Halachic Times for Jerusalem Winter (Standard) Time Correct for TT #508 Ranges are for THU-THU, 9-16 Adar 5762 (February 21-28, '02) For sunset, first time takes into account the elevation above sea level of Jerusalem, 825m (the times in parentheses do not take elevation into account). Sunrise is without elevation (because Jerusalem's eastern horizon is unbroken mountains at approx. the same elevation as Jerusalem) 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 - 4:56pm (Earliest - 4:21pm) Havdala - 6:10pm (Rabbeinu Tam - 6:45pm) Earliest Shacharit 5:25-5:18am Sunrise 6:15½-6:08am Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma 9:04-8:59am (8:19-8:15am) Sof Z'man Shacharit 10:00-9:57am (9:30-9:27am) Chatzot (halachic noon) 11:52¾-11:51¾am Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) 12:23-12:22pm Plag Mincha 4:20 - 4:24¼pm Sunset 5:35-5:41pm (5:30½-5:36pm) 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... Those who say Kiddush L'vana after 3 days following the Molad, and those who wait for 7 days, have had their first opportunities to say it already. Those who wait for 7 days AND say K.L. only on Motza'ei Shabbat will have their shot this Motza"Sh, Parshat Zachor. (As will those who might have said it earlier but haven't gotten around to it yet.) The last opportunity this month for K.L. is Tuesday night, Feb. 26 - that's Megila night in Jerusalem - at 7:47pm. For those in New York (for example), the deadline is 12:47pm, meaning that in NY one can say K.L. all Monday night, but that's it. Last week, we were a little off with the T'rumah Haftara stats. We forgot to factor in Rosh Chodesh. For T'rumah we read the Haftara for Sh'kalim 3.3% of the time, Zachor's haftara 4.3% of the time, Rosh Chodesh haftara 6.7% of the time. 85.7% of years it gets its own haftara. In all 13-month years, T'tzaveh is before the Four Parshiyot and gets its regular haftara (37% of the time). In all but one type of 12-month years, T'tzaveh is Zachor (59%). The remaining 4.3% adds to the 37% everywhere except J'lem, where it adds to the 59%, ecause in Jerusalem it is Purim with a special haftara, which happens to be identical to that of Zachor). Remember... and Apply It is often said in Torah Tidbits that this or that is not just a once-upon-a-time-a-long-time-ago story, but it is something that relevant to today, and we must relate to it as such. How very much this applies to the mitzva we fulfill this Shabbat - to remember what Amalek did to Bnei Yisra'el on our way out of Egypt. The command to remember is strengthened by the warning and prohibition never to forget. Part of remembering and never forgetting is learning certain lessons of the past and applying them to the present. It is often said that the definition of Amalek is not specifically a genealogical issue as much as it is a behavioral issue. Haman might have been a descendant of Amalek, but what classifies him as Amalek (in the spirit of the mitzva, and in the ongoing message for us that the mitzva carries) is his intention to destroy every man, woman, and child, the nation of Mordechai. Some speculate that Hitler was an actual descendant of Amalek. More to the point was his desire and enthusiasm for the Solution to the Jewish Problem. The Torah tells us that the battle against Amalek is a perennial one, from generation to generation. Sometimes, the battle is with "actual" Amalek. Sometimes it is with the spiritual heirs of Amalek, those who fight against us with a passionate hatred that goes beyond reason and logic. Amalek wanted us out of Eretz Yisrael. Perhaps this is why one of the first tasks of the people of Israel upon entering the Land was to destroy Amalek. (The other two tasks were to appoint a king and to build the Beit HaMikdash.) Does a person who will blow himself up at a shopping mall in order to kill and maim as many Jews as possible qualify as an Amalekite? Do people who attempt to drive Jews out of parts or all of Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem qualify as Amalek? You draw your own conclusions and ask your own sh'eilot. It is not for us to make definitive statements on this issue (although we might have our own strong feelings and opinions). The point of this Shabbat, and the choice of our Sages in juxtaposing Parshat Zachor to Purim, is that we must remember what happened, we must never forget, and we must learn from our history how to be aware and how to handle "new" old situations that arise in our own time. G-d's promise, which we mention at the Seder table, is to save us (and help us save ourselves) from those who arise in every generation to vanquish us. May it be so in our time... very soon. Sedra-Stats 20th of 54 sedras; 8th of 11 in Sh'mot Written on 179.2 lines in a Sefer Torah, ranks 33rd 10 Parshiot; 2 open, 8 closed 101 p'sukim - ranks 35th (8th) 1412 words - ranks 35th (8th) 5430 letters - ranks 32st (7th) Add a 1-parsha (open), 3-pasuk, 47-word, 178-letter, 3-mitzva portion for Maftir and you have the bigger picture of this week's Torah reading. MITZVOT Contains 7 mitzvot; 4 positive and 3 prohibitions Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary [Numbers] are the mitzva-count of the Sefer HaChinuch. Kohen - First Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 27:20-28:12 Moshe (his name conspicuously missing from this sedra) is told by G-d to command the people to take pure olive oil in order to light the Menora's lamps. The Menora, to be located in the main section of the Mishkan, outside the Parochet, shall be tended and kindled on a daily basis [98]. The lights shall shine from evening until morning, this being a perpetual law throughout the generations. [SDT] The People of Israel are likened to the Olive - just as the olive shows its greatness (its oil) only after being crushed and squeezed, so too does Israel show its special qualities after being subjected to the trials and tribulations of Jewish History. And Israel is compared to the oil of the olive - just as oil does not mix with other liquids, but rather floats above them, so too the Nation of Israel does not (should not) mix with the other nations of the world. And if we remain faithful to G-d, we will rise above the nations (or pretend-nations) who seek to hurt us. Moshe is next told to bring Aharon and his sons "front and center" to serve G-d as Kohanim. Special garments are to be made for the Kohen Gadol's glory and honor [99]. [Some say that glory and honor refer to G-d's and the People's, not (just) the Kohen Gadol's.] Talented artisans are to do the work. The garments are: the Choshen (Breastplate), the Eifod (decorative apron or cloak), Me'il (robe or poncho), Kutonet (linen tunic), Mitznefet (turban), and the Avneit (belt or sash). [Note: the Tzitz (forehead plate) and Michnasayim (short pants worn under the Kutonet) are among the garments but are not mentioned at this point in the Torah. This can be explained. The pants are for modesty, not glory and honor. And, perhaps, the Tzitz is for G-d's honor and to humble the Kohen Gadol, so it too isn't part of the list of the garments that are for the K.G.'s honor and glory.] The artisans were to take the gold, dyed wools, and linen (for the purpose of making the garments). [SDT] There are different meanings to the Torah's phrase "for honor and splendor". Ramban gives it a straightforward meaning - that the garments of the Kohen Gadol were for his glory. They were royal garments befitting the position of the Kohen Gadol, who was like royalty. With his special garments, the Kohen Gadol projected a perfect image. The garments helped present the Kohen Gadol to the People with great and appropriate dignity. This would help the People understand and relate to the Kohen Gadol as the vehicle of the Divine Presence among them. On a different level, we can say that the objects of glory were G-d and the People themselves. When the Kohen Gadol wore his special garments, and the people see him in his splendor, then there is an increase in honor to G-d. The special garments also increase our awareness of the Sanctity of the Beit HaMikdash, and we are inspired to repent. "Clothes make the man." In the context of the Beit HaMikdash, the Kohen in general, and the Kohen Gadol in particular, is himself filled with awe and will take his responsibilities more seriously. In addition, each specific garment reminds the Kohen (Gadol), and us, of a different aspect of Jewish Law and Life. Thus the Kohen's thoughts and intentions increase in purity. Even without a Beit HaMikdash, we are affected by the lessons of many Mikdash-related mitzvot. One should dress especially nicely for Shabbat and Yom Tov. One's own clothes, even during the week, should reflect the dignity of a Torah way of life. Modesty and neatness, plus the positive message we project to others are all part of our daily deportment. The Eifod is to be woven from yarn made of threads of gold, three colors of dyed