28 October 2017 8 Cheshvan 5778 Shabbat ends London 6.29pm Jerusalem 6.30pm

Volume 30 No. 6 Lech Lecha Shabbat UK Artscroll p.54 | Hertz p.45 | Soncino p.60

In loving memory, commemorating the first Yahrzeit of Neil Shestopal, Nachum Yitzhak ben Yaacov Ha Levi

It’s time...

27th & Oc 28 to th be r tShabba UK Shalom!

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and hoped for us, and with love and intent invested us with His sacred Sabbath, as a memorial to the deed of Creation. It is the first among the holy festivals, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. For You chose us, and sanctified us, out of all nations, and with love and intent You invested us with Your Holy Sabbath." (Excerpt from Friday night Kiddush) 1 Sidrah Summary: Lech Lecha

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bereishit 12:1-13 Question: Which king brought out bread and God appears to Avraham (at this stage still called wine to Avraham, and blessed him? (14:18)) Avram), telling him to leave his homeland Charan Answer on bottom of page 6. (Babylonia) and travel to a land that “God would 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 14:21-15:6 show him”, where he would flourish and father a Avraham refuses the King of Sedom’s offer to great nation. Avraham takes his wife (at keep the spoils of the war. Avraham relays his this stage still called Sarai), his nephew and pain to God at being childless. God tells him that his entire household. They arrive in Cana’an. his offspring will be beyond counting, like the Avraham travels throughout the Land. Famine stars. strikes and they are forced to go down to Egypt in order to survive. Afraid of being killed if the 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 15:7-17:6 Egyptians discover that Sarah is his wife, Wary of future sins, Avraham asks for a hint as to Avraham asks her to say she is his sister. how his offspring will merit to inherit and to keep the Land (see the commentary of the Ramban). 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 12:14-13:4 God instructs Avraham to cut up several animals, Pharaoh’s officers take Sarah away to their indicating that the future Temple offerings will master’s house. They give Avraham copious gifts protect the nation. Birds of prey descend on the as ‘payment’. God strikes Pharaoh with a plague. carcasses. Avraham falls into a deep sleep. God Suspecting that Sarah may in fact be Avraham’s tells him that his offspring will be enslaved in a wife, Pharaoh confronts Avraham and then foreign land for 400 years. Sarah, still childless, orders him and Sarah to leave. They travel back tells Avraham to take her maidservant, Hagar, as to Cana’an with Lot. a second wife. Hagar becomes pregnant and is 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 13:5-13:18 disrespectful to Sarah, who sends her away. An angel appears to Hagar in the desert, telling her to Arguments break out between the shepherds of subjugate herself to Sarah. Hagar gives birth to Avraham and Lot. Avraham suggests that they Yishmael. part ways. Lot chooses to live in the immoral city of Sedom. God appears to Avraham and 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 17:7-17:27 promises that his offspring, who will be God instructs Avraham in the mitzvah of brit countless, shall inherit the Land. milah. God says that Sarah will have a child, Point to Consider: why were the shepherds of Yitzchak. Avraham circumcises both himself and Avraham and Lot quarrelling? (see Rashi to 13:7) Yishmael.

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 14:1-14:20 Haftarah A war breaks out among nine kings. The king of The Biblical prophet Yeshaya reassures Israel Sedom is defeated and Lot is taken captive. This that even when they are downtrodden, God does prompts Avraham to mobilise his small force, not forget them; He remains in charge of Creation which miraculously defeats the victorious kings and we remain His chosen people. and rescues Lot.

United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Editor: 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 The Challenge of Avraham’s Brit Milah by Rabbi Emanuel Levy, Palmers Green and Southgate United Synagogue

This week’s sidrah begins with Moreover, the sign of the brit had further God’s call to Avraham to leave ramifications. Avraham and his descendants behind his family and make were to be chosen to perform a great task in the his way to an unknown field of world history. In a society rife with pagan destination (Bereishit 12:1). beliefs, they were to teach about belief in God, This was the first time that and that He does not withdraw from the world God had actually spoken to but rather constantly supervises and directs it. Avraham. It had taken 75 As Avraham later said, He is not only “the God of years of devotion and spiritual striving by the Heavens” but “the God of the Earth” (ibid. Avraham to reach the point of greatness that 24:3) and all the people in it. As theological God chose to communicate with him directly. trailblazers, Avraham’s descendants would now be set aside from the rest of mankind. Given this level of devotion, it appears surprising that at the end of the sidrah, following God’s This explains why, following his brit milah, command to Avraham to perform the act of Avraham was so keen to receive visitors. He circumcision upon himself, Avraham seemed could not bear the prospect of being isolated to question God’s word. This is noted by Rashi from the rest of the world. (d. 1105), who quotes a Midrash that tells us that the reason why God later appeared to Avraham Herein lay the greatness of Mamre, who advised a second time, following his brit milah “in the him to obey God’s command, knowing full well plains of Mamre” was because the local ruler that by doing so, Avraham would now be greater Mamre had advised Avraham to perform the brit than Mamre himself. As a result of his selfless milah (see Rashi to ibid. 18:1). Why did Avraham advice, God rewarded Mamre by appearing to need to consult with Mamre? Wasn’t God’s Avraham in his own territory. By diminishing command alone sufficient to warrant Avraham’s himself to help another person, Mamre actually fulfilment of the command? became great in the process.

