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Home , Bo (parashah), Mishpatim, Shemot (parashah)

2 February 2019 27 Shevat 5779 ends 5.41pm 5.52pm

Volume 31 No. 22 Artscroll p.416 | p.1156 Hertz p.306 | Haftarah p.323 Soncino p.471 | Haftarah p.497 Shabbat Mevarechim. I is on Tuesday and Wednesday

In loving memory of Avraham ben Yehoshua

“When you lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, do not act towards him as a creditor; do not lay interest upon him” ( 22:24).

1 Sidrah Summary: Mishpatim

1st Aliya () – Shemot 21:1-19 and Succot – are listed. There is a to The sidrah contains many mitzvot, a selection bring one’s first ( bikurim ) to the Temple. It of which has been included here. It starts is prohibited to cook meat and together. with the of a Jewish servant. He is to work for six , after which he can go free. 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 23:20-25 Alternatively, he can decide to stay on as a God says that He will send an to guide the servant forever. nation in their conquest of the Land, helping them to destroy the host nations. They are 2nd Aliya () – 21:20-22:3 warned not to emulate the idolatrous ways of The penalties for physically injuring others are those nations. listed. An ox that gores a person to death is to be stoned. One may not dig pits in the public 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 23:26-24:18 domain. Stealing an animal and then selling or The narrative now switches back to three days slaughtering it incurs an extra penalty. before the giving of the (). Moshe builds 12 at the foot of Mount Sinai, one Question : How much is the extra penalty for for each tribe, on which offerings are brought. selling or slaughtering a stolen animal? (21:37) Moshe sprinkles the of the offerings on Answer on bottom of p. 6 . the people, who famously proclaim “we will do and we will listen” ( na’aseh ve’nishma ). Moshe, 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 22:4-26 Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and 70 elders see a very The laws governing guardians and borrowers of pure ‘vision’ of God. Moshe remains on Mount objects are listed – the level of responsibility for Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. losing or damaging the object varies according to the nature of the contract. Special emphasis Point to Consider : What was the significance is placed on not mistreating a widow or an of the sapphire brickwork seen “under God’s orphan. It is forbidden to take interest when feet”? (see Rashi to 24:10) lending money. Haftarah 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 22:26-23:5 King Tsidkayahu had finally reached an The mitzvah of (redemption of agreement with the people to release their the first born) is repeated. It is forbidden to eat servants, as stipulated in the first of an animal which died without shechita (kosher this week’s sidrah. However, the people slaughter). One must not favour the destitute in quickly renege on the pact and recapture court. A stray ox or donkey should be returned the freed servants. God tells the to its owner. Yirmiyahu () that this terrible act of treachery will leave vulnerable to the Babylonian invaders. 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 23:6-19 A has to avoid showing favour or taking bribes. For six years the Land is worked; in the seventh ( shemittah ) it is prohibited to work it. The three pilgrim festivals – Pesach,

Unit ed S ynagogue Daf Hasha vua Pr oduc ed by US Living & Learning toge ther with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Edito r: Chaim Gr oss Edito r- in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial T eam: Ra bbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Laitner, S haron Radley Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua ple ase contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261 , o r [email protected] .uk If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected] .uk

2 Mishpatim -The Beauty is in the detail by Rabbi Garber, Shenley United Jewish Community

A congregant once asked kashrut laws that appears in this week’s sidrah: his rabbi: “Rabbi, I don’t “People of holiness shall you be to Me; you shall understand, why can’t I just not eat the flesh of an animal that was torn in the be a good person? What’s field; to the dog you shall throw it” (Shemot with all the details that 22:30). This refers to the meat of a ‘treifah ’, we have in ?” The which is an animal that is kosher, but which has rabbi responded, “That is a a certain blemish or a tear. The end of the verse good question! What is says that such meat should be given to a dog. your email address? I’ll get back to you in the If this type of meat is not fitting for us to eat, next few days”. A few days went by and the does it really matter how we dispose of it? Rashi congregant had not heard back from the (d. 1105) explains that during the plague of the Rabbi. A week went by, and then two weeks. firstborn, no dog barked at the , thus Finally, he picked up the phone: “Rabbi, why ensuring them total tranquillity (Shemot 11:7). didn’t you email me back an answer?” The We show our appreciation by throwing this meat Rabbi said, “I wrote back to you the next , to to them. Through this , the Torah wants to your email address bobcohen@gmailcom”. The teach us gratitude and to show that no deed, congregant responded: “But Rabbi, you missed however small, even the silence of a dog, goes out the ‘dot’ before the com”, to which the Rabbi unrewarded. replied, “But who cares about details?”

