#halacha hayom

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - A Lesson in Miracles from Pirkei Avot - 25 Tamuz

Hello again Outreach by Adellah readers and thank you for your patience after our short break these past few weeks. This week’s edition of Halacha Hayom - and our “welcome back” to Outreach by Adellah is certainly a fitting one for the occasion. I think you’ll find that this TRUE and personal story from our author about a recent miracle with some lessons from Pirkei Avot was well worth the wait! So, let’s dive right back into our article of the day!

Just a couple of weeks ago, Sarah - one of the authors for Outreach by Adellah - was getting ready to take a flight over the Great Lakes in a small airplane rented out by her hobbyist pilot father. The flight was going to be a couple of hours long, so with her, she brought a book - none other than Pirkei Avot (literally “chapters of the fathers”, a book of Jewish ethical teachings commonly studied between Pesach and Rosh Hashanah), which she had been studying with her NCSY chavrusa. As the plane took off, she began learning Pirkei Avot, starting with where she had left off, on section 3:7, which says the following:

"כל המהלך בדרך ושונה, ומפסיק ממשנתו ואומר: מה נאה אילן זה, מה נאה ניר זה – מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו מתחייב בנפשו."

"Anyone who is traveling on the road and reviewing his learning, but interrupts his study to say, ‘How beautiful is this tree! How beautiful is this plowed field!’—Scripture considers it as if he bears guilt for his soul."

This section is one of many in Pirkei Avot which stresses the importance of Torah study at all times, especially in otherwise perilous situations. Commentary on this text further explains that anyone who is studying Torah receives protection from Hashem wherever they are, because they are engaged in one of the most important mitzvos. Therefore, someone who is travelling a long distance or is in an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous place should take extra care to make time to study Torah, as it affords them protection. Because of this, it is considered something of a sin to stop studying Torah, even for just a few moments, when in one of these precarious situations, as it’s seen as spurning Hashem’s divine protection when you just might need it most. It’s a fascinating topic of Jewish ethics, and I absolutely recommend that you check out this and all sections of Pirkei Avot if you haven’t studied it yet!

After reading this section and the rest of the chapter, Sarah decided to take a break from studying - in hindsight, not the best idea considering the subject matter about which she had just read - and take a nap for the next part of the plane ride. Unfortunately, as soon as she closed her eyes - seriously, not ever five seconds later - just like Pirkei Avot warned, disaster struck: the plane’s propellor failed. Because of this mechanical failure, the plane wouldn’t be able to retain its altitude, and would be forced to make an emergency landing. Although the pilot told Sarah not to worry, the urgency in the aircraft controllers’ voices was anything but subtle. Still, she wasn’t the pilot, and there was nothing she could do, so she did the only thing she could; reach out to Hashem and pray.

In her prayers, she reached out to the master of the universe, acknowledging His control over this and every situation, and the fact that only He truly had the power to save her right now. Not long after she began her sincere davening, Hashem granted an epiphany. She was immediately reminded of the lesson she had just learned from Pirkei Avot, that studying Torah would afford her divine protection, and slacking in Torah study would cause her to lose it. Immediately, she opened her Pirkei Avot sefer and continued her studies. As soon as she did so, almost instantly, the plane was miraculously able to maintain a lower altitude. The propeller was still broken, but the repair was just enough that the pilot and his passenger could maneuver to safety without fear.

After the plane landed safely, a mechanic was called to examine it and diagnose the issue, but even after stripping the plane down to its skeleton and calling in multiple experts for a second opinion, the cause of the mysterious failure and miraculous restoration of the propeller was impossible to ascertain. However, to Sarah, the reason behind the incident was crystal clear: Hashem wanted to teach not only her but all of Outreach by Adellah’s followers about the most important lesson from Pirkei Avot: that reaching out to Hashem and studying His Torah as He wills us to will ensure that He always protects us from danger - even if it takes a miracle.

Tell me in the tags: Have you ever experienced a miracle because you reached out to Hashem? What was it, and why do you think it needed to happen?

Jew joke: Moral of the story? Always take a copy of Pirkei Avot wherever you go… and maybe a parachute as well!

