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Volume 29No. 33

1

In memory of David Yochanan ben Moshe

"God spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Command the Children of Israel that they shall take for you pure oliveoil, pressed, for illumination, to kindle a continual lamp’” (Vayikra 24:1-3).

13 May 2017 17 Iyar 5777

Shabbat ends London 9.40pmJerusalem 8.08pm

Sidrah Summary: Emor

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: Ilana Epstein, Michael Laitner, Sharon RadleyAvailable also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United SynagogueTo sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on 020 8343 5653, or lyoung@theus.org.ukIf you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Vayikra 21:1-15God instructs Moshe to tell the Kohanim not to come into contact with a dead person, with the exception of when burying specific closerelatives. They are not allowed to shave theirheads or wound themselves during a mourningperiod (Rashi). There are restrictions on whomKohanim can marry. There is a mitzvah to showKohanim specific forms of respect (Rashi). A Kohen Gadol is not allowed to bury a closerelative, nor marry a widow (see p.4 article).

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 21:16-22:16Specific types of physical blemishes on a Kohendisqualify him from bringing offerings in theTemple; however, he may eat from the offerings.A Kohen who is ritually impure (tamei) can neitherbring nor eat an offering until he is pure (tahor).The laws of terumah, the first crop tithe given tothe Kohanim, are stated. Whilst this tithe shouldnot be eaten by a non-Kohen, a Kohen’s wife andhis Cana’anite servant are permitted to eat it.

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 22:17-33Offerings brought to the Temple must be free ofcertain blemishes which disqualify them. Ananimal cannot be brought as an offering until it is at least eight days old. Offerings have to be eaten within a certain time. The mitzvah tosanctify God’s Name is given (see p.3 article).

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 23:1-23:22Laws of Shabbat and the festivals are listed. OnPesach, which lasts seven days, we eat matzot.The first and last days are Yom Tov, on which werefrain from specific prohibited activity (melacha).On the second day of Pesach, the barley Omeroffering is brought. There is a mitzvah to count 49days from 16 Nisan (the second night of Pesach)until the night before Shavuot. On Shavuot itself,

the double bread wheat offering (shtei ha’lechem)is brought and melacha is forbidden.

Point to Consider: why is the second day of

Pesach, on which the Omer is brought, referred

to as ‘the day after Shabbat’? (23:15)

5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 23:23-32 Rosh Hashanah is called ‘a day of shofar blasts’.Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. On these days,melacha is also forbidden, but the punishment fordoing melacha on Yom Kippur is more severe.

6th Aliya (Shishi) – 23:33-44On Succot we bring the four species (arba’a

minim) and dwell in temporary booths (succot).The seven days of Succot are followed byShemini Atzeret. On the first day of Succot andon Shemini Atzeret, we refrain from melacha.

7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 24:1-23Moshe is told by God to instruct the people to bring pure olive oil for the daily Menorahlighting in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Moshe iscommanded to provide flour for the show bread(lechem ha’panim) that is placed on the table(shulchan) in the Mishkan and which remainsthere for an entire week.

A man is caught blaspheming and is sentencedand put to death.

Question: how many loaves of show bread were

baked every week? (24:5)? Answer on bottom of

page 6.

HaftarahThe prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) details thehalachot which will pertain to Kohanim inMessianic times. Some of these laws are morestringent than those listed in the sidrah.

2

Solutions in the Sidrah: The Broken Windows Theoryby Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community

In the mid-1990s, the thenmayor of New York City,Rudolph Giuliani, desperatelywanted to reduce thenotoriously high levels ofcrime in the city. To achievethis aim, he decided toimplement a plan dubbed

‘The Broken Windows Theory’. The concept wasthat eliminating small signs of public disorder,such as a broken window in a housing project,litter on streets, or graffiti on walls, would help toreduce more serious crime.

To research the effectiveness of the proposal,behavioural scientists set up a few socialexperiments to test the theory. One test involved a car park with multiple entrances. The researchers blocked off one entrance withtemporary fences and put up a sign indicatingthat people should only use the other entrance,which was about 180 metres away, whenreturning to their cars. However, they left a smallgap in the fence so that a person could justsqueeze through if they wanted to. They alsoplaced a sign indicating that locking bicycles tothe fence was prohibited. They then placed somebikes next to the fence. The only thing they variedin the test was whether the pre-positioned bikeswere locked to the fence (in breach of the secondrule), or just leaning next to it.

Fascinatingly, when the bicycles were not lockedto the fence, so that the second rule wasobserved, only 27% of people broke the first ruleand squeezed through the gap in the fence. Yetwhen the bikes they had placed there werelocked to the fence in direct breach of the rule,82% of people broke the first rule and squeezedthrough the gap.

