10 December 2016 10 Kislev 5777 Shabbat ends London 4.46pm Jerusalem 5.22pm

Volume 29 No. 11 Vayetze uhmt Artscroll p. 144 | Hertz p. 106 | Soncino p. 164

In loving memory of Chaim ben Shmuel HaCohen

“And Ya’akov got up and lifted his children and wives onto the camels” (Bereshit 31:17) 1 Sidrah Summary: Vayetze

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bereishit 28:10-22 return for the right to consort that night with On Ya’akov’s journey to Charan, he sleeps, Ya’akov instead of Rachel. Leah conceives and has dreaming of a ladder placed on the ground and a fifth son, Yisachar. This is followed by a sixth, going up to the heavens, with angels ascending Zevulun. She then has a daughter, Dinah. Rachel and descending. God is at the top of the ladder, finally has a child, Yosef. Ya’akov demands that telling Ya’akov that he will inherit the Land and that Lavan let him return home after all his years of he will have many offspring. Ya’akov wakes up, work. realising that this is a holy place, where the Temple Point to Consider: What did God ‘remember’ would later be built (Rashi). He builds an altar and about Rachel before ‘opening her womb’ (30:22)? takes a vow committing to serve God fully (Ramban). 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 30:28-16 Lavan asks Ya’akov to stay on and to specify his 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 29:1-17 payment. Ya’akov replies that he will only keep Ya’akov travels towards the east. He sees a well plain-looking animals in the flock, and only keep in a field, covered by a large stone. The local their offspring with unusual patterned skin. Ya’akov shepherds tell Ya’akov that his uncle Lavan’s becomes very prosperous. Lavan’s sons accuse daughter is approaching. Ya’akov moves the Ya’akov of theft. God tells Ya’akov to return to boulder blocking the well and waters Rachel’s Cana’an. Rachel and Leah agree to leave. flock. He kisses Rachel and weeps. 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 30:17-42 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 29:18-30:13 Ya’akov’s entire family leaves. Lavan finds out three Ya’akov wants to marry Rachel, the younger sister days later and chases after Ya’akov, catching up of Leah and offers to work for Lavan for seven with him at Mount Gilad. God appears to Lavan in years as payment. Although Lavan agrees, when a dream, telling him not to harm Ya’akov. Lavan the time comes he tricks Ya’akov, swapping criticises Ya’akov for fleeing and for stealing his Rachel with Leah. Lavan defends his actions and idols. Ya’akov denies the latter charge, unaware agrees to let Ya’akov marry Rachel a week later, if that Rachel was hiding them. Ya’akov also defends he works for another seven years. Leah, unlike his record in Lavan’s house, where he worked Rachel, is blessed with children: Reuven, Shimon, tirelessly, despite Lavan’s trickery. Levi and Yehuda. Rachel gives Ya’akov her maidservant Bilhah to conceive ‘on her behalf’. 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 30:43-32:3 Bilhah gives birth to Dan and Naftali. Leah then Lavan proposes a peace treaty, which Ya’akov gives Ya’akov her maidservant Zilpah, who gives agrees to, symbolised by a stone monument built birth to Gad and Asher. by Ya’akov’s sons. Lavan and Ya’akov part ways. Question: What is Lavan’s justification for his trickery? (29:26) Answer on bottom of page 6. Haftarah The prophet Hoshea rebukes the tribe of Ephraim 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 30:14-27 for their rebelliousness, warning them of the dire Reuven finds some dudaim (jasmine – Rashi) in the consequences. However, they will ultimately return field and brings it to his mother Leah. Rachel asks to God, who will welcome them. for some of the jasmine. Leah agrees, but only in

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In loving memory of Benjamin Gil 2 Solutions in the Sidrah: Love & Perseverance by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

