INTER-FAITH WEEK: In case you haven’t heard, this week is Interfaith Week – an opportunity to widen our circle of those working in the service of Goodness and in devotion to the Almighty, who we feel safe getting to know and befriending, regardless of whether we agree with their theology.

To mark the occasion, Chief Rabbi Mirvis & Archbishop Justin Welby launched ‘In Good Faith,’ a dialogue and social action initiative for local communities. More details here.

THE LATE LEONARD COHEN: In the excitement and anguish of last week’s USA election results, the media had little time to reflect on the passing of legendary singer/ poet Leonard Cohen.

Here are links to the article in this week’s Jewish Chronicle with quotations from the former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks; to the Canadian Prime Minister’s statement, to a documentary on Cohen’s early music career and to his acceptance speech for the 2011 Prince of Asturias award.

A special Kaddish evening will be held at JW3 on 12 December. Tickets are available here.

Norwegian TV asked Cohen about returning from 6 years in a Zen Buddhist retreat to learn his trusted manager had embezzled his life savings. Cohen understatedly responded, ‘Money has a way of disappearing if you don’t watch it very closely.’

On a serious note, words can’t be found to express the feeling of immense bereavement for a proudly Jewish figure who made such a disarming impact over the past half century through profound poetry and music that often seared the soul while carving out a place of distinction for the imperfect.

RECITING PSALMS Introduction: This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 17: Authorship of the 17th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David who both beseeched G-d to take note of his righteousness and sought protection through G-d from his enemies. Here David longed to be part of G-d’s mercy and to bask in the glory of the Divine presence.

תְּפִלָּה, לְדָוִד: שִׁמְעָה ה, צֶדֶק– הַקְשִׁיבָה רִנָּתִי, הַאֲזִינָה תְפִלָּתִי; בְּלֹא, שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה. A Prayer of David. Hear righteousness, O LORD, attend my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips without deceit. (Psalms 17:1)

אֲנִי-קְרָאתִיךָ כִי-תַעֲנֵנִי אֵ-ל; הַט-אָזְנְךָ לִי, שְׁמַע אִמְרָתִי. As for me, I call upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. (Psalms 17:6)

David taught us that in praying to the Almighty one can only succeed through sincerity of heart, honesty and an absence of self-deception.

קוּמָה ה– קַדְּמָה פָנָיו, הַכְרִיעֵהוּ;פַּלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי, מֵרָשָׁע חַרְבֶּךָ. Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; deliver my soul from the wicked, by Your sword; (Psalms 17:13)

אֲנִי–בְּצֶדֶק, אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ; אֶשְׂבְּעָה בְהָקִיץ, תְּמוּנָתֶךָ. As for me, I’ll see Your face in righteousness; I’ll be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness. (Psalms 17:15)

David asked the Almighty to heed not the plans and treachery of those who wished him harm, but rather grant him success during his lifetime and allow him the merit of being with G-d when his days were done.

[E.N.: Rashi interpreted this Psalm differently – as a lament – after David sinned with Bat Sheba. Contrite & broken in spirit, David prayed for forgiveness, protection from retribution and exoneration in the World to Come.]

Summary: VaYeira is the 4th parasha in the Book of Genesis spanning chapters 18:1-22-24. It contains the familiar stories of Abraham’s later years and the challenges that lead him to become the great man of faith and pursuer of justice.

Included in VaYeira are; Abraham’s recovery from circumcision, hosting 3 ‘men’ who inform Sarah will bear a child, G-d revealing plans to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah and Abraham pleading for it to be spared, the rescue of Lot and disgrace with his daughters, a famine that caused Abraham & Sarah to move to Gerar, Isaac’s birth, Hagar & Ishmael’s banishment, a covenant with Abimelekh and the Binding of Isaac.

Comment: Rabbi David Fohrman offers an original insight into the VaYeira drama of G-d and Abraham negotiating the rescue of the city of Sodom. Abraham challenged G-d to uphold justice and not punish the righteous among the wicked.

