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,runv vacug s; Volume 27 No. 19 TERUMAH Daf Hashavua 21 February 2015 • 2 Adar 5775 Shabbat ends in London at 6.13 pm Artscroll p.444 • Hertz p.325 • Soncino p.500 Journeys with The Book of Judges (Shofetim) Chapter 15 the Prophets: by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, Northwood United Synagogue Part 19 Summary: Shimshon (Samson) returned to his it in order to curse Israel, he had only been father-in-law’s house to take back his able to offer blessings (Bemidbar 23-24). This Philistine wife, only to be told that she had is why Shimshon now came across its jawbone been given away to another man. Out of to kill the Philistines. vengeance, he caught 300 foxes, attached Rabbi Moshe Dovid Valle (d. 1777) explains torches to their tails and let them loose in the the deeper significance of why the jawbone of fields of the Philistines to the donkey was specifi- burn down their crops. cally used. Shimshon’s This caused a chain strength was not natural; reaction of events. it came on account of his A Deeper Look: Shim- relationship with G-d and shon’s marriage to the could not be subdued by woman from Timnah and mere ropes or chains. her subsequent infidel- We reinforce our con- ity created the perfect nection to G-d through excuse to take revenge learning Torah, using our against the Philistines. own jaws by articulating The Philistines blamed Shimshon’s wayward the words with speech. Similarly, Rashi wife and her father for Shimshon’s anger (d. 1105) explains that the jawbone was towards their nation and burnt them alive moist. It therefore reflected light, hinting as punishment. This gave Shimshon the again to the light of Torah. justification to launch his attack, triggering Our enemies are not only physical. Shimshon’s a Philistine invasion of the Judean lands to strength against the Philistines can be seen as arrest him. Fearing a full scale battle, the a metaphor for the strength we need against people of Judah bound Shimshon with ropes the yetzer hara – the inclination to indulge in and handed him over. As the Philistines came activities which distance us from G-d. The to take him, he broke the ropes, picked up a Talmud (Bava Batra 16a) explains that the donkey’s jawbone and used it to slay a antidote to this is learning Torah. This is how thousand Philistine men. we can cultivate our spiritual strength and Rabbi Yaakov Culi (d. 1732) associates this become mighty warriors in our own right, jawbone with that of the donkey of the Bibli- including the strength to stand up as proud cal prophet Bilaam. While Bilaam had ridden Jews, even to those who wish to harm us. A Dual Function by Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz Borehamwood & Elstree United Synagogue “And you should place in the Aron the Eidut was carried out to war in Biblical which I shall give you” (Shemot 25:16). times. For example, the march “And in the Aron you shall place the Eidut around Jericho (Book of Joshua, which I shall give you” (ibid 25:21). chapter 6) was conducted with the Aron. Indeed we read that Classically speaking, this sidrah is labelled as G-d spoke to Moshe from describing the construction of two main things above the Kapporet (Shemot 25:22). – the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the holy utensils (keilim). The very first of these keilim is We can now understand that the Torah is the Aron (Ark) which was placed in the Holy of teaching us that there were two distinct Holies, the inner sanctuary. The verses quoted elements of the Aron, emphasising these above seem to repeat the same functions. The first one was ornate instruction. Why? storage. The second was the des- cription of a base on which stood Rashi (d.1105), recognising this magnificent angelic images, repre- difficulty in the text, says that the senting a miniature throne of glory second verse serves as an for the Divine Presence to reside instruction to Moshe to place the there within the confines of the “Eidut” – which refers either to the Mishkan and later the Beit Luchot (the tablets of stone) or a HaMikdash. Sefer Torah (or possibly both) - in the Aron before covering it with However, both roles are completely the Kapporet – the gold cover of dependent upon one another. the Aron. The heavenly throne cannot be reflected or represented unless it The Ramban (Nachmanides d.1270) houses and is the seat of the Torah. disagrees with Rashi and states that this Perhaps that is why the Sanhedrin – the court explanation presents more difficulties than of law made up of the greatest of sages, solutions, since the Aron should house the steeped in the Siniatic tradition, was