We are living in unprecedented times, the elderly people I speak to say it is reminiscent of war time. Most of us were not born then so the comparison is only imaginary. Eerie photos are circulating of usually bustling streets now completely deserted. People don’t know how the next government announcement will change their lives, or for how long. But nothing is as eerie as a funeral with no one in attendance. Family members are in quarantine and friends must stay away. I am returning from officiating at the UK’s first Jewish-religious funeral from the deathly virus at Bushey United...
Dear Friends We are reaching out during these trying times to you all to say we are thinking of you and available to you and to offer Chizuk, emotional and spiritual support at this unprecedented and most challenging time. Our Rabbinic team wants to be as proactive as possible to help provide assistance, and we remind you of all our phone numbers. Even if you just want a friendly chat, or have any pastoral needs, please do be in touch with any of us, at any time. Here is a reminder of our email addresses Dayan Binstock – rabbi@shulinthewood.com Rebbetzen Rachie Binstock – rachie@shuinthewood.com Rabbi...
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 of a much less-known individual, Chur, who makes a brief appearance in this week’s portion. The medieval commentator, Ibn Ezra, says “we don’t know who he is.” (Shemot 24:14). The Midrash states that he is the son of Miriam and Kalev. What role does he...
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! His departure from the world is marked by his absence from the Book. There is another association with the death that emerges from this week’s sidra: the bigdei kehuna or the garments of the priests. The original priestly vestments could be worn only by priests...
ACCESSING THE TABERNACLE AND ACCESSING THE SYNAGOGUE The sidrot from now till the end of Shemot, deal with the Mishkan or Tabernacle. Here is a guide to its essential components: Outer Court – enclosed by curtains supported by pillars, 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. The entrance was on the eastern side, while the Altar of Sacrifice, covered with copper, stood facing the entrance. A little further to the west was the basin of copper for the washings of the priests. Tent of Meeting – the western part of the court contained the Tent of Meeting. A parochet or...
OUR INTERCONNECTED WORLD The laws of charity are introduced in this week’s portion. The rabbis in the Midrash make use of what appears to be a strange homily to explain these laws: Come and see how all of G-d’s creatures borrow from one another. The day borrows from the night and the night borrows from the day…the moon borrows from the stars and the stars borrow from the moon…the light borrows from the sun and the sun borrows from the light…Wisdom borrows from Understanding and Understanding borrows from wisdom…Heaven borrows from earth and earth borrows from heaven…kindness borrows from righteousness...
DID JETHRO MISUNDERSTAND? The advice that Jethro gave to Moses about how to delegate and administer justice is famous and was accepted by Moses, and implemented. Jethro was concerned that Moses was carrying the burden of the people by himself and it was essential that he had others who could assist him in his role. Yet, Rabbi Joseph B Soloveitchik (1903 – 1993) raises the intriguing possibility that maybe Jethro understood what he was seeing? The section begins with the words: “It was, on the following day that Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood (vaya’amod) before...
CLEAR VISION One of the key parts of the magnificent Song of the Sea that we sing this Shabbat, is the phrase, “this is my G-d and I will exalt Him…” (Shemot 15:2) Rashi, citing the Sages of the Midrash, tells us that at that moment, everyone enjoyed sublime heights of prophecy. “Even a maidservant saw things at the Red Sea that were not perceived by the prophets Ezekiel or Isaiah” (Rashi, Shemot 15:2.) This raises a striking question: what was so special about the experience at the Sea that it surpassed even our greatest literary prophets of the bible?...
DID G-D GIVE PHARAOH HEART DISEASE?! Throughout the episode of the Ten Plagues, described in last week’s sidra and this week’s sidra, we read of the ‘hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.’ For the first five plagues, it is Pharaoh who hardens his own heart. For the subsequent plagues, we read that it is G-d who hardens Pharaoh’s heart. What does this mean? Obviously, G-d didn’t harden his arteries or give him angina! We need to appreciate that the Torah uses the term ‘heart’ to refer to the source of a person’s moral, spiritual and intellectual capacities. (Indeed, the medieval work, Chovot...