G-d consented to Abraham’s pleas to save the city if 50 righteous lived there. The dialogue continued until the ransom figure was only 10. Then the Torah informs ‘G-d departed after finishing to speak with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place’ (Genesis: 18-32). But there’s ambiguity whether they had struck a deal.

Immediately the 2 angels went to rescue Lot. Embedded in that story, was a possible successful resolution. Lot was still considered among the righteous whom Abraham spoke about. He’d grown up in Abraham’s home and understood the custom of offering hospitality to strangers. He heard his visitor’s plea to gather up his family to escape but failed to hold sway over anyone but his wife and 2 unmarried daughters.

R Fohrman calculates the number of those in Lot’s household; 2 sons, 2 sons-in-law and 4 daughters plus Lot and his wife – equaled 10. Had Lot only been able to influence his extended family to join him, G-d would have consented – for this was Abraham’s bargain. Furthermore, had Lot influenced the townspeople toward peace and virtue, it might have averted the destruction.

We infer that in difficult and undesirable circumstances, those who have influence to change a situation of desperation and difficulty to goodness, are obliged to act resolutely and with courage. It’s not good enough to close ourselves off and turn away from troubles around us; we must take an active stand. The moral – as much as the wicked are held responsible for their actions, so too are those who stand by idly and watch!

RECITING PSALMS Introduction: This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 16:

Authorship of the 16th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. It is about having the humility to know our portion in Life is entirely a gift from G-d.

David begins the chapter expressing his commitment and devotion to the Almighty. He attributes any Good that has happened to him to G-d’s benevolence.

אָמַרְתְּ לַ-ה, אֲדֹ-נָי אָתָּה; טוֹבָתִי, בַּל-עָלֶיךָ. I’ve said unto the LORD: ‘You are my Lord; I have no good but in You. (Psalms 16:2)

ה, מְנָת-חֶלְקִי וְכוֹסִי– אַתָּה, תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי. O LORD, the portion of my inheritance and cup, You maintain my lot. (Psalms 16:5)

He blesses G-d and pledges to set the Lord before him always. In return, he asks that his soul not be abandoned in the hereafter.

שִׁוִּיתִי ה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד: כִּי מִימִינִי, בַּל-אֶמּוֹט. I’ve set the LORD always before me; surely at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalms 16:8)

תּוֹדִיעֵנִי, אֹרַח חַיִּים: שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת, אֶת-פָּנֶיךָ; נְעִמוֹת בִּימִינְךָ נֶצַח. You make me to know the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, in Your right hand bliss for evermore. (Psalms 16:11)

Our innate talents and the powerful forces around us are tools provided by the Almighty. What we think are the important determining factors in Life, more often than not, are illusions.

Perhaps because of its reference to those who lie in the grave, this Psalm is used in traditional funeral and stone-setting services.

Montefiore Endowment – New Dayanut Course for Rabbis

History was marked earlier this week at a Lauderdle Road reception officially launching the first Dayanut Course for Rabbis in the diaspora. The Montefiore Endowment in cooperation with Yeshivat Eretz Hemdah will be administering the 5-year programme. Based in London, it has students from Hong Kong, Australia, Amsterdam and Turkey participating online as well.

The programme was designed by Endowment Chairman Lucien Gubbay and Eretz Hemdah Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yosef Carmel. The inaugural lecture took place on Tuesday evening 8 November with 6 of the students.  Participation is by application. Contact the Montefiore Endowment for more information.

Post Script:

Too much has been written this week about the astonishing results of the USA presidential election. We share the prayer and sentiments of religious leaders around the globe that the new President will be given wisdom, insight and grace as he faces the tasks before him, and that the Almighty will bless and bring reconciliation to the people of the United States of America.

Summary: Parashat Lekh-Lekha (Genesis 12:1-17:27) introduces Abram & Sarai.

G-d called Abram at age 75 to journey from his father’s home to a land unknown. In return G-d pledged to make him a great nation through whom all the families of mankind would be blessed. So Abram left Haran with his wife and nephew and with what he’d already acquired, and set-out for G-d’s Promised Land.

