Parashat Noach - The Righteous Man

 What kind of man was this week's cover star, Noach?  This is the question that I am posing today as the first verse in the Parasha appears to be very complimentary of our protagonist.

This is the story of Noach - Noach was a righteous man; a person of integrity in his generation; Noach walked with Gd.

Rashi, as usual, enables us to look beyond the simple translation to glance at another view of Noach and how the Rabbis understood the term 'in his generation':

Some of our Rabbis explain it (this word) to his credit: he was righteous even in his generation; it follows that had he lived in a generation of righteous people he would have been even more righteous owing to the force of good example.  Others, however, explain it to his discredit: in comparison with his own generation, he was accounted righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would have been accounted as of no importance (cf.  Sanhedrin 108a).

Before the flood, it appears as though Noach could be described using Rashi's first citation.  This man appears to have such integrity, to the point that we are told he ‘Walked with Gd'.  The Lord chooses him to build an ark to save his family, along with his assorted non-human cargo.  Everyone and everything else (aside from the fish) perish in the ensuing flood, which takes over the world, from above and below.  I think that Noach would be deserving of being known as 'righteous'.  This fellow is a hero and we are here because of him!

Why would our commentators wish to sully his fine reputation as a saviour of humanity by questioning his actions?  Could Noach have acted any differently?

 

Rabbi Sacks ztl, notes in his superb book on the Parshiot (Covenant and Conversation - Genesis: The Book of Beginnings, 2009, 'Beyond Obedience'), that throughout the detailed instructions that Gd gives regarding the building of the Ark (Ikea should take note!), Noah's response is...silence.  He writes:

What does Noach say to Gd when the decree is issued that the world is about to perish? What does he say as the rain begins to fall?  The answer is nothing.  During the whole sequence of events, Noach is not reported as saying a single word.  Instead, we read, four times [verses such as] 'Noach did everything that Gd had commanded him'...Noach does as he is commanded.  What the story tells us is that obedience is not enough.

What did Noach eventually do when he left the ark?  He planted a vineyard, drank some of the wine he produced and became so drunk that he ended up lying naked in his tent.  His youngest son, Ham, then saw 'the nakedness of his father' (which Messechet Sandedrin 70a tells us means, according to some, that he committed an immoral act upon his father) and went to tell his brothers what he'd done.  It is to the credit of his brothers, Shem and Yafeth that a shred of dignity remained within the first generation that stepped out of the Ark.  Noach, the man who we are told ‘walked with Gd’, had been utterly debased and humiliated.

Following on from Rashi's comparison with Avraham, Rabbi Sacks wonders how this man would have acted, had he been in Noach's position:

What might an Abraham have said with the possibility of a flood?

[Genesis 18:24-25]
‘Then Avraham stepped forward and said, "Would You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?  What if there are fifty righteous people?  What if there are ten? Far be it for You to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous like the wicked.’ Avraham might have saved the world.  Noach only saved himself and his family.  Noah's end - drunk dishevelled, an embarrassment to his children - eloquently tells us that if you save yourself while doing nothing to save the world, you do not even save yourself.

Generations of children have been brought up to believe that Noach was a hero who saved all the animals from Gd's wrath.  Yes, he did, but only because he did nothing to plead for the survival of anyone or anything else.  Had Noach been an ‘Avraham’, perhaps the flood may not have happened, for there may have been fifty righteous people in the world, which hints to the first explanation that Rashi cites. Before we fully condemn his reputation to a watery grave (pun intended), let us look at Rashi’s final comment, regarding Noach walking with Gd. Perhaps, we can salvage his standing in society:

In the case of Avraham, the Scripture says,

[Genesis 24:40]
“[God] before whom I walked.”

Noach needed God’s support to uphold him in righteousness, Abraham drew his moral strength from himself and walked in his righteousness by his own effort (Bereshit Rabbah 30:10).

The man who stayed silent, when he could have spoken, was not the hero he could have been.  The greatness he could have achieved was denied by a significant flaw in his personality.  If he had been righteous of his own accord, he would have earned the respect due to him.  Instead, his achievements, as they were, lasted as long as the wooden structure that housed the Noahide family and their animal companions. To his credit, he did offer up a Thanksgiving Offering when he stepped out of the Ark, but aside from that noble gesture and Gd’s response, Noach’s last act focuses on the planting of the vineyard and its tragic consequences. Even his ‘righteousness’ is questionable. When Avraham's arrival is mentioned just before the end of the Parasha, it signifies the emergence of the Torah's first great individual.  His decisive actions and those of his wife take centre stage and usher in the extraordinary story of our nation - one which continues to the present day, for in the end, the righteous man was not Noach, but his 10^th generation descendant, Avraham Avinu.

