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Hidden Gems in the Measurements of the MishkanIn this week’s Parsha, Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to build the Mishkan as a physical dwelling place for Hashem to bestow his Shechina in this world. The Aron would house the precious Luchos, the Tablets and Sefer Torah, was the most revered of the Keilim and would be placed in the most prominent place in the Mishkan - the Kodesh Kodoshim.

The measurements of the Aron were two and a half Amos (cubits) long by one and a half Amos wide with a height of one and a half Amos.

As in all aspects of Torah, there is infinite depth and essence hidden behind each word and concept and one can only be intrigued as to which lofty gems are hidden behind these particular intricate details.

Our Sages teach us that from the fact that the measurements of the Aron were all half measurements, we can learn that when it comes to Torah and spiritual achievement (hinted to by the Aron) a person should never feel complete but rather always have the urge to strive tp perfect themselves even more (hinted to by the ‘incomplete’ half measurements). A feeling of perfection and completion can cause a person to stop growing spiritually which could ultimately end in a spiritual downfall.

Therefore, one would expect that the vessel representing physical sustenance - the Shulchan, should have complete measurements. This would show us the corresponding message that when it comes to our physical needs, we should feel complete and content with the basic necessities and shouldn’t waste time seeking unnecessary physical pleasures. However, the measurements are two Amos long by one Amah wide by…….one and a half Amos height! How does this fit in with the idea we have expressed above?

The Kli Yakar answers that although the two complete measurements do represent this idea, the height nevertheless teaches us another lesson. A person should not be haughty, and feel that he is above others. This is represented in the ‘incomplete’ height of the Shulchan.

The Kli Yakar brings a second idea. A person should not indulge in physicality, rather he should ‘break’ and overcome his physical inclination. This is hinted to in the ‘broken’ measurement of the Shulchan’s height.

Many of you reading this will remember the late Rabbi Joseph Freilich zt”l; the glint in his eye and his constant smile are still vivid in my mind, always overflowing with new insights and fresh ideas. He explained a third idea.

A bystander watching a lavish Friday night Shabbos meal, might mistake this as yet another physical extravagance, and this might be true for someone who cannot see slightly beyond the fish on his plate. In truth, we all know that a Shabbos meal is a completely different experience, starting with the Kiddush where we pronounce the sanctification of the day over a cup of wine, the seemingly ultimate indulgence, and continue by having an abundant meal which we elevate to a spiritual realm with blessings, Zemiros and Torah discussions; far beyond a mundane family party.

This is all alluded to in the Shulchan. On face value, one sees a physical table with complete measurements, hinting to the finite and limited world we live in. The fact that we have the ability to transpose and sanctify the physical into something much greater and everlasting is alluded to in the half measurement height of the Shulchan, showing us that it is up to us to elevate the physical into spiritual.

Submitted /written by Rabbi Elie Schoemann

21st Feb ‘15 ב' אדר תשע”ה

פרשת תרומה

פ' תרומה הפטרה: מלכים א' ה' כ'ו-ו' י''ג

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Rabbi Joseph Freilich ZT’L

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Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes2. Taanis Esther is observed on which date?

Parsha ParablesRabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim at South Shore and the author of the Parsha Parables series

Ark of Inclusion

In this week's portion, Hashem commands the Jewish nation to build the Mishkan. Each one of the utensils is specified as to how it should be constructed, its width, its length, and its height. The type of material whether it was gold, silver, or copper, is enumerated and the details of its ornaments are provided.

The procedure for the construction of each vessel is preceded by a command stated in the singular form: "And you shall make" "And you shall make a show bread table." "And you shall make a Menorah." "And you shall make an Altar."

The command is directed toward Moshe to delegate the construction. The Aron Kodesh, the Holy Ark is different. Its command is not stated in the singular form, rather in the plural. The Torah does not say and you shall make a Holy Ark, it states, "And they shall make a Holy Ark." The commentaries ask why was the command to build the Ark the only one that was given to a group?

In a small shul in Yerushalayim, a daily Daf HaYomi shiur was held each morning before Shacharis. An elderly Russian immigrant attended the shiur. Quiet as he was, his behaviour in the shiur intrigued the lecturer. He would never ask a thing. Often he would nod off. Sometimes, when the Rabbi quoted a particular Talmudic sage, the old man's face would light up - especially when the Rabbi mentioned an opinion from a obscure Talmudic personality.

This behaviour continued throughout the summer. Always quiet, the man would sometimes nod off, and at other times he would perk up. Then winter came. The group of men would gather around the table in the frigid mornings huddled close as they would warm to the strains of the Talmud and the straining heater in the old synagogue. The old man never missed a class.

One morning a rare snow blanketed Jerusalem. No one showed up to the shiur except the Rabbi and the

elderly Russian Jew. Instead of giving his usual lecture, the Rabbi decided he would ask the old Jew a little bit about himself.

"Tell me," he inquired, "I watch you as I say my shiur. Sometimes you look intrigued but at other times you seem totally disinterested. The trouble is I would like to make the shiur more interesting for you during its entirety, but I can't seem to make out what perks you up and makes you doze?"

The old man smiled. "I never had a Jewish education. I can barely read Hebrew. I do not come to the shiur for the same reasons that the other men come." He paused as his eyes pondered his past. "You see, I was a soldier in the Red Army during World War II. Every day our commander would herd us into a room and put a gun to our heads. He commanded us to recite the names of every member of the Politburo. And we did. We learned those names backwards and forward. I come to this class to hear the names of every rabbi in the Talmud. If I cannot learn at least I will know the names of all the great sages! "That." he smiled "is my Daf HaYomi!"

Although the show bread table, the Menorah, and the Altar can be constructed by individuals -- the Ark that holds the Torah is different. One man cannot make it alone. It must be a communal effort. Just as the Torah cannot be learned by one man alone, its Ark cannot be built by an individual either.

The Torah is given for everyone to learn and to experience - each one according to his or her own level and ability. Lighting a Menorah is a clear-cut ritual delegated to the Kohain. The Altar is used for the sacrifices brought by the kohanim. The Torah is for everybody. And each individual has his own Shas and Daf HaYomi. Each person has his share in Toras Yisrael. Everyone extracts something holy from the Torah. To some it may be extrapolative halachic theory, while for others it may be the refinement of character. And still for others it may be the names of Abayai and Rava.

Taken from Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky's weekly Dvar Torah www.torah.org

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The Virtue of Unity and Peace – והשלום האחדות מעלתועשית חמשים קרסי זהב וחברת את היריעות אשה אל אחותה בקרסים והיה המשכן אחד (ו:כו)

In this week’s parsha we learn about the construction of the Mishkan and its utensils. The purpose of the Mishkan was to spread the influence of the Shechina amongst Israel as the posuk states (25:8):

ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם

They shall make Me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them.

Therefore, it was constructed from various materials and first pit together as separate sections and only then the sections were joined into one Mishkan. This teaches that the influence of the Shechina (Divine Presence) among Israel is contingent upon the characteristic of unity (achdus), when the Children of Israel are united then they are worthy for the influence of the Shechina, and if not then they are not fit for it.

This topic is hinted at many times in these posukim describing the instructions to setting it up, particularly in the posuk mentioned for after the posuk has shown us that the ten panels had to be attached one to another the posuk concludes ‘so that the Mishkan shall become one’.

These words seem to be superfluous as this is understood on its own, for after attaching all the panels it will automatically be made into one Mishkan. What does the Torah come to add with these additional words that ‘the Mishkan shall be one’? Perhaps the intent is to teach us that which we have already mentioned that the purpose of attaching the panels is so that the Mishkan should be one, for the Mishkan symbolizes the general souls of Israel and therefore it has to be united for the purpose of the Mishkan is the influence of the Shechina amongst Israel and this is dependent on the unity of Israel.

Similarly, this topic is alluded to in the topic of the keruvim (25:20)

והיו הכרובים פרשי כנפים למעלה סככים בכנפיהם על הכפרת ופניהם איש אל אחיו אל הכפרת יהיו פני הכרובים

The keruvim shall be with wings spread upward, sheltering the lid with their wings with their faces toward one another; toward the lid shall be the faces of the keruvim.

This topic implies the category of unity, sheltering with their wings one to another, with their faces toward one another, and all this to teach us what we have already mentioned, that the influence of the Shechina is dependent on the unity of Israel and in the merit of the influence of the Shechina the Children of Israel are privileged to all good effects. This is why Chaza”l have stated (Uktzin 3:12) ‘The Holy One, Blessed is He, found no vessel to hold blessing for Israel other than peace for through it they merit the influence of the Shechina and all the good effects.

The very exitstence of Klal Yisroel is dependent on their unification and their love for one another as stated in the Yerushalmi (Peah 4b): Rebbe Abba bar Kahana said, the generation of Dovid was entirely righteous, but because there were those that spoke maliciously (lashan harah) and caused arguments, when they went out to battle they were slain. This is how Dovid describes it (Tehillim 57:5) My soul is among lions – נפשי התוך לבאים.

However, the people of the generation of Achav were idol worshippers, but, because they had no detractors who spoke badly, when they went to war they were victorious. You now see the power of unity, for though the generation of Dovid was righteous, still, because there were those who were detractors who spoke badly and through their actions they caused a rift amongst the people, this caused them to fall before their enemies.

However, the generation of Achav which caused anger due to their actions as they transgressed a very severe sin of rebellion against Hashem by worshiping idols, still, since there was no rift amongst them they were victorious in battle though because of their deeds they did not deserve this at all.

