Thursday, December 01, 2005
Kummunique - Issue 9, Parshat Toldot 5766
Kummunique - Kumah's Shabbat and Holiday Bulletin
Issue 9, Parshat Toldot 5766
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Shalom! We are proud to present another issue of Kummunique.
This issue is filled with Aliyah and Eretz Yisrael inspiration - so enjoy!
In this issue you will find:
1. "Birthright" by Malkah Fleisher
2. "Olah Temimah" by Yishai Fleisher
3. "The Month of Kislev According to Sefer Yetzirah"
4. "What's Hockey?" by Yocheved Miriam Russo
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1. "Birthright" by Malkah Fleisher
Picture the scene: Abraham, the father of monotheism, the great and powerful patriarch, dies at a "good old age", having personally fathered 8 children, themselves the progenitors of mighty nations. Of all of his children however, Avraham passes his heavenly covenant down through Isaac, Sarah's boy - "Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac." (Bereishit 25:5).
In Isaac's tent a proper mourning environment is being established, as the family prepares to grieve for the tremendous loss of Abraham. Jacob, Isaac's second child and Rivkah's favorite, is doing his part to prepare for Isaac's period of mourning, cooking up a meal which has made its way down into Jewish life as a traditional mourning food - a pot of lentils (Bava Basra 16b). At the same time, the kings and princes of the surrounding nations come to comfort the bereaved, crying "Woe to the world that has lost its leader; woe to the ship that has lost its captain!" (Bava Basra 91b) Yet we see that Esau, Avraham's grandson, is not moved - he goes about his usual business, hunting and worshipping idols, coming in from the fields famished. Jacob becomes disgusted with his brother's inadequacy, and offers an exchange - Esau's birthright for some of the "red stuff", a bowl of the mourner's meal. The deal is made - and Avraham's heritage is safe from squander on the day of his death.
Some time later, with the help of another tasty dish (some lamb prepared by Rivkah) and a couple of hairy skins, Jacob succeeds in securing Isaac’s blessing which was intended for Esau. But there is a price to pay - he must flee his father's house, and will never see his beloved mother alive again.
What a sacrifice Jacob made to secure to his children the inheritance of Avraham: the Torah and the Land of Israel. In days such as these, let us not squander what is precious like Esau did - for an easy meal. In our times, a lucrative job, a big house, or high stature may call to us. In the end, we learn that these things come and go, but the birthright is forever: "Indeed (Jacob) shall remain blessed!" (Bereishit 27:33)
I don't usually like to give recipes which aren't mine, but Jacob would have been hard pressed to come up with a lentil stew better than Faye Levy's from her cookbook "1,000 Jewish Recipes". May you eat it in joy rather than mourning, and may it remind you of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and everything they wanted for you.
Esau's Lentil Pottage
3 cups red lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable stock
5 or 6 cups of water
1 dried hot pepper (or some red pepper flakes)
2 bay leaves
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Spread lentils on a plate, pick through them carefully, rinse, and drain. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and saute over medium-low heat 7 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, and cumin and saute 1 minute. Add lentils, stock, 3 cups water, hot pepper if using, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and 2 cups water to lentils and return to a boil. Simmer 15 more minutes or until lentils are tender. If soup is too thick, add remaining cup water and bring to a boil. Discard hot pepper and bay leaves. Add cilantro and salt, and season generously with pepper. Serve hot.
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2. "OLAH TEMIMAH" by Yishai Fleisher
The Torah goes out of its way to tell us that under no conditions was Yitzchak our forefather allowed to leave Eretz Yisrael.
Here is a snippet of conversation between Abraham and his servant regarding finding a wife for Yitzchak:
5. The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?"
6. Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there!
7. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, `To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.
8. "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." (Bereishit 24)
Abraham is pretty adamant - 'don't take my son Yitzchak out of the land!'
Later, Yitzchak has thoughts about going down to Egypt:
1. Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.
2. The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.
3. "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham." (Bereishit 26)
G-d is pretty adamant - 'Yitzchak, don't leave the Land!'
