Jews Traveling TO the Ukraine To Rav Nachman

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

                                                      
Why would anyone brave traveling today with all the terrorists trying to blow up planes and go to of all places, Ukraine?  It's in the middle of a war between Russia and Ukrainian rebels.  If you happen to be one of New York's Breslov Chasids, you might be going there to make an annual pilgrimage.

Who was Rav Nachman to deserve such respect and daring?  His grave is in Uman, Ukraine.  He was born on April 4, 1772 and died on October 16, 1810 at the young age of 38.  Reb Nachman was the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
                                                                         

Now, who was the Baal Shem Tov?  He was Israel Ben Eliezer, born in 1700 in Podolia gubernia, Ukraine and died in 1760 and the founder of Hasidism.  In 1735, because of miraculous cures that he performed, he became known as the Baal Shem or Baal Shem Tov.  That means the master of the Divine Name, a title given to men who had the power to work miracles by using the Divine Name.

Rav Nachman had quite a grandfather to follow.  He managed to breathe new life into Hasidic movement by combining Kabbala with in-depth Torah facts.  He attracted thousands of followers during his lifetime and his influence continues to this very day. As a child, he followed the path of asceticism and prayer.  He warned his followers not to abuse themselves physically,  and emphasized having their life full of joy and happiness.  His famous saying is "it is a great mitzvah to be happy."  We can all adopt that one and benefit greatly.  I wonder if the flower children of the 60's weren't trying such a philosophy.

There are now many Hasidic movements besides the Breslov.  His religious philosophy was around the closeness to G-d and speaking to G-d in normal conversation "as you would with a best friend."  Tevia, in Fiddler on the Roof" written by Shalom Alecheim, did this.  This concept called hitbodedut is central to his thinking.  

Rebbe, as he was a Rabbi, was born in Medzhybizh, Ukraine.  Now, Jews went to Ukraine in the first place in waves from Khazaria, the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire and Byzantium between the 9th and 12th centuries and then again from Central Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries.  Then they came also from Poland in the 16th and 17th centuries.

There were terrible massacres there during the Chmielnicki and Haidamak uprisings in the 17th and 18th centuries.  In the 19th century the Jews came from Galicia and White Russia.  Ukraine was always an anti-Semitic center and the scene of many pogroms in 1905 and from 1918 to 1920.  The soviet government in the 1920's promoted Jewish settlement in the Ukraine using funds of the American Joint Distribution Committee in the regions of  Kalinindorf, Zlatopol and Stalindorf.  By 1930 there were 90,000 Jewish agriculturists there.  About half of Soviet Russia's 3 million Jews lived there before WWII, but under Nazi rule, the Jews were wiped out by the Germans and Ukrainians fro 1941 to 1942.  Jews living there in 1970 numbered 777,126 and by 1989 there were 484,129.

This year in pilgrimage it is estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 Breslov chassidim will go to Uman from the USA and that about 20,000 to 30,000 will travel there from Israel.  There they will visit the gravesite.  They like to be there for the high holidays of Rosh Hashana, and at Chanukah and Shavuot.  It's because this was when Rav Nachman delivered his formal lessons to his flock.  On the last Rosh Hashana of his life, he stressed the importance of being with him for that holiday in particular.  That's why this annual pilgrimage began.  Uman is 400 miles away from the fighting, so they are not too worried.  Security has been stepped up in Ukraine.

One of the strange occurrences involving the Rav happened in 1800.  Rebbe Nachman moved to the town of Zlatopol and the townspeople invited him to have the final word on who would lead Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayer services.  A man was chosen to lead the final prayer service of Yom Kippur, the Neilah.  This man did not meet the Rebbe's approval.  Out of the blue, the man was struck dumb and forced to step down, causing him great embarrassment.  Rav Nachman explained after the fast ended that the man's true intentions were not good and the man was so angry about what was said that he denounced Rebbe Nachman to Rabbi Aryeh Leib of Shpola (the Shpoler Zeide), another prominent Hasidic rabbi.  This started a nasty campaign against Breslov Hasidism.  Well, even rabbis are human.

