29 July 2017 6 Av 5777 Shabbat ends London 9.51pm Jerusalem 8.18pm

Volume 29 No. 44 Devarim Shabbat Chazon The Fast of 9 Av commences on Monday night at 8.50pm and ends on Tuesday night at 9.39pm Artscroll p.938 | Hertz p.735 | Soncino p.989

In memory of Frida Mirel bat Chaim Simcha

The Conquest of the Emorites (Watercolour circa 1896-1902 by James Tissot)

“Only the land of the children of Ammon did you not draw near, everywhere near Jabbok Brook and the cities of the mountines, and everywhere that Hashem, our God, commanded us” (Devarim 2:37). 1 Sidrah Summary: Devarim

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Devarim 1:1-10 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 2:2-30 In the 40th year after leaving Egypt, Moshe 38 years later, the Israelites turned northwards gathers the nation together and rebukes them, and passed by the descendants of Esav in Seir, alluding to the many places where they made making sure not to start a war with them, nor to mistakes since leaving Egypt (Rashi). Moshe take any provisions without payment. The nation recalls the time spent at Mount Sinai after then headed towards the Moabite desert. God receiving the Torah, and that the nation could instructed Moshe not to start a conflict with have gone straight into the Land of Cana’an from Moab. On their march towards the Land, God there. Moshe realised then that he needed instructed them to provoke Sichon, the king of assistance to lead such a big nation. Cheshbon, into battle.

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 1:11-21 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 2:31-3:14 Therefore Moshe told the people to appoint Sichon came out to fight. The Israelites destroyed judges over sub-groups of 1000, 100, 50 and 10 him and his nation, taking his entire land, with the men. He told those judges to be fair and brave in exception of Ammon. The nation then successfully their work, and that any dispute too difficult to defeated the other Emorite king, the mighty Og, resolve should be brought to Moshe himself. king of Bashan, conquering his territory.

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 1:22-38 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 3:15-322 Moshe recalls the sin of the spies. The people Moshe apportioned the land taken from Sichon approached Moshe, wanting to send a mission to and Og to the tribes of Gad and Reuven, and half reconnoitre the Land. Moshe agreed and selected of the tribe of Menashe (as detailed in parashat 12 leading men, one from each tribe. Upon their Matot – see Bemidbar 32). However, the men of return, only Yehoshua and Calev spoke positively, these tribes were still required to enter the Land of yet the other spies successfully discouraged the Cana’an to fight with the rest of the nation. Moshe people (Rashi). Moshe’s attempts to reassure the told his successor Yehoshua that just as God had people of God’s protection when they would enter helped them to defeat Sichon and Og, so too He the Land were rejected. God then decreed that would help them in their conquest of the Land. the generation who had complained would die in Question: the dimensions of which piece of the wilderness and not enter the Land. Og’s home furniture are described in the verse? Point to Consider: why did Moshe agree to the (3:11) Answer on bottom of page 6. spies’ mission yet later rebuke them? (see Rashi to 1:23) Haftarah This haftarah, taken from the beginning of 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 1:39-2:1 Yeshaya (Isaiah) is the third of the three ‘haftarot Those aged under 20 at the time of the sin of the of affliction’ and is always read the Shabbat spies would be allowed to enter the Land. Despite before Tisha B’Av. The prophet relates God’s Moshe’s discouragement, some of the people rebuke of the nation for rebelling against Him and attempted to enter the Land but were brutally bringing animal offerings without actually thwarted by the Emorites. Those who survived addressing their sinful ways. Yet the haftarah the failed mission wept. The nation then turned ends with the hopeful message that Zion “will be back towards the Sea of Reeds. redeemed with justice”.

United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Ilana Epstein, Michael Laitner, Sharon Radley Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on 020 8343 5653, or [email protected] If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected]

2 Learning from the Dallas Police Chief by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

The horrific shooting in Dallas, tribes, and I will set them at your head”. He Texas on 7 July 2016 of five required a system of judges to help him with his white police officers by a black work. Yet with these words, as noted by Rabbi man was the largest single Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (d. 1888), Moshe killing of police officers on placed the onus of responsibility upon the people American soil since 9/11. themselves to find those most suited to this task. Whilst he could test their legal competence The police chief of Dallas at himself, only the people would be able to identify the time was David O’Neal Brown, an African those with a suitable moral character, able to set American whose own son had been killed after an example for others. Effectively, his response he shot dead a police officer several years to crisis, like that of the Dallas Police Chief, was previously. In the immediate aftermath of the to empower the people themselves to play a part shooting that day in July, Brown faced a in finding a solution for the problem at hand. significant test of leadership, and the world waited to see how he would react. Within hours of David Brown’s appeal that day in Dallas, the police department was inundated with When Brown stepped in front of the cameras, he messages from people who wanted to join the knew that the deep societal divisions in Dallas force. They had heard the police chief’s message were being felt more keenly than ever before. and decided to be part of the solution rather than He felt the disaffection and pain of the African the problem. American community at perceived police brutality on the one hand, and the trauma of his “It's just something I feel strongly about today”, own police force on the other. said one of those who signed up, “I've always been prepared to be the one to be in a position of Then, Brown did something remarkable. He danger so that others don't have to be”. addressed himself directly to the angry protesters on the street:

“We’re hiring,” he said, “Get off that protest line and put an application in. And we’ll put you in your neighbourhood, and we will help you resolve some of the problems you’re protesting about”.

