29 January 2021

Beshalach: The Reed Shoes

Exodus 12:3,11
"Speak to the entire community of Israel and say: On the tenth of this month each man must take a lamb for his family; one for every household...this is how you shall eat it: your belts secured, the sandals on your feet, your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste: it is The Lord's Passover." (Rabbi Sacks' translation).
1770, 60, 3500, 800, 245 and 110,000 – what do these numbers signify?
Along the east bank of the beautiful blue Danube river, an der schönen, blauen Donau, the water laps gently against the concrete walkway. The river has wound its way through three countries from its source in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany and now it is passing through Hungary. Eventually it will cover some 1,770 miles until it flows into the Black Sea, many miles to the east.
Looking at the river from this vantage point, two Hungarian gentlemen, film director Can Togay and sculptor Gyula Pauer conceived and created a monument, erected in 2005 that once seen, could never be forgotten. It consists of 60 pairs of iron cast shoes in the period style of the 1940s, commemorating the massacre of 3,500 people of which 800 were Jews. All having been shot by the fascist Iron Cross militia in Budapest by the water’s edge after having been ordered to remove their shoes. Having fallen into the river, their bodies were swept away along its path. The only remnant of their presence being the shoes they had left behind on the bank moments earlier. The blue Danube had now turned blood-red.
It takes five-and-a-half hours, the equivalent of 245 miles to drive from the "Shoes On The Danube Bank" memorial to Auschwitz, the location of another set of infamous footwear, namely the 110,000 pairs of shoes that were found at the death camp - many of which belonged to children.
If I were to relate these numbers to you in any order, they would seem quite inconsequential, but when you place them in the context that I have quoted in the previous paragraphs, they take on a chilling resonance. Because the numbers are connected by one single word - "Shoah" or "Holocaust.
The 60 pairs of shoes belonging to 3500 people, of which 800 were Jewish, were left behind as their owners were swept along a river that runs its course of 1770 miles.
This massacre took place but 245 miles away from the location where 110,000 pairs of shoes belonged to the same number of people who were butchered. A fraction of the 6,000,000 plus.
Suddenly, the numbers mean so much more, don't they?
No-one knows exactly how many Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds, known in Hebrew as the 'Yam Suf'. There seems to be some speculation that it might have been the current location of Lake Timsah or "Crocodile Lake" in the region of Egypt's Bitter Lakes. It sits in the Nile Delta and according to some people may have been the ancient northern terminus of the Red Sea (which may indicate why we refer to the event as the 'Red Sea Crossing').
If we calculate the distance between the Shoes on the Danube and Lake Timsah, we find that it is 2,388 miles which is another number to add to our chart. However, the one difference that we notice here, is, as the verse I quoted tells us, the people entered the water wearing their shoes and in that situation, their enemies, unlike the Nazis and Arrow Cross were vanquished. There was no Danube or Gas Chambers to record their last moments, but a miracle that allowed them to walk on dry land as the waters stood like a wall 'to their right and to their left' (Shemot/Exodus 14.22)
The common denominator in all the above is the presence of shoes and the very same nation who used them. In this week's Sidra, they were worn by our ancestors as they walked through the waters on dry land. Nearly eighty years ago, they were left behind as our relatives perished without a hope of salvation.
The Israelites, in their time, were blessed by Gd to be able to leave Egypt and witness the miracle of the splitting of the sea. Our relatives did not have that luxury. Even if they had worn their shoes, they would have still met their violent end.
Perhaps the significance of the shoes in both cases is the legacy of the people who did or did not have the fortune to wear them, for at the end of the day, those who lost their lives in the last century were no doubt descended from those who didn’t, due to the miracle they experienced which is described so vividly in this week’s sidra of Beshalach. In both cases, the two generations who were divided by three millennia knew that they were different to the nations that were persecuting them. They held a value system that was so diametrically opposed to those of their oppressors that, in holding steadfastly onto their beliefs, the latter generation paid the ultimate price.
As Jews, we can appreciate the unbroken link that binds both generations and if the shoes teach us anything, it is that, whether they disintegrated in the desert or sit hauntingly dormant in a concentration camp or find themselves replicated along a river, it is the people whose feet inhabited them that really matter.
We, the generations after the Shoah cannot understand why our relatives were persecuted any more than we can wear the shoes that they left behind. It is the spirit of Judaism that permeates any material at any time in every single member of the Jewish people.
Irrespective of our chosen footwear or lack of it.
Shabbat Shalom.
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15 January 2021

Va'era: Voldemort in Egypt

It is not an exaggeration to say that 'Harry Potter' is probably ubiquitous.

