Welcome to Generation Sinai 2015! This year’s theme is very close to my heart. It always amazes me how we can trace our chain of tradition all the way back to that momentous day that we received the Torah from Hashem at Mount Sinai. It got me thinking about how powerful and important the connection between each and every generation is and brought to mind a story about my great-grandfather Kalmin Meir Goldstein which you can watch on generationsinai.com. I’d love to hear your stories about your family tradition. Email me at [email protected] Enjoy your learning together, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein Subscribe at generationsinai.com for more great content all year round Proudly supported by A unity project of the Office of the Chief Rabbi of South Africa GUARANTEED FOREVER In the Midrash (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:24), we read about what happened. ‫כד‬:‫בּה א‬ ָ ַ‫ ר‬,‫שירִ ים‬ ִ ׁ‫ה‬ ַ ‫שיר‬ ִ ׁ ‫ָאמר ָל ֶהם ַ[ה ָּקדֹוׁש‬ ַ ‫ּתֹורה‬ ָ ‫ְּבׁ ָש ָעה ׁ ֶש ָע ְמדּו יִ ְש ָׂר ֵאל ְל ַק ֵּבל ַה‬ ‫טֹובים‬ ִ ‫ ָה ִביאּו ִלי ֲע ֵר ִבים‬,‫ּתֹור ִתי‬ ָ ‫נֹותן ָל ֶכם‬ ֵ ‫"אנִ י‬ ֲ ]‫ָּברּוְך הּוא‬ ".‫אֹותנּו‬ ָ ‫בֹותינּו ֲע ֵר ִבים‬ ֵ ‫"א‬ ֲ :‫ָאמרּו‬ ְ ".‫רּוה וְ ֶא ְּתנֶ ָּנה ָל ֶכם‬ ָ ‫ת ְש ְמ‬ ׁ ִּ ‫ׁ ֶש‬ .‫יהם‬ ֶ ‫בֹות ֶיכם יֵ ׁש ִלי ֲע ֵל‬ ֵ ‫"א‬ ֲ :‫ָאמר ָל ֶהם ַה ָּקדֹוׁש ָּברּוְך הּוא‬ ַ "‫"ב ָּמה ֵא ַדע‬ ַּ )‫אשית טז‬ ִ ׁ ‫ָאמר ְּ(ב ֵר‬ ַ ‫ַאב ָר ָהם יֵ ׁש ִלי ָע ָליו ׁ ֶש‬ ְ ‫אתיו ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֶא ַמר‬ ִ ֵ‫אֹוהב ְל ֵע ָשׂו וַ ֲאנִ י ְשׂנ‬ ֵ ‫יִ ְצ ָחק יֵ ׁש ִלי ָע ָליו ׁ ֶש ָהיָ ה‬ Seven weeks after leaving Egypt, the Jewish people finally arrive at Sinai. A wave of excitement fills the air as everyone prepares for three whole days for the event of a lifetime: The receiving of the Torah. About 3 000 000 men, women and children assemble at the foot of Mount Sinai, like one person with one heart. This was the moment they had been waiting for. The whole world stands still; not even a bird can be heard chirping. This is the day that will change Jewish destiny and the world forever. A heavy cloud comes down over the mountain and the powerful call of the Shofar can be heard throughout the entire world as Hashem is about to give us the Torah.Before Hashem could give us the Torah, He wanted to know that we would look after it. ")‫ָאמר (יְ ׁ ַש ְעיָ ה מ‬ ַ ‫ יַ ֲעקֹב ׁ ֶש‬."‫אתי‬ ִ ֵ‫ָאכי א) "וְ ֶאת ֵע ָשׂו ָשׂנ‬ ִ ‫ַ(מ ְל‬ ‫טֹובים וַ ַאנִ י‬ ִ ‫"א ָלא ָה ִביאּו ִלי ֲע ֵר ִבים‬."‫ה‬ ֶ ָ‫נִ ְס ְּת ָרה ַד ְר ִּכי ֵמיְ הֹו‬ ‫יאינּו ֲע ֵר ִבין‬ ֵ ‫עֹולם נְ ִב‬ ָ ‫"רּבֹונֹו ׁ ֶשל‬ ִ :‫ָאמרּו ְל ָפנָ יו‬ ְ .‫נֹותנָ ּה ָל ֶכם‬ ְ )‫יהם ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֶא ַמר (יִ ְר ִמיָ ה ב‬ ֶ ‫יא ֶיכם יֵ ׁש ִלי ֲע ֵל‬ ֵ ‫ ’נְ ִב‬:‫ָאמר ָל ֶהם‬ ַ ".‫ָלנּו‬ ‫"כׁ ֻש ָע ִלים ָּב ֳח ָרבֹות‬ ְּ )‫"וְ ָהר ִֹעים ָּפׁ ְשעּו ִבי" ְּוכ ִתיב (יְ ֶחזְ ֶק ֵאל יג‬ The Jewish people then said, “Our children, in every generation, will ensure that we keep Torah forever!” The Holy One, blessed is He, said, “I believe that the children will look after and protect this gift! Because of them, I will entrust you with the Torah!” Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov, together with Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah, were so great that they merited to be the founding fathers and mothers of the Jewish people. Each prophet achieved higher levels of holiness and connection to Hashem than we can imagine today. Nevertheless, the children were the ones that Hashem trusted to protect our precious Torah for eternity. The Torah was given for all times. Hashem needed a guarantee for the future. ‫טֹובים וְ ֶא ְּתנֶ ָּנה‬ ִ ‫"א ָלא ָה ִביאּו ִלי ֲע ֵר ִבים‬ ֶ .‫יאיָך יִ ְש ָׂר ֵאל ָהיּו‬ ֶ ‫נְ ִב‬ ‫ָאמר ַה ָּקדֹוׁש ָּברּוְך‬ ַ ."‫אֹותנּו‬ ָ ‫"ה ֵרי ָּבנֵ ינּו ֲע ֵר ִבים‬ ֲ ‫ָאמרּו‬ ְ ‘‘.‫ָל ֶכם‬ ‘‘,‫יהם ֶא ְּתנֶ ָּנה ָל ֶכם‬ ֶ ‫ ַעל יְ ֵד‬,‫טֹובים‬ ִ ‫’’הא וַ ַּדאי ֲע ֵר ִבים‬ ָ :‫הּוא‬ "‫עֹול ִלים וְ יֹנְ ִקים יִ ַּס ְד ָּת עֹז‬ ְ ‫"מ ִּפי‬ ִ )‫(ת ִה ִלים ח‬ ְּ ‫ָה ָדא הּוא ִּד ְכ ִתיב‬ ."‫(ת ִה ִלים כט) "יְ הֹוָ ה עֹז ְל ַעּמֹו יִ ֵּתן‬ ְּ ‫ ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֶא ַמר‬,‫ּתֹורה‬ ָ ‫וְ ֵאין עֹוז ֶא ָלא‬ Hashem said to the Jewish People: “I will give you my Torah. But how will I know that you will keep it forever?” The people answered Hashem, saying that, with such great and holy forefathers and foremothers, surely they could be trusted with this precious gift? This did not con-vince Hashem. The Jewish people said again: “Our prophets will make sure we guard the Torah and its laws!” This again was not enough to convince Hashem. WHY WERE THE CHILDREN THE ONES WHO MADE HASHEM FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE TORAH WOULD BE KEPT FOREVER? As great as past generations are, a guarantee is always based on the future. At Mount Sinai our ancestors accepted the Torah not only for themselves at that time, they accepted it for all generations to come. They put their hope in their children and their children’s children to continue accepting the Torah in every generation. 60 GRANNIES TO SINAI Hashem has entrusted us, His children, to look after His Torah from one generation to the next. That’s quite an honour! After giving us the Torah, Hashem tells us to remember the moment forever. It is from these words that we learn how important it is for parents to teach their children about the giving of the Torah. WE WEREN’T AT SINAI, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TORAH MEANS WHEN IT SAYS: “THE THINGS YOUR EYES SAW” AND “YOU STOOD BEFORE HASHEM”? ‫י‬,‫ט‬:‫דברים ד‬ ‫ת ְש ַּכח ֶאת‬ ׁ ִּ ‫ּושמֹר נַ ְפׁ ְשָך ְמאֹד ֶּפן‬ ְ ׁ ‫ַרק ִהׁ ָּש ֶמר ְלָך‬ ‫ַה ְּד ָב ִרים ֲאׁ ֶשר ָראּו ֵעינֶ יָך ֶּופן יָ סּורּו ִמ ְּל ָב ְבָך ּכֹל‬ ‫יֹום ֲאׁ ֶשר‬:‫הֹוד ְע ָּתם ְל ָבנֶ יָך וְ ִל ְבנֵ י ָבנֶ יָך‬ ַ ְ‫יְ ֵמי ַח ֶּייָך ו‬ …‫ֹלהיָך ְּבח ֵֹרב‬ ֶ ‫ָע ַמ ְד ָּת ִל ְפנֵ י יְ הֹוָ ה ֱא‬ Devarim 4:9,10 Be very careful not to forget the things your eyes saw, and not to let these things depart from your heart, all the days of your life; and you shall make them known to your children and to your children’s children; The day you stood before Hashem your G-d at Chorev (Mount Sinai). Our connection from one generation to the next is so strong and so direct, it’s as if we were really there. The trust between parents and children as they handed the Torah from one generation to the next allows us to feel as if we were at Mount Sinai ourselves. The Gemara quotes these verses to learn this idea: .