“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Achrei Mos
28 Nissan 5782/April 29, 2022
Mevorchim Chodesh Nissan – Avos perek 1-
13th day of Omer
לזכר נשמת חו"מ נטע
יצחק בן אלכסנדר
PERENNIAL
SUNSHINE
It’s ingrained in our psyche - fallback and spring
forward. (Or is it fall forward and spring back?) Whatever it is, we have
become accustomed to changing the time on our clocks twice a year. Though each
time we change we can’t seem to figure out if we’re gaining or losing sleep,
but somehow, we figure it out. But all that may soon be a thing of the past.
Daylight saving time has been in place in most of the
United States since the 1960s. Year-round daylight savings time was actually
adopted during World War Two and again in 1973 to reduce energy use because of
an oil embargo. Currently there is a major push to change to daylight savings
time permanently.
Supporters say the change could prevent a slight uptick
in car crashes that typically occurs around the time changes as well as the
small increase in the rate of heart attacks and strokes soon after the time
changes.
The U.S. Senate has already unanimously voted to pass
legislation, called the Sunshine Protection Act, to make daylight saving time
permanent starting in 2023.
It remains to be seen if the bill will pass a vote in the
House.
Dissenters of the bill note that, if passed, during the
dead of winter children will go to school each morning in utter darkness. For
frum Jews there is a much more significant concern because the earliest time
for shachris may be well after 8 am. Having to daven so late will complicate
things for the masses who need to be at work by 9 am or earlier, as well as for
our yeshivos.
Despite that, in recent weeks I was personally hoping
that the bill to make daylight savings time a permanent fixture passes. My hope
was based on the fact that the dial on my watch to change the time has fallen
out, and I cannot adjust the time. Instead of having it fixed it would be much
easier if time always remained as it is now.
But then I was informed that even if the bill is passed
it won’t go into effect for another two years anyhow, to give time for airlines
and other such businesses to adjust their schedules. Being that I will anyway
have to get my watch fixed within the next 6 months I’m back on board with
prioritizing the needs of the Jewish people trying to adhere to halacha and
hoping the bill does not pass.
The reality is that times changes and we must be ready to
adapt to them. In Ma’ariv each night we note that “with understanding He
changes the times and alternates the seasons.” Life isn’t smooth and predictable,
and we have to live with some measure of unknown. But despite any changes or
adaptations that are necessary, we seek ways to ensure that they fit within
halacha, and never vice versa.
The Torah states that sefiras haOmer, our annual 49-day
count from Pesach until Shavuos, begins “from the day after Shabbos”. Chazal
explain that in this pasuk Shabbos does not refer to the seventh day of the
week but the first day of Pesach. Why is the first day of pesach called
Shabbos?
Meshech Chochma explains that the Torah obligation to
actively destroy chometz in one’s possession before Pesach is called “tashbisu”,
the same root as the word shabbos (literally meaning to stop/desist).
The first day of Pesach is Shabbos in the sense that we
stop our yearlong habit of enjoying chometz and completely alter our diet for a
week. Challenging and arduous as it is, we fulfill the Torah mandate of not
eating chometz during Pesach.
After we demonstrate our ability to make a significant
change in our lives in adherence to the Torah’s directive, we begin our
spiritual trek towards Kabbolas HaTorah.
The seasons don’t change. Based on the position of the
sun they have faithfully followed natural law since creation. There will always
be the same number of limited hours of daylight in the winter and added hours
of daylight in the summer. The only thing that changes is how we count the
hours and what time the hours of daylight begin and end.
Our adherence to Torah is also immutable and eternal. We
have no idea what tomorrow will bring and the only surety we have is of the
unpredictability of what lies ahead. But we can be sure that no matter what is
going on, the daily daf, halacha, mishna, and other Torah study will be
learned. Candles will be lit by women the world over on Friday afternoon,
mitzvos will be observed and chesed will be performed. Those commodities,
though based on time, are timeless. As history has shown us, of that we can be
sure.
Shabbat
Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum