HebdoSyna

Emor (אמור – say), Leviticus (21:1–24:23), Ezekiel 44:15-31

Olive oil plays a crucial role in the rituals of the Temple. It is used to prepare the anointing oil, used to consecrate the priests and sanctuary objects, and to fuel the Menorah, a powerful symbol of divine presence.

Leviticus 24:2
צַו אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית–לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד.
Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

Renowned Olive Oil:
The region of Chania in Crete is renowned for its production of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The Cretan Olive Mill, located in Chania, has won several gold medals in international competitions⁽¹⁾.

Etz Haïm Synagogue (Tree of Life):
After the Ottoman conquest of Crete in 1669, the Jewish community acquired a Venetian Catholic church dating back to the 14th century and transformed it into a synagogue, serving as a spiritual and cultural center for over three centuries. Damaged during World War II, it was left abandoned. Following the earthquake in 1995, Nikos Stavroulakis⁽²⁾ took the initiative to restore the entire complex.

⁽¹⁾ Particularly with their Cretan Agrelia Koroneiki oil, produced from Koroneiki olives, the most common variety in Crete.
⁽²⁾ Nicholas Peter Stavroulakis (1932 – 2017), also known as Peter Stavis, was a scholar, American-Greek artist, director, and founder of the Jewish Museum of Greece. He played a crucial role in preserving Jewish heritage in Greece.

Parasha Kedoshim (קדושים – Holy), Leviticus 19:1-20:27 and Ezekiel 22:1-19. Pirkei Avot Chapter 2. Yom HaShoah. Yom HaZikaron. Yom HaAtzmaut.

In Pirkei Avot 2:1:
 רבי⁽¹⁾ אוֹמֵר: אֵיזוֹ הִיא דֶֽרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבוֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כָּל שֶׁהִיא תִּפְאֶֽרֶת לְעֹשֶֽׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶֽרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָ.
Rabbi⁽¹⁾ says, ‘What is the straight path that a person should follow? It is the one that honors him in his own eyes and also honors him in the eyes of others.

Located atop Jerusalem, Mount Herzl, also known as the Mount of Remembrance (Har HaZikaron), is a place of memory, where heroes are honored. It houses the National Cemetery of Israel, various memorials^(2), and the Herzl Museum.
Every year, during national commemoration days such as Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut^(3), Mount Herzl becomes the focal point of official ceremonies, embodying the spirit of memory, resilience, unity, solidarity, and determination of the Israeli people.

⁽¹⁾ Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi, Rabbi Yehuda the Prince, better known by the titles Rabbi, My Master, or Rabbeinu HaQadosh, Our Holy Master, was a Tanna (Mishnaic sage) of the fifth generation (135 – circa 220 CE).
⁽²⁾ At the top of Mount Herzl, the place where the tomb of Theodor Herzl is located hosts the opening ceremony of Israel’s Independence Day. Around the square, the National Cemetery houses the graves of numerous personalities, as well as those of soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives for Israel. Near the summit on the western slope lies Yad Vashem, the world’s largest Holocaust memorial, honoring Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as heroes and Righteous Among the Nations.
⁽³⁾ Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaZikaron: Israeli Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: Independence Day.

A’harei Mot (אחרי מות – After Death), Leviticus 16:1-18:30. Ezekiel 22:1-16.

The Parsha A’harei-Mot meticulously describes the Yom Kippur ritual, emphasizes the role of the Mikveh for purification and drawing closer to God, stresses the necessity of maintaining sanctity in daily life, and addresses the crucial aspect of morality and ethics in sexual relations.

Leviticus 16 :4
וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם אֶת-בְּשָׂרוֹ
Leviticus 16:24, 26 et 28
וְרָחַץ אֶת-בְּשָׂרוֹ בַמַּיִם
And he shall bathe his body in water.

After its renovation in 1957, the Judenbad⁽¹⁾ of Friedberg⁽²⁾ was opened to the public. This building is located in the former Jewish quarter of the old town, in the Judengasse⁽³⁾. Dating back to 1260, it is a remarkable example of medieval German-Jewish architecture. The seventy-two steps⁽⁴⁾ carved into the basalt lead to a spring-fed pool situated 25 meters deep. An octagonal opening in the Gothic dome allows for an appreciation of the symbolism, complexity, and beauty of the structure.

⁽¹⁾ Judenbad: This is the German term for Mikveh (מִקְוָה), a ritual bath used for purification rites. The word “Judenbad” translates literally to “Jewish bath.”
⁽²⁾ Friedberg: This German name means “Hill of Peace.” “Frieden” means “peace” and “Berg” means “hill.” The once significant community was decimated during the Holocaust.
⁽³⁾ Judengasse: This German term literally means “alley of the Jew.”
⁽⁴⁾ 72 steps: The number 72 holds special significance in Kabbalah, where it is linked to the Shem Hamphorasch (שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ), the secret name of God. This name is derived from verses 19, 20, and 21 of chapter 14 of the Book of Exodus, each containing 72 letters. By rearranging these letters, 72 groups of three letters, or trigrams, are obtained, each considered as an angelic name. When these names are combined, they form the divine name.