Yitzchak was the only one of the Patriachs who never left Israel, living his entire life all 180 years in Eretz Yisrael. Why? Our Rabbi's explain that Yitzchak's requirement to remain in Eretz Yisrael stemmed from his designation as the Olah Temimah, the perfect burnt-offering, when he was bound and prepared as a sacrifice by his father Avraham at the Akeidah - the Binding.
According to the halacha it is forbidden to remove any sacrifice from its prescribed boundaries (mechitzot), and removal renders it unfit. Each type of sacrifice has its own defined area. For example, the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) must not be removed from the city of Jerusalem. An Olah must remain within the precincts of the Bet Hamikdash - the Holy Temple. For Yitzchak, all of Eretz Yisrael was defined as his Bet Hamikdash, where he carried out his avodah (service to Hashem). In the words of one Midrash, when Hashem tells Yitzchak SHCHON (26:2), to remain in Eretz Yisrael, this actually means Cause the Divine Presence (SHCHINAH) to reside in the Land.
Olah Temimah however can mean another thing: A simple, female, new immigrant.
My friend David Wilder, just told me about Ralookah, a new female immigrant who came from Romania with only 100 Shekel in her pocket. New Olim, immigrants to Israel, are all comparable to an Olah Temimah in that we go up to Israel with the simple faith that everything will work out for us, and that G-d will sweep us off our feet.
And why not - we have a promise!
1. Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
3. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. (Psalm 37)
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3. "The Month of Kislev According to Sefer Yetzirah"
http://www.inner.org/times/kislev/kislev.htm
According to Sefer Yetzirah, each month of the Jewish year has a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a zodiac sign, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, a sense, and a controlling limb of the body that correspond to it.
Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.
Kislev is the month of Chanukah (the only holiday in the Jewish calender which combines together two months: Chanukah begins in the month of Kislev and continues to enter and conclude in the month of Tevet).
The name Kislev derives from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." There are two states of trust, one active and one passive, both of which are manifest in the month of Kislev (see Bitachon, confidence). The miracle of Chanukah reflects the active trust of the Chashmonaim (Maacabim) to stand up and fight against the Hellenistic empire (and its culture). Kislev's sense of sleep reflects the passive trust that G-d's providence always guards over Israel.
In the tradition of Chassidut, the 19th day of Kislev, the day of the release and redemption of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the author of the classic text of Chassidut, the Tanya (the disciple of the Maggid of Mezerich, the successor of the Ba'al Shem Tov) from prison (where he was placed for the dissemination of the innermost mysteries of the Torah) is referred to as "the New Year of Chassidut" (implying that it is through the spiritual channel of this day that the inner wisdom of Chassidut and the power in integrate this wisdom into one's daily life is brought down into this world). The foundation of the way of Chassidut is absolute trust and faith in G-d's omnipresence and the omnipotence of His Divine providence.
Letter: Samech
The name Samech means "to support." The experience of feeling supported corresponds to the trust and confidence in Divine providence associated with the month of Kislev, as described above. So do we find expressed in Psalms: "G-d supports (somech) all the fallen and lifts up all the bent over;" "Even when he falls he will not be let to fall to the ground, for G-d supports (yismoch) his hand."
The shape of the samech is a circle, which represents the all-encompassing omnipresence of G-d and His providence. The "great circle" of G-d's Infinite light is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidut to reflect His "right arm" which embraces (and supports, from beneath) with great, infinite love all of reality, as is said: "And from beneath, the arms of the universe."
Mazal: "keshet" (Sagittarius--bow)
The bow of Kislev is the bow of the Maacabim. It symbolizes their active trust in G-d to fight against the empire and culture that then ruled the earth.
Though the Chashmonaim themselves were from the Priestly tribe of Israel, the "art" of the bow is ascribed in the Bible to the tribe of Benjamin in particular, the tribe of the month of Kislev.
The Kohanim (and Leviim) are not considered as one of the twelve tribes in the correspondence of the tribes to the months of the year (according to the Arizal). As an all-inclusive manifestation of the Jewish soul, the Kohanim contain and reflect the spiritual source of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is especially so with regard to the tribe of Benjamin, for in his portion was the holy Temple wherein the Kohanim served. Thus the relation of the Kohanim to Benjamin is similar to that of soul to body. The Kohanim fight the holy war embodied in the bow of Benjamin.
