22 April 2017 26 Nisan 5777 Shabbat ends London 9.00pm Jerusalem 7.51pm Volume 29 No. 30 Shemini Shabbat Mevarchim. Rosh Chodesh Iyar is on Wednesday and Thursday. Artscroll p.588 | Hertz p.443 | Soncino p.651 In memory of Faiga Ratza bat Ze’ev "This you may eat from everything that is in the water: everything that has fins and scales in the 1 water, in the seas, and in the streams, those you may eat" (Vayikra 11:9). Sidrah Summary: Shemini 1st Aliya (Kohen) – Vayikra 9:1-16 day, as well as parts of the shelamim offering The sidrah begins almost a year after the Exodus which they had also brought. from Egypt, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. After seven 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 10:16-19 days of inaugurating the Mishkan, Moshe Moshe criticises Elazar and Itamar for burning instructs Aharon to bring two special offerings, one of the chatat offerings instead of eating parts an elevation offering (olah) and a sin offering of it. Aharon defends their actions, based on their (chatat). The people are also told to bring a status as mourners (Rashi). Moshe accepts chatat, two olah offerings and two peace Aharon’s justification. offerings (shelamim). Aharon approaches the 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 11:1-32 altar (mizbeach), together with his sons, and they begin the process of bringing these offerings. God teaches Moshe and Aharon some of the laws of kashrut. Only an animal with completely split Point to Consider: what was the purpose of hooves and which chews the cud is kosher. Aharon’s special sin offering? (see Rashi to 9:2) Therefore, animals like the camel and pig, which 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 9:17-23 have only one of these characteristics, are Aharon and his sons finish the offerings, after forbidden. Fish are only kosher if they have both which Aharon blesses the people with the priestly fins and scales. The Torah lists forbidden birds by blessing (Rashi). Moshe and Aharon then bless name. Flying insects are also prohibited food, the people that the Divine presence will rest upon with limited exceptions (that are today difficult to them (Rashi). identify). Kosher animals which die without proper slaughter (shechitah), as well as dead non-kosher 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 9:24-10:11 animals transmit ritual impurity (tumah) to one A fire comes from heaven and consumes the who touches them. offerings on the mizbeach. The people fall to the (Shevi’i) ground in praise to God. Nadav and Avihu, two of 7th Aliya – 11:33-47 Aharon’s sons, bring an incense offering (ketoret) The Torah lists some basic laws of how certain in a pan, which they had not been commanded utensils can become impure (tameh) and how to do. A fire descends from God, killing them they need to be treated thereafter. All creeping instantly. Aharon is silent (see articles on p.3 and insects are forbidden to eat. Keeping these laws p.4). Moshe asks two of their cousins to remove allows a person to become sanctified and holy. the bodies. Moshe tells Aharon and his two surviving sons, Elazar and Itamar, not to show Haftarah any public display of mourning. God relates to This reading from the book of Shmuel (II) relates Aharon that no one is allowed to do service in the the journey of the ark to Jerusalem, led by King Mishkan drunk. David. Tragedy strikes on this journey, when Uzzah the son of Avinadav dies trying to stop the Question: what were the names of Moshe and ark falling. Upon its eventual arrival in Jerusalem, Aharon’s cousins? Answer on bottom of page 6. David dances joyfully in public and is criticised by 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 10:12-15 his wife Michal, the daughter of Shaul. Natan the Moshe tells Aharon and his sons to eat the prophet tells David that his line of kingship will last remaining parts of a special meal offering forever and that his son Shlomo (Solomon) will (mincha) that they themselves had brought that build the Temple. 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 Solutions in the Sidrah: Silence – The Language of the Heart by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community In January of this year, The Baal HaTurim suggests that the connection ‘The Silver Line’, a senior between these two instances is to indicate that citizens’ helpline founded the tragedy of the passing of the righteous is as by Esther Rantzen in momentous as the stopping of the sun. 2013, revealed a shocking statistic. Data collected In the context of the pain felt by those who by the organisation over tragically suffer in silence, such as those people several months showed that referred to by Sophie Andrews, perhaps we can calls to the helpline were increasing at a rate of suggest an alternative connection. There are 5% to 10% every month, with staff at the helpline those for whom the immensity of the emotional handling approximately 1,700 calls per day. pain felt in their hearts is akin to the ‘silencing’ (dimming) of the sun itself. In that moment, it may In discussing the possible reasons for this feel as if there is no possibility whatsoever of a dramatic increase, the charity’s Chief Executive bright, sunlit future. They are silent because there Sophie Andrews explained that more and more are no words of hope to express. pensioners had been choosing to suffer in silence, for fear of being viewed as a burden on Former Secretary General of the United Nations, society. This was particularly pronounced in calls Dag Hammerskjold, once described silence as received after 11.00pm, when some two-thirds the ‘language of the heart’. Silence itself, as in of callers described themselves as suffering from the silence expressed by the pain of Aharon, a mental health condition such as depression, or the silence of those who had waited or may yet were unwilling to seek medical help. “In the still be waiting to call The Silver Line, is also a 80-90 generation”, Andrews remarked, “there is language. Yet it is one that requires a deep form a real stigma in talking about how you of empathic listening in order to understand it. feel….They say that they don’t want anyone to Hearing that silence can be challenging, but know how they feel, because they don’t want doing so may go a long way to assisting those in their independence taken away from them…” desperate need of help. This week’s sidrah contains one of the most tragic episodes in the Torah, the sudden death of two of Aharon’s sons. Strikingly, the Torah records Aharon’s reaction with just two brief words: “and Aharon was silent” (‘vayidom Aharon’ – Shemot 10:3). The Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Ya’akov ben Asher d. 1340) notes that the Hebrew word ‘vayidom’, meaning ‘and he was silent’, also occurs in the Book of Yehoshua (Joshua), referring to the miraculous ‘silencing’ or ‘stopping’ of the sun in order to aid the Jewish people in battle (Yehoshua 10:12). Esther Rantzen In memory of Devorah bat Moshe Bentzion 3 Lessons from Nadav and Avihu by Rabbi Marc Levene, Belmont United Synagogue For the past eight weeks Nadav and Avihu were not given ‘creative (20 chapters), the Torah licence’ in the Mishkan. As Kohanim they had has focused on the laws very specific instructions. The Torah laid out with of building the Mishkan meticulous detail exactly how they should act. (Tabernacle). Each aspect Therefore their decision to bring their own of its structure was offering, even out of love and commitment to commanded by God, God, was not acceptable. Although it was meticulously studied by the heartfelt, it was had devastating consequences. people and constructed to the letter. The various Their second error was to act without enough parts were built by conscientious craftsmen, and prior thought. With great zeal and passion they the Kohanim learned and prepared for their rushed into their service, but without enough special duties. The Israelites watched as this concern for their actions, as this was not what magnificent centrepiece took shape, designed God demanded of them. to reach its goal as a hub for their daily religious practice. In order to finalise the building These lessons can be instructive for us. Even of the Mishkan, Moshe led a seven-day-long when our deeds are genuine and sincere, without inauguration service. proper thought they could sometimes have grave consequences. Whether in our personal or The inauguration was celebrated by the nation. professional lives, we should strive to consider Yet after the preparation ceremonies were how people will be affected by our actions. completed, on the first day of ‘proper’ service, an event happened that marred their elation and When observing laws which carry serious brought a tragic final note to the festivities. consequences when broken, such as driving within the speed limit, the need for exactitude is Enveloped in the excitement of the inaugural obvious. Yet even when acting towards another festivities, Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, person in a context with less risk or potential for approached the altar and brought an legal punishment, it is important that we listen to unauthorised incense offering.