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - Why be Pure without a Beis HaMikdash - 7 Iyar

In this week’s parsha, Tazria Metzora, we are given a crash course on ritual purity. Everything from the observation of niddah to the purity laws for Kohanim to the purity laws for everyday Jews is covered within this parsha. The reason, of course, that purity was so important when the Torah was written was because it would be an affront to Hashem for an impure person to be involved with any part of the goings-on of the Mishkan. It would be wrong for an impure person to offer a sacrifice or to enter the mishkan, and it would certainly be wrong for a Kohen to perform his duties in a state of impurity. 

However, in the modern day and age, we have no idea where remnants of the Mishkan are, and its successor, the Beis HaMikdash (holy temple) also hasn’t been around for nearly 2000 years. As such, some Jews wonder “what’s the point?” Why bother learning about and observing ritual purity laws if there aren’t any sacrifices being performed and there’s no holy place to perform them? Of course, there is a reason to continue to observe these mitzvot, or over a million Jews wouldn’t still be doing so to this day. However, that reason might not be what you expect. That reason is hope.

It’s true that there is “no reason” to observe ritual purity without the Beis HaMikdash, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t observe it. Even though the Beis HaMikdash isn’t around right now, that doesn’t mean it won’t be rebuilt tomorrow! The Mashiach can come literally at any moment, any day, any hour to bring the Jews back to Israel, reestablish our religious laws, rebuild the Beis Hamikdash, and do a number of other extremely positive things for the Jewish people. The reason that Jews even today - even 2000 years after the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed by the Roman Empire and all hope for its reconstruction might be lost to non-believers - still follow mitzvot that will only be relevant when the Beis HaMikdash is standing; because we have hope that it will be standing again soon, perhaps even today.

Tell me in the tags: How else can you observe Judaism as if the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt on this very day? How can you make sure to always make room for hope?

Jew joke: It's not that I'm flaky, it's just that every day I'm so sure the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt that I don't bother committing so hard to my plans!

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - Taking Criticism - 30 Nisan

In this week’s parsha, we see an interesting interaction between Aharon and Moshe:

וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שְׂעִ֣יר הַֽחַטָּ֗את דָּרֹ֥שׁ דָּרַ֛שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֣ה שֹׂרָ֑ף וַ֠יִּקְצֹ֠ף עַל־אֶלְעָזָ֤ר וְעַל־אִֽיתָמָר֙ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן הַנּוֹתָרִ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then Moses inquired about the goat of sin offering, and it had already been burned! He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and said,

מַדּ֗וּעַ לֹֽא־אֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־הַחַטָּאת֙ בִּמְק֣וֹם הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ כִּ֛י קֹ֥דֶשׁ קׇֽדָשִׁ֖ים הִ֑וא וְאֹתָ֣הּ ׀ נָתַ֣ן לָכֶ֗ם לָשֵׂאת֙ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן הָעֵדָ֔ה לְכַפֵּ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

“Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred area? For it is most holy, and it is what was given to you to remove the guilt of the community and to make expiation for them before יהוה.

הֵ֚ן לֹא־הוּבָ֣א אֶת־דָּמָ֔הּ אֶל־הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ פְּנִ֑ימָה אָכ֨וֹל תֹּאכְל֥וּ אֹתָ֛הּ בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוֵּֽיתִי׃

Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הֵ֣ן הַ֠יּ֠וֹם הִקְרִ֨יבוּ אֶת־חַטָּאתָ֤ם וְאֶת־עֹֽלָתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה וַתִּקְרֶ֥אנָה אֹתִ֖י כָּאֵ֑לֶּה וְאָכַ֤לְתִּי חַטָּאת֙ הַיּ֔וֹם הַיִּיטַ֖ב בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

And Aaron spoke to Moses, “See, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering before יהוה, and such things have befallen me! Had I eaten sin offering today, would יהוה have approved?”

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּיטַ֖ב בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ {פ}

And when Moses heard this, he approved. 

As you can see, even Moshe, one of the wisest men to ever live, was not afraid to admit when he was wrong. He made the very human error of getting angry with his brother and nephews after a somewhat minor halachic disagreement (haven’t we all done something similar?), but he was also humble enough - even as the leader of the entire nation of Israel - to admit when he made a mistake in his judgment. This is absolutely a trait of his that we should all choose to emulate, and the sages of generations past would agree!

For example, Pirkei Avot states that:

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come. Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30). 

As we can see here, taking criticism is an important Jewish value! It is critical (pun intended) that we don’t only rely on our own intellect to make decisions, but also accept the limitations of that intellect when someone else has a valid counterargument to what we believe. Just like Moshe in this week’s parsha, we should always be willing to step down from our convictions immediately if someone presents evidence to the contrary in order to always be acting logically, reasonably, and with kindness!

