What Does Judaism Say About Abortion?

 Dear Tanta Golda,

I don’t wish to offend you, but I’m confused about what the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v Wade means to me as a Jew? I had an aunt who was raised in an Orthodox home who travelled to Mexico in the early 1960s to get an abortion because she and my uncle were told another pregnancy could kill her. (She’d had complications due to diabetes.) I can’t imagine her even contemplating this if Judaism said it was immoral, but I hear some people say that life begins at conception. Could you shed some light in these dark times?

Struggling Sympathizer

My darling Struggling. Oy, aren’t we all right now? I’m glad you’ve asked about this emotionally complex issue. Now, before some of my readers start wringing their hands, you are entitled to your personal beliefs. This article is taking on the Jewish view of abortion.

Not too surprisingly, the different streams of Judaism have somewhat different views about under what circumstances abortion is religiously acceptable. That being said, certain aspects of this question are agreed upon by ALL streams, from the most liberal to the most traditional.

1. Life does not begin at conception. You read that correctly. According to numerous rabbinic sources, life begins when the head of the child enters the world. Until that time, the fetus is considered another ‘limb’ of the mother, and therefore she has say over what she does to it. Just as you can decide whether or not to donate a kidney to your Aunt Sadie—even if your kidney is the only way to save her life. As further proof, the rabbis discussed in the Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 69b: “the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day.#” Science fiction movies not withstanding, water isn’t alive. According to another rabbinic text, a fetus is not even “viable” until the seventh month. But, even among Orthodox rabbis, being viable only gives the fetus “partial life,” which still does not trump the health and safety of the mother. If we only delved this far, we can see that the rabbis most certainly did not consider life beginning at conception.

Some have asked me, what about the child’s soul? According to Jewish belief, ensoulment is not a Halachic (Jewish law) issue since full human status in Judaism occurs only at the birth of a full-term baby. Which brings us to point number two.

2. Abortion is not murder. In this instance, let me point you to the Torah. Exodus 21:22-23, recounts a story of two men who are fighting and injure a pregnant woman, resulting in her subsequent miscarriage. The verse explains that if the only harm done is the miscarriage, then the perpetrator must pay a fine. The common rabbinic interpretation is that if the only harm is the loss of the fetus, it is treated as a case of property damage — not murder. However, if the pregnant person is gravely injured, the penalty shall be a life for a life as in other homicides. Notice the distinction. Causing the death of a living breathing woman is murder, but causing the termination of a pregnancy is not. *Some Orthodox believe that once a fetus has reached the end of the sixth month, see viability above, abortion is “possible” murder—unless the life of the mother is threatened.

Third term abortions are rare (<1%) and nearly always done for medical reasons.

3. If you were here—well first, I’d offer you a nosh—but once refreshed you might point out that science has come so far since the time of Rashi and Maimonides, we know more about fetal development. At some point, perhaps past the seventh month, doesn’t the fetus have rights? No, bubbeleh. The rabbis agree that until the child has fully emerged they are not considered a person. (Of course, as any beaming mother-to-be will tell you, without a doubt there’s a little person growing in them, but we are talking about saged, rabbinic rulings, not emotion.) To quote Mishnah, Ohalot 7:6 If the life of the mother is endangered by the fetus, “her life takes precedence over [the fetus’s] life.” This is an important point given the restrictions some states are imposing, or threatening to impose on those who can bear children. The life of the mother always takes precedence. Across all streams of Judaism. Always.

Now we get into grey areas where different streams of Judaism, even different rabbis within a stream interpret things, well, differently. Since, my dear reader, you’re likely Jewish, would you expect them all to agree?

I’m talking about if and when abortion is acceptable (Halachically) when the mother’s life isn’t in danger.

Most rabbis agree that abortion should not be used for convenience. To Tanta Golda, that seems like a very broad, and subjective term. But, equally subjective is when some rabbis say, ‘the mental health of the mother’ should be considered. All of which is to say, whatever position you take about abortion when it’s not saving the mother’s physical life, Judaism probably agrees with you.

Tanta Golda’s sources at My Jewish Learning have this to add, “There are Orthodox rabbinic sources that support abortion when a mother’s health is in danger even if her life is not at risk; when a fetus is conclusively determined to suffer from severe abnormalities; when a mother’s mental health is in danger; or when the pregnancy is the result of a forbidden sexual union. However, these rulings are not universally accepted,” and most cases should be judged on a case-by-case basis. *Some of these rabbinic sources are cited from another source in the first link below.*

And one last point, in Israel abortion is legal, and in many cases, even qualifies to be paid for by the State. Israel—where the Chief Rabbi is Orthodox, where all marriages must be religious marriages, where Reform Jews are viewed by some as apostates—that Israel, allows abortion. Just a little something to ponder.

To conclude, my Struggling dear one, we acknowledge that this is an important, emotionally fraught issue with few answers that work for everyone. Please, my readers, whatever your personal views, be kind to those who disagree with you.

Much love as you struggle with the tough questions, Tanta Golda

#40 days after she would have entered the mikvah, so 54 days from her last period.