The bow of war of Kislev is actually projected ("shot") from the bow (the rainbow; in Hebrew both "bow" and "rainbow" are identical--keshet) of peace (between G-d and Creation) of the end of the previous month of Cheshvan, as explained above. The two bows (semi-circles) unite together to form the complete circle of the samech of Kislev.
Tribe: Benjamin
As mentioned above, Benjamin is the tribe most gifted with the "art" of the bow. In his portion is the holy Temple in Jerusalem, as is stated in the blessing of Moses to Benjamin in the end of Torah (which, in accordance with above explanation of the relation between the Kohanim and Benjamin, directly follows the blessing to Levi and the Kohanim, and which actually prophesies the war of the Maacabim against the Greeks): "To Benjamin he said: the beloved of G-d, He shall dwell in trust over him, He hovers over him all the day, and between his shoulders He rests" (Deuteronomy 33:12). Here we explicitly see that Benjamin symbolizes both trust and rest, the sense of the month of Kislev.
Of all of the tribes of Israel, Benjamin was the only tribe who was born in the land of Israel. The land of Israel is the place where one most experiences Divine providence and G-d's absolute omnipresence. In the words of the Zohar: "There is no place vacant of Him."
Sense: sleep (sheina)
The sense of sleep is the tranquillity and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providence. So do we find in the blessings at the end of Leviticus (26:5-6): "And you shall dwell securely in your land. And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down without fear...."
As the word "sense" (chush) is cognate to "quick" (chish), the sense of sleep implies the ability to sleep well but quickly (as is told of great tzadikim who required very few hours of sleep per day).
The very talent of Benjamin to shoot straight at his target depends upon a most tranquil inner spirit. He shoots and hits almost asleep. G-d carries his arrow to its intended destination. A tranquil personality is one with little inner friction and tension. The sense of sleep entails the ability to release stress, confident in the support of G-d.
The sense of sleep entails as well the sense of dreaming. In accord with our faith in Divine providence, especially manifest in relation to the connection between the weekly Torah portions and the annual cycle of months and their events, all of the dreams of the Torah are contained within the portions that are read during the month of Kislev.
When one possesses complete trust in G-d one dreams good dreams of the future. Good dreams at night reflect good thoughts throughout the day, especially the optimistic attitude and consciousness taught by Chassidut (whose New Year is the 19th of Kislev): "Think good, it will be good."
Controller: belly (keiva)
The keiva is one of the three gifts which we are commanded to give to the priests upon slaughtering a kosher animal. Our sages teach us that all three gifts--"the arm, the cheeks, and the belly"-- allude to Pinchas's act of self-sacrifice to kill Zimri (the prince of Simeon) and Kozbi the (princess of Midyan), and thereby save the children of Israel from the plague which had already begun amongst them. There, the word keiva refers to the womb of Kozbi.
Thus we see that keiva means "belly" in a general sense, including the entire region of the abdomen, whether stomach, (large) intestines, or womb (similarly, the word beten in the Torah means either stomach or womb). The womb, in particular, relates to the tribe of Benjamin, who in Kabbalah personifies the secret of the feminine yesod (womb).
The relation between the belly (when "full" and satiated) and the tranquil state of sleep is clear (and explicit in the teachings of our sages).
The word keiva derives from kav, which means "measure." Of the great Tanniac sage, Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah, it is said: "The whole world is fed in the merit of Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah, yet for Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah one measure (kav) of carobs is enough for him from Friday to Friday." A tranquil belly is one who knows its proper measure. This concept will appear again with relation to the month of Shevat, its sense (the sense of eating and taste) and its controller (the etztomchah or kurkavan, from esophagus to stomach).
In the rectification of one's character traits, the rectified keiva (and sense of sleep) is never to be jealous of others. Our sages teach us: "a man desires one measure [kav] of his own more than nine of his friend." And so are we taught in Pirkei Avot: "who is rich, he who is happy with his portion."
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4. "What's Hockey?" by Yocheved Miriam Russo
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1132053874452&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
In the beginning, ice hockey players in Israel had it tough.
