For Melvin Leslie
Cravitz מאיר אליעזר בן בנימין & Adrian Jonathan
Daulby אברהם יעקב בן דוד בן ציון the Kedoshim/holy
souls killed in the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Shul in Manchester on 2nd
October 2025, Yom Kippur 5786.
On Rosh Hashanah, it is written and on Yom Kippur it is
sealed. How many will pass away and how many
will be born. Who will live and who will
die; who in his due time and who before…but Repentance (Teshuvah), Prayer (Tefilla)
and Charity (Tzedaka) will enable us to pass over the evil of the decree.
My sermons over these Yamim Noraim, Days of Awe, are focusing on the three ways in which a Jew is able to use these holy days (and the eight in-between, known as the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah or Ten Days of Penitence) to appeal to Gd to ask for, as Rabbi Sacks ztl puts it ‘a royal or presidential pardon.’
Today, Tzedaka,
charity.
On the first
day of Rosh Hashanah, I talked about the 9/11 terror attacks in downtown Manhattan
which is approximately 3,360 miles from Cheltenham Synagogue. It would take between 11 and 14 hours to get there
from here using the usual methods of transport. On the Second Day, my focus turned
to the Bondi Beach attack. Archer Park, which
abuts the beach is approximately 10,621 miles from here. That’s between 25 and 28 hours travelling time.
It is exactly
a year in our calendar since we were in the process of reciting the ‘Avinu Malkeinu’
prayers during the repetition of Shacharit.
The Ark was open and our soon-to-be Barmitzvah Boy climbed onto the Bimah
and quietly relayed the news to me. At the
time, we knew very little, except for the fact that, tragically, there had been
some fatalities. Melvin Cravitz and Adrian
Daulby were the two martyrs whose names we would all become familiar with, following
the conclusion of Yom Kippur.
Heaton Park
Shul lies, not 10,000 or 3,000 miles from this very spot, but a mere 143 miles.
If you chose
to drive to the shul (after Yom Kippur of course!), it should take you less than
three hours to reach your destination.
Three hours.
At the time,
we were not aware that within less than a year, terror would strike much closer
to home, in the place I grew up in and on the streets I have walked along
on more occasions than I am able to recall, 93 miles away in Golders Green.
10,621,
3,360, 143, 93.
If we
focus solely on the actual ‘Tzedaka’ or charity donated following these attacks
(from New York to Golders Green over the last quarter century), we would be
referring to amounts that number in the billions of dollars (and their
equivalent in pounds sterling), particularly given the outpouring of grief and sympathy
generated as a result of the events of 11th September 2001.
However, I
feel that this would not be addressing the true nature of Tzedaka and crucially,
its place as the third constituent part of the Unetaneh Tokef prayer that we recite
three times over the Days of Awe.
Casting our
minds back to Manchester, the jarring image that immediately presents itself is
that of Rabbi Daniel Walker standing outside the shul in his white Kittel bearing
the blood of the victims of the attack. Alongside
Melvin and Adrian were Andrew Franks, Bernard Agyemang, a Ghanaian security guard,
and Yoni Finlay, who was standing near Adrian and was hit by the same bullet
that passed through him and killed Adrian.
Rabbi Walker, Yoni, Adrian and others were barricading the door in the foyer
to protect the community and stop the attacker entering. It was there that Adrian passed away.
Andrew, Bernard
and Yoni were injured during the attack and are, thank Gd, all currently recovering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRyQHq-Hfg8
‘Tzedaka’
comes from the root ‘Tzedek’ which means righteousness, fairness or justice. The word ‘Charity’ used in the English vernacular
does not convey what ‘Tzedaka’, one of our key mitzvot, really means in Judaism.
Many
Jewish people are under the assumption that giving Tzedakah is an option,
rather like certain other commandments in the Torah which apply only in
particular circumstances, such as our being required to put a guard rail on our
roofs if we own a property that has an accessible roof.
Although many
people wear Tzitzit under their clothes (and some even over their clothes), the
mitzvah we are commanded to keep is to put fringes on the corners of garments
that are four-cornered. If it doesn’t have
four corners, it doesn’t require Tzitzit!
In Parashat
Ki Teitzei, we are given the mitzvah of ‘shiluach haken’ – to send away the
mother bird before taking the eggs or chicks from her nest. If we don’t come across a nest, this would not
pertain to us (and incidentally, it’s also illegal to remove eggs under this country’s
laws).
Three examples
of mitzvot that would only apply in given circumstances.
Giving Tzedaka
is not one of these.
It is mandatory
for everyone, irrespective of how much or little money they own. We are instructed to give as per the amount we
can afford to donate.
If you
are interested in researching the topic, an excellent place to start is by studying
the Rambam’s Eight Levels of Charitable Giving, listed in the Mishneh Torah (his
fourteen-volume legal code) (Hilchot Matanot Aniyim (Laws of Gifts to the Poor),
Chapter 10, Halachot 7 to 14 – you can read a summary at https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/eight-levels-of-charitable-giving)
Although we
are instructed to give Tzedakah and the word itself is mentioned in our prayer in
the context of these High Holy days, ‘Tzedakah’ is much more than just the simple
act of donating to a charity. If we consider
the money that we receive (indirectly from Gd and directly from the sources which
provide our income) as belonging to us and us alone – we deny the existence of Gd
as a power of good for all society.
