Halachic Times for Jerusalem
Israel Summer Time
Correct for TT #569 • Ranges are for THU-THU, 21 - 28 Iyar - May 22
- 29, '03
Candle lighting - 6:59pm (Earliest, Plag - 6:07pm)
Havdala - 8:18pm (Rabbeinu Tam - 8:59pm)
Earliest Shacharit 4:42-4:38am
Sunrise - 5:38½-5:35½pm
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 9:07-9:05am (8:14-8:11am)
Sof Z'man Shacharit - 10:16-10:16am (9:41-9:40am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 12:35¾-12:36½am
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 1:11-1:12pm
Plag Mincha - 6:06 - 6:10pm
Sunset - 7:38½ - 7:43pm (7:33-7:38pm)
Explanation of the Z'manim
Sunrise for Jerusalem does not take into account elevation, since
the eastern horizon (where the sun rises) consists of the Hills of
Moav across the Jordan River, which are approx. at the same
elevation as Jerusalem
Sunset, on the other hand, is
given for an elevation of 825m and, in parentheses, as if at sea
level. There are different opinions as to which sunset time should
be used for halachic purposes. We present both times.
The deadlines for the SH'MA and
the Shacharit Amida can be calculated in two ways. Either
considering the day to be from sunrise to sunset or from dawn to
stars out. The first way of reckoning is known as the opinion of the
GR"A, and is the first time given in each case. The second method is
known as the Magen Avraham, and is presented in parentheses.
Aside from candle lighting and
havdala, the times are presented as a range, from the current
Thursday of the issue of Torah Tidbits until the coming Thursday, a
span of 8 days. Days between the two Thursdays can be determined by
interpolation (which means: a method by which to estimate a value of
between two known values - this is something that people above a
certain age might remember from high school trigonometry and
logarithms, but younger people who went to school during the
calculator era might not be familiar with).
It is usually wise to "pad" the
times with a minute or two in the "play it safe" direction. E.g.
Plag Mincha. Better to finish Mincha a minute or two before the
given time. But, better to not light candles until a minute or two
after the given time.
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...
IYAR MISCELLANY
“In the 480th year from the Exodus, in the 4th year in the month of
ZIV, which is the 2nd month to the reign of King Solomon, he built a
House to G-d.” (Melachim Alef 6:1) Kings count their years from
Nisan, so ZIV is another name for Iyar.
The 20th of Iyar is recorded in the Torah as the day the people of
Israel finally left Har Sinai, where they had arrived almost a year
earlier. They had arrived on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, in the third month
out of Egypt. That is also the day that they “received” the Heavenly
Clouds of Glory that would accompany then throughout their time in
the Wilderness. A week earlier (22 Iyar), the miraculous well of
Miriam started to supply the people with water, and a week before
that (16 Iyar, some say 18) the MOHN began to fall.
LEAD TIDBIT:
A Poignant Type of Mitzva
We know of many types of mitzvot. There are MITZVOT ASEI - positive
commands, and MITZVOT LO TA’ASEI, a.k.a. LAV (plural LAVIN) -
prohibitions. There are mitzvot that are between the Jew and G-d
only, and there are interpersonal mitzvot that are G-d’s commands,
both positive and prohibitions, that deal with our interaction with
our fellow Jews and fellow humans. There are mitzvot that are linked
to Eretz Yisrael, MITZVOT HAT’LUYOT BA’ARETZ, and those that apply
all over the world. There are mitzvot for all Jews, mitzvot that
women are exempted from, mitzvot for kohanim, mitzvot for non-kohanim,
mitzvot for kings of Israel, mitzvot for individuals, mitzvot for
the community as a whole, mitzvot for Sanhedrin, mitzvot that apply
only in the time of the Beit haMikdash, or only in the time when the
majority of the Jews of the world live in Eretz Yisrael, mitzvot
that apply in all times. There are mitzvot limited to specific times
and those unbound by time. There are mitzvot of action, mitzvot of
speech, mitzvot of thought. Mitzvot that defy our limited human
logic and rationale and mitzvot that are considered to be so much in
the realm of common sense that society would create them if they
didn’t already exist. Many categories and types of mitzvot.
Ponder this type. Poignant is not
only difficult to spell, it also has several definitions and shades
of meaning. The one intended for this type of mitzva is: “Keenly
distressing to the mind or feelings”.
B’chukotai has several mitzvot of
this type; let’s take one pair of mitzvot as an example. They are
the last mitzvot of the sedra and of the Book of Vayikra. MAASER
B’HEIMA, the tithe of animals. The owner of cows, goats, and/or
sheep is commanded to round up the new- borns of his flock or herd,
then count them out as they pass one-by-one under his staff, and to
declare the tenth one (and 20th, 30th, and so on) holy. It is
forbidden to sell the animal that is MAASER. One has to bring it to
Yerushalayim and offer it as a korban in the Beit HaMikdash. After
certain blood and parts are “given to the Mizbei’ach”, the rest of
the animal goes back to the owner to eat (forbidden to sell to
anyone - both before and after slaughter) with his family and
friends, with all the rules of eating sacred meat.
So this mitzva belongs to the
category of those that apply only in the time of the Beit HaMikdash,
right?
Wrong. Maaser B’heima applies in
all times... But we don’t have a Beit HaMikdash to “carry this
mitzva through” to its proper end?
