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Rosh Hashanah ב״ד רֹא ROSH הַ ָ ָ נ ה HASHANAH Volume 32 No.1 30 September 2019 1 Tishrei 5780 Candle Lighting in London: Candles for first night of Rosh Hashanah should be lit by 6.29pm Candles for Second Night Rosh Hashanah should be lit after 7.27pm Rosh Hashanah ends in London on Tuesday night at 7.25pm Jerusalem Times: First night candles by 5:52pm Second night candles after 7:03pm Rosh Hashanah ends at 7:01pm Fast of Gedaliah in London: The fast is on INSIDE: Wednesday, starting at 5.24am and ending at 7.17pm The Chief Rabbi on Rosh Hashanah Reflections for Rosh Hashanah from Rwanda by Amelia Rayden Kef Hashavua - Children's section WIN and much more… with US Daf Hashavua In loving memory of Regina and Isidor Leitner See page 30 for details Daf Rosh Hashannah version 1.indd 1 17/09/2019 12:13 Leining breakdown First Day Rosh Hashanah Second Day Rosh Hashanah Kriyat HaTorah Kriyat HaTorah The Torah reading is divided into five aliyot, taken from a The reading is from the end of parashat Vayera section of parashat Vayera (Bereishit 21). (Bereishit 22) and depicts Akeidat Yitzchak (the Binding of Yitzchak). Avraham’s wife Sarah is 90 years old and childless. On Rosh Hashanah, God had ‘remembered’ her. Our reading Avraham, who is well over 100 years old, is told by God begins with the subsequent birth of Yitzchak. Sarah sees to take his son Yitzchak to Mount Moriah and bring him the potential negative effect that Avraham’s wayward first as an offering. Having previously been told by God that son, Yishmael, could have on Yitzchak. She tells Avraham Yitzchak would be his heir, and having always encouraged to send away Yishmael and his mother Hagar. God tells the Avraham’s acts of compassion and kindness, this Divine reluctant Avraham to do as Sarah has requested. Hagar instruction seems to defy logic. Nevertheless, Avraham and Yishmael are travelling in the desert and Yishmael is obeys, showing that his devotion to God is not conditional dying of thirst. An angel appears, telling Hagar that a on his logical understanding. As Avraham raises the great nation will come from Yishmael. A well of water knife, an angel appears, telling him not to touch Yitzchak, miraculously appears. presenting a ram to be offered instead. Avraham is praised for his faith. Point to Consider: In what way was Yishmael being ‘wayward’? (see Rashi to 21:9) Haftarah The first two chapters of the Book of Shmuel (Samuel) relate the moving story of his birth. Elkanah had two wives, Chana and Peninah. Peninah was blessed with many children, but Chana was childless. Every year, the family would make the journey to the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in Shilo. One year, Eli the Kohen spots Chana at the entrance of the Tabernacle courtyard. She is praying fervently for a child. Eli mistakenly thinks that she is drunk. After he confronts her, Eli is corrected by Chana, who explains the reason for her prayers. Eli promises Chana that God will answer her. Haftarah After returning home with Elkanah, Chana conceives and The prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) was not only a voice of gives birth to Shmuel. Chana composes a beautiful song, warning and grief. He was also a prophet of hope, evident praising God’s ability to reverse fortunes. throughout the haftarah, which contains the moving depiction of the matriarch Rachel, the ‘mother of Israel’, Question: What is the etymology of the name Shmuel? crying from her grave for her exiled children. God comforts (1:20) Answer on bottom of page 28. her that, in her merit, the Jews will eventually return. United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Project Director: Claudia Kitsberg Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editorial and Production Team: Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Joanna Rose, Rabbi Nicky Goldmeier Design: Richard Herman Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk © United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261 or [email protected] If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected] 2 Daf Rosh Hashannah version 1.indd 2 17/09/2019 12:13 Contents לא אד"ו ראש ’Lo Adu Rosh‘ 4 by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis An Interpretation of the Musaph Amidah ז"ל by Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits 6 Concentric Circles 8 by Rebbetzen Lauren Levin, South Hampstead Synagogue Rosh Hashanah ז"ל by Rabbi Isaac Bernstein 10 Did you know? 12 by Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, St Albans Synagogue, US Events & Publications Coordinator How Can Rosh Hashanah Inspire Throughout the Year? 14 by Jodie Herszaft, Tribe Israel team Reflections for Rosh Hashanah on Tribe’s programme in Rwanda 16 by Ameila Rayden The Princess And The Peasant – A Rosh Hashanah story 18 by Claudia