A Torah is on its way for use in Austin, Texas, dedicated to five police officers who were killed in the line of duty this summer. Here, representatives of the New York City Police Department participate in a ceremony in memory of the fallen officers. Third from left is Bentzion Chanowitz, who runs the daily operations of the Beis Yisroel Torah Gemach. (Photo: Alex Bodnar)
A Torah is on its way for use in Austin, Texas, dedicated to five police officers who were killed in the line of duty this summer. Here, representatives of the New York City Police Department participate in a ceremony in memory of the fallen officers. Third from left is Bentzion Chanowitz, who runs the daily operations of the Beis Yisroel Torah Gemach. (Photo: Alex Bodnar)
When Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Sunday, Oct. 2, members of Chabad of South Austin/Young Jewish Professionals will hold their first minyan since last Yom Kippur. Together, they will celebrate not only the start of the Jewish New Year, but the welcoming of a new Sefer Torah.
“We just heard we would be getting a new Torah,” said Rabbi Mendy Levertov, co-director of the Chabad center with his wife, Mussy. “It’s so exciting for our congregation. This is difference between having weekly service and not having one because without the Torah, we can’t read the weekly portion together. This Torah will help us be able to grow and build a weekly minyan.”
Adding to the significance is that the Torah is dedicated to five slain Dallas police officers who lost their lives this summer in the line of duty.
“I work closely with the Austin Police Department and have a good relationship with them. For us, it is very important to recognize the protection that the police give us and the service they provide to the community,” explains Levertov. “We are proud to have a Torah that ties together Jew and non-Jew, law enforcement and our community, and enforces that strong connection during the High Holidays.”[...]
Bentzion Chanowitz, who runs the daily operations of the Torah Gemach, noted that other refurbished scrolls have been dedicated in memory of security forces—in this case, for the officers shot down on July 8; and in the past, in memory of fallen soldiers and or terror victims in Israel.
“We just read the weekly Torah portion about the need for shoftim with shoftrim—appoint judges and police officers—and I felt for the Jewish community, this would be a nice kiddush Hashem, the sanctification of G‑d’s name.”
Rabbi Yochanan Marsow of Bais Menachem Mendel in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, who serves as a rabbinic adviser to the Torah Gemach, thought “it was a great idea,” says Chanowitz. “He said in many times throughout history, the Jewish community honored the government.”[...]
You really think this is the right thing to do, to bring out sifrei Torah and allow Goyim to carry them? This sanctifies Hashem, and glorifies the Torah? What would be lacking if the Jews would just Show their support in another way, without it being at the expense of being mezalzel in the honor of The Torah? Every thing is a pawn for political gain and to capitalize, even our most precious Torah! How sad.
ReplyDeleteTook the words out of my mouth, aside from that, I was wondering how you dedicate a sefer Torah for officers who probably did not observe what it says in it.
ReplyDeleteI guess that the commenters before me are unaware that the Rambam disagrees with them:
ReplyDeleteעי' ברמב"ם (הל' ס"ת פ"י, הל' ח) כל הטמאין ואפילו נידות *ואפילו גוים* מותר לאחוז ספר תורה ולקרות בו, שאין דברי תורה מקבלין טומאה, והוא שלא יהיו ידיו מטונפות או מלוכלכות בטיט אלא ירחצו ידיהם ואח"כ יגעו בו. עכ"ל.
The Ramba"m is taliking about using the Safer Torah as a prop? No, The rambam is talking about learning Torah , not using The Torah as a prop.
ReplyDeleteAlso See Mishna Berura 88,7.
This is from Tana Debay Eliyahu
שנאמר בעת ההיא שלח מראדך וגו׳
וישמח עליהם חזקיהו וגו׳ (ישעיה ל״ט א׳ וב׳): נחה רוח אלהים על ישעיה
אמר לו. מה אמרו האנשים האלה ומאין באו ווגו׳]. ויאמר מה ראו בביתך
ויאמר כל אשר בביתי וגו׳(שט ג׳ ו ד׳).י וכי דברים הללו ביקש הימנו. אלא
אמר לו. מה גלית סוד ה׳ לאומות העולם.
מיכן אמרו לא
יתגאה אדם בדברי תורה (ויתגאה) [ויתגרה] עליהן .
And Third of all, You have to have a little bit of ability to use your sense. You found a Ramba'm which discusses a technical halachic issue, so from there you learn to use a Sefer Torah however you wish? For politics? Money?
