SHABBAT and alarm systems

Today is the 17th day of Tebet, 5771

It is permitted to set an alarm system on a private residence which will operate on Shabbat, especially when there is a real possibility of life threatening situations.

The alarm system must be activated before Shabbat begins. If possible, one should by-pass one of the doors to be used by the family (some people would recommend to by-pass the front door, which ironically is less used by burglars to break in) and leave all other doors and windows 'activated'. If this cannot be done, please consult a rabbi how to set the alarm system.

When the alarm is activated, there are motion sensors, typically located close to the ceiling, which some people cover or deactivate before Shabbat begins. In any case, it is not forbidden to walk though those sensors, although small led lights are activated by the motion of family members inside the house (pesik resheh derabanan dela nicha leh).

If the alarm accidentally goes off on Shabbat, and won't stop by itself, one should try to have a gentile to turn it off. If that is not possible, it would be permitted for a Jew to shut off the alarm, because 1. the noise is disturbing the entire neighborhood, and it could affect sick people, etc. and 2. preventing or stoping the flow of electrical current is not Biblical -deoraiita- prohibition, (adapted from Practical laws of Shabbat, I, 335).

There are many different alarm and surveillance systems, and I can't possibly cover all details. Here, I just referred to a few principles which I believe apply to most systems. Please, consult a knowledgeable rabbi for more details.

Shabbat Shalom!

Candle lighting in NYC: 4:14 PM
Shabbat ends in NYC: 5:23 PM

Today in American Jewish History, from Aish http://www.aish.com/dijh/46572422.html

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

Identifying the 'Truth'

Today is the 16th day of Tebet, 5771

Saying the truth, speaking and acting truthfully, is one of the principles human civilization is founded upon (pirke abot 1, 18). The Torah exhorts us to tell the truth and keep away from lying. It also teaches us that there are some exceptional cases in which we are allowed - or even commanded- to alter the truth.

First we need to understand that spiritual growing depends on grasping the 'true' nature of our existence and living accordingly.

The God given tools to identify the truth are our intelligence (sekhel) and reason (Rambam).

The ultimate reality is God.

But it is not easy to hold 'constantly' in our minds the reality of God's existence (let alone God's Presence!) and live according to that Truth. Why? Becuase most people do not stop their lives to reflect where are they going or what are they living for? They are driven by pure 'imagination', constantly escaping, eluding, mocking or ignoring the reality of God's existence, which is
also the reality of their own existence. Even those who are believers, often 'forget' of His existence and fall into the tricks of imagination.

The rabbis said that: "The seal of God Almighty is EMET" (the notion of 'truth'), which means, that we should identify the ultimate reality as the reality of God. Therefore, whatever comes from God -the Torah: the book of His will- emanates from that source of truth too.

Living a truthful life begins by identifying the world of imagination around us and have a clear notion that the only true REALITY is God's.

TV and the world of imagination : http://www.aish.com/ci/s/48924702.html

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

Maimonides on habits formation

Today is the 15th day of Tebet, 5771

Maimonides (Rambam) affirms in Hilkhot De'ot that we're all driven by habits. These habits are part of our personalities, either because of a natural (today we would call it: 'genetic') tendency toward a specific behavior or because we have acquired this habit, imitating our peers, family members, etc. With time habits -good and bad habits- become a second nature.

By being more conscious of how habits are formed and how they become part of our character, we might be able to control them.

Illustration:

What is more significant in terms of character formation? To give a big amount of money to charity at once or to give one dollar at a time? (We are not examining here the merits of the different charities, just the impact of this habit on our character)

Maimonides says:

"positive behavior characteristics are not acquired by doing (a one time) great positive act but rather through the repetition of many positive acts. For example, giving one thousand gold coins to one charity will not accustom a person to the habit of 'generosity', whereas giving one gold coin to a thousand charities will do so. By repeating an act many times, an established behavior or emotional pattern is formed. In contrast, one great act might represent a one time arousal to good, after which that motivation might disappear".

Over time, one simple act repeated several times -a string of small experiences- can accumulate to become strong enough to overwhelm even a major experience.

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