The Mikveh is an immersion into living water, it is a time of cleansing (not soap and water), and getting closer to G-d. It is done before conversion, it is done by women on a monthly basis for the sake of family purity, it is done by some men before Shabbos and yom tovim (holidays). In the 60's women's lib was running rampant and the mikveh was seen as archaic. However, everything being cyclical, it is gaining in acceptance once again. It is now "in".
I don't want to go on about the mikveh, although it is a wonderful topic to discuss as our girls get closer to the age of marriage, but let's look at the water as an analogy. When a person immerses into the mikveh water nothing can be between them and the water; no band aids, no makeup, no jewelry etc...Just follow me, there is a point to this. If a person immerses in an ocean or river and they see that a fish has made contact with them, then, when they come up out of the water, we would think that the immersion would be invalid, however, it is not. Why? Because a fish is part of the water, a fish cannot live without the water, it is as though they are one.
It is the same with the Jewish people. We are one with Torah, the mitzvot that connects us with G-d makes us who we are. It makes us a light unto the nations. We have met several people over the years who have asked us about our customs, our laws etc...and when they know we care about it, that we feel the connection with it, they are glad to hear it, they say good for you. The nations know it is right for us to follow Torah. It is not do and don't do, but a way of life, a way to connect to G-d, because the Jewish people and Torah are like a fish in water - inseparable.
Adventuresome Me
- Tamar Ruth
- Who I started out as is not who I have become! I grew up in a small town, very small...and all I wanted to do was move to the city. Now as an adult that small town has grown and is overcrowded. I want what I had as a kid...small town living. We don't appreciate what we have until it is gone. I water my plants with my rain barrel water,grow veggies in the front yard and want chickens and goats in the worst way. I married my high school sweetheart and after 18 years of marriage converted to Judaism. Did I mention I have 4 kids and I homeschool? My oldest son just graduated! The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences--homeschooling, being Jewish and loving it in a not so Jewish town, gardening, animals, and alternative medicines. So, if any of these things interest you---come along for the ride!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Is Passover about Freedom?
Passover is known as the time of our freedom. However, it goes a little deeper than this. It is actually about the transition from slavery to freedom. Can we go from slave to free man overnight? Is it really that simple? We are human and need time to transition from one mode of thought to another.
The street definition of freedom is to do what we want when we want but, is this true freedom? There is a lot of slavery built into this definition of freedom whether we know it or not. A new movie comes out so we have to go see it, we get a coupon in the mail so we have to take advantage of it. The freedom comes in saying no to things, the freedom comes from being in control, from having boundaries. It sounds bizarre but its the truth. We have been taught that freedom is to have abundance, to have the big home with an entertainment room that you pay someone else to clean.
I am still living in the town I grew up in. Back in the 70's there was not much here and I vowed to leave one day and go where there was more activity. We had a hardware store, a bank, a food store, Carvel Ice Cream, a card store, a shoe store, a small post office, a library and a diner (yes a real old fashioned diner which is still here). We also had a store called Spur n' Spar. I can still remember the smell of it, the creeking of the floor and the feel of the leather saddles and jackets, the cowboy hats. If you bought something they gave you a wooden nickle. We had a train run through town also. So hickish yet I yearn for it now. Why? Because now there are so many choices and so many places to go and things to do that that it can get out of control, it can interfere with our freedom. We can forget our purpose and let life take over. We can lose our focus and our happiness, true happiness, the kind that comes from within because we can't connect to it anymore-we're to busy living. So what does our town offer now? All of the old farms are torn down or burned down. Rite Aid and Home Depot, Walmart and Kohls, 5 banks, 6 pizza places at least, strip malls galore, multiple restaurants, etc...etc...you get the point.
So what does this personal rant have to do with Passover? Passover is about our transition from slavery to freedom. Was our liberation without a purpose, a goal, and end result or were we floundering about not knowing what was coming next?
We had a goal then and we still do now. Mt. Sinai. We left Egypt with a purpose, we were going to serve G-d! How were we going to serve G-d? By accepting the gift of Torah from Him. Serving someone, even a diety, does not sound like freedom. However, we were being offered something we couldn't refuse. We were being given our purpose, our instructions, our inner joy. It was exciting, it was exhilarating, it was scary. But what did we say? We said we will do it, we didn't even know what "it" was. After we agreed we listened. This is a true love for G-d, to say we will do it and then ask what "it" is. If a dear friend or our spouse, someone very close to us asked us to do them a favor we would say yes before asking what it is. This is a true bond, a true love.