Shavua Tov.

Parashat Bereshit - Version 1.0

 Dedicated to my grandfather R’ Yechezkel Shraga ben R’ Moshe zl, whose Yartzheit is today

I wrote this Drasha on Isru Chag, the day following Simchat Torah. 

A new year has begun and we are returning, as I wrote last year, ‘to our roots’.

You might be interested to note some technical details about the production of this sermon.  I am using Windows 10 Version 22H2 which is the brand-spanking-new update to the Operating System.  The edition of Microsoft Word I am utilising is Version 2209 which is the very latest one available to the non-beta-testing public. 

Do you remember the early versions of Windows and Word?

They were very different, weren’t they?  I still recall my first computer which my parents purchased for me to complete assignments for my Undergraduate Degree at the start of the 1990s.  It ran Windows 3.1 alongside the Disk Operating System (otherwise known as DOS).  It was only with the introduction of Windows 95, if you recall, that the entire operating system became functional in a way that we recognise it today.

Word, as part of the Microsoft Office suite, also went through numerous iterations and had I been writing this Drasha two decades ago, I would have probably been using Word ‘97, which is markedly different from the application I have before me.

The software manufacturers keep on trying to convince us that we need to upgrade our systems to benefit even more from their creations.  Not only that, we find ourselves eventually having no choice but to conform, as our computers and tablets become gradually unusable as the newer offerings take over the consumer market.  The relatively recent introduction of Windows 11 is a case in point.  I know for a fact that my current laptop is unable to run it, due to the operating system’s requirements and specifications.

In case you’re not familiar with all of this technical gobbledygook, I’ll cite the case of audio formats (in an abridged format)

·         Vinyl records

·         Reel to reel magnetic tapes

·         Compact cassettes (or ‘tapes’ as we call them)

·         8-track

·         Micro and Mini cassettes

·         Laserdiscs (does anyone remember those?)

·         Compact Disks (CDs)

·         Digital Audio Tapes (DAT)

·         Minidisks

·         And now, MP3 files which aren’t’ even physical entities!

You could theoretically listen to the same recording on each of these media… if you can find the devices to play them!

I have nothing against technology and the quest by its innovators to constantly modernise our world and bring us the ‘perfect sound’ as the marketing managers would have us believe.  To an extent, they are not entirely wrong.  If you compare the quality of recording on a 33^1/3 vinyl disk with the latest remastered (and sometimes remixed) version on CD, you will definitely notice the difference – particularly on the best sound system available.  My other job is teaching IT whose curriculum is constantly changing and evolving.  I joke that the textbooks that our students are using are probably out-of-date by the time they make the transition from an electronic file to the hard copy we hold in our hands!

It appears that each new version, whether it be software or hardware, or the latest TV set (Sky Glass anyone?) and so on...only whets our insatiable appetite to demand more.

Not forgetting the famous quote from ‘Oliver Twist’:

He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity: “Please, sir, I want some more.”

And we know the result!

So, here’s the thing.

In the Ark sit a number of Torah scrolls.  If you open them up, you’ll be greeted with exactly the same text as the one that is printed in your Chumashim.  In fact, were you to lay your hands on the Codex Leningradensis or the ‘Leningrad Book’ which was written in Cairo in either 1008 or 1009, you would be holding the oldest complete Hebrew manuscript in existence.  A codex is a bound book as opposed to a scroll like Megillat Esther.

Not version 2209, 11 or 360 (as in Xbox) – version 1.0!

Every year, we literally rewind our Torah scrolls to the very first word – ‘Bereshit’, in the very first column of the very first parchment leaf in our Sifrei Torah.  We open our Chumashim, which although they may be a later edition than the original, still contain the same Hebrew text and we start again from the beginning.  Reading the identical words that we heard a year ago (barring the initial recitals on Simchat Torah).

Next week, Apple Records are going to be releasing yet another version of The Beatles classic ‘Revolver’ album which has been remastered and remixed by Giles Martin, son of the late George.  I’ve heard the first track, ‘Taxman’ and it sounds fab! The vocals are clear and the instrumentation is so meticulously rendered that you could almost be sitting in the recording studio with John, Paul, George and Ringo.  It is a marvel of modern sound engineering.  Yet, something is not quite right.