wool (blue, purple, crimson - the colors and shades are the subject of centuries of debate) and linen in an intricate style. The Eifod has two shoulder straps. The belt of the Eifod is made in the same manner as the Eifod itself, and is an integral part of it (not a separate piece that was attached). It is interesting to note that some of the furnishings of the Mishkan and some of the garments were explicitly to be "of a single piece", rather than attached. Not all the items of the Mishkan, nor all the garments, but the point is emphasized in the Torah for those items to which the rule must apply. Two onyx stones (Shoham) were set on the shoulders, upon which were engraved the names of the tribes. These stones with the names serve as an eternal reminder for the Kohen Gadol. [SDT] Talmud Yerushalmi states that the name of Binyamin was engraved on both shoulder-stones, BIN on one and YAMIN on the other. This idea is supported by the language of the Torah - "From six of their names..." rather than "six of their names". In V'ZOT HABRACHA, when Moshe is blessing the tribes, the Torah says of Binyamin that "he will dwell between the shoulders, "U'Vein K'teifav Shachen". Levi - Second Aliya - 18 p'sukim - 28:13-30 Gold settings and chains are to be made for the Eifod. The Choshen is made in the same intricate syle and manner of the Eifod. It is rectangular (double square) which when folded (which was the way it was worn) made a square measuring 1 ZERET (a span, which is half an Ama) on a side. Gold settings were woven into the Choshen to recieve the twelve precious stones in four rows of three stones each. Straps and fasteners were made to firmly attach the Choshen to the Eifod. They must not be detached from each other [100]. The Urim V'Tumim (parchment with the Divine Names on it) was inserted into the fold of the Choshen, and gave the Choshen its miraculous powers. [SDT] The letters of CHOSHEN rearrange to spell NACHASH, meaning "snake" but also meaning divination through the occult and black magic, powers in this world which are anathma to Torah and Judaism. L'havdil, the Choshen is one of our legitimate tools for revealing hidden things. Significant that these opposite "forces"are actually two sides of the same coin. CLARIFICATION The yarn for the Eifod and Choshen was produced as follows: Six stands of T'cheilet-dyed wool (blue, opinions vary as to the shade) were twisted with a strand of gold to produce a thread. The same was done with Argaman-dyed wool (purple, blue-purple, other opinions) and gold, Shani-dyed wool (red, crimson) and gold, Sheish (white linen) and gold. Each thread was made of 7 strands - 6+1 of gold. Then the four threads were twisted together to form the yarn from which the Eifod and the Choshen were woven. Note that these garments (and some of the others) were Shaatnez. Yet rather than be forbidden, it was a mitzva for the Kohen Gadol to wear these garments. No contradiction here. He Who said not to wear Shaatnez, commanded the K.G. to wear these garments. He who said that it is forbidden to slaughter an animal on Shabbat, commanded that the daily korbanot and the Musaf be done on Shabbat. He is the Boss. Forbidding something in general and commanding the same thing in a specific situation underscores the idea of G-d's mastery of all. He's an idea about Shaatnez in general, and its use in the Kohen's garments in particular. This is not a reason for the prohibition of Shaatnez, nor for its use in Bigdei K'huna. It's just a point to ponder. Wool is the chief fiber from the animal kingdom. Flax is (or at least was) the chief fiber from the plant kingdom. Garments are the chief use of fibers. If so, we can say that one of the manifestations of human dominance over nature is our ability to take fibers from both plants and animals, process them and use them for our own benefit, comfort, and adornment. And taking the most prestigious of each kingdom, and weaving them together, and wearing garments made from the combination of wool and linen is one of the ultimate signs of our top position on the nature pyramid. Comes the Torah and tells us that we have limits. Yes, we may take from nature to clothe ourselves. But not limitlessly. Not the ultimate demonstration of complete dominance. Because we do not completely dominate. Only G-d does. Perhaps, the prohibition of Shaatnez is a mitzva meant to humble us, and rein us in, if just a little. But when G-d commands us to fashion garments for the Kohen Gadol for G-d's (and the KG's) splendor, then the opposite is seen. G-d told us to purposely go "all the way". It might be similar to not building a private dwelling that matches or surpasses the beauty of the Beit HaMikdash. It might be similar in message to giving Bikurim and T'ruma, etc. Think about it. There are different opinions as to how the names of the tribes (really, it's the sons of Yaakov, rather than the tribes, since Levi and Yosef appear, rather than Efrayim and Menashe) were engraved on the Choshen. The diagram above is the opinion of Chizkuni (a Rishon from France who lived more than 700 years ago. He wrote a commentary on the Torah based on Rashi.) Rashi, however arranges the names in order of birth, so Reuven, Shimon, Levi, and Yehuda are on the same stones, as are Yosef and Binyamin. Rashi puts Dan, Naftali, Gad, and Asher before Yissachar and Zevulun. Rambam has the same arrangement as Chizkuni, but he puts the names Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov on the Reuven stone, and the words Shivtei Kah on the Binyamin stone. Note that in addition to the names of the tribes, there are additional letters that spell the names Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Shivtei Yeshurun (another name for Bnei Yisrael). These additional letters are added to each successive stone so that each stone will end up with six letters engraved on it (according to Chizkuni). All letters of the Alef-Bet are now represented, so that the Kohen Gadol can receive Divine communication via the Urim V'Tumim and the letters on the stones of the Choshen, which were illuminated and then interpreted by the K.G. Shlishi - Third Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 28:31-43 The Me'il was made of T'cheilet wool (some shade of sky blue). Its neck was especially reinforced to prevent tearing, which is prohibited [101]. This prohibition applies to all Kohen garments, but is commanded in the context of the Me'il. The hem of the Me'il was adorned with gold bells and multi-colored pomegranates of wool and linen. The TZITZ was to be made of pure gold with the words KODESH LASHEM, Holy unto G-d, hammered out as raised letters from the Tzitz. The Tzitz was secured to the Kohen Gadol's head by bands of T'cheilet wool. The Kutonet - tunic and the Mitznefet (or Migba'at) - turban - were made of pure linen. The Avneit, belt was woven from the wools and linen. There is a dispute as to whether only the Kohen Gadol's belt was Sha'atnez or those of all Kohanim as well. [SDT] The Avneit was 32 Amot long, approx. 16m of belt. It took a long time to put on and it produced a large bulge that the Kohen always felt when he put his arms at his sides. Similarly, the Kohen's turban was wound from 16 Amot of linen strip and probably "sat heavy" on the kohen's head. Sources say that a kohen saw his turban whenever he raised his eyes. Similarly, the Kutonet was long sleeved and almost floor length, so the kohen always noticed his garments during Avoda. This "guaranteed" that the kohen would have proper Kavana during his sacred service. For Aharon's sons (and all active kohanim), there were four garments - tunic, turban, belt, pants. The regular kohen's garments were also for honor and glory. Aharon and his sons were to be dressed in their garments and anointed to serve as kohanim. The linen pants of the kohanim, from waist to knees, was for modesty. Rambam says there were loops at the waist for a rope-belt. Rashi says the Michnasayim resembled boxer shorts in that they were not tight-fitting. R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 18 p'sukim - 29:1-18 The consecration ceremony for Aharon and his sons is described in this portion. Sacrificial offerings included a bull (this very first offering in the Mikdash is the symbolic father of the Golden Calf and came as an atonement for that sin) and two rams, various types of matza-crackers made from flour and oil. The kohanim-to-be immersed in a mikve and were dressed in their special garments. They were anointed with special oil. Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 19 p'sukim - 29:19-37 The intricate details of the seven-day ceremony for the Mishkan are presented. The Kohanim are required to eat the meat of the sin-offering and guilt-offering (Chatat and Asham). This command applies not only during the consecration ceremony, but is a mitzva for regular Temple service [102]. Many of the procedures of the first week of offerings were "one-shot-deals". Other practices became standard operating procedure in the Mikdash. Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 9 p'sukim - 29:38-46 Daily procedures on the Altar are to include the sacrificing of two lambs as Burnt-Offerings, one in the morning and the second one in the late afternoon. These daily sacrifices are accompanied by flour and oil "mincha" and wine for libation. [The mitzva of the T'midim is #401 from Parshat Pinchas.] In response to our consecration of the Kohanim, HaShem Himself will sanctify the Mishkan, Altar, and Kohanim. "And I will dwell among the People of Israel and be their G-d" (29:45). This pasuk is the companion of the pasuk that began the whole portion of Mikdash. In that first pasuk, the idea of G-d living among us, so to speak, and not merely in the Sanctuary that we construct for Him, is alluded to by the grammar of the word in the pasuk - B'TOCHAM. In this pasuk at the end (almost) of the instructions for making the Mikdash and everything in it and about it, the matter is spelled out. Rabbi Yaakov Auerbach z"l points out that the G'matriya of that whole pasuk is 2449, the year from Creation in which the Mishkan was first dedicated. Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 30:1-10 The Incense Altar is to be constructed of acacia wood, 1 ama wide by 1 ama long by 2 amot tall. It is to be plated with gold and adorned by a decorative border of gold. Two gold rings were attached to opposite edges for the carrying poles, themselves made of wood covered with gold. This Altar was placed in front of the Parochet and was used primarily for the daily offering of incense [103] (and for part of the Yom Kippur Avoda), in the morning when the Menora was tended. Incense was offered towards evening too. No other use of the Golden Altar was permitted [104]. There is a dispute as to whether the Golden Mizbei'ach was hollow or solid. All agree that the Copper Mizbei'ach was hollow. It was filled with earth each time the people encamped. Not so, the Gold Altar. Some say that it was a solid block of acacia wood, covered with gold. This gave it a stability and strength it would not otherwise have. Others insist that the description of the top of the Mizbei'ach as a GAG, roof, implies it was hollow. Maftir - second Torah3 p'sukim - D'varim 25:17-19 Parshat ZACHOR is the only portion of the Torah the hearing of which (with Kavana) is the fulfillment of a mitzva from the Torah. The 3-pasuk portion contains the mitzvot to Remember what Amalek did, to destroy the remnant of Amalek from "under the heavens", and never to forget. There is debate as to who is required to fulfill TIMCHEH, and when. But the reading of ZACHOR relates to the commands to remember and never forget. We know well that there was Amalek and there were, and are, its spiritual heirs. Unfortunately, Amalek is alive and well in our time. Remembering should not be a goal, but a means to behaving in such ways that history will not repeat itself and that Amalek will never succeed. Haftara - 33 p'sukim -Shmuel Alef 15:2-34 S'faradim begin one pasuk earlier The Haftara consists of the command through the prophet Shmuel to King Shaul to destroy Amalek, and of Shaul's incomplete compliance with his orders. The Maftir tells us what we must do. The Haftara shows us what happens when it isn't done properly. Megilat Esther shows us what happens when it is done right. But the battle goes on... until the time of Mashiach. THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean Lesson # 125 (part one) • Partition of Real Estate Many of us remember the Peel Commission that recommended the partition of Palestine into two states along with other recommendations. This was followed by the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine that recommended partition and some other recommendations. What partition meant then and always meant, was to divide a tract of real estate between two or more parties. Of course the Peel Commission and the United Nations Committee were legally wrong in that they took a tract that belonged to one party, us, and divided it. In this lesson and the next lesson, IYH, we shall see how partition works in a legal setting, that of halachah. This subject is more, (or was more) than academic, to many people I know. In fact we had several cases in our Beth Din that involved such problems. In one of them, two couples who were friends at the time, (with my intervention they are still friends) jointly bought an apartment in Ashkelon. This was not a time sharing apartment. They were the outright owners and thought that they would between themselves work out who would have the use of the apartment for which periods of time. They also invested some money in furnishing the apartment. After but a few months one couple, (we will call them the “first couple”) complained that not only were they not getting an equal amount of time in “the good times” that is when children were off from school, but the children of the second couple were destroying the furniture and generally causing damage to the apartment. Both couples agreed that they wanted to terminate their arrangement. But how? Another case involved two sisters who jointly inherited a pardes (orange orchard) from their father that he owned for many years. The husbands of the sisters, each husband knew how to turn this small orchard into a million dollar corporation. Each husband thought that the ideas of the other sister's’ husband were ill-conceived, to say the least. Since the husbands did not get along, joint ownership was not a very good option. I am sure that many of the readers have been involved or have friends or relatives who have been involved in similar circumstances. Thus we will commence with the assumption that Reuven and Shimon own a parcel of land as joint tenants. That is, each owns a one-half interest in the parcel, that we shall designate as Parcel A. It does not have to be equal ownership. Generally the facts can fit a situation where for example one owner owned 90% and the other owner owned 10%. How they came to own it as joint tenants is not important. They may have inherited from their father. They may have received it as a gift. They may have bought it as joint owners and have no agreement defining their rights, liabilities and responsibilities, one to the other in Parcel A. By agreement they can usually determine their rights in Parcel A. By agreement they may divide the parcel and terminate their joint ownership. However, there may be times where one of the joint owners, say Reuven, wants to terminate the joint ownership. He want to exclusively own part of the parcel and Shimon will exclusively own the other part of Parcel A. (There may a be a case brought before Beth Din even if they both agree to the idea of dividing Parcel A, but cannot agree how to divide it.) What are the rights of the parties? If they don’t agree, how should it be partitioned? Reuven’s right to go to Beth Din to demand partition is not always available to him. First of all it may depend upon the size of the parcel. If the parcel is too small, Beth Din will not order partition. (The required size is discussed later on.) Of course, Reuven and Shimon may, by mutual agreement, divide their jointly owned property whether or not it contains the requisite area to demand partition. Also, Reuven cannot demand partition if the parties have agreed with a kinyan that they will not demand partition. To refresh recollections, a kinyan is an act whereby a party obligates himself to perform an act or to refrain from performing an act. The person obligating himself to do or not to do an act takes (temporary) possession of a handkerchief or almost any other item of personal property tendered to him by the other party or any other person on behalf of the other party. In this case Shimon would hand over to Reuven, Shimon's handkerchief in return for which Reuven would undertake not to ever demand partition. Together with the handkerchief (which Reuven usually gives back to Shimon) there may be a money or other consideration given to Reuven. In this case the undertaking may have been reciprocal and Reuven would have tendered to Shimon, Reuven’s handkerchief and Shimon undertook not to ever demand partition. Most of us have seen such an undertaking at the wedding when the groom lifts up the handkerchief, very often belonging to the rabbi, and agrees to be bound by the terms of the kethubah. Also Reuven cannot demand partition if he purchased his half-interest (or any interest) from Shimon and agreed at the time of purchase that he would not demand partition. Also, Reuven may not demand partition if the land or personal property jointly owned by them is being held for business in which they are partners unless their partnership agreement, or lacking such agreement, the laws of partnership, so provide. As stated above, Reuven can demand partition of the land