Wait a minute. What about the golden calf? We weren't such a great people, we complained, we moaned and groaned, even tried to cheat. This is why we speak of transition. We can not change over night. We are human. G-d knows this.
All of the items we use to celebrate Passover are actually representations of this transition. We can use these items to look back to where we came from and forward to where we are going, yes in many areas of our lives we are still working our way to freedom.
Wine. It is red and represents the blood we shed when we were beaten in slavery. When we look at the redemption it still symbolizes blood, but this time it is blood we put on the doorposts that saved us from the angel of death.
Salt Water. This represents our tears during slavery. In freedom it represents the salty sea we crossed (yes, we made the move-we crossed it, G-d didn't cross it or us) to be liberated.
Matzoh. In slavery it was the bread of affliction. However, it now represents our leaving slavery, they pushed us out of Egypt so fast our bread didn't have time to rise.
Bitter Herbs. These represent the bitterness of slavery. We eat it now to show something sweet comes afterwards. If you use romaine lettuce, it is actually the stalk that is bitter, not the leaf.
Charoset. represents the mortar made for the bricks, but now the sweetness of it is associated with our freedom afterwards.
The bone and the egg are actually connected to the Holy Temple representing the sacrifices and the meal. We have a hope in a future permanent Holy Temple.
We have freedom in the Torah we accepted at Mt. Sinai, it is a part of us, and a key to our true inner happiness. However, it is easy for us to still live in a type of bondage today, to still be in "Egypt." This is why these Passover items are more of a transition food until we can conquer whatever it is that still enslaves us. Every year we can reevaluate who we are and what we are enslaved to whether it is material things or if it is psychological, pressure to do things we do not want to do or worries over money. I suppose this is why, as an adult now, I like the simpler life with less distractions. Less truly is more, it gives us opportunity to reconnect to what is important and get rid of the frivolous things that have a way of taking over. Passover is about our continuing journey from slavery to freedom!
The street definition of freedom is to do what we want when we want but, is this true freedom? There is a lot of slavery built into this definition of freedom whether we know it or not. A new movie comes out so we have to go see it, we get a coupon in the mail so we have to take advantage of it. The freedom comes in saying no to things, the freedom comes from being in control, from having boundaries. It sounds bizarre but its the truth. We have been taught that freedom is to have abundance, to have the big home with an entertainment room that you pay someone else to clean.
I am still living in the town I grew up in. Back in the 70's there was not much here and I vowed to leave one day and go where there was more activity. We had a hardware store, a bank, a food store, Carvel Ice Cream, a card store, a shoe store, a small post office, a library and a diner (yes a real old fashioned diner which is still here). We also had a store called Spur n' Spar. I can still remember the smell of it, the creeking of the floor and the feel of the leather saddles and jackets, the cowboy hats. If you bought something they gave you a wooden nickle. We had a train run through town also. So hickish yet I yearn for it now. Why? Because now there are so many choices and so many places to go and things to do that that it can get out of control, it can interfere with our freedom. We can forget our purpose and let life take over. We can lose our focus and our happiness, true happiness, the kind that comes from within because we can't connect to it anymore-we're to busy living. So what does our town offer now? All of the old farms are torn down or burned down. Rite Aid and Home Depot, Walmart and Kohls, 5 banks, 6 pizza places at least, strip malls galore, multiple restaurants, etc...etc...you get the point.
So what does this personal rant have to do with Passover? Passover is about our transition from slavery to freedom. Was our liberation without a purpose, a goal, and end result or were we floundering about not knowing what was coming next?
We had a goal then and we still do now. Mt. Sinai. We left Egypt with a purpose, we were going to serve G-d! How were we going to serve G-d? By accepting the gift of Torah from Him. Serving someone, even a diety, does not sound like freedom. However, we were being offered something we couldn't refuse. We were being given our purpose, our instructions, our inner joy. It was exciting, it was exhilarating, it was scary. But what did we say? We said we will do it, we didn't even know what "it" was. After we agreed we listened. This is a true love for G-d, to say we will do it and then ask what "it" is. If a dear friend or our spouse, someone very close to us asked us to do them a favor we would say yes before asking what it is. This is a true bond, a true love.
Wait a minute. What about the golden calf? We weren't such a great people, we complained, we moaned and groaned, even tried to cheat. This is why we speak of transition. We can not change over night. We are human. G-d knows this.
All of the items we use to celebrate Passover are actually representations of this transition. We can use these items to look back to where we came from and forward to where we are going, yes in many areas of our lives we are still working our way to freedom.