Sabbath ‘Hol HaMoed Pesach (Exodus 33:12-34:26), Maftir (Numbers 28:19-25), Haftarah (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Reading the Torah during ‘Hol HaMoed Pesach reveals that The Lord, in His great mercy, forgives Israel for its transgressions and renews its covenant. The Maftir provides the ritual directives for the Feast of Matzot.

Ezekiel 37:1-12
.הִנֵּה אֲנִי פֹתֵחַ אֶת-קִבְרוֹתֵיכֶם וְהַעֲלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶם, עַמִּי; וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם, אֶל-אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל […]
[…] Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

In the Haftarah, Ezekiel, a prophet exiled to Babylon, has the vision of the valley of dry bones. In tractate Sanhedrin 72b of the Talmud, the sages interpret this vision as announcing the resurrection of the dead at the advent of the messianic era. This prophecy proclaims the return of the entire Jewish people to the land of Israel.

The Hurva Synagogue (חורבה – ruin), located in the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, has a tumultuous history. A tradition traces its existence back to the time of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi in the 2nd century. Over the centuries, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Its last destruction dates back to 1948, during Israel’s War of Independence, when the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Jordanians. Its destruction was carried out by soldiers of the Hashemite kingdom, who dynamited the building, reducing it to dust. It was rebuilt between 2005 and 2010, in its original 19th-century style. Today, it stands in a square at the center of the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem.

Metzora (מְּצֹרָע – one afflicted with tzaraat), Leviticus 14:1–15:33.

The parashah deals with the purification rituals of a person afflicted with tzara’at⁽¹⁾, also reaffirming the promise of entering the Land of Israel.

Leviticus 14:34
:כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם לַאֲחֻזָּה
When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession,

Chabbath HaGadol
Chabbath HaGadol commemorates a great miracle before the Exodus from Egypt. For several days, the Hebrews tied a lamb, one of the idols of the Egyptian pantheon, without being disturbed. This act marks the beginning of their liberation.

Haggadah with Bird Heads
Chabbath HaGadol heralds the festival of Passover, during which we recount the Exodus from Egypt. To fully experience the story of our liberation, what better than an illustrated book? The Haggadah with Bird Heads, executed in Hebrew by the Sofer Menahem in the early 14th century, is currently housed in the Israel Museum⁽²⁾; its exact origin remains unknown. However, it could originate from the region of Wurtzburg in Bavaria, southern Germany.

(1) Tzara’at: Affliction resulting from transgression that can affect the flesh, clothing, and walls of a person, rendering them impure. The person affected by tzaraat is called a metzora.
(2) The Haggadah with Bird Heads was formerly owned by Ludwig Marum, a German lawyer and politician murdered by the Nazis at Kislau camp. After the war, the manuscript was sold to the Israel Museum by Herman Kahn, a refugee in Israel. In 1984, Elisabeth Marum-Lunau, Ludwig Marum’s daughter, claimed that the manuscript had been acquired without the permission of the rightful owner, but she consented to its remaining in the museum for the public good.

Tazria, (תזריע – she will conceive) Leviticus 12:1–13:59.

Leviticus 12:6
וּבִמְלֹאת יְמֵי טָהֳרָהּ, לְבֵן אוֹ לְבַת …
When the days of her purification are completed,
whether for a son or for a daughter…

This verse refers to the ritual of purification after childbirth, implicitly involving the mikveh.

Mikveh
The Jewish archaeological site of Besalú, declared a Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional¹ in 2013, houses a synagogue, a courtyard, and a mikveh. With a water capacity of 331 liters, the mikveh stands out for its depth allowing direct filling from the groundwater, without the need for pipelines. It consists of an underground rectangular room topped with a barrel vault, accessible by a flight of thirty-six steps.

The Besalú Community
The presence of a Jewish community in Besalú dates back to 1229, confirmed by a document from King James I of Aragon reserving the profession of moneylender for Jews. In 1342, a quarter of the population was Jewish, but by 1435, the community disappeared and migrated to Castelló d’Empúries and Granollers.

¹ BCIN, Cultural Heritage of National Interest in the “archaeological zone” category by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia

Chabbat Ha’Hodesh (הַחֹדֶשׁ – This Month), Exodus 12:1-20

In Egypt, the Hebrews are commanded to count the month of spring¹ as the beginning of months. This time counting is the first mitzvah given to the Jewish nation.

Exodus 12:2
הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים: רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.

This time counting marks a new beginning. Nissan celebrates the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. It is the Exodus, the journey towards the promised land filled with hope.

The time counting is displayed on the Hebrew clock² of the Town Hall in the Josefov³ district of Prague. Built in 1586, under the patronage of Mordechai Maisel⁴, next to the Old-New Synagogue, the Renaissance-style building served as a meeting place for the local Jewish community. It acquired its Rococo facade in the 18th century.