If you wish to see where Tanta Golda sourced much of her information you can go here:
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/abortion
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/abortion-in-jewish-thought/
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/529077/jewish/Judaism-and-Abortion.htm

The Jewish Obligation to Get Vaccinated

Dear Tanta Golda,

The Board of our synagogue came out with a policy that will allow us to gather in person. Amend that--that will allow some of us to gather in person--provided they are vaccinated. They say this is based on Jewish ethics, but what did the sages of the Talmud know from vaccines?

Fear of Needles

Darling Needless,

In last week’s Torah portion, Ki Thetze, we are told: If a (person) builds a new house, then they shall make a parapet (low wall) for the roof so they will not bring blood (injury) on (or off) the roof. (Deut 22:8)

It does not say to build the parapet only to protect the old, or only if someone in your household has a pre-existing condition that might cause them to fall. It doesn’t give you an ‘out’ for being young and healthy. Everyone is commanded to build a parapet in order to prevent anyone from coming to harm.

I suppose the Torah could have said, if you are old or have a pre-existing condition, you should stay within your home so healthy people can express their freedom to enjoy the roof without restrictions, but it doesn’t. Why? Because in Judaism we are told to put the needs of the community at the forefront. When my niece, Geri, was teaching a class on Jewish ethics at Bet Sefer, the chapter on Pikuah Nefesh cited this Torah passage as an example of how important the rabbis felt our obligation to ‘save a soul’ e.g prevent bodily harm, was.

Pikuah Nefesh overrides all other ethical obligations. All of them. 

This Yom Kippur we will say the Vidui, the list of sins which we ask forgiveness. We aren’t told to say only the ones we are guilty of. We recite all of them, together, as a community because we are responsible for each other. By asking forgiveness for not only our own mis-steps, but those of our community members as well, we are holding each other up. It is the same reason we say the Mourners Kaddish only when we have a minyon (ten Jewish adults), and the reason we are told to rejoice with the bride and groom. Because in times of grief, in times of joy, we lift each other up, we watch out for each other.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, (CCAR) the oldest and largest rabbinic organization in North America, came out with a Responsa, a Jewish legal ruling, back in 1994 in response to the question of whether a Hebrew School could require students to be vaccinated. The ruling was a resounding, Yes. They cited the overriding obligation to protect the community. This April they issued a resolution in response to Covid-19 vaccine. It affirmed their 1994 ruling. https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-resolutions/central-conference-of-american-rabbis-resolution-on-the-covid-19-vaccination/

This is not just a liberal rant from a crochety old woman. There are centuries of rabbis standing behind me. We are stronger when we support each other, when we have each other’s backs. We do have to care for ourselves, but we must also care for others. As Hillel said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

Kol Tov, be well, stay healthy--TG

Must I Ask Forgiveness?

Dear Tanta Golda,

The rabbi told us that during the month of Elul we are supposed to go around and ask people to forgive us. I’m mostly a nice person, but to be honest, sometimes I say something when I’m angry that I didn’t mean. But they are just words, no big deal, right? And what about people I gossiped about behind their backs? They don’t know about it, so why should I upset them?

Coward, Trying to do Better.

My Darling Coward,

There is an ancient Jewish proverb that goes: Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands. Words, shmords, you say. How can they be worse than a smack across the face? Let me tell you a story about the time my cousin Maidle asked the rabbi the same question.

The rabbi of our humble little village was old and wise, as rabbis were back in the old country. (Now, many of them are young and wise.) He told Maidle to take one of her fine goose down pillows up to the roof of the tallest building in the shtel. Once she was there, she should rip it open and let the feathers free.

Having done that, she returned to the rabbi. “Nu? I destroyed one of my good feather pillows—one so soft it was like sleeping on a cloud—but I did what you asked and released the feathers. Now what?”

The rabbi nodded. “Now,” he said, “go gather all the feathers.”

My cousin Maidle was shocked. “Why, that will be impossible! They have blown into every nook and cranny of the village!”

The rabbi sat back in his chair and nodded sagely, as rabbis do. “Ah, now you see. Words are like feathers. Once they are out they are nearly impossible to take back fully.”

So, back to the proverb. While physically more aggressive, the sting of a smack fades fairly quickly, but words—words linger. Now you know why gossip is called lashon hara - evil tongue.

During Elul, we are required to seek out those we’ve wronged since last Rosh Hashanah and ask forgiveness. But, how we ask depends on the extent of the ‘damage’ done. If your words created negative consequences, say the person lost standing in the community or was fired from their job, or was embarrassed in front of the whole office, then you must ask them directly for forgiveness. But, even if there is no lasting harm, and you know the person will be understanding, you should still ask. Like when you yell at your child for dropping garbage next to the garbage can and leaving it there—for the nth time. Oy!

However, if informing the person that you spoke about them will result in embarrassment or hurt—like gossiping with Chana after services about the hideous dress Maidle wore when she gave her speech at last month’s Sisterhood lunch, then it is acceptable to ask for general forgiveness without going into details. In fact, the rabbis say, if informing the person of the deed would cause embarrassment, that itself would be cause for asking forgiveness again.

Words matter, but actions speak louder. Go forth and show those you’ve wronged with your loose tongue that you will aim to do better in the year to come.

Much love, TG

How Many Days Does One Sit Shiva?

 Dear Tanta Golda,

After a recent Friday night service, my friends and I got to talking about sitting Shiva. They both agreed that one sits Shiva for 7 days, but after my mother passed away, her rabbi told me that one only sits Shiva until Shabbat, so that if someone passed away on a Thursday, then you stopped sitting Shiva on Friday night. Who is right?

BB

Darling BB,

You hang out with brilliant people – one does indeed sit Shiva for seven days. Shiva literally means seven. I wonder if perhaps you’re confusing the prohibition of sitting Shiva on Shabbat with ending Shiva altogether. 

According to tradition, one does not sit Shiva on Shabbat – in fact Halacha (Jewish law) goes so far as to prohibit it, and specifies that mourners are to go to the synagogue in the first Shabbat following a loved one’s death.  (The Jewish Home) However, once Shabbat ends on Saturday evening, one returns to sitting Shiva. So, it may be that you misunderstood the rabbi’s instructions. In the aftermath of losing someone we are not always at our listening and comprehending best. And he may have presumed you knew this already and didn’t bother to explain further.

There are several holidays that also preempt the sitting of Shiva since the mitzvah of observing them supersedes everything else (except health and safety.) These holidays are: Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashannah, and Yom Kippur.  It is best to check with your rabbi for the specifics because it’s not as simple as it sounds.

All of this however does not mean that anyone expects your grief to just vanish. Judaism tries to balance the need for grieving with the importance of easing one’s way back into the world. The rabbis knew that without guidance, some people would become so distraught that they would wallow in their grief and forget to go on with life.

Judaism breaks mourning up into several periods after Shiva. They are: Sholoshim – the 30 day period after the funeral - one is supposed to return to work or school, but refrain from going to parties or other celebrations– who feels like going to a party so soon after a loss anyway? Next comes Shanah. For the eleven months following the funeral a mourner says kaddish daily. After eleven moths the family goes to the cemetery for the unveiling of the headstone. At this time one is supposed to go be ready to fully participate in life cycle events – including marriage. Personally, Tanta Golda couldn’t see being ready to get re-married after eleven months, but then again, she is blessed with a very happy marriage. 

I hope that it is a long time until you need to sit Shiva again

Much love - TG

Do Jews Use Letters for Numbers--or Aleph-Bet Math?

 Dear Tanta Golda,

I’ve heard that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet also stand for numbers. How does this work? I mean if I want two fish do I ask for bet dag? How would I write the number 21? 

A budding Hebrew scholar

Scholar, Oye, a mother’s dream, a Hebrew scholar…well okay, a Hebrew scholar who’s a doctor, for this I’d kvell!

You ask such a wonderful question! Yes, each letter has a numeric value. However, you must bear in mind that any family letters share the same value. This means that both bet בּ and vet ב are symbolic of the number 2, pey פּ and fey פ are both worth 80, and shin שׁ and sin ש 300. Final letters have the same value as their non-final counterparts (mem מ and final mem ם are both worth 40) The numeric  values go from 1 (aleph א) to ten (yud י), then increase by tens (kaf כ is 20, lamed ל 30) until 100 (kof ק) with the rest going up in increments of 100. For a chart you can go to: www.jewfaq.org/alephbet.htm This is at Judaism 101, a wonderful site for many of your Judaic questions.

When written this way they have a cumulative value. That is to write the number 21 you would write from right to left kaf aleph - 20+1. You would not just write bet aleph. Usually the number with the highest value is written first, followed by the number of the next highest value, and so on. So, 248 - the number of positive mitzvot that God gave us - is written רמח resh mem chet  200+40+8. (There are two exceptions to the rule of using the letters of the highest value when writing numbers: 15 & 16 are written with as 9+6 and 9+7 respectively, since using the highest possible value letters - 10+5 & 10+6 would each be a name of God.)

 In modern Hebrew even in erezt Yisrael (the land of Israel) the decimal system of Hindu-Arabic numerals (1,2,3) are used. Hebrew numbers are used mainly for writing the days and years of the Hebrew calendar (not the secular one we all use), for references to Jewish texts, for numbering lists - much in the same way we use Roman numerals, and in numerology. You may notice in many Tanachs that the line references use the aleph-bet number system.

Now my scholar, you asked about how you would ‘ask’ for two fish. For speaking counting numbers are used. For example: Ehad - one (you may remember hearing this in the Shema) shenayim - two, shelosha - three. If you ever sang ehad a mi o deya  in Hebrew during Passover, you sang these numbers!

Now, there is a system of Jewish mysticism called the Gematria which delves into the ‘hidden’ meaning of words based on their numerical value. Tanta Golda isn’t going to go into this other than to point out that the letters in the word ‘chai’ - life, are chet yud which added together are 18. This is why many gifts are given in denominations of 18!

And, while you didn’t ask, the number 13 has no negative connotation in Jewish tradition. Thirteen is the age of B’nei mitzvah, we have Rambam’s 13 principles, and the 13 attributes of Mercy are mentioned in Exodus!

Keep up your scholarly pursuits! Love - TG

Why Some Jews Keep Baby Names Secret

Dear Tanta Golda,

In a few short weeks, our Rabbi and his wife are going to be blessed with their first child. One of my friends asked why the rabbi was being so tight-lipped about baby names. One of the members of my Havurah said it had to do with Lilith. Is this true, and who is this Lilith?

