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HASOFRIM MAY 2020

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HASOFRIM

Table of Contents 4 HELLO AND WELCOME By Talia Barsheshet

Hello and welcome to the third edition of AUJS’ Jewish Engagement Magazine!. This year I have decided to publish the much loved magazine with a new name, HaSofrim - the scribes. I chose the name ‘HaSofrim’ as I wanted something that reflected how I felt about the Jewish community.

6 PESACH 2020

By Rabbi Yaakov Glasman

The Jewish world has changed significantly in recent decades. It faces challenges of assimilation that were virtually unknown to our grandparents – challenges that are becoming increasingly difficult to address as society becomes more secularised. Newfound freedoms, affluence and cultural osmosis have blurred the boundaries of traditional Judaism and created an appetite, if not an expectation, for us to change the very fabric of our Jewish identity.

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8 I LOVE SHABBAT DINNERS

By Achi Simhony

Finally, the Zoom call connects, I can see my cousins waving at me through my laptop screen and yet all I can think about is how quickly we can get to the Shulchan Orech. Before we start our Seder, my Mum stops to reflect on this unique setting. “Boys, this is going to be a Pesach that people will talk about for years to come”, and I’m sure she isn’t wrong. We are living in an interesting world at the moment, with natural disaster, international pandemic and global economic collapse a simple reality.

A Digital Pesach

The Hillel Sandwich

Remembering Amalek

What’s the point of Praying?

Expressing Gratitude in Difficult Circumstances

Divine Revelation

Pesach: My Relief Amongst the Plague of COVID-19

Hello & Welcome

ello and welcome to the third edition of AUJS’ Jewish Engagement Magazine! My name is Talia Barsheshet and I’m the AUJS Jewish Engagement Coordinator for 2020. This year I have decided to publish the much loved magazine with a new name, HaSofrim - the scribes. I chose the name ‘HaSofrim’ as I wanted something that reflected how I felt about the Jewish community. As the younger Jewish population we have the power to change our futures, we are the scribes of the future, each day when we advocate for the land of Israel and Judaism. Through powerful words written by some amazing Jewish members of our community, we have the potential to create peace, love and understanding. HaSofrim is a magazine for the people and by the people. I wanted this magazine to be something everyone in our Jewish community could resonate with when reading. In this magazine I really tried to express our pillar of pluralism, by showcasing an array of authors who come from all different walks of life. This edition of the magazine is focused on the chagim we celebrated in the first half of the Jewish year. The articles you’ll find in this magazine are insightful and stimulating, and they provide a fresh new perspective on Jewish topics. I’d like to thank all the participants who submitted incredible articles and made this magazine what it is - Shkoyach! Finally I’d like to extend my thanks to a few people without whom I would not have been able to bring this edition of the magazine

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to fruition. Firstly I would like to thank Shira Rosenblum for being the driving force behind this initiative. Thank you for creating such a positive outlet for Jews across Australia to express their thoughts and feelings in such a positive way. Thank you to Nat Gunn for collating many of the articles, for being my right hand woman and constantly supporting me in this role. Josh Kirsh and Gaby Davis (our AUJS President and Vice President) are two of the most supportive and empowering people. Gaby and Josh’s guidance and assistance has allowed me to achieve my goals within the organisation. This magazine wouldn't look as beautiful and sophisticated as it does with the amazing work of Hagit Ashual. Hagit is a new member of the AUJS team and has been nothing but patient, kind and willing to help. My final thank you is extended to my family. My family has supported me through every endeavour and challenge I’ve ever faced. I thank them for their unconditional love, support and guidance.

Talia Barsheshet AUJS Jewish Engagement Coordinator

Talia Barsheshet is the AUJS Jewish Engagement Coordinator for 2020.

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PESACH 2020 By Rabbi Yaakov Glasman Senior Rabbi – St Kilda Shule President – Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand

he Jewish world has changed significantly in recent decades. It faces challenges of assimilation that were virtually unknown to our grandparents – challenges that are becoming increasingly difficult to address as society becomes more secularised. Newfound freedoms, affluence and cultural osmosis have blurred the boundaries of traditional Judaism and created an appetite, if not an expectation, for us to change the very fabric of our Jewish identity.

Instead, it precipitated our acceptance of the Torah. New rules were imposed. New dictates were enacted. Laws restricting who we can marry, what we can eat, what we can say and what we can think. The exodus segued into an unconditional acceptance of G-d’s laws – all 613 of them. And yet, herein lays the answer to our dilemma. The Sages had no qualms in dubbing Pesach the festival of our “freedom” because freedom does not mean the absence of boundaries. Freedom is not a licence for unbridled choices in life - it must be coupled with discipline and self-control. In the context of Judaism, we must embrace the freedoms of the modern era whilst remaining true to the core values that have shaped us since our inception as a nation.

On the one hand this can be seen as a positive. It means many Jews no longer mindlessly adhere to the status quo. They question, engage and necessarily challenge the upbringing of their parents. They force a rethink of what it means to be Jewish and how we choose to identify as Jews in the twenty first century. But if left unanswered, this challenge can also erode the foundations of a 4,000 year old faith.

As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks so succinctly puts it in his Haggadah, “Do not think that the story of Pesach ends with the exodus. It only begins there. It is one thing to believe in G-d when you need His help. It is another when you have already received it. Affluence, no less than slavery, can make us forget who we are and why”.

