JEWISH ORTHODOX FEMINIST

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26 Elul

Yesterday I sat on our futon & made my first talit qatan - thanks to Danya - while watching "Half the Kingdom". Is that totally clich�d?

The following quote is from a speech Dr Norma Baumel Joseph presented at the world's first Jewish feminist conference (which planted the seeds for JOFA, Edah, International Coalition for Agunah Rights & Women of the Wall). I have made several attempts to write a statement of my own regarding my religio-political position within traditional Judaism, but Dr Joseph took the words right out of my mouth, 20 years ago:

I AM A JEW.

I am a believing & practicing Jew. & I choose to be an Orthodox Jew. I find challenge & conflict in my existence as a female Jew. Frequently I feel divided, as though parts of myself are in opposition: antithetical, contradictory, antagonistic, clashing, hostile. I wish to live as part of a community. I am often alone. The road has been difficult in ways I never expected. I knew the yeshivah world would not like me. I even knew I would be too feminist for the Jewish world. But when the feminist world finds me too Jewish, & when this Jewish feminist world finds me too religious...I find it too difficult.

Always an outsider, women have tried to re-direct me, or disempower me as frequently as men. & I reject it. & I reject their patronizing concept me as an Orthodox Jew. You don't know me because you can label me. You don't know my politics, nor my radical feminism, & you can not tell me that I'm not there yet.

Food for thought.
Shabbat Shalom.

MI KLAF!

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25 Elul

I got this brand new link in my e-mail this morning. My excellent, excellent friend & fellow Canadian Yehuda, who is the foremost book binder in Israel, is finally on the internet! YAY!

Just scroll down the left side bar to "Yehuda Miklaf" & take a gander at his unbelieveable work :)

ps - he's the artist who bound the original David Moss Haggada...

MEGILLAT ESTHER LEARNING

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24 Elul

Qeset HaSofer 28 - se'if Dalet, note Hey: (Ve-yeysh makhshirin/there are some who accept as kosher) - & with M"E in a time of emergency, you have to rely on the Makhshirin [those who say it's kosher]. The Pri Megadim ruled that it requires study/deliberation/consideration whether you say a blessing over it [so you can use it, but not say a blessing]. & here I saw in sefer otot chayim he enumerated which parshiyot are the closed ones & which are the open ones: [list of open ones follows]. So here even though we act/retreat with all of them as closed, in any case it seems that with these if we find at their end or if we find all of them are open, you can still read it with blessings (but this is only in an emergency).

Se'if Hey: the 10 sons of Haman we treat this as our custom in our states/provinces to write them on a special column...at the beginning of the first column "ish" ["man"] at the beginning of the line & "et" [definite article] at the end of the line with a blank space in between. On the next line Parshandata at the beginning [blahblahblah & so on]. on the last line with the Vav of Vayezata must be erect with the head slightly bent diagonally & tall...& there are those who say you lengthen this in the reading.

note Vav in Lishkat HaSofer- the genius, our teacher, A"V"V, of blessed memory, this great genius in his explanation wrote that this is an error/mistake/blunder, but the main thing is that there should be the word ISH at the beginning at the row & the ET at the end of the row. & in thruth the one who looks into the marginal annotations sefer mem'gimel, mitzvah gadol will see that yes, this is the intent.
...& in the book sfer adam in the section nishmat ha'adam to all due respect to all those who do otherwise freely/needlessly lengthen the words to bring out the words from their pashut (simple, literal meaning)...

APPEARANCES CURRICULUM VITAE

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23 Elul
Although this post is dated from the 27th of September '05, it is edited monthly with the events & links updated.


Print Media:

Koleinu - Oct 97
Jewish Western Bulletin – July 03/August 03/September 03
Jewish Transcript – September 03
Jewish Western Bulletin – October 10 03/October 17 03
Moment Magazine - October 2003
Jewish Western Bulletin – November 03/December 03
The Globe And Mail – December 03
Vancouver Indy Media – February 04
Hadassah Magazine - May 04
Lilith Magazine – Summer 04
Jewish News Weekly of Northern California – February 05
Jewish Telegraphic Agency – February 05
Jewish Telegraph, UK – February 05
Canadian Jewish News – July 05
The Jewish Forward - June 05
Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles - July 05
Religious Tolerance Magazine - Oct 05
The Jewish Independent - November 05
Lilith Magazine – Autumn 05
JOFA Magazine - Feb 06
Hadassah Magazine - March 2006
ISHA Magazine (Summer 2006)


