The Laws and Practices of the Eve of Yom Kippur

1. Some are accustomed to visit cemeteries before Yom Kippur (Rama, OC 605).
2. Others participate in kapparot (ibid.) by swinging a live chicken which is then given to the poor to eat, or a small sack of money above their heads. This Minhag was originated by some of the Geonim. Ben Ish Chai states to slaughter a white rooster on behalf of each male and a white hen for a female. The Shulhan Aruch adds that there are those that reject this minhag, most likely because there is a strong similarity between this practice and those of the pagans (Mishnah Berurahסימן תר”ה ס”ק א ). In its place many Jews do Kapparot using money and donating it to Tzedakah.
3. Some are accustomed to receive symbolic malkot (lashes) in order to motivate themselves to repent.
4. It is customary to ask forgiveness from one’s fellow before Yom Kippur.   This practice is based upon the following mishna: For sins between man and God Yom Kippur atones, but for sins between man and his fellow Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases his fellow.
5. Men should immerse in a Mikva on Erev Yom Kippur. R. Akiva (Yoma 85b) draws a comparison between teshuva and mikva. R. Akiva said: Fortunate are you, Israel! Before Whom do you cleanse yourself? And who cleanses you? Your Father in Heaven!… And it also says: “The mikva ofIsrael is God.” Just as a mikva cleanses the contaminated, so does the Holy One, blessed be He, cleanses Israel.
6. Viduy and other Prayers of Erev Yom Kippur. The Talmud (Yoma 87b) teaches that one should recite the viduy BEFORE the meal on Erev Yom Kippur. The Sages said: One should confess before he eats and drinks, lest he lose his mind at the meal.  And although he confessed before he ate and drank, he should confess again after he eats and drinks, for perhaps something unseemly happened at the meal. Rashi (s.v. shema) explains that the Sages were concerned lest one become intoxicated, while the Rambam (Hilkhot Teshuva 2:7) writes that they were concerned lest a person choke and die before repenting.
7. The Mitzva to Eat on Erev Yom Kippur. The Talmud (Yoma 81b) teaches that there is a mitzva to eat on the day before Yom Kippur, and that eating on Erev Yom Kippur and then fasting on Yom Kippur is somehow tantamount to fasting for two days. Rashi understands that one should eat on the ninth in order to prepare for Yom Kippur.  For this extra preparation, one receives “credit” as if one fasted on both days. The Rosh understands the mitzva, like Rashi, as a preparation for the fast, but he adds that it demonstrates God’s affection for the Jewish People and His will that they should not suffer. Conversely, the Shibbolei Ha-Leket (307) suggests that one should eats “well” on the day before Yom Kippur to experience MORE discomfort on Yom Kippur itself. Rabbeinu Yona (Sha’arei Teshuva 4:8-10), writes: If a person transgressed a negative commandment and repented, he should be concerned with his sin, and long and wait for the arrival of Yom Kippur in order that God will be appeased… And this is what they meant (Rosh Hashana 9a), that one who eats a special meal on the eve of Yom Kippur it is as if he was commanded to fast on the ninth and tenth and did so, as he demonstrated his joy that the time for atonement has come, and this will be a testimony for his concern for his guilt and his anguish for his sins. Second, on other festive days we eat a meal for the joy of the mitzva… and since the fast is on Yom Kippur, we were commanded to designate a meal for the joy of the mitzva on the day before Yom Kippur.
8. Tzedaka  It is also customary of all Jews to give charity during the Ten Days of Repentance, especially on Erev Yom Kippur.
9. One is obligated to light candles before Yom Kippur just as one would on Shabbat, to ensure there is peace in the home, Shalom Bayit.

The Power of One or Jonah and the Whale.

Nearly everyone knows the famous story of Jonah and the whale, one of our Bible classics. Jonah was a Jewish prophet circa 750bce who was commanded by God to go and warn the inhabitants of Nineveh, the Assyrian metropolis to repent. Jonah for various reasons did not obey God’s command and tried to escape Him by embarking on a ship in the Port of Jaffa and sailing across the Mediterranean Sea to Tarshish – ancient Carthage according to some. God knew exactly where Jonah was and caused a storm in the area and the ship containing Jonah and many others started to sink.

Jonah admitted to the captain that he was the cause of the storm having incurred God’s wrath for not obeying His instructions to go to Nineveh and instead fleeing from God. Jonah advised the captain to throw him overboard to pacify God and by doing so save the ship. The captain a decent person and his crew were extremely distraught at the idea of throwing Jonah overboard but due to the extreme conditions acquiesced and fulfilled his wishes. Unbeknown to them Jonah is swallowed by a whale and is spit out on dry land after he repents.

According to Jewish tradition – the Midrash the captain and crew were shocked by these events and decide to convert to belief in the God of Israel whose awesome power they had witnessed.

