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Volume 26 No. 20 Daf Hashavua

8 February 2014 • 8 Adar 5774 ends in London at 5.51 pm Artscroll p.464 • Hertz p.339 • Soncino p.519

Sayings & Sayers Rav Huna of the Sidrah by Rabbi Samuel Landau, Kingston, Surbiton & District United Synagogue

Chumash: “And you shall take (some) of the of Jewish scholarship was no longer Israel blood of the bull and apply it on the horns of but rather . the altar with your finger…” (Shemot 29:12) During his early life, Rav Huna was so poor : “Without applying the blood to the that one Friday he did not have enough horns of the altar, the sacrificial service is money to buy kiddush wine. He decided to invalid. From where do we derive this? Rav pawn his “trouser-belt” to raise money. Huna said: ‘because the verse states: “…the When he arrived at synagogue, his teacher horns of the altar…”, and anytime that the Rav saw that his garments were being “altar” is specified, it indicates that this is a supported with twine rather than a belt. critical part of the proceedings.’” Rav asked what happened. (Zevachim 62a) After Rav Huna explained the situation, his teacher blessed Rav Huna was a second him that he should become so generation Amora (lit. ‘sayer’, wealthy that he would always referring to the generation of wear silk clothes. With the Rabbis after the completion of the power of this benediction behind him, c.200 CE). He studied under the very Rav Huna became so rich that his fortune first of the , Rav. After Rav’s death, achieved legendary status, as previously Rav Huna took over the lecturing in the mentioned. His generosity was very thought- academy of Sura, in Babylon. Under Rav ful; on Friday afternoons he would purchase Huna’s leadership, the academy gained all the leftover goods in the market. This ‘Russell Group’ status, developing into a encouraged the merchants to always bring metivta (a fully fledged ). Despite enough goods for Shabbat provisions and it earlier poverty, Rav Huna became very allowed Rav Huna to host all of the city’s wealthy and single-handedly supported 800 poor for delicious Shabbat meals. full time students. He also had thousands of students that mostly engaged in home study It seems fitting that a man who was so but joined the yeshiva for two months of the concerned with nurturing the religious and year (Adar and Ellul). Thus Rav Huna created physical needs of others should ‘unpack’ the one of the world’s first correspondence laws of offerings (in the quotation above) courses! It is testimony to the quality of his since those offerings provided ‘spiritual institution that in his time the leading place nourishment’ in a tangible form. Selfie and Selflessness by Rabbi Dr Mendel Lew Senior Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons Park United Synagogue

Selfie. A photograph that one has taken of Although Moshe was successful oneself, typically taken with a smartphone or in gaining a pardon for the webcam and uploaded to a social media website people, his original threat [Oxford Dictionaries]. still came about – at least in part. Instead of his name Selfless. Concerned more with the needs and being omitted from the wishes of others than with one’s own [ibid]. entire Torah, it is missing Until quite recently, many people may not even from one sidrah alone – have heard of selfie. Then, in quick succession, it Tetzavah, which we read today. made two prominent headlines. First it was named Word of the Year by the Oxford Remarkably, this is where another similar word Dictionaries. This was soon followed by media comes into play: criticism of three world Self. a person’s essential leaders for taking a joint being that distinguishes selfie at the memorial service them from others [ibid]. for the late Nelson Mandela. Imagine for a moment that, Although Moshe’s name instead, selfless was named does not appear in the word of the year, indicating a sidrah, it is only his society whose overriding name which is absent. imperative is to put the He himself features in welfare of others first. the most beautiful way Imagine world leaders leading by example, the imaginable. The first word of the sidrah – captured image before their eyes being the ve’atah (“and you”) goes to the very essence plight of their citizens – not themselves. – the self – of Moshe. To really define selfless, one only has to look at One’s name is simply how we are known. It is the Moshe. The great commentator Rashi (d.1105) means by which others reach out to us. It isn't articulates this point cogently and powerfully: our true self, our essence. When we are alone “Moshe is the Jewish people, and the Jewish we have no need for it. When G-d communicates people are Moshe” (Bemidbar 21: 21). Moshe’s with Moshe in this verse, he reaches to his motives were always pure. His own legacy and very core - his true self - the real “you”. place in history were irrelevant to him. All that mattered were the people. Moshe fully deserved this intimate moment. He rejected the urge for a selfie, in the Following their terrible sin of worshipping the process demonstrating true selflessness. Golden Calf, G-d threatened to destroy the He thus became worthy of being addressed Jewish people. Moshe pleaded for them, directly to his deepest self. declaring that he was prepared to forgo any personal mention in the Torah if they would not As the Talmud (Eruvin 13b) succinctly puts it: be spared (Exodus, 32:32). An extraordinary "One who runs after honour will have it run sacrifice, especially considering that the people away from him; one who runs from honour will had committed such a grave sin! have it pursue him”. Eyes in the Torah The Evolution of the Eye (Part 1) by Menachem Salasnik, Israel Educator

