THE EIGHTH DAY Our parasha this week, Shemini, “the eighth day”, describes a stark scene. A community enjoying the simcha of the dedication of the Tabernacle, is suddenly plunged into tragedy with the death of Aaron’s elder two sons, Nadav and Avihu. Our Jewish world, likewise, in the midst of its Pesach celebration has been plunged into tragedy. The brutal murder of Maia and Rina Dee, together with their mother, Lucy, despite heroic efforts from doctors to rescue her from her injuries sustained in the terrorist attack. In paying tribute to his murdered wife and children, Rabbi Leo Dee went...

PESACH THOUGHTS “And G-d will pass over the opening” (Exodus 12:23) We are told in the Haggadah that in every generation we should try and picture ourselves as if we are leaving Egypt. The Chassidic writers point out that this is not simply an exercise in imagination.  We too, can benefit, in some ways, from the blessings of the Exodus, in the same way as our ancestors did. According to the Midrash, the Jews of the Exodus were not especially spiritual. Indeed, some of them were as involved in worshipping idols as their Egyptian hosts! Yet, G-d took them out...

ETERNAL FIRE It was the vision of a Burning Bush that did not go out that first drew Moses to the mountain. G-d gave him his mission to ignite a flame in the Jewish people and take them out of slavery. Now, many months later, the people are assembled at the mountain and, in this week’s parasha, are given the law that in their  Tabernacle there shall be an everlasting flame. “A continuous fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not go out.”  (Vayikra 6:6) Wood was added to the pyre every morning and evening. Although the pyre was...

SAVING THE WORLD Is there any connection between the report on climate change issued this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Google’s launch of its own Chatbot, Bard? I think there is. The challenges of climate change are enormous. The UN report warns us that unless we take urgent action, we run the risk of exceeding a 1.5°C rise, which will lead to devastating consequences for our planet. Secretary-General Guterres calls on governments to take drastic action to reduce emissions by investing in renewable energy and low-carbon technology. But these are only conventional means of tackling this...

REHEARSING THE CORONATION With the coronation just weeks away, extensive preparations are in full swing. There are even reports that a replica of parts of Westminster Abbey has been built inside Buckingham Palace so that the King and Queen can rehearse key parts of the ceremony. Rehearsals are part of this week’s parasha. We are told: “On the first day of the first month, in the second year, the Mishkan (or Tabernacle) was erected.” (Shemot 40:17) The Midrash comments that on each of the previous seven days, Moses had erected and dismantled the entire structure. Finally, on the eighth day,...

SHOULDERING THE LOAD In Rembrandt’s famous painting of Moses Breaking the Tablets of the Law, hanging in the Berlin Art Gallery, the prophet is depicted as holding the tablets above his head about to smash them to the ground. Moses does this intentionally as he does not want to present the tablets to the nation that has worshipped the golden calf. While this is a straightforward reading of the account contained in this week’s parasha, there is another opinion, presented in the Midrash, that Moses did not break the tablets deliberately. Rather, they fell from his hands and broke on...