Wine. It is red and represents the blood we shed when we were beaten in slavery. When we look at the redemption it still symbolizes blood, but this time it is blood we put on the doorposts that saved us from the angel of death.
Salt Water. This represents our tears during slavery. In freedom it represents the salty sea we crossed (yes, we made the move-we crossed it, G-d didn't cross it or us) to be liberated.
Matzoh. In slavery it was the bread of affliction. However, it now represents our leaving slavery, they pushed us out of Egypt so fast our bread didn't have time to rise.
Bitter Herbs. These represent the bitterness of slavery. We eat it now to show something sweet comes afterwards. If you use romaine lettuce, it is actually the stalk that is bitter, not the leaf.
Charoset. represents the mortar made for the bricks, but now the sweetness of it is associated with our freedom afterwards.
The bone and the egg are actually connected to the Holy Temple representing the sacrifices and the meal. We have a hope in a future permanent Holy Temple.
We have freedom in the Torah we accepted at Mt. Sinai, it is a part of us, and a key to our true inner happiness. However, it is easy for us to still live in a type of bondage today, to still be in "Egypt." This is why these Passover items are more of a transition food until we can conquer whatever it is that still enslaves us. Every year we can reevaluate who we are and what we are enslaved to whether it is material things or if it is psychological, pressure to do things we do not want to do or worries over money. I suppose this is why, as an adult now, I like the simpler life with less distractions. Less truly is more, it gives us opportunity to reconnect to what is important and get rid of the frivolous things that have a way of taking over. Passover is about our continuing journey from slavery to freedom!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Torah Study Yesterday
Yesterday I went to Chabad for Torah study. The Rabbi and his family just moved into a beautiful, new Chabad House this past week. Its a growing community and they needed space, everyone pitched in and Hashem made the final results happen. We are all amazed at this beautiful new home we will have classes and services in.
Anyway, I went for class and when I got there the Rabbi said the class was for next week. I realized I had my dates mixed up, however, I was not the only one, there were other women there as well. Since we were there we got the grand tour of the new home they have only been in for about 4 days.
During this time our rebetzin comes home with 2 of her small children. She walks through the door and without blinking an eye is thrilled to see us and says we should learn. Would I feel this way with boxes all around and only 4 days into the new house? She has to go find a book that is actually unpacked. We then sit at the dining room table and she gives a Pesach lesson (which she has not prepared for yet) and it was fabulous. We studied for over an hour. She had the baby on her lap, as always, and I brought my daughter who played with her daughter. When it was over she said she won't postpone classes anymore, especially now that the Chabad House has been provided. We all laughed and said it wouldn't do any good to cancel, because we would just show up anyway!
I will share some of what I learned in the next post.
Good Shabbos to everyone!
Anyway, I went for class and when I got there the Rabbi said the class was for next week. I realized I had my dates mixed up, however, I was not the only one, there were other women there as well. Since we were there we got the grand tour of the new home they have only been in for about 4 days.
During this time our rebetzin comes home with 2 of her small children. She walks through the door and without blinking an eye is thrilled to see us and says we should learn. Would I feel this way with boxes all around and only 4 days into the new house? She has to go find a book that is actually unpacked. We then sit at the dining room table and she gives a Pesach lesson (which she has not prepared for yet) and it was fabulous. We studied for over an hour. She had the baby on her lap, as always, and I brought my daughter who played with her daughter. When it was over she said she won't postpone classes anymore, especially now that the Chabad House has been provided. We all laughed and said it wouldn't do any good to cancel, because we would just show up anyway!
I will share some of what I learned in the next post.
Good Shabbos to everyone!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Passive Learning vs. Active Learning
This morning 2 of my kids said the following in reference to an experience in Hebrew School.
11 year old son - "I feel like I have to do things to make the whole world happy."
8 year old daughter (very matter of factly) - "Trust me I've been there!"
I was such a good student (I thought). I sat at my desk, took notes and spewed back those notes during tests. I didn't interrupt or ask questions, even though we were asked if we had questions. Those kids who did have questions were the trouble makers because the goal was to be done. As an adult I look back at my school years; I had some good times and some bad times. I learned. I learned to think passively. I was trained, whether it was by certain teachers or by the presence of students and peer pressure to think passively.
Everyone has a different learning style. However, one thing that should remain constant is the ability to ask questions. If you are asking questions, then you are actively thinking about what you are being taught. How many times did we want to ask a question, even as an adult, and didn't because we thought it may sound stupid? I can raise my hand on that one! It is thought that the student who asks the most questions is learning the least because he doesn't understand. However, the student who is asking questions is probably learning the most. His/ her brain is engaged, they are wrapping their mind around the subject and looking at it from different angles.
