social arena and the upcoming festival of Chanukah

In honor of Chanukah which is approaching speedily and because of the new conflict regarding the place of women in the public arena which is darkening the skies of Israel, I thought to write about the part of women in the miracle of Chanukah and their strength and place in the sources of Judaism.

Women are obligated in the commandment of lighting the lights of Chanukah, even though it is a time bound commandment (which women are normally exempt from). What is the reason behind this big change? "Even they were in the same miracle" (is the common answer). Seemingly this explanation is satisfactory but when we think about it, indeed women were a part of all the other miracles! What is so different (Ma Nishtana)?

On Chanukah, the festival of light and heroism in Judaism, we celebrate precisely the stories of heroic women that are found in our historical writings. You can include Yael, Deborah the prophetess, Queen Shlomozion and more however there are three main stories which bind the heroism of women and Channukah: Hannah the mother of the 7 sons, and Judith and Hannah the Hasmoneans (from the house of the High Priest, Yochanan). They were all women who jeopardized themselves and their dignity whilst using their feminism to save the people of Israel. (See this link for more details).

Regretfully, since then there has been a deterioration in respect and a new extreme attitude from the male population to women. From the exclusion of women from the Beit Midrash, study hall (Bruriah and the daughters of Rashi learnt Torah, Mishna and Talmud and even made public rulings- even in front of men) right through to pushing women from the public arena ("kosher" busses, the behavior of female singers and even death threats on the life of a women running for mayor of Jerusalem). The worst thing of all up until now is that women have accepted it with resignation.

Precisely today, in honor of Chanukah, it is fitting for us to look at what the women amongst us have contributed and are contributing to the people of Israel and to the Jewish state and to rejoice in the fact that they are brave and free as only women are able to be.

We have already talked about women and expulsion, the speech of women (or Kol Isha) and of Bruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir, here is a nice fable that teaches us about her character, that she was  sharp in mind and sharp in language:

'One day Rabbi Yosi the Gallilean was walking on the road, he found Bruria and asked:

"Which way does one take to go to Lod?"

She answered him: "Galliean fool! Did the sages not say not to engage in excessive conversations with women?"

He should have said (simply): "which to Lod"' (Eruvin 53b)

We will spread the light- Happy Chanukah to you all!

Osnat

הָדָרַת נָשִׁים מִן הַמֶּרְחָב הַצִּיבּוּרִי  וְחַג חֲנוּכָּה הַמִּתְקָרֵב

לִכְבוֹד חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה הַמִּתְקָרֵב אֵלֵינוּ בִּמְהִירוּת, וּבְעִקְבוֹת הַקּוֹנְפְלִיקְט הֶחָדָשׁ לְגַבֵּי מְקוֹמָן שֶׁל הַנָּשִׁים בַּזִּירָה הַצִּיבּוּרִית שֶׁזָּרַח בִּשְׁמִי הָאֶרֶץ, חָשַׁבְתִּי לִכְתּוֹב עַל חֶלְקָן שֶׁל הַנָּשִׁים בְּנֵס חֲנוּכָּה וְכוֹחָן וּמְקוֹמָן בַּמְּקוֹרוֹת הַיְּהוּדִיים.

נָשִׂים חַיָּיבוֹת בְּמִצְווֹת נֵר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה, אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁזּוֹהִי מִצְוָוה שֶׁהַזְּמַן גָּרְמָה. מָה הַסִּיבָּה לַשּׁוֹנִי הַגָּדוֹל? "אַף הֵן הָיוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַנֵּס". לִכְאוֹרָה הַהֶסְבֵּר מַנִּיחַ אֶת הַדַעַת, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁחוֹשְׁבִים עַל זֶה- הֲרֵי נָשִׁים הָיוּ חֵלֶק גַּם מִנִּיסִים אֲחֵרִים! אָז מָה יוֹם מִיּוֹמָיִים? (זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת: מָה נִשְׁתַּנָה?).

בַּחֲנוּכָּה, חַג הָאוֹר וְהַגְּבוּרָה הַיְהוּדִית, יֵשׁ הַמַּעֲלִים עַל נֵס (דֶּגֶל) דַּוְוקָא אֶת סִיפּוּרֵי הַגְּבוּרָה הָנָשִׁיים הַקַּיָּימִים בִּמְקוֹרוֹתֵינוּ. אֶפְשָׁר לִמְנוֹת אֶת יָעֵל, דְּבוֹרָה הַנְּבִיאָה, שׁלוֹמְצִיוֹן הַמַּלְכָּה וְעוֹד, אַךְ יֶשְׁנָם שְׁלוֹשָׁה סִיפּוּרִים עִיקָּרִיִּים הַנִּקְשָׁרִים לִגְבוּרַת הַנָּשִׁים וּלְחַג הַחֲנוּכָּה: חָנָה אִם שִׁבְעַת הַבָּנִים, יְהוּדִית וְחָנָה הָחָשׁמוֹנָאִית (בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁל הַכּוֹהֵן הַגָּדוֹל יוֹחָנָן). כּוּלָּן נָשִׁים שֶׁסִּיכְּנוּ אֶת עַצְמָן וְאֶת כְּבוֹדָן, תּוֹךְ שִׁימּוּשׁ בְּנָשׁיוּתָן, לְמַעַן הַצָּלַת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל.

