Thoughts on Torah Study

As mentioned in some of our previous posts, this year's Saturday morning Torah study sessions at Congregation Adas Emuno have been devoted to the thought of the great rabbinical scholar Maimonides.  And this has made for some pretty lively discussion, indeed!  

In fact, one of our congregants and participants in this adult education program, Ludwik Kowalski, has asked us to post his thoughts relating to our most recent session, this past Saturday, December 15th.  Ludwik is a retired physicist and teacher, and here are his "Thoughts to Share":

I am interested in dangerous conflicts between theists and atheists--can they be avoided? If yes then how? My short article on that topic can be found in:

http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/theo/atheist.html

1) The purpose of this year's Torah Study sessions is to read and understand Maimonides' Mishneh Torah (written in the 12th century). Today we started to study his BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE.

2) I had several conceptual difficulties. One of them was the use of essential words by our leader, such as "proof," "science," and "prophet." Should we use such words as Maimonides understood them or should we use them as they are used today by scholars? In my opinion the term "proof," as used today, belongs to logic, not to science. Scientific claims are validated by performing reproducible experiments. Mathematical claims (theorems) are validated by derivations; to derive something means to show that it is logically consistent with what has already been accepted (axioms and already derived theorems).

3) Theological claims are also justified by logical reasoning. Existence of God, and descriptions of God found in the Torah (five books of Moses), are theological axioms--we accept them as such. Later theological claims (such as those found in the Talmud) must be logically derived. Yes, I know that those who are not scholars accept them on the basis of the authority of scholars. But that is a different topic.

4) And I understand that in a workshop devoted to the study of Mishneh Torah, words like science and proof should be understood in the way that the great rabbi Maimonides used them, in the 12th century. But this should be clearly stated, to avoid possible confusion. I am probably not the only one who is often confused by multiple meanings of some words.

And so, we invite others to respond to Ludwik's post, whether you agree with his concerns, or differ or disagree with them.  Readers, whether you have attended this past Torah study session, or any of our other sessions, or none at all, you all are entirely welcome to add your comments to this post. Or if you prefer to send Ludwik a private message, feel free to do so at kowalskiL at mail.montclair.edu.

And please feel free to join us as we continue to explore the thought and writing of Maimonides on Saturday mornings at 10 AM. Our Torah study group is free and open to the public, and there is no problem starting in at any point in our ongoing conversation.

Hanukkah Adyo!

Last night we lit the eighth and final candle of Hanukkah, which means that our holiday is coming to a close.  But let's not be too hasty. Let's let the spirit linger. After all, today is still the eighth day of Hanukkah, so there's still time for a little more song and celebration.



So as we prepare to say farewell to our festival of lights, let's say it in Ladino, the Sephardic, Judeo-Spanish dialect:  Adyo!  No doubt you notice the resemblance to adios, which literally means, to God, appropriate enough for a holiday that celebrates the defense of our religious heritage.


And let's celebrate the end of our eight-day cycle with the Ladino Hanukkah song, Ocho Kandelikas.  Here's a lovely version of the song written by Florry Jagoda, performed by a group called Los Des:





And here's a swinging version from Kenny Ellis:





And for good measure, let's also include a rock version from The LeeVees performing live at the Highline Ballroom in New York City:




 



So, let the melodies of Hanukkah linger, and let the glow of the Hanukkah lights continue to shine on us all! And let's say once more, Happy Hanukkah, and blessings of the season to one and all!

Where Would You Spend Hanukkah?

Where would you spend the eight-day festival of Hanukkah, if you had to choose? Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? Paris, the "city of lights"?  At home, here in New Jersey, or across the Hudson in New York City?  Well, here are Tom Lehrer's thoughts on the matter:





Where you spend Hanukkah may determine what your dreydel says.  If you're outside Israel, your dreydel should have the four letters:
 nun נ
gimel ג
hei ה
shin ש
which stand for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, a Great Miracle Happened There!

But in Israel, the fourth letter is a
pei פ
which stands for Nes Gadol Hayah Po, a Great Miracle Happened Here!  

Which brings us to this jazzy video featuring Israeli rapper Sagol 59's "Take Five"-inspired Hanukkah melody:





And so, wherever you may be right now, we wish you a happy Hanukkah, as we prepare to light the eighth and final light of the holiday!