Correct. That’s why our Sages
forbid us to perform this mitzva in our time.
Maaser B’heima applies TODAY. If
a person owns sheep, let’s say, and 27 lambs are born in a given
year - if the owner gathers them together - as he is supposed to
under ideal conditions, and they pass by him one at a time and he
counts them, and he declares the 10th and the 20th ones sacred, then
they are sacred. He has fulfilled a mitzva in the Torah. But he has
violated a rabbinic command not to do that mitzva in our time. If
the two lambs are blemish-free and fit for the Mizbei’ach, then it
is forbidden to him to derive any benefit from them. He must take
care of them. Raise them. When their wool becomes a burden for the
lambs, he shears them and buries the wool. No sweaters or scarves.
Not even Tzitzit. No benefit to him. And that is precisely why our
Sages commanded us not to do this mitzva. But that is not the point.
The point is that our Sages, whose role in Judaism is to encourage
and enhance the observance of mitzvot, have to command us NOT to
observe a whole category of mitzvot. How sad.
B’chukotai has an impressive
sample of this category of mitzvot. If one pledges the value of
himself or another person, or an animal to the Beit HaMikdash, the
deed is done. But rather than fulfill a mitzva, the person has
violated a serious rabbinic command against doing these mitzvot.
Consecrating an animal to the Mikdash. Wonderful mitzva in the time
of the Beit HaMikdash. Violation (and maybe even a mockery) today.
Shulchan Aruch has to teach us how to avoid the mitzva of B’chor
(first born male of cow, goat, and sheep). They are supposed to
teach us how to do the mitzva well. Not how to avoid it. (With
B’chor, the method is to become a partner with a non-Jew in the
ownership of the animal, before she gives birth. Then there is no
sanctity to the first born. With Maaser B’heima, it is even easier
to avoid the mitzva. Just don’t do it. A B’chor is sacred by virtue
of its birth to an animal owned entirely be a Jew. Maaser doesn’t
exist unless the owner performs the mitzva. And unlike produce,
where not taking the required portions leave the produce in a
forbid- den state of TEVEL, the newborns are permitted regardless of
whether Maaser B’heima was done or not.)
Poignant. Keenly distressing. It
should hurt our hearts to realize how many mitzvot of the Torah are
either not able to be performed today, or must not be performed, by
the command of our Sages.
Every time we do a mitzva or
minhag that is in commemoration of the Mikdash, or to remember the
Churban (destruction), or in any way is less today than it would be
in the time of the Beit HaMikdash, we should have a pang of sadness,
regret, guilt for the lack of the Mikdash and the responsi- bility
of Klal Yisrael for the lack. And a hopeful prayer, as well.
May we be privileged to the day
that Eretz Yisrael will be filled with Jews from all over the world,
that the Sanhedrin and Beit HaMikdash will be restored, and that all
the mitzvot that are being held in abeyance will be reactivated,
speedily in our time, AMEN.
Sedra-Stats
33rd sedra of 54; 10th of 10 in Vayikra
Written on 131 lines in a Sefer Torah, ranks 47th
5 parshiyot; 3 open, 2 closed
78 p'sukim, ranks 46th (7th in Vayikra)
1013 words, ranks 47th (7th in Vayikra)
3992 letters, ranks 47th (7th in Vayikra)
Mitzvot:
Contains 12 mitzvot - 7 positive, 5 prohibitions
Sefer Vayikra contains 10 sedras, 859 p'sukim, 11950 words, 44790
letters, and 247 mitzvot (95 positive, 152 prohibitions). Vayikra is
the smallest of the Chumashim in number of sedras, p'sukim, words, &
letters. Its sedras (avg) have the fewest verses, words, and
letters. OTOH, it has more mitzvot than any other Book, which is all
the more remarkable because of its small size.
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
Numbers in [square brackets] are the Mitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch
AND Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positive mitzva; L=LAV
(prohibition).
Kohen - First Aliya - 3 p'sukim - 26:3-5
If we keep the Torah and mitzvot, then HaShem will provide
beneficent, timely rainfall and bountiful crops. The yield of the
Land will be so great, that each agricultural season will blend into
the next one. And we will have plenty to eat - on our own Land.
"If you walk on the path of My
statutes..." Rashi comments that this is not just another way of
saying "keep the mitzvot", but rather it points to our task of
immersing ourselves in a Torah and Mitzvot way of life. Another
commentator points to the word "walk" and says that it is
insufficient to just "stand still" within an environment of mitzvot,
one must take continual strides towards greater spiritual heights.
[SDT] And the tree of the field
will give forth its fruit. Rashi says this refers to
non-fruit-bearing trees that will bear fruit when G-d's full
blessing will be given. One of the commentaries explains why Rashi
departs from the simple meaning of the pasuk. Since if one says a
Borei Pri HaAdama on a fruit, his bracha is valid, because fruits
grow on trees which grow from the ground, then regular fruit are
included in the previous phrase "and the groud will give forth its
yield". The phrase referring to trees is superfluous, unless it is
as Rashi says.
The Gemara says that IM
B'CHUKOTAI TEILEICHU is more that just stating the facts: If this,
then that; if not this, then something else. The Gemara says that
HaShem is asking us, pleading with us, to keep the mitzvot and
immerse ourselves in Torah. If He asks, how can we not do what He
wants - He created us, He put us into this world.