Ironically, this dilemma goes straight to the heart of Pesach. On Pesach we were emancipated from slavery and born as a people. Previously held under Egyptian rule against our will we were now free to leave behind the chains of slavery. This should have ended the servitude and heralded an epoch of new found liberties and self-determination; a time to escape the shackles of imposed dictates and become masters of our own destinies.

The world has indeed changed and we must adapt accordingly if we are to survive as a people. But this cannot be done at the expense of what created us a people in the first place – our faith and our timeless traditions.

But it didn’t. The exodus didn’t result in absolute freedom. 6

Artwork by Raphael Abecassis

Title: Passover

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I LOVE SHABBAT DINNERS By Achi Simhony Achi is studying a double degree of Law and Arts (majoring in geography) at the University of Auckland. Achi is the president of AUJS New Zealand.

Shabbat table

y Ima was raised in a quite religious and traditional Moroccan family, she was also a Jewish Studies and Hebrew teacher at the only Jewish school in New Zealand, and so all I know about Judaism and the traditions we have, are from her.

We would then all shower and get ready for Shabbat to come in. Shabbat dinners meant loud singing, clapping and dancing to every Shabbat song we knew for at least 25 minutes, blessing the candles, wine and bread and skyping family overseas. I loved Shabbat so much that at age 7 I learnt the Wine blessing by heart for the days my brother was away, to take over. For many years Shabbat dinners were loud and big in our family of six, but over the years the number began declining when one of my sisters moved to Israel, the other

Shabbat dinners were celebrated at family home every week. My siblings and I would spend the afternoon cleaning our respective area of the house, while Ima would cook the most delicious Sephardic Shabbat dinner. 8

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Shabbat table display

sister moved to Amsterdam, later my brother moved out of home, and finally, my parents moved out of the family home to live in a rural farm.

think ‘Crap! It’s Shabbat today’. Those candleholders are gathering a thick layer of dust. There is no conclusion to this story. I am still trying to determine what Shabbat means to me now that I am far away geographically from the Matriarch that carried our Shabbat services and taught me all I know about Judaism. It is now the time for me to determine what I miss from not having Shabbat dinners, and figure out how I can bring Shabbat into my own home. Maybe this is the time to take inspiration from the amazing Zoom Seder we had and try to implement this for Shabbat dinners with my family, however far away we all are from each other.

I have now lived out of home for a year and I can count on one hand the number of Shabbat dinners we have had. I don’t think I ever realized how much I would miss having family Shabbat dinners. I was gifted Shabbat candle-holders for my 21st birthday, yet somehow every week Shabbat seems to slip my mind. For so many years I looked forward to Shabbat, it was an evening where everyone with their own busy lives, would slow down, and we would all take a couple of hours to sing and eat together. Nowadays, Shabbat comes in and only after I

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A DIGITAL PESACH By Dylan Kotkis Dylan Kotkis is studying a double degree of International Relations and Finance at Curtin University. Dylan is currently the AUJS WA President.

inally, the Zoom call connects, I can see my cousins waving at me through my laptop screen and yet all I can think about is how quickly we can get to the Shulchan Orech. Before we start our Seder, my Mum stops to reflect on this unique setting. “Boys, this is going to be a Pesach that people will talk about for years to come”, and I’m sure she isn’t wrong. We are living in an interesting world at the moment, with natural disaster, international pandemic and global economic collapse a simple reality. 2020 has been a harsh year, testing everyone and pushing new boundaries that most people didn’t know existed, and for the first time, the Jewish community has first-hand experienced the effects of this modern world. Pesach was different this year, but yet, I think we all felt more connected than ever.

so significant for me because for one week a year, the Kotkis household becomes completely Pesadic. All of the cupboards are taped shut, mainly so that I don’t forget and make myself some toast, my Mum’s study becomes the Pesach cupboard, and for the first and last time every year, I am confident that any Rabbi would feel comfortable dining at my house. My friends never quite understood the concept of Pesadic food. The conversation would usually end up with me explaining that, “Just because there’s no wheat, it doesn’t make it Pesadic!”. I would always be tempted to go out with my friends for their “Pesadic Nandos”, but for me, it is the one week a year where I get to stand out with my Judaism and fully immerse myself in the Pesach traditions. It is almost liberating, in a sense, to have the ability to commemorate the freeing of Jews from slavery and take part in an age-old tradition. We get to explore new culinary avenues, with almost all Jews pushing their creativity to the limits, all working to answer the question, “What is the best food that can be made with Matzah?”. For me, my all-time favourite is Matzah fried

Some of my most vivid memories of Judaism in my childhood come from Pesach. Sitting at the kids table, singing Pesach songs, everyone taking a turn to read a part, it was a time of joy and togetherness, and although Matzah is a questionable substitute for bread, Pesach still holds a place in my heart. I think Pesach is

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with eggs. Unfortunately, I was not gifted with any cooking ability and quite spectacularly, I managed to fail food technology at school. But in the spirit of the wild nature of 2020, I thought I should give cooking a go and I’m pleased to say that it was a success! I can now add Matzah with egg to my very short list of foods I can cook. But in between the all-time classic Matzah pizza and some of my mum’s Matzah toffee, I’m always amazed at the variety and creativity that people display, managing to weave Matzah into the most unique and delicious dishes. Unique to this year, was a sudden increase in the online sharing of recipes, cooking tips and some of the best food photos I’ve ever seen. Being stuck at home, although frustrating, has forced us all to connect in different ways, mainly on social media and video calling. This has allowed people from all around Australia and the rest of the world to still remain connected, whilst adhering to all of the social distancing laws we are facing.