The Hanukkah Machines

How about this Hanukkah greeting from the fabled Technion in Israel? Hanukkah 101 - Rube Goldberg Machine - Technion Israel is based on the convoluted inventions that sprang from the imagination of Jewish cartoonist Rube Goldberg, and took form in his syndicated newspaper comic strip.  His name became synonymous with the kinds of machines that are depicted here, in this year's Hanukkah video from Israel's Institute of Technology:

And here's what they have to say about the video:

Technion students Eyal Cohen and Tomer Wassermann from the Mechanical Engineering faculty and Matan Orian and Dvir Dukhan of Industrial Engineering and Management take on the challenge to build a Rube Goldberg machine that lights the Chanukah menorah. Hanukkah is the holiday of miracles and here is another one. 

Eyal Cohen and Matan Orian are winners of the annual Technion Dr. Bob's TechnoBrain competition, supported by Dr. Robert Shillman in memory of Technion student Neev-Ya Durban. 

The film was made in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratory in the William Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management

Now, maybe you're saying, how in the world did they do that?  Well, you're in luck, because they also have provided us with a "making of" video, Hanukkah 101 - Behind the Scenes - Rube Goldberg Machine - Technion:





Whatever you may think of their efforts, they're certainly a bit more advanced than this American "Auto Menorah":





Well, fortunately, there's no need to reinvent the wheel, or the menorah, so keep on lighting those lights as we continue to celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah, and look forward to kindling the Shabbat lights tonight as well!

Hanukkah Shine!

Whether it's lamps burning olive oil, or candles of various sizes and colors, or electric lights, we know Hanukkah as the Jewish festival of lights.  But maybe the latest version of the Hanukkah "miracle" expressed in the cartoon below is going a little too far in trying to modernize the holiday? What do you think?

Well, for a bit more of a traditional spirit to the contemporary celebration of Hanukkah, how about this brand new video from The Maccabeats - Shine - Hanukkah:

And here's some information from the write-up on YouTube:

Music video for "Shine," an original song by the MaccabeatsVideo by Uri Westrich Uri@driveinproductions.com
Lyrics: http://www.maccabeats.com/resources/lyrics/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shine-single/id584892385
Join the Miracle Match Campaign:http://www.makesomemiracles.com
This and all Maccabeats music is recorded a cappella. http://www.maccabeats.com
Bookings: booking@maccabeats.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats

And here are the lyrics:

SHINE 

Original Artist: The Maccabeats
Lyrics and Music: Julian Horowitz with Isaac Raisner and Ari Lewis 

I see a light, reflection refraction;
Is it nothing more than a chemical reaction;
It flickers and grows, nobody knows;
How much we feel how quickly it goes; 

Turn off the dark and vanquish the night;
Show the whole world for eight days at twilight;
Then and now they fought and we fight;
Fight for the right to live by our own light; 

Let me see the light;
Give me something to live by;
Let me see the light;
I need something to live by; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in each direction;
Shining bright;
I wanna see the light; 

A million times the speed of sound;
Fast enough to go around;
the world that we live in, so much cold and strife;
One little light to warm another life; 

Fill the darkest night with the brightest light;
Cause its time for you to shine;
A little dedication, a small illumination;
Just one person to change a whole nation; 

Let me see the light;
Give me something to live by;
Let me see the light;
I need something to live by; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in all directions;
Shining bright;
I wanna see the light;
Is this spark that we sing of anything;
Hiding somewhere in between everything;
Let the colors burn in a brilliant burst;
Like a shooting star falling to the earth; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in each direction;
Shining bright

And with that we say, Happy Hanukkah, and Shine On!

Heifer at Hanukkah

For something a little different, and maybe a little more significant, than the eight nights of gifts and gelt, Heifer International has its Heifer at Hanukkah campaign.  Here's what they have to say on the web page devoted to this holiday-time social action appeal:

Looking for meaningful Hanukkah gift ideas for that special child in your life? Why not give the joy of helping a family in need. 

Donate a flock of chicks, tree seedlings, a goat, a water buffalo or maybe even a heifer to a family somewhere in the world. Your gift will improve their nutrition and help them generate income in sustainable ways. 

Watch this fun video as Hollywood celebrities Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein tell you why a gift to Heifer is the perfect Hanukkah gift!