Every few years, a new product is added to the ever-increasing 'HP' universe, whether this includes a West End Play (‘The Cursed Child’), a new prequel set of films (‘Fantastic Beasts’) or occasional tweets from his creator, Ms JK Rowling. Teaching children, I often throw an HP reference into the mix and at least one child's eyes start to widen excitedly at the prospect that Sir might be a 'Potterhead' - a serious fan of the books and/or films. Muggles like me (i.e. non-Wizards) might be interested in the adventures of said young man and his classmates, but that's about it.
For those of you who think that I have 'lost the plot' and am writing this Sermon whilst ensconced in Hogwart's Secret Chamber (you'll have to read the book or see the film to understand that reference!). Please don't be too concerned as I assure you that the villain of the series, namely the ‘He who must not be named' has been around so long that I think he might have been ministering to Pharaoh in Egypt. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Lord Voldemort (shhhh) can be found lurking around the Palace in this week's sidra! You just have to know which verses to find him in. If that's not tantalising enough, he wasn't alone. Severus Snape is also featured (as are a few other nefarious characters).
Before I continue, I am sure that you will probably be a touch confused by the previous paragraph. After all, traditional Jewish belief holds that the Bible is the Word of Gd. Therefore, if this is the case, how could a wholly fictional group of people, cleverly thought up by a talented author be associated with the events that we will be reading about on Shabbat morning?
Setting the scene, Moses and Aaron are standing before Pharaoh in the Palace (using Rabbi Sack’s translation):
Exodus 7:
“So Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord had commanded. Aharon threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned his sages and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians did the same thing by their sorcery. Each threw down his staff, and they became snakes – but Aharon’s staff swallowed up theirs…”
A little later, we read the following:
“Moshe and Aharon did just as the Lord commanded. Aharon raised his staff, in full view of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the Nile’s water turned to blood….but the Egyptian magicians did the same thing by their sorcery….”
Did you notice that Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate both miracles? In fact, they continued practicing their skills by also successfully mimicking the plague of frogs!
What did it take to become a magician in the Royal Court and who were these people?
I recently purchased a fascinating new book entitled, ‘The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel – Exodus’ which contains one of Rabbi Sack's ztl last projects, a wonderful translation of Sefer Shemot (Exodus). He is joined by world renowned Rabbis and archaeologists who delve into the text and explain the historical background to the second book of the Torah, focussing on Egyptian culture as well as the flora and fauna which are referenced throughout the book. I wholeheartedly recommend this tome to anyone who is interested in this area of study.
One of the topics discussed is the importance and prevalence of magicians, or rather sorcerers (as opposed to modern day illusionists), within Egyptian culture and society.
The Hebrew word for the magicians is ‘Hartumim'. These men were not simply spiritual ancestors of the late Paul Daniels or David Blaine, they were in fact Chief lector priests - a selection of highly educated individuals who had studied medicine and astronomy. Their value to Pharaoh lay in their encyclopaedic knowledge of the 'dark arts' (referring to the HP lexicography) namely the ability to immerse themselves in black magic and summon the kind of evil spiritual forces that we dare not engage with today. If Pharaoh needed a spell cast, he knew whom to turn to, hence their being able to replicate the first few plagues, as well as the 'turn a staff into a snake' trick. As you can imagine, they were feared, granted that magic was 'part and parcel' of Egyptian culture and society.
Most significantly, with regard to the Torah's view of these priests, the magic that they summoned was inseparable from the idolatrous practices that formed the bedrock of Egyptian beliefs. In other words, it is diametrically opposed to the miracles performed by Gd. Which is why, if we look at my first example, although the priests were able to turn their staffs into snakes, it was Aaron's staff that ate the others. Gd was demonstrating His power over the priests' belief that their magic was equal to Divine intervention.
When it came to the first two plagues, Gd wanted the Egyptian priests to think that they had the power to match His intervention in nature, but significantly, we read that, when the third plague, namely, lice was sent into Egypt:
Exodus 8:
Aharon extended the hand that held his staff and struck the dust of the earth and suddenly there were lice on the people, on the animals….the magicians tried to produce lice with their sorcery, but they could not….”This”, the magicians told Pharaoh “is the finger of Gd”.
Dr Racheli Shalomi-Hen who has a PhD in Egyptology comments in the book that, "The Egyptian magicians did not manage to remove the plague of lice from Egypt and for this failure they give the reason that does not appear anywhere else in Tanakh: “This is the finger of Gd.” She quotes a 20th Century scholar of Arabic and Hebrew A.S Yahuda who believes that this is a Hebrew translation of an ancient Egyptian phrase found in several tomes which refers to the 'fingers of Gd that do damage to other gods'. Perhaps, she writes, "The Egyptian magicians....may have felt powerless in the ‘fingers of Gd’- they were subject to Gd's grace and viewed the lice as a punishment - such as a metaphorical finger pointing at them. In other words, the lice were also ‘an expression of Gd's wrath’ against Egypt.”
The Torah's view of the Hartumim is very clear and we are instructed not to engage in such practices. The 'dark arts' as Ms Rowling referred to these practices are not to be tolerated amongst the holy Children of Israel.
Which brings us full circle to my original claim. Voldemort and his evil companions may not have been named in the books of the Torah but the belief system that they value so highly is anything but fictional.
When Gd brought the mightiest Empire the world had known to its knees, He proved that true magic is created when people build a society founded on the ethical principles detailed in His Divine Book, the Torah.
Eat your heart out, Tom Riddle!
Shabbat Shalom.

