TEFILA: Understanding The Blessing Asher Yasar

...אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה, וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים, חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים. גָּלוּי וְיָדֽוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶֽךָ, שֶׁאִם יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אוֹ אִם יִפָּתֵֽחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם אֲפִילוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה ,רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת

In Masekhet Berakhot, (60 b) the Rabbis mentioned the blessings to be said every morning when we wake up (birkot hashaḥar). One of them is asher yaṣar. This berakha praises God's wisdom in the creation of our body and its functions, particularly the digestive system. It refers to the sophisticated processes by which our bodies absorb the nutrients from the food we eat and drink, identifying the good and discarding the waste. Following the words of Yiob (19:26,  "from my body I will see God") the Rabbis considered our bodily functions as a perpetual testimony of God's wisdom. 

  

God designed a self-sufficient and autonomous body--with organs and numberless orifices and valves--which heals itself without our voluntary intervention. 

  

This berakha also hints that most of us only realize the full extent of God's wisdom in the fashioning of our body when our bodies, God forbid, stop working properly.  It indicates that if any element of its sophisticated mechanisms would not work properly--an organ will open up, a body vessel will clog up, or a valve will not unlock--we will not be able to survive.  This berakha opens our eyes and hearts to the wonders of our body, inviting us to recognize the wisdom (and compassion) of its Creator.  

After we leave the bathroom, we wash our hands and recite this blessing of gratitude to the Creator of the awesome human body.

  

"Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who formed man with wisdom and created within him many orifices and organs. It is revealed and known before Your Throne of Glory that if one of them ruptures, or one of them clogs up, it would be impossible to survive even for a short moment. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who heals all bodies and acts wondrously."

  

READ HERE Dr Daniel Gordis "When Balance becomes Betryal" 

Understanding the Ketuba: Jewish Marriage Law.

Last week we explained that the ketuba states the obligations of the husband towards his wife. The groom declares to his bride that he is taking her legally as his wife (i.e., according to the law of Moses and Israel) implying among other things, that he accepts all the responsibilities of a Jewish husband. 

The ketuba then describes some of those duties and responsibilities.

The husband says: "I will work... feed and support you" . 

The first responsibility of the husband mentioned in the ketuba is the husband's obligation to work  in order to maintain his wife and his family.  By means of his work he will "feed and support her". This is the first duty stated in the Tora  (Exodus 21:10) which in Hebrew is known as she-era and in the language of the rabbismezonot (food or basic sustenance) . 

A few illustrations of this law from Maimonides (MT, ishut, 12). 

√  (12:10-11) The husband is obligated to supply food for his wife and children according to his material means. A person who is poor should provide two meals a day and a wealthy person should make provisions, if necessary, for several nutritious meals (meat, fish, or whatever is the local custom) every day. 

√ (12:16-17) If a husband leaves for a business trip overseas (in ancient days people would travel overseas for months or years with virtually no possibility of communication) and the wife is left with no means to obtain food, the rabbinical court will confiscate and sell the husband's properties or goods to provide food for his wife and children. This is the case, provided that three months or more have passed since the  husband left. It was assumed that decent traveling husbands would procure sustenance for their families for at least 90 days. 

READ HERE "US Senate unanimous commitment to Israel"

Israel's mandatory wars

Milḥemet Miṣva (war by commandment or a mandatory war)  refers to the wars to conquer the land of Israel in the times of Yehoshua' bin Nun; the war against 'amaleq and any war that the Jewish people wages in self defense (see MT melakhim, 5:1), i.e., when lives are threatened and vital national interests are at risk. 

The Tora indicates that first, we have to offer peace to the enemies (Deut. 20:10). If they do not accept the offer of peace, then Israel should go to war to defend itself.  For this type of war, the King (=Executive power) was not required to ask for the approval of the Sanhedrin (=Legislative power). Milḥemet Miṣva is launched at the discretion of the King. 

One of the first Miṣvot for the fighters and soldiers who go into these wars is not to fear. In the words of Maimonides (MT,melakhim 7:15) "Once the man [the Jewish soldier] begins his engagement in war, he should rely on the Hope of Israel [=God] Who will rescue him in times of trouble. He needs to know that he is waging this war for the the sanctification of His name (Yiḥud Hashem). He should entrust his life in His hand, and he should not fear; not be scared.... And when a Jewish soldier fights with all his heart, without fear, and with the sole intention of sanctifying the name of God, he will be protected from harm, and nothing bad will happen to him, and he will [have the merit to] establish a solid family in Israel, and his merit will be for him, and his descendants for ever"   

In these days, the soldiers of the IDF are fighting a Milhemet Misva, a war to protect the lives of the citizens of the south of Israel.

They have unlimited courage, the highest morale and they rely on the Almighty, the Protector and Shield of Israel, to save them from harm and bring victory to Am Israel, by their hands. 

May the Almighty protect them and all the citizens of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom!   

Candle lighting in NYC:  4:17 p.m.

Shabbat ends in NYC:    5:25 p.m.

מי שברך לחיילי צה"ל

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵֽנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַֽיִם, וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה, בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן יְיָ אֶת אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵֽינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמוֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָּלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶֽגַע וּמַחֲלָה, וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵֽינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, וִיעַטְּרֵם בְּכֶֽתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבַעֲטֶֽרֶת נִצָּחוֹן, וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהוֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם, לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אוֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.