TT 468 Halachic Times for Jerusalem (Summer time) Correct for TT #468 • Ranges are for THU-THU, 17 Iyar - 24 Iyar (May 10 - May 17) For sunrise and sunset, first time takes into account the elevation above sea level of Jerusalem, 825m (the times in parentheses do not take elevation into account). For the deadlines of Shma and Shacharit, the first times are according to the GR"A, the day being reckoned from sunrise to sunset. (The times in parentheses are according to the Magen Avraham, the day being reckoned from dawn to stars-out.) Candle lighting - 6:51pm (earliest - 6:05pm) Havdala - 8:09pm (Rabbeinu Tam - 8:44pm) Earliest Shacharit • 4:41-4:36am Sunrise •5:41-5:36am (5:46-5:41am) Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma • 9:08-9:05am (8:17-8:13am) Sof Z'man Shacharit • 10:17-10:15am (9:43-9:40am) Chatzot (halachic noon) • 12:35¾-12:35½-12:35¾pm Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) • 1:11-1:11pm Plag Mincha • 6:04-6:08pm Sunset • 7:30-7:35pm (7:25-7:30pm) WORD OF THE MONTH A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem. Molad and Kiddush L'vana times and details are mostly taken from a computer program called ZMANEI HAYOM B'HALACHA, by Rav Eitan Tzakuni of Netivot. The program went through several versions for DOS, the last of which I have been using for quite some time. Even when the program went windows, and was renamed CHAZON SHAMAYIM (the name of the sefer Rav Tzakuni wrote on part of Rambam's Hilchot Kiddush HaChodesh, which was sold together with the original computer program), I remained faithful to the DOS version. I found it more comfortable to use; the early windows versions were a bit cumbersome. But now there is a new version of Chazon Shamayim for windows, and it is terrific. It is not super user friendly; you have to know what you're doing to make it work for you. It works in Hebrew (there is a built in toggle for English, but it isn't yet operative). I like it because it teaches you about the subject of ZMANIM as you customize the program for your needs. More on this program elsewhere or elsewhen, but in the meanwhile, call me at 566-7787 for further details or Rav Eitan Tzakuni at 08-9945621 to acquire the program. G-d's Multifaceted Kedusha Plan It started back in Sh'mot 19, the portion of Parshat Yitro that describes our arrival at Sinai and our preparation to receive the Torah. AND YOU SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF KOHANIM AND A HOLY NATION. This statement of G-d's was not an unconditional prophecy but rather part of the Deal He was presenting us with. The previous pasuk states, AND NOW (having taken you out of Egypt on the wings of eagles), IF YOU HEARKEN WELL TO ME, AND KEEP MY COVENANT, THEN YOU WILL BE MY MOST BELOVED TREASURE... Our becoming a Holy Nation is conditional upon our continuous faith in G-d and observance of Torah and Mitzvot. Not only is that a precondition to our holiness, it is the only way for us to attain holiness. In last week's sedra of K'doshim, the command to be holy is given, so to speak, to each of us — not just collectively as KLAL YISRA'EL. The command and challenge for each of us to be holy is accompanied by the reason (so to speak) and the incentive and inspiration to be holy — because G-d is Holy. This is stated more than once in K'doshim. And sanctity is a major theme of Parshat Acharei Mot, and of this week's sedra of EMOR. We are not left to our own devices in our pursuit of Holiness, as has been pointed out in last week's TT and many other times besides. The three-sedra unit of Acharei-K'doshim-Emor, which this year (and all 12-month, 1-Adar years) is read over just two week's time, contains 142 of the Torah's Taryag mitzvot – more than 23% of the mitzvot. And each of them – really, each and every mitzva –says keep this mitzva and thereby become holy. Or at least be a step further on the path to holiness. And, as we've also mentioned before, it is not just the doing of the mitzva and the avoidance of the prohibitions, but it is the intentions and attitudes we have towards Torah and Mitzvot, that will (or not) lead us to holiness. And that brings us to the midpoint of Parshat Emor, with the next phase in G-d's plan for our (and His) holiness. AND YOU SHALL PRESERVE MY COMMANDMENTS AND DO THEM, I AM HASHEM. AND YOU SHALL NOT DESECRATE MY HOLY NAME (by intentionally violating mitzvot - Rashi) [BUT RATHER] YOU SHALL SANCTIFY ME... (Vayikra 22:31-32) Our doing mitzvot, and the way we do mitzvot, not only can help us on our quest for holiness, as individuals and as a nation, but it can also bring about the sanctification of G-d. And that was the "reason" for His command to us to be holy, in the first place. And this KIDDUSH HASHEM is possible, not only with mitzvot, but with any and every mundane act. Sedra-Stats 31st of 54 sedras; 8th of 10 in Vayikra Written on 215 lines in a Sefer Torah (rank: 20) 17 parshiyot; 11 open, 6 closed (rank: 14,4,) 124 p'sukim, rank: 15; 1st in Vayikra.Same as Sh'mot, but shorter in words & letters 1614 words, rank: 22; 2nd in Vayikra 6106 letters, rank: 23; 2nd in Vayikra Relatively short p'sukim account for its drop in ranking in words and letters Mitzvot 63 of the 613 mitzvot; 24 pos. 39 prohibitions Only Ki Tetze (with 74) has more. And only K'doshim and Ki Teitzei are more "Mitzva- dense" than Emor. Emor averages more than one mitzva every two p'sukim. Emor has almost five times as many mitzvot than average for the Torah. From another angle, the many mitzvot in Emor can be grouped into relatively few categories. This is in contrast with the mitzvot of K'doshim which range over many different topics. In a certain respect, Emor's mitzvot are very "tidy". Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary Numbers in [square brackets] indicate the mitzva-count of the Sefer HaChinuch Kohen - First Aliya - 15 p'sukim - 21:1-15 This Aliya is particularly appropriate for a kohen; not all first Aliyot are. Following Parshat K'doshim, which focuses on the challenge to the individual Jew and the whole Jewish community to rise to higher levels of sanctification, the parsha of Emor begins with the special sanctity of the kohen, and the even higher sanctity of the Kohen Gadol. These higher levels of k'dusha are concomitant with stricter rules of personal religious conduct. A kohen is not to become ritually defiled due to contact with a dead body [263], except for his seven closest relatives: wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, (unmarried) sister. This is more than permission; a kohen is required to participate in the funeral and burial of his close relatives, becoming "Tamei" [264]. Kohanim (and all Jews) are forbidden to afflict the body in any way as a sign of grief. [This is an example among many of a mitzva that appears in a particular sedra, but is counted elsewhere. In other words, Emor has even more than the Chinuch's official count of 63 mitzvot.] MITZVA WATCH The Talmud teaches that from this same source, mitzva 264, comes the requirement, incumbent upon all Jews (not just kohanim), to mourn one's seven close relatives. It is important to note that this is not a case of rabbinic extension of Torah law or rabbinic legislation sanctioned by their obligation to "protect" Torah and mitzvot. This is more. This is part of the definition of the Torah's mitzva #264, as transmitted to us by the Talmud, the Oral Law. The Sages of the Talmud present us with two categories of Law - Torah Law, which includes the Written Word AND the Oral Law, and Rabbinic law. They not only teach us both, but they (most often) clearly differentiate between the two categories for us, so that we will know what is a D'ORAITA and what is D'RABANAN, thereby neither adding to nor detracting from the Torah. Our commitment to G-d at Sinai includes careful