Upon reaching Cana’an, he embarked on a set of local journeys to Shekhem, Beit El and the Negev where he built altars and offered sacrifices to G-d. Due to famine, their entire retinue were forced to relocate to Egypt. There Abram fearing he would be killed by the locals for his wife, asked Sarai to say she was his sister instead.

Because of her beauty, members of the Court informed Pharaoh who brought Sarai into his harem. Abram was rewarded with riches. But soon Pharaoh realised his error and summoned Abram to complain of this deceit.  Abram & Sarai and nephew Lot were deported from Egypt, returning to Cana’an enriched.

A feud developed between the financially independent Lot and Abram and between their shepherds, causing the two men to separate ways. Lot took-up residence in the fertile plains near Sodom.

Following years of vassal status, a revolution broke out when 4 kings threw-off the rule of the 5 kings. During the fighting, Lot was taken captive and Abram with 318 men intervened to rescue him. Malkisedek of Shalem greeted Abram with bread and wine and brokered a peace. The King of Sodom was given back the spoils taken from his lands and the captives.

G-d appeared to Abram once more promising him protection. Abram challenged G-d by pointing out he was without heir and that the son of his household servant would inherit him. G-d promised Abram he would have offspring of his own and called him to the Covenant between the Pieces. In a night vision Abram learned his descendants would, after 400 years of servitude, inherit the Land of Cana’an.

Concerned they had no offspring to carry on their legacy, Sarai told Abram to take Hagar her handmaid as a concubine, who fell pregnant. Thereafter, tensions arose between Hagar & Sarai, and Hagar fled to the desert where an Angel comforted her and foretold of the birth and character of her son. Returning to Sarai’s home, Hagar bore Ishmael when Abraham was 86.

In the last part of the parasha, G-d changed Abram’s name to Abraham (father of many nations) and commanded him – age 99 – to perform the Covenant of Circumcision. It would be an everlasting sign between G-d and Abraham’s descendants forming them into a holy nation and granting them a permanent homeland.

G-d changed Sarai’s name to Sarah and foretold to Abraham that he and his wife would within the year have a son together. Thereafter, Abraham circumcised himself, Ishmael and all the males in his household.

Comment: It’s left to the Midrash to provide Abraham’s background – his iconoclasm, his struggles with Nimrod, and his numerous tests of faith. Abram’s name first appears at the end of Parshat Noah as the son of Terakh who moved from Ur Kasdim to Haran. He was married to Sarai (his niece).

In hindsight, the story of Abraham shows everything worked out for the best. But to be first to herald Monotheism in a pagan world was an enormous effort without guarantee of certainty or success. Even after following G-d’s command to move to Cana’an, the reader senses in his constant building of altars a continuous need to seek out the Divine.

When G-d appeared to him in Shekhem, wouldn’t it have been enough to build the Altar and settle there? Instead, he uprooted himself toward the mountains, built another altar and called to G-d. And did so a third time in the Negev. Is it possible Abraham sought-out G-d on each separate occasion because the Divine presence wasn’t a constant in his life? In these early episodes G-d’s communication with Abram seemss intermittent at best.

Maintaining reception with G-d, was perhaps like today’s mobile technology; the challenge is to stay within transmission range. Abraham’s wandering ‘here and there through the Negev’ suggests his connection with G-d wasn’t constant. He had to regularly search new places where the Divine was present and then formalise them with an Altar and offerings.

This would continue into the generations of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph & his brothers until Moshe in his relationship with the Almighty brought Bnei Yisrael to Sinai to hear directly the word of G-d. In so doing, he helped form the nation that would become a living testimony to G-d’s connectivity with our world.

In 2016, when the unexpected and unthinkable happens more and more frequently, and Divine reception is so easily interrupted, how much more must we, like Abraham, seek out G-d if we want to keep our awareness intact. In the end all must work out well, but for the time being, it feels like our certainty and success are far from guaranteed.