only if it has certain minimum dimensions. The ultimate test is that if the land is partitioned the part of the land that Reuven and Shimon each receives will be recognized as distinctive, separate, usable pieces of land. Even if the dimensions of the land are not large enough for Reuven to demand and enforce partition, he may do so if the use of the land has been effectively divided between the parties, such as each using a different specific half of the land. They may have commenced using different halves by express consent or by usage, implying consent or they may have purchased the land with this in mind, or they so agreed by kinyan. They may have to partition the land so that each may build a wall to prevent the tort of overviewing. (See Lesson #111, TT 494.) Even in situations where there is no overviewing harm Reuven can demand partition and put up a fence between the divided parts of the land. There is an opinion that even if Shimon's part of the land after division is not itself equal to the amount necessary to enable Reuven to require partition, if Shimon has other land contiguous to the part of the land he will receive on partition, then if Shimon does not consent to Reuven's demand for partition, Beth Din will compel Shimon do so. To be continued, IYH, in the next lesson. The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed in Vol. V, Ch.171 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 Meir Asher Each week we discuss one familiar halakhic practice and try to show its beauty and meaning. This week is the exception that proves the rule, or something like that. Obligation to Sleep on Purim One of the lesser-known duties of the Purim holiday is the obligation to sleep. This obligation is mentioned explicitly in the Rema: “A person should drink more than he his accustomed to, so that he may sleep” (OC 695:2). The source for this obligation is the statement of Rava, that a person is obligated “livsumei beforaya” – which we can translate “to perfume himself [with the scent of wine] in bed” (Megillah 7b). In this way his drinking is most likely to lead to the object of sleep. We can find a basis for this obligation in the fact that the entire Purim miracle was a result of sleep. For example, Haman convinces Achashverosh to make his evil decree against the Jews by telling him, “Yeshno am echad”(3:8) – “There is a nation” which doesn’t abide by the customs of the kingdom. The gemara tells us that Haman used this term to imply, “Yashnu am echad” – a people slept (from the commandments) (Megillah 13b). Based on this model, we can discover a similar hint in the treatment of Esther. We learn that Esther had an advantage over the other maidens brought to Acheshverosh because the caretaker of the women liked her especially, and gave her serving girls, “veyishaneha” – he treated her differently; but we can also read, “veyashna” – she slept. It seems that because her needs were taken care of by servants, she was able to obtain her beauty sleep which gave her favor in the eyes of the king. When Esther realizes the gravity of the situation, she calls all the Jews to gather and make a three-day period of fasting and prayer. What is the significance of specifically three days? The gemara tells us that this is the period in which a person can definitely not go without sleep (Nedarim 15a). It seems that an essential part of this period of repentance was that it should include sleep. We also know that the beginning of the miracle began with sleep, for it began as the king was reminded of Mordechai’s unrequited service, when he had his books read for him because he could not sleep (6:1). The Shulchan Arukh specifically has to tell us that one who nodded off during the megilla reading has not fulfilled his obligation (OC 690:12). This requirement is not mentioned regarding the Torah reading, but because of the special importance of sleep during Purim, it was necessary to explicate it with reference to the Megillah. We can see that those who stay up all night on Purim preparing elaborate mishlochei manot are not fulfilling their Purim obligations in the ideal way. Rather, each of us should be sure to sleep at least a bit on this holiday. Pleasant Purim dreams! Rabbi Meir has completed writing a monumental companion to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch which beautifully presents the meanings in our mitzvot and halacha. It will hopefully be published in the near future. — this column is NOT part of his Kitzur Companion. Rabbi Meir does other things too, but we won't tell you about them this week. Purim Samei'ach. 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... Question: Does one who cannot make it to shul for the reading of the megillah need to have a minyan in his or her home for this purpose? Answer: Both men and women should make all reasonable efforts to fulfill the mitzva of hearing the reading of Megillat Esther, night and day (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 689:1 - see also Mishna Berura 689:1). Regarding whether this requires a minyan or not, Rav and Rav Asi disputed the point (Megillah 5a). Rav Asi said that a minyan is required, and Rashi (ad loc.) explains that the minyan is needed for pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle of Purim), which is part and parcel of the mitzva. Rav held that as long as the reading is done on Purim itself, a minyan is not required. Rashi explains that since everyone is obligated and will be reading in one venue or another, the individual is part of the framework of pirsumei nisa. There is significant discussion among the Rishonim if the machloket between Rav and Rav Asi is l’chatchika (proper course of action) or even b’dieved (after the fact) and how we should pasken (see Beit Yosef, Orach Chayim 690). The Shulchan Aruch (690:18) rules that one should try to have a minyan, but if it’s not possible, an individual or small group may read the megillah. The Rama (ad loc.) adds that one makes the berachot on such a reading (the Shulchan Aruch apparently agrees). (On “Purim M’shulash” the situation is somewhat more stringent, although the bottom line for those who cannot find a minyan is the same (Purim M’shulash 2:6)). The Rama also adds that if there already was a minyan in town for megillah reading and, thus, there was pirsumei nisa, the individual has no problem in reading without a minyan. The Mishna Berura (ad loc.:64) cites that this opinion is not universally accepted. Thus, it is still preferable (not mandatory) for an individual to try to find 10 people for his/her reading. However, those who have an opportunity to hear the reading in shul, which is preferable even to a small minyan because of b’rov am hadrat melech, with a multitude, there is glory to the King. (Biur Halacha, ad loc.), need not give up their optimal fulfillment of the mitzva to enable an individual to fulfill his mitzva optimally. If they agree to go or to hear the megillah a second time to form a minyan for the person (male or female) who couldn’t come to shul, they are doing a chesed. This is particularly important if, for example, a certain sick person would feel disappointed at not taking part in a “proper reading.” 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) One can learn a useful lesson from everything. What can one learn from a taxi? Humility.
When you get in, you have to lower your head and bend your knees. The Sages say: Each person is like "a world in miniature". This means that if people are a "world" in their own eyes, then they can be considered as "miniature". And if they are "miniature" in
their own eyes, then they can be considered to be a whole
