In loving memory of Harav Yitzchak Yoel ben Shlomo Halevi

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1 31 March Nissan 5778 Volume 30 No. 28 Pesach Candle-lighting for the second night of Yom Tov should not be before 8.12pm. Yom Tov ends in London on Sunday night at 8.22pm. Shabbat and Yom Tov end in Jerusalem at 7.34pm. In loving memory of Harav Yitzchak Yoel ben Shlomo Halevi The Birds' Head Haggadah, Southern Germany circa 1300 This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is hungry should come and eat, anyone who needs should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice (Pesach Haggadah). 1

2 Sidrah Summary: Pesach Days 1 & 2 First Day Torah Reading (Shemot 12:21-51) This reading is a section of parashat Bo, in which Moshe relates the laws of the Pesach offering. The blood on the door frame will indicate to God to pass over the Israelite houses and only smite the Egyptians. The tenth plague strikes Egypt at midnight, leaving no house without a death. Pharaoh searches frantically for Moshe and Aharon (Rashi) and tells them to leave. The Jews take their dough with them before it has time to rise. The Egyptians agree to let them take gold and silver items. The nation travels from Ra amses to Succot. They bake the unleavened dough and make matzot. Maftir First and Second Days (Bemidbar 28:16-25) Maftir is read from a second Sefer Torah, from the section of parashat Pinchas detailing the extra offerings brought during Pesach. First Day Haftarah The reading is taken from three different chapters of the Book of Yehoshua (Joshua). 40 years after leaving Egypt, all uncircumcised males fulfilled the mitzvah of brit milah in a place called Gilglal. The nation then brought a Pesach offering and ate matzot. The preparations for conquering Jericho then began. Second Day Torah Reading (Vayikra 22:26-23:44) An excerpt from parashat Emor, the reading begins by specifying that an animal cannot be offered in the Temple until it is at least eight days old. The mitzvah to sanctify God s Name (Kiddush Hashem) is given. The laws of Shabbat and the festivals are listed. On Pesach, which lasts seven days, we eat matzot. The first and last days are Yom Tov, on which we refrain from specific prohibited activity (melacha). On the second day of Pesach, the barley Omer offering is brought. There is a mitzvah (Sefirat HaOmer) to count 49 days from 16 Nisan (the second night of Pesach) until the night before Shavuot. The mention of Sefirat HaOmer is why this section from parashat Emor was chosen for the second day reading. On Shavuot itself, the double bread wheat offering (shtei ha lechem) is brought. Rosh Hashanah is called a day of shofar blasts. Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. On Succot we take the four species (arba a minim) and dwell in temporary booths (succot). The seven days of Succot are followed by Shemini Atzeret. On all festival days, melacha is forbidden; the punishment for doing melacha on Yom Kippur is more severe. Question: Which animal offering accompanied the barley Omer offering? (23:12) Answer on bottom of page 6. Second Day Haftarah From the Book of Kings II, the haftarah relates the righteous deeds of King Yoshiyahu (Josiah) towards the end of the First Temple period. Inspired by hearing the words of the Sefer Torah, he took major steps in eradicating the widespread idolatry that had been encouraged by his evil grandfather, King Menashe. Point to Consider: Why is this haftarah read on Pesach? United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Ilana Epstein, Michael Laitner, Sharon Radley Available also via US website United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on , or lyoung@theus.org.uk If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please rabbigross@theus.org.uk 2

3 Lavish for Others, Modest for Ourselves by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis How do we spell matzot in Hebrew? This is a question which is not as straightforward as it might appear. Fascinatingly, there are two different spellings in the Torah. Sometimes, matzot appears with a vav ( ) and sometimes without ( ). Remarkably, in one passage both spellings are featured just three verses apart. In Shemot 12:15 the Torah states: For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread ( ). Then (12:18), the Torah continues: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening [i.e. at the Seder] you shall eat unleavened bread ( ). Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (d. 1883) gave a marvellous explanation for this. The first reference to matzot is the mitzvah for them to be available for everyone to eat throughout the festival of Pesach, while the second reference is to the individual mitzvah for each one of us to eat matzah. Any one of us is entitled to decide, perhaps for practical, dietary or economic reasons, that we will moderate the amount that we will eat ourselves, hence the symbolism of the shorter form of spelling. However, we can never abrogate our responsibility to ensure maximum provision for the community as a whole, as symbolised by the longer form spelling. We learn this principle from our Patriarch, Avraham. After a decisive battle in which Avraham and his allies were victorious, the King of Sodom offered him the spoils of battle, which were rightfully his. As a man of deep principle, Avraham declined, declaring, I refuse to take even a thread or a shoelace or anything that is yours, lest you claim that you made me rich. However, he went on to insist that those with him would still receive the spoils due to them, Aner, Eshkol and Mamre let them take their portions (Bereishit 14:23-24). For his own reasons, Avraham opted out of the spoils of battle, but he demanded that others around him would receive their dues. In similar vein, we might choose to experience Pesach with the most lavish of celebrations or opt for a more modest festive experience. Regardless, we must never forget our responsibility to provide for the rest of the community. In that sense, Pesach stands as a lesson for the whole year. Our uncompromising generosity should be an ongoing feature of Jewish life to benefit those who need practical, emotional and financial support. What is kosher for Pesach, needs to be kosher all year round. In memory of Chaya Rachel bat Moshe Ben-tzion 3

