B.S.D
The Sephardi Association of Victoria Inc PARSHA of the WEEK
by Rabbi Yehuda L Cohen
The Voice of Sassoon
A weekly Publication of Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue YITROH Date 19th of Shbat 5768 / 26 January 2008. Shabbat starts at 8:21 pm and ends at 9:23pm ___________________________________________________________________ __ While Moses was carrying out his Divine mission in Egypt, his wife Tzipporah and his two sons had returned to Midian. Now that the Israelites were in the Wilderness at Refidim, Yitro the father-in-law of Moses brought Tzipporah and her sons to Moses. Moses welcomed them affectionately and Yitro fully acknowledged Hashem’s power and offered sacrifices to Hashem. Observing Moses overburdened with judicial duties, Yitro advised him to appoint judges to assist him. Moses accepted his advise and Yitro returned to Midian. On the first day of Sivan, the Israelites arrived in the Wilderness of Horeb also known as Sinai. After agreeing to accept the Torah, on the 4 th day of Sivan, Hashem instructed Moses on how the Israelites should prepare for the great event to receive the Torah. On Shabbat the 6th of Sivan, the Torah was given to them in the early morning. Hazal differ in their opinion on what the Israelites heard on Mount Sinai. In Massechet Makkot 24b, our Sages explain that the numerical value of Torah is 611(taf=400+vav=6+reish=200+heh=5 =611). As the total commandments of the Torah are 613, our Sages came into the conclusion that the Israelites heard only the first two of the Ten Commandments. However, Rashi and Rambam believe that they heard all the Ten Commandments simultaneously. Since all the words were uttered in a single instant, they could not comprehend them. Then Hashem repeated them word for word. After completing the first two, the nation pleaded with Moshe that they could not tolerate the intensity of Hashem’s Voice and that Moses should teach them the rest(Debarim/Deuteronomy 5:22-24). In Massechet Shabbat 86b, the Gemarah records an argument as to whether the Torah was given on the 6th or the 7th of Sivan (as Rabbi Yosse said).However, the majority opinion is that the Torah was given on the Shabbat (Using a Gzerah Shavah, a method by which two verses from the Scripture which have strikingly similar terminology are compared. But what was the argument all about? Most of the Rabbis were of the opinion that the 6th Day of Sivan corresponds to the 6 th Day of Creation on which Man was created. The primary objective of the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai was to complete that act of Creation and perfect it. Above that, on the Shabbat which is a day of rest, as we are free from all responsibilities, we are given neshamah yeterah/renewed spirit through studying the Torah. However, Rabbi Yosse believes that it was the 7 th of Sivan in order to refer to
the 7th day of Creation-the concluding day of Creation. On that day, the Creation was already completed and the Shabbat, the 7 th Day is the day of ultimate perfection and rest. After all, isn’t that the whole purpose and goal of the Torah to perfect Creation? Since Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi /the Prince instituted our fixed Jewish calendar, the 6 th of Sivan never falls on Shabbat. It can fall only on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Haftarah (Isaiah 6, 1-13 Bishnot mot hammelech Uuziahu ) Moses and the Children of Israel saw the Glory of Hashem at Mount Sinai. In the Haftarah, we are given a similar account. Isaiah was shown a vision of the Merkavah / the Heavenly Court The same vision is given in far-greater detail in the Book of Ezekiel, Chapter I. As part of the prophecy, Isaiah is shown the Holy Temple filled with smoke, indicating that the kingdom of Judah which was the host to the Temple, was going downhill toward destruction and exile. Halachah Corner(question asked by Mr Maurice Levy): It is advisable to wear a belt when praying in order to make a separation between the lower and the upper part of the body (Shulhan Aaruch 91:2). Quiz of the last week: How much is an omer? Answer: 1/10 of an ephah ( 3.64 liters). Quiz of the week: According to Yithro, what were the qualities that judges needed to possess? Joke: A tour bus driver is driving with a bus load of seniors down a highway when he is tapped on his shoulder by a little old lady. She offers him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on his shoulder again, and she hands him another handful of peanuts. She repeats this gesture about five more times. When she is about to hand him another batch again, he asks the little old lady, 'Why don't you eat the peanuts yourself?' 'We can't chew them because we've no teeth,' she replied. The puzzled driver asks, 'Why do you buy them then?' The old lady replied, 'We just love the chocolate around them.' Shabbat Shalom to everybody.