As an aside, perhaps we can say the same thing in regard to the advice of Haman the Wicked who tried to cause a rift and division among Israel and through this he attempted to eradicate them from the world. This is why he said to Achashveirosh (Megillah 3:4):

ישנו עם אחד מפוזר ומפורד בין העמים

There is a nation scattered abroad and dispersed among the people

That is to say that the reason ‘there is’ a nation in the world and it deserves to exist is because they are ‘one nation’. Since they are united one with another there is no choice but to make them ‘scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your realm’.

Only by scattering them and dispersing them throughout the realm can we plant among them discord and disagreement so that they will not be ‘one’ nation with complete unity and closeness of heart and after we scatter them and disperse them among us then automatically we will be able to finish them. In truth we must destroy them from the world since

דתיהם שונות מכל עם ואת דתי המלך אינם עושים

their laws are different from every other people and they do not observe even the king’s laws

that is, even thought the Holy One, Blesses is He, separated them and exalted them from every nation and changed their laws, still, they rebel against His will and they do not abide by His laws and therefore, ‘the king’ referring to the King of the World, ‘it is not befitting to tolerate them’. But regarding this nation it is not sufficient to destroy them because they are ‘one nation’ and they always remain in the category of ‘being’ in the world and the only way to dispose of them is to first ‘scatter and disperse’ them.

Therefore, we find when Queen Esther came to correct the decree of Haman and to nullify it, the first thing she instructed was (4:16):

‘Go assemble all the Jews’ -לך כנוס את כל היהודים

This was the singular piece of advice to reinstate them to their original strength when no nation or language could rule over them because of the unity that had returned to spread over them, therefore, go assemble and join together all the Jews as one man with one heart.

This is why we have all the requirements of the holiday of Purim, sending food from one person to another and giving gifts to the poor, with partying and joy to bring hearts closer to one another by way of imbibing which brings people closer and strengthens the power of unity in Israel. This was the purpose of the decree and this caused the miracle to come about.

From all that which we have said we learn that it is the power of peace that stands up for Israel, yet we see in the Torah that even the earlier generations, even before Israel became a nation, this advice helped them. Just as we see in the Generation of Dispersal that the Holy One, Blessed is He, said (Bereishis 11:6):

הן עם אחד ושפה אחת לכולם וסה החילם לעשות ועתה לא יבצר מהם כל אשר יזמו לעשות

‘Behold one people, and there is one language for all of them, and this they begin to do! And now, should it not be withheld from them all they proposed to do?’

As if to say, when they were one nation with one language for all of them, united in friendship and love for one another this gave them the strength to begin their rebellion to the point of ‘all that they proposed to do’ no force in the world could stand against them and they would succeed with everything because of the power of unity. The singular advice against this was to uproot them from this unity

הבה נרדה ונבלה שם שפתם אשר לא ישמעו איש שפת רעהו

Come, let us descend and there confuse their language, that they should not understand one another’s language. (11:7)

Through dispersal and disagreement their power left them. As there was confusion amongst them because they did not speak the same language and they did not understand the language and desire of his fellow and each one began to think only about himself and for his own benefit and he did not want to listen to his fellow and this caused their downfall and nullified their power. Hashem Yisbarach should help increase peace in Israel and in this merit we should have the Shechina influence us and to rectify peace speedily in our days, amen.

HaRav HaGoan Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz Shlita

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AThe Torah Shiurim of Rabbi Frand

Rabbi Yissochor FrandMaagid Shiur, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore

Symbolism of the AronDespite the fact that we don't have a Bais HaMikdash today or its various utensils or furniture items, all of the commentaries make attempts to derive great symbolic lessons from the description of the components of the Mishkan that are mentioned in the parsha as well as the way that they were built.

The Torah describes the Aron and its dimensions: "They shall make an Aron of Acacia wood, two and half cubits its length; a cubit and a half its width; and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from inside and from outside you shall cover it, and you shall make on it a golden crown all around. [Shmos 25:10-11]

Various commentaries find significance in the fact that all the measurements for the Aron were given in half ammos [cubits] (2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5) as compared with the other utensils whose dimensions, for the most part, are specified in whole cubit (Amma) units.

The Baal HaTurim says that since the Aron contains the Torah, it is symbolic of the Talmid Chochom. The lesson is that the Talmid Chochom must maintain his humility and see himself in half measures (i.e. – not yet living up to his full potential). In the past, when a child was short, other children would call him using the pejorative, "half-pint." The idea is that he was only a "chatzi shiur" – half of a quantity.

The Kli Yakar comments regarding the same question in a similar vein that the lesson for the Talmid Chochom is that he should always think that his work is only half finished. Even when one finishes Shas or reaches a certain level, he should see his job as only "half done".

The Pardes Yosef cites an interesting observation in the name of the Chida. In Maseches Soferim, it is brought that the pasuk "Darosh Darash Moshe" must to be written in the Sefer Torah such that the word Darosh is written at the end of a line and the subsequent word Darash (spelled the same way in Hebrew – Daled – Reish – Shin) is written at the beginning of the next line. The Chidah homiletically explains this very beautifully: When one expounds (Darosh) and he finds himself at the end of the line, thinking "I am already finished", we tell him "No, you are never finished. Go to the beginning of the next line and start expounding all over!" All these are representative of the symbolism found by various commentators of the half ammos mentioned by the dimensions of the Aron.

Another example of homiletic symbolism that abounds around the description of the keylim [vessels] of the Mishkan is the fact that the poles which were used to transport the Aron were never allowed to be removed from the rings which encase them [Shmos 25:15]. Even though the Shulchon [Table] and the Menorah also had rings and carrying poles to transport them, the law that the poles were never to be removed from the rings only applied to the Aron. What is the symbolism here?

The commentaries explain that by the Shulchon and the Menorah, the poles were there to carry them strictly for pragmatic reasons. The poles of the Aron however represent people who support Torah. They represent the people who pay the bills, so to speak. We should never think that there will come a time when we can discard those who support Torah. They will always remain an essential component of the eternal preservation of Torah amongst the Jewish people. The poles remain in the prestigious place in the Holy of Holies together with the Aron itself.

This is analogous to the message our Rabbis derive from the pasuk "Rejoice Zevulun in your going out and Yissocher in your tents" [Devarim 33:18]. Chazal note that Zevulun (who represents the supporters of Torah) gets first mention in this pasuk to emphasize that he is on par with Yissocher (who represents those who study Torah).

This leads us to the following question. The Torah teaches: "You shall cover it with pure gold, from inside and from outside you shall cover it..." [Shmos 25:11]. Rashi cites the Gemara [Yoma 72b] that Bezalel made three Arons, two golden and one wooden. They each had four walls and a bottom and they were each open at the top. In other words, the Aron was not really solid gold. It had

that appearance but in truth it was made of wood with gold on the outside and gold on the inside. The Menorah was pure gold. Why was the Aron not made this way as well? It was certainly not because they could not afford an Aron of pure gold! What is the symbolism of this wooden interior for the Aron?

Rav Simcha Schepps, z"l, (a Rosh Yeshiva in Torah VoDaath) has a very interesting thought on this subject. There is a major difference between gold and wood. Gold is an extremely soft metal. It is very malleable. The purest form of gold is 24 carat gold. Less pure is 18 carats. 14 carat gold is less pure than 18 carat. They do not make gold more than 24 carets because it would break. It would be too soft. A 14 carat necklace is much sturdier than a 24 carat gold necklace because it has a larger percentage of non-gold alloys mixed in to give it strength.

The symbolism is as follows. The Aron represents Torah. Wood is solid and does not easily bend. The reason they strengthened the Aron with a wooden inside is to emphasize that we should not try to mold the Torah to meet our own needs. Pure gold could be formed and twisted any which way. We are not allowed to do that with Torah.

Unfortunately, we have been witness to different movements that try to shape the Torah. If they cannot fit their lives to the Torah, they try to shape the Torah to match their lives. This is what the Torah wants us to avoid and this is the message taught by the firm solid wood inside of the Aron between the two layers of gold.

In a similar vein, I saw an observation from Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, z"l. In his eulogy for the Brisker Rav Rav Sorotzkin asked, "Why was it that in the Holy Aron that housed the Luchos haEdus [Tablets of Testimony] was kept in the Kodesh Kadoshim behind a curtain?" No one ever saw the Aron Kodesh except for one person, one day during the year. Only the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur ever had a chance to see it! "Why was that?" he asked.

Rav Sorotzkin explained that the Torah was in a vault. It is off limits so that no one should dare try to tamper with it. Rav Sorotzkin compared this concept to the Brisker Rav. He lived in Yerushalayim in a little house and did not have very much to do with the rest of society. His job was that he was the guardian of Torah. He was in the Holy of Holies with the Torah. He was untouchable, just as the Torah must be untouchable.

One final example of symbolism: The Talmud in Yoma links the fact that the Aron had gold plating on the outside and gold plating on the inside with the statement that "Any Talmud Chochom who is not equivalent on the inside with the way he appears on the outside is not a Talmud Chochom." A person who puts on an act for everybody to see on the outside but who in his essence – on the inside – is not like that is no Talmud Chochom!

Listen to a story: The Satmar Rebbe, zt"l, came to America after World War II. Rav Shraga Feivel Medelovitz, the Principal of Yeshiva Torah VoDaas invited him to come to Torah VoDaas to present a Torah lecture for the students. The Satmar Rebbe was an outstanding scholar. He gave a well-received shiur and as is customary, the students surrounded him after the lecture raising various points of analysis regarding the lecture. There were Torah discussions back and forth, it was a beautiful scene.

Rav Shraga Feivel Medelovitz was taking this all in. He was bursting with pride. He was smiling from ear to ear. This demonstrated that he had been successful in raising a generation of young Torah students in America who were capable of hearing a shiur from the Satmar Rebbe and engaging him in serious dialogue about the contents of his presentation.

