Calendar
The civil calendar we use isn’t really civil. Its focal point is the birth of Jesus. This may not make much difference when we’re using the calendar for civil matters, but the focal point I want my children to use for spiritual matters is the spiritual creation of the world which means using the Hebrew calendar. This is usually done for most things except two: the destruction of the two
Yom Kippur cannot fall on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Friday. One reason for the Sunday and Friday is that a fast day cannot be next to Shabbat, but another reason for all three days is this one found in Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance & Renewal on the High Holy Days edited by S. Y. Agnon (Schocken Books, Inc., 1995) Some of the things created on the first, third and sixth day can become ritually unclean. On the first day, earth and water were created and earthenware vessels and liquids can become ritually unclean. On the third day, trees were created and wooden vessels can become ritually unclean. On the sixth day, beasts and animals and creeping things and man were created and vessels made from their bones and skins can become ritually unclean. Therefore, Yom Kippur, which is all purity, falls only on the days of cleanliness and purity.
Cars
“Take Me for A Ride in Your Car, Car” by Woody Guthrie
Here’s a prayer for driving composed by a rabbi with the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in
Our God & God of our ancestors, God of Abraham, God of Sarah, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Rachel, & God of Leah.
May we reach our destination in peace and return in peace to our homes.
Imbue me with the will to discern that every human being is created in your image and that saving one person is like saving an entire world.
Grant me the wisdom to understand that nothing is more precious than human life, neither time nor money, neither honor nor revenge.
Help me drive with care, to keep a proper distance; with manners, to yield the right of way; with awareness, to stop in time.
Give me the courage to control my impulses of jealousy, competition, anger, and greed.
Let there be no accident because of me, and let me not encounter disaster.
So that we may serve You in truth, increasing the sanctity of life in the world.
And let us say, Amen.
The Traveler’s Prayer is traditionally said as soon as you leave the city limits and the said each day that you are gone on a trip. Check the ArtScroll Siddur for the other traditions associated with traveling. Here is the basic traveler’s prayer. There are verses to say three times, but, again, check the siddur.
May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, to guide us in peace, to sustain us in peace, to lead us to our desired destination in health and joy and peace, and to bring us home in peace. Save us from every enemy and disaster on the way, and from all calamities that threaten the world. Bless the work of our hands. May we find grace, love and compassion in Your sight and in the sight of all who see us. Hear our
supplication, for You listen to prayer and supplication. Praised are You, Lord who hears prayer.
Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, Pictures by Crockett Johnson (her husband). (Scholastic Book Services)
A classic story that’s been adopted by everyone for its value teaching. Jewishly, there’s more than just values. When my 4-year-old read this with me, he said, "Look, Dad! He’s wearing a kipot." The black cap that the boy wears does look a lot like a kipot. It turns out that the illustrator, Crockett Johnson (Ruth Krauss’ husband) just did not like to draw hair. Ruth Krauss is possibly Jewish. Her mother’s maiden name was Rosenfeld.
Kipot are fairly easy to make. Buy one of those cheap satin kind at a Jewish gift store (or pick up one that’s lying in the parking lot at shul and been run over a few times) and take it apart. Use one of the sections as a pattern to cut out your choice of fabric. Kipot are notorious for falling off even with velcro strips or clips. The Sephardic style stay on easier but they can get hot and uncomfortable for young children. My wife found a fabric that is clingy on one side and makes an easy and secure kipot. Make one for week days and a special one for Shabbat.
I started wearing mine everywhere. I needed to help establish a sense of Jewishness in our home when we lived in an area where there were no other Jews. Wearing it has helped start some wonderful conversations, especially with the Palestinian owners of a gas station where I make a point to shop. I also get mistaken for a rabbi at hospitals and rarely get asked for identification at the store.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (HarperFestival, 2003)
The classic story of the spider who saves Wilbur the pig. A spider saves David in a midrash about King Saul’s soldiers looking for him to kill him. David hides in a cave and a spider spins a web across the entrance. The soldiers think no one is inside so they don’t check.
Christmas books
A great time to have one of these checked out from the public library is around summertime when we have plenty of time to discuss the issue of not having a tree.
Cinderella
In the non-Disneyfied versions, Cinderella is rewarded because of her devotion to doing good works (she feeds the birds as a memorial to her mother) particularly tsa’ar ba’alei chayyim, prohibition of cruelty to animals, acts of compassion, and proper methods of treatment of non-human life.
Jewish versions of Cinderella are included in the wonderful collection of stories called Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another retold by Peninnah Schram (Jason Aronson, 1987). Two versions are included: "The Red Slippers" and "The Best Loved."
Civil War
Our Civil War (in white Southern private schools, The War Between the States) is about slavery (in white Southern private schools, it isn’t). In Judaism, it’s about remembering our own slavery in
A story:
Abraham Lincoln is instantly recognizable in pictures or drawings because of his beard. He was persuaded to grow it after reading a letter from a young girl who said he would look good with a beard. When my son came home from school and shared this with me I mentioned that the ancient rabbis said that the power of prophecy died out after the Biblical time but that it still exists in children and the insane. If only adults would listen as
Color Books
From the Aish website “Ask the Rabbi”
The color red represents blood and sin. White represents purity from sin. Ironically, a white skin coloration marks a person impure, making him into a "metzorah" (leper). Blue is the color of sky and hence of spirituality, reminding of "G-d's Throne of Glory."
* Red, white, and blue, represent fire, water, and air, respectively. They also stand for strength, kindness, and splendor, respectively; or, similarly, judgement, kindness, and mercy.
Furthermore, the color white is associated with the Angel Michael, red with Gabriel, and blue with the Angel Uriel. And white is associated with Abraham, red with Isaac, and blue with Jacob.
Iggeret D'kala page 300
Yitav Panim 1 page 193
Megalleh Amukot, Ofan 8, 57, and 86
Counting books
Abraham Joshua Heschel said each individual has infinite value so the individual cannot be counted. Some Jews count people by saying, "not-one, not-two." Counting people for a minyan can also be done by saying Psalm 28:9 in the Hebrew. In English it is, "Save thy people and bless thine inheritance and tend them and carry them forever. " It has ten words when said in Hebrew. Some people use the Motzi, the blessing for bread, because it has ten words, also. However, even though it’s acceptable for children to be taught the blessings even when they’re not being used, why use a blessing when a Psalm works just as well?
The Shoah has led to concern for counting people due to the attempted extermination of all Jews.
Prayers to say before studying the Shoah:
Before viewing pictures of the dead: “Holy brothers and sisters of Moriah, forgive us for violating your dignity, sanctity, and privacy; but all that we do -- seeing, hearing, and thinking -- we do only for the sake of the honor of your memories.”
Before studying the Shoah: “Were all the heavens parchment , all the oceans ink, every blade of grass a quill, and all persons scribes, the Holocaust would still remain a terrifying mystery.” from the Third Jewish Catalog (Jewish Publication Society, 1980)
In Numbers, when the people were counted for the census, they put a half-shekel in the pot and those coins were counted instead of the people.
The modern names for the days of the week are not named in the Torah. Partly because the names refer to other gods, but also because the days of the week are simply ways to count to Shabbat. Day 1, Day 2, . . .
The daily prayers include a special Psalm for each day of the week. The first six days, the psalm is preceded by the line, "On the first (or 2nd or 3rd or so on) day of the week the Levites would recite the following psalm:"
The Psalms that were selected for each weekday were selected based on their connection to what was created on that day. Abraham Sperling, in his book Reasons for Jewish Customs and Traditions, (Bloch Pub Co, 1975) gives the following connections:
First Day: Psalm 24 because it contains the words, “The earth is the L-rd’s and the fullness thereof . . .” because when the L-rd first brought the world into being, He took possession of the Universe and gave His creatures life and became the Sovereign of the World.
