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Half a Matzah
Rabbi Yosef Rice packs handmade matzah into 425 Passover packages at the Palm Beach Synagogue Tuesday March 23, 2021 in Palm Beach. MEGHAN McCARTHY/Palm Beach Daily NewsPbn 032321 Passover 07
JNS.org – Passover is around the corner, and I will be so presumptuous as to suggest that you may have opened your favorite Haggadah to have a look and start preparing for the big seder night.
Seder means “order.” And one of the items in the order of the seder agenda is yachatz. Well, what is yachatz?
It’s one of the first things we do on seder night, even before anyone says the “Ma Nishtanah.” We break the middle matzah of the three matzahs on our seder plates. The larger part is put away for the afikomen and the smaller part remains inside the seder plate throughout the recital of the Haggadah, until we say the blessing of “Hamotzi.”
This is true lechem oni, the bread of poverty. Not only is it matzah; it is plain flour and water with no flavoring whatsoever—just a flat, tasteless wafer but broken as well. Back in Egypt, the slaves were fed the simplest, cheapest food. Bread of affliction, prisoners’ bread, what the most miserable pauper might be able to afford, a mere morsel rather than a proper meal. And now that it’s been broken, it is a morsel of a morsel.
It’s bad enough that the Jews were forced to eat a matzah, but now they are eating a broken matzah.
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin has pointed out that, seeing as the custom is to show the broken matzah during the recital of the Haggadah, and therefore, we say all of maggid, virtually the entire Haggadah, over half a matzah. And he makes a very powerful conclusion.
The whole Haggadah over half a matzah. And isn’t life just like that?
There is always something eluding us. For some, it may be health, for others wealth or success, nachas or happiness in general. Somehow, as much as we achieve in life, there is always something more that we want that keeps slipping out of our grasp.
Isn’t it so true … our whole life is but half a matzah.
Our Sages taught, “No person dies having achieved even half of his ambitions and desires.”
“Really?” you may say. Aren’t there many individuals who have achieved everything they set out to achieve? I know a couple of guys who seem to fit the description of “the man who has everything.” Just have a look at the Forbes list of billionaires.
The answer is yes, there are such people. The problem is that as soon as they achieve one ambition, they have broader horizons, and new and bigger ambitions. With each success, our ambitions develop further.
Elon Musk is currently the world’s richest man. He’s made enough money to look after his great-, great-, great-grandchildren and their great-grandchildren, too! So, he needed a new challenge. Now his challenge is to balance the United States’ budget. (That may be harder than becoming the world’s richest man!)
The rabbis put it simply.“If a man has $100, he wants $200. And if he gets $200, he then wants $400.” And so it goes on and on.
Take the lottery. When we are in the fantasy stage of winning, we are prepared to give a big percentage of our winnings away to charity, and family and friends. “Master of the Universe, if you help me buy the winning ticket, I promise to give 20% to tzedakah. I will renovate the synagogue, refurbish the seats—just tell me and I’ll get it done. But once you do win (you should be so lucky!), and it is no longer make-believe Monopoly money but cash in your pocket. And suddenly, it’s not that easy to give away.
Take the story of Harry, the guy who won $50 million. His family heard about the win before he did, and they were worried he might have a heart attack when he heard the news. So, they called his doctor to come and give him the good news. This way, if Harry went into shock or had a coronary, the doctor would be there with a remedy on the spot to administer an antidote.
In comes the doctor and says, “Harry, my friend, what would you say if I told you that you just won the state lottery? 50 million smackers?” And Harry replies, “Doc, you’ve been so good to me all these years. If I won the lottery, I would give you half!”
And the doctor dropped dead of a heart attack!
It’s easy to give it away when you don’t have it. But when you do have it, it’s not so easy. When it’s yours, you don’t give half away so quickly.
The truth is that we do go through life with only half a matzah; we never seem to get to the full one. While many of our dreams and aspirations do materialize to one extent or another, there is always something that remains frustratingly, mysteriously, almost hauntingly elusive.
But let me ask you. Just because we can’t have it all, do we desist from acquiring as much as we can? Do we say it’s either all or nothing? Or do we settle for as much as we can acquire? Do we turn down a deal that will make us a profit, even if it doesn’t make us instant millionaires?
The Kotzker Rebbe was renowned for his sharp wit and wisdom. He once asked his disciples, “What is the enemy of good?” One said that the enemy of good is bad. Another suggested that it must be evil. But the Rebbe said “wrong” to all their answers.
“Do you really want to know what the enemy of good is? I will tell you,” he said. “The enemy of good is excellence.” The Kotzker Rebbe explained that many people strive for excellence, but because they cannot achieve excellence, they stop trying altogether.
How many of us never achieved success in any given field of endeavor because it just wasn’t right, the conditions were not suitable or because “if I can’t do it right, I’d rather not do it at all.” So, what happened? Nothing. While we were waiting for the perfect opportunity, every other opportunity passed us by, and we were left with nothing.