The research indicated that Giuliani’s plan was agood one. One of the most powerful ways toencourage people to act properly is by enabling

them to witness others behaving correctly. Living in an environment in which they canpersonally see the respect others have for therules encourages them to do the same.

This week’s sidrah contains the foundationalmitzvah of ‘Kiddush Hashem’ (sanctifying God’sName). The verse says: “You shall not desecrateMy Holy Name, rather I should be sanctifiedamong the Children of Israel, for I am God Whosanctifies You” (Vayikra 22:32).

At the heart of this mitzvah lies one central,essentially simple idea. Everything we do,whether positive or negative, influences others.People learn from the way others behave, as wellas adopting the prevailing trends in society. Suchtrends can be a tremendous force for good in theworld, or they can, God forbid, be the opposite.

Doing the right thing, and thereby setting a positive example for others, creates a‘Kiddush Hashem. As Rudolph Giuliani’ssuccessful clean-up of crime in New York City demonstrates, the effects of a positiveexample can be truly amazing.

3In memory of Yehudah Lev ben Shevach

Privilege and Responsibilityby Rabbi Dr Martin van den Bergh, Childwall Hebrew Congregation, Liverpool

In today's world, many of the people holdingprivileged positions are oftenmedia or sports celebrities.Sometimes they are betterknown for their negativecharacter traits than for theircontribution to society and

to important global issues. Very few of themsustain their success for more than a fleetingperiod, before another group of ‘stars’ takestheir place.

Judaism holds a different view of what aprivileged position is, namely that such positionscarry responsibilities. From the time of the sin ofthe Golden Calf, when the Kohanim assumedtheir priestly role, until today, they have held andcontinue to hold a privileged position in theJewish community.

A Kohen is the first to be called to the reading ofthe Torah and is acknowledged when present atthe beginning of bentching with a zimun (quorum)before Birkat Hamazon – in some cases he isinvited to lead the bentching. The Kohanim alsobless the community with Birkat Kohanim (thepriestly blessing) on Yom Tov.

This privileged status originated with the rolewhich the Kohanim fulfilled by carrying outsacrificial services in the Mishkan (Tabernacle)and Beit Hamikdash (Temple), and as theteachers of the community. While we all have amitzvah to uphold a degree of sanctity (seeVayikra 19:2), the status of the Kohanim meantthat they had a responsibility to maintain ahigher state of sanctity, which was recognisedby all the Israelites: “You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God; he shall be holy to you” (ibid. 21:8). Without maintainingthis ritual sanctity, the Kohanim could not enterthe Beit Hamikdash compound to perform theirpriestly duties.

The sanctity of the Kohen also impacts on hispersonal life, even today. There are restrictionson whom he can marry and he is generallyforbidden to be present in a building or in closeproximity to a dead body, with the exceptions ofhis very close family (parents, spouse, childrenand siblings) or a met mitzvah, one who has diedwith no one to bury him/her.

When the Beit Hamikdash was standing, therestrictions on the Kohen Gadol were even moredemanding. He had to uphold the highest degreeof sanctity, for he led the Yom Kippur service,where he alone entered the Holy of Holies. Withregards to whom he could marry, he was morelimited than a regular Kohen, and he could nothave contact with anyone after their death,except for a met mitzvah.

Nearly 2000 years after the destruction of thesecond Beit Hamikdash, the Kohanim still hold aprivileged place in the Jewish world and stillaccept restrictions on their lives. They are not afleeting fashion, nor a momentary trend. They arethe bedrock of our understanding that withprivilege comes responsibility. Like the Kohanimand unlike many of today’s celebrities, ourleaders keep their privileged positions byremembering and honouring their responsibilitieswithin the community and the wider world.

4In memory of Yocheved bat Berl Dov

Dedicating the new Bushey Cemeteryby Dayan Ivan Binstock, London Beth Din, Rabbi of St John’s Wood United Synagogue

The dedication of the newsection of the cemetery atBushey marks the lateststage of the UnitedSynagogue undertaking itsresponsibility to provide adignified resting placewhen, sadly, the end of lifearrives.

The first Ashkenazi cemetery in Alderney RoadE1, was opened in 1697 and closed in 1852.The United Synagogue is responsible for adozen cemeteries. Those in regular use areWillesden, opened in 1873; Waltham Abbey,opened in 1960, and Bushey, opened in 1947.

Visitors to Bushey will be familiar with the oldsection, with its own entrance at the north endof Little Bushey Lane. The current main section,with the two prayer halls, was opened in 1967.An extension, across Sandy’s Lane, was openedin 1979.

The new section has been in preparation for six years. Provision has been made forapproximately 8,500 interments.

The ground has been drained and paths havebeen laid. A new prayer hall (with a unique andeco-friendly design) has been constructed.What will happen when the Chief Rabbi formallyopens the cemetery on 21 May?

