Words From Rabbi White

Dear congregants of Chevra Shaas and the Spanish,

TODAY’S GRAMMAR LESSON

Why do I spell the name of the parasha with a double “q?” If you look carefully in the Hebrew, you will see that the letter “qof” has a dot inside. That doubles the sound of the letter.  The dot is called in Hebrew a “dagesh.” There are two types of dagesh, even though they both look alike, as they are just a dot. The “strong” dagesh, as in the word “huqqat,” serves to strengthen the sound of the letter. That is why I transcribe the word with a double “qq.”

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The big political news around here is the rise of Zohran Mamdami. As you probably have heard, this strongly anti-Zionist won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. He refuses to condemn statements such as “globalize the intifada” as antisemitic: even though “intifada” clearly refers to killing of Jews, God forbid. He wishes to “free Palestine,” which is just a code for freeing Erets Yisrael of its Jews.  He says that if elected mayor, he will have Benjamin Netanyahu arrested, should the latter ever come to NY. He has said that any synagogue that raises money for an organization that supports Yehudah and Shomron will be subject to a considerable fine. Amazingly, he was elected with support from some “progressive” Jews. He will represent the Democratic Party in the coming elections, to be held in November.

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WHY WAS MOSHE SO SEVERELY PUNISHED WHEN HE HIT THE ROCK?

Moshe said to the people “Shim`u na’ ha-morim.” According to the English translation, Moshe had said “listen, you rebels,” and then he hit the rock. Why was hitting the rock such a serious transgression, that Moshe was not allowed to enter Erets Yisrael?  Based on my experience in education, I understand the midrash that connects the Hebrew “morim” with the Greek word “moiros,” which means “fool.”  For a teacher should never call a student a fool; a husband/wife should never call the spouse a “fool.” And, of course, certainly no respectable President of a country would ever insult an opponent like that!! That’s a serious mistake!

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No double parasha this week: just Huqqat. The haftarah is the story of the warrior/shofet Yiftach. He was a tough guy, but was apparently the person who was needed to fight against the enemy Ammon. [The word Ammon probably connected with the name of the modern capital of Jordan.] [The haftarah does not include the fascinating story of Yiftach’s daughter.]

Last time for kiddush levana: Wednesday night.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Menahem White