housed Eidut only after it had been completed and not in the Temple complex. before. My friend Rabbi Moshe Taragin, of Yeshivat Throughout our history and our exiles, we have Har Etzion in Israel, suggests that the Torah is maintained the Aron as a place of storage teaching us that the Aron served two for the holy Torah. Yet we must strive for our functions: synagogues to be more than mere places of storage or ornate boxes containing holy 1. Firstly, it was a storage place for the Eidut. artefacts. In order to fulfil our destiny, the The Ibn Ezra (d. 1164) writes that it was akin house of G-d must be a place of learning to a storage box for something important. and teaching of that Siniatic tradition. This is Therefore it was beautiful on the outside, like reflected in the words from chapter two of the a jewellery box. Book of Yeshayah (Isaiah) that we recite when 2. Additionally, the Aron was the seat of the we take the Sefer Torah out of its Aron: “from Shechinah, the concentrated presence of G-d Zion shall emerge the Torah… and the word of in this world. This also explains why the Aron G-d from Jerusalem” (see green siddur, p. 406). 70 Days for The Massacre of the Jews of Hungary 70 Years by Rebbitzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters and N Southgate United Synagogue In the book of Bereishit (chapter 4), we read assigned to work received number tattoos. the archetypal story of sibling rivalry; the story Those who were sent directly to the gas of Cain and Hevel (Abel). Adam and Chava’s chambers did not receive numbers. Over (Eve’s) sons made individual offerings to G-d. 400,000 inmates received tattoos. Including Hevel’s was accepted while Cain’s was not. In my grandmother. a fit of jealous rage, Cain murdered Hevel. As When I recently re-read the story of Cain, a result of his actions, Cain was banished from I could not help but draw parallels between the Garden of Eden and G-d condemned Cain his mark and those tattoos. No need to intro- to be a “fugitive and a vagabond…on the duce yourself. Just by looking at you, I know earth”. who you are and where you have come from. Cain was overwhelmed by his In his commentary to the story punishment and feared of Cain and Hevel, the Radak that anyone may feel free (Rabbi David Kimche, to kill him, as he would d.1235) suggests that have no home and no Cain’s mark may place to call his own. actually have “And the Lord set a mark been in his upon Cain, lest anyone finding him heart. When he was wandering in the should smite him” (4:4). G-d set a mark upon wilderness, fearing for his life, the mark Cain as a warning to others that they would gave him strength to carry on. The Radak goes suffer punishment if they would kill him. on to say that the mark was also in the Earlier this year, as part of the 70 days for 70 hearts of those who saw him, so that they years project, I was asked to come up with 70 knew that he had received G-d’s protection. facts about the Holocaust. Along with each I had previously thought of that tattoo as a fact, I attached a photo. Many of the photos mark of weakness. Prisoners at concentration were poignant and moving, some horrific, camps had been dehumanised and reduced to others maddening and saddening. Yet many mere numbers. Yet as I contemplated the filled me with strength and inspiration. photo of these three women, I saw no The photo I connected with most was a weakness, no bending, only strength in the modern picture of three middle-aged women, face of unparalleled adversity. Indeed the all looking fit and healthy, with jewellery in Rambam (Maimonides d. 1204) writes that the place and sturdy glasses on their faces. They mark was actually a sign, leading Cain forward stood together, with the sleeves of their and showing him the way. sweaters rolled up to the elbow. With a look of Perhaps these women also viewed the tattoo defiance, each one was showing a tattoo of a as a testament for future generations. They number on their forearms. lead the way forward to a life filled with the During the Holocaust, incoming prisoners to love of Torah and the Jewish People, and the the Auschwitz camp complex who were unwavering protection of G-d. An in-Depth The Lox and Cream Cheese Dilemma: Part 4 look at Kashrut by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz, KLBD The previous articles on this that most of the authorities topic explained the back- who are stringent when it ground to and prohibitions of comes to mixing fish with mixing fish and meat to- milk or cheese are never- gether, as well as possibly even theless lenient when it comes mixing fish and milk.
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