Lilith Ponderer

Dear Pondering One,

First, I wish the parents to be all the best for an easy delivery and a healthy birth!

Now for your question. When it comes to pre-birth preparations and baby naming in Judaism we have a mixture of traditions and superstitions. Their genesis is not much of a mystery. It estimated that at the turn of the 20^th century (1900) 10%, or 10 of every 100, children in the US died in their first year of life. Tanta Golda isn’t quite that old, but she suspects that infant mortality rates were even higher during the Middle Ages when many of these superstitions were born. Infant mortality was a way of life. Worried parents then, as now, searched for ways to protect their precious ones.

The tradition arose in Judaism not to name a child—which included not sharing the name with friends—until the 8^th day, when boys are traditionally circumcised during a Brit Milah and entered into the covenant. Girls, meh, they were named at Temple on the Shabbat after their birth.

Some say the naming tradition is based on the bubbe meises (old wives tale) that if the name is made public too soon some evil force or another would claim the child’s life. Tanta Golda has found that fingers are pointed to not one, but three culprits: The Angel of Death, a vague evil eye spirit, and Lilith.

Now, it came as a surprise to Tanta Golda to learn in her advanced years that some expectant parents go so far as to shun purchasing anything for the wee one in advance, which also means they don’t have a baby shower or set up the nursery prior to the birth. All to avoid BAD THINGS happening. Does it work? It is not Tanta Golda’s place to argue with her rabbi, but she was eager to set up her own nursery before her children came into the world and shared potential names with anyone foolish enough to ask. In spite of her blatant disregard for tradition, both her marvelous children were born healthy and argue with her like the scholars she raised them to be.

Where does this mysterious Lilith come into this you ask? There is a midrash that Adam had a wife before Eve. The midrash claims this is the reason there are two versions of Creation in the Torah. It is said that Lilith was created at the same time as Adam—not from his rib later on. She argued with Adam that since they were created at the same time, they were equal in all things. When Adam said, “You lie under me.” She replied, “No, you lie under me.” She shared her opinions freely, and in general, didn’t scrape and bow to Adam’s every whim. Adam complained to Hashem that Lilith was difficult, and Hashem nixed Lilith. This did not make Lilith happy and now she is said to roam the world killing newborn babies. Many pregnant Jewish women will wear an amulet or hang one over their infant’s cribs to ward off Lilith.

The name Lilith stems from the same root as lila, evening, and she is said to do most of her mischief at night. There are a number of other salacious tales about Lilith’s evil ways, but they don’t relate to your question.

Your rabbi is merely being a protective father-to-be. We wish them all the best.

Love as always, TG

Illegitimacy in Judaism - is it still a thing?

Dear Tanta Golda,

Our rabbi gave a talk recently about “Who is a Jew?” and the word Mamzer came up. He apologized and said that this would have to be the topic of another lecture. The best I could gather was that is meant ‘bastard’, as in illegitimate. Is this really a thing in Judaism? Could you explain?

Paternally Perturbed

My Dearest Perturbed,

While secular society in the United States has matured, and illegitimate children are no longer ostracized as they once were, your question deals with halachah - Jewish ritual law.

According to halachah, a mamzer or “illegitimate” child is one born from an incestuous relationship or adultery and such offspring are forbidden to marry almost all other Jews, “except for other mamzerim and for proselytes.” (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 72b) Isn’t that nice, converts are allowed to marry the forbidden. Now to clarify: a mamzer is not a bastard born out of wedlock. A person is halachcally illegitimate only if conceived in an act of incest or adultery. 

Reform Judaism doesn’t spend too much time worrying about this, “since it is morally repugnant to place such a crushing stigma upon a child whose only ‘crime’ was to be to his or her parents.” (Jewish Living, Washofsky)

However, we do not live in a world of Reform Jews and Reform halachah alone so there are some factors you should be aware of. First, (Jewish) traditional law does not recognize civil divorce, so a Jewish woman who doesn’t go through a bet din and get a religious divorce before remarrying, is still considered legally married to her previous husband. Therefore, any children of her second marriage would be considered mamzerim.  If these children later decide to marry a traditionally observant Jew, they will find they cannot. This becomes an even greater issue if they move to Israel, where the law of divorce is overseen by the Orthodox rabbinate for all Jews, regardless of their level of observance. 

Now my darling, don’t fret too much, they won’t see your marriage as legitimate in any case, unless overseen by an Orthodox rabbi. So, since your Reform marriage was never a legitimate one in the first place, there’s no need to obtain a get (Jewish divorce) and any children born of a second marriage are not therefore the product of adultery. Isn’t that a relief!

Tanta Golda’s point is, the status of mamzer is an issue for the Orthodox, an issue if you wish to marry someone who is, or if you wish to live in Israel. Hopefully the day will soon come when Reform marriages, conversions, and divorce are recognized in Eretz Yisrael. 

Love as always,

TG

Another Bar Mitzvah? Why at 83?

Dear Tanta Golda,
Recently the dad of a friend of mine had a ‘second’ bar mitzvah. I didn’t know this was a thing. Why would someone want to go through all that again?
Bemused

Darling Bemused,

Come here and let me pinch your cheek. Being called to the Torah as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah shouldn’t be seen as some onerous chore, though at 12-13 most of us did feel that way. Trust me, when it is something you yourself are choosing to do, it’s a different story.

