18 November 2017 29 Cheshvan 5778 Shabbat ends London 4.58pm Jerusalem 5.17pm

Volume 30 No. 9 Toledot Artscroll p.124 | Hertz p.93 | Soncino p.140 Haftarah – Artscroll p.1207 | Hertz p.948 | Soncino p.1189 Shabbat Mevarechim. Rosh Chodesh Kislev is on Sunday

In loving memory of Malka bat Peretz

“Ya’akov simmered a stew, and Esav came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Esav said to Ya’akov, ‘Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff for I am exhausted.’ He therefore called him Edom” (Bereishit 25:29-30). 1 Sidrah Summary: Toledot

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bereishit 25:19-26:5 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 26:30-27:27 Yitzchak, aged 60, prays for his wife Rivkah to Yitzchak agrees to the peace proposal. Esav have a child. Rivkah conceives twins and is told marries two Hittite women. This pains his parents, prophetically that the two children will herald two as both women idols (Rashi). The ageing separate nations. Esav is born first, red and hairy. Yitzchak, almost blind, asks Esav to go and hunt Ya’akov then emerges, holding on to Esav’s heel. some game for him to eat, after which he will As they grow up, Esav becomes a hunter, whereas bless Esav. Rivkah overhears and instructs the Ya’akov dwells in tents of Torah study (see p.3 reluctant Ya’akov to go to Yitzchak disguised as article). Yitzchak loves Esav, whereas Rivkah Esav, with two cooked goats, so as to receive the prefers Ya’akov. One day Ya’akov prepares a red blessings instead of Esav. lentil stew. Esav returns exhausted from the fields, Point to Consider: what had caused Yitzchak to demanding that Ya’akov give him some of the lose his sight? (see Rashi to 27:1) stew. Ya’akov agrees, but in return for Esav transferring first-born rights to him. Esav agrees, 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 27:28-28:4 taking an oath in return for the food. Rivkah’s plan is successful; Ya’akov receives the Famine hits the Land of Cana’an (later Israel). blessings. Esav returns from the field, realises tells Yitzchak not to go down to Egypt for food what has happened and lets out a bitter cry. and assures him that he will be a forefather of a Yitzchak also gives Esav a blessing, but it includes great nation. his subservience to Ya’akov. Esav plans to kill 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 26:6-12 Ya’akov. Rivkah realises this, and tells Ya’akov to Yitzchak lives amongst the Plishtim (Philistines) in escape to her brother Lavan in Charan. Yitzchak Gerar. Afraid to reveal that Rivkah is his wife, lest instructs Ya’akov to marry one of Lavan’s harm befall them from jealous suitors, Yitzchak tells daughters. Before Yitzchak sends Ya'akov away, the locals that she is his sister. However, the ruler he blesses him with the blessing first bestowed Avimelech discovers that they are actually married. upon Avraham, including, specifically, the blessing He accuses Yitzchak of deceiving him, but warns of the Land of Israel. From this we can see that the people not to harm Yitzchak and Rivkah. Yitzchak had always intended that the real legacy Yitzchak sows the land and is very prosperous. was to go to Ya'akov, not Esav. (Shevi’i) 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 26:13-22 7th Aliya – 28:5-9 The Plishtim, jealous of Yitzchak’s prosperity, stop Ya’akov sets off to Charan. Esav marries a third up his wells. Yitzchak carries on digging wells; the wife, the daughter of his uncle Yishmael. arguments eventually stop. Haftarah 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 26:23-29 The haftarah is the special reading for Shabbat Yitzchak moves to Beersheva. God appears to Erev Rosh Chodesh, from the Book of Shmuel him in the night, telling Yitzchak He will bless him. (Samuel). It relates how Yehonatan (Jonathan) Yitzchak builds an altar. Avimelech brings an risks his life to protect his friend David from the entourage from Gerar, offering Yitzchak a new wrath of Yehonatan’s father King Shaul (Saul). peace treaty. Their initial discussion of how to ensure David’s Question: what was the name of Avimelech’s safety takes place on Erev Rosh Chodesh, the day military general? (26:26) Answer on bottom of before Shaul’s special feast. page 6.

