Ask The Rabbi March 18, 1995 Issue # 60 ========================================================================== This edition contains: 1. A Six-Pointed Question: The Origins of The Magen David 2. Answer to Last Week's Riddle ========================================================================== Vered Zur wrote: >Schalom, my name is Vered and I live in Germany. Some days ago I was >sitting with friends, talking. We talked about the Magen-David and the >question why the Magen-David is looking like he is looking with two >triangle, one on his head. We came to the conclusion that David decided >how his "Magen" should look like. But why did he decide for this sign? >Perhaps you can answer me or us this question. BlondeJANE@aol.com wrote: >Dear Rabbi; I am very interested in the history of the Jewish 6 pointed >star. Who originally began to use this symbol and why? Your response is >greatly appreciated. Roy Bernstein of Simon's Town, South Africa wrote: >What is the origin of the Magen David? Does it have any mystical >connections? The reason I ask is that geometrically, it is very >interesting; a magen david can be circumscribed by a hexagon. The inside >of a magen david is also a hexagon and therefore one can draw another >similar magen david inside it. This process may be carried on ad >infinitum. The bottom line is that the magen david actually contains an >infinity of hexagons! Moreover, it is the smallest polygon (i.e. the one >with the fewest sides) which has this property. *********************************** Dear Vered, BlondeJANE & Roy, The six-pointed star has long been associated with the Jewish people. In Southern Italy, a tombstone dating back to 300 C.E. was found with a six- pointed star on it. In the year 1354, King Carl IV insisted that the Jews of Prague make a flag for themselves that would feature the six-pointed star as well as the five-pointed star of King Solomon. The words "Magen David" literally mean "Shield of [King] David." Some say that the soldiers of King David's army wielded shields in the shape of a six-pointed star. King David's personal seal was not a star, but rather a shepherd's staff and bag. His son, King Solomon, used a five-pointed star for his personal seal. In Kabbalistic teachings, one finds that the number six represents the Heavens and the Earth and the four directions (North, South, East, West). There are those who suggest that the Magen David with its six points correspond to this Kabbalistic idea, which in turn can represent G-d`s Omnipresence. Interestingly, the words "Magen David," in Hebrew, are made up of six letters. Some people have the tradition to hanging a Magen David in their Sukka. Perhaps the six sides allude to the six "Ushpizen" guests who visit during the first six days of Sukkot: Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov, Moshe, Aharon, and Yosef. The star as a unified whole symbolizes the seventh "Ushpizen" - - David -- the "king" who unifies the whole. Furthermore, the Magen David has 12 sides: David as king unified the 12 tribes. While we're on the subject of kings, I'm reminded of the time when the King of England honored Hershel Greenbaum with a promotion to royalty. Hershel had memorized a Latin phrase to be recited during the inauguration ceremony, but in his nervousness he forgot what it was he was supposed to say. Assuming that no one there knew Latin anyway, he decided to ad-lib a Hebrew phrase instead: "Mah Nishtanah Halailah Hazeh Mikol Halaylot." Hearing this, the king turned to his minister and said "Why is this knight different from all other knights?" ========================================================================== Answer to Last Week's Riddle Answer to Last Week's Riddle Question: Which mitzvah comes about only as a result of lack of intent on the part of the doer or his worker? Answer: The mitzvot of "Shichecha"-- the forgotten bundle left for the poor, and "Leket" -- the stalks dropped by accident and left for the poor. These mitzvot occur only when someone or his worker forgets one or two bundles of produce in the field; or when he or his worker drops a stalk or two of grain while harvesting his field. In such a case it is a mitzvah for him to leave them for poor people. If he intentionally "forgets" a bundle and leaves it for the poor, he fulfills a different mitzvah -- the mitzvah of Charity. But the mitzvah of "Shichecha" can only be fulfilled by unintentionally forgetting a bundle. Source: Rambam, Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 4:1, 5:1. ========================================================================== "The Rabbi" is planning a Pesach break starting after Issue #61, (which will be available beginning Motzei Shabbat March 25). Please G-d, the Rabbi will be ready to answer your questions again in Issue #62, available after April 29. ========================================================================== SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter There is NEVER a charge for any of the above lists (though your local information provider, such as AOL, Prodigy or CompuServe, might charge a nominal fee). To subscribe to any of these lists, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name} to: listproc@jer1.co.il ========================================================================== ** Spend This Coming Summer Break In Israel For As Little As $599 * ** (including airfare from New York) * ========================================================================== JLE Israel Summer Seminar '95 7 weeks of study and touring, optional Ulpan, and structured encounters with Israeli Dignitaries Departure June 14th Optional free week August 8th through August 14th For Jewish men between the ages of 19 & 30 with demonstrated academic achievement and a sincere motivation to explore their roots Minimum scholarship price: $599 Covers round trip ticket, room, board, tuition and tours Undergraduates attending college anywhere in North America who PERMANENTLY reside in New York City (the 5 boroughs), Long Island (Nassau & Suffolk counties) or Westchester County -- as well as undergraduates attending college in any of these areas although permanently residing elsewhere -- may qualify for additional scholarship monies. For information: o send E-Mail to Rabbi Zalman Corlin: RZCorlin@aol.com o In the U.S. call toll-free 800-431-2272 / 212-213-3100 o Outside of N. America, send E-Mail to: ohr@jer1.co.il ========================================================================== Dedication opportunities are available for Ask the Rabbi. Please contact us for details. ========================================================================== Jewish L EEEEEEEE Prepared by Ohr Somayach Institutions J L E 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103 J L Exchange Jerusalem 91180, Israel J J L E Tel: 02-810315 Fax: 02-812890 JJJJ Learning EEEEEEEE Internet: ohr@jer1.co.il ========================================================================== Written and Compiled by Rabbi Benzion Bamberger, Rabbi Reuven Subar, and various other Rabbis at Ohr Somayach Institutions, Tanenbaum College Jerusalem, Israel. General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Production Design: Lev Seltzer ========================================================================== (C) 1995 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample of an issue.