At the beginning of this week’s sidrah, Moshe recounts some of the more difficult episodes of the long journey of the Israelites through the desert. In particular, he refers to the significant problems that interpersonal disputes had led to: “How am I to carry your trouble, your burden and your strife by myself?” (Devarim 1:12) David O'Neal Brown, 2016 However, in the very next verse, he details how his response to the situation was to instruct the people themselves to: “Provide for yourselves men, wise and discerning and known to your

In memory of David Yochanan ben Moshe 3 Bein Adam Lechaveiro Part 7: Judging People Favourably: A Definition by Rabbi Daniel Fine, Community Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons Park United Synagogue

Last week we asked several throughout the flight, nor did he make any questions about the nature blessings on the food he ate; he seemed to be and scope of the mitzvah of idly wasting his time. As they were stepping off judging others favourably. the plane at Ben Gurion, a concerned onlooker Specifically, we questioned was about to approach the Rabbi and question whether the mitzvah really him about his behaviour. He then spotted demands us to be naive! the Rabbi looking at a coffin being unloaded from the plane and making his way towards it. The Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan Sadly, the Rabbi's father had died. The halacha d. 1933) cites the Rambam’s approach to this is that a person who has lost a close relative mitzvah. He distinguishes between three types does not perform any mitzvot between the death of situations or cases, and matches them to and the burial. This was a ‘30-70’ situation yet three types of people: there was still a mitzvah to judge the person favourably.

The first type of situation is one which is evenly poised; a situation that can be equally construed However, when it comes to someone who acts in as positive or negative - it is ‘50-50’, so to speak. a wicked way, there is no mitzvah to judge them The next situation is weighted to ‘the good’; it is favourably. There is no reason to suspend reality a situation which looks like the person has to pretend somebody has acted completely out done something positive, though there is still of character. In last week’s example, certainly a possibility of it being construed negatively – there would have been no mitzvah for Joel Brand ‘70-30’. The third case is more like ‘30-70’; the in 1944 to have judged the wicked Adolf circumstances suggest a negative action was Eichmann and his Nazis favourably in any way. done, with a slim chance of it being interpreted as positive. Seeing one’s friend taking money When it comes to a middle-range person, in a from a poor person could be an example of the ‘50-50’ or ‘70-30’ case, the mitzvah to judge latter; it looks like a bad action, though it could favourably applies, but in a ‘30-70’ case there is be put down to missing information, unlikely as no obligation to judge such a person favourably; it is. Perhaps the poor person had stolen the however it is considered praiseworthy if one money and your friend was trying to retrieve it! nevertheless does so.

The Rambam also describes three different types of people – one whom you know is righteous, one whom you know acts in a wicked way and one who is in between. The mitzvah of judging people favourably depends on both the situation and the type of person in question.

When viewing someone who is righteous, even if you see them doing something that looks like it is bad (a ‘30-70’ case) you are obligated to judge them favourably (until proven otherwise). There was a recent case of a prominent Rabbi acting out of character on a flight from England to Israel – the Rabbi did not study any Torah

In memory of Chaya Rachel bat Moshe Ben-Tzion 4 Tisha B’Av: Wood and Stones by Rabbi Chaim Gross, Editor, Daf Hashavua

