Q. How does Judaism define the moment of death?
A. Before summarising the rulings of the authorities let me recall the day when I sat by the bedside of a certain patient whose life was ebbing away.
For just a moment my attention was distracted. When I looked back, she had become perfectly still. I called the nursing staff and they carried out the checks they were trained to perform.
As far as I was concerned, this was an example of a person becoming inanimate without bodily movement, respiration and heartbeat.
Historically, rabbinic authorities used absence of spontaneous respiration and heartbeat as signs of death.
In more recent years Rabbi Moshe David Tendler and others have advocated a definition based on brain stem death even if there is some cardiac activity.
The situation is complicated by the ability of medical technology to maintain a degree of artificial functioning after brain stem death. This artificial functioning is called "life support" though it is questionable whether it is life that it is supporting. The Israeli Chief Rabbinate accepts the concept of brain stem death.
This ruling follows the view of halakhic decisors such as the late Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu.
However, there are great halakhists who maintain the traditional definition stated above.
Focus on prayer
Q. What shall I do if I am distracted by something during davening?
A. Judaism is an extended dialogue. God talks to man, man talks to God.
It is exemplified at times of prayer. Our davening is like Jacob’s angels which went up to God and came back with His response (Gen. 28:12).
In theory this is what the siddur facilitates, but some people find their attention wandering.
The Rambam says, "Clear out all other thoughts and know that you are standing before the Divine Presence" (Hil’chot T’fillah 4:16). All very well, but it is hard to banish distractions.
In a parable the Chafetz Chayyim said that a poor woman had a fruit stall in the market that made a bare living. Hooligans knocked over the stall and the apples went flying. A passer-by re-erected her stall and picked up some of the fruit, adding this advice: "When someone grabs your apples, snatch as many as you can and put them in another bag."
The Chafetz Chayyim applied this to prayer. He said, "When distractions attack you, don’t give in. Overcome them with thoughts that outweigh the distractions."
Parsha Insights:
How crazy can you be?
The story in the sidra is sad and shocking.
Moses and the Israelites have left Egypt at God’s word. They have made a stop at Sinai where Moses has ascended the mountain and HaShem has proclaimed the Ten Commandments.
But Moses has not come back and the people have lost patience. They go to the second-in-command, Aaron, and ask him to make a god for them.
The result is the Golden Calf, which the people acclaim with the words, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!" (Ex. 32:4).
How crazy can you be? An idol of gold, just completed, is credited with bringing Israel out of Egypt? History can be re-written so radically, so stupidly, so dangerously?
You wouldn’t think it could happen, but it did, and it repeats itself – not least in our own time.
One of the strangest things is why they ask Aaron to make them a new god. Why not expect Aaron to take over as leader whilst keeping the real God? If Aaron is good enough to fashion a god, surely he is good enough to be the leader!
But they don’t need a human being; they need a symbol. They need a flag on a pole. The real God isn’t good enough because He makes inconvenient laws and expects them not to kill, steal, commit adultery.
A flag on a pole – any flag, any pole – is acceptable. A tragedy!
Seven times Shabbat
The Torah reading this week refers to Shabbat seven times, which leads Rabbi Yitzchak to say in the Mechilta that the days of the week should all be counted as part of the seven-day week. Sunday is the first day to next Shabbat, Monday is the second, Tuesday is the third… and so on.
Every day one should add a piece of the plan for the coming Shabbat. On Sunday we could start the week by working out what we will spend for Shabbat. On Monday we could nominate one of the things we will dedicate to Shabbat. On Tuesday we could plan whom to invite for Shabbat meals. On Wednesday we could decide what we will talk about on Shabbat.
Every day is thus a part of Shabbat in some way – seven days, seven ways, seven thoughts, seven blessings.
Countng and Forgiveness
The name Ki Tissa is usually translated as "When you shall count". The context is counting the number of members of the people of Israel.
The verb nasa can also mean "to forgive". In that sense it tells us how important it is to be forgiven for the sins that tend to stain our record all the time.
It’s important not only to be forgiven by Hashem, but to forgive ourselves. Sin becomes an obsession if we cannot move beyond it and say with Maimonides (Hilchot Teshuvah), "I am sorry for what I did. I shall be careful and not commit this sin again!"
Rabbi Dr. Raymond Apple was for many years Australia’s highest profile rabbi and its leading rabbinic spokesman.