After the boys left, he went over to the Satmar Rebbe and said "Nu, what did you think of that? Wasn't it beautiful?" The Satmar Rebbe resonded, "Yes it was beautiful, but I wish that these young men would be on the outside like they are on the inside" (inverting the classic Talmudic comment that a Talmud Chochom should be on the inside like he appears on the outside). In other words he was impressed that inside they were in fact fine Torah scholars, but they did not wear beards and payos on the outside which the Satmar Rebbe felt (in accordance with his own customs) was a necessary sign of a Talmud Chochom.


4. Which special tefillah/prayer is included in the shemoneh esray and the birkhas hamazon on Purim?



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AEretz HaTzvi

Rabbi Zvi TeichmanCongregation Ohel Moshe, Baltimore, MD

The ‘Bases’ of LifeThis Shabbos is known as שבת הפסקה, a ‘Recess Shabbos’. Last week was שבת שקלים, Shabbos Shekalim, where we read the portion of the Torah that commemorates the Mitzvah of giving the מחצית השקל, the ‘half coin’, while next week is שבת זכור, Shabbos Zachor when we will read about the command to remember the injustices foisted upon us by the nation Amalek and the resulting directive to eradicate them and any memory of them. The purpose of a הפסקה, an

‘intermission’, the Talmud tells us, is for the purpose of contemplating what we have learned and to internalize it.

What connection is there between these special Shabbosos and what message are we to ponder and absorb?

The very first national collection of silver ‘half coins’ were designated for use in constructing the 'אדנים', ‘sockets’. These served as the very base of the 48 acacia wood beams that functioned as the walls of the משכן, Tabernacle, each of which had fashioned beneath them two square pegs carved on the bottom that fit in to two silver bases per plank. There was thus a total of 96 sockets acting as a foundation of the Tabernacle.

The Tetragammaton, the י-ה-ו-ה המפורש, is not pronounced ,שם in its written form, instead we use the term א-ד-נ-י, to express G-d’s name. The written name which emphasizes,היה ,הוה , and יהיה, a G-d who ‘always was, is and will be’, is beyond our comprehension. We therefore refer to Him in terms we can relate to, א-ד-נ-י, rooted in the Hebrew word 'אדון', ‘Master’, attesting to His absolute mastery over of all of space, time and matter.

The Kabbalists teaches that the four letters of the Tetragrammaton have twelve possible combinations, each governing a different month of the year. The total number of letters employed in this exercise equal 48, (12 combinations multiplied by the 4 letters) which is represented in the same number of beams that create the very ‘dwelling place’ of Hashem, the Tabernacle! The word אדנים, bases, is similar to the word

symbolizing this relationship of the two terms ,א-ד-נ-י and thus 'אדון'we use to describe G-d in the written and spoken word!

The Talmud):ז tells us that it was Avraham our Patriarch )ברכות who first called Hashem by the name בראשית טו,ב(,א-ד-נ-י( .

What was so significant in the use of the sentiment of G-d as ‘Master’ that was so profound?

We recite in the reading of Shma each day that we pledge to love Hashem, בכל לבבך, with all your heart, בכל נפשך, with all your soul, ובכל and with all your resources. It is certainly not easy to devote our ,מאדךundivided “passion” in serving G-d. It is also quite difficult to give

our ‘lives’ up for Hashem. But the most difficult task is to attribute all our talents, accomplishments and initiatives, our very personality and self identity to the Master of the universe who has bestowed us with whatever we possess!

The word used for Hashem, א-ד-נ-י, is read ַא-ֹד-ָנ-י with a ָ ,קמץ, not with a ַא-ֹד-ִנ-ִי ,חיריק . This is strange because the first pronunciation according to grammatical rules means ‘my Masters’ whereas the second translates as ‘my Master’!? Why the plural if we are indeed referring to the One and Only Master?

The Maharal teaches that when we use a ַ in the word , פתח, it would clearly imply the plural, my Masters. By utilizing a ,ַא-ֹד-ַנ-י a flat , חיריק, ִ and a , פתח, ַ which is a combination of both a , קמץ, ָline with a dot beneath it, we are seeking to emphasize both a sense of the plural and the singular. (גור אריה ריש פרשת וירא)

Perhaps we can interpret this idea in our context in the following way:

We are each uniquely equipped with the faculties we need to serve Hashem. Even when we choose to develop them it is all due to the benevolence of our Creator that we succeed. The wealth, strength, beauty, intellect, skills and insight are not our’s to own and be boastful. They are our G-d directed ‘Masters’ in a sense, thus the ‘plural’, that challenge us to channel these talents to the ultimate

‘Master’ by devoting them all to His service, the ‘singular’ purpose of existence!

Avraham Avinu fathomed that it wasn’t enough to merely submit and recognize a higher ‘power’, but rather to understand that each one of us has a privilege of discovering our roles in utilizing our special talents toward a much greater goal in serving Hashem. There was no one greater than our Patriarch Avraham, who channeled every fiber of his personality and being in asserting Hashem’s Singularity!

In the Selichos for the Fast of Esther we say, זמם לשקול לגנזי אדונים He (Haman) conspired to weigh out for the treasury .חליפי מאת ככרי אדניםof his ‘masters’ (silver) equal to the hundred kikar-weight sockets (of the Tabernacle).

Haman sought to deny man his unique relationship with a Creator. He attempted to “master” his own fate in the tradition of Amalek who refuses to accept this possibility. He enlisted all his ‘talents’, silver and otherwise, in an arrogant and smug display of defiance against G-d, claiming allegiance to his personal ‘mastery’ of his own fate. It was the 'אדנים', the sockets, the very ‘foundation’ of our consciousness of the relationship between the written and spoken name of Hashem that reflects on our selfless devotion of all our resources in absolute service of the only true ‘Master’!

It is no coincidence that the numerical equivalent of 'מאדך' ,בכל with all your ‘resources’ and the term 'א-ד-נ-י', the expressed name of G-d as ‘Master’ are equivalent (65)!

May each one of us discover the gifts we have been granted and utilize them in bringing His presence into our lives. If we do, we will defeat the enemy of selfishness and achieve happiness with ourselves and joy in our serving Hashem!


5. Is it preferable to spend more money on Matanos lèvyonim or mishloach manos?




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In this week’s parsha we are treated to

some of the descriptions of the building

of the Mishkan and its keilim. The Torah

goes to great lengths in describing many

specific details in order to accentuate how

special and Holy a 'בית ה is. How amazing it

was for כלל ישראל to have a physical place of

heightened presence of Hashem’s kedushah

in this world. Although we do not merit

the existence of such a makom kadosh

at this time, we know that many of the

representations of the service done in the

.are reflected for us today as well בית ה'

One of these manifestations is that the shulchan

represents our parnassah. The gemara in Bava Basra

(25b) quotes Rav Yitzchak as saying, “He who wishes

to be rich should turn North” which is in reference

to the shulchan which was placed in the North

of the Kodesh. The shulchan housed the lechem

hapanimi, the twelve loaves of bread that stayed on

the shulchan all week long [the passuk (Vayikra 24:8)

tell us ביום השבת ביום השבת יערכנו לפני ה' תמיד מאת בני

עולם ברית and were eaten by the Kohanim [”"ישראל

on the following Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos. They

were miraculous in that although they were a week

old, they tasted fresh each time. Considering the

aforementioned relationship between the shulchan,

lechem hapanim and one’s parnassah, it is curious

that Hashem set Shabbos as the day that they

should be switched weekly. Why establish the time

of renewal for the profusion of man’s livelihood on

the one day of the week that we don’t work? It would

seem that it would be most appropriate to do so on

one of the days of the week, and certainly not on

Shabbos.

Rav Chaggai Preschel (in his sefer on Chumash בחגוי

gives the following insightful answer. Man’s (הסלע

livelihood comes as a result of Hashem’s bracha. The

source of all such benefit in the world is Shabbos, as

we sing every week in our Kabbolas Shabbos לקראת“

היא מקור הברכה.” כי ולכה לכו Part of what we are שבת

meant to take away from our day of rest, is the idea

that we are not in control of how things work out. In

our day to day existence, however, it is sometimes

hard to remember this message. The significance

behind the weekly switch of the lechem hapanim is

as an embodiment of the source of our blessings –

they are directly from Hashem. Precisely on the day

that we refrain from focusing in these areas, a day

when we could mistakenly think that we are losing

out, or at least not advancing, in these areas, we are

reminded that the power of Shabbos and its bracha

is the source. It is for this reason that some people

have the minhag of using twelve loaves of bread on

Shabbos in commemoration of the lechem hapanim.

The shapes of our challos are also meant to remind us

of these special loaves (see Menachos 94b). Although

we do not have the actual lechem hapanim today, we

are able to connect to this special message through

our lechem mishnah each Shabbos. May we merit

the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash very soon

where we will be able to see these expressions of

Hashem's bracha up close!

Hashem’s Bracha

Rabbi Aryeh LichtmanDean of Admissions, AISH Gesher

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes6. In Yerushalayim, Purim is observed on which day?



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AYour Weekly Spark of Chassidus

Rabbi Tal Moshe ZweckerMipeninei Noam Elimelech

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes7. When is Hallel said on Purim?

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Turning The World Upside Down

You shall make an Aron of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length…(Shemos 25:10)

The Gemara teaches, “The payment of a double portion [of damages] is greater than the payment of four and five [times as much paid for damages]” (Bava Kama 62b). This hints that the Tzaddik must unify the two worlds, the lower and upper worlds, together by elevating and rectifying the four letters of the divine Name of Hashem, Havayah, which allude to the four worlds [the worlds of Asiyah, Action; Yetzirah, Formation; Beriah, Creation; and Atzilus, Emanation] until he reaches the sefirah of Chochmah, Wisdom, alluded to by the letter yud of the Name. From there he can reach the fifth dimension [known as Tzachtzachos] alluded to by the “thorn” shape on the tip of the letter yud.

