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23 March 2019 16 Adar II 5779 ends London 7.06pm 6.29pm

Volume 31 No. 29 Artscroll p.568 | Haftarah p.1167 Hertz p.429 | Haftarah p.439 Soncino p.631 | Haftarah p.647

In loving memory of Yehuda ben Yaakov HaCohen

“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not be extinguished; and the Kohen shall kindle wood upon it every morning” ( 6:5).

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Sidrah Summary: Tzav

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Vayikra 6:1-11 23 Adar, a week before the setting up of the The adds new details about the offerings Mishkan (on 1 Nissan), which was detailed that were discussed in last week’s sidrah. The olah previously in parashat (see Rashi’s (elevation) offering could be left burning on the commentary). Moshe washed and dressed Aharon mizbeach (altar) throughout the night. In the in the special garments of the Kohen Gadol and morning, a Kohen would remove the ash. Wood anointed his head with oil. He then dressed needed to be added on the mizbeach every day as Aharon’s sons in their designated priestly fuel for the three fires that were constantly burning garments. (Rashi). The mincha (meal offering) was baked Point to Consider : Why did Moshe have to tell the unleavened; those parts eaten by the Kohanim congregation that “this is the matter that God had to be consumed in the courtyard of the commanded me to do”? (see Rashi to 8:5). Mishkan (Tabernacle). 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 8:14-21 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 6:12-7:10 Moshe brought a bull as a chatat offering. Parts of A fine flour offering from a tenth of an ephah this were burned on the mizbeach ; the remainder volume of flour was to be offered by every Kohen was burned outside the camp. He then brought a on his first day of service, half in the morning ram as an olah offering. Aharon and his sons laid and half in the afternoon. The Kohen Gadol had to their hands upon both offerings ( semicha ). bring this offering every day. Like the olah , the chatat (sin) offering was slaughtered in a 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 8:22-29 designated part of the Mishkan . The procedure for A second ram, a shelamim , known as the an asham (guilt) offering is detailed. ‘inauguration ram’, was offered. Moshe smeared Question : What was unusual about a mincha some of its blood on the ears, thumbs and offering brought by a Kohen? (6:16) Answer on toes of Aharon and his sons. bottom of p. 6 . 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 8:30-36 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 7:11-38 Moshe also sprinkled inauguration oil, mixed One who survived a dangerous situation could with blood from the offerings, on Aharon and his bring a todah (thanksgiving) offering, which was a sons, as well as on their garments. Moshe category of shelamim (peace) offering (see p.3 instructed them on how to eat the relevant article). It was accompanied by baked loaves; parts of the inauguration offerings and told those parts of its meat designated for them not to leave the entrance to the ohel moed consumption had to be eaten within a specific for the whole of the inauguration period. time. One was forbidden to eat an offering in Haftarah a state of ritual impurity. An offering which became God tells the prophet Yirmiyahu to rebuke the impure was to be burned, not eaten. The blood of nation for having not listened to Him since all animals and certain fats ( chelev ) of specific the day that He brought them out of Egypt and animals was strictly forbidden to eat. The right repeatedly ignoring His prophets.The people’s thigh and the chest of a shelamim (peace) offering iniquities include desecrating the Temple and were eaten by the Kohanim. involving their children in idolatrous practices, 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 8:1-13 making the destruction of Jerusalem inevitable, The Torah now details the seven-day inauguration when “the carcass of this people will be food for process of Aharon and his sons, starting on the bird of the heaven”.

Unit ed S ynagogue Daf Hasha vua Pr oduc ed by US Living & Learning toge ther with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Edito r: Chaim Gr oss Edito r- in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial T eam: Ra bbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, S haron Radley Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua ple ase contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261 , o r [email protected] .uk If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected] .uk

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Packing our Parachutes by Rabbi Yoni Golker, Assistant Rabbi, St John’s Wood United Synagogue

The renowned New York my bitterest and darkest time as a prisoner of speaker and writer, Rabbi war, spend a moment to think of the person who Paysach Krohn, tells the had packed my parachute?” remarkable story of Captain Charles Plumb, a jet fighter To Captain Plumb this was, and could be to us, pilot for the US Navy. an eye-opener. There are so many people who He flew many successful help us in our lives whom we too forget even combat missions over to think about – people who have “packed our North Vietnam during the 1970s. On his 75th parachutes", those who have enabled us to mission, five days before ending his tour of navigate life’s treacherous terrain, through the duty, Captain Plumb’s plane was shot down subtle care they showed us. over Hanoi, then the capital of North Vietnam. The source of giving thanks is to be found in this Forced to parachute out of his plane, he landed week’s sidrah. Among the offerings our sidrah safely in enemy territory, but was captured. He itemises is the korban todah , the thanksgiving remained a prisoner of war for more than five offering: “If he offers it [the sacrifice] as a years. Despite being mercilessly tortured, he thanksgiving offering, then along with this somehow managed to survive. thanksgiving offering he shall offer unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers spread After his repatriation, he was honoured as an with oil, and loaves of fine flour well-kneaded American hero and lectured around the country and mixed with oil” (Vayikra 7:12). Individuals about his experiences. One night, as he was in four different circumstances were obligated sitting in a Kansas City restaurant, he noticed a to thank God through a korban todah – people man two tables away staring at him. He did not who recovered from illness, were freed from recognise him but felt that the other man imprisonment, crossed the sea, or traversed the definitely knew who he was. The man then desert. approached the captain. Though we have been without sacrifices for “You're Captain Plumb,” he said. “And you flew almost 2000 years, a trace of the thanksgiving planes, right?” offering survives to this day, in the form of the Hagomel blessing. This is recited in the “I am and I did, but ... do I know you?” synagogue, usually at the time of reading of the Torah, by one who has survived a hazardous “You were shot down and spent years in prison, event or one of the experiences for which right?” one used to bring a korban todah (see green siddur, p.124). We acknowledge our duty to “How do you know all this?” Captain Plumb appreciate and thank, not only our fellow person, asked, perplexed. but God too. “I packed your parachute, sir,” the man replied, “that was my job at base camp – packing parachutes”.

