Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Tisha B'Av - The Jewish National Day of Mourning

A bit of learning from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Mason City, Iowa. Starting at sundown tonight (31st of July) Jews around the world will mark the mournful holiday of Tisha B' Av or the Ninth Day of the Hebrew Month of Av. We do so by fasting from sundown to sundown, do not shave or sit on chairs, wear leather products, refrain from going to parties or social gathers and we read from the Book of Lamentations which is Jeremiah's poetic lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple.

What could bring about such mournfulness among the Jews of today?

Because we believe that nothing happens by chance and that G-d is in control of everything we mourn and remember the terrible things that occurred on this dreadful day:

• During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 10 Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding them from entering the Land of Israel. (1312 BCE)
• The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. 100,000 Jews were slaughtered and millions more exiled. (586 BCE)
• The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. Some two million Jews died, and another one million were exiled. (70 CE)
• The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The city of Betar – the Jews' last stand against the Romans – was captured and liquidated. Over 100,000 Jews were slaughtered. (135 CE)
• The Temple area and its surroundings were plowed under by the Roman general Turnus Rufus. Jerusalem was rebuilt as a pagan city – renamed Aelia Capitolina – and access was forbidden to Jews.

Other grave misfortunes throughout Jewish history occurred on the Ninth of Av, including:

1. The Spanish Inquisition culminated with the expulsion of Jews from Spain on Tisha B'Av in 1492.
2. World War One broke out on the eve of Tisha B'Av in 1914 when Germany declared war on Russia. German resentment from the war set the stage for the Holocaust.
3. On the eve of Tisha B'Av 1942, the mass deportation began of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, en route to Treblinka.

Clearly reason to fast, pray and remember to ask for forgiveness.

Thank you for reading/learning and may you have an easy fast.

 

Torah Thoughts for This Week

Each week the Jewish Congregation of Mason City, Adas Israel, shares with those of you interested in learning more about the Jewish faith and the Bible, Torah Thoughts. This week we're once again reading from the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers) 30:2 - 36:16 known in Hebrew the Torah portion is known as Matot and Masei. We're combining two readings from the Torah and there is a bunch packed into each portion.

In Parsha Matot we have the laws of making and annulling vows, the surprise attack on Midian (the '67 War wasn't the Jewish people's first surprise attack!) in retribution for the devastation the Midianites wreaked upon the Jewish people, the purification after the war of people and vessels, dedicating a portion of the spoils to the communal good, the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad for their portion of land to be east of the Jordan river (Surprise!! Trans-Jordan/Jordan is also part of the Biblical land of Israel). Moses objects to the request because he thinks the tribes will not take part in the conquering of the land of Israel; the tribes clarify that they will be the advance troops in the attack and thus receive permission.

We turn  the page and next read from Parsha Masei and here we learn about the complete list of journeys in the desert (the name of each stop hints at a deeper meaning, a lesson learned there). G-d commands the Jews to drive out the land's inhabitants, to destroy their idols and to divide the land by a lottery system. G-d establishes the borders of the Land of Israel. New leadership is appointed, cities of the Levites and Cities of Refuge (where an accidental murderer may seek asylum) are designated. Lastly, the laws are set forth regarding accidental and willful murder as well as inheritance laws only for that generation regarding property of a couple where each came from a different tribe.

Whew! Told you...

The Haftorah (or the reading after the Torah) is once again from the Book of Jeremiah (2: 4-28, 3:4 and 4: 1-2). The theme here is about the disloyalty of Israel to G-d who saved them from slavery, gave them the Torah and a Land and value system designed to promote accomplishment and greatness. It is about how man uses his power of choice to often chose the wrong path in life. It's quite harsh but, as we saw last week, the Haftorah ends with a promise, "If you will return, O Israel - the word of Hashem ("The Name) - to Me shall you return, and if you will remove your abominations from before Me and you will not stray; but you will swear, "As Hashem lives!" in truth, in justice and in righteousness, then shall the nations bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they praise themselves."

Once again we learn that we are given free choice and we can choose to do what He commands or be lost by following our own standards.

