Just Jew It iPad Mag Pesach 5773

JUST JEW IT! B”H

Your Wine & Dine Guide to Passover

Rabbi YY Jacobson

Tap & Hold screen to show the top bar Tap “Home” to return to the app home page

How To Use This App

Tap & Hold the screen to show the bottom bar Swipe Horizontally to quickly navigate through the pages Tap a page to View

J

Just JEWIt! Your iPad Magazine

An Educator’s Handbook by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

by Rabbi Ruvi New

by Rabbi Laibl Wolf

JustJEWIt!

by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg


Contents


JustJEWIt!

More Features

by Elisha Greenbaum

by Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack

A Cluffered Life by Pesi Dinnerstein

by Rabbi Yossi Y Jacobson

JustJEWIt! Your iPad Magazine PUBLISHER Leah Weintraub Boca Raton, FL, USA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Ben Kruger New York, NY, USA WEBSITE & PRIVACY POLICY www.JustJewItMagazine.com EMAIL US [email protected]

Throughout these pages you’ll see references to Chabad.org – the world’s premiere Jewish website, celebrated for its constant stream of updated articles and in-depth information. Special recognition and appreciation to Aish.com for its contributions and exemplary Jewish learning tools. Many thanks to Aish.com, Chabad.org, TheYeshiva.net and everyone who contributed to this publication.

Welcome to the second edition of JustJEWIt! in the countdown from limitation to liberation during Passover 5773/2013! Growing up in a secular environment, I enjoyed the Passover Seders mostly because they were led by my Uncle Benny, of blessed memory, and it was a time when our whole extended family came together for a special meal and joyous experience. Over time, however, I've come to understand that the various elements of the Seder are steeped in meaning and have great impact on our daily lives. Every Passover we have the opportunity to grow and free ourselves from the shackles of slavery which present themselves even today. Mitzrayim is the Hebrew word for Egypt, and refers to the restrictions and limitations placed upon us when we were slaves. Today, that same slavery mentality continues to limit us. Passover is about connecting to G-d's desire to liberate us and His wanting for us to achieve our full potential. We acknowledge and thank G-d for freeing us in the past and in the present. Much more than an historic story, the Haggadah is filled with insights about living life to the fullest. In An Educator’s Handbook, Rabbi Naftali Silberberg analyzes the questions asked at the Seder by the four sons, to demonstrate how we can fine-tune our personal intercommunication. Your comments and suggestions are of great value and we welcome your input. Please feel free to drop us an email, submit a rating and review, and share the magazine with your Facebook friends. Every issue of your magazine is available permanently on the Newsstand, so as we continue to publish you’ll have access to new and existing content all the time.

Thank you, and very best wishes for a happy, kosher, and liberating Passover,

ה'ב

http://www.justjewitmagazine.com/

mailto:[email protected]

JustJEWIt!


Your Inner Grape

It’s curious how the terms that are

used to describe wine: bold, mellow,

bubbly, sophisticated, are borrowed

from human personality types.

The making of wine is the

quintessential processing of

something from the inside out.

Only a hard pressed grape produces

wine. Yet, how would you describe a

grape’s experience? “O” pressed, or

liberated?

At the Seder, we don’t eat four

grapes, we drink four cups of wine.

It was only through the oppression

of Egypt, that we discovered true

freedom. The poor grape is

crushed, but the trauma quickly

gives way to the pleasure of the

wine.

For some, kosher wine

will always mean sweet

and heavy Manischewitz. While we strongly encourage their

sweet pleasure, we also note that

there is a wide and varied selection

of kosher wines from vineyards all

over the world – Cabinet Sauvignon,

Merlots, Chardonnays, Zinfandels,

something for every taste.

“As we hold our cup, we see our face reflected in

the wine, and offer thanks to G-d.”

By Rabbi Ruvi New


Your Inner Grape

JustJEWIt!

At the seder, we each drink our own four

cups of wine, because we all bring our

unique and distinct vintage. We’ve all

been pressed and crushed by life, and

our responses differ amongst us. Some

become sweeter, some bolder, some

“mellowed out” and some more bubbly

about life.

Whatever the taste, one thing is the

same: whatever it is that crushes us will

ultimately bring out the best in us. And

so we begin the Seder – the celebration

of our freedom, raising our cup of wine.

For what is freedom without struggle?

As we hold our cup and see our face

reflected in the wine, we offer thanks to

G-d, “Who has sanctified us with His

commandments, and connected us to

Him.” Our freedom is His gift to us.

There’s a Chassidic tradition, that when

pouring wine for Kiddush, we overflow

the cup a little as a way of letting the

true freedom of Divine connection spill

over in the world. May this truly be the

year when freedom rings throughout the

world. Originally published in InsideOut

By Rabbi Ruvi New

Chabad of East Boca Raton, FL

“Whatever it is that crushes us will

ultimately bring out the best in us.”

JustJEWIt!


Horseradish on Poor Man’s Bread

Exciting as each of these is to the

palate, an Epicurean adventure is

not the basis of a Passover Seder

night. Yet for many, that is exactly

what it is – a dutiful family dinner

with some ritual culinary

trimmings.

This scenario does not square with

the ceremony's longevity of some

3500 years -- longer than any

custom or practice of any people

walking the globe. What is its

secret – the missing ingredient that

allows it to transcend time and

space, centuries and continents?

o the casual observer, Passover is a gastronomical

extravaganza. Launched with smooth kiddush wine

followed by salt-dipped onion or potato on the rocks,

munching on deflated matzah wafers while indulging

cautiously on freshly grated horseradish dipped in a nutty

fruit paste (charoset) – all make for a great extended entrée.

By Rabbi Laibl Wolf

The missing link is spiritual

memory. Every cell of the

Jewish body is infused with a

collective consciousness of the

original 600,000 forbears who

traversed the Sinai desert of old

and assembled at a modest

mountain.


JustJEWIt!

By Rabbi Laibl Wolf

http://www.spiritgrowjosefkrysscenter.org

The mysterious events at the summit

and foot of that hilltop culminated in

the launch of events that propelled a

people into an uncertain future, but

bookended with a promise of

greatness. These are pieces of the

Jewish puzzle whose end game is

freedom and liberation.

Experiencing the taste, scent, sound,

sight and feel of a Pesach Seder table

titillates the 'spiritual cells' and

awakens the ancient spiritual

memory that responds to the quest

of the soul.

Horseradish on Poor Man’s Bread

The matzah wafer has a grounding

effect and connects the Seder guest to

his or her spiritual roots.

The Kabbalists refer to matzah as a

means of strengthening inner faith

and enhancing spiritual health – a

therapeutic tool that allows its

practitioner to rise above self-

indulgence and self-preoccupation.

In fact, every distinctive taste

provides a profound journey into the

present self and past lives. So this

year, allow the mystique of taste to

transcend a gourmet

experience and

become an

elevating

supernal

spiritual

happening.

The hand-baked flat ‘humble’

matzah is the 'poor man's

bread'. It triggers ego-

abnegation to offset

the puffed-up self-

importance of today’s

essentially empty breads.

JustJEWIt!