The promises of prosperity from
the opening p'sukim of the parsha are made for Jews who live in
Eretz Yisrael. The same deal, apparently, does not apply to those
who live in Chutz LaAretz. This, says Torat Kohanim, in analyzing
the word - B'AR-TZ'CHEM.
Levi - Second Aliya - 4 p'sukim - 26:6-9
Further reward for (or results from) following the Torah and keeping
the mitzvot, will be peace and tranquility in the Land (of Israel).
Both natural disasters (wild beasts) as well as human enemies
(sword) will be kept at bay by HaShem. And when we do encounter our
enemies, G-d will grant us the ability to vanquish them mightily. If
we keep to our side of the deal (so to speak), we will be blessed
with fertility and G-d will keep His covenant with us.
Notice how there is a promise of
peace in the land and a promise for the might to vanquish the enemy.
Peace in this context can refer to peace among Jews. Enemies from
the outside still exist, and we are promised the ability to advance
upon them.
The promises of blessings in this
first part of the sedra come in two forms: not only agricultural and
military, but natural and subtle on the one hand and open and
obvious, on the other. Beneficial and timely rain - much
appreciated. Bumper crops - much appreciated (one would hope). But
rain and growth of produce is part of nature. On the other hand, the
magnitude of promised military success is seemingly more miraculous.
Yet (on the first hand), nature also consists of no rain and drought
and failed crops. So unparalleled agricultural success is truly
miraculous as well.
Shlishi - Third Aliya - 37 p'sukim - 26:10-46
The longest Sh'lishi in the Torah
This Aliya contains the "Tochacha", one of two portions of the Torah
containing G-d's detailed admonition to the People, warning of the
dire conse- quences that will result from disregard of Torah and
mitzvot. Because it is so painful to hear these terrible words -
especially realizing how often they have come true - the custom
developed to read this portion in a low voice. We are ashamed that
G-d needs to threaten us in so graphic a way. There was a time when
no one wanted the dubious honor of receiving this Aliya. Today the
minhag is to call the Rabbi, Gabbai, or the Baal Korei himself for
this portion. (In many congregations, it is the one who gives out
the Aliyot who gets the Tochacha, so that no one else can feel
slighted by him.) The Tochacha is always contained within one Aliya
which begins and ends on "cheerier" notes. This is the reason for
the widely disparate distribution of p'sukim among the Aliyot of
this sedra. (Almost half of the sedras p'sukim are in this one Aliya.)
A significant theme of the
Tochacha is the connection between the keeping of the laws of Shmita
and our hold on the Land. We must alway realize that we do not keep
Eretz Yisrael without any strings attached. We have a clear
commitment and responsibility to keep the Torah and fulfill the
mitzvot as individuals AND as a community. Shmita was commanded in
the previous sedra. In this week's sedra, we are presented with the
dire conse- quences of the disregard of this important mitzva.
Continual reference is made of
both physical and spiritual benefits from observance of mitzvot, and
the opposite for disregard of the mitzvot. This combination of
promise of good and threat of bad, together with the body of mitzvot
of the Torah, con- stitutes the covenant between G-d and the People
of Israel at Sinai via Moshe.
Yaakov is spelled with a VAV 5 times in Tanach (Once in this week’s
sedra and four times in Yirmiyahu). Rashi points out that the name
of Eliyahu is missing a VAV five times. It is as if Yaakov takes
collateral from Eliyahu to guarantee that he will eventually come to
announce the coming of the Moshiach.
Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Poupko points
out several distinctions between the two Tochachot in the Torah. The
first Tochacha is part of the Sinai covenant and therefore is
contained in B'chukotai, which is read shortly before Shavuot. The
second Tochacha is in Ki Tavo because it is part of the Arvot Mo'av
experience. He also points out that the first Tochacha ends with a
promise of redemption THAT IS PART OF the Tochacha. The second one
does not. Only in the following sedra do you have the promise of
Geula. The first is orderly - if you don't listen, then such and
such will happen. And if you still don't, then worse. And if... then
even worse. The second Tochacha is a series of threats and
punishments, one after the other. The first Tochacha relates to the
destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash and the exile that followed
it; the second to that of the second Beit HaMikdash. The first
Tochacha came from G-d via Moshe; the second came from Moshe.
R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 15 p'sukim - 27:1-15
In pledging funds to the Mikdash, it is possible to offer the
"value" of an individual [350,A114]. The Torah lists amounts for
individuals depending on sex and age. In the event that the donor is
poor, a kohen may reduce the amount.
If a person pledges an animal to
the Mikdash which qualifies as a korban, he may not exchange or
redeem that animal (even for one of greater value) [351,L106]. If he
attempts to do so, then both the original animal and its substitute
(t'mura) are consecrated to the Mikdash [352,A87]. An animal not fit
for the Altar is to be evaluated by a kohen [353,A115], and can be
redeemed by adding 1/5 of its valuation.
(Actually, ¼ of the amount is
added, so that the amount added becomes 1/5 of the total amount
paid. E.g. An animal was valued at 100 shekel. ¼ of that is 25. Add
that to the first amount, and the person must pay 125. The 25 which
he added is 1/5 of the 125. This is how CHOMESH works in all
situations that call for it in Jewish law.)