01 January 2021

Parshat Vayechi: Yitzchak and Yaakov


Jacob Cohen is about to die.  He is sitting up in bed and is surrounded by his three children.

He says to his oldest son, “David, you are my firstborn son.  I am so proud of your achievements.  Not only are you one of the top cardiologists in this country, your skills and reputation is renowned throughout the world.  I can't express how proud I am of you.  May Gd protect you and let His countenance continue shining on you.”

David who is close to tears, replies, “Thank you Daddy.  I couldn't have achieved all of this without your constant support, especially when I was starting out in my career.”

He turns to his daughter and says, “Miriam, my beautiful only daughter!  You have been there for me at all times, taking care of my every need, particularly since the tragic early death of your mother Esther.  I couldn't have wished for a better daughter.  You're also a pretty fine Solicitor.  May Gd bless you forever.”

Miriam, who is sobbing, mouths the words, “Thank you.”

He looks straight ahead at his youngest son, Simon.  “Simon, my darling little Simon.  How have you grown into being this confident young man?  Your loyal customers keep on coming back to you, year after year.  And here you are, at your old Daddy's side, making me smile like you always do.  Simon, you should always be blessed by Gd.”

Simon, who has managed to hold back the tears, feels them flowing freely down his cheek.

One by one, the children ask what they can do for their father.  Jacob says nothing but smiles at all three.

And then. after a minute's silence says, “My darling children, I have one question for all of you.”

They reply in unison, “Yes Daddy?”

“If you're all here, who is taking care of the shop?”

It may be THE oldest joke in every elderly Jewish comic's repertoire, but it was one of the first thoughts that came into my mind when considering this week's Parsha.

The Patriarch Jacob (not Cohen) is one-hundred-and-forty-seven years old and he is sitting on his deathbed, in the company of his children and grandchildren.  He wants to impart his knowledge and wisdom to them:

Genesis 49:1-2

Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come.  (2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob; Hearken to Israel your father.”

Going back to the joke.  At the most opportune moment, Jacob and his ancient namesake are placed in a rare position of being able to communicate their wisdom with their respective children, with the reassurance that they are actually listening to either man!

As a father myself, I often try to share some advice based on my own experiences with my children.  As is the wont of many young people these days, they are not always as receptive of my ‘wisdom’ as I would like them to be.  Then again, when I think back to my own situation at their age, I don't know if I was any different.  Getting older and making my own mistakes has impressed upon me the value of the lessons that my parents tried to teach me, which they too learned from ‘the school of hard knocks.’  As the old saying goes, “When I was fifteen, my parents knew nothing.  By the time I reached eighteen, it's amazing how much they had learned!”