The procedure for dedicating a cemetery isadapted from a discussion in the Talmud(Shavuot 15b) relating to extending the area ofthe Temple precincts and the area of Jerusalem.

In Temple times, there were precise rulesregarding the consumption of offerings, either inthe grounds of the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) orwithin the boundaries of Jerusalem. Forexample, if the Beit Hamikdash was aroundtoday, a household head could not take hisPesach offering and drive back for a Seder with his family in Herzliya. He would need to eatit in Jerusalem. Even then, a location like the

King David Hotel is still outside the borders ofthe historic holy city.

The Talmud describes the procedure for formallyextending the borders of Jerusalem, so that thestatus of the holy city applies to other areas aswell. This involves, in part, a procession led by the Sanhedrin (High Court) around theperimeter of the new area, with the chanting ofTehilim (Psalms), such as Psalm 91.

The practice has developed that the dedicationof cemeteries follows this model. Variouscustoms have grown up around the essentialrequirement of encircling the area whilst recitingPsalms. In some communities, seven circuits ofa new cemetery are made. Others requiremembers of the Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society)to fast and recite selichot (penitential prayers).Because Kohanim are precluded from closecontact with the dead, some communitiesspecifically involve Kohanim in the dedication ofa new cemetery, before there are any gravesthat would restrict their presence.

When the new Bushey Cemetery will bededicated, the service will begin with words ofspiritual reflection from the Chief Rabbi and the perimeter of the new area will be encircledwith the chanting of Psalm 91 and other psalms.

It is a vain hope to say that we wish thecemetery will not be used. Such is the way ofthe world. People die and need to be buried. Wehope and pray that those who die will have livedout in full the measure of their years, and thatthe community will be able to attend to theirneeds in death with the highest standards ofdignity and respect.

5In memory of Reuven ben Yehuda Leivish

6In memory of Chaim ben Moshe Bentzion

Review of Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum’s Challenge and Continuity: AStudy of Rabbinic Responses to Modernity, Science and Tragedyby Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Synagogue; Head of Project Development, US Living & Learning

Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum hasbeen a familiar and inspiringwriter on the pages of theDaf Hashavua. I wastherefore delighted to beasked to review his firstbook: ‘Challenge and

Continuity: A Study of

Rabbinic Responses to Modernity, Science and

Tragedy’, published by Vallentine Mitchell.

In this volume, Rabbi Birnbaum divides Rabbinicresponsa into these three categories, with eachcategory providing insights into a much broadersubject. For the past two years, Rabbi Birnbaumhas guided us through the weekly Torah portions,seamlessly interweaving ancient concepts withmodernity. He uses the same sensibility whileteaching the uninitiated about the massive fieldthat is Rabbinic responsa, which is the topic ofhis forthcoming PhD dissertation.

A central component of Rabbi Birnbaum’sapproach can be found in his introduction: “oneof the central roles of a Rabbi has been the abilityto analyse critical issues of the day and providean appropriate response, drawing on the depthand breadth of Jewish tradition in order to do so”.His treatment of the differing approaches of theChatam Sofer (1762 – 1839) and Rabbi MosheFeinstein (1895 – 1986), given their times anddiffering environments, is particularly instructive.

With the same care and consideration, RabbiBirnbaum himself tackles difficult subjects, fromthe Rabbinic responses to modern challenges tothe difficulties inherent in reconciling seeminglyincompatible truths in science and Torah.

Lastly, he looks at questions which emanatedfrom the Jews living in the ghettos of Warsaw,Kovno and Vilna during the Second World War, where the Rabbis did not shy away from the intrinsic difficulties they encountered, asevidenced by their deeply moving responses.

Amongst the pages of this book, we see adepiction of the world of great Rabbinic voicesstretching from the Talmudic era, in the toweringyeshivot of Sura and Pumpedita in Babylon, allthe way to the modern era, together witheveryone in between. These are personalities thatspeak to Rabbi Birnbaum. In his clear andconcise way he has made them, and the way theythink and deal with halachic questions, accessibleto us.

Of particular interest to me is the way RabbiBirnbaum describes how halachic decisionmaking is reached: “Far from being a monolithicprocess, consisting of a direct application ofprinciples set out in the legalistic section of theTalmud and the later Codes of Jewish Law, inreality [halachic decision-making] involves adeeply insightful understanding of both thehistorical and traditional application of Halacha,as well as the ramifications that a particular rulingmay have”.

We at Daf Hashavua congratulate RabbiBirnbaum on his book and recommend it to anyone who wishes to gain a greaterunderstanding of how halachic decisions arereached. Next January Rabbi Birnbaum will bespending a sabbatical in the prestigious positionof Daniel Jeremy Silver Fellow at HarvardUniversity for a term. We wish him every success.

Copies available fromwww.vmbooks.com,Amazon and all goodbookshops.

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