Speechless, Captain Plumb stood up, shook the man’s hand warmly and expressed his gratitude. Without this man, he would not have been alive.

After they parted, Captain Plumb felt distressed, wondering silently: “Did I ever, for a moment, in

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Jewish Contemporary Ethics Part 23: Ethical issues in Tanach 1 - The Akeidah I by Rabbi Dr. Moshe Freedman, New West End Synagogue

This section of our series have to wait until the twilight years of their lives on ethics aims to explore for a child, God had promised Avraham and the events and laws in Sarah that their progeny would be built through the Torah which seem to Yitzchak (ibid. 21:12). God’s own covenant and conflict with our own default every hope for the future was wrapped up in moral assumptions. This is Yitzchak; how then could God appear to renege certainly not an exhaustive on His word? study, but will focus on questions that are commonly asked. Unlike Kierkegaard, the Talmudist and philosopher Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik (d. 1993) The story of Akeidat Yitzchak (the Binding of proposes that Avraham did not surrender his Isaac) is one of the most perplexing episodes in natural moral conscience. Rather, he had the Torah. God commanded Avraham to take his complete faith and trust in God who is moral, that son Yitzchak, travel to Mount Moriah and offer any command He gives is also moral. He could Yitzchak as a sacrifice. Just as Avraham is about not have understood how this was the case and to kill his son, an angel calls out to stop him, how things would turn out, but it is clear that explaining that God now knows that Avraham Avraham's trust in God was vindicated. His faith truly fears Him. Looking up, Avraham then sees was not in the suppression of his conscience, but a ram caught in the thicket and offers it to God in in resisting the temptation to use his intellect to Yitzchak’s place (Bereishit ch. 21). rationalise God’s command; instead he accepted that God must know best ( Abraham’s Journey There are so many questions regarding this pp. 189 -190). episode and, unsurprisingly, much ink has been spilled expounding and explaining its details, by This also answers our previous question, for both Jewish and non-Jewish scholars. But for all God’s command had to be an act so seemingly these explanations, God’s command appears to immoral, that it would eliminate every possibility go against the most natural, self-evident moral of Avraham employing logic, reason or natural truth. Why would the ‘True Judge’ and moral moral arguments before complying. Unlike lawgiver demand such an act and then withdraw Adam and Chavah (Eve) who disobeyed God and the command at the last moment? surrendered to reason, Avraham willingly submitted to what seemed to be totally illogical. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard Looked at in this light, the Akeidah teaches us to (d. 1855) explains in his book Fear and Trembling live with questions. We will continue to draw out that Avraham epitomised the ‘knight of faith’ – important moral lessons from it in the next part. the man who subjugated his moral conscience in light of Divine command, however immoral it might have appeared. The message of the Akeidah, according to Kierkegaard, is therefore that faith means submitting to God’s will by subduing our natural sense of morality as the ultimate act in the service of God.

Yet this is not the Jewish view. Kierkegaard’s explanation ignores the authenticity of natural morality discussed in last week’s article and fails to deal with the difficulty of understanding the command itself. Not only did Avraham and Sarah

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The Symbols of the Shevatim. Part 1: Reuven by Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Finchley United Synagogue

