7 April 2018 22 Nissan 5778 Yom Tov & Shabbat ends in London 8.32pm Shabbat ends in Jerusalem 7.39pm Volume 30 No. 29 Pesach Eighth Day In loving memory of Malka bat Peretz 1
Sidrah Summary: Pesach Eighth Day 1st Aliya (Kohen) Devarim 14:22-29 There is a mitzvah to tithe produce grown in the Land of Israel, including ma aser sheni, the second tithe, which is taken to Jerusalem to eat. However, one who is unable to carry the produce can redeem its value and, having added an extra fifth, take the money to Jerusalem, to purchase and consume food there. Point to Consider: What is meant by the instruction not to forsake the Levite? (see Rashi to 14:27) 2nd Aliya (Levi) 15:1-18 Every seventh year is shemita, whose agricultural laws are detailed in parashat Behar (Vayikra 25:1-24). Existing loans are cancelled, yet the Torah warns against withholding a loan from a pauper before the shemita year, out of fear that it will not be paid back in time. A Jewish servant works for six years, after which he can go free. When he leaves, his master must give him significant farewell gifts. Question: Which particular farewell gifts are mentioned? (15:14) Answer on bottom of page 6. 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) 15:19-23 One is not allowed to work a first born male animal from the flock or herd; rather it must be brought as an offering and its meat consumed by its owner. 4th Aliya (Revi i) 16:1-3 The nation is to celebrate Pesach in the spring month. The Pesach offering should be brought on 14 Nissan and we are to eat matzot to recall the haste with which we left Egypt. 5th Aliya (Chamishi) 16:4-8 One is not allowed to own chametz on Pesach. The Pesach offering can only be offered in the Beit Hamikdash (Temple), not elsewhere. It should be roasted and eaten on the night of 15 Nissan. 6th Aliya (Shishi) 16:9-12 Shavuot comes after the seven-week counting of the Omer. One should enjoy the festival together with one s family and servants. 7th Aliya (Shevi i) 16:13-17 Succot is celebrated at the time of year when crops are gathered in from the threshing floors and the vineyards. On each of these three festivals, one has to bring special festive offerings to the Temple. Maftir (Bemidbar 28:19-25) Maftir is read from a second Sefer Torah, from the section of parashat Pinchas detailing the extra offerings brought during Pesach. Haftarah The prophet Yeshaya paints a moving picture of the future redemption, in which justice and righteousness will prevail. Even the animals will be at peace with one another a wolf will dwell with a sheep and a leopard will lie down with a kid. The tribes of Yehuda and Ephraim, previously enemies, will unite for the messianic cause. Israel will declare God s Name to the nations of the world and sing His praises. 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 email US website www.theus.org.uk United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on 020 8343 5653, or lyoung@theus.org.uk If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk 2
Sefirat HaOmer by Rabbi Daniel Roselaar, Alei Tzion United Synagogue The mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer (Counting the Omer) began on the second evening of Pesach and continues until the festival of Shavuot 50 days later. The Torah states that seven complete weeks must be counted (Vayikra 23:15). According to some halachic authorities, this means that if one misses counting any of the days of the Omer period, the mitzvah has been disqualified and one cannot carry on counting the subsequent days. This view finds expression in the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law written 1563) that although such a person should count on the subsequent days, they should not recite the beracha (blessing) on the mitzvah in case the counting has been invalidated by the omission. The requirement to count every day of the seven weeks of the Omer raises several interesting halachic conundrums. One such conundrum relates to someone who becomes barmitzvah/ batmitzvah during the Omer period. Even though they may have counted the days prior to their birthday, since they were not absolutely mandated to do so, there is a debate about whether or not those days have any halachic validity. If they do not have any validity, it is as if they have not been counted. Ironically (according to this opinion), when the person becomes barmitzvah/batmitzvah, he/she cannot continue to count the Omer with a beracha! However, despite this opinion, the general consensus is that in such cases the child should continue counting with a beracha. previous model this would be out-of-sync with everyone around them and they would either end up celebrating Shavuot a day ahead of the local community, or on the 51st day of the Omer! It is only the increased frequency of air travel in recent decades that has made this question a live issue and no clear halachic consensus has yet been reached. The issue is further complicated by Rabbinic debate regarding the halachic status of the international date line. The halachic literature also discusses what an onen (a mourner whose deceased relative has not yet been buried) should do about counting the Omer. Normally an onen does not fulfil ritual mitzvot. However, in this case, refraining from counting would disqualify an onen from reciting a beracha throughout the rest of the Omer. Rabbi Yechezkel Landua (known as the Noda Be yehuda d. 1793) ruled that an onen should count (without a beracha) in order to enable the resumption of normal counting once this short period ends. A further conundrum relates to someone who crosses the international date line during the Omer period. What happens if they go westbound and repeat a calendar day? It would be somewhat bizarre to count a particular day twice, since the act of counting implies that there should always be an incremental progression. But it would also be bizarre to continue counting according to the In memory of Avraham ben Yehoshua 3
Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) Who am I? by Rabbi Chaim Burman, US Rabbinic Fellow One of the Chasidic masters of the 19th century was Rabbi Aharon of Karlin (d. 1872). Famed for his determination to find the good in all situations, one of his followers posed the following question to him: What, Rabbi, is the worst sin that a Jew could possibly do? Rabbi Aharon took the question seriously and paused for a few minutes, deep in thought. Finally he answered: The greatest sin possible is to forget that one is a ben Hamelech a child of the King. When we remember the profound intimate relationship that we have with God, we evaluate ourselves differently. When we appreciate who we really are, to sin becomes an option which seems incongruous with our true identity. The Midrash describes Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) which we read today, as a love song which is a poetic analogy for the deep emotional bond between God and the Jewish people. Examining the dialogue between its loving characters provides insight into the nature of the relationship that we have with God. Right at the beginning of Shir HaShirim, the character that embodies the Jewish people says: I am dirty yet beautiful just as the tents of Kedar (1:5). is inherently Godly. We were formed from the Divine, and as Rabbi Aharon noted, we are all children of God. On the other hand, we remain human. Sometimes we sin; we miss the mark and fall short of where we should really be. However, no matter what we do, however far we may have strayed, we always retain that godly soul within us. Since it is a part of the Divine (so to speak), it remains pure and cannot become blemished. Just as a surface can accumulate dirt, but can always be cleaned and made as new, the same is true of us. If we sin, we do not become inherently flawed; there is something extraneous that needs to be cleaned, but it does not touch our essence. This is the understanding of the above verse. Kedar was a rainy area and tents that were left out there soon became dirty from the elements and the dust. Nonetheless, that dirt was not a permanent stain; once the tents were cleaned, they were as fresh as new. That is the statement of the Jewish people: We may have become dirty through sin, but our true essence is, and will always be, beautiful (see Rashi s commentary). Though we might have strayed, we always retain that eternal godly neshama that attests to who we really are and can be a ben hamelech, child of the King. What is the meaning of this seemingly cryptic verse? How are the Jewish people dirty and what does it mean that they are also beautiful? What is the comparison to the tents of Kedar? When God created Man, He breathed a neshama (soul) into him (Bereshit 2:7). The Zohar (the central work in Jewish Mysticism, written 2nd century CE) explains that just as a breath comes from the inner depths of one s body, so too one s neshama emanates from the essence of God Himself. Practically this means that that our soul, llumination for the opening verse of Shir HaShirim, the Rothschild Mahzor, Manuscript on parchment. Florence, Italy, 1492 In memory of Harav Binyamin ben Harav Shalom 4
Yom Hashoah by Rabbi Michael Laitner, Jewish Living Division Rabbi; Assistant Rabbi, Finchley United Synagogue The Polish hamlet of Kazimierz Dolny, on the banks of the Vistula River west of Lublin, was home to a thriving Jewish community. It was brutally destroyed during World War Two, when its synagogue was also demolished. After the War, there were no Jews to pray there anymore and the synagogue was rebuilt as a cinema. More recently, it has housed an exhibition about the town s Jewish community. In 2013, a group of Jews from March of the Living UK, from a wide variety of backgrounds, visited the former synagogue, now barely recognisable as a place of Jewish worship. Sensing the sanctity of the place, the madrich (leader) of the group and a Rabbi present locked eyes and nodded in mutual understanding. The Rabbi then said, this place was a vibrant house of prayer for hundreds of years. Perhaps nobody has prayed here for over 70 years, certainly not with a minyan (quorum). It is now time for Mincha (the Afternoon Service). Let s honour the memories of this synagogue and the Jews who lived here. Let s daven Mincha. Even if you do not know how to do so, at least pray for something that you really want and pray for the Jews who were here. For a few minutes, let s make this a shul once