The first of the 10 Commandments seems to be an arriving at the beautiful complexity we have informative or introductory statement: “I am the today. (This theory does not demonstrate how the L-rd your G-d who took you out of Egypt” (Shemot very first living organism came into being.) 20:2). However, the Rambam (Maimonides Although evolution is taught as fact in the d.1204) understands that this commands us to majority of schools in the western world, there are know that there is a G-d, a commandment that still enduring scientific and mathematical issues we are able to perform any time and all the time. with the theory. They are beyond the scope of this Requiring us to have belief in Him is one thing, article. Yet I would like to focus on one of the but expecting us to know that He exists requires more shocking aspects of evolutionary theory, proof. known as convergent evolution. This is the Throughout centuries of religious philosophy, one phenomenon where two or more organisms of the most prominent arguments for the developed similar characteristics separately, a existence of a Creator was the Teleological or striking example being the eye. Intelligent Design Argument. William Paley Current evolutionists posit that while all (d.1805) described it using the “Watchmaker organisms with eyes had a common ancestor with Analogy”. If we were to come across a watch on a light-detecting spot (similar to those found the ground and examine its beautiful on many plants that help calculate seasonal complexity, we would never consider changes based on the length of daylight hours), suggesting that this watch always complex image-forming eyes evolved existed or that it came into between 50 and 100 separate existence by chance. Complex design times! For example, the vertebrate proves a designer. In comparison to the and cephalopod (e.g. octopus) eyes world, the complexity of a watch are extremely similar. They work pales into insignificance. Even the like a camera where a lens at the most basic multi-cellular organisms front focuses light onto a contain so many complex parts that photoreceptive surface at the back (the retina). all interplay perfectly with each other. That is Nevertheless subtle differences between them before we consider the symbiosis between (the vertebrate retina is covered by the neural completely different organisms. The world’s layer while it is the other way round for the complex design proves a Designer. cephalopod) and the difference in how they develop embryonically (the vertebrate eye is an However, with the advent of evolutionary theory, outgrowth of the brain whereas the cephalopod this argument seems to have lost a lot of its eye is a folding in of the head tissue) show that power. According to modern evolutionary they developed completely independently to each synthesis, beings undergo small genetic changes other. as a result of random mutations during conception. Natural selection or 'survival of the If evolution is driven by random mutations it fittest' then ensures that those with a beneficial becomes absurd to suggest that on 50-100 mutation survive better than those without it. separate occasions, beings underwent a series of Evolution from one being to another is gradual many random mutations that culminated in and comprises a build up of many small almost the same outcome, without a Director or mutations. According to this, the designer is Designer. natural selection itself. A multitude of options are Menachem Salasnik is a Geriatric and Low Vision created but only the best survive, eventually Optometrist THIS WEEK The Appointment of Rav Kook IN HISTORY by David Collins, Executive Director, Tribe

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (Rav Machzickei Hadath Community in the East Kook) was one of the most influential Rabbis End. Returning to the after the of the modern era and his thought has inspired War, he was appointed in February 1921 as the generations of followers. He was born in 1865 first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine. He in Griva, now Latvia, then part of the Russian saw it as his task to unite the Jewish people Empire. He was recognised as an ilui, an and to keep links open with every sector of the exceptionally gifted student. Following his Yishuv, the Jewish community of Palestine. studies at the renowned Volozhin Rav Kook is regarded as one of the Yeshiva, he took up his first foremost ideologues of the rabbinical position, in Zaumel, religious Zionist community. His Lithuania at the age of 23. support for the non-religious In 1904, Rav Kook moved to Chalutzim (pioneers) aroused the Ottoman Palestine to take up a suspicion of the traditional rabbinic post in Jaffa, which rabbinical establishment. He was a involved responsibility for the strict observer of Jewish law and surrounding agricultural areas. encouraged Shabbat and kashrut He soon began to develop the observance. Rav Kook also opposed ideas which characterised his Rav Kook the secular spirit of the national outlook and philosophy on Hatikvah anthem and actually Zionism and his approach to the secular wrote an alternative one which had a more mainstream of the early Zionist movement. religious theme. He built channels of communication with a Rav Kook died in 1935, but his spirit has wide range of Jewish organisations, including inspired generations of followers who learn in the more traditional non-Zionist ultra- the institutions he established, such as the Orthodox, the religious Zionists and beyond Merkaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem. Whilst his that to the secular Zionist leadership. He legacy is somewhat complex, certain themes believed that the modern movement to re- clearly stand out. While he was a strict establish a Jewish state in the Land of Israel traditionalist, his willingness to co-operate had profound theological significance and that with those who had a different outlook set him the Zionists, including the most non-observant apart from many of the religious establishment amongst them, were agents in a divine plan to of his day. Today, many people use this as an hasten the messianic era. inspiration to forge partnerships between the Rav Kook was ‘trapped’ in London during the religious and secular in order to strengthen the First World War and served as Rabbi of Jewish people and the Jewish state.

United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, together with US Living & Learning Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor in Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Richard Marcus on 020 8343 5685, or [email protected] If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected]