introduction—...what’s your flavour 5 something for everyone —-introduction—- 5 once again,...

1 What’s Your Flavour Something For Everyone

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INTRODUCTIONS

Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag

Overview

Michael Williams

President’s Reflections

STORIES

Seder spies

Holy Chometz

Almost MH370

Six Matzos

Ninth Day

Milky Seder

True Words

Matzah Care

Pesach Jokes

YOM TOV ARTICLES

Dovi Colman

Jewish Spring

Yehuda Zev Mendelsohn

The name Passover

Yaacov Hibbert

Question Time

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Shmuel Schwarz

Eternal Freedom

Mychiel Balshine

Jews for Dews

Chaim Hibbert

The Omer Count

Aaron Gillis

Song Of Songs

Avi Moher

From Egypt To Shul

ADVANCED

Yisroel Meir Adler

Sale of Chometz

Mychiel Balshine

Rabbinical Insomnia

Pini Harris

Matzah and Leaning

Yehuda Zev Mendelsohn

Obliteration of Chametz

COMMUNITY

Rebbetzen Debbie Guttentag

Community Update

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Table of Contents



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What’s your flavour? The French say chacun a son gout; for Israelis al taam vereyach eyn lehitvakeyach – over the taste and aroma one cannot argue. For us in the UK we say there is no accounting for taste. Each person has the flavours and tastes that are special to them. No more so than on the Seder night – an evening of taste and flavour.

The present booklet, edited with skill and flair by Mychiel Balshine, presents different flavours and aspects of the richness of the traditional Pesach experience. It represents the multi-flavoured and diverse Jewish educational offering that is available throughout the year by courtesy of the Forum and Whitefield Community Kollel, here at Whitefield Shul. So in the coming months please avail yourselves of what we have on offer; and to our many donors and supporters, many thanks for enabling our work to continue and grow.

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One of the well known customs of the Seder night, at least in Ashenazic homes, is to eat hardboiled egg and saltwater. The conventional explanation is that the saltwater represents tears of persecution and the hardboiled egg is food given to mourners. All designed to provide the

reminder that even though Pesach celebrates liberation from Pharaoh’s Egypt we are still mourners for the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem.

But there is an idea beyond the tears. The Book of Vayikra teaches that salt is the subject of an eternal Divine covenant, Bris melach olom. Salt was always to be offered on the offerings on the altar, the korbanos in the Bes Hamikdosh. Salt thus embodies a theological principle. Salt is special because of its effect as a preservative. Salt makes things last a long time. Salt is covenantal, it symbolises that which is eternal and permanent. We dip into salt water on the Seder night because we are celebrating the Jewish people, enduring, permanent and eternal.

The hardboiled egg, too, comes with a deeper symbolic message. In contrast to other foods, which cooking and heat softens them, the egg has a unique property; the more you cook it the harder it becomes; and, so too, the Jewish people. Persecution from the days of Pharaoh’s Egypt, instead of softening the Jewish people, has had the effect of making them harder and more resilient. While ‘in each generation they rise up to destroy us’, we are the people of continuity, we are the eternal people.

On Seder night we rededicate ourselves to being part of that story of permanence and eternality - one more golden link in the chain of Jewish tradition and transmission. On Seder night we take our children and grandchildren and we connect ourselves with the traditions that we have received

By Rabbi Jonathan

Guttentag

Booklet Overview WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOUR….?

…….OF HARDBOILED EGG, SALTWATER AND A NIGHT OF JEWISH CONTINUITY



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from earlier generations and we pass them into to the next generations.

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We might never know what power our performance has on Seder night, what potential there lies within it, stored up for future generations in our own family. Here is a story I heard from one of my mentors, the late Reb Aba Dunner z’l. His account of sitting in on a session of the Beth Din in Moscow which was set up in the early 1990’s to help Russian Jews establish their Jewish identity

People who wished to go to Israel had to first prove that they were Jewish. But there had been no organised Jewish life in Russia for the decades of the communist regime. Nobody had Ketubahs from their parents’ or grandparents’ marriage. And so instead candidates attended the Beth Din to be questioned about their memory of Jewish practices and rituals from their home and their childhood.

An elderly couple had travelled to appear before the Beth Din, The wife - she looked Jewish; but the husband - it looked a bit remote, he just didn’t look Jewish. Each spouse was interviewed separately in a formal and official manner. They asked the husband if he would like to step outside to the waiting room. They interviewed the wife and indeed they were able to confirm that she was Jewish. And so the dayanim said: please call your husband in, and if you wouldn’t mind to wait outside.

The husband comes in. They ask him his name. He doesn’t have a Jewish name. So they say to him, do you remember anything about Jewish life? Any word, any term, any day, any holiday? So he says: Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, the Rabbis ponder; that is not a proof that a person is Jewish, everyone knows Yom Kippur. In recent years there was the Yom Kippur war that was in

the news.

Do you remember anything else from your childhood? He thinks for a minute and he says, Lag Baymer. Well, already Lag Baomer that is a more specialised term and occasion. We are on the right track. But still it is the sort of the word that an outsider could have got hold of and learnt specially for the occasion, and no real proof. Do you have any memory of being Jewish, or your Jewish life from your childhood? So the old man is sitting, pulling with his hand at his brow, his forehead; he is going red with the exertion, he is tugging at his hair; the sweat is pouring down off him; It is as if he is reaching back into his past trying to pull something out from his childhood memory, trying to reconnect with a long lost past.

And he is saying: Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma… So they ask him - Yes what is it what can you see, what are you saying? Ma … Ma… Ma…. - I am a young child, four or five years old, I can see that I am sitting at on my grandfather’s knee; and he is listening and everyone is listening while I say something out loud… And can you remember what you are saying? Ma Ma Ma MaNishtana HaLayla Hazeh And he collapses into a heap and there is silence. For eighty years, says the old man, I lived not as a Jew, and now at the end of my life, I want to go to my homeland to live my last years, so that I can die as a Jew and so that I can be buried in Eretz Yisrael.

As we prepare to link in to Pesach Sedarim of the past and to build from them the tastes, the flavours, the sights, the sounds from which the memories of Pesach Sedarim of the future will be nourished, let us do so with knowledge, with enthusiasm, with love, with dedication and commitment, and may the work of our hands be blessed by the Almighty.

Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag



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Once again, and for my final time as President of WHC, it is my honour and

privilege to write an introduction for the WCK/Forum booklet.

The Forum/WCK and our Shul have enjoyed a successful relationship over many years, working in partnership to provide members of WHC with events which are both stimulating and enjoyable. These events, always very well supported have nevertheless this year surprised all those who have been involved in organising them, by attracting even larger numbers of people.

The prime example was Shabbat UK, which from Friday night until after Shabbos, found our Shul and the Evelyn Lubin Hall, full to bursting throughout and I am happy to report that this wonderful experience is to be repeated later this year, on Shabbat Lech Lecha.

On Purim, the Evelyn Lubin Hall was again full, this time with children and their parents for a fantastic puppet show, following which everyone came together in the main Shul for the fullest and most atmospheric reading of the Megillah we can remember. Hamantashen, sandwiches, drinks and an amazing magic show upstairs afterwards, rounded off a truly wonderful evening.

Purim Impossible, the Chanukah Party

and Tubishvart Attack have become ever popular annual events enjoyed by large numbers of people.

Many young boys continue to benefit from the Anim Zmirot programme which culminates in them performing in Shul on Shabbat morning and being presented with a certificate by the Rabbi.

The summer season of Shabbat Proms, morning and afternoon Kollels together with one to one learning with members of the community between 6-45pm and 7-45pm Sunday to Thursday, Club 13, Club Supreme, Shavuot late night learning sessions, Tisha B’Av seminars, Ladies Tehillim Group, Children’s Services and the Jewish Philosophy course with Rabbi Mitch Goodman are just some of the long list of offerings from which members benefit and for which we must thank the Forum.

Rabbi Guttentag continues to work tirelessly to provide guidance and inspiration and together with the Forum Trustees, leads the fundraising efforts which ensure that our community will benefit from the efforts of the Forum/WCK for the future.

To all those who work tirelessly to provide us with such a wide range of programmes, I thank you on behalf of the entire community and look forward to many more years of continued success.

I wish everyone a happy and kosher Pesach.

Michael Williams

President

By Michael

Williams

President’s Reflections


—-Stories Section—-—-Articles Section—-—-Advanced Section—-

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Stories Section

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Seder Spies Page 8

Holy Chametz Page 10

Almost MH370 Page 12

Six Matzos Page 13

Ninth Day Page 14

Milky Seder

True Words Page 15

Matzah Care

Pesach Jokes



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The students gathered anxiously around their master, the great R’ Aharon of Karlin. It was Pesach night and they wanted to hear his every word.

Some had travelled from miles away to spend these days with their mentor. What earth-shattering insight might he have? In this particular year, however, those listening to the revered teacher would hear something very different from what they expected. Eagerly waiting for the Rabbi to start his talk, they listened carefully as he began, “Oy, if only we could all learn from the great Shabsi…”

Now Shabsi, as they all knew, was a simple woodcutter in the village. Certainly, he was a good Jew, but what had he done to be worthy of such a reference by the great Rabbi of Karlin? A few of the listeners were curious enough to find out what it was all about, so they set out for Shabsi’s house on the outskirts of town. Although most in town had already started their Seder, Shabsi was just setting up for his.

They keenly observed the woodcutter, hoping to see some wondrous act that would be deserving of the rabbi’s praise, but all they saw was a simple man preparing for his Seder. When all was ready, Shabsi and his wife performed the rituals of the Seder unimpressively and moved through it rather quickly. They ate the matzah and maror, drank the cups of wine and completed the entire ceremony in a short time.

“Aha!” thought the men watching, “NOW we will see; he will probably stay up the entire night speaking of the wonders of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Or perhaps he will recite Shir

HaShirim with fervour and emotion.” But neither happened; instead, Shabsi cleaned off the table and went to sleep.

The students were bewildered; what had their Rabbi seen in this most simple of Jews? They went back to the Rabbi’s Seder and spent most of the evening reflecting about the simplicity of Shabsi’s Seder and their Rabbi’s glowing remarks about this simple Jew.

The next morning they approached Shabsi and apologized for having ‘spied’ on him the night before. They told him that the Rabbi had mentioned that they all should only be so fortunate to achieve some of the greatness of Reb Shabsi. Although flattered, Shabsi was also at a loss to understand why

the Rebbe had mentioned him in this context. What had the Rabbi meant?

The students realized something then; they had seen Shabsi preparing (quite late) for the Seder, but they did not know what he had been doing before then. So they asked him to describe the events that had

preceded his Seder.

“I spent the morning and early afternoon trying to prepare all the special foods we need for the Seder. I ground the maror and set the matzos aside and mixed the charoses together. Last but not least I placed the bottles of wine we would be using on the table. I then called to my wife that I would be heading to shul just a little earlier than usual to prepare spiritually for the upcoming evening. I wanted to say some Tehillim. My wife came out into our main room and inadvertently brushed against the table and knocked over the bottle of wine. It shattered into a million pieces and the wine splattered all over the place. Now remember, my wife, as you might imagine, had been working day

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and night for the past few weeks cleaning for Pesach. She would often stay up half the night scrubbing areas that I did not even know existed in our home! For the last few nights, she had stayed up cooking and was completely exhausted.”

“After having knocked over the wine bottle”, he continued, “She was so distraught that she just lost herself and grabbed the tablecloth and in one sweep pulled it from the table. In a second everything was everywhere. The matzah and maror and charoses and wine were strewn all over in one tremendous mess. The scene was pathetic. Becoming hysterical, seeing the mess after all she and I had done to prepare for Yom Tov, she ran to her room and cried herself to sleep. I went out for a while, and when I returned to the house I was shocked to see that the place was still a mess. I woke my wife to see if she was all right. She began to scream and yell at me that it was all my fault that the wine had fallen over and caused such a mess. I thought for a moment and realized how much pressure she had been under for the past few weeks and how very careful I had to be. All I told her was, ‘I’m sorry. It will never happen again.’

“I walked into the next room and began to clean up the mess. It took me a long time but I was able to get everything back into shape. I carefully set the table with items for the Seder. Not wanting to wake my wife, who had gone back to sleep, I began the Seder, but just then she appeared. With a smile on her face, she sat down and we celebrated the Seder together.”

Turning now toward the students who had been listening to him, Shabsi looked around and shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t know why the Rabbi told you anything special about me or my Seder, it was really nothing special.”

The yetzer hara is very cunning and shrewd.

He knows that on Seder night we are all but untouchable. We have displayed limitless effort and work to ensure that we have a house completely free of Chametz. We will talk about the exodus all night. So he designs a plan of attack in another way. He causes us to get angry; he is able to do this because we are so totally focused on the performance of the mitzvos that we fail to realize what else is going on. On a night as important as this one, let us garner our strength to overcome whatever may come our way. If we are patient and understanding, then nothing can temper our desire to make this a truly memorable night.

Editor’s Note

Our Sages tell us that the greater the potential for holiness, the harder the evil inclination tries to make someone fall. The night of the Seder is arguably the holiest night of the year. The Vilna Gaon writes that there are sixty four mitzvos in that one evening alone. It is thus of no surprise that the evil inclination tried really hard to cause trouble in this story, thankfully however not succeeding.

This article originally appeared in Jewish Action, the magazine of the Orthodox Union

It was the eve of Pesach, 5944. The entire Jewish community of Rotterdam -- men,

women, and children -- had just been transferred from Vesterbork, a deportation camp in Holland, to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.

Conditions in Vesterbork had been harsh, but continued religious observance had to a remarkable extent preserved the Jews' dignity and their will to live. Under the

Holy Chametz



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leadership of the loved and revered Torah scholar Rabbi Aharon (Bernard) Davids, some semblance of communal cohesiveness and optimism had been sustained. Upon arrival at Bergen-Belsen, however, daily existence took a sudden, overwhelmingly drastic turn for the worse, as most of the things that make a human being feel human were taken away. In what for us -- some 60 years later -- has become a familiar yet impossible-to-imagine scenario, families were divided, people starved, the absurdly hard labor broke body and soul, and disease was spreading fast.

Matzah for the Seder was, of course, unavailable.

Rabbi Davids, then in his early forties -- whose wife and three children had been separated from him upon arrival in the camp -- yearned to keep the spirit of his family and flock alive, even as their physical strength ebbed. Yet under such calamitous circumstances, refraining from eating Chametz would surely bring on illness and death for an unknown number of Jews. What should be done during the week of Passover with their small daily rations of bread?

He conferred with other rabbinical authorities in the camp, and after anguished and lengthy discussion of this dilemma, they agreed upon a course of action.

On the 14th of Nisan, the Seder night, Rabbi Davids sat at the head of the long table in the male barracks, conducting the ceremony not from a Haggadah -- for of course there was none -- but from memory. When he reached the blessing, "...Who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to eat matzah..." he lifted up his voice and clearly recited the following prayer, as later translated into English by

Prof. Harold Fisch:

Heavenly Father, it is manifest and known to You that we desire to carry out your will in regard to the commandment of eating matzah, and strictly refraining from Chametz on the Festival of Pesach. But we are sick at heart at being prevented in this by reason of the oppression and mortal danger in which we find ourselves. We stand ready to perform Your commandments of which it is said, "You shall do them and live by them," (Vayikra 18:5) that is to say, you shall live by them and not die by them. And accordingly we heed Your warning, as it is written: "Take heed to thyself and keep thy soul alive." (Devarim 4:9) Therefore we beseech You that You will keep us in life and establish us and redeem us speedily from our servitude so that we may in time come to perform Your statutes and carry out Your will with a perfect heart.

Amen.

He then reached for a piece of bread and took a bite, thereby urging his brethren to do likewise.

Rabbi Davids, along with his son Elijah, died shortly before the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by the allied forces.

His wife Erika and their daughters, along with approximately 2,400 others, were evacuated by train from the camp. During the two-week journey to nowhere, 570 died and were buried in a mass grave somewhere along the way. Those who survived the trip were abandoned by the Nazis near the East German village of Troebits.

In 1947, Erika emigrated with her daughters to the land of Israel, taking with her a copy of the prayer that her husband had composed. She died in a Herzliya nursing home in 1997.

Each year, her family and its descendants read the prayer aloud on the Seder night, to



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hear again how Rabbi Davids asked for G-d's help, beseeching a shattered people to do the unthinkable and live, not die, by them.

Editor’s Note

The Satmar Rebbe once remarked “why come to me for a blessing, go to someone who has numbers tattooed on their arm.”

The following account was written by staff at DansDeals, the travel agency involved. See

for a full discussion on the many reactions to this story.

The whole world’s eyes were are on

the Far East, wondering how a Boeing 777 can just disappear without a trace. Malaysia Air Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur on the 4th March, 2014 at 12:43am, Shabbos morning and has yet to be located. Flying is the safest mode of transportation that exists today, so the disappearance of an airplane like this is really sobering.

I heard the following story firsthand from the travel agent involved. He is an avid Dan’s Deals follower that I’m friends with. He sent me the unedited exchange that follows and I made the necessary edits to protect the privacy of the parties involved.

The saying goes, “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jews.” When I think of that saying, I picture my life if I were constantly wired 7 days a week. As it is, I feel like a slave to my digital devices, but the knowledge that Shabbos is right around the corner keeps me going. From sundown Friday evening until when the stars come out on Saturday night it’s 25 hours spent completely offline and it’s blissful. It’s 25 hours spent praying to G-d

and consuming obscene amounts of calories eating scrumptious meals with family and friends. It’s perfect. Sure anyone can always disconnect, but there’s something awesome about the forced routine that can’t be properly explained to one who hasn’t experienced it.

But the saying goes much deeper than that in this story.

On 01/13/14 Andy emailed his travel agent his desired itinerary:

Hi. Hope all is well.

Greetings from Hyatt Regency Hotel in Boston. Thanks for booking up, it's a pretty nice place.

Let me know if there are any changes to my flight back to Sydney tomorrow.

Need to do the following trip in March:

Mar 1: Sydney – Hong Kong

Mar 3: Hong Kong – Kuala

Mar 4: Kuala – Beijing

Mar 12: Vietnam – Melbourne…

Thanks

Andy

The travel agent, an Orthodox Jew, proposed the following business class itinerary, slightly altering the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight from Saturday to Friday.

Andy,

Thanks for the inquiry and your continued business.

I know you're a fan of direct flights.

Here's the most direct option I can offer you.

Almost MH370



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The price will be $3450 ($3050 for the long hauls, and the rest for domestic flights)…

Andy loved the price, but again requested the Saturday morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing:

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Price is fine…

One amendment, I need the KUL-PEK fight a day later. I need the extra day in Kuala. Once that is set you can lock in.

The travel agent responded that he would not be able to book travel for him over the Sabbath, but that he was free to book that flight by himself:

Andy,

I wish I can give you a day later, but you know I just don't like flying Jews on Shabbat.

I can take out that leg and you can book yourself. The price drop $340.

Andy agreed with that and planned to book the flight by himself:

I guess I'll just book that myself. Lock in the rest.

And the travel agent noted that if he changed his mind to just let him know:

Ok will lock in. Ticket will be sent in 24 hours as usual.

If you reconsider the KUL-PEK please advise.

