je, vacug s;

Volume 28 No. 41 Daf Hashavua

16 July 2016 • 10 Tammuz 5776 Shabbat ends in at 10.12pm Artscroll p.838 • Hertz p.652 • Soncino p.898

Solutions in The ’ March on Washington the Sidrah by Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community In October 1943, three days attack on the Jewish people before Yom Kippur, a group of and succeeded in capturing 100 Orthodox Rabbis marched just one, solitary captive on Washington DC in order (Bemidbar 21:1). to protest the seeming un- The Jewish people were faced willingness of the American with a serious dilemma. How Government to do more to should they react? Should save the of Europe. A they remain silent and worry moving first-hand account about further aggravating the related that: hostile Cana’anites? Or should “The Rabbis' march actually they protest, object, fight, and began the Thursday before the do anything necessary to date of this demonstration. The leadership reclaim that one individual, however low the called a fast day…. I saw their tears and heard chances were of rescuing her? their sobs. I cried among them and I could not What they decided to do is recorded in the stop, not that day and nor for many days to in the following way: “ made a vow come… to the Lord, and said, ‘If You deliver this people I could not get up to the fence of the White into my hand, I shall consecrate their cities’. House so I had to look on from the park across The Lord heard Israel's voice and He delivered the road. Eventually someone came out of the up the Cana’anite….” (ibid 21:2-3) White House. He took a letter from the Rabbis Firstly, they prayed to G-d in the form of a vow. to the President, but the President himself They realised that although they were about to never greeted them…. All of us who had been take action, they could not be successful there that day left feeling very bitter… where without Him. Secondly, they took that action. could we now go? Despite the risk, they could not just sacrifice I continue to feel that the Rabbis were right the captive’s life, nor to allow the Cana’anites to go that day in 1943 to the gate of the to become even further emboldened. White House… Those who advised Franklin D. As demonstrated by the Rabbis’ march on Roosevelt not to see them continue to bear Washington in 1943, these two approaches are their shame”. never mutually incompatible. Combined with This week’s sidrah describes an episode in prayer, Jews strive to do whatever is necessary which the Cana’anite King of Arad launched an to change the situation. Speak Softly and Carry a by Rabbi Shmuli Sagal Big Stick Sutton & District United Synagogue

President Teddy Roosevelt famously said, In his book Kedushat , the “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go Chassidic master Rabbi Levi far”. In this week’s sidrah, G-d said a similar Yitzchak of Berditchev (d. thing to Moshe; had Moshe adhered to it, 1809) writes that there are Jewish history would have taken a very two ways of obtaining different course. peoples’ co-operation. One can take the route of cajoling With ’s death and the drying up of her and positive encouragement, whereby miraculous well, the Jews were in dire need of one reminds the person how great they are water. G-d therefore told Moshe: “Take the and of their potential to achieve immense staff and gather the people, you and Aharon things. Or one can motivate them to attain the your brother, and speak to the rock before goal by using threats and intimidation. In their eyes, that it shall give its waters” management, these methods are known as (Bemidbar 2:8). However, Moshe instead hit ‘Engage and Create’ and ‘Command and the rock so that he and Aharon were punished Control’. Albeit these methods may both by being barred from entering the Land of reach the same destination, the differing Israel. Without their great leader at the helm, paths they take have wider consequences. the conquering and settling of the Land did not go smoothly for the When Moshe, held to the highest of Jewish People. In fact, the Sages standards, erred by inappropriately state that had Moshe entered speaking harshly to the people, he the Land and built the Temple had set the tone, in a subtle way, in , it would never have for a ‘Command and Control’ been destroyed. type interaction. For people operating in this context, a The text makes Moshe’s rock becoming a gushing well punishment very clear. Yet his of water as a result of sin to deserve such severe consequences is Moshe’s softly spoken verbal request would somewhat of a mystery. The commentators have made little impact. Moshe’s tough offer a host of explanations. (d. 1105) opening words meant that they could now explains that Moshe’s mistake was his decision only be moved by intimidation. Hence, in to hit the rock rather than speak to it; the order to demonstrate the miracle, Moshe miracle of water pouring forth from a rock had to hit the rock. His mistake of speaking merely spoken to would have been more harshly automatically led to the failure of his impressive than that of a rock which has been mission to speak to the rock. Resultantly, struck. The Rambam ( d. 1204), on rather than raising the People’s faith in G-d, the other hand, writes that it was Moshe’s he added another level of stubbornness to condescending address to the Jewish People an already ‘stiff-necked’ people. when he said, “listen, you rebellious lot”, that caused his downfall (ibid 20:10). Though these Teddy Roosevelt was right. When we use seem like two very different reasons, perhaps soft words, we won’t need to use the stick. they are more closely linked than they may at Neither to make our point nor to get the best first appear. out of others. The Structure Birchot HaShachar of Prayer Rabbi Daniel Epstein, Cockfosters and N Southgate Part 1 United Synagogue