"I made aliya in 1981 from Hamilton, Ontario", says Mike Green, now a resident of Ra'anana. "I was just a kid, enrolled in a hesder yeshiva out in the Negev. I'm big - I look like I'd be good at sports, but basketball was the local game and I was really bad at it. So the guys would ask, 'If it's not basketball, what sport do you play?' I'd say, 'Hockey.'" "Then they'd say, 'What's hockey?' So I'd explain: It's a game you play skating on ice, using a stick to hit a little black disk into a net." "The next question was always, 'What's ice?'" "Israel was a very different country in 1981," Green laughs. "One of the guys did know what ice was - 'It's that cold stuff we get in drinks at weddings, right?'"
A large chunk of the credit for getting ice hockey up and running in Israel goes to Paul Shindman, a Toronto native who made aliya in 1987. "To get anything started in Israel, you have to be crazy, inspired or rich - or a combination of the three. I'm in the crazy category. Here in Israel, every Canadian jock dreams of hockey - so for me to help get a team going, to live out that dream of playing hockey here, has been great. I still play; about once a month I get up to Metulla. There's a group of older guys who play. It's a great group," says Shindman.
Hockey players still face a territorial disadvantage in Israel. "The only Olympic ice hockey rink in the whole country is in Metulla," says Green, noting that there is another one-third rink in Ma'alot. "Still," he says, "Israel's national team is one of the best." In April, Israel played its best tournament ever, defeating Iceland to win the gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation Division II Group B World Championships in Belgrade. "Ice hockey is alive and well here, but it's hard for most of us to get to Metulla, which is about as far north as you can go and still be in Israel," says Green.
Israel's first venture into international ice hockey was the World Championships in 1992, but the early days were pretty dark. "In 1993, we were at the Internationals. We were really getting creamed," Shindman recalls. "Latvia beat us 32-0, and Ukraine beat us 28-0. I happened to be sitting near Rene Fasal, who's now the president of the IIHF [International Ice Hockey Federation]. He leaned over and said, 'I'm really impressed with the poise of the Israeli team. You're playing your hearts out, and I want to congratulate you.' That was great. There we were, taking a real shellacking, but Fasal went out of his way to encourage us, to urge us on."
All the early encouragement worked: Now Israel's team, coached by Canadian Jean Perron, will be playing in Division I of the IIHF World Championships. The sport was nonexistent in Israel less than two decades ago. "My first few years were frustrating because I love hockey and there was simply nowhere to play," says Green. "After Paul came, things started to change. Then the Canada Center was built, which helped a lot."
Metulla's Canada Center, named for its Canadian donors, is a massive sports complex with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a soccer field, sports hall, squash courts, weight rooms and an indoor sport shooting range, in addition to the Olympic ice rink. Immigration from the former Soviet Union also helped. "Wherever there's a concentration of Russian immigrants, there will be hockey. In 1990, there was another big wave of immigration, and a group of Russians started to play in Bat Yam", Green says.
"It was a small, very primitive rink - sometimes you'd be skating on asphalt. The rink was intended for figure skating, not hockey, so we'd have to put up boards and nets. When more Russians arrived, more rinks opened - one in Ramat Gan, just a little corridor, not in good condition either. But then the Russians sort of took over the sport in Israel. They're very good players. But for us Canadians, it wasn't fun anymore. Russians have a very different style of play - not bad, just different - so most of us left," says Green, who maneuvered over to roller hockey, which is played on an asphalt surface on roller blades, not ice skates.
"I left the ice hockey league in 1995. In 1997 I bought roller blades. The transition wasn't hard. The difference is in stopping. There are a lot of roller hockey rinks around. We have a fine one in Ra'anana, where my nine-year-old son is in a hockey class. It's very popular. In our roller hockey group, about half of us are over 40, the rest are kids; but out best player is a guy who's 56 and plays all the time. Roller hockey is big internationally, with leagues and competition. But we just play for fun."
"In Canada, the national sport is hockey. Every house, whether religious or secular, has a hockey stick and pucks. It's something every kid grows up with. Here in Israel, hockey is a great way to ease absorption into the country. You have to do it in Hebrew, and you have to learn the system. For immigrants, sports are fun, but they're valuable tools, too," says Shindman.