Second Day: Psalm 48 because it contains the words, “Great is the L-rd and greatly to be praised ...” On the second day of Creation He divided His works (the heavens form the earth) and reigned over them.
Third day: Psalm 82 because it contains the words, “G-d standeth in the congregation of the mighty ...” On the third day of Creation He, in His infinite wisdom, caused the earth to be revealed and the world prepared for its future occupants.
Fourth Day: Psalm 94 which begins, “O L-rd, to whom retribution belongth ...” to remind us of the punishment that will be meted out to anyone worshiping the sun and the moon, which were made on the Fourth Day of Creation.
Fifth Day: Psalm 51 which contains the verse, “Sing aloud unto G-d, our strength . . .” because on the Fifth Day of Creation He made the fish and the birds, which praise his name Name each day.
Sixth Day: Psalm 93 which contains the verse, “The L-rd reigneth, He is clothed in majesty . . .” because on the Sixth Day of Creation He completed His works and reigned over them.
Shabbat: Psalm 92 which contains the verse, “A Psalm, a song, for the Sabbath day . . .” because the Sabbath was the day on which the L-rd rested after having completed the work of Creation.
(Rosh HaShanah 31a)
Look at each Psalm and compare the length of each day’s psalm. It’s almost like climbing a mountain with valleys and peaks. Wednesday is the longest as it has an extra part of another psalm attached to it. One reason is to mark the middle of the week. The days before are after Shabbat and the days after are leading to Shabbat.
Minyan is the practice of counting ten adult Jews so Kaddish can be said. The traditional source is the use of the word “congregation” in the story about the ten spies that report back to Moses the bad news about the Promised Land. Some less traditional Jews I’ve met seem upset about this negative connotation and use the story in Genesis when Abraham bargains with G-d to save
Minyan has helped keep Jewish communal life together by expecting enough people to show up before certain prayers can be said. Other prayers can still be said and the service can still continue even if ten adults aren't in attendance (the tradition says the ten should be males past the age Bar Mitzvah; more recent tradition also says that at least six of the ten need to be actively engaged in prayer, the other four can read the New York Times). A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, by Isaac Klein, (Jewish Theological Seminary of America; distributed by Ktav Pub. House, 1979) says that a child over the age of six can be counted if the child holds a Chumash throughout the service and if it was not a planned.
The original counting book is the ten commandments:
1. I am the Lord thy G-d.
2. You shall have no other G-ds but
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your G-d, in vain.
4. Remember Shabbat.
5. Honor thy father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery. (love the person you are married to)
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (don't lie)
10. You shall not covet. (be happy with what you have)
The 13 Attributes of Ha-Shem (said during Tachanun when we rest our head on our arm to show submissiveness before G-d if there is a Torah present. If no Torah is present then we sit upright. Possibly because the Torah conveys joy and with it we are able to withstand the sorrows of Tachanun; without Torah, our sorrow would be too hard to bear.
If wearing tefillin then rest your head on your arm without the tefillin. If no tefillin, then rest on your left arm.)
(this list came from an e-mail list of which I cannot remember the source)
1. Ado-nay(G-d’s Relationship Prior to Human Sin)
2. Ado-noy (G-d’s Relationship After Human Sin)
3. E-l (Powerful)
4. Rachum (Compassionate)
5. Chanun (Gracious)
6. Erech-Apayim (Slow to Show Anger)
7. Rav Chesed (Abundantly Kind)
8. Emet (Truth)
9. Notzer Chesed La'alafim (Preserves Kindness for Thousands of Generations)
10. Nosei avon (Forgives Intentional Sins)
11. Nosei Pesha (Forgives Spiteful Sins)
12. Nosei Chata'ah (Forgives Sins of Carelessness)
13. Nakeh (Cleanses from the Effects of Sin)
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