There are a multitude of moral lessons we can learn from this story:

1. You cannot run away from God;

2. It is possible to gain God’s grace by repenting;

3. People should be more aware of the company they keep…etc.

The Zohar in Parashat Nasso stresses ‘the power of one’ that one evil person can cause the sinking of a whole ship with many innocents on board. Or as we see at the end of the Book of Jonah one person i.e. Jonah caused the repentance and deliverance of the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of Nineveh.

Each one of us has tremendous power both for good or evil that is well known. The Zohar adds that each one of us also has the power to affect the destinies of others. This is known as the spiritual ‘ripple effect’.

Let us ensure that we cause only good ripple effects with our deeds.

Have a good, happy, healthy, successful sweet new year.

Rabbi Bassous

http://www.etzahaim.com

The Three Weeks

THE THREE WEEKS, June 25   – July 16 2013The   Talmud (Tractate Ta’anit) states: “Five   calamities befell our forefathers on the 17th of Tammuz, and five on Tisha   be’Av (the 9th of Av). On the 17th of Tammuz the   Tablets of Stone were broken (by Moshe Rabenu), the daily offering ceased (in   the Temple), the walls of the City (of Jerusalem were breached, Apostomos   burned the Torah Scroll and placed an idol in the Hekhal (Sanctuary).” These 22   days from the 17th of Tammuz to Tisha be’Av are among the saddest on our   calendar, and the Halakhot (laws) and the minhagim (customs) that we have   adopted reflect this.   On these “Days of Distress” we lessen our   laughter and pleasures, for it is written that every generation that does not   witness the rebuilding of the Beth Hamikdash (Temple), it is as if it were   destroyed in its day. The Laws of The Three Weeks The Three Weeks (from 17 Tammuz to 9 Av). 1) No music – Listening to and playing music, and dancing is not permitted for all   the three weeks. A Jewish musician who performs for non-Jews should not   perform on these days either. However, if he would have nothing to eat, he is   permitted to perform between the 18th and the 29th of   Tammuz, but not after. 2) No shehehiyanu bracha (except on new   fruits if unavailable any other time and only to be said on Shabbat). The 9 Days (from Rosh Hodesh Av to 9 Av). 1) No weddings (This applies to the entire   three weeks for Ashkenazim). 2)   One who has a court case with a gentile should   postpone it until after the 10th of Av. 3) Negotiations for, and acquisitions of items for   joyous purposes, such as marriages, are postponed until after the 9th of Av.   However, they are permitted if the items would not be available later, or if   they would then be more costly. 4) No buying new appliances, furniture,   houses, cars, etc. 5) No house painting or renovations unless   necessary for immediate housing needs. 6) Sephardim do not partake of meat and wine from the night after Rosh   Hodesh Av. But on Rosh Hodesh itself, meat and wine are consumed in honor of   the special day. Ashkenazim abstain from Rosh Hodesh onward. 7) No pleasurable planting of flowers or   trees, etc. Shavua Shehal Bo (the week of Tisha be’Av, calculated   by Sephardim from the Sunday preceeding it, up to Tisha be’Av; calculated by   Ashkenazim from the First of Av up to Tisha be’Av.) 1) No haircuts or shaves. 2) No laundering; no wearing freshly   laundered clothes; no fresh bed linen. 3) No hot showers. 4) No stitching or tailoring new clothes or   new shoes. 5. No purchasing new clothes or shoes 6) No engagement parties, but getting   engaged is allowed. The   fast of TISHA BE’AV lasts from Mon. July 15 at 8:27 p.m. until Tues. July16th at 8:59 p.m. Five   events occurred on Tisha be’Av: 1)    It was decreed upon our forefathers that they should not enter the   Land of Israel (because of the sin of the Ten Spies), 2)    The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians 3)    So too the Second by the Romans. 4)    The city of Betar was captured by the Romans who ended the Bar Kochva   revolt and murdered and enslaved hundreds of thousands. 5)    Jerusalem was ploughed over by the Romans. The five   prohibitions on Yom Kippur: eating and drinking, bathing, anointing, wearing   leather shoes, and marital relations are likewise prohibited on Tisha be’Av. The seuda   hamafseket (final meal) before the fast (if it is eaten after the middle of   the day) may not consist of more than one cooked food. However, if it is   usual to cook two foods together, such as rice and lentils. They are   considered as one and are permitted. One   should sit on a low stool while eating this meal and through halachic midday   on Tisha be’Av. The fast should be observed by all   those who are in good health. People who do not need to   fast: Pregnant and nursing women should try   their best to observe this fast. In cases of complications or   physical weakness or if the mother thinks the fast will affect her health or   her baby’s health, she should follow her doctor’s recommendation. If during the   fast she feels sick, especially if she is vomiting   or having other signs of dehydration, she should break the   fast and eat immediately. However, mild dizziness and nausea that can be   coped with, by lying down on a couch or a bed, are considered normal. A woman who is within the first 30 days after giving   birth is exempt from fasting. Minors:   boys younger than 13 and girls before 12 are completely exempt   from fasting. Unlike Yom Kippur, there is no need for children to fast for a   few hours.   People with a chronic disease like diabetes,   or somebody running a high fever should not fast.   Infirm and   elderly people   should consult with their doctor to make sure that the fast will not affect   their health. If it will, they are exempt from fasting. 6.    When one is allowed to eat for health reasons, only what is necessary   for health is allowed. Our   custom follows the Shulchan Aruch that tallit and tefillin are not worn at   Shaharit in the synagogue on Tisha be’Av, but if possible we should follow   the opinion of “Ben Ish Hai”, to don them at home in the morning and read the   Shema only (some include Kaddesh Lee), and then they are worn at mincha in   the synagogue. “Eikha” is read at night and again in the   morning. On Tisha   be’Av it is not recommended to work. Working diverts the mind from feeling of   grief. Refraining from work on Tisha be’Av, is optional, depending on one’s   family tradition, and one’s financial and professional situation. I recommend   that people not work the first half of the day. On Tisha   be’Av, Torah study is prohibited except for sad material such as the books of   Iyov or Ekha, parts of Jeremiah etc., because studying Torah is considered a   pleasurable activity. We shouldn’t greet each other as usual, because we are   mourning. Ashkenazim   recite a haftarah during the minha prayer of all the “Five Fast Days” and the   portion read is “Dirshu”. Sephardim, on the other hand, do not read a   haftarah on any of them, except for Tisha be’Av, at which time the portion “Shuvah”   is read. After arvit, there is a custom to   wash one’s hands properly (as only the fingers were washed in the morning)   and (when feasible) to wear leather shoes before reciting Birkath Halevanah,   (blessing for the Moon) with a happy heart. As we approach the saddest day of   the Jewish calendar we must remember the beautiful story of the Talmud   (Makkot 24b) which is a typical Jewish response to tragedy. Shortly after the   destruction of our second temple, a group of rabbis went to visit Jerusalem,   or what was left of it after Roman conquest. When they got to the temple   mount and witnessed the destruction, they ripped their clothes in mourning.   On getting closer they saw a fox coming out from the site of the holiest part   of the Temple. This was too much for the rabbis. They all broke out crying   except for Rabbi Akiva who was laughing. They were amazed – “Why are you   laughing?” He answered them, “now that the prophecy of the Prophet Micha of   destruction has been fulfilled, we may look forward to the prophecy of   Zecharia that Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt!” speedily in our   days, Amen. A person with a positive outlook always prevails.