Shortly afterward Andy did just that:

Hey

Greetings from LAX airport. Will board my Delta flight in 55 minutes.

I reconsidered, you are right I should be more observant, I'll manage without that day in Kuala. Since I'll have an extra night in PEK any recommendations for a good Friday night dinner in Beijing?

The travel agent recommended a place to get a nice kosher meal and booked him the originally proposed itinerary, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Friday early morning instead of Saturday.

Ok, glad to hear.

Try this: http://www.chabadbeijing.com/

Fast forward some days. The travel agent is in Israel and reads this email once Shabbos is over. The email was sent after Shabbos, at 7:15pm Beijing time/1:15pm Israel time:

Holy G-d,

You sure heard what happened to MH370

I cannot stop thinking about this.

This is a true miracle for the books. You are a true life saver…

I cannot think anymore! We'll talk later this week. Don't know how to thank you enough.

Now please change my return. I am not stepping on a Malaysia flight in my life.

And the travel agent wrote back, equally in shock at the realization of Shabbos saving his client’s life:

Andy,

I am so happy for you!

Not I am the life saver. G-d and Shabbat were your lifesavers. You owe them something.



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Indeed, due to the travel agent worrying about the religious observance of a fellow Jew, Andy was persuaded into flying on Malaysia Air 370 exactly one day prior to the ill-fated flight he wanted to take.

It’s not often we hear a story like this. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those still missing

Editor’s note

It must be stressed that the loss of MH370 is a tragedy, and any messages taken from the story do not detract from it… Here we focus only on the experience of Andy, and the inspiration that can be taken from it.

Thus assuming the story is true, its pretty chilling.

However a mature Jew needs to understand that not only stories with happy endings are orchestrated by G-d. Say for example the opposite had occurred, and the new flight that he scheduled after Shabbos was in fact MH370. This too, although tragic, would also have been the hand of G-d.

After World War II ended, many Jews in Europe could not return to their homes. In the city of Chernovitz which was then

part of Russia, the Sekulener Rebbe and many other Chassidic masters and their followers waited to leave Europe and travel to a safer place.

It was a few weeks before Pesach and the Sekulener Rebbe realized that the only way that they would have matzos was if he

would bake them himself. He sent a student to a nearby farm to buy wheat. Then the Rebbe and his students carefully ground the wheat into flour, mixed it with water, and baked as many matzos as they could.

Because the Sekulener Rebbe could get only a small amount of wheat, there was not enough matzos for everyone. He decided to give only three matzos to each of the great rabbis in the city. He sent his students to deliver them.

Soon after the matzos were baked, Rabbi Boruch Hager (the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe), sent his son Reb Moshe to the Sekulener Rebbe. “May I please have matzos for my father?” he asked.

“Of course” replied the Sekulener Rebbe. “It would be an honour to give you Matzos for your great father”. With great joy he handed Reb Moshe three matzos.

“I am sorry” said Reb Moshe softly, “my father asked me

to bring him six Matzos”

“Six Matzos!” asked the Sekulener Rebbe. “How can I give you six matzos? We barely have enough to give everyone three! I didn’t give anyone six matzos…”

“What can I do?” answered Reb Moshe. “My father told me not to leave until I had exactly six matzos. How can I negate the mitzvah of honouring my father?”

The Sekulener Rebbe felt he had no choice. He gave Reb Moshe three more matzos and wished him a good Yom Tov. Reb Moshe happily brought the matzos home to his father.

A couple of hours before the Pesach began, Reb Moshe returned to the Sekulener

Six Matzos



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Rebbe holding three matzos. “My father said I should return three of the matzos” he told the Rebba.

The Sekulener Rebbe could not believe what he was hearing “now you bring me the matzos?” he said “I wanted to give you only three to begin with, why did your father ask me for six if he only wanted three?”

Reb Moshe answered “my father told me that the Sekulener Rebbe is such a kind person he will probably give away every single matzah that he has and not leave a single one for himself. My father asked for six matzos so that today, just before Pesach, he could send you back three matzos and you will have matzo for your own Seder”.

Reb Boruch Hager was correct! The Sekulener Rebbe had given away all the matzos that he had baked, the only matzos that he had at his Sader were the matzos that Reb Boruch had sent him that day.

This story shows us how much our great Rabbis care for others. The Sekulener Rebbe worked to bake matzos and give them away to others and Rabbi Hager made sure that the Sekulener Rebbe would have matzos for himself.

This story was taken from the junior maggid series

Editor’s note

In this story the Sekulener Rebbe demonstrates altruism of the highest degree. The Chazon Ish writes (Emuna Ubitachon, Chapter 1, letter 13) a parable of a man and his family who very much enjoyed having guests for Shabbos. Everything was prepared but in the last moment it was realised that an error had been made in the arrangements and the guests were to be hosted elsewhere. The family members were saddened that they were unable to perform this special mitzvah. The man however said to them, ‘the guests are not a toy, that we should be upset if someone else gets it. Rather

we wanted the guests to be hosted and fed, this has been done, just not by us. If we wished to host solely for the sake of the guests, then there is no need to be upset…

Likewise, it would appear that the Sekulener Rebbe wished only for the children of Israel to be able to eat Matzah on Pesach, he therefore did everything he could to achieve this. Whether he himself was a recipient or not was not relevant, for all he cared for was that Jews could eat Matzah on Pesach.

(It is interesting to think from a halachic perspective how the Sekulener Rebbe could give up the last Matzos, as the Torah instructs chayecha kodmin, your own obligation proceeds that of others?)

Rabbi Yechezkal Landau, commonly known as the Noda B’Yehudah was the Rabbi of Prague in the 1700s.

He was once walking down the streets of Prague when he noticed a 10 year old non-Jewish boy crying. He bent down and asked the boy what was wrong. The boy replied that his father was a baker. Every day the boy would sell rolls and give the proceeds to his stepmother. Today, he had been mugged and his rolls were stolen. Now, his family would have nothing to eat. He cried, because he was afraid to face his stepmother and face her wrath.

The Noda B’Yehudah did not skip a beat as he reached into his pocket and gave the boy the amount of money he would have earned. The boy just stood there in a state of wonderment. Such things did not happen every day.

Eight years passed. The Noda B’Yehudah

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was sitting in his home late at night studying Torah, when he heard a loud knock at his door. A tall young man stood at the door. He said, “I know that your Passover holiday ends on Monday. The non-Jewish bakers in Prague have all banded together to avenge their Lord who was killed by the Jews. They have decided to poison the bread. Rabbi, I have come to warn you. Tell your people not to purchase the bread. Please do not tell anyone why, or I will be killed."

The Rabbi looked at the young man in a state of shock. “Why? Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"Rabbi, do you remember, eight years ago you found a little boy crying on the street? Do you remember how you helped him? That little boy was me, and I never forgot that favour. You Jews are a compassionate people. You do not deserve any harm. This is my way of repaying the favour. Thank you."

The Noda B’Yehudah was in a conundrum. How could he get the message across to the Jews without revealing the young informants part in the story? Finally he thought of a solution. He issued a decree the next day that, due to an error in the calendar, Pesach must be observed for one more day and no one should eat any bread. The Prague bakers lost money; they could not sell their poisoned bread to anyone else. After complaining to the local authorities that the Rabbi had undermined their business and caused them a financial loss, an investigation was initiated and the poisoned bread was discovered. The Jewish community was spared a tragedy, because eight years earlier someone had taken

notice of the tears of a little non-Jewish boy.

Rabbi Yoseph Dov Soloveitchik (1420-1492), author of the Beis Halevi, was Rav of Slutzk, Lithuania.

One day a blacksmith posed a question to him: Can one fulfil the obligation of the four cups of wine with milk?

Rabbi Soloveitchik replied in the negative.

The Rabbi then asked the questioner, “Is it perhaps for health reasons that you wish to use milk?”

The man replied “No, my family and I are in good health. I simply cannot afford to buy wine.”

Rabbi Soloveitchik promptly gave the man twenty five rubles.

When the man left, someone asked the Rabbi: “Wine for Pesach costs only a few rubles. Why did you give him so much?”

Rabbi Soloveitchik replied, “If this man was considering using milk for the four cups, obviously he cannot afford to serve meat or chicken at the Seder. He needs far more than wine and that is why I gave him twenty five rubles”.

Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky (1491-1946) was a leader of the Jewish nation in the last generation. He had

the puzzling custom not to eat gebroks (food prepared with matzah meal) on

Milky Seder

True Words



15

Pesach, although this is normally a custom reserved for Chasidim, and Rabbi Kaminetsky was far from being Chasidic. He started this custom when he was a student in the Slabodka yeshiva and was invited to eat at a certain family’s Yomtov meal on Pesach. The young Yaakov didn’t want to accept the invitation; he had reason to suspect that the family’s adherence of Kashrut was not of an acceptable standard. However, if he would just refuse the invitation he would look very ungrateful. Yaakov got a brainwave and told them that it was his custom to refrain from eating gebroks on Pesach, and therefore he was very sorry but could not attend their Yomtov meal as they had the custom to eat gebroks. Rabbi Kaminetsky was a man famous for his care in ensuring that everything he said was 100% true. From that day onward, he never ate gebroks on Pesach, so that his excuse given that year would become true!

One year, poor health prevented Rabbi Yisrael Salanter from personally supervising the baking of his

Pesach Matzos. As his students prepared to leave for the bakery in his place, they asked if there was anything in particular in which they should be especially stringent. “Yes,” R’ Yisrael replied. “The woman who kneads the dough is a widow. Be especially careful not to hurt her feelings.”