לְצַעֲרִי, מֵאָז חָלָה הִדַּרְדְּרוּת וְהַקְצָנָה בְּיַחֲסָה שֶׁל הַחֶבְרָה הָגַבְרִית  לְנָשִׁים- מֵהָדָרָתָן שֶׁל הַנָּשִׁים מִבָּתֵּי הַמִּדְרָשׁ (בְּרוּרְיָה וּבְנוֹתָיו שֶׁל רָשִׁ"י לָמְדוּ תּוֹרָה מִשְׁנָה וְתַלְמוּד וְאַף דָּרְשׁוּ בְּרַבִּים- גַּם בִּפְנֵי גְּבָרִים וּפָסְקוּ הֲלָכָה), וְעַד לִדְחִיקָתַן מֵהַמֶּרְחָב הַצִּיבּוּרִי (הָאוֹטוֹבּוּסִים הַ"כְּשֵׁרִים", הִתְנַגְּדוּת לְשִׁירַת נָשִׂים, וְאִיּוּמִים עַל חַיֶּיהָ שֶׁל הַמִּתְמוֹדֶדֶת עַל רָאשׁוּת עִירִיַּית יְרוּשָׁלַיִם). הַנּוֹרָא מִכָּל הוּא שֶׁעַד עַכְשָׁיו הַנָּשִׁים קִיבְּלוּ זֹאת מִתּוֹךְ הַכְנָעָה.

וְדַוְוקָא הַיּוֹם, לְכָבוֹד חַג הַחֲנוּכָּה, כְּדַאי לָנוּ לִרְאוֹת מָה הַנָּשִׁים שְׁבֵינֶנוּ תָּרְמוּ וְתוֹרְמוֹת לְעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִמְדִינָה הַיְהוּדִית וְלִשְׂמוֹחַ עַל הֵיּוֹתַן חָופְשִׁיּוֹת וְאַמִּיצוֹת, כְּמוֹ שָׁרַק נָשִׁים יְכוֹלוֹת לִהְיוֹת.

וְאִם כְּבָר דִּיבַּרְנוּ עַל נָשִׂים וְהַדָרָתָן, וְעַל שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִישָּׁה (אוֹ "קוֹל אִישָּׁה") וְעַל בְּרוּרְיָה, אִישְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֵאִיר הַתַּנָּא- הִינָּהּ מִדְרָשׁ נֶחְמָד הַמְלַמֵּד קְצָת עַל אוֹפְיָה שֶׁל בְּרוּרְיָה, שֶׁהָיְיתָה חַדַת שֶׂכֶל וְחָדַת לָשׁוֹן:

"פַּעַם הָלַךְ רַבִּי יוֹסִי הַגְּלִילִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ, מָצָא אֶת בְּרוּרְיָה וְשָׁאַל:

בְּאֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ נֵלֵךְ לְלוֹד?

אָמְרָה לוֹ: גְּלִילִי שׁוֹטֶה! לֹא כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אַל תַּרְבֶּה שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִשָּׁה?

הֱיֵה לְךָ לוֹמַר "בְּאֵיזֶה לְלוֹד" (עֵירוּבִין נ"ג.).

שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְהָפִיץ אֶת הָאוֹר, חֲנוּכָּה שָׂמַח לְכוּלָּם!

אסנת

Heads or Tails?

Try and read the Hebrew. For English, scroll all the way down....

עץ או פָּלִי?

כָּל אֶחָד בְּעוֹלָם מַכִּיר אֶת זֶה: אַתָּה מִתְלַבֵּט מָה לַעֲשׂוֹת, שְׁתֵּי הָאֶפְשָׁרוּיּוֹת נִרְאוֹת טוֹב (אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא), וְאֵין שׁוּם דֶּרֶךְ לְהַחֲלִיט בֵּינֵיהֶן. בְּדִיּוּק בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה יָשְׁבוּ חַכְמֵי הָעוֹלָם וְעָלוּ עַל הַמְצָאָה גְאונִית- הַטָּלַת מַטְבֵּעַ.

