Acharei MotArtscroll p.636 | Haftarah p.1207Hertz p.480 | Haftarah p.948Soncino p.705 | Haftarah p.1189

Machar Chodesh. Rosh Chodesh Iyar is on Sunday and MondayYom Hazikaron starts on Tuesday evening, Yom Haatzmaut starts onWednesday evening

Volume 31No. 35

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In loving memory of Yaakov Yehoshua ben Ephraim Hirsch

4 May 2019 29 Nissan 5779

Shabbat ends London 9.23pmJerusalem 8.00pm

Sidrah Summary: Acharei Mot

United Synagogue Daf HashavuaProduced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United SynagogueEditor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Sharon RadleyAvailable also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United SynagogueTo sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261, or dfox@theus.org.ukIf you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Shemot 16:1-17

God speaks to Moshe after the death of two ofAharon’s sons (detailed in parashat Shemini).Moshe is told to warn Aharon, the Kohen Gadol,not to enter the Holy of Holies (KodeshHakodashim) area of the Mishkan (Tabernacle),except on Yom Kippur. The sidrah details theYom Kippur service in the Mishkan: Aharon is towear his tunic, breeches, sash and turban. Thepeople will provide two male goats.

Aharon will have to bring a bull as a chatat (sin)offering and a ram as an olah (elevation) offering.He must place lots on the two goats, designatingone to be a chatat and the other to be thrown offa cliff in the wilderness (see p.3 article). Insidethe Kodesh Hakodashim, he will bring an incenseoffering (ketoret).

Point to Consider: What is the connectionbetween the death of Aharon's sons and theYom Kippur service? (see Rashi to 16:1)

Question: What is the Hebrew term used forAharon's turban? (16:5) Answer on bottom of p. 6.

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 16:18-24

Aharon will sprinkle blood from the variousofferings in specific areas of the Mishkan. Beforesending away the goat to the wilderness, Aharonis to lean his two hands upon its head andconfess the transgressions of the nation.

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 16:25-34

The sin-offering bull and the remaining goat are removed to outside the camp, where theirflesh is burned. The nation is commanded to fast on Yom Kippur. When Yom Kippur arrives,Aharon does exactly as commanded by God.

This special service is to be repeated every yearby future incumbents of his office.

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 17:1-7

It is forbidden to bring an animal offering toanywhere other than the Mishkan. Neglectingthis results in a severe punishment.

5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 17:8-18:5

It is forbidden to consume the blood of anyanimal (Rashi). After doing shechita (slaughter)on kosher fowl or non-domesticated animals,there is a mitzvah to cover the blood. A bird thatwas not killed in the prescribed fashion emitsritual impurity to one who eats it (tumah).

6th Aliya (Shishi) – 18:6-21

The laws of forbidden relationships are listed,such as with close relatives, or with another’sspouse.

7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 18:22-30

Adhering to the laws about forbiddenrelationships is a critical factor in the nation’swell-being in its Land.

Haftarah (“Machar Chodesh”)

The haftarah is the special reading for ShabbatErev Rosh Chodesh, from the Book of Shmuel(Samuel). It relates how Yehonatan (Jonathan)risked his life to protect his friend David (later tobe King David) from the wrath of Yehonatan’sfather, King Shaul (Saul). Their initial discussionof how to ensure David’s safety took place onErev Rosh Chodesh, the day before Shaul’sspecial feast (see p.4 article).

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3In memory of Mordechai Avraham ben Nechemia

What Lies Behind the Face?by Rabbi Emanuel Levy, Palmers Green & Southgate United Synagogue

Our sidrah describes thecontrasting fates of two he-goats whose sacrificeformed a central part of theservice performed by theHigh Priest on Yom Kippur. Itis notable that two animalsthat looked so similar to one

another could meet with such contrasting fates.The two goats, chosen in a lottery cast by theHigh Priest, were identical in height, weight,appearance and monetary value. Yet one wasaccorded the honour of being offered to Godwith its blood sprinkled inside the Holy of Holies,while the other met the unwanted fate of beingcast ‘to Azazel’ over a rocky precipice, bearingwith it the sins of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Yosef Salant (1786-1866) writes that whena lottery is cast and one commits to abide by itsdecision, the result is dictated by Divineprovidence. We leave the decision, so to speak,to the Almighty Himself. Let us try to picture thetense moment before the lottery was drawn. Twotablets lay in the lottery box. On one was written‘to God’, on the other ‘to Azazel’. The High Priestblindly seized one with each hand. He put the lotin his right hand on the goat standing on his rightand the lot in his left hand on the goat standingto his left. No-one knew which animal wouldmeet which fate, but God in His wisdom haddecided how to guide the hands of the HighPriest and He alone would make that decision.

Perhaps there is a deeper symbolism here. OnYom Kippur, nobody knows what their fate willbe. Outwardly, people may look similar, but Godlooks beyond the mask of external appearances.He alone knows the inner truth and decides oneway or another. Furthermore, just as the twogoats looked identical but went on differentpaths, so too an individual may adopt twodifferent approaches in life. One moment theymay be classed as a sinner, yet a thoroughprocess of teshuva can turn them into a

reformed character. Outwardly they lookunchanged but inwardly, the very core of theirpersonality has taken on a new dimension.

