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Hurricane Jeanne Tests the Faith of Jews in Florida

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posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 02:26 PM
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Beginning at sun down today, Jews all over the world will begin to celebrate their most holiest of holidays Yom Kippur. During this time, they do not use technology, ie. listen to radios, watch tv, make phone calls, drive cars, etc. Now normally this isn't a problem but with Hurricane Jeanne threatening Florida and critical monitoring of the storm's track being required by all, a dilemma has arisen for those of the Jewish faith.

The City of Miami is so concerned that Jewish residents may not be aware of impending danger that they contacted local rabbis and currently have them addressing the Jewish population in Florida to let them know that their safety and lives are more important than following the customs of the holiday. Rabbis are advising their followers to listen to the radio, watch tv and monitor the storm. They are suggesting that those of the Jewish faith complete all hurricane preparations by sun down today, but if unable to complete it and work must be done tomorrow that they "think" God would not be offended.

In all the craziness going on surrounding hurricane preps, I found this story to be rather interesting. I do hope that those faithful Jews will think of themselves and families first vs religious customs.

oops I forgot the link



If storm threatens during holiday, Jews are allowed to evacuate
Above all, life is sacred to Jews, so if a killer hurricane threatens during Yom Kippur, many rabbis in mandatory-evacuation zones will counsel their flocks to flee.

Short of a ''killer'' storm, however, services for the solemn Jewish holiday, which begins today at sundown, will go on as planned, calls to South Florida synagogues indicate.

''For Frances, there was a mandatory evacuation and all of Miami Beach was told to leave, but I know maybe one person who left,'' said Rabbi Neal Turk of the Orthodox Beth Israel Congregation.

''But if there is a serious hurricane that could hit us head-on, I'd tell people to get into their cars during Yom Kippur and drive off the beach, because any threat to life takes precedence'' over ritual.

Just as Jewish law not only permits but mandates eating on a fasting day such as Yom Kippur under doctor's orders, he said a serious storm also would be a ``clear-cut situation.''

At a press conference with Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas on Thursday night, Rabbi Solomon Schiff, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami, said safety is paramount, despite religious obligations


[edit on 9-24-2004 by worldwatcher]



posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 02:29 PM
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As such things obviously didn't exist at the time the Torah was written, anyone know the origin of this custom???



posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 02:35 PM
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haven't a clue about the origins but I was under the impression that most Jewish holidays required fasting and abstinence from anything technology related.

I thought they also followed these same rules for the sabbath (every saturday)



posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 02:38 PM
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Yes, but what would have been considered "technological" in the years BC??? A butter churner?



posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 02:45 PM
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ok, the holiday that starts at sundown tonight is a day of atonement. Every religion has an atonement holiday. Ours, unlike most other religion, involves fasting for a day. some people simply fast, others take a more orthodox approach and forgo spending money, using technology etc. Personally, I live on the 16th floor of my building and I ain't doing the walking so I fast and that's about it. tv is allowed in my household but no work (I'm very busy this time of year).

Sabbath is also a no electric day for more orthodox followers. Begins Friday at sundown and ends saturday night at sundown.

This year Yom Kippur lands on the sabbath so you get a nice mix of both.



posted on Sep, 24 2004 @ 04:45 PM
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Hi there Gazrok:

Apparently in cases of life and death (in extremis) post Exilic Judaeism allowed some leeway with Holy Days, Fast days and Sabbaths (cf: the story of Iesous and his starving band of disciples gleaning a stubblefield on the Sabbath i.e. takling the remants left on the stalks for the poor), although R. Shammai and R. Hillel had some differing opinions (oh, very well... screaming matches!) on what exactly constituted "in extremis".

Here is what the later Mediaeval Rebbes had to say on this subject (ref: Pashash Ki Sisa, On the Desecration of the Holy to Save a Life):

"The holiness of a Nefesh [soul of a] Yisroel is greater than the holiness of the Sabbath...The lesser (Sabbath) is pushed aside for the sake of the greater (a nefesh Yisroel)."

(cf: the words of R. Yehoshua bar Yosef the Gaililean ( "Iesous")

"And he said to the Pharisim: Were sons of men made for the Sabbath or was the Sabbath made for the sons of men? And they said to him, The sabbath was made for the sons of men. And he said to them, Cannot you see therefore that the sons of men are then made lords over the Sabbath?)

John's Gospel (John 7:23) contains an interesting Logion ref circumcision and healing of a sick body on the Sabbath which Moses apparently allowed, even though it meant the Mo'el using a knife to cut flesh (and therefore constituted "work").

= roughly: "If Moses allowed a man to remove a flap of skin on the Sabbath, how much more would he have allowed the restoring of an entire human body!"

In the Talmud, Ohr HaChaim discusses the problem of breaking a Holy Day Fast etc. in order "to save a life of an Israelite"

�[But] My Sabbaths�: when a person�s life is at stake, do what must be done to save that life, even if it will involve desecrating the Sabbath.

This applies to all days that are called �Sabbath��all the Sabbaths: including Sabbath, Yom Kippur [the Day of Atonement] and all holidays.

According to the Ohr HaChaim, the "passuk" also contains two explanations as to why the Sabbath is pushed aside in order to save a life.

�[But] My Sabbaths . . . We must sometkimes desecrate a Sabbath in order to (by keeping this person alive) allow for the observance of many, many Sabbaths in the future. "

Thus it is not considered desecration but rather, in such a life-threatening situation, �breaking� the Sabbath would be considered "proper observance"

"In the case of saving a life it�s not a sin but rather a Mitzvah [commandment]. This interpretation of the law, that the Sabbath may be broken in order to save a life, enables us �to know that I am Hashem and I have sanctified you.�

Clear as Mud?



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