Summary: Parashat Noah (Genesis 6:8-11:32) contains, after the stories of Creation, probably the second best-known tales in the world; the Flood and the Tower of Babel.

A lengthy description of the Ark’s construction is followed by a narrative of the year-long experience inside the Ark. Eventually, the Ark came to rest on Mt Ararat.

Next is G-d’s ‘Rainbow’ covenant and promise never to destroy Creation again; the mysterious incident of Noah’s drunkenness, cursing Ham and blessing Shem & Yefet, and the list of families, descended from Noah’s three sons, who repopulated the Earth.

The parasha ends with the Tower of Babel Dispersion and a list of the 10 Generations from Noah to Abram.

Comment: By way of descriptive reference, there are 50 chapters in the Book of Genesis. Bereishith & Noah account for 12. Thereafter, the story shifts from mankind in general to the family of Abraham in particular. It’s a kind of narrowing of focus and would seem to imply that up until now the stage has been set explaining G-d’s disappointment with humanity and the search for those who could truly ‘comfort’ the Almighty.

At the end of Bereishith, Noah was named the ‘comforter’ (Lemakh called him Noah, saying: ‘He shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, coming from the ground the LORD has cursed’ Genesis 5:29). It’s suggested that Noah was the first to introduce the plough to farming.

Even though he was deemed worthy by G-d to build the Ark and rescue the remnants of civilisation from total destruction, somehow life after the Flood proved less meritorious. Many commentators point to his drunkenness as the disqualifier.

Nonetheless, the Talmud derives from the verses in this week’s Parasha a set of universal laws applying to all humanity known as the 7 Noahide laws. They are traditionally enumerated as:

1. Belief in God
2. Do not blaspheme God
3. Do not murder
4. Do not have illicit sexual relations
5. Do not steal
6. Do not eat an animal while it is still alive
7. Establish a court system to ensure legal protection and obedience

The Talmudic rabbis agreed seven laws were given to the sons of Noah. However, they disagreed on which laws were given to Adam and Eve as well.

Like most of these pivotal early stories, much is shrouded in secrecy. What exactly happened in Noah’s tent when Ham saw his father’s nakedness is part of a Talmudic debate (Sanhedrin 70a). In next week’s parasha we will read another story involving drunkenness linked to sexuality – between Lot and his daughters. This leaves room to investigate whether there’s any correlation between them.

RECITING PSALMS Introduction: This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 15:

Authorship of the 15th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. At only 5 verses in length, it is one of the shortest in the Book.

Posing the question ‘who is worthy to dwell in the presence of the Almighty,’ the Psalmist responds that only those who first embody high moral behaviour towards their fellow human beings can achieve G-d consciousness.

מִזְמוֹר, לְדָוִד: ה, מִי-יָגוּר בְּאָהֳלֶךָ; מִי-יִשְׁכֹּן, בְּהַר קָדְשֶׁךָ.

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Your holy mountain? (Psalms 15:1)

The list of moral prerequisites covers thought, speech and action; walking upright, doing justice, speaking truth in one’s heart, avoiding the slander of others, neither loaning on interest nor taking a bribe against the innocent, and honouring those who fear G-d.

כַּסְפּוֹ, לֹא-נָתַן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ– וְשֹׁחַד עַל-נָקִי, לֹא לָקָח: עֹשֵׂה-אֵלֶּה– לֹא יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם.

He that doesn’t loan his money on interest, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He that does these things shall never be moved. (Psalms 15:5)

Such people will never be uprooted from their connection with the Divine.

Earlier this week a Scripture-based Dialogue sponsored by BIMA (Belief in Mediation & Arbitration) was held at the law offices of Charles Russell Speechlys. Attending were representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic communities; including other solicitors, mediators, members of the government and police force.