Zeroah Roasted Bone

Charoset Apple

Walnut & Wine Mixture

Chazeret Romaine Lettuce

Karpas

Onion, Boiled Potato

or Parsley

Beitzah Hard-boiled egg

Maror Horseradish

Root

The Seder Plate

ביצה זרוע

כרפס

חזרת

חרוסת

מרור


PASSOVER

SEDER

JustJEWIt!

The Seder


Step 1: Kadesh A Toast to Freedom

And get ready to do some serious relaxing – we

recline to our left when drinking the four glasses to

emphasize our freedom. It may seem strange in

our modern world of comfy couches, but in ancient

days only free people were allowed to eat in this

position.

Why in our modern

day culture of freedom,

do we need a

“Season of Freedom”?

We begin the Seder as any enjoyable evening begins – with

a toast to Someone special. So after praising G-d, drink the first

of four glasses of wine (or grape juice) to be savored throughout

the course of the Seder. The four glasses represent the four

elements of redemption we experienced during the Exodus.

JustJEWIt!

No matter how free of

external constraints, man is

a finite creature, ever

subject to the limits of our

own nature and character.

To attain true freedom we must therefore transcend our humanity, our

emotional, intellectual, even spiritual selves and access our spark of

G-dliness, the infinite, supra-human self.

Tap here for a PDF of this guide that you can download & print


Step 2: Urchatz Washing Hands

Wash hands in the traditional manner without reciting a blessing. As

the first step on the journey to freedom, we sublimate spiritual

distractions by purifying our hands, the most active part of our body,

with water. The Kabbalah teaches that hands represent expressions

and attributes, while water epitomizes intellect and purity. Washing

refines our attributes with intellect, enabling restrictions to turn into

benevolence, hate into love, and personal slavery into freedom. This

ritual also serves to keep children constantly active in the Seder

experience…

Are kids that important?

Well, yes. In fact, many interesting

customs are scattered

throughout the Seder to

compel children to ask

questions. Indeed, the

entire “retelling” is built

around the concept of “When

your child will ask… you shall tell

your child.”

Children are the most important

participants at the Seder. Mystically, it’s the

children who opens our eyes to the significance of

Passover. It is the child who evokes in us the realization that we,

too, are children, children of G-d, and are thus inherently free like the

worry-free child. Tonight, we enter the mind and heart of our child

within.

JustJEWIt! Tap here for a PDF of this guide that you can download & print


Recite the blessing for eating vegetables, then dip the raw vegetable

into salt water before eating it. Karpas symbolizes the “crushing

labor” our people endured in Egypt and in the salt water we can taste

their tears of anguish and despair.

Step 3: Karpas The Appetizer

When rearranged, the word karpas alludes to the word perech, or

‘crushing labor.’

‘Crushing labor’

is endless and

purposeless

work.

Our people were

forced to perform senseless

tasks in Egypt, endless drudgery without meaning,

purpose or goal. In our own lives, we often find a similar predicament

when work spills out from the five-day, forty-plus hour week to invade

our every private moment and thought. Ironically, it is our own inner

spark of G-dliness that gives us the capacity for ‘endless labor.’ This

inner spark, which yearns to reveal the Divine in the material aspects

of our world, often suffers from watching its own potential for ‘endless

labor’ for G-d distort into an endless quest for material gain.

So at the Seder, we take a break from the material and make

room for the spiritual.



JustJEWIt!

“This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land

of Egypt.” The matzah is introduced. Simple and humble, this

‘bread of affliction’ best tells the story of our people.

The middle matzah (of the three) is broken in two. The larger

piece, designated as the Afikoman, is wrapped (which dramatizes

the way we left Egypt with our food wrapped on our shoulders)

and hidden away for the children to discover. Both the wrapping

and the hiding are important.

The search for the Afikomen keeps the children alert as traditionally

they are rewarded for it.

Step 4: Yachatz Breaking the Matzah

The smaller, broken piece, the

“bread of poverty,” takes

center stage while retelling

the story of the Exodus.

It personifies the

spiritual and material

destitution our people

endured in Egypt once

they no longer grasped the

meaning of true freedom.

By relating to their plight, we feel what is broken in our own

humanity.



Step 5: Maggid Retelling The Story

Telling the story to our children: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in

Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d took us out from there with a strong

hand and with an outstretched arm.”

The story of our Exodus now begins. The Seder plate is moved aside

and the second glass of wine is filled.

The Four Questions

Why is this night different from all over nights? These inquiries

trigger the most significant part of the Seder, Vehigadeta (you shall

relate), which is fulfilled by retelling the story of the Exodus. After

the story, we drink the second glass of wine, completing the first

portion of the Seder. “When there are no children present we must

tell the story to each other. Even one who is alone must tell the

story to himself.”



Step 6: Rachtzah Washing Hands

“…Who has sanctified us with His commandments… concerning the

washing of the hands.”

We now prepare ourselves to internalize the humble nature of

matzah by washing our hands in the ritual manner, and saying the

blessing Al Netilat Yedayim. The world netila means to move

something from one place to another. With this blessing we remove

the physicality and non-refinement that dwells in and around the

hands, raising them up for what is to follow.

Spiritual cleanliness As our sages knew, there can be no

separation between spiritual and

material matters in Jewish life.

This concern with the tiniest,

most mundane detail of

our material lives is one of

the essential elements of the

Jewish faith. As in our personal

lives, true unity and harmony can

be achieved only by combining the two

domains; by integrating the spiritual into

the material, thereby elevating the material.



JustJEWIt!

Step 7: Motzie Thanking G-d for Bread

This matzah, why do we eat it? Because the dough of our ancestors

did not have time to rise before the King of Kings, the Holy One,

blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them…”

The word lechem (bread) contains the same letters as lochem

(war). Food is raw energy that holds the potential for either good

or evil. Thus, a spiritual battle ensues every time it is consumed.

If the purpose in eating is solely to gratify physical cravings, not-

good prevails. However, when eating to gain energy with which to

better serve G-d, good prevails.

Hold the middle, broken half-

matzah and two whole ones and

recite the blessing:

“hamotzie

leh-chem

min

ha-aretz.”

Don’t eat yet! Return the

bottom matzah to the seder plate.



Step 8: Matzah Bless the Matzah

Now, holding the remaining one and one-half matzahs, recite the

blessing for the mitzvah of eating matzah:

“ahl ah-chilat

matzah.”

Then eat at least one

ounce of the matzah

while reclining to the left.

Why do we treat matzah

with such reverence? Our

ancestors fled Egypt with

inconceivable haste, leaving

no time for the dough that would

nourish them to rise. Once free, their

first taste was the “bread of poverty,” matzah.

From a mystical standpoint, matzah exemplifies a selfless ego. By

rejecting chametz, leavened bread which indicates inflated egotism

and arrogance, and embracing matzah, the symbol of selflessness

and humility, we make the same brace choices that the Jewish

people made as they were leaving Egypt. It was with this trait of

humility, rather than arrogance, that they accepted G-d given

freedom. Humility allowed them to appreciate the gifts of life.



Step 9: Maror Bitter Herbs

JustJEWIt!

“This maror, why do we eat it? Because the Egyptians embittered

the lives of our ancestors in Egypt…”

Take at least ¾ ounces of bitter herbs, dip

it in charoset, shake off the excess

charoset and, before eating, say the

blessing:

“ahl ah-chilat Maror.”