adherence to Torah and Rabbinic Law (since the Torah requires us to listen to the rulings and teachings of the Sanhedrin). But it is important for us to know the difference so that we will not have a distorted view of the Torah. (There are also practical distinctions between Biblical and Rabbinic law.) Specifically, in the case of mourning, the first day is considered Torah Law, the balance of Shiva is Rabbinic. Rabbinic, but inspired by the Torah. But that's not the same as Torah law itself. Kohanim must be holy and avoid desecrating His Name, because they perform sacred service. This mitzva for the kohen is also taken to refer to the prohibition of doing Temple service after purification in a mikve, but before the day has completely passed [265]. A kohen may not marry a "zona" (a non-Jew and/or a Jewish women who has had relations with a man who is forbidden to her) [266], a "chalala" (the daughter of a kohen from a woman to whom he is forbidden because he is a kohen) [267], nor a divorcee [268]. Because of the sanctity invested in the kohen by HaShem, we are commanded to honor the kohen [269]. Calling him to the Torah first is one manifestation of this honor. So is having him lead Birkat HaZimun. We may not "use" a kohen to serve us. The Kohen Gadol has even more restrictions because of his higher sanctity. He may not defile himself to any dead person (even his parents - the only exception is a body that has no-one to tend to it. This is known as a MEIT MITZVA) [271] nor enter under a roof with a dead body [270]. The Kohen Gadol's sanctity derives from the anointing oil and/or the special garments. He is to marry a previously unmarried woman [272]. He may not marry a widow [273] nor any of the types that the regular kohen is forbidden to marry. He is further forbidden to have relations with a widow [274], as this would contravene his sanctity. [SDT] HaKohen HaGadol Mei'echav - not just the usual term Kohen Gadol, but "greater than his brothers". From here, the Gemara teaches, that the K.G. should (preferably) be smarter (better educated, wiser) than his fellow kohanim, bigger (taller) in build, and wealthier. Levi - Second Aliya - 24 p'sukim - 21:16-22:15 A kohen with a disqualifying blemish may not serve in the Mikdash [275]. The Torah next identifies many of the blemishes. The rule applies not just to a permanent blemish or deformity, but even to temporary blemishes [276]. A disqualified kohen may eat of the sacred foods (some but not all categories), but may not even enter the Mikdash [277]. MITZVA WATCH A kohen "baal mum" (with a disqualifying blemish) is barred from the area of the Mikdash from the (external) Altar and inward, but may enter the outer area of the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash, and even may do some peripheral tasks. Furthermore, a kohen who becomes "tamei" is temporarily barred from the Mikdash [278], nor may he "approach" sacred foods. He may not eat T'ruma [279] or other "kodoshim" while "tamei" from any of various sources. On the day of impurity (for the 1-day type) or on the last day (for the 7-day type), the kohen immerses in a mikve and, "with stars-out", he once again is allowed to eat T'ruma. Not only may one not eat non-kosher meat, it also renders a kohen "tamei". A non-kohen may not eat T'ruma [280] (or other sacred foods). Jewish servants and laborers of a kohen may not partake of T'ruma [281]. OTOH, an "eved C'naani" who is considered part of the kohen's possessions, may eat his master's T'ruma. An uncircumcised male may not eat T'ruma (even if he has valid medical reasons for being so) [282]. This rule is not expressly stated in the text, but is learned by "parallel texts" from korban Pesach. It is nonetheless one of the 613 mitzvot, noteworthy, in that it is a mitzva with no "chapter & verse". A kohen's daughter (and any woman) who has relations with someone to whom she is forbidden, may no longer eat T'ruma [283]. This mitzva also includes the situation of a kohen's daughter who marries a non-kohen. During her marriage, she may not eat T'ruma. If her husband died or divorces her, she may return to her father's home and eat T'ruma - if she has not had children. With children the fear is she might feed them (her children are NOT kohanim) of the T'ruma. Hence, she too is barred. A person who inadvertently eats T'ruma must compensate the kohen by paying the value plus an amount which equals 1/5 of the payment. Eating of "tevel" (produce from which none of the required separations was taken) is forbidden for all to eat [284]. Violation constitutes a disgrace of the sacred. Interesting point... If a non-kohen eats T'ruma, intentionally, he is liable to "death penalty from heaven". The punishment for eating Tevel is the same. Perhaps we have here examples of the opposite types of sin (as discussed last week in relation to the two goats of Yom Kippur). The former sin involves eating something "too sacred" for the individual. The latter is a sin that involves the opposite - the Tevel is so profane without any "mitzvot" separated, no sanctifying acts having been done with it. Going beyond halachic limits in either direction is sinful. Shlishi - Third Aliya - 17 p'sukim - 22:17-33 Animals offered as sacrifices must be blemish-free [285]. It is forbidden to consecrate a blemished animal as a korban [286]. It is also forbidden to make a blemish in a korban [287]. Blemishes referred to are specifically defined by the Torah & Talmud. If a blemished animal is offered, it is additionally forbidden to sprinkle its blood on the Mizbei'ach [288], or to slaughter (as a korban) a defective animal [289], nor to place any of the animal's parts on the Mizbei'ach to burn [290]. Castration of animals is forbidden [291]. (This is a serious halachic issues related to house pets. Consult a Rav -who knows these things - for details. A defective animal may not be offered as a korban, even if received from a non-Jew [292]. From this point through chapter 23, is the Torah reading for the first day of Sukkot (second day as well, outside of Israel) and the second day of Pesach (our first day of Chol HaMoed. Second day Yom Tov in Chutz LaAretz) A new-born animal stays with its mother for 7 days and only thereafter may be used as a korban [293]. It is forbidden to slaughter (as korban or for personal use) an animal and its offspring on the same day [294]. The Torah, once again reminds us that korbanot to be eaten have time limits which must not be exceeded. Until this point in the sedra, the Torah has dealt with the sacrificer and the sacrificee. It now changes gears and we find another meaning of the word sacrifice, as in being willing to die in sanctification of G-d's Name. We may not desecrate G-d's Name [295]; we must sanctify His Name [296]. These mitzvot have many facets. A Jew is required to give up his life rather than violate one of the "big three": murder, incest/adultery and idolatry. In times of "forced conversion", martyrdom is required even to the "least" violation. MITZVA WATCH Our Sages have broadened the scope of this very significant mitzva-pair: Kiddush/Chilul HaShem. In addition to the issues of Martyrdom, one who violates any prohibition in a particularly spiteful manner, especially in public, is considered to also be disgracing G-d's Name. Conversely, the special way in which a person can perform a mitzva, when the esteem for mitzvot in the eyes of other people is enhanced, when respect for Torah and Torah-Jews is increased, then that person has not only performed a mitzva - he has sanctified G-d's Name among the People. This same idea is extended to any facet of human behavior. The religious Jew (or the Jew who at least outwardly appears to be religious) has the constant potential of Kiddush (or Chilul) HaShem. Simple acts of common courtesy or