Tell me in the tags:

When’s the last time you’ve taken criticism well? When’s the last time you’ve found yourself struggling with it? What can you do to improve and be more like Moshe in the future? Jew joke:

Yeah, I can take criticism… in the same way I can “take” a punch to the face. Either way, I’m out of commission for at least a few hours!

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - No Second Chances! Why You Can’t Miss a Day of the Omer - Pesach

Every year, between Pesach and Shavuot, we count 49 days of the Omer. This means that on every single day of the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot, we declare which day it is (“today is the 23rd day of the Omer…”) and say a blessing for that day. This ritual has its roots in the Torah, from the commandment:

וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמׇּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃

And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the ῾omer of the wave offering; seven complete sabbaths shall there be:

עַ֣ד מִֽמׇּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיהֹוָֽה׃

to the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall you number fifty days and you shall offer a new meal offering to the Lord.

Where we are told to count out a meal offering to give to Hashem for each of the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot. Of course, in the modern day we can no longer give these offerings to Hashem because the Beis Hamikdash no longer exists. Instead, we simply count the days and say a blessing, but there is even a little more to it than that!

Each of the days of the Omer is also associated with two of the Sefirot, which are the emanations of the powers of Hashem (it’s a concept from Kabbalah, so it can be confusing). For example, on the day of me writing this, it is the second day of the Omer, which is represented by the sefirot of Gevurah (strength) and Chesed (lovingkindness). On each day of the Omer, we meditate on a different combination of two Sefirot. This is why it’s so important never to miss a day! The reason that we meditate on 49 combinations of Hashem’s emanations over 49 days is not only because we were commanded to do so, but also because between the Exodus from Egypt and receiving the Torah, the Jews ascended through 49 levels of spiritual impurity with the help of Hashem, in order to finally be worthy of receiving His holy words on Har Sinai.

Although we may not be at the 49th and lowest level of spiritual impurity, we certainly all have work to do on ourselves anyway. Being able to meditate on some of Hashem’s attributes every single day is absolutely vital for our own less drastic spiritual growth. This is why it’s important never to miss a single day of the Omer. Every single combination of Hashem’s attributes is important for us to understand, and it is absolutely essential that as Jews who should strive to improve ourselves, we never miss out on a day of learning!

Tell me in the tags: Have you been counting the Omer this year? Even if you haven’t, you can always start now! What day of the Omer is it while you’re reading this?

Jew Joke:

Have you heard of the reclusive jewish nobleman who only left his castle between Pesach and Shavuot?

Count DeOmer

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - You Literally Left Egypt - 9 Adar

During the Pesach seder, we do not tell the story of how our ancestors left Egypt. Normally, a statement like this would probably come as a shock, but since I’m sure you read the title of this article, you can probably see where I’m going with this. Of course, during Pesach, we do tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, but it’s not a historical account - it’s our own personal life’s story.

Of course, there is a source for this in the Torah. In Devarim 6:23, the Israelites say as follows:

וְאוֹתָ֖נוּ הוֹצִ֣יא מִשָּׁ֑ם לְמַ֙עַן֙ הָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ לָ֤תֶת לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃

and us [God] freed from there, in order to take us and give us the land promised on oath to our fathers.

These Jews come from the generation after the Exodus, but still view the Exodus as something that Hashem literally did to them. There is certainly precedence for this sort of thing in Jewish law. For example, on the next of the 3 harvest festivals, Shavuot, we remember the time that we (or our souls) literally stood on Har Sinai and actually heard the Torah that Hashem gave us thousands of years ago. Just like we were literally on Har Sinai, we were literally there during the Exodus from Egypt in the same spiritual form.

As such, during the Pesach seder, it is a mitzvah not only to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, but to tell it as if we were literally there to experience it - because we truly were! According to Pesachim 10:5, during the Pesach seder, “in every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he personally left Egypt”. During Pesach, we should try to empathize as much as possible with our ancestors in Egypt, not because we weren’t there, but so that we remember once again what it was like to be delivered from slavery into freedom by Hashem our G-d.

This Pesach, see how close you can get to literally reliving the events of the Exodus! Good luck, and chag sameach!

Tell me in the tags: Have you ever felt this way during a Seder? What part of the Seder do you think helped you achieve it most?

