ADAR: CELEBRATING PURIM, EXPERIENCING JOY By Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice
The Hebrew month of Adar started last Friday (February 23). Adar is a unique month on the Hebrew calendar. In fact, when the Jewish calendar has a leap year, the entire month is repeated. We have a leap year on the Gregorian calendar this year, adding February 29. In a Jewish leap year, there is Adar I and Adar II. Not 12 months, but 13! Of all of the Hebrew months, why would the ancient rabbis, who established our calendar, choose to double Adar?
The last words on page 29a of tractate Ta’anit in the Babylonian Talmud states: משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה (Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha) or “when [the month of] Adar enters (meaning: begins) joy increases.” This statement establishes the entire month of Adar, the month of Purim, as the high point of rejoicing on the Jewish calendar. I think this statement is the answer to the question of doubling. If we are going to have an extra month, shouldn’t it be a month of joy?!
But, what does it mean for joy to increase at the beginning of a month? I think it means that the winter months are starting to give way to spring (at least in the land of Israel). I think it means that it is starting to get lighter, with every passing day growing gradually longer. I think it means we celebrate a festival of joy and silliness, called Purim (literally meaning “lots,” as in the phrase “drawing lots”).
Most of all, I think the joy from the month emanates from the Festival of Purim and the story of Purim. It is the upside down victory of the Book of Esther, the scroll read at Purim, which specifically maximizes the joy for me. In the narrative of the Book of Esther, the Jews of the ancient Persian Empire are brought near to destruction by the king’s wicked adviser Haman. In the end, after much intrigue, the Jewish people see Haman and his sons destroyed and they are saved from his plot. I believe it is this brush with destruction, and experience of salvation, that enhances the sweetness of our celebration.
This Friday night, we will engage in a few of the classic traditions of the Festival of Purim. For example, people will come to services in costume. In the Book of Esther, Esther hides her Jewish identity and reveals it at a key moment in the Book. We disguise ourselves, masquerading as characters from the Book of Esther, from popular culture, and from our own imaginations. On Friday night, we will tell the story of the Book of Esther, including a Beatles-themed retelling or spiel. Our Erev Shabbat/Friday night worship will reflect the upside down nature of the holiday of Purim and add to the silliness and celebration. Listen for the page numbers, so you don’t get lost!
All in all, the most important part of Adar is that you join in the celebration. Eat a delicious meal. Give presents, especially tasty foods, to your friends. Donate to charity, to spread the joy to people who are struggling. Dress in costume. Laugh, a lot. Let go of the decorum of other holidays and embrace the silly fun!
PURIM IN RHYME
The Book of Esther in Rhyme
By Fay Kranz Greene
It happened in the days of Achashverosh the King
A boor and a fool to boot
He made a great feast for the nations he ruled
To display his treasures and loot
He had no shame, did not fear G-d’s name
The fortune was not his to keep
It was stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem
Which lay in a sorrowful heap
Yet invitations were sent addressed to the Jews
At the palace to celebrate
Though they were warned, they did not stay away
And G-d’s anger was kindled, irate
The festivities lasted one hundred eighty days
The wine and the spirits flew
Destruction and deliverance were being prepared
But at the time, nobody knew
The drunken king ordered Queen Vashti to appear
She refused him unceremoniously
Upon advice from his court he cut her head off
And regretted it almost instantaneously
So a beauty pageant was quickly announced
To choose a new queen in her stead
All the maidens vied for this honor so great
But beautiful Esther was filled with dread
Her kinsman was Mordechai, a Jew so renowned
Her lineage from King Saul’s royal gene
She tried to hide, but fate would not be denied
Achashverosh chose her as his new queen
Mordechai gave her instructions precise
To the palace he came every day
Esther was not to reveal her nation of birth
Yet remain Jewish in every way
The stage was now set for Jewish salvation
Esther was a powerful force
She urged Acheshverosh to choose an advisor
The Jew Mordechai, of course
One day Mordechai heard two soldiers plot
To kill the king was their aim
He told it to Esther who saved the king’s life
But gave credit to Mordechai by name
Now an ill wind was brewing for the Jewish nation
In the guise of Haman the Aggagite
The royal ring was bestowed on him by the king
Though he was a wicked anti-Semite
Haman was proud, he preened at the gates
He commanded all to bow
But Mordechai refused, he said I’m a Jew
And my G-d does not allow
Haman wanted revenge on all the Jews
To annihilate them was his vow
He’d slaughter them all on one bloody day
The only question was how?