A few years ago, Apple achieved the same feat with the famous Red and Blue albums (1962-1966 and 1967-1970) which were originally released in 1973.

A friend of mine bought the two sets (as did I, of course!) and when he’d listened to them, he told me something I’ve never forgotten:

“The sound is extraordinary.  The vocals are clear and the instruments are pitch perfect.  The one problem is that it doesn’t sound like The Beatles and the songs don’t sound like they used to on Vinyl.  They lack the warmth that those original albums had.”

My friend was making a valid point.  In our quest to always improve on almost everything, we have forsaken our ability to appreciate the original product.  The very imperfections of those records made them so special.  Does a Yamaha electronic piano sound better than a Bösendorfer Grand?  In terms of the pitch-perfect accuracy of the sound that emanates from the synthesiser’s speaker, the answer is probably ‘yes’.  Given the opportunity to play the former over the latter, I would have no hesitation in opting for the Bösendorfer precisely because of its immutable pedigree.  In the same way that I would choose a Stradivarius violin over any modern electronic clone.

The Torah has never needed to be re-written or updated.  Version 1.0 is a classic that could not be improved upon.  Many have commentated and others have provided translations into a myriad of tongues, but its innate beauty lies in the very language it employs, which comes directly from Gd Himself.  A Divine Gift does not need returning to the great Amazon in the sky!

Is Windows 11 better than 10?  Possibly.  Is it better than Vista?  Absolutely!  However, if Microsoft had ‘called it a day’ with Windows 7, would anyone have complained?  I doubt it.

Let us appreciate and value the Torah in all its ‘Version 1.0’ glory and perhaps look around us and wonder how much of the updated copies of the things we buy, we really need.  It’s nice to feel that we’re ahead of the pack by having the latest technology, but do we really give ourselves a chance to appreciate it?

Bereshit reminds us that Adam and Eve’s role was not to shop around for the latest deals on the finest technology on comparison websites.  All they had to do was take care of the Garden of Eden.  Had they done so, I believe that our lives would have been more fulfilling and meaningful.  Version 1.0 can often be timeless.

Could you ever improve on Casablanca or Gone with The Wind?

Shavuah Tov

YOM KIPPUR – כעם אחד בלב אחד (ONE NATION WITH ONE MIND)

 On Yom Kippur, exactly forty-nine years ago, corresponding with the Gregorian date of 6^th October, an event took place that would forever become ingrained in Jewish history.  At exactly 2.00 pm local time, the armies of Egypt and Syria launched devastating surprise attacks on the State of Israel.  Thus, was born the Yom Kippur War.  When it ended, three weeks later, 2,691 Israelis had been killed, the second highest number of deaths after the War of Independence.  On the Arab side, the body count from the war lay at 19,000¹

One of my earliest childhood memories was catching a sight of our boys on the Golan Heights in the midst of the war, in glorious black and white, on our not particularly glorious ancient television set.  I remember the expression of worry and fear on the faces of my parents as my mother carried me upstairs to my bedroom.  One doesn’t forget moments like that.  Whilst trawling through my parents’ books recently, following the sale of our family home last September, I came across a fascinating book entitled ‘Purnell’s History of the World Wars Special – Weapons of the 1973 Israeli Arab War’ published by Marshall Cavendish shortly after the cessation of hostilities.  Besides the fact that it only cost 55p, I was astounded to read a comparison of the weaponry available to both sides.  The chart was entitled: ‘The relative strengths at the start of the 1973 war’ and I would like to share the information with you²:

1.    Army: Egypt and Syria combined had 380,000 men; Israel had 275,000

2.    Tanks: Egypt and Syria 3,220; Israel 1,700

3.    Guns (excluding anti-tank guns and mortars): Egypt and Syria approx. 1,600; Israel approx. 1,100

4.    Surface to Air (SAM) Missiles: Egypt and Syria 850; Israel 60

5.    Combat Aircraft: Egypt and Syria 920; Israel 490

6.    Helicopters: Egypt and Syria 240; Israel 70.

In every category, Israel was outmanned and outgunned by the enemy. 

If you have seen the recent heart-breaking Israeli TV series ‘Valley of Tears’ on E4, you will understand all too well the terrifying spectacle encountered by the beleaguered Israeli troops on the Golan when their fortifications were overrun by the Syrian tank crews.