Now to answer your question. In the Pirkei Avot- the Ethics of the Fathers, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Tema states that 70 is considered a "ripe old age.” In Psalm 90, Moses says that “the measure of a life is 70 years.” So, if one has the good fortune to live past this age it is as if they are given a second life. By starting at 70 and adding 13, one gets to 83. This is where the age of a second bar mitzvah comes from.

Now there are those who like to point out a) you become a bar mitzvah at 13, whether or not you are called to the Torah. (12 if you are a girl, we advance so much earlier.) 
b) one should be living a life of Torah from that point on, so the idea of a second bar mitzvah is mishegos. — Some people take all the joy out of symbolism.

What these points don’t take into account the spiritual re-connection that this being called for a second bar/bat mitzvah evokes. Any chance to re-connect with one’s Judaism should be honored and a cause for celebration.

As my friends at aish.com say so eloquently: May we all merit to live that long!

Tanta Golda

Rice, Corn, Beans...Kosher for Passover or not?

Dear Tanta Golda,

I went to a Seder a few days ago and my hostess was shocked that I had put peas and baby corn into the salad I brought. Peas don't rise, what's the deal?
Pensive and Confused

Dearest Pensive,
Oy! This is a question that comes my way every year. If you know anything about Jews, you know there's no straight forward answer.

The Torah specifically prohibits five grains: wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt. That's it. Period. End of discussion. Or is it?

Well, as is typical, certain rabbis felt this wasn't stringent enough. Apparently they they didn't feel they were experiencing the deprivations of the exodus enough. Or maybe they felt their wives had it too easy in the kitchen. Whatever the case - they determined that the list of restricted foods should be larger.

Now, this list of 'extras' various depending on where you trace your ancestry from. Ashkenazi Jews typically also avoid peas - in fact any legume, corn, rice, and sometimes peanuts. These items are referred to as Kitniyot (translated as ‘small things’ )

Sephardim - those who trace their lineage to northern Africa, Israel, or the Iberian Peninsula, have somewhat less stringent prohibitions. Corn and peas may be eaten after being thoroughly checked. Some eat rice, some don't. (as always - if these things are important to your observance, check with your rabbi to see what is acceptable in your community)

Why you may ask? Tanta Golda has been told two possible reasons:

All of the above can be ground into a flour and someone walking by might think you were eating chametz. Apparently the rabbis were afraid of what the neighbors might think and weren't on good enough terms to explain the confusion. Holier-than-thou oneupmanship at its silliness.

Reason number two is that these items were/are often stored near the forbidden items during the rest of the year and might have picked up some minute bits of chametz so that when they are cooked, you would also be ingesting chametz. Really? Only these items might have picked up chametz? Why so selective? Why not just ban everything in the pantry? Such mishegos.

Tanta Golda was very pleased to see that this year two groups agreed with Tanta Golda and ruled that both Ashkenazim and Sephardim should be permitted to eat rice, corn, and kitniyot during Pesach. These groups were the Responsa Committee of the Reform Jewish Movement, and the Responsa Committee of the Israeli Conservative Movement. For more information on the foundation of their decisions you should check out this article.

Passover Food Restrictions Explained

In the end, you should do what your heart says is right when observing Pesach. Me, I'm going to follow the Torah, eat peas and snack on popcorn.

Chag Semeach!
TG

Can You Kabbala?

Dear Tanta Golda,
I recently attended a Tu B’Shevat seder and the Rabbi mentioned the Kabbalists. So, I got to wondering: just what is the Kabbalah? And - is it true that your are supposed to be 40 before your study it?

Curious Questioner

Dearest Questioner,
 An excellent question - especially as we get closer to he holiday of the ‘hidden’ - Purim.
The Kabbala is considered the ‘mystical’ side of Judaism. Now, don’t start thinking crystal balls, turbans and incense. Nor does it imply anything dark or sinister. Rather it is a search for ‘hidden’ inner meaning.

Let me backtrack a little. Most of the Kabbala is found in the Zohar which was ‘revealed’ in the thirteenth century by Moses De Leon. Leon claimed that the Zohar was actually his compilation of rabbinic writings from older sources, especially second century rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. Most scholars think Leon embellished this link to give the Zohar more ancient credibility. Today, mysticism is an integral part of Chasidic Judaism, and the Kabbala is often cited as source material for passages in their prayerbooks.

Now, Tanta Golda has never studied Kabbala herself, so she has relied on her trusted sources to help answer your question. Perhaps the best definition for Kabbalah comes from Tzvi Freeman at chabad.org. He describes it this way: Inside your body breathes a person—a soul. Inside the body of Jewish practice breathes an inner wisdom—the soul of Judaism…
The discovery of this inner wisdom is Kabbala.

Another name for Kabbalah is “Torat ha-Sod.” Commonly mistranslated as “the secret teaching.”
Kabbalah is not a secret teaching. It is the teaching of a secret. Freeman goes on to explain:
“The secret teaching” means that we are trying to hide something from you.
“The teaching of the secret” means that we are trying to teach something to you, to open up and reveal something hidden.

