Parshat Shemini

Torah
Artscroll, 588 Hertz, 443

April 21, 2012 29 Nissan, 5772

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshat Shemini

Shmini tells the tragic story of how the great inauguration of the tabernacle, a day about which the sages said that G-d rejoiced as much as he had at the creation of the universe, was overshadowed by the death of two of Aarons sons, Nadav and Avihu: Aarons sons Nadav and Avihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which [G-d] had not instructed them [to offer]. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Lev. 10: 1-2) 26: 61), is that they acted on their own initiative. They did what they had not been commanded. They acted spontaneously, perhaps out of sheer enthusiasm in the mood of the moment, offering unauthorized fire. Evidently it is dangerous to act spontaneously in matters of the spirit. But is it? Moses acted spontaneously in far more fraught circumstances when he shattered the tablets of stone on seeing the Israelites cavorting around the Golden Calf. The tablets hewn and engraved by G-d himself were perhaps the holiest objects there have ever been. Yet Moses was not punished for his act. The sages said that though he acted of his own accord without first consulting G-d, G-d assented to his act. Rashi refers to this moment in his very last comment on the Torah, whose last verse (Deut. 34: 12) speaks about all the strong hand, and all the great awe, which Moses performed before the eyes of all Israel: [This refers to when Moses] took the liberty of shattering the tablets before their eyes, as it is said, "I shattered them before your eyes." The Holy One, Blessed be He, consented to his opinion, as it is said, "which you shattered"--'More power to you for shattering them!' Why then was spontaneity wrong for Nadav and Avihu yet right for Moshe Rabbenu? The answer is that Nadav and Avihu were cohanim, priests. Moses was a navi, a prophet. These are two different forms of religious leadership. They involve different tasks, different sensibilities, indeed different approaches to time itself. The Cohen serves G-d in as way that never changes over time (except, of course, when the Temple was destroyed and its service, presided over by the cohanim, came to an end). The prophet serves G-d in a way that is constantly changing over time. When people are at

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Shaabbat Announcements Parshat Shemini 5772

ease the prophet warns of forthcoming catastrophe. When they suffer catastrophe and are in the depths of despair, the prophet brings consolation and hope. The words said by the cohen are always the same. The priestly blessing uses the same words today as it did in the days of Moses and Aaron. But the words used by a prophet are never the same. No two prophets use the same style (Sanhedrin 89a). So for a prophet spontaneity is of the essence. But for the cohen engaged in Divine service it is completely out of place. Why the difference? After all, the priest and the prophet were serving the same G-d. The Torah uses a kind of device we have only recently re-invented in a somewhat different form. Stereophonic sound sound coming from two different speakers was developed in the 1930s to give the impression of audible perspective. In the 1950s 3D film was developed to do for sight what stereo had done for sound. From the work of Pierre Broca in the 1860s to today, using MRI and PET scans, neuroscientists have striven to understand how our bicameral brain allows us to respond more intelligently to our environment than would otherwise have been possible. Twin perspectives are needed fully to experience reality. The twin perspectives of the priest and prophet correspond to the twin perspectives on creation represented, respectively, by Genesis 1:1 2:3 (spoken in the priestly voice, with an emphasis on order, structure, divisions and boundaries), and Genesis 2: 4 3: 24 (spoken in the prophetic voice, with an emphasis on the nuances and dynamics of interpersonal relationships).

precise order (Mishnah Berakhot 4: 3). Not everyone, however, agreed. Rabbi Joshua held that individuals could say an abridged form of the Amidah. According to some interpretations, Rabbi Eliezer was opposed to a fixed text altogether and held that one should, each day, say something new (Yerushalmi Berakhot 4). It seems that this disagreement is precisely parallel to another one about the source of the daily prayers: It has been stated: R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: The prayers were instituted by the Patriarchs. R. Joshua b. Levi says: The prayers were instituted to replace the daily sacrifices. (Berakhot 26b)