"world". Two pious people in one town are too many. One pious person in a town is not enough. It is best to have one-and-a-half pious people. How so? Everyone should see himself as half of a pious person, as see his neighbor as a complete pious person. Then each will defer to the other. Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard On Purim (Erev Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabba too) it is customary to eat kreplach with meat filling. REASON On Purim (and the other days mentioned), we eat more than usual, like on Yom Tov. We are, however, permitted to do work. This results in these days being partial or "covered" Yamim Tovim. For this reason we eat foods which contain meat, in accord with what the Torah (D'varim 16:14) says: V'SAMACHTA B'CHAGECHA, you shall rejoice on your holidays. Our Sages expounded (P'sachim 109a) on this pasuk that there is joy only through eating meat (and drinking wine). However, since they are "covered" holidays, the meat eaten on them is "covered" with dough. When reading the Megila, it is customary whenever Haman's name is mentioned, to "beat him" by rapping on the table or stamping with one's feet. REASON The Midrash says: "When Rav heard the name Haman on Purim, he used to say, "Cursed by Haman and cursed be his sons", to fulfill what is written in Mishlei (10:7), "May the name of the wicked rot". REASON The Torah alludes to this custom in the pasuk, V'HAYA IM BIN HAKOT HARASHA, If the guilty man incurred the penalty of lashes... (D'varim 25:2). The final letters of the first three words of the pasuk spell HAMAN (thus the association between beating, the wicked, and Haman). REASON Originally, children used to make drawings of Haman or write his name on pieces of wood and stone, and would beat upon them so that the image or name would be erased. This fulfills the pasuk, TIMCHEH ET ZEICHER AMALEK (D'varim 25:2) and the abovementioned pasuk from Mishlei. ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd. WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT • by Shmuel Himelstein A large fire once broke out in Brisk, destroying many homes. Especially hard hit were the shacks belonging to the poor. The first night after the fire, R' Chaim, whose own home had emerged unscathed, slept in the shul with those whose homes were destroyed. When asked why he was sleeping in the shul, R' Chaim replied, “I cannot sleep in my own bed when so many are homeless. I intend to sleep in the shul until everyone has a roof over his head. If I remain in my own house, who knows how long it will take the community to raise the necessary funds to rebuild the homes of all the poor, the widows, and orphans. But if it is known that I too will sleep in the shul until the work is completed, the fundraising will go much faster.” Only when the last home had been rebuilt did R' Chaim move back into his own home. Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder G'matriya Match KI ET KOL HA'ARETZ ASHER ATA RO'EH LECHA ETNENA U'L'ZARACHA AD OLAM This promise of the Land to Avraham Avinu and his descendants (us), is conditional upon many things, including the destruction of Amalek upon our entry into Eretz Yisrael. The pasuk above, B'reishit 13:15, is part of G-d's prophecy/promise to Avraham, after he parted company from Lot. The pasuk below is the first of the three-pasuk-three-mitzva portion of Remembering Amalek The two p'sukim are G'matriya Twins, weighing in at 2999. ZACHOR ET ASHER ASA L'CHA AMALEK BADERECH B'TZE-T'CHEM MIMITZRAYIM FYI Most authorities consider the mitzva of ZACHOR to be annual. The Sefer HaChinuch has an unusual opinion about the mitzva. He says that since the Torah does not specify when or how often the mitzva is to be done, then from the Torah's perspective, doing it once in one's lifetime is considered fulfillment of the D'Oraita. Our yearly fulfillment is a rabbinic requirement. It follows from this that a 13 year old boy should have special KAVANA when he hears ZACHOR read for his first time as a GADOL. According to the Chinuch, this would be his once in a lifetime fulfillment of the Torah's command. Even if we follow other opinions, this one is interesting. From the Desk of the Director Parshat Tezaveh describes the vestments the kohanim wore during the Temple service that were designated, “lechavod ultiph’aret” – ‘for glory and splendor.’ Sforno notes that this unique apparel lent glory to Hashem and splendor to the Kohen Gadol who, as the teacher of the nation, was to be set apart and revered by the people. Although Aharon was formally set apart, we know he was beloved of Bnei Yisrael. His priestly garments had to be made of materials contributed by the nation. The people thus felt that they had a stake in shaping the character of their leaders. Cognizant of this contribution, the priests would be more inclined to submerge their own personalities while raising the nation to new spiritual heights. Among the vestments worn by the Kohan Gadol was the Choshen Mishpat – the Breastplate of Judgment. Engraved on precious stones on the breastplate were the names of the twelve tribes, the letters of which would light up in response to critical questions of the day. When Aharon entered the Sanctuary, these names were to serve as a “Zikaron” or ‘constant remembrance’ before Hashem. Sforno suggests that the tribal names reminded Aharon that as the representative of all the people he should pray for the welfare of every individual. The Netziv stresses that as a source of judgment, the Choshen Mishpat was a ‘remembrance’ to G-d to vindicate and defend Israel against its enemies. And, as we ‘remember’ on Shabbat Zachor, we might wistfully wish that if the Choshen Mishpat were lit up today, it would shine for all us, the remnants of these same twelve tribes of Am Yisra’el. Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center Towards better Davening and Torah reading Column #17. The contents of this weekly column are based on the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading. We're still getting interesting feedback about DNA (as the double nasog achor has been affectionately dubbed). The discussions center around whether different examples of DNA are "real" ones or only pseudo-DNA, based upon the evolution of the vowels of the letters in question and based upon whether the word is linked to the following word, losing its claim to a real accent. YL raises a more interesting, important, and broader issue. He contends that we cannot lump all Ashkenazi-S'faradi-Teimani pronunciation differences into one monolithic category. We'll save most of the discussion on this issue for future columns and/or lectures at the Center, but consider the following, just to explain the issue. The letter AYIN. Ashkenazim treat it as a silent letter like ALEF. AL (on) and AL (no) sound the same. (Hey, look at the similarity in English!). AVAD (worked) and AVAD (lost) sound exactly the same. Not for S'faradim or Teimanim. We know about the guttural AYIN. Most Ashkenazim have a tough time with it, even if they try. Most don't try. Is that okay? that we don't try. What about the Shulchan Aruch that warns us not to mix up AYINs and ALEFs and to be careful not to pronounce them interchangeably? Is it possible that if we pronounce VA'AVADTEM (the one with the AYIN) in the SH'MA exactly like the one with the ALEF, that we are mispronouncing the word and changing its meaning? No answers or opinions yet. Just the question. Is this the same for the DALET-THALET or TAV-THAV distinctions that most of us have lost or distorted? Many similar questions can be posed, and the question about each question is, is this question like the previous one, or is it different. Are changes in pronunciation legitimate for the population that has a change from the "original", or need we seek out the "authentic" pronunciations and break our teeth over them in the quest for better davening and Torah reading? More to come on this topic. NACH NIR'EH (seen, actually - heard) and NACH NISTAR (hidden and silent). A letter that has a SH'VA NACH (remember that this kind of SH'VA does NOT add any vowel sound to the letter) or a letter that has no vowel under it at all, but is nevertheless heard in the pronunciation of the word (and it is as if there is a SH'VA under the letter), that SH'VA, actual or virtual, is called a NACH NIR'EH. AVRAHAM - The VET and the final MEM are both NACH NIR'EH, because we hear the letters. Same for the TZADI and KUF of YITZCHAK. And the SIN and LAMED of YISRA'EL. These are the more common SH'VA NACHs. On the other hand, the ALEF in ROSH (head) has no SH'VA - AND - does not contribute any sound to the pronunciation of the word. It is a NACH NISTAR. (An ALEF that has a SH'VA, even though we don't hear the ALEF, is still a NACH NIR'EH, not a NACH NISTAR.) The HEI at the end of MA (what) is a NACH NISTAR. The VAV in TOV is also a NACH NISTAR. The CHOLOM belongs to the TET and the VAV has no vowel of its own, nor a SH'VA. PRI (fruit) ends in a YUD without a vowel - it is also a NACH NISTAR. Teach Torah to your children (students and yourself), V'SHINANTAM L'VANECHA. In L'VANECHA there is a YUD between the NUN and the CHAF-SOFIT. Unvoweled and unsounded. NACH NISTAR. Get it? Catching on? Good. NACH NISTAR occurs only with ALEF, HEI, VAV, and YUD. HEI at the end of a word is NACH NISTAR unless it has a dot in it (MAPIK), in which case it is heard and its virtual SH'VA makes it NACH NIR'EH. Woman, ISHA, the last letter is NACH NISTAR. Her husband, ISHAH, the HEI at the end this time is NACH NIR'EH. HEI at the end of a word with a KAMATZ is also heard, and is neither NACH. VAV at the end of a word is sometimes NACH NIR’EH and sometimes NACH NISTAR. Parshat TZAV. The VAV is heard - NACH NIR’EH. LO, to him, the VAV is a NACH NISTAR. So too with the ALEF of the other LO (meaning no). YUD at the end of the word is sometimes heard, as in CHAI and GOI, in which case it is NACH NIR’EH. Sometimes it is silent, as in ACHI, my brother. NACH NISTAR. When a prefix letter: BET, VAV, KAF, LAMED, MEM precedes a YUD with a SH’VA, the prefix letter gets a CHIRIK (instead of the SH’VA it would usually get) and the SH’VA under the YUD drops