I could dwell on the significance of the number ‘49’ in Judaism (for example the forty-nine days of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuot; the forty-nine-year cycle of seven Shmittah years (one of which we are just coming to the end of) and the forty-nine levels of immorality that the Israelites were heading towards had they not been taken out of Egypt) but these are topics for an entirely different sermon!

Returning to the Yom Kippur war, the Egyptians and Syrians believed that by launching their surprise attacks on the holiest day of our calendar, the northern and southern borders would be lightly manned (as they indeed were) due to the troops taking leave to spend time with their families and/or attend synagogue services.  What they hadn’t counted on, was a perceived weakness that turned into our greatest strength.  As hundreds of thousands of soldiers were gathered in the numerous shuls across the country, it was very easy to locate and mobilise them in huge numbers in a record amount of time.

In the Sefer Shemot (Exodus), we are told in Chapter 19, verse 1 that the Bnei Yisrael entered the Sinai Wilderness on the first day of the third month following their departure from Egypt. It was Rosh Chodesh Sivan, less than a week before they would receive the Torah.

Verse 2 tells us:

Setting out from Refidim, they had arrived at the Sinai Desert, encamping in the wilderness, and there Israel camped, facing the mountain.

On the face of it, these words do not seem out of the ordinary, except for an interesting discrepancy in the Hebrew.  The original verse states “Vayavo’uh midbar Sinai (and they had arrived at the Sinai desert), Vayachanu Bamidbar (encamping in the wilderness)…”

However, the next phrase reads “Vayichan sham Yisrael (and there Israel camped)”. The word “Vayichan” refers to a single person camping.  Surely, the verse should have used the same plural suffix of ‘vayachanu’ as was evidenced previously.

Rashi picks up on this and states:

“The singular Vayichan is to be interpreted as ‘one man with one heart (or one mind)’ or in Hebrew כאיש אחד בלב אחד  but all the other encampments were with complaints and with strife”

In other words, The Bnei Yisrael were united in their understanding of the significance of what was about to happen.  It was as though they became a single entity.  A beautiful symphony instead of a collection of random notes.

Our Rabbis used this to interpolate the idea through utilising a process called Parshanut which is a type of Biblical Exegesis. Just as Rashi referred to the notion of ‘one man with one heart’ we, the Jewish people, can if we wish to, act as ‘one nation with one heart – Am Echad Be’Lev Echad’ – And this is exactly what occurred forty-nine years ago.

For had the Egyptian and Syrian operations been launched on any other day, the Israelis would not have been able to respond to the threat in such a rapid and effective manner.  It was a case that the significance and importance of Yom Kippur in the hearts and minds of our people literally enabled them to work together as ‘one people with one mind’ in the joint cause of protecting the State of Israel.

This idea is reflected in the tefillot, the prayers, particularly in the Selichot that we recite from the start of the month of Ellul (if you are Sephardi) or the week before Rosh Hashanah as we do, culminating in the Neilah Service.

From the outset of Yom Kippur, we recited both the Ashamnu and Al Cheit supplications continuously towards the end of each service.  You may have noticed that all of these are conjugated in the plural tense:

Ashamnu – We have trespassed…

Bagadnu – We have dealt treacherously…

Gazalnu – We have robbed…

When it comes to the Al Cheit prayers, the same format applies, where all the verses are prefaced with:

Al Cheit She’chatanu lefanecha – For the sin wherein we have sinned…

If you look through the machzor and siddur, you will see that our prayers are always in the plural tense, on Yom Kippur and in each Amidah because we are one nation.  When we let ourselves down, we also let our people down and crucially, we let Gd down. We hold very dearly the concept of ‘kol Yisrael areivim ze la’ze’ – all of Israel, in other words, all Jews are responsible for one another.  Just as we celebrate together in the happier times, we also join together when things are not so rosy.  One nation with one heart.

Forty-nine years ago, in complete unity, we approached Hashem and He responded to our heartfelt prayers. Despite the terrible human sacrifice, His presence, via the extraordinary operations of the IDF, delivered a victory to our people that could not have been envisaged in those terrible early days of the war, when Jews around the world feared that Israel would be no more. Only the Hand of Gd could have engineered such an outcome.

Within five years, the enemy that had been Egypt put forth a hand of peace. Within fifty, Israel has peace agreements with nearly all the Arab nations, barring Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, some North African countries and a sprinkling of Gulf States.  The relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia is so warm that I don’t think their hand of friendship will be held back for too long.

