Hertz p.480
Soncino p.705
Shabbat ends in London at 9.17pm
| Sidra Lite | |
| Sidra Insights | Rabbi Maurice Hool |
| Havdalah | Rabbi Daniel Roselaar |
| RABBI LEVI YITZCHAK OF BERDICHEV | Rabbi Dr Michael Harris |
| 10th Iyar | Rabbi Yisroel Fine |
| Israel A-Z, Arlozoroff |
Simon Goulden |
| Riddle of the Week | David Landau & Jonathan Greenstein |
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Acharei-Mot provides a description of the Temple service for Yom Kippur, together with details of the fast and laws regarding animal slaughter and forbidden relationships. Kedoshim is the most mitzvah dense Sidra. There are 51 mitzvot (13 positive, 38 prohibitions) in its 64 verses. The impressive array of commandments pertain primarily to our ethical and moral responsibilities towards our fellows and provide a key to the attainment of a state of holiness. |
The Talmud records an incident involving a certain gentile who came before Shammai and said to him "Convert me on condition that you will teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot" [teach me that the Torah stands on one foot i.e. on the principle foundation, (Maharsha)].
Shammai "pushed him away with a builder's measuring rod". [Shammai answered that, as a building cannot stand on one foundation so too the Torah with its numerous mitzvot cannot have one foundational principle, (Maharsha)].
The gentile came before Hillel with the same request and Hillel converted him. Before converting him Hillel said, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the entire Torah, all the rest is but an elaboration. Go and learn it".
Targum Yonatan, a pupil of Hillel, and the Sepher Hachinuch (late 1300) both write that Hillel's dictum is based on the verse in our Sidra "Love your neighbour as yourself".
Why does Hillel define the golden rule with a negative application? Again, why does Hillel regard this Biblical command, to love your neighbour, as the entire Torah?
The Mitzvah to love your neighbour as yourself is mentioned many times in the Talmud. It is a remarkable fact that it is invariably discussed with reference to a negative caution. Do not behave in such a manner, the Talmud warns, because you will infringe the commandment to love your neighbour as yourself.
The verse itself juxtaposes two injunctions with the commandment. "You shall not take revenge; you shall not bear a grudge - you shall love your neighbour as yourself". This corresponds with the approach of the Talmud and conforms with Hillel's definition of what one must not do, rather than what one must do to observe the commandment.
To attempt an affirmative definition would be to limit its scope.
Notwithstanding this mitzvah, there is, however, a halacha that in a life-threatening situation one's own life comes first.
Reb Shimon Shkop (Rosh Yeshiva, Grodna 1930) discusses his concern with the mitzvah to love one's fellow as one's self. Man is naturally self-centred. He has an inbuilt love of himself far and above that of his fellow. How is it possible to love your fellow as yourself?
Reb Shimon explains that man has to see his fellow as an extension of himself. He is then capable of directing his self-love towards his fellow. The verse itself speaks about directing love. It does not speak about loving your neighbour as in the verse" You shall love the L-d your G-d" - ve'ahavta et Hashem. This verse states that you shall direct your love towards your neighbour - ve'ahavta lereyacha.
The natural course of man's progression of self-extension is first to his immediate family, then to others outside his family, to Klal Yisrael and beyond, ultimately leading to the unity of creation, the glorification of Hashem, the very purpose of this mitzvah which Hillel calls the entire Torah.
How do we begin to aspire to such heights? The prerequisite is, in the words of Hillel, "The rest is but an elaboration, go and learn it", and the Halacha is according to Hillel.
HAVDALAH
In addition to a cup of wine, spices and a candle are used in the havdalah ceremony. The Sages instituted the use of the spices in order to refresh our sagging spirits following the conclusion of Shabbat. The candle is used because according to the Talmud (Pesachim 54a) and Midrashic tradition, Adam discovered how to generate fire on the first Saturday evening after creation.
The wine should be held in the right hand whilst the introductory verses of havdalah and the berachah over the wine are recited. The spices are then held in the right hand whilst the pertinent berachah is said and they are then smelled. Some people mix the leaves of the hadasim branches that they used over Sukkot with the spices used on Motzaei Shabbat - this way they are utilised for additional mitzvot.
Ideally, a multi-wicked candle should be used for havdalah and if no traditional havdalah candle is available then the flames from two regular candles should be held together whilst the berachah is recited. Modern authorities debate whether the berachah can be recited over an electric light - their discussions focus on whether such lights are classified as "fire" or merely "illumination," the former being required for havdalah. Interestingly, in the early years of electricity some of the foremost halachic authorities used electric lights for havdalah in order to convince the masses that they were regarded as fire and could not be turned on or off on Shabbat.