out, rendering the YUD a NACH NISTAR. To Jerusalem is not L’Y’RU- SHALAYIM, but rather LI-RUSHALAYIM. And Judah is not V’Y’HUDA, but VIHUDA. A notable situation that does not fit any of the rules is the name YISACHAR. The second SIN is unvoweled and unsounded. It really isn’t a NACH NISTAR though - it is a KRI-K’TIV issue (words in the Torah written one way and pronounced another way). Traditions vary as to when to pronounce this name YISASCHAR, if at all. Watch this: V’EI-DO-TAV and V’EI-D’VO-TAV, are spelled identically and mean the same thing - and His testimonies. (Check T’hilim 78:56 and Divrei HaYamim Bet 34:31 respectively.) In the first case, the DALET is CHOLOMed and the VAV that carries the CHOLOM dot on its head is a NACH NISTAR. In the second case, the DALET is SH’VAed and the VAV is CHOLOMed. In general, a VAV will have a dot above it when it is the mark of a CHOLOM and when it itself is CHOLOMed. Check the previous letter for a SH’VA to tell the difference. MATZOT and MITZVOT. Parsha Pix The sedra begins with the command to take pure olive oil (upper-left) and use it to light the Menora (top-center) daily in the Mikdash, so that it will burn (at least) from evening until morning. The shell in the upper-right hand corner is Murex Trunculus, the snail which is thought, by a growing number of scholars and rabbis, to be the source of T'CHEILET, mentioned often in our sedra in connection to the garments of the Kohen Gadol. The gemstones under MT are for the CHOSEN. 3 of the 12 are shown here. Of course, that's the Kohen Gadol on the bottom-left. This is one of Davka's Judaica Graphics. The silhouettes of the bull and two adult male sheep (a.k.a. rams) are the inaugural korbanot of the kohanim. The matza represents the Mincha offerings that accompanied the animal sacrifices. Most, but not all, Menachot were halachically matza. At the bottom are two lambs for the twice-daily T'MIDIM. Although the mitzva to bring the T'midim is learned from Parshat Pinchas, the T'midim are also mentioned here in T'tzaveh. Above the lambs is the Golden Altar, a.k.a. the Incense Mizbei'ach and the Inner Altar. The command to make this Mizbei'ach does not appear in T'rumah with the rest of the main items of the Mishkan, but rather in T'tzaveh. The heart with the graduation cap represents the CHACHMEI LEIV, the skilled weavers, etc. who did the work on the garments and other Mikdash requirements. The finger with the bow tied around it is for ZACHOR. And what's that in the lower-right? FMTKAYTFO. TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. Some TTriddles are also presentedfor call-in solution on Torah Tidbits Audio (Arutz-7, Thursday night). The best solution set submitted each week (there isnt always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal Last week's (T’RUMAH) TTriddles: [1] 2 x French bread with... [2] Its Aramaic name tells us one of its main uses [3] Vague at first; not at last And the envelope please... Slim pickins (as the expression goes) this week... [1] French for bread is PAIN, pronounced PAN (whose A sounds like the O in hot). Two times — the first is the Hebrew translation, LECHEM. The second one is left as PAN together with the “with” in the TTriddle, translated into Hebrew, IM. All together, we get LECHEM PANIM. [2] Here’s an example of a TTriddle with one intended answer that received a perfectly acceptable other answer. SHEMEN, oil, in Targum is MISHCHA, which is related to the Hebrew verb, to anoint, which means that the Aramaic for SHEMEN tells us of its main use. RHM submitted this one: TOLA’AT SHANI, the red dyed wool, in Targum is TZ’VA Z’HORI, TZ’VA as in TZEVA, to color or dye. Again, the Aramaic tells us of its main use. [3] This one was answered in the text of the Sedra Summary, sort of. The opening command to build the Mikdash comes with G-d’s promise of V’SHACHANTI B’TOCHAM. And I will dwell in them. Vague. Open to different commentaries. But at the last (pasuk in the Haftara, that is, it becomes clear and unambiguous. And I will dwell amidst the children of Israel and I will not abandon My nation Israel. This week's Ttriddles" [1] Itinerary includes New York, Antwerp, Ramat Gan, and India [2] Object in the sedra to help with the maftir [3] Has four; Is one of four [4] Caused by a large sunlamp [5] Less polite "excuse me, sir" [6] Real men don't; he is [7] 3 across: PASIM • 7 down" Princess' garb Israel Center Notes: This is a new expanded Torah Tidbits This ‘n That column. It will now carry reports of special Center programs and other Center news, in addition to things we want to share with our readers about Torah Tidbits. ITEM Let’s go over the Center’s Purim-time schedule so there is no confusion. This same information can be found in another place or two in this issue. Let’s start with Motza’ei Shabbat. So many people expressed their regret to have missed the Howie Kahncert (credit to RDC for this new word) of a couple of weeks ago, that wonderful nostalgic evening of the Jewish music of the ‘60s and the ‘70s (of the 20th century, that is), that we’ve gotten Howie back for an encore performance... this Motza’ei Shabbat. Motza’ei Shabbat Zachor, the 23rd of February, at 8:30pm. Don’t miss this great opportunity to take a musical trip back in time. You’ll be humming and smiling for days afterwards. Then comes Monday, Taanit Esther. 3:45pm shiur on INYANA D’YOMA (that’s “issues of the day”, Purim, that is) followed by Mincha for the fast day at 4:45pm, followed by a mini-shiur of practical value, followed by Maariv and refreshments. Then comes Purim day (that’s Tuesday - Purim of the rest of the world, as it is sometimes called in Jerusalem). Regular classes will not be taking place, but we have a Purim Extravaganza planned for kids of all ages, from 10:00am to 2:00pm - see page 25 for details. NOTICE: The OU Israel Center and Torah Tidbits do not necessarily endorse the political or halachic opinions of its advertisers, nor to we guarantee their quality of service. ITEM YOU is a brand new organization for Young Olim United. Their first activities were a Shabbaton and Motza’ei Shabbat program held recently - both successful and therefore promising for the future of YOU. Their primary “target” population are Olim and potential Olim between the ages of 21 and 29. They have another Shabbaton coming up this week on Parshat Zachor. We trust it will be a memorable occasion. We like their choice of Motza’ei Shabbat activity - the Howie Kahncert. The Israel Center will be hosting a Davening-Megila Reading-Breakfast for YOU on J’lem Purim morning. See announcement on the BackPages. ITEM H. Carl McCall is the Comptroller of the State of New York. “Rumor” has it that he will be running for governor in the next election. He is also an outspoken friend of Israel. He will be in Israel in the beginning of March and one item in his busy schedule will be a reception for New Yorkers in Israel, held at the Israel Center on Tuesday, March 5, at 6:00pm. We call upon all New Yorkers to join us in welcoming Mr. McCall and meeting him at the reception. There is no charge for this event, but for security reasons we need to know who is coming and to keep attendance down to a manageable number. If you would like to join us at the reception for H. Carl McCall, please call the Center at 566-7787 ext. 204 and tell us how many in your party. Excelsior. The Israel Center's Beth Din to adjudicate and arbitrate monetary disputes, according to Jewish law There is a registration fee of 200nis per case No other charges for this service Please call 566-7787 ext. 204 for further information We have forms for two types of cases: Those where both parties agree to submit their dispute to the Beth Din, and those where a complainant wants the Beth Din to summon the second party. The first wave of forms have been sent out From this point on, requests for forms will be processed quickly and the Beit Din will be handling cases smoothly. Yitzhak Fund, Esq. • Rabbi Emanuel Quint Chairpersons Kashrut Questions If you find a discrepancy between the Hebrew labeling and the original packaging... or if you have any other OU kashrut questions, call this toll-free number (from Israel to NY) 1-800-949-0123 From 4:00pm - midnight, you get a human; other times, leave a voice- message OU Kashrut in Israel office at the Center: 5667787 Israel Center Cafe After nourishing the soul, come nourish the body serving coffee, sandwiches, toasts, pizza, french fries, salads, eggs, stuffed potatoes, lasagna, soups... and more Located on the lower level of the Israel Center Hours: Sun.