Shortly after the destruction of the soul becomes too powerful, the body will of the First Temple (586 break. BCE), Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah), who had prophesied its On similar lines, the Mishnah (Pirkei Avot 3:12 – destruction, returned to see green siddur p. 540) says that if a person’s Jerusalem. Upon seeing the physical, outer good deeds outweigh their inner terrible destruction, wisdom, their wisdom endures. Yet a person Yirmiyahu fell on the whose wisdom outweighs their good deeds will destroyed ‘wood and stones’ of the Temple and not be able to maintain the imbalance. wept. A leading non-Jewish philosopher asked For the ‘living entity’ of the Jewish people, the Yirmiyahu why he was crying over mere ‘wood Temple provided the spiritual light, a place where and stones’. Yirmiyahu then invited the man to God’s presence dwelt and where one gleaned ask him all of his philosophical questions. The wisdom and inspiration. This light was supposed philosopher was in awe of the prophet’s brilliant to be housed in the Jewish people and their answers. Yirmiyahu then addressed the original physical deeds. Yet those deeds became unfitting question: “All of my wisdom comes from these to contain such light, as the people strayed ‘wood and stones’”. towards idolatry, immorality and murder. God These same ‘wood and stones’ are cited had, so to speak, a dilemma. He could retain the elsewhere, with a seemingly opposite message. strength of the inner light, yet that would mean On the morning of Tisha B’Av, we refrain from the outer bulb, the Jewish people, suffering total sitting on chairs and do not wear tefilin. However, destruction. Or He could dim the light, thus after midday these restrictions are lifted; the allowing the Jewish people as a whole to survive. mourning is slightly lightened. One explanation is In His mercy, He chose the latter, taking out His that at midday on 9 Av, the Temple went up in anger on the ‘wood and stones’, rather than flames. Why would this be a reason to lessen our totally annihilating His people. For this reason, at mourning? The Midrash sheds light on this: ‘God the very point that the Temple went up in flames, chose to spill His anger on the ‘wood and stones’ the mourning is reduced. And yet Yirmiyahu and not on [destroying the people of] Israel]’. realised the price that had been paid, that the How is this Midrash to be understood and how ‘wood and stones’ were no longer; we lived on, do we resolve the apparent contradiction but now deprived of the full inner spiritual light of between Yirmiyahu’s weeping and the reduction God’s presence amongst us. in sombreness after midday of 9 Av? May we have a meaningful Tisha B’Av and merit Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus (d. 2001) answers that to see God’s Presence fully return. every living being is made up of an inner soul and an outer, physical body. The relationship between soul and body can be compared to a light and its outer casing, a filament and its glass bulb. If the filament is weakened, the bulb remains intact, but will not realise its potential effect. Yet if the filament becomes too strong for casing, the bulb will shatter. So too a living being – if the soul’s lights are dimmed, the body will survive, just without reaching its potential. Yet if the inner light

In memory of Yehuda ben Yaakov HaCohen 5 The 100th Anniversary of the Death of Lt Michael Allenby Part II by Rabbi Z M Salasnik, Former Rabbi of Bushey and District United Synagogue

It might be hard to find many Allenby was not known for his strong intellect. His other people who are initial ambition has been to join the Indian Civil honoured with a square Service. Yet after failing the entrance examination, named after them in he joined the army. Yet what he lacked in brilliance, Jerusalem, a street named he made up for in hard work, thinking of the needs of after them in Tel Aviv and a his soldiers, listening to others, and perceiving the statue of themselves in overall picture. Beersheva. General Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby (1861-1936) holds Whereas Murray’s headquarters had been in Cairo, that honour. Allenby moved his to Rafah, nearer the troops based in Sinai, and he regularly visited them. He was Last week’s article described how 1917 was a year concerned for their health and gave his medical of contrast for Allenby. On the one hand, he enjoyed officers support in dealing with the diseases professional success in the capture of Jerusalem prevalent in the Middle East. from the Ottoman Turks. Yet on the other hand he suffered personal grief in the loss of his only child, a Allenby was keen to learn from officers who had soldier in the British Army. been in the Middle East longer than he had. He valued the opinion of General Sir Philip Chetwode, Allenby took command of the Egyptian Expeditionary himself later a Field Marshal, one of his main Force in mid-1917. His predecessor, Sir Archibald supporting commanders. Chetwode advised Murray, had built up an impressive infrastructure, entering Palestine via Bethlehem rather than via laying hundreds of miles of railway, roads and pipes; Gaza, where the enemy expected them to attack. pumping drinking water from the Sweet Water Canal in the Nile Delta underneath the Suez Canal into the Therefore some forces led by Sir Edward Bulfin Sinai Desert. However, the Force had not been very advanced against Gaza, while the larger section of successful; on the two occasions that the British and the army took the less fortified Bethlehem. Part of Allied forces had tried to take Gaza, as the gateway the plan for this operation was the ‘Haversack ruse’, to Palestine, from the Ottoman Turks and their credited to the then Major Richard Meinertzhagen, German allies, they had failed. whereby a haversack with misleading ‘plans’ for a British attack on Gaza deliberately ‘fell’ into Turkish British Prime Minister Lloyd George was an hands. ‘Easterner’. The ‘Easterners’ were politicians who, in response to the stalemate on the Western Front, Next week we will detail Allenby’s eventual taking of wanted to attack from the Middle East. By defeating Jerusalem. the Ottoman Turks, they could break the stalemate The author is indebted to former United Synagogue and win the War. Their main opponents were the President Elkan Levy who has recently given lectures leading Generals, Haig and Robertson, who were on 'Allenby in Palestine'. ‘Westerners’ and concentrated on the campaign in the trenches.

Lloyd George had wanted Jan Smuts, the South African soldier and politician, and a member of the British War Cabinet, to succeed Murray. Smuts 4th Sussex declined, unless he was given extensive resources. Regiment So Lloyd George, looking for an experienced cavalry marching officer, chose Allenby, a former Inspector-General of through Cavalry, who had some success as a commander in Bethlehem, the war in France. Allenby was recalled, as the 9 December

overall commander on the Western Front. 1917 Answer: his iron bed iron his Answer:

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