Magen David

Q: What is the origin of the Magen David?

A: The Magen David, or six pointed star of David, is now widely accepted as the symbol of the Jewish people and nationhood. As the name indicates, the Magen David professes to draw its roots in King David’s time. The legend has it that David’s troops used the symbol of a star as the rallying point. And all the popular biblical movies one sees inverted triangles in blazoned on everything from shields to flags.

There is no historical proof to indicate that the Magen David dates back to King David. In fact, the first known Jewish usage of the star is not until the seventh century C.E. when a Joshua ben Asyahu used it as his personal seal.

There are two theories as to the origin of the Magen David. The first is that it was initially used as a decoration. The second is that the star was an astrological symbol denoting the planet Saturn. The hexagram was also taken up by magicians as a symbol of power.

At one time called the “Seal of Solomon” by Arabs and being found in early churches in Israel and Italy, the Magen David has been used for many purposes the rock history.

In modernity, we have accepted the star of David is the symbol of the Jewish people because of the way it was used by the Nazis to humble us. And by the connotations it has for the people of Israel, like David, chai v’kayyam, “shall live and endure forever.”

Shaatnez

Q: I recently heard of some law which prohibits Jews from wearing certain types of clothing. What are these prohibitions and what do they mean?

A: The law to which you refer has its basis in Leviticus 19, where we read, "...neither shall there come upon you a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together." Later, in Deuteronomy, we read, these two elements are defined as wool and linen. The mixture of wool and linen is called shaatnez in Hebrew.

To this day, observant Jews can be seen examining the labels of garments before they purchase them in order to learn if they contain the shaatnez, cotton and wool, mixture.  As all clothes are mandated to have labels indicating the composition, it is a simple task to discover the ingredients of all fabrics.

One possible interpretation for the law of shaatnez is because of the disparate nature of wool and linen. While the former comes from a living creature, sheep, the latter grows from the earth.  Since the two textiles have totally different origins, it has been postulated that we would confuse the natural order of the world if we were to combine them.

To be truthful, however, we do not know the rationale for this law of shaatnez. There is no given reason in the Torah for the ordinance. The law simply states, 'do not get these fabrics mixed up.'  Some Jews are so sensitive to the issue of shaatnez that there are laboratories set up to minutely examine the individual fibers of the cloth in question.

Sins

Q: In the Yom Kippur confessional prayer there are two items which are puzzling: “For the sin we have committed under compulsion” and "for the sin we have committed unwillingly.”  Surely there are no sins performed under duress or in total ignorance!?

A:  While it is true that an act carried out under compulsion is not sinful, it is entirely possible that the person enjoyed the forced act. Although he is blameless for the crime he committed, he can be blamed for the enjoyment of the opportunity to sin in and for this he must confess.

An example that comes to mind are the Kapos of the concentration camps under the Nazis.  People were often taken from lines slated for death and given responsibility to keep order in the barracks and follow all the orders of the S.S..  While compelled to follow the Nazis, the Kapos sometimes went beyond their orders and violence.

The other example you cited of sins committed “unwittingly” is called b’lo yodeim, in Hebrew, literally “without knowledge.”  This refers to those who sin in ignorance. They cannot be blamed for the actual sin because they were unaware that it was a sin of the time. Yet, they are held to blame for their ignorance as they had the means of overcoming their lack of knowledge

The Mitzvah of Shabbat

Q: I am puzzled and troubled by one of the blessings in the Sabbath Amidah. It seems to belittle gentiles while extolling Jews. Why is it there and what does it mean?

A:  The passage referred to reads, “And You, Lord God, did not give it to the nations of the world and did not bestow it, our King, upon those who worship idols but to Israel, Your people.”  The “it,” of course, is Shabbat. The paragraph proclaims our inheritance, the gift of Shabbat.  An interesting variant to that reading, found in Sephardic liturgy, has instead “of those who worship idols,” “those who worship other gods.”

First glance one maybe taken aback by the comparison made between the Jewish people and the nations of the world. After all, our literature and liturgy is usually independent of the actions of the outside world. We have long been taught, and believe, that we follow God’s dicta irrespective of what others may say or do.

EXAMPLE: God demands fidelity in marriage. That others may be adulterous is of no consequence. We must obey the Holy One’s commands to be monogamous.

The passage to which you refer does, therefore, stand out as it compares us with them.

Genesis: When God finished creating on the sixth day, He stopped. The final day was one of rest. Is it odd that the Omnipotent One would require a breather? It stands to reason, agree are sages, that Shabbat was created with humanity in mind, not for God's benefit.

After the deluge in Noah’s time, tradition says that God demanded that the world observe seven eternal and basic concepts. We call this the Noachide covenant.  Not among these laws is to respect the Shabbat.  The only people required to accept the Shabbat were those who accepted the entire corpus of law much later at Mount Sinai, the Jews.

In sum, God granted Shabbat to mankind. Since humanity did not seem capable, as related by the Noah story, to maintain the day of rest, it was reserved for the people who would distinguish themselves by willingly taking on the yoke of God's word. The Shabbat, merely a single featured in the law, was one of the more outstanding events of acceptance that took place at Mount Sinai.  The words of the prayer book indicate joy at God’s willingness to grant His Torah to the people of Israel.

Selichot

Q: Why do we observe selichot a t midnight?

A:  Selichot is a special sacred prayer that is a prelude to the High Holy Days.  While other observances are constructed around daylight hours or immediately after the sun has set, this one is the exception.  Selichot.

Although there are the times of the year when studies conducted throughout the night, Shavuot for example, Selichot is the only service when we stay up, or get up, for a brief service the Saturday evening proceeding Rosh Hashanah.

Selichot is not truly midnight. The midpoint of the night actually comes around 1 AM. The fact is we simply rise at night to say special penitential prayers prior to the advent of the High Holy Days. When we are least apt to become distracted by outside noises or physical responsibilities we rankle our customary habits and begin an earnest quest for repentance.

The idea of rising at midnight is taken from Psalms where it is reported that David said, “At midnight I rise to praise you.”

Fasting

Q: What is the Jewish attitude to fasting?

A: There are three types of fasting in our faith.  The first is a universally observed public fast.  This universal kind of fast is limited to two days, Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av.  Smaller, more limited but still universal fasts are the 17^th of Tammuz , the Fast of Esther and Tzom Gedaliah.  They are lesser known and limited to fasting only during the daylight hours.   These days of fasting are for the purpose of remembering terrible events of our past with the hope that we will modify our behavior in the present.

The second type of communal fast (taanit tzibbut) is one that is called when a community is threatened by some calamity.  In the past when the Jewish community was confronted by enemies or some natural disaster, the entire community would refrain form eating in order to avert the evil decree.  In England, years ago, there was a series of terrible events  in a small town.  Fear gripped the community.  The rabbis then declared a public fast to assuage any negative judgment from on High.

The third and final type of fast involves a single person (taanit yahid). Some people have the custom of fasting on the yahrzeit of a parent’s death.  The reason for this act of self denial is to repent for sinfulness. Instead of dwelling on feelings of guilt, the person seeks to rid himself of the negative behavior through the fast. There are yet others will deny themselves food and drink as an aesthetic exercise. Those who follow this rationale, do so to gain greater self mastery. 

All the self-appointed fasts can never fall on holy days or the Sabbath when eating and drinking is a mitzvah. As  Yehudah Ha-Levi wrote, “ to enjoy good food and drink on the Sabbath and festivals is as pleasing to God as to deny oneself them on a fast day.”