Editor’s note

I’m sure this story speaks to all of us… A similar message is taken from Avrom’s request that only ‘a little measure of water be taken’ to the three guests. The commentators explain

that although the food and drink was bountiful, he did not feel it appropriate to make someone else schlep heavy water on his account. In a similar episode, Rav Salanter himself was attending a public function where people were washing their hands to eat. It was noted that Rav Salanter used only a small amount of water when he normally poured a lot. When asked why he veered from his usual practice he responded that he did not want the person whose job it was to refill the barrel to have extra labour because of his stringencies.

Q: Why do we have a Haggadah at Passover? A: So we can Seder right words.

A British Jew is waiting in line to be knighted by the Queen. He is to kneel in front of her and recite a sentence in Latin when she taps him on the shoulders with her sword. However, when his turn comes, he panics in the excitement of the moment and forgets the Latin. Then, thinking fast, he recites the only other sentence he knows in a foreign language, which he remembers from the Passover seder:

"Ma nishtana ha layla ha zeh mi kol ha laylot."

Puzzled, Her Majesty turns to her advisor and whispers, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

A little boy once returned home from Hebrew school and his father asked, "what did you learn today?"

He answered, "The Rabbi told us how Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt."

"How?"

The boy said "Moses was a big strong man

True Words

Pesach Jokes



16

and he beat Pharoah up. Then while he was down, he got all the people together and ran towards the sea. When he got there, he has the Corps of Engineers build a huge pontoon bridge. Once they got on the other side, they blew up the bridge while the Egyptians were trying to cross."

The father was shocked. "Is that what the Rabbi taught you?"

The boy replied, "No. But you'd never beleive the story he DID tell us!"

Knock, Knock

Who's there? EliYa

EliYa who?

EliYaHu HaNavi

Q. What kind of cheese do I eat on Pesach?

A. Matzo-rella

Q. Who was the first business woman in the Torah?

A. Paroh’s daughter, for she went down to the bank by the river a drew out a little prophet.

Q. What did the lion cub say to his mother at the Seder?

A. Ma—Roar

Q. Why did Paroh not free the Jews?

A. He was in de-Nile

The Evolution Of Passover Cleaning

Printed here with the kind permission of the artist

For more information, visit www.kerenkeet.co.uk



17

Articles Section

Page 18

Jewish Spring Page 19

The Name Passover Page 20

Question Time Page 24

Eternal Freedom Page 25

Jews For Dews Page 26

The Omer Count Page 27

Song Of Songs Page 28

From Egypt To Shul



18

I’m sure I’m not unique in my reaction to this time of year. When winter finally

caves in to spring, when I am not driving back from work in the dark, when there is a freshness about the air and blooms on the trees, I can’t help myself feeling more optimistic, in a better mood and generally more positive about life.

My personal memories and feel for Pesach relate to this sort of weather too. Pesach always falls at this time of year, and the natural smells of Pesach – with healthy doses of Matza and Charoses mixed in – are those of spring. In fact, the Torah tells us that Pesach must be celebrated in the ‘chodesh ha’aviv’, the month of spring, as that is the time of the year the Jews exited Egypt. These words are crucial words in determining the Jewish calendar. Judaism follows a lunar calendar; the Hebrew word for month, Chodesh, is related to the word Chidush, meaning renewal, referring to the monthly renewal of the moon. (Symbolically, the Jewish nation is compared to the moon; like it, they have times of light and times of darkness.)

There are 354 days in the lunar year, compared to the 365 days of the solar year. If so, Pesach having to be in the spring presents a problem. This year, the first day of Pesach is on the 4th of April. This means that following the lunar calendar, next year the first day of Pesach would be on the 25th of March, and so on. To avoid this problem, an extra month – ‘Adar the Second’ - is

added 7 times in a 19 year cycle. This is due to happen in next year’s Jewish year, making the first day of Pesach next year come out on the 23rd April.

The Islamic religion also has a lunar calendar, yet they do not add an extra month to correlate the lunar and solar calendars. Why do we?

The different festivals are all tied to the season of the year; Shavuos is called the festival of the harvest; Sukkos is when that harvest is gathered in and is therefore also known as the festival of gathering. The time of year a Yomtov occurs in is not random, it reflects the essence of that Yomtov.

In this case, too, Pesach is a Yomtov that is relevant to the spring. The Jews were taken out of Egypt, after 210 years of slavery and persecution. G-d performed all sorts of fantastic miracles for them in the run-up to this event. Yet the Torah here stresses that the Jews left Egypt in the spring, without mentioning any of the miracles of the Exodus. This is to show that in addition to all the miracles and glamour of the Exodus, G-d still arranged for the Jews to leave in the spring, during weather ideal for their hike into the desert! The Jews were probably so glad to leave Egypt that they would have skipped out, even if it would have been snowing. But the timing showed that G-d was concerned about them, that He loved them and planned everything down to the smallest detail.

When a person loves someone, they don’t just show their love by the big things in life. The love is in the detail, the tiny little expressions of love, the extras which a person could really do without. A husband who brings his wife a coffee in the morning. A mother who warms her son’s socks on the radiator. And G-d bringing the Jews out of Egypt in nice weather. Just like a loving spouse and parent, Hashem also looks after

By Dovi

Colman

Jewish Spring



19

His People down to the smallest detail, showing his love, care and concern for the Chosen Nation.

This is why Pesach must be celebrated in the spring – to remind us of G-d’s eternal love for the Jewish People.

Have you ever wondered where Passover got its name from?

The Haggadah tells us ‘al shem sheposach’-..., referring to the tenth and final plague where G-d himself smote the Egyptian firstborns and skipped over, as it were, the houses of the Jewish people. However this begs for further explanation. We are commemorating the Exodus, when we gained our freedom from centuries of bondage, as the mighty Egyptian empire was brought crumbling to its knees in a magnificent revelation of Divine Providence, when after a long and difficult journey G-d’s promise to Abraham finally culminated in the birth of the Jewish nation, as we rushed into the desert, eager to accept our destiny as G-d’s chosen. Why then is the festival named after what seems to be such a small detail in the greater scheme of things?

Allow me to ask you something else. It is a basic tenet of our belief, indeed one of the Rambam’s 79 Principles of Faith, that G-d does not have any form and cannot be conceived in any size or shape. Therefore

when it states G-d ‘Skipped over’, this cannot mean in a physical manner. It must mean figuratively, namely that he missed them out. However this seems very strange. Since the whole point of the plague was to punish Israel’s enemies, obviously G-d skipped the Jews out. Why the big fuss?

The answer will reveal a new aspect of what Pesach is all about, and not only answer the original question, but perhaps even completely alter our approach to this festival.

Our Sages tell us; at the time of the exodus, the Jews were no longer the proud family Jacob brought down to Egypt. In fact over the hundreds of years spent in that morally corrupt society, they had been so influenced by their masters’ culture, that they had plummeted to the 49th level of impurity and in fact on the night of departure were on the threshold of entering the 50th- the point of no return. They had been so corrupted by Egypt’s evil, they should have been swept down the drain of history right along with them, never to be heard of again. On their own merit they had no right to be redeemed. But G-d had promised.

Many years before, in a covenant with our patriarch Abraham, G-d had pledged that his descendants would be taken out of Egypt, and rise to be a holy people, to be a light unto the nations. So for one night G-d reversed the natural order of the universe. Ordinarily, G-d waits for man to make the first move. Only after man attempts to raise himself does G-d reward him by elevating him as per his desire. But on that fateful night, there was no time to wait. So G-d instantaneously lifted the Jewish people from their spiritual pit, to the highest, purest levels of holiness. He gave them a spiritual ascent for which they were not, as-yet, deserving, allowing them

By Yehuda Zev

Mendelsohn

The Name ‘Passover’



20

to instead prove their worthiness afterwards.

We can now understand what it means that G-d skipped over the Jewish houses. In truth they should have been included in the plague, but G-d left them out. On a deeper level, this event was symbolic of the aforementioned reversal of the natural order. And that is why this event gives Passover its name.

Every year as we sit by the Seder table eating Matzah and drinking wine, it is an auspicious time now as then, to be granted if we so desire, extra divine assistance, to rise above our natural limitations and merit a boost in our relationship with our creator; who now as then is poised to free us from this long and bitter exile. May it happen speedily in our days.

Did you know that China has 1.3 billion people; it occupies

approximately 3,700,000 square miles, and its population density is 327 people per square mile? There are about eight principle languages spoken there. How long is a Chinese person’s name.

The computer is now telling me to put a question mark at the end of the last sentence! It sounds like a question doesn’t it. But this riddle has no answer; ‘HOW

LONG’ is a Chinese person’s name! Written this way the grammar checker is happy!

Sometimes there are questions that need answers and sometimes the questions themselves are the answer! A non-religious man once told the Brisker Rav that he doesn't believe in G-d because he has many questions. The Brisker Rav told him, "you don't have questions, you have answers".

If we take a look at the verses describing the ‘wise son’ from the Hagadah we read, “If your child asks you tomorrow, saying, “what are the testimonies and the decrees and the ordinances that Hashem our G-d, commanded you?”. Many commentators have pointed out that the ‘wicked son’ uses very similar phraseology, “and it shall be when your children say to you, “what is this service to you?” and as we say in the Hagadah: ‘to you’ and not ‘to him’, his exclusion is what signs him as a wicked son. But doesn’t the wise son also exclude himself by saying “you”?

There are a number of differences between the two questions: amongst them we notice the wicked son’s refusal to mention that the service has been ordained by Hashem. Secondly we notice in the wise son’s question that he details various different components of service to Hashem, “testimonies, decrees and ordinances” – this is another sign that he is a wise son; conversely the wicked son makes one general sweeping statement. A third point is that the wise son asks ‘tomorrow’, he asks after deliberation, whereas the wicked son asks without thinking, impulsively.