discourtesy can have far-reaching ramifications, depending upon who is involved, who is watching, how things are perceived, etc. R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 22 p'sukim - 23:1-22 Chapter 23 in Vayikra is the "Portion of the Holidays". It begins with the statement: "These are the Festivals..." Shabbat is presented as the first of the Holidays (we designate it so in Kidush on Friday night when we say that Shabbat is in commemoration of the Exodus and is the first of the "days called Holy"). On the 14th day of Nissan, the Korban Pesach is brought. On the 15th, begins the Matza Festival (which we call Pesach), requiring matza for 7 days. The first is a holy day with most forms of "melacha" forbidden [297, 298]. (In each case of a Yom Tov, there is a positive command to abstain from "melacha", and a prohibition against doing "melacha"). Korban Musaf is to be brought on the 7 days of Pesach [299]. The seventh day is Yom Tov [300,301]. Following the 1st day of Pesach, the Omer (barley-offering) is brought [302]. Special korbanot are offered on the day of the Omer. One may not eat different forms of new grains until the bringing of the Omer [303, 304, 305]. We are to count from the day of the bringing of the Omer a period of 7 weeks - 49 days [306]. The Torah says 50 days, but we understand it to mean "up to but not including" (because it also says 7 full weeks, and 50 is not divisible by 7, 49 is). Following the 49th day, a special offering of 2 loaves from the new wheat is to be offered [307]. This is on the holiday of Shavuot which has "melacha" restrictions [308,309]. This portion ends with the reminder of the gifts of the field that must be left for poor people. Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 23:23-32 The 1st day of the 7th month (Tishrei) is holy (Rosh Hashana), "melacha" being forbidden [310,311]. Special Musaf sacrifices are brought [312], in addition to the Rosh Chodesh Musaf. Note that Shofar is not counted here, but in Parshat Pinchas. Here Rosh HaShana is referred to as ZICHRON T'RU'A, a remembrance of the T'ru'a. In Pinchas, the Torah tells us to have a "T'ru'a day" - this is the command to blow Shofar. On the 10th of Tishrei is Yom Kippur. One must fast [313]. There is a Musaf in the Mikdash on Yom Kippur [314]. (In addition to the special Yom Kippur service described in "Achrei Mot"). Eating or drinking (without a valid excuse) is punishable by excision (death and more from Heaven). Similarly, ALL "melacha" is forbidden [315] and to eat and drink on Yom Kippur [316]. We must abstain from (Shabbat-like "melacha on Yom Kippur [317]. [SDT] "...On the ninth of the month in the evening, from evening to evening, observe your Shabbat." From the unusual wording in this pasuk, the Gemara teaches up the concept of Tosefot Shabbat and Yom Tov, the adding from one's weekday onto the sanctity of Shabbat and Chag, both at its beginning and at its end. Our practice of counting the time from sunset to stars-out as Kodesh on both ends, is part of Tosefet Shabbat, as are the additional minutes on both ends of Shabbat and Yom Tov. Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 12 p'sukim - 23:33-44 The 15th of Tishrei is Succot, a 7-day holiday. "Melacha", (Yom Tov restrictions) is forbidden on its 1st day [318,319]. Musaf sacrifices are to be brought on each of the 7 days. The 8th day (sometimes Shmini Atzeret - a.k.a. Simchat Torah - is viewed as its own holiday; sometimes as the 8th day of Succot) is also a Yom Tov [321,323] with korban musaf of its own [322]. These are the Holidays, besides the Shabbatot of the year and other offerings to the Temple. It is at the harvest time in the fall that Succot is to be celebrated. On the 1st day we are required to take the 4 species (a lulav, etrog, hadassim, aravot) [324]. During the holiday of Succot, we are to dwell in succot [325]. This is in order to instruct all generations about the aftermath of the Exodus when we were privileged to Divine protection in the wilderness. Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 23 p'sukim - 24:1-23 G-d tells Moshe to command the people to prepare pure virgin olive oil for lighting the Menora – always. The lamps of the Menora burned through each and every night, right outside the dividing curtain between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. [SDT] The juxtaposition of the Festivals and the lighting of the Menora are taken as a hint to Chanuka from the Torah. What even makes the point stronger is the Torah's stress on the concept that the lights of the Menorah are constant, eternal, always, through the generations. The Menorah of the Beit HaMikdash has not made it through the generations. The Chanuka lights have! We are also to take fine flour and bake 12 loaves (matza rules) which are placed on the Shulchan in the Mikdash. This too was a permanent fixture in the Temple. The loaves were exchanged weekly, on Shabbat (having been baked on Friday, unless it was a Yom Tov - then the baking was on Erev Yom Tov). The kohanim on duty would share the loaves. The Torah next tells us of the son of a Jewess and an Egyptian who "blessed" G-d's name. He was incarcerated pending word from G-d on how to punish him. The command was to stone him to death. This is to be the punishment for "blessing G-d". So too, murder is a capital offense. Killing an animal requires compensation to the owner. Causing injury to a person requires compensation based on factors resulting from the injury. The execution of the "curser" was carried out. Haftara - 17 p'sukim - Yechezkeil 44:15-31 Yehezkel, himself a kohen whose early days were spent in the Beit HaMikdash, prophesies about the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of the active kehuna. He reiterates many of the rules of the kohen, many of which are based in Parshat Emor. It is interesting to note that some of his rules are stricter than required by Torah law, but suited the conditions of his time. For example, Yechezkeil restates the marriages permitted and forbidden to a kohen. He says that a kohen cannot marry a divorcee (correct) nor a widow (this is not so according to the Torah; only the K.G. may not marry a widow). But he adds that a kohen may marry a widow of a kohen. Apparently, by not allowing a kohen of the time to marry a widow of a non-kohen, the community would take care of its widows (from kohanim) in a better way. To apply the halachic details to the future, on a permanent basis is problematic in light of the immutability of the Torah. They can be "for the moment" or possibly "suggested" strict measures. THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean Lesson # 86 •When heirs must pay the debt of the decedent As soon as a loan is made whether oral or evidenced by a note of indebtedness, it subjects all of the assets of the borrower whether real property or personal property to be used to pay the loan. It places a lien (shiabud) on all the assets, real estate or personal property, owned by the borrower at the time of the loan. In the hands of the debtor, or of the debtor's purchasers or his heirs, all of his assets, real property or personal property, can be levied upon by the creditor either because he has acquired them or because they stand as security for the loan. There is a difference of opinion on what the word shiabud denotes. According to one view it means "sold." that is, that the borrower has in essence transferred or sold all of his assets to the lender and they will be returned to him upon his repaying the loan. The other authorities hold that the term shiabud means security, that is, the borrower's property stands as security for the loan and is liened to the lender. He has no title to the assets of the borrower, but his lien permits them to be traced to the purchaser