A person can also offer the value
of a house [354,A116], in which case a kohen (expert in matters of
real estate) determines its value, and the house becomes redeemable
by adding 1/5.
Ponder this... If donating the
value of a male child between 5 and 20 years of age, for example, is
equivalent to a pledge of 20 shekels, then why not just donate 20
shekels? What is the significance of labeling certain amounts as the
"value" of a person?
Part of the answer seems quite
obvious. We psychologically relate much more strongly to our giving
the value of person to the Beit HaMikdash than we would with a mere
sum of money. This would be especially so if the person were
ourselves or a loved one. Modern fundraising psychology borrows this
idea. Compare the emotional con- nection of contributing, let's say,
$100 to a charitable cause, compared with the same $100 which is
called "foster a child" for a certain period of time. The money is
the same. But the emotional response is quite different.
MITZVA WATCH
Notice the unusual, almost unique nature of T'MURA (the exchange of
an animal for another sacred animal). Generally, when the Torah
prohibits something, an individual is considered to violate that
prohibition when he does that which was forbidden. One may not cook
meat with milk. Doing so is a violation. One may not steal. Stealing
is a violation. Etc. Etc. One may not exchange one animal for a
consecrated one (that is fit for the Altar). But one cannot do so.
The attempted exchange fails. The sacred animal is still sacred. So
in this instance, that which is forbidden is not done. It cannot be
done. The attempt itself then is the violation.
This is highly unusual. (In
addition to the attempted exchange failing, it also carries the
additional penalty of the new animal also being considered sacred.)
And - T'mura can be punishable by MAKOT (whipping), which makes it
more unusual, since no act was done. A prohibition that involved no
act is rarely punishable by human courts.
Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 6 p'sukim - 27:16-21
If a person dedicates the value of his property to the Mikdash, it
is to be evaluated by a kohen based on quality and number of years
to the next Yovel [355,A117]. It then becomes redeem- able by adding
a fifth. If a person did not redeem the land, then Yovel does not
release it to him, but rather to the Mikdash as consecrated
property. The same applies if the officials at the Mikdash sold the
property before redemption. At Yovel, it reverts to the Mikdash.
Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 7 p'sukim - 27:22-28
If the property in question is not hereditary, but rather purchased,
then the rules differ. The land is evaluated in the same way, but at
Yovel it reverts to its original owners, and not to the Mikdash.
A firstling is automatically
sanctified to the Altar; one may not consecrate it as another korban
[356,L107]. This rule of not switching one sanctity for another,
applies to other categories of korban as well.
A non-kosher animal offered to
the Mikdash is sold off.
If something itself is
consecrated to the Mikdash (rather than its value), it cannot be
redeemed; it remains holy.
Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 6 p'sukim - 27:29-34
Consecrated property goes to the kohanim
[357,358,359;A145,L110,111]. A person under a death penalty has the
status of "Cherem" (non-redeemable items). The land's tithe (here
referring to Maaser Sheni), is sacred; it is (either to be eaten in
Jerusalem or) to be redeemed.
The tithe of the animals (cows,
goats, sheep) are to be separated by counting every tenth one
regardless of the quality of the animal [360,A78]. These animals are
sacred and must be eaten only in Jerusalem and under conditions of
ritual purity. Maaser B'heima may not be redeemed [361,L109].
Violation of this rule results in both animals being considered
holy.
"These are the mitzvot... at
Sinai." This final pasuk of the sedra (and book of VaYikra), closes
the section that was opened by the first pasuk of B'har, the usual
partner sedra to B'chukotai.
CHAZAK CHAZAK V'NIT'CHAZEIK
It is customary for the congregation to stand for the concluding
pasuk of each book of the Torah. This seems NOT to raise the strong
objections that standing for the Aseret HaDibrot does. The
Torah-reader reads the final words in a dramatic manner, signalling
the congregation to respond with "Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazeik"
(Strong, strong, and let us be strengthened). Although most people
seem to say V’NITCHA- ZEIK, a more correct pronunciation, based on
Shmuel Bet 10:12 - from where the exclamation appears to come - is
V’NITCHAZAK.
The reader then repeats that
phrase. Some say that the person who receives the Aliya should NOT
say the phrase, as this would constitute an interruption between the
Torah reading and his concluding bracha, or possibly that it is to
him that the congregation says Chazak... It is considered a special
honor to receive this Book-completing Aliya.
Haftara - 17 p'sukim - Yirmiyahu 16:19-17:14
The words of the prophet contain warnings and admonitions which echo
the Tochacha contained in the sedra. The haftara ends with a prayer
for G-d's help in keeping us faithful to Him and His Torah.
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW
Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson # 185 (part one) • Warranties
When driving a car one sees the car in front of him that has a three
year warranty. (Forgetting the fact that every time we drive a car
we advertise the car manufacturer without receiving any
compensation.) In this lesson and the next lesson we shall IYH be
discussing the laws of warranties in halacha.
In halacha, the seller of an item is held to warrant title to the
item he sells unless he specifically states that he is not
warranting the title to the thing sold. The warranty may take
various forms.
When buying real estate, the
buyer should order a title search that will help him to avoid many
of the pitfalls of this lesson. There are times when the title
companies also make mistakes and that is when title insurance comes
into play. We shall assume that no such title insurance was ordered.
