OHR SOMAYACH'S ASK THE RABBI 
Issue #266, February 5, 2000 
Parshat Mishpatim
=====================================
In this issue:
DOES BOB EQUAL FRED?
IN G-D WE TRUST - (ALL OTHERS PAY CASH)
YIDDLE RIDDLE
PUBLIC DOMAIN
=====================================

DOES BOB EQUAL FRED?

From:  Christensen Low: <christensenlow@yahoo.com>

Dear Rabbi,
I am pondering the role of women in religious activity and maybe 
home life.  I was raised with the feminist viewpoint, and view 
women and men as equals.  Though it seems that the Torah, G-d's 
will, does not.  I struggle with this in trying to give my will over to 
G-d's.  What does the Torah say about this situation?

Dear Christensen Low,

Logically speaking, no two people are equal.  Otherwise, why 
would G-d create them both?  One of them would be redundant.

The Torah views each person as a world unto himself.  That, says 
the Talmud, is why Adam was created alone (whereas the animals 
were created en masse all at once), to teach that each person is 
different, and the whole world was fitting to be created for any one 
individual.  (That includes you!)

The Torah doesn't view people as equal, as we see from the fact 
that Jews are given special commands that are not given to the 
other nations, such as keeping Shabbat, as the Torah says "The 
Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath...It is a sign between Me 
and the Children of Israel."  And among Jews, there are kohanim 
(priests) who are commanded by the Torah to serve in the Holy 
Temple, whereas if an ordinary Jew who is not one of the kohanim 
tries to do the Temple service, he is doing a sin, as the verse says 
"The zar (non-priest) who approaches shall die."

In short, no person is exactly the same as any other person, and 
therefore there are differing roles among people, based on the 
situation into which G-d has seen fit to put their soul.  Yet, each 
individual has cosmic importance, so much so that the entire world 
was worth it just for him.

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

IN G-D WE TRUST (ALL OTHERS PAY CASH)

From:  Steve Weiss from Chicago, IL <sweiss@molex.com>

Dear Rabbi,
Do you know if there is any truth to the following article that I 
read?  I am somewhat skeptical, but wonder if you have any 
knowledge of this:  "A couple of years ago, at West Point, there 
was a display about Hyam Salomon and the Revolutionary War.  
He died penniless, having used all his resources to aid the newly 
formed and poorly supplied American "army."  The following 
story is told about him:

General Washington's financial advisor and assistant was a Jewish 
man by the name of Hyam Salomon.  During the cold winter of 
Valley Forge when American soldiers were freezing and running 
out of food, it was Hyam who marshaled Jews in America and 
Europe to provide money in relief aid to these stranded American 
troops and turned the course of history.  Without this help, our 
"army" would have perished before they could have defeated the 
British.  If you take a one dollar bill out of your pocket and look at 
the back at the Eagle, the stars above the Eagle's head are in the 
six point Star of David to honor Jews.  If you turn the Eagle upside 
down you will see a configuration in the likeness of a 
Menorah...both at the insistence of George Washington who said 
we should never forget the Jewish people."

Dear Steve Weiss,

The small Jewish community in colonial America gave more than 
their share toward the United States' revolutionary cause.  One 
such patriot was indeed Hyam Salomon, who gave $300,000, an 
immense fortune for those days.

But I doubt that the "Great Seal of the United States" which 
appears on the dollar bill makes any hint to Salomon's 
contribution, or that George Washington had anything to say about 
it.

The first bill to bear this symbol was the $1 Silver Certificate, 
Series 1935, long after Washington's death.

The "Great Seal" itself was commissioned by Congress in 1776 
and adopted six years later, but during this time George 
Washington was busy fighting the war.  The designing committee, 
which included Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John 
Adams, did not include Washington.  Nor did Washington become 
president until seven years after this seal had been adopted, so it's 
questionable that he would have had any input.

The thirteen stars, representing the 13 original states, do indeed 
form the Star of David (also known as "Solomon's seal").  Exactly 
why, I don't know.  In general, though, it's clear that Franklin and 
Jefferson had "biblical" motif in mind, as their original draft of the 
Great Seal showed "rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Cloud, 
expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on 
Moses."

But don't worry.  Hyam Salomon wasn't forgotten.  In 1893, a bill 
was presented before the 52nd Congress ordering a gold medal 
struck off in recognition of Salomon's contributions to the United 
States.

=====================================

YIDDLE RIDDLE

Dani Wassner from Jerusalem <dani@moit.gov.il> wrote:

Can you name TWO different occasions when Rosh Chodesh will 
fall during the coming week, yet no Shabbat Mevorachim prayers 
are said on the preceding Shabbat?

Answer next week

=====================================

THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features


TO THE TORAH, IRAN:

We have a weekly publication of the Parsha and Divrei Torah 
(words of Torah).  This publication is published in Persian text and 
has been known around the Iranian groups for many years.  We 
would like to take some of your Torah insights and publish them in 
Persian for our weekly publication.

                           Youseff, Staff of Shaare Tikvah Synagogue
                                                  <tikvah@onebox.com>

HIDDEN ONES (http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask263.htm#PD):  

Regarding your recent discussion of the Spanish Inquisition:  
Some years ago I attended a class where we heard the experiences 
of a young woman who had recently come from Spain.  I will 
spare you the long explanation of how her family had remained in 
their hidden state for 500 years, in complete ignorance of how 
many of the people, from other areas of the country, had come out 
of their cellars and were living openly.  She described her fears 
when she and her mother visited Israel, for the first  time, and held 
themselves back, even at the Western Wall, for fear of being 
discovered.

She told us that the word "marrano" is a derogatory name given to 
them by those who hated them.  She was too embarrassed to tell us 
what it was but indicated that it meant the lowest possible thing 
you could imagine, while pointing down at the ground, or the dirt.  
She made a strong request that we refrain from using it and call 
them, instead, "Hidden Ones."

Thank you for the Torah information for which I eagerly wait each 
week, and the thoughtful way you have connected us to people 
from everywhere in the world.
                                      Pesia <sidney@netvision.net.il>

THE SPAIN STAYS MAINLY IN EUROPE 
(http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask263.htm#Q1):

You recently wrote:  "In Europe the Jews spoke Yiddish, based on 
German, and in Spain they developed Ladino, based on Spanish."  
Last time I checked Spain was still in Europe!
                                                   M. <M613K@aol.com>

WE'LL BE FRANK:

I am writing to thank you for subscribing me to you weekly "Ask 
the Rabbi" column.  I appreciate your light hearted yet sincere and 
frank openness in your candid response to questions.
                            George Wickham <called_u_again@yahoo.com>
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