‫ קדושין ל‬,‫תלמוד בבלי‬ ‫ּתֹורה‬ ָ ‫ ָּכל ַה ְמ ַל ֵמד ֶּבן ְּבנֹו‬:‫הֹוש ַע ֶּבן ֵלוִ י‬ ֻ ְ‫ָאמר ַר ִּבי י‬ ַ ‫ַמ ֲע ֶלה ָע ָליו ַה ָּכתּוב ְּכ ִאילּו ִק ְּב ָלּה ֵמ ַהר ִסינָ י ׁ ֶשנֶ ֶא ַמר‬ ‫הֹוד ְע ָּתם ְל ָבנֶ יָך וְ ִל ְבנֵ י ָבנֶ יָך וְ ָס ִמיְך ֵליּה יֹום ֲאׁ ֶשר‬ ַ ְ‫ו‬ .‫חֹורב‬ ֵ ‫לֹוהיָך ְּב‬ ֶ ‫ָע ַמ ְד ָּת ִל ְפנֵ י ה׳ ֱא‬ Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 30a Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said: Anyone who teaches their grandchild Torah, it is as if they received the Torah at Mount Sinai. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME GOOD IDEAS WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THE TORAH IS KEPT ALIVE FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT? Whenever parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren learn Torah together, it’s as if we are learning at the foot of Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah directly from Hashem. 1 Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch puts it beautifully in his commentary on the fifth of the ten commandments, honouring your parents. The Jewish year is 5775. The Torah was given in 2448.That means that the Torah was given 3327 years ago. A generation is 25 years, so there have been 133 generations from the giving of the Torah until today, and about 60 sets of grandparents if you skip every second generation. Through a father and mother, Hashem gives a child more than just physical life. Parents are the link that connect us to our past. From our parents, we receive the tradition of the Jewish mission, which is shaped by our education, code of conduct, and upbringing. Our parents teach us the history of our people and Torah, so that eventually we, in turn, will pass it on to our own children. This chain is so important because it connects us all to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. This chain has ensured that the Torah we all learn today is identical to the Torah that Hashem originally gave us. H D DA VI A RAVA ANA AHAN A DAI ’A BB A REI DU RAH M MENAR RAV ACH EM e N 1883 R’ A. K DEL ETAC H MAR R’ YE SHAYA MAR MAR R’ M R’ YO ENASHE SEF R’ KAHANA GAON INOI AHA NA MAR MA R’ PO LTOI RR ’ YO SEF ZCH A M HO O VR ’A MAR R’ YOSEF R’ YIT R K ME R’ TERUMAT HADESHEN R’ MAR GOLIE OL 153 LOZIN ER 0 R’ S. ZAL VILN MAN A GA ON R’ E. C HASID R’ YIS SACH AR B ER R’ M K LA K R’ A . RAM ER GO MBIN ER R’ NAFTALIE HIRSCH BE’ER HA GOLAH 1640 NA 1710 Y. P S R’ TAVOLI R’ C. V O R’ Z UN CE 5 MAH ARIL ER .B’SH 140 B MAR RAV HUNA 136 IR B R’ SH OLO HA’ BARU M LEV CH I ANT IMON SHA HILLE MAY L+SH A AMA I S MA RA YO U AGU DAH R’ SH MAR R MAT ISYAAV HU 869 c SHAA R ABB GAM AN LIEL R ’ S. GAM BEN LIEL MAR R’ SH 773 ce MA RR BERG MAR R’ RA VA RAV MALK A M TZ AR R EM AV AC H R’ GAMLIEL R’ SHIMON CH HA IN FE LD GO ST E IN 5 RDO R’ Y HANASI RAV CHANAN YA MAR R’ DO EF KA TZ R’ A. KAH 1790 LD 201 UNA RABBAH YO S 140 ce RAV H R’ M ROTHEN SAL ONUS FA L RAV ASH I YOSI ANTIG IS BB R’ GO GO R’ Y SH.HAT ZADIK EZRA RA 1930 5 197 R’ R’ L BARUCH YIRMIYAHU ’ YOSEF MAR R R’ A Y BLOCH LEIB BLO CH IAH 300 BCE RAV OR ZARUA ZEPHAN N AI GAO R’ IBOM R’ Y.Y . ER M CHAVAKUK 814 ce ELIEZER MEMETZ RASHBAM G ROKEACH NACHU 420 ce 905 ce RABBENU TAM YOEL Y. B’ A TAB HY NITAI (A AI RBEL AC ) PR B’ Y. RAV YO SSI RAFRAM RAV SIM ONIA RAV SA MA 1260 RASHI R’ MICHAH YESHAYAHU Y RAV