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| Sidra Lite | |
| 'In the Beginning...' And in the End? | Rabbi Yossi Ives |
| Shabbat Candles - The Berachah | Rabbi Daniel Roselaar |
| On G-d and Good | Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks |
| Ein Gedi |
Simon Goulden |
| Riddle of the Week | Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis & Immanuel Burton |
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We are all familiar with the opening Biblical verse: "In the beginning G-d created the Heaven and the Earth". Yet, commentator Rashi questions whether the whole creation story is appropriate in the Torah, which is essentially a book of laws.
With what we now know about the risk to our natural environment through intensive industrial practices and careless pollution the answer seems obvious. Our era is the first that presented serious risk to the preservation of our G-d-given earth. And we are the first generation in history that understands more fully the risks we face. The creation story now carries an important message: in the words of the psalmist (24:1) "To the L-d belongs the Earth and all therein." It is simply not ours to destroy. No decent person would damage something that doesn't belong to him; well, the Earth is not ours. We are its guardian, not its owner; we are its steward, not its proprietor.
In ancient times people worshipped nature, attributing to it divine features, and even today there are people who venerate nature for its own sake. The creation story is clear: respect for nature is founded on its origin in the Almighty.
Some commentators ask why the creation story needed to be prefaced with the verse 'In the beginning...' as it seems to add nothing of value. The account proper begins in the next verse, which describes the nothingness before creation followed by the various steps of Divine creation.
It seems clear, however, that now more than ever the opening verse is vitally important. 'In the beginning', at the very outset, it is essential to know that Earth is a gift to us from the Almighty, and that as its keepers we are entrusted with responsibility for its protection.
With our ecological hindsight we can now easily understand the later verse (Bereishit 2:15) that the earth was given to us humans "to work it and to keep it." Commentators have long struggled to understand the meaning of 'to keep it'. Only nowadays, with the threat of nuclear and industrial degradation bringing devastation to our planet, do we understand why Adam was told to protect the earth, to 'keep it', or in the words of commentator Sforno, "to prevent it from destruction."
There is a kabbalistic principle expressed by Zefad kabbalist Shlomo Alkabetz in the Lecha Dodi prayer, "Sof ma'aseh bemachashava techila" - last in deed is first in thought. The ancient mystical work Sefer Yetzira (7:1) puts it this way: "The beginning is fixed in the end and the end is fixed in the end." Thus, our lowly physical world, furthest from G-d's Divine light is actually rooted in the highest level of holiness - it is the purpose of all the myriad spirit realms.
In fact, many people would be surprised to learn of the vast resources within our own tradition for respect and concern for nature. 'Bereishit' is only the beginning...
In general, and with very few exceptions, the berachah for a mitzvah is recited prior to the fulfilment of the mitzvah. Accordingly, many halachic authorities rule that even when lighting the Shabbat candles the berachah should be said before the candles are lit. They maintain that even if lighting the candles indicates an implicit acceptance of the sanctity of Shabbat (which is in itself a dispute amongst the poskim) that does not happen until the candles have actually been lit. Sefardi practice is in accordance with this view.
However Ashkenazi practice, as codified by the Rama, is to recite the berachah after lighting the candles in deference to a minority view that reciting the berachah is tantamount to inaugurating Shabbat. According to this opinion, were the berachah to be recited first it would no longer be permissible to light the candles since Shabbat would have already commenced. In order to conform with the general rule that berachot should be said before the mitzvah is done, recommended practice is that the person lighting the candles should cover his / her eyes before saying the berachah so as not to benefit from the light until afterwards. Interestingly, no halachic guidance exists regarding the practice of many women to ceremoniously spread their hands several times prior to saying the berachah.
On Yomtov a flame may be transferred and candles can be lit from an existing light. Consequently, most authorities (including the Mishnah Berurah) advise that when lighting the Yomtov candles the berachah should be recited after striking the match (which according to Ashkenazi practice cannot be done after saying the berachah), but before lighting the candles (which can be done even on Yomtov proper). However, some authorities (such as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch) recommend not deviating from normal Friday-night practice.
Today we are delighted to commence a new monthly feature to be written by the Chief Rabbi on Jewish Values, which will appear in the Daf Hashavua every Shabbat Mevarchim.