The underlying point shared by all these answers is that it’s not the question that is wrong rather it’s the way it is asked. In fact the most important difference between the two of them is that the wise son asks, as it says in the verse, “If your child asks”, whereas the wicked son just says, “And it shall be when your children say to you”. He makes his statement and is not on the

By Yaacov

Hibbert

Question Time



21

lookout for an answer. He is somewhat sarcastic with his rhetorical question. His question is his answer – his justification for his behaviour.

Allow me to explain a little deeper. Reb Moshe Shapira explains; the word ‘she’ailoh’ - “question” has in its root the letters ‘aleph’ and ‘lamed’ making up the word “al” meaning – lacking. Something is missing - and I am in search of the answer. Indeed we see again that ‘she’ailoh’ refers to a void that needs filling because the word for a grave is ‘she’ol’. Similarly ‘sho’ul’ means to lend – when you lend me you fulfil that which I am lacking in. This is the beauty in a question. You are looking for the truth via questioning. This is the wise son, he has a question, a ‘she’ailoh’, a void, something that needs addressing. The wicked son on the other hand has no void he is fine the way things are – just keep this religious stuff out of my life – it makes no sense.

When the spirit of Hashem departed from Saul and he was tormented by a spirit of melancholy we read in Samuel how they brought King David to come to cheer Saul up. What was the special quality of King David that he was suited for this job? He is described as being someone who “knew how to play music”. Expounds the Talmud that really what this means is that he knew how to ask.

The Maharal of Prague [1520-1609] explains that just as music makes a person happy so too does a decent question, an intriguing riddle. King David was employed to cheer up Saul by asking him questions and brainteasers. Interestingly Saul’s name is from the very same letters as ‘she’ailoh’ – to question! The excitement and ‘simcha’ that lies behind a question, is that it creates that opportunity for a void to be filled. If I’m bothered by a question I can be prepared to hear an answer – Eureka – “I have found it”. From the darkness I can appreciate the

lightness. This is the beauty of a question – a searching question – searching for the truth. This is the attitude of the wise son.

The Brisker Rav [1446-1959] famously explained that the Mitzvah of retelling the Pesach story on Seder-night differs from the daily Mitzvah to recount the story in that on Seder-night it must be done through ‘answers and question’. Hence the “Mah Nishtanoh”, the four sons that ask, “Who knows one..? two ..? three?...”, and the various movements of seder items done to promote questions.

Reb Tzadok Hacohen [1423-1900] takes this one stage further. He suggests that the question and answer format of the Seder is an integral part of the Pesach-freedom experience. By creating the questions we give ourselves the opportunity to search for the answer. When we find it we experience the freedom that is Pesach!

It’s no coincidence that the national children’s museum that we visit quite often in nearby Halifax is called Eureka. Children are experts at being inquisitive. May we always stay young at heart and always be asking and searching. May we all merit that our questions are indeed questions – not G-d forbid answers and justifications. May we experience the happiness and freedom of finding our answers; from EUREKA to EUPHORIA!

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New Opportunity! What better gift can we send to our loved ones who are no longer with us?

Dedicate an entire day of learning , teaching and inspiration on the yahrtzeit of a loved one. A present which will uplift them, and give eternal joy to their dear soul.

With your donation of only £7 a week (standing order), The entire team of Rabbis at the prestigious Whitefield Community Kollel will dedicate all their learning and teaching to the Community In loving memory of the departed. Their names will be featured on our

special digital Remembrance Board with a special plaque. To book your date, please contact:

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See below for a recent example



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The festival of Passover is the time we celebrate our exodus

from slavery, our newfound freedom. The question can be asked however; do we not continue to be in exile? Has the persecution not continued right through the millennia since we left Egypt almost four thousand years ago until this very day?

One doesn’t have to look beyond the past century for examples. Pogroms and massacres swept across Europe, leading to possibly the greatest genocide in the history of mankind, the Holocaust. Six million of our brethren met their untimely death at the hands of the Nazis.

Even with the creation of the State of Israel, time and time again our ‘friendly’ neighbours have joined together in battle to drive us into the sea. Which country in the world has had its very existence threatened so many times? It was only last summer that we found ourselves at war once again and just a few months since we witnessed the barbaric slaughter of Jews during prayer in a Jerusalem synagogue.

Europe itself has become a haven of Islamic extremism. This holiday of redemption and freedom follows a winter in which we witnessed the massacre of Jews shopping for Shabbat in Paris, as well as a synagogue guard in Denmark.

We’ve learnt from bitter experience that

even when things seem to be peaceful, our enemies continue to plot and scheme ways to shed Jewish blood.

So when we lean to delight in our Passover wine, we no doubt find ourselves asking; are we indeed free from all oppression? What is this liberty and redemption that we are celebrating?

The answer to this question is the understanding that the redemption from Egypt wasn’t just a moment within itself when we regained our freedom. The Maharal writes, that the redemption from Egypt was the key to our redemption from all the future exiles the Jewish Nation were destined to endure in the future till the ultimate redemption.

The reason for this being, at that time when G-d redeemed us from Egypt, in doing so He chose us to be His favoured nation. Receiving this special status was in effect the rebirth of Jewish people, now as the “Chosen Nation”. Having entered this unique relationship with the Almighty, this was the guarantee that we will never remain enslaved forever and that the time will come when we are deserving to enjoy the full extent of our superior status as G-d’s chosen nation.

Mark Twain wondered ‘What is the secret of the Jewish immortality’? Despite having been oppressed time and time again we’ve risen above all challenges and possibly the sweetest revenge against all our enemies is that the Jewish people prospers further.

In fact those empires and nations that stood against us have disappeared from the horizon. The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Romans, who each in their time dominated the world and used their power to discriminate against the Jewish people, are now history, yet the Jewish people live on. The secret of our immortality is, that as

By Shmuel

Schwarz

Eternal Freedom



25

the Chosen Nation our existence is forever guaranteed, despite all the oppression and persecution that we may have to endure.

So yes indeed, we may look around and see the ugly effects of our present Exile, yet that isn’t a reason not to rejoice in the redemption from Egypt, for as we have explained, the seed of our redemption from this present exile, was sown all those years ago at the time of our exodus from Egypt, when we became the Chosen Nation.

During the Musaf prayer on first day of Pesach the Chazzan dons a traditional

white kittel and leads the congregation in the majestic prayer for dew. It is done during the repetition of the Amida and is usually sung to a melodious tune.

Dew is a lifeline and vital commodity for many plants and animals. Israel, for example, enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which means that it rains in the winter but almost never in the summer. These hot parched months would take their toll on many creatures if it was not for the blessing of dew. Dew gathers throughout the night when environmental conditions are right and forms a small layer of water droplets on exposed surfaces. This water is then available to be consumed and is a life line for much of the flora and fauna.

We can suggest that since Pesach occurs around the beginning of the dry summer season and draws large crowds to the synagogue, it was seen as an appropriate time to recite this prayer.

Another reason for the choice of timing is that Yitzchock’s blessing to Esov, which took place on the first day of Pesach, began ‘May G-d give you of the dew of heavens…’ The Medrash comments that this day is therefore an auspicious time to pray for dew.

So as we are entering the season of reduced rainfall, it is appropriate to relate the following story.

It was the War of Independence, 1944, and a small Jewish force was gathered by the Hagana to conquer the Holy city of Tzfas. Militarily speaking, this feat was almost impossible to achieve. The Jewish forces were greatly outnumbered by the Syrian troops and had a very limited supply of weaponry.

One thing they had however was a small rocket called the Davidka. It was almost useless as a weapon, causing little damage and being very inaccurate. One thing it did though, was make a tremendous noise! The time was ripe and the Jews fired a number of Davidkas at the enemy.

Shortly after this great clouds gathered and it began to rain. It almost never rains in Israel in May! The Syrians thought to themselves; ‘what weapon can make it rain in the Israeli summer… only one thing… acid rain from an atom bomb!’ The Syrians panicked thinking the Jews had the world’s most powerful weapon, remember, this was only three years after Hiroshima. Thus in a few hours of panic, the entire Arab brigade fled the area, facilitating the complete return of Tzfas to Jewish hands…

By Mychiel

Balshine

Jews For Dews



26

While reciting the prayer for dew we recall that it is Hashem who controls nature and provides for us. May we be blessed with bountiful dew, as well as some nice weather too.

The Torah commands us to count forty nine days from the day the Omer offering

was brought until Shavuos which is the fiftieth day.

What and when is the Omer?

The Omer is an offering of barley that was brought on the second day of Pesach. Barley ripens early in the land of Israel and already by Pesach the grain is ready for harvesting. However the Torah commands that before we take any of the new harvest for ourselves we have to first present some before the altar of G-d. The amount to give was the measure of an Omer – symbolically, one days food supply for a human being; hence the name, ‘the Omer offering’. Thus it was forbidden to partake in the new grain until the Omer offering had been brought.

We begin counting from the day of the Omer offering, what connection does that have to the Mitzvah?

The Omer offering on Pesach was from the barley harvest whereas the offering on Shavuos was of wheat. Barley is generally used as food for animals. Wheat is food for

human beings. The Torah hints to us that physical independence by itself still leaves man – from the Torah perspective – on the animal level. The counting of the forty-nine days signifies a sevenfold refining process and marks our progress to full human status with the acceptance of the Torah at Sinai, seven weeks after the exodus.

Are there any other ideas behind this Mitzvah?

Rabbenu Nissim writes; ‘Moshe told Israel while they were still in Egypt: “you will soon have the opportunity to worship G-d”. Excited by this news, they asked when will this be? He replied: “at the end of fifty days.” Thus they each began counting fifty days in anticipation… Based on this, the sages ordained the counting of the Omer.’

