OHR SOMAYACH'S ASK THE RABBI 
Issue #249, September 11, 1999 
Rosh Hashana Special
=====================================
In this issue:
BLAST IT! 
HAIL TO THE CHIEF
NATIONAL HOLIDAY
HOLY DAY IN SOURBAY
BETTER NOT RED
ISRAEL PROPHETS
YIDDLE RIDDLE
PUBLIC DOMAIN 
=====================================

BLAST IT!

Esther S. from Miami, Florida healingmed@aol.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
What did Sisera have to do with the Jews and the concept of 100 shofar 
blasts?  What is the correlation between Sisera and the shofar blasts?

Dear Esther S.,

	Sisera, the Assyrian general who fought the Jews, was killed by 
Yael as he fled the battlefield.  The midrash tells us that Sisera's 
wicked mother cried one hundred and one tears when she heard the news 
of her son's death.  We sound one hundred shofar blasts to counteract 
these tears which she shed in anger and pain at her son's defeat at 
the hand of the Jews.  The one tear that cannot be erased is the tear 
shed out of pure love of a mother for her son.

	According to the Sephardic tradition, 101 blasts are sounded.  
This is one more than the numerical value of the letters "samech" and 
"mem," which spell the name of the most harmful angel.  Adding one 
gives us the numerical equivalent of "Michael," the name of the most 
"righteous" angel.

	The Yemenite tradition is to sound only 41 blasts.

************

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Noreen from Darwin, Australia theblueheron@hotmail.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
I am not Jewish and my boss is Jewish.  I would like to wish him a 
"happy new year" but want to do it respectfully.  How do I do this?  
Thanks.

Dear Noreen,

	The classic greeting for the Jewish New Year is "Have a good and 
sweet New Year."  By the way, the Jewish custom is to eat honey at the 
New Year to underline this idea!

************

NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Shannon Prissel from River Falls, Wisconsin <barb.kuss@stpaul.com> 
wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
Do you think Rosh Hashanah should be a national holiday in the United 
States?  Why?

Dear Shannon Prissel,

	I don't think Rosh Hashanah should be a national holiday in the 
United States.  When the Jewish kids get out of school on Rosh 
Hashanah, while all their friends are in school, it makes the Jewish 
kids realize that they are special.  The same can be said for Jews in 
a non-Jewish work environment; observing Rosh Hashanah distinguishes 
them as Jews.  In our age of rampant assimilation and intermarriage, 
making Rosh Hashanah a national holiday might further weaken Jewish 
identity, removing what for many is the only practice that sets them 
apart as Jews.

************

HOLY DAY IN SOURBAY

Irene <irene@gilat.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
What is the nearest synagogue inside or outside Indonesia for my 
colleague who is a religious person on a business trip which straddles 
Yom Kippur in Indonesia?


Dear Irene,

	I'm sending you two addresses, both from Sourbay Indonesia.  
They are taken from Jeff Seidel's Jewish Student Traveler's Guide.

Synagogue Kajoon, 4-6 Djalan Kajoon.  Phone:  31-545-2815
Elias Nissim, 43 Gemanok.  Phone: 31-577-770

************

BETTER NOT RED 

David Mercer from St. Johns, Newfoundland <dmercer@nfld.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
We are a small shul without a rabbi.  Last Shabbos the question was 
asked "Why does one not wear the colour red on Rosh Hashana?"  Can you 
tell us?  Todah.

Dear David Mercer,

	Red symbolizes blood and Divine judgment (which may, G-d forbid, 
end with death).  White symbolizes milk, goodness, sustenance and 
mercy.  Therefore, on Rosh Hashana it is customary to avoid wearing 
red and to prefer white, in order that we be judged with mercy and 
merit a happy and prosperous year.  This is not a law, but rather a 
custom.

************

ISRAEL PROPHETS

Philip Shapiro from Johannesburg, South Africa 
<philipjs@milkyway.co.za> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
A question about Jonah.  Jonah was commanded to prophesy to the 
Assyrians.  The Malbim explains that all prophecy is for the benefit 
of Israel, and that Jonah's prophecy to the Assyrians was in fact for 
the benefit of Israel -- that since the Assyrians were destined to be 
the "rod of chastisement" for Israel, they had to be rebuked to repent 
before they could chastise Israel.

