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Showing posts from May, 2022

Parshat Bechukotai: Iron and Copper

  This week's Parsha of Bechukotai has always terrified me.   It contains the first Tochecha, or warning, given by Gd to the Bnei Yisrael and is repeated in even greater detail in Parshat Ki Tavo. Bechukotai lists forty-nine curses and tragedies which will befall the Jewish people if they fail to follow the Torah's teachings.  The number is doubled to ninety-eight in the latter Parsha.  It is no coincidence that the first warning is read shortly before Shavuot and the second a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah.  One of the explanations given by Chazal is that the warnings are strategically placed at these times of the year to prepare us for the respective festivals.  They say that if you are given a gift you would not wish to place it into a soiled container.  As we approach the festival of Shavuot, we read the Tochacha to cleanse ourselves spiritually, so that we can receive the Torah again, aware of what could and tragically did happen when our ancestors didn't take heed

Parshat Behar: The Other Jubilee

We are living in auspicious times.  I suspect that no adult in the United Kingdom is unaware of the event that is about to impact our lives.  Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will be marking her Platinum Jubilee as Head of State and we, her loyal subjects, will be blessed to have a long weekend to join in the fun! In fact, as Jews, we have an opportunity to afford ourselves even more holiday time granted that the aforementioned milestone will be celebrated over Shabbat which itself leads into Shavuot.  I think we should honour Her Majesty's extraordinary achievement by eating lots of cheesecake! Thinking about this Jubilee more deeply, I am struck by the parallel timing of the weekend in conjunction with Shavuot.  For on that Shabbat, we will mark the completion of our seven weeks count of the Omer.  It seems to have begun such a long time ago, whilst we were enjoying our second Sedarim (or the first night of Chol Hamo'ed if you're Israeli).  It has built up gradually and h

Parshat Acharei Mot: The Olive Tree

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  In loving memory of my mother, Bryna Rouge bat Yechiel ah Last week, Stephnie and I visited a very dear friend of mine who lives with her husband and two daughters in Bet Shemesh.   We have known each other since we were teenagers which, without giving away our respective ages, is a long time. The family lives near some green belt land and at the top of an adjacent hill lies the monastery of Bet Jamal.   The name of the area seems to be derived from the ancient burial ground of Rabban Gamliel I who was the head of the Sanhedrin.   During a pleasant tea on their front lawn, the four of us discussed hiking up the hill to a mysterious 'olive tree' that they wanted me to view. My friend’s husband and I proceeded to make our way through a field and then up the incline to our destination.   As we approached the tree and were about to reach it, he asked me to close my eyes before entering the clearing it occupied. I have to say that I was intrigued.   What could be so spec