Being my family came from Lithuania and were closer to the Vilna Gaon (Elijah Ben Solomon Zalman 1720-1797) who practiced Mitnaggedim Judaism (the opposition to Hasidim) , we were not involved in Hasidism in those years.
                                                                           

However, I moved to Israel in 1980 and settled in Safed, in the north close to the Syrian border.  There was a large cemetery there of many famous Rabbis.  A story was told by my friend, Dov Silverman, who put this story into a book he published about when he was walking guard duty on the outskirts of Safed, he had as a partner, a Hasid of the Breslau sect of Hasidim.  The Hasid pointed to a hill on the left of the Safed cemetery and said, "See that hill?  Under it are buried 10,000 tzaddikim.  When the Messiah comes from Meron to Safed, they will all rise and go with him to Jerusalem.
Dov asked when that would be?
                                                                                     

"When our Rabbi moves to Safed and lives opposite Mt. Meron where the famous Rabbi Bar Yokhai and his son are buried," he answered.
Building was already in progress to house the Rabbi and his followers in Safed, located opposite Mt. Meron.  By the time I moved there, I could see it clearly at night in the beautiful black Safed .night-time sky loaded with twinkling stars as it also was lit up with lights.
The word in Safed was that  the time was soon to come; some stretched it to be within the next 200 years.

References: The Jewish Press
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachman_of_Breslov
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
Legends of Safed by Dov Silverman
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Nachman.html

ISRAEL: The Land That Rests Every Seventh Year

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                 

The year in Israel begins a little differently from other lands.  The Jewish New Year begins at sundown on Wednesday evening on September 24th and is called Rosh Hashana.  This new year coming up is the once every 7th year that is a holy Sabbatical as mandated by the Bible called "Shmita /Shemittah."  "...the 7th year shall be a complete rest for the Land."  Remember that this was from Moses (1391 BCE -1271 BCE) from G-d.  How long has it taken farmers of today to realize that land cannot be continually used to grow the same crops year after year but must rest?  This was told to the Israelites 3,320 years ago and they've been following it ever since.
                                                                     

This means that during the Shemittah, fields may not be worked.  Fruit which grows of itself during these years is free to all.

This dictum is part of many agrarian laws handed to the children of Israel who were living in Canaan before it even came to be named Israel.  Last month, on August 11th which is the 15th day of Av on the Jewish lunar calendar, most forms of tree planting became forbidden.

So, while Hamas was shooting thousands of missiles into southern Israel last month up to August 11th, Israeli farmers planted thousands of fruit trees in advance of the upcoming Sabbatical year when they would not be able to.  Hanan from Moshav Yavul which is on the Gaza-Egypt border, planted peach trees until the very last moment.  His neighbors planted other fruit varieties.
                                                                         

Fruit trees can be dedicated in honor or memory of loved ones. This is because in the Bible, G-d promises to bless everyone who helps in the observance of Shmita.  Many farmers will suffer financially from not planting or working the land for a whole year.  "I will ordain My blessing for you..."Leviticus 25:20.   Many have already been made in memory of the 3 boys who were kidnapped and murdered in Jukne; eyal, Naftali and Gilad.

Resource:  http://unitedwithisrael.org/brave-israeli-farmers-planted-fruit-trees-before-sabbatical-while-under-rocket-fire/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Islamic+State%27s+Goal+is+to+Destroy+Us+All++%E2%9C%A1++IDF+Soldiers+Yearn+for+Spiritual+Nourishment&utm_campaign=20140919_m122226738_Islamic+State%27s+Goal+is+to+Destroy+Us+All++%E2%9C%A1++IDF+Soldiers+Yearn+for+Spiritual+Nourishment&utm_term=Brave+Israeli+Farmers+Planted+Fruit+Trees+Under+Fire_3B+Dedications+Still+Available+before+New+Year
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Russian Intervention in Syria Signals A Big Fight

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

                       Russian warships gather in the Mediterranean

Russia is sending several ships that will arrive in a few days in the Mediterranean to protect their interests in Syria.  Two Russian warships and a missile cruiser are coming to strengthen their fleet.  Russia is one of the big FIVE who would not vote for an  intervention attack against Syria since they are Syria's main backer.

In the meantime, talk is discussing back and forth about  a date for the USA to punish Assad and tell him he can't use chemicals while Britain has had second thoughts and is still bantering the matter in their parliament.  Actually, so is the USA, but Obama has already spoken and has said that the USA would take action even without the backing of allies or the UN.  What he had chastised Bush about, he  is now facing a very similar situation.

Obama has meetings in Sweden and Russia to attend.  He's leaving on Tuesday, so it is thought that something might happen before then.  Are we going to hit and then have our Commander in Chief leave when all fireworks can start?

If anyone attacks Syria, their promise is to attack Israel, who is prepared for that.  They of course will immediately answer an attack, and they have been trying to stay out of the Syrian devastation.   Syria's Civil War has been so close that some missiles had even landed in The Golan, which looks down on Syria.  When you live among lions, it's difficult at best to get into the middle of a roaring and fighting  pride.   Assad has threatened Israel with a deadly attack  from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and what is left of their military and a surprise element of devastation.  What?  Atomic rockets from Iran?  More chemicals, no doubt.  Meanwhile, Assad has had time to leave Damascus and is safely hid out in Iran.

