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

Satan in Judaism-playing devil's advocate

Dear Tanta Golda,

At our book club meeting this month, one of my friends brought up this interesting question: If Adonai is perfect, how could he have created Satan, the embodiment of evil? We don’t talk about Satan much in Judaism, so we were at a bit of a loss. Can you help?

Bookishly Bewildered

My dear Bookworm,

Ah, when a bunch of scholars get together such interesting questions arise!

To begin with, not wanting to hurt your friend’s feelings, he is basing his premise on two fallacies. The first is the misconception that Jews believe Adonai is infallible. This is Christian dogma, not necessarily Jewish. Now, I’m not saying that Jews believe God goes around making mistakes at the drop of a hat. But let me make two points.

First, let us look at two prayers which are said everyday that heap praise on God. Avot: “The great, mighty and awesome God, supreme God...Sovereign, helper, rescuer, and shield...” Kaddish: “Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, magnified, and adored…” 

Nowhere in this litany does it saw “perfect, infallible, unerring, or faultless”.  I mean, wouldn’t you think that would be in there somewhere?

Second, if Adonai were unerring, why would God have remorse after the flood? “Tanta Golda, She did?” Yes! That is why She made a convent with Noah, sealed with the rainbow. Another example - the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. If God were unerring, would Abraham have stood a chance in ‘negotiating’? Wouldn’t God know whether the whole city was bad,or if there were fifty or ten good people within? And what about Lilith-God’s direct creation...

Now, the big question: Satan

My darling nephew Ethan wrote a paper for college (such a smart boy) about Satan in the Bible, and I’m going to use his research to help answer your question.  Believe it or not, the Torah does not mention Satan, at least not as the evil being that seeks the downfall of Humankind.

The original Hebrew term Satan is a verb that means “to oppose or obstruct” it is often found with the article “ha-” which translates to “the”. Ha-Satan appears thirteen times in the Masoretic Text, a word specific version of the Tanakh. The Masoretic Text/Tanakh includes not only the Torah (Jewish Bible), but also writings of prophetic scholars, and selected other Jewish stories. In it, ha-satan appears 3 times in Zechariah and 10 in Job. It appears another ten times without the article “the” elsewhere, and it is more often than not translated as ‘opposer’ or ‘adversary’.

For example, in the story of Baalam and his ass going off to curse the Israelites- Numbers 22:22 “God's anger was kindled because he (Balaam) went; and the angel of the LORD placed himself in the way for an adversary (לְשָׂטָן-l’satan) against him.” Here we see an angel acting as an adversary of Balaam at Godʼs command. Hardly the fallen angel, evil, soul-sucking, tempter of the Christian Bible.

In fact, out of the twenty-three different times that the word satan or ha-satan is used in the Jewish texts, not one time do they mean devil. Where did this concept come from? Honestly the answer in brief: mistranslations by the Greeks and other scholars along the centuries.

Thank you for your wonderful question! Much love and Happy Hannukah - TG

Shabbat Candles: Whys & How tos

Dear Tanta Golda,

My friend was given the honor of lighting the candles at Temple recently and we began to wonder about some of the customs about lighting the candles, like covering the eyes, the swooping motion with the hands. And, while we’re at it, why DO we cover the challah?

Sheepishly Ignorant About Shabbat

My darling Lamb, you ask wonderful questions!

I’d like to begin by differentiating between what we are required to do and what have become ‘traditions’. 

On Shabbat, one is commanded “to kindle the light of Shabbat”, and to “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” (sanctify it). That’s it. (Well, not counting the 39 labors prohibited on Shabbat.) Everything else we do is tradition - even if you don’t live in a village with a fiddler.

Let’s begin with the lighting of the candle(s), since this is how we bring in Shabbat. Did you notice above I quoted “ light of Shabbat”, as in a single lamp or candle? However, it is a widespread custom to light at least two since the the commandment to observe Shabbat comes up twice in the Torah. There is nothing that says one can’t light more than this, and some families have the tradition of lighting a candle for each woman in the family.

The blessing over the candles signals the beginning of Shabbat. Now my darling, all of Tanta Golda’s sources stipulate that we always recite blessings just before we do an act. However, the laws of Shabbat prohibit us from kindling fire on Shabbat, so how can one follow both? By being just a wee bit sneaky. One closes their eyes and or places their hands between their eyes and the candles to ‘hide’ the light until the blessing has been completed. Then, once the hands are removed  - viola! Shabbat has begun.

As you’ve noted, some women have the tradition of swooping their hands to their eyes three times before reciting the blessing. This is done to bring the light and holiness of Shabbat to you. This would seem contrary to the admonition of seeing the lights before the blessing is said, but even my Modern Orthodox friends at Aish.com say it’s okay. Again, this is a custom, and not required if it makes you feel self-conscious. 

While we’re on the subject of covering things while performing Shabbat mitzvot, let’s discuss why we cover the challah. You might think it’s just to keep off the flies, or dust, but you’d be wrong (though, who wants to eat challah covered with fly-prints?) The actual reason has to do with protecting the dignity of the challah. Believe it or not, there is actually a hierarchy for eating foods. Bread, is highest on the list - the staff of life, so logically one should say the blessing over the bread first. Have you ever seen this? No, of course not! This is because we are commanded to sanctify Shabbat, and we do this by first saying the kiddush (which means ‘holy’ or ‘sanctification’) over the wine. We cover the challah so it won’t be shamed at playing second fiddle to the wine, a lesser food. The sages said that if we go to such lengths to pay respect to inanimate objects, we are lead to see the importance of showing respect living beings.

May this Shabbat, and all that follow be filled with holiness and joy - TG