from the borrower or to the borrower's heirs. Thus according to Torah law, whether the loan is oral or evidenced by a note of indebtedness, all of the assets, real property or personal property, can be traced to a purchaser or to an heir to recover the debt from the purchaser or the heir if the debtor does not have sufficient assets to pay the debt. A Rabbinic decree (There may have been two separate decrees or one decree) modifies Torah law regarding purchasers of the assets of the debtor and the inheritors of the assets of the debtor. (1) If the loan is oral, all liens are removed by the purchase or death. The liens were removed in the hands of a purchaser so that commerce could continue unimpeded. If a person who desired to purchase anything could have the purchased item lost to a creditor of the seller, then the purchaser would be reluctant to purchase the item, whether unliened real estate or personal property. For example, if a customer entered into a food market to purchase bread or milk, he would be fearful whether a creditor of the food merchant had a lien against his food. The lender, by not insisting that a note of indebtedness be written, caused his own loss regarding real estate. (2) If the loan is evidenced by a note of indebtedness, it does not serve as a lien on the personal property of the debtor purchased from him or inherited from him by the heirs of the debtor. (3) If the loan is evidenced by a note of indebtedness, it remains as a lien only on the real property that the purchaser had purchased from the borrower. Since the loan is evidenced by a note of indebtedness, its existence is presumed to be known by all, including potential purchasers of the real estate. Thus when a purchaser of the real estate does so with knowledge that there was a lien on the real estate, he places himself in jeopardy by purchasing the real estate. If the Rabbinic decree cancelled all liens, including those against the real estate purchased from the debtor, then lenders would be reluctant to grant loans since they would leave themselves vulnerable to having the debtor sell off all his assets. Real estate is usually relied upon by the lender rather than personal property, since he knows personal property can be hidden away. The Geonim, after the close of the Talmud, decreed that inherited assets may be levied upon by the creditor while in the hands of the heirs. For if the creditor could not trace the assets to the heirs, there would be reluctance to extend credit, for only God knows when a debtor might die. According to Torah law, the obligation to pay the debt of the heirs' father is limited to inherited property, whether real property or personal property. There is a legal obligation on the heirs to pay the debt of their father to the extent of their inheritance. They are compelled to do so just as their father would have been, since for the purpose of the debt they are deemed to stand in his place. At the current time the legal obligation to pay their father's debt is limited to the real estate, the money, and the personal property they inherited from him. The heirs may be sued in Beth Din to comply with this obligation. This holds true under certain conditions even if the loan was an oral loan; this holds true even if the debtor acquired the devised assets after the making of the loan, and the note or terms of the loan did not include the obligation to pay from after-acquired assets. Notes of indebtedness that the father held against his debtors are included in the assets of the father. If the instrument the creditor holds against the father does not specify that the debt will be paid from real property or personal property, and the heirs inherit both real estate and personal property, and the creditor wishes to paid from one kind of property and they wish to pay from the other, the desire of the heirs will generally be followed. If the heirs do not inherit anything from the father, they are under no obligation to pay the debt of their father. If they inherit less the amount of the debt, they need pay off the father's debt only to the extent of the inheritance. There is not even a moral obligation to pay the debt of their father if they did not inherit anything from him. Similarly, there is no obligation o pay the debt beyond the amount they inherited from their father, since there is no commandment to honor one’s parent by paying his debt. If the father made gifts to the heirs in contemplation of his death, these are considered as if they were inherited by the heirs for the purposes their obligation to pay the father's creditor. The obligation of the father to the creditor is $200. The father dies leaving realty valued at $120. The creditor levies on the real estate and receives the real estate in reduction of $120 from the debt. The heirs the pay the creditor $120 and take back the field. The creditor cannot levy on the field to recover the remaining $80, nor can it be levied upon by creditors subsequent to the creditor who made the levy. The books of the father stated that he owed money to the creditor. The heirs are obligated to pay this debt if the time payment is not yet due. The heirs allege that the father did not devise them any assets and therefore they have no obligation to the creditor to pay their father's debt, and the creditor pleads that he is certain that they did inherit assets from their father. The heirs take a hesseth oath and they have no obligation to the creditor. If the creditor hears of the death of the debtor and knows that he has very little assets to leave to the heirs, and the heirs if they spend the assets on the burial will not be able to pay the debt from the inherited assets, the creditor may obtain a restraining order to preclude the heirs from using the assets to pay for the burial. This right does not exist if the creditor is a relative of the decedent debtor and would be obligated to pay for the burial if the debtor left no assets. The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed in Vol. IV, Ch.111 of A Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law by E. Quint, published by Jason Aronson, Inc. and on sale at local Judaica bookstores. Questions to quint@inter.net.il MEANING IN MITZVOT by Rabbi Asher Meir Each week we discuss one familiar halakhic practice and try to show its beauty and meaning. The columns are based on Rabbi Meir's commentary Meaning in Mitzvot on Kitzur Shulchan Arukh. TUM'A OF A KOHEN Our parsha begins with the warning to Kohanim that they must not defile themselves through contact or proximity to a dead person. The exception is that they may – and indeed must – defile themselves in mourning for their closest relatives (Vayikra 21:1-3). PROHIBITION ON A KOHEN TO BECOME TAMEI The prohibition for a Kohen to become defiled through the tum'a of a corpse is a natural extension of the prohibition for any person to enter the area of the Mikdash when he is defiled in this way. Both prohibitions reflect the special role of the Mikdash in the world. The divine Presence, the Shechina, is like the soul of the world. The world without holiness, like the human body without its Divinely-given soul, is just a meaningless collection of matter. Just as the soul doesn’t dwell equally in every part of the body but rather is particularly focused in the brain, so the world’s holiness is focused in the Mikdash. To emphasize the fact that the Mikdash is the embodiment of life, of matter which is enlivened by holiness, we must keep away from it when we are affected by contact with death, matter which has been emptied of holiness. The Kohanim are singled out by HaShem to serve in the Mikdash; they should keep themselves constantly in a state of purity which makes them fit for this duty. The Midrash Tanchuma on our parsha likens the Kohen to