Kitsberg, Head of US Living & Learning The Shofar of Prioritisation 20 by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community A Walk Through Rosh Hashanah 22 by Rabbi Michael Laitner, US Jewish Living Division & Finchley Synagogue Rosh Hashanah and our visual heritage 24 by Miriam Marson, US Judaica Executive Rosh Hashanah Checklist 26 by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, US Israel Rabbi Kef Hashavuah 28 Compiled by Rabbi Nicky Goldmeier, editor of the Tribe Scribe 3 Daf Rosh Hashannah version 1.indd 3 17/09/2019 12:13 ‘Lo Adu Rosh’ לא אד"ו ראש by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis make up אד"ו The Hebrew letters a mnemonic through which we However, when it comes to the remember the days on which Rosh Hashanah can never commence. timing of Rosh Hashanah, our The three letters aleph, dalet and vav are the first, fourth and sixth considerations do not relate to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which Day of Judgement, but rather to represent their corresponding days of the week – Sunday, Wednesday and Shabbat observance… Friday. days determine our fate and set a tone in a public domain and thereby Why must Rosh Hashanah not start for the rest of the year. desecrate the Shabbat. We still on these days? However, when it comes to apply this prohibition where If the first day of Rosh Hashanah the timing of Rosh Hashanah, our there is an eruv, in order not were to fall on a Sunday, Hoshanah considerations do not relate to the to mislead communities. Rabbah – 20 days later – would fall Day of Judgement, but rather to Realistically, the possibility on Shabbat. But, parading around the Shabbat observance and the centrality of this happening is bimah with the four species and the of the Sabbath day in Jewish minute. Yet, in our beating of willows, a precept which is tradition. The considerations relating tradition, the remote a highlight of the day’s proceedings, to all of these three days are Shabbat chance of Shabbat would mean a desecration of Shabbat. related, in order to guarantee that desecration is If Rosh Hashanah were to begin on Shabbat should be kept appropriately more important a Wednesday, Yom Kippur would fall and should be a sacred day of than a mitzvah as on Friday. If that was the case, there fulfilment and joy. significant as the is a danger that we would not be able Here we have yet another reminder blowing of the shofar. to prepare adequately for the Shabbat of the pre-eminence of regular over Consequently, as we celebrate which would immediately follow. irregular in our Jewish way of life. Our Rosh Hashanah and enjoy spiritually If Rosh Hashanah were to start on commitment to Torah tradition on a elevating prayer services, meaningful a Friday, then Yom Kippur would be on daily and weekly basis transcends the customs and delicious food, let Sunday. Therefore, Erev Yom Kippur importance of seasonal devotion, even us emerge from these Days of (the eve of the fast day) would fall when it comes to a festival of the Judgement feeling energised and on Shabbat and our enjoyment of the highest significance. inspired to enjoy a Jewishly-enriched Sabbath might be diminished. The same consideration is behind life throughout the entire year. Is this not quite extraordinary? the surprising omission of shofar- May this New Year create a new The two days of Rosh Hashanah blowing when Rosh Hashanah falls on mind-set for the whole of the Jewish are our annual Yemei Hadin, Days Shabbat. The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah people; one in which every single of Judgement, when the Almighty 29b) explains that we fear that the Shabbat will be as important in our weighs up the virtues of individuals, ba’al toke’ah, who will be blowing the eyes, if not even more so, than Rosh nations and the entire world. These shofar in shul, might carry the shofar Hashanah. חיים מאיר בן ישראל In loving memory of Chaim Meir ben Yisroel 4 Daf Rosh Hashannah version 1.indd 4 17/09/2019 12:13 CHIEF RABBI’S CHALLENGE QUESTION On what occasions in our history was the beracha prior to blowing the shofar litkoa ba’shofar (to blow the shofar) and not lishmoa be’kol shofar (to hear the sound of the shofar)? This riddle was originally set by Chief Rabbi Mirvis in Daf Hashavua in 2003/5764. Look out for the answer on page 28! 5 Daf Rosh Hashannah version 1.indd 5 17/09/2019 12:13 Rabbi Lord Jakobovits with other participants at the World Economic Forum, 1989 An Interpretation of the Musaph Amidah ז"ל Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits This year marks the 20th yahrzeit of the passing of Chief Rabbi Lord Immanuel he Amidah recited for Musaph Jakobovits, z’l, (1921-1999), a towering figure on Rosh Hashanah is quite in the British Jewish community together with T unique among our great prayers.
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