22 April 2017 26 Nisan 5777 Shabbat ends London 9.00pm 7.51pm

Volume 29 No. 30 Shemini Shabbat Mevarchim. Rosh Chodesh Iyar is on Wednesday and Thursday. Artscroll p.588 | Hertz p.443 | Soncino p.651

In memory of Faiga Ratza bat Ze’ev

"This you may eat from everything that is in the water: everything that has fins and scales in the 1 water, in the seas, and in the streams, those you may eat" (Vayikra 11:9). Sidrah Summary: Shemini

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Vayikra 9:1-16 day, as well as parts of the shelamim offering The sidrah begins almost a year after the Exodus which they had also brought. from Egypt, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. After seven 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 10:16-19 days of inaugurating the Mishkan, Moshe Moshe criticises Elazar and Itamar for burning instructs Aharon to bring two special offerings, one of the chatat offerings instead of eating parts an elevation offering (olah) and a sin offering of it. Aharon defends their actions, based on their (chatat). The people are also told to bring a status as mourners (). Moshe accepts chatat, two olah offerings and two peace Aharon’s justification. offerings (shelamim). Aharon approaches the 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 11:1-32 altar (mizbeach), together with his sons, and they begin the process of bringing these offerings. God teaches Moshe and Aharon some of the laws of kashrut. Only an animal with completely split Point to Consider: what was the purpose of hooves and which chews the cud is kosher. Aharon’s special sin offering? (see Rashi to 9:2) Therefore, animals like the camel and pig, which 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 9:17-23 have only one of these characteristics, are Aharon and his sons finish the offerings, after forbidden. Fish are only kosher if they have both which Aharon blesses the people with the priestly fins and scales. The Torah lists forbidden birds by blessing (Rashi). Moshe and Aharon then bless name. Flying insects are also prohibited food, the people that the Divine presence will rest upon with limited exceptions (that are today difficult to them (Rashi). identify). Kosher animals which die without proper slaughter (shechitah), as well as dead non-kosher 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 9:24-10:11 animals transmit ritual impurity (tumah) to one A fire comes from heaven and consumes the who touches them. offerings on the mizbeach. The people fall to the (Shevi’i) ground in praise to God. Nadav and Avihu, two of 7th Aliya – 11:33-47 Aharon’s sons, bring an incense offering (ketoret) The Torah lists some basic laws of how certain in a pan, which they had not been commanded utensils can become impure (tameh) and how to do. A fire descends from God, killing them they need to be treated thereafter. All creeping instantly. Aharon is silent (see articles on p.3 and insects are forbidden to eat. Keeping these laws p.4). Moshe asks two of their cousins to remove allows a person to become sanctified and holy. the bodies. Moshe tells Aharon and his two surviving sons, Elazar and Itamar, not to show Haftarah any public display of mourning. God relates to This reading from the book of Shmuel (II) relates Aharon that no one is allowed to do service in the the journey of the ark to Jerusalem, led by King Mishkan drunk. David. Tragedy strikes on this journey, when Uzzah the son of Avinadav dies trying to stop the Question: what were the names of Moshe and ark falling. Upon its eventual arrival in Jerusalem, Aharon’s cousins? Answer on bottom of page 6. David dances joyfully in public and is criticised by 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 10:12-15 his wife Michal, the daughter of Shaul. Natan the Moshe tells Aharon and his sons to eat the prophet tells David that his line of kingship will last remaining parts of a special meal offering forever and that his son Shlomo (Solomon) will (mincha) that they themselves had brought that build the Temple.

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2 Solutions in the Sidrah: Silence – The Language of the Heart by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

In January of this year, The Baal HaTurim suggests that the connection ‘The Silver Line’, a senior between these two instances is to indicate that citizens’ helpline founded the tragedy of the passing of the righteous is as by Esther Rantzen in momentous as the stopping of the sun. 2013, revealed a shocking statistic. Data collected In the context of the pain felt by those who by the organisation over tragically suffer in silence, such as those people several months showed that referred to by Sophie Andrews, perhaps we can calls to the helpline were increasing at a rate of suggest an alternative connection. There are 5% to 10% every month, with staff at the helpline those for whom the immensity of the emotional handling approximately 1,700 calls per day. pain felt in their hearts is akin to the ‘silencing’ (dimming) of the sun itself. In that moment, it may In discussing the possible reasons for this feel as if there is no possibility whatsoever of a dramatic increase, the charity’s Chief Executive bright, sunlit future. They are silent because there Sophie Andrews explained that more and more are no words of hope to express. pensioners had been choosing to suffer in silence, for fear of being viewed as a burden on Former Secretary General of the United Nations, society. This was particularly pronounced in calls Dag Hammerskjold, once described silence as received after 11.00pm, when some two-thirds the ‘language of the heart’. Silence itself, as in of callers described themselves as suffering from the silence expressed by the pain of Aharon, a mental health condition such as depression, or the silence of those who had waited or may yet were unwilling to seek medical help. “In the still be waiting to call The Silver Line, is also a 80-90 generation”, Andrews remarked, “there is language. Yet it is one that requires a deep form a real stigma in talking about how you of empathic listening in order to understand it. feel….They say that they don’t want anyone to Hearing that silence can be challenging, but know how they feel, because they don’t want doing so may go a long way to assisting those in their independence taken away from them…” desperate need of help.