But this evil man thought of a plan
He devised a kind of lottery
To determine the date for the poor Jews’ fate
The thirteenth of Adar it was to be
Now Haman pleaded his case to the King
That the Jews were of no use at all
Achashverosh agreed, and it was quickly decreed
That our people were slated to fall
When Mordechai learned of this treachery
Sackcloth and ashes he donned
Weeping and wailing he ran through the streets
Knowing Esther would surely respond
Dear Esther, he said, your time has arrived
For this you were chosen as queen
To plead on the throne on behalf of your folk
Divine providence can clearly be seen
For her people Esther would risk her life
She had but one request to make
For three days the Jews must fast, regret their past
And all other gods forsake
Esther and her maidens would likewise fast
Then make a move so bold
To see the king unbidden was forbidden
Unless he extend his scepter of gold
Dressed in royalty and cloaked in Divinity
Esther was grace personified
Her prayers were answered, hope was at hand
The king invited her inside
Half of my kingdom is yours he said
Esther should have been delighted
But she was waiting for a sign Divine
So to a party she invited
Not only the king but Haman too
A move calculated to distress
The Jews would put their trust in G-d
And the king would become jealous
Esther waited for an opportunity
But there was no sign in sight
She had to stall and risk it all
With a party a second night
Haman was gloating ‘the queen chose me’
It was just the King and I
But his bubble bursts and his anger spurts
When he sees the Jew Mordechai
His wicked wife Zeresh comes up with a plan
Build a gallows about fifty feet
Go ask the king, to let Mordechai swing
And your joy will then be complete
What a night was ahead, the kingdom’s astir
No one is sleeping it seems
Esther is planning, Mordechai is praying
And the king has disturbing dreams
In the very heavens the angels are weeping
G-d hears his children in need
The king is awakened, his sleep is forsaken
From his royal book he begins to read
The pages turn as if on their own
To an entry long ago recorded
Mordechai the Jew saved the life of the king
But his loyalty was not rewarded
Achashverosh hears Haman in the courtyard
And calls him in post haste
How can I honor a man who’s deserving
I have no time to waste
Haman lays out a course of grand action
All the while thinking it’s he
A gala parade astride the king’s horse
Who else would he honor but me?
But his downfall was near, his end was in sight
Imagine his horror and dread
When the king said go do, to Mordechai the Jew
Exactly the things that you said
When Esther heard this turn of events
She knew it was her cue
And that it was right at the party that night
To reveal that she was a Jew
If I have found favor in the eyes of the king
And your highness will agree
Please spare my life and the lives of my people
From death by an evil decree
Who would dare to threaten my queen
Asked Achashverosh in a great fright
It is none other than your trusted advisor
Haman the Aggagite
The king was enraged, he needed air
From the room he quickly fled
And on the gallows intended for Mordechai
He had Haman hanged instead
Now letters were swiftly dispatched
To all the kingdom near and far
For the Jews to prepare, their foes to beware
On the thirteenth of Adar
The Jews were triumphant against the enemy
They fought bravely for their nation
And the days that were slated for destruction
Became days of celebration
Now proclamations were sent to all the Jews
Rejoice and be of good cheer
Remember these days of Purim
And commemorate them every year
By sending mishloach manot, food gifts to your friends
And eating a feast galore
By reading the megillah not once but twice
And giving charity to the poor
Purim means ‘lots’ chance and conjecture
G-d’s name was absent, concealed
But Esther means hester hidden, obscure
Unmask and all is revealed
HAPPY PURIM
MARCH 2-4 WEEK END UPDATE
Please make plans to join us the week end of March 2-4.
- Friday evening, March 2: Shabbat Services led by Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice at 7:30 P.M. at The Bethel. Oneg to follow.
- Saturday morning, March 3, 10:00 A.M.: Torah study with Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice at The Bethel.
- Saturday afternoon, 5:30 P.M.: Milchig (Dairy)potluck with adult discussion following, at The Bethel.