Bitterness of exile is the

beginning of redemption.

A slave tends to develop

a “slave mentality” – he

cannot become free for

he has been robbed of

the desire to become

free. It is only when

bitterness is aroused that

slavery becomes intolerable.

This is the beginning of freedom.

Before we can experience true

freedom, we have to internalize

the might of our hardship – and

accept that when we make the

right choices, hardship exists

only to make us stronger.

Every soul has an

intrinsic bond with

G-d that no contradiction

can shake. The mind will

never accept the necessity

for evil and pain. But the

heart and soul of the

believer, unlike the mind,

have the capacity to accept

what they cannot understand.



Step 10: Korach Sandwich

JustJEWIt!

“They shall eat it with matzot and bitter herbs.”

In the days of our Holy Temple, Rabbi Hillel would combine the

Paschal offering, matzah and maror in a sandwich and eat them

together to fulfill the above instruction.

Break off two pieces of the bottom matzah

(at least one ounce). Take ¾ ounce

of maror, dip it in charoset and

shake off the excess.

Place the maror

between the two

pieces of matzah

and say:

“thus did Hillel do in the time

of the Holy Temple…”

Maror alludes to the wicked, while matzah refers to the righteous.

Hillel, the great Jewish sage known for his compassion, instructed

the righteous to reach out and draw the wicked closer.

Likewise, now that we have felt what it means to break free of

slavery on a personal level, it is our obligation to share the

experience with others.



Step 11: Shulchan Orech The Festive Meal

JustJEWIt!

Now we can eat? Yes, now we can eat!

In many traditions, the meal begins by dipping the hard-boiled egg

from the Seder plate in salt water to symbolize our constant

mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temple, and an allusion to

G-d’s desire to redeem his people.

Across the worldwide Jewish community,

we are together at the Seder

table. The wise, the

wicked, the simple

and the innocent,

all equal in the

eyes of each

other and in

the eyes of G-d.

And we remember

the fifth son – he

who has not yet

experienced the freedom of Passover.

We are united as one in the common goal of redemption.



Step 12: Tzafun Out of Hiding

JustJEWIt!

At the conclusion of the Passover meal, the Afikomen is returned

by the children.

Eat at least one ounce of this Matzah, and then nothing else at

all. Only the third and fourth glasses of wine remain to conclude

the Seder.

I just ate Matzah,

and I’m full! Why

do I have to eat

Matzah

again?!

Partaking of Tzafun

gives us the potential

to refine the

hidden undesirable

tendencies of

which we are

often

unaware. It was necessary

to partake in

every step of the

Seder; every ritual,

every taste and every thought before the Afikomen is revealed;

then, we can become one with its Divine potential. We eat it only

when completely satisfied because if fulfills a need higher than the

hunger for freedom, and we eat nothing afterward so that its taste

remains with us. In the Seder, as with everyday life, there are no

shortcuts to the greater dimension. Yet we are always aware that it

is present and yearns to reveal itself when our yearning is with a

pure heart.



Step 13: Bairach Grace After The Meal

JustJEWIt!

Fill up the third glass of wine. After you’ve recited the grace after the

meal, recite the blessing for the wine, and drink up.

We then open the door

to the house and, holding a

lit candle, recite the passage

inviting the Prophet Elijah to

appear.

Imagine all of

creation in a

state of

spiritual

and

material freedom. Think about a world free of pain and suffering, war

and struggles. Imagine all of existence at this level. Imagine yourself,

the light of a single candle, ushering in the era of our redemption. It is

within our power to actualize all that is represented by the four cups;

to overcome all that limits us, both without and within; to develop our

potential for freedom and to exercise this freedom to fulfill our G-dly

mission. But the culminating level of our redemption, represented by

the fifth cup will be fully realized in the imminent coming of Moshiach.

Redemption transcends our human efforts. This is not a cup we can

drink on our own.

In anticipation of the ultimate redemption, we now fill a special goblet,

the Cup of Elijah.

What’s up with a

cup that you

don’t drink

from?



Step 14: Hallel Praise

JustJEWIt!

The “Songs of Praise” – Hallel – are sung.

Then we say the blessing and drink the fourth glass of wine.

Why does G-d need us to praise Him?

Doesn’t He know how good He is?

He doesn’t need it. We do.

Through praise we become more aware of

G-d’s greatness. And when we

praise G-d, the channels

through which we

receive G-d’s

beneficence are

opened. Similarly,

this is mirrored in the

human sphere; when

we call someone ‘kind’ or

‘smart,’ we bring out those

qualities in him.



Step 15: Nirtzah Acceptance

JustJEWIt!

Having carried out the Seder properly, we experience – drum

roll, please – acceptance by the Almighty!

The Seder concludes with the hope that our forefathers prayed

for while they were enslaved in Egypt:

“L’shana ha-ba-ah bi-Yerushalayim”

“Next year in Jerusalem”

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi omitted the passage, ”The order

of Passover is concluded,” from his Haggadah because the

Seder’s message remains timeless. Every day, we leave Egypt

by transcending our limitations, to reach higher levels of

holiness.

Steps of the Seder originally published in InsideOut


Enjoy JustJEWIt! Magazine for the cost of only one monthly cup of coffee.

Subscribe now for $2.99/month – or save a massive 50% with a yearly subscription –

and your magazine will automatically download (while you are sleeping) every month.

Subscribe Today & Enjoy a 7-Day FREE Trial

The Magazine for every Jew, everywhere.

Pertinent and informative content delivered with stunning interactive design.

Direct to your iPad or iPad Mini

Subscribe

Now!

JustJEWIt!


Internet Connection Required

A Passover Rhapsody Produced by Aish.com

JustJEWIt!


The Four Cups of Wine

Wine is considered a royal drink that symbolizes freedom. Many reasons are given for drinking four cups of wine during the Seder. Here are some of them:

The words "cup of wine" are mentioned four times in Pharaoh's butler's dream (Genesis 40:11-13). According to the Midrash, these cups of wine alluded to the Israelites' liberation.

According to Kabbalah, there are four forces of impurity (anti-divinity, or kelipah). On Passover, when we celebrate our physical freedom, we also celebrate our liberation from these spiritual forces. Our physical departure from Egypt was a reflection of our spiritual one—we were pulled from the clutches of depravity and impurity and set on the path to receiving the Torah and connecting with G-d.

JustJEWIt!


When promising to deliver the Jews from Egyptian slavery, G-d used four terms to describe the redemption (Exodus 6:6-8):

"I shall take you out…”

"I shall rescue you...”

"I shall redeem you…”

"I shall bring you...”

1

2

3

4


JustJEWIt!


We were liberated from Pharaoh's four evil decrees:

Slavery

The ordered murder of all male progeny by the Hebrew midwives

The drowning of all Hebrew boys in the Nile by the Egyptians

The decree ordering the Israelites to collect their own straw for use in

their brick production

1

2

3

4


JustJEWIt!