The Chidushei Harim (Rabbi Isaac Meir Alter of Gur, d. 1866) answers this by elucidating an important principle. Until this point, Avraham had performed tremendous acts of kindness towards mankind. His magnetic personality had brought him into contact with many others. Until now, he had sought to be at one, and united, with society. Yet this was all about to change; Avraham, by virtue of the brit milah, would be physically different from the rest of mankind. This difference would create a bridge of separation between himself and the rest of the world. Perhaps they would no longer wish to be associated with him. This seemed antithetical to his path of creating connection and unity with others. It led him to ask Mamre, “Do you think I should go through with it?”

In memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael 3 Shabbat UK: Kilroy Was Here by Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, Bushey & District United Synagogue

Kilroy was a shipyard worker cherish and disseminate; that is the symbol of in the USA during World War Shabbat. II, whose job was to go around and check on the The says: “Thus shall the children of Israel number of rivets completed observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath on the manufactured ships. throughout their generations as an everlasting After finding that - as a covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel, means of receiving double it is forever a symbol that [in] six days The Lord pay - unscrupulous workers would erase the created the heaven and the earth, and on the marks that he made counting the rivets, Kilroy seventh day He ceased and rested” (Shemot added to his tick-mark the words ‘Kilroy Was 31:16-17). When as a people we keep Shabbat Here’ and an accompanying sketch of a long as our holy day, we are holding up the banner, nosed person peering over a wall. the symbol, of our faith in God as the Creator of the world. This tactic worked very well, as no one had the heart to erase the images. As the war years Shabbat has always been a day that unites us went on, production of ships needed to be as a family, as a community and as a people. accelerated and there was not enough time to In recent years, we have been blessed to apply final coatings of paint to the sea crafts. celebrate a special Shabbat once a year, the This meant that Kilroy’s sketches remained Chief Rabbi’s Shabbat UK, in partnership with visible on the ships that went off to war-torn the Shabbos Project. Communities throughout Europe and the South Pacific, leading the Allies the country engage and enjoy the beauty of into battle. It was reported that the image of Shabbat. It is a day that has allowed us to Kilroy gave heart and strength to the fighting honour God and our special relationship with Allied soldiers, who sensed that Kilroy was him in ways that many of us have never done always a step ahead of them, spurring them on before. The symbol of Shabbat, thanks to to victory. Shabbat UK, is stronger than ever, acting as a beacon of hope each week as we leave behind The Allied servicemen were so inspired by this our toil and enter into our day of rest. image that they began to copy its imitable outline through all the lands they traversed. By the end of the war, Kilroy was one of the most recognised symbols of the day. Legend has it that in 1945, an outhouse was built for the exclusive use of Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill at the Potsdam conference. Its first occupant was Stalin, who emerged and asked his aide (in Russian), “Who is Kilroy?”

Symbols are very powerful things; they often express sentiments in a way that just cannot be achieved with words alone. As Jews, we have many symbols that we turn towards and draw strength from. However, there is only one symbol that God asked us specifically to safeguard,

In memory of Yaakov Yehoshua ben Ephraim Hirsch 4 Sarah’s Inner Beauty by Rebbetzen Jacqueline Feldman, Bushey & District United Synagogue

“Now it came to pass when which means ‘princess’. A princess can of course he [Avraham] drew near to be beautiful. However she is not characterised as come to Egypt, that he said someone that is stared at for her beauty; rather to Sarai his wife, ‘Behold she is admired for who she is holistically. Sarah now I know that you are a carried herself with such grace, poise and dignity woman of beauty’” (Bereishit that her husband Avraham saw her external 12:11). beauty as only one feature of what made her radiate. She was equally beautiful inside and out; However popular the adage ‘beauty is in the eye that is the beauty of Sarah which the Torah extols. of the beholder’, it has not stopped societies throughout history from trying to empirically It was only when entering into Egypt and having to determine beauty and thus decide who the most deal pragmatically with a nation who did not share beautiful people are. In fact, in July the Daily Mail Avraham’s sensitivities towards beauty that reported that it is now scientifically proven, using Avraham had to suddenly contend with the fact the Greek Golden Ration of Beauty – Phi, that that people would not see the princess-like actor George Clooney really has the world’s most qualities of Sarah, but would rather stare at the handsome face. externalities of her appearance.