According to R. Jose son of R. Hanina, Shacharit was established by Abraham, Mincha by Isaac, and Maariv by Jacob. According to R. Joshua b. Levi, Shacharit corresponds to the daily morning sacrifice, Mincha to the afternoon sacrifice. On the face of it, the disagreement has no practical consequences, but in fact it does. If the prayers were instituted by the patriarchs, then their origin is prophetic. If they were established to replace the sacrifices, then their provenance is priestly. Priests were forbidden to act spontaneously, but prophets did so as a matter of course. Someone who saw prayer as priestly would, like Rabban Gamliel, emphasize the importance of a precise text. One who saw it as prophetic would, like Rabbi Eliezer as understood by the Talmud Yerushalmi, value spontaneity and each day try to say something new. Tradition eventually resolved the matter in a most remarkable way. We say each Amidah twice, once privately and silently in the tradition of the prophets, then a second time publicly and Now let us consider one other area in which there was collectively by the sheliach tzibbur, the readers an ongoing argument between structure and repetition, in the tradition of a priest offering a spontaneity, namely tefillah, prayer, specifically the sacrifice at the Temple. (It is easy to understand Amidah. We know that after the destruction of the why there is no readers repetition in the Maariv Temple, Rabban Gamliel and his court at Yavneh service: there was no sacrifice at night time). established a standard text for the weekday Amidah, During the silent Amidah we are permitted to add comprising eighteen or later nineteen blessings in a extra words of our own. During the repetition we are not. That is because prophets acted spontaneously, but priests did not. The tragedy of Nadav and Avihu is that they made the mistake of Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program acting like prophets when they were, in fact, priests. But we have inherited both traditions. For without structure, Judaism would have no Dale Polakoff, Rabbi continuity, but without spontaneity it would have no Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi fresh life. The challenge is to maintain the balance Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus without ever confusing the place of each. Daniel Schwechter, Rabbinic Intern
Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Joseph Hecht, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

ANNOUNCEMENTS
GNS NOMINATING COMMITTEE The nominating committee for Great Neck Synagogue approved at the March 15th Board meeting is as follows: Chair: Michael Leventhal Members:Marcy Aharon, Jeff Benjamin, Emma Baum, Zachary Mittleman, Ellen Modlin and Glenn Zuckerman. Please feel free to speak to any and all of these members to express your opinion on nominations. WOMENS TEFILAH Kiddush at Womens Tefila this Shabbat afternoon will be sponsored by Charlotte & Perry Schneider in honor of the upcoming marriage of their daughter Lauren to Sam Flaks of Flatbush. 6pm in the Beit Midrash. SOURCES OF THE SIDDUR Saturday, April 21, 10:15am ~ "Sources of the Siddur," with Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, will meet in Room 209. We will begin our discussion of "Ashrei," a keynote of our daily liturgy. BOOKS AND BAGELS Sunday, April 29, 9:30am ~ Books and Bagels, with Alicia Oltusky, author of PRECIOUS OBJECTS: A Story of Diamonds, Family and a Way of Life, a Barnes and Noble "Discover Great New Writers" Selection. Author presentation will be followed by book signing. Pre-orders ($15) available through the synagogue office. SISTERHOOD SCHLISSEL CHALLAH BAKING Sisterhood presents a hands-on challah baking demonstration given by Sharona Abraham to learn the significance of the Schlissel Challah - an opportunity that comes just once a year! Join us on Tuesday, April 17th at 8:00pm in the Braun Youth Center. Class is limited to 36 women and costs $18. To make a reservation, please contact Farla Frumkin at : farlafrumkin@gmail.com or 829-7938. Everyone goes home with a schlissel challah - please remember to bring a spare house key. Two batches available for sponsorship at $72 each.Sponsors choose name and perform bracha for hafrashat challah. LUNCH AND LEARN Lunch and Learn given by Dr. Laura Danoff on the occasion of the yahrzeit of her father, Dr. Ernest Herman zl. on April 18th, 12:00 SHARP 4 Vista Drive in Great Neck Estates - "How the Parsha of the Week Affects Your Everyday Life" will be the learning topic. Rsvp to openwyd613@aol.com. This is a women only event. SAVE THE DATE YOM HASHOAH Yom Hashoah commemoration featuring the NSHA High School Choir and Leibel Zisman A Child Survivors Story Of faith Against The Odds Will take place on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 7:45 pm. GNS MENS CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS Wed & Thur., June 6 & 7, 7.00 pm: The annual Defensive Driving Course will be held at GNS. Participate to reduce any points on your license and save on auto insurance. Sun June 10, 8.00 am to 1.00 pm: Our semi-annual Blood Drive. Donating blood is a mitzvah which helps save lives. Sun July 1, 9.00 am: We are going Fishing again. The whole family can join in this enjoyable morning at sea. PESACH PASS IT FORWARD Pass it Forward is grateful to those who supported our Passover Initiative, providing full Pesach Seders, with seder plates, and extra goodies for 50 families. We tirelessly worked under extreme pressures of making Pesach for their own families. Special thanks to Felecia Morris, who once again liaised with the Jewish Agencies to help us provide for those in need; to Milt Mitzner and Charlie and Neil Mandelbaum who headed up the delivery program and our volunteer drivers. Special thanks to Eddie Mazur, who was generous with his time and resources, allowing us to use his facility to assemble and deliver. Another group of 18 needy families also received a delivery of Passover foods, thanks to the GNS Hunger Initiative, and matzahs, grape juice and sugar were delivered to a food pantry on the South Shore. A special thank you to David Kufeld for his help and to Arthur Luxenberg who helped underwrite costs of the program. Thanks to the Sephardic community, who generously donated so much matzo and support. May we all be Blessed to be freed from bondage this year!