A 2010 survey by the Pew difficulties were set aside and we could clearly see Research Centre in the USA God’s ‘Hand’ at work, directing events. That is why found that, among married Yitzchak himself did not need to be personally people, 93% thought that involved; the events were instead orchestrated love was a ‘very important’ through Eliezer, who openly thanked God for reason to get married, along guiding him in his mission (ibid 24:27). with creating a ‘lifelong commitment’ (87%) and In contrast, Ya’akov went through the process of ‘companionship’ (81%). marriage, settling down and founding his own family without any overt signs of Divine intervention. Back in 1960, 72% of all adults in the USA were On the contrary, he faced constant challenges married. By 2008, only about 53% were. every step of the way. As with so many other Additionally, 39% thought that marriage was elements of his life, Ya’akov was a person who had becoming ‘obsolete’, compared with just 28% in to deal with life’s complexities, problems and 1978 when Time Magazine carried out a similar difficulties in an independent, very human way. survey. Crucially, Ya’akov did not give up. He continued to Ya’akov’s flight to the house of his uncle Lavan in persevere through all the disappointments and the land of Charan, his love for Rachel, and his missed opportunities. Despite the challenges he founding of a family in the most unlikely of places encountered, the questions and tricks of Lavan, he and circumstances, is a story of courage, tenacity remained resolutely focused on achieving his aim and the ultimate victory of love over hatred. of marrying Rachel and building his household.

It is not the first time a story of this kind has been Ya’akov’s circumstances and task may have been told in the Torah. Just two weeks ago, we read unique. Yet we can draw inspiration from his another story, in which Avraham sent his servant, perseverance, as well as his dedication to the Eliezer, to the very same location in order to find a institution of marriage. For Ya’akov, marriage was wife for his son Yitzchak (Bereishit 24). the opposite of ‘obsolete’. Perhaps some of those 39% who disagree could gain encouragement from However, there is a critical difference. During the his story. course of the earlier episode, the supernatural element always seemed present. Practical

In loving memory of Harry Monat and Harry Minsky 3 Waiting or Building? by Rabbi Chaim Gross, Editor, Daf Hashavua

“Ya’akov loved Rachel, so Ya’akov did not spend those seven years merely he said [to her brother working for Lavan. He was also working on himself, Lavan]: ‘I will work for you trying every day to build further depth and strength for seven years, for Rachel in his character, to make him worthy of marrying your younger daughter’… So Rachel. ‘Because of his love for her’, he wanted to Ya’akov worked seven years be ready for his end goal. Therefore the time for Rachel and they seemed passed quickly. to him a few days because of his love for her” (Bereishit 29:18,20) Between Pesach and Shavuot, we fulfil the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer, counting 49 days. Many This verse appears difficult to understand. Why did commentators understand that the purpose of seven years seem to Ya’akov like such a short this mitzvah is to anticipate the anniversary of the time “because of his love for her”? Normally we giving of the Torah on Shavuot. Typically, when we experience the opposite – the more one values and are looking forward to something, we count down treasures something, the more difficult it is waiting towards it. Why then do we perform this mitzvah to receive it. Why then did Ya’akov’s love for Rachel by counting up? allow the seven years to seem like “a few days”? Rabbi Pinkus suggests that the answer is similar Rabbi Aharon Kotler (d.1962) answered this to Ya’akov’s seven years of labour for Rachel. question, explaining that Ya’akov prepared himself The time of Sefirat HaOmer is not just an empty carefully for those seven years, anticipating building waiting period before ‘receiving the Torah’. Rather, the Jewish people with Rachel. each of the days is an essential opportunity to work on our character and make us fitting recipients Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus (d. 2001) elucidated Rabbi of the Torah by the time Shavuot arrives. We count Kotler’s answer, using this example. If someone up to indicate that each day we must strive to was in need of a million pounds and was told acquire another building block in this process. that they would be given the money as a present in 100 days time, the intervening wait would be agonising. It would feel like an eternity, like an annoyance to be overcome and endured. Each day would essentially be an empty unit, no more than a void to be filled before the ultimate prize.

However, imagine if the same person was told that that they would be given the million pounds as payment for 100 days of work, each day earning them 10,000 pounds, with no recompense for a missed day. How would those days feel? Instinctively, we would say that they would pass quickly. Why? Each day would be a unique and essential unit, building on the wealth acquired the previous day and a means of working towards a final goal.