again. atmospheric Chasidic melodies. For an instant, the shul came to life again. Its memory and that of its Jews had lived beyond its physical destruction. This year, more Jews, including a Young US group, will visit Kazimierz Dony with March of the Living UK, to remember the Jews who lived there, whilst thanking God for the renewed, vibrant Jewish life with which we are blessed today. Tribe s Learn-to-Lead programmes and many US Living & Learning community heritage trips have undertaken similar journeys. On Yom Hashoah, the Fast of 10 Tevet or other days in our calendar on which we remember the Shoah, we pray that God brings us ever closer to a world in which, as Yeshaya (Isaiah) famously prophesised, from Zion shall Torah come forth and nation shall not lift sword against nation (Yeshaya 2:3-4). Extracted and adapted from the United Synagogue and Koren Publishers Jerusalem From Exile to Redemption Machzor. The national Yom Hashoah Commemoration in the UK takes place this year on Sunday 15 April. Tickets can be booked (at no cost) via www.yomhashoah.org.uk And so it transpired. Everybody prayed in some way. After 70 years, the walls once again resounded with the sounds and quiet sobs of prayer, the atmosphere heavy with meaning. As the conclusion of this emotional Mincha, led by a participant from Finchley (Kinloss) Synagogue, the Rabbi spoke again: The Jews here were Chasidim. Before we leave, let s bring a spark of Chasidut back to this place. As other visiting onlookers watched entranced, men and women formed separate circles, dancing slowly to Old Synagogue. Kazimierz Dolny In memory of Chaim ben Moshe Bentzion 5
Spending a Year in Yeshiva or Seminary II: Yeshivot Hesder by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, United Synagogue Israel Rabbi As Yom Haatzmaut approaches, this series focuses on the various yeshivot and seminaries hosted by the State of Israel that are attended by young British Jews. One popular option is a year or two of study in a Hesder yeshiva. In this piece, I explain what a Hesder yeshiva is, reflecting on my own years of study in one such yeshiva, Yeshivat Har Etzion. In the early years of the State of Israel, religious communities debated the issue of army service for young Israelis. Some felt that the security situation demanded that young Israelis devote at least three years to army service, while others argued that it was wrong to remove them from full-time Torah study. Rabbi Yehuda Amital (d. 2010) realised that while soldiers were needed to defend the State of Israel, it would be counter-productive to remove them entirely from their studies, as Torah learning also provides protection for the nation. He therefore devised the "Hesder" system, which literally means the "arrangement". Over the course of five years, Hesder students devote their time to yeshiva study, interspersed with 16 months of army service. Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, the first Hesder yeshiva, was established in 1953. Although attending a Hesder yeshiva means an abbreviated army service, these students have gained an honourable place in Israeli society. Hesder yeshivot are built on strong religious Zionist ideals, which means that the students enter the army with a fervent commitment to fulfilling their military duties. For this reason, Hesder students are renowned in the military for their outstanding discipline and motivation. In 1991, in recognition of its contribution to Israeli society, the Hesder system was awarded Israel's highest honour the Israel Prize. Many of the Hesder yeshivot offer places to students from the Diaspora who wish to study in Israel for a year or two. In some of these yeshivot, there are even separate tracks for those who wish to study in English. In others, the students from abroad are fully integrated into the Israeli study programme. For me, studying in Yeshivat Har Etzion was an incredible privilege. Many of the teachers were world-class scholars and the classes were an intellectual feast. Equally inspiring were the young men who studied there. They were exceptionally bright; throughout the week they studied with intensity, on Shabbat they would sing beautifully and when they served in the Israel Defence Forces, they distinguished themselves with their outstanding courage. Yeshivat Har Etzion was built with a sense that yeshiva study should be something honourable and dignified. The study hall itself is in the shape of an eagle and the stunning campus boasts beautiful flower gardens, a fishpond and a wellstocked library. We were not the only ones privileged to study on a fine-looking campus. Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh is also set in beautiful grounds, whilst students at Yeshivat Hakotel enjoy a building located in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, just a few minutes' walk from the Western Wall. A beautiful campus is a constant reminder of the privilege of studying Torah in the modern State of Israel. We knew that we were fortunate to be there, and we strived to earn that right, by studying from early morning to late at night. Rabbi Yehuda Amital Answer: from the master's flocks, threshing-floor and wine-cellar In memory of Harav Yisrael ben Uriah 6