a servant who is constantly in the presence of the king in the palace; this supports the idea that the prohibition on defilement of the Kohanim is due to the fact that they are constantly called on to serve G-d in the Mikdash. FUSION OF MATTER AND SPIRIT Even a Kohen who is not defiled may not serve in the Mikdash at the beginning of his mourning period, known as aninut (Vayikra 21:12 and Rashi). This is one example of an important principle in G-d’s service. Many aspects of the Temple service exemplify that holiness is not merely a “guest” in the material world, but is rooted in the world and fused with it. For instance, Kohanim can not serve when they are drunk, because intoxication separates a person from the world. (This contrasts with pagan religions in which intoxication is often an essential part of the priest’s service.) They must be barefoot, demonstrating that while their head is in the clouds, concentrating on the sublime import of their task, their feet are on the ground. (Indeed, removing shoes is a sign of awe of the Mikdash for all – Rambam Beit HaBechira 7:2.) Grief also tends to preoccupy us and attenuate our emotional connection with our environment. So a Kohen in this state may not serve in the Mikdash. These laws should remind us that ideally we also should serve HaShem through connection with the world, and not through severing ourselves from it. DEFILING FOR RELATIVES While a Kohen may not be defiled for an unrelated person, he must defile himself as part of mourning for a close relative (Vayikra 21:3 and Rashi). Many commentators view this mitzva as the source of a general Torah obligation to mourn (Chinukh 264). This law hints at a profound connection between mourning and tuma. In our column on parshat Yitro, we explained (in the name of Rav Aryeh Kaplan z"l) that immersion in a mikveh, which is a means of purification, has a more general message of renewing or transforming the self. For example, immersion is an essential part of conversion (SA YD 268); it is also an important adjunct to certain kinds of repentance, which is why we immerse before Yom Kippur (MB 606:21). Renewal and repentance are also a recurring theme in the laws of mourning. Mourning moves us to introspection, and helps us internalize the meaning of life. “It is better to go to a place of mourning than to a place of rejoicing; for this is the end of every person, and the living will take it to heart” (Mishlei 7:2). The missing loved one is an inherent part of the old personality of the mourner; his or departure compels the mourning relative to take stock and create a new self. We can find this symbolism in the mourner’s obligation to tear his clothes, discarding his old persona and ultimately creating a new one – especially in the case of mourning for a parent, when the old clothes may never be repaired (see last year’s column on Shemini). Growing the hair and then cutting it in response to rebuke has a similar message. For the Kohen, defilement for a dead relative amounts to an actual alteration of his personal status, since when defiled he can not serve in the Mikdash, nor eat trumah or challah. So this change is an integral part of the overall process of mourning, in which the mourner’s self is undermined and then recreated. This idea is extended to all of us: the mourner should not resist the feeling that the death of a relative undermines his identity; rather, he should acknowledge this fact and use it to gradually rebuild his identity in the new reality created by his loss. Rabbi Meir is in the process of writing a monumental companion to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch which beautifully presents the meanings in our mitzvot and halacha. Rabbi Meir authors a popular weekly on-line Q&A column, "The Jewish Ethicist", which gives Jewish guidance on everyday ethical dilemmas in the workplace. The column is a joint project of the JCT Center for Business Ethics, Jerusalem College of Technology - Machon Lev; and Aish HaTorah. You can see the Jewish Ethicist, and submit your own questions, at www.jewishethicist.com or at www. aish.com. ASK THE REBBE from the virtual desk of the OU Vebbe Rebbe The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in the areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of the questions are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli, zt"l to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. The Ask the Rabbi project is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah... Question: What is PAT AKUM? Answer: In the Mishnah, Avoda Zara 35B, PAT (bread) of non-Jews is included in the list of things which are prohibited to eat, but are permitted to benefit from. The origin of this prohibition is the “18 Gezerot” (Rabbinical prohibitions) which were enacted after the great debate between Shammai and Hillel (Shabbat 17a). The gezerah was enacted to limit the type of ties between Jews and non-Jews which might lead to intermarriage (what Chazal called, “because of their daughters”). Although mentioned in the Mishna along with BISHUL AKUM, the halacha is more lenient regarding bread from a non-Jewish bakery for one or more of the following reasons: [1] This gezerah was not totally accepted throughout the entire Jewish world. [2] A special dispensation may have been made to allow a staple such as bread, especially since Jewish bakeries are not always available (see Avoda Zara 35b). [3] The practice of buying bread made in mass quantities to be sold is less likely to encourage dangerous levels of socializing (see Rashi ad loc.). There are some who permit bread baked by a non-Jew only where there is no local alternative of PAT YISRA'EL (Shulchan Aruch Yoreah Deah 112:2), whereas others permit buying from non-Jewish bakeries in any case (Rama, ibid.). In any case, the bread baked by a private non-Jew is certainly forbidden. Even those who permit PAT AKUM only when PAT YISRA'EL is not available might permit a type of bread which is only available or significantly more tasty by the non-Jewish bakery (Shulchan Aruch, ibid., 5; see Igrot Moshe II:33 regarding bagels). A major issue is the determination of which foods have the relative leniency of PAT AKUM and which (like many cakes) fall under the broader, more stringent category of BISHUL AKUM (see Shulchan Aruch, ibid., 6). Regarding PAT AKUM, any involvement of a Jew in the lighting of the oven permits the bread, even for Sefardim who are stringent on the matter by BISHUL AKUM. (Shulchan Aruch, ibid., 9). “Ask the Rabbi” Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weekly parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org. If you would like to receive Hemdat Yamim by email, on a weekly basis, please send an email to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Join Hemdatya - Please leave the subject blank. Hasidic Wisdom, from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins) I learned this wisdom from my ancestors: Stalking sin and pursuing good are admirable
quests. If only hedonists knew about the great
pleasure that good deeds bring, they would dedicate themselves to the
fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot. Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard Q V'HU RACHUM is said at the beginning of the weekday Maariv, but not on Friday night. Why? A The p'sukim V'HU RACHUM and HASHEM HOSHIYA were introduced to correspond to the burning of the parts of the afternoon TAMID which were burned on the Mizbei'ach at night. The afternoon TAMID is considered an atonement for transgressions that were committed during the day (hence, And He Who is merciful shall atone for transgression...). The parts of the TAMID were not burned on Friday night, therefore, no V'HU RACHUM Q Why do S'faradim (and others?) distributed fragrant grasses and branches after Maariv on Leil Shabbat? A For the pleasure of the NESHAMA Y'TEIRA. FYI If, for any reason, you are no longer counting the Omer with a bracha, please know that it is still a mitzva for you to count. This means that you should not give up counting for the next few weeks and use as an excuse, "well I'm not saying a bracha anyway". Counting the Omer is a special and precious mitzva. Do it! Even if you have missed a night and day and are no longer counting with a bracha - if you have counted on all Motza'ei Shabbatot, i.e. Day 7, 14, 21, 38 (so far) to the Omer, then you can count with a bracha on the upcoming Motza'ei Shabbatot. This is because there is also a mitzva to count the weeks of the Omer. Include in your KAVANA, the eager anticipation of the journey (both the actual & the spiritual) from Egypt to Sinai. The RIF, R. Yitzchak b. Yaakov HaKohen Alfasi, is considered to be the earliest of the RISHONIM. He was born in 1013 and died in Spain at 90, in 1103. He was 27 years old when Rashi was born in France, 1040. Rashi died in 1105, at the age of 65. One of Rashi's students was R. Simcha b. Shmuel, the editor/author of Machzor Vitri. He died in the same year that Rashi did. SDT The Chidushei HaRim explains why our Holidays are called MIKRAEI KODESH. Because the call to us and beckon us towards K'DUSHA. Dear Torah Tidbits Reader, In parshat Emor the Jewish people are asked to reckon with time, to fix days for work and rest, for sacrifice and celebration - appointed times dedicated to becoming ever closer to God. These mo’adim are spiritual points in time which summon us as individuals and as a community, in much the same way that the Ohel Mo’ed is a special locality that we designate for a unique religious purpose. On our hoildays we are accustomed to saying the beracha: “Mekadesh Yisra’el Vehazmanim” –‘Who sanctifies Israel and the festive seasons.’ The Gemara questions how this one blessing incorporates two acts of Hashem, implying that there is confusion over who is hallowing the seasons. The Talmud [Berachot 49a] resolves this problem by concluding that Yisra’el and the Zemanim each have their own holy qualities. However, Hashem sanctifies Israel and they, through this imbued holiness, in turn, consecrate time. Harav Aviner describes this human act of Kiddush Hazman as the sanctification of the meeting between us and the world - in other words, the sanctification of life itself. This is achieved, for example, by our marking the times of the Jewish holidays from Pesach to Sukkot. The counting of the Omer then represents the transition from our physical birth as a nation to the gradual recognition of our inner spiritual being and purpose on Shavu’ot. In the words of Rav Hirsch, the mo’adim challenge us to contemplate and internalize the very ideals that lie at the foundations of these festivals. How pleasant then to ascend the steps of Sefirat Ha’omer! Sincerely yours, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center Each year as Yom Yerushalayim approaches, I pull a copy of this letter out of my files or out of the computer and I reread it. It first appeared as an editorial in the summer of '69 in the Times of Israel (long defunct). Some of the sentences do not fit today's situation perfectly, but the point of the letter, and its passion is as on the mark as it was over 30 years ago. Should I reprint it in Torah Tidbits again? I ask that question every year, and the answer has been the same, so far. As long as there are people – non-Jews or Jews – who think that Jerusalem does not belong to the Jewish People, and only to the Jewish People, then I will keep reprinting this letter. Will it say anything to the person who "chatted" with me yesterday via AOL-IM, the one with the screen name: killisraelis? No. He and his ilk are so filled with hatred and distorted history and current events that nothing will sway them. Will it convince some of our super-left leaning countrymen? Probably not. Will it give CHIZUK to those who love Jerusalem and want to see it and all of Israel in Jewish hands? Hopefully, yes. And that's why it is in TT again. Enjoy it and share it. A Letter to the World from Jerusalem by Eliezer Ben Yisrael I am not a creature from another planet, as you seem to believe. I am a Jerusalemite - like yourselves, a man of flesh and blood. I am a citizen of my city, an integral part of my people. I have a few things to get off my chest. Because I am not a diplomat, I do not have to mince words. I do not have to please you, or even persuade you. I owe you nothing. You did not build this city; you did not live in it; you did not defend it when they came to destroy it. And we will be damned if we will let you take it away. There was a Jerusalem before there was a New York. When Berlin, Moscow, London, and Paris were miasmal forest and swamp, there was a thriving Jewish community here. It gave something to the world which you nations have rejected ever since you established yourselves – a humane moral code. Here the prophets walked, their words flashing like forked lightning. Here a people who wanted nothing more than to be left alone, fought off waves of heathen would-be conquerors, bled and died on the battlements, hurled themselves into the flames of their burning Temple rather than surrender, and when finally overwhelmed by sheer numbers and led away into captivity, swore that before they forgot Jerusalem, they would see their tongues cleave to their palates, their right arms wither. For two pain-filled millennia, while we were your unwelcome guests, we prayed daily to return to this city. Three times a day we petitioned the Almighty: “Gather us from the four corners of the world, bring us upright to our land; return in mercy to Jerusalem, Thy city, and dwell in it as Thou promised.” On every Yom Kippur and Passover, we fervently voice the hope that next year would find us in Jerusalem. Your inquisitions, pogroms, expulsions, the ghettos into which you jammed us, your forced baptisms, your quota systems, your genteel anti-Semitism, and the final unspeakable horror, the holocaust (and worse, your terrifying disinterest in it) – all these have not broken us. They may have sapped what little moral strength you still possessed, but they forged us into steel. Do you think that you can break us now after all we have been through? Do you really believe that after Dachau and Auschwitz we are frightened by your threats of blockades and sanctions? We have been to Hell and back - a Hell of your making. What more could you possibly have in your arsenal that could scare us? I have watched this city bombarded twice by nations calling themselves civilized. In 1948, while you looked on apathetically, I saw women and children blown to smithereens, after we agreed to your request to internationalize the city. It was a deadly combination that did the job. British officers, Arab gunners, and American-made cannons. And then the savage sacking of the Old City; the willful slaughter, the wanton destruction of every synagogue and religious school; the desecration of Jewish cemeteries; the sale by a ghoulish government of tombstones for building materials, for poultry runs, army camps – even latrines. And you never said a word. You never breathed the slightest protest when the Jordanians shut off the holiest of our places, the Western Wall, in violation of the pledges they had made after the war – a war they waged, incidentally, against the decision of the UN. Not a murmur came from you whenever the legionnaires in their spiked helmets casually opened fire upon our citizens from behind the walls. Your hearts bled when Berlin came under siege. You rushed your airlift "to save the gallant Berliners". But you did not send one ounce of food when Jews starved in besieged Jerusalem. You thundered