My comment was directed specifically regarding the objection raised about אינו יהודים carrying sifrei Torah. You can't make up new halachos based on your gut feeling. If something is permitted by halacha, then you can't prohibit it, especially with the fact that the concept of איבה is also involved here.
ReplyDeleteI understand the the Rambam as referring to two different scenarios, one regarding holding the Torah, and the second, regarding learning from the Torah, both of which the Rambam permits.
Yes, the Rambam deals with a technical halachic issue, however he's
giving us guidelines in how to deal with the reality that we live in. In
this case, being sensible means not finding fault with someone who is
acting in accordance with halacha.
Overall, this was a Torah dedication ceremony whose purpose was to give honor to the Torah. The people in attendance would not have been there if they disrespected the Torah, and they look like that they feel honored to be asked to hold the Torah. In such a context, holding the Torah isn't viewed as being used merely as a "prop", rather it's part and parcel of the ceremony of כבוד התורה.
The Mishna Berurah that you refer to deals with a custom that some have regarding menstruating woman, which is not germane to the topic at hand, and which the Rambam obviously disagreed with.
I'm familiar with the "Tana Debay Eliyahu" that you quoted, and I fail to see the parallel to the discussion at hand.
There is no Aiva. This was totally uncalled for and totally unnecessary. We are not metaltel a sefer Torah easily and we DO use our feeling of basic respectfulness because derech eretz kadma leTorah. Otherwise you could trample on any mitzva without technically violating it. This is the height of disrespect to The Torah. Anyway, the sources I brought are more than enough.
ReplyDeleteThere would be aivah if they aren't dedicated a Torah? Also, there is "body" halacha and then there is its "spirit" that needs to be reckoned with, perhaps read between the lines. ..
ReplyDeleteGranted that we're not metaltel a sefer Torah easily, however the custom is to be metaltel sifrei Torah when a new sefer is being inaugurated.
ReplyDeleteIn such a context, to tell an אינו יהודי that he can't touch or carry a sefer Torah because he's not Jewish can create tremendous איבה. That's the issue that I was addressing.
I wasn't discussing their choice as to who to dedicate the sefer Torah to. I'll leave that to the "experts".
ReplyDeleteHowever once the decision was made, and there's some type of ceremony taking place, in such a context, to tell an אינו יהודי that he can't touch or carry a sefer Torah because he's not Jewish can create tremendous איבה, besides for which it was never אסור according to halacha, in the first place!
That isn't what happened. You're describing a case where they were inaugurating a sefer Torah and per chance some goyim showed up and we had a predicament. (By the way, even then, they would understand that they aren't part of the Jewish ritual and they don't expect to be and don't even want to be, unless they are being egged on some how and they come to see it as a status honor available to all rather that a Jewish practice. ) But that's not what happened here. This was lecatchila the program. It was about honoring police with the use of sirei Torah. This should never have been done to begin with. It just boils down to no respect for anything sacred, and that everything is there for political use etc, even our precious Torah. How sad. And even more sad that some folks are so desensitized to the zilzul of kavod haTorah, that this actually needs an extensive back and forth. This is something which turns my stomach at first sight and does the same for all Jews who not yet been bitten by modern day prioritizing, which puts kavod HaTorah as the smallest or as nill priority.
ReplyDeletecan you quote any sources which actually say what was done was wrong?
ReplyDeleteרמב"ם הלכות תפילין ומזוזה וספר תורה פרק י
ReplyDeleteהלכה ח
כל הטמאין ואפילו נדות ואפילו כותי מותר לאחוז ספר תורה ולקרות בו, שאין דברי תורה מקבלין טומאה, והוא שלא יהיו ידיו מטונפות או מלוכלכות בטיט אלא ירחצו ידיהם ואח"כ יגעו בו.
Aside from that, I was wondering how you dedicate a sefer Torah for officers who probably did not observe what it says in it.
ReplyDelete================================================
if that would be a problem,then 99% of Sifrei Torah dedications would be prohibited
Did they at least claim to at least believe or respect the Torah?
ReplyDeleteYour second paragraph is also halachic and not merely ethical. In any case, I would leave both realms to, as you say, "the 'experts' "....
ReplyDeleteIf you feel that you should leave matters to the experts, then why are you posting you comments here?
ReplyDeleteFor that reason in itself: to point out that it is also an expert issue....that it is also a halachic issue which your comment does not address. ..
ReplyDelete