freedom. Since this was unfortunately not going to be a reality, we all had to adapt and find a new solution in order to still live the true Pesach Seder experience. This brings me back to my Pesach Seder. For the first time in almost ten years, first night Pesach was held at my own house, with just me, my brother and my parents. We didn’t want to miss out on connecting with our cousins, so I brought out my laptop, perched it on the kitchen counter, and prayed that the Wi-Fi would work. Sure enough, after three tries we managed to get a Zoom call going and incredibly, it was as if we were all together like normal, singing our brachot and reading from the Haggadah. Even though we were all out of time and we could barely make out everyone’s faces, we were still having our very own digital Seder. Then we got to the song Ma Nishtana, and I suddenly felt a connection to the song like I had never before. We sang the first verse and asked the question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”. Clearly there was no need to answer that question, because I don’t think there will ever be another Pesach quite like this year.

Pesach was always going to be a challenge at a time like this, as the Seder is a time for Jews to collect as one unit and celebrate our

Secatibe runtum earum sincilla velenimus auta nobit raecus di omniet

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REMEMBERING AMALEK By David Wein David is in his third year of studying Arts/Law at Monash. David is a year 11 Bnei Madrich and enjoys learning about history in his free time.

he decimation of European Jewry by the Nazi’s in World War II Europe brought upon the tragic destruction of many renowned Yeshivot in Europe, such as Slabodka, Telz, Radin, Mir and many more (some of these yeshivot did relocate in American and Israel). Survivors were confronted with the major task of rebuilding Torah around the world following their devastating experiences.

unprecedented and surely unfathomable for those who suffered through the Nazi’s. So, how did it happen and what can we learn? Found in post-World War II America were seminal Torah figures such as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rav Aharon Kotler, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Yitzchak Hutner and many more legendary gedolim. An observation can be made about each of the aforementioned gedolim. Each had a unique impact on the Torah world, which we all benefit from today. Profoundly, they represented a link to the Gedolim of Europe, enabling American Jewry to transcend time and joint the chain in our Mesorah.

Rebuilding Torah was a task which took place primarily in the US and Israel, with remnants of the old world seeking to proliferate the great Torah traditions of Europe. In America, the Torah scene was a significant contrast to that of pre-war Europe. Rabbis were confronted with conflicts over whether a mechitzah should still be part of the Shule, the rise of Conservative Judaism and threats of assimilation, emblematic of an environment with distinguishable values and focuses to that of the European Torah scene.

Take for example, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (‘the Rav’) zt’l related the following about his experience giving shiur: “Whenever I start a shiur, the door opens. Another old man walks in and sits down. He is older than I am. All the talmidim call me the Rav. He is older than the Rav. He is the grandfather of the Rav. His name is Reb Chaim Brisker. Without him, no shiur can be delivered nowadays… Rabbi Akiba, Rashi, Rabbeinu Tom, the Raa'vad, the Rashba. More and more come in, come in,”

Concurrently, survivors who found themselves in Eretz Yisroel were confronted with a secularist Kibbutz movement, the challenges of building a new society from the ground up and constant fears of war from neighbouring countries. On balance, it is evident that rebuilding Torah in the backdrop of World War II was nothing short of a herculean task. In contemporary times, and with the benefit of hindsight, we can paint a Torah landscape which rebuilt is

This profound account reveals the Rav’s affinity for his mesorah (tradition) in learning, a deference of profound proportions in that he relies on them, as no shiur can be delivered

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A group of child survivors behind a barbed wire fence at the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz

without Reb Chaim. However, the Rav does something so profound in this shiur, he imparts a gift to his talmidim:

the sacred texts of our predecessors to engage in Torah in a manner analogous to the legendary Yeshivot of pre-World War II Europe. Moreover, this is an example, albeit one which is of unrivalled profundity, of the renaissance of Torah brought to the world following the Holocaust. was similarly done in other legendary Torah institutions such as Merkaz HaRav (although it was created pre Holocaust), BMG in Lakewood, Mir in Israel, Yeshivat Chevron, Torah V’Daas and innumerable number of Hesder yeshivot and midrashot, which have revolutionised Torah study for women, in Israel.

“Of course, what do I do? I introduce them to my pupils, and the dialogue commences. The Rambam says something. The Ra'avad disagrees sharply” And here is where the Torah is exported from pre-World War II Europe to the modern world: “A boy jumps up to defend the Rambam against the Ra’avad… And another boy jumps up with a new idea… and suddenly a symposium of generations comes into existence”

However, the above simply provides a romanticised picture of a post-Holocaust classroom, failing to capture the difficulties experienced by those seeking to build Torah and Torah institution. The nascent days of any

What the Rav is describing above is the bringing of the modern Jew into the Torah world, enabling them through learning 14

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institution were rarely characterised by fame or glory, rather they were often synonymous with profound self-sacrifice, such as the Rav taking personal loans to pay teachers at Maimonides or Rav Nossen Tzvi Finkel zt’l driving around to fundraise for Yeshivat Mir notwithstanding his tremendous suffering from parkinsons disease.

with the Rebbe to learn with him. The Rebbe ominously responded that such luxuries are unavailable in Aushwitz, to which his junior remarked “if we cannot talk in learning, how will we prevail”. The profundity of this statement is overwhelming, bearing an important message for the contemporary Jew. Whilst many of our predecessors were subject to the horrors of the Holocaust, it is our dialogue with the past, as described by the Rav that empowers us to rebuild our sacred traditions. However, it does not stop there, it enables us to engage with our traditions like our forefather whilst concomitantly having a voice in that intergenerational dialogue, transcending and overcoming the terrible effect the Shoah had on the Torah World.