“All or nothing” sounds very idealistic and principled. But it is not practical. When we say “All or nothing,” we usually wind up with nothing.
The seder reminds us that if the whole Haggadah can be recited over a broken matzah, then there is nothing wrong with half a matzah. If “half a loaf is better than no loaf,” then half a matzah is better than no matzah.
Yes, says the Kotzker, the greatest enemy of good is not evil, but excellence. And the unrealistic demand for perfection … or nothing.
So, take half a matzah. Take the broken morsel. It doesn’t have to be the end, the ultimate. But it can be a beginning and a good beginning.
Say kiddush. Put on tefillin. Light the Shabbat candles. Come to the shiur (a class on Jewish learning), even if you won’t become a rabbi. Do the deal, even if it isn’t the mother of all deals. And get married, even if he or she isn’t the fulfillment of every single fantasy. Don’t make the mistake of saying “All or nothing.” You don’t have to settle for second best; just start somewhere, even if it is only a morsel of a morsel.
Yes, we recite the whole Haggadah on half a matzah. And we can live our whole life on half a matzah. And it can still be very satisfying indeed.
I wish you Passover seders that satisfy, physically and spiritually. Chag Kasher v’Sameach!
The post Half a Matzah first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jewish ‘Catfish’ Host, Producer Nev Schulman Runs Jerusalem Marathon in Support of Visually Impaired Athletes
Nev Schulman arrives for the New York premiere of “Poor Things” at DGA New York Theater in New York, New York, on Dec. 6, 2023. Photo: Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Jewish American television host and producer Nev Schulman competed in the 14th International Jerusalem Winner Marathon on Friday.
Schulman, who hosts the MTV series “Catfish” and was the runner up in season 29 of “Dancing With the Stars,” ran in support of the Israeli organization Eye Contact, which provides runners who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to train and compete in races with the assistance of sighted guides. Schulman’s wife, Laura Perlongo, also competed in the marathon, which has a route that passes through historical sites in Jerusalem. Schulman, 40, shared a video from the race on Instagram and wrote in the caption that it was “amazing” to run through “5,000 years of history” in the Israeli city.
Schulman has previously competed in several marathons around the US – including in Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami – and has served as a sighted guide for disabled runners.
A total of 42,000 people – more than ever before – ran in the International Jerusalem Winner Marathon on Friday morning, organizers said. This year’s race was themed “Am Israel Run,” which is a nod to the phrase “Am Israel Chai” (Long Live Israel). The winner was 39-year-old Bogdan Simanovich from Ukraine with a time of 2:22:47. Second place went to Luai Malaka, 27, with a time of 2:23:05, while 31-year-old Yona Amitiai came in third with a time of 2:23:18.
Born into a Jewish family in New York, Schulman has shared photos and videos on social media in the past about his faith and efforts to keep Jewish traditions alive with his wife and three children. In December 2024, he posted on Instagram a video of his family singing the Hebrew prayer for lighting a menorah in honor of Hanukkah.
Last month, Schulman spoke at the UJA Generosity Gala, an annual event for young Jewish leaders that is organized by the UJA-Federation of New York, about experiencing fear in being Jewish at a time of rising antisemitism.
“I think, like a lot of other Jews, I’m afraid. It’s a scary time to be Jewish, especially in the public eye,” he said. “[But] I come to this event, and I’m reminded how strong the Jewish community is. It’s been a tough year to be Jewish, [but] nights like this are a perfect opportunity to come together as a community and remind ourselves that we don’t need to be afraid. We can be together, and we can be strong and brave.”
Schulman’s father and grandfather were both volunteers for the UJA Federation. He said his family is “a long-term, proud member of the New York Jewish community.”
The post Jewish ‘Catfish’ Host, Producer Nev Schulman Runs Jerusalem Marathon in Support of Visually Impaired Athletes first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Amazon’s Prime Video Streams Oct. 7 Documentary Featuring Real-Time Footage From Nova Music Festival Attack
Partygoers at the Supernova Psy-Trance Festival who filmed the events that unfolded on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo: Yes Studios
Israel’s yes Studios announced on Monday that its gripping documentary featuring self-shot and mostly exclusive real-time footage to chronicle the Hamas terrorist attack at the Supernova electronic music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, is now streaming globally on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Titled “#NOVA,” the documentary is entirely comprised of video and audio footage filmed by festival attendees themselves, for example on their cellphones, that detail minute-by-minute how the deadly massacre unfolded. Hamas terrorists infiltrated the music festival in southern Israel, murdering more than 350 people and kidnapping 44 others. Fourteen of the hostages have since returned home to Israel alive while 17 were killed in captivity.
Among the 251 total hostages abducted from Israel by Hamas terrorists during their deadly Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel, 59 are still being held in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Monday marks 18 months since the attack.