When one is painting a picture, the beauty is In this week’s sidrah, the Torah seems to change in the attention to the details, the contrast gear. Up until this point, which is nearly half way of colours and the texture of the paint. When through the second Book of the Torah, we have organising an event, attention to every detail only seen a selection of the 613 mitzvot. The can ensure success. The Torah clearly holds that whole Book of Bereishit contains just three the beauty and indeed God Himself can be mitzvot, parashat contains laws mainly found in the “small print” of the mitzvot. relating to Pesach and last week’s parasha () contains the major moral declarations of the Ten Commandments.

Whilst the beginning of the Torah sets a strong moral compass and outlines principles for living, Judaism is more than just a general moral code. Rather, the Torah covers every aspect and detail of our lives: the way we wake up in the morning, how we eat and dress, how we speak to our family and friends and how we conduct our finances. All of these areas and many more are addressed in great detail. Jewish law deals with every aspect of our life and enables us to bring God into every facet.

The details of the mitzvot also have deeper significance. A good example is one of the

In memory of Yisrael Shmuel ben Yirmaya Yehoshuah 3 Solutions in the Sidrah: The Sacking of Claudio Ranieri by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

In 2017, Leicester City The message being conveyed is that, in addition famously sacked their to our faithfulness to God, nothing less than total manager, Claudio Ranieri, loyalty in our interpersonal relationships is also just nine after he demanded of us. This includes the way we had led the club to one conduct ourselves towards others, the care we of the most historic show when asked to look after something for footballing victories of all someone else and ensuring that our actions do time, beating odds of not lead to other people getting injured. In this 5000:1 to win the Premier League. Whilst context, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch Leicester City's footballing fortunes had suffered (d. 1888) notes that there is no word for ‘religion’ a dramatic decline, there was nevertheless much in Hebrew. That would relegate the Torah to debate over the morality of the decision to sack one particular sphere of life, when in reality its Ranieri. The board of the club obviously had a values belong everywhere. serious responsibility to do everything in their power to avoid relegation. Yet many people legitimately pointed to the achievements of the Leicester City may have had a good reason previous . Did the club not also have a to break their bond of loyalty with the hero of responsibility to be loyal towards Ranieri? Did the previous season. But the Torah’s view of his remarkable achievements count for nothing? loyalty is a sense of commitment to a set of ideals that will survive everything and last through all circumstances and eventualities. It In a certain sense, the notion of loyalty is also at is only this type of loyalty that can properly the heart of this week’s sidrah. underpin the extreme sensitivity towards other people and their possessions demanded of us in Mishpatim. In his Book of Mitzvot, the Rambam (Maminoides d. 1204) states that the very first mitzvah is, “to know that there is a God”. In other words, we are commanded not just to declare our belief, but to internalise knowledge of God, and remain faithful to that ideal. At Sinai, the Jewish people were instructed to be loyal to God, come what may, and despite any challenges that might lie ahead. They were always to remain faithful to the Torah.

Understood in this sense, the sequence of the Torah, which places parashat Mishpatim straight after parashat Yitro (in which the Torah was given) carries great significance. Mishpatim is replete with intricate interpersonal laws governing civil disputes, business relationships and responsibility for the possessions and person of another.

In memory of Yaacov ben Shmuel 4 Jewish Contemporary Ethics Part 18: The Written and 10 by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, New West End Synagogue

