Sponsored
by Vicky Wu on the 17th yahrzeit of JJ Greenberg z”l

May
JJ’s love for the Land of Israel and for his People continue to shine

We recite the Avinu Malkenu prayer
during the Shacharit and Mincha services on Rosh HaShana, throughout the Aseret
Y’Mei Tshuva- The Ten Days of Repentance (aside from Shabbat) as well as on the
evening, morning, afternoon and Neila services of Yom Kippur.

Repeating the same prayer so many
times may cause us to rush through and lose kavana (intent). How can we keep up
our kavana and make the prayer even more relevant to our lives today?

Rav Yoel Bin Nun came up with a more
updated and expanded version of Avinu Malkenu. His view is that the prayer has
had many additions made to it since it was first composed by Rabbi Akiva who
requested rain during a drought (Talmud Taanit 25b). In fact, the petition for
rain (Rabbi Akiva’s original request) is not in the versions of the prayer
found in our machzors! Rav Bin Nun explains that this is because when the Jews
were in exile, there wasn’t such a dire need for rain the way that we have in
the Land of Israel as it says in Dvarim 11:11-12:

The land into which you go to possess
it, is a land of hills and valleys and drinks water of the rain of heaven: a
land which HaShem, your God cares for: the eyes of Hashem, your God are always
upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Rav Bin Nun suggests that we pray
for rain in Avinu Malkenu requesting that God “give us rain of blessing in
our land”, “fill our reservoirs with water” as well as update and expand some of the other lines to
match what we really need in Israel and throughout the world today. Here are a
few examples of his additions:

Close the mouths of our adversaries and
our accusers in the media, in Israel and in the world.

Remove kidnappings, murders,
stabbings, vehicle ramming attacks, fires and bombs from Your land.

Remove missiles, tunnels and fires
from above and below.

Save us from disasters that we have
caused (pollution!).

Save us from disasters that arise
from your creation (earthquakes!).

Save battered and tormented women
and men who are threatened and tortured from the hands of cruel people.

Send your blessing to the poor and
to those who have trouble standing on their feet.

Other themes that he includes are:
releasing women and men who have not received a get (Jewish divorce), the
soldiers fighting for the sanctification of God’s name, those who are being
held as prisoners throughout the world, Raise the might of the State of Israel,
Raise the might of Jerusalem, the Holy City, eradicate destructive
weapons, evil rulers…

Rav Bin Nun’s full list of additions
(in Hebrew) can be found here http://tiny.cc/xfmwdz .

May these additions help give us
more kavana to pray for the things that are troubling the State of Israel and
the world at large and may all of our prayers be fulfilled for the good.

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim,

Sharona Margolin Halickman

Sponsored by Vicky Wu in loving memory of JJ Greenberg z”l, whose
inspiration for strength and kindness never ceases

The Aseret Yemei Tshuva (The Ten
Days of Repentance beginning with Rosh HaShana and ending with Yom Kippur) are
meant to be a time of repentance and introspection. This time of year is also
an opportunity for us to step up our intent and focus when praying.

Additions to the service ensure that
we are not praying by rote. Rather, they help keep our eyes in the siddur, ensuring
that we say the extra phrases which are specifically recited this week.

 Where did the Aseret Yemei Tshuva additions to
the Shmoneh Esrei (Silent Devotion) originate?

In the Tamlud, Brachot 12b Rabbah
bar Chanina the elder said in the name of Rav: Throughout the year, a person prays
with the text “HaE-l HaKadosh”, “The Holy God” as the concluding phrase of the
third blessing of the Shmoneh Esrei and “Melech Ohev Tzedaka U’Mishpat”, “The
King who loves Righteousness and Judgement” as the concluding phrase of the
eleventh blessing, except for the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur
when one prays with the text “HaMelech HaKadosh”, “The Holy King” and “HaMelech
HaMishpat, “The King of Judgement.”

The custom of adding the other
additions to the Shmoneh Esrei dates back to at least the Geonic period (589
CE) where after some arguments, “Zachreinu L’Chayim…”, “Remember us for life…”,
“Mi Kamocha Av HaRachamim…”, “Who is like you, Merciful Father…”, “U’Chtov L’Chaim
tovim…”, “Inscribe all the children of your covenant for a good life” and “B’Sefer
HaChayim…”, “In His book of life…” were included. The arguments were over the
issue of adding these phrases to the Shmoneh Esrei since we don’t usually add personal
requests to the first and last three blessings. In the end, they were added since
they are not personal requests, rather they are requests made on behalf of the entire
community.

Although Jewish law is usually very
strict about making additions to the Shmoneh Esrei, the rabbis understood how
important it was to make extra requests on behalf of the community at this
time. It is also an opportunity for us to pay careful attention to the regular
service as well as to the additions.

As we gear up for Yom Kippur, let’s
make sure to have extra kavana (intent) throughout the Shmoneh Esrei and
especially when saying the following words:

Remember us for life, O King Who desires
life and inscribe us in the Book of Life.

Inscribe all of the children of Your
covenant for a good life.

