U'netanneh Tokef - the hymn of Israel

U'netanneh Tokef (ונתנה תוקף) is one of the most well known liturgical songs (piyyuts) - a description of the frailty of Man standing in judgement before G-d, who endures man's sins and wants him to repent.  

I think almost everybody knows the story of Rabbi Amnon of Mainz ('Magentsa' in Hebrew) in Germany, who was wiling to undergo intense punishment rather than convert to Christianity (see Wikipedia).


The story was written down by the 12th century Rabbi Ephraim of Bonn, who also gave us another interesting legend about the feud between the Israeli poet Yannai and his student Eleazar Kalir.


The Cairo Genizah gave us many fascinating finds.  One of these was a copy of Unetanneh Tokef, from which we know that it was written before the 10th century in Israel, or possibly nearby.  Researchers date it to the Byzantine era.  Some attribute it to the poets of the late Byzantine era, Yannai or Eleazar Kalir.  However, it may even originate from the earliest Piyyut period, in the 3rd and 4th centuries, as during this time anonymous poets wrote liturgies not confined by rhyme or meter.   

The story of Rabbi Amnon might have an historical basis.  Amnon was a common Jewish Italian name, and we know that the ancient Israeli traditions, including the piyyuts, made their way from Israel to the Ashkenaz communities via Italy. 

However, we should recognize that Unetanneh Tokef is part of our Israeli heritage.  It was written here in the Land of Israel, by Israeli poets, for Israelis.  For them, and for us, a cloudless sky, withering grass and flying dust are not just irrelevant similes, they're the reality of the end of summer.

Unetanneh Tokef gives us a glimpse of the hardships faced by the Jews in that very obscure era,when the Romans destroyed Jewish life, and left us with the shards of pottery and memory.


Over the past year I've written about our history in this land.  It is not just a matter of history, it's a matter of continuity.  Every generation, facing trials and tribulations, can relate to the words of Unetanneh Tokef.  Following the Yom Kippur War, this rendition by Yair Rosenblum, sang by the Givatron, made it into a modern Israeli hymn.



May we all have a good and peaceful year.

 See here for more articles about our history in Israel. 

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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Unfinished Business: Erev Yom Kippur

A few comments since I doubt I'll be blogging till after Yom Kippur (Monday evening).

1. Israel's changing its clock tonight, gaining an hour at 2 AM, going back to 1 AM.

2. The Hevron winery has regained their Kashrut certification of the Kiryat Arba rabbinical authority.

3. Hakarat Hatov (Appreciation)

I would like to thank WebAds and Nefesh b'Nefesh for organizing the 2cnd annual Jewish blog convention. Everyone has so been busy kvetching about the food, admission fee and content (you can't please everyone), that I've seen almost no one thank these 2 organizations which invested countless hours. Thanks!

I would like to thank the Muqata staff for posting during the Cast-Lead operation, Litvshe, JoeSettler, Lurker, BOTH, and others.

Thanks to my wife and kids for putting up with the blog.

4. I would like to ask forgiveness:

- if I didn't answer your email
- if I forgot to link to your blog/add you to my blogroll
- if I neglected to write a post about something requested.
- if I wrote anything factually incorrect on the blog over this past year.

I have tried extremely hard to only post factual updates, complete with sources and hyperlinks and have tried to correct any story or post that I found to be inaccurate.

To that note, I would like to say that of this time, it appears that there is no Obama Administration intention to announce a plan of internationalizing Jerusalem. At the time, I purely quoted from IDF radio which broke the story -- August has come and gone, the Cairo speech has come and gone, and it would appear there is no initiative.

This does not mean I believe the Obama administration is making life easy for Israel as they press the issue of settlements over and over, calling them illegitimate, and calling for the halt of Jewish building in post-67 unified Jerusalem.

Personally, I think the Palestinian issue will fall by the wayside in the coming weeks due to Israel vs. Iran and Israel vs. Hamas in Gaza.

5. Yom Kippur in Israel is a fascinating day. This past Friday, my wife showed me a flier from our mailbox that a traveling bicycle company was at our local mall for a few hours -- and that it would be a good opportunity to fix one of the kids' bikes. Only when I was there getting the tire fix did I realize why they had come this past Friday.

Yom Kippur, the day when there's virtually zero vehicular traffic is also known by secular children a "chag ha'ofanayim" -- the bicycle holiday. As many go to shul for the Kol Nidre prayers, there are kids biking everywhere as well.

Not the ultimate realization of a Jewish State...but its a start.

Our settlement is participating yet again in the "Biyachad" (Together) community prayer service, in which secular and religious Jews come together in prayer on Yom Kippur. It takes place in a local school, not in an official synagogue -- yet in neutral ground so that no one feels "out of place."