-Thu. - 9:00am - 2:30pm Ask about our catering services on or off the Center premises Thirsty? We now have a hot drinks machine with coffee, tea, & hot chocolate located on the ground floor, anda cold drinks (cans) machine on the first floor near the library. NESTO - Native English-Speaking Teen Olim In order to get into the festive spirit, last Tuesday, Rosh Chodesh Adar, NESTO had a costume party. All those who attended had to dress up as their favourite cartoon character. Prizes were awarded for the most ingenious costumes and the most creative explanations of the costume. Once again the creativity and imagination of our NESTOites was something to be seen. We had a Garfield, Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Robin Hood and a bunch of blue Smurfs running around. The night was loads of fun and we all felt the festive spirit of Purim. One of the questions raised that night was, why do we wear costumes at all on Purim? Why do we get dressed up and wear masks and costumes on this holiday? There are many answers given for this unique custom of ours and we shared a few of them last week. The most obvious answer is because our Sages have told us, “Where is Esther hinted at in the Torah?” The Torah says: “V’Anochi haster astir panai” – I will surely hide My countenance… and so to illustrate the hidden aspects of Purim, all the miracles etc., we hide ourselves behind masks and costumes. Another answer given is in order to protect the honor of the poor who are too embarrassed to openly request charity. When they disguise themselves and are not recognizable, it is easier for them to request and receive charity. So, therefore, we all dress up so as not to single out the poor people. One more reason given, in fact the answer that NESTO related to the most is that Purim is a time to reveal all of our hidden inner true feelings of love and closeness to Hashem. It is a time to let all the barriers down and to express that true bond and love that we have for Hashem and for our fellow Jews. We all know, though, that it is not easy to express all those emotions, to reveal our inner feelings and thoughts; we feel vulnerable and awkward. And so, Chazal in their infinite wisdom, told us to dress up, to wear costumes so that we won’t be too shy or embarrassed to reveal and express our true selves, who we really are. No one really knows who you are on the outside so you can get to know and express who you are on the inside. Anyway, those were some of the answers discussed at NESTO last week. If anyone has other reasons why we wear costumes feel free to call us or email us at any time. In other news... our Shabbaton on March 1-2 in Beit Rimon is filling up quickly. You don’t want to miss out on this great Shabbat. The theme is Reach Out and Touch Someone – The Essence of Prayer. It should be loads of fun and very inspiring. To sign up call Naomi at the office. This Shabbat, JR NESTO is holding their first Shabbaton of the year at the Israel Center, TYC. The theme is Heros and Heroines. It should be great. We’ll let you know next week how things went. That’s all for now, Shabbat Shalom, That’s all for now, Shabbat Shalom, Josh, Chave & Naomi NESTO, the Israel Center's youth program for Anglo-Israelis • tel. 566-7787 ext. 245 • fax: 561-7432 • spodek@netvision.net.il • Josh Spodek, Director • Chave Abrahams, Asst.Dir. Naomi Skorecki, Bat Sherut • Jr. NESTO Staff: Natalie Rubinstein, Rafi Poch NESTO is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel Nitzotz - Student Volunteering Program • The Israel Center's Chesed Program for Overseas Students NITZOTZ SHABBATON AT NETANYA'S BEIT HAYELED Bat Sherut Ariella Friedman reports: They did it again! - NITZOTZ volunteers conduct a Shabbaton for disadvantaged kids. 18 Nitzotz volunteers from Yeshivat Hakotel arrived at Beit Hayeled in Netanya (a children's home) for a Shabbaton they will never forget. It was Shabbat Parshat Yitro and the weather was great. Yehuda Cohen, the Director of the home, greeted the boys with a smile and gave them the "grand tour". Close to 150 children live in the home during the week, some of them go home for the weekends. The age range of the children at the home is from infancy to older teenagers. All the children were happy to have guests for the weekend and were very friendly and welcoming. The guys provided great entertainment, spending time with the children and singing songs with them. Since the weather was amazing, everyone took a walk on Shabbat afternoon to the beach. This provided a great opportunity for the Nitzotz volunteers to spend some quality one-on-one time with the Beit Hayeled kids. The highlight of the Shabbaton was the great Melave Malka. Within a few minutes all the children, big and small, were dancing with the boys. Kids were climbing up on the boy's shoulders and trying to imitate their dancing. Both the guys and the children had a great time jumping around. I'm not quite sure who enjoyed it more! The Shabbaton was a great success. The guys asked to come back... even before they had left and the children kept asking when the guys will be coming again. Yashar Koach to the guys from Yeshivat Hakotel for your great Kidush Hashem. TIYULIM and SHABBATONIM 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. THE 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 Sarah will be happy to assist you on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Call Sarah 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. 18 shekel will get you a delicious sandwich, a refreshing drink (specify regular or diet) and a dessert. Your box lunch willbe ready for you when you board the bus. Read carefully...Shabbat HaGadol is Shabbat Parshat Tzav, March 22-23...only 4 weeks away! We will IY"H be having davening, meals, shiurim, a Shabbat HaGadol Drasha, and more We have yet to finalize with a guest rabbi, nor have other details been worked out yet. But we wanted you to know that we are having an In-House Shabbaton HaGadol You can call to reserve places (some people have already done so) and we will call you with the details. Watch Torah Tidbits for further details. The Shabbat before Pesach is a good one not to have to cook and clean for. And it is also a great time to review the laws and customs of Pesach and get some new Hagada material. It will be GADOL! Wednesday, March 6th, 2002, leaving the Israel Center at 8:00am, return to Jerusalem: approx. 5:30pm • How many holes in a matza?; Step-by-step tour of the world famous matza baking factory [buy matzot for your seder, if you wish] [in any case, the above question will not be answered]; Exact brick-by-brick copy of 770 Eastern Parkway, World headquarters of Chabad and the Lubavitcher rebbe's home; Their exceptional etrog orchards; The heartrending story of the Chernobyl children; Grand tour of Kfar Chabad with video presentation; Delicious, delectable mehadrin meat meal at Kfar Chabad included in the cost of the tiyul • 125NIS for members [non-members add 15NIS] • Another special treat of the day...Visit Kibbutz Nachshon where Shadmi will show & tell us how he creates beautiful stained glass windows KASHRUT POLICY: Food for Israel Center In-House programs is supervised by OU - in-Israel - Mehadrin. Israel Center sponsored trips and programs are under Mehadrin Hashgacha. Hotels, restaurants, and tiyulim advertised by the Travel Desk or by outside parties are not necessarily Mehadrin and are not endorsed by the OU or the Israel Center. Travel Desk Specials For reservations at the hotels listed below or any other Israeli hotels not listed here, please call Sarah directly at the Travel Desk 566 7787, ext. 249. She'll be happy to accommodate you with any of your requests. Jerusalem of Gold, J'lem, Glatt-Mehadrin, PURIM SPECIAL for two • Feb. 26-28, 2 nights B/B plus a festive Shushan Purim Seuda • 1100NIS per couple David Citadel, Jerusalem • Shabbatot thru February 1080NIS per couple F/B Dan Pearl - Jerusalem • thru March 31 Midweek special package: 2 nights, B/B, 840NIS per couple Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem • Shabbatot thru February 1150NIS per couple F/B Sheraton-Plaza, Jerusalem • Shabbatot thru February • 1000NIS per couple f/b, child 2-12 in parents room, 150NIS Grand Beach, Tel Aviv Glatt-Mehadrin • Mid-week: 525NIS per couple per night H/B Shabbat:715NIS per couple (one night) F/B Sheraton-Moriah, Dead Sea • midweek thru February, 550NIS per couple, h/b (no min. stay) Caesar Premier, Dead Sea • March 1-26, $135 per night per couple (min. 2 nights) includes free entrance to spa and one free treatment B/B = Bed & Breakfast • H/B = Half Board (breakfast + one meal) • F/B (3 meals a day) Midweek = SUN, MON, TUE, WED nights • Weekends = THU, FRI, Motza"sh nights Attention: Students from Abroad: Are your parents planning on visiting you this year? If so, you want to speak to us (02-566-7787 ext. 249). We have many attractive deals for them and you. Let us turn an ordinary "been there, dit it" visit into an unforgettable, special one! The Back Page of TT508 "Regular" Israel Center classes & lectures - 15NIS for members, 20NIS for non-mem. Life members, free No one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay (Membership is 225NIS per year) Many Israel Center programs are partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel * Life members pay member's rates for programs of other organizations that take place at the Center and for programs that the Center is co-sponsoring with another organization SHABBAT DAY 3:45pm • Shabbat afternoon shiur on Parshat HaShavua and Purim with Rabbi David Zitter • Men & women invited • Drinks available • Mincha if Minyan MOTZA'EI SHABBAT Motzaei Shabbat, Feb. 23. 