Special Features
for Parshat Emor

From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE 

The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them 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. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah... 

Q Is it permitted to get married on Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom Yeru- shalayim?

A As you know, there is an ancient custom not to marry during the period of sefira, when we commemorate the death of the students of Rabbi Akiva. There are opinions that are lenient in a variety of cases of need and mitzva (see a survey of opinions in Yein Hatov II:11), but the minhag, in general, is kept strictly. Chief Rabbi Nissim (ibid.) felt that celebrating the miracles and Divine blessings associated with Yom Ha’atzmaut (5 Iyar) is reason enough to allow a full suspension of the minhagim of sefira, including mar- riage, on that day. Other distinguished contemporaries of Rav Nissim, while appreciating, as he did, the impor- tance of those crucial, historic events, believed that allowing marriages on Yom Ha’atzmaut was too revolutionary a leniency to adopt in our generation. See the responsa of Rav Ovadia Hadaya (Yaskil Avdi VI, 10) and Chief Rabbi Unterman (Shevet Miyehuda 60), who the latter view. 

After confirming with religious councils in Israel that the practice is to not allow marriages on Yom Ha’atzmaut, we feel that this custom should be followed, but those who decide to have the wedding then, have whom to rely on.

The situation on Yom Yerushalayim (28 Iyar) is different, as it falls after Lag Ba’omer. Since, according to the minhag of many, the restrictions of the sefira period are over (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 493 and Mishna Berura, ad loc.), there is significantly more room for leniency. Consequently, the Chief Rabbinate Council (under the presidency of Chief Rabbis Unterman and Nissim, z.t.l.) issued a directive to allow marriages on Yom Yerushalayim. In Bemareh Habazak III, pg. 100 we cited this ruling and stressed its particular relevance for those who have not yet fulfilled the mitzva of pru u’revu.

[Ed. note: The story is told that a soldier asked Rav Herzog many years ago, if he could marry on Yom HaAtzmaut. Rav Herzog said, “Yes”. The soldier said, “Really?” Rav Herzog said, “No”. “But you said yes?” “That was before you questioned my ruling. Now, for you, my answer is - no.”]

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. And/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by email weekly, by sending an email to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Join Hemdatya - Please leave the subject blank.

Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel 

Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins) 

"And the earth became corrupt before G-d." (B’reishit 6:11)

The sin of No’ach’s generation was that they put the earth before G-d. They made earthiness primary and G-d secondary.
— Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch

"Truth springs up from the Earth." (T’hilim 85:12)

If so, then why do not people pull this treasure out from the earth? Because they are too lazy to bend their backs.
— The Ba’al Shem Tov

Everything in this world can be imitated, except for the truth. Because an artificial, counterfeit truth is not the truth at all.
— Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

Rite & Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard

On Lag BaOmer... mourning practices are suspended and we “demonstrate additional joy”

Reason: (among the more well-known reasons is this:) The manna began falling in the Midbar for the People of Israel on the 18th of Iyar (Chatam Sofer).

For some it is customary to eat carob on Lag BaOmer.

Reason: The Gemara (Shabbat 33b) relates that when R’ Shimon bar Yochai and his son R’ Elazar hid from the Roman authorities in a cave for 12 years, food was provided them by miracu- lous means. A carob tree sprouted (together with a fresh water spring) at the entrance to their cave.

ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.

WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein

R’ Meir of Premishlan once told his chasidim, “Before you follow in the path of others, first be sure you know where they are headed. For example, I was once at an inn. Outside it was snowing fiercely, and all the signs were obliterated. Eventually, one of the wagon drivers, who had obviously had too much to drink, left the inn, hitched up his horses to his wagon, and went on his way. Soon another driver followed. Not seeing the road anywhere, he simply followed in the ruts made by the first driver’s wagon. One by one, the other drivers did the same. Eventually, after some time, all the wagon drivers found themselves stuck in the same field, one with boulders all over, where they could barely maneuver their wagons.”

Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder

From the Desk of the Director 

In parshat Emor we confront one of the essential challenges that face us as Jews. The Torah states simply: "You shall not desecrate My holy Name; rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel."

Rashi notes that when Jews are confronted with a choice of desecrating G-d's name or death, they should opt for the latter. This martyrdom applies especially to idol worship, unchastity, or murder. However, the concept of Kiddush Hashem also extends to any act of integrity that reflects credibly on the faith of the Jewish people. 

Kiddush Hashem can occur in private or amidst other Jews; yet it is common to consider this as a noble act that takes place in a non-Jewish context. The Talmud even argues that in terms of stealing from a non-Jew, it is the con- cept of Kiddush Hashem that protects the gentile, rather than the actual prohibition of stealing (cf. Tosefta Bava Kama 10:15). This is a beautiful example of the interplay of ethics and law. 

But, caution the Chassidic masters, those who are overly keen to impress non-Jews can get totally lost to Judaism in the labyrinth of their foreign philosophies. No wonder, observes the "She'erit Menachem," that the (above) pasuk incorporates two antithetical ideas - for this is a classic case of a "Kiddush Hashem" that leads to Chillul Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center

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 the technicalities of brachot preclude your saying one.

Even if you have missed a night and day and are no longer counting with a bracha - if you have counted on all Wednesday nights, i.e. Day 7, 14, 21, 28 (so far) to the Omer, then you can count with a bracha on the upcoming Wednesday nights. This is because there is a somewhat separate mitzva to count the weeks of the Omer.

Include in your KAVANA for counting the Omer, the eager anticipation of the journey (both the actual & the spiritual) from Egypt to Sinai, and the personal and national odyssey that we each and all must continue to make until the Complete Geula.

How much must be added as a penalty, so that the penalty equals 1/5 of the total amount paid?

x = 1/5 (1 + x), 5x=1+x, 4x=1, x=¼. This is the amount added when CHOMESH is required.