Within Our Family

Mazal Tov to Moussa & Shulamit Soleimani on the birth of a granddaughter born to their children Tina and Eric Lalo and a grandson born to their children Talia and Limor David. Mazal Tov to Mahin & Amir Mardkha on the birth of twin grandsons born to their children David & Pamela Mardkha. Mazal Tov to Joan & Henry Katz on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Eric Zucker, son of Linda & Jay Zucker and on the Bat Mitzvah of their granddaughter Gabrielle Sadinoff, daughter of Sara & Kenneth Sadinoff. Mazal Tov to Arlette & Rafi Shaya on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Jake son of Limor & Michael Rosenberg.
PARLOR MEETING MTJ parlor meeting with Rav Reuben Feinstein at the home of Jamie & Michael Katz 25 Clover Drive, On Tuesday evening May 8th in memory of Ben Dweck. AFMDA PARLOR MEETING Please hold Wednesday, May 2nd for a dessert reception commemorating the second Yahrzeit of our beloved Dr. Lewis Gordonson, ZL at the home of Mrs. Rita Gordonson Special briefing by Ori Shacham, Deputy Director, Magen David Adom, Israels sole Knesset-mandated medical response service. SAVE-THE DATE The North Shore Hebrew Academy's Annual Journal Dinner will take place on Tuesday, May 22nd Rosh Chodesh Sivan at CITI FIELD honoring Sarit & Shlomo Elias and Kathy & Arnie Flatow. SAVE THE DATE ISRAEL BONDS Israel Bond Dessert Reception for the unique community of Great Neck, honoring our local synagogue presidents at Temple Israel on May 23rd at 7:30 pm. PASSOVER LEFTOVERS All unopened packaged Passover food will be collected. Please bring to GNS before Thursday, April 19.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 29 Nissan Madeline Belonsky for Solly Wine Aaron J. Eliach for David Eliach Sunday, 30 Nissan Alan Levy for Charlotte Levy David Smooha for Eliahu Smooha Monday, 1 Iyar Trudy Friedman for Julia Lederer Gloria Wang Miller for Samuel Wang Jacob Toledano for Moshe Toledano Devora Wang for Samuel H. Wang Tuesday, 2 Iyar Janet Greenhut for Sylvia Lipson Jacqueline Hott for Ida Rose Ira Lubin for Helen Mannes Wednesday, 3 Iyar Herman Kotler for Esther Kotler Rene Krieger for Esther Kotler Francine Mermelstein for Gitla Zimmerman Ellen Siegel for Morris Givner Marcia Toledano for Isidore Karten Thursday, 4 Iyar Roslyn Dicker for Max Gottlieb Friday, 5 Iyar Ronald Braun for Robert Braun Aaron J. Eliach for Ruth Eliach Peter Epstein for Isidore Epstein Ebrahim Gabbaizadeh for David Gabbaizadeh Michael Nevens for Sally Nevens Aaron Seligson for Abraham Seligson Roselin Wagner for Reci Prebluda