15 July 2011

www.sajewishreport.co.za Friday, 15 July 2011 / 13 Tammuz, 5771 Volume 15 Number 26 A nation cherishes its favourite son on his 93rd Old stalwarts reminisce - Madiba receives a fond embrace from Esther Barsel, a comrade from the early Struggle days, at a book launch in 2003. SEE PAGE 8 Rotary award for UJ, BGU sign DAVIS: Being ‘apart’ SA’s new info bill Naada Faire Issie Kirsh / 7 new contract / 3 not same as ‘alone’ / 9 seriously flawed / 5 / 12-14 YOUTH / 17 SPORT / 20 LETTERS / 15 CROSSWORD & SUDOKU / 18 COMMUNITY BUZZ / 6 WHAT’S ON / 18 2 SA JEWISH REPORT 15 - 22 July 2011 PARSHA OF THE WEEK SHABBAT AND FAST TIMES July 15/13 Tammuz Fast of Tammuz/Shivah Assar be Published by July 16/14 Tammuz Tammuz S A Jewish Report (Pty) Ltd, Does Judaism sanction July 19/17 Tammuz PO Box 84650, Greenside, 2034 Pinchas Tel: (011) 023-8160 religious fanaticism? Starts Ends Starts Ends Fax: (086) 634-7935 17:16 18:07 Johannesburg 05:40 17:53 Johannesburg Printed by Caxton Ltd 17:37 18:32 Cape Town 06:29 18:16 Cape Town 16:56 17:49 Durban 05:33 17:34 Durban EDITOR - Geoff Sifrin 17:17 18:09 Bloemfontein 05:52 17:55 Bloemfontein [email protected] PARSHAT PINCHAS 17:09 18:03 Port Elizabeth 06:00 17:47 Port Elizabeth 17:02 17:56 East London 05:50 17:40 East London COMMERCIAL MANAGER Rav Eitan Bendavid Sue Morris Yeshiva of Cape Town [email protected] Moderation is key to Joe Baron’s 100 Sub-Editor - Paul Maree DOES JUDAISM sanction religious fanaticism? Parshat Pinchas appears to answer in the affirmative. Pinchas Ben MOIRA SCHNEIDER Ed Co-ordinator - Sharon Akum Elazar, grandson of the peace loving Aharon Hakohen, is CAPE TOWN [email protected] rewarded by G-d with an eternal covenant of peace after PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED Senior Reporter - Rita Lewis slaying Zimri and Kozbi in an act of religious zealotry. [email protected] Pinchas’ response to this abominable act was no doubt DR JOE Baron celebrated his extreme. But so was the crime! The Torah tells us that 100th birthday in Cape Town last Sports Editor - Jack Milner Zimri, one of the princes of Israel, took Kozbi, a Midianite month. Born in then-Rhodesia [email protected] princess, and shamelessly engaged in relations with her in (now Zimbabwe) in 1911, he prac- Books Editor - Gwen Podbrey the middle of the camp. Moshe stood by, shocked and in dis- tised medicine for 55 years, a feat belief, as Zimri brought impurity into the camp. that must secure him a place as Arts Editor - Robyn Sassen It was Pinchas alone who came to grips with reality, and one of the longest-serving practi- [email protected] swiftly put an end to the plague against the Jewish people tioners in the country. In 1942, during the Second Youth Editor - Alison Goldberg by slaying the perpetrators. As a reward, G-d singles out Pinchas for an eternal covenant of peace. World War, he was awarded the [email protected] That is the story, as told in the Torah, but the rabbis of Military Cross for bravery under Cape Town correspondent the Talmud fill in some of the details. It appears that many fire at El Alamein, having spent Dr Joe Baron blows out the candles on his Moira Schneider: 021-794-4206 condemned Pinchas’ behaviour. Rabbi Judah ben Pazi the greater part of the war in 100th birthday cake, which is decorated with a argues: “The leaders wanted to excommunicate Pinchas North Africa and Palestine. photograph of him taken during the Second Pretoria correspondent and that moment G-d intervened and rewarded Pinchas a Subsequently, as a medical offi- Diane Wolfson: 082-707-9471 World War. covenant of peace.”(Talmud Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 9:5). cer in the Rhodesian army, he Advertising - (011) 023-8160 Considering that Pinchas’ swift action placated G-d’s was asked to go and attend to a battalion tive life? “I don’t consider there’s any [email protected] wrath, why did the leaders censure Pinchas’ behaviour? of soldiers in then-Nyasaland (now secret,” he laughs, “but it’s a good thing The answer lies in understanding the dangers of religious Malawi) who had come down with malar- not to smoke and to be moderate with Britt Landsman: 082-292-9520 passion. When acting in the manner that Pinchas did, hav- ia. He saved them all and was awarded the alcohol.” [email protected] ing a good cause and an effective response is not the only MBE by Queen Elizabeth in the 1970s. Asked how he occupies his days, he Manuela Bernstein: 082-951-3838 measure of success. Equally important is the intention of Baron and his wife, Gwendoline, to replies: “I sit and dream and think of [email protected] the actor. whom