The buyer knows the seller well and believes the seller when he says
that he is the true owner of the real estate. He further believes
the seller when the seller says that he does not have any
outstanding debts. Lets examine two situations.
(i) Reuven, a seller of real
estate, sells a field to Shimon, the buyer, for $800. Reuven may
warrant that if Shimon loses the field that he bought to anyone who
has title to the field superior to Reuven's title, then Reuven will
reimburse Shimon for the loss of the field. Levi sues Shimon to
recover the field, pleading that the field was really his and did
not belong to Reuven. Levi proves his case in Beth Din and Shimon
loses the field to Levi; Shimon can now recover his loss from Reuven
under the warranty.
(ii) Assume that Reuven is the
true owner of a field. On January 1, Yehuda lends $1,000 to Reuven
to be repaid on March 1. There are witnesses to the loan and a note
of indebtedness is written evidencing the loan and the note is
signed by two witnesses to the loan. This note of indebtedness
created a lien (mortgage) on the field in favor of Yehuda, and
should Reuven not pay the $1,000, Yehuda can seize the field to
recover the $1,000. On February 1, Reuven sold the filed to Shimon
for $800. On March 1, Reuven does not pay Yehuda the $1,000. Shimon
does not have the $1,000 to pay Yehuda to protect his purchase.
Yehudah may ask Beth Din to take the field from Shimon and give the
field to Yehuda.
In both of the foregoing
paragraphs, Shimon is out $800 and does not have the field. Shimon
sues Reuven to recover the $800.
If a deed of real estate does not
contain a warranty, it is deemed to be an error of the scribe or
lawyer who wrote the deed, and thus every deed will be deemed to
contain a warranty against loss of the property to a third person.
Shimon, who bought the property from Reuven may lose the property in
one of two ways: as in example (i) above to Levi the true owner of
the property; or as in example (ii) above, to Yehuda, a creditor of
the seller.
There are three types of
warranty, each stronger than the other.
(1) The weakest warranty is that
the seller will not commence any lawsuit to recover the real estate
from the buyer.
(2) Stronger than that is the warranty that the seller's creditor
will not seize the field from the buyer.
(3) The strongest warranty is a general warranty that the buyer will
not lose the field to any person, whether a creditor or a person
alleging superior title to that of the seller.
In the text below, these
warranties shall be referred to by the aforestated numbers. Many of
the laws described in these lessons can be avoided by each of the
parties seeking competent lawyers to protect their respective
rights.
As stated above, every sale of
real estate is deemed to contain a warranty from the seller, Reuven
to the buyer, Shimon, against the thing sold being taken from the
buyer because of an act of omission or an act of commission by the
seller. In sales of personal property the only warranty is against
the true owner of the person property retrieving it because it was
stolen by Reuven. This warranty is implied in the sale even if not
expressly stated; omission of an express warranty in a deed of sale
or bill of sale is deemed to be the scribe's error.
If Reuven, the seller of a field
to Shimon, the buyer, specifically undertakes warranty 1, above, he
does not warrant 2 or 3. Thus if Shimon loses the field to Yehuda a
creditor of Reuven, or to Levi, a person having superior title to
the field to that of Reuven, Reuven does not have to reimburse
Shimon for such loss. If Reuven undertakes warranty 2, he has also
automatically undertaken warranty 1 as well as 2 but not warranty 3.
If Reuven undertakes warranty 3 he has automatically undertaken
warranties 1 and 2 as well as 3. Thus it may be correct to state
"under warranty 3" if Shimon loses the field he purchased from
Reuven to Yehuda, a person who was a creditor of Reuven and had a
lien on the field, or to Levi, a person from whom Reuven stole the
field, Shimon can make a claim against Reuven for reimbursement for
the loss of the field and also for expenses.
Shimon can recover from Reuven
under the warranty only if he loses the field to either Levi or
Yehuda as a result of a judicial proceeding in a Beth Din. The same
applies to those situations in which Shimon buys personal property
from Reuven that Reuven had stolen from Levi. If Levi, through a
judicial proceeding in Beth Din against Shimon. has the personal
property restored to him, Shimon may recover from Reuven for the
loss.
We shall IYH continue the topic
of warranties 1, 2, and 3 in halacha in the next lesson.
The subject matter of this lesson
is more fully presented in Volume VI Chapters 225 of"A Restatement
of Rabbinic Civil Law" byE. 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
Meaning in Mitzvot on Kitzur Shulchan Arukh
Fish & Meat
The Shulchan Arukh states that we need to be careful not to eat meat
and fish together, because it carries a danger of "tzaraat" an
affliction of the skin mentioned in the Torah (YD 116:2). The source
is the gemara in Pesachim (76b), which states that fish that are
roasted together with meat can't be eaten with milk, because even
though there is no contact between the two foods in roasting, the
fish do absorb some of the taste of the meat and so this
transgresses the separation of meat and milk. The passage continues,
"Mar bar Rav Ashi said, it is forbidden even in salt [the usual way
of eating fish] because it carries a danger of odor and 'something
else'". Rashi and other commentaries explain that this unmentionable
'something else' is tzaraat.
In a number of past columns we
have discussed the nature of the prohibition of milk and meat and
the difference between kosher animals and kosher fish.