The previous article responded to him that after the revelation at discussed the nature of Mount Sinai, even God Himself cannot Talmudic disagreements contradict the words of the sages in determining (machloket ) and noted such questions ( 59b). that each side of a While no human sage can rescind Torah law, Talmudic debate expresses the practical application of that law is down a legitimate Torah to leading Torah scholars. perspective, even though only one side will ultimately be canonised To summarise, both the Written and Oral law into practical Jewish Law. This idea was originated with the revelation at Mount Sinai, immortalised in the Talmud with the phrase although the deeper aspect of Torah as God’s “eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim Chaim ” – “these and Divine wisdom existed from the beginning of these are the words of the Living God” (Eruvin time. God chose mortal Torah scholars as His 13b). partners in the practical application of Jewish law for which He gave a set of rules to determine The process by which Jewish law is crystallised each case. While this caused machloket from a plurality of opinions is complex. We (rabbinic controversy), the system of determining have previously noted the dual role of God and practical Jewish law has a structure with which Torah scholars in discerning Jewish law. to resolve such disputes, relying on majority While the Torah’s laws are immutable, God rule or halachic conventions in cases of doubt. wants great Torah minds to become partners in this process. Following the revelation at Sinai This human input and innovation is all within a and the subsequent years in which Moshe tight system of principles aimed at deriving expounded the law to the people in the desert, Jewish law from the Written and Oral Torah. to what extent was God willing to intervene in What happens when the principles of Divine aiding the Jewish people to determine the law are at odds with our own convictions and correct path? sense of right and wrong? The next part of this series will explore whether God’s ethical Following the passing of Moshe, the people had partnership with mankind extends as far as to adjust to the absence of that unique leader. to allow for a concept of Jewish ethics outside When they asked Yehoshua () to clarify of the rubric of Jewish law. certain laws, he responded that after Revelation and the passing of Moshe, God’s wish was for human courts to decide matters of Jewish law by majority rule (Shemot 23:2), not by revelation. The prophet Shmuel taught the people that no prophet can introduce new mitzvot, since no prophet is as great as Moshe and so post- Sinaitic cannot be used to access God’s opinion on these matters.

Similarly, the Talmudic sage Rabbi sought to bring a variety of miraculous proofs to assert his opinion against opposing sages in a particular debate, including a voice from Heaven declaring him correct. The other sages

In memory of Malka bat Peretz 5 Why Have Leap Years? by Rabbi Dr Julian Shindler, Office of the Chief Rabbi

Establishing the Hebrew Historical Origins calendar was the first mitzvah given to the Jewish During the Temple era and up until the 4th people following their century CE, Rosh Chodesh was established Exodus from Egypt. Having through witnesses bearing testimony to seeing spent many generations as the new moon. The (Jewish high court) slaves, with no control over would investigate and cross-examine these their lives or their time, God witnesses. If they accepted the testimony, they commanded them to structure their time into a would declare the new , as outlined by the framework: “this month should be for you the first verse: “These are the appointed festivals of of the months, it is for you the first of the months God, holy convocations, which you shall of the year” (Shemot 12:2). Determining one’s proclaim at their appointed times” ( 23:4). timetable is only possible for a person who is Messengers would then be sent across the truly free. Land of to inform its inhabitants. The living in the Babylonian diaspora were also informed, so that they would know when to Since then, Jewish time has been characterised celebrate any festivals occurring in that month. by a lunar system, with the new moon – Rosh The Sanhedrin would also determine – on the Chodesh – having a special, elevated status. basis of astronomical facts and the agricultural As such, it is customary to proclaim its conditions – whether or not to intercalate an anticipated arrival in shul on the Shabbat extra month that year. before Rosh Chodesh and to pray that the new moon will herald a month of blessing (green siddur, p.424 ). With the deteriorating situation under the rule of Rome, and with the eventual disbandment of the Sanhedrin, a fixed calendar, calculated by A lunar month approximates to 29½ days. Since Hillel II, came into use. On this scheme, leap it is impractical to split one day between two years occur on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th 17th months, the calendar is arranged so that there and 19th years, with every Hebrew date are alternating months of 29 and 30 days. There coinciding approximately with the same civil are generally 354 days in a 12-month lunar year, date after a cycle of 19 years. whereas a solar year has approximately 365¼ days. There is thus a shortfall of about 11 days between the two systems. Without a correction for this discrepancy, the civil dates of festivals following a lunar cycle would fall about 11 days earlier in every successive year, as those civil dates are based on the solar calendar.

This creates an issue, as the Torah prescribes that Pesach, which is also called “the festival of spring”, must fall in the springtime (See Shemot 23:15 and 16:1) and the are dictated by the solar cycle. Compliance with this requirement is achieved by intercalating an additional month of 30 days – Adar I – 7 times

every 19 years. Accordingly, some describe the

x o e h t f o e u l a v e h t s e m i t e v i f x o n a r o f , p e e h

Hebrew calendar as actually being ‘lunisolar’. s e h t f o e u l a v e h t s e m i t r u o f , p e e h s a r o f : r e w s n A

In memory of Harav Binyamin ben Harav Shalom 6