RAVA I 1105 IFT AMOS HOSHE K ZAC HAR AIAH DA R’ HO YA MAR R’ AHARO MAR RAV N MAR R’ MEVASSER R’ HAI GAON MAR R TZEMACH GA AV NECH ON EMIA R’ CHANINAH R’ KIMOI GAON GAON R’ KOHEN ZEDEK U EIN BB OM RA RSH GE M HAESH G UL A A D M O L HA IS EL HU IYA EL YE 943 ce YAKAR CE Rabbi Berel Wein (Jerusalem, 1934 - Present) Pirkei Avot: Teachings for our Times (Avot 1:1) 748 ce R’ Y BEN E 0B H MA RR ’R AV I EL R’ N. K IRA HER R’ S 130 MU ce MA R A YEHR UDAV RAV R’ MAR R’ SH H NATR HU MUEL ONA NA MAR RAV CHIYAH I MA MAR RAV YAH V YO RA SE RI R F MA N GAO Pirkei Avot begins by describing the transmission of Jewish tradition from Sinai and Moses onwards. Judaism is an unbroken chain that passes from parent to child, from teacher to student, from leaders to members of the community. It is mainly a faith of communication between generations. It is based on the fact that our ancestors were not liars, that they personally witnessed the giving of the Torah at Sinai, and personally knew all of the men and women written about in our history books. SH 68 9 BU SA I Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. IA ACH BCE RA V PINCHAS 750 BCE M R’ CHA N GAON INA Pirkei Avot 1:1 SH SHUA 785 ce I MO YEHO I EL 1000 This is only one example of millions of chains just like it, linking us directly to Sinai.Have a look at how you have become a link in this amazing chain today. Every time you learn Torah with your rabbis, teachers and parents you are becoming a part of this living legacy. AR RAV M ‫ֹוש ַע ִלזְ ֵקנִים‬ ֻ ׁ ‫ֹוש ַע וִיה‬ ֻ ׁ ‫ּומ ָס ָרּה ִליה‬ ְ ‫ּתֹורה ִמ ִּסינַי‬ ָ ‫משה ִק ֵּבל‬ ֶׁ .‫דֹולה‬ ָ ‫רּוה ְלַאנְ ׁ ֵשי ְּכנֶ ֶסת ַה ְּג‬ ָ ‫יאים ְמ ָס‬ ִ ‫יאים ּונְ ִב‬ ִ ‫ּוזְ ֵקנִים ִלנְ ִב‬ Well, she was at Sinai! Did you know that all of the ideas we are learning today can be traced directly back to Moshe at Mount Sinai? This chain lists how the Torah was passed from rabbi to student all the way from Moshe to today. It spans 3327 years and there is not a single gap! Every single year is accounted for. That’s quite astounding! NA CHA RAVGAON ‫א‬:‫פּרְ קֵי אָבֹות א‬ ִ Now, can you imagine your granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny’s granny? Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch (Germany, 1808 - 1888) ANAN The first Mishna in Pirkei Avot describes the transmission of the Torah from Moshe all the way to the men of the Great Assembly, who lived 1 000 years later. Can you imagine your granny’s granny? Can you imagine your granny’s granny’s granny? Just as we look up to our parents, so will our own children someday look up to us. Without this connection between parents and children, the chain of generations is broken, and the hopes of the Jewish past are lost for the future. MAR CH Just as we each have our own family history, we have a legacy from teacher to student all the way back to Moshe. 2 BUILDING THE FUTURE ‫בּרָכֹות סד‬ ְ ‫’’וְכל ָּבנַיִ ְך‬ ָ :‫עֹולם ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֶא ַמר‬ ָ ‫ַּת ְל ִמ ֵידי ֲח ָכ ִמים ַמ ְר ִּבים ׁ ָשלֹום ַּב‬ .‫‘‘ ַאל ִּת ְק ֵרי ָּבנָיִ ְך ֶא ָּלא ּבֹונָיִ ְך‬.