In the book of life, blessing and
peace, good livelihood, may we be remembered and inscribed before You- we and
Your entire people the Family of Israel for a good life and for peace.

In memory of JJ Greenberg, may his path of Judaism continue to
shine inside the hearts of the Jewish people

The Shabbat between Rosh HaShana and
Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return, due to the fact that
the Haftatah from Hoshea 14:2-10 begins with the words “Shuva Yisrael”,
“Return, Israel to your God.”

Hoshea declares that although B’nai
Yisrael sinned, they can still repent and God is always ready to forgive them.
The theme that runs through is that God is like a loving husband who wants to renew
his wedding vows with his estranged wife, the Jewish people.

Much of the imagery in the Haftara
reminds us of Shir HaShirim, Song of Songs, the love story that symbolizes the
love between God and the Jewish people.

In Hoshea 14:6 we read: “I (God)
shall be like the dew (tal) to Israel, it will blossom like the rose and strike
its roots like the forest of Lebanon.”

God will be a blessing for Israel,
the way that the dew brings a blessing for all. God’s revelation of the
Shechina, Divine Presence, is also compared to dew in Dvarim 32:2: “May my
teaching drop like the rain, may my utterance flow like the dew; like storm
winds upon vegetation and like raindrops upon blades of grass.”

Hoshea 14:8 states: “Tranquil will
be those who sit in the shade, they will refresh themselves like grain and
blossom like the grapevine, their reputation will be like the wine of Lebanon.”

The blessings of the dew, grain and
wine are also mentioned in Yitzchak’s blessing to Yaakov (Breisheet 27:28):
“May God give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth,
and abundant grain and wine.”

The themes of dew, grain and wine are
included as well in Moshe’s blessing to Israel (Dvarim 33:28):  “Israel shall dwell secure, solitary, in the
likeness of Yaakov, in a land of grain and wine; even his heavens shall drip
with dew.”

In Israel, between Pesach and Shmini
Atzeret, we add the words “Morid Hatal”, “He causes the dew to fall” to the
Shmoneh Esrei. In the winter, the words “Viten tal umatar livracha”, “Grant dew
and rain as a blessing” are said. In this way, we are constantly reminded that
we rely on God to ensure that the plants grow on a daily basis, even when it is
not the rainy season.

A significant amount of produce and
a large variety of wines can be found in Israel today. As these blessings are
fulfilled, let us hope and pray that this symbolizes the Jewish people’s reunification
with God and that God will continue to shower His blessings upon us and may we
dwell securely in our land. 

Sponsored by Vicky Wu in Memory of JJ Greenberg z’l. The 8^th of Tishrei marks 10
years since JJ’s passing. Memories of JJ continue to provide strength and hope
to many of us because of his true love for life, Israel and the Jewish people.

During the Aseret
Yemei Tshuva, the ten days of repentance between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur,
we look for inspiration. Some are inspired by a spiritual prayer service,
others may be uplifted by a shiur or a lecture and others by a book.

In my mind, there
is nothing as uplifting as a role model who inspires us simply by who they are.
JJ Greenberg was this type of inspirational role model who still serves as an
inspiration, ten years after he was tragically killed in a bicycle accident in Israel at the age of 36.

I remember
attending Yeshiva University’s Sophomore
Seminar when I was 15 years old. JJ was one of the leaders of the program. The
students were comfortable talking to JJ about religious challenges that they
were facing. JJ put on funny skits and presentations over the course of the
program and made religion seem “fun” to thousands of high school sophomores who
may have otherwise felt disconnected.

Eight years ago,
I attended a memorial service for JJ in Jerusalem.
The most inspiring part of the evening was when the people who received JJ’s
organ’s stood up to thank the family.

In tribute to
JJ’s inspiration, I asked a few people who felt close to JJ to say a few words
about how JJ is still impacting their lives.

Lenny Solomon:

JJ
Greenberg was a very close friend of mine. He was an inner circle band
member of Shlock Rock, having performed on Yo Yo Yo Yarmulke http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=74519136&ac=now and many other Shlock Rock songs.

What made
him special was that his only agenda was to make people happy.  There was
never any manipulation for his own personal gain.  He just wanted me to be
happy and Klal Yisrael as well.

It was an
honor to know him and be his friend.

Jules
Polenetsky:

Ten
years later, so much of JJ’s influence continues to affect life, from the large
projects to the small things that were just “his way”. Just this Rosh
Hashana, as I put on my greeter name tag in shul and looked around to see who I
didn’t know, I thought of JJ and how he would find someone new and immediately
be able to make them feel like they were the most interesting person in the
room. 10 years later, JJ’s essence continues to shape the way so many of us
live our lives in a way that reminds us to care about each other.

Rabbi Josh Feigelson:

JJ will always be in my
memory for his smile, his energy, his genuine interest in and ability to
connect with almost anybody. As much as JJ accomplished in his too-short life,
the way we have remembered JJ since has enabled him to continue to inspire and
transform lives. There’s a notion in nature of the taproot–the tree that goes
down in the woods, and in going down, and providing the home for new life,
creates even more life than it did while it was standing. I like to think of JJ
as a taproot. I know his memory has definitely been a blessing.