RABBI HOSPITALITY
Todah Robah to the following people for hosting Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice:
- Airport Pickup and lunch — Ann Grobosky
- Friday dinner — Mimi Wolf
- Oneg — Joy Breslauer
- Saturday lunch — Stuart Lewin
WEEK END HOSPITALITY NEEDED
Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice will be in Great Falls the week end of March 2-4. Her reservation is confirmed at Motel 6.
Here is her schedule:
- Friday, March 2: She will arrive in Great Falls at 1:57 p.m. via Alaska #2326. She will need to be picked up at the airport, and will need lunch and dinner.
- Saturday, March 3, after morning study at 10:00 A.M.: We will need a lunch host.
- On Sunday she will need a ride to the airport.
Thanking you in advance, Helen
THE JEWISH ELBOW
A Jewish grandmother is giving directions to her grown grandson who is coming to visit her with his new wife.
“You come to the front door of the apartment. I am in apartment 301. There is a big panel at the front door. With your elbow , push button 301. I will buzz you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right. Get in, and with your elbow , push 3. When you get out, I’m on the left. With your elbow hit my doorbell.”
“Grandma, that sounds easy,” her grandson says, “but, why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow?
Grandma replies, “What, you’re coming empty handed?”
Today is Tu B’Shevat!
(Ed note, this was sent to us last night by the “Shabbos Lighting times” website)
Significance, and customs of Tu b’Shevat – ט״ו בשבט
Tu b’Shevat ט״ו בשבט – is a minor Jewish Holiday that marks the New Year of the Trees – Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanos ראש השנה לאילנות. It is also called Chamisha Asar B’Shevat (חמשה-עשר בשבט), also meaning the fifteenth of Shevat.
The Fifteenth of Shevat is the midpoint of winter and we are looking forward to the spring. The sap of the trees is beginning to flow and rise in the roots of the trees, though unseen by man and as a result the fruits are manifesting their first stage of formation.
The Rosh Hashana for Trees is a time of Tefilla (Prayer). We joyously celebrate this day in asking Hashem to continue to shower his benevolence on his children the Bnei Yisrael as well as the rest of his creations in the world as it says in Bircas HaMazon “Hazon es HaOlam Kulo Betuvo” (He Nourishes the entire world in his goodness).
Tu b’Shevat is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah as one of the four new years in the Jewish calendar. The discussion of when the new year for trees occurs was a source of debate among the Rabbis. The Rabbis ruled in favor of Hillel on this issue. Thus the 15th of Shevat became the date for calculating when the agricultural cycle began or ended for the purpose of Orlah (a), Neta Reva’i(b), Maaser Sheni and Maaser Ani(c), involving trees and fruit.
a. Orlah refers to a biblical prohibition on eating the fruit of trees produced during the first three years after they are planted.Orlah remains to this day in essentially the same form it had in talmudic times and uses Tu Bishvat in the same way. For a tree in its final year, fruit ripening before Tu Bishvat is considered orlah, while fruit ripening on or after Tu Bishvat in the final year is permitted.
b. Neta Reva’i refers to the biblical commandment to bring fourth-year fruit crops to Jerusalem as a tithe.
c. Maaser Sheni was a tithe which was eaten in Jerusalem and Maaser Ani was a tithe given to the poor that were also calculated by whether the fruit ripened before or after Tu Bishvat. Maaser Sheni and Maaser Ani are observed today by a ceremony redeeming tithing obligations with a coin. Because the form of redemption is the same for both of these latter obligations, the year of the fruit no longer matters for these tithes.
Customs of Tu b’Shevat ט״ו בשבט – By Rabbi E. Wenger
• It is customary to increase in the amount of fruits one eats on the 15th of Shevat, in order to praise G-d who created all these species of fruits.
• In particular, one should include among the fruits one eats on this day the species of fruit which the land of Israel is praised for: grapes, olives, dates, figs and pomegranates.
• One should make an effort to eat at least one fruit which one has not eaten that entire season, and would require the blessing of Shehecheyanu. When eating such a fruit, the Shehecheyanu should be said prior to reciting the blessing of “Haetz.” {Some have the custom to recite the blessing of “Haetz” first and then the blessing of Shehecheyanu.} If he has already partaken of other fruits (at that particular sitting) than he only needs to say the Shehecheyanu upon eating the new fruit.