The four cups symbolize our freedom from our four exiles:

The Egyptian exile

The Babylonian exile

The Greek exile

Our current exile from which we hope to be redeemed very soon with the coming of Moshiach

1

2

3

4

By Rabbi Naftali Silberberg. The content on this and the previous three pages is

provided by AskMoses.com, and is copyrighted by the author, publisher, and/or

AskMoses.com. You are welcome to distribute it further, provided you do not

revise any part of it and you include this statement, credit the author and/or

publisher, and include a link to www.AskMoses.com



“That night,

they are to eat

the meat,

roasted in the

fire; they are to

eat it with

matzah and

maror.”

—Exodus 12:8

“From the

evening of the

fourteenth day

of the first

month until the

evening of the

twenty-first

day, you are to

eat matzah.”

—Exodus 12:18

“You are not to

eat any chametz

with it; for

seven days you

are to eat with it

matzah, the

bread of

affliction; for

you came out of

the land of

Egypt in haste.

Thus you will

remember the

day you left the

land of Egypt as

long as you

live.”

—Deuteronomy 16:3

“For six days

you are to eat

matzah; on the

seventh day

there is to be a

festive assembly

for your God;

do not do any

kind of work.”

—Deuteronomy 16:8

Matzah is mentioned in the Torah several times in relation to The Exodus from Egypt

JustJEWIt!

In contrast to leavened bread, matzah is not

enriched with oil, honey or other substances. It consists only of flour and water,

and is not allowed to rise.

Matzah dough is quickly mixed and rolled out,

then pricked with a fork or a similar tool to keep

the finished product from puffing up; the resulting

flat piece of dough is cooked at high heat until it develops dark spots,

then it is set aside to cool and, if sufficiently thin, to

harden to crispness.

Passover matzah is also made with the specific intent of using it for the mitzvah.

Matzah symbolizes faith,

the only ingredients for

which are humility and submission to

G-d.


JustJEWIt!

Shmura ("guarded") matzah הש המצ is מור

made from grain that has been under special supervision from the

time it was harvested to ensure that no

fermentation has occurred, and that it is suitable for eating on

the first night of Passover.

Matzah is made in record breaking time:

no longer than 18 minutes from when the water is poured into the flour until the baked product comes out of the

oven.


JustJEWIt!

Chametz is any food product made

from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt,

or their derivatives, that has risen.

Flour from any of these five grains

that comes in contact with water or

moisture will rise, unless fully

baked within eighteen minutes.

To be certain that a product is

kosher for Passover, it must have

rabbinical certification. Unless a

product is certified Kosher for

Passover, it is considered chametz,

and should not be in our possession

on Passover (see following pages

for what to do).

Note: Matzah used all year round might

be pure chametz, and not for Passover

use. Only matzahs baked especially for

Passover may be used on Passover.

PASSOVER

Since Chametz is prohibited on

Passover, all products containing

Chametz need to be isolated and

stored in a “Chametz Closet.”

While every part of the home is

cleaned for Passover, special

attention is paid to the kitchen,

because that’s where Chametz is

used year-round; our kitchens need

to be zoned “Chametz-Free” for

Passover food preparation.

There’s something special and

exciting about bringing out the

Passover dishes and kitchen utensils.

Used only for Passover, they connect

us to both the practical and the

mystical elements inherent in the

holiday celebrations.

If necessary, certain year-round utensils can be

used—provided they are koshered for Passover.

This gets rather complex—you’ll need to consult

a competent rabbi, but you can tap here for the

basic koshering procedures.

JustJEWIt!

Stove Cleaning Microwave Ovens

Thoroughly

clean and scour

every part of

the stove.

Clean the microwave oven thoroughly.

Fill a completely clean

container, that was not used

for 24 hours, with water. Turn

on the microwave and let it

steam heavily. Turn it off and

wipe out the inside. To use the

microwave during Passover,

use a flat, thick, microwave-

safe object as a separation

between the bottom of the

oven and the cooking dish.

When cooking or warming,

the food should be covered on

all sides.

Refrigerator & Freezer

Thoroughly clean and scrub to remove any

crumbs and residue. Afterwards, some

people like to place liners on the shelves.

Heat the oven to the highest

temperature possible for 1–

2 hours. Heat the grates and

the iron parts of the stove

(and the elements, if

electric) until they are red-

hot. After that, it’s suggested

that the oven and the stove

top are covered with

aluminum foil for the

duration of Passover.

JustJEWIt!

Clean thoroughly to remove

any crumbs and residue.

Place a heavy covering over

surfaces that come into

contact with hot food or

utensils.

Cupboards, Closets

Tables & Counters

Cars, Office, Garage

Tablecloths

& Napkins

Launder without starch

Vacuum your car or van;

thoroughly clean your

basement, garage, or any

property you own.

For 24 hours before koshering the sink, don’t

pour any hot water from chametz pots into the

sink. Thoroughly clean the sink, boil water in a

clean pot which was not used for 24 hours, and

pour the water three times onto every part of

the sink, including the drain stopper. Then line

the sink with foil or liner.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink!

Put toys that are complicated

to clean away. You can fill up a

pillow case with soft toys and

run them through the washing

machine. Or let toys soak in

the bathtub, and give them a

quick rinse under pressure.

Toys

JustJEWIt!

JustJEWIt!


Start Your

FREE TRIAL

Now!

Because it’s even prohibited

to “own” Chametz during

Passover, seal off your

“Chametz Closet” and sell

its contents to a non-Jew

by filling out a special form.

It’s complicated, so a

competent Rabbi is best

assigned to fulfill this for

you.

Or Tap Here and sell

your Chametz online at

Chabad.org

Selling Your Chametz

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=eJToaPjENslf8M&tbnid=k7LQVwpDnFzU-M:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http://www.augustamagazine.com/Augusta-Magazine/Subscriber-Services/&ei=qpInUZbvFI-02AXin4DwBA&psig=AFQjCNGWUNJYYupXmer5O8hqUbp4rjCV_Q&ust=1361634346407252


JustJEWIt!

Aish.com does it again!

2.18 minutes of brilliance!


Google “Exodus”


Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev (1740-

1809) spent his life acting as the self-

appointed character witness for the Jewish

people, engaging in a constant dialogue

with G-d, pointing out the unique qualities

of every Jew he met. The following is one

of the best-known "Berdichever" stories:

JustJEWIt!

Minister for the Defense

No matter the price offered, not one

merchant was willing or able to come up

with even a crumb of bread or dram of

alcohol. The town had converted into a

chametz-free zone.

Thrilled with the results of his failed

quest, the rabbi looked up to heaven

and declared: "G-d

Almighty, look down with

pride at Your people! The

Czar has border guards

and tax-commissioners

dedicated to his

commands. The police

and the courts are devoted to tracking

down and punishing smugglers and

black-marketers, and yet, anything one

could possibly want is available.

Contrast this with the faith and fidelity of

Your Jews. It has been over 3,000 years

since you commanded us to observe

Passover. No police, no guards, no

courts and jails enforce this edict—and

yet every Jew keeps Your laws to the

utmost!

"Mi k'amcha Yisrael – Who is like Your

nation, Israel?!"

By Elisha Greenbaum

Courtesy of Chabad.org

It was the afternoon before

Passover, and Rabbi Levi

Yitzchak was wandering

through the streets of the

Jewish quarter seeking out

local smugglers. From one

he quietly asked for a quote

on contraband tobacco, from

another he enquired about the availability

of smuggled brocades and embroideries.