The Twelve Tribes of Israel understands Leah to be saying that though (the Shevatim ) are often Lavan had tricked Yaakov into marrying her, depicted in synagogue art. Rachel ought to have been resigned to her loss The earliest representations and should not have consented to marry Yaakov were actually on the banners later. of the tribes themselves, as they encamped around the “Moreover,” Leah continued, “you want my son’s Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the mandrakes?” To this, Rachel responded that in desert ( 2:2). Each of the tribes was return, Yaakov could go to Leah’s tent that night, additionally featured with a gemstone on the clearly ceding her own turn in exchange for the Choshen (Breastplate) of the Kohen Gadol mandrakes. ( 28:21). The symbols of the tribes are often drawn from images in the blessings given That night, Leah explained the circumstances by Yaakov to his sons in parashat Vayechi and transaction to Yaakov, “I have hired you (Bereishit ch. 49). There is even a correlation with my son’s mandrakes” (30:16). Their son between some of the tribal symbols and the Yissachar, whose name denotes “hire”, was signs of the zodiac, which is also found in early conceived that night. synagogue mosaics. The mandrakes were clearly treasured for their The dominant symbol for the tribe of Reuven is properties either as fertility treatment, stimulant the mandrakes ( dudaim ), a plant associated with or perfume; hence both Rachel and Leah’s increased fertility. desire to have them. It is noteworthy, though, that the Torah always refers to them as In parashat Vayechi, Reuven found mandrakes “Reuven’s mandrakes”. Why is the association in the field, which he brought to his mother with Reuven so important? Leah ( 30:14). This episode is clearly significant, as it interrupts the narrative of the The Or HaChaim (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar d. 1743) birth of Yaakov’s children to his wives and their suggests that we see Reuven’s selflessness and maidservants. It highlights a tension between devotion to his mother in this story. He was Leah and Rachel, with Reuven’s mandrakes a anxious to make her happy, even at the cost of catalyst for an argument between them. his own prominence, should she go on to raise more siblings. The mandrakes thus represent the At that point, Leah had already given birth to qualities of loyalty and empathy. Reuven, Levi, Shimon and Yehuda. Bilhah (Rachel’s maidservant) had given birth to Gad In Yaakov’s blessing on his death bed, he and Dan, Zilpah (Leah’s maidservant) to Naftali. described Reuven as “impetuous like water” Rachel, alone, was childless.Yet the verses (49:4). This was a rebuke for an incident after the which relate the names that Leah gave to her mandrakes, where Reuven, after Rachel’s death, children betray a sorrow that, despite bearing in some way interfered in the conjugal set-up children for Yaakov, Leah felt unloved. between Yaakov and Bilhah (Bereshit 35:22). Yaakov explained that this episode cost Reuven Immediately after Reuven presented his mother his pre-eminence among the brothers, such that with the mandrakes, Rachel asked for some ultimately Yehuda would inherit the leadership of them, whereupon Leah answered back: role. For his impetuosity, the tribe of Reuven is “Is it not enough that you [Rachel] have occasionally depicted by choppy and uncertain taken my husband?” (ibid. 30:15). The Seforno waters. This may explain why Reuven is also (Rabbi Ovadiah ben Ya’akov Seforno 1550) associated with Aquarius.

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The 7 Wonders of Shabbat, Part 3: Me’ein Olam Haba : A Slice of Heaven by Rabbi Ben Kurzer, Assistant Rabbi, Edgware United Synagogue

There is nothing quite like everything that we can - impacting the world, the rush of a mid-winter doing good and developing our character. As life Friday. No matter how much goes on, time seems to move faster. When it is we think that we have over, we take with us to the next world whatever prepared in advance and we “prepared” during our lifetimes. The good we that we only have a few were able to do and the people that we have small jobs left to do, it can become is all that we will have in the World to become increasingly frantic Come. No more or less. as Shabbat draws near. For some reason, the clock seems to tick faster with each passing minute. When Shabbat arrives, we feel an The lead-up to Shabbat is when we do all we immediate change. We can do no more to can, hoping to achieve the maximum. When prepare and we can breathe calmly, knowing Shabbat begins, we enter an immersive that we have finished all our jobs…except the experience of just ‘being’ with our Creator. inevitable one crucial thing that we forgot! Yet no That is me’ein olam haba – a slice of Heaven, matter how important that task was, now that that teaches us what it means to progress Shabbat has begun, there is nothing that we can no further and to simply reap the benefits of do about it. what we readied in advance. Shabbat whispers a reminder to us each week to re-evaluate our priorities and consider our direction in life. This predicament gives us an insight into what Are we on the right track? How can we maximise our Sages mean when they refer to Shabbat as our time in this world? Will we be ready to me’ein olam haba – a small taste of the World to enjoy Olam Haba – the ultimate Shabbat, where Come. On a simple level, this phrase refers to we will just ‘be’ with our Creator? the special and uplifting Shabbat experience which is connected to the spiritual energy of the World to Come. However, the similarity between Shabbat and the World to Come is much more profound than just a feeling.

To help us understand the connection, let us begin with a different question. We talk about the beauty of Shabbat and how special a day it is and yet, if we think about the laws of Shabbat, they seem heavily weighted on the negative. Don’t cook, don’t drive, don’t write, don’t build, don’t this, don’t that – just don’t! And that is only to mention a few. In fact, leaving aside Kiddush, special meals and a few other laws, Shabbat seems almost entirely made up of forbidden actions. Why do all these restrictions give us a taste of the World to Come?

Though it can be difficult for us to feel, we are all

d e n r u b y l e t e l p m o c s a w t i : r e w s n mortal and our time in this world is limited. We A have a certain amount of years to accomplish

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Are you Pesach-ready?

This lev el of prepar ation ma y be a joke but for 600 of our f amilies in need, preparing for P esach is no laughing matt er . Help us support them this P esach.

Please look out for your P esach Appeal in the post or donat e online at www.theus .org.uk/pesachappeal

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