Modern day Jacob makes sure that he lets his children know how much he loves them and is proud of who they are, whether through their own professional achievements or character traits.  He also reminds them that, despite everything, life has to go on. Even at this critical time (hence the quip about running the business).

On the same vein, there is the other joke where someone asks a friend to look at their watch and then says, “You see this Rolex?  Isn't it a beauty?  It should be, my grandfather, Gd rest his soul, sold it to me on his deathbed!”

Each and every one of us knows that one day, our lives will transition to a new existence and we will no longer be able to communicate with our loved ones in the same way.  That is why we try to leave a legacy, either to our children or extended family, friends and colleagues.  It adds a dimension to our lives that exists beyond the time we have been allotted - so although we may pass away, someone needs to ensure that ‘the shop stays open and functioning’.  Whatever form that 'shop' may take.

The year 2020 has brought this idea sharply into focus.  We have lost so many people to Covid and other diseases.  Many of those who died have been amongst the well-known great and good whilst others were wonderful people who weren't that well known to the general public.  Nevertheless, their passing was no less traumatic or painful to those who knew them because, as the late lamented Dr Seuss said, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”

The Jewish World lost many great sages (may their memories be blessings to all of us) but two of the deaths hit me particularly hard as they were both my teachers - Rabbis Jonathan Sacks and Irving Jacobs.  Although I did not have the zechut (the merit) to study with both men over a long period of time, their teachings will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Rabbi Jacobs was a world-renowned authority on Midrash.  His encyclopaedic knowledge was breath-taking to behold but just as astonishing was the way he calmly shared his ideas to all who were able to benefit from being in his presence.  Like Rabbi Sacks, his entire being was focused on sharing his love of Torah and letting its magical words fall like raindrops onto the parched earth.

As John Lennon wrote in Across the Universe, “His words (of Torah) flowed out like endless rain.  We were the paper cups that received them gratefully and watched as they slithered whilst they passed away across the universe.”  The purity of Rabbi Jacob's thoughts and the vastness of his wisdom has enriched my universe and helped to keep the flame of the Torah burning throughout the Jewish world and beyond.  To me, he was the world.

Dipping into the fountains of Torah, both men could have spent their time focusing on constructing their own ivory towers and would have been as respected as they became if they had done so.  Instead, they were worried about 'who was running the shop? 'How the Jewish people would be able to survive the spiritual challenges that we currently face?’ (Ironically at a time when it has never been so accepted to live as a free Jew in the modern world).  Rabbis Sacks and Jacobs may not have been our biological fathers but in terms of the gifts they bequeathed, they might as well have been.  On losing them, we all became orphans.

Rabbi Sack's Hebrew first name was Yaakov and Rabbi Jacob's was Yitzchak (which he shares with my father (till 120), which as you know, refers to two of the three Avot, the Patriarchs.  Additionally, Rabbi Jacob’s surname was the English equivalent of Rabbi Sack’s name!  How much more of a blessing could any of us hope to receive from such names?  After all, this week’s Parasha contains the beautiful blessing or Hamalach Hagoel that we bestow upon our children and youth at Simchat Torah, “May the Angel who rescued me from all harm, bless these boys.  May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac….”

And now, we are entering a New Year whilst waving a bitter farewell to 2020.

Let us dry our tears and remember the legacy that we received, because we owe it to them to live up to the blessings they bestowed upon us.  We also need to make sure that, at the same time, we are 'taking care of the shop' - our continued Jewish heritage.

Rabbi Sacks wrote:

"Teachers open our eyes to the world.  They give us curiosity and confidence.  They teach us to ask questions.  They connect us to our past and future.  They’re the guardians of our social heritage.  We have lots of heroes today – sportsmen, supermodels, media personalities.  They come, they have their fifteen minutes of fame, and they go.  But the influence of good teachers stays with us.  They are the people who really shape our life.”

Rabbi Sacks and Rabbi Jacobs were my teachers and I shall treasure the lessons they shared with me.  Most of all, I will try to ensure that, in doing so, I will keep on ‘taking care of the shop.’

Shabbat Shalom.


Parashat Vayechi: Legacies and Values

Dedicated to the memory of Daniel Rubin zl Yankel and Miriam have been married for seventy years.   Sitting on what will soon become his d...