SHABBAT and motion activated lights

3rd day of Tebet, 5771


Can I walk past a motion sensitive light on Shabbat?

In order to respond this simple question we must first clarify a few Halakhic principles.

When one performs a permitted action and inevitably a forbidden action or melakha will result from it (this category is called pesik resheh) he is forbidden to proceed with the permitted action, even when he had not intent.

For example: dragging of a heavy chair over soft earth on Shabbat, will inevitably result in the production of furrows which constitute a melakha (activity forbidden on Shabbat, which in this case is Deoraita!).

When as a result of a permitted action ('walking') a forbidden melakha ('turning on the light') will be unintentionally and automatically generated, if I don't care or need the product that results from it, and it is not Deoraita, I'm allowed to perform the permitted action.

When I'm walking in the street, I don't need those lights (lo nicha leh), since the lights are shut off by themselves (not permanent, not Deoraita) so, I'm allowed to walk past that street even if the lights will be automatically activated.

Similarly, I'm allowed to walk by a surveillance system, even though little lights are turn on and off, or by a video cameras, as long as I don't do this intentionally or for my beenfit.

Passing by an optical eye which opens automatically a door I have to pass, iwould be forbidden because I care for that door to open, I need the door open.

NOTE: For those who want to understand better this Halakha I wrote a short explanation in the link below.


Candle lighting in NYC: 4:00 PM
Shabbat ends: 5:18 PM

Shabbat Shalom!

CHANUKA's Torah reading

2nd day of Tebet, 5771

During each one of the eight days of Chanuka, we read the Torah in the morning.

Now, what Biblical text was chosen by the Rabbis to be read on Chanuka and why? Let me explain the question. On every festival we read in the Tora a portion corresponding to that specific event. During the eight days of Pesach, for example, we read eight sections alluding in different ways to the Exodus from Egypt. But the events of Chanuka happened around the year 150 BCE, and are not part of the Hebrew Bible, the rabbis, therefore, had to choose a somehow related Biblical text to be read.

Our Rabbis chose the section of Naso in the book of baMidbar ('In the desert'), dealing with the inaugural offerings of the tribal leaders at the time of the dedication of the Mizbeach (altar).

Why?

1. Chanuka means 'inauguration', and it remind us that once the Greeks were defeated, the Jews rededicated the altar (mizbeach) which had been defiled by pagan offerings. This Perasha is also about the dedication of the mizbeach in the Tabernacle (zot chanukat hamizbeach).

2. The Tabernacle was completed on the 25 of Kislev. Same day we celebrate Chanuka.

3. Because the end of the Torah reading , beha'alotekha, deals with the kindling of the Menora which remind us the miracle of the oil.

4. Me'am Lo'ez explains that in addition to all those reasons, the tribe of Levi did not participate of the offerings at the time of the dedication of the altar, narrated in Naso. During Chanuka, however, they (the Chashmonaim were Cohanim, from the tribe of Levi) rescued and dedicated the altar

Chanuka and an heroic Jewish woman, by Aish
http://www.aish.com/h/c/t/sg/Chanukah_and_the_Heroic_Jewish_Woman.html

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024

CHANUKA: The " 'al-haNisim " prayer.

1st day of Tebet, 5771

'Antiochus pillaged the Temple, attacked Jerusalem and led captive women and children. In 167 BCE ... shabbat and feasts were banned and circumcision was outlawed. Altars to Greek gods were set up and animals prohibited to Jews were sacrificed on them. The Olympian Zeus was placed on the altar of the Temple. Possession of Jewish scriptures was made a capital offense'.

During the eight days of Chanuka we recite the prayer 'al haNisim, ('for the miracles') in the Amida (=main daily prayer) and in Birkat haMazon (=prayer of gratitude after a full meal).

In this meaningful prayer we thank haShem Almighty for the wonders and portents He performed to our ancestors, preventing them from falling into the hands of the enemy. We stress the fact that haShem delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, bearing in mind that the defeated Greek army was one of the most sophisticated and organized armies in antiquity, while the Jews never practice war, let alone 'excelled' in the art of warfare.

It is important to notice that 'al haNisim prayer comes within the daily blessing in which we THANK God for His many favors to us: modim anachnu lakh (we thank You..) in the Amida and node lekha (we will thank You)... in birkat haMazon. Therefore, when we recite 'al haNisim we should regard it as an extension of the general prayer of gratitude and understand it as saying: We thank You... for the miracles....

For this reason many rabbis would insist that the correct version should be ve'al haNisim (And we also thank You for...).