No matter the merchandise he sought,

everything was available for the right

price.

However, when he started asking his

newfound acquaintances to supply him

with some bread or whiskey, those very

same businessmen who had previously

proved so accommodating balked. Rabbi,"

said one, "are you trying to insult me? The

seder will be starting in just a few hours

and no Jew would have even a speck of

chametz left in his home or business."

http://chabad.org/

In the Haggadah we read about

the Four Sons, their questions,

and the proper responses for

each one. A superficial reading of

these passages doesn't reveal too

much about the art of education,

but a little digging divulges

tremendous insight into the Torah's

view on education. Indeed, a better

educator's handbook couldn't have

been written…

The Haggadah teaches us how to

respond to the unique needs of four

different types of children, or

possibly the same child, depending

on the circumstances and the

motivation behind the question.

The Haggadah ~

a better educator's

handbook couldn't

have been written…

JustJEWIt! Courtesy of Chabad.org, by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg--

writer, editor, and director of the curriculum department at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.

"What are the testimonies, the

statutes and the laws which

G-d, our L-rd, has

commanded you?"

You, in turn, shall instruct him

[all] the laws of Passover [up

to] "one is not to eat any

dessert after the Paschal

lamb.“

This child, the one with so

many detailed questions, is all

too often not recognized as

the wise one. Frequently she

is referred to as "the nudge"

or "the pest."

At the Seder table, while the

adults are trying to have a nice

conversation about "important"

matters, this "disrespectful"

rascal keeps on interrupting

with questions. Very annoying.

Especially when you don't have

all the answers…

The Haggadah points out that

this child isn't disrespectful or a

nudge. She is wise. Always

remember your real priorities.

Your child is your greatest and

most important responsibility,

and nothing will turn off a child

more than a parent or teacher

who doesn't treat their

questions with proper respect.

Answer your child. Answer

every detail. If you don't know

the answer, ask your rabbi.

Otherwise you might, G-d

forbid end up with…



"What is this service to you?!"

He says 'to you', but not to

him! By thus excluding

himself from the community

he has denied that which is

fundamental.

You, therefore, must blunt his

teeth and say to him: "'It is

because of this that G-d did

for me when I left Egypt'; 'for

me' — but not for him! If he

had been there, he would not

have been redeemed!"

This child asks a seemingly

innocent question. Only careful

examination of the language of

the question reveals the

problem.

When we are asked a question,

our natural instinct is to answer

the question. The Haggadah

tells us that sometimes it is

more important to address the

questioner than to answer the

question; but this can only be

done if the parent/teacher is

really listening to the child,

even paying attention to the

wording of the question.

Obviously the question must

also be answered in full detail,

this we already learned from

the previous section which

teaches us how to respond to

the wise child, but that is of

secondary importance.



We inform the "wicked" son that if

he would've been there, in Egypt,

he would not have been redeemed.

But now is different. Since the Torah

was given at Mount Sinai every Jew

has a G-dly soul and, like it or not,

will be redeemed with all his

brethren when Moshiach comes.

This hopefully "blunts his teeth,"

allowing him to realize that it is

useless to try to bite and attack,

because this, the Seder table, is his

very special destiny.



"What is this?" Thus you shall

say to him: "G-d took us out of

Egypt, from the house of slaves,

with a strong hand.“

This child is

asking a quite

simple question.

Many times a child

will ask such a question

because she isn't looking

for a detailed technical

response.

Instead, this child is sitting at

the Seder table and wondering:

"Why is everyone so excited?

Why does everyone gather, year

after year, to celebrate an event

which occurred many thousands

of years ago? What is this?"

Such a question—which isn't so

simple after all—deserves a

response in kind. Don't bog

down the child with the laws of

grating the maror and the

secret of charoset, that's not

what she's looking for.

Tell her that it's fine to be

excited and enthused about

Judaism because we have a

great G-d with a mighty hand

who again and again delivers us

from the hands of our enemies.

This is the miraculous story of a

people who have had as many

enemies as there were

civilizations, and G-d's strong

hand remains steady.

In other words, the

parent/educator cannot suffice

with transmitting information. It

is necessary to imbue our

children with a love for G-d and

a passion for serving Him.



What Do We Say?

You must initiate him, as it is

said: "You shall tell your child on

that day, 'It is because of this

that G-d did for me when I left

Egypt.'“

This child is not one who is "too

obtuse to ask." Nor is he

"unwilling to ask." He simply does

not know that he is supposed to

ask. He is used to processing all

the information that his parents

and teachers constantly throw in

his direction; but he is not used

to using his own mind, to

scrutinize, analyze and question.

This is actually a quite common

phenomenon—even amongst very

intelligent children.

The Haggadah tells us that if a

child does not know to ask, you

must realize that (at least

partially) the blame lies with you;

for you have not initiated the

child in the art of thinking.

The solution is to compel him to

think. Tell him that "It is because

of this that G-d did for me when I

left Egypt.'" Such a blank

statement, which on the surface

makes no sense, is certain to

elicit a barrage of questions from

any child: "Daddy, on which day

are you supposed to tell this to

your child?" "Mommy, because of

what did G-d do for you?" Rabbi,

what did G-d do for you?"



Answers all questions; never trivializing the importance of a child's curiosity.

Not only answers the question, but also addresses the unspoken issues bothering the questioner.

Permeates the children with a zeal for G-d and Torah.

Coaches them to think on their own.

The Ultimate Educator is

the one who internalizes

the message of

The Four Sons

Courtesy of Chabad.org, by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg - writer, editor, and

director of the curriculum department at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. JustJEWIt!

Please Rate

Please give us a rating in the App Store if you’re enjoying JustJEWIt! Magazine… or send us an email if you have any

questions or suggestions.

When you tap the Leave A Review

button above, a new window will

open in the Newsstand & then a

pop-up for the app. Tap on Write

A Review in the bottom left

corner, and under Title write your

Main Point. In Review, let others

know what you love about

JustJEWIt! Tap Submit & when you

return to your magazine, tap

Done. Thank you! We very much

appreciate your rating and review.

Your message is pre-populated

when you tap the Email Us

button above. Your suggestions

and opinions are of great value

to us, and we respond to every

email we receive.

Let us know if you or a friend

has artwork, an article,

illustrations or photographs to

showcase in JustJEWIt!

LEAVE A REVIEW EMAIL US

★★★★★

★★★★★


JustJEWIt!

Yaakov Shwekey

Cry No More

ירושלים

Jerusalem


MUSIC VIDEO

JustJEWIt!


Pesi Dinnerstein is a fabulous

writer who is able to relate the

complexities of life with humor,

depth and insight.

A Cluttered Life ~ Searching for

God, Serenity and My Missing

Keys narrates Pesi’s physical and

spiritual struggle with clutter

through a labyrinth of tribulations

and revelations. It’s a worthy

read and we’re pleased to offer an

excerpt from the latter part of the

book which Pesi calls “the Jewish

section” -- in which she unpacks

spiritual metaphors along with her

physical packages in the holy land

of Israel.

It isn’t often that I read

every paragraph of a

book, even one that I’m

really enjoying. I’ll

usually scan a few

paragraphs in between

focused reading.