Jew Joke:

At their family Seder, the youngest child was confused about how they literally lived through the exodus, so he asked his grandfather "were you really there when the Jews left Egypt?"

"Yes", said his grandfather, "why do you think I always check my food for frogs!?"

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - The Significance of Shabbat, Ancient and Modern - 24 Adar

Jews are entirely unique among any other culture in that once a week - (weeks themselves are a manmade yet divinely-inspired invention created by the ancestors of Jews) on the 7th day - we cease from all work and creation and rest. This might not seem like a big deal to us modern Jews, since we live in a world where 2 day weekends are commonplace, but when Shabbat was invented it was a truly revolutionary idea.

Although the observance of Shabbat in general dates back to the 7th day from creation (when Hashem took a rest after creating the universe in 6 days), the first time the Jews were actually commanded to observe Shabbat was around 2448 Hebrew Calendar, or about 1313 BCE, which was over 3300 years ago! Those are the kind of timescales you date with carbon; borderline prehistoric! In the time period when Shabbat was first commanded to humans, taking a day of rest was unheard of. Agrarian (farming) people worked every single day of their lives during the harvest and planting seasons, and hunter gatherers couldn’t exactly make a habit of taking a day off so often either. This brings us to what one of the primary purposes of shabbat is: to give humans a taste of Olam Haba, the world to come.

In the end of days, after the coming of the Mashiach (whatever that might look like) the world as we know it will be transformed. We may not know the specifics, but we do know that humans will no longer need to work to survive. Although in the past - especially as long ago as when humans were first given the commandment to observe Shabbat - this may have seemed far-fetched and fantastical, we are rapidly approaching this reality. When’s the last time you had to hunt or farm for your next meal? Although I will certainly not use this fact to make any inferences about when the Mashiach might arrive, it is worth noting that the role Shabbat plays in our world is changing somewhat so as to continue to fit its purpose of giving us a taste of Olam Haba when it seems to be right on the tips of our tongues anyway.

Since most people nowadays do not engage in daily hard labor and would take more frequent breaks anyway regardless of religious observances, Shabbat no longer serves primarily as a reprieve from the grueling work of trying to survive. However, it still elevates us to a higher spiritual level in the same way that it elevated our ancestors from the level of survival machines to the level of spiritual beings on their day of rest. Shabbat nowadays gives us an opportunity to truly connect with our community and our peers. It gives us an opportunity to unplug from the technological distractions and other forms of busyness of the modern world and give us a day full of moments to focus on Hashem and on each other. This too is a look into Shamayim and Olam Haba. In the world to come, we will not be suffering at the hands of the news cycle. We will not have to open our phones and computers to news of antisemitism and global issues. We won’t have deadlines to worry about or social media trends to keep up with. We will simply exist in terms of our communities and in terms of Hashem. 

Therefore, whether in ancient or modern times, and whether doing so as a break from the work of survival or a break from the complexities of the modern world, Shabbat has always existed as a window into the safe and fulfilling future that awaits us as Jews. No matter how, Shabbat gives us the opportunity to metaphorically spend a whole 25 hours every single week in Olam Haba and to truly understand the type of world we are trying to work towards building. Remember, in every generation, someone is born who is capable of becoming the Mashiach, provided the world would be ready to accept them. It is up to us to build the sort of world which emulates the divine perfection of Shabbat even during the week. Truly observing Shabbat and getting in touch with its significance is one of the best ways to gain an understanding of how to do this. That is one of the many significances of Shabbat.

Tell me in the tags:

What is the most important thing that Shabbat does for you? How can you try to make the rest of your week a little more Shabbat-like? What can you do for others so they can experience the same?

Jew Joke:

We Jews invented the first ever day off and then spend the next 3300 years arguing about how to exactly do it!

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - Written Rules - 17 Adar

One popular way that Judaism is often misrepresented is as a “religion of rules” (or even as a religion of exceptions to rules!). This erroneous idea, like all stereotypes, does come from a kernel of truth. Jews really do have a truly impressive amount of literature in the form of source material about our culture, religion, and social norms. We have the Torah, the Talmud, the Mishnah, the Gemara, the Tanya, and much, much, MUCH more! These texts deal with every aspect of life, both sacred and mundane, and are read by Jews all around the world. Not only that, but unlike in other religions and cultures where only priests study these texts, you can expect almost every Jew to have a pretty deep understanding of most of these sources. These are all factors which contribute to the misunderstanding of Judaism as a religion of rules… but why is that a misunderstanding?