Thanks so much for reading. If you've got a comment feel free to share here. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter we are @AdasIsraelMC

Candle lighting tonight is at 8:24pm and Shabbat ends tomorrow evening at 9:31pm.

Shabbat Shalom to you and your family!

 

Torah Thoughts - Shabbat Pinchas - Numbers 25:10 - 31:1

Hello friends of Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Mason City Iowa! This week's Torah Portion is from the Book of Numbers or in Hebrew, Bamidbar.

In our Torah Portion from last week we saw what Pinchas did when confronted by a very public display of immorality. He took up a spear and killed the Jew and the woman he was with as they lay just outside of the Tabernacle. His action, though brutal, stopped a plague and for his reward in standing up against sin he Pinchas was made, by divine decree, a Cohen or a priest.

In this week's reading we see that G-d commands Moses to go to war against the Midianites in retribution for the plot (having their women seduce the Jewish men) that was perpetrated on the Jews.  We then have a NEW census taken and it shows there are 601,730 men available for army duty. (Another census...any wonder this is called the Book of Numbers.)

In this portion we also read where G-d divides the Land of Israel among the various tribes. There is a counting of the Levites (those numbers again!) and then something very interesting happens and it has to do with equality.

The daughters of Tzelafchad go to Moses regarding their right of inheritance. What? WOMEN asking for equal rights when it comes to the Law? Moses goes to G-d and asks for direction and it is the Almighty who answers in their favor and grants the request. One of the first battles of equal rights is complete.

Then Moses asks G-d to appoint a successor and G-d directs Moses to designate Yehoshua (Joshua) to be that person. Remember the story of the 12 spies?.

The Torah portion ends with various offerings and then sets the Sabbath (again), Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and other holidays.

Some questions to ponder over Shabbat Dinner and for our Midrash:

• When it comes to sin, how much are we willing to tolerate even if that sin is destroying others?
• Why all the "counting" doesn't G-d already KNOW how many people and men are available?
• Often Jews are said to be against equality because in Orthodox circles men and women are not held to the same laws and even sit apart during services. What is reality when it comes to women in Judaism?
• Why Joshua and what did G-d do to his name to make Joshua stand out?
• What is the significance of Rosh Chodesh and why is the Jewish Calendar so different? 

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful Shabbat...see you in Shul! 

 

Torah Thoughts - 7 July 2017 Parsha Balak Num. 22:2 - 25:9

Greetings from the Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Mason City, Iowa. This week's Torah Portion is a familiar story and one that has some resounding messages for our time:

We read about Bilaam, a non-Jewish prophet who was granted a level of prophecy close to Moses. The Almighty gave Bilaam these powers so that the nations of the world could not say at sometime in the future, "If we had a prophet like Moses, we too would have accepted the Torah and would have lived according to it." 

The other main character is Balak the kind of Moav who wanted to hire Bilaam to curse the Jewish people. What is interesting about this is that Balak believed in G-d, yet thought that G-d would change His mind about His Chosen People. G-d, unlike man is not in the habit of changing his mind. Bilaam took on the job more for the profit motive than the prophet motive.

So, what happened? G-d allowed Bilaam to go to Balak but with the caution to only say what G-d told him. You see, we all have free will which allows us to go in what ever direction we choose.  So, three times Bilaam tried to curse the Jewish people and three times G-d placed blessings in his mouth. Balak..was not at all happy. 

What was Bilaam to do?  After all he was there to collect a fee...he needed the cash.  

So, Bilaam said to Balak, "If you really want to destroy the Jewish people, entice the men with Moabite women and tell the women not to submit until the men bow down to an idol."  You can guess what happened. Balak followed the advice and G-d brought a plague against the Jewish people because the men...being men...fell for Bilaam's plot.  G-d doesn't think much about bad behavior or idol worship.

And, how does the plague end?  Pinchas takes matters in his hands...along with a spear and kills a couple who were doing "the nasty' in front of the Tabernacle. That story continues next week.

The lesson here is that even the powerful can not make G-d turn his back on the Jews however it is often our behavior that causes us...and our creator great pain. Better to follow His direction than our own passion.

Shabbat Shalom...see you next week for services in Mason City.