In a similar way, in our spiritual journeys, we mayat any one time be pulled internally in manydirections. Perhaps elements of all four sons ofthe Pesach Seder lie in each one of us.Sometimes, like the wise son, we have anenquiring mind; sometimes like the wicked son, we may feel reluctant to practice ourJudaism. On other occasions we satisfyourselves with short cursory knowledge of aparticular mitzvah, like the simple son. Finally,like the son who does not even ask, we mayadopt a lethargic attitude to mitzvot. Thedifferent answers given to these questions reveal the strategy and the psychology we mustadopt to arrest the different moods that weencounter. In that way, we can achieve ‘freedom’from our own human frailty.

4In memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael

Machar Chodesh: New Opportunitiesby Rabbi Stephen Dansky, Cranbrook United Synagogue

Since today is erev RoshChodesh, we read aspecial haftarah that isknown as ‘MacharChodesh’. It is taken fromthe Book of Shmuel(Samuel) and it describesa very complicated,

uncomfortable situation. At the time, King Shaul(Saul) was ruling Israel, but the crown was, so tospeak, resting unsteadily on his head. His militarycaptain was his son-in-law, David, who had thesupport of the people, and had already beendesignated to be the next king of Israel. KingShaul therefore had little reason to be fond ofDavid.

Yehonatan (Jonathan), who was Shaul’s son, toldDavid that “tomorrow is the new month”, andthat David would be expected to attend the Rosh Chodesh feast with the king. He advisedDavid to stay away, because Yehonatan wantedto find out the nature of his father Shaul’sintentions. Did Shaul still want David to be hiscaptain, or did he want to rid himself of apretender to the throne?

Yehonatan did not have long to wait to discoverhis father’s intentions. Upon seeing that David’sseat was vacant for two days in a row, Shaul gotangry and claimed rightfully that Yehonatan hadchosen David over him. Shaul went so far as toembarrass his son publicly, and threw a spear athim. It was clear that Shaul saw David as athreat, and wanted to kill him. Yehonatan relayedthis message to David and encouraged him torun away in order to preserve his life.

Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein, Rosh Yeshiva ofYeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, explains theoverarching message of this haftarah in thefollowing way: Declaring the new month providesan opportunity to start the month in a new way, or alternatively to maintain the status quo. Whilethe future is always exciting, potential changecan provoke anxiety. This often leads to retaining

the status quo, rather than embracing newpossibilities.

The haftarah addressed this dilemma. The statusquo was the monarchy of Shaul over the Land of Israel. However, Shaul’s kingship had become‘the past’ of the Jewish people. David and his kingship represented the beginning ofsomething new and dynamic. It was the future of the Jewish people, from which the ultimateredemption will arise.

Shaul refused to accept that his star had waned.He attacked Yehonatan for supporting David,because it effectively meant that his dynasty hadended. Yehonatan, on the other hand, recognisedthe growth inherent in David’s potential kingshipand chose to protect him, even if that meantrisking his life to do so.

This is the message we can take from ‘MacharChodesh’. Do we stay with a stale status quoor do we dive into a new future, using theopportunities that every month provides to makepositive changes in our lives.

5In memory of Moshe ben Avraham Zarach

Jewish Contemporary Ethics Part 28: Ethical Issues inTanach 6: Capital Punishmentby Rabbi Dr. Moshe Freedman, New West End Synagogue

The Torah mandates capitalpunishment for a variety ofimmoral acts, includingmurder (Bereishit 9:6);kidnapping (Shemot 21:16);adultery (Shemot 20:12); rape (Devarim 22:22-27);idolatry (Devarim 13:6) and

blasphemy (Vayikra 24:16). What might liebehind the Torah’s prescription of capitalpunishment for such sins?

When God warned Adam and Chavah (Eve)about refraining from eating the fruit of the treeof knowledge of good and evil, He warned themthat on the day they eat of it, “you shall surelydie” (Bereishit 1:17). However, after both Adamand Chavah ate from the tree, they did not dieimmediately. So what did God mean? RabbeinuBachya ben Asher (d. 1340) explains that Godnever meant that Adam and Chavah would dieimmediately after eating from the tree, but ratherthat they would become mortal and cause deathto come to the world. Before this grave error,they could have lived eternally in the paradise ofthe Garden of Eden; now they had to be expelled(Bereishit 3:22-24). According to this, mortalityis the price that was paid for sin.

Moreover, the Rambam (Maimonides 1135-1202) writes that for some sins, death itself ispart of the repentance process required.According to this view, capital punishment inJewish law is therefore not so much aboutpunishing the perpetrator, but rather aboutaccelerating their journey towards atonement.