This can be compared to a prince who was travelling on a road and encountered a man who had been cast into a pit. The prince told him: “I shall raise you from the pit, and after some time I shall give you my daughter in marriage”. The man in the pit was overjoyed and said to himself: “not only is he willing to raise me from the pit – he will also give me his daughter in marriage!” The prince fulfilled his promise and freed him, then he dressed him in fine clothing and gave him presents of silver and gold. When the man saw that the prince had fulfilled part of his promise, he began to count the days in anticipation of the time when the prince would fulfil the remainder of his promise.

Thus by counting the Omer, we express our excitement of receiving the Torah at the culmination of the count on Shavuos.

But we do not have the Omer offering today, so is there still an obligation to count?

This Mitzvah is applicable today even though the Temple no longer stands and we no longer bring the Omer offering. There is

By Chaim Hibbert

The Omer Count



27

however a dispute whether the obligation today is of a biblical or rabbinic nature.

What are the basic laws of this Mitzvah?

Each individual is commanded to count the days of the Omer.

The correct time for counting the Omer is the beginning of the night. If one counted earlier but after sunset, he is not required to count again but nevertheless it is proper to do so, albeit without a Brochah, after the appearance of the stars.

The Brochah and the counting should be said whilst standing, but if one sat while counting he has nevertheless fulfilled the obligation.

Before reciting the Brochah, one should preferably know the number of the day.

If he neglected to count one day, he may no longer recite a Brochah when he subsequently counts but he must nevertheless continue to count.

There is no She-hecheyanu for this Mitzva.

The Remoh(1) (Rabbi Moshe Isserlis) writes that there is a

custom to read Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) on the Shabbos that falls during Chol Hamoed of Pesach. (This year there is no

Shabbos during Chol Hamoed so we read it on Shabbos which is the 4th day of Pesach).

Shir Hashirim is a love song written by King Solomon, which is an allusion to the love between Hashem and His nation.

The Mishna Berurah writes that the reason it is read on Pesach is because allusions to the redemption from Egypt are made in some of its verses. However, on a deeper level we can explain how the whole Shir Hashirim is connected to Pesach.

The Ramchal (R’ Moishe Lutzato) writes(2) that the Torah commands us “veyadata hayom ve’hashivosa el levavecha, ki Hashem who Haelokim ba’shomayim mima’al ve’al ho’oretz mitochas, ein od” - “And you should know and affirm in your heart, that Hashem is the G-d in the heavens and the earth, there is nothing else.”(3)

This commandment is to have Emuna (faith) in Hashem. The verse is clearly stressing that Hashem is in the heavens and the earth, teaching us He is everywhere and there is no other force, power or will apart from Him.

Writes the Ramchal, one of the reasons this world was created is to test us in our beliefs. Hashem hides from us and gives us the job to look for Him. We must build into our belief that whatever happens, whether good or bad, is all preordained from Hashem, as the Rabbis taught, “Keshem she’mevorechim al hatov, kach mevorechim al hara”. In the same way as we make a blessing on the good, so too do we make a blessing on the bad”(4). This means that the Blessing is made with the same emotion(5). This is because we have to come to a level where we see Hashem in the bad, just like we see Him in the good, because we know that all of it is His will and Master plan, as the Verse says, “There is nothing else”.

In exile this test is more crucial, as we see Hashem even less. When the final

By Aaron

Gillis

Song Of Songs



28

redemption arrives, we will be shown how Hashem has been there with us in every situation and how everything has fit perfectly into His master plan.

The Ramchal continues that this is in itself a reason for the exile, so that the redemption will teach us that Hashem was there even in the bad and that it was all in His plan. This shows us His Oneness to an even greater extent, that the bad is also Divine Providence, truly ein od there is NOTHING ELSE.

This concept also applies to the Exile in Egypt(6), and its redemption thereafter. As we go through Pesach, we re-live Hashem’s revelation to us and strengthen our faith that He is continuously around us and we should serve Him.

Rashi(7) writes that Shir Hashirim is a love song from a woman who was separated from her husband and is longing to see him again. This is a parable between us and Hashem, as we long for Hashem to end His exile and to see Hashem in His Full Glory once again.

The song represents our longing for Hashem to repeat the revelation like He did in Egypt, to show us his Divine Providence and to show us His glory. After all, the final reward is the pleasure in knowing and understanding Hashem our Creator. This is done through realising what He has done in this world and understanding His Holiness(8).

Through the bad, we will understand the good. On this the Rokeach (one of the writers of Tosfos) writes, that this is hinted to in the 116 verses in Shir Hashirim(9). The Jews worked for Pharoh in Egypt for 116 years. They suffered 116 years(10) and after that Hashem revealed Himself to them. When Hashem redeemed them, the reward He gave them was to realise and understand that He had always been there throughout

those 116 years, and He will always be there for them. This brought them to an understanding of Hashem in some way. Shir Hashirim is a love song, telling us of a tremendous longing for the re-living of that redemption. May we merit to witness this final redemption speedily in our days.

סעייף ר"צ סימן ט .1

ספר דעת תבונות אות ל"ד .2

3. Devarim 4:39 4. Maseches Brochos Chapter 9 Mishna 5 5. Gemorah Brochos 60b 6. The author of “Maase Hashem” writes that this is one of the

reasons we went down to Egypt, to reveal Hashem’s glory. 7. Introduction to Shir Hashirim 8. See “Maamar hageulah” of the Ramchal where he explains how

the verses of Shir Hashirim describe the different stages of the redemption of the future.

9. Even though there are actually 117 verses, the first verse is not part of the song.

10. This is counted from when the last of the sons of Jacob, who was Levi, died, for as long as they were alive Pharoh did not enslave them.

A central theme of Pesach and the Haggadah is Geula – the

Redemption of the Jewish nation from Egyptian slavery.

This is also the main topic of the book of Shemos, or as the Ramban so aptly titles it ‘sefer hageula’ - the book of redemption. Although most of the book of Shemos is dedicated to the redemption and to the miraculous events that surround it, there is another very important component to it and that is the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

The Ramban comments (1) that these two subjects are linked. He writes that even

By Avi

Moher

From Egypt To Shul



29

after the deliverance of the Jewish nation from slavery and the miraculous splitting of the sea and even after the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai, still the true goal of the redemption had not been reached until the building of the Mishkan.

He explains, (2) that the Mishkan was symbolic of Mt Sinai. Quoting one example; the Golden Cherubs which stood on top of the ‘Aron’ (ark) and from between whom the voice of G-d was heard to emanate, was reminiscent of the fire on top of Mt Sinai from which G-d spoke.

The idea is that there needed to be a way to keep alive the lofty heights that the Jews had reached at Mt Sinai. There would have been no point in bringing the Jews to such awesome heights of spirituality if there was no way to continue it and without a

permanent place for Hashem to rest His presence with them. The Mishkan was the actualisation of this and thus the culmination of the exodus. With this we understand very well why the sections discussing the Mishkan are in fact a focal part of the book of Shemos, of the story of the exodus.

Today we do not have the Mishkan or Bais Hamikdosh, but we do have our ‘mikdash me’at’, mini sanctuary, which are our shuls and study halls where the fire of Torah is still very much alive. Let us take this opportunity to consider the sanctity and the respect that they deserve so we can merit to see the redemption speedily in our days.

1) Introduction to Shemos 2) Introduction to Parshas Teruma

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Sale Of Chametz Page 32

Rabbinical Insomnia Page 34

Matzah & Leaning Page 35

Obliteration of Chametz



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There is so much about Pesach that we do in adherence to time honoured

tradition; how we clean, what we eat, how we prepare it and even which songs we sing. There is one aspect of preparation which for many is intriguing and seems like some kind of magical cop out – the selling of Chametz. But it is not so, the sale of the Chametz is a regular sale like any other you may do in any area of your own business. Selling Chametz is a way of avoiding transgression of the following three Biblical prohibitions that are transgressed by owning Chametz on Pesach:

1) "Bal yera'eh u-val yimatzeh": the Torah prohibition to own Chametz during Pesach - even if we do not derive any benefit from it

2) “Issur hana'a”: the Torah prohibition against deriving benefit from Chametz on Pesach - even if the Chametz does not belong to us

3) “Chametz she-avar alav ha-Pesach”: the rabbinic prohibition against deriving benefit from Chametz which belonged to a Jew during Pesach and was not properly disposed of.

"Bal yera'eh u-val yimatzeh" forbids the ownership of Chametz by a Jewish person over Pesach, therefore the sale of Chametz, even of that which remains in the property of a Jewish person is going to negate the problem. It is even forbidden to own

Chametz which is not lying in one’s own property over Pesach- as in - Chametz owned by a Jewish person that is stored in the hands of a gentile is still included in the prohibition.

The problem with Chametz owned by a Jew over Pesach has further ramifications even after Pesach, when the Chametz remains prohibited for benefiting from forever more. This problem is most commonly found in stores owned by Jewish people who are not observant and retain their Chametz over Pesach, the Chametz then becomes forbidden. Only merchandise that is new stock and has not been under Jewish ownership over Pesach can be bought. There are stringencies in the ownership of Chametz. For example: even the mere responsibility for a stock of Chametz is deemed ownership with regard to Pesach. Another example is that partial ownership is as problematic as complete ownership, which widens the scope of problems that can arise.

Now we will take a brief look at some fascinating cases of ownership of Chametz that are discussed extensively by today’s leading Rabbinic authorities. The ownership of shares in a company that owns or deals in Chametz is one of the more common problems today: Really it would make more sense to sell ones shares together with the rest of the Chametz that one sells. It would seem even more logical to sell the company's Chametz itself. After all, if I own it I can sell it, and if I DON'T own it I don't have to sell it! The problem with this approach is that the company is likely to acquire or create more Chametz during Pesach. It seems that the most prudent course is to explicitly mention to the Rabbi at the customary pre-Pesach sale that shares in Chametz-owning companies are being sold together with the other Chametz. This would mean that any growth or

By Yisroel Meir

Adler

Sale of Chometz



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additional Chametz added to ones share in the company over Pesach would happen in the hand of a gentile. Each Rabbi will have his own way of dealing with this and will apply his method when you go to sell your Chametz.

