Unscrolled Shoftim: Chasing After Justice

Leave a Comment / Commentary, Judaism / Matthew Schultz

Much has been made of the enigmatic doubling of the word “justice” in the passage, “Justice, justice, you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20).

Ibn Ezra explains that this is to indicate that we are to pursue justice whether it is to our gain or to our loss. The Vilna Gaon suggests that it refers to justice above, in the supernal realm, and justice below, here on earth. Elsewhere we read that these are two different types of justice—one a ruling, and the other a compromise.

But what about the other word in this oft-quoted passage?

To pursue, lirdof, has an ominous set of connotations. This verb might be better translated as “to chase after.” As a halachic legal category, a rodef, or pursuer, is the term used for someone who is threatening one’s life, whom it is permissible to kill in self-defense.

Indeed, we will even see the verb being used this way in this very Torah portion when Moses (for the umpteenth time) delineates the laws of sanctuary cities.

The concept of the sanctuary city is an intriguing one, all the more so for the sudden emphasis it receives in the Book of Deuteronomy, despite being almost completely absent from the earlier books of the Torah. Sanctuary cities are designated places of refuge for manslayers, those who have killed another person unwittingly, “without having been his enemy in the past” (Ibid 19:4).

These laws establish intent as that which distinguishes a punishable murder from a tragic accident. This is important, but one is still left wondering why this law, in all of its strangeness and particularity, has become such a fixation for Moses. After all, how often do such scenarios occur?

“For instance,” explains Moses, “a man goes with his neighbor into a grove to cut wood; as his hand swings the ax to cut down a tree, the ax-head flies off the handle and strikes the other so that he dies. That man shall flee to one of these cities and live” (Ibid 19:5).

Was this kind of situation common enough to warrant concern? Moses seems to think so, commanding the Israelites to create no less than three sanctuary cities, spaced out so that they are easily reached from all parts of the holy land. “Otherwise,” he continues, “when the distance is great, the blood-avenger, chasing after [lirdof] the manslayer in hot anger, may overtake him and kill him” (Ibid 19:6).

Violence moves quickly. It chases after. Animated by hot rage and bitter grief, it will cross great landscapes and surmount obstacles to attain its bloody goals. If justice is not chased after with equal intensity, it will never outpace anarchic violence. Perhaps, then, this is why Moses stresses the teaching of the sanctuary cities. To chase after justice means to think ahead, before the handle flies from the ax. Such foresight is the one advantage a society of law has over the reactive wrath of a blood-avenger.

If justice is not chased after with equal intensity, it will never outpace anarchic violence.

The final section of Parashat Shoftim details what to do if a slain body is found in the middle of a field. Here, the pursuer has already fled. The trail has gone cold. “The identity of the slayer is not known” (Ibid 21:1).

We have arrived on the scene too late. Gone with the killer is any chance of justice, and so a ritual is performed to make atonement for the murder.

The magistrates of the town nearest to the corpse are to take an unworked heifer to a lush valley where the grass has never been tilled nor sown. “There, in the valley, they shall break the heifer’s neck … [and then] all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. And they shall make this declaration: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done’” (Ibid 21:4-7).

A question: Is the fact that their eyes did not see the crime the reason that they should be absolved? Or is it the crime that they are asking to be absolved of?

In other words: Are they stating their case as innocent bystanders? Or are they begging forgiveness as those who were too slow and unwitting to chase after justice and catch it in time?

Matthew Schultz is the author of the essay collection “What Came Before” (2020). He is a rabbinical student at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts.

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A Bisl Torah: Forty Years Young

Leave a Comment / A Bisl Torah / Rabbi Nicole Guzik

Today is my 40^th birthday. While most birthdays feel special in some way or another, my 40^th feels significant. Perhaps because one of my most vivid childhood memories is celebrating my father’s surprise 40^th birthday. I couldn’t believe that I was invited to a party with so many adults. And now, I look back at the moment and wonder if my dad felt exactly the way I do today. Sure, I woke up, age 40. But really, aren’t I just a kid? My license tells one story, but my internal clock is feeling quite young.

For so long, I have felt a desire to move forward. Checking off goals and hitting milestones to gain a sense of accomplishment. But this year, different emotions take center stage: immense gratitude for the blessings in my life and a need to slow down, experience the present, and breathe in the sacredness of unpromised time.

Pirke Avot explains that one reaches a stage of wisdom when turning 40. But I don’t think this means that suddenly, a person is ready to understand the mysteries of the universe. For me, turning 40 has gifted me the wisdom to pause. When my daughter asks for me to play with her, I am finding the wisdom to always say yes. When a sunset beckons a second glance, I am learning to not let God’s artistic canvas go to waste. When a friend or congregant looks forlorn, I remind myself to ask again, “But how are you, really?” The wisdom I am finding is a release of expectation and an invitation to enjoy this beautiful life I get to live.

I guess the wisdom in turning 40 is not realizing the significance of a particular age; rather, the wisdom is realizing the significance of embracing every single moment.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Nicole Guzik is a rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.