Israel Canuck Hockey, an active Yahoo Internet group, welcomes newcomers: israelcanuckhockey@yahoogroups.com
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Issue 9, Parshat Toldot 5766
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Shalom! We are proud to present another issue of Kummunique.
This issue is filled with Aliyah and Eretz Yisrael inspiration - so enjoy!
In this issue you will find:
1. "Birthright" by Malkah Fleisher
2. "Olah Temimah" by Yishai Fleisher
3. "The Month of Kislev According to Sefer Yetzirah"
4. "What's Hockey?" by Yocheved Miriam Russo
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1. "Birthright" by Malkah Fleisher
Picture the scene: Abraham, the father of monotheism, the great and powerful patriarch, dies at a "good old age", having personally fathered 8 children, themselves the progenitors of mighty nations. Of all of his children however, Avraham passes his heavenly covenant down through Isaac, Sarah's boy - "Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac." (Bereishit 25:5).
In Isaac's tent a proper mourning environment is being established, as the family prepares to grieve for the tremendous loss of Abraham. Jacob, Isaac's second child and Rivkah's favorite, is doing his part to prepare for Isaac's period of mourning, cooking up a meal which has made its way down into Jewish life as a traditional mourning food - a pot of lentils (Bava Basra 16b). At the same time, the kings and princes of the surrounding nations come to comfort the bereaved, crying "Woe to the world that has lost its leader; woe to the ship that has lost its captain!" (Bava Basra 91b) Yet we see that Esau, Avraham's grandson, is not moved - he goes about his usual business, hunting and worshipping idols, coming in from the fields famished. Jacob becomes disgusted with his brother's inadequacy, and offers an exchange - Esau's birthright for some of the "red stuff", a bowl of the mourner's meal. The deal is made - and Avraham's heritage is safe from squander on the day of his death.
Some time later, with the help of another tasty dish (some lamb prepared by Rivkah) and a couple of hairy skins, Jacob succeeds in securing Isaac’s blessing which was intended for Esau. But there is a price to pay - he must flee his father's house, and will never see his beloved mother alive again.
What a sacrifice Jacob made to secure to his children the inheritance of Avraham: the Torah and the Land of Israel. In days such as these, let us not squander what is precious like Esau did - for an easy meal. In our times, a lucrative job, a big house, or high stature may call to us. In the end, we learn that these things come and go, but the birthright is forever: "Indeed (Jacob) shall remain blessed!" (Bereishit 27:33)
I don't usually like to give recipes which aren't mine, but Jacob would have been hard pressed to come up with a lentil stew better than Faye Levy's from her cookbook "1,000 Jewish Recipes". May you eat it in joy rather than mourning, and may it remind you of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and everything they wanted for you.
Esau's Lentil Pottage
3 cups red lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable stock
5 or 6 cups of water
1 dried hot pepper (or some red pepper flakes)
2 bay leaves
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Spread lentils on a plate, pick through them carefully, rinse, and drain. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and saute over medium-low heat 7 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, and cumin and saute 1 minute. Add lentils, stock, 3 cups water, hot pepper if using, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and 2 cups water to lentils and return to a boil. Simmer 15 more minutes or until lentils are tender. If soup is too thick, add remaining cup water and bring to a boil. Discard hot pepper and bay leaves. Add cilantro and salt, and season generously with pepper. Serve hot.
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2. "OLAH TEMIMAH" by Yishai Fleisher
The Torah goes out of its way to tell us that under no conditions was Yitzchak our forefather allowed to leave Eretz Yisrael.
Here is a snippet of conversation between Abraham and his servant regarding finding a wife for Yitzchak:
5. The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?"
6. Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there!
7. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, `To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.
8. "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." (Bereishit 24)
Abraham is pretty adamant - 'don't take my son Yitzchak out of the land!'
Later, Yitzchak has thoughts about going down to Egypt:
1. Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.
2. The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.
3. "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham." (Bereishit 26)
G-d is pretty adamant - 'Yitzchak, don't leave the Land!'
Yitzchak was the only one of the Patriachs who never left Israel, living his entire life all 180 years in Eretz Yisrael. Why? Our Rabbi's explain that Yitzchak's requirement to remain in Eretz Yisrael stemmed from his designation as the Olah Temimah, the perfect burnt-offering, when he was bound and prepared as a sacrifice by his father Avraham at the Akeidah - the Binding.