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 [email protected] If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected]

2 A Fatal Disconnect by Rabbi Chaim Gross, Editor, Daf Hashavua

“The lads grew up and Esav To help answer our questions, let us consider the became one who knows meaning of Ya’akov “dwelling in tents”. Rashi hunting, a man of the field; but (d. 1105) explains that these tents refer to the Ya’akov was a wholesome ‘study halls of Torah’. Ya’akov was intellectually man, dwelling in tents” advanced and refined in matters of the mind. Yet (Bereishit 25:27). his excellence was not limited to the study halls. As his life developed, we see that Ya’akov’s actions were also exemplary. For example, in all This week’s sidrah relates the birth and of his 20 years working for his demanding, development of Ya’akov and Esav. Whilst, deceiving and cheating uncle Lavan, he acted according to the Midrash, Ya’akov went on with total honesty and integrity (ibid. 31:38-40). to become the greatest of the forefathers, He was able to raise 12 sons who became the Esav became an animal hunter, sold his heads of the tribes and the kernel of the Israelite birthright for a bowl of lentils and married two nation. idol-worshipping women.

Ya’akov may have been intellectually gifted, but However, the perception that Esav was no more he knew that real worth as a person comes when than a low life raises questions. As Yitzchak’s one translates ideas into actions. As the Mishnah death approached, he wanted to give Esav in Pirkei Avot (3:12 – see green siddur, p. 540) powerful blessings. Only Rivkah, with her relates, wisdom without good deeds will never superior prophetic powers, was able to see the endure. The man of Torah knowledge was totally danger of this; she persuaded Ya’akov to dress grounded in worldly good deeds. up, posing as Esav, to take those blessings himself (Bereishit 27:5-29). If Esav was no more than a villain, why was Yitzchak interested in Esav, in contrast, was able to grasp high ideals giving him blessings? and lofty matters. The Talmudic Sages tell us that he was knowledgeable in Torah laws (see Rashi’s commentary to Bereishit 25:27) and concealed A further, related question arises, about Esav’s his deeds from Yitzchak. Perhaps this intellectual death. The Talmud (Sotah 13a) relates a prowess is what his father saw in him, such Midrashic tradition that when Ya’akov died, that he considered Esav a candidate for the his sons took his body to Ma’arat (Cave of) blessings. This explains why his head, the seat Hamachpela for burial. Esav arrived and of those ideas, ended up in Ma’arat Hamachpela, disputed Ya’akov’s right to be buried there. As a a place of distinction and holiness, even though debate ensued, one of Ya’akov’s grandchildren, he was not righteous enough to be buried in Chushim the son of Dan, who was deaf and such a place. Unlike Ya’akov, Esav’s ideas unable to make out the content of the debate, tragically never translated themselves into saw his grandfather’s burial being delayed. righteous actions. There was no integration Seeing this as a terrible final attack on Ya’akov, between wisdom and deed, a disconnect which Chushim attacked Esav, cutting off his head in his severed ending fully symbolised. the process. The Talmud relates that Esav’s head rolled into the Cave, where it was buried, next to Ya’akov. Whilst we do not find that the Talmud praises Chushim, what is the significance of this message; especially that Esav’s body remained outside the Cave, whilst his head was buried inside?

In memory of Avraham ben Yehoshua 3 Bein Adam Lechaveiro Part 17: Tzedaka – Practicalities II by Rabbi Daniel Fine, Community Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons Park United Synagogue