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Tomatoes: A Summer Romance

Leave a Comment / Food / Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff

Fresh, juicy, grassy, aromatic tomatoes are abundant and at their peak right now. So many different varieties—Roma, plum, heirloom. So many different colors—red, yellow, orange, green and purple. Tomatoes are full of fiber, Vitamin C and folate and tons of the antioxidant lycopene and low in calories.

Native to Central and South America, tomatoes were exported to Europe by the Spaniards. They quickly became integral to the cuisine of Spain, Italy and the Middle East. The Italians called tomatoes pomodoro “golden apples” leading food scholars to believe that the first tomatoes in Europe were yellow. The French called them pomme d’amour, thinking that they had aphrodisiacal qualities. Our use of the word tomato derives from the Aztec word tomatl.

We can’t imagine anything more perfect than tomatoes to eat on these hot summer days, so we thought we’d share our all time best tomato salad recipes.

Rachel’s Tomato and Roasted Pepper Salad

My mother always made this salad because it’s my father’s absolute favorite.

I’ve made it a part of my menu and now my husband Neil loves to eat it over white rice.

The combination of roasted pepper, herby parsley, minced garlic, preserved lemon and fresh lime juice make the tomatoes explode with flavor. Dress with a really good extra virgin olive oil and serve with a fresh crusty bread to sop up all the delicious juices and flavor.

—Rachel

3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small can roasted green chili peppers, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small preserved lemon, skin and pulp chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper

In a serving bowl, place tomatoes, green chili peppers, garlic, preserved lemon and parsley.

Dress with olive oil and lime juice.

Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Sharon’s Israeli Salad

When I met Alan, my future husband, I discovered that he didn’t eat tomatoes or beets. I told him that I could live with a man who didn’t eat beets. But not eating tomatoes was a dealbreaker! He quickly learned to love tomatoes. After I fed him a ton of Israeli Salad, and this is just anecdotal, his vision improved and his hairdresser told him his hair was thicker!

My salad includes fresh cherry tomatoes, juicy peppers, crispy cucumber, sweet purple onion, Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, olive oil and kosher salt. Avocado adds another level of creamy goodness.

My grandmother called it z’lata in Arabic, my friends and family call it yummy!

If you have any leftovers, blend for an amazing gazpacho soup.

—Sharon

1 lb heirloom cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch Italian parsley, soaked and finely chopped
1 medium purple onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
2 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Rachel Sheff and Sharon Gomperts have been friends since high school. They love cooking and sharing recipes. They have collaborated on Sephardic Educational Center projects and community cooking classes. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.

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Why Israel’s Kashrut Reform Bill Matters for the Diaspora

Leave a Comment / Commentary, Israel, Opinion / Rabbi David Stav

In mid-July, Israel’s Minister of Religious Affairs proposed a bill that would introduce a reform to the country’s kashrut industry. While this is a development that most directly affects Israeli businesses and consumers, by definition as the center of the Jewish world, it will have both practical and broader implications for Jews all across the globe.

As this is a complex and nuanced development, I welcome the chance to explore its ramifications and better explain why it’s so historically significant.

Perhaps the next time you come to Israel (and may we be blessed to see the full re-opening of our borders very speedily) or even when you purchase products manufactured here, you might be confused initially by these new developments. It is therefore important that you understand that the ramifications of this process will be that there will be increased effectiveness and greater integrity while always promising that the ultimate commitment remains steadfastly to preserving halachic standards and ethics that are at the very heart of our tradition.

Beyond the practical aspects of this reform, it deserves to be heralded as a major step forward in making Jewish observance in Israel something that can be embraced by all its people as food is so central to celebrations and family gatherings. It therefore, alongside many other aspects of daily Jewish life, cannot be something that is held hostage or controlled based on political or personal considerations in the hands of one agency or rabbinical group. Rabbinical services and those aspects of Jewish life that are defined by our ancient traditions must be transparent and open. It is for this reason that this reform is so important for the very future of our Jewish nation and for Judaism in general.

Rabbinical services and those aspects of Jewish life that are defined by our ancient traditions must be transparent and open.

In many ways the passage of this bill should be viewed as a victory for all people who have long sought-out this more transparent, effective and competitive kashrut infrastructure—but also for those who strive for a more inclusive and just Israeli Jewish society.

While such a structure is something that exists in other parts of the Diaspora, here in Israel kashrut has always been managed under one centralized monopoly—in the form of the Israel Chief Rabbinate. Such a centralized system by definition leads itself to inefficiency and, sadly, even corruption. A widespread presence of such irregularities was the conclusion of a comprehensive report on Israel’s kashrut industry issued several years ago by Israel’s State Comptroller.

It is important to stress that such corruption and operational failures are not because the Chief Rabbinate is intentionally seeking to impose anything other than a high level of kashrut. But when you have a system with no competitors and limited oversight, it is only natural that it will lead to cutting corners, improprieties, increased costs and, unfortunately, a truly broken system.

It is also well worth pointing out that many within Israel’s ultra-orthodox community recognize this, and even the very individuals who are involved with overseeing the Rabbinate’s kashrut don’t trust it when it comes to the foods they will eat. Israel’s High Court has found that the current system is problematic because of the existence of illicit compensation relationships between business owners and supervisors. Operationally, the very structure where local rabbinates are meant to be supervising local businesses is also broken. At present there are some 30 municipalities, including major cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa, where for several years there has been no local rabbi overseeing the religious councils—an absurdity that lends itself to lax kashrut standards and supervision.