This self-sacrifice has conferred onto us the tremendous benefit of living in a world where Torah study is engaged in rigorously with Jews across the hashkafik (outlook) spectrum engaging with Jewish texts, writing sefarim and creating remarkable Torah institutions. Rav Osher Weiss relates the story of when his father encountered the Klausenberger Rebbe in Aushwitz and related to the Rebbe that he had undertaken significant efforts to be

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EXPRESSING GRATITUDE IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES By Natalie Gunn Natalie is studying a double degree of Law and Global Studies, at the Australia Catholic University. Natalie is the Jewish Engagement Officer for Victoria.

This piece is dedicated to my Dad Dr Barry Gunn who is working tirelessly around the clock to ensure that those who are sick are cared for. He is a selfless individual and I thank him for putting others before himself.

e all know the story of Pesach, and recount the exodus from Egypt, the miracle of the burning bush, Moshe (Moses) protecting the Jewish people and leading us out of Israel through the opening of the Red Sea and then on to wandering through the desert for 40 years. The same one we have recounted over the years, and every year we can learn something new from our history. Our history as the Jewish people has been difficult. It seems we have overcome a lot of adversity and have flourished and strengthened ourselves after each event, choosing to celebrate life. Being grateful in times of hardships is difficult. While choosing to be faithful, to express love and kindness, to have a positive outlook and constantly express our gratitude it can be hard, but is most important.

and gratitude and unites families around the world. This year it will be different. While we notice each year that this night is different from all other nights from the food that we eat, to the vegetables that we eat and down to being allowed to lean while we eat, which is something to behold, particularly if you are in my house where one is expected to have perfect table manners. This year this night is different because we are unable to enjoy the exodus of Egypt and enjoy our Kosher L’Pesach (permitted for Passover) meal with our extended families, friends and we are unable to attend Shule (Synagogue). This will mean that some people will eat alone, and others will not experience a Seder at all because they will be on the front line saving lives. While of course there is Zoom and that will help engage and provide a virtual means to a Seder; it is not the same.

The story that we recount at both of our Seders is one of freedom

The COVID-19 pandemic has halted

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and disturbed the lives of all us around the world. From not being allowed to enjoy the freedom of going outside just because we want to, not being able to celebrate all the Simchas such as Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs and weddings and not being allowed to be there to support those who are grieving. We have been told to stay away from our Grandparents and those who are immuno-compromised, which is very difficult to do. While this disease has provided unstable and challenging circumstances, we need to focus on the positives. We need to have faith that things will get better even if it is slowly.

enough. We thank God for all of the miracles that he performed and that one would have been sufficient, but we were blessed with fourteen miracles. As we sing this song we should rejoice and express every ounce of gratitude to those who are working around the clock to ensure that we are all safe. Thank you to those of you who ensured that the Pesach Seder would go on, from importing food and drink and for cooking our meals. Most notably, to all of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare workers, childcare workers, teachers, policemen and women, cleaners, garbage collectors, supermarket employees, municipal department, food shops workers and to all those who are on the front line who are working tirelessly to ensure that we are all safe and that we have all that we need, we are forever grateful.

We need to free ourselves from our greed and selfishness and embody those who are grateful, if not for the circumstances themselves but for the fact that life goes on. While, I sit at the Pesach Seder and listen to my brother sing the Ma Nishtana (the four questions) and ask these questions, I will try not to ponder the existentiality of life at this time but will channel these feelings into a source of Jewish pride that in the face of these hardships we are able to be with each other. I will be thankful that we are able to celebrate the fact that we are no longer slaves. As we sing the song Dayenu, meaning that it was

This year, even though we are in times that we never thought were possible, and this reality is beyond a burden for all involved. If we are able to stop and reflect on those who we are grateful for, this time in isolation will be a lot more enjoyable. Chag Sameach

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PESACH: MY RELIEF AMONGST THE PLAGUE OF COVID-19 By by Gary Hofman Gary Hofman is a Master’s Student, researching theatre, at the University of Auckland. He was previously the President of AUJS New Zealand and Union Campaigns Coordinator. Outside of that he is an avid actor with numerous stage credits and has run 3 theatre companies including his own.

ovid-19 is a topic that has plagued our minds. The global pandemic has forced us into isolation and removed the luxuries from our lives that we take for granted. For those things that we miss the most we will constantly search for something to fill the void. Something to plug the unfillable void. For me that plug came in the form of a chag. For me, that void has been theatre. Sure, the bountyless Netflix and Disney+ options have been able to patch the wound of this loss but the bandage always seems to rip and I had no idea why. Until Pesach.

with just my family. Not even the whole clan at that. The seder night was something that, leading up to it, didn’t seem right. This years seder was like many I have been to. A little smaller but we made do. We sat down, we read the haggadah and we ate a meal. I went to bed happier than I had ever been before after the seder. Perhaps it’s because I found the afikomen, perhaps it’s because my rendition of Mah Nishta Na was particularly brilliant (no Bar Mitzvah boy voice cracks for this singer) or perhaps it’s because I found something that managed to fill that void for a time. Let me tell you, the prior was icing on the cake but it was indeed the latter.