According to the halacha it is forbidden to remove any sacrifice from its prescribed boundaries (mechitzot), and removal renders it unfit. Each type of sacrifice has its own defined area. For example, the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) must not be removed from the city of Jerusalem. An Olah must remain within the precincts of the Bet Hamikdash - the Holy Temple. For Yitzchak, all of Eretz Yisrael was defined as his Bet Hamikdash, where he carried out his avodah (service to Hashem). In the words of one Midrash, when Hashem tells Yitzchak SHCHON (26:2), to remain in Eretz Yisrael, this actually means Cause the Divine Presence (SHCHINAH) to reside in the Land.
Olah Temimah however can mean another thing: A simple, female, new immigrant.
My friend David Wilder, just told me about Ralookah, a new female immigrant who came from Romania with only 100 Shekel in her pocket. New Olim, immigrants to Israel, are all comparable to an Olah Temimah in that we go up to Israel with the simple faith that everything will work out for us, and that G-d will sweep us off our feet.
And why not - we have a promise!
1. Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
3. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. (Psalm 37)
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3. "The Month of Kislev According to Sefer Yetzirah"
http://www.inner.org/times/kislev/kislev.htm
According to Sefer Yetzirah, each month of the Jewish year has a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a zodiac sign, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, a sense, and a controlling limb of the body that correspond to it.
Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.
Kislev is the month of Chanukah (the only holiday in the Jewish calender which combines together two months: Chanukah begins in the month of Kislev and continues to enter and conclude in the month of Tevet).
The name Kislev derives from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." There are two states of trust, one active and one passive, both of which are manifest in the month of Kislev (see Bitachon, confidence). The miracle of Chanukah reflects the active trust of the Chashmonaim (Maacabim) to stand up and fight against the Hellenistic empire (and its culture). Kislev's sense of sleep reflects the passive trust that G-d's providence always guards over Israel.
In the tradition of Chassidut, the 19th day of Kislev, the day of the release and redemption of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the author of the classic text of Chassidut, the Tanya (the disciple of the Maggid of Mezerich, the successor of the Ba'al Shem Tov) from prison (where he was placed for the dissemination of the innermost mysteries of the Torah) is referred to as "the New Year of Chassidut" (implying that it is through the spiritual channel of this day that the inner wisdom of Chassidut and the power in integrate this wisdom into one's daily life is brought down into this world). The foundation of the way of Chassidut is absolute trust and faith in G-d's omnipresence and the omnipotence of His Divine providence.
Letter: Samech
The name Samech means "to support." The experience of feeling supported corresponds to the trust and confidence in Divine providence associated with the month of Kislev, as described above. So do we find expressed in Psalms: "G-d supports (somech) all the fallen and lifts up all the bent over;" "Even when he falls he will not be let to fall to the ground, for G-d supports (yismoch) his hand."
The shape of the samech is a circle, which represents the all-encompassing omnipresence of G-d and His providence. The "great circle" of G-d's Infinite light is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidut to reflect His "right arm" which embraces (and supports, from beneath) with great, infinite love all of reality, as is said: "And from beneath, the arms of the universe."
Mazal: "keshet" (Sagittarius--bow)
The bow of Kislev is the bow of the Maacabim. It symbolizes their active trust in G-d to fight against the empire and culture that then ruled the earth.
Though the Chashmonaim themselves were from the Priestly tribe of Israel, the "art" of the bow is ascribed in the Bible to the tribe of Benjamin in particular, the tribe of the month of Kislev.
The Kohanim (and Leviim) are not considered as one of the twelve tribes in the correspondence of the tribes to the months of the year (according to the Arizal). As an all-inclusive manifestation of the Jewish soul, the Kohanim contain and reflect the spiritual source of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is especially so with regard to the tribe of Benjamin, for in his portion was the holy Temple wherein the Kohanim served. Thus the relation of the Kohanim to Benjamin is similar to that of soul to body. The Kohanim fight the holy war embodied in the bow of Benjamin.