[It seems the Rebbe learns from this gemara that the two worlds, the upper and lower worlds, called here a “double portion,” are made greater when unified through “the measurements of four and five” — the four-letter Name and the fifth part, which is the thorn, or crown, on the letter yud in the Name. The letters of the four-letter divine Name allude to the ten sefiros. The final hei alludes to Malchus, the lowest sefirah. The vav alludes to Tiferes, which is comprised of six sefiros: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The initial letter hei represents Binah, Understanding, and the yud represents Chochmah, Wisdom. The kotz, or protrusion, on the yud alludes to Keser, the Crown and highest level.]

This is the meaning of the following Talmudic statement: “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was ill and bedridden. When he became conscious, his father asked, ‘Son, what did you see?’ ‘Father, I saw an upside-down world — I saw the upper beings below and the lower ones above.’ He answered him: ‘Son, you saw a clear world’ ” (Pesachim 50a). Hashem Yisbarach created this world in such a way that yeish, substance, sprung from ayin, nothingness.

The Tzaddik comes and does the reverse: from reality, from yeish, he makes ayin, nothing. [From the physical, he elevates it to bring out the spiritual, nullifying the physical, earthly matter.]1 If the Tzaddik wishes to accomplish something spiritual, like nullifying harsh heavenly decrees, he must lift this matter back up to the primordial thought that it came from: to the dimension of Chochmah. There it is nullified into ayin, nothingness, as it says,“Wisdom comes from ayin” (Iyov 28:12).

This is the meaning of “I saw upper beings below” — that the upper worlds are drawn down by the Tzaddik while he uplifts the lower worlds, unifying them into one.

The Sage [in the gemara] says: “Son, you saw a clear world.” This implies that every man’s divine service must be done in the following manner: “The payment of a double portion is greater than the payment of four and five” — the Tzaddik does much good with this trait of כפל תשלומי, “paying double,” meaning that he makes peace [ שלום ] between the upper worlds and the lower worlds, unifying them. “Double,” then, refers to the upper and lower worlds [which are unified]. And they are merubah, “great,” since the worlds are numerous and almost infinite. How does the Tzaddik accomplish this? Through “paying four” — through rectifying the four worlds, which correspond to the four-letter divine Name of Hashem. The “fifth payment” corresponds to the point on the letter yud, which parallels the fifth world or dimension where the Tzaddik rises to Chochmah. In this way he unifies the worlds.

SWITCHING PLACES

Rav Avraham Chaim Michaelson, the son of the av beis din of Plunsk, related that when Rebbe Elimelech and his brother the Rebbe Reb Zisha wandered the world on foot in self-imposed exile, they used to stay in a town by the name of Lodmir with a certain chassid named Reb Aharon. This chassid was a descendant of the famous Rebbe Aharon of Karlin. Later, when Rebbe Elimelech and Rebbe Zisha became well-known Rebbes, they stayed in a small village near Lodmir. A certain wealthy man from Lodmir came and invited them to lodge in his home. They told him to head into town ahead of them, and they would follow. This time they would be entering the town in a horse-drawn carriage, unlike before, when they came on foot disguised as beggars. Once in Lodmir, they made their way to the house of their good friend Reb Aharon. The wealthy man came to find them and complained.

“We are the same people as we were before,” they told him, “so why should we change our lodgings? The only thing that has changed is that this time we came in horse and carriage. And so,” they concluded, “take the horses and the carriage and they will lodge with you!”

(Eser Tzachtzachos 54; Ohel Elimelech 258)

Notes: 1. In this vein, it says in HaYom Yom for Monday, 29 Adar Sheini 5703: “My father said at

a farbrengen: G-d created the universe and all physical objects yeish mei’ayin, something from

nothing. Jews must transform the ‘something’ into ‘nothing’ — they must transform the material

into the spiritual. The avodah of turning the physical into the spiritual and making the physical

into an instrument for the spiritual is a personal obligation. Every single person is required to do

this on an individual level.” Similarly, in HaYom Yom for Monday, 27 Elul 5703, it says: “From the

holy teachings of the Alter Rebbe: ‘Yisrael, one nation on the earth’ (Divrei HaYamim I 17:21) —

the nation of Israel, even in this earthly world, is bound up with the one G-d. G-d transforms the

spiritual into something material; Israel transforms the material into something spiritual.”




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Shem Mishmuel Trumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19)

Rabbi Dr Zvi BelovskiRav Golders Green Synagogue

Three CrownsRabbi Shimon said, "There are three crowns: the crown

of Torah, the crown of kehunah (priesthood), and the crown of malchus (kingship). But the crown of a good name is greater than them all." (Avos 4:13)

Three of the four primary objects in the holiest part of the Beis HaMikdash had crowns, that is, golden rims decorating them: the Ark of the Covenant, the Golden Table, and the Golden Altar had rims, but the Menorah did not. The Ark, which contained the two tablets given by God to Moshe, obviously corresponds to the crown of Torah; the Golden Altar, on which the kohanim offered the incense, corresponds to the crown of kehunah; and the Golden Table, on which the special bread was placed, corresponds to the crown of malchus. The Midrash (Bemidbar Rabba 14:9) tells us that the Menorah, which had no crown, corresponds to the crown of a good name. Let us investigate the meaning behind all of this.

WHAT'S IN A CROWN?The word used by the Torah for the decorative crowns on the

sacred objects in the Mishkan is zer. This word is closely related to the word nazir, designating a nazirite, someone who dedicates his life to holy purposes by abstaining from wine and certain other things for a designated period. The Torah teaches us that he must avoid contact with corpses for:

...the nezer [crown] of God is upon his head. (Bamidbar 6:7)

The crown of God is upon his head - know that all humans serve earthly desires, but the true king, who has the crown and diadem of malchus on his head, is one who is free from earthly desires. (Ibn Ezra loc. cit.)

So it seems that the zer symbolizes raising oneself above the usual desires of humanity and entering a holier and more spiritual realm. Just as a crown sits on the king's head, above his whole person, so too, the spiritual crown sets a person above the norms of the physical world.

Each of the three vessels in the Mishkan, which represent the Torah, malchus, and kehunah, indicates that there is a need to rise above the potentially harmful elements inherent in each concept. Torah study, while clearly essential to Jewish life, carries the possibility of arrogance. Indeed, excellence at Torah study can result in a false feeling of superiority over one's peers. The king must obviously be very careful not to overrate himself and lord it over his subjects, for he is automatically showered with honor and respect. The extra restrictions applicable to a king testify to the necessity for care in this area. Similarly, the kohen commands a position of great respect in the community, whose atonement, Torah study, and many other factors depend on him. This position

can be abused to the spurious advantage of the unscrupulous; great care is needed to avoid this. So each of these three great gifts to klal Yisrael - Torah, malchus, and kehunah - need special attention to ensure that they are used only for holy rather than self-seeking purposes. The crowns on the Ark, Table, and Altar represent this constant need.

However, the Menorah, which represents the good name attainable by every member of klal Yisrael, has no rim. The brightly burning lamps of the Menorah shine forth with the glow of Godly light, which can be received and internalized by all who seek it. There is no potential bad associated with this pure Divine influence, only good for those who are prepared for it. Thus the Menorah, alone among the vessels in the Beis HaMikdash, has no golden rim.

SHABBOS AND SHALOSH REGALIMThis analysis gives us a fascinating insight into the nature

of the yamim tovim vis-a-vis the weekly Shabbos. Each of the shalosh regalim, the three major Festivals, can be linked to one of the crowns we mentioned above. Pesach was the moment when klal Yisrael became a royal nation, fit for special treatment by God. This corresponds to the crown of malchus. Shavuos, when the Torah was given to klal Yisrael, obviously corresponds to the crown of Torah. Finally, Sukkos corresponds to the crown of kehunah, for Sukkos and Aharon, the founding father of the priesthood and the quintessential kohen, are intimately linked.

Each of these three festivals has the inherent danger we discussed earlier. As such, extra care must be taken at these times to avoid misusing their great spiritual potential for selfish uses. Indeed, each of the shalosh regalim has an element of judgment associated with it, which reflects the fact that one's service of God is under scrutiny at these times:

At four junctures of the year the world is judged: on Pesach for the grain, on Shavuos for the fruit, on Sukkos for the water... (Mishnah, Rosh HaShanah 1:2)

This element of judgment, however, is not present on Shabbos. This is analogous to the Menorah, which has no golden rim. According to the philosophy of the Arizal, there is no potential for abuse present in the atmosphere which prevails on Shabbos; everything can be used for spiritual progress on that day.

Excerpted from Shem MiShmuel by the Sochatchover Rebbe, rendered into English by Rabbi Zvi Belovski, published by Targum Press

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes8. The day before Purim is called?



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Journey through NachMy new book Journey through Nach has is on the way to the shops in Israel today: perek summaries on every perek in Nach, over 100 divrei torah, iyun articles, maps and more! for more info or to order via email please email [email protected]


9. In addition to hamantaschen, what other food is traditionally eaten at Purim?

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Sefer Shoftim (Chapter 4-7) The Haftara for Beshalach is from Shoftim 4:4-5:31

Perek 4:The nation continued to serve idols and so Hashem handed

Bnei Yisrael to the merciless Canaanites. Sisera, the Canaanite general, had 900 iron chariots and the frightened Bnei Yisrael beseeched Hashem. Devorah, their judge,1 led the people while sitting under a palm tree2. Devorah and Barak marshalled and moved the troops, causing Sisera to attack. Hashem confused Sisera and his army, leading to their heavy defeat. Sisera sought refuge with Yael the Kenite, who seduced Sisera and fed him dairy products to cause him to sleep. She then drove a tent peg through his temple, killing him in his sleep. Bnei Yisrael destroyed Canaan and their king, Yavin. See the in-depth article on Yael and Esther for how Yael was allowed to do this.

