Month: November 2024

Toledot, Shabbat Machar Chodesh
^{Genesis 25:19–28:9, First Book of Samuel 20:18–42, and Isaiah 42:5 and 42:21}

The parasha Toledot recounts the birth of Yaakov and Esav, their rivalry, and Isaac’s blessings. The haftara for Shabbat Machar Chodesh discusses the friendship between Jonathan and David, mentions “Tomorrow is the new moon” (I Samuel 20:18), and emphasizes divine protection and the importance of loyalty. Lastly, the opening and closing verses of the haftara for Toledot (Isaiah 42:5 and 42:21) highlight Israel’s divine mission to bring justice and light to the world.

I Samuel 20:42
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹנָתָן לְדָוִד, לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם: אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ שְׁנֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ,
בְּשֵׁם ה’, לֵאמֹר, ה’ יִהְיֶה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וּבֵין זַרְעִי וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ, עַד-עוֹלָם.
And Jonathan said to David: “Go in peace, since we have sworn, both of us, in the name of H’, saying, ‘May H’ be between you and me, and between my descendants and your descendants, forever!’”

Hungarian President Viktor Orbán has guaranteed that the international arrest warrants issued by the ICC⁽¹⁾ against Netanyahu and Gallant will not be enforced in Hungary and has decided to suspend Hungary’s relations with the ICC. This gesture reflects peace and loyalty toward Israel. Similarly, in 1990, the city of Debrecen, Hungary, also demonstrated peace and loyalty toward Israel by establishing a twin-city partnership⁽²⁾ with Rishon LeZion.

Debrecen is home to several Jewish places of worship, including the Orthodox synagogue on Pásti Street. Built in 1894, it is a remarkable example of Neo-Moorish architecture, designed by architect Jakob Gartner⁽³⁾. In 2000, the synagogue was officially declared a historical monument, and its restoration was initiated. Reopened in 2005, it now serves as a place of prayer as well as a tourist and conference center.

Notes
¹ ICC: The International Criminal Court is an international organization established to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. The ICC is based in The Hague, Netherlands.
² A twin-city partnership is a symbolic gesture that fosters strong, lasting relationships of solidarity and cooperation for mutual development by encouraging cultural, educational, and economic exchanges.
³ Jakob Gartner (1861–1921) was an Austrian-Jewish architect specializing in synagogues, known for his eclectic style combining Neo-Moorish, Neo-Romanesque, and historicist influences. Among his notable works are the Orthodox synagogue in Debrecen and the synagogue in Gänserndorf, Austria.

Chayei Sarah (חיי שרה – The Life of Sarah)
Genesis 23:1 to 25:18 and I Kings 1:1–31

Sarah passes away at the age of 127 in Hebron. Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpelah to bury her. Isaac marries Rebecca; they fall in love, and Isaac finds comfort after the loss of his mother. Abraham remarries Keturah, makes arrangements for his children, and dies at the age of 175. Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the Cave of Machpelah alongside Sarah. In the haftarah, King David also makes arrangements before his death.

Genesis 24:7
וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי, מִשָּׁם.
“And you shall take a wife for my son from there.”

This verse is part of the “Avraham Zaken” passage, read in Hebrew and Aramaic when the groom is called to the Torah. Aramaic is also the language used for writing the ketubah, the marriage contract that the hatan (groom) gives to the kallah (bride) during the wedding ceremony. The ketubah outlines the husband’s responsibilities and obligations toward his wife.

The Ketubbot collection at the National Library of Israel is a unique treasure reflecting the richness and diversity of Jewish traditions across centuries. These marriage contracts, often adorned with magnificent illustrations and calligraphy, are not merely legal documents; they testify to cultural practices, local artistic influences, and communal identities across the Jewish diaspora. Whether featuring Oriental, Italian, or Ashkenazi motifs, each ketubah tells a story, intertwining the sacred and the personal in Jewish family life.

Three angels announce to Abraham the upcoming birth of Isaac and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, because the inhabitants are perverted. Abraham implores Hashem to spare the cities if righteous people are found there. Only Lot and his family escape the destruction. Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt for having disobeyed the command of Hashem. In the haftara, the prophet Amos emphasizes the importance of living according to principles of justice and equity.

Genesis 19:26
וַתַּבֵּט אֵשֶׁת לֹוט מֵאֲחוֹרָיו וַתְּהִי נִצָּבָה מֶלַח
And Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Mount Sodom (הר סדום, Har Sedom) is a hill located along the southwestern part of the Dead Sea in Israel. It is part of the Judean Desert Nature Reserve. Composed of about 80% salt, it is covered with a layer of limestone and clay. Measuring about 8 km long, 5 km wide, and 226 m above the water level of the Dead Sea, it is, however, 170 m below the global average sea level.

One pillar is known as Lot’s Wife. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus¹ claims to have seen this salt statue. The Sages (Talmud B. Ber. 54a) teach a list of places where one must recite a blessing due to miracles that occurred there, and Lot’s wife is included.

¹ Yossef ben Matityahou HaCohen (Joseph son of Matthatias the Priest – יוסף בן מתתיהו הכהן), better known as Flavius Josephus (Titus Flavius Iosephus), born in Jerusalem in 38 and died in Rome around 100, is a Jewish Roman historiographer.

Lech Lecha
^{Genesis 12:1 – 17:27, Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16}

God calls Avram to leave his land, his homeland, and his father’s house for a country that He will show him, promising to make him a great nation. Avram obeys and travels with his wife Sarai. God renews His covenant and adds the letter ה (hei) to their names⁽¹⁾. God promises Abraham a son from Sarah, thus ensuring the continuity of the covenant. In the haftarah, Isaiah reassures the Bnei Israel and tells them that God will support them and provide them with strength and protection against their enemies.

Genesis 12:1
וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. 
The Lord says to Avram: Go for yourself, from your land, from your homeland, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.

The Jewish Agency for Israel, founded in 1929, aims to represent Jews and facilitate their immigration to the Land of Israel. It becomes a central player in the development of Jewish infrastructure under the British mandate and plays a key role in the creation of the state. After 1948, the Israeli government takes over most of the political functions of the Agency, which continues to play an active role in the immigration, reception, and integration of Jews from around the world.

The Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem, designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon⁽²⁾ in the 1930s, combines Bauhaus⁽³⁾ and modernist styles with the use of Jerusalem stone, typical of local architecture.

^1. The addition of the letter ה (hei) to אברם (Avram) / אברהם (Abraham) and שרי (Saraï) / שרה (Sarah) represents a spiritual elevation, strengthening their bond with God.
^2. Arthur Loomis Harmon (1870-1945) was an American architect known for his role in modernist architecture.
^3. The Bauhaus style, founded in 1919 in Germany, emphasizes functionality and aesthetics, influencing architecture and design worldwide.