לְכָל מַטְבֵּעַ יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי צְדָדִים (זוֹהִי גַּם אִימְרָה שְׁמַשְׁמָעוּתַה: לְכָל בְּעָיָה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי צְדָדִים), צַד אֶחָד וּבוֹ סֵמֶל כְּלָל לְאוּמִּי-תַּרְבּוּתִי, וְצַד שֵׁנִי וּבוֹ עֶרְכּוֹ שֶׁל הַמַּטְבֵּעַ בְּמִסְפָּר. בְּאַרְהַ"ב קוֹרְאִים לְהַטָּלַת הַמַּטְבֵּעַ "רֹאשׁ אוֹ זָנָב" (heads or tails) וּבְעִבְרִית "עֵץ אוֹ פָּלִי". מָה זֶה אוֹמֵר?

עֵץ הוּא הַצַּד שֶׁבּוֹ מְצוּיָּר הַסֵּמֶל. עַל מַטְבֵּעַ הַמִיל הָאָרֶץ יִשְׂרְאֵלִי מִתְּקוּפַת הַמַּנְדָּט הַבְּרִיטִי הָיָה צִיּוּר שֶׁל עָנָף עֵץ זַיִת- מוֹטִיב עַתִּיק הַמְסַמֵּל אֶת הַשָּׁלוֹם. בַּצַּד הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל הַמַּטְבֵּעַ הָיָה כָּתוּב "פַּלֵסְטִינַה א"י", וּבְקִיצּוּר : פָּלִי. 

וּמֵאָז, כָּל יֶלֶד שֶׁמַּטִּיל מַטְבֵּעַ יוֹדֵעַ כִּי עָלָיו לִבְחוֹר בְּאֶחָד הַצְּדָדִים, עֵץ אוֹ פָּלִי, אַךְ בְּלִי לָדַעַת בֶּאֱמֶת לְמָה הַכַּוָּונָה.

אַגַּב, בִּטְבֶרְיָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים "כּוֹס אוֹ נֶמֶר", כְּשֶׁהַכַּוָּונָה הִיא :

כּוֹס- הַצִּיּוּר שֶׁעַל הַמַּטְבֵּעַ (גָּבִיעַ) ,אוֹ נֶמֶר: הַהֲגִיָּיה הַטְּבֵרִיַנִית לַמִּילָּה הָאַנְגְּלִית number.

Etz or Pali?

Everyone in the world recognizes this: You are uncertain what to do, two options look good (or not) and there is no way of choosing between them. It was specifically for this that the wise men of the world met and came up with a genius plan- to toss a coin.

Every coin has two sides (This is where we get the saying: There are two sides to every problem), One side has an international/cultural symbol and the other, the numberical value of the coin. In America they call tossing the coin, "heads or tails" and in Hebrew "עֵץ אוֹ פָּלִי", Etz or Pali. What does this mean?

עֵץ meaning tree is the side upon which the symbol is drawn. On the Israeli Mil coin from the time of the British mandate there is a picture of an olive branch- an old motif symbolizing peace. On the second side of the coin it is written ""פלסטינה א"י and in short, "פָּלִי", Pali.

And since then, every child that tosses a coin knows that he has to choose one of the sides, Etz or Pali, without really knowing what it stands for.

Incidentally in Tiberius they would say "כּוֹס אוֹ נֶמֶר", Cup or nemer. The reason for this is that the symbol on their coin was a cup and "nemer" is the Tiberian pronunciation of the English word "number".

Hello one and all!

This week was a very stormy week. I'm not just talking about the large amount of rain that fell this week, rather additionally about the storm which was caused by the new "Slander law". What is this law and why has it been so stormy?

The new law dictates that anyone who writes false information, even if it doesn't cause substantial damage, will be obligated to pay the victim a minimum of 300,000 shekels. Many Journalists are fuming about the new law saying that it is "the silencing law" and that it is anti-democratic. Anti-democratic or not, the roots of this law are very ancient

Judaism has always maintained the creative force of words. The world itself is said to have been created by speech. Take the well known phrase " Abracadabra ". The word originates from the Hebrew Abara (I will create) , KeDabera (as is spoken) referring to the structure of creation in Genesis.

The status of words in the Hebrew language is more than just the things that leave one's mouth and evaporate into the air, rather that they create a new reality. During the Talmudic period, the Gemara, (Baba Metzia Tract), writes that "All who whiten the face of his fellow man publically (embarrass); it is as if he has spilt his blood". Jewish thought understands with great sensitivity the feelings of the embarrassed man and even more than this the power of words.

The Midrash Tehilim writes (120) "The tongue is compared to an arrow. Why? Because if a person draws a sword to kill his fellow man, the intended victim can beg for mercy and the attacker can change his mind and return the sword to its sheath. But an arrow, once it has been shot and begun its journey, even if the shooter wants to stop it, he cannot" (translated by Buber).

Words spoken about a man and even more so words written about a man are very strong and sometimes have the power to change reality. All this is so even if what is said is true, but if the statement is false, just think how much worse that is. And now the question remains, is 300,000 shekels enough to pay to a man whose life has been ruined because of a lie?