Perek 5:This perek is Shiras Devorah, the celebratory song3 Devorah

(and Barak4) sang praising Hashem for the great military victory. The song describes the astonishing miracle of how there was not a spear to be found among Bnei Yisrael and yet they were still victorious. The Radak understands that we did not need to use our spears, whilst the Ralbag explains that we possessed very few spears. Devorah criticized some tribes for not assisting in the war effort, and praised Yael for her courage. Devorah presented the image of Sisera’s mother’s anguish when Sisera did not arrive.

Note that the source for our one hundred shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah is because of Sisera’s mother’s one hundred moans over her son. We either wish to counteract these evil cries with the pure spiritual sound of the shofar, or, Sisera’s mother’s cries show us the level of regret one can get to. We then harness these levels of regret in our repentance on Rosh Hashanah (Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky).

Following the military victory, there was tranquillity for a further 40 years.

1 Whether she was a judge in the ‘halachic decisor’ sense is subject to a dispute between the two views voiced in Tosafos (Shevuos 29b ‘shevuas’). For the general rule is that 'only one who may be a witness may judge,' and women are excluded from being witnesses (Gemara Shevuos 29b and 30a). Thus, Tosafos opines that either the people accepted Devorah's rulings upon themselves, or else she was not a judge - she merely stated what halacha dictated in any given situation. See also Rambam hilchos Melachim 1:5 and Sefer Hachinuch #77.2 This was to avoid suspicions of yichud (Metzudas David 4:5).3 The Malbim writes (6:1) that this song was of such spiritual power that the people’s past sins were forgiven, hence when they sinned again in perek 6 the passuk (1) drops its normal term that

‘the people continued to sin’ (see 3:12 and 4:1) and instead says ‘the people sinned’ – for this song gave them a new slate. The explanation for this seems to be that all their past sins were used to power this song – they saw that they had sinned and gave thanks to Hashem for being saved from such physical and spiritual lowliness. Thus, since the sins formed part of the mitzvah of the song, they were turned from sin to mitzvah themselves – complete repentance and forgiveness (based on Rav Dessler’s explanation of Teshuva in M’M chelek 4 p83) 4 Though both Devorah and Barak sung this song, it was Devorah alone who composed it (Ralbag).

Perek 6:Bnei Yisrael were delivered to Midian for seven years. The

oppression forced Bnei Yisrael into hiding, with some people even resorting to underground tunnels (Metzudas David 6:2). The Midianites stole their grain and looted their animals. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem and an angel (Pinchas [Rashi 6:8]) appeared to Gidon and told him “Hashem is with you”. Gidon wanted an assurance from Hashem5; he offered meat and matzos on a rock which were consumed by fire, although his broth offering was not consumed. See the Ralbag (6:21) who notes several parallels between this event and that of Eliyahu at Har Hacarmel. Gidon asked for two additional signs, and overnight, dew appeared on a fleece of wool but not elsewhere on the threshing floor, and this occurred vice-versa the following night6. Gidon took ten men and destroyed his father’s and neighbors’ idolatrous altars of Baal, and instead built a new sacred altar upon which he offered sacrifices to Hashem. Gidon’s tribe found him to be ‘the culprit’ of the idol-destruction and demanded his death. His father, Yoash, defended him, arguing that if Baal was truly a god, he should take up his personal grievances against Gidon. Gidon was nicknamed Yerubaal – ‘Let Baal fight him’ after this incident.

Perek 7:

Gidon gathered an army of 32,000 men to fight the Midianites, but Hashem ordered that the number be reduced to highlight the miraculous nature of the victory. Upon Gidon allowing those who were afraid to return home 10,000 men remained. Hashem told Gidon to further reduce the size of his army, and Gidon took his army to the river. Those who bent down to the water to drink were disqualified for armed service, because the bowing down was a sign that they had bowed to idols (Rashi) or it was a sign of laziness (Ralbag). To reassure Gidon of victory in war, Hashem told him to go to the edge of the Midianite camp and listen for news from the enemy camp. He overheard an enemy soldier reporting a dream of a rolling cake flattening the Midianite camp and then interpreting it as Hashem delivering Midian into Gidon’s hands. The 300 men ran towards the camp blowing shofars (to call on the merit of Mattan Torah; Rashi), breaking jugs, and holding torches. The Midianites fled and were met by Efraim who pursued Midian, successfully capturing and killing two princes of Midian - Orev and Z’ev.

5 Note the constant oscillation between ‘an angel’ speaking to Gidon and Hashem speaking to Gidon Himself (Rashi 8:13).6 See the Malbim for an in-depth expansion of the significance of these signs.

לע''נ

יפה שינדל בת ר' יחזקאל ע"הלע''נ

ר' שלום שכנא בן ר' חיים יעקב ז"ל




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ALiving with Emunah A Six Part Series

Rabbi Yonason RoodynAish UK P

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The third of the six constant mitzvos appears

to be the easiest of them all. We affirm our

belief in one G-d daily in the shema and

whilst belief in many gods may have been in

vogue in ancient times or in distant cultures,

most of us don’t grapple with this issue on a

regular basis.

Furthermore, once we have established belief or

knowledge of Hashem in the first of the constant mitzvos

and have rejected the belief in other powers in the second

one, what does this mitzvah actually add?

The Sefer Hachinuch1 defines the mitzvah as follows:-

‘We are commanded to understand that Hashem, blessed is

He, is the cause for all that exists, the Master of all, the One

and Only, without any partnerships whatsoever, as the posuk

says2 ‘Hear O Israel, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One’. This

posuk is a commandment, not merely a declaration. The

definition of shema is therefore, ‘accept from me, know and

believe that Hashem who is our G-d, is One.’

The ancient world was full of cultures and philosophies

that saw different forces at play in the world, light and dark,

good and evil, right and wrong and drew the conclusion

that there are a number of powers who are locked in a

perpetual battle. The forces of good and evil are seen as

independent rivals, neither of whom can fully overcome

the other until the end of time. There would be times when

the forces of good would have the upper hand and life

would be pleasant, and times when the dark forces of evil

would overpower them and life would be tough.

We live in a world where unfortunately it does seem that

way. The very word for world עולם is related to the word

concealment, because in order for there to be free ,נעלם

will, Hashem has to conceal His Presence, so that we have

to make a real choice to do His will. When times are good

1 מצוה תי''ז2 דברים ו':ד'

we are ready to thank Hashem, but it is far more difficult

to see painful and challenging situations as coming from

Him too.

The notion of שתי רשיות, of more than one god, of course

stands in contrast to everything we understand about

One Infinite Being. In fact the posuk in Yeshaya3 says

that Hashem is the רע ובורא שלום עושה חושך ובורא אור ,יוצר Hashem is the source of light and dark and of both good

and evil. Whilst this may seem to be a shocking statement,

it lies at the heart of the mitzvah of yichud Hashem.

The Gemara4 tells us that during shacharis we are to

mention the night and during maariv we must mention

the day. We do this by saying יוצר אור ובורא חושך עושה שלום The Aruch .גולל אור מפני חושך וחושך מפני אור and ובורא את הכל

Hashulchan5 explains that this is to refute the false beliefs

of those who believe that there are multiple forces at work.

Rather both light and dark, day and night are a function of

the will of One Infinite Being who gives each element of

creation its own role and remit.

Whilst it is relatively easy to see Hashem’s providential

Hand and to thank Him when everything seems to be

going well, life doesn’t always work out that way. There

are times in life where everything appears bleak, we may

even feel distant from Hashem and it seems like He has

abandoned us. This is where our emunah is needed most

as the posuk says 6ואמונתך בלילות, Your faithfulness in the

nights.

The mitzvah of Yichud Hashem is to go through life with

a constant sense of awareness of the fact that everything

that happens to us, whether it seems good or appears bad,

all emanates from One source, the Infinite Creator and

Sustainer of the universe. Someone who is able to develop

this sense of consciousness really lives with emunah and

is able to contextualise and even grow from challenging

and painful situations.

3 ישעיה מ''ה:ז'4 ברכות יא:

5 או''ח נ''ט:ד'6 תהלים צ''ב:ב'

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes10. In a leap year, in which month is Purim celebrated?



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Jewish Classics

Reb Osher Chaim LeveneEitz Chaim

Living with Emunah A Six Part Series

Rabbi Yonason RoodynAish UK


11. The passage in the Megillah which signals the beginning of the salvation of the Jewish people is?

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The Path Of The Just - מסילת ישריםPiety (Chapter 18-19) / חסידות

DEFINITION Many confuse genuine “Piety” due to artificial practices that purport

to resemble piety (e.g. lengthy confessions, mortification, wailings etc.).

Piety goes far beyond the requisite level of mitzvah performance binding on the masses. It is reserved for the wise rather than the masses. Like a son is lovingly aware of his beloved father’s wishes, a Chasid (pious person) intuits what is pleasing before G-d without any recourse to direct instructions. So Piety conveys the depth of a loving relationship – one where the Chasid, having deduced G-d’s desire, expands his service to willingly devote additional efforts in this area to give pleasure to his Creator.