In brief, the kosher animals have a neutral animal nature which can
be elevated to G-d's service, which is represented by the meat. They
also have a lower, completely bestial animal nature which has to be
purged, represented by the blood. We see that in the Mikdash the
blood is dashed on the side of the altar or poured out at the base,
whereas the meat is offered to HaShem on the altar fire.
Koshered meat is separated from
its lower nature by slaughter and by the draining and salting out of
the blood. Milk is elevated from its source in the blood by being
transformed into a completely new substance. The red blood is
transformed into white milk, reminding us of the verse from
Yishayahu (1:18), "Even if your sins are red, they will be white as
snow".
When they come together, these
separations are weakened; the meat comes back into contact with
blood, albeit transformed blood; the milk is transported back into
its original carnal substrate.
Whereas meat and milk represent
separation from our animal nature, as shown by the distancing from
the blood, fish, which do not require slaughter or salting,
represent the elevation of our animal nature. They live in a
completely altered environment, the sea, representing Torah or pure
kindness. In that rarefied environment, free from our wicked
inclinations and the "evil eye", even our bodily desires and
functions are elevated and acceptable to HaShem. That is why fish
are especially appropriate to Shabbat, which also represents the
elevation and perfection of our material nature.
This entire construct focuses on
our lower material nature seen as the source of base appetites, or
taava. However, this approach will not help us understand the
prohibition of fish and meat. The plague of tzaraat is specifically
related not to "ritual" prohibitions but rather to interpersonal
ones. The most well-known is that slander can lead to tzaraat as
explained in Rashi on Shemot 4:6. But the gemara in Arkhin (16b)
counts seven different trans- gressions which can lead to tzaraat;
all of these are interpersonal transgres- sions such as stealing or
pride, or else transgressions which are direct insults to the
Creator, such as blasphemy or false oaths. None of the seven are
merely "ritual" transgressions. Maharal on this passage points out
that the Torah states that one afflicted with tzaraat is compelled
to sit isolated away from the camp (Vayikra 13:46); he explains that
since the one afflicted with tzaraat interfered with harmony among
others, he is obligated now to isolate himself from them (Chidushei
Aggadot).
Fortunately, there is an
additional halachic distinction between meat and fish which does
relate particularly to this interpersonal aspect of the Torah. All
kosher species of animal are docile grazers; they all begin with
good "midot", or personalities. None are aggressive; none are
violent carnivores; none are scavengers. In other words, we start
out with species with good "interpersonal" qualities; what is left
is merely the lower bestial tendency to indulgence, which is treated
by slaughter and the draining and salting of blood.
This limitation does not apply to
kosher fish. Among the vast number of kosher fish species we find
herbivores, carnivores and even scavengers. Some of our fish friends
come with very unpalatable midot!
It seems that just as our lower
animal nature can be elevated by Torah, so can our baser personality
traits, though this is certainly much more difficult. For instance,
we find in the gemara that Torah scholars may occasionally be called
upon to be angry or callous (Taanit 4a), or even vindictive (Yoma
23a) in defense of the Torah. To the best of my knowledge none of
these traits are ever praised by our sages with regard to someone
who is not a talmid chacham.
However, these traits can only be
kosher if they are completely sub- merged in the sea of Torah,
without the slightest admixture of concern for personal pride or
status. When the slightest bit of personal concern is absorbed, then
these qualities are totally destructive, making a person detestable
(the :"odor" mentioned in the gemara in Pesachim) and abhorrent (tzaraat).
This is symbolism of the fish, coming from the sea (likened to the
sea of Torah) absorbing even the slightest whiff of meat, even
through roasting.
It is interesting to note that
the gemara does not state that the meat is forbidden - only the
fish. This is logical according to our approach, because the meat is
in the first place acceptable from the point of view of its "inter-
personal" qualities, coming as it does from a docile kosher species.
(However, halachically there is no difference between the fish and
the meat.)
“Meaning in Mitzvot” is now
undergoing intensive editing; which will be followed IYH by
printing. With the help of loyal supporters, we hope to have the
book on the shelves by Rosh HaShana. If you would be interested in
helping with publication, please contact Rabbi Meir about making a
dedication or subscription (advance purchase): email mail@asherandattara.com,
fax 02-642-3141.
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 Qs — www.jewishethicist.com
or www. aish.com
MISC section - contents:
1. Vebbe Rebbe
2. Rite & Reason
3. Words of Wisdom; Words of Wit
4. Candle by Day
5. Torah from Nature
6. Chizuk V'Idud
7. Maaser B'heima
8. From the desk of the director
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 I woke up really late one day.
What is the latest one can daven Shacharit? Is the davening at that
time exactly the same as regular?
A In order to daven Shacharit "at its time," one should finish
Shmoneh Esrei before the end of four proportional hours of the
morning (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 89:1). This is a third of the
time between sunrise and sunset (according to some, a third of the
time between alot hashachar and tzeit hakochavim). However, the
gemara (Berachot 26a) teaches that there is a concept of receiving
credit for tefilla after "the time" of Shacharit (while missing the
greater reward of davening at the appointed time).