When listing some of the Our great Rabbinic leaders were very careful most pertinent laws of to give tzedaka. Walking in Jerusalem, Rabbi tzedaka, it is important to Aharon Kotler (d. 1962) suddenly noticed a underline that the guidelines pauper and ran after him to give him some here are no substitute for coins. He later explained that some years earlier asking one's Rabbi for this man had approached him, but he had no specific halachic guidance, money to give. Years later, he ‘made up for it’. based on one’s individual circumstances. The Shulchan Aruch has a range of laws regarding the collection and distribution of The Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law, communal charity funds; those in charge must written 1563) rules that a recipient of tzedaka be scrupulous individuals who go out of their is to be provided with “whatever they are way to make sure that that the funds are lacking”. This means that if they used to wear a distributed in a fair, transparent and legally- certain type of clothing before they became compliant way. I recall from my time living in impoverished, the giver’s obligation is to restore Jerusalem that a local tzedaka organisation them to that former standard. Part of the mitzvah routinely posted its accounts on local shul of tzedaka is to preserve or reinstate the dignity notice-boards so that everyone knew of its of the recipient. Giving them the bare minimum integrity. does not always achieve this; it varies for each person, as dictated by their (former) lifestyle. Finally, the laws of a vow (neder) are stricter when it comes to tzedaka than other mitzvot. A verse in the Torah pertaining to tzedaka states: Whilst normally vows have no power unless “and you shall not close your hand from your they are verbally expressed, the Talmud needy brother. Rather, you shall open your hand (Rosh Hashanah 6a) writes that even a mental to him, and you shall lend him sufficient for his commitment to give tzedaka is considered needs, which he is lacking" (Devarim 15:7-8). halachically binding. Similarly, a vow to give tzedaka may not be unnecessarily delayed; one Aside from stating explicitly that the pauper should give the money as soon as feasibly needs to be provided with what is “sufficient for possible. In fact, according to some authorities, his needs”, there is also a hint contained in the as soon as one pledges a contribution, the command to “open your hand”. When our hands designated recipient has a lien on it. are closed, our fingers appear to be the same length. Only when we open our hands do we distinguish their different sizes. ‘Opening our hands’ thus encourages us not to measure all poor people as the same, but instead to realise that each one has different individual needs.

The Shulchan Aruch also lists an order of preference for recipients of tzedaka; if one has limited funds, who does one give to first? The basic order is: family, the poor of one's city, the poor of Jerusalem, the poor of other places in Israel, and then any other cities worldwide.

In memory of Yehuda ben Yaakov HaCohen 4 Parallel Thinking Part 36: II by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, New West End United Synagogue

Our genes determine on the self-transcendence scale, according to physical traits, such as the Hamer those genes may be influencing the way colour of our hair and humans relate to God. eyes, the shape of our noses and our height. They also The results yielded one gene, known as SLC18A2, determine whether we are which was significantly more likely to be present more prone to developing (in one particular form) in people with a high score certain diseases. Do they of self-transcendence. The gene produces a also determine aspects of our personality? protein called VMAT2 which regulates the flow of mood-altering chemicals in the brain. Hamer While our environment – including our upbringing, speculated that this could account for a greater schooling and childhood experiences – has disposition towards feelings of . an enormous influence on our personality, for some time geneticists have thought that our Surprisingly, Hamer’s theory is related to studies genes also influence our character traits. For on the effects of psychoactive drugs. Substances example, in a 2011 paper published in Personality such as psilocybin, found in over 200 species of and Social Psychology Bulletin (37:12), a German mushroom, are known to generate intense Professor of Psychology, Christian Kandler, found ‘mystical’ or ‘spiritual’ hallucinogenic feelings and significant genetic influences on the five primary have been used to enable trance-like visions by personality types of extraversion, agreeableness, many religious and cultural groups, such as openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. Siberian shamans and Native Americans. Hamer argued that the VMAT2 protein produces a similar American geneticist Dr. took this idea neurochemical effect, albeit on a much smaller one step further. Hamer questioned whether there scale. is a genetic influence which explains why certain people have an inclination towards religious If so, is hardwired into our genes? The beliefs, while others do not. In his 2005 book simple answer is a resounding ‘no’. Critics argue The God Gene, Hamer sets out his argument as that spirituality cannot be reduced to one set of follows: personality traits, let alone to one gene. Indeed, Hamer admits that his research has not been Feelings of spirituality can be related to what repeated in any other study, as most genes only Hamer calls self-transcendence. He explains have a small effect on personality and behavioural that “self-transcendent individuals tend to traits are very complex by their nature. see everything, including themselves, as part of one great totality. They have a strong sense Most importantly however, as Hamer of ‘at-one-ness’ — of the connections between himself contends, there is a stark people, places, and things”. This includes feelings difference between spirituality and of being at one with nature, being able to lose religion. The next article will oneself in a task, feeling mystical about life develop this idea further and experiences and viewing intuition as being examine the emergence profound and significant. of in humans through the Hamer was able to measure ‘self-transcendence development of levels’ of volunteers through a personality spiritual feelings questionnaire. He then analysed their DNA. If any and religious genes were more prevalent in people scoring high in children.