against the wall which the East Germans ran through the middle of the German capital – but not one peep out of you about that other wall, the one that tore through the heart of Jerusalem. And when that same thing happened 20 years later, and the Arabs unleashed a savage, unprovoked bombardment of the Holy City again, did any of you do anything? The only time you came to life was when the city was at last reunited. Then you wrung your hands and spoke loftily of "justice" and need for the "Christian" quality of turning the other cheek. The truth is – and you know it deep inside your gut – you would prefer the city to be destroyed rather than have it governed by Jews. No matter how diplomatically you phrase it, the age old prejudices seep out of every word. If our return to the city has tied your theology in knots, perhaps you had better reexamine your catechisms. After what we have been through, we are not passively going to accommodate ourselves to the twisted idea that we are to suffer eternal homelessness until we accept your savior. For the first time since the year 70 there is now complete religious freedom for all in Jerusalem. For the first time since the Romans put a torch to the Temple, everyone has equal rights. (You prefer to have some more equal than others.) We loathe the sword – but it was you who forced us to take it up. We crave peace – but we are not going back to the peace of 1948 as you would like us to. We are home. It has a lovely sound for a nation you have willed to wander over the face of the globe. We are not leaving. We are redeeming the pledge made by our forefathers: Jerusalem is being rebuilt. "Next year" and the year after, and after, and after, until the end of time – "in Jerusalem!" Parsha Pix In case you didn't recognize him, that's the Kohen Gadol in the upper-right part of the ParshaPix. The whole first section of the sedra deals with the sanctity of the kohanim in general, and the Kohen Gadol in particular. The broken foot is representative of the invalidating defects of a Kohen. The lamb that is missing an ear represents the blemished animals that cannot be brought onto the Mizbei'ach. In the lower-right are a mother sheep (ewe) and her newborn, which may not be taken from its mother to be used as a korban until it is at least 8 days old. Or, the sheep and lamb represent OTO V'ET B'NO, the prohibition of slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day. The former prohibition of this paragraph refers to korbanot; the latter to both sacrificial and profane slaughter of animals. The remainder of the elements in this ParshaPix refer to different parts of the Portion of the Festivals. Upper-left is a negation circle, indicating the prohibitions of building, sewing, writing - representative of all forbidden Melacha for Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and Yom Tov. The counting of the Omer is a mitzva from Parshat Emor. So too are the mitzvot of dwelling in a Sukka for the seven days of Sukkot, and the taking of the Four Species on Sukkot. TTriddles TTriddles are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar events of the week). The best SOLID solution set submitted each week (there isn’t always one) wins a double prize — a CD from... Noam Productions 8 Malchei Yisrael, Geula & the Rav Shefa mall CDs, tapes, equipment - good prices and a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from... Big Deal•15 Malchei Yisrael in Geula •Rechov Lunz right off the Ben Yehuda Midrachov in the center of town• Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Braq. Even if you can’t solve any, they are fun (and sometimes informative) to read about in the weekly TTriddles report (which is what you’re reading now). Last week's (Acharei-K’doshim) TTriddles: [1] Egged got that right! [2] In a laundromat, someone might ask for "change for the wash". Where and when is that flipped? [3] The perfect main dish for the dictionary-loving Yekki this Shabbat would be moussaka. [4] 5 of 5 blockheads suitably adorned [5] A GRAVE ROBBER OUT OF THE POD [6] Why did the kibbutznik plant Bonadoxina? [7] The kashish with the shaddock face [8] YER 1:4 = BAV 2:2 [9] Beware the CIRRUS MICRURUS And the solutions... [1] Many (all?) Egged buses have a sign near the front, behind the driver, reminding people to give their seats to the elderly. The sign says: MIPNEI SEIVA TAKUM. They got that right. [2] The flip of phrase would be WASH FOR THE CHANGE. This is what the Kohen Gadol did every time he changed from his eight garments to the special four white garments (in which he entered the Holy of Holies) and back again. Wash, mikva, wash. Five times mikva and ten times washing. [3] The dictionary-loving Yekki might notice that moussaka follows mouse in the dictionary. What better dish to have on Shabbos Parshas ACHAREI MAUS. [4] The letter ZAYIN is written in a Sefer Torah with a square head (block shaped). GIMMEL, TET, NUN (both forms), AYIN, TZADI (both forms), and SHIN. The custom when writing a Sefer Torah (T’filin, Mezuza, Megila, etc.) is to write three tagim on the square head of those letters. A “tag” looks like a pin with a head. The word SHAATNEZ, in this week’s sedra, has five letters, each of which are adorned with the crown of three tagim. [5] A ghoul is a grave robber. The one out of a pod would be a pea-ghoul or PIGUL, as in this week’s sedra. [6] Bonadoxina is a medicine used to prevent vomiting. The kibbutznik hoped to be able to remain in Eretz Yisrael and not spewed out, as threatened in the sedra. Of course, this would work only on a TTriddle level. In the real world, KLAL YISRAEL has to remain faithful to HaShem and keep His mitzvot, so that we will maintain our place in this Land.\par[7] Shaddock is another name for pomelo, a citrus fruit related to, but larger than, a grapefruit. The senior citizen with the pomelo face resulted from the fulfillment of the phrase V’HADARTA P’NEI ZAKEIN. (Another groaner, but puns are acceptable for making TTriddles.) [8] Yerushalmi Talmud, first SEIDER, 4th MASECHET is KIL’AYIM. Bavli Talmud, 2nd SEIDER, 2nd MASECHET is EIRUVIN. KIL’AYIM in various forms are prohibited by mitzvot in K’doshim. TARGUM ONKELES translates KIL’AYIM as EIRUVIN (mixtures). Hence, BAV has a double meaning in this TTriddle. [9] Cirrus is a type of cloud. Micrurus is a genus of snakes. Beware is the two prohibitions, LO T’NACHASHU V’LO T’ONEINU. This week's TTRIDDLES: [1] Thirteen with the two [2] A "proof" to 5:20:19:23-26 [3] Based on a Hebrew-English switch, why would the GR"A say that eye was LNMDX? [4] Maybe the chatan should circle the kalla? [5] Buckel a thin sock [6] IYar or Nissan or Tevet... [7] 1+1+3+2=4 on 1 and 7 [8] No'ach, Brit, Exodus, Shavuot, Yom Kippur, Shira NCSY B'YISRAEL NEWS Now in its 3rd year! •Kollel in Kharkov For whom? Graduating 10-12th grade boys When? July 23 - August 13 What? A three week, unforgettable experience in the Ukraine, learning, teaching, working with, and touching local Ukrainian kids. Visit the great Chasidic centers of old – Berdichev, Uman, Mijbijzh – connecting your own Jewish roots at the same time as those of the Jewish Kharkov community. How? Call the NCSY office, 5667787 ext. 240. Limited registration.