Pesach to most, including me, is a week where we loose other luxuries – namely bread and other foods that are staple to our diet. It’s a week of slightly burnt tasting water crackers and endless forms of potatoes. I personally love Pesach; I love Matzah and I love being able to use it as an excuse to justify fires as a “meal”. But this year, the lead up to Pesach didn’t feel right. I can’t remember the last time I celebrated the Pesach seder

We all probably know what the haggadah sets out. Reading the haggadah out loud has always seemed like a chore to me. A task that results in the award of a nice meal that we don’t usually have (because we’re usually at someone else’s house

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and we’re not supplying the meal). I will often flick through the haggadah and figure out how many more pages there are until the meal, scope the area for likely hiding places for the afikomen (I take my job as the youngest very seriously) or just stare into space. But this year, the boredom of isolation and sheer need for a thought that wasn’t about how good High School Musical the Musical the Series turned out to be, made me really listen to the haggadah. Take in all it has to offer.

mates who have the joy of telling the story; creating the drama and sharing in the joy of storytelling. More than that, you make a story for yourself. A bit like meta-theatre, the act of sitting down with your family and enjoying a meal is a dramatic event (especially in my family). Your conversations and distractions from the main event of the haggadah add to the richness of entertainment that comes from the seder. It’s the dogs barking as the nameless people in the distance and reigning them inside from the heightened state or the smell of burnt that comes from the kitchen prompting a brief intermission that make the story personal and more fulfilling.

It’s a story. Starting with Magid all the way down to Shulchan Orech we read out loud the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. There are subplots along the way in which old Rabbis debate over the meanings of words and some sons ask some questions of their parents but in whole, it’s a compelling narrative filled with musical numbers and edible props. There’s symbolism and characters that you love and hate. You find yourself routing for people and scoffing at others (Wicked Son, I’m looking at you). More than that, it’s you and your and dinner

I found something in Pesach that I have wanted to find for a good few weeks now. Although a direct consequence of the lockdown, it saddens me that I didn’t find this sooner. While the way of life has briefly changed the seder hasn’t. It is my fault for not finding the beauty of this event sooner. Pesach 2021 could not come soon enough..

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THE HILLEL SANDWICH

By Hadassa Solomon

ndoubtedly, the best part of the seder is Hillel’s sandwich. While admittedly, anything would taste good at this point in the night, ‘korech’ is definitely a personal favourite.

recounts a story of Moshe and Aharon being approached by a group of people who complained about their exclusion from the Korban Pesach due to their status of tuma’ah (impurity). Moshe responds by explaining the laws regarding Pesach Sheni. A second chance to fulfill this important mitzvah in the month of Iyar. It is in the context of this special mitzvah that the verse “you should eat it upon matsot and marrorim” is placed.

Despite this, I have always found this stage of the night quite void of meaning. Particularly in comparison to the profound and meaningful exegesis of maggid, Korech appears to be a mere imitation of a great sage’s eating habits. Without much more to it than that. However, a closer examination of the text this Pesach provided me with a much richer understanding of this strange custom.

This raises an obvious question. Why did the Ba’al Hagadah (author of the Hagadah) choose to link Hillel’s custom to Pesach Sheni and not Pesach?

“A reminder of the Temple, like Hillel. This is what Hille would do when the Temple existed: He would wrap the matzah and marror and eat them together, in order to fulfill what is stated (Numbers 9:11) ‘You should eat it upon matsot and marrorim’.”

The Belzer Rebbe explains that the little paragraph we say before eating the Hillel sandwich is more of a prayer than a recitation. While our sederaim are filled with joy and meaning, they are always slightly tinged with sadness. A sadness that results from still being in exile and no longer being able to perform the commandments of Pesach properly in the Temple. By referring to the Pesach that is celebrated in Iyar, we are praying and holding on to hope that in just under a month we may be able perform the laws of the Korban Pesach as prescribed in the Torah. As we hold the matzah and marror in our hands, we hope that this year will be our second chance.

One would assume that the verse we recite here is written in the Torah in the context of the korban Pesach. Surprisingly, this pasuk belongs in sefer Bamidbar when the Jewish people are given the mitzvah of ‘Pesach Sheni’. Pesach Sheni, literally translated to ‘Second Pesach’, was an opportunity for all those who were unable to bring the Korban Pesach to do so a month later. In this Parsha, the Torah

Chag Sameach! 20

The Hillel Sandwich

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WHAT’S THE POINT OF PRAYING? By Ariel Elbaum

ey everyone, for those that don’t know me, my name is Ariel Elbaum and I’m in my first year of studying Engineering at Monash after graduating from Yavneh in 2018. The current pandemic has affected many different aspects of our lives, from our schooling to our family interactions, and one that I want to discuss today is how we daven (pray). We are no longer able to have our minyanim and for me this has hurt my experience davening. There are many ways that people have been innovating in the area of Tefillah, such as musical Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom before Shabbos comes in, balcony minyanim (not as feasible in Australia) or everyone davening individually but being on a Zoom call together. These methods may improve our experience, but I would like to discuss another path (of course not mutually exclusive to those previously mentioned).