“Piety” in positive commandments is similar to “Abstinence” for the prohibitive commandments. Its objective is to go beyond the basic obligations to interpret the additional component that is pleasing before G-d.

ELEMENTS

The 3 elements of Piety relate to (1) action (2) mode of application (3) Intentions.

1. Action

a. Man and his Creator – relationship with the Shechinah – the Chasid even gets involved in what is only the “remnants of a mitzvah”

b. Man and his fellow – kindness and care to his fellow not to cause his physical distress (share burden, prevent bodily harm), commercial harm (financial assistance, potential loss of money), or spiritual harm (doing deeds to please another, nothing to hurt another’s feelings, pursuit of peace).

c. (Examples of true piety include respect for Torah-study hall, shunning honor, and constant thoughts of Torah.)

d. Chassidus, “Piety” is derived from chesed, “kindness”. One of the pillars of creation, “kindness” extends beyond “charity”. Where man acts with mercy and kindness that extends to all creatures, G-d acts likewise. This trait sees the Chasid trying to please others and to never cause them harm.

2. Mode of Applicationa. Fear of G-d (yirah) – submissiveness before G-d, fear to

approach G-d, and honor given to His Torah, His Holy Name and the mitzvos.

b. Know that man always stands before G-d Whose exalted greatness is beyond human comprehension. And consider man’s lowliness. His base instincts and sinfulness should cause him to tremble before G-d.

c. The awe in man’s joyous service of G-d must first rule over his heart and only later be outwardly manifest in his body (i.e. through a bowed head or clapped hand like a servant before a master etc).

d. An adjunct to fear is “honor” (kovod). There is a duty to glorify G-d (though He has no need for this honor), to beautify and embellish His mitzvos. Applications include water for libations, choicest animals for a sacrifice (unlike Kayin), ceremony in bringing bikkurim, wear royal clothing for a mitzvah (learned from Eisav), honor of preparing for Shabbos, honor towards Torah (like Achav) its scrolls, texts, scholars, studying halls and synagogues and astuteness to search for innovative ways to honor G-d.

e. Love of G-d (ahavah) – man pines for G-d’s closeness; his heart/soul long to serve G-d at any opportunity like a deer running to a brook. He never forgoes an opportunity. The mere mention of G-d’s Name is a cause for delight. And his love of G-d is natural like a son’s love for his father. The true test of this love is in times of suffering. Firstly, man must realize that whatever happens is for the best – acting like a patient who has gratitude to the doctor for amputating a limb in order to save his life. Secondly, the wise view the trying circumstances themselves as the occasion for man to express his love – like the victory of a general that proclaims his might on the battlefield.

There are 3 divisions of this love:

i. Cleaving to G-d (d’veykus) – complete and constant connection where man cannot bear to depart from his Beloved – and which leaves no space for any personal concern

ii. Serve G-d with joy (simcha) – where man’s heart is filled with the joy to serve G-d being preoccupied with mitzvah observance. His lips sing out and his joy increases the more he gains knowledge of G-d. The Temple’s destruction was because of the absence of this joy in serving G-d.

iii. Zealousness (kinah) – zealous on behalf of G-d against His enemies. Not to protest a wrongdoing (if his objection will be effective) is equivalent to committing that sin. Do not passively sit back to watch a desecration of G-d’s Name. Lovers of G-d are those who hate evil.

3. Intentions A Chasid has no ulterior motive or personal agenda. His efforts and

actions are exclusively to increase the G-d’s Glory and Divine Presence by sanctifying His Name. He acts with Piety towards His Creator, yearns for mankind to act similarly, and is sad at the intentional or unintentional diminishing of G-d’s Glory. He is pained at Israel’s exile and Temple’s destruction. He prays for the Final Redemption even if G-d decides that the time is not yet right. He yearns for Israel’s glorification that is tied up with Glory of G-d.

Another primary component of intention is the Chasid’s concern about his generation’s welfare (like the High Priest) whose Piety atones for and shields them from retribution. G-d similarly loves Jewish “shepherds” (like Gidon) whose dedication to their flock is like a father’s love to those who love his son.

to be continued




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The Weekly Halachic Conversation

Rabbi Avi WiesenfeldRosh Kollel, Yerushalayim and Rav at Kav Halacha Beis Horaah

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Purim The Mitzvah of Mishloach Monos

The mitzvah of sending Mishloach Monos was introduced during the time of Mordechai and Ester.1 There are two reasons offered for this mitzvah: Some say that the reason is to ensure that everyone has ample food for the Purim Seudah2, others write that it was instituted to promote friendship amongst people on Purim.3

There are, in fact, many differences between these two opinions:

If the recipient doesn’t want to accept the gift ; according to the first opinion, one has not fulfilled his obligation since one hasn’t provided anything for his seudah, but according to the second opinion, one has fulfilled his obligation since he saw that I tried.

If one leaves the food by the front door without writing who it came from; according to the first opinion, one has fulfilled his obligation as he provided food, but according to the second opinion, one hasn’t fulfilled his obligation since the recipient doesn’t know from whom it came from.

If the food gets ruined on the way; according to the first opinion, he has not fulfilled his obligation, as he didn’t provide anything for the seudah, whereas according to the second opinion, he has fulfilled his obligation as he showed that he made the effort.

If one sends a non-food item; according to the first opinion, he has not fulfilled his obligation, but according to the second opinion, he has.

The final halachah is that we try to satisfy both opinions.

Q. Why is there no berachah recited on this mitzvah?

A. Various answers are offered regarding this question: if one were to make a beracha as one gave it, it would significantly reduce the friendship shown upon presenting it, since it would be looked upon as ‘just another mitzvah’!.4 Nevertheless, when one hears the beracha before the megillah of "שהחיינו" during the day reading, he should have intention to exempt the shelach monos that he will be sending later that day.

Q. When is the best time to send one’s shelach monos?

A. As with any other mitzvah – למצוות מקדימין the sooner the – זריזין better. In fact, some Poskim hold that one should not eat (a substantial amount of food, tasting is permitted) until he has given at least one shelach monos.5 Most Poskim allow one to eat before fulfilling the mitzvah.6

Q. What if one sent an item with an inadequate hechsher or that cannot be eaten due to dietary restrictions?

A. One has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation.7

1 גמ' מגילה ז., רמ"א סי' תרצה.2 תרומת הדשן סי' קיא.

3 ר' שלמה אלקביץ זצ"ל במנות הלוי.4 הגרש"ז זצ"ל בהליכות שלמה XXX, שו"ת תשובות והנהגות XX. וע,ע במקראי קודש.

5 הגרש"ז זצ"ל, שו"ת אז נדברו ח"ו, הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א במו"ז ח"ב.6 הגרי"ש אלישיב ועוד פוסקים. וכן המנהג.

7 שו"ת קנין תורה ח"ז סי' נה, הגרש"ז זצ"ל מהליכות שלמה פי"ט סי"א.

Q. May one buy a dish that requires tevilas keilim, e.g., a glass dish, and fill it with food to use as shelach monos?

A. This happens to be one of the most frequently asked questions in the weeks leading to Purim! Any utensil that is made of metal, glass, Pyrex, etc. that is bought from a non-Jew requires tevilah before it is used. A common mistake that is often made in this area of halacha is that one is allowed to ‘use it once’ before it is toiveled. There is no basis for this in halacha.8 The problem begins when ones buys a utensil for the purpose of filling it with food and giving it as a present. Only a utensil that one buys to be used for food purposes requires tevilah, which is why the shopkeeper didn’t need to toivel the dish when he originally bought it, since his intention was for business purposes, not to be used for food; whereas one purchasing it in our situation is primarily buying it for a gift for someone else to use it for food.9

So What Can Be Done?

There are numerous ideas that one can do in this situation:

• Some Poskim suggest to toivel the utensil without a beracha before placing food in it.10

• One can wrap the food or tray with cellophane/plastic wrap separating the utensil from contacting the food.11

• One can acquire the gift for a recipient through someone else as a shliach, and now it becomes a utensil for food purposes (since it now belongs to the person who will be using it for that purpose), thus obligated in tevilah according to all opinions. This is accomplished by asking a third party to lift it up on behalf of the intended recipient. (Not all Poskim agree with this method12)

• The best idea in this case, which was suggested to me by Rav Ezriel Aurbach Shlita is to simply have intention to use it oneself before giving it away as a present. For example, after toiveling it, one can eat some of the sweets or chocolates from it, thus making it a utensil intended for food use, and it was obligated in tevilah.

Next week we will look at more halachos of Purim, including the Megillah and Getting Drunk…

8 עי' רמ"א יו"ד סי' קכ ס"ח, שו"ת הרדב"ז מכתב יד סי' קו, שו"ת חת"ס יו"ד סו"ס קכ.9 ס' מקור חיים מובא בס' טבילת כלים עמ' קסד. ודעת הגרנ"ק שליט"א מובא בס' הבית בכשרותו דכלי זה חייב

בטבילה, ודעת הגרי"ש אלישיב זצ"ל שאינו חייב בטבילה.10 כן הורה הגר"נ קרליץ שליט"א מובא בס' הבית בכשרותו עמ' ק, וכעין קיוסק שמוכר כוס של מיץ שצריכים להטביל

הכלים.11 בן איש חי ש"ש פ' מטות אות יד.וכן דעת הגר"א וויס שליט"א. ויש מחמחירם גם בזה, עי' בשו"ת מנח"ש סי' סח אות

ה.12 הגרש"ז זצ"ל בס' הנ"ל "דיש חשש שכבר יש לו כלי כזה או שמא ירצה בסוג אחר ויחזור וימכרנו לאחר, וכיון שכן

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Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes12. What are the four mitzvos of Purim?