Radio:

“Sounds Like Canada” on CBC Radio One with host, Shelagh Rogers – November 03 repeated August 04
Shalom USA Radio – July 05
The Voicemobile with Joyce the Voice, Rebbe of the Radio - Autumn 06


Television:

“Studio 4” on Shaw Cable TV with host, Fanny Kiefer – September 04
“Soferet: A Special Scribe” - documentary on Vision TV Canada, Mipcom Indian Television and on Faith & Values TV USA - November 05
“CNN Faces of Faith” – December 05
Vision Television repeats "Soferet: a Special Scribe" - April 06


Articles:

S/He Ain't Heavy, S/He's My G@d - March 16 06
The Smallest Alef - March 30 06
Better Late Than Never..? - April 8 06


Conferences:

Schusterman International Professional Development Conference, Princeton NJ
The 9th International ALEPH Kallah, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb IL
The 10th International ALEPH Kallah, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA
The 11th International ALEPH Kallah, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown PA
Canadian Federation of Jewish Students WIRED
Turn the Page, Seattle WA
Westcoast Calligraphy Society, Vancouver BC


Synagogues:

Beit Chaverim, Federal Way WA (Spring 2006)
Beth Shalom Congregation, Seattle WA
Beth Tikvah, Richmond BC
Burquest Jewish Community Association, Coquitlam BC
Congregation Beth Israel, Vancouver BC
Congregation Beth Sholom, Richland WA
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, NYC NY
Congregation Bnai Torah, Olympia WA
Congregation Emanu-El, Victoria BC
Congregation Sha’arey Tefilah, Vancouver BC
Congregation Shirat Hayam, Swampscott MA
Har-El Congregation, West Vancouver BC
Nehar Shalom, Boston MA
Or Shalom Synagogue, Vancouver BC
Temple Beth Am, Miami, FL
Temple Beth Am, Seattle WA
Temple Beth El, Arcata CA
Temple Beth El, Tacoma WA
Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Olympia WA (Spring 2006)
Temple Beth Israel, Eugene OR (Summer 2006)
Temple Beth Or, Everett WA (Summer 2006)
Temple B'nai Ha'aretz, Garberville CA
Temple Shalom, Yakima WA
Temple Sholom, Vancouver BC
United Hebrew Congregation, St. Louis MO


Community Centres:

Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, Vancouver BC
Jewish Community Centre of Victoria, Victoria BC
Jewish Community Center, Eureka CA
Kootenay Jewish Community Association, Nelson BC (Spring 2006)
Vancouver People’s Peretz Centre, Vancouver BC (Spring 2005)
White Rock – South Surrey Jewish Community Centre, White Rock BC


Educational Institutions:

Elat Chayyim, Accord NY
Kadima Hebrew Sunday School, Seattle WA
Maimonides~Talmud Torah Secondary School, Vancouver BC
Oberlin College, Oberlin OH
Richmond Jewish Day School, Richmond BC
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs NY
University of British Columbia Hillel, Vancouver BC
Vancouver Hebrew Academy (Spring 2006)
Vancouver Talmud Torah, Vancouver BC


Web Logs:

Netivat Sofrut: diary of a soferet
Radical Torah: Sources for the Jewish Social Action Community


Internet:

Jewschool - Oct 03
Jewish Women's Archive - Oct 03
Soferet's Cafepress online store
Byroniverse - Feb 05
Peeling a Pomegranate - 06
I Still See a Spark in You - 06
Kinja - 06
Jewish Virtual Library - Jan 06
Wikipedia's List of Canadian Jews - Feb 06


& Others:

Canadian Friends of Hebrew University - Young Leadership Lecture Series, Vancouver BC
Vancouver Public Library & Vancouver Opera “Opera Speaks” series – “Wisdom of the Ages”
Vancouver Women's Shabbat Shiur, Vancouver BC

KYLA'S REPRESENTATION

בס"ד


22 Elul

At Hablilah Theological Exercises.

GEESE FOR PEACE

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21 Elul

This link just in from Jen. This guy is amazing! Major fun tzedaqah opportunity here: not only can you purchase cruelty-free goose feathers to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, you can also view what I consider to be The Perfect Jewsih Life.