The power that Yom Kippur has in bringing us together, despite our differences, is truly remarkable.  May our prayers together bring about a year of peace throughout the world, particularly in Ukraine where we have seen how another nation has united to fight a seemingly implacable foe.

Wishing you a Shana Tova. May we all be inscribed in the book of life, good health and peace.

Amen.

_________________________________________________________________________

¹ _{the numbers quoted on both sides are not whole definitive according to other sources and are approximations.}

² _{the exact amount is disputed and these too are approximations.}

Rosh Hashanah – Coronation Day

They journeyed in their hundreds of thousands, and they waited in the rain and the cold for hours on end.  From the north and south and east and west.  Some, a few miles away and others, from across the planet.  First in Scotland and then in London and Windsor.  They sobbed and clapped and then lowered their heads.  Enough flowers to fill a large park were left in their wake, along with the cards and Paddington Bears and marmalade sandwiches.

All for one lady.  Diminutive in stature and modest in appearance.  Whose words lifted the spirits of millions of her subjects and global admirers.

In the heart of darkness, we knew that, when it was over, ‘We shall meet again’.

And indeed, we did.

One.  Single.  Human Being.  The Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth and without doubt, the most famous person on this planet.

Queen Elizabeth II was not a rock star or Oscar winning actress.  She was not a media celebrity or Vlogger, a fashion icon or TikTok sensation.  She didn’t appear on Strictly or Loose Women.  She wasn’t a member of the England Women’s Football Team or reveal an armful of colourful tattoos.  She was not any of these.

What she did do, was to make this vow at the tender age of 21:

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

And it was an oath that she kept until her dying day, as everyone can attest, and which explains why we have witnessed the extraordinary scenes over the last three weeks.

Queen Elizabeth, aleha hashalom, did not need to rely on the ‘majesty of her position’, in the myriad ways we can understand this statement, to carry out her pledge.  For it was her deep and indefatigable faith and belief in Gd that drove her to act in the way she did. 

She too had a difficult life.  Palaces and Castles could not shield her from the pain she suffered at losing her beloved father at a young age and bearing the weight of responsibility that she bravely took on.  The distress caused by witnessing three of her four children divorcing was no doubt traumatic, as was having her sister and then mother pass away within two months of each other in February and March 2002.  And let us not forget the Annus Horribilis of 1992.  These were but a number of tragedies that she endured.  Yet, it was her faith that came to the fore, time and time again.  And we, her subjects looked on helplessly.

Last Monday evening, she was reunited with her beloved Philip, of blessed memory.  Today is the end of her shiva, as mandated by King Charles III.  As we know, it is also the first day of Rosh Hashanah, which I don’t believe is a coincidence.

Rosh Hashanah is when we recall Gd’s act in creating humankind, through the forms of Adam and Chavah, Adam and Eve, on this very day.  Gd sits in judgement over the whole of their descendants - hence one of the names of the festival being Yom HaDin – The Day of Judgement.’

The Torah does not refer to this day as Rosh Hashanah (that name appears for the first time in the Mishna).  Instead, it calls it ‘Yom Teruah’ (the day of blowing) and ‘Zichron Terua’ (remembrance of the blowing).

Rabbi Sacks ztl, in his Machzor explains the reason why the Terua sound on Rosh Hashanah could only refer to one emanating from a ram’s horn, namely, a shofar. 

He writes:

“The book of Psalms associates the Shofar not with a human king (for it was blown when a Biblical king was anointed) but with the declaration of Gd as King…Psalm 98 makes a clear connection between Gd’s kingship and His judgement:

With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,

Shout for joy before the Lord, the King

For He is coming to judge the earth.

He judges the world with righteousness”

And all nation with equity.

It is a day on which we celebrate the kingship of Gd….”

We shall soon read the Musaph prayer, with its three components of Malchiyot, kingship, Zichronot – remembrance of everything that Gd created and Shofarot, describing the inexorable link between this ancient musical instrument, our people and Rosh Hashanah itself - on this very day when we mark the end of the mourning period for Her Majesty, whose Divine Spirit informed everything that she did, both in her capacity as Queen and the humble human being we knew her to be.

But Rosh Hashanah has another side to explore.  Just as we re-declare our allegiance to the Creator of the Universe and recall with marvel his achievements, we use the Shofar to re-dedicate His presence in our lives.

