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Daf Hashavua בס״ד ּפִ ֽ י ְ נ חָ ס PINCHAS In loving memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael z"l Volume 34 | #37 “God said to Moshe, ‘Go up to this mountain of 3 July 2021 Avarim and see the Land that I have given to 23 Tammuz 5781 the Children of Israel” Shabbat ends: (Bemidbar 27:12) London 10.25pm Sheffield 10.57pm Glasgow 11.33pm Edinburgh 11.25pm Birmingham 10.39pm Southport 11.07pm Hull 10.57pm Jerusalem 8.31pm Shabbat Mevarachim Rosh Chodesh Av is next Shabbat Please look regularly at the social media and websites of the US, Tribe and your community for ongoing updates relating to Coronavirus as well as educational programming and community support. You do not need to sign into Facebook to access the US Facebook page. The US Coronavirus Helpline is on 020 8343 5696. INSIDE: May God bless us and the Lessons From the Daughters whole world. of Tzelofchad Pinchas by Alissa Symon Artscroll p.876 Hertz p.686 Technology, Food and Judaism Soncino p.932 by Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg Haftarah Artscroll p.1192 Hertz p.710 Daf Yomi Reflections Soncino p.968 by Rabbi Daniel Roselaar This Shabbat we read the haftarah for Matot, Blood Libels not Pinchas. by Pnina Savery Daf Hashavua Sidra breakdown Lessons From ּפִֽינְְחָ ס Pinchas the Daughters 8th Sidra in: of Tzelofchad מִ ּבְ דְ ּבַ ר Bemidbar by Alissa Symon, University Jewish Chaplain of Cambridge and East Anglia By Numbers: Parashat Pinchas question. First, the verse opening 168 verses is filled with many the story says that the daughters 1,887 words important and curious of Tzelofchad came forward— passages, but the part ”vatikravna” (Bemidbar 27:1). 7,853 letters that almost always Then, the second verse states grabs my attention is the discussion that they stood before Moshe— between the daughters of Tzelofchad ”vata’amodna” (ibid v.2). Since the Headlines: and Moshe. They come to Moshe, Torah usually speaks concisely, Elazar HaKohen, the chieftains and we might question the necessity Joshua’s the congregation to ask for a holding of using both verbs. This apparent in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). repetition underlines the activism of appointment The choice of verbs in this the daughters in their quest to seek as leader passage raises an interesting an answer from Moshe and God In loving memory of Moshe ben Avraham Zarach z"l Sidra Summary 1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bemidbar 25:10-26:4 God tells Moshe that Pinchas, Aharon’s grandson, is to become a Kohen in recognition United Synagogue Daf Hashavua of his righteous actions in stopping the public display of immorality described at the Produced by US Living & Learning end of last week’s sidra. The names of the two offenders are given – Zimri from the together with the Rabbinical Council of tribe of Shimon and Kozbi, a Midianite princess. God commands Moshe to smite the the United Synagogue Midianites as retribution for luring the Israelites into idol worship and immorality. Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Moshe and Elazar, the Kohen Gadol, are told to take a census of men above the age Editorial and Production Team: of 20. Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Rebbetzen Nechama Davis, Point to Consider: Why was Pinchas not already considered a Kohen if he was a Joanna Rose grandson of Aharon? (see Rashi to 25:13) Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 26:5-51 To sponsor Daf Hashavua please The main descendants of each tribe are listed, as well as the overall number within contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261, each tribe, as counted in the census. When detailing the tribe of Reuven, the Torah or [email protected] recalls that Datan and Aviram were from this tribe and that the ground swallowed If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email them in Korach's rebellion. The overall census number is 601,730. [email protected] regarding the inheritance of their This Midrash is wonderful because it teaches us father’s land. that the chiefs and judges understood that a new The Midrash Tanchuma (early rabbinic teachings) on our parasha situation, a new question, had arisen, and out says that the daughters of Tzelofchad of humility they passed the query on since they began their journey to find a solution recognised it was above their station. by appealing first to the ‘sarei asarot’, the chiefs of the tens, the case of the daughters of Tzelofchad.” halacha would instruct them to do in lowest echelon of judges appointed This Midrash is wonderful their situation. by Moshe. Their response was that because it teaches us that the chiefs The Torah is teaching us some they did not know how to rule on and judges understood that a new valuable lessons. Firstly, trying to fully