Mishpatim Vol.27 No.18:Layout 1
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napyho vacug s; Volume 27 MISHPATIM No. 18 PARASHAT SHEKALIM SHABBAT MEVARCHIM Daf Hashavua 14 February 2015 • 25 Shevat 5775 Shabbat ends in London at 6.01 pm Artscroll p.416 Maftir p.484 Haftarah p.1213 Rosh Chodesh Adar is on Thursday and Friday Hertz p.306 Maftir p.352 Haftarah p.993 Soncino p.471 Maftir p.540 Haftarah p.1191 Journeys with The Book of Judges (Shofetim) Chapter 14 the Prophets: by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, Northwood United Synagogue Part 18 Summary: Shimshon (Samson) chose to marry forbidden to enter the vineyard and was left a Philistine woman from Timna. On his journey alone on its edge. In his contemporary com- to Timna, he was pounced on by a young lion, mentary Mishbetzot Zahav, Rabbi Shabbatai which he killed. A swarm of bees gathered in Sheftil Weiss explains that the lion was a the lion’s carcass with honey, which Shimshon warning to Shimshon to gird himself with scraped out and ate during his journey to both physical strength to fight the Philistines the wedding. His new wife and the self-control to overcome elicited the answer to a riddle his inappropriate passions. Shimshon had posed to the The Mishnah in Ethics of Our wedding guests and revealed Fathers asks: ‘Who is strong? One it to them. When the guests who masters his evil inclination.’ came with the answer, Shim- (Pirkei Avot 4:1, see green siddur shon travelled to Ashkelon page 545). The lion is often and killed 30 Philistine men, referred to as an animal which is mighty took their garments and gave them to the in character as well as physical strength. wedding guests as their reward. He went The tribe of Dan from which Shimshon was back to his parents’ house, while his wife a descendent was blessed to be like a young was given away to another man. lion (Devarim 33:22). This implies that A Deeper Look: Shimshon's bizarre choice to Shimshon had the potential to meet the marry a Philistine woman was a ploy to get challenge of mastering his evil inclination. close to the enemy (Shofetim 14:4). Yet the Shimshon’s turning to find bees and honey in Talmud cites Shimshon’s failure to control his the lion’s carcass alludes to the verse in passions for women as the ultimate source Mishlei (Proverbs 25:16) which says “Have of his downfall (Sotah 9b). you found honey? Only eat enough for you, This explains the deep symbolism of the events lest you become sated with it and vomit”. surrounding the lion and the bees. Shimshon’s This was a warning to Shimshon not to parents cut across a vineyard on their way to lust after earthly physical pleasures, lest he Timna. However, as a Nazirite, Shimshon was become ensnared in the Philistine honey-trap. Free the Slaves by Rabbi Daniel Levy Director of inReach UK The opening passage of the sidrah sets out the socially vulnerable people around respect shown to a Hebrew servant by his the world are potential slaves. master and the limitations of such servitude. An average slave in 1850 cost The former Chief Rabbi Dr J.H. Hertz (d. 1946) the equivalent of £25,000 in provides timeless words in his commentary today’s money. Today a slave on this passage in the Chumash: “Slavery as costs an astonishingly low permitted by the Torah was quite different average of £55. This means that the from Greek and Roman slavery, or even the modern day slave may not even be cared for cruel system in some modern countries down if they become ill; rather they could be left to our own times. In Hebrew Law, the slave to die, or perhaps even killed. was not a thing, but a human being; he was Traditionally slaves were forced into not the chattel of a master who had agriculture, mining or prostitution. unlimited power over him. In the Hebrew So it continues today. Slaves language, there is only one word for harvest cocoa in the slave and servant. Brutal treatment Ivory Coast, make of any slave, whether Hebrew or charcoal used heathen, secured his to produce steel immediate liberty.” in Brazil and In the ancient world, weave carpets in where women and India; the list goes slaves in particular on. From these sectors, were often abused, the their exploited labour flows into Torah reversed the trend, the global economy and into our lives. giving rights to women and slaves, as well as It is no coincidence that the passage of the mandating careful and sensitive treatment of Hebrew Slave is strategically placed where the vulnerable and poor. it is. On the one hand it follows the stories of Tragically, today in 2015, abusive forms of the Jewish slavery in Egypt, subsequent slavery are rampant, with figures ranging Exodus and giving of the Torah. On the between 21 to 36 million