8:30om • Jewish Music from the 60's & 70's • Ruach Uno featuring Howie Kahn • Members: 30NIS, non-members: 35NIS • (Same show as February 2nd • Watch for announcements of an all-new show in the future) SUNDAY 9:30am (women) •Mystical Insights into the Months of the Year • Golda Warhaftig 10:30am (men & women) Ore-Purim Potpourri • Phil Chernofsky N'shei Library - 10:30am - 12:45pm 11:30am (men & women) Parshat HaShavua • Shprintee Herskovits Men who are looking to do some serious learning... Shiur in Arvei P'sachim by Rabbi David Zitter, 10:00am, SUN-THU Daf Yomi in English with Rabbi Shmuel Halpern, 3:00pm, SUN-THU Shiur in Kiddushin by Rabbi Hillel Ruvel, 4:30pm, SUN-THU (Maariv follows) All shiurim take place in the Israel Center's Ganchrow Beit Midrash one flight up Sunday, February 24th, 8:00pm • Dor L'Dor Family Institute of the Israel Center presents programs to enrich marriage and family life - Relationships" Expectations vs. Reality with Rabbi David Aaron, Gila Manolson, Drs. Deborah & Michael Tobin Sundays 7:30pm • (This week: Sadness & Joy: Purim in our Lives) Jewish Values Education Institute • Do you have questions? • Do you have doubts? Are you seeking the truth? Open to all topics, feelings, questions, doubts, beliefs, and needs from a loving, open, Torah perspective No lecture or criticism - Only acceptances, respect & response • Dr. Daniel Stolper , A psychologist, a rabbi, but mostly a person 8:00pm • new series , Born to Win - An exciting adventure in Torah & Psychology towards Happiness and Personal Wellbeing with Rabbi Yosef Rubenstein, MA Psych, Columbia, 30 years experience MONDAY 9:15am • Excursions into the World of Nevi'im (the Prophets) First topic: The 7 Prophetesses Mrs. Pearl Borow N'shei Library open on Mondays, 10:00am - 12:30pm • closed this week 10:30am (men & women) • Mitzvot of Purim and the Parsha • Phil Chernofsky 11:36am (women) • Strengthening your Emunah & Bitachon from Torah Sources with Aviva Nissim Taanit Esther - Monday, February 25th • 3:30pm • Talk & video on Anti-Semitism - Rabbi Nachum Amsel 4:45pm • Mincha for the fast day 5:35pm • Mini-shiur on Timely Topics - Phil 5:55pm • Maariv followed by fast-breaking refreshments Monday, February 25th, 8:30pm • The Israel Center and the Reb Shlomo Minyan - Har Nof present...Purim Jewish Soul Concert with Mancunian Singer & Story Teller Mike Tabor featuring NIGUNIM from his new CD including previously-unrecorded Baal Shem Tov Nigun and the Bandits Nigun as well as Bratslav, Reb Shlomo, Chabad and other Chassidic music on his personally designed Bouzouki, and other instruments. • Come, enjoy and be inwardly refreshed • 30NIS members (35 non-members) • Call 050-962085 for further details. • Discounted copies of Mike's new CD "Jewish Soul" will be on sale TUESDAY "Purim for the rest of the world" no regular classes but.. Tuesday, Feb. 26 - Purim outside of J'lemPurim Extravaganza - 10:00am-2:00pm, Music with David Perkins (11:30 & 1:00pm), Arts & Crafts (10:00am Gan-4th grade), 11:30am - 5th-8th grade), Balloon Animals, Face Painting (Create your costume face for Purim), Costume contest with prizes, videos, Free drinks and Hamantashen, surprises • 20NIS per child/15NIS for third child in family Tuesday night. Megila night in Jerusalem the Center will be closed • Happy Purim Wednesday, Purim of Shushan and Jerusalem Young Olim United in conjunction with the Israel Center invite Olim and potential Olim (ages 21-29) to Shacharit • Megila Reading • Breakfast on Jerusalem Purim morning (a.k.a. Shushan Purim)Wednesday, February 27th - davening at 8:30am at the Israel Center (22 Keren HaYesod Street) • Ru'ach & costumes encouraged! (no charge) Secret: Even if you are not a young Oleh/Olah, you can join us on Purim morning. Don't tell anyone else. Just come The Center will be closed the rest of Purim and Wednesday night THURSDAY in the morning Shiurum while you fold; Parshat HaShavua and/or the Calendar various presenters 10:30am SLIM FOR LIFE, Libby 651-8061 Elisheva 999-6479 No obligation for the first session Thursday, Feb. 28, 3:30pm • The Blanche Bayewitz a"h memorial shiur on her 1st yahrzeit • Chizuk: Strengthening one Another; Guest Speaker: Rabbi Zev Leff • Refreshments will be served Male Choir Rehearsal Thursdays at 7:30pm Led by Yisrael Shwarzstein Songs by Rosenblatt, Lewandowski, N. Shemer, Carlebach 8:00pm The Book of Yehoshua with Reb Yosef Schreiber Torah Tidbits Audio with Phil Chernofsky on Israel National Radio (Arutz-7), 98.7FM and 1539AM, Thursdays, 10:07-11:00pm, or anytime on www.israelnationalnews.com FRIDAY 9:00am In-Depth Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Chaim Eisen NOT THIS WEEK Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults Fall Program 5762 (2001 - 2002) At the Israel Center Tuesdays 9:00am A Study of the 613 Mitzvot with Rabbi Aharon Adler 10:15am, Parshat Hashavua with Rabbi Dr. Sholom Gold 11:30am, A Study of the Haftarot with Esther Kitov Wednesdays 9:00am, Studies in Maimonides: The Jewish State and the Messianic Era with Rabbi Macy Gordon All JCA classes - 20NIS per class (payment is separate from Israel Center classes) RESUMES AFTER PURIM: Also on TUESDAYS at the CENTER Two Tuesday morning classes at the Israel Center by the Yad Yaakov Center for Jewish Education Separate fees. Call (02) 652-4601 for further information 9:00-10:30am The Journey of the Soul in Biblical Stories Rabbi Yosef Leibowitz 10:30-11:30am Rambam's Shmoneh P'rakim (8 chapters) Rabbi Yosef Leibowitz Upcoming at the Israel Center Friday - Sunday, March 1-3 • In the Footsteps of the Sanhedrin, A study seminar led by Barnea Selavan • $249 at Lavi. Call 5667787 x261 from more information Motza'Sh Parshat Ki Tisa - Parshat Para - M'vorchim Chodesh Nissan - March 2nd, 8:30pm • Musical Melave Malka with Naftali Abramson & Ram Berlin Motzaei Shabbat, March 2 & 16, 8:00-10:30pm • Keter Hats • Pesach Hat Show at the Israel Center; A wide variety of imported designer hats • Superb quality & comfort; Buy 2 hats and get 15% off on the lower priced hat (valid with this ad) • Erica Margo: 02 5633342 • email: airbenji@bezeqint.net Sunday, March 3rd, 8:00pm - Dr. Elchanan Greenwald speaks about Laser Dentistry Sunday, March 3rd, 8:00pm • Rachel Frumin on...Loving your teens - Setting limits in a loving environment Sun. Mar.3, 8:00pm - A Feast of Jerusalem Talent (the J'lem Kosher Culture Club) • Poetry and song - Rina Levinzon, Melvyn Millman, Ben Reuven (more details next TT Monday, March 4th, 8:00pm - Leah Zitter on Parenting - details to follow Monday March 4th, 8:00pm • Disabled Persons: A Jewish Perspective woth Rabbi Binyamin Walfish, Mrs. Chana Zweiter and Mrs. Pearl Borow Tuesday, March 5th, 6:00pm - New Yorker in Israel invited • Reception for NYS Comptroller H. Carl McCall Cohosted by Israel Bonds and the Israel Center (please call to reserve place 5667787 x204) Wednesday, March 6th - Evening dedicated to the memory of HaRav Aharon Soloveichik zt"l (program in English - watch for details) Motza'Sh Parshat Vayk-hel-P'kudei - HaChodesh - March 9th, 8:30pm • Moshe & Aharon - What they Share and How they Differ with Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Poupko Motza'ei Shabbat, March 9th, 8:30pm • Women are invited to join us in an uplifting evening of Song & Soul featuring singer Rachel Wilner, the Sulamot Women's Choir of Beit El, accompanied by pianist and singer Zohar Shifris Thursday, ROSH CHODESH NISAN, March 14, '02, 12:30pm at the Center • DOUBLE HEADER ROSH CHODESH NISAN LUNCHEON with a dairy gourmet meal; Special Divrei Torah about Rosh Chodesh by our own SARA STERMAN And a most unusual guest speaker: SERGEANT RUTH VARDA FRANKEL with her unbelievable life story... The Only Religious Volunteer Policewoman • 45NIS (50 for non-members) • Advance Registration Required Hold these dates for TORATHON 5762 • Thursday-Friday, April 25-26, 13-14 Iyar •for a close look at Pesach Sheni, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, and Shavuot Pesach Week Rental • Dates Flexible Spacious 3 bedroom, fully furnished apartment in San Simon. Strictly Kosher, Cable TV 02-6798708 • 058-464249 • sdtarag@actcom.co.il OU ISRAEL CENTER Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center Yitzhak Fund, President 22 Keren Ha'Yesod POB 37015 Jerusalem 91370 This publication and many of the programs of the Israel Center and NCSY b'Yisrael are assisted by grants from The Jewish Agency for Israel TT is published and printed "in house" at the Israel Center [The
T'tzaveh Homepage]
|