A community praying together, with ALL sectors represented is truly special. On this day of solemn holiness, the Jewish people put aside their difference, politics, and quibbles -- and beseech G-d's forgiveness.

From R' Ari Enkin at the Hirhurim blog:

"The Holiness of an ordinary weekday in Eretz Yisrael is like that of a Shabbat in Chutz La'aretz. The Holiness of Shabbat in Eretz Yisrael is like that of Yom Kippur in Chutz La'aretz. The Holiness of Yom Kippur in Eretz Yisrael cannot be found anywhere else in the world" -Zohar

I first saw this teaching shortly after making Aliya five years ago and it has been with me daily ever since. Frankly, for me it is one of the most compelling pieces of introspection and mussar – to know that I am in the palace of the King, where the Holiness is incomparably powerful - and even tangible. How those of us who live in Eretz Yisrael must properly prepare for, utilize, and appreciate Yom Kippur.

May we all be inscribed in the book of life, health and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Jameel R
The Muqata


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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Finally: A Solution to Yom Kippur Fast Headaches

When the Renegade Rebbetzin used blog, she often mentioned how much she hated fasting...whether it also impacted her Yom Kippur davening is all too obvious...

My [Yom Kippur] daavening was awful. Simply awful. I don't remember ever experiencing less of an awareness of the fact that it was Yom Kippur.

There was a moment - a quick succession of moments, actually - near the end of the silent Shmoneh Esrei of Neilah, wherein I suddenly began to feel That Connection forming, the Yom Kippur connection, the kind I used to feel. And just as the feeling began to slowly seep through me, and somewhere in the back of my head I began to think I may actually have one precious moment of true daavening - of real avoda she'ba-lev - just as I was beginning to flood with relief, and to open my heart to pour out whatever's been buried in there, just at that moment - wouldn't you know it - a pair of arms flings around my legs, and a dear little voice whispers "Why is everyone standing? Can I go to Daddy now? Is it still Yom Kippur? Why is that lady punching herself? Do you think Max has any more caramels?" And so forth.

Stupid kids.

If only she still blogged...she would know that headaches on the the Day of Atonement are unnecessary, says Dr. Zev (Jeremy) Wimpfheimer, a senior physician in the emergency medicine department of Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Wimpfheimer is testing a drug which, taken in pill form before the fast, will hopefully prevent those fasting from developing a headache. He wants about 200 people to try it before the onset of the 25-hour fast Wednesday evening. [source: JPost]

Performed in cooperation with Dr. Michael Drescher, the associate director of emergency medicine of Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, the study is designed to determine the feasibility of applying a "commonly used and proven-safe drug" to help people fast without getting headaches.

The particular drug chosen for the study is a clinically effective anti-inflammatory pain-relief compound with a favorable side effect profile, whose particular qualities make it effective even long after being ingested.

"With Yom Kippur lasting for over 25 hours, the effects of this drug, which include headache prevention, remain even at the end of the fast," said Wimpfheimer.

It's not too late!!!

While initial research seems to support the hypothesis that this drug will help fasters get through the day, this Yom Kippur will be the first time the drug will be available to the general public to provide real validation. Wimpfheimer said that while typically this pill is only provided to patients at a high cost, for the purposes of this study, healthy people living in Israel can get it for free. The single pill is taken orally just before the beginning of the fast and test participants will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire afterwards. Anyone who wants to participate in the study by Wednesday should e-mail ykheadache@gmail.com or call 054-627-2867.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Spice Up Yom Kippur Musaf!

If your Yom Kippur davening is too slow and you find your thoughts meandering during Musaf, your shul could use the services of the Ray Chew Harlem Boys Choir.




Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

What happened in Ichilov Hospital?

Cardiac Arrest.

Flatline alarm on the EKG.

Get the paddles!

You've seen it all before. TV shows like ER and Chicago Hope give you a glimpse of what goes on in hospital emergency rooms. I was once performing chest compressions as part of a CPR effort when the paramedic's cellphone went off -- his ringtone was that of the ER theme music..and I felt a weird "out of body" experience as I saw myself performing CPR to the tune of ER....life imitating fiction.

Yet what happened 2 months ago in Tel-Aviv's Ichilov Hospital is not fiction; the Ichilov Emergency Room Chief Doctor (on call that evening) personally gave me this first hand account last week.

The patient had flatlined.

No electrical signals were going to his heart.

His heart wasn't pumping.

The emergency medical staff were well trained; among them included a senior cardiologist.

They used defibrillator paddles.

"Clear!"

No response.

They injected him with all sorts of medications.

Nothing.

CPR continues...Compressions....Oxygen...Drugs...Electrical Shocks...constant monitoring.