A more obscure idea is discussed in the responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, involving Chametz that one has a right to by law but does not actually have in his property yet. For example a prisoner who by law has a right to his daily meal which is Chametz is encouraged to sell this right or swap it....

Rabbi Sternbuch discusses another case which is quite common yet not something one may have considered to be a problem. A person who flies on Chol Hamoed Pesach has by virtue of booking a ticket bought the rights to the Chametz meal that will be served on the flight! In principle this is not a problem because the eligibility to claim rights of ownership of Chametz is only problematic when the Chametz lies in his own property. However in this case his level of ownership may be considered stronger than that, because his purchase of a ticket is considered ownership of part of the actual Chametz on the aircraft. The fact that the food does not yet exist will not negatively affect the sale when the seller is a non Jew.

Jewish law states that the sale of something that has yet to come into existence is not a valid sale when the parties dealing are both Jewish. Rabbi Sternbuch goes on to write that although there is a concept that his unwillingness to purchase forbidden items automatically omits them from the sale as one cannot sell something to a buyer against his will, still he advises that one state blatantly when booking the ticket that he does not wish to include a meal in this purchase. This may be as fascinating as it is obscure and certainly not something I would have thought of; and yes, there certainly are

Rabbinic authorities that would not concur with this ruling. The underlying issue is the necessity to keep in touch with a Rabbi when dealing with all aspects of the sale of Chametz! To quote Rabbi Stefansky of the Vine Street Shul (Rosh Kollel emeritus of the WCK) “just as you don’t use an Internet search engine to search for your Chametz, don’t use the online option to sell your Chametz”!

There is a unique mitzvah on Pesach night to discuss the story of the exodus. The

Talmud (1) records a dispute regarding how long into the evening the storytelling should last. R’ Elazar Ben Azriah says only until halachic (2) midnight, after that the time is up! R’ Akiva however says the mitzvah lasts throughout the night, and does not end until the morning.

With this in mind the commentators query the famous episode of the Seder in Bnei Brak (3). The Haggodah records that five great Rabbis stayed up all night long discussing the exodus. Included in this were both R’ Elazar Ben Azriah and R’ Akiva, the disputants mentioned above.

Now it is understandable why R’ Akiva stayed up all night, as he holds that the mitzvah is valid all the way till dawn. R’

By Mychiel

Balshine

Rabbinical Insomnia



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Elazar Ben Azriah however holds that once midnight has arrived, the mitzvah time has ended and is obsolete. Why then did he stay up all night contrary to his opinion?

We can even go so far as to ask that for R’ Elazar Ben Azriah to continue to relate the story of the exodus past midnight is in fact bitul torah! This is because telling biblical stories is the most basic form of Torah study and cannot be compared to analytical Talmudic study. If he was anyways staying up all night he should have engaged in a more advanced form of learning. Thus to join in with the other Rabbis when according to him there was no mitzvah is in a sense Bitul Torah. (4)

Furthermore, Abarbenel (5) askes that if R’ Elazar Ben Azriah was looking for another Yom Tov mitzvah to fulfil, then the most appropriate mitzvah would have been to go to sleep. This is because sleep is highly enjoyable and on Yom tov we are meant to engage in joyful things (6). Why did he deny himself this special mitzvah in order to engage in an activity for which the relevant time had already passed?

The author of Nitfai Mor (7) answers these questions by pointing out that the story took place in the town of Bnei Brak. The Talmud (4) tells us that R’ Akiva (R’ Elazar Ben Azriah’s disputant) was the Rabbi of Bnei Brak. Thus in deference and out of respect to the local authority, R’ Elazar Ben Azriah put aside his view in place of his colleague’s.

However, my father’s Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi J B Soloveitchik (9), suggests a different approach. He argues that there are in fact two elements, shtei dinim, to the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim, (relating the Passover story). One is simply to discuss and analyse the many miracles that happened that evening. The second, is to study the hilchos hapesach, the laws of korban Pesach.

According to Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria the mitzvah to study the laws only applies in the shaah she-matzah u-maror munachim lefanecha, the time when matzah and maror are placed before you,” and ends at midnight. However, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria agrees that the mitzvah of le-shabayach la-Hashem, to praise Hashem, and to tell over the miraculous events and how G-d saved the Jewish people applies the entire evening.

Thus it was with the second element of the Mitzvah that R’ Elazar ben Azaria busied himself with past midnight, although the first element of the mitzvah had in fact finished.

1. Based on Tractate Pesochim 120b, which discusses the time limit for eating the Korban Pesach. The mitzvah of relating the story of the exodus only applies while the Korban Pesach can still be eaten, the shaah she-matzah u-maror munachim lefanecha.

2. Halachic midnight is half way between sun set and sunrise.

3. Ma’aseh Bbnei Brak… ArtScroll family Haggadah, Page 26

4. This is based on Rav Shlomo Kluger's insights to the shulchan oruch in Sefer Hachaim סימן תרפ'ז, where he discusses the halocha which says ‘ מבטלים תלמוד

’תורה לשמע מקרא מגלה He understands that although hearing the megilla is a basic form of learning, is still called bitul torah compared to more in depth Talmudic study. Thus the expression מבטלים תלמוד תורה is appropriate.

5. In his Haggadah, Zevach Pesach, gate 13 of the introductory questions

6. Devorim 16:14, ‘Vesomachta Bechagecha’



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7. See ‘pearls of light’ by Rabbi Joseph Pearlman, Volume3, Page 67

8. Sanhedrin 32b

9. Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Rav Yitzchok Elchonon, New York. Died 1993. See the journal ’Pesach To Go’ – 5772 – Rabbi Menachem Genak – Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim as a special form of Talmud Torah, Pages 11 – 13. See there for his full argument to support this interpretation.

Seder night is a commemoration of the exodus from Egypt. We sit together with

our families and exhibit our freedom by behaving at the seder in a manner fitting for aristocracy. One aspect of this, is the requirement to recline to the left whilst sitting at the seder. This applies primarily during the eating of the matzah and the drinking of the wine.

This mitzvah to recline can be viewed from two perspectives. Either there is simply an independent mitzvah to recline, and the Rabbis instructed us to fulfil this mitzvah at the aforementioned times. Or perhaps the mitzvah of reclining is not independent, rather it is an essential component of the mitzvah to eat matzah and drink wine i.e. the mitzvah to eat matzah is to eat it while reclining.

The Gemorah in Pesochim 104a says in the name of R’ Yehoshua ben Levi; “One who ate a kezayis (olive sized piece) of matzah whilst reclining has fulfilled the obligation.”

From this the gemorah derives; one who reclined whilst eating the matzah has fulfilled his obligation; However if he ate in an upright position then he has not fulfilled his obligation.

The Rosh(1) ( Rabbeinu Osher ben Yechiel 1250-1327) derives from this gemorah that somebody who eats the matzah without reclining has not fulfilled his obligation of eating matzah and must eat his matzah again whilst reclining. We see from this that the mitzvah of reclining at the seder is like our second option above, as in, the leaning is an essential part of the mitzvah of eating matzah and eating matzah without reclining negates the fulfilment of the mitzvah. This is apparent from the fact that the Rosh writes that ‘he would need to eat matzah again whilst reclining’ for had he already fulfilled the mitzvah of eating matzah earlier, why would he be required to eat matzah again, let him recline irrespective of the matzah.

However the Rambam(2) writes “…and when should one recline? At the time of eating the Kezayis of matzah and drinking the four cups. At all other times of eating and drinking it is praiseworthy to recline.

It would seem from these words that the Rambam holds like the first option mentioned earlier that reclining is an independent mitzvah. This is apparent since he clearly states that it is praiseworthy to recline during other times of eating and drinking i.e. from the fact that it is praiseworthy to recline at other times, we can derive that reclining in general at the seder is a mitzvah, even though it is done independently to the eating of the matzah.

By Pini Harris

Matzah & Leaning



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This opinion of the Rambam however seems difficult in light of the gemorah mentioned above, for surely its simple reading implied the opinion of the Rosh?

The Brisker Rov (Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik 1447-1959) answers by looking at the Gemorah in a different light. Originally we understood that the gemorah meant to say that someone who ate his matzah without reclining, has not fulfilled the obligation of eating matzah (as reclining is part of the mitzvah of matzah). The Rambam however, explains the Brisker Rov, could understand the Gemorah to be saying that one who ate matzah without reclining, has not fulfilled the mitzvah of reclining, even though the mitzvah of matzah has been fulfilled.(4)

The Shulchan Oruch(3) rules like the opinion of the Rosh, that one who forgot to recline while eating matzah must eat again whilst reclining. However the Rema quotes the Ravya who is of the opinion that since nowadays the concept of reclining while eating is unusual even amongst the upper class, it is no longer a symbol of freedom and need not be done at the seder. Although not the generally accepted ruling it can however be relied upon in retrospect; for instance, in a case where one inadvertently ate the matzah without reclining he can rely on this opinion to excuse him from the need to eat the matzah again whilst reclining.

סי' כ' .1

הל' חמץ ומצה פ"ז ה"ה .2

3. Orach Chaim 472.7

4. The chiddush of the gemorah according to the Rambam is that had he reclined only for the matzah, that alone would suffice to fulfil the mitzvah of reclining.

The Torah commands us in two places (Exodus 12:19) שבעת ימים שאור

for seven days leaven –לא ימצא בבתיכם " may not be found in your houses”, and (ibid שאור בכל ולא יראה לך חמץ ולא יראה לך (13:7

-. גבולך" no Chametz nor leaven may be seen in your possession in all your borders”. The Talmud (Pesachim 1 b) interprets these two verses as belonging to one commandment, the prohibition-issur of owning Chametz on pesach. This issur is commonly known as the issur of Bal yeroeh.