¹ The spring month, Aviv (אביב), is the month of Nissan. It’s a ‘full’ month of 30 days (Chodesh Male – חודש מלא). It’s the first month of the religious year, but it’s the seventh or eighth month (leap year) of the year from Rosh Hashanah.
² On this clock, Hebrew letters replace the numbers, and the hands rotate counterclockwise.
³ Josefov: named in honor of Emperor Joseph II, who emancipated the Jews by issuing an edict of tolerance in 1781.
⁴ Mordechai Maisel (1528-1601), philanthropist, mayor of Prague, leader of the Jewish community of Prague, and friend of the famous Maharal (מהר”ל = מורנו הרב לב – Moreinu HaRav Loew, Our Master Rabbi Loew).

Tzav (צו – command), Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Chabbat Para (Numbers 19:1-22)

In Judaism, nothing is truly considered a coincidence. The simultaneous reading of Tzav and Para reminds us that all divine prescriptions, whether clearly understood or mysterious, hold equal importance.

Belém do Pará is the capital of the State of Pará, in northern Brazil. Pará has one of the largest cattle herds in Brazil, with approximately 21 million animals.

In 1824, after the adoption of the Brazilian constitution guaranteeing freedom of worship, Jews began to return and settle there. That same year, Moroccan Jews had the Shaar Hashamaim synagogue (Gate of Heaven) built by the Brazilian architect Judah Eliezer Levy. In a colonial style, the blue and white façade features three Stars of David and four main entrances. At the center, the elevated and round Bimah is made of carved marble adorned with Stars of David. The walls are painted blue, and white columns support the women’s galleries. The two-story structure is topped with a large dome.

Vayiqra (ויקרא – and He called), Leviticus 1:1-5:26,
Chabbat Zakhor (זכור – Remember), Deuteronomy (25, 17-19)

On the Sabbath preceding the festival of Purim, two Torah scrolls are used: one for the reading of the weekly Torah portion [^1] and the other for Zakhor ^[2], which urges us to remember Amalek and to fight against evil.

Amalek Street
Located opposite the only Orthodox synagogue in Namibia in Windhoek, Amalek Street illustrates the opposition between tolerance and antisemitism. The Jewish community settled in this region around 1910, a time when Namibia was under German rule. Harold Pupkewitz (1915-2012), a prominent figure in this community, was born in Lithuania before immigrating to Namibia. An influential entrepreneur, he was also a committed community leader, actively combating antisemitism and contributing to various philanthropic causes, particularly in the field of education.

The Orthodox Synagogue of Windhoek
Inaugurated in 1924 by Rabbi Landau from South Africa for Jews of German origin, the Windhoek synagogue is a tripartite building. Its beige brick walls support a red corrugated iron roof. Brass chandeliers and windows adorned with Star of David motifs illuminate a vaulted prayer hall, a library, and a kosher kitchen.

[1] Vayikra this year.
[2] According to the majority of decisors, this reading is a duty ordained by the Torah, and many believe that women are also subject to this obligation. If a person, for a valid reason, could not listen to this reading, they are obligated to hear it on the Sabbath of Ki Tetze after asking the Hazzan to discharge them. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef z”l also recommended reading the passage of Zakhor in a Chumash.

Pekudei (פקודי – Inventories), Exodus 38:21–40:38. Linked together⁽¹⁾, Vayakhel and Pekudei describe the entire process of constructing the Tabernacle. The separation of these two parshiot is perceived as a sign of discord.

Exodus 38:21
 אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת, הַכֹּהֵן.
This is the inventory of the Tabernacle, residence of the Tablets of the Covenant ⁽²⁾.

An object of contention, the Supreme Court’s primary role is to verify the constitutionality ⁽³⁾ of laws and government decisions.

It is located in the building designed by architects Ram Karmi and Ada Karmi-Melamede ⁽⁴⁾. This building incorporates elements of Israel’s religious and cultural heritage, notably the lions of the Hamat Gader Synagogue. A long straight path connects the Supreme Court to the Knesset.

⁽¹⁾ If Passover falls on a Sunday or if the year is embolismic (13 months), Vayakhel and Pekudei are not linked.
⁽²⁾ Tablets of the Covenant: The word הָעֵדֻת (HaEdut), meaning testimony or covenant, refers to the Tablets of the Covenant kept inside the Ark of the Covenant.
⁽³⁾ Israel does not have a constitution. Disagreements have prevented the development of a Constitution, although the Declaration of Independence provided for a Constituent Assembly for this purpose. The Knesset has chosen a progressive approach by enacting a series of Basic Laws, each having constitutional status and only revocable by an absolute majority vote. A committee has been working for several years on its development.
⁽⁴⁾ Ram Karmi (1931-2013) and Ada Karmi-Melamede (born in 1936), two Israeli architects, are the children of architect Dov Karmi (1905-1962). All three were awarded the Israel Prize in Architecture (Dov in 1957, Ram in 2002, and Ada in 2007).