(All page references are to the green ) to really think about these blessings, which is not always so easy first thing in the morning, Prayer, amongst other things, is an expression I find each one of them immensely humbling. of one’s relationship with G-d. If we take on this assumption, more than just defining how The blessings in this section include: we should pray, it also conditions our thought process when we pray. • The blessing after washing one’s hands, which is performed in order to remove any The Men of the Great Assembly (see Page 4) semblance of “impurity” from being asleep. were primarily responsible for formalising the This is similar to washing hands after structure of prayer. This series is intended to visiting a Jewish cemetery, as sleep is provide some context to that structure. described in the (Berachot 57b) as Sleeping and waking are extraordinary being one sixtieth of death. (p. 12) processes in and of themselves. Upon waking • A blessing after relieving one’s self, which is up in the morning, one’s immediate miraculous in its own right (ibid.) reaction should be to recognise this miracle and to give thanks to G-d. Hence the • Blessings before learning Torah (p. 14) first declaration when opening • Morning blessings (p. 16-20) – one’s eyes is: this section comprises expres- “Modeh (“Modah” for a woman) sions of gratitude in connection Ani Lefanecha…,” which means: with our successively higher “I thank You, living and eternal levels of awareness and func- King, for giving me back my soul in tionality, which we encounter mercy. Great is your faithfulness” during our regular preparation (p.4). for the day. These 15 blessings therefore include thanking G-d Modeh Ani was a relatively late for the gift of opening one’s addition to our prayers, dating eyes, standing up, getting back to the 14th century, which is dressed, putting on shoes and after the completion of Talmud (c. 500 CE) for our physical strength. and the seminal halachic writings of the Rambam (Maimonides d. 1204). Note that G-d’s Most people say these blessings as part of Name does not appear in this sentence, to their prayer ritual in the morning, either alone enable us to say it even before washing our or with a minyan. Some say them as they hands or getting dressed. It allows us to thank encounter each action ‘in real time’. G-d as a primal reflex response to being alive. However and whenever we say these This statement opens the primary section of blessings, they really help us to focus on what daily prayers, known collectively as “Birchot we have; they can become, so to speak, our HaShachar ” (Morning Blessings). When I stop verbal ‘gratitude journal’ entries for the day. Insights into Strengthening Shabbat Observance Jewish History by Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Part 41 Synagogue; US Living & Learning Head of Project Development

Having been fortunate enough to spend many The Book of Yeshaya (Isaiah), written 200 a Shabbat in Jerusalem, I always feel a certain years prior to the building of the Second panic when hearing the siren that goes off in Temple, mentions refraining from commerce Jerusalem, signifying candle-lighting time. It on Shabbat. Although the Jews were not was not until I started researching the Second trading on Shabbat, non-Jews would enter Temple period that I realised that the sirens Jerusalem and sell the people foodstuffs that actually have a history. people would need for the day. The beginning of the Second Temple period This selling of goods undercut the Jewish was also the beginning of the institution of merchants. The Jewish merchants, feeling the Men of Great Assembly. The Assembly was pressured, started working on Shabbat, a group of 120 scholars of the highest pressing grapes and selling their wares, in calibre that set the laws and tone violation of Shabbat. Nechemiah and the for the Second Temple. This included Men of the Great Assembly made a decision the Biblical figures of and that from midday on Friday, the city gates Nechemiah, the prophets Malachi, would be closed and no commerce Chaggai and Azaria, as well as would happen on Shabbat. Mordechai (of Megillat ). They The non-Jewish peddlers, were a powerful force that elevated who then started to ‘set up the religious practice of the people. The shop’ outside the gates of Men of the Great Assembly brought back the city were chased away. the glory of the previous generations to From this point, the shofar was blown in Jerusalem. Jerusalem on Friday afternoons. The first As Nechemiah reorganised the economy of blasts were to let the agricultural workers the city, the Men of the Great Assembly were know that Shabbat was approaching and able to set new laws and boundaries to that it was time to come in from the fields. protect the people and their practices. With The second blasts were to inform the shops in the help of the Assembly, the people accepted Jerusalem that it was time to close up. The upon themselves a ‘renewed’ commitment to final blasts were to inform them that it was follow the practices of the Torah. time to light Shabbat candles. The enactments of the Men of the Great Today’s sirens are the modern rendition of Assembly included a halt to intermarriage and those shofar blasts that Nechemiah and the a greater adherence to the laws of Shabbat. Men of the Great Assembly instituted.

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]