of ensuring that we don’t fall victim to the numbness of monotony is to continuously learn about the things we do and therefore we encounter each experience with an improved understanding of what we are really doing, that is the intent of this article. I will preface by saying I am not an expert, so I may be wrong and feel free to disagree with me, as well as the fact that this is a very large topic and we will only be scratching the surface here, so if an answer doesn’t satisfy the question raised take that as a fault on my part. The first question I want to ask is that if Hashem (G-d) is all knowing and therefore knows what I am thinking, what is the point of asking Him for anything? Secondly, why should prayer even work? Hashem is perfect and all good, and has his divine plan worked out, so why would anything I ask for change what He will do in my life? If something is meant to happen, then surely nothing I will do can change that‽

Judaism has many procedures that are there to guide us through our lives as Jews help us experience certain feelings, but what can often happen is that these activities, when practiced for a long period and repetitively, can lead to the very detachment that they seek to solve. One method

Rambam (12th century, Spain) writes in his book Moreh Nevuchim (Guide to the Perplexed) that the purpose

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of Tefillah (as well as all other practices in Judaism) is to “make us used to being involved in the command of Hashem” and that while we perform his actions we are meant to turn ourselves away from the matters of this world and focus purely on Him. Rambam explains that maybe the purpose of Tefillah isn’t just to ask for things that we want, but to build the relationship between us and our Maker. The same way that it takes regular engagement to make new friends, our relationship with Hashem needs us to communicate with him frequently. Rabbi Yosef Albo (15th century, Spain) in his Sefer Ha’ikarim (Book of Principles) explains that the purpose of Tefillah is not to somehow change G-D’s mind, but rather to change ourselves. Now that we have changed ourselves, the plan of our life changes. Its not that we are trying to convince Hashem that He should do something different, we are working on ourselves. Thus, when we daven, we should concentrate on what we’re saying, and if you have a siddur with English, I encourage you to read parts in English as well. I hope these two perspectives begin to answer why we daven; we don’t just ask Hashem for things, rather we are trying to build a relationship and we aren’t trying to persuade Hashem but improve ourselves as people.

What’s the point of Praying?

I hope this has inspired you to learn more about the experiences that make up our lives as Jewish people. I am always open to chat with anyone about any topics I mentioned or any others if you’d like to, then send me a message on messenger (especially if you disagree with me!)

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DIVINE REVELATION

By Zachary Gomo Head of Jewish Studies at Bialik College

havuot is the celebration of the anniversary of the receipt of the Torah. It is when the Jewish people remember the original divine revelation at Mount Sinai, on an annual basis. This event is central to the Jewish understanding of the world. Indeed, it is inseparable from any other claim or belief that Judaism has to make.

and mankind. It cannot be altered, added to or in any way reinterpreted, reconceived or reconsidered, for all time. Such a concrete and unwavering approach is at extreme odds with the normative ideological perspective of the contemporary world, at least in the democratic West. Indeed, the postmodernist ideology that dominates modern political thought stands in stark opposition to the ideal of one, universal and unalterable truth.

The eighth principle of the great Medieval Rabbi Moses Maimonides’s thirteen principles of faith reads as follows: "We believe that the entire Torah in our possession today was given [to us] by the Almighty through Moses our Teacher, by means of the medium we metaphorically call "speech." No one knows the real nature of this communication except Moses, to whom it was transmitted. He was like a scribe receiving dictation. He wrote the history, the stories, and the commandments. Therefore he is called [the] inscriber."

Certainly, for the vast majority of human history, non-Jewish societies have believed in universal truths. However, these truths were always in distinction to the Torah (at least in terms of details). The Torah itself pre-empts this, "You shall not follow other gods, any gods of the people around you" (Deuteronomy 6:14). The Torah clarifies that its ways are neither universally adhered to, nor the natural conclusion of human thought. Indeed, if that were the case, then there would not have been the need for a divine revelation.

Principle nine reads: "This Torah that Moses transcribed from the Almighty is unique and there will never be another. One must neither add to it nor subtract from it, be it the Written Law or the Oral Law. As it stated: "Neither add to it nor subtract from it" (Deuteronomy 13:1). We have already elaborated upon this Principle in the introduction to this work."

Postmodernists suggest that there are no absolute truths. No divine revelations. No Mount Sinai in a factual sense. They may value various cultural traditions as interesting or colourful, but certainly would not wish to allow as universalistic a belief as one unalterable Torah to dictate social norms, morality or, worst of, all laws.

As such, it is a fundamental precept of the Jewish worldview that at Mount Sinai G-d transmitted to Moses the Torah (both written and oral) word for word. This is the literal will of G-d and His directive to the Jewish people

To be sure, Judaism itself recognises that there are multiple truths. The revelation of Sinai is absolute, the Torah is absolute, but it contains within it nuance and interpretation. The Talmud (Eruvin, 13b) addresses this: 24

Author: Zachary Gomo

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“For three years, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai argued. One said, 'The Halacha (law) is like us,' and the other said, 'The Halacha is like us.' A heavenly voice spoke: "These and these are the words of the living God, and the Halacha is like the House of Hillel." A question was raised: Since the heavenly voice declared: "Both these and those are the words of the Living God," why was the Halacha established to follow the opinion of Hillel? It is because the students of Hillel were kind and gracious. They taught their own ideas as well as the ideas from the students of Shammai. Not only for this reason, but they went so far as to teach Shammai's opinions first.”