The fact that we can expect and anticipate regular The Torah encourages us to strive for a finer updated announcements from the media about appreciation of beauty, seeing the holistic what is now ‘the new beautiful’ is something we splendour belonging to each person. This subtle have come to accept. However, this is not the type approach might not win any contemporary of behaviour that we would associate with the beauty awards but it can help to promote long- great patriarch Avraham. In this week’s sidrah, lasting, positive and loving relationships. Avraham and his wife Sarah were travelling down to Egypt to escape the famine in Cana’an. The Chief Rabbi's Maayan Programme is Avraham turned to Sarah and proclaimed his new training ten women as community educators realisation of her attractiveness, implying that he with expertise in Taharat Hamishpacha. had never noticed this before: “Behold now I They will graduate in Spring 2018. know that you are a woman of beauty”.

However, the Torah is not suggesting that Avraham had suddenly become more superficial in his character. Rather, within this episode lies a timeless message of how Judaism quantifies beauty. At the end of last week’s sidrah, the Torah stated that Sarah had another name, Yiska, which means ‘sees’ (Bereishit 11:29, with Rashi’s commentary). This name signifies that Sarah was exceedingly beautiful, such that people would stare at her.

Yet this was not how she eventually became known. She became exclusively known as Sarah,

In memory of Mordechai Avraham ben Nechemia 5 Insights into Jewish History Part 84: Restoring the Beit Hamikdash by Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Synagogue; Head of Project Development, US Living & Learning

The Maccabean wars and performed other tasks that in the past would were not limited to the have been the domain of the Kohen Gadol. battle for the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) and Yehuda cleaned up the Beit Hamikdash and the associated Chanukah eradicated any changes that had been enacted story. The skirmishes and while the Temple had been under Hellenistic guerrilla warfare went on for control. He reorganised the mishmarot – the order a period that spanned over of rotation of the priestly families that served at the 30 years. There were small periods of calm but Temple. However, one family in particular – the never stability. Yehuda (Judah) the Maccabee Bilga family – were penalised with their equipment found himself once more battling for Jerusalem, being confiscated and receiving a smaller portion only three years after the Chanukah story. of priestly gifts. Demetrius, the new ruler of the Seleucid kingdom, had sent his most fearsome general to defeat The punishment of the Bilga family emerged from Yehuda; Nicanor, who as we discussed in the last an action committed back at a time when article, was beheaded by Yehuda. Mattityahu, Yehuda’s father, was alive. One of the daughters of the Bilga family, Miriam, married a However, this did not herald any respite for Greek Seleucid general who was a scion of the the traditional Jews. The historical work Dorot royal family. Soon after the Temple was captured HaRishonim (written by Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac and ransacked by the Greeks, she entered the HaLevi d. 1914) reports that Yossi Ben Yoezer, Temple, removed her sandal and beat the the leader of the Sanhedrin, was murdered for mizbeach () with it, whilst denouncing God. transgressing one of the Greek decrees. The (Succah 56b) asks why the whole family was punished for the act of this one lady. Although Yehuda had managed to secure the One answer given by the Talmud is that the Temple, the Accra Citadel located just below the blasphemous language she used in the Beit Temple in the south of the city, remained firmly in Hamikdash must have been learnt from her the hands of the Hellenised Jews. The traditional family at home, associating this with a lesson Jews in Jerusalem felt very anxious. Following the taught by the Talmudic sage Abaye: “Woe to the death of Yossi Ben Yoezer, the Rabbinic leadership evildoer, woe to his neighbour. Good for the was taken over by the pair (zug) Yehoshua ben tzadik, good for his neighbour”. Prachya and Nitai Ha’Arbeli. In keeping with the time period in which he was living, Nitai Ha’Arbeli stated, as recorded in Pirkei Avot (the Ethics of our Fathers, see green siddur, p.524-526) that one must distance oneself from a bad neighbour and be vigilant to avoid the company of the wicked.

However, not all was bleak. Although it is unclear whether Yehuda the Maccabee took on the mantle of Kohen Gadol, it is reported that Alcimus, the Hellenised Kohen Gadol, put in place by Demetrius, had been removed from office, and there is no report of anyone taking his place.

Perhaps Yehuda did step into this role but did not

ing of Salem of ing k , k accept a formal title. However, he did act royally Malchizede Answer:

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