4 Tzafun Why do we Hide? by Rabbi Baruch Davis, Chigwell & Hainault United Synagogue; Editor-in-Chief of Daf Hashavua The focus on children at many of our Seder Nights begins with their recital of Kadesh Urechatz, the song of the 15 stages of the Seder. Some of these words, such as Matzah and Maror, are very familiar to us, others less so. Tzafun (hidden) is one of those less familiar. Coming between Shulchan Oreich (the Meal) and Barech (Grace After Meals), it refers to the hiding of the larger piece of matzah, the Afikoman, broken off from the middle matzah at the start of the Seder. Searching for the Afikoman keeps our children alert and involved in the events of the Seder. As we shall see, however, there is another reason why we hide this matzah. First, let s understand what the Afikoman stands for. One view is that it represents the Pascal lamb which was consumed at the end of the Seder meal in Temple times (Rabeinu Asher d. 1328). Another view is that it represents the matzah that was eaten with the Pascal lamb (Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir d. 1158). Either way, we are not permitted to eat anything after we have eaten the Afikoman. This allows the taste of the matzah to linger in our mouths, which extends the sensory associations of the evening slavery and redemption. Why do we hide the Afikoman? I once heard that the two pieces of matzah broken early in the Seder are like two pieces of a puzzle. We have a story to tell, to piece together. We know some of it, but there is always more to uncover. As we progress through the Seder, we put pieces of the puzzle together and emerge with greater knowledge and understanding of the Pesach story. Thus, the hidden becomes revealed. matzah symbolises our future redemption, which will be even greater than the Exodus from Egypt, but, for now, is hidden from us. God not only saved us from Egypt. He has rescued us many times since and will ultimately bring Mashiach (the Messiah), announced by Eliyahu the prophet. This is why we open the door to welcome him. And this is why we save most of Hallel until after the meal, since it talks about our final redemption. This is also the theme of several of the songs in the second half of the Seder, such as Chasal Siddur Pesach, Leshana Haba a and Adir Hu. By not eating after the Afikoman and allowing its taste to linger, we are carrying with us into the future the taste of freedom from Egypt to become God s people. We end the Seder with the song Chad Gadya, a rhyme with numerous interpretations, one of which speaks to this central theme. Many empires (symbolised by the cat, the dog, and so on) attacked the Jewish people, but they are gone and we (the goat) have endured*. Our final redemption awaits us. Exactly how and when is tzafun, hidden from us, but God has promised that it will happen, just as He promised he would redeem us from Egypt. *For further details and other explanations on Chad Gadya see the Rabbi Sacks Haggadah. On a deeper level, the Sefat Emet (Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter d. 1905) suggests that the smaller part of the broken matzah symbolises the entire story of the Exodus. The larger, hidden In memory of Yisrael Shmuel ben Yirmaya Yehoshuah 4