In business, no one would accept such a scenario. So it is hard to believe that the people of the Jewish State should accept it when it comes to one of our most important and sacred traditions.

In February of 2018, following an intensive review of the report and the options under the law to begin to introduce kashrut reform, the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization that I founded and chair, opened a program to act as a kosher supervising agency. Due to restrictions under the law to keep the Rabbinate’s power centralized, we were prohibited from using the word “kosher” in our certification. While we faced intense political, public and communal pressures, we knew that this was a process that needed to take place if we wanted to increase the level of integrity of kashrut in Israel.

The reform bill introduced in July has now taken that vision for alternative kashrut supervision and intends to make it the operating standard. Should the bill be passed into law, multiple agencies, fully committed to strict halacha, would be able to provide kosher certification.

It is once again critical to explain that despite the ill-informed criticisms that are launched against the proposed changes by political rivals, this process will in no way weaken halachic standards—in fact, quite the contrary. The very structure of the bill ensures that the halachic oversight and regulation will remain in the hands of members of the local rabbinates, people who I know to be God-fearing advocates of strict halacha whose entire goal is to ensure that kashrut observance is accessible and managed in a reliable, professional and transparent way.

While the details are complex to the point that they cannot be fully explained in this forum, on a technical level, the way this reform will take place is that it will allow groups of qualified city chief rabbis to certify independent kashrut organizations to provide kashrut across the country. The practical significance of this change in the law is that independent agencies—like Tzohar kashrut, but certainly others that we look forward to welcoming into the marketplace—will now be able to provide full kashrut services all over the country. The key point is that there will be a clear separation between the role of the rabbis, who will set the standards, and the independent organizations that will certify the eateries.

The key point is that there will be a clear separation between the role of the rabbis, who will set the standards, and the independent organizations that will certify the eateries.

That transparency, competition and integrity that we spoke about above will become the accepted form of supervision throughout the system. Costs will be reduced, and, just as importantly, de-centralization will allow for far better oversight that translates to enhanced efficiency from both operational and halachic perspectives.

I know there are those who fear that such a move delegitimizes the Chief Rabbinate or will lead to reduced stringency in kashrut supervision. But as explained above, the effect will be just the opposite because it will preserve the standards of the Chief Rabbinate as the halachic regulator while promising that the operational implementation will be placed in more competent hands.

For Jewish life in Israel to be observed in a way that respects all, it ultimately needs to be conducted in a manner that is first and foremost driven by real Jewish values—values only possible when they are guided by integrity, justice and respect. This is an understanding that deserves to be embraced by every Jew- regardless of where on the globe we find ourselves.

Rabbi David Stav is the Chair and Founder of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization in Israel.

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Antisemitism Watchdog Gives Corporate Giants Failing Grades in Handling of Antisemitism

Leave a Comment / Featured, News, United States / Aaron Bandler

Stop Antisemitism released a report on August 10 giving the biggest corporations in the United States failing grades over their handling of antisemitism.

The report gives “F” grades to Google, Unilever and Cigna. The report criticized Google for not firing Kamau Robb after the unearthing of a 2007 blog post of his that stated, in part: “If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself. Self defense is undoubtedly an instinct, but I would be afraid of my increasing insensitivity to the suffering others.” Robb was reassigned from heading Google’s Diversity, Strategy and Research to STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] work. The report also noted that Google’s diversity standards omit antisemitism.

Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, also received an “F” because of Ben & Jerry’s decision to cease conducting business in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” “This action arguably violates the IHRA [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] Working Definition of Antisemitism by applying double standards against the Jewish State of Israel,” the report stated. “The move was widely decried as antisemitic.” The report also criticizes Unilever for not mentioning anything about Jews or antisemitism in their diversity policies and for not issuing “known statements or posts in solidarity with the Jewish community.” Unilever CEO Alan Jope has stated, “Unilever rejects completely and repudiates unequivocally any form of discrimination or intolerance. Anti-Semitism has no place in any society. We have never expressed any support for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and have no intention of changing that position.”

Cigna received an F grade because its diversity standards also don’t mention anything about Jews or antisemitism, nor have they issued any statements expressing support for the Jewish community. Their Enterprise Resource Groups don’t include a group for Jews.

A bevy of corporations received “D” grades in the report: Amazon, Anthem, Microsoft, Estee Lauder, Procter and Gamble, Costco, Walgreen’s, Kroger, Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Aetna, United Healthcare and Humana. The reasons for this grade included no mention of antisemitism or Jews in their diversity policies and that these businesses haven’t issued any known statements in support of the Jewish community.

Apple, Nike and Johnson & Johnson all earned “C” grades in the report; these three corporations don’t mention Jews or antisemitism in their diversity polices, nor have they issued any statements of support to the Jewish community, but they do provide groups and networks that could open the door for groups for American Jews and Israelis to be established.