The topic focused on Law vs. Morality – cases where religious jurisprudence is at odds with government legislation. One case, drawing from Numbers 30:2 the command to honour one’s oaths, was delivered by Clive Freedman QC. His talk looked at the legal debate and practice behind oral contracts in English versus Jewish law, and made the observation that even when legally an agreement is not binding, there is a concept in Judaism to go beyond the letter of the law (lifnim meshurat hadin).

Presentations were made by a Christian mediator and an Imam who also raised the issue of ‘good faith’ in contract law and afterwards a light discussion ensued. Two interesting points for comparison were that in Quranic law one may not swear an oath in an English court before giving testimony. And, with regard to witnesses, when there aren’t 2 men who can testify, the Islamic courts will accept one man and 2 women. The former is similar in Judaism but the latter seems more advanced – in that Judaism only accepts valid male witnesses.

While recognising the plurality of approaches and the subtlety in differences between these religious legal systems, and even touching upon the wish of the Islamic community to have permission to operate under Sharia Law, it was generally concluded that all 3 faiths espouse a set of common core values and that human beings will ultimately be held accountable for their actions by a Higher Authority.

In this, the week of Parshat Noah, we can ask ourselves ‘by the standard of Psalm 15 are we among those who would merit being chosen to build a new world?’ A combination of scriptural guidance and a reflecting conscience are tools to help each of us arrive at our own answer.

Post Script:

For those who are eligible, voting for the USA presidential election closes next Tuesday 8 November. America’s economy is $17 trillion with China next closest at $12 trillion. For the past year we’ve watched a partisan political race in which the candidates will have spent $2 billion trying to get elected.

The US presidency is the most powerful role in the world (perhaps only the Pope or Russia’s Vladimir Putin is more influential). Regardless of the outcome next week, sadly we should expect – like Brexit – nearly half of Americans to feel disenfranchised.

The rancour and hostility may likely continue for months to come. One would be excused for wondering aloud whether we’re not at the same state of chaos as the generation of Noah before the Flood?

RECITING PSALMS Introduction: This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 14:

Authorship of the 14th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. Nearly identical to Psalm 53, it laments fools who deny G-d and who caused David’s personal troubles.

Such people persuade themselves none will hold them to account for their deeds; thus they go about satisfying every evil intent. Psalm 14 decries the ‘disease of sinfulness’ infecting all of mankind.

ה– מִשָּׁמַיִם, הִשְׁקִיף עַל-בְּנֵי-אָדָם: לִרְאוֹת, הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל– דֹּרֵשׁ, אֶת-אֱלֹהִים.

The LORD looked forth from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any of understanding who sought after God. (Psalms 14:2)

Later commentators like the Malbim (1809-79 Ukraine) suggest this Psalm foretold the period of the destruction of the 1^st Temple and the redemptive hope for its rebuilding. Accordingly, enemies like Nebuchadnezzar denying Divine Providence used his energies to attack Israel. Ultimately, only G-d could bring about Salvation.

מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן, יְשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל: בְּשׁוּב ה, שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ; יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב, יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Would that the salvation of Israel come out of Zion! When the LORD returns the people from captivity; let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. (Psalms 14:7)

A timely message as we begin the Book of Bereishith and read of the Almighty’s disappointment with the 1^st 10-generations of humanity.

This Shabbat we begin again the 54-parasha cycle of Torah reading. Bereishith is the first parasha in the book with the same name.

Summary: Parashat Bereishith (Genesis 1:1-6:8) contains probably the most well-known stories in the world; the 7-days of Creation, Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil, the Snake’s deceit, punishment and exile after the first couple disobeyed G-d’s command, Cain killing his brother Abel and the list of 10 generations from Adam to Noah.

Comment: The 5 Books of Moshe aren’t evenly divided in time. For example, Genesis covers the 2200-year period from Creation until Jacob’s descent to Egypt. Whereas, the Book of Exodus accounts for the roughly 210-years of Jewish bondage before G-d’s redeeming Bnei Yisrael from under Pharaoh’s rule.

The Book of Leviticus concerns the Mishkan and its ritual service – effectively a dedication period lasting 8-days. The Book of Numbers spans the people’s 40-years wandering in the Midbar. The Book of Deuteronomy presents the last month of Moshe’s life.

