Hertz p.63
Soncino p.86
Shabbat ends in London at 5.02pm
| Sidra Lite | |
| Hospitality - A source of divine and human joy | Rabbi Jason Kleiman |
| Preparing for Shabbat | Rabbi Daniel Roselaar |
| Our Rabbis on Abraham | |
| Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra | Rabbi Dr Michael Harris |
| Sha'ar HaGolan |
Simon Goulden |
| Riddle of the Week | Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis & Dan Rickman |
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There is a wonderful Jewish expression that particularly describes the greatest joy experienced by parents. It is the word nachas and it relates to the unique pleasure that parents derive from the meritorious actions and achievements of their children.
As G-d's children, all of us should seek to be a source of such nachas to our Heavenly Father and the opening of this week's Torah Parsha demonstrates how we can do that.
At the beginning of this week's Sidra, Abraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day, having just circumcised himself. G-d appears to him, after which Abraham lifts up his eyes, sees three men and then makes the following request: "My Lord, if I have found favour in your eyes, please don't go away..." (Bereishit 18:3).
To whom is Abraham addressing these words? Rashi, quoting the Midrash, gives two explanations. According to one understanding, Abraham is speaking to the leader of the men and is asking him and his companions to stay and receive hospitality.
The approach of the second explanation is not that Abraham is addressing any of the three travellers but that he is speaking to G-d whose Presence has come to visit him as he endures the painful aftermath of his circumcision. In this context, Abraham is saying to G-d: "Wait a moment, until I have looked after the needs of the visitors!"
This second explanation cited by Rashi is particularly incredible. None other than the Divine Presence of G-d Himself has come to visit Abraham, whose response is to interrupt the meeting and to say to the Master of the Universe, "Hang on a moment! I've got something important to see to!"
Imagine you are present at a major communal gathering with distinguished leaders and philanthropists in attendance. You have been invited to be part of a line up who will greet the Chief Rabbi upon his arrival. How unseemly would it appear if at the moment that the Chief Rabbi approaches to engage in conversation, you reply: "Don't go away! There is something more important I have to do at the moment, so I have to leave but I will be back soon!" Yet, this is Abraham's reaction to the manifestation of the Divine Presence before him!
The answer, of course, is that Abraham would never have displayed anything other than the most fitting and perfect behaviour before G-d's Presence. Abraham knew instinctively that nothing would give G-d greater 'nachas' than looking after His children. Indeed, the Talmud teaches that "Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Receiving guests is greater than greeting the Divine Presence" (Shabbat 127a). Although it is a tremendous honour to entertain the Divine Presence, looking after the requirements of G-d's children at the time that they need assistance takes priority.
If we want to be the greatest source of nachas to G-d, our Father, we should value every opportunity to extend hospitality to our fellow human beings.
The halachot associated with Shabbat do not apply only on Shabbat but actually straddle the entire week. The Torah commands us to Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it (Shemot 20:7). Based on Talmudic and Midrashic sources, Rashi explains that we remember Shabbat by preparing for it throughout the week. This view is codified by the halachists and thus if early in the week one sees some food that appears particularly attractive and appetizing, it is proper to buy it and save it for Shabbat. Several authorities also mention that when buying provisions for Shabbat one should verbally state that one is doing so to honour Shabbat.
Using the way in which the Israelites gathered the double portion of manna in the wilderness as a blueprint, the Shulchan Aruch recommends that one should get up early on a Friday morning to prepare for Shabbat. Whilst in the normal course of events most people probably do rise early on Fridays, it is proper to do so even when on vacation or if a bank-holiday falls on a Friday!
The Talmud (Shabbat 119a) recounts how distinguished sages personally took part in the preparations for Shabbat rather than leaving the tasks to their domestic helpers. Even though the tasks were sometimes menial they regarded it as a privilege to prepare for such an august occasion, rather than seeing it as an affront to their dignity. The halachah urges every individual to follow the example of these sages and to ensure that he / she is personally involved in some aspect of the pre-Shabbat preparations. Even if one is a guest away from home (and even if one is staying in a hotel) it is correct to assist in some way. Notably, the Mishnah Berurah comments critically on what he regarded as a new-fangled practise for home-makers to buy challot from the bakery instead of taking the trouble to prepare personally for Shabbat by baking bread at home in accordance with time-honoured tradition.
