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Bamidbar
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Bamidbar

MISSION ALERT Earlier this week, was the tenth yahrzeit of Lady Amelie Jakobovits or Lady J as she was affectionally called. Those who remember this remarkable personality would surely agree that she would have brought her unique perspective to bear in dealing with coronavirus pandemic! Her father was the distinguished Rabbi Elie Munk of Paris...

Behar Bechukotai
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Behar Bechukotai

VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE BARRIERS The first of the two sidrot for this Shabbat, discusses the sale of houses and how this is impacted by the Jubilee year and whether the house in located in a walled city. In the course of this presentation, there is an unusual feature in the Sefer Torah. It is what...

Emor
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Emor

THREE KINDS OF HOLINESS This week’s parasha deals with the three different types of holiness we find in Judaism: holiness of the person, holiness in time, and holiness in space. The first two portions of the sidra outline the special responsibilities on the Cohen. Whom may he marry? Under what circumstances may he go to...

Emor
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Emor

THREE KINDS OF HOLINESS This week’s parasha deals with the three different types of holiness we find in Judaism: holiness of the person, holiness in time, and holiness in space. The first two portions of the sidra outline the special responsibilities on the Cohen. Whom may he marry? Under what circumstances may he go to...

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
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Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

STAY HOME, SAVE A LIFE Time and again in this coronavirus pandemic, our political leaders have said that social distancing is vital so as ‘not to overwhelm the NHS.’ In plain terms, that means that we want to avoid the nightmare scenario when there are insufficient resources to meet the needs of those who require...

Tazria-Metzora
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Tazria-Metzora

PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNWELL The Torah goes into great detail in this week’s portion describing an affliction knows as tzara’at. This came upon a person as a result of transgressions such as slander. The practical application of these laws with the different kinds of sores and scabs and burns have ceased to be...

Pesach – Shemini
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Pesach – Shemini

THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A LECHAYIM! One stark contrast between our Seder nights and our currently home-based synagogue services is the place of wine. Whilst a fundamental requirement of our Seder was to drink four cups of wine, there is no place for wine or liquor in a regular prayer service, whether held at home...

Vayikra
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Vayikra

ACCEPTING A CALLING And He called to Moses…. [Vayika 1:1] On only three occasions does the Torah speak of a ‘call’ to Moses and each involves a summons to perform a momentous act. The first call came at the burning bush. Moses is shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro, and he and he alights...

Ki Tissa
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Ki Tissa

MIND THE GAP! Margaret MacMillan, in her book History’s People, contrasts the role some individuals can play in shaping history and others being swept up in the forces that are prevailing. There is no doubt that Moses was one of the most influential people in history. A tantalising question is how important was the role...

Tetzaveh
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Tetzaveh

A ST. JOHN’S WOOD CHEVRA KADISHA The week in which this parsha of Tetzaveh is read normally coincides with the 7th Adar, the yahrzeit of Moses. It is significant, therefore, that this is the only sidra from the beginning of Exodus to the end of the Torah in which the name of Moses is omitted!...