I am now going to order my next batch of kulmusim (quills) from him, read his books & fantasize about Joel's & my evil plans to form a Jewish autonamous collective.

ps - I'm also going to insist that my students buy from him as well!

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

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19 Elul

I just got a large envelope containing the opinions of the ShalhevetYah students I taught at the end of July. These are some excerpts of the lovely things my students at the ALEPH Kallah had to say in their anonymous Teacher Evaluation forms:

"Aviel is an enthusiastic, energetic teacher. She loves what she does and is talented in showing people how to feel competent about engaging in calligraphy."

"She did a beautiful job of teachng students of widely varied backgrounds, and of combining technical information with stories illuminating why pieces of Torah are written a certain way, and of sharing insights into sofer work. WONDERFUL!"

"Aviel is an amazing calligrapher & scribe. She also knows an enormous amount about Judaism, Torah, philosophy, reality, life & our relationship to Talmud."

"Focused a lot more on calligraphy and glanced over mystical significance - she did do a good job of explaining the large/small letters written in the Torah."

"A lovely intro. Look forward to continuing on my own."

"I wish this was a "double" class: morning 2 hrs. plus afternoon 2 hrs. Since we have only 4 days of class."

"Have this again! Wonderful. A little chaotic first day - too much chatter from students but improved every day. Lovely starting script & handouts for more difficult script. Great midrash on large, small, backwards letters in Torah. Sending out e-mail b4 was great - gave us time to collect supplies and (re)read books. Excellent encouragement to "play" with letters & materials."

...& my personal favourite:

"טוב מאד"

(tov me'od = very good)


Barukh HaShem - praise G@d - for this naches :D
I feel a little boastful publishing these, but then if I don't promote myself then what will draw work into our home, so that we can support ourselves? I mean aside from G@d...

BRAND NEW NON-TITLE FOR THIS BLOG ENTRY

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18 Elul

All the "blockquote" text below was written much earlier than this date, but dated for today so that it would stay at the top of my blog. Everything that falls between this text & the "blockquote" was in fact written in a tranquil, reflective time on September 22nd of this year.



"What's in store for this next solar cycle?

I am writing from the ferry, on my way from xxx to xxx. It's still (barely) morning, so the rolling water twinkles silver when we turn with the sun on our port side.

From this day to top side of the Earth will just get darker. This day of equinox, this day of Mabon.

I press through blue-grey corduroy to the city at the edge of this fabric.

Equipped with my map & ferry schedule, I will wander today. As I have done my whole life & as I will do for the rest of my days.

The sea undulates as though it conceals countless lovers.

What is the gematria of 37? ??. Double-chai plus one?

How do I thank G@d every day?

I sit here in Caf� xxx on xxx, pondering my future surrounded by the sounds of Japanese girls & the sights of teenaged art that can only be described as a cross between Dr Seuss & Salvador Dali.
How apt.

How do I honour my existence?
G@d put me here for something. & G@d will take me away from here, too. In the interim, how do I cling to my purpose meaningfully?

Pray
Take care of myself & others
Remain conscious of all the world's Divinity
Breathe."

I'm finally able to access the internet fairly regularly, but am so far behind with blogging & e-mail that it will take me some time to respond to your messages & comments, etc. Thanks for your patience!!
:)

ADDENDUM
August 31st
Thank G@d we're finally home now, exhausted, a little worse for wear, but safe in Vancouver. & don't believe that lie I wrote above - it was next to impossible to access the internet the past two months. I'll do my best to keep up with your comments & post about the rest of our experiences, after I answer the 1,200 e-mails (none of them spam) waiting for me in my Inbox...

ADDENDUM PLUS
September 7th
Still wading through e-mails, but seeing a Glimmer of the Light at the End of the proverbial Tunnel, thank G@d. My list of objectives now includes reading & replying to the comments you left in the past couple of months! Hurrah!
ps - stay tuned for pictures...

MORE HILKHOT SOFRUT

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17 Elul

This is where you can order gold=plated scissors from, for all your sofrut needs!