But, even within the Book of Genesis the 2200-years aren’t evenly spread. Bereishith and Noah cover almost 1800 years. Necessarily, the stories chosen for these early chapters selectively point to what must be told while we’re left to wonder what was withheld. In that sense the Torah, which we believe was given by G-d, is a ‘Guide to Understanding Life’ more so than a historical chronicle.

Two observations that may resonate with us in a modern world, are 1) the need for fidelity to the original text and 2) the role of humanity in a post-Tree of Knowledge state.

The first is exampled by the seemingly innocent approach of the Snake where in Chapter 3 it asserted to Eve they mustn’t eat from any of the trees. Naively, Eve revised G-d’s original command ‘not to eat,’ imposing onto it ‘not to touch’ as well, ‘lest you die’. The Rabbinic commentaries point out that adding this extra restriction led to confusion when the Snake made her touch the fruit and she saw it didn’t cause death. It was then a much easier next step to eat from the tree as well.

While perhaps intending good by adding extra stringencies, one must wonder whether today we aren’t falling into the same pattern of over-exaggerating Divine commands making our communities more prone to similar failure. Each new stringency seems to drive some faith communities more inward and simultaneously more separate from others. It’s a short slippery slope to some of the abuses we’ve witnessed recently.

Second, finding ourselves in a post-Tree of Knowledge world, we may ask what are our responsibilities to G-d and mankind? Has all of history been tainted by an ‘Original Sin’ as some religions suggest and little can be done to change it?

Rambam and other Medieval commentators who faced harsh relations with the leading faith’s of their time, adopted a different approach. They believed Adam & Eve must already have had a sense of what is morally right. Otherwise, how would they have been able to choose to obey G-d’s command to refrain from the Tree of Knowledge?

Rather, the difference is they understood right and wrong intrinsically – seeing the world from G-d’s viewpoint. Whereas, in a post-Tree world, their intuitive sense was obscured by heavily-weighted self-interest. Accordingly, to get back to a state of innocence, our choice must be to counter-balance selfish interests from our decisions.

A contemporary example would be the use of natural resources. While all understand there’s a finite amount of oil under the earth’s surface, willingness to conserve usage is affected by complexity. Today the conflicting needs of different producing countries has prevented a unanimous agreement to curtail output. And where output continues, so will consumption.

The same argument applies to clean water. Do we carelessly leave the tap running in the sink or the shower knowing well that in some places people still transport water from wells to villages? How careful would we be if the same applied to us?

The taint of a post-Tree world isn’t indelible, it’s just much harder to address; when we’re able to balance the excesses of some with the shortfall of others, we’ll have made progress in getting back to that state of primordial and pristine Divine innocence.

The Torah reading for Shabbat Hol HaMoed is from Exodus 33:12-34:26 describing how Moshe beseeched the Almighty to forgive Bnei Yisrael after the Golden Calf debacle.

Summary: The reading for Shabbat Hol HaMoed is one of the most esoteric parts of the Torah, a discussion between Moshe & G-d eventually revealing, for perpetuity, the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy – the formula used most recently on Yom Kippur.

It begins with Moshe’s request to G-d to ‘show me Your ways’ and G-d’s response that ‘My presence will go with you, and I’ll give you rest.’ Moshe pushed further, ‘If Your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t take us up from here.’

After G-d’s acquiescence, and relying on the favour he had found with the Almighty, Moshe asked ‘Show me Your glory’ and was told ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you and call out in the name of the Lord, I will find favour with whom I find favour and forgive whom I forgive.’

Told ‘man can’t see the face of G-d and live’, Moshe was then placed in the cleft of a rock while G-d passed before him, enabling Moshe to see the back of G-d.’

Moshe was then commanded to carve out 2 more tablets for G-d to again write what was on the first set which Moshe broke. Again Moshe ascended the mountain alone where G-d passed before him in a cloud calling out the 13 Attributes.

