Category: Rabbis blog

Parshat Shoftim  This weeks portion describes the command to set up a proper judicial system to be able promote a just and righteous society. The most well known verse sums it up: Justice, justice shall you pursue (16:20) Since the dawn of civilisation man has struggled to create a society that is fair, where all are treated equally before the law and with dignity. Man's animal soul drives him towards selfish and even cruel and destructive behaviour, yet we are not just sophisticated animals destined to only think of ourselves. We have a Divine soul which is a purely spiritual component that enables us to transcend our selfish and parochial concerns. But the Torah understands that our animal side has a strong "gravitational pull towards earth" and so it uses the double expression "Justice, Justice" and the strong verb "to pursue" which indicates that we must make a concerted effort to act fairly. We may not even realise just how prone we are to veer from fair...

Parshat Re'eh- To be or not to be a Chassid? In Parshat Re'eh the laws of Kosher animals, fowl and fish are repeated to the Jewish people. Kosher animals and fish both have Kashrit signs. The former must chew the cud and have split hooves, the latter fins and scales. However no signs for the birds are given. The Torah just lists the non kosher birds without any signs. This means we must have a firm tradition passed down as to which which birds are actually kosher. The sages explain that all of the non-kosher animals which the Torah forbids possess negative character traits. Ruminants, on the other hand, tend to be tranquil creatures. All kosher animals and birds are herbivorous and non-predatory. All of the foods that a Jew ingests, he is ingesting the characteristics of the animal as well. Interestingly one of the non-kosher birds on the Torah’s list is the chassidah (most understand to be the stork). Chassidah—which is the feminine form of the word “chassid”—means “benevolent...

Tisha Beav - Parshat Devarim Tisha Beav is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. We commemorate the destruction of both Temples which were destroyed by the Babylonians (568BCE) and the Romans (69CE). Here is a list of some of the events that have occurred on and around Tisha Beav throughout the centuries 132CE - Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar destroyed - over 100,00 killed. 133CE - Turnus Rufus ploughs site of Temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia Capitolina on site of Jerusalem. 1095CE - First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in first month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews, totally obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France. 1290CE- Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books and property. 1492CE- Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. Families separated, many die by drowning, massive loss of property. 1914CE- Britain and Russia declare war on Germany....

Mattos Massei What should we do to improve attendance at our religious services? This is a question that plagues most religious institutions in the 21st century when religious practice is hugely on the decline. Tim Stanley in this weeks online Telegraph has an article about the latest development in the Anglican church entitled "Putting a mini-golf course in a cathedral is an act of desecration" You have to read it to believe it! Don't worry I am not arguing for this in our shul! See https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/29/putting-mini-golf-course-cathedral-act-desecration/ and https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/cathedral-crazy-golf-course-opens-209380/ for full articles Stanley writes: "Emptiness can be rich with meaning. When the Romans captured Jerusalem in 63BC, or so says Tacitus, Pompey marched into the inner sanctum of the Jewish Temple and found it empty. No idols, no treasures, just God. To be in His presence was the greatest bounty. If Pompey besieged Rochester Cathedral today, what would he find inside? A miniature golf course. No joke. Located in the nave, this summer installation consists of nine holes with models of bridges –...

Pinchas As Theresa May stepped down as PM this past week she emphasised how being the second only female PM out of 77 PM's goes to show that women today can achieve their potential and that there are no barriers - even to the top positions. In this weeks Parsha, Pinchas, we are introduced to 5 incredible and formidable women - the daughters of Tzelafchad. The daughters of Tzelofchad came to Moses to request a portion in the land of Israel. At that point in time it was understood according to Torah law that inheritance only passes to sons and not daughters. The Daughters of Tzelafchad are undaunted. They sense the natural injustice of this situation. What is more they are passionate lovers of the Land and want their fathers name to be eternally attached to it through them. Listen to their powerful words to Moses: "Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the assembly that banded together against the Lord in Korah's assembly,...

Balak An Advert in the Guardian signed by over 60 Labour Peers says it all: "The Labour Party welcomes everyone* irrespective of race, creed, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (* except it seems, Jews) Although most of us are not touched by antisemitism on a day to day basis the developments in the Labour party over the past three years (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45030552 for timeline of events) is very worrying as it indicates the normalisation of antisemitic rhetoric into mainstream politics. This week is Parshat Balak where two rabid antisemites try to exterminate the Jewish people. Balak the king of Moab in cohorts with Bilaam the prophet/soothersayer and curser. Balak saw how the Israelites had been supernaturally victorious (against the Emorites and King Og) and so he realised that conventional warfare would be a failure. Verse 22:4 describes how Moab discuss the "problem of the Jews" with neighbouring Midian. "Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, as the ox...

Chukas In this weeks Parsha Miriam the prophetess and older sister to Moses dies. Miriam was a great leader in her own right. If not for Miriam's courage in the face of adversity Moses would not have survived to become the leader of the Israelites. This week I would like to reflect on one aspect of Miriam's life- dance. When the Jews crossed the Sea of Reeds the verse states: Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances" (Ex. 15:20, 21). The Hebrew word for dances  'Mecholot' means to go around in- possibly the first reference to circle dancing which is so well known to us in our modern day Israeli and simcha dancing Dancing in a circle can be elegant if done properly but sometimes can get a bit unruly and certainly is not as sophisticated as the many contemporary routines of modern day! However the simplicity...

Korach  "You take too much upon yourselves, for the entire congregation are all holy, and the Lord is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the Lord's assembly?" The Parsha of Korach is all about rebellion. Korach challenges the leadership. Like politicians Korach had an underlying agenda behind his polemical words. There are numerous explanations as to what Korach exactly sought. Some say the High priesthood, some say Moses's position and others teach that he was challenging God Himself and the system of Torah (in particular the oral tradition). Although Korach and his followers come to an ignominious end with the earth swallowing, the story holds an important lesson relevant to today. That is: how to relate to our youth, and how to relate in general to anomalies, to the rebel within, to those who seem to be turning their backs on Jewish community Instead of dismissing those who rebel against Judaism we need to listen very carefully to the stirrings of the soul...

Shelach Lecha This week Moses sends the Spies to the land of Israel on a reconnaissance mission to workout the best strategy with which to enter the land. The truth is that God could have brought them into the land with pure miracles just as he has taken the people out of Egypt with the ten plagues and the splitting of the sea. In fact on the phrase "shelach lecha"- "send for yourself"- the midrash explains that God gave Moses permission to send the spies if he wanted to but that this was not an explicit command from God, issued from the top down so to speak. So what was Moses thinking in sending the spies in the first place? The answer is that Moses wanted the spies to be involved in some action from a natural perspective. After all the purpose of entering the land of Israel was to become an active partner with God working the land, harnessing nature and doing the Mitzvot. God...

Bahalotecha This week the contest for leader of the conservatives which will decide who is the next Prime Minister was in full swing.(as of writing we are down to the final two!) Watching the TV debates online it really brought home to me the sad reality of our current political landscape where it seems to me that honesty and true commitment to what is best for this country are in short supply. The rhetoric being wielded by the candidates was more tactical - to get through to the next round - then truthful. Contrast this with weeks Parsha where Moses is tasked with inaugurating the Levites into the service of the Tabernacle. God tells Moses that the Levites " are wholly given over to Me from among the children of Israel". In Hebrew the double expression "Nessunim Nesssunim heima li" is used. The Torah is teaching us that the ideal life is one that is dedicated in service to something more than the self- in this case the Divine service in the...