This explains another anomaly regarding capitalcrimes. The laws of accepting testimony forcapital cases are extremely complex and thestandards of proof so high, that it was rarelypossible for a Jewish court of law to executeanyone. Although the Torah does record twosuch cases (see Bemidbar 15:32-36, Vayikra24:10-12), the Mishnah (Makkot 1:10) indicates

that it was so rare for a Jewish court to carry outcapital punishment that Rabbi Akiva describeda court that did so once every 70 years as being‘bloodthirsty’. While the Torah prescribes capitalpunishment for particular crimes, it was rarelycarried out and was seemingly discouraged. If so, why was capital punishment associatedwith the transgression in the first place, ifpractically it was nearly impossible to carry out?

The physicist and philosopher, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (1934-1983) noted that: “thesepunishments were almost never invoked, andexisted mainly as a deterrent and to indicate the seriousness of the sins for which they wereprescribed. The rules of evidence and othersafeguards that the Torah provides to protect the accused made it all but impossible toactually invoke these penalties”. He adds that:“the system of judicial punishments couldbecome brutal and barbaric unless administeredin an atmosphere of the highest morality and piety. When these standards declinedamong the Jewish people, the Sanhedrin...voluntarily abolished this system of penalties”(Handbook of Jewish Thought, Volume II, pp.170-71). As such, the capital punishments of the Torah served primarily as a deterrent to teachus the severity of certain crimes.

The next article will examine the treatment ofanimals, especially relating to the requirementfor animal offerings.

6In memory of Frida Mirel bat Chaim Simcha

Answer: mitsnefetYom Haatzmaut: The Jews Must Fight for Themselvesby Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, US Israel Rabbi

The Purim story may seemconfusing. Even after QueenEsther had exposed Haman'splot "to destroy, kill andannihilate all the Jews"(Megillat Esther 3:13) andHaman was hanged, KingAchashverosh was powerless

to revoke his own genocidal decree. The Jewslived under fatal threat from murderous, armedanti-Semites across the empire.

Had it been a fairy tale, wands would havewaved, granting us magical protection. Yet in Megillat Esther, God is hidden and KingAchashverosh could only issue a very limitednew measure. This allowed the Jews: "the rightto assemble and protect themselves; to destroy,kill and annihilate the armed men of anynationality or province who might attack them"(ibid. 8:11). Our beleaguered nation wasabandoned by Achashverosh, left to defend itself against its enemies.

Our need to fight such military battles may seemfar from ideal. Yet the Purim experience carriesprofound lessons and a miraculous paradigm for modern times.

Powerless Jewish communities have repeatedlyfaced enemies dedicated to our destruction. Inthe War of Independence of 1948, after anotherattempt to exterminate our people, our ancestralhomeland was restored to us. But again, oursalvation appeared slender. The combinedarmies of five Arab countries lined up to eliminateus and they were joined by reinforcements fromother Arab states.

Jews, many of them concentration campsurvivors, donned uniforms, armed themselvesand fought for their lives. With God’s help, theywon and the State of Israel became a reality. Inthe years that followed, the Jewish Statedeveloped strong defence forces with powerfulweapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahurecently noted that when the Nazis were

murdering millions of Jews, we cried out indesperation for help, but the world ignored us.Almost every country rejected our pleas; therewas no escape from mass murder. Now, ourperiod of powerlessness is over, we can defendourselves and many world leaders queue up tohost Israeli dignitaries.

Our success is not just physical but spiritual.Rabbi Yehuda Amital (d. 2010), who fought in theWar of Independence, wrote one of the firsthalachic guides for the Israel Defence Forces. Heshowed it to his father-in-law, the great RabbiIsser Zalman Meltzer (d. 1953), who read it andrejoiced. With tears rolling down his cheeks, hewhispered, "For 2000 years, our religion waslimited to the rituals of daily life. You have takenthese laws which we thought belonged to adistant future and restored them to relevance".

Purim is the festival that will outlast all the others(Jerusalem Talmud Megillah 1:5). After anattempted genocide, subtle miracles broughtMordechai to power, we defended ourselvesheroically and finally the Jews had “light and joy, gladness and honour”. (Megillat Esther 8:16)This mirrors the idea that our redemption willcome slowly and its miracles may seem hidden.

A similar pattern was repeated in modern times,with the creation of the State of Israel. YomHaatzmaut celebrates a long process of pioneersdraining marshes, fighting for their lives againstdeadly enemies and restoring our independent,sovereign nation, so that we can live committedto Jewish values in the Promised Land. Perhapsthe establishment of a modern, democratic Statewith the dignity that it brings to all Jewish peopleis the beginning of the greatest miracle of all.

Applying for nursery or school places?CRP is as easy as abcCertificate of Religious Practice (CRP) points for nursery or school admissions can be collected by participating in the following ways at your local United Synagogue:

Parents must make sure they complete the correct form for each school. To register for Shabbat shul service attendance and obtain details of educational and volunteering opportunities, contact your local US shul

Visit the US website www.theus.org.uk/crp for further information

Collect your CRP points for school entry with the United Synagogue

CRP forms are available from individual school websites and admissions offices and local authorities.

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Shaping Our Future