Rosh Hashanah is also a Kingship Renewal Ceremony.  In other words, the Festival demands of us to enact a Divine Coronation.  And we do this too, through blowing the Shofar, in the same way that King Charles will be crowned within the span of this new Jewish Year.  For Gd is always in our lives, through thick and thin.

Before, during and after Covid.

Before, during and after the drought that struck our nation where our fields and homes burned.

Before, during and after the seemingly insurmountable energy crisis that we are all facing.

Gd is there for us, especially on Rosh Hashanah, the festival marking His coronation.  At a time when we feel as though we cannot continue, we must hold fast and look to the future when we pray that the Heavenly King will inspire our new Terrestrial one, in the same way that He emboldened his late mother.

Uteshuvah, Utefillah, Utzedaka – but repentance, prayer and charity – maarivin et ro’a hagezera – avert the evil decree.

Today is Gd’s coronation.  Rosh Hashanah is the festival when the Jewish people have the responsibility to pray for the world to become a better place so that when King Charles is enthroned, we will have helped to ease his way, through our power to communicate with Gd during these Yamim Nora’im, Days of Awe.

King Charles has spoken passionately of his role as ‘defender of all faiths’.  He exhibited this in the week following his mother’s passing, when he brought forward a meeting for different faiths on the Friday afternoon, to enable the Chief Rabbi to attend and return home in time for Shabbat.  Additionally, he made a point of asking Rabbi Mirvis to leave shortly after the meeting had begun in order to be able to achieve this.

Both King Charles and his late mother understood that for their respective reigns to succeed, this could only happen if they placed Gd at the centre of their moral compasses and resultant decision making.  I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that our Shuls, irrespective of their various denominations pray on a weekly basis for the Welfare of the Royal Family.  Having witnessed the Queen living to such a ripe age and ruling the country for seven decades demonstrates to me the power of prayer.

This prayer has a special resonance for the wonderful community of Cheltenham, as marked on the historic plaque adorning the wall of their beautiful Shul.  They are about to embark on their bicentennial commemorations next year.  I am in no doubt Elias Myers, Lewis Isaacs and Isiah Alex, the original founders of this congregation would have marvelled at how their vision resulted in the creation of an extraordinary and dedicated community that keep it alive two hundred years later.

On this Day of Judgement, Remembrance and Coronation, we ask Gd to judge us mercifully and favourably.

We beseech Him to remember the goodness that emanated from our beloved monarch and shelter her soul, bathed in His divine presence.

Finally, we pray that our shofar blasts will usher in a new era of benevolence under the stewardship of King Charles III.  May he reign over us in good health for many, many years.

And may Gd bring about the final redemption speedily in our days – bimhera beyamenu.  

Amen.

Shana Tovah.

Parashat Re'eh: Kashrut? A Question for the Ages

 I can't recall if the following took place on a Boeing 737 or 757, but it was your typical charter flight-type of airplane.  I don't sit next to the window as I'm not particularly fond of heights (which is strange granted that I've been blessed to fly to numerous destinations) and I hadn't managed to secure the aisle seat.  I was therefore squashed in the middle of my row.  The one to the left of the single aisle that ran down the centre of the plane.

All was fine if I didn't need to stretch my legs or use the facilities.  Cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet allows you to relax whilst praying that you don't have a child directly behind you kicking your seat for the entire journey.  If you've had that one answered, the next is the hope that it isn't a screaming baby instead.

Nestled relatively comfortably in my seat, my attention was drawn to the stewardess who asked me if I had requested a Kosher meal.  I answered in the affirmative and she then gave me the following:

·         a shrink-wrapped white plastic moulded tray which contained a foil covered cup containing 'orange juice'

·         a sealed plastic bag with cutlery, salt and ketchup along with a container that looked like a salad, but I couldn't be sure

·         something that resembled a chocolate muffin.

·         Finally, the pièce de résistance which consisted of a rectangular foil dish that was so hot, it could cause serious burns if it had to be handled for more than a few seconds. 

That was the easy part!

I was sitting there, boxed in on both sides by strangers whom I did not know.  I required the dexterity of a crew member of the International Space Station to be able to remove the plastic from the tray whilst simultaneously trying to unbuckle the cover from the steaming hot foil dish, all the while attempting to avoid nudging either neighbour in the process.  Retrieving the plastic cutlery was less challenging but when the top of the fork gave up the fight in a battle with trying to de-skin the over-cooked chicken, I knew that I was facing a losing battle.  Consuming the said fowl, utilising a miniature plastic knife and spoon, was not at all rewarding.  One really shouldn't feel a sense of relief when the meal is over but that's exactly the emotion that spread throughout my thoroughly stressed-out body.

