WE HAVE A VERY BUSY CALENDAR AT CBAJ THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS! Please be sure to read THE ENTIRE SHABBAT NOTES for our upcoming learning events, guest speakers, youth programming and more!
Also, check out the calendar on the CBAJ website, which we are utilizing to show you everything coming up at a glance!
Last night, I had the special privilege of attending a gathering of rabbis organized by Rabbi Roy Feldman with Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, the author of the Peninei Halakha series on Halakha (Jewish law). You may recognize this work, as it is considered revolutionary for its clear, concise, and thorough discussion of nearly the entire corpus of Halakha, especially as it applies the average person's everyday life. I use it regularly both for teaching and as a resource.
I would like to share two insights from the discussion with Rav Melamed last night with you:
1. "Hayamim Yagidu - Time Will Tell."
One topic that Rav Melamed discussed was one about which there is substatial machloket (dispute) between different groups of religious Jews. Rav Melamed adopts a more "lenient" or "open" perspective on this issue (a perspective I am sympathetic to, even if I have concerns). When I asked Rav Melamed about the potential that sticking forcefully to his perspective could create further division between Jewish communities and result in complications down the line, he responded, patiently, with gentle confidence, "Hayamim yagidu, time will tell." Yes, there is significant dispute about the issue, yes, the other side seems uncompromising, yes, it could create divisions, but we must confidently and respectfully stick to the perspectives we believe to be correct, and time will tell which direction will prove correct.
2. A Philosophy of Halakha
Rav Melamed was asked what is his philosophy about halakha, and the philosophy behind Peninei Halakha. Rav Melamed answered that the Jewish people are "lev he-amim - the heart of the nations," and that our deep, thorough observance of halakha concretizes those values in the world and allows us to radiate those values to uplift the entire world. As an example, he described how the institutions of muktzeh and other rabbinic restrictions on work on Shabbat enable us to feel more deeply the idea of rest on Shabbat, which enables us to convey to the world the value of the individual not just as a worker. Part of what Shabbat conveys is the notion that Hashem is the master of the entire the universe, and that He owns and controls everything, not us. This is why the idea of forbidding work in the Torah applies also to one's children, one's slaves - Jewish or not (which was allowed in the Torah), and one's animals. We are taught that we do not truly "own" anything, that Hashem is the Master of the universe. Through our observance of Shabbat, we transmit those values to the whole world.
I will have the privilege to be spending Shabbat at Kehilath Jeshurun ("KJ," where Rabbi Feldman is now associate rabbi), learning more from Rav Melamed.
On another note about Achdut (unity of the Jewish people) in the face of division, I want to share a podcast interview of Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon (one of the most prominent Religious Zionist rabbis in Israel today), by one of my teacher's from when I was in yeshiva, Rabbi Scott Kahn. Rabbi Kahn now runs a website called Jewish Coffee House, a podcast network of high quality podcasts on Jewish themes (my favorite is the Orthodox Conundrum, the series the interview with Rav Rimon appeared on). In this interview, one thing Rav Rimon says about disputes among groups of Jews is that we need to argue with the goal of "building" instead of the goal of "winning."
It is with gratitude to Hashem that we acknowledge the return of the bodies of slain hostages Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19, Col. Asaf Hamami, 40, Capt. Omer Maxim Neutra, 19, (Israeli-American), Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, (Israeli-American), and Joshua Luito Mollel, 21 (Tanzanian) over this past week. May they all rest in peace, may their memories forever be a blessing, and may Hashem comfort their families.
Oz, Asaf, Omer, and Itay were killed battling Hamas terrorists on October 7, and their bodies were abducted by Hamas. I had the privilege of hearing from Itay's father, Ruby, when I was last in Israel on a mission for rabbis in 2024 organized by the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA). Ruby was a passionate, indefatigable, and forceful advocate for his son and all the hostages.
Joshua was Tanzanian and was an agricultural intern in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, were he had only arrived 19 days prior to the October 7 attacks, his first time ever leaving Tanzania. He was one of 36 interns from Tanzania at the time, the rest were all unharmed.
We continue to daven for and demand the release of the bodies of the remaining 6 hostages held in Gaza: Meny Godard, Lt. Hadar Goldin, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, Dror Or, Lior Rudaeff, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ben Kean