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ITYA Practical Guide to the Halochos of Communal

Obligations, Mitzvas Tzedokoh and Ma’aser KesofimExcerpts from the sefer Easy Giving / פתח תפתח את ידך (which includes extensive notes and comprehensive halachic sources), authored by Eli Katz and Emanuel Meyer and available from seforim shops in NW London. H

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EasyG

iving – פתוח תפתח את ידך

tzedakah book cov katz meyer Mar14 COVER SPREADS v10.indd 1

11/04/2014 16:18


13. Who said this and to whom? “And who knows whether it was only for this moment that you were elevated to royalty?”

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רות שאשא בת יעקב מאיר ע"הMincha @ Finchley CentralMon-Thurs 23rd-26th Feb (Tezaveh)

The Old School House, Victoria AvenueLondon N3 1GG

4:15pm

Last week, we identified the source of the obligation for every member of every community to support the essential communal infrastructure and also the strength of this obligation.

Section A – Communal Obligations Chapter 1 – The Communal Obligations of the individual

B. A list of essential communal institutions.

A list of essential communal infrastructure includes the following:a. Shul.b. Mikvah.c. School.d. Sefer Torah and Tenach.e. Communal welfare fund.f. Rov.g. Chazan.h. Beis Din.

C. Definition of ‘community’.1. The definition of a community or city, for the purposes

of these laws, depends to some degree on self-perception. Thus, although the people of North-West London for example, live in London, since they do not consider those living in other distinct parts of London, for example, in Ilford, Stamford Hill or Kingsbury, as belonging to the same community, therefore the communal obligations incumbent upon those living in North-West London would not apply to those living in the other aforementioned areas.

2. This ruling would certainly apply to those areas which are not within easy walking distance, or do not share a common communal infrastructure.

3. In addition, each particular community can also be classified as a separate ‘town’. Thus a specific community can obligate its members to contribute to its own essential infrastructure, even if another local community fills an identical need.

D. Precedence of communal obligations relative to tzedokoh & ma’aser kesofim.

1. Since the community tax is a financial obligation of each individual, therefore it fully precedes any tzedokoh cause.

2. Further, the community tax is a debt which can be enforced in beis din, the same way as a regular financial obligation.

3. As regards ma’aser kesofim the issue is even clearer. For since according to most authorities (see future article - Section C), the allocation of ten percent of one’s income for tzedokoh or similar, is based on a widely accepted minhag rather than a mitzvoh, it is clear that the community tax which is a firm obligation, has clear precedence.

4. Even according to those who hold that nowadays the community tax is not enforceable by beis din, however, since this obligation is a personal debt it would take precedence over any mitzvoh.

5. In conclusion, all community obligations take precedence over any tzedokoh.

E. Using ma’aser kesofim funds for the communal obligations

1. Ma’aser kesofim is a well accepted practice, where one donates ten percent of one’s earnings to tzedokoh, (see future article - Section C). In general, one may not use ma’aser kesofim monies for any debts or obligatory payments. Thus, since the communal obligations are standard financial obligations, as explained previously, many poskim hold that they should not be paid out of ma’aser kesofim funds.

2. This restriction applies only in those communities, such as Basle or Zurich, where the community tax is formally instituted, invoiced and the collection can be enforced. However, in nearly all communities today your communal obligations can be included in your ma’aser kesofim allocation. There are a number of reasons for this:a. According to some opinions, it is permitted to use

ma’aser kesofim funds for communal obligations.b. A number of contemporary sources state – frequently

basing themselves on the above quoted opinion – that where the obligation is not implemented as a communal tax imposed by the community, then ma’aser kesofim funds can be used. This is especially the case when taking into account that Jewish communities today are no longer independent and self-governing as they were in earlier times, and therefore communal commitments are less rigid.

c. Even, for example, the proposed North-West London Schools Takonoh 5774 (as will be described in a future article and which recommends that 20% of one’s total tzedokah donations should be allocated to local schools) is not structured as a compulsory obligation. Rather, it is expressed, deliberately, as a strong recommendation as to how you should distribute your tzedokoh and ma’aser kesofim. It is not invoiced and is not claimable in beis din, and would not be considered obligatory and therefore could constitute part of your tzedokoh or ma’aser kesofim payments.

To Be Continued ..




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Bubby's BlogA single statement said to me by a holy woman when I was 37 years old turned my whole life inside out - or rather, outside in.

After living for 15 years in an Indian ashram, I had come to Israel to search for my Jewish roots. A friend who was editing a book asked me to write a chapter on "Holy Women in Israel." My search led me to a ramshackle rural settlement in the Jezreel Valley to meet Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Kramer. I had been told that she was a Holocaust survivor. At the age of 20, she had been taken to Auschwitz, where her whole family had been murdered on the first night there. She had been kept alive to be experimented on by the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele. Now I was sitting across a rickety table from Rebbetzin Chaya Sara, eating cucumbers and farmers' cheese, interviewing her about her life, and particularly the Holocaust.

"Auschwitz was not a bad place," she said to me.

What? I was sure that I hadn't heard her correctly. I asked her to repeat her statement.

"Auschwitz was not a bad place," she repeated clearly. "There was a group of religious girls there. We stuck together. And all the mitzvos [commandments] that we could keep, we did keep. For example, one girl kept track of the days, so we always knew when it was Shabbos, and whenever possible, we avoided doing any forbidden work. We recited blessings over our food, meager as it was."

The holy woman fixed me with her pale blue eyes. "A bad place is a place where Jews can observe mitzvos, but don't do them."

With that, she inverted my whole reality. According to her, "bad" and "good" had nothing to do with what happened to you. All that really matters is what issues from you.

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A FISHY ISSUEQuestion: What beracha should I say before eating sushi?

Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 212:1) is clear that one says a beracha on the ikar, primary ingredient, and not on the tafel, secondary ingredient. One would only say one beracha on cheesecake, for example.

There are many different opinions as to how many, and which berachos should be said. Some feel that we treat it as a mixture of two equal items, and say the beracha on the largest ingredient. As there’s usually more rice than fish, etc. one would say mezonos.

Others suggest that the ikar is clearly the raw fish. The rice is somewhat like a thin base of a cheesecake. Although most people say mezonos on rice, it is actually a source of much debate (Mishna Brura 208:25). Thus, according to this view, one should only recite shehakol.

R’ Moshe Heinmann holds that sushi is not a clear mixture, as the rice and fish are prepared separately and remain distinct. As they are both primary ingredients, one should say both mezonos(before eating some rice) and then shehakol. It isn’t clear if the roll contained mango and cucumber if one would be required to say haetz and ha’adama, too.

While it is certainly ideal to eat sushi within the meal, or to find other things to make the berachoson, those saying either mezonos or shehakol have what to rely on.

ANOTHER SHUL, ANOTHER NUSACHQuestion: I usually daven nusach ashkenaz, though sometimes daven in a nusach sefard shul, and am confused what I should do when the davening is different.

Answer: There are a few minor differences between different nuschaos. While it is important that one follows the nusach of one’s father or community, the Gemara (Yevamos 13b) writes that theprohibition of lo sisgodedu (Devarim 14:1) applies to practicing different customs to each other. Whether this applies here is a matter of debate.

R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 6:10:4) writes that only the chazzan needs to daven according to theshul’s nusach. Everyone else may daven according to their own nusach even for tefillos said out loud, such as kedusha.

The Netziv (Meshiv Davar 1:17:7), R’ Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (Minchas Yitzchak 7:5) and R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 2:23; 2:104; 4:34) write that when davening the silent amida, one shoulddaven according to one’s own nusach. When davening anything out loud, however, one should adapt to the shul’s nusach. Unlike shemone esrei that one can daven alone, one can only say kedusha, for example, with a minyan. Thus, in a sefard shul one should say nakdishach and kesser in kedusha rather than nekadesh and naritzach, etc.

While there are different opinions as to what to do when saying pesukei dezimra in a shul with a different nusach the accepted custom is to daven in one’s own nusach without drawing undue attention to it by being too loud.

Dose of Halacha

Rabbi Chaim CohenRabbi of Netzach Yisrael and teaches at King David High School

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes14. The fourteenth of Adar is Purim for….?



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Rabbi Akiva Osher PadwaDirector of Certification, KLBD

Attention Whisky Drinkers - it is safe to read the article below

Quiz Time?? Answers can be found on back page. Information taken from Kellias Yakkov Quizes15. The fifteenth of Adar is called?

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Whisky Production Then and Now - The Kashrus Issues in Scotch Whisky PART V

In this fifth part of the series, we will explain:

BLENDED’ WHISKY VS. ‘SINGLE MALT’ WHISKY

As I mentioned in a previous instalment once the whisky has matured it is passed over to the Master Blenders. The main job of these blenders is to juggle the various individual whiskies at their disposal in order to ‘marry’ a whole range of different tastes, so as to obtain a desirable flavour profile. The reason why this is necessary is simple: because of the natural production process of the whisky, no two batches of naturally brewed, distilled and matured whisky taste identical. Unlike with other food products, in the whisky industry they cannot adjust the flavour of their whisky by adding artificial, or even non artificial and natural flavours. On the other hand however they cannot sell an inconsistent product on a wide scale market in a modern world. They need to be sure that whenever someone buys a branded product they will find that it has the same taste and the same ‘experience’. Hence, the only way it is possible for them to regulate and control the consistency of their brand names without adding flavours is by blending and juggling many casks from many different batches until they obtain and continuously replicate the exact flavour they require.