The gemara compares this late
tefilla to the concept of tashlumim (making up a missed tefilla by
doubling Shmoneh Esrei at the following tefilla). Because of this,
some rishonim say that one can make it up only if he missed the time
by mistake or because of extenuating circumstances (see Orach Chayim
108). Most say that, until the time of Mincha, the late tefilla is
not tashlumim and can be said even by one who knowingly missed the
time. However, poskim say that it is best to have in mind that in
case it is too late, the davening should be considered an
additional, voluntary one (tefillat nedava) (Mishna Berura 89:6;
Yalkut Yosef, Tefilla 5).
The final time for saying Shmoneh
Esrei of Shacharit is chatzot (astronomical noon, found in some good
calendars - and in Torah Tidbits; don't forget to factor in Daylight
Savings Time). This is the latest time found by any opinion for the
time of Shacharit and is also the time when one can, in theory,
daven Mincha (in practice, we are required to wait another half-hour
to stay on the safe side). At this point, Shacharit is no longer an
option, except as tashlumim at Mincha (Rama OC 89:1; Magen Avraham
89:5; Taz 89:1 argues, see Mishna Berura 89:7).
After chatzot, one has the
opportunity to do tashlumim at Mincha, if missing Shacharit was not
done on purpose (meizid). When one gets up that late, it is not
always clear whether to categorize the lateness as accidental or on
purpose. Certainly if one overslept, he can do tashlumim. If he woke
up earlier and rolled over in bed with the intent of sleeping beyond
the time, it is presumably meizid. On the other hand, some people
are not capable of any serious intent when they roll over in bed.
(It is a sign of responsibility when one reaches the point in life
when these types of borderline cases stop arising.)
When one davens between the end
of the time of Shacharit and chatzot, the straightforward ruling is
that one omits the berachot before and after Kriat Shema (Yotzer Or
until Shema and Emet V'yatziv until Ga'al Yisrael) (Shulchan Aruch
58:6). The Biur Halacha (ad loc.) raises the possibility that one
might be justified to include these berachot in his tefilla until
chatzot, if he was unable to do so earlier because of extenuating
circumstances. However, the average late riser is hard-pressed to
claim that his circumstances were clearly extenuating.
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 eretzhem@netvision.net.il with the
message: Join Hemdatya –Please leave the subject blank. Ask the
Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel
Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelard
Some follow the custom that on Shavuot, a Torah scholar or the most
prominent member of the congregation is called up for Maftir.
Reason: On Shavuot, the Haftara is read from MAASEI HAMERKAVA (the
account in Yechezkeil 1 of the Divine chariot. The gemara (Chagiga
11b) warns about studying this subject: “We may not expound the
description of the chariot [which contains profound secrets of
HaShem’s governing of the world] to an individual, unless he is a
scholar and comprehend on his own [without extensive elaboration].
ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein
A young man came to his rebbe and complained, “Rebbe, what can I do
about my pride? I simply cannot overcome it.” “Sit by me today, my
son”, said the rebbe, “and just remain quiet.”
Soon, a man came in to the rebbe with a request. “Rebbe, help me”,
he said. “My daughter has the chance of marrying an exceptional
young man, but I need money for her dowry. Without the money, the
shidduch will be called off.”
“Young man”, asked the rebbe, turning to him, “would you by any
chance have a few thousand dollars to lend?”
“Rebbe”, said the young man, “I’m destitute. I barely survive. There
is no way I could loan such a sum.”
The rebbe then lent the man money.
A short while later, a butcher came in. “Rebbe”, he said, “I’ve
slaughtered a bull, and I found some questionable marks on the
lungs. Is the meat kosher or not?”
“Young man”, said the rebbe, “youv’e seen the lungs. What is your
decision?”
“Rebbe”, replied the young man, “I don’t know enough to render a
verdict.”
Later, one of the leading merchants of the city came in. “Rebbe”, he
begged, “you’ve got to help me. I entered into a business deal with
the local baron, and I don’t know what to do. Please advice me.”
“Young man”, said the rebbe again, “what would you suggest?”
“Rebbe, I’ve no idea”, answered the young man. “I’ve never been in
business in my life.”
After the merchhant left, the rebbe turned to the young man again
and said to him, “My son, I really don’t understand you. You don’t
have any money to your name, you don’t know the first thing about
halacha, and you have no inkling about business. What can you
possibly find to be proud about?”
The reason that the “worldly” are so self- assured and the pious,
for the most part, are so far from a similar degree of
self-assurance, is that the former feel they have mastered their
world, whereas the latter realize how far they are from mastering
theirs.
Experience is no truer than fantasy; it is simply more factual.
Truth is not what reality is, but what it means. Truth is what the
soul knows. Facts are what the eyes see - if they see correctly. -
From A Candle by Day by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
MA RABU MA'ASECHA HASHEM KULAM B'CHOCHMA ASITA MAL'A HA'ARETZ
KINYANECHA • Polar Bears
Class: Mammals; Order: Carnivora; Family: Ursidae • 3 subfamilies:
Ursinae (black bears, brown bears, polar bears, sloth bears, and sun
bears); remarctinae (spectacled bears); Ailuropodinae (giant pandas)
The world polar bear population
is estimated to be 21,000-28,000.