Israel is ready with gas masks for any surprise in Assad's retaliation against their tiny nation.  Psalms 108: 13-14 says it all.  "Give us help against the adversary:  for vain is the help of man.  Through G-d we shall do valiantly:  for He it is that will tread down our adversaries."   Israeli's warriors know they cannot run and hide anywhere.  They have nowhere to go.  This is a fight of the likes of the 300 Spartans,  only Israel feels they have help from their outer space guardian.

Thousands of Syrians have already fled to nearby Lebanon to get out of the way of the West's attack.  Not only did they have to worry about a crazed government with chemicals to use on them willy nilly, but now the West's answer to this use of chemicals which is not in the book of allowed war weapons.  The signal these people had of their eventual fate was in how their government treated the Jewish population in their country.  Confined on "Jew Street" and held as captives in a worse condition of any of the other dhimmis of the Middle East, the last remaining ones  were finally rescued by Israel in 1994.  As a country treats its Jewish population, so will the rest eventually wind up as the next scapegoat.  The Christians of Egypt have found that out already with the Muslim Brotherhood's first reprisal being their churches and people.

The Mediterranean will be full of Israeli, American, and Russian ships ready to fire missiles somewhere.  The British might be in the mix as well. At this point, the USA is not sure what the target is to be as the Syrians have been busy moving their arms to high ground surrounding Damascus.

Starting September 4th in the evening and going on into September 5th is the Birthday of the World, Rosh Hashanna, the start of a 10 day period of Jewish High Holidays ending with Yom Kippur, a day they were attacked on October 6, 1973 when everyone was in a synagogue asking for forgiveness from G-d of any sins they might be guilty of.  It is a day of fasting and is the most serious day of the year.  Unfortunately, the whole beginning of this  New Year is now colored with threats from a neighbor of all their lives once again.

On the sidelines of this stage are many Middle Easterners who are chomping on their bits at the thought of taking over Jerusalem.  I say that G-d has been on Israel's side through thick and thin for 65 years since May 14, 1948.  Israelis have been threatened when the odds were completely against them.  What makes the haters of Zionism  think that G-d's protection and direction has evaporated?  It is even miraculous that as a people Jews have continued to exist from the days when Judah, 4th son of  Jacob  and Leah, was born.  King David was from this tribe.  Of all the ancient people, it is only the Jews who have been able to survive, even with Hitler's determination to do Jews in.  The creation of their state once again has been prophesied to the amazement of all people. Just look into the "Old Testament.,"  It takes a lot more than plain luck to live that long in  a world  constantly against them.

Resource:  http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/israel-continues-to-prepare-for-worst-as-russian-warships-set-to-move-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=israel-continues-to-prepare-for-worst-as-russian-warships-set-to-move-in
Oregonian newspaper, 8/29/13/ Front page, Evidence, allies slow for strike on Syria, by Deb Riechmann and Kimberly dozier, AP, also page A5

Jews Celebrating the Birthday of the World

Nadene Goldfoot
Tonight starts Rosh Hashana.  Our holidays always start the eve of a special day.  Rosh Hashana is the day when G-d completed the creation of the world by creating Adam, the original man.  So this is the year 5772 on the Jewish calendar. 

This month of Elul is the time to think about our past actions and attitudes of the past year, and to resolve to correct our shortcomings.  It is a month of mercy.  We proclaim the Kingship of G-d, and repeat our commitment to serve Him well.  G-d reevaluates the quality of our relationship with Him and creates our world anew.  Since these days are marked as a special period of divine grace when our sincere prayers are sure to find favor in the eyes of G-d, it's a wonderful time to ask for peace for all of Israel. 

After services, we say, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."  The Rabbis tell us that on this special day we all stand in judgment before G-d.  If we are worthy, we are "inscribed" in the "Book of Life."  Ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Book is sealed.  We can sweeten the decree, and merit G-d's blessing for health, well-being, and prosperity for the coming year through repentance, prayer and charity. 

The Days of Awe
Outside of Israel we celebrate for 2 days.  The two days of Rosh Hashana and the 7 days following and Yom Kippur are known as the 10 days of Teshuvah, or the 10 days of awe.  which means repentance.  Judaism emphasizes that our essential nature--the divine spark of the soul---is good.  We do a deep self-condemnation, but realize that our deepest desire is to do good in accordance with the will of G-d. 

Resource: Your Tishrei guide from Lubavitch World Headquarters-pamphlet