worldwide. It is other hand, it is the opening law of the believed that there are more human beings wide range of Jewish civil laws. This conveys enduring harsh slavery today than at any the principle that we as a people must learn other time in the history of mankind! By this from our past experiences. Remembering we mean real slavery – people held against our past, we have to right the injustices done their will, forced to work and paid nothing. to others and ensure that the vulnerable are not abused. Their rights have to be respected Slavery has existed for thousands of years. so that they are treated with the kind of However, changes in the world’s economy and respect, dignity and care that the Jewish societies over the past 50 years have enabled civil law system mandates. a resurgence. In 1850, it was difficult to capture a slave and then transport them to Statistics taken from: www.freetheslaves.net/ the West. Today, millions of economically and page.aspx?pid=348 70 Days for The importance of remembering an individual 70 Years by Matti Fruhman, 70 Days for 70 Years Project Director How can we assess the value of a life? The bering an individual, especially by name. Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5) states that Each remembrance of a person reflects the “anyone who kills a fellow Jew is considered uniqueness of that individual and how their as if he has killed an entire world”. It also world continues to impact on us. states the converse, that “anyone who I am sure we all remember the deadly terror saves a fellow Jew is considered as if he attacks in Mumbai in 2008. Six years later, sustained an entire world”. Enormous value a memorial to all of the victims was opened is ascribed to life. in Naiman House, the Chabad House which We are in the midst of 70 days for 70 years, was the one of the locations of those a project which is about remembrance and attacks. Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg, father of the importance of the individual. When a the Chabad House Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg participant in the project who was slain by that terror, said holds the memorial some remarkably moving words at the card of the person to opening of the memorial. He spoke whom they have of how the occasion was one dedicated their 70 to celebrate the lives of those days of learning, in who were killed – includ- some way it encompasses ing his own son and the person, the ‘entire world’ daughter-in-law – as well that was lost. as the message of light that they spread. This powerful message shows the signi- The former Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits (d. ficance of our responsibility to continue 1999), as referenced by Rabbi Lord Sacks in the impact of those who came before us, the latter’s commentary to the Rosh especially those whose lives were tragically Hashanah Machzor, identifies three cut short. particular references in Sefer Bereishit to G- d’s “remembering”. “G-d remembered For 70 days we have a unique opportunity Noach” and brought him onto dry land to spiritually ‘rekindle’ one of the worlds (Bereishit 8:1). “G-d remembered Avraham” that was lost. Not as a mere statistic, but and saved Lot from the destruction of the as an individual, as an entire world that cities of the Sodom plain (ibid 19:29 with was destroyed. The Jewish way is always Rashi). “G-d remembered Rachel” and gave to remember to build for the future. her a child (ibid 30:22). G-d’s ‘remembering’ I dedicate this article to the lost worlds of is beyond ours. He remembers for the future, my great-grandparents who perished – not just the past, for the ongoing impact of Hennoch and Estera Ryba (Lodz, Poland), an individual’s life, not just what happened Chaim and Sarah Fruhman (Krosno, Poland) during it. This should shape our and Jacob Auscaler (Włocławek, Poland). understanding of the importance of remem- May their memory continue to be blessed. An in-Depth The Lox and Cream Cheese Dilemma: Part 3 look at Kashrut by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz, KLBD Previous articles addressed the Yosef truly intended to rule halachic issues and prohi- stringently in this matter, bitions involved with he would not have only mixing fish and meat. We mentioned it in his have yet to address why commentary, but rather a minority of observant would have codified it people refrain from eating officially in his later Code of fish and milk together. Jewish Law, the Shulchan Aruch. The answer to this lies in the words of On the other hand, several authorities are of the Beit Yosef, written by Rabbi Yosef Karo the opinion that there still is a danger (who is best known for codifying the (sakana) involved in eating fish and milk.