How we live and what we become depends on what or who we worship. Other civilizations in the ancient world built monuments of stone. Israel - our ancestors - were summoned to a quite different task: to build a society out of holy lives and generous deeds. Ethics, along with kedushah, sanctity, stands at the very core of Jewish values. To worship G-d is, for us, not an escape from the world and its challenges but an engagement with the world and its challenges. To honour G-d is to honour His image, mankind.
It is often said that you don't have to be religious to be good. That is true. There were people who, without any particular faith, rescued Jews during the holocaust, fought for justice in South Africa, or dedicated their lives to curing disease, relieving poverty, and giving shelter to the homeless. Implanted within us (part of what makes us G-d's image) are strong instincts of justice and compassion. Without them, homo sapiens would not have survived.
But in the long run, without a nonnegotiable code whose authority transcends all earthly powers, societies have a tendency to lose their way. The moral sense becomes confused. People begin to think less of society than of self, less of duty than desire, more of rights than responsibilities.
Tolstoy gave a powerful analogy: "The instructions of a secular morality that is not based on religious doctrines are exactly what a person ignorant of music might do if he were made a conductor and started to wave his hands in front of musicians well rehearsed in what they are performing. By virtue of its own momentum, and from what previous conductors had taught the musicians, the music might continue for a while, but obviously the gesticulations made with a stick by a person who knows nothing about music would be useless and eventually confuse the musicians and throw the orchestra off course."
That is why, seven times in its first chapter, the Torah repeatedly uses the word "good." Virtually every other account of creation, mythological or scientific, emphasises power and process, the "how" but not the "why." The Torah is remarkably uninterested in the "how." Its entire account of the emergence of the universe takes a mere 34 verses. Its interest is in the "why." Goodness, for Judaism, is the purpose of creation. Morality is not something we invent. It is written into the structure of life itself.
Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Mecklenburg offered a fascinating interpretation of the phrase, ki tov. Normally we translate this as " [And G-d saw] that it was good." He translated it as "because He is good." Creation was a moral act on the part of G-d. He made the universe because He is good, in order to bestow blessing on His creations. And whenever we bestow blessings on others, we become "G-d's partners in the work of creation."
It's worth the trek to the waterfall - Ein Gedi
It is difficult nowadays to imagine what it must have been like for the early tourists to Ein Gedi, before the easy road to the site was built. Trekking through the inhospitable Judean Desert for days must have been tough for even the hardiest traveller, but the journey was worth it, if only to experience the greenery, flowing waterfall, cool shade and magical ambience of Ein Gedi. Even the United Nations, not noted for hyperbolae, has singled this unique site out for special mention. The Nature Reserve is large and you would only really be sensible to take the extended tours with an experienced guide (and lots of water!) but almost everyone can take the two hour trip up Nahal David. Because of its unique microclimate, the reserve is the home to a very special blend of flora and fauna, including the tropical moringa tree, which reaches no further north than this anywhere in the world. You will almost certainly see ibex, hyrax (although they are VERY shy) and wild goats, now not so wild at all.
The question is often asked about where the water comes from in such abundance, here in the middle of the desert. We seem to forget that the desert can experience rain - and even floods - in winter and the water permeates through the top surface, percolating down until it reaches a stratum of hard rock and finds a way out. Happily for us this happens right here! There is such a lot of history here, from Stone Age settlers from over 5,000 years ago, via David pursued by Saul and the Essenes (better know for their settlement at Qumran) to a site occupied by supporters of Bar Kochba.
These days the reserve can be easily reached from Route 90, the Dead Sea road between km 244 and 245.
Last week's questions:
1) set by Michael Grayeff of Kenton.
On the Hebrew calendar, what do these numbers represent?
4, 8, 11, 12, 24.
Answer:
The only dates on which there are no festivals or fast days.
(Note: Since putting in the question it has been pointed out that in some years moved festivals and fasts can occur on 4 & 11)
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE - set by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
When, for the good of a community, would we allow a son to perform a mitzvah, but not his father? (The father is a kosher Jew in every respect).
Answer:
For duchening, if there is no Levi in Shul, we ask a Yisrael who is a bechor (firstborn) to wash the hands of the Kohanim, seeing as the firstborn were originally intended to serve in the Temple. When the tribe of Levi did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf, that privilege was given to them instead.
In our case, the son is a bechor, but his father is not.
This week's question:
1) set by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Which beracha can only be recited on a Wednesday or Thursday?
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE set by Immanuel Burton of Finchley.
Not including the Torah Reading, what is the shortest possible Shabbat Mincha?
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