Two companies that received “B” grades, Facebook and Walmart, both don’t mention antisemitism or Jews in their diversity policies but do provide diversity groups that could give a platform for the Jewish community. Additionally, Facebook “has taken much needed steps to address the deep hate speech issues directed toward Jews on its platform,” the report stated, pointing to Facebook’s 2020 measures banning Holocaust denial on its platform as well as “antisemitic stereotypes about the collective power of Jews.”

L’Oreal and American Eagle Outfitters were the only companies to receive “A” grades in the report. L’Oreal was lauded for explicitly stating that antisemitism is antithetical to the company’s values and for dropping a brand influencer in 2018 after her antisemitic tweets came to light. American Eagle Outfitters garnered praise in the report for providing a “Jewish Connection Group” where Jewish employees can “celebrate the Jewish culture through education and recognition of holiday rituals throughout the year.”

“Overall the research shows that corporations have failed their Jewish employees. Corporations need to drastically revamp their corporate and DEI policies and practice genuine allyship to protect their Jewish employees from rising antisemitism,” the report concluded, urging corporations to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, include antisemitism in their diversity policies and “cultivate a safe space for Jewish employees to express their beliefs that are core to their religion and identity.”

Stop Antisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez said in a statement, “Jews, the most victimized group per capita in the U.S. by hate crimes, have been targeted and marginalized in the American corporate workplace. This is unacceptable. StopAntisemitism.org calls on all corporations, including the 25 named in this report, to strengthen their corporate platforms, allyship practices, and [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] policies to support their Jewish employees and put an end to antisemitism in the workplace.”

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Unilever Responds to Englewood Cliffs Mayor, Who Calls Response “Corporate Drivel”

Leave a Comment / News, United States / Aaron Bandler

Unilever CEO Alan Jope responded to the mayor of Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where Unilever’s American headquarters are based, by reiterating his statement that Unilever is opposed to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The mayor, Mario A. Kranjac, wrote in an August 9 letter to Jope regarding Ben & Jerry’s Israel decision, “It concerns me that your company is so quick to chastise Israel, while continuing to support and profit from other countries and movements that daily commit substantial human rights violations, genocide, unlawful imprisonment, forced ‘re-education,’ and race-based classifications.” He urged Jope “to reconsider your decision on this matter.”

Jope responded to Kranjac in an August 10 letter obtained by the Journal that appeared to be an almost word-for-word copy of his July 27 response to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) concerns. “Let me begin by reiterating Unilever’s strong and longstanding commitment to our business in Israel. We employ nearly 2,000 people in the country across our four factories and head office, and we have invested approximately €250 million in the Israeli market over the last decade. Around 85% of the products we sell in Israel are made in Israel. We look forward to investing in our business in Israel long into the future.”

He added that under Unilever’s agreement with Ben & Jerry’s, they recognize “the right of the brand and [Ben & Jerry’s] independent Board to take decisions in accordance with its social mission.” Ben & Jerry’s will stay in Israel “under a different arrangement,” which Unilever welcomes “emphatically.”

“I would also like to make it exceptionally clear that Unilever rejects completely and repudiates unequivocally any form of discrimination or intolerance,” Jope wrote. “Antisemitism has no place in any society. We have never expressed any support for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement and have no intention of changing that position.”

Kanjac did not find Jope’s response to be satisfactory, saying in a statement to the Journal, “The new letter from Mr. Jope is more corporate drivel from Unilever. They know they’ve made a mistake by discriminating against parts of Israel. Unilever should hold its subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s accountable for its actions and reiterate that discrimination has no place at Unilever.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded to Jope’s letter by stating: “We appreciate the unique business relationship between Unilever and its Ben and Jerry’s subsidiary; however, we still urge Unilever to do whatever it can to convince the Ben and Jerry’s board to change its position.” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organization, similarly tweeted that “Unilever reportedly has the legal ability to override the recommendation of Ben & Jerry’s board to boycott Israel; we again strongly encourage them to do so, as boycotts of Israel are discriminatory and further inflame tensions.”

Following the July 19 announcement, Ben & Jerry’s independent board released a statement claiming that the part of the announcement that the company would remain in Israel was never run by them.

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The Branch Doesn’t Fall Too Far from the Tree

Leave a Comment / Blogs / Omar Yerushalmi, ZAVIT* Science and the Environment News Agency

Perhaps the most well-known anecdote referenced from the history of science describes the time Isaac Newton discovered the existence of gravity after an apple fell from a tree and hit his head. Assuming that event played out the way it did, he was lucky that it was only an apple that landed on his head and not an entire branch. Many people may not be so actively aware of this, but branches from healthy trees fall to the ground quite frequently, often without any warning signs in advance.

But what usually comes to mind when you think of downed branches? High intensity storms, raging winds and hail, and periods of heavy snowfall are the typical events commonly associated with branch collapses. For the most part, this perception is largely true; branches do mostly fall in the winter months, but this is not the only time it occurs. Even throughout the warmer summer months, tree branches fall and present just as much danger if not more to unsuspecting people.

