Rabbi's Section
Rabbi Rose
Rabbi David Rose was born in New Zealand where he obtained a BA in Political Science and History. He was the National Head of Bnei Akiva in New Zealand. He obtained Rabbinical Ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, where he lived for 10 years, before moving to Sweden where he helped set up an educational project. He served as the Rabbi of Richmond Synagogue, Surrey for 4 years, and obtained an MA in Jewish studies from UCL. He was appointed to his current post in Edinburgh in May 2003. Rabbi Rose represents the Jewish community in several civic forums, is a member of the Conference of Scottish Religious Leaders and is Honorary President of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association.
As well as teaching at the Cheder, he also conducts Adult Education classes, mostly online.
Each week he produces his own Parsha sheet for the weekly sedra, titled ‘Forth Light’. This usually includes a challenging “Parsha Puzzle”.
If you have any questions for Rabbi Rose, then please contact the Rabbi.
Forth Light – this week’s Torah commentary
Shavuot
Perpetual revelation
Shavuot celebrates not only the giving of the Written Torah but also that of the Oral Torah that accompanies it and the Rabbinic project of interpretation which makes it relevant. Shavuot this year falls on a Friday, which requires us to prepare an Eruv Tavshilin, enabling us to cook on Friday for Shabbat, by beginning to prepare on Erev Yom Tov.
This institution is a good example of the Rabbinical approach to interpreting the Torah and making it a living element in the lives of the Jewish people.
There are two conflicting opinions among the authorities as to the rationale behind this institution. The Torah allows us to cook and transfer fire on Yom Tov, in contradistinction to Shabbat where it is forbidden. The Rabbis debated whether these activities are simply permitted on Yom Tov, no matter for what reason, or only for the specific purpose of enjoyment of Yom Tov. Based on this they debated whether it is permitted from the Torah to prepare on Yom Tov food for the following Shabbat or forbidden.
This in turn leads to a differing understanding of the rationale of the Eruv Tavshillin. For those who regard it as permitted to prepare food for Shabbat on Yom Tov, the Eruv is a stricture, designed to prevent people thinking they can prepare on Yom Tov also for a weekday. For those who regard preparation for Shabbat on Yom Tov as forbidden, the Eruv is a leniency, enabling people to ‘circumvent’ this prohibition by beginning their preparations on a weekday.
This rather involved argument serves to demonstrate several aspects of the Rabbinic project. Firstly, interpreting the Torah. The Torah allows certain activities on Yom Tov forbidden on Shabbat, but what are the parameters of that permission and how should it be practically applied? Secondly, making the Torah a living reality in people’s lives, either by preventing them from inadvertently transgressing it or by enabling them to practically live with its regulations.
Thus the Rabbis took a document given to one generation in one specific set of circumstances and made it relevant for all generations and for all circumstances. They thus made the Revelation at Sinai a continuing revelation down through the ages. It is this perpetual revelation we celebrate on Shavuot.