Author: Ari Shvat

With mesorah in mind, should an Ashkenazi Jew keep Ashkenazi pronunciation for davening and brachot even where modern Hebrew dominates? And what about his children?

Q. Should an Ashkenazi always use an ashkenazi pronunciation when learning Torah, Davening, Making brachos, because of mesorah/tradition, even in Eretz Yisrael, when modern Hebrew is spoken with a Sephardic Pronunciation?

Firstly, the entire question is regarding davening, and brachot, but one can pronounce however he wants when learning Torah (where it’s actually preferred to pronounce the way one speaks, in order to aid understanding). Although there is importance to keeping one’s family’s customs, the most important issue here is that in most communities in Israel the Sefaradi pronunciation is clearly the accepted minhag and really everybody davening in such shuls should do as the others, and not be different, to avoid arguments (Psachim 50a). Although many have said that in large cities today all customs are accepted, it really depends on the shul. In most minyanim in Israel, and even more so in schools, there clearly is (!) an accepted minhag for Sefaradic pronunciation, which should be followed, and that supersedes one’s father’s previous custom. This is particularly important for our children, who have often seen Ashkenazic pronunciation as outdated and irrelevant (and they don’t like to be different from their peers), and we want them to understand and identify with prayer. For the sake of consistency and not getting confused, you should always use the same pronunciation wherever you are. Regarding tfilot as shliach tzibbur, one should pronounce the way of the shul.

If someone working an archaeological dig unearths an ancient idol, are they obligated to destroy it?

Q. If one is working on an archaeological dig and finds an artifact related to idolatry, especially an idol itself, is one obligated to then destroy it or can they pass it on to a non-Jew present or what should he do?

There is an almost definite halachic probability (“chazaka”), that over time, the idol was annulled by the gentile idolaters themselves, for they saw that their god doesn’t help, and that mankind, in general, has already grown-out of such childish thoughts of physical gods. Accordingly, you need not break the idol, but I believe the law obligates to pass it over to the National Antiquities Authority who will present it with other primitive and outdated objects who even the gentiles don’t serve anymore.

Practical ways to genuinely deepen one’s love for fellow Jews.

Q. How can one cultivate / upgrade Ahavas Yisrael?

It’s a big topic, but in short: 1. Like a parent, focus on the virtue of each and every Jew, and be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding their shortcomings. 2. Focus on the G-dly spark of each and every Jew. 3. Just like your left hand won’t stab your right if you cut your hand by accident, so too remember that we Jews are all one organism. 4. We are all brothers, so just like we tolerate our wayward brothers, so too, our wayward Jew. 5. Remember that the anti-Semites group us altogether, so we should similarly band together in national unity (not only during wars or terror attacks!). The real solution is to study the topic well in the classic books of mussar like Mesilat Yesharim & Ahavat Chessed. Just look up love, ahavat Yisrael etc. in their index. R. Mordechai Eliahu zt”l once was asked a similar question and answered alternatively: “I love Rav Chaim Drukman who loves each and every Jew!” Although unfortunately my teacher, Rav Drukman has passed away, but BH there are many other students of Rav Kook’s teachings who similarly follow that ideology.

A talented young boy’s family faces the question of whether joining a prestigious but secular ballet program fits a Torah upbringing.

Q. A family in our community has a 6 year old child who loves to dance and they allowed him to attend ballet classes. He was then asked to move to the Israel Ballet School (the school that feeds into the Israel Ballet because he has professional potential). He attends Dati schools in Israel. A teacher at his Dati school (who they think might be Charadi) told the family that the child needs to stop ballet or he won’t be accepted into Yeshiva after high school. The little boy wants to go to Yeshiva and be a Tzadik and also wants to participate in pre-professional ballet (and maybe professional ballet) when he is older. The family is interested to find out if there are Dati Yeshivot who would accept such a boy.

Without knowing the boy and other important details involved, I can just say that in general, ours is a Living Torah, and Rav Kook writes that in general, every child should develop their G-dly potential, and in Eretz Yisrael in our Jewish State, there should undoubtedly be an halachic way (especially where I imagine it’s important to the child). I would suggest contacting the Yeshiva High School Kinor David in Ateret for the arts which is mainly for music but they may also have dance or some idea where he should go. As he gets older, the issue of dancing with girls is also problematic, so I would advise the parents to already start checking around. The Yeshivot Gevohot of Tekoa and Otniel whose graduates have religious men’s dance troupes, named “Kol Atzmotei Tomarna” and “KaEt”,  so the parents could start asking there for tips and advice. B’hatzlacha!

If morality flows entirely from G-d, how could Avraham over Sodom or Moshe after the Golden Calf actually argue with Him?

Q. If G-d is the arbiter of morality, then how could it be that Avraham (Sodom) or Moshe (golden calf) could argue with G-d? One would think that whatever G-d suggests would, by definition, have to be totally moral and perfect. If Avraham and Moshe were right to argue, then where could they have gotten that sense of morality from, if not G-d?

Obviously G-d is perfect and the ultimate in morality. But part of that perfection includes His altruistically giving us the opportunity and free-will to choose to be like Him, and demand morality and good for mankind & how much more so, for our fellow Jews (as the famed R. Levi-Yitzchak of Berditchev often did). These are written for eternity in the Torah, to teach us how much more so we must stick out our necks and dare argue with man, including powerful and frightening kings or presidents, for the sake of Am Yisrael, whom our Father wants us to endlessly love and show unlimited mesirut nefesh in defense of our holy nation.

Is every halacha ultimately derived from one of the 613 Torah commandments, or can law stem from other verses too?

Q. Are all halakhot ultimately derived from at least one of the 613 mitzvot, or also just generally from other psukim in the Torah as well? If the latter, what’s an example?

Firstly, I understand that you are referring to Torah commandments and not rabbinic, which don’t necessarily derive from the Torah. Regarding those from the Torah, the Vilna Gaon says that there are about 2,000 commandments there, and those who count the mitzvot in various ways, is mainly technical: how can we “fit” 2,000 into the traditional number of 613. An example of a law which isn’t among the 613 yet all agree is a Torah mitzva, is for a married woman to cover her hair which is seen from the fact that the suspected Sota wife, is embarrassed by uncovering her hair in public. Similarly there are different opinions whether believing in G-d is one of the 613 commandments or not, and whether which prayers are Torah commands.

If indulging in something permitted-but-excessive isn’t formally forbidden, why is any punishment attach to it at all?

Q. Why is there punishment for taavos heter, if so why not make it prohibited We are not supposed to be better than Hashem’s way.

Excellent question, and the answer is in the source itself. I have only seen any kind of punishment mentioned for “taavot heter” in books of divrei chassidut (e.g. Sefer Hassidim, Sefer HaRoke’ch), but not in mainstream Judaism of Chazal, rishonim and achronim, which see the physical desires as something G-dly and it’s not proper, nor even “extra credit” to “overcome” them. They are meant to be directed and practiced in the right time, place and amount. As one rebbe once said, if you try and break your yetzer, you will have two!