A Cluttered Life ~ Searching for God,

Serenity and My Missing Keys

can be purchased at Amazon.com

Tap here for more about the author

Book Excerpt

I returned to the Kotel at

midnight that night—and just

about every other night

during the entire month that

we spent in the Old City. Midnight was said to be a particularly

auspicious time to connect spiritually at

the Holy Wall, and I clearly

needed all the help I could

get.

The timing actually worked

well for me. I was generally

awake at midnight anyway

and never experienced

the jet lag that everyone

had warned me about.

Or maybe I did but never

identified it as jet lag.

Being as out of sync with

time as I tended to be, it

was not uncommon for me to lose an

entire day or night every now and then.

However, I generally considered

whatever adjustments I needed to make

to get back on track nothing more than

simple realignments—the sort of thing a

chiropractor would do to get a kink out

of my neck, or a repair shop to get all

my tires moving in the same direction

again.

It was necessary to reset my inner clock

so often that I had come to regard the

process as my own personal form of

daylight savings time. Now that I

thought about it, I had probably lived

my entire life in a revolving state of jet

lag, but I had never realized—until this

moment—that there was actually a

name for it.

In any case, midnight at

the Kotel was a perfect

fit. Most nights, I set

out alone, relishing the

solitude of my five-

minute walk through

our tree-lined courtyard,

out the arched gate, and

across Misgav Ladach

street. Sometimes Yankel

came with me, especially

during the first few

days when he was

seriously jet lagged

himself and had trouble sleeping. But,

after that, I was mostly on my own,

which was just as well because it gave

me the freedom to come and go as I

pleased.

That first Friday night at the Holy Wall, I

was overcome with a new sense of hope

and possibility; but a week later, I found

myself stuck in the same place I had

always been. All the things I was certain


JustJEWIt!

A Cluttered Life


JustJEWIt!

would never again disturb my

connection to G-d had returned in full

force to block my way once more.

Standing at the Kotel, surrounded by

more holiness than I had ever felt in

any one place at one time, I found

myself strangely and uncontrollably

distracted. During the day,

it was people praying too

loudly, tourists snapping

pictures, birds hovering

overhead (reincarnated

souls, some said, but

their interminable flap-

ping drove me crazy

nonetheless), cell phones

chiming and vibrating, heavy

perfume triggering my allergies . . .

The world seemed like one hyper-

active mosquito hell-bent on

destroying any concentration I could

summon.

Even at midnight—as much as I loved

the Holy Wall at that magical hour—I

was never able to be fully present.

The distractions were more internal,

but no less bothersome. My mind

flitted back and forth between the

things I needed to do the next day, the

places I was hoping to visit, the

thoughts and feelings I wanted to

record in my journal, the decisions I

had to make about the renovation

back home, and, of course, the fate of

that duffle bag filled with dirty

laundry that had traveled halfway

across the world to park itself right in

the middle of my meditation.

I couldn’t quite believe my own

inability to focus on anything spiritual.

Here I was in the Holy Land

at last, in this city of

breathtaking beauty,

standing at one of the

most sacred places on

earth—and all I could think

about was tomorrow’s

errands and the color of

my new kitchen in

Brooklyn. And I called

myself spiritual. Who was I

kidding?

My friends, of course, begged to differ.

They had all sorts of creative theories

about my current inability to connect

to G-d, but none of it convinced me

that I was anything less than a spiritual

charlatan. All these years, all that

soul-searching and desperate longing—

and now that I had finally taken the

ultimate step on my journey, I couldn’t

concentrate long enough to repeat a

three-word mantra.

I was beginning to think that Lisa Marie

was right. Perhaps my search for G-d

had been no search at all, but a

“…none of it

convinced me that I was anything less than a spiritual charlatan. “

A Cluttered Life


JustJEWIt!

convoluted act of self-sabotage,

conveniently designed to prevent

me from ever reaching my

destination, while providing me

with the illusion of being on a

sincere quest. And maybe my

clutter was really part of that

design and not an obstacle to it at

all.

When I finally got Lisa Marie on the

telephone and described my

current struggle, along with my

most recent insight—which was

basically a restatement of her own

theory—she was silent for a

moment and then responded with

genuine concern in her voice.

“Don’t give up, Pesi,” she said.

“You know, we say in the Program

that trying to pray is praying.

We’re responsible for the effort,

not the outcome. So, no matter

how distracted or unworthy you

feel, your job is just to keep on

trying. And, sooner or later, you

will get a response—even if it looks

nothing like what you expect.”

A Cluttered Life ~

Searching for God, Serenity and My Missing Keys

can be purchased at Amazon.com

Tap here for more about the author

A Cluttered Life

Woman davening (praying) at the Kotel (Western Wall)

A Miracle in Baghdad

It was midday when an elderly traveler entered the Jewish quarter of Baghdad. The marketplace, where merchants from many lands sold their fabrics, spices and other wares, seemed strangely empty for such a day. He sighted the grandest building in the section, and determined that must be the great synagogue. He continued his trek towards it until he entered its courtyard and sat down to rest, opening his small sack to take out a few dried figs to refresh his strength. Yet no sooner had he started his lunch than he became aware of a commotion from within the sanctuary. He peeked inside, and beheld a moving spectacle: hundreds of Jews fervently chanting Psalms amidst tears and sobs.

No sooner had he started his lunch that he became aware of a commotion from within the sanctuary.

“What has happened?” he asked of the first Jew whose attention he could grasp.

Hurriedly, and in a voice or desperation, the man told him the story as best he could. The Sultan had decreed that the Jewish people of Baghdad must produce a leader who could perform miracles as Moses had done. Since Moses was the leader of the Jewish people in Egypt and he was able to do miracles, the Sultan expected the same from the leader of the Jews of Baghdad.

If they would not produce such a miracle maker, the Jews would be expelled from Baghdad. Therefore, all of the Jews were fasting and praying to G-d for salvation.

In his calm and patient disposition, the wise traveler approached yet more Jews, until he had finally pieced together the entire story:


Just JEWIt!

by Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack

A Shtikel Vort

“There is but one condition. The man whose head I cut off must be truly wise. In fact, he must be the wisest man in the realm. If not, his head will not properly re-attach.”

The Sultan’s chief advisor, Mustafa was a vicious Jew-hater whose mission it was to destroy the Jews, or at least have them banished from Baghdad. He had convinced the Sultan that the Jews were not only infidels for denying the prophet Mohammed, but that they were thieves and liars as well, deserving immediate expulsion. At first the Sultan was hesitant to believe Mustafa, however, the Sultan was told about what had happened when the Jews left Egypt and what Moses did to Pharaoh. He began to worry that perhaps one of the Jewish leaders of Baghdad would attack him with plagues, and decided he did not want to take any chances. Therefore, he issued a decree that the Jewish had to produce a leader like Moses, or leave Baghdad immediately.

The wise, elderly traveler sat in contemplation for several moments and then approached one of the rabbis at the front of the synagogue and whispered in his ear. Soon all the leaders of the community were talking quietly and then suddenly there was a loud clap on the lectern and one of them spoke. “This man who is visiting our town says that he has a plan. He will travel to the Sultan immediately to try and save us. If he is successful we will rejoice, however if he fails, he will tell the Sultan that he acted alone. Meanwhile we will continue to pray for his success!”