My neighbour to my left looked at me and at the empty and scratched tray and I felt that I had to explain that I had ordered a 'Kosher' meal.

'What's that?' she enquired.  Oh boy.

Fortunately, it was a long flight but as I explained the various rules and regulations that we read in this week's Parasha, I really did wonder what she must have thought of this central tenet of Judaism.  The laws pertaining to Kashrut are classified under the heading of Chukim - Statutes.  Why can we eat a, b and c?  Because.  Why can't we eat x,y and z?  Because.  No explanation. 

It just is.

I can't provide a reason because we are not given one.  However, taking a closer look at the language the Torah uses to describe the different categories of animals, fish and birds that are either kosher or treif (the literal meaning of which is 'torn') perhaps gives a hint of Gd's rationale in proscribing our dietary laws (and by extension an explanation for my juggling act at 37,000 feet off the ground.)

Devarim: 14.19-20

All swarming, flying creatures are impure (‘Tamei’) for you: they may not be eaten.  You may however, eat any pure (‘Tahor’) flying creature.

In delineating whether an animal (or in this example, a bird) is permitted or prohibited, the Torah repeatedly uses the term Tahor or Tamei (and this is also the case in the earlier list in Parashat Shemini).  Incidentally, these are also the words used to describe the pairs of animals that entered Noah's ark.  Seven pairs of pure or in our parlance, Kosher animals, as opposed to a single pair of each set of non-kosher creatures (referred to as being Tamei).

The usage of Tahor and Tamei appears repeatedly in the Torah in another context concerning the spiritual purity of the Bnei Yisrael, particularly when it came to matters concerning the bringing of sacrifices to the Mishkan.  A person who had come into contact with a corpse or dead creature was not allowed to bring an offering until they had been purified.  They had to be Tahor, spiritually pure to partake in any religious worship.  This is why so many mikvaot have been unearthed through archaeological digs around the Har Habayit, the Temple Mount.  In fact, the entire structure of the Beit Hamikdash, both above and below ground, was predicated on it not being susceptible to becoming Tamei, an example of which was the work required by the Hasmoneans to banish the desecration caused by the Greeks.  Volumes of the Talmud are dedicated to discussing this issue, which we find very hard to fathom in the present day.

 Could this notion indicate a connection between the ancient rituals that our ancestors had to follow and our being given the laws of Kashrut? 

Numerous Rabbis known as 'The Rishonim' (living between the 11th and 15th centuries) such as the Rashbam (Rashi's Grandson, d.1158), the Rambam (d.1204) and the Abarbanel (d.1508) discuss this in great detail, looking at the idea from different angles but the crux of the matter focuses on how our inner beings are impacted by eating 'pure' or 'impure' food, both on a physical and spiritual plane (pun intended!)

Rabbi Shamshon Refael Hirsch (d.1888) describes how the human body resembles the Temples in respect of how meat from non-Kosher animals is detrimental to our bodies' ability to achieve its spiritual objectives.  Just as the Beit Hamikdash could not function as a House of Gd when it was not being operated in such a manner by the Jewish people, so our bodies become an example of the famous idiom of 'you are what you eat'.  He also notes that creatures that are pure are all herbivorous and in eating only kosher animals, fish and birds, we are able to sublimate the more animalistic or impure nature of our genetic makeup. 

It is also interesting to note that in recent times, during the various scares which involved the contamination of meat, for examples during the BSE outbreak in the 1990s, our Kosher butchers found themselves to be very popular amongst our non-Jewish neighbours who perceived Kosher meat as being 'cleaner', or as we could say 'purer' than that found in the general population.

If the idea that eating Kosher meat, fish or foul will result in our having more robust spiritual constitutions, this can only have a positive impact on us, individually and as a nation. Perhaps, that is the reason why Gd gave us those laws in the first place.

Shavuah Tov.

Parashat Va'Etchanan (Shabbat Nachamu): The Bigger Picture

 The first few verses in this week's Parasha always strike me as being some of the most poignant in the entire Torah.

Moshe Rabbeinu knows that he will not fulfil his lifelong dream of entering the Land of Israel.

He says:

At that time, I pleaded with the Lord: “O Lord, Gd.  You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand.  What forces in heaven or earth can do deeds and mighty acts like Yours?  Please let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and the Lebanon.”