The hands are spread towards the havdalah candle and traditionally one should fold one's fingers into the palms of the hand and gaze at the fingernails. One of the explanations for this custom is because fingernails are constantly growing and developing and thus symbolise the growth and blessing that we hope to achieve during the coming week (Meiri).
RABBI LEVI YITZCHAK OF BERDICHEV
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak ben Meir of Berdichev was born in approximately 1740 and died in 1810. He is one of the most celebrated personalities of Chassidism. Born into a prominent Rabbinical family, he served as Rabbi in a number of communities, and was Rabbi of Berdichev from 1785 until his death. In Berdichev, he became renowned as a Rabbi, Chassidic leader and scholar.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak founded the Chassidic movement in central Poland and developed it in both Lithuania and the Ukraine. Although he did not establish a Chassidic dynasty, he had a great impact on Chassidism.
He is particularly famous for defending the Jewish people before G-d and always interpreting their actions in the best possible light.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's book of sermons, Kedushat Levi, was published in his lifetime and is often cited in our own day.
10th Iyar
Nathan Birnbaum (no relation to Philip Birnbaum of machzor fame), who coined the terms "Zionist" and "Zionism", was born on this day 140 years ago in Vienna.
Birnbaum was a visionary, writer and political activist, possessing rigorous intellectual integrity, who pioneered the major Jewish Movements of our time: Zionism, Autonomism and Yiddishism. Yet he passed from one to the other until he found his way home to the simple yet sublime teachings of Jewish tradition.
At just 19 years of age, he founded the first Jewish Students Association with a National Programme, a full decade before Theodor Herzl.
Having played a prominent role in the 1st Zionist Congress of 1897, he was elected Secretary General of the Zionist Organisation. but then broke with the movement which he had helped form, following ideological differences with Herzl. To him the Jewish Nation was not merely held together by a common enemy, nor just by securing a political future in Palestine, but by its culture, its roots and above all its religion.
In the years preceding World War 1 he gradually abandoned his materialistic and secular outlook, eventually embracing full traditional Judaism, and in so doing became in some way the progenitor of the modern Baal Teshuva Movement.
In 1919 he became the 1st Secretary General of the new Agudas Yisroel Organisation, which espoused his belief that settlement in Eretz Israel was to be for the prime purpose of fulfilling the spiritual role of the Jewish People.
His new political and religious philosophy he articulated in his great manifesto to the Jewish People - "Gottesvolk", a moving personal document in which he challenged his people to rise to the greatness of their messianic mission, leading to their final redemption.
He died in Holland in 1937.
Today Simon Goulden commences a new Israel-related series titled:
A look at some of the personalities behind the often seen Israeli street names
A - Arlozoroff
As you would expect, there is far more to Chaim Arlosoroff than the man who gave his name to the street with El Al's Tel Aviv early check in. In fact, the truth may never be known.
Chaim (Victor) Arlosoroff was born in 1899 in the Ukraine, from where his family moved to Berlin.
He was a good student and mixed with a wide circle of Jewish and non Jewish friends. Becoming active in the Hapoel Hatzair party, he was elected to the Zionist General Council in 1923. A year later he emigrated to Palestine, still working for the party and by 1930 he was the editor of the journal of the socialist Mapai party. By 1931 he had been elected to the Jewish Agency Executive as its Head of the Political Department in Jerusalem.
When Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, he devoted himself to attempting large scale emigration from there to Palestine. It appears that he travelled back to hold secret talks with those he had previously known, who were now in positions of influence. One of those was a girl he had known in Berlin. They had been so close that she had even talked of conversion or living in Palestine with him.
Returning to Tel Aviv empty handed, he was murdered whilst walking on the beach. Neither the assailants nor the motive were ever discovered. And the girl he had known? She had become the wife of Dr Josef Goebbels.
Last week's questions:
1. by David Hoffman of Kenton.
A chazzan knows 12 tunes for yechadshehu when bensching Rosh Chodesh. In a leap year (of 13 months) how does he avoid duplicating one of his tunes?
Answer:
In a standard year, he only uses 11 tunes as, during Ellul, there is no bensching Rosh Chodesh for Tishri.
Hence, he only uses the 12th tune in a leap year.
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE set by Anthony Kent of Borehamwood.
What do
all have in common?
Answer:
They are all the start of tax years.
This week's question:
1. by David Landau of Hampstead Garden Suburb.
Two boys are born in the same year but the first is born 14 days before the second. 13 years' later, the first boy celebrates his Barmitzvah 14 days after the second boy.
Can you explain why this is so?
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE sent by Jonathan Greenstein of Jerusalem (an internet reader of the Daf).
On which Hebrew calendar date do all communities say Hallel in some years and tachanun on others?
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