Why should the student of Kabbala be at least 40? Because, by that time one is considered to have attained the maturity to fully understand the questions and answers inherent in its study. In practice, people younger than 40 have studied Kabbala, but only after the person teaching them determined that they possessed the requisite level of maturity. Kabbala purists say that it is something to be studied one-on-one with a well learned teacher, not something to be consumed en masse in a university course, or through ‘popular’ literature.

Does Tanta Golda believe this? Meh. Does her opinion matter? You get to make this determination. Let me close with this anecdote:

Tracey R Rich, with jewfaq.org, cites one Orthodox man, who when introducing a speaker on the subject of Jewish mysticism, said basically, "it's nonsense, but it's Jewish nonsense, and the study of anything Jewish, even nonsense, is worthwhile.”

Be well my kindeleh! Keep sending in your questions to TantaGolda@gmail.com

Don't Know Much About Sukkot

Dear Tanta Golda,

I noticed that September is chock-full of holidays this year. Our congregation holds a Shabbat under the sukkah, but I’m embarrassed to attend because my family didn’t do anything with this holiday when I grew up, so I don’t know much about Sukkot. Why are people so excited about eating in this shack?

Shamefully Stumped

Dear Stump,

Sukkot is both a biblical holiday (mentioned in the Torah) and an agricultural one.

Sukkot is also called the Feast of Ingathering. It is one of three agricultural holidays in our tradition (the others being Passover & Shavuot) and it takes place at the conclusion of the fall harvest. These three holidays are also called the pilgrimage holidays, when during the time the Temple stood in Jerusalem, every man was obligated to go to Jerusalem with an thanks offering. It’s only good manners: good crop - thank you Hashem.

In Leviticus 23: 42-43 we are instructed: You shall dwell in sukkot seven days, every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkot, so that your descendants shall know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. That’s right, there were no Motel 6s or Holiday Inns when the Israelites fled Egypt, so they build temporary shelters-sukkot (booths).

Since the sukkot that the Israelites built were temporary, the ones we build are meant to be too. Some of the walls may be permanent, so it is not unusual that they are built against one side of a house (or Temple). The other walls may be bamboo, canvas, even highly decorated plywood! The roof however, must be temporary. While you can construct it to provide more shade than light, it must allow those inside to see the stars at night. Quite often people will use branches or bamboo poles. To commemorate the agricultural nature of the holiday, the inside is often decorated with fruits and vegetables. 

Traditionally, you must eat all of your meals in the sukkah during the seven day festival, weather permitting. Some families even sleep in theirs. Tanta Golda’s congregation tries to provide the opportunity for its members to eat at least one meal in the sukkah with their annual pot luck Shabbat. 

It is also customary to welcome the spiritual ushpizin (guests) that accompany every Jew into the sukkah. According to the Kabbala they are the seven shepherds of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. Think of them as the Jewish equivalent of your guardian angels. (Make sure you build your sukkah large enough to accommodate them all!)

The Torah also commands us to: take for yourselves...the fruit of a hadar (beautiful) tree (an etrog), the branch of the palm trees, a bough from the "avot" tree, and willows of the stream...these last three species make up the lulav. You are supposed to hold all four of these items together and shake them in six directions: up, down, east, west, north, south - representing that G-d is everywhere. You may also notice that the shaking of the lulav mimics the sound of rain, once again that agricultural tie in! In an arid place like the land of Israel, (or much of California) rain is very important!

There is symbolic significance given to the four species, but Tanta Golda will address them another day.

Keep sending TG your questions: TantaGolda@gmail.com

Brit Milah - Welcome to the Covenant Little One!

Amazon reviewed Brit Milah Pillows   The New Jewish Baby Book

Dear Tanta Golda,
A young couple in our Temple recently had a baby boy. I’ve been invited to the Bris or Brit, but I don’t know quite what to expect. Is there something I will be asked to do?
Bashfully Baffled

Dear Bashful,
What a blessing, a new life!

A bris or brit is short for berit milah (covenant of circumcision) and refers to the religious ritual through which boy babies are formally welcomed into the Jewish community. It is pronounced bris by many Ashkenazi Jews, and brit by Sephardic Jews, and in eretz Israel. 

Brit milah is the oldest Jewish ritual, established nearly 4,000 years ago. However, Jews were not the first people to engage in the rite of circumcision, many ancient cultures practiced it. Even today, a number of tribal people in Africa and elsewhere practice it, as do many Muslims. Remember, Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael once HaShem told him of the commandment.

In Genesis 17 God says to Abraham: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And throughout the generations, every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days. (For a brief history of the Reform view of circumcision click here)

Now to answer your question about what happens, etc.
Brit milah is performed on the 8^th day after birth - even if it falls on Yom Kippur or Shabbat! That should tell you how important this ritual is. Only health of the newborn would delay this mitzvah. A minyan of ten Jews is desirable, but not essential.

Traditionally, the ceremony begins with a processional, where the baby is carried in on a pillow by the kvater* or kvaterin*. Those present say: Baruch haba (Blessed be he who comes). They child is then handed off to the sandak* who is seated at the chair of Elijah. The child is either placed on a table, or held on the pillow in the sandek’s lap and the sandek holds him while the mohel performs the circumcision.  Brit Milah Pillows

The mohel says a blessing before performing the circumcision - Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al hamilah - Blessed are you Adodai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes us holy with mitzvah commanding us concerning circumcision.