This week’s sidrah contains one of the most tragic episodes in the Torah, the sudden death of two of Aharon’s sons. Strikingly, the Torah records Aharon’s reaction with just two brief words: “and Aharon was silent” (‘vayidom Aharon’ – Shemot 10:3). The Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Ya’akov ben Asher d. 1340) notes that the Hebrew word ‘vayidom’, meaning ‘and he was silent’, also occurs in the Book of Yehoshua (Joshua), referring to the miraculous ‘silencing’ or ‘stopping’ of the sun in order to aid the Jewish people in battle (Yehoshua 10:12).

Esther Rantzen

In memory of Devorah bat Moshe Bentzion 3 Lessons from Nadav and Avihu by Rabbi Marc Levene, Belmont United Synagogue

For the past eight weeks Nadav and Avihu were not given ‘creative (20 chapters), the Torah licence’ in the Mishkan. As Kohanim they had has focused on the laws very specific instructions. The Torah laid out with of building the Mishkan meticulous detail exactly how they should act. (Tabernacle). Each aspect Therefore their decision to bring their own of its structure was offering, even out of love and commitment to commanded by God, God, was not acceptable. Although it was meticulously studied by the heartfelt, it was had devastating consequences. people and constructed to the letter. The various Their second error was to act without enough parts were built by conscientious craftsmen, and prior thought. With great zeal and passion they the Kohanim learned and prepared for their rushed into their service, but without enough special duties. The Israelites watched as this concern for their actions, as this was not what magnificent centrepiece took shape, designed God demanded of them. to reach its goal as a hub for their daily religious practice. In order to finalise the building These lessons can be instructive for us. Even of the Mishkan, Moshe led a seven-day-long when our deeds are genuine and sincere, without inauguration service. proper thought they could sometimes have grave consequences. Whether in our personal or The inauguration was celebrated by the nation. professional lives, we should strive to consider Yet after the preparation ceremonies were how people will be affected by our actions. completed, on the first day of ‘proper’ service, an event happened that marred their elation and When observing laws which carry serious brought a tragic final note to the festivities. consequences when broken, such as driving within the speed limit, the need for exactitude is Enveloped in the excitement of the inaugural obvious. Yet even when acting towards another festivities, Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, person in a context with less risk or potential for approached the altar and brought an legal punishment, it is important that we listen to unauthorised incense offering. Their grave error the specific needs and requests of others, rather of judgment led God to send a fire which than acting purely out of our own emotions. consumed them; they both died instantly (Vayikra 10:1-2).

There is an important lesson to learn from Nadav and Avihu, who it appears had the sincerest of intentions. In fact, Moshe held them in high esteem, not just because they were the sons of Aharon, but because in their own right they were highly respected individuals (see Rashi’s commentary to ibid. 10:3). Yet the severity of their actions was such that they were deemed worthy of losing their lives. What led them to act in this manner?

In memory of Moshe Bentzion ben Chaim Ze’ev 4 Parallel Thinking Part 20: The Vastness of the Cosmos – Could Alien Life Exist? by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, New West End United Synagogue

As the English author notes that the existence of extra-terrestrial life Douglas Adams (d. 2001) does not contradict any aspect of Jewish noted in The Hitchhiker’s philosophy. Guide to the Galaxy: “Space is big. Really big. You just Rabbi Yosef Albo (d. 1444) disagrees and asserts won’t believe how vastly that mankind is the only being that was endowed hugely mind bogglingly big with free will and the ability to make moral it is. I mean you may think choices. Since there would be no purpose to it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, beings on other planets, God would not have but that’s just peanuts to space”. created them.

As one gazes up at the night sky into the deep A third position is that of Rabbi Pinchas Eliyahu dark cosmos, one may wonder whether there is Horowitz of Vilna (d. 1821), who writes that extra- an intelligent being in some far off planet gazing terrestrial beings could still exist, even though back at us and wondering the same thing. Many they would not have free will. He notes that the attempts have been made to detect intelligent life sages of the hinted to the existence of outside our own solar system. In the early 1970s, aliens (Moed Katan 16a), but that creatures from NASA funded a project to analyse radio signals other planets are unlikely to resemble mankind. from outer space in the hope of discovering alien radio signatures. Ohio State University became famous on 15 August 1977 for discovering a While many Rabbinic intellectual disputes about particularly strong irregular radio signal, which such philosophical matters can be settled, this became known as the “Wow!” signal. The signal one may be more difficult. The nearest Earth-like has not been found since and its source cannot habitable planet found by the Kepler Observatory be verified. orbits a star called Gliese 581, around 20.4 light years (193 trillion kilometres) away, in the constellation of Libra. Sadly, in order to meet our More recently, since 2009 the Kepler Observatory potential alien neighbours, we would have to find has been searching for Earth-like planets outside a way of travelling at the speed of light for over our solar system. By the middle of May 2016, 20 years! NASA announced that the Kepler mission had verified 1,284 new planets. Around half could be rocky planets and nine of these had the potential to support life.

Some may assume that the notion of extra- terrestrial life is inconsistent with the Torah’s account of Creation. Yet nobody claims that this account provides an exhaustive list of creatures or creations. Furthermore, the idea that mankind occupies a special place in the Universe, inevitably precluding the possibility of life on other planets, is also contested. The Rambam ( d. 1204) writes explicitly against this notion, while Rabbi Hasdai Crescas (d. 1411) Ignition of a Delta II 7925-10L rocket with the Kepler space telescope on board, 6 March 2009

In memory of Zlata bat Moshe Bentzion 5 Yom Hashoah: The March of the Living by Rabbi Michael Laitner, US Living & Learning; Assistant Rabbi, Finchley United Synagogue

This article from the Mincha, the afternoon prayers. Immediately, ‘Exile Towards Redemption all those who wished to say this prayer went up Machzor’ has been to the dais. reproduced with the kind Jews in the Western Hemisphere traditionally permission of Koren pray in an easterly direction, towards Jerusalem. Publishers, Jerusalem. East from the dais on that occasion faced The International March towards the exit from the camp. In front of us of the Living programme brings thousands of were thousands of Jews, including servicemen people to Poland for the week after Pesach each and women from Israel and elsewhere, proudly year to learn more about the hundreds of years of affirming their and commitment to Jewish history in that country. Inevitably, Israel, bearing a sea of Israeli, British and other substantial time is devoted to studying the national flags. Holocaust and its continuing impact on Jewish The words of Mincha recited by the chazan life. The final day of the programme, coinciding boomed around Auschwitz, through the with Yom Hashoah, is the March itself, a quite loudspeakers set up for the occasion, a searing remarkable occasion. contrast to what was broadcast on the original Starting at Auschwitz I, participants from around loudspeakers of the camp which still stand, the world, including a substantial Israeli unused now for almost 72 years. delegation and a delegation from the UK At our head was Rabbi Lau, the child survivor organised by Scott Saunders of Finchley who had become a Chief Rabbi of a Jewish State Synagogue containing a United Synagogue in the Land of Israel and has been one of the group led by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, march leaders of the March since its inception. It was together to Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The marchers one of the most poignant services I have ever are keenly aware of the blood-soaked turf attended. I hope that you will be able to read beneath them and the privilege they have to walk the prayers, stories and histories in the machzor freely as Jews. The March ends with a tekes at your local shul or at home, along with the (ceremony) at the far end of Auschwitz II- illustrative photos and maps, to inspire your Birkenau including prayers, speeches, audio- prayers and to enhance your appreciation of the visual media and presentations to survivors and days it marks. liberators. The machzor is available from www.theus.org.uk I was privileged to attend on one occasion, and at Jewish book shops. walking alongside Eve Kugler, a survivor and contributor to the ‘From Exile towards Redemption’ machzor. At the end of the tekes, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel and a child survivor of the Holocaust, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who had delivered a moving address alongside one of the American soldiers who liberated him from Buchenwald, quietly said one well-known, brief phrase from Psalm 84 into the microphone: “ashrei yoshevei vaytecha” – happy are those who sit in Your

[God’s] house. This is the opening phrase of Answer: Mishael and Eltsafan and Mishael Answer:

In memory of Yaakov Zelig ben Moshe Bentzion 6