‫ּמּודי ה' וְ ַרב ׁ ָשלֹום ָּבנָיִ ְך‬ ֵ ‫ִל‬ Gemara Berachot 64a Scan this QR code to hear how a Native American helped Rav Binny Freedman realise how exciting our history really is! “And all your children are students of Hashem, and your children will have abundant peace.” Do not read your children, ‘banim’, but rather your builders, ‘bonim’. The words ‘banim’ and ‘bonim’ in Hebrew are very similar. ‘Banim’ are children and ‘bonim’ are builders. The Gemara switches the words around, telling us that each and every child is a builder of our future. Each child learns about our Jewish values, laws and heritage from his or her parents and then passes them on to their own children. By doing this we are building the future one generation at a time, just like we would build a house one brick at a time. Isn’t it wonderful to think that each and every one of us plays such an important part in building the future? The Jewish people have always seen it as a great honour to have been entrusted with Hashem’s Torah. This precious gift has been learnt and lived by Jews for thousands of years and has changed the world. NATURE’S SECRETS ‫ ד‬:‫תהִילִים קמה‬ ּ ְ ‫בּים‬ ִ ‫מ ְל‬ ַ ‫ַאחר ׁ ֶש ֵאין ָאנּו ַמ ִשׂיגִ ים‬ ַ ,"‫"ּדֹור ְלדֹור יְ ׁ ַש ַּבח ַמ ֲע ֶשׂיָך‬ ‫ ׁ ֶש ַרק ַעל יָ ָדם‬,‫ יְ ַש ְּבחּו ַרק ַמ ֲע ֶשׂיָך‬,‫דּולתֹו ִמ ַצד ַע ְצמֹו‬ ָ ְ‫ג‬ ‫ ׁ ֶשגֶ ֶדר‬,‫ּות ִה ָלה‬ ְּ ‫ וְיֵ ׁש ֶה ְב ֵדל ֵּבין ֶש ַבח‬,‫נִיכר‬ ַּ ‫ַאתה‬ ָּ ,‫קֹודם‬ ֵ ‫יֹותר ִמ ַמה ׁ ֶש ָהיָ ה ִמ‬ ֵ ‫יח‬ ַ ‫ֲהׁ ֶש ַבח ׁ ֶש ַה ָד ָבר ַמ ְש ִּב‬ ‫יֹוסיפּו ּדֹור וְ דֹור ְל ַעיֵין ְּב ַמ ֲע ֵשי‬ ִ ‫ֹומר ׁ ֶש ָּכל ׁ ֶש‬ ַ ‫רֹוצה ל‬ ֶ ְ‫ו‬ ‫ ִּיַכירּו ָּבם ָח ְכמֹות ְּופ ִליאֹות ׁ ֶש ָהיּו‬,‫ה' ְּוב ִס ְת ֵרי ֲה ֶט ַבע‬ ‫יֹוסיפּו‬ ִ ‫ וִיְ ַש ְּבחּו ֶאת ַמ ֲע ָשיו ׁ ֶש‬,‫נֶ ֱע ָל ִמים ֵמ ִר ְאׁשֹונִים‬ ‫ ַעד ׁ ֶש ָּכל‬,‫טּובם וְ ָח ְכ ָמ ָתם ַעל ָמה ׁ ֶש ָהיּו ַעד ֵהנָ ה‬ ָ ‫ְּב‬ ‫קֹודם ֹלא ֵה ִבין ֶאת ַמ ֲע ֵשה‬ ֵ ‫דֹור ַה ָּבא יִ ְר ֶאה ׁ ֶשדֹור ַה‬ .‫ה' ַּכ ָראּוי‬ As we learn more about science and nature, we become more aware of the beauty and detail of Hashem’s creation. Our ancestors never had the privilege of looking at human cells through a microscope or seeing the wonder of the universe through a telescope. They never flew in a plane through the clouds and looked at the beauty of the world below. They never watched a baby grow, week by week, in its mother’s tummy, or understood the complexity of the human brain. The mathematical, engineering and biological genius of Hashem’s creation has only come to light with the advancement in our understanding of these fields . As society evolves, we will continue to find many more reasons to appreciate Hashem’s greatness. Malbim Tehilim 145:4 “From generation to generation they will praise Your deeds.” (Tehillim 145:4) There is a type of praise that grows from one day to the next. Every generation that delves into the deeds of Hashem and discovers the secrets of nature, will recognise in them wisdom and wonders that were hidden before. Each generation will praise Him with additional understanding of the goodness and wisdom of His deeds. The next generation will see that the previous one did not fully understand Hashem’s actions. “Every Jew is a letter. Each Jewish family is a word. Every community a sentence, and the Jewish people, at any one given time, a paragraph. The Jewish people, through time, constitute a story: The strangest and most moving story in the annals of mankind.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks 3