Personally, I only use blades, as that's how my sofer taught me. Being mentored in sofrut is rather like going to live in a dojo so you can learn to pay very close attention & be very obedient. Just call me "Glasshoppah" ;+>

Now, we aren't allowed to use steel - or any base metal - on our Sifrei/sacred writings, so the general thing Ashkenazim do is plate their blades. Now scissors will not really do you a good turn for many of the tasks you'll need to use a cutting/scraping tool for, but if you can gold or silver plate exacto blades &/or razor blades, then you're good to go. That's what I do. Just don't ask me where I get the cyanide or the acid.

The following are my Lishqat HaSofer notes on Bet of chapter 28 in Qeset HaSofer, which my student & I went over tonight over the phone:
The Brakhei Yoseyf they brought in that they had printed Megilahs on qaf/parchment & the Gedolim/Great Rabbinic Scholars said these were pasul/invalid Megilot because this act of printing counts as choq tachut (not carving or engraving). & they further taught that you should geniza them (store them away permanently) in order that you shouldn't bring people through these Megilahs to sin inadvertently/give them a stumbling block by leading them to believe they are kosher. & the Acharomin/later Rabbinic commentators of B"M argued about this, whether that printing is an act of choq tachut or not that in the citation: rule 4 section 100 yud-bet in this text that in p 82 of Tractate Gittin in Talmud Yerushalmi says "...he shall write..." (Devarim/Deuteronomy reference to the the get/bill of divorce) saying that you must form letters by writing & not by dropping them. Just like matif (dropping) is not writing & letters must be formed by writing, printing is not writing. Also with regard to the Megilah, they bring the way of writting citing Mordechai writing & Esther writing in perek/chapter 9 of the Megilah & from this we learn the laws of Megilah from p 19 of Mishneh Gemara we explain: " ...& I wrote upon the Sefer with ink..." (Yermiyahu/Jeremiah) so here we have a different place from where we derive the rule of writing.

Sa'if Gimel on Qeset HaSofer: you need to lay down/place in the beginning (of the Megilah) a blank measure of qlaf (parchment) in order to be able to surround the whole Megilah when it's rolled up. & it is nehagin - done - so as not to make for it a an entire column / amud klal / not at the beginning & not at the end.
Dalet: you make all it's chapters/sections closed & if you make any of them open, it's pasul. but some accept it as kosher.

Slowly but surely, we are learning our way through the laws of sofrut together, my student & I :)

WHO DO YOU LOVE?

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15 Elul

The subject of avoda zara (idol worship) has been occupying my consciousness more heavily than usual lately, so here is more on that: Leviticus Rabbah 22:6 states:

"R' Pinchas in the name of R' Levi: A simile to a prince whose heart [reason] has forsaken him and who was used to eating carcasses and forbidden meat. Said the king, let these dishes be always on my table, and of himsef he will get weaned. So also, since since Israel was eagerly attached to idolatry and its sacrifices in Egypt...G@d said: Let them always bring their sacrifices before Me in the tabernacle and thus they will detach themselves from idolatry and be saved."

So...we are above this behaviour - we can do better & therefore must , for the sake of our souls & for the whole world. Also, G@d will tolerate certain intolerable activities on a temporary basis in order to, looking long term, help His people closer to Him. Like getting your heroine addict onto methadone as a step toward getting clean.
The stream of Judaism you ascribe to? Is it a brand-name that dictates what socio-political-religious line you tow, or does it best guide you toward what G@d expects of you in your life, as you understand it?

Idolatry can be defined as: treating the non-ultimate as though it were the ultimate.

What is the ultimate in your life - your desires or G@d's path for you? Mitzvah Meyuchedet!
The Ishbitzer writes about this. He says (I'm paraphrasing) what is the strength of Levi? Levi didn't always play it safe. He exhibited a willingness to place himself in safeyq (doubt). Levi's strength is to stand at the edge. G@d requires something unique from each person He embodies. So when you're too afraid to follow your derekh, think of Levi. Creation needs the quality of Levi to live within each of us.

OK, SO THE RAMBAM & I ARE ON SPEAKING TERMS AGAIN...

בס"ד


14 Elul

I taught ShalhevetYah, my class on Heeb calligraphy & midrash at noon in Wilder. Such bright lights in the eyes of each student! & such gorgeous letters they made!