Following the circumcision the parents say: Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hachniso biv’rito shel Avraham avinu - Blessed are you Adodai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes us holy with mitzvah and commanding us to enter our son into the covenant of Abraham our father.

All present respond: Just as he has entered the covenant, may he likewise embark upon a life blessed with Torah, marriage, and good deeds.

The mohel or parents then say the kiddush and a the baby’s is given his Hebrew name. The person reciting the kiddush drinks the wine, as does the baby. How is this possible Tanta Golda, you ask.  A small piece of cloth is dipped in the wine and given to the child to suck on. Alternatively, a few drops of wine are placed on the child’s lips. The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies & Customs-A Guide for Today's Families

Traditionally a seudat mitzvah - festive meal follows, and the parents and child are cooed over. Okay, that last bit is Tanta Golda’s minhag, but really, who wouldn’t coo?

*Kvater, kvaterin, & sandek all translate as godfather/godmother. The kvater/kvaterin is a ceremonial position, while the sandek is the one who is considered by many to be the one who promises the parents to raise the child in the Jewish faith if some ill should befall them.

Thank you for your excellent question. Many the family enjoy much mazel!
Tanta Golda

For rituals surrounding the birth of a daughter, please check out Naming Ritual for Girls by clicking the blue link.

L'shalom vs B'shalom: What's the Big Deal?

 Dear Tanta Golda,

Recently a friend of mine from Temple signed off her email to me with L’shalom. Another friend uses B’shalom. What's the translation for L'Shalom? Why do we use it?

Raising my Lexicon

My Dear Lex,

This is a hotly discussed topic in some circles. As you may know, Hebrew often attaches small words that we call prepositions or conjunctions as prefixes to words. For example:  Ha as a prefix means the, L' means to or towards. B' means in or with. You will have seen/heard them used like this: b’yad: (by the) hand, hagafen: (the) vine, l’chayim: (to) life.

So l'shalom means towards peace; b'shalom in peace. Now you might be saying to yourself, “But they seem so similar, what’s the rub?” An excellent question, and one that leads to many people using them incorrectly.

Apparently, for a variety of reasons, b'shalom is reserved for the dead, as in: May her soul go b'shalom--in peace. There are several passages in Torah where b’shalom is used in referencing the dead, or more specifically when addressing someone you wish were dead. Sort of like, “Go to hell!” It would seem that when Joseph’s brothers sold him off to traders they used the phrase b’shalom: they wished him dead.

L'shalom is used when addressing the living--may you go towards peace. Doesn't that sound nice? The Talmud, in Berachos 64a, explains that a living person must always seek to grow spiritually and keep from stagnating. Therefore, they should go towards peace: keep working at it. A dead person however, remains at whatever spiritual level they attained in their lifetime.

So, when speaking to your friends it is gracious to say l’shalom. If they are your enemies...well it is best just to keep it to yourself! 

In re-checking my answer for you I found that a more common sign off is "kol tuv", meaning 'be well'.

Kol tuv!

Tanta Golda

Parsha - Is it a Partial Reading?

amazon reviewed Torah Scrolls  Tanakh Torah Commentary

Dear Tanta Golda,

I just attended a Bar Mitzvah and the young man kept using the word parsha. What is a parsha? Is it a single chapter of the Torah? Just a few paragraphs? More?

Partially Perplexed

Dearest Partial,

A very good question, and not so simple to answer. (It’s Judaism, would you expect less?) But, let’s start with a little background.

Public reading of the Torah was established by Ezra the Scribe in the 8^th century. Before then, only certain sections were read to the masses on a few select festival days. Ezra felt that it would be good for the people to be touched by the words of the Torah far more frequently. He set Monday, Thursday, and Saturdays as the days for public reading. Why those days? Saturday was/is Shabbat, and Monday & Thursdays were market days,when large numbers of merchants etc came into the city. Who doesn’t love a crowd? He also said that this way people would go no more than 3 days without hearing Torah. Torah Scrolls

The Torah as you know, contains five books, with a total of 187 chapters. These are divided into 54 portions or Parshot (singular=parsha). *50 in a leap year, which means some doubling up! 

Now, there are two ways to read through the Torah: annually - as is done at Tanta Golda’s Temple-where the entire Torah is read over the course of a year. The annual cycle originated in Babylon, and is followed by the majority of Jews.

A second way is a triennial cycle - where each parsha further divided into thirds (for a total of 155 parshot). The first third of each traditional parsha is read one year, the middle third the second year, and the final third during the third year. By this method it takes 3 years to completely read the Torah. This cycle originated in Palestine during the Rabbinic period (70-500 CE). Some among the Conservative stream follow the triennial cycle.

Parshot vary considerably in length. In the annual cycle, the shortest is 30 lines. The longest 150 lines. A few are a single chapter, several are 6 chapters, but the average seems to be 3-4 chapters in length. Tanakh

Traditionally, each Parsha is begun during the afternoon service on Saturday, with a little read on Monday & Thursday, and completed on the following Saturday morning. 

