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 Rabbi
Jacobs
Torah Comment
Mattot-Masei Year 3 Number 33:50-36:13
(Plaut p. 1121 Hertz p. 716)
Haftarah Jeremiah (Plaut p. 1135 ; Hertz p. 725)
The closing words of the fourth book of Torah, Numbers, record the words
spoken to Moses by way of law in the plains of Moab, east of the
Jordan River. Much of this week‘s reading in this third year of
the triennial cycle is concerned with issues of settlement of
the land, and the inheritance from generation to generation of
holdings within each of the tribal allocations of ancient
Israel. In our times these allocations and divisions are
primarily of historic importance: the disappearance of the 10
northern tribes after the conquest of 722 b.c.e. and the
centuries of exiles have erased the ancient boundaries among the
tribes. Perhaps of greater curiosity are the largely
unanswerable questions of why two tribes—Reuben and Gad, and the
half-tribe Manasseh—chose to remain east of the Jordan while the
remaining ten and a half tribes entered Canaan. Their decision,
affirmed by Moses, required of them the promise to support the
whole people in its conquest of the land. The opening verses of
our reading call upon the Israelites to complete erase the
memory of the Canaanite peoples that they are set to displace.
Their high places, and evidence of their cultural
life—especially their idolatrous worship—are to be wiped away.
While the ancient imperative to move the early Israelites away
from idolatry is clear and intrinsic to Jewish practice until
our times, two matters remain of concern. First, it is clear
that throughout the period of the First Temple and in the entire
existence of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the battle against
the Canaanite Gods remained a significant part of the social
landscape of the ancient land. This is re-affirmed beyond the
text of the Prophetic books of scripture by archaeological
discoveries including those at Ekron. On a more contemporary
note, our concern with the preservation of diversity of cultures
and the importance of their artifacts as instruction about our
own beginnings would encourage us to leave in place the cultural
heritage of the place. In former generations, the destruction of
many Hellenistic period sculptures as places such as ancient
Ashdod and Caesarea, indicate a cultural intolerance by earlier
conquerors of the Holy Land. Similarly, the overbuilding of
ancient Jewish cultural sites as Churches and Mosques are
contrary to the modern guidelines of UNESCO. Look at recent
photographs of Jerusalem for a lesson in the cultural pluralism
that is permitted and encouraged in contemporary Israel: the
Dome of the Rock and El-Aksa Mosque, the many church towers that
form the skyline of Jerusalem‘s Ir ha-atikah—the Ancient
City—are the direct result of seeing the places of worship and
architectural heritage of two millennium of Jerusalem‘s history
as important evidence of Jewish history of exile and return to
the land promised to Am Yisraeil in Torah.
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—Rabbi Robert Jacobs |
Sunday July 18th Come
Celebrate Mandela Day
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Cynthia Rosen receives
the Paul Harris Award
On Saturday 3 July, at a gala dinner,
Cynthia Rosen received a Paul Harris Award from Steven Margo,
the President of the Randburg Rotary
Club. This Award is
Rotary International‘s highest honour, awarded in recognition of
outstanding Service Above Self. A gracious, unassuming and
humble Lady, wife of Martin and mother of Matthew, Emma and
Jane, Cynthia works tirelessly for those less fortunate than
ourselves and the Sandton, Alexandra and Ivory Park communities
are the richer for her untiring efforts to improve their lives.
Cynthia is one of five sisters who learnt the art of giving from
their mother and grandparents when they were children living on
a farm.
Cynthia joined Bet David Sisterhood 15
years ago and has been involved in many projects run by them.
For the past nine years, ever since Shira, a Mitzvah School
graduate, requested her help in feeding ―a few children‖ in
Alexandra Township, she has been involved in organising feeding
schemes, one of which, Leamogetswe, meaning ―all are welcome‖,
feeds over 200 destitute adults and children daily, and the
numbers continue to increase. The feeding scheme is run from a
single room in 8th Avenue Alexandra. A former Chairperson of Bet
David Sisterhood, Cynthia is also in charge of catering for the
life cycle events at Bet David Synagogue where all profits are
channelled into the purchase of food for their feeding schemes.
Additional assistance is given by a few private donors and by
food collections held outside two Pick ‗n Pay stores twice a
month. Be it a shack fire, AIDS orphans, children in need,
hungry Matriculants at Mitzvah School, a large number of
destitute learners (all shack dwellers) at Zenzeleni Primary
School, or the poverty stricken aged, her sense of compassion
brings dignity, a hand up and hope, as she and her team of
volunteers serve where needed. Cynthia believes strongly that if
each person could help one person in life, then the world would
be a better place for all. ―Tikkun Olam‖ epitomises Cynthia
Rosen, who truly embodies the ideal of goodwill, peace and
understanding, and is a worthy Paul Harris Fellow.
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Peres Centre for Peace Fundraiser Museum
Africa
Mr FW De Klerk, HE Dov Segev
Steinberg and Desmond Sweke
Peres Centre For Peace
Lynton Travis and Israeli
Palestinian Football Team from Peres Centre for Peace |
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MC Weiler School
visit by Sisterhood
Charmaine Levy, Penny Satikge,
Cindy Rossiter, Jo Norris |
Sisterhood Breakfast 06 July 2010
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Bet David Management Committee for
2010/2011 Chairperson:
Desmond Sweke Vice Chairperson: Lynton Travis
Treasurer: Geoff Van Flymen
Members:
David Lurie, Jo Norris (Sisterhood),
Jonathan Fisher,
Matthew Myers,
Monica Solomon, Trevor Egnal
Religion School:
Giddy Leif Netzer: Jackie
Maris, Mor Rubinstein Bet David
Choir: Glynnis Kanar |
Links to related sites
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