Spent the rest of the afternoon with Rambam's Mishneh Torah Hilkhot Tzitzit. Why? Well, as those of you who follow my blog know, I'm mildly (or modestly) obssessed with HaQara'im, or Karaites, in English. I have been learning many fascinating things about how Karaites fit in with our current Jewish world, including the fact that is we watch them schecht (ritually slaughter) an animal, then it is considered kosher for us & we are allowed to eat it. I still have not done anything with the Karaite tzitzit which I ordered months ago. I am still researching what might be the best way for me to use them to perform the mitzvah of tzitzit. Although I have worn tzitzit in the past & said the brakhah over them, I have not ever made the neder to officially take it on, to self-obligate. My intention here is not to just take on every single mitzvah as a man, & therefore turn myself into a spiritual eunuch. However I must carefully learn each mitzvah & examine my intention with it; discover whether I truly believe I am obligated before I act. I do not wish to take this lightly. It is intended as a permanent step toward G@d.

The Rambam does say, after all, in Mishneh Torah 3:9 "Women & servants who wish to wrap themselves in tzitzit may do so without a blessing. Similarly, regarding the other positive commandments which women are not required to fulfill, if they desire to fulfill them without reciting a blessing, they should not be prevented from doing so."
Now, the Ramah advises against women wearing tzitzit in Orach Chayim 17:1, saying that it would be a sign of conceit. So perhaps I shall wear my tzitzit inside my clothes when (not if) I take on this commandment.
Aso, the Magen Avraham states that - I'm paraphrasing - that since women are given a measure of a reward for fulfilling mitzvot we are not obligated in, this indicates that we are somehow "partially" commanded & that saying the blessing is appropriate.

So far, the Karaite tzitzit seem to physically fulfill everything Rambam has to say about them in this volume. I say "physically", because, for example, they are indeed of sheep wool;
no more than 8 strands, 7 white with 1 blue (none of which have to be dyed blue, btw, but the Bar Kokhba's soldiers wore a single strand of tekhelet in their tzitzit, so that's good enough for me);
the blue is darker than the tekhelet produced today, however, it is still the colour of sapphire, which is a stipulation made in Menachot 43b. & don't argue with me on this one, because before i was a soferet, I was a gemologist, so don't try to tell me what the colour of sapphire is;
According to Kinat Eliyahu, Mishneh Torah 2:4 implies that any permanent blue dye may be used; as the whole reason to use tekhelet is that it was the only permanent blue dye that existed for them at that time & place & the permanence is the point, not the source;
tied in "g'dilim" (braids or chains) as Deuteronomy 22:12 states they must be;
more than 3 segments & less than 13;
However, I have not yet confirmed that they were spun for the sake of being used in the mitzvah of tzitzit. Nor do I know how the wool was obtained. So I don't know of they are kosher for a Rabbinist Jew like myself in the "invisible" ways which tzitzit must be kosher...but I can always just ask them :)

TAHARAT HA-GUF, TAHARAT HA-KAVANAH

בס"ד


13 Elul

Yesterday I rested up & got ready for my Shabbes oneg talk. Joel lead qabalat Shabat services for around 50 Obies & the ru'ach (spirit) was truly beautiful. Dinner at the Kosher/Halal Co-op (yes - that would be Jews & Muslims eating together & sharing teachings on purpose) was fabulous. I told a Jewish martyrdom joke to our table & everyone laughed, including the Muslims, so that was happymaking.

My talk, which I gave in J-house, went over really well, barukh HaShem, kena hora. There were many questions about purity of body & purity of intention. I really enjoyed meeting all of them :)

I got a lot of sleep today, thank G@d. After the qidush lunch/Torah study, Joel & I walked around campus & he brought me to the library. Upstair stood the notorious "womb chairs", which I peacefully napped in forever. We took a walk along the old trolley tracks to R' Shimon & Amy's for shalosh seudos, which we shared with some colourful, interesting Yidden :D

After Havdalah, Amy asked to see some of my writing, so I showed her the megilah I'm working on. She brought out a Chinese silk scroll painting, as her husband (who is blind & collects Asian art) & we admired & talked about that.

We also had a good chat about how even in sofrut there are scoundrels, unfortunately, just like in every business. This was inspired by my encountering people who tell me of unethical sofrim so that I will expose them in this blog or on my web site. But if I don't see it with my own eyes, then I'm not alowed to repeat it or even imply to others to avoid doing business with these men. All I can say is, when you are looking for a sofer, act the way you act finding a doctor or some other person you must trust implicitly. Know what you want. Get recommendations from multiple people. Interview the person you are considering. This is a real caveat emptor situation, in every sense of the word...