Deadly Consequences

When branches break off during winter storms, they are less likely to hurt someone because people tend to spend the majority of their time inside. But during the summer, people take advantage of the nice weather and venture outside, perhaps to a public park, a nature reserve, or forested hiking trail, all abundant with trees. And because people tend to seek out shade to stay as cool as they can, the chances of a branch breaking off and injuring someone are significantly higher. In fact, this very scenario unfolded in 2017 in Tel Aviv in which two people were moderately injured by a falling branch on Shai Agnon Street despite the mild weather conditions.

However, the consequences of this phenomenon have also proven deadly. Take for instance the incident that occurred at the Jordan River Park in 2010, in which a tree branch snapped off and struck a tent in the early hours of the morning killing a 14-year-old boy who was sleeping inside of it. Nine years later, a similar tragedy occurred at the Action Park, an amusement park located near Lachish in the southern Negev region, in which a eucalyptus branch broke off and killed a 10-year-old boy sitting on a bench below. Many other fatal incidents like this have occurred all over the world.

However, it was not until recently that agronomists, government officials, and the public acknowledged falling branches in the summer to be a risk worth considering. Such concerns were primarily reserved for the winter and its aggressive weather conditions.

Although the issue is small in scope, a new Israeli article recently published in the JNF’s journal, Ya’ar, thoroughly assesses the phenomenon in light of the reoccurring head injuries and deaths, it and raises awareness to prevent more incidents from occurring.

“I have been aware of the phenomenon for about a year and a half-two years,” says Abigail Heller, head the Forest and Trees division within the Ministry of Agriculture and one of the study’s authors.

“I was taught that branches fall in the summer only if the trees are near water sources, but I saw in some instances where that wasn’t necessarily the case. So, I began to ask around and find out more about it, and as soon as I came across relevant academic literature, it settled my mind.”

Branching Off

Heller and her team, which included private agronomists and those from Hebrew University’s Department of Agriculture, researched documented summer-timed branch falls and discovered that the phenomenon can be traced back to the end of the 19^th century. However, the many explanations for the phenomenon provided by the academic literature are often contradictory. For example, not every explanation applied to tree species local to Europe is suitable for Israel’s regional tree species.

The two main approaches to explain the phenomenon relate to the concept of water potential, which determines how efficiently water is transported within a plant, or in this case, a branch.

Heller illustrates the concept of water potential using laundry as an example. “Wet laundry has a high water potential,” she says. “Hot and dry air, on the other hand, has low water potential. Water moves from where water potential is high to where it is low. This is why laundry dries when you hang it outside on a sunny day.” Therefore, if the air outside is damp, the laundry will not dry out because the water inside has nowhere to go.

With regard to trees and their branches, a side effect occurs with water potential. When the air outside is hot and dry, the water in a tree’s xylem, which acts as a pipe to transport water its roots to its branches, can evaporate into the air.

“When this happens the pipes shrink, which results in the formation of cracks along the tree’s branches, and this causes them to break and fall to the ground,” Heller explains.

But this can also happen if there is positive water potential and no opportunity for evaporation. In this case, when the outside air is humid (higher level of water potential) as opposed to dry, the water cannot evaporate into the air. In this scenario, the tree closes its stomata, the microscopic openings on leaves through which gas exchange and water evaporation take place, and the water stays inside the branch.

“As the tree continues to carry water upwards from the roots, excess water can form inside the branches making them heavier,” she says. “Depending on the tree and the strength of the branch, once it reaches a certain weight, the branch can break.”

Preventative Measures

Whether it’s the high or low water potential initiating a tree branch to break off and fall, it is important to understand the danger this phenomenon presents to the public. Branches do not usually show significant defects before they snap, so it is difficult to determine when and which branches will break in advance. Fortunately, there are some indicators one can look out for to identify the types of at-risk branches that are prone to fall. Although the guidelines are relevant for the general public, they are mostly directed at agronomists who are responsible for risk management when pruning municipal trees.

“It’s important to look for the defects and problematic branches when surveying trees,” says Heller referring to the additional signs to look for beyond just decay. “Nowadays, when I teach surveyors how to perform proper risk assessments for trees, I also instruct them to pay attention to long, horizontal, and arched branches as they are the ones that are more likely to fall during the summer. When finding such branches, one should check whether they can be shortened and reduced in weight before resorting to cutting them back altogether.”

The researchers also include guidelines that are more relevant to municipal authorities and national parks, suggesting they limit activity at public-absorbing sites on hot, dry days where many trees are planted just as access to these areas are restricted during stormy weather. In addition, the researchers suggest that trees prone to summer branch collapses should not be planted in such areas in the first place, and that the trees that have been already planted in the past should be undergo risk assessments, especially at sites where large numbers of older trees are clustered.

Avoiding Unnecessary Deaths

However, these guidelines offered by the researchers are not binding. At the national level, the Ministry of Agriculture does not have a department of tree surveyors, and there is no law that regulates tree maintenance or requires inspection once every few years. The surveys that are conducted are done so through local municipalities and private entities.

Compiled by Heller in 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture published a general document for tree risk management designed to help various surveyors carry out their work diligently. While some municipalities have their own procedures based on the ministry guidelines, not every municipality has a procedures document. Plus, it is very difficult to check each and every tree because there are so many in some municipalities. For example, Tel Aviv-Yafo has about 150,000 planted trees.

