ABRAHAM’S PATH TO G-D Jewish history begins with G-d’s call to Abraham at the beginning of this week’s sidra, telling him to leave his land, his birthplace, and go to the land which G-d will show him. The Torah tells us that Abraham is seventy-five years old when this happens. What has taken place in Abraham’s life previously? The Torah is silent here but Jewish tradition fills in the gaps. Abraham is regarded as the first person who came to G-d as a result of his own intellectual questioning. Maimonides (Laws of Idolatry 1:3) provides the following narrative regarding Abraham’s...

ABRAHAM WAS SITTING Our sidra begins by telling us the G-d appeared to Abraham who was sitting at the entrance of his tent (Bereishit18:1). Rashi here quotes a strange Midrash: Abraham was seated and wanted to get up, but G-d told him, “Remain seated and I shall stand. And the fact that you are seated symbolizes something that will happen in the future.” Noting that judges must sit when they accept testimony in the courtroom and render decisions, Rashi then continues, G-d said, I shall stand and the judges will be sitting, as the verse says, “G-d stands in the...

DOVE TALES ON SHABBAT Whilst many of the Zemirot (Shabbat-table songs) were composed to be sung throughout the year, others were written with a particular Shabbat in mind. A classic example is the song composed by the great medieval Spanish poet, Judah Halevi (1075-1141), to be sung, especially, on this Shabbat. It is called: Yonah Matzah Vo Mano’ach – “the dove found rest on it (the Shabbat.)” For some reason, the song is excluded from the selection of Zemirot in the green siddur, but is found in all other popular collections. The poem draws on the passages in the parsha...

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? G-d’s dialogue with Cain reverberates across the generations. When Cain has killed his brother, G-d challenges him: “Where is Abel, your brother?” Cain responds: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9) Of course, it was unnecessary for G-d to ask. He knew the answer already. Rashi (d. France, 1105) explains that G-d engaged Cain in conversation hoping to prompt him to confess to what he had done. Cain maintains that he is responsible for himself and no one else. Cain is punished by being expelled from society. “You shall be an...

THE BELOVED ONES “Of Benjamin he said: May G-d’s beloved dwell securely by Him” (Deuteronomy 33:12) The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni) observes that Benjamin was one of six in the Bible to be called ‘beloved’ or yedid. His merit began even before he was born since he was the only one of Jacob and his family not to bow down to Esau the idolater. Moreover, he was the only one of Jacob’s children to be born in the land of Israel. That is the reason why most of the Temple in Jerusalem was erected in the territory of Benjamin. The other...

TAKING THE ARBA MINIM The Arba Minim are taken every day of Succot, except on Shabbat. When bound together, they must be held, all 4 species touching, with the Lulav in the right hand and the Etrog in the left. The 3 Hadassim must be on the right-hand side of the Lulav’s spine and should be slightly higher then the Aravot. (Left-handed people, like myself and Rabbi Yoni, should take the Lulav in the left hand and the Etrog in the right.) The Lulav is held with the spine facing you. When they are first taken up (this year, on...

THE SONG OF HISTORY “May my teaching drop like the rain.” (Devarim 32:2) The song of Ha’azinu is Moses’ peroration to his people.  The great medieval Spanish rabbi and leader, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (1194-1270) and other commentators see this song encompassing the whole process of Jewish history.  How can a mere song summarise the history of our people that has gone through more dramatic moments than any other nation on earth?  Rabbi Elie Munk (father of the late LadyAmelie Jakobovits) quotes the Tzror Hamor (by Rabbi Avraham Saba of Castile, fifteenth century) who sees in the verse two, ‘may...

FROM THE INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW KOREN MACHZOR The ten days that begin on Rosh HaShanah and culminate in Yom Kippur are the holy of holies of Jewish time. The atmosphere in the synagogue is intense. You can almost touch the Divine Presence. Isaiah said: “Seek God where He is to be found, call on Him when He is close” (Is. 55:6). The rabbis wrestled with this verse. What could it mean? God is the God of everywhere and all time. He is always to be found, always close. The verse seemed to make no sense at all. This was...

THE FOURTEENTH PRINCIPLE OF FAITH The thirteen principles of the Jewish faith were enumerated by Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) in his introduction to his commentary on the Chapter Chelek in the tractate, Sanhedrin. They are probably most familiar to us in their poetic form in the hymn, Yigdal. Scholars of Maimonides are puzzled why he opts for thirteen principles of faith. If one were ever to talk about Maimonides favourite number, it would be fourteen, rather than thirteen! Maimonides classifies his classic code of Jewish law, the Mishne Torah, into fourteen books, representing fourteen categories of commandments. In his philosophical work,...