The bow of war of Kislev is actually projected ("shot") from the bow (the rainbow; in Hebrew both "bow" and "rainbow" are identical--keshet) of peace (between G-d and Creation) of the end of the previous month of Cheshvan, as explained above. The two bows (semi-circles) unite together to form the complete circle of the samech of Kislev.
Tribe: Benjamin
As mentioned above, Benjamin is the tribe most gifted with the "art" of the bow. In his portion is the holy Temple in Jerusalem, as is stated in the blessing of Moses to Benjamin in the end of Torah (which, in accordance with above explanation of the relation between the Kohanim and Benjamin, directly follows the blessing to Levi and the Kohanim, and which actually prophesies the war of the Maacabim against the Greeks): "To Benjamin he said: the beloved of G-d, He shall dwell in trust over him, He hovers over him all the day, and between his shoulders He rests" (Deuteronomy 33:12). Here we explicitly see that Benjamin symbolizes both trust and rest, the sense of the month of Kislev.
Of all of the tribes of Israel, Benjamin was the only tribe who was born in the land of Israel. The land of Israel is the place where one most experiences Divine providence and G-d's absolute omnipresence. In the words of the Zohar: "There is no place vacant of Him."
Sense: sleep (sheina)
The sense of sleep is the tranquillity and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providence. So do we find in the blessings at the end of Leviticus (26:5-6): "And you shall dwell securely in your land. And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down without fear...."
As the word "sense" (chush) is cognate to "quick" (chish), the sense of sleep implies the ability to sleep well but quickly (as is told of great tzadikim who required very few hours of sleep per day).
The very talent of Benjamin to shoot straight at his target depends upon a most tranquil inner spirit. He shoots and hits almost asleep. G-d carries his arrow to its intended destination. A tranquil personality is one with little inner friction and tension. The sense of sleep entails the ability to release stress, confident in the support of G-d.
The sense of sleep entails as well the sense of dreaming. In accord with our faith in Divine providence, especially manifest in relation to the connection between the weekly Torah portions and the annual cycle of months and their events, all of the dreams of the Torah are contained within the portions that are read during the month of Kislev.
When one possesses complete trust in G-d one dreams good dreams of the future. Good dreams at night reflect good thoughts throughout the day, especially the optimistic attitude and consciousness taught by Chassidut (whose New Year is the 19th of Kislev): "Think good, it will be good."
Controller: belly (keiva)
The keiva is one of the three gifts which we are commanded to give to the priests upon slaughtering a kosher animal. Our sages teach us that all three gifts--"the arm, the cheeks, and the belly"-- allude to Pinchas's act of self-sacrifice to kill Zimri (the prince of Simeon) and Kozbi the (princess of Midyan), and thereby save the children of Israel from the plague which had already begun amongst them. There, the word keiva refers to the womb of Kozbi.
Thus we see that keiva means "belly" in a general sense, including the entire region of the abdomen, whether stomach, (large) intestines, or womb (similarly, the word beten in the Torah means either stomach or womb). The womb, in particular, relates to the tribe of Benjamin, who in Kabbalah personifies the secret of the feminine yesod (womb).
The relation between the belly (when "full" and satiated) and the tranquil state of sleep is clear (and explicit in the teachings of our sages).
The word keiva derives from kav, which means "measure." Of the great Tanniac sage, Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah, it is said: "The whole world is fed in the merit of Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah, yet for Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosah one measure (kav) of carobs is enough for him from Friday to Friday." A tranquil belly is one who knows its proper measure. This concept will appear again with relation to the month of Shevat, its sense (the sense of eating and taste) and its controller (the etztomchah or kurkavan, from esophagus to stomach).
In the rectification of one's character traits, the rectified keiva (and sense of sleep) is never to be jealous of others. Our sages teach us: "a man desires one measure [kav] of his own more than nine of his friend." And so are we taught in Pirkei Avot: "who is rich, he who is happy with his portion."
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4. "What's Hockey?" by Yocheved Miriam Russo
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1132053874452&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
In the beginning, ice hockey players in Israel had it tough.