The man headed for the palace, pounded on the entrance gate, and said, “I am a Jew who can do miracles, and I demand to see the Sultan immediately.” Before long he found himself face to face with the ruler of Baghdad. “So,” said the Sultan, “You claim you can do miracles like Moses. What can you do?”

Dozens of people, from the baker and court jester to the royal guards and advisors stared at the old man with the white beard and piercing eyes. “If you would be so kind,” said he, “I will perform a miracle akin to those which Moses himself did. Before your very eyes, I will cut off a man’s head with a sword, and then put him back together and make him live!”

The Sultan smiled nervously and glanced around not knowing what to think or make of the situation. Perhaps the fellow was completely crazy. Or perhaps he was telling the truth. After all, the he seemed extremely confident and spoke with such conviction. What if he was telling the truth? If he doubted him, then who knows what kind of wrath would be unleashed on the Sultan and his kingdom.

He continued, “There is but one condition. The man whose head I cut off must be truly wise. In fact, he must be the wisest man in the realm. If not, his head will not properly re-attach.

JustJEWIt!

Intrigued, the Sultan decided he must see for himself if the Jew was telling the truth. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Mustafa, his chief advisor and the wisest man in the kingdom. Before the Sultan said a word, Mustafa cried out, “No, he is lying! The Jew is an imposter! He can’t really cut someone’s head off and re-attach it.” “That might be true,” said the Sultan, “but what if he is telling the truth and we don’t accommodate him? Surely you don’t want to put the whole kingdom at risk! After all, were you not the one who had advised me to expel the Jews lest we be put in danger?”

“Bring the sword immediately,” cried the Sultan, “Mustafa has volunteered!” With that, Mustafa began to tremble and yelled out, “No I admit it. I was both wrong and very foolish. The Jewish people do not have extraordinary powers!” Mustafa ran out of the palace never to be seen again. The Sultan annulled the decree, thanked the Jew for coming and said that the Jews were welcome to live in Baghdad as long as they desired.

The man returned to the synagogue to share the good news. Immediately, there was unbelievable rejoicing, and a banquet was held in honor of the miracle that G-d had done for His people. Then quietly and quickly, the old man slipped out and left the town before anyone could even get his name.

Some people say that he was Elijah the Prophet. Some say he was a great mystic. Yet others believe that he was just a Jew who simply cared about his fellow Jews as much as he did about himself.

This story helps elucidate a very interesting aspect of the Passover observance. Every holiday is marked by mitzvahs. Yet many of these mitzvahs are not equally fulfilled by all. For example, most of us hear the shofar from someone else who blows it, and on Chanukah many have the custom that the head of the household kindles the menorah as a representative of the entire family. Yet, on Passover, everyone must eat his or her own matzah. On Passover, we are all equally significant.

Exodus was the time when our people came together as one. Leaving Egypt united as one people set the stage for the mitzvah that Hillel considered to be the core of the entire Torah: Love for a fellow Jew. The hero of this story actualized that which we all know to be true, that each of us is only complete when we do all that we can to ensure that every single Jew is being taken care of as well.

This is why the Passover haggadah begins with an invitation, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.” Our table is only complete when it is open to others!

JustJEWIt! Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack is the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Writer

of the e-newsletter and website A Shtikel Vort

“All who are hungry, let them come and eat.”

Our table is only complete when it is open to others!


One of the intriguing things about

the Ten Commandments is that

they were engraved on two

separate tablets. Was G-d short of

granite that He needed to use two

tablets? Why could He not carve

the commandments onto a single

stone?

There is the stereotypical Jew-

bashing joke about this. Before

coming to the Jews, G-d

approached all the nations and

asked if they would like to accept

the Torah. Each of them refused

because of some commandment in

the Bible to which they could not

possibly adhere. When G-d

presented the offer to the Jews,

their sole question was: How much

do you want for it?

To which G-d responded: “It’s for

free.” So the Jews replied: “Give

us two.”

Yet the issue demands sincere

reflection. Why indeed was there

a need for two tablets?

The Two Great Evils of History

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson

JustJEWIt!

Give Us Two!


Just Jew It!

The rabbis in the midrash proposed a novel answer. The Ten

Commandments, they suggested, were engraved on two tablets, five on

each stone, so that they would be read in two directions -- from top to

bottom, and from side to side.

The simplest way of reading the Ten Commandments is, of course, from top

to bottom. Yet due to the fact that the first five commandments were

engraved on one stone and the second five on a separate stone, there was

another way of reading the commandments -- horizontally instead of

vertically, from commandment number one directly to number six; from

number two to number seven, and so on, as we see here:

On the First Stone:

I am the Lord your G-d who has taken you out of Egypt...

You shall have no other gods...

You shall not swear in G-d's name in vain...

Remember the Sabbath...

Honor your father and your mother...

On the Second Stone:

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your fellow.

You shall not covet your fellow’s house, you shall not covet

your fellow’s wife … nor anything that belongs to your

fellow.

Yet this explanation begs the question: Why is it necessary to read the Ten

Commandments horizontally? What insight can we gain from this

alternative reading of the commandments?


JustJEWIt!

The thinkers of the Enlightenment

ushered in the Age of Reason and the

modern secular era, founded on the

belief that the great ideal of “You

shall not murder” did not require the

prerequisite of “I am the Lord Your G-

d” in order to be sustained. Religion

was not necessary to ensure moral

behavior; reason alone, without G-d,

would guide humanity into an age of

.

While religion embodied the vision of

man standing in a continuous

relationship with G-d, the essence of

the Enlightenment represented the

vision of man without G-d. It was a

vision already introduced during the

first days of creation near the Tree of

the Knowledge of Good and Evil, by

the most sophisticated animal of the

time, the serpent. “You shall be like

G-d," it promised Eve. Man could,

and ought to, replace G-d. Left to his

own vices, the thinking went, the

human being will achieve greatness.

In this essay, Rabbi Jacobson

discusses the juxtaposition of the

first and sixth commandments: "I

am the Lord your G-d/You shall not

murder.“

The significance of this “horizontal”

reading from a historical, political

and religious standpoint cannot be

overstated. It embodies one of the

most stunning aspects of Judaism.

divorce commandment number one

from commandment number six --

to sever the idea of a Creator, who

conceived the world for a moral

purpose, from the imperative to

honor the life of another human

being. The first group was

comprised of the philosophers of the

Enlightenment during the 18th and

19th centuries, the second of

religious leaders in many and

diverse ages. The result for both

was moral defeat.

At stake in this

juxtaposition is

nothing less than

the future of

human civilization.

At stake in this

juxtaposition is

nothing less than

the future of human

civilization.

Two groups have

made an attempt to

liberty and to the

achievement of moral

greatness. The sixth

commandment could

operate successfully

independent of the

first.


JustJEWIt!

But the Holocaust spelled the end of

this grand faith in the promise of

human progress based on human

reason. In Auschwitz, the belief that

modern man felt a natural empathy

for others was ruined forever.

The gas chambers were not

invented by a primitive, barbaric

and illiterate people. To the

contrary, this people excelled in

sciences and the arts, but

nevertheless sent 1.5 million

children, and 4.5 million adults, to

their deaths solely because they had

Jewish blood flowing in their veins.