I don't know of anybody who would not find these words so poignant as to be heart-breaking in many different ways.  Thinking back to everything Moshe had achieved for our nation.  All the 'tzarot' he'd had to endure from our ancestors and then some.

Now, in a plaintive voice, he is begging Gd to change His mind.

Gd's response seems surprisingly harsh:

 

But the Lord was enraged with me because of You, and would not listen to me.  "It is enough!" the Lord said to me.  "Never speak to Me about this again!  Go up to the top of Pisga and gaze around you to the west, to the north, to the south and to the east.  See it with your eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan.  But charge Yehoshua, make him strong and determined, for he will be the one to cross over at the head of this people and who will secure their possession of the land that you may only see."

On the pshat (simple) level, Moshe is blaming the people for his predicament, when he says:

"The Lord was enraged with me because of You."

Moshe was telling the people that they were to blame for his punishment.  Throughout the wanderings in the desert, time and again, the people angered Gd.  Moshe protected them from the wrath of the Almighty.  Two cases in point being in the aftermath of the Golden Calf and following the spies' report.

When he says, "At that time, I pleaded with the Lord." at the start of the Parasha, he was perhaps hoping that, on this occasion, they would stand up for him in a similar vein.  They could have said that they would refuse to enter the land without Moshe.  That protest was not forthcoming.  It seemed like the love he showed towards the people was not reciprocated when he needed them.

When it came to the relationship between Moshe and the people, it appears that it was not an equal partnership.  However, the opposite seems true regarding Moshe's relationship with Gd.

We are told that Gd spoke to Moshe as a man speaks to his neighbour.

 

Why would Gd then appear to be so unwavering when it came to answering Moshe's plea?

The Gemara (Brachot 54b) tells us that if a person prays at length, Gd will grant him a long life.  Had Gd allowed Moshe to keep on praying, instead of restricting his efforts by telling him that his prayers “were enough”, He would have had to lengthen Moshe's life, thus delaying the Bnei Yisrael's entry into the Land of Canaan.  Moshe's sin, for reasons that are not completely understood, merited his not being allowed to progress beyond the Jordan River.  Gd's focus at this point was in moving the Bnei Yisrael to the next phase in their development, which did not involve their current leader.  It could be said that He put their needs ahead of His most trusted servant.

That is a case of true love.  Additionally, because He knew how Moshe felt about the nation he had dedicated his life to, He provided an answer that appears to be unfair but in fact demonstrates the love that Hashem has for our people.  Despite their errors and frequent misdemeanours in the years following Yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus, He refused to abandon them. 

There is a story told about the man who prays for fifty years to win the lottery.  Every single week he buys a number of tickets, belongs to a syndicate and ploughs all of his spare cash into this project.  At the same time, he prays fervently that all of his efforts will lead to the kind of life he wishes to aspire to.  All to nought.  After fifty years, he's made very little money back on his investment.

One night, he screams out to Gd in frustration:

"Almighty Gd, I did everything I could to win.  I gave hundreds of thousands of pounds to good causes and I prayed to you with all of my might.  Why have never answered me?"

Later that night, Gd reveals himself in a dream and says:

"Yankele, you don't understand.  I did reply to you many times and the answer was always ‘No’”.

Just because we don't receive the answer we wish for, doesn't mean that Hashem has not responded to our prayers.  'No' is as valid a reply as 'Yes'.

Often, we feel as though we are wasting our time trying to do the right thing because we get very little appreciation for our efforts.  In doing so, we don't realise the impact that our actions can have on others.  No-one has ever complained about receiving a compliment or a 'thank you' for something they have done to help others.  The truth is that our reward is waiting for us when we reach 120 years and ascend to The Garden of Eden.  We may feel that we haven't reached our own ‘promised land’ or achieved the goals that we set for ourselves in our youth.  Just because we don't see these, does not mean that our efforts and hard work have not been successful.

'Man plans and Gd laughs' because only Hashem sees the bigger picture.  We believe that every human being's soul is tasked with their own unique missions and challenges that we need to complete during the span of our lives.  We don't necessarily know what these are, but if we help others, we are, without a doubt, carrying out His holy work. 

May Gd provide us with the strength and resilience to continue to play our part in continuing the work that our Biblical ancestors began so long ago.  If we see the impact of our efforts, that's wonderful and if we don't, it doesn't mean that He loves us any less than another person.  It's just that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, always sees 'The Bigger Picture'.

Shavuah Tov.