This commandment is generally understood to be a prohibition on having Chametz in ones possession during pesach, transgressed by simply being in ownership of Chametz on pesach. A comparable mitzvah would therefore be the prohibition of owning dishonest weights 1 (Deuteronomy 25:13,14 ).

The Rambam-Maimonides in his compendium of jewish law—Mishneh Torah 2 writes as follows “one does not receive lashes for a transgression of Lo yeroeh velo yimotzei except if he acquired Chametz on pesach or he formed Chametz on pesach etc.; however if he already had Chametz in his possession prior to pesach and simply did not dispose of it before the onset of pesach although he has transgressed both prohibitions he is not given lashes, as he has not done any action.” The rambam is referring to the law brought down in the

By Yehuda Zev

Mendelsohn

Obliteration Of Chametz



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Talmud (Makkos 2 a) that malkus — the 39 lashes generally incurred for a lav-negative commandment is only applied for an act. Any lav which does not involve a positive action, does not incur malkus3. Therefore, says the Rambam, one will only incur lashes for ownership of Chametz if an action was involved in his transgression, for example if he went out and bought Chametz on pesach, or mixed flour and water together on pesach, thereby creating Chametz.

This statement of the Rambam however, is seemingly difficult to understand. If we were to take on as explained above, that the prohibition is merely to have Chametz in ones’ possession, why is the fact that he acquired the Chametz with an action sufficient to incur malkus? Surely the events which led up to his being in ownership of the Chametz are not an integral part of his transgression, therefore how can that action be enough to fulfil this requirement necessary for malkus? Furthermore, the Rambam himself with regard to the other prohibition of this nature, namely the owning of corrupt weights, makes no such distinction4, and suffices by saying that this prohibition does not involve any action and therefore does not incur malkus?

Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik in his work Hararei Kedem, poses the above question and offers an alternative, innovative approach to the whole subject. He begins by noting the language of the Rambam 5 when he brings this issur in his list of the issurim which incur malkus. He says ‘...and one who sustains chometz in his possession...’

Rav Soleveitchik infers from this that the issur of bal yeroeh is fundamentally different from the other prohibition of ownership. The prohibition is not purely to possess Chametz, rather to preserve and maintain Chametz in ones’ possession. Of course,

merely failing to destroy ones Chametz is also considered a transgression of this prohibition but only because he is thereby passively retaining Chametz in his possession.

Let us examine this closer. According to the way we understood originally and indeed how it remains by the issur of fraudulent weights the transgression is not performed by the owner, rather he is liable when the circumstances are such that he is in ownership of these forbidden items. (Obviously he will only be liable if he could have got rid of it, the Torah never penalises someone for something he had no control over!) However our new understanding of this issur changes the picture entirely. The prohibition is everything to do with the owner; he is liable for the way he dealt with the Chametz! To bring this point out more clearly, let’s say someone unknowingly has Chametz in his possession. According to our present understanding not only will he not be liable but he hasn’t done anything wrong, even unintentionally6. Since the existence of the Chametz is not known to him, his failure to destroy it cannot constitute a preservation of Chametz.

In light of this subtle but crucial alteration in the understanding of this issur, the Rambam’s assertion suddenly becomes clear. Although the regular way one transgresses this prohibition is by inactively keeping Chametz in his possession, if he actively brought Chametz into his possession, whether if he acquired it or created it, his act is definitely an integral part of his transgression, thereby fulfilling the necessary requirement to incur malkus!

1. In the days before modern scales, shop owners would weigh their produce on double sided scales against metal weights inscribed with their weight. Not only are we commanded not to cheat anyone, G-d



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forbid; but even simply owning weights which bear a different inscription than their true weight is prohibited.

2. Hilchos Chametz u’matza (1,3) 3. All the negative prohibitions in the Torah,

which do not have a death penalty ascribed to them, are punishable by 39 lashes. However some exclusions apply, for example the one noted here, that only

when a transgression was performed with a positive action can it incur lashes.

4. Hilchos Geneiva (7,3) 5. Hilchos Sanhedrin (19,4) 6. It must be noted however that if one

failed to fulfil his halachic obligation to search his property he would still be considered an unintentional transgressor for keeping chametz.

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Community

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Whitefield shul was buzzing this year with a crop of first-time events kicked off by Shabbat UK and launched in the summer by Rabbi Guttentag at a meeting in his home.

Dovi Colman spent the summer holidays laying the groundwork for the weekend and Mychiel Balshine then worked for several weeks fine-tuning and co-ordinating the programme.

The weekend began with a pre-Shabbat treasure hunt to find oil for lighting Shabbat torches outside the shul. This was followed by the Noah march in which 60 children wearing animal masks paraded round the shul for lecha dodi. Everyone joined in with the exuberant dancing at the end.

Friday night dinners and (indoor!) Shabbat street parties were hosted all round Whitefield. Lewis and Debra Harris of Young Whitefield organised a dinner for 200 young professionals who attended shul and then sat down to a gourmet meal with activities laid on for their children.

The shul hall was packed out on Shabbat afternoon for a seuda shlishit and comedy panel organised by Shelley Blackston and chaired by Shelly Rubinstein. Panellists were Ashley Boroda, Phil Greene, Simon Hilton, Stuart Sklair, Stephen Pearlman and Michael Rubinstein. This was followed after Shabbat by a sparkling havdala ceremony organized by Michael Marks and led by Zvi Gefen of Aish and people went home with a warm good-time feeling.

by

Rebbetzen Debbie

Guttentag

Community Update


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Shabbat UK in Whitefield was phenomenally successful thanks to the incredibly hard work of Mychiel with the assistance of volunteers such as Francine Levy and Simon Rosenthal.

Three craft and fun sessions took place during the winter - Succot, Chanukah and Tu B’Shvat. Between 50 and 100 children attended each event.

The highlight of the year was Purim with four separate events taking place.

On Shabbat parshat Zachor, as a lead up to the big day the children’s service met superhero who defeated Dalek and the Wicked Witch. (with grateful thanks to Marilyn Bar Ilan, Sara Shipman and Devorah Weinstein who performed the short show together with Debbie Guttentag)

Purim impossible 3 took place on the Sunday. This was run by Mychiel together with Ben First. The challenge was to make 103 mishloach manot which would then be distributed around the community. (The first year they made 101, last year 102…)

Whitefield shul kids together with Whitefield ladies drama club put on a puppet show for the community before the megillah reading. This was directed by our very own Marilyn Bar-Ilan who put everything it takes into rehearsing her young and not so young actors. Sara Shipman acted as producer and taught the children the opening song and dance routine and mothers Karen Eells and Lisa Miller worked backstage. Janey Semp ran the music. The show was written by Debbie Guttentag.

The young actors were:

Zac Shipman, Elli Shipman, Mia Kaivanto, Ben Kaivanto, Ilan Miller, Louis Fagen, Olivia Levine, Isabella Eells and Ruby Eells.


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The voices backstage were:

Marilyn Bar Ilan, Sara Shipman, Judith Phillips, Hilary Caplan, Debbie Guttentag.

Over 200 adults and children attended the puppet show. The place was heaving. The children then took part in a fancy dress parade compered by Janey Semp.

To everyone’s delight many of the parents and children then stayed on for the megillah, wooed by the promise of a prize. The noise in shul was deafening and the megillah reading took an hour and a half. Worthwhile indeed to see our children having the time of their lives in shul!

After the megillah the community gathered in shul for hamantashen and pizza. This was followed by a magic show performed by club 13 graduate Ryan Harris.

Our sincere thanks to Lesley Harris who pulled together all of the different aspects of Purim day. The incredible attendance at the megilla was a result of her vision and hard work.

In addition to all this busy activity the shul has continued to run children’s services every week. Devorah Weinstein runs a children’s service for ages three to six and Mychiel runs the Junior service for seven to twelve year olds. The Rabbi attends every week, chatting with the kids and talking to them about the sedra and Rebbetzen Debbie comes every so often to tell a story with the puppets.

Club 13, the pre-Bar mitzvah club run by Mychiel has continued to meet weekly throughout the winter with an innovative and exciting programme and fantastic outings.

In addition boys have been attending one-to-one learning in the kollel. There’s also been anim zemirot training to give boys confidence


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to get up there in front of the community on Shabbat morning. A big mazal tov and yasher koach to the following boys for their achievement in learning anim zemirot:

Benjamin Joels Year 6 King David

Zac Berkeley Year 4 Bury and Whitefield

Ilan Miller Year 3 King David

Conrad Hilton Year 6 Manchester Grammar School

Spencer Barnett Year 5 Bury Primary

Leo Jamil Year 4 Bury and Whitefield

Louis Lerman Year 6 King David

Rafi Goldberg Year 7 Bridgewater Grammar

Dylan Benjamin Year 4 King David

Conrad Benjamin Year 2 King David

Toby Burton Year 5 King David

Charlie Berger Year 5 Bury and Whitefield

Thanks to the many volunteers and to all the parents and children who take part in our activities. You are the future of Whitefield shul.

In particular, thanks to Mychiel’s wife Miriam who assists her husband with his many activities. She is often to be seen manning a stall and tidying up after everyone while keeping an eye on her two small children.

Rebbetzen Debbie Guttentag


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THE FORUM is a dynamic organisation providing

educational programmes as well as exciting youth activities for the Whitefield community

Dedicated In Loving Memory Of

Patricia Salter (Pesha Bas Reuven) A”H

& Leonard Salter (Hersh Leib Bas Shraga) A”H

Donated by their sons Phillip and Paul Salter

Together with their families

In association with the WCK, Reg. Charity Number 1004263

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