Another derivative of Tzedek is Tzidkut, which can be roughly translated as righteousness, piety or moral integrity. A person who gives tzedakah willingly should be the same individual who donates to society in a way that goes significantly beyond the simple definition of ‘donating.’
All the above
underscores a Jewish person’s requirement to contribute in a way that results in
a society that is significantly more just, equitable, ethical and moral – or in
a single word, ‘righteous.’
Earlier this
year, I made my first trip to Poland as part of the British delegation to the annual
‘March of the Living’ event which takes place during the week of Yom Hashoah. As the child of a survivor and a refugee, this
is a journey that I had resisted for decades and truth be told, I have been very
much affected by what I experienced. That
said, although I understand why many people feel that they could not go to death
camps like Auschwitz or Treblinka (as we did), if you can, you really must
go. Amongst the many survivors who joined
us (unfortunately fewer than usual from Israel due to the travel restrictions caused
by the Iran War), we were honoured to have Yoni Finlay who had been invited to come
along as a survivor of the Heaton Park Shul attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9e5PieqCNI
He is an extraordinary
and inspirational young man who I bonded with instantly and a fine example of Tzidkut
– righteousness. He literally risked his
life (and suffered tremendous injuries as a result) to protect others and told me
that he was determined to get back to shul by the end of the Chagim. Sure enough, he was at Heaton Park Shul on Simchat
Torah. He has subsequently put his efforts
into, as posted on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation’s Facebook page:
‘[making] it his mission to help ensure that Manchester’s Jewish community
emerges stronger, more resilient, and determined not to let the horrific events
of Yom Kippur define us.’
Earlier this
month, I attended the Chief Rabbi’s Annual Rabbinic Conference and one of our esteemed
guests was Rabbi Walker whom I had not previously met. I took the opportunity to introduce myself to
him during the reception that preceded dinner on the first evening.
Rabbi Walker is a quiet and extremely humble man whose tzidkut was in evidence throughout the careful words he employed to address us (although he is too modest a man to admit this). He led the efforts to protect his community by reinforcing the same barricade that was being manned by Adrian and Yoni.
The Chief
Rabbi interviewed Rabbi Walker who explained what had taken placed in a calm, measured
and non-sensationalistic manner. An introverted
and thoughtful man who wanted to be anywhere but in front of a journalist’s camera
or recording device. Whose complete dedication
to Chabad and the Rebbe’s teaching shone throughout. We gave him a standing ovation before and after
his speech.
The evening
concluded with the presentation of the Chief Rabbi’s Annual Award to Rabbi Daniel
and Rebbetzen Esther Walker with this citation:
“In recognition of the extraordinary Kiddush Hashem that
you have achieved. Your sterling leadership,
courage and charisma have inspired many across the globe to stand tall with Jewish
pride, to find light in the midst of darkness and to discover hope at a time of
despair. Your Ahavat Yisrael, selflessness
and humility are a beacon of light and inspiration to us all.”
(from the Chief Rabbi’s
Facebook Page)
Or in a single
word, Tzidkut – righteousness.
Circumstances
such as these, in which we should never find ourselves, brought out the very
best in the individuals I have described throughout these three Drashot.
From the unnamed
fireman who risked his life to save his colleagues at the World Trade Center or
Rabbi Schlanger ztl blowing his shofar and praying at Nikki’s bedside in Sydney
to Rabbi Walker and Yoni in Manchester, we have looked at what Teshuvah, Tefilla
and Tzedaka entail and how central they are to our understanding of the
importance and power of the Unetaneh Tokef prayer.
These are
the tzaddikim, holy human beings who refuse to give up on humanity despite the very
real darkness that threatens to envelop us, whether it lies 10,000 miles away or
less than 100.
We wear white
on Yom Kippur because that is the colour of purity and we are aspiring to reach
this level.
We are like angels because we know that we must rise, if only for one day, in the year above those who seek to cause harm to ordinary law-abiding people from all faiths and none.
We pray to
Gd on this holiest of days precisely because we are beseeching Gd to protect us
from the blood-stained New Yorks, Manchesters, Bondis and Golders Greens of the
last year and quarter century. Please, Gd,
let there be no more.
This is the
time for us to act.
To do Teshuvah
through our genuine repentance.
Tefilla through
our heartfelt prayers.
And Tzedaka
through acts of righteousness that will turn this tiny little blue planet into the
world that Gd created so many years ago.
The one that is so precious to every one of us.
Wishing you
an easy and meaningful remainder of the fast and a safe, peaceful and meaningful
new year.
Gmar Chatima
Tovah – may we all be blessed with a ‘good final Divine signature’ for 5787
Amen.
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