of truths, such as the equality of genders, freedom of and from religion etc. However, it is an undeniable fact that many world cultures do not accept those to be universal truths and instead emphatically disagree with them. Furthermore, the vast majority of religious traditions do perceive themselves as possessing contradictory absolute, superior truths. Most strikingly of all however, how can postmodernists who deny the universality of any beliefs, have any exceptions to this rule? Upon what grounds and by what right? The answer is as follows; most postmodernists are self-proclaimed atheists. Even those that claim to be theists have, by necessity, an ill-defined, vague notion of a deity without a clear agenda or demand of humanity beyond 'do good' or 'love the earth.' This is in itself a highly flawed approach, as, upon what basis do such people claim to understand the will of their ill-defined deity, or even such a deity’s existence? If there is no concrete knowledge of G-d and certainly no direct revelation, how absurd to presume to be aware of such a being's will.

So clearly, both the opinions of Hillel and Shammai are valid and the Torah is broad enough to encapsulate them both. Nevertheless, ultimately the Talmud declares that the halachic (legal) ruling of Hillel is followed. Why, is fascinating. Not because it is the product of a greater legal argument but because the House of Hillel was “kind and gracious.... they went so far as to teach Shammai’s opinions first.” This will become important later.

The truth is that most postmodernists live in the democratic West, and are the inheritors of over two thousand years of Judeo-Christian monotheism, even if they furiously reject it. They have subconsciously presumed that the Judeo-Christian notions of fundamental human equality, the sanctity and value of human life, the right to the protection of property etc. are universal. That these ideas are such logical and rational conclusions of the human mind that they do not require a divine revelation to be exceptions to the rule of non-universality.

Nonetheless, whilst Judaism recognises the validity of multiple opinions, traditions and interpretations, they are only valid if they recognise and work within the framework of the divine revelation at Sinai and its most universal precepts, norms and procedures. The absence of such a foundational system belies the inherent contradictions of postmodernist ideology. Cultural traditions are only perceived as acceptable if they are willing to explicitly recognise that they are not universal or true for all people for all times. They must however have, at their core, respect for the equality of the traditions of others. Furthermore, they must also accept a number

The problem, a terrifying prospect for those of us living in such societies, is that they are absolutely wrong.

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Indeed, the period of time during which some have presumed that what can be loosely termed a liberal, humanist worldview is universal and will be universally triumphant as the logical conclusion of human thought, has been relatively short. It was first potentially relevant after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Writing in 1992, Francis Fukuyama (The End of History and the Last Man) said:

is not based upon any divine will or external factor ensuring such inevitability, but simply what must, for some unclear reason, be humanity’s manifest path. Again, why should this be so? What is the source of such inevitability? Indeed, if anything, human history since 1992 has proven such predictions highly inaccurate. There is significantly more slavery, civil war, totalitarianism and the like today than there was in the hopeful years following the collapse of the USSR. Nations that appeared to once aspire towards Western style democracy (at least in Western eyes) have since emphatically rejected it. Civilians are facing chemical warfare at the hand of their own government. Human beings are being openly sold into slavery in markets throughout North Africa and the Middle East.

“What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.” Fukuyama, and others like him, presumed that there could be no ideological opposition to the moral victory of liberal democracy over communist totalitarianism. Some of the most prominent political leaders of the last few decades have shared his worldview. Barack Obama, for example, frequently spoke of a “right side of history” during his tenure as president of the United States. This perspective suggests that human history is following an inevitable path towards an enlightened, tolerant and peaceful future. This

There is no inevitable trajectory for human good as a product of logic that naturally arises as time goes by. This is not to say that human beings cannot and do not commit horrible acts and develop evil theologies with divine revelations as their justifications. They have and do. What it does suggest, however, is that in the absence of a divine revelation dictating morality, human beings behave no better and are no better placed to facilitate the

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development of a moral world. Furthermore, it is also clear that despite the self-perceived triumph of logic in the modern era (again, in the West) societies do not share that sense of triumph and refuse to reject their own traditions in favour of a liberal democratic understanding of “the right side of history.”

religion will no longer be able to exist together….The heaviest blow that ever struck humanity was the coming of Christianity. Bolshevism is Christianity's illegitimate child. Both are inventions of the Jew. The deliberate lie in the matter of religion was introduced into the world by Christianity. Bolshevism practises a lie of the same nature, when it claims to bring liberty to men, whereas in reality it seeks only to enslave them. In the ancient world, the relations between men and gods were founded on an instinctive respect. It was a world enlightened by the idea of tolerance. "

As early as 1882, Friedrich Nietzsche expressed terror at the rejection of theism that he was witnessing as a consequence of the European Enlightenment: "G-d is dead. G-d remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"

The "respect" and "tolerance" that Hitler longed for were those of the ancient religions that did not impose upon their adherents such Torah based restrictions as the prohibitions on murder, theft, the subjugation of the weak by the strong etc. Indeed, Adolph Hitler certainly demonstrated that his position was not merely theoretical and that in the twentieth century, millions of people were willing to share and act upon his rejection of those very values that the postmodernists of today presume to be universal.

In other words, Nietzsche made clear that a society that rejects G-d, indeed ‘kills’ G-d as a factor in its moral thought, cannot possibly hope to maintain adherence to a genuine moral code long term. Such a society has severed its tie to the divine and is floating in a sea of moral relativism, which can lead in absolutely any direction.

So what are we to do? The world needs our divine revelation now more than ever. How are we to approach such a task? The morality and ethics of the Torah are at times greatly divergent form those of the societies in which we live. Let us remember the earlier quoted Talmudic source and that the Halacha (law) was ultimately according to the House of Hillel because they “were kind and gracious” and listened to others.

The Torah contains within it a moral code that is not the logical conclusion of human thought, but is in fact in direct dichotomy with most other value systems. Adolph Hitler understood, that within the universal moral code of Judaism (in his mind imposed upon the Germans in the guise of Christianity), there exists a fundamental restraint upon human action:

Another Talmud source (Shabbat, 31a) recounts an incident when three gentiles approached Hillel and Shammai. Each time they approached with the intention of provoking the respected 1st century sages. One demanded of Shammai;

"In the long run, National Socialism and 28

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“Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel. He converted him and said to him: That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study... Eventually, the three converts gathered together in one place, and they said: Shammai’s impatience sought to drive us from the world; Hillel’s patience brought us beneath the wings of the Divine Presence.”

current social norms and Torah will get us nowhere. It may well make the situation worse and “drive us from the world.” The great 16th Century Rabbi Issac Luria, known as the Arizal, spoke of the notion of ‘Tzimtzum’, a Kabbalistic concept referring to G-d’s contraction as a necessary stage in creation: “Prior to Creation, there was only the Ein Sof (The Infinite, a reference to G-d) filling all existence. When it arose in G-d's Will to create worlds and emanate the emanated ... He contracted (tzimtzum) Himself in the point at the center, in the very center of His light. He restricted that light, distancing it to the sides surrounding the central point, so that there remained a void, a hollow empty space, away from the central point ... After this tzimtzum ... He drew down from the Or Ein Sof (Infinite Light) a single straight line [of light] from His light surrounding [the void] from above to below [into the void], and it chained down descending into that void.”

Certainly, Hillel is not suggesting that his statement is literally the entirety of Torah, rather that it encapsulates its essence and that a small introduction into the morality of the divine revelation can allow one to explore it in its breadth. Nor is this a disingenuous reflection of the Torah value system. The prophet Amos, for example, indicated firmly that G-d rejects Temple sacrifices in the absence of social justice:

According to an extrapolation of the notion in the Hasidic text The Tanya, G-d created a “Chalal Panui” (a vacated space) within which something other than the G-dly could exist. Indeed, the first principle of faith of Maimonides reads:

“I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them... But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”

“To believe in the existence of the Creator, may He be blessed, i.e., that there is an Existence that is perfect (and absolute) in all facets of existence. He is the cause of all that exists, the sustenance of all, and through Him all is maintained. There is no possibility that He does not exist because without Him, all existence would cease to be and nothing would remain. [Whereas] if we would imagine the absence of all existence other than His, the existence of God would neither cease nor diminish. For He is self-sufficient in His

Furthermore, Shammai’s all or nothing, confrontational approach did not work. I believe that we have much to learn from Hillel’s approach today. A world that has lost its anchor and is floating untethered in a sea of moral uncertainty, requires a clear, unequivocal moral voice. However, taking a rejectionist approach, shouting our disapproval and highlighting the greatest, seemingly unbridgeable divides between

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existence, He suffices in Himself, and His existence requires nothing other than Himself. [For] among the intelligences -- the angels and the constellations and all that they contain and all that is below them -- they all need Him for their existence. This is the first Principle, as affirmed by the verse (Exodus 20:2) “I am God, your Lord...”” The question then arises as to how anything, any being, any thought etc., other than G-d can exist? Here Tzimtzum explains that through a contraction, G-d did allow space for the non-divine to exist. However, according to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (Likutei Mohoran, 1, 64:1) ultimately, even where G-d appears to be absent, he is not truly absent at all:

presence from the world, on a deeper level, His presence is still there. Certainly, the divine revelation of Sinai is equally as relevant and pertinent throughout the world, irrespective of the willingness of human beings to receive it. Humanity has never been able to make it on its own. That is why divine revelation is so fundamentally important. It is our role, as Jews, to make that truth evident in the world. As the prophet Isaiah clearly delineated, we are tasked with spreading G-d’s light amongst the nations. However, we cannot do so with a builder’s cubit. We must undertake our own ‘Tzimtzum’ and recognise that we need to start with advocating the higher moral code as “the entire Torah” and then, only then, “go study.” We must contract our value system whilst presenting it to others, in order to allow space for understanding and dialogue. At that time will the true divinity that has always been present be accessible to all. Moreover, we must always be “kind and gracious,” recognising and acknowledging truth when others possess it. This is our only hope of healing a broken world and bringing all mankind “beneath the wings of the Divine Presence.”

“Only in the future will it be possible to understand the Tzimtzum that brought the "Empty Space" into being, for we have to say of it two contradictory things ... [1] the Empty Space came about through the Tzimtzum, where, as it were, He 'limited' His Godliness and contracted it from there, and it is as though in that place there is no Godliness ... [2] the absolute truth is that Godliness must nevertheless be present there, for certainly nothing can exist without His giving it life.” Even when G-d appears to retract and hide His

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HaSofrim Magazine is always looking for new contributions. If you would like to be involved in further HaSofrim publications, please contact Talia Barsheshet at tbarsheshet@aujs.com.au 02 9381 4290