issues of inheritance and therefore situation, a new question, had arisen, understand to the best of our ability referred them to the chiefs of the and out of humility they passed the what God wants, to clarify the halacha fifties, “who, seeing the chiefs of query on since they recognised it was correctly in each situation is important tens had shown them deference, above their station. We also learn and virtuous. Secondly, in pursuing a said, ‘We too have those who are how important it is to be like the question, one must be active and go to superior to us in knowledge’. A daughters of Tzelofchad; to be active a rabbinic authority most suitable for similar reply was given by the chiefs and search diligently for an answer the question at hand. And finally, for of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands in a situation where the halacha is the leaders—in situations that may and the princes.” Finally, the Midrash not clear. be unclear, practicing humility can tells us, the daughters of Tzelofchad Indeed, the Talmud praises the better lead us to the true will of God. came to Elazar who sent them to daughters of Tzelofchad who were Moshe. According to the Midrash, “exceedingly wise, knew how to Moshe probably knew the answer to expound the Torah well and were their inquiry, but “when [he] realised perfectly virtuous” (Bava Batra 119b). that each dignitary had shown This wording underlines that the deference to his superior he said: If I daughters of Tzelofchad were not tell them the law, I shall be claiming coming to complain to God, as the credit not due to me. So he said, ‘I generation of the wilderness did so too have a superior.’ And therefore, often, but rather, were truly troubled Moshe asked God what to do in the and wanted to discover what the 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 26:52-27:5 inherit their father. Other hierarchical inheritance rights are God tells Moshe to apportion the Land to those counted stated. God tells Moshe to ascend Mount Avarim and look at in the census. The tribes with more people will receive the Land of Cana’an from afar, reminding him that he will not proportionally more land area. Although this distribution come into the Land because of his mistake of hitting the rock was calculated mathematically, it was carried out through (see Bemidbar 20:9-12). Moshe asks God to appoint a new Elazar drawing lots, guided by Divine inspiration (Rashi). The leader (see p.3 article). God tells him to appoint Yehoshua, main Levite families, who were not included in the census, which Moshe does, in the presence of Elazar and the are listed. They number 23,000 males above the age of one Sanhedrin (Rashi). month. No one who was included in the first census when the Israelites left Egypt is included in this census, as they 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 28:1-15 had died in the desert, apart from Yehoshua and Calev. The God instructs Moshe to tell the Israelites to bring five daughters of Tzelofchad, a descendant of Menashe, ask the twice-daily tamid (continual) offering, consisting of a male Moshe to be given their deceased father's share in the Land, lamb, together with a flour offering mixed with oil and a wine as they have no brothers to inherit him. Moshe consults God libation. The additional Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh offerings about their request. are detailed. 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 27:6-23 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 28:16-29:11 God declares that Tzelofchad’s daughters are justified in their The special offerings for Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah and request and that, in the absence of sons, daughters are to Yom Kippur are also detailed. Technology, Food and Judaism Part 4: Partners in Creation? by Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg, Magen Avot Synagogue What happens when inclusion of the Creation story in the science fiction becomes written Torah itself: “If the Torah then reality? Over the last few chose to relate the tale of creation, weeks, we have looked we may clearly derive one law from at some of the fascinating questions this manner of procedure—viz., that raised by unprecedented technologies we are obliged to engage in creation for the world of kashrut (kosher and the renewal of the cosmos.”2 dietary laws). But whilst the technical Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen discussion often centres around Kook (1865-1935), first Ashkenazi the permissibility of new products Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, to be eaten or not, there is another explains that whilst we are cautioned fundamental question that can be part of the rationale for the prohibition from interfering with nature in a asked as well.
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