When students study Talmud, it is all about asking questions. Ideally, 2 students are paired together who think differently. These students can go back and forth on a topic for hours, asking each other questions and defending their position, or changing their minds. Iron sharpens iron!
I tried to put this into practice today when I went to Chabad for Torah study. I asked at least 3 questions, and the answers were helpful.
Regardless of where we are learning, it is so important to engage our brains and ask questions, I would even say make ourselves ask at least one question during a study session or class. It will change the way we learn and think.
11 year old son - "I feel like I have to do things to make the whole world happy."
8 year old daughter (very matter of factly) - "Trust me I've been there!"
I was such a good student (I thought). I sat at my desk, took notes and spewed back those notes during tests. I didn't interrupt or ask questions, even though we were asked if we had questions. Those kids who did have questions were the trouble makers because the goal was to be done. As an adult I look back at my school years; I had some good times and some bad times. I learned. I learned to think passively. I was trained, whether it was by certain teachers or by the presence of students and peer pressure to think passively.
Everyone has a different learning style. However, one thing that should remain constant is the ability to ask questions. If you are asking questions, then you are actively thinking about what you are being taught. How many times did we want to ask a question, even as an adult, and didn't because we thought it may sound stupid? I can raise my hand on that one! It is thought that the student who asks the most questions is learning the least because he doesn't understand. However, the student who is asking questions is probably learning the most. His/ her brain is engaged, they are wrapping their mind around the subject and looking at it from different angles.
When students study Talmud, it is all about asking questions. Ideally, 2 students are paired together who think differently. These students can go back and forth on a topic for hours, asking each other questions and defending their position, or changing their minds. Iron sharpens iron!
I tried to put this into practice today when I went to Chabad for Torah study. I asked at least 3 questions, and the answers were helpful.
Regardless of where we are learning, it is so important to engage our brains and ask questions, I would even say make ourselves ask at least one question during a study session or class. It will change the way we learn and think.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Everything Has To Do With Everything
The Torah portion this week is Shmini (Leviticus 9-11). It means the 8th day. What is so special about the 8th day? Seven days represents nature, the Talmud compares the first seven days of celebrating the construction of the Tabernacle to the seven days of Creation. The first seven days is an element or component in and of itself, the eighth day starts us over at a new level, it is above nature. A bris milah (circumcision) is done on the eighth day. Even if a bris milah falls on Shabbos, it is performed because this act is above nature, above logic. We must connect the eighth day to the previous seven days. Everything we do now means something for the future.
The Tabernacle was built for the sin of the golden calf. Each day for seven days the Tabernacle was erected, and the Israelites waited for G-d's fire to come down. For seven days His fire did not come down so the Israelites dismantled the Tabernacle, made sure their repentance for the golden calf was sincere and complete, and tried again the following day. On the eighth day G-d's fire came down.
All revelations of the future depend on what we do now. In other words, the future depends on what we do now. Are we learning Torah, fulfilling commandments? The holiness of Shabbos is connected to creation, we make it happen.
Here is a wonderful story, this can definitely be shared with our families over the Shabbos table, or anytime.
A king went out hunting in his hunting clothes. He got lost just outside of the forest but he saw a light. He followed the light to a hut and knocked on the door to ask for help, however, the peasant told him he could not help him. He then goes to the next hut where a man named Moshe answers the door. Moshe says he does not have much but he is welcome to what he has. Moshe gave the king (not knowing he was the king), some straw to sleep on and some goats milk to drink. The next day the king was able to leave and find his way home. Three days later the king sent his royal carriage to Moshe's hut and Moshe is told the king wants to see him. Moshe cant figure out what he has done wrong that the king should want to see him. The king thanks Moshe for his help, for the straw and goats milk, and tells him he will build him a beautiful home right next to the palace and give him money so he should not want. Moshe meets another man and this man asks him how this happened. Moshe said he gave the king straw and goats milk. So.....this man knocks on the castle door with straw and goats milk and tries to give it to the king. The man is kicked out. The king doesn't need straw and goats milk now.
We are in exile, and G-d is in exile with us. Anything we do for Him now, G-d will give us back a gift so much greater than what we gave to Him.
Can you see how we are connecting the 7 days of Creation with the 8th day? Creation represents our effort, we start from darkness and make it light (there was evening and then morning-all of our days on the Hebrew calendar start at night), G-d starts with light and penetrates the dark.
Good Shabbos!