And here is the video:




On their web page they have a nice little spiel about tzedakah that's worth sharing here:

Giving to charity (tzedakah) is a mitzvah – a good deed in Judaism. It’s one of the most important things we do as Jews. 

Your family’s gift to Heifer is special. Not only will you and your children experience the joy of helping others, your gift will also multiply as recipients give their first female offspring to another family in need – what we call “Passing on the Gift”. Thanks to your family, the recipients will experience the joy of giving as well.

And they also have a few words to say about tikkun olam:

It’s our responsibility as Jews to help repair the world – to fix what’s broken (tikkun olam). That’s what Heifer does, every day all around the world. 

Our work helps families rise from poverty to self-reliance, what Maimonides considered the highest form of charity. With your generous Hanukkah gift, a family or perhaps an entire community will acquire the resources and training it needs to do so.

They have a whole catalog of gift ideas, and as they explain

You’ll have an opportunity to personalize a Hanukkah gift card for your children or grandchildren. We’ll also send you the link to a special Hanukkah video message from Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein to your children. 

On that special Hanukkah night, show your children the gift card, play the special Hanukkah video message from Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein, and share with them in the joys of tzedakah and tikkun olam.

And we might as well take a look at this other video:




And let's see what Heifer International has to say about themselves:

Heifer International does so much more than put food in the mouths of hungry people; we help them feed themselves. This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief has always been at the heart of our mission and has continued for almost 70 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope. 

The goal of every Heifer project is sustainability – project partners achieving self-reliance through training and a starter gift of livestock. Partners receive training in our Twelve Cornerstones, support to form community organizations and women’s groups, and the necessary tools and knowledge to properly care for their gifts.

Year after year, as Heifer project families Pass on the Gift of knowledge and one or more of their animals’ offspring to others in need, they become links in a network of hope, dignity and self-reliance that helps hundreds of others care for themselves. Heifer at Hanukkah is here to help you donate a sustainable gift that can last throughout the season.

Their slogan is:

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

and if Lou Grant says it's true, it's gotta be so!

Hanukkah A Cappella

StandFour, an a cappella group consisting of four former members of a group called The Maccabeats, have a new video on YouTube entitled  StandFour - Eight Nights - Hanukkah Mashup, and it seemed like the perfect thing to share with you this Hanukkah morning. 

According to the write up, the song is a "parody mashup of Some Nights by Fun, Die Young by Ke$ha, and Live While We're Young by One Direction. The members of the group are David Block, Noey Jacobson, Nachum Joel, and Immanuel Shalev, and the video was produced by LNC Productions. And they explain their intent as follows: "After graduating from Yeshiva University we wanted to continue to make music that is both fun and inspiring. We believe in bringing out the meaning present in all things - that's what we stand for".






And here are the lyrics to the song:

Eight nights I stay up starin' at those candles,
They tell the story that occurred,
Eight nights we're thankful for that small miracle,
Our prayers were answered and our voices heard

When One night turned to eight, that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know [cuz it's finally here]....
we're not alone. [cuz it's finally here]

C'mon, its Chanukah we've waited for a whole a year
Just light a spark in the dark and spread the cheer,
Cuz on these holiday nights,
Grab your friends, celebrate, cuz it's finally here
Eight nights remember the war we won
The Greeks tried to erase who we are
Eight nights we're thankful to God above
Who showed he's even with us in the dark

When one night turned to eight,
that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know....
[not alone] [no we're not alone] [cuz it's finally here] not alone.

Let's go Dreidel! Dreidel! Dreidel! Oh I shall play
I dropped a jelly donut on my pants, oy vey!
Cuz when you're flipping latkes you can't go wrong
Making random Jewish references in a Chanuka song
Dreidel! Dreidel! Dreidel! Oh I shall play
I dropped a jelly donut on my pants, oy vey!
Cuz when you're flipping latkes you can't go wrong
Making random Jewish references in a Chanuka song

Eight nights I stay up starin' at those candles,
They tell the story that occurred,
Eight nights we're thankful for that small miracle,
Prayers were answered, our voices heard

When one night turned to eight, that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know...
[Cuz it's finally here],
Eight nights that we know,
[cuz it's finally here] eight nights that we know - no we're not alone

So Happy Happy Hanukkah, and if you like a cappella performances, be sure to join us on the evening of Thursday, January 10, as Congregation Adas Emuno hosts the only Bergen County appearance of the Jewish singing group from Yale University, Magevit!