Our Sages relate how Abraham would feed hungry travellers who came his way. When they wished to repay him for his kindness, he would ask only one thing: that they utter a blessing in thanksgiving to the great Provider, who created Heaven and Earth.
Once, an elderly gentleman, who was seventy years old, was welcomed at Abraham's table. When he finished his meal, the old man adamantly refused to offer any such blessing of thanks, for he was a committed idolator.
Angered by his impertinence and impiety, Abraham drove the man from his house. There and then, the Almighty appeared to Abraham and said, "I have tolerated that man's idolatry for seventy years; could you not even tolerate him for five minutes?" (Yalkut Shimoni)
Rabbi Dr Michael Harris, Hampstead Synagogue.
RABBI AVRAHAM IBN EZRA
Ibn Ezra was born in Tudela, Spain in 1089 and died around 1164.
He travelled extensively during his life. His early years were spent in Spain, after which he lived for a time in Italy, then Provence and northern France. In 1158, Ibn Ezra travelled to London. 1160 saw him once again in Provence, but we do not know for certain where he died or where he is buried. One guess is that he is buried here in London.
Ibn Ezra was a polymath, displaying expertise in mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, astrology, Hebrew grammar and as a Paytan or liturgical poet. He authored Tzamah Nafshi, a popular Shabbat zemer.
But Ibn Ezra is most famous for his Bible commentary. More accurately, one should say "commentaries", since his exegeses on some books of the Bible exist in both long and abridged versions. Ibn Ezra's independent ideas and original interpretations sparked controversy, but his commentary interprets the Biblical text in accordance with the peshat or plain meaning.
Ibn Ezra's Bible commentary has proved very popular since it was written and has been the subject of dozens of supercommentaries.
by Simon Goulden, Agency for Jewish Education
The accidental archaeologists - Sha'ar HaGolan
When the members of Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan dug fishponds in their fields in 1943, they accidentally uncovered a major prehistoric site. Partially excavated from 1948 to 1962 by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the unique culture found there became known as the Yarmukian or Sha'ar HaGolan Culture. New excavations, since 1989, uncovered impressive remains of a neolithic village, dating back well over 5,000 years. The village spreads over many acres and is located south of the Sea of Galilee, on the bank of the Yarmuk River which flows into the Jordan just south of the site. Several buildings were uncovered which would have had thatched and a range of vessels was found, including flat basalt slabs and concave basalt mortars for domestic use. At the centre of the village stood a very large, extremely well constructed building, obviously serving some public functions.
It seems that the village had a developed mixed-economy culture of fishing, hunting and grain-cultivating. Flint tools were widely used including sickle blades inserted into handles of bone or wood; arrowheads, polished axes, scrapers and awls.
During this period, when pottery vessels first appeared in the Middle East, the potters of Sha'ar HaGolan produced a variety of sophisticated, well-fired vessels - round open shapes for bowls and closed forms for jars, many with flat bases on which they stood firmly. They seemed to be keen on fertility figurines too. The finds from the Neolithic village of Sha'ar HaGolan reveal a new, previously unknown culture in Israel. The previous view, that there were only nomadic hunter/gatherers in the land at this time, has been completely turned upside down.
Visit Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan on Route 7589, just 2 km south of Lake Kinneret, where you turn east off Route 90..
Last week's questions:
1) set by Andy Pater of Bushey.
Apart from their suffixes, what, nominally, have the Sidrot of Lech Lecha and Shelach Lecha in common?
Answer:
Name changes.
The Midrash links these together.
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE set by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
On which morning of the year in all Synagogues is Tachanun said and not said?
Answer:
On the day before Rosh Hashana when it is recited at the end of Selichot but omitted during Shacharit.
This week's question:
1) set by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
What starts in the beginning and ends in a coffin in Egypt?
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE set by Dan Rickman of Hampstead Garden Suburb.
When, in principle, might it be possible to have an ordinary conversation with someone between putting on the Shel Yad and the Shel Rosh of one's tefillin? (One is over 13 and it is at the beginning of a service.)
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