In memory of Yisrael Shmuel ben Yirmaya Yehoshuah 5 Insights into Jewish History Part 86: Death on the Battlefield by Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Synagogue; Head of Project Development, US Living & Learning

Yehudah (Judah) the Yonatan – Yehuda’s brother and natural successor Maccabee had been killed – fled for his life, escaping eastwards, eventually on the battlefield by the finding refuge after crossing the Jordan River. Greek Seleucid General After Yonatan fled, Bacchides fortified city after Bacchides. It may seem city. He then returned to Jerusalem and took the normal for a person who children of the prominent traditional Jewish fought so many battles to families hostage, to ensure that the traditionalists die in that setting. However, would fall in line with the Hellenists. much significance has been attached to the fact that Yehuda, as well as three of his brothers, died Yet Yonatan was still the son of Mattityahu and the ‘before their time’ on the battlefield. brother of Yehudah. It was not long before he amassed an army around him to once more These deaths had historical roots. Centuries venture into the fight. By that time, Bacchides was previously, as the patriarch Ya’akov lay on his busy dealing with internal struggles back in death bed in Egypt, he offered blessings to each Antioch, the capital of the Seleucid Greek of his sons. He told Yehudah (one of his 12 sons) kingdom. He offered Yonatan a compromise. If that his descendants would always be kings Yonatan would disband his army, he could live, over Israel (Bereishit 49:10). Yet the Maccabees, preach and practice freely with his followers in the who were Kohanim and thus descendants of Levi, city of Michmash, some 20 miles north of took on the mantle of kingship during the Second Jerusalem. However, the Citadel and the Temple Temple period. would remain in the hands of the Hellenised Jews.

Commenting on this verse, the Ramban The historical work Dorot HaRishonim (written by (Nachmanides d. 1270) asks why it was so Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi d. 1914) reports that problematic for the Maccabees to take up Yonatan accepted this offer. the mantle of kingship? Had it not been for the Maccabees, Judaism itself might have Respite for the traditional Jews would come disappeared; they were the heroic saviours of from the most unlikely of places – the Greeks our religion. The Ramban answers that although themselves. their leadership and zealousness meant the survival of Jewish tradition, it did not give them the right to make themselves kings. Tragically, the greatest of punishments was suffered by them, as four of Mattityahu’s five sons were killed in battle.

The death of Yehuda left a power vacuum. Yet on the field of war and in Jerusalem, the order of succession had not even been considered, as the priority was basic survival. Bacchides felt empowered by the defeat of Yehuda and Coin from 135-104 BCE inscribed "Yehonatan immediately elevated the Hellenised Jews of the High Priest and the Council of the Jews" Jerusalem to a higher position of power, making (in Hebrew) them the caretakers of the Beit Hamikdash

(Temple). Anyone who sided with the Maccabees would be tortured and killed. Pichol Answer:

In memory of Devorah Bas Moshe Yitzchak 6 18 NOVEMBER 2017

MMIIINNYAAN OONN THHEE MOMOVEVE

MINNYYAANON ONO THE E MOVE E!

Be part off an energetic, engaging experience, with a mega Kiddush. Shabbaatt Morning, 18th NOVEMBER 2017

When: 9.45am - 12.00pm followed by a hot Kiddush Where: R imon Hall, Golders Green United Syyggnagogue Who: For further information please contact [email protected] or joshzaitschek@ youngus.org.uk Ages: 21-39

YoungUS. Registered Charity Number 242552