Although the number of people killed by falling branches is small compared to other risk factors, Heller believes the falling branch phenomenon deserves more attention.

“During the twenty years I have been in my job, there have been about ten mental injuries for various reasons related to trees. And although there may just be one death every two years or so, these are unnecessary deaths that can be avoided,” she concludes.

ZAVIT – Science and the Environment News Agency

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Table for Five: Shoftim

Leave a Comment / Judaism, Torah / Salvador Litvak

One verse, five voices. Edited by Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist

Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.
-Deut 16:20

Rabbi Chaim Singer-Frankes
Chaplain, Kaiser Panorama City Medical Center

The late social activist Abbie Hoffman was asked if he believed in the Beatles lyric “Love is All You Need.” He paused, and a wry grin curled across his lips; “it’s nice, it’s nice,” he said, “but what you really need is justice.” When observing all the havoc wrought by nature—from convulsive weather and earthquakes to the innocent fawn savagely torn to shreds by a hyena—it is easy to conclude there is no organic justice. Another contemporary of Hoffman’s sang, “He who made kittens put snakes in the grass.” In short, the world is cruel.

And so, it is reasonable to conclude that the Torah uses a doubling of the term tzedek, justice, for emphasis as an inducement for humanity to pursue an essential principle, which is also bitterly absent in our own nature.

God legislates justice, so we have no excuse for ignoring it. But why with a repetition of words? Think of Ramban’s maxim that The Torah “has neither a superfluous nor a missing letter.” Is then the doubling of tzedek meant to achieve something other than underscoring?

The third century amora Reish Lakish teaches its meaning “to be deliberate and not rush to judgement,” while Maimonides, eight centuries later, explains it as admonishment to “consult with others” in adjudication. A most evocative interpretation emerges from the Midrash in Devarim Rabbah (6-9th century) where we find an allusion to pairs of purposes in seeking justice; “to bridegroom and bride, to heaven and earth, to this world and the World to Come.”

Miriam Yerushalmi
CEO SANE, counselor, author “Reaching New Heights”

Tzedek, usually translated as justice, is also the root of tzedakah, charity. The Tanya teaches that charity is also called “peace,” and through peace, the vital Divine spark within every person can be aroused and brought forth.

Why is the word tzedek repeated? It hints at many meanings. One explanation is that charity has a twofold purpose: it redeems our soul, and it brings peace to the land of Israel, “so that you may live there.” Charitable acts, whether spiritual or physical, done to benefit the land of Israel are very close to Hashem and particularly redemptive; the good we do in this world draws down spiritual forces that protect and enlighten us. How does it do that?

King David writes, in Tehillim/Psalms, “Tzedek lefanov yehaleich – Justice shall go before Him.” The Tanya teaches that the root of “lefanov” is the same as that of “penimius, inner essence,” and “yehaleich” is connected to “holachah, leading.” The Tanya thus interprets it, “Charity exposes our innermost soul toward Hashem.”

Charity brings peace among people, and between the Jewish people and Hashem. Wherever you are, your charity allows you to attain the blessings of the land and to “possess” it, to uncover its physical treasures—its water, its mineral resources, its produce—and make them your own, but also Tzedek, Tzedek: you will uncover and possess its spiritual treasures, including the knowledge of Hashem, and in turn, this will enable you to uncover the spiritual treasures within your innermost soul. Therefore, it’s so beneficial to give and give again!

Erez Safar
Torah/Kabbalah columnist www.lightofinfinite.com

Rashi says that the justice in this pasuk refers specifically to appointing worthy judges and explains that that institution of justice will give the Jewish nation the merit to stay alive and settle their Promised Land. We literally reached our promised land by virtue of our commitment to justice. But beyond the story of the Jews in the desert, this pasuk teaches how each of us can reach our own promised land and find personal redemption.

Every day we see and hear people fighting, building walls with their words, forming judgments toward other people that change the way they can exist together. But when people put aside their egos and speak peace into existence, choosing to extend humane compassion to each other, then they can reunite and coexist in peace. And it is only through peace that blessings flow. The Zohar teaches: “By the way one handles anger, one can recognize who one is. If a person guards one’s soul at a moment of anger and does not allow it to be torn from its place…this is a complete person.” ‘Shalom’ means peace and ‘shalem’ means complete, so we are only complete when we are at peace.

As we reveal the Divine Light that is so often concealed in this world, in anticipation for the final redemption, we have to pursue justice and as much peace as we can. We have to choose to be slow to anger and quick to showing love and give of oneself. As it says in Isaiah, “Open up, O Gates, that a righteous nation may enter.”

Rabbi Tal Sessler
Dean of the Rabbinical School, Academy for Jewish Religion

When Albert Einstein was asked what are the things that make him particularly proud to be Jewish, he mentioned our people’s desire for “personal independence,” our insatiable “love of learning,” as well as our people’s “almost fanatical love of justice.”

Our people’s “almost fanatical love of justice” is famously and poignantly celebrated in our verse. The question is: why is the word “justice” written twice in our verse?

It is a fundamental hermeneutical principal of Rabbinic Judaism that no word written in the Torah is superfluous or insignificant.