This being the case, ‘blending’ is an extremely important, indeed an integral part of the production process for all the branded whiskies on sale in the market today. This is the case for all whiskies: ‘Single Malt’ Whisky, Blended Malt Whisky, ‘Blended Scotch Whisky’, Blended Grain Whisky and ‘Single Grain Whisky’. They are blended and made up according to a prescribed ‘recipe’, using numerous casks of whisky of different ages. The only exceptions are exclusive whiskies that are sold as ‘single cask’ whisky that may be a straight unblended whisky coming from a single cask.

The question you are probably asking now is simple: if all whiskies are blended, what is the difference between Blended Whisky and a Single Malt Whisky?

Well firstly, Blended Whisky is generally made up from a combination of Grain Whisky and Malt Whisky, whereas Malt Whisky is of course exclusively malt whisky. But that is not all the difference.

As is apparent from my descriptions above, grain whisky represents the mass-produced type, whilst malt whiskies are the more traditional and hence more specialised product. Indeed, Scotland’s whisky landscape has currently only about five main grain distillers, whereas there are scores of malt distilleries scattered all over the Highlands, the Lowlands and on the Scottish Isles. Also, as I have already explained, the flavour characteristics of the malt whiskies are much more pronounced and complex than grain whiskies that tend to be more bland and uniform in taste.

When producing a blended whisky the master blender is like an artist with an empty canvas in front of him. His options are great and varied. He can use practically whatever whisky that is available to him and blend them in order to create the required taste and profile. It is quite normal for a blended whisky to be made from whiskies that originate from many different distilleries, of different ages and cask types. Often a particular blend can be made with as many as forty different whiskies.

This is the reason why blended whisky is generally sold according to a given brand name. These brand names do not reflect any particular distillery but rather the brand and the particular taste the brand is attributed with – plus a hefty dose of marketing!

It is the malt whisky in the blend that give the complex flavours in blended whiskies, as well as in many whisky based liqueurs like Drambuie™, which is incidentally kosher certified by the LBD. The amount of malt whisky and the quality of the malt whisky included in the blend is a large part of the cost calculations of blended whisky and whisky liqueurs.

The main attraction of malt whisky however over blended whiskies is when sold as a Malt Whisky. As I mentioned, all whiskies - unless labelled

‘Single Cask’ - even so-called Single Malts are actually also blended! The main difference is that blended whiskies are a combination of a grain whisky base blended with various malt whiskies, and malt whisky is exclusively malt whisky.

If so what does the word ‘single’ in Single Malt mean? The recipe for a single malt whisky is made up by blending various batches of Malt Whisky from various casks and of different ages but only from the same distillery, this is why it is designated as a Single Malt.

Not all malt whiskies are Single Malts. Some are sold without specifying a specific distillery. In such a case they are free to use malt whiskies from many different distilleries, which they blend to get the required taste. Such a whisky is referred to as a Blended Malt Whisky and the main difference from a Blended Grain Whisky is that there is no grain whisky in the blend.

When producing Single Malt whisky however, as it must all be produced by the same distillery, they rely exclusively on the differences in the taste of older and younger whiskies and the condition and type of casks. This can be the difference between American Oak casks versus different European Oak casks, as well as the differences between 1st Fill casks and 2nd or 3rd Fill casks.

Traditionally, American Oak casks were originally used for maturing Bourbon Whiskey whilst European Oak casks - with a few exceptions - were used for fortified wine, most famously Sherry. Sherry matured whiskies generally give drier, darker, richer flavours compared to bourbon matured whiskies. It is not clear what elements contribute to the taste and what it is that the Master Blenders are looking for when insisting on Sherry casks.

Some claim that it is the influence of the previous liquor that the wood was primed with that makes all the difference. In other words it is ex-sherry casks versus ex-whiskey casks. By this reasoning the difference between 1st Fill and 2nd or 3rd Fill may be because 1st Fill is highly infused with fresh residues of the previous liquor that the wood is tempered with, whereas in 2nd and 3rd Fill the original infusion has been largely drawn out during the casks previous use.

This opinion is by no means universally accepted. Many Master Blenders and also coopers claim that actually the main contributing element is the actual wood type, and just as the American oak wood differs from European oak wood, so too is the influence imparted by the cask made from such woods. They also explain that actually the main difference between 1st Fill and 2nd and 3rd Fill is the vitality of the wood. 1st Fill wood is fresher and it progressively gets older and more ‘tired’ through 2nd and 3rd fill and hence less effective.

But whatever the scientific cause may be there is no dispute about the results and hence the ‘make up recipe’ of a particular blend will not only specify the age of the various casks but also the wood varieties and their condition too.

When a blend is made up of whiskies with varying ages it is required by law to label the age based on the youngest age in the blend. Hence if the blend has some 7 year old whisky, some 10 year old and a small amount of 15 year old for example, even though it contains some expensive 15 year old whisky, they can only market it as a 7 year old whisky, as this is the age of the youngest whisky in the blend.

In conclusion, practically all whiskies are blends of some form or another, but they are all 100% whisky. They should not be confused with the concept of

‘blended whiskey’ in America, where a blended whiskey has other ingredients added that they refer to as ‘blenders’. These ‘blenders’ are alcohol-based flavour enhancers that are blended into the whiskey and - in theory at least - they may have associated Kashrus concerns. This practice is absolutely forbidden in Scotch whisky and bears no relevance to the term ‘blended’ used in conjunction with Scotch whisky.


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Just a few weeks ago, kehillas around the country, might have reasonably found themselves thinking that despite their bad press, UKIP could be emerging as a surprising favourite for them at the polls. Their record on eretz yisroel is on a par with the Conservatives, they are outspoken on the urgent need to tackle Islamic extremism and antisemitism and they have been active supporters of our kehilla both at home and across Europe.

True - they have made some questionable partnerships in Europe but in the grand scheme of things, we could probably live with that - after all, their apparent propensity for marginalising and scapegoating minority groups didn’t seem to have affected us at all so far.

Without question that illusion has now come crashing down. UKIP has announced that it now formally opposes Shechita, apparently on animal welfare grounds, becoming the first mainstream political party in the UK to do so.

At Shechita UK, we take responsibility for ensuring that key Parliamentarians are fully briefed on the virtues of Shechita, the importance of the principle of Tzaar Baalei Chayim and the huge body of Halocho that a Shochet must be trained in before he even picks up a chalaf. Indeed we would not be doing our job if we had not ensured that senior figures at the party were included in this work.

Following a number of meetings with party leader Nigel Farage and their agricultural spokesman Stuart Agnew, it became clear that both men were keen to support us. We invested a great deal of time and effort into providing a tour for Mr Agnew around an abattoir where Shechita was taking place, giving him the opportunity to see the process first hand. As an experienced farmer, well used to seeing animal slaughter, he was clearly impressed and spoke publicly of his views at the autumn UKIP Conference, assuring us of his party’s support. That was followed by clear commitments on this issue from Nigel Farage and Douglas Carswell at various meetings in the Jewish community again reiterated at their recent party conference.

So given UKIP senior leadership’s unambiguous public support for us on this important issue, what could have changed so drastically for them in a matter of days? The answer it seems is very simple - they are entirely out of step with the rest of their party.

Since the shock u-turn was announced by the party's press, Stuart Agnew has confirmed for us that despite his clear recommendation that the right to carry out Shechita should be protected, his party's National Executive Committee voted against that view. Could it be that the national leadership of UKIP, the majority of whom are elected by its members, have had a sudden attack of conscience and are to place animal welfare much higher on their agenda than ever before?

I have looked long and hard for UKIP statements calling for a national bans on animal testing, fox hunting, mechanical stunning methods, mis-stunning before slaughter or other key welfare issues but try as I might, I simply could not find anything to suggest that UKIP are genuinely motivated by concern for animals. Their true motivation, as has now been reported across national media, was that the Jews are in fact 'collateral damage' in an attack that was 'aimed elsewhere'.

There can be no other way to understand this. UKIP wants to attack Muslims and their way of life - if that means that Jews get in the way, then we are ‘fair game’ as well. UKIP’s bizarre u-turn is bad enough in and of itself but the real danger is the encouragement that the media coverage provides to the anti-Shechita campaign.

The storm around UKIP’s move has now been compounded by the news that the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has, after nearly a year of campaigning, has finally secured a parliamentary debate on whether shechita should be banned in the UK. We are confident that our campaigning thus far, will protect us from any meaningful shift in the government’s clear support for our right to do shechita but there is no question that the campaign against us is gaining in momentum and we are deeply concerned.

Looking forward, we have been expecting for some months that the European Commission will finally issue its report on consumer attitudes to the labelling of meat slaughtered according to a religious method. A number of groups, including all those who have any strong feelings about shechita, are awaiting this report with baited breath. The report might take the view of the BVA that all meat should be labelled either ‘stunned’ or ‘unstunned’, in which case government support for such a policy could follow. We have done everything possible to try to ensure that instead the European Commission recommends a far more honest and even handed approach to labelling.

We have argued that it seems bizarre and incongruous to pre-suppose that consumers’ rights do not extend to informing them that an animal has been mechanically stunned prior to slaughter using methods such as asphyxiation by gas, electrocution by tongs or water or shooting with a captive bolt gun. Similarly, consumers must have the right to know if the animal endured repeat stuns if the first attempt was ineffective. Whatever the findings – we expect to have yet another fight on our hands in the coming months.

For now, you can play your part in protecting shechita by calling upon your MP to attend the debate on Monday the 23rd February, familiarise themselves with the Shechita UK briefing pack and speak up on our behalf. As the general election approaches, MPs in Jewish areas are quick to insist that they are passionate supporters of our rights but Monday is the time for them to prove it to us.

Additionally, there is a petition to the government to protect religious slaughter in the UK and EU, which can be accessed at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/74830

Shimon CohenChairman of The PR Office and Campaign Director for Shechita UK

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