• Many also have a custom of eating carob on this day. (1) There is yet another custom which many have and that is to eat the Etrog from the previous Succos, either in the form of preserves, sugared slices, etc.(2) {Some pray that they will be worthy of a beautiful etrog on the following Sukkot.}
• It was the custom of the famed Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (“Arizal”) to eat 15 varieties of fruits on the 15th of Shevat. {Rabbi Luria and his disciples also instituted a Tu Bishvat seder in which the fruits and trees of the Land of Israel were given symbolic meaning.}
• On this day Tachnun is omitted from the Shacharis and Mincha prayers as well as from the Mincha prayer on the afternoon beforehand.
• Just like on three of the New Years a Taanis is forbidden (The first of Nissan, The first of Elul and the first of Tishrei), so to the fourth which is the Fifteenth of Shevat it is forbidden to fast. Even a Chasan on the day of his Wedding is not to fast on Tu B’ Shevat.
• We also don’t say Kaal Erech Apiem on Monday and Thursday in addition to not saying Av HaRachamim on Shabbos as well as Tzedkesecha Tzedek by Mincha on Shabbos.
• Many are accustomed not to give Eulogy’s (Hespeidim) on Tu B’Shevat.
1 It is questionable whether one says a Shehecheyanu when eating carob, since it is inedible when fresh. One must wait until it hardens a bit before it becomes edible and then the new carob is no longer distinguishable from older stock and thus would be similar to nuts upon which no Shehecheyanu is said (see Sefer Bircas HaShir Vehashevach for further elaboration).
2 It seems that the consensus of opinions is that no Shehecheyanu is said on the Etrog. One reason given is that the Shehecheyonu has already been said over the Esrog on the first day of Succos. (see Nitei Gavriel, Laws of Tu Beshevat 2:7).
Lz”n Gittel Charna bas Yaakov a”h
Lz”n Rochel bas Yisroel a”h
Stanley Rosenberg
Received from Rabbi Ed Stafman in Bozeman, today:
As I announced with sadness a few days ago, our congregation lost a giant of Bozeman’s Jewish community, Stanley Rosenberg, last week. Stanley passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 26, with his son, Archie, at his side. For any who might not know, Stanley was the spiritual leader of Bozeman’s Jewish community since its inception until it finally had a rabbi. Stanley performed and lead weddings, b’nei mitzvah, baby namings and much more. Stanley not only served the Bozeman Jewish community for some 20 years, but he represented us with honor and dignity in the interfaith community. All of Stanley’s life was lived in the name of greater shalom, peace and shalem, wholeness.Many have asked about plans for a memorial service. In order to accommodate the many family members from distant places who wish to attend, the memorial service will take place on Sunday, March 18, at 3:00 p.m., in the sanctuary of Congregation Beth Shalom.In the meanwhile, we said kaddish for Stanley this past Friday night and will continue to say kaddish for him at every service over the next year. All are welcome to participate in that.Zichrono livracha (may his memory be a blessing),Rabbi Ed
Obituary from Bozeman Daily Chronicle:
Stanley Gerson Rosenberg (1924-2012)
Stanley Gerson Rosenberg, 87, passed away Jan. 26, 2012, at his home in Bozeman.
Stan was a founding member of Congregation Beth Shalom where he served as a lay Rabbi for some fifteen years, during which he performed many rituals and led many celebrations, and where he especially promoted interfaith dialogue, cooperation, and peace. He was a member of numerous community organizations including Career Transitions, Big Brother and Big Sisters, The United Way, and The Gallatin Valley Interfaith Association, which he helped found. He served as a board member of Valley View Golf Course, and Chair of the Ethics Committee of Gallatin Rest Home. He was also an avid booster of MSU women’s athletics.
Stan was born June 20, 1924 in Philadelphia, Pa. to Esther (Binder) and Barney Rosenberg. He attended Philadelphia public school and graduated in 1942. After graduation, Stan worked as a butcher’s apprentice and ship fitter’s helper. He entered the Army in January 1943, and was assigned to the 312th combat engineers, 87th infantry division. He was sent to England and France, and almost immediately was in combat. He eventually participated in the battle of Belgium during the bulge. His unit then went through Germany and crossed the Rhine River at Boppard Am Rhein, not stopping until the border of Germany and Czechoslovakia, where he witnessed the liberation of a concentration camp. After the war, Stan returned to Pennsylvania.