Now, if your congegation is small like Tanta Golda’s, you probably don’t have Torah readings during the week. If that is the case, quite often the rabbi will chose which part of the week’s parsha to read on Shabbat morning. At Tanta Golda’s Temple we encourage our bar/bat mitzvah students to choose a section from their parsha that is meaningful to them. However, this is the exception, not the rule for how Torah is read. Torah Commentary

I hope your young man did a wonderful job with his reading!

It is a Tree of Life for all hold fast to it - Tanta Golda

amazon reviewed Torah Scrolls  Tanakh Torah Commentary

Do You Light Yahrzeit Candles on Passover?

Find at amazon:Yahrzeit candles Yarhzeit candle holders

My Darlings,

It has come to my attention that many of you are wondering if/when one should light a Yahrzeit  candle on Passover. The short answer - Yes!

Yahrzeit candles are also supposed to be lit whenever a Yiskor (remembrance) service is said in synagogue. This would be, Yom Kippur, and the last day of the three pilgrimage holidays: Shemini Atzeret (the 8th day of Sukkot), Passover, and Shavuot.

Remember my quizative ones, Jewish 'days' begin at sundown of the previous day (according to our secular-everyday- calendar). So, for Pesach you will light the Yahrzeit candle at sundown the evening before the final day of Passover. If you are Reform or live in Israel and celebrate the holiday for 7 days, this will be after sundown on April 20th 2014. If you are Orthodox or Conservative and observe Pesach for 8 days, you will light your candle(s) on the evening of April 21st 2014.

Now don't fret if you forget the evening before. It is still permissible (among all streams of Judaism) to light the candle the following day if you have forgotten.

Here is a link to find the candle lighting times in your area. There is even a mobile app if your phone is smarter than you are!

If you have more questions, please feel free to leave me a comment and I'll be glad to respond!

May you have fond memories of sharing Pesach with your departed loved ones.

Tanta Golda

Find at amazon:Yahrzeit candles Yarhzeit candle holders

Are Locusts Kosher?

Dear Tanta Golda,
I was reading in the news that in early March, 30 million locusts invaded Egypt and have since then migrated to Israel. Are locusts kosher? If so, are they meat or dairy? Can I eat them with ice cream? 
Creeped Out But Curious

Dear Creepy,
What planning by those locusts - just in time for Pesach! Apparently this is an annual occurrence, they just happen to be more abundant than usual this year.

Leviticus 11 states that all things that creep on the ground, and all winged swarming things, including insects, are not kosher - with the exception of those with jointed legs above their feet which they use to leap upon the earth. The Torah specifically enumerates: locusts, the cricket, and the grasshopper as being okay. Now darling, there are some rabbis who say since we can’t know exactly which types of locust the Torah was referring to, it is advisable to avoid eating them altogether so as not to risk eating the non-kosher variety. (Like anyone would need to tell Tanta Golda not to eat locust, uch - so...crunchy!)

However, according to Tanta Golda’s Pentateuch, it says: the locust after its kinds…(Lev. 11:22) That seems to me to include all locusts. But, what do I know?

Locusts, like fish, are considered parve (neutral), so neither strictly meat nor dairy. That means bubbelah, that you can go right ahead and sprinkle locusts all over the top of your ice cream sundae!

Have a joyous Passover, may your matzah balls be fluffy, and your locusts...oy.

Love, Tanta Golda

Hamsa - What Does it Mean? Where Does it Come From?

amazon reviewed Hamsa Hand of Fatima

Dear Tanta Golda,

My friend and I were comparing Hamsa necklaces the other day, and we wondered – why is it a Jewish symbol? What does it mean? How could we be wearing something without knowing what it stands for?

Hopelessly Hung Up on my Hamsa

Dear Hung Up,

Ah, symbolism! For those darlings who don’t know what we are talking about, a Hamsa looks like a funky hand. Funky, because typically the ‘thumb’ and ‘pinky’ on a hamsa are symmetrical (the same). If you look at yours, you’ll notice they most certainly are not! Hamsa are worn as jewelry, hung on walls, even decorate religious books.

This symbol can be found throughout the Middle East, and its original origins may pre-date monotheism. However, in its present form, it would appear to come from Islam where it is a symbol of good luck and often referred to as ‘the hand of Fatima’. What? You say, a Jewish symbol comes from Islam? Yes dear, get over it. Things were not always so contentious in the holy land. Hand of Fatima

    The Arabic and Hebrew words for “five” khamsa/hamesh are very similar, and where the symbol gets its name. In Judaism it is said that the five fingers represent the Five Books of Moses, though others say it represents the hand of God, and in kabbalistic manuscripts it often doubles as the letter shin standing for the first letter of the divine name Shaddai.

The hamsa is said to protect against the ‘evil eye’, a look that brings bad fortune. Additional protection is offered by other symbols added to the hamsa. Some common ones are a blue eye; the letters chet-yud for chai- life; a Star of David; or fish – which are thought to be symbols of luck themselves. Hamsa

    The hamsa became more popular as interest in the Kabbala grew in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

    Tanta Golda thinks it is wonderful when a symbol unites cultures, instead of separating them! Perhaps when more of us wear them, there will indeed be peace in the Middle East.

amazon reviewed Hamsa Hand of Fatima