•Option for 4-5 day trip to Poland (July 18-23) •Stay tuned for more exciting summer programming! The Summer of Your Life Imagine…Two glorious weeks living, learning, dancing, swimming & hiking the Golan! WHO? 6-11 graders •Boys/girls (separate programs) •Special “ETGARI/Survival” program for 9-11 graders WHEN? July 9-22 WHERE? Keshet, Ramat Hagolan WHAT? Chugim, daily Torah learning, outdoor camping, water hikes, Shabbat NCSY ruach, sports, & more All safety precautions and procedures per Ministry of Education and Chevra L’Haganat HaTeva For more information and registration call the NCSY office 02-5667787, x240 Rabbi Michael Fredman, Director; Daniella, Ilana, Sara, B'not Sherut; (02) 566-7787 ext. 242 • fax: (02) 566-0156; ncsy_isr@netvision.net TIYULIM Call the TIYUL HOTLINE Dial the Israel Center's number 5-66-77-87, then press 211. You'll hear "thank you, one moment please", and then the phone system's music for 15 seconds. Then the Tiyul Hotline message begins. You can listen to the whole message and then press 2 to leave your message, or you can interrupt by pressing 2 right away and then leaving your message. NEW at the Israel Center TRAVEL DESK • The TRAVEL DESK of the Israel Center exists... to make registration and detail-receiving for Israel Center tiyulim more efficient and less head-achy for you. To help you - whether you live in Israel or are visiting - plan private tiyulim and make in-Israel travel arrangements Rivka or Sarah will be happy to assist you on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Call them at the Center, 566-7787 ext. 249. Note: When a tiyul says "Bring your own lunch", you can do that... or this: Call the TRAVEL DESK or the TIYUL HOTLINE up to the day before the TIYUL and order a box lunch from the Israel Center Cafe. 20 shekel will get you a delicious sandwich, a refreshing drink (specify regular or diet) and a dessert. Your box lunch will be ready for you when you board the bus. TIYUL TALK Feedback from participants in the SHABBATON of the Center's Jewish Values Eduation Institute that took place last Shabbat has been very positive. Accolades to Rabbi Emanuel Feldman and Rabbi David Derovan for the educational side of the program with assists to Rabbi David Cohen and Center director, Menachem Persoff. On the culinary side, kol hakavod to Howie and his crew for the great Shabbat meals. Thumbs up to Menachem, Ita Rochel, and Esther, who saw to it that things ran smoothly throughout Shabbat. Yasher Ko'ach to baal korei (k'riya) Dr. Joel Luber, and a special thanks and kudos to Dr. Gerald Epstein for his inspiring chazanut and z'mirot. Watch for details of upcoming Shabbatonim. YOM YERUSHALAYIM is nicely full with Israel Center special activities. Read the notices carefully so that you will know what's what and choose accordingly. And then look at the schedule section of TT (the BackPages) for details of the other Yom Yerushalayim activities — viz. Festive Maariv, "Kiddush", shiur by Rabbi Dr. Shubert Spero, late night tiyul in the Old City, Festive Shacharit, breakfast, special shiurim, and the choice of two tiyulim on pages 19 and 20. Artzeinu Tours in conjunction with the Israel Center presents... Thursday, May 17th •Negev with Moshe Oberman Avraham's Well, Biblical Be'er Sheva, Daven at Baba Sali's Kever, get supplied with perfect bottles to collect colored sand at the Great Crater. Price: $47/$72 Tuesday, May 22nd •Kivrei Tzadikim with Chaim Sidor Daven and learn the history at Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochia's Kever in Meron, Tiveria, Rambam and Rabbi Akiva. Tzfat - Option of Kvarim (Arizal's mikveh for those who want) or Old City walk, visit the aqueduct in Caesaria. Price: $45/$67 Wednesday, May 30th •Amatzia with Rabbi Yeshaya Jacobs See Radar Hill - tanks left over from the 6 Day War, scenic hike up Tel Azekah, witenss the confrontation between David and Goliat, work your way through the underground city hewn out of stone, Amatzia and see how olive oil was made for the Beit HaMikdash, daven at Kever Dan Keep Shabbat June 23rd open for a great weekend at the Kinar Hotel - details to follow •minimum for member price 25 participants, prices include all entrance fees Call 02 5871718 for more details Monday, May 21 • 1:00-5:00pm •Yom Yerushalayim Guided by Yair Shalev Our Unusual Program • Come with us to places in the Old City that you've only dreamed of • New places that have JUST opened...•Brand new hall that is at least 900 years old - in the Reisin Courtyard (the Rambam might have davened there) •Photographic exhibit of BEFORE & AFTER •The Jerusalem residence of our Prime Minister Ariel Sharon •Learn details of our holy city that you never heard •Close lookout onto the Temple Mount from a less familiar perspective - Bet HaTzalam • Visit the brand new DAVIDSON VIRTUAL VISITORS CENTER, a special place to get the feeling of ALIYA L'REGEL •Tour the OPHEL EXCAVATIONS which include many new discoveries •MINCHA at the GATES of the BEIT HAMIKDASH •More... •Involves strenuous walking (see next for "milder" tiyul) •53NIS (in honor of Israel's 53rd birthday), 63 for non-members Refreshments • Meeting place to be revealed to registered participants The "Other" Tiyul for Yom Yerushalayim Day brought to you by ARTZEINU TOURS Kotel Tunnels • South Wall Excavations • the Old City Make your way through tunnels and passageways 2,000 years old and witness the entire length of the Western Wall • View the South Wall Excavations and walk on an actual street from Temple times •Visit the highlights of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City• Monday, May 21 •1:30-6:30pm •Price: $20/$33 • Meet at the Bank Mizrachi in the Jewish Quarter • Limited to 30 participants Register a.s.a.p. to secure a place Yom Yerushalayim with the Israel Center Sunday, May 20th Leil 28 Iyar 5761 •8:00pm Festive Maariv with Jerusalem T'hilim Cantor Gerald Epstein• 8:30pm Festive refreshments songs & readings•9:00pm Jerusalem: The Treasure We Almost Lost - lecture by Rabbi Dr. Shubert Spero •10:00pm Guided (Bracha Slae) and escorted walk to the Old City Visit newly renovated catering hall, homes, Ateret Mechina Yeshiva, and more Refreshments at end of tiyul • Arrive at Kotel 12:00 approx. • 50NIS contribution for the entire evening (mem.) •60NIS for non-members. • Lecture only - 15/20 •Tiyul only - 35/40 • No charge for davening & kibud Monday, May 21st Yom 28 Iyar 5761 •8:00am Festive Shacharit with Hallel and other appropriate t'filot• 9:00am Festive breakfast •divrei Torah •10:00am Special shiur on T'hilim 122 for Yom Yerushalayim by Rabbi Eliezer Grunbaum•11:00am Mini-shiur on Jerusalem by Phil Chernofsky•11:30am Special lecture on Jerusalem at the time of Bayit Sheni by Henry Goldblum Choice of Tiyulim for Yom Yerushalayim afternoon (see above) Breakfast: 20NIS (subsudized) Adv. Res. Req. •Shiurim: Regular Monday morning rates• Tiyulim: As listed above A TRAVEL DESK SPECIAL SHAVUOT PACKAGE at the King Solomon Hotel Jerusalem• Friday thru Monday, May 25-28 (3 nights) 999NIS per person based on double occupancy• Price includes: 3 meals on Shabbat • Breakfast Sunday morning •3 Chag meals • VAT • Checkout Motza'ei Chag Single supplement add: 505NIS • Children 2-12 in parents' room: 499NIS •Children 2-12 in separate room: 749NIS • Supplement for Super Deluxe room: 215NIS •Call the Israel Center's Travel Desk or the Tiyul Hotline for reservation information All-night learning at the Israel Center is just across the street Leil Shavuot at the Israel Center •Like never before! 7:02pm Candle lighting for Yom Tov•7:10pm micro-shiur on candle lighting•7:20pm Mincha•7:40pm Shavuot Customs Review• 8:05pm Maariv for Yom Tov•8:40pm Dairy Yom Tov meal catered by Chaim•10:30pm Introductory mini-shiur on Timely Topics• 11:00pm, midnight, 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am Shiurim by different speakers See next week's TT for details •4:10am Walk to the Old City•Davening at the Kotel or the shul of your choice •Vatikin davening should begin around 5:00, with sunrise at 5:32am •The meal is by advanced reservation only•65NIS per person•Davening and the all-night learning program are "come as you please" •Refreshments will be served throughout the night•In addition to the shiurim, there will be rooms for learning b'chevruta OU ISRAEL CENTER Seymour J. Abrams • Orthodox Union•Jerusalem
World Center [The
Emor Homepage]
|