"I made aliya in 1981 from Hamilton, Ontario", says Mike Green, now a resident of Ra'anana. "I was just a kid, enrolled in a hesder yeshiva out in the Negev. I'm big - I look like I'd be good at sports, but basketball was the local game and I was really bad at it. So the guys would ask, 'If it's not basketball, what sport do you play?' I'd say, 'Hockey.'" "Then they'd say, 'What's hockey?' So I'd explain: It's a game you play skating on ice, using a stick to hit a little black disk into a net." "The next question was always, 'What's ice?'" "Israel was a very different country in 1981," Green laughs. "One of the guys did know what ice was - 'It's that cold stuff we get in drinks at weddings, right?'"
A large chunk of the credit for getting ice hockey up and running in Israel goes to Paul Shindman, a Toronto native who made aliya in 1987. "To get anything started in Israel, you have to be crazy, inspired or rich - or a combination of the three. I'm in the crazy category. Here in Israel, every Canadian jock dreams of hockey - so for me to help get a team going, to live out that dream of playing hockey here, has been great. I still play; about once a month I get up to Metulla. There's a group of older guys who play. It's a great group," says Shindman.
Hockey players still face a territorial disadvantage in Israel. "The only Olympic ice hockey rink in the whole country is in Metulla," says Green, noting that there is another one-third rink in Ma'alot. "Still," he says, "Israel's national team is one of the best." In April, Israel played its best tournament ever, defeating Iceland to win the gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation Division II Group B World Championships in Belgrade. "Ice hockey is alive and well here, but it's hard for most of us to get to Metulla, which is about as far north as you can go and still be in Israel," says Green.
Israel's first venture into international ice hockey was the World Championships in 1992, but the early days were pretty dark. "In 1993, we were at the Internationals. We were really getting creamed," Shindman recalls. "Latvia beat us 32-0, and Ukraine beat us 28-0. I happened to be sitting near Rene Fasal, who's now the president of the IIHF [International Ice Hockey Federation]. He leaned over and said, 'I'm really impressed with the poise of the Israeli team. You're playing your hearts out, and I want to congratulate you.' That was great. There we were, taking a real shellacking, but Fasal went out of his way to encourage us, to urge us on."
All the early encouragement worked: Now Israel's team, coached by Canadian Jean Perron, will be playing in Division I of the IIHF World Championships. The sport was nonexistent in Israel less than two decades ago. "My first few years were frustrating because I love hockey and there was simply nowhere to play," says Green. "After Paul came, things started to change. Then the Canada Center was built, which helped a lot."
Metulla's Canada Center, named for its Canadian donors, is a massive sports complex with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a soccer field, sports hall, squash courts, weight rooms and an indoor sport shooting range, in addition to the Olympic ice rink. Immigration from the former Soviet Union also helped. "Wherever there's a concentration of Russian immigrants, there will be hockey. In 1990, there was another big wave of immigration, and a group of Russians started to play in Bat Yam", Green says.
"It was a small, very primitive rink - sometimes you'd be skating on asphalt. The rink was intended for figure skating, not hockey, so we'd have to put up boards and nets. When more Russians arrived, more rinks opened - one in Ramat Gan, just a little corridor, not in good condition either. But then the Russians sort of took over the sport in Israel. They're very good players. But for us Canadians, it wasn't fun anymore. Russians have a very different style of play - not bad, just different - so most of us left," says Green, who maneuvered over to roller hockey, which is played on an asphalt surface on roller blades, not ice skates.
"I left the ice hockey league in 1995. In 1997 I bought roller blades. The transition wasn't hard. The difference is in stopping. There are a lot of roller hockey rinks around. We have a fine one in Ra'anana, where my nine-year-old son is in a hockey class. It's very popular. In our roller hockey group, about half of us are over 40, the rest are kids; but out best player is a guy who's 56 and plays all the time. Roller hockey is big internationally, with leagues and competition. But we just play for fun."
"In Canada, the national sport is hockey. Every house, whether religious or secular, has a hockey stick and pucks. It's something every kid grows up with. Here in Israel, hockey is a great way to ease absorption into the country. You have to do it in Hebrew, and you have to learn the system. For immigrants, sports are fun, but they're valuable tools, too," says Shindman.
Israel Canuck Hockey, an active Yahoo Internet group, welcomes newcomers: israelcanuckhockey@yahoogroups.com
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// posted by Pinchas @ 1:21 PM 