Jews do not have any more “rules” than any other culture. We just took the time to write down every single rule we have. For example, it is a social rule (at least in the West) that you should clap after someone gives a speech. Nobody has to be taught this rule, and the rule is not written down anywhere, but it is a rule nonetheless, and there are thousands and thousands of other unwritten rules like this in every single culture on Earth. As always however, Judaism is not like any of the other cultures on Earth. Jewish rules are so incredibly unique because not a single one of them is unwritten! Every single Jewish rule, be it social, religious, legal, or otherwise, is written down. We do not have any unwritten rules.

This fact is extremely fitting for a culture in which we are supposed to constantly be aware of Hashem’s presence. Even when doing mundane things like putting on our shoes, we remember Hashem with the seemingly “arbitrary” social rule (though all social rules are somewhat arbitrary) of putting our right shoe on before our left. Having this not only as a written rather than an unwritten rule as other cultures do it, but as a rule written down in our important religious legal texts adds holiness to the mundane. As Jews, we are sanctified by Hashem from all other nations of the world as a holy people. It is only fitting that our laws and customs reflect this separation, with every aspect of our culture being written down in our holy language in honor of Hashem.

Tell me in the tags: Do unwritten social rules ever frustrate you? Which written rule in Judaism is most meaningful to you?

Jew Joke: You think Judaism doesn't have any unwritten rules... until you find yourself sitting during kiddush at a Yekkie's house!

[outreach-by-adellah]

Halacha Hayom - How the Golden Calf Gave Us Rosh Chodesh - 10 Adar

Rosh Chodesh, literally meaning “the head of the new [moon]”, and it is a celebration of the first day of every Jewish month, always occuring on the day of a new moon. Rosh Chodesh is considered somewhat of a holiday, as there are special prayers we say on the day. There is a custom of feasting and of women getting a day of rest on Rosh Chodesh. In the days of the temple, there were also additional sacrifices that we offered to Hashem on this day. It is considered to be a day of renewal, a time for self reflection and for a fresh start in the new month. So, how did Rosh Chodesh come to be, and why are women given a special emphasis on this day?

In this week’s parsha, Ki Tisa, we learn about the repercussions of the sin of the Golden Calf (read this week’s Torah & More article for a more in depth explanation of the parsha). Hashem was, rightly, extremely upset with the Jewish people for creating an idol to worship while Moshe was at Har Sinai. However, although Hashem was originally tempted to wipe out the Jews entirely, Moshe was able to convince Him to rethink this decision by reminding Him about the exodus from Egypt, the very same event the Jews had clearly forgotten about while creating the Golden Calf. Hashem instead chose to forgive the Jewish people and turn this mistake into an opportunity for them to improve themselves. This renewal and forgiveness inspired one of the major themes of Rosh Chodesh. Just as Hashem forgave the Jewish people and gave them a clean slate to work with after the Golden Calf incident, Rosh Chodesh is an opportunity for us to forgive ourselves and each other for our mistakes and start fresh in the coming month.

The other aspect of Rosh Chodesh as a day of rest for women also has its roots in the story of the Golden Calf. According to Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 45, there were two groups of people who did not participate in the creation of the Golden Calf, the tribe of Levi and all of the Jewish women. This is cited as evidence for why the tribe of Levi has a special position among the other tribes and why women are given a special day of rest on Rosh Chodesh. Both are rewards for not participating in the sin of the Golden Calf. The fact that women did not contribute to the Golden Calf is also a perfect example of the role of women in Jewish society. Since we are imbued from birth with the natural ability to find it easier to cultivate a relationship with Hashem, we can serve as examples of piety when the rest of the nation is led astray.

This is how a sin as immense as that of the Golden Calf could create such a unique and important celebration for the Jewish people. Rosh Chodesh is a time of renewal and forgiveness, a reminder of how Hashem forgave us after our sins. It is also a time to appreciate the women in our lives and all the work they put into sustaining the Jewish people… and to give them a much needed break! Perhaps on the next Rosh Chodesh, you can take a moment to acknowledge a hardworking woman you may know, or if you are one, take the opportunity to have a day off!

Tell me in the tags: Have you ever observed Rosh Chodesh before? How might you like to observe it this month?

Jew Joke:

Where do Jews go to get the cheapest idols?

Idollartree