We also talked at length about avoda zara ("strange work", a.k.a ido worship) & how mysticism can be a doorway into avoda zara. Amy is one of the most engaging people I have ever met in my life. She recommended that I read Amusimg Oursleves to Death by Neil Postman - a look at avodah zara as ego indulgence. She also suggested I read the R' Yeshayahu Leibovitz book about giving away the West Bank after we won it in '67 because it would become part of our national avoda zara. Ouch. I'll look for it, but I must admit that it will be a difficult read.

In some ways, our current time is growing to resemble the Orwellian view of the future, like in the case of the US's "Patriot Act", but more than that, the First World is becoming Huxley's Brave New World distopia, I am very sorry to say...

I did read "Perceptions of Jewish History" by Amos Funkenstein. The title alone was enough to attract me & my nerdly ways, but when I saw the author's last name, I just couldn't say no.
Within this volume I found on page 92 a lovely quote from Ibn Ezra:

"And now let me pronounce a principle. Know that Moses our master did not give the laws to the philosophers [chakhme halev] only but to everybody. And not only to the people of his generation but for all generations."

Which illustrates the responsibility of each Jew, regardless of background or place in history, to be an exegete.

DEEPER INTO THE LION'S ROAR

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12 Elul

I was reviewing the notes by Eliyah Tonger on the Moznaim edition of Rambam's Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Sefer Torah 7:1, & they state:

"for each & every Jewish man - With this expression, Rambam excludes women & minors [from writing a Sefer Torah - a.b.]. The Sefer HaChinuch explains that although this mitzvah is not associated with a specific time, since women are not obligated to study Torah, they are also not required to fulfill this mitzvah. Note the Sha'agat Arieh (Responsum 35), who objects & obligates women in this mitzvah."

...ie, he says that Sha'agat Aryeh obligates women in this mitzvah, but that's not exactly true - a single rabbi cannot obligate an entire group of people. Sha'agat Aryeh simply interprets the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah as being d'oraita (from the Torah) on both sexes. More research is always needed...

KOL HAKAVOD LE-ZAKA!

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11 Elul

I saw an orca today rolling over & over in the ocean, just having fun. It was so beautiful. Then I got an e-mail from my rabbi telling of the heroic rescue of Sifrei Torah from a flooded synagogue in New Orleans.
Check out their web site! There are incredible pictures!

ZAKA RESCUES DAMAGED TORAH SCROLLS FROM NEW ORLEANS

In a dramatic rescue operation, Mr. Isaac Leider, of the New York ZAKA
Rescue & Recovery Organization, waded through waist-deep toxic floodwaters
yesterday with six Torah scrolls from Congregation Beth Israel, an Orthodox
synagogue in New Orleans. A few of the Torah scrolls are believed to be more
than 250 years old.

"Out of six, only two are possibly restorable," Leider said, as he sat in an
inflatable rescue boat with the Torah scrolls he recovered. "I'm glad that
we did this, but I'm terribly saddened. It's hard to see them in this
condition." The scrolls are blackened from the toxic water and severely
damaged. (A Torah scroll, which is entirely handwritten, can cost over $35,000.)

Mr. Leider, who spent five years with ZAKA's search-and-rescue squad in
Israel, arrived in New Orleans last week to ensure that the bodies of Jews
killed by Hurricane Katrina are treated in accordance with Jewish religious law.

In the operation to rescue the Torah scrolls, Mr. Leider was joined by
members of the National Guard and other volunteers who were brought by ZAKA
in a private helicopter from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The helicopter
landed a few blocks away from the synagogue, and an inflatable boat was used
to transport ZAKA volunteers to Congregation Beth Israel.

Since the Israel-based charity organization, ZAKA, is strapped for cash,
Agudath Israel of America partially funded the operation.

Upon opening the ark, Mr. Leider burst into tears as he removed the Torah
scrolls, all of them drenched. The scrolls were subsequently handed over to
representatives of the synagogue in Baton Rouge.
 
 
ZAKA Rescue & Recovery
1-877-ZAKA-911
www.zakausa.org

ONE WHAT?

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10 Elul

I'm a Type 1 on the Enneagram - quelle surprise.