How does one answer the following question?  The Egyptians, the 
Babylonians, the Greeks and the Romans did not receive Jewish prophets 
to rebuke them to repentance before they afflicted Israel.  And it is 
said that Titus was a totally wicked man.  Why did he not have to 
repent before destroying the Second Temple?

Dear Philip Shapiro,

	According to the Malbim, the reason the Assyrians had to repent 
is that otherwise they would have been completely destroyed due to 
their sins, and then they could not have been the instrument to punish 
the Jewish people.  (This, says the Malbim, explains Yonah's 
reluctance to rebuke them; since by doing so, he enabled them to 
survive and become the "rod of punishment" against the Jews.)  Even 
though Titus himself and the nations you mentioned were evil, they 
were apparently not yet deserving of total destruction.

	By the way, the Egyptians did indeed receive rebuke from Jewish 
prophets:  Moshe and Aharon repeatedly warned Pharaoh of the impending 
plagues. Furthermore, Greece and Rome subjugated the Jews after the 
period of prophecy had already ended.

************

Yiddle Riddle

The Talmud says that you say a blessing when you see a friend whom you 
haven't seen in a long time.  As the Shulchan Aruch states:  "One who 
sees his friend after 30 days says `Shehechiyanu' (the happiness 
blessing); and after (not having seen him for) 12 months he blesses 
`Mechayeh Hametim' (Blessed are You...who revives the dead)."

	What is different about not seeing a friend for a year that it 
requires a different blessing, the blessing of the revival of the 
dead?

ANSWER:  

	Every year on Rosh Hashana we are judged regarding whether we 
will live or die.  So if a person hasn't seen his friend during any 
normal 12 month period, his friend has undergone a life or death 
judgment and been thus far saved from it.

Source:
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 225:1
Mishna Berura, Ibid. 4

************

The Public Domain
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features

JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND:

	I live in a city where there is no Jewish community.  I'm very 
happy though that I found the Ohr Somayach Interactive website, a 
place where I can learn more about my Jewish roots. Thank you. 

         Karol Brejna, Koszalin, Poland <kazelot@thenut.eti.pg.gda.pl>


TESHUVA -- SOMETHING FROM NOTHING:

	Regarding your mention of teshuva (repentance) in connection 
with creation, there is another, more profound connection.  Teshuva 
could not work if it had not been created from the beginning.  Why?  
Just as creation was "yesh me'ayin -- something from nothing"  -- 
which could happen only in the first six days -- so is Teshuva "ayin 
me'yesh -- nothing from something."  That is, something that exists 
disappears totally.  This power also could only be created during the 
first six  days. 

                     Zvi Freund, New York NY  <miltonf@villagenet.com>
=====================================
If you like this e-mail,share it with a friend.
=====================================
Submit your questions to "ASK THE RABBI" at: http://asktherabbi.com
Or E-Mail: info@ohr.org.il   
=====================================
EVERY question EVER published in ASK THE RABBI is available on-line in 
an easy-to-use index!    
http://www.ohr.org.il/web/index/askidx.htm   
=====================================
Ohr Somayach's other e-mail publication:
Ohrnet, Torah Weekly, Parsha Q&A, Ask the Rabbi, The Weekly Daf,
Seasons of the Moon, OS-Special, Torah and Nature, Judaismo, Judaismo-
p, Light Lines,Ohrnews, Simcha, OS-Alum. 
To subscribe, write to info@ohr.org.il
=====================================
IF YOU WANT TO UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send the message:
unsubscribe ask to: listproc@vjlists.com 
=====================================
Dedication opportunities available for ASK THE RABBI!   
Please contact us for details.   
=====================================
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman   
Production Design: Eli Ballon
=====================================
ASK THE RABBI is written at   
Ohr Somayach Institutions / Tanenbaum College   
22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103    
Jerusalem 91180, Israel    
Tel: 972-2-581-0315 Fax: 972-2-581-2890    
E-Mail:  info@ohr.org.il   Home Page:  http://www.ohrnet.org 
=====================================
(C) 1999 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.