he has been married for 71 years, what I’d like to be doing if I was able to. I The author of the Torah Temima writes: “Such a deed moved to the Cape in 1979. He worked at used to go for long walks and climb Table Marlene Bilewitz: 083-475-0288 may be animated by a genuine, unadulterated spirit of zeal Groote Schuur Hospital for 20 years, retir- Mountain - that would be my first occupa- [email protected] to advance the glory of G-d. In the case, who can tell ing at the age of 88 with the status of hon- tion.” Classified Sales whether the perpetrator is not really prompted by some orary consultant at the institution. The couple has a daughter, Hilary Lavi, Charissa Newman selfish motive, maintaining that he is doing it for the sake Both Baron’s grandfathers were rabbis. in Israel and a son, Peter, who is a paedi- [email protected] of G-d, when he has actually committed murder.” His secret for living a long and produc- atric cardiologist in Phoenix, Arizona. When tempers flare, it is very hard to know whether one Manager: Distribution is motivated by holy intentions, or with ulterior motives. Britt Landsman How often do we compensate for our failures by rebuking Fast of the 17 Tammuz coming up Design and layout others for their own failures? ROBYN SASSEN day on which daily sacrifices in the tem- Frankie Matthysen Zealotry and passion are core religious values of the ples ceased; the day on which the walls of Nicole Cook Jewish faith. Fanaticism is not. There is a fine line between the two. When taking bold measures, a person needs to be THIS COMING Tuesday sees the start of a the City of Jerusalem were breached by Website sure that his/her kanaaut is not a façade, a compensation three-week-long period of mourning in the Romans. www.sajewishreport.co.za for some personal failure, or a spur of the moment feeling Jewish practice, culminating in Tisha It was also the day on which the idol Ilan Ossendryver that will fade as tempers cool down. B’Av, on Tuesday, August 9, commemorat- known as “The Golden Calf” was erected IC-Creations This is no easy task. It requires self-knowledge, honesty ing the destruction of the First and Second in 1313 BCE and the day on which a Torah [email protected] about one’s intentions and the ability to carefully examine Temples in 587BCE and 70CE respectively. scroll was burned by the Roman Emperor and scrutinise one’s motives. In this case, Pinchas was Shivah Asar B’Tammuz is a 12-hour Apostomus, in 50CE. Subscription enquiries exonerated because he, like his grandfather, Aharon, was rabbinic fast day, coinciding this year on During the Three Weeks, it is custom- Avusa Publishing (Pty) Ltd motivated by peaceful intentions. This is why G-d specifi- July 19. ary to uphold mourning practices includ- Tel: 0860-13-2652 cally offers him a covenant of peace. Historically, it commemorates many ing refraining from celebrating weddings, BOARD OF DIRECTORS What about us? How should we channel our religious tragedies that befell the Jewish people on or wearing new clothes. The fast times for this day, including Moses smashing the the different centres nationally appears Howard Feldman (Chairman), Issie Kirsh passion and zealousness in a world where direct communi- Table of the Covenant at Mount Sinai; the on this page. (Deputy Chairman), Stan Kaplan, cation with G-d is lost? The Baal Shem Tov, taught based on Marlene Bethlehem, Russell Gaddin, Nor- the double verb by the commandment of rebuke, man Lowenthal, Bertie Lubner, Benjy “hocheaich tochiach et amitecha” that preachers needs to KASHRUT ALERT Porter, Herby Rosenberg, first rebuke themselves before they rebuke others - “hochi- ach et atzmicha, lifneh she’ata mochiach acheirim”. Howard Sackstein, Jason I think the same idea should operate here as well. PAREV LOGO IS CORRECT OF HEARTLAND OATSLI CLUSTER Valkin, Elton Bondi, Michael Zealous individuals tend to direct their passionate feelings “HEARTLAND OATSLI Cluster, choc-chip, peanut and raisin”, bears a parev Sieff and Steven Krawitz. towards others. We need to fight this instinct. One should logo, yet mentions “milk chocolate” on the ingredient panel. The kashrut department of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues says the parev Advertisements and editorial copy from first direct one’s zealousness inward at oneself. By interi- logo is correct. The choc-chips used are dark parev chocolate and the ingredient outside sources do not neccessarily reflect orising zealousness, we may raise ourselves up, and if we panel is incorrect. Heartland is correcting their ingredient panel.

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