5 Surviving and Prospering by Rabbi Chaim Gross, Editor of Daf Hashavua On Pesach, our Kiddush and our prayers include the phrase mikra kodesh, zecher l yitsiat mitsrayim meaning a holy assembly, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. These words make obvious sense when said on Pesach. In seven weeks time, on Shavuot, we will say the same words; we can also understand the importance of remembering Pesach on Shavuot, as the Sages tell us that leaving Egypt was the beginning of the journey to receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Yet on Succot, six months later, we will also say that it is a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. However, the link will be harder to make how is Succot linked to Pesach? So too when we will say these words on Rosh Hashanah, we may ask ourselves what the Day of Judgement has to do with the fact we left Egypt. On Yom Kippur, this phrase will again be mentioned in our prayers, yet how is the Day of Atonement linked to the Exodus? On June , Jean François Gravelet, better known as Charles Blondin, became the first man to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Watched by 25,000 people, holding a long balancing pole, he took 23 minutes to make the 350m journey, with the unforgiving waters 50 metres below him. This was the first but not the last of his crossings. On one subsequent occasion, he made the journey with his manager on his back; on another occasion he crossed the Falls blindfolded. Yet sadly not everyone who tried to cross Niagara Falls was successful. In 1886, Stephen Peer, a resident of Ontario, attempted a night-time crossing, failed, and fell to his death. If we ask ourselves the question, what secured Blondin s greatness?, the answer is crossing Niagara Falls. Yet that very same thing was the cause of Peer s tragic end. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe (d. 2005) explains what happened at midnight on 15 Nissan in Egypt in a similar vein. The Egyptian firstborn, as their family representatives, epitomised all that was corrupt about Egyptian society and were worthy of the ultimate punishment. Yet how exactly did they die? The Haggadah quotes the verse (Devarim 26:5) which refers to the great awe (morah gadol) of that night. The Haggadah says this great awe was the revelation of God s Presence (shechinah). Rabbi Wolbe understands that this awesome revelation itself killed the Egyptian firstborn. The Israelites, albeit lacking any great merits of their own, survived this revelation of the shechinah. That itself elevated the nation forevermore. They could survive God s Presence, even in such an intense form. What was the downfall of the Egyptians was the making of the Israelites. This explains why we mention that every festival is a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. Only a nation that had been able to coexist with the shechinah could receive the Torah at Sinai and could renew that commitment every year. Only such a people can brave the elements to dwell in succot, face up to the strict judgement of Rosh Hashanah and gain atonement on Yom Kippur. The great events of the night of the Exodus paved the way for the annual cycle of Jewish life to this day. Engraving of Blondin crossing a tightrope over the Niagara River while piggy-backing his manager. circa 1883 In memory of Yehuda ben Yaakov HaCohen 5

6 Spending a Year in Yeshiva or Seminary: An Introduction by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, United Synagogue Israel Rabbi Every year, hundreds of young British Jews board aeroplanes for a year or more of Torah learning in a yeshiva or seminary in Israel. Tribe Israel offers support to these students, with welcome events, a giant Shabbaton, regular visits and support. As Yom Haatzmaut approaches, this series will focus on these important institutions that the State of Israel hosts. We will share a taste of some of the different types of yeshivot and seminaries which are popular among young British Jews. There is a vast array of alternatives. Our students choose from yeshivot which also host Israeli students who divide their time between study and military service, to institutions specially tailored to the needs of students from abroad. There are seminaries where women supplement their studies with art and music, as well as classic Lithuanian yeshivot where every waking hour of the day is devoted to Talmud study. Whereas once, the stereotypical yeshiva was not so state-of-the-art, today many students are housed in modern campuses where they are well fed and comfortable. They are also taken on trips across Israel to see the sites where the Biblical and Talmudic stories took place. keep kosher, Shabbat or other mitzvot, they will not stumble for an answer. More importantly, students have an opportunity to become clear in their own minds about their faith, why they keep it and why they should pass it on to another generation. Yeshiva and seminary students often return to England with an infectious love of Judaism which they can pass on to our communities, sometimes formally as youth leaders and campus ambassadors. Some even go on to full-time careers as Rabbis and educators. For the United Synagogue, the journey that these gap year students take is no small thing. Our young people grow up in a very open society with a broad secular education and a dazzling array of opportunities. Tradition for tradition's sake was once enough to ensure that people perpetuated family traditions. This is seldom the case today. If we want our faith and traditions to continue, then our youth must imbibe a rich appreciation for their heritage, a well-informed love of Judaism and a deep connection with the State of Israel. This is richly provided by a year in a seminary or yeshiva. Yeshivot and seminaries are built around the mitzvah of Torah study and the rich spiritual worlds that it opens up. So what specifically do our yeshiva and seminary students gain during their year of immersion in Torah studies? Students who spend a year or two in yeshiva or seminary acquire the ability to read, understand, analyse and enjoy the literature of the Jewish people the foundation of our faith. They also study the meaning of our prayers, and learn about the overall philosophy of Judaism. If they will be asked by non-jewish friends why observant Jews Answer: an unblemished lamb in its first year In memory of Yaacov ben Shmuel 6

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