A major theme of this week’s Parshah is the centralisation of worship in a central sanctuary. This, of course, later became the Temple in Jerusalem and directly led to the idea of communal prayer, synagogues and other such institutions. In the middle of these instructions we find exhortations not to forget the Levites, but to provide for their needs. The Torah seems to be concerned that the servants of the people in this central place of worship, those who make its functioning possible, are in danger of being forgotten by the worshippers. This warning is not misplaced. We often take for granted the people who, mostly without remuneration, look after our communal institutions and make organised Jewish life possible. This exhortation of the Torah should cause us to be more sensitive to their needs and the work they do. Yet this concern of the Torah for the Levites has a more specific relevance to our communal life, especially in Britain. The Torah is worried about the welfare of the Levites because it is afraid that people will look down upon them. After all, they seem to perform no productive function. The are not farmers or craftsmen and have to be supported by the community. It is easy to see these people as good for nothings who couldn’t do anything else, so they serve in the Temple or hang around studying or maybe teaching in the Levitical cities. These attitudes are, unfortunately, very common among British Jewry. Rabbis and other communal functionaries are seen as people who couldn’t do anything else, even though today most of them could and do have other careers and opportunities. There is probably no other country in the world where clergy are regarded in quite this manner. The Torah warns us against such an attitude. This approach leads to a contempt for the Torah itself. For example, a widespread custom among religious Jews is to rise or lift one self up from ones seat at the approach of your Rabbi. This is not a sign of respect for the individual but done in honour of the Torah the Rabbi of your community or city represents. The fact this custom, almost universal elsewhere, is virtually unknown among British Jews, speaks volumes. It is not surprising that this country has some of the lowest levels of Torah learning in the Jewish world. A community that does not respect its spiritual leaders will also not value the Torah they represent.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon              The Blessing and Curse to be pronounced when entering the Land.

Sheni                The prohibition of sacrifice outside the central Sanctuary.

Shelishi           The false prophet and idolatrous city.

Revi’i               The laws of kashrut.

Chamishi         The laws of tithing.

Shishi              The laws of charity.

Shevi’i             The three pilgrim festivals.

Haftorah           Isaiah 54;11-55;5:  the splendour of Zion redeemed.

 

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Re’eh

 

·               has 126 verses;

·               is the  4th  in Deuteronomy,  47th  in the Torah

·                longest in Deuteronomy, 

·               12th  longest  in the Torah  

·                has  17 pos + 38 neg = 55  mitzvot.

 

 

From Rosh Hodesh Elul till Erev Rosh Hashanah, we blow the Shofar every weekday morning and say Psalm 91 every morning and evening.