“‘#NOVA’ is one of our most talked-about and controversial films, and always attracted a huge amount of interest when we held exclusive screenings at selected international venues,” Sharon Levi, managing director of yes Studios, said in a released statement on Monday. “We are therefore honored that this extraordinary documentary has just arrived on Prime Video, making it readily available to meet the significant ongoing global demand that we know still exists.”
“We may be exactly 18 months on from this terrible day, but with 59 hostages still being held and the images from the Oct. 7 attacks still etched on our collective memories, #NOVA remains an important, unique and must-see film,” Levi added. “Not only does it document the brutal start of the war, but it also captures different viewpoints without a conventional news agenda or, indeed, any narrative filters. Instead, the self-shot, real-time footage presents a truly authentic account of what happened.”
“#NOVA” was produced by Kastina Communications for yes Docu, with Dan Pe’er directing. Yes Studios is the documentary’s international distributor.
Pe’er volunteered to help survivors immediately following the Oct. 7 attack at the music festival, which was held in Re’im, Israel, close to Israel’s border with Gaza. The event was attended by more than 3,500 people. Pe’er collected videos and audio clips from festival survivors related to the attack and arranged the footage chronologically before approaching Kastina Communications to create “#NOVA.”
The documentary aired in Israel in December 2023 on yes TV. Guy Lavie, vice president of documentaries at yes TV, previously explained that “#NOVA” features “solely real-time footage, much of it exclusive — and with no testimonials nor commentaries,” capturing “the genuine emotions and horror endured by thousands of music lovers, their families, and indeed our whole nation.”
The post Amazon’s Prime Video Streams Oct. 7 Documentary Featuring Real-Time Footage From Nova Music Festival Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Academic Freedom to Support Hamas at the London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science. Photo: Wiki Commons.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is rated as one of the best universities in the UK and globally — and the school often extols its academic mission and motto: rerum cognoscere causas (“to know the causes of things”).
It is curious, then, that the LSE does not feel obliged, let alone willing, to share the knowledge presumably obtained at a book event it hosted about Hamas.
Readers may not be aware that the LSE recently hosted a discussion with an author about her book Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters. The discussion quickly attracted criticism and censure when it was announced.
First, LSE’s webpage for the event carried the blurb of the publisher, OR Books. The blurb claims that “the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subject to intense vilification. Branding it as ‘terrorist’ or worse, this demonization intensified after the events in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023.”
It is difficult — and incredibly radical – to sustain the idea that Hamas has been demonized.
Of course, this is no surprise for OR Books, which features a book called Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn, no fewer than six books by David Finkelstein, and — what else — a “Free Palestine Reading List.”
But the LSE has a reputation to maintain. Thus, following criticism, the LSE replaced the event’s description. Unfortunately, their promotional text remains problematic in other ways: it claims that the book set out Hamas’ “transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies to a stance that differentiates between Judaism and Zionism.”
Efforts by Hamas members to slay the “Yehudis” surely refute this.
As the event neared, protests and counterprotests arose. The LSE was determined that the event go ahead, because “free speech underpins everything we do.” What is more, “Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world.”
However, perhaps anxious about security and reputational implications, the LSE decided that this “public” event would only be available to LSE staff and students. Indeed, there would not even be a livestream of the event. To date, the LSE has not put up a video of the event. So much for visitors being invited to “discuss and debate the most pressing issues.”
The LSE has somehow arrived at the worst possible decision. On the one hand, it chose to go ahead with hosting an event that could, on one reading of UK terrorism legislation, have allowed its speakers to commit the offense of inviting support for a terrorist organization. That the book was co-written by a Quaker who saw fit to promote the book on the “Nonviolence International” YouTube channel is certainly ironic, but this does not erase the fact that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK.
On the other hand, this is not a victory for academic freedom. The Jewish Chronicle, while criticizing the event, said that freedom of speech was fundamental for universities, and thus the LSE should proceed with the event (if only to reap the whirlwind later by losing out on state funding). Yet even here, the LSE has failed. By keeping the event closed only to LSE students and staff, and by refusing to put up a video of the event, the LSE is deliberately not sharing whatever was said at the event.
If, as The Jewish Chronicle remarked, light is the best disinfectant to bad ideas, then that cannot happen here — where everything that was said remains in the dark, away from public scrutiny. Again, the LSE said this was an opportunity for visitors to come and share in the process of debate. But the LSE instead kept it a closed debate, never to be televised. The LSE locked the door and has thrown away the key.
While we do not yet know the consequences of their decision — whether other talks supportive of Hamas will now be hosted, or if Jewish students will be at further risk of harm on university campuses — we can point to the LSE’s decision as having played a part. To quote their motto, we will “know the causes of things.”
Asher Abramson is a lawyer based in Edinburgh, UK. He is a BA International History graduate of the London School of Economics.
The post Academic Freedom to Support Hamas at the London School of Economics first appeared on Algemeiner.com.