Hurriedly, Moshe, bowed down calling to G-d to forgive Bnei Yisrael their trespasses. In response the Almighty promised a new covenant of wonders unlike anything seen since Creation.

Bnei Yisrael were charged to observe the command G-d set that day. The 6 nations occupying Cana’an would be displaced; Bnei Yisrael mustn’t establish treaties with them, for it would lead to stumbling from within. All pre-existing deities were to be destroyed and intermarriage avoided.

They were also expected to observe the festivals of Pesah, to dedicate their first born to G-d, to rest on the 7^th day, to observe Shavuoth and the new wheat harvest along with the autumnal gathering at the end of the season.

Thrice per year they were to make pilgrimage to be in G-d’s Presence. Blood of the pascal lamb shouldn’t be slaughtered on hamets, nor should its meat be leftover to the morning. They were to bring their first fruits to the House of G-d; they shouldn’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

Comment: Could the mysterious ‘cleft of the rock’ which G-d provided for Moshe have any connection with the second set of stone tablets Moshe himself carved out?

It’s well-known that to acquire Torah requires great effort. Rabbi Akiva Tatz posits that much in life follows a pattern of being gifted something first and then working to acquire its real benefits and essence.

An example he gives is of an infant being cared for before reaching maturity then as an adult taking on the challenge of our own responsibilities. Another example is the case of the second set of tablets Moshe himself had to carve out and carry up the mountain.

But is it possible these were somehow cut from the same ‘rock’ G-d used to shield Moshe from over-exposure? If so, we learn from this allegory that the work of our hands enables us to merit the presence of G-d. And, that a longer-term goal in life is to carve for ourselves the kind of lasting testament worth passing-on to future generations.

In fact, isn’t this a description of the kind of character development the Torah encourages us to embody – living in a moral and righteous way that testifies to the purity & sanctity of our being hewn in the Image of G-d?

Three USA presidential debates over, many viewers are left with a distinctly insecure feeling that if these are the best candidates the United States, arguably the most powerful nation in the world, can put forward, much uncomfortable uncertainty lies ahead. To the outsider, this presidential race appears more openly hostile & vicious than anything in the last half-century if not longer. It also highlights inherent problems within an electoral system that’s grown brittle and almost anachronistic.

Intended to be a political experiment that replaced the tyranny of kings, the USA founding fathers set in place a set of ‘checks & balances’ to prevent corruption of the ruling class. Over the past 240 years the USA has become a beacon and example to democracies around the free world; how sad to watch this raw, knock-down struggle of self-interests.

As in the message of Psalm 13 below, may the Almighty indeed bring salvation to our world at a time when it is most desperately needed!

RECITING PSALMS Introduction: This brief comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [Note: Quoted verses are taken from the Mechon Mamre website.]

Chapter 13:

Authorship of the 13th Chapter of Psalms is attributed to King David. In discouraging times, it pleads that gloom and hardship will be vanquished by our faith in G-d.

Only 6 verses, it uses a double-verse pattern; lamenting abandonment by G-d, petitioning a return to Divine favour, and ending with praise for the Almighty’s salvation.

עַד-אָנָה ה, תִּשְׁכָּחֵנִי נֶצַח; עַד-אָנָה, תַּסְתִּיר אֶת-פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי.

How long, O LORD, will You forget me for ever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (Psalms 13:2)

Whether individual struggles or the travails of our long, dark national exile, this Psalm tells Jews to maintain Faith & Trust in the Almighty – an appropriate message during Sukkot, the Festival of Our Faithfulness.

וַאֲנִי, בְּחַסְדְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי– יָגֵל לִבִּי, בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ:אָשִׁירָה לָ-ה, כִּי גָמַל עָלָי.

But as for me, in Your mercy I do trust; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because You have dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms 13:6)

The last verse of Psalm 13 appears in the early part of the daily Shaharit Zemirot section.

For some wonderful essays on Sukkot, please consider this brief article and this longer video lecture from Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.