Flatline. Nothing.

The senior cardiologist, a religious Jew, is about to "call the time", but first bends down near the patient's head, and whispers into his ear the final words that Jews have said for thousands of years before they pass on, "Shma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad."

Everyone in the room was silent.

Beep.

The EKG heart monitor started to beep.

The shocked medical team stared at the monitor...and then at the patient...and restarted administering medical help.

The patient walked out of the hospital on his on 2 feet a few days later.

The story flew around the hospital staff that night. It started off as a miracle. As the hours went by, the story was slowly rationalized...it would have happened anyway...

Prayers sometimes get the desired effect, sometimes it appears they are ignored, sometimes we are deserving and sometimes not.

This Yom Kippur, may all our prayers be favorably heard and answered, and may we be granted forgiveness from each other and from G-d.

Please accept my sincerest apologies if I wrote anything here or in a comment elsewhere which embarressed or offended.

May we all be sealed in the Books of Life, Good Health, and Prosperity.


Gmar Chatima Tova,

Jameel.

PS: Any medical discrepancy/error in this post is my own, and not of the person who relayed the story to me.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

More on the Elephant...Syria calling up Reserves

Continuing on our elephant in the room thread...

Totally unreported on Israeli media (as of 11:23 AM), the daily newspaper an-Nahar reports that the Syrian army is calling up some of its reserves. Assad says that his land [the Golan] is occupied, so he needs "peace to regain his land"...and when asked about Iran's call to wipe Israel off the globe, Assad replied, "This is freedom of speech. Any person in the world has the right to express himself freely. This is just an expression."

Sure.

Judge for yourselves:

Syria was reportedly calling its reserve forces as its president Bashar Assad said he is working for peace with Israel, denying charges of channeling Iranian weapons to Lebanon's Hizbullah.

The Daily newspaper an-Nahar, in an un-attributed report, said Syria has "called to service part of its reserve force."

Meanwhile, Assad told CBS: "We call for peace talks. We had peace talks 15 years ago … We work for peace with Israel … Our land is occupied and we need peace to regain our land."

He denied charges that Syria was channeling Iranian weapons to Hizbullah, saying Damascus supports the party "politically because they have a just cause."

"We have not allowed Iran to provide Hizbullah with Weapons and missiles. Where is the evidence for such a charge?" Assad asked.

He said charges regarding Syria's involvement in smuggling weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon "have been made for a year. Intelligence services, probably from all over the world, operate on the Lebanese side of the border with Syria and the Israelis fly over Lebanon … I told them provide us with a single evidence that we have sent one missile to Hizbullah. These are fake claims."

Syria, Assad said, supports Hizbullah politically.

"We do not provide anybody with safe haven. They have their safe haven among the Lebanese people. This is the source of their strength," Assad said.

"As for support, this depends on the kind of support. We have good relations (with Hizbullah) and we support herm politically because they have a just cause," he added.

Assad also denied that Damascus airport is being used by terrorists as a springboard to fight the U.S. forces in Iraq.

"They enter illegally across the border and we've managed to arrest them," Assad stressed.

Asked to comment on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenjad's call to wipe Israel off the Map, Assad said: "This is freedom of speech. Any person in the world has the right to express himself freely. This is just an expression."

Beirut, 09 Sep 07, 09:19

In the weeks before the Yom Kippur was in 1973, the IDF and Israeli government were aware of many signs indicating war.

Are we doomed to repeat history?

President Shimon Peres on history: "It is a great mistake to learn from history. There is nothing to learn from history."(M'aariv interview, 1993)


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

High Holy Day Box Seats: $50,000

Crossposted at DovBear.

(Great Belz Shul in Jerusalem)

YNET Reports today that a seat near the Belzer Rebbe for the High Holy Days in the Great Belz Shul in Yerushalayim costs 50 thousand dollars. Wow.

At synagogues of the hassidic rabbis' courts the prices vary according to how close they are to the admor (acronym for "our master, our teacher, and our rabbi). A reserved seat near the admor at the Belz (hassidic sect) synagogue can reach a whopping $50,000.

Synagogues are also charging for the right to read from the Torah, especially following the afternoon prayer session on Yom Kippur. Worshippers at the Vishnitz synagogue can purchase this right for no less than $50,000. A similar price will be charged from those wishing to take part in the opening of the Holy Arc ceremony at Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's Kol Nidre synagogue.

Kfar Chabad is charging NIS 60,000 ($14,500) for being the last person to be called up to the Torah and NIS 30,000 ($7,250) for being called up to the Torah for the opening prayer of the Eve of Atonement (Yom Kippur) service.

My personal shul is 1300 NIS ($310) per family...how about you?

Shana Tova,

Jameel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael