Tag Archives: Rabbi Apple

BIG MAN, LITTLE GOD? The Book of Genesis has no doubt that man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Not in the sense of a photograph, since by definition God has no shape or form. What He does have is will, wisdom, intellect, ethics, spirituality, speech and …

TURNING DOWN THE INVITATION. A large part of the sidra is the “Tochechah”, the curses that come upon those who disobey God’s will. In many synagogues nobody wants to be called up for this portion, though they scramble for other sections of the Torah reading. Those who decline to be …

MEALS & MEMORIES. Q. On a spiritual day like Rosh HaShanah why do people focus on food? A. Some foods are symbolic such as apple and honey, which represent the hope of a sweet year. Many people have a whole array of “simanim”, symbolic foods. Apart from this, Nehemiah said, …

KILLING IDOLATERS Q. Is it true that the Talmud says something about killing idolaters? A. In a number of versions there is a statement that reads in Hebrew “tov sheba’akum harog”, usually translated “Kill the best of the idolaters”. Instead of “idolaters” other versions say “mitzrim” (Egyptians), “k’na’anim” (Canaanites), and …

Q. Can you explain “Kiddush L’vanah” (saying a prayer when we see the new moon)? A. The Sanhedrin used to proclaim the commencement of a new month after hearing evidence from witnesses who had seen the new moon. These days we work out the date of Rosh Chodesh by means …

BREAD & WAR. Q. How can the Hebrew for bread (“lechem”) be connected to the word for war (“milchamah”)? A. Wars are often fought over economic issues. Not just conventional wars, but political tussles and elections. It is also said that securing one’s bread, the staff of life, is the …

COMPULSORY EDUCATION. Q. When did compulsory education commence among Jews? A. There is a difference between knowledge and education. According to the Torah, everyone must have knowledge, but the Shema ordains that this is to be imparted by the father. If, however, a child had a father who was unable …

WE WANT MASHI’ACH NOW. Q. Do you agree with the Chabadniks who say, “We want Mashi’ach now”? A. Most Jews pay lip service to the idea of the Messiah but are not really that interested one way or the other. A Christian saint is said to have prayed, “God, make …

HIP HIP HOORAY. Q. I have heard that Jews shouldn’t say “Hip Hip Hooray”. Is this true and, if so, why? A. I must have often joined in when people greeted one another with the shout, “Hip hip hooray” but I don’t intend to ever do it again. For one …

THE MITZVAH OF SHAVU’OT. The rabbi of my childhood synagogue called Shavu’ot the Cinderella festival, because in many circles it is rather unloved. The other festivals have colourful symbols to make them popular – the Seder on Pesach, the shofar on Rosh HaShanah, the lulav and sukkah on Sukkot, the …

UNRAVELLING THE LAG BA’OMER MYSTERY. 18 Iyyar this week is the minor festival of Lag Ba’Omer when the somber mood of the S’firat HaOmer is lifted to allow marriages and celebrations. Outside the Jewish people it was an important medieval period just after Easter when Christians embarked on Crusades to …

THE PUNISHMENT OF AARON’S SONS. This week’s reading begins (Lev. 16:1) with the punishment of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu. The rabbis explain that one of the reasons for their punishment by summary death was that they came up to the altar in a state of drunkenness after drinking too …

WHAT IS A JEW? Q. I know you must have been asked a thousand times, but what is a Jew? A. The problem is that there is no one word which completely answers the question. Countless attempts have been made, of course. Religion is a crucial element, but so is …

THEY CAME ARMED. What did the Hebrews take on their trudge through the wilderness?  Wives, children, clothing, matzah to eat, water to drink? All these, but the Torah says something more: they went “chamushim” (Ex. 13:18), which Onkelos and others understand as “armed”, ready for the journey ahead and for …

WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SON? The most important son at the Seder is not the wise one. He’s not the one for whom the Haggadah (Ex. 13:8, “v’higgad’ta levin’cha”, “you shall narrate to your son”) explains the laws of the festival. Being so studious, he is sure to want …

MILK & HONEY. The ancient Cheder began its Bible curriculum with the Book of Vayikra, but even before this, a child’s first Hebrew lessons commenced with the aleph-bet written on a slate in honey. The children licked off the honey and got a sweet taste of Torah learning. Not very …

Jews Down Under has chosen to remove this piece because we did not agree with the following comment and weren’t willing to compromise our ideals. “Nonetheless, there is much common ground between Judaism and Islam – even more than with Christianity. Dialogue and co-operation between the two faiths (indeed trialogue …

GOD IS IN MY HEAD. The sidra opens with the words, “When you count the heads of the Children of Israel” (Ex. 30:12). Metaphorically the verse could be read as saying, “When you get inside the head of a Jew”. What does one find inside a Jewish person’s head? The …

BELIEVING OTHERS. Q. Should you believe what people tell you? A. Yehoshua ben P’rachyah’s principle in Pir’kei Avot is, “Hevei dan et kol ha’adam l’chaf z’chut” – “Judge everyone in the scale of merit” (Avot 1:6). In other words, give other people the benefit of the doubt, and put the …

VASHTI – A FRAUD MARRIED TO A FICTION. Megilat Esther, the Book of Esther, is both a narrative of historical events and a study of human dynamics. Both aspects are far from simple. Both are debated by the scholars. What really happened in the Persia of Achashverosh and Esther, and …