tuluum's Diaryland Diary

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Ol' Man River .. he just keeps rolling along..

Don't feel much like writing right now. I feel torn in a million pieces and just hurt. I cried earlier, something I don't do often. The heaviness on my chest seems to be easing a bit. Talking to Lynn helps a lot.

Anyways... I'm listening to a CD of original recordings of tracks from the early movie musicals of the late 1920s to early 19303s. I love "42nd St", hell I love that whole era musically.

I finished cooking for Shabbat and I'm gonna get dressed shortly.. I made...

From aish.com

SHABBAT IN SPACE

________________

From: Judy in LA

Dear Rabbi,

I imagine that being an astronaut is very taxing (I mean on the

astronaut's efforts, not just the taxpayers' money). I recently saw a

beautiful IMAX production on the Space Shuttle. But I imagine the

cramped quarters, physical stress and the psychological fears of being

in a seeming endless "space" must be difficult on the astronauts. My

question: Would a Jew also be obligated to observe Jewish laws in

space, such as keeping Shabbat, eating kosher and praying at the

correct times?

Dear Judy,

Colonel Ilan Ramon is scheduled to become the first Israeli, and the

third Jew, scheduled to leave Earth's atmosphere as part of the NASA

crew on the next shuttle in January 2003. He has requested kosher food

and NASA has agreed to provide. I wonder the other astronauts will

react to him biting into lox and cream cheese on a garlic bagel?

Regarding Shabbat, NASA can't do much to help the Jewish astronaut,

besides giving him Shabbat off, if doing so would not endanger life. I

hope lift-off does not need to take place on Shabbat. The big question

is how to count days and know when it's Shabbat. Since the shuttle

orbits the earth every 90 minutes, each orbit would seem to constitute

a day for the shuttler, since because the sun has risen and set during

that time from his perspective. But perhaps Shabbat should be

calculated in a different manner.

This question has been theoretical for some time, but now it's a

7,6,5...countdown to Shabbat, and the answer doesn't seem to appear in

the Code of Jewish Law. So what else would a Jew do in such a case but

Ask the Rabbi!

I read yesterday that the astronaut has found a spiritual mentor in

Cape Canaveral where most of the training has taken place and is the

site of the planned lift-off. The astronaut views himself as

"representing all Jews and all Israelis" as he describes his mission,

and has asked questions about kashrut and Shabbat observance with

apparent intent to observe the law. There is an overriding principle in

Jewish law that saving life would require not observe Shabbat, but the

assumption is the colonel will not be involved in life-saving

activities non-stop.

A scholar reportedly consulted is a Jerusalem rabbi renowned in

"Science and Halacha (Jewish law)." This rabbi is said to have ruled

that the colonel should be relieved of his obligation to observe

Shabbat because he will not be experiencing Earth time.

However, the consensus of opinions received so far is that he should

keep Shabbat according to his last place of residence on Earth, Cape

Canaveral. There is a precedent for this the ruling of basing his

Shabbat observance on his previous geographical location. A Chassidic

Rebbe travelled one summer to Leningrad. At that time of year there was

no visible sunset in Leningrad. The Rebbe kept Shabbat according to the

times for Shabbat in Petersburg, his previous city.

The colonel is planning to recite the Friday night kiddush over a

closed bottle of wine, with a straw inserted, since the zero-gravity

environment would allow the wine to spill in all directions from an

open goblet.

It how often been said that keeping Shabbat is an experience

"out-of-this-world" - in this case lierally! He is also planning on

reciting the traditional traveller's prayer (tefillat haderech), and

our prayers join his that G-d allow him a safe, successful and

glatt-kosher trip.

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EASE MY HEART WITH CLIX

Current Clix Ranking: 30 | Previous Clix Ranking: 31

6:10 p.m. - Friday, Jan. 17, 2003

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