My bulletin board says it's time for
Purim. Here are some essays and photos for
the holiday - some funny and some quite
serious.
Choose from Rabbi Joseph
Soloveitchik's Question, a photo
taken on a Judean hilltop in
February, Purim in
Jerusalem (a series
of nine color
photographs taken on Purim day in Jerusalem in
March 2000), and
information on how to become a
better photographer. See
portraits I was
hired to take of YCT's new rabbinical graduates.
Also
catch my Bar
and Bat Mitzvah Package
Special that runs till
late-March.
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Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's
Question
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 In
1969, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik (The Rav) began
a lecture on Purim, and asked the audience to
ponder the "basic discrepancy between Purim and
Chanukah," two holidays that share a similar
status or recognition, even if spaced a few
months apart on the Jewish calendar, with
individual observances unique to each. "I'm not
speaking about specific mitzvos," he continued.
"I'm speaking about the character, halachic
background..."
What Rabbi Soloveitchik was concerned with, and
what he termed a "paradox," was that a
Rabbinically binding holiday (both Purim and
Chanukah are), and specifically the requirement
to read the megilla, was being derived from a
Biblical source, The Book of Esther, which is
included as one of the 24 seforim of Tanach
(Books of the Bible). "The document is Doraisa
(Biblical), but the obligatory character,
binding force of the mitzvah (to read it) only
D'Rabanan (Rabbinical). This asymmetry, he felt,
was a significant difference between the two
Rabbinically ordained holidays of Purim and
Chanukah, and he wanted to understand how it had
occurred.
As he continued his lecture, Rabbi Soloveitchik
outlined how the Megilla of Purim was at first
not intended as part of the Biblical canon.
Initially, the story of Purim was transcribed by
Mordechai, and shared far and wide with the
Jewish community, but it was only an igeres (a
letter). Then Esther wrote another letter,
basically repetitive of Mordechai's initial
request, seeking to establish these days of the
14th and 15th of Adar as Purim for all times.
"What did she ask for?" said Rabbi Soloveitchik.
"Whatever she wanted had been fulfilled, her
request (for establishment of the holiday) was
granted." Esther's request, he explained,
was that this "letter" be elevated to the level
of the Holy Books, and once that happened, what
we take from Megillas Esther - now one of the
books of the Torah - is much more different, its
message all the more powerful and eternal.
"An igeres is a story - a true story," said
Rabbi Soloveitchik. "I don't want to mitigate
the importance of an igeres." But once the
recounted Purim story became an actual Book of
the Bible, he continued, "there's a new
dimension to the Megilla, the Megilla is part of
the Torah. Certain halachos must be derived from
the Torah... its relevancy to today, always."
Rabbi Soloveitchik shared his philosophy that
"any book of the Torah must be a source of Torah
knowledge, a source of halachos, of rules of
conduct, a source of morality, a source on which
one may draw from time to time, when he's in
doubt, in confusion... An igeres is an
historical document, not a source of knowledge."
And Biblical stories, stressed Rabbi
Soloveitchik, are not merely stories. There are
laws and directions in life to be learned from
these narrative moments in the Torah. Eliezer
and Rebecca at the well, said Rabbi
Soloveitchik, singling out one example, "is
assigned more space" than the Laws of the
Sabbath.
As Rabbi Soloveitchik approached the conclusion
of his 90-minute lecture, he asked his listeners
what Jewish law can we learn from the Purim
story told in the Book of Esther? There are
multiple laws that can be derived, but Rabbi
Soloveitchik was searching for the one that
stood apart from the others. The "central
halacha in Megillas Esther," he answered, "is
the duty of the individual to sacrifice his
life, if the destiny and the future of the
community is at stake." (And someone - in this
case Mordechai - may also advise or coerce him
or her to give his life if it will save the
people.)
Rabbi Soloveitchik didn't spell it out, but
perhaps Esther's determination to have "her"
book included in the Biblical canon, went beyond
a formal recognition of the salvation afforded
the Jewish People. Her major intent may have
been that her personal sacrifice - where she
gave of her life, and could have in fact lost
her life - would be conveyed to the generations
as a proper approach for each Jew to take when
they have the unique opportunity to act on
behalf of their People. After all, the other
halachos observed during the holiday, show Purim
to be a celebration of Jewish connection, shared
fate and shared fortune.