Vicky Wu:

I used to think of JJ often,
thinking what he would have done under certain circumstances, what he would
have said or not said about certain things, not just about Judaism, but maybe
also about a movie, about a match in the Olympic games. It has
been 10 years and in some ways time seems to have stopped since he left us.

I am not afraid of forgetting him,
because I need him always. When facing difficult times, when feeling frustrated
about the world, the society, about anything, I think of him. I just miss the
beauty of his passion: his love for Jews and all people, his love for
Israel,
his love for Judaism, and his love for life.

KTF – Keep The Faith, is what I
need.

As Yom Kippur approaches, let’s try
to focus on how much JJ has done to change the world in his short life and use
JJ’s achievements as an inspiration for what we too can set out to accomplish.

Shabbat Shalom and Gmar Chatima Tova from Yerushalayim!

Sharona Margolin Halickman

SPONSORED BY VICKY WU COMMEMORATING THE THIRD YAHRZEIT (8 TISHREI) OF JJ GREENBERG, A FRIEND AND MENTOR

Shabbat Shuva isthe Shabbat of return. On Shabbat Shuva we focus on both the personal and collective processes of returning to God.

In Parshat Nitzavim (Devarim 30:2) we read about the personal spiritual return to God: “And you shall return (vishavta ad) towards God and you shall obey His voice according to all that I have commanded you on this day, you and your children with all of your heart and with all of your soul.”

In the next few psukim, the reward is described. The physical return of the Jewish people to God will ultimately lead to their return to the land of Israel: “And then God will turn (vishav) your captivity and have compassion upon you and will return (vishav) and gather you from the nations amongst whom God has scattered you.and God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed and you shall possess it and He will do good for you.if you listen to the voice of God, to keep the mitzvoth in the Torah and if you turn (tashuv el) unto God with all of your heart and with all of your soul.”

Nechama Leibowitz brings the view of Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael (before the State of Israel was established) in his Orot HaTeshuva, Lights of Repentence. Rav Kook emphasizes the role of Teshuva in the gradual onward progress of the Jewish people to the threshold of the Messianic age, to spiritual and national independence in the Land of Israel.

According to Rav Kook, “When people sincerely desire to do Teshuva, come back to God, they are held back by numerous hindrances.these hindrances constitute a very serious barrier.Nevertheless, since the desire to repent is so strong, such first glimmerings of Teshuva must be accepted as purifying and refining.This is true for the individual as well as for the public. The glimmerings of Teshuva do exist in Israel. The arousing of the will of the nation as a whole to return to its homeland, to its own essence, spirit and personality contains something of the genuine light of repentance.”

Rav Kook’s view is that Teshuva may start out as an inner striving but ultimately it can lead to bringing healing and redemption to the world.

As we continue to focus on our own personal Teshuva, let’s not forget the importance of working towards the goal of communal Teshuva, the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. Although Rav Kook only saw the beginnings of the Jewish people’s return to the Land of Israel, the first flowerings of our redemption, we see how prophetic his words were.

If we can make the first step in both our personal and communal Teshuva processes, then God will carry us along.

SPONSORED BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR COMMEMORATING THE FIFTH YAHRZEIT (8 TISHREI) OF JJ GREENBERG, A FRIEND AND MENTOR

In Parshat Ha’azinu, Devarim 32:13, Moshe recounts God’s kindness to the Jewish people: “God shall transport them over the summit of the earth (bamatei aretz) where they will consume the produce of the fields (tnuvot sadai); and God will nurture them with honey (dvash) of bedrock and oil (shemen) of staunchest rock mass”.

Rashi explains that the summit of the earth is the Land of Israel. According to Sifrei the Land of Israel is higher than all of the other lands (that is why immigration to Israel is called Aliya-going up). Sifrei adds that the fruits in the Land of Israel are quicker to develop and ripen than the fruits of other lands.

Chizkuni points out that the honey from the bedrock is date honey from dates that grow in the palm branches in the rocks. Chizkuni also brings a different opinion from the Bechor Shor who says that the honey from the bedrock is bee honey which the bees bring from the crevices in the rocks. Bechor Shor adds that the olive trees usually grow in rocky terrain.

Aside from their being the two species that are sold in bottles and easily exported, where else have we seen honey and olive-oil mentioned together?

In the list of the seven species of Israel, the olive oil and honey are singled out as separate from the other five species with a separate emphasis on the Land of Israel,  “Ertez chitah…eretz zeit shemen u’dvash”, “A land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranate, a land of olive oil and honey”.

In reference to the manna we read, Shmot 31:6, “The House of Israel called it Manna. It was like a coriander seed, it was white and tasted like a cake fried with honey”. In Bamidbar 11:8 “…it tasted like the taste of dough kneeded with oil”.

As we move into the Shmittah year (Sabbatical of the Land) let us remember that the produce of Israel is a gift from God just as the manna was.

Have a happy and sweet new year!