SS guards would spend a day in

Auschwitz, gassing as many as

12,000 human beings, and then

return home in the evening to pet

their dogs and laugh with their

wives. As the smoke of children

ascended from the crematoriums,

these charming romantics would

enjoy good wine, beautiful women

and the moving music of Bach,

Mozart and Wagner. They murdered

millions of innocents in the name of

a developed ethic, and they justified

genocide on purely rational grounds.

In "Schindler’s List," there is a scene

during the liquidation of the Krakow

Ghetto where a little girl hiding in a

piano is shot dead by an SS guard.

As her little angelic body lay in a

river of blood, another guard sits

down to play the piano.

First SS guard: Was ist das? Ist das

Bach?

Second SS guard: Nein. Mozart.

First SS guard: Mozart?

Second SS guard: Ja.

And they both marvel at the

exquisite music.

This was Nazi Germany at its best.


JustJEWIt!

Elie Wiesel who gripped the world’s

imagination with his book "Night," a

personal testimony of life and death

in Auschwitz, once asked the

Lubavitcher Rebbe, who himself lost

many members of his family in the

Holocaust, how he could believe in

G-d after Auschwitz. If G-d existed,

Wiesel asked, posing the single

greatest challenge to faith, how

could He ignore six million of His

children de-humanized and

murdered in the cruelest of

fashions?

The Rebbe replied, “In whom do

you expect me to believe after

Auschwitz? In man?” This must

remain one of the lasting legacies of

Auschwitz. If there is any faith at all

left after the extermination of 6

million people, it must glean its

vitality from something transcending

the human rationale and its

properties. If morality is left to be

determined exclusively by the

human mind, it can become a

morality that justifies the guillotine,

the gulag and the gas chamber. As

Dostoevsky famously put it in "The

Brothers Karamazov," “Where there

is no G-d, all is permitted.”

The atheist philosopher Bertrand

Russell wrote: “I cannot see how to

refute the arguments for the

subjectivity of ethical values

[resulting from atheism], but I find

myself incapable of believing that all

that is wrong with wanton cruelty is

that I don’t like it.”

Russell’s point is critical. Without

G-d, we cannot objectively define

any behavior as good or evil. As

difficult as it is to entertain, no one

can objectively claim that gassing a

mother and her children is any more

evil than killing a mouse. It is all a

matter of taste and opinion. The

validity and effectiveness of “You

shall not murder” can be sustained

only if it is predicated on the

foundation of faith in a universal

moral creator who gave humanity

an absolute and unwavering

definition of what constitutes good

vs. evil.

Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel,

who escaped Warsaw a few weeks

before it was invaded and lost most

of his family in the Nazi Holocaust,

captured this sentiment succinctly:

“If man is not more than human,

then he is less than human.”

Either we climb to a place beyond

ourselves, or we are likely to fall to

a place below ourselves. When the

vision of the sacred dies in the soul

of a person, he or she is capable of

becoming a servant of the devil.


JustJEWIt!

While the Enlightenment abandoned

commandment number one in favor

of number six, various religions over

the ages abandoned number six in

favor of number one. Theirs has

been the atrocious belief that as

long as you believe in the Lord, or in

Allah, you can kill and maim

whomever you brand an "infidel."

Whether it’s a business executive in

New York, or a teenager eating a

slice of pizza in Jerusalem, or a child

on the first day of school in Beslan,

or a commuter in Madrid, or a

tourist in Bali, or a Chabad couple in

Mumbai, if the person is not a

member of your faith, G-d wants

him or her to die.

For the religious fundamentalist, "I

am the Lord your G-d" has nothing

to do with "You shall not murder."

This is the greatest perversion of

faith. Faith that does not inculcate

its followers with the sanctity of

every single human life desecrates

and erodes the very purpose of

faith, which is to elevate the human

person to a state beyond personal

instinct and prejudice. If you delete

“You shall not murder” from religion,

you have detached yourself from “I

am the Lord your G-d.” To believe in

G-d means to honor the life of every

person created in the image of G-d.

What the juxtaposition of the two

commandments is telling us is that

you can’t believe in G-d and murder.

Conversely, if you truly believe that

taking the life of another human is

wrong -- not just because you lack

the means or motive to do so or are

afraid of ending up in jail, but

because you recognize the

transcendent, inviolable value of life

-- that's just another way of saying

you believe in G-d. For what confers

upon human life its radical grace, its

transcendent sanctity and its

absolute value if not the living

presence of G-d imprinted on the

face of the human person?


JustJEWIt!

More than 3,300 years ago,

Judaism, in the most ennobling

attempt to create a society based on

justice and peace, established its

principle code in the sequence of the

two commandments – “I am the

Lord your G-d/You shall not murder.”

A society without G-d can become

monstrous; a society that abandons

the eternal and absolute

commandment “You shall not

murder” is equally evil. Both are

capable of burning children alive

during the day and then retiring to

sleep with a clear conscience.

The Talmud captures this notion in a

rather strange, but intriguing,

fashion.

The Talmud cites a tradition that

when Israel approached Sinai, G-d

lifted up the mountain, held it over

the people's heads and declared:

“Either you accept the Torah, or be

crushed beneath the mountain.”

This seems ludicrous. What worth is

there to a relationship and a

covenant accepted through

coercion?

The answer is profoundly simple.

What G-d was telling the Jewish

people is that the creation of

societies that honor life and shun

cruelty is dependent on education

and on the value system inculcated

within children of the society. The

system of Torah, G-d was

suggesting, was the guarantor for

life and liberty. If you reject the

morality of Torah, if you will lack the

courage and conviction to teach the

world that “I am the Lord your G-d”

and that I have stated unequivocally

“You shall not murder,” the result

will be humanity crushed under a

mountain of tyrants.

Sixty-five years since Auschwitz and

after one decade of incessant

Islamic terrorism, the mountain is

hanging over our heads once again.

Shall we embrace the path of

divine-based morality? Shall we

never forget that religion must

always be defined by “You shall not

murder?”

Dean and Rosh Yeshiva of

TheYeshiva.Net, Rabbi

Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson

is a world renowned

teacher, considered to be

one of the most successful

and passionate

communicators of

Judaism today.

JustJEWIt!

CHAMETZ At nightfall, begin the “formal

search” of the house for

chametz.

Traditionally, a candle is used to

light the way, a feather is used

as a broom, a spoon is used as a

shovel, and a paper bag is used

to collect any chametz that’s

found.

This is a special time for children

to engage in the chametz search

and destroy mission. Everything

that’s found should be placed in

a conspicuous place to be

burned in the morning.


Did you sell your

chametz?! You can

complete an online

"Authorization for the

Sale of Chametz"

form at Chabad.org

by tapping here.

Search & Destroy!

Enjoy JustJEWIt! Magazine for the cost of only one monthly cup of coffee.

Subscribe now for $2.99/month – or save a massive 50% with a yearly subscription –

and your magazine will automatically download (while you are sleeping) every month.

Subscribe Today & Enjoy a 7-Day FREE Trial

The Magazine for every Jew, everywhere.

Pertinent and informative content delivered with stunning interactive design.

Direct to your iPad or iPad Mini

Subscribe

Now!

Documents

Just Jew It iPad Mag Pesach 5773