In memory of Ettel bat Moshe Ben-Tzion 4 Parallel Thinking Part 8: Feeling the Touch of God’s Hand by Rabbi Moshe Freedman, New West End United Synagogue

In order to predict the make and the interactions we have affect the weather, meteorologists need future. Even the smallest differences and choices two factors. First, they need at every juncture are like forks in the road of life, to collect many observations leading us in different directions. of what the current weather is. Second, they need to Divine Providence describes God's intervention in enter those observations into the world, from grand events to the minutiae of a physical model. This model everyday life. While free will is Man’s sacred is a series of equations that mathematically govern prerogative, the idea that God’s ‘Hand’ manipulates the way the atmosphere works. When enough data events to bring about His purpose for Creation is about the current weather is entered, the physical fundamental in Jewish thought. model can work, in most cases, to predict mid- range weather. While God can guide nature through open miracles, we don’t necessarily see these any more. Yet He is Yet it is nearly impossible to observe all of the global still involved in shaping the world. When we pray, atmosphere perfectly. It is very hard, for instance, we describe God’s miracles ‘which are with us to gauge the weather over the mid-Pacific. There every day’ (green siddur, page 90). What are those is room for error. miracles?

These small errors or differences can have a major Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (d. 1746) explained effect in weather prediction. The American that God uses natural phenomena to influence Mathematician Edward Lorenz discovered the His creation, triggering the hidden miracles which effects of these small changes and errors as they guide our lives. Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (d. 1760) relate to complex systems such as weather described these interactions in more detail, such prediction. as a wisp of straw blown from a thatched roof or the path of a falling leaf. The difference that these Lorenz’s colleague Philip Merilees famously coined events make appears negligible. Yet we know from the question: “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wing in Edward Lorenz that they eventually make all the Texas produce a tornado in Brazil?” This soon difference. While we cannot see God’s guiding became known as the ‘butterfly effect’. The flap of ‘Hand’ directly, the butterfly effect resonates with the butterfly represents the tiny change in the initial the notion that God can intercede in the running of conditions. the world in the most subtle and yet profound way.

Put succinctly: “the butterfly effect is the concept that small causes can have large effects. Initially, it was used with weather prediction but later the term became a metaphor used in and out of science” (www.scholarpedia.org/article/Butterfly_effect).

By logical extension, the butterfly effect is true for every complex system; traffic flow, a football match and the countless interactions we have each day. At every moment of our lives, the decisions we

In loving memory of Rivkah bat Leah 5 Insights into Jewish History Part 55: Shaking the Foundations by Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Synagogue; Head of Project Development, US Living & Learning

Last week, we discussed On that basis, they claimed that Rabbinic Judaism, the gradual spiritual decline which emphasises reward in the World to Come, during the Second Temple was illegitimate. Only the Written Torah was period, with the leadership authentic. With this, we find the first branching out vacuum left after the death of sectarian movements; one called the Tsedukim, of Shimon HaTzadik. This after Antigonus’ student Tsadok, the other called period was also plagued the Baytusim, after his student Baytus. These two with a decline in national groups removed themselves from Rabbinic identity and governmental leadership. Judaism and its practices and fully embraced Greek lifestyles. Shimon HaTzadik’s second role, beyond that of being the High Priest, was as the leader of the Men The Rambam (Maimonides d. 1204) detailed the of the Great Assembly. His successor was a man 23 generations that separated Moshe from named Antigonus of Socho. Antigonus. This, he wrote, was the first time in all those years that people had chosen not to believe One of Antigonus’ teachings, as stated in Pirkei in the combined and inseparable Written and Oral Avot (Ethics of our Fathers 1:3), is that our Torah (Rabbinic Judaism). Though the Tsedukim approach to serving God should not be like that of and Baytusim were the first two breakaway sects, servants who serve their master in anticipation of a their separation paved the way for many more reward. Rather, our approach should be like that of sects in subsequent generations. The Rambam, servants who serve their master with no writing in 11th century Cairo, complained that over anticipation of a forthcoming reward. a thousand years after this first breach, he was still dealing with the fallout from Antigonus’ students.

This statement seems appropriate: one should serve God for its own sake. However, in the hands At this point in history, the very foundations upon of Antigonus’ students Tzadok and Baytus, it was which Judaism had been built, were shaken. manipulated into a statement that was misconstrued, forming the basis for the questioning of Rabbinic Judaism.

Antigonus’ students understood – or decided – that the statement ‘one should not expect reward for serving God’ indicated that there was no reward at all! They claimed that Antigonus and the other Rabbis actually knew that there was no World to Come, and therefore there was no reward at the end of a life of serving God.

A plaque marking the grave of

Antigonus of Socho

sister before the older sister. older the before sister

It was not the local custom to marry off the younger the off marry to custom local the not was It Answer: Answer:

In loving memory of Leah Taub 6