Josephus, in his history of the Jewish People and the destruction of the Second Temple, writes the following chilling account:

While the Temple was on fire, everything was plundered that came to hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; no pity was shown for age, but children, old men, secular and priests were all slain in the same manner. The flames could be seen from a great distance and made an echo, together with the groans of those that were slain; and because Jerusalem was high, and the works at the temple were very great, one would have thought the whole city had been on fire. Nor can one imagine anything more terrible than this noise; for there was at once a shout of the Roman legions, who were marching all together, and screaming of the partisans, who were now surrounded with fire and sword. The remaining populace was beaten back against the enemy, and under a great outcry with sad moans at the calamity they were under. The masses in the City joined in this outcry with those that were upon the hill. Yet more terrible than the din were the sights that met the eye. The Temple Mount, enveloped in flames from top to bottom, appeared to be boiling up from its very roots; yet the sea of flame was nothing to the ocean of blood. Nowhere could the ground be seen between the corpses, and the soldiers climbed over heaps of bodies as they chased the fugitives … When Titus entered he was astounded by the strength of the city, and especially by the towers that the party chiefs in their mad folly had abandoned. All the prisoners taken from beginning to end of the war totaled 97,000. Those who perished in the long siege: 1,100,000. It almost sounds like a depiction of the Nazis’ destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto less than sixty years ago. Only this was the Temple in Jerusalem that the Romans burnt to the ground in the year 70 CE, killing millions of our people in the process. The great tragedy that was the Holocaust and the memory of the six million pure souls who were martyred by the Nazis remain fresh in the collective conscience of our people. Yet the terrible death and destruction that was brought upon our people with the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the burning of the Holy Temple, while known to some who have studied Jewish history, is, to a large extent, forgotten. True, there are commemorative fast days that have been loyally kept by Jews throughout the ages to mourn those horrible losses. There is the fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz (this year falling out on June 25th) which commemorates the day when the Roman legions first breached the Holy City of Jerusalem, leading up to the destruction of the Holy Temple and the killing or exile of all the Jews just three weeks later on Tisha Be’av, a day that has now become a fast day for our people (this year falling out on July 16th). This period has come to be called “The Three Weeks”, and is the saddest time of year for our people. Maybe the more we learn about the central place that Jerusalem and the Temple holds for all of us as Jews, the more we can appreciate why The Three Weeks – starting from the Seventeenth of Tammuz , and culminating in the fast day of Tisha B’av – are indeed the saddest days in the Jewish calendar.