Surely, according to this interpretive rationale, the repetition of the word “justice” twice in our verse is no mere stylistic literary ploy or linguistic happenstance. Rather, the repetition of the “justice” comes to teach us that we are to be “almost fanatically” dedicated and devoted to the pursuit of justice on two parallel tracks, namely the public arena and the private arena.

The public arena pertains to social and political justice writ large. The private realm is about pursuing justice in my private life, whenever I encounter bullying, prejudice and other such morally defective behavior in my own life, say at the workplace, or within my social circles.

It is one thing to pursue and to support justice in the abstract, in the collective realm. It is quite another thing to do so in the private realm, in which you might incur a professional or social risk by putting yourself on the line and standing up for a specific human being.

Rabbi Cheryl Peretz
Associate Dean, Ziegler School at AJU

Our modern system of justice feels broken. Guilty are found innocent, the innocent are not protected, and our courts feel like political battlegrounds. True justice can be elusive. Yet, this verse teaches pursuing justice is not a personal option or political choice. It is the only path through which we can ultimately live life to its fullest.

Recognizing that Moses cannot be the sole arbiter of justice, the proceeding verses specify the need for judges and magistrates and the caution against partiality and bribes. Still, there is no shortage of attempts over the centuries to understand the meaning of this commandment: Appointing honest judges assures future life and ability to live in the land (Rashi); Pursue justice whether one gains or loses (Ibn Ezra); The doubling of the word justice is to emphasize the need to use just measures in the pursuit of justice (Ramban). All are important messages and serve as worthy guidance as we navigate the needs of our broken world.

There is another explanation especially important as we move towards this High Holiday season. Sefer HaBahir (Book of the Brightness) sometimes attributed to Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah comments: “If you judge yourself, knowing whence you came, and whither you are going, and before Whom you are about to give account and reckoning, you will live.”

The expectation and judgement of how others pursue justice can only come when we begin with the self-reflection and evaluation that demands accountability for the same measures of compassion, fairness and honesty.

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We Won’t Return to Lockdown—for Better or Worse

Leave a Comment / Commentary, Opinion / Seth Jacobson

It is not uncommon to walk into a store now and see some people fully masked, while others openly gather without masks. Given the overwhelming amount of both information and disinformation currently circulating, it can be difficult to know what one should one do or even think in these scenarios. With COVID-19 cases and variants on the rise, many residents worry about the possibility of another lockdown. After all, the UK is already on its third, Australia is on its fifth, and the rising number of cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. seems to place us on a similar trajectory.

Should the federal government shy away from a new national lockdown, individual states can still impose their own. When California began rolling out vaccine doses at the start of 2021, hope was high. By the time the state fully reopened on June 15, the mood was jubilant. Yet barely more than a month later, we’re seeing more than 7,000+ new coronavirus cases per day—four times the rate of June.

The fear is, justifiably, that quarantine is on the horizon. But while this is a rational fear, it is ultimately unfounded. While rising numbers may be anxiety-inducing, the truth is that we are not in the same place we were at this time last year.

The fear is, justifiably, that quarantine is on the horizon. But while this is a rational fear, it is ultimately unfounded.

Currently, nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose, but the federal government is poorly equipped to force states into doing anything they don’t want to do. A national shutdown is all but impossible, and it would be a political landmine for an administration already grappling with a deeply divided country to take such extreme measures. It’s no secret that red and blue states have radically different approaches to controlling (or not controlling) rising COVID cases. Florida, for example, a state with one of the most vulnerable populations, is adamantly moving forward with the opening of schools, in addition to keeping businesses and theme parks fully open with no restrictions. By contrast, California, Washington State, and other more Democratic states have embarked on a hybrid model where they are returning to mask-wearing indoors and also re-instituting restrictions in schools, but allowing businesses to operate at full capacity, which has many feeling a bit more comfortable.

There is clearly a growing divide between the north and south not only when it comes to vaccines, but also when it comes to the response to potential dangers. One sees echoes of the political divides that were reflected in the last election as states that voted more heavily for then President Trump experiencing the greatest increase in cases. And all this with the backdrop of people just now embarking on summer vacations to many of those COVID hotspots.

Unlike resistance to the first round of quarantines in 2020, which saw largely conservative cities and states pushing back against CDC recommendations due to disbelief or misinformation around the pandemic, a potential new lockdown effort would likely also meet resistance from those regions confident in their vaccination efforts. For instance, in Los Angeles, which has achieved a 70% vaccination rate, there will undoubtedly emerge a faction calling for travel restrictions to keep unvaccinated people out rather than forcing locals to give up social life altogether.

Rather than lockdown orders, residents (on both national and local levels) can expect stronger efforts to vaccinate populations, expand and expedite testing results, renew mask mandates, and implement more diligent contact tracing and social distancing.

The stark reality is that the U.S. has already leaned too far into the idea of a “post-pandemic” world for us to backpedal now. And with the patchwork and regional differences of efforts to encourage people to get vaccinated, the ability of communities to make decisions about what comes next is further complicated. No attempt to cancel music festivals, move students from campus to computers, and cancel travel plans can possibly end well. The public would much rather see the normalization of precautions like face masks and social distancing than return to the days of full-on quarantine—not that these measures are entirely without controversy, with groups filing lawsuits or else proudly flaunting their unvaccinated status rather than complying with public health guidelines.