Stan enrolled at what was then Williamsport Dickinson Junior College and Seminary, where he majored in sociology and anthropology. In his junior year, Stan met and married Dorothy Cohick, who was majoring in library science. They both finished their degrees in 1950 at Denver University.
Stan eventually was a principal/teacher of a one-room boarding school with 35 Indian students, half of whom did not speak English, on the Navajo Reservation, at Kayenta, Ariz. Stan and Dorothy adopted a two-month-old baby boy, Archie, from the Clinton Indian Hospital, in Clinton, Okla.
Stan later transferred to Pueblo Pintado, N.M., where he once again taught at a one-room school of 35 Indian students, half of whom did not speak English. Dorothy taught with Stan. The following year, Stan was transferred to Aneth, Utah, where he taught at a two-teacher school. Stan was later a community health worker with the Indian Health Service in Shiprock, N.M., where he set up well-children clinics, involving medicine men and other community leaders in those clinics.
He later earned his master’s degree at the University of California, Berkley, School of Public Health. He was then recruited to participate in a Pap smear program in St. Louis, Ill. While in St. Louis, Stan and Dorothy adopted six-year-old Jeffrey, from Italy. Thereafter, Stan was assigned to the Heart Disease Control Program with the New Jersey State Department of Health. His next assignment was in Rutland, Massachusetts, in patient/family education at a long-term care hospital. Stan later took jobs of Assistant Director Office of Education and Training with the Hill-Burton Program, the Nursing Home Improvement Program, and the Nursing Home Surveyors Training Program, where he remained until his retirement in 1978.
Stan received numerous honors for his work in public health. He was a Distinguished Fellow of the Society of Public Health Educators and Fellow of the American Public Health Association. Stan received three master’s degrees and an honorary doctorate.
Stan and Dorothy moved to Montana for Stan to accept a position as an adjunct professor with the School of Nursing at Montana State University. Four years later, Stan left the university and devoted the next 30 years to community involvement and to Bozeman Jewish and interfaith life.
In 1998, his wife Dorothy, of almost 50 years passed away, at which time Stan set up a memorial fund at MSU in his wife’s honor for women’s athletics.
In September 1999, Stan married the lovely June Goldstein Bollet, who passed away last December.
Stan is survived by his sons, Archie of Norman, Okla., and Jeffery of Bozeman; four grandchildren, Melissa Lynn Wallace, Briane Pearl Rosenberg, A’Lexxis Preciosa Rosenberg, of Okla., and Britney Rosenberg of Bozeman; and four great-grandchildren, Ashlynn Lauren Wallace, Peyton Mackenzie Wallace, Mason Nicole Wallace, of Oklahoma, and Kylie Thompson of Bozeman.
Stan told his Rabbi, his doctor, and friends that he had lived a good, long, and fruitful life, and that is what he wished to be remembered for.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. March 18 at Congregation Beth Shalom, Bozeman. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that memorials be made to Congregation Beth Shalom.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service, http://www.dokkennelson.com.
Published in Bozeman Daily Chronicle on January 31, 2012
Mazel Tov, Sheldon!
Congregant Evelyn Kelman writes to inform us that former Aitz Chaim lay-leader and Great Falls resident Sheldon Masnek has become a great-grandfather for the second time!
Mazel Tov, Sheldon, on the simcha of your new great-grandson and your great-granddaughter!
Scout Shabbat and Lag B’Omer commemorated during May services
The Great Falls Jewish Community will help mark Scout Shabbat at our scheduled services over the May 4-6 weekend. Scouts attending that service will qualify for the Scout Shabbat patch for 5772!
As this service and visit by Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice will fall in proximity to Lag B’Omer, we will again mark the occasion with a bonfire after havdalah on Saturday, May 5. Perhaps a Scout or two in attendance could help us get that fire lit?
Scout week is coming! As part of our celebration of Scouting’s 102nd birthday, we will be commemorating Scout Sunday on February 5 and Scout Shabbat on February 11.
P.R.A.Y. and the Jewish Committee on Scouting have put together a beautiful pair of patches to mark Scout Shabbat and Scout Sunday. To earn the patches, simply attend religious services in your Scout uniform.
As the Great Falls Jewish Community will not be meeting in February, Scouts wishing to earn the Scout Shabbat patch should attend those services as noted at aitzchaim.com.
Related articles
- Scouting is 102 Years Young (gfpack7.wordpress.com)
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