Text of 'al-haNisim prayer (English version):

https://www.yousendit.com/download/cEd1SkhkOW41aVkwTVE9PQ

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024

Chanuka and Rosh Chodesh Tebet

30th day of Kislev, 5771

Today is the 1st day of Rosh Chodesh Tebet, and the 6th Day of Chanuka, at night we light 7 candles

Besides Chanuka, today we also celebrate Rosh Chodesh Tebet.

In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) the name of this month is Chodesh ha-Asiri, the tenth month, counting from Nisan. The name Tebet was coined in Babylonia, same as all the other Hebrew months' names.

Some years Rosh Chodesh Tebet is observed for one day and some years -for example, this year- for two days. Why? Because Kislev, the preceding month, is sometimes "full" (consisting of 30 days) and sometimes not (consisting of only 29 days).
In other words: The 30th day of the preceding month is always the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the next month, and the second day of Rosh Chodesh is the 1st day of the new month. The month of Tebet itself, is always 29 days long and because of this lack of variation in the length of Tebet, Rosh Chodesh Shebat, the month which follows Tebet, will always be celebrated for just one day (the 1st of Shebat).

Today and tomorrow we say Yaale veYabo and al haNisism in the Amida and in Birkat haMazon. In the morning we read the full Halel, then we take out two Sifre Torah . On the first one we read the Rosh Chodesh portion, but instead of dividing it into 4 parts (or Aliot) as we do every Rosh Chodesh, we divide the reading into 3 Aliot. In the second Sefer Torah we read the part corresponding to the day of Chanuka.

Chanuka and Rosh Chodesh Tebet

30th day of Kislev, 5771

Today is the 1st day of Rosh Chodesh Tebet, and the 6th Day of Chanuka, at night we light 7 candles

Besides Chanuka, today we also celebrate Rosh Chodesh Tebet.

In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) the name of this month is Chodesh ha-Asiri, the tenth month, counting from Nisan. The name Tebet was coined in Babylonia, same as all the other Hebrew months' names.

Some years Rosh Chodesh Tebet is observed for one day and some years -for example, this year- for two days. Why? Because Kislev, the preceding month, is sometimes "full" (consisting of 30 days) and sometimes not (consisting of only 29 days).

In other words: The 30th day of the preceding month is always the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the next month, and the second day of Rosh Chodesh is the 1st day of the new month. The month of Tebet itself, is always 29 days long and because of this lack of variation in the length of Tebet, Rosh Chodesh Shebat, the month which follows Tebet, will always be celebrated for just one day (the 1st of Shebat).

Today and tomorrow we say Yaale veYabo and al haNisism in the Amida and in Birkat haMazon. In the morning we read the full Halel, then we take out two Sifre Torah. On the first one we read the Rosh Chodesh portion, but instead of dividing it into 4 parts (or Aliot) as we do every Rosh Chodesh, we divide the reading into 3 Aliot. In the second Sefer Torah we read the part corresponding to the day of Chanuka.


The story of Chanuka in 1967 http://www.aish.com/v/ho/78754242.html

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024

BAREKH ALENU, praying for rain

Today is the 5th day of Chanuka
29th day of Kislev, 5771

On Shemini Atzeret, we started reciting "Mashib HaRuach U'Morid HaGeshem" instead of "Morid HaTal" during the Amida prayers, praising HaShem for giving us rain, but we did not start asking Him to bring the rains yet.

In Israel, Jews start praying for rain in the Amida two weeks after Shemini Atzeret, on the evening of the seventh of Cheshvan (Sepharadic Jews do this by switching to 'Barekh Alenu' on the weekdays Amida, while Ashkenazi Jews add 'veTen Tal uMatar').

This was because they wanted to give time to the travelers who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to get back home before praying for rain.

Diaspora Jews of the time, who mainly lived in Babylonia, did not need the rains to start so early, so the Rabbis ruled that in Babylonia the Jews would start praying for rain on the 60th day of Tekufat Tishrei (season of Tishrei) or approximately sixty days after the beginning of Autumn.

The Rabbis gave an easy to calculate round number for determining the beginning of each cycle (season). Each cycle is to be calculated at exactly 91 days 7 hours and 30 minutes. This makes each seasonal year exactly 365 days and 6 hours long, about 11 minutes longer than the actual astronomical calculation of a Solar year.

When it comes to calendar matters, Jews who live outside of Israel follow the practice of the Jews of Babylonia. Therefore, it has become tradition for all Jews who live in the Diaspora to start asking for rain in their prayers as the Babylonian Jews did.

Based on this calculation, this year, 2010, we switched to 'Barekh Alenu' in our prayers on the evening of December 4th.

(Thanks to Mr. Mehran Etessami, expert in Hebrew calendar calculations, for his help with this HOTD)

CLICK HERE for a very cool Chanuka song, more than 2 millions hits in Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024