At the core of the “new normal” will be contact tracing, on and off mask mandates, and possibly even seasonal vaccine updates. But the days of quarantine are behind us, at least in the U.S., where people barely managed it the first time around. The highly-individualist values in American society and the high degree of freedom granted to state governments wouldn’t have it any other way.

Seth Jacobson is the founder and principal of JCI Worldwide, a Los Angeles-based communications and research firm. He spent several years in the Carter and Clinton administrations in positions focused on economic development, foreign policy, and media relations. He is a frequent lecturer on policy and public affairs at Pepperdine University and UCLA.

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Looking Back to Look Forward for Rosh Hashanah

Leave a Comment / Commentary, Opinion / Nina Meehan

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is approaching just as the new school year begins for our children. I could really use some NEW this year and I have a feeling that a lot of parents feel the same way. The last year and a half has been taxing on parents in ways that none of us could have imagined. Home schooling, hybrid schooling, distanced schooling—none of the options were easy.

Toddlers running naked through zoom meetings, teenagers on video games for 24 hours per day, kids bored and lonely—I don’t need to enumerate the many things on this list because we all lived it. And when I think back to spring and the beginning of summer this year, it really did feel like we were entering a new phase. Things were changing, opportunities were opening up. But now, at the time of the new school year and the new year in the Jewish calendar, NEW is feeling pretty elusive.

One of the things I have always loved about the High Holidays is that it gives us an opportunity to reflect backward and set intentions for moving forward. And this year, this ritual is going to be more important than ever.

If I were to take a true inventory of COVID times with my kids, I would say that there are moments that I will cherish forever, and I also spent a lot of time being a mom in a way that I didn’t love. I know “New Year’s Resolutions” are clearly for January 1 and aren’t exactly part of the Jewish tradition, so, instead, here is my list of “New Year’s Reflections and Recommitments.”

I know “New Year’s Resolutions” are clearly for January 1 and aren’t exactly part of the Jewish tradition, so, instead, here is my list of “New Year’s Reflections and Recommitments.”

Listening—At a fundamental level, this is the biggest gift we can ever give our children—just being there to listen-listen with our ears, our eyes, our hearts. In the past year, I know that there were times that my kids needed me to listen and be present with their thoughts when I was distracted by or prioritized getting dinner on the table or answering one last work email. I often found myself saying “I’m listening” as a way to justify my multi-tasking. As we enter this new year, I am recommitting to listening, not as a passive process but as an action.
Tikkun Olam—This part of Judaism, meaning “Repair the World,” has depth and opportunities for growth at every turn for my kids and me. When we go camping we always say, “leave the site better than how you found it” and I want to teach my kids that it is our job to leave this world a better place than when we found it. This past year, there were so many opportunities for Tikun Olam, but I sometimes allowed myself to be overwhelmed by how much healing and repair is needed, and so I would freeze up, put on my mask and keep moving forward. My recommitment this year is to keep Tikkun Olam at the forefront of our family conversations and activities. This could look like all of us reading the same book and discussing it, attending protests together or simply going down to the beach and picking up trash on a weekend.
Gratitude—The studies are clear, there is no single act that can help build a joyous life more than a regular gratitude practice. For many years, we have had “Friday Night Gratitude Night” as part of our Shabbat dinner—even if we are blessing pizza crust because I didn’t have time to get or make a Challah. But after living through this past year, it is clear that weekly gratitude isn’t enough. It’s daily, hourly, minute by minute. I recommit to including gratitude as a practice in our home, just like we practice kindness and I practice yoga and we practice cleaning up our messes.
Self-Compassion—You know, we did the best we possibly could over the past year. Did my kids watch more screens than ever before? Absolutely! Is that the end of the world? Maybe not? Over the past year, I have become deeply aware of how often I say things to myself that are far crueler than anything I would ever say to another human being. And, guess what? My kids are little empaths and they will pick up on it, even if I’m not saying it out lout. I would be so sad if they ever said these kinds of negative things to themselves, and the only way I can prevent that is by living and demonstrating self-love and self-compassion. This year, I am going to recommit to loving all parts of myself: the parts that come easily, like when I take the time to have a kitchen dance party with my gang, but also the parts that are harder to love, like when I lose my patience and say something sharp.

But after living through this past year, it is clear that weekly gratitude isn’t enough. It’s daily, hourly, minute by minute.

This New Year is a perfect moment for renewal. What are your recommitments? How are you reviewing the past year? It was certainly a year like we never imagined, so let’s make the next one as sweet as possible.

Nina Meehan is an award-winning director, producer and an internationally recognized expert in arts education and youth theatre through her role as the CEO and Founder of Bay Area Children’s Theatre. Prior to having her three beautiful children, Nina was a featured Jewish Storyteller and is now the co-founder of The New York Times-featured “K’ilu Kits,” a company dedicated to audio-storytelling adventures for Jewish Holidays.

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