NAKED SIMCHA

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9 Elul

I discovered & thoroughly enjoyed The Naked Archaeologist on Vision TV tonight. Looks like crazy Simcha J is at it again. I have a tremendous amount of respect for not only what he does, but how he does it as well. I learned so much about just symbols & letters & pictograms today - & not just Hebrew. It was quite fabulous.

He's the same doc-man who did "Quest for the Lost Tribes" 5 years ago & which I wrote about previously in this blog, but cannot for the life of me find the reference, even using the search option at the top left. :(

I'm SO not computer literate sometimes...

A GNOSTIC TAKE ON PRAYER

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8 Elul

Very unique post - & comments, for that matter - over at my half-sister's half-brother's blog, Ecclesia Gnostica In Nova Albion.

GALL NUTS!

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7 Elul

I still have not received my gall nuts. How can I make d'yo (sofrut ink) without gall nuts?
Patience is a virtue...

While I wait, I found this interesting article. Looks like we lose the right to use the decisions of batei din (Jewish rabbinic courts) in civil courts of law, & that shari'ah (Muslim Law) will not, in fact, be allowed to be where the buck stops for Islamic Ontario.

This afternoon, during a break I took from writing, I watched a documentary about 9/11. It was as sickening & tragic as ever. Now I have to "get clean" before I go back to the sofrut.

This evening we had Joel F aka "Yo'el Acheyr" ("other Joel") over for nachos & The Daily Show downloads. Then we hung out & listened to Leonard Cohen. That helped heal the day a little.

WE ARE THE BORG: RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

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5 Elul

I found this today. It was a fun, temporary diversion away from all my serious black & white Halakhic world...

Apparently, I am an Artificial Versatile Infiltration and Exploration Lifeform :)

The more non-observant people ask me to teach them sofrut, the more I am afraid that the future will hold more & more animosity between the streams of Judaism. For many Jewish women, "men" have always been the enemy, making rules for us & determining our roles without our consent throughout our history. But in the future, once it becomes common knowledge that shomeret mitzvot female sofrot like myself won't take on unobservant students, then "the Orthodox" will once again become the enemy.

*sigh*

I really mean, with all my heart, what I wrote here, but in the best, most respectful, non-judgemental, Jew-loving way possible.

MEGILLOT

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4 Elul

SO much work to do!!!

VIRGIN MUSMACH?

בס"ד


3 Elul

I am engaging in a telephone chevrutah (partnered Torah learning) on the Laws of Megilah with a female student. Qeset HaSofer was written in the 1800's by R' Shlomo Ganzfried (of Kitzur Shulchan Arukh fame) under the auspices of his mentor, the Chasam Sofer. We began with sa'if Khaf-Chet, Alef. Here is a loose translation:

"There is not to be written a Megilah except with d'yo (sofrut ink) on g'vil (separated skin where nothing has been removed except the hair) or on qlaf (separated skin which has been processed differently - too involved to go into here). & it is necessary to score all the guidelines the same way you do for a Sefer Torah. Some say that the skin doesn't have to be processed lishma (with holy intention for the sake of Heaven), but there are those who do say the skin must be processed lishma & we must be strict about this.

Notes on the above chapter from Lishqat HaSofer:
" & if this is not done (scoring all the guidelines as you do with Sefer Torah), then it (the Megilah) is pasul (not kosher). This is agreed upon by all the Acharonim (later commentators) of blessed memory & is written in many places (Bet-Dalet-chikchuk-Mem)...& in the "Beit Aharon" it is written that bediyavad (after the fact) that if only the very first guideline is scored & if he is an expert who can write straight then bimechilah kvod Torato shagah (with all due respect to his Torah learning), we pardon his error."

Some notes from the Mishnat HaSofer on this bit - tsricha sirtut - inscribing the lines - if it's not there, it's pasul (this disagrees with the Lishqat HaSofer in note Alef). if there is only one Megilah can you use it, if it was not written lishma but (use it) without a brakhah. The sofer needs to tell the purchaser whether he said it (his declaration that he was writing the Migilah for the sake of Heaven) aloud or not before the buy (honest disclosure in buying & selling).

SHEKHINAH

בס"ד

Rosh Chodesh Elul

Welcome the quiet into your life.
Make a place for it to dwell.