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Good morning. I was deeply moved to read about an unnamed doctor, who, after hearing about the devastation in Morocco, left his home in London at 2am last Saturday. Travelling alone in an ambulance on a journey of 1800 miles to Marrakech, he brought medical aid and equipment as soon as possible to those who desperately needed it. This is one of numerous heroic acts of extraordinary altruism displayed in the horrific aftermath of the earthquake in Morocco and the storm in Libya. Our responses to situations such as these say much about who we are as individuals and as a society. Jewish tradition teaches that we are defined by what we give. We are reminded of this lesson every time we eat our special bread for Sabbaths and Festivals. You might be familiar with it and, if not, I recommend it to you. It’s called ‘challah’. Challah for the Sabbath is traditionally braided, symbolising unity. For the Jewish New Year, which commences this evening, we will be eating round loaves, which represent the hopeful continuity of blessings in our lives. The bread is dipped in honey, with the prayer that we be blessed with a sweet new year. The derivation of the term ‘challah’ is fascinating. It refers to the portion of the dough which, according to the Torah, Moses instructed the people to separate as a gift for the Priests. In the course of time the whole loaf became known as ‘challah’. I find this quite remarkable. This is an example of 'synecdoche', where the whole is named after one of its parts. For example, we refer to ‘boots on the ground’ or ‘hands on deck’. However, with challah, we name the entire loaf of bread after a part of it which is entirely absent. It’s the portion that we’ve given away to share with others! The 15th century Jewish scholar, Don Isaac Abrabanel was once asked by King Ferdinand of Spain what he was worth. Responding, Abarbanel opened a ledger with the title ‘charity’ on it, and started to add up some figures. “I don’t think you heard me correctly,” said the King. “I didn’t ask you about your charitable work. I asked you what you are worth.” Abarbanel replied, “One day, when I depart from this world, I will leave all my material wealth behind. The only thing I’ll take with me will be the merit of what I’ve given away and what I’ve done for others. This will be my only legacy for all time.” When all is said and done, just like challah, we are what we give!