The Tabernacle was built for the sin of the golden calf. Each day for seven days the Tabernacle was erected, and the Israelites waited for G-d's fire to come down. For seven days His fire did not come down so the Israelites dismantled the Tabernacle, made sure their repentance for the golden calf was sincere and complete, and tried again the following day. On the eighth day G-d's fire came down.
All revelations of the future depend on what we do now. In other words, the future depends on what we do now. Are we learning Torah, fulfilling commandments? The holiness of Shabbos is connected to creation, we make it happen.
Here is a wonderful story, this can definitely be shared with our families over the Shabbos table, or anytime.
A king went out hunting in his hunting clothes. He got lost just outside of the forest but he saw a light. He followed the light to a hut and knocked on the door to ask for help, however, the peasant told him he could not help him. He then goes to the next hut where a man named Moshe answers the door. Moshe says he does not have much but he is welcome to what he has. Moshe gave the king (not knowing he was the king), some straw to sleep on and some goats milk to drink. The next day the king was able to leave and find his way home. Three days later the king sent his royal carriage to Moshe's hut and Moshe is told the king wants to see him. Moshe cant figure out what he has done wrong that the king should want to see him. The king thanks Moshe for his help, for the straw and goats milk, and tells him he will build him a beautiful home right next to the palace and give him money so he should not want. Moshe meets another man and this man asks him how this happened. Moshe said he gave the king straw and goats milk. So.....this man knocks on the castle door with straw and goats milk and tries to give it to the king. The man is kicked out. The king doesn't need straw and goats milk now.
We are in exile, and G-d is in exile with us. Anything we do for Him now, G-d will give us back a gift so much greater than what we gave to Him.
Can you see how we are connecting the 7 days of Creation with the 8th day? Creation represents our effort, we start from darkness and make it light (there was evening and then morning-all of our days on the Hebrew calendar start at night), G-d starts with light and penetrates the dark.
Good Shabbos!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
But the Food is Kosher!
When we hear the word kosher, we immediately think of food. However, the definition of kosher is proper or fit, not just for food but for everything in our life. Kosher is such a well known word that you don't have to be Jewish to use it.
We celebrate Purim in a couple of days, it is such an exciting holiday, especially with children. Costumes, groggers, food, drink....some say it is holier than Yom Kippur. How can this be? Because on Purim we are to have such a good time that we don't recognize the difference between Haman and Mordecai. What does this mean? This means there is no appearance of evil, this means we are back in Gan Eden (paradise).
However, let's talk about a party that led up to the events of Purim. King Achashverosh threw a huge party and promised there would be kosher food. The Jews would have no excuse not to come, right? Mordecai explained that we should not attend such a party, that even though the food may be kosher, the party was not. In the end Acheshverosh made a mockery of the Jews, he wore priestly garments, and he ate from the Temple vessels, The king also wanted his queen to show up with only her crown so people could see how beautiful she was. She refused, but this tells us what kind of king this was and that this was not a kosher party!
Where do we spend our time today, where are our kids, what are we/they involved with? Is it kosher? We don't live in a kosher world, it is up to us to bring G-d's light into the world through our actions, what we read, what we watch, who we hang out with, where we go. It all counts. Let's hold onto our principles, to our Torah. One thing is for sure, the world is watching and will respect a person who stands up for their values, and their convictions. Let's keep it kosher!
We celebrate Purim in a couple of days, it is such an exciting holiday, especially with children. Costumes, groggers, food, drink....some say it is holier than Yom Kippur. How can this be? Because on Purim we are to have such a good time that we don't recognize the difference between Haman and Mordecai. What does this mean? This means there is no appearance of evil, this means we are back in Gan Eden (paradise).
However, let's talk about a party that led up to the events of Purim. King Achashverosh threw a huge party and promised there would be kosher food. The Jews would have no excuse not to come, right? Mordecai explained that we should not attend such a party, that even though the food may be kosher, the party was not. In the end Acheshverosh made a mockery of the Jews, he wore priestly garments, and he ate from the Temple vessels, The king also wanted his queen to show up with only her crown so people could see how beautiful she was. She refused, but this tells us what kind of king this was and that this was not a kosher party!
Where do we spend our time today, where are our kids, what are we/they involved with? Is it kosher? We don't live in a kosher world, it is up to us to bring G-d's light into the world through our actions, what we read, what we watch, who we hang out with, where we go. It all counts. Let's hold onto our principles, to our Torah. One thing is for sure, the world is watching and will respect a person who stands up for their values, and their convictions. Let's keep it kosher!
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