Jewish Scene
Rabbi’s ruling: Torah falls; community must fast
Hila Shay Vazan
Published: 29.10.08, 12:33
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51 Talkbacks for this article
31. Re: #4 #10 Is it just a book?
Menachem ,   New York City NY   (10.30.08)
#4 and #10 If a Sefer Torah is just a book, why did the Nazis burn or destroy every Sefer Torah they got their hands on. Maybe thye knew something that you seem not to have the foggiest notion about.
32. I just cannot fathom Israel being such as it is...
Danny ,   America   (10.30.08)
Israel You do not know your God nor your Holy calling not even one of you. Soon though, through great trials I am afraid, you will turn your hearts to Him.
33. why mocking to ritual of respect to a simbol..do we do less
Nelson Stein ,   Rio, Brazil   (10.30.08)
to our national flags, for instance.....it's about other kinds of rituals but rituals of respect anyway....my boss allways remembers whith admiration the punishment she got for leting the american flag drop in a school formation while she was a primary school exchange student there!!! I always knew fasting was our ritual for such a case though I'd heard of a one whole year period for this.......so it seems very, very wise to me that the fast was meant to the comunity and not to the child and only for one day (my school friends,the girls specially, used to face kipur fast as a funny challenge ) I imagine this will relief them all from any possible feeling of guilt.......it sems at least one post here expresses christian prejudice about the "angry" god of Israel vs. mercyfull "christian's god" And last I guess maybe the boy himself is exempt from the fast for not beiing a Bar Mitzvah. Forgive me if I said anything stupid but notice that I'm not religious at all, just love my own heritage and tradition......-
34. What's wrong with taking the...
jack bauer   (10.30.08)
opportunity to fast for a day and reflect on how to live better lives
35. Hey Danny #32
Kiwiboy ,   NZ   (10.30.08)
I agree, we are developing a new breed of Jews; Standard common masses of pagans! Little they know why have we achieved so much for a breed that is only ¼ of a percent of the world’s population. Do they know the real reason? I bet they think it is the Jewish DNA. Once we dropped our values and our religion we will have a pro-rata representation in the US patent office down from the 30% we now account for. Cheers buddy
36. WRAP Torahs
sl ,   NY   (10.30.08)
Where I celebrate Simchas Torah, the Torah scrolls themselves are carefully double wrapped in bags and then their covers are put back on. This double wrapping ensures that should a Torah scroll fall, the community need not fast.
37. #25 Visit Modi'in and then apologise
julia   (10.30.08)
Zionist communities. Mixed secular religious. The moron virus really is catching. So at least shut up maybe once in a decade?
38. Anything that is written
tal   (10.30.08)
about anyone even slightly religious has the consistently obsessive and regular ynet kuklax klan foaming at the mouth. You just need to scroll the talkbacks on any subject matter slightly or remotely appertaining to sabbath abiding jews. Kashrut they can 'stomach' in a parve way sometimes ( mantra: I eat treif out but I'm kosher at home, or vice versa or, I know some very nice religious people...) . But mention anything as outrageous as a sefer torah or a kippa and just sit back and enjoy with the majority of us, secular or religious, the frenzied bile that rears its sad and threatened head every single time. BTW, just to annoy our little group , two sifrei torah this morning, it's rosh chodesh. Have a nice month, while platzing.
39. Did'nt they know it ?
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.30.08)
Why ask the head Rabbi ? This is something known , even to me a secular , that if a Torah falls , they have to fast . And next year , give a Torah to adults , not children .
40. #39 - Charles, It's just a slow news day...
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (10.30.08)
It's just a slow news day- nothing more, nothing less. The New York Times' motto is "All the news that's fit to print." YNet just goes one step further by printing all the news that isn't fit to print as well...
41. What is the significance of the age of 10?
Gur ,   TA   (10.30.08)
I thought the only cut-off was pre bar mitsvah and post bar mitsvah? Can someone explain this?
42. Joe , R. Gan , but you read it !
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.30.08)
This news that is'nt fit to be printed , so there are people interested .
43. I suggest to move to Acrobat reader
Joe the Scientist ,   Silicon Valley   (10.31.08)
and carry the Torah on an USB stick. It's far less heavy and if it still falls run a recovery check.
44. #42 - Charles, I thought there was something...
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (10.31.08)
I thought there was something special about a community fasting in this instance- for example maybe a group of Reformim. Then again, you'd have to be Reform to not know what to do if a Sefer Tora gets dropped. Either way, the joke's on us for reading this dreck...
45. please tell me and #41..........what's about the age of 10?
nelosn stein ,   Rio, Brazil   (10.31.08)
46. Let the kid start working out with weights
jason white ,   afula,israel   (10.31.08)
47. Joe , r. Gan . A reform ?
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.31.08)
And a Reform asking the head Rabbi ? Please don't use this vocabulary [ your last word ] when writing to me . Your "level" , not mine
48. Another stupid fantical rule
Ron Morris   (10.31.08)
I'm a jew and I was raised a jew. I never heard of such a thing. I'm sure this is just something the rabbi made up to strengthen his hold on his cultish following. And they should get jobs, eat healthy (not kosher crap), get jobs so they have some semblance of muscle tone, so that stuff like this doesn't happen. And it''s only a book. Not even a really well written one. WHat's the big deal?
49. Ron 48 , if you never heard it
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.31.08)
That's because you were never in a Jewish environnement . It's an old rule , not made by this Rabbi . Regarding a book as you say , you have never seen a Sefer Torah i presume . You don't know that kosher food can be very healthy too . Jewish food is'nt only "choulent" the only Jewish food you probably know . So you a Jew ?
50. You mean they didn't blame it on women, gays or secular Jews
Dorthy Friend ,   Tel Aviv   (11.04.08)
Kol HaKavod to them for taking responsibility for their own errors!
51. I don't see the problem.
James K. ,   Leesville, LA, USA   (11.06.08)
I really don't see the problem. I know that scrolls should be protected. I really can't remember when I first read this, but it stated that books for studying about God were considered so important that it was said that if you spilled something on your study materials and on your clothing that you ahould wipe off the books first and then afterwards wipe your outfit. So you figure dropping a scroll can damage it too. Plus it contains the name of G-d. In many churches I've been to, I hate the way Bibles get handled (yes I'm a Christian). I've seen them thrown, I've seen them on the floors of the church, on the floors of peoples cars, stepped on and what not. (Very Goyish!) I like the Rabbi's ruling. And as far as the fast, it's an easy fast! In my church it isn't uncommon at all for my pastor to put on us on a three day fast with no food and nothing to drink except a little water when we experience that "dieing out" feeling. And the way G-d moves after the fast is awesome! Sunrise to sunset normally isn't difficult for most people. The only thing I hope is that the poor child wasn't rebuked harshly for this; accidents happen.
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