Hear the actual
lecture (pretty good audio quality, 90
minutes):
samples.mplayerhq.hu/real/RA/sipr/rav-purim69.ra
(cut and paste link - audio file can be saved to
computer or played with media player)
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PHOTO: Rocks and Road on the
Yishuv
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 On a cold winter
Friday afternoon, I walked the road that circles a
portion of the hilltop yishuv of Maale
Chever, challenging the consistent wind blowing at
very strong force. It was less
than 30 minutes before the
onset of the Sabbath, still
time enough for a walk and a
few photographs too.
Settled in 1982/83 and
now home to 60
plus families, Maale Chever
is located in the Har
Chevron area (Hebron Hills), a
short 10-minute ride to Kiryat Arba. The religious
Zionistic yishuv has
permanent houses
with fruit trees
and gardens, a
large playground
with fun equipment,
a respected
boys
midrasha (school),
and even
a privately
owned chocolate
factory.
But long
before all that
arrived, it
had views. It
is suggested
by Jewish and Arab sources
in the area that
Abraham looked out on Sodom from
this point. Today you can
glance in the direction of the Dead Sea and
Jordan and imagine that - or
turn another way, as I did, to
see nearby hills and some of
the peripheral subjects situated even closer. I
saw rocks, placed there
as markers or for
decorative purpose.
And drip irrigation hoses in
front that strung the roadway.
The misty weather,
heavy clouds,
and late hour produced a colored
sky and a diffused
light.
View
larger image (signed
prints
available for
purchase)
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PHOTO ESSAY:
Purim in Jerusalem
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judah S. Harris left his apartment on
Purim day to photograph
in Jerusalem. Even without costume, no
one recognized him
on the streets he visited. This series
of nine color images
was taken in March 2000... the
insightful and fun
commentary in 2008.
View
the Photo Essay
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| Become a Better Photographer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I get inquires from people coming to NYC from
other countries and other US cities. They want
to join my NYC photo classes, and sometimes ask
for private lessons for their whole family
(imagine - a whole family interested in
photography!).
But you can be a NY resident too - a local - and
also benefit from a number of photo walks and
workshops that are geared for all levels. All
you really need is a working camera. I get more
and more requests coming in from people who own
a DSLR and don't know what to do with it. I
teach them in private lessons. Then they're
happy. And a bit closer to becoming true
artists.
Photo
class schedule
"Thanks for the tour. I
think you're very talented AND funny.
I loved it and learned a lot."
Michael H. -
Cocoa Beach, FL
|
Jewish
Rome info - places to stay and where to eat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just back from
five days in Rome,
so I can personally vouch
that it makes
for a great holiday, offering a rich educational experience with
ample Jewish content, not to mention ages
of general world history.
A photo essay or video is
planned.
If you want lodging,
kosher food, and synagogue ideas,
contact me. I am helping
introduce some
establishments to more Jewish
travelers.
fill out form for more information
|
Bar and Bat
Mitzvah Photo/Video Packages from
$799!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW: Special Bar/Bat Mitzvah photo/video
packages (must book by Mar 25th)
Basic Package - 4 hours of photography, set
of proofs, $200 album credit
$1200 Value l Package price $799
Premium Package - 5 hours of photography, 5
hours of video - edited, two DVDs, set of
proofs, 10x10 custom album with 30 pages
$4200 Value l Package price $3500
Talent at a savings!
Celebrate your child's launch as
a Jewish adult
|
Congratulations to Yeshivat
Chovevei Torah Rabbinical Graduates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graduates of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah had
their pictures taken in January (one was
in LA and I missed him), as did some staff
members who help run the school.
Nice to visit, talk to the guys, and
observe the yeshiva in action. Even caught
a shiur mid-afternoon - while working (but
I was listening). Not easy being a newly
minted rabbi, nor posing for multiple
shots with a photographer. We did OK.
view
larger image
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Nearly 1100 fans on
Facebook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judah S. Harris Photo Workshops has a lot of
fans on Facebook. Would love some more. See the
FB fan page for photo tips, offers, and class
info, as well as photos taken by my students
during our classes and photo tours.
Vision.
Inspiration.
Ideas.
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| Quick Links...
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| Contact...
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718.380.7945
judah@judahsharris.com
Judah S. Harris
| photography + film | Kew Gardens Hills | NY
| 11367
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