Polar bears are the largest land
carnivore. Males (boars) weigh from 350-650 kg. Females (sows) weigh
much less than males. Polar bears are capable of traveling 19 miles
or more per day for several days. They are also strong swimmers, and
can swim for several hours at a time over long distances. Polar
bears usually swim under water. On warm days polar bears sprawl out
on the ground or ice, sometimes on their backs with their feet in
the air... Polar bears are basically solitary... Only pregnant
female polar bears hibernate... Polar bear cubs are born small and
helpless, with their eyes closed.... some cubs nurse for as long as
30 months... Mother polar bears are extremely protective of their
young, even risking their own lives in their cubs' defense... Polar
bears swallow most food in large chunks rather than chewing. They
feed mainly on different types of seals... When seals are not
available, they'll eat reindeer, small rodents, seabirds, ducks,
fish, eggs, vegetation (including kelp), berries and human
garbage...
Body temperature, which is
normally 98.6 F (same as humans), is maintained through a thick
layer of fur, a tough hide, and an insulating layer of blubber...
completely furred except for the nose and footpads, which are black.
A polar bear's skin is black... They completely molt (shed and
replace their fur) annually... The molt can last several weeks... A
polar bear's hearing and eyesight are probably similar to human's,
but they're all over us when it comes to smell. A polar bear can
smell a seal more than 20 miles away.
Adult polar bears have no natural
predators (except humans)... Polar bears can live 20 to 30 years,
but usually not longer than 15 to 18 years.
Only female polar bears can be tracked using radio collars. Male
polar bears have necks wider than their heads, and the collars
simply fall off.
A polar bear's tongue isn't pink! It's a black and blue colour
Polar bears are pigeon-toed.
Even though snow geese can't fly
when they moult, a polar bear still won't eat them. If a polar bear
spends any more than 12 seconds hunting a snow goose, more calories
are lost hunting than there are in a snow goose. It would be like
you running around the block for a cracker!
CHIZUK and IDUD (for the Oleh & not-yet-Oleh respectively)
The last word of the glorious blessing which opens B’chukotai is the
word KOMAMIYUT: “I have broken the bars of your yoke, va-olech
etchem komamiyut, and made you walk upright” (Vayikra 26:13). This
is the only time this word is used in the entire Torah.
It implies inner pride,
self-respect, self- confidence. When G-d freed us from the yoke of
Egypt, He simultaneously instilled these qualities within us -
qualities which we had lost during our sojourn as slaves of Pharaoh.
The ideal way to serve G-d is with humility before the King of
Kings, but also with an inner pride that we are worthy to stand
before the King of Kings.
We come across komamiyut in our
daily prayers as well - in that magnificent paragraph that precedes
Shema Yisroel. We ask that G-d “bring us in peace from the four
corners of the earth, and then we add - in what is almost a direct
paraphrase of the words in our sedra - vetolicheinu komamiyut
l’artzenu / “and lead us upright to our Land”. It would have been
enough to ask that He lead us to our Land. The addition of the word
komamiyut/upright, however, adds a new dimension. It implies that
not only it is preferable to return to G-d’s Land in an upright
position literally - and not wait to be carried there - but that,
figuratively as well, we must have the self-confidence and knowledge
to return to the Land with pride, in the face of our enemies who
would deny us this right.
How is this pride and
self-confidence achieved? The construction of this pre- Shema
paragraph suggests the progression. It opens with the prayer that
G-d in his love for us will teach us His Torah, open our hearts and
minds to it, and will enlighten our minds so that we understand and
practice it. The paragraph closes with the prayer to return upright
to the Land - but this is not simply an afterthought, nor is it a
new subject. Instead, it follows logically from all that precedes
it: we will be worthy of returning to the Land with pride and
self-respect and self-confidence to the Land only when we have
exposed ourselves to the Torah.
Even a surface glance at Israel today substantiates this view. Those
who are most supportive of the Land, who live in it with pride and
self-confidence, are those who know the Torah. Those who are least
supportive, who are apologetic about being here and are willing to
give away even the holiest of places, are by and large the least
knowledgeable of Torah.
The same holds true in terms of Aliya to the Land. Those who come to
Israel to live are overwhelmingly observant Jews. Those who are
willing to leave Israel are overwhelmingly non-observant Jews. These
are not coincidences.
It is the Torah - and not committees or programs or speeches or
shellfish - that instills in us the komamiyut that is the major
component of being a Jew in contemporary times. And it is the Torah
study that will ensure the fulfillment of the blessing in Vayikra
26:5: “vishavtem lavetach b’artz’chem / and you will dwell safely in
your Land.” - Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, Jerusalem • TORAH THOUGHTS as
contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox
Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah publication on Parshat
Ha'Shavuah
Just an interesting fact about MAASER B’HEIMA. Lambs, kids, and
calves who are orphans are not included in the round-up for this
mitzva.
A lamb, kid, or calf that is an orphan is not included in Maaser
B’heima. The reason is that the procedure of this mitzva called for
gathering the young animals born in the same year in an enclosure,
with a narrow opening that allowed only one to pass through at a
time. The mothers of the animals were brought to the opening of the
enclosure on the outside and they called to their offspring. The
lambs, etc. would respond to this and start filing out of the
enclosure through the opening. They were counted and the tenth was
declared holy. The owner of the animals was not allowed to push one
of the young ones through the opening. They had to pass on their
own. It is probable that an orphaned lamb would not respond to the
call to come to the mothers and would have to be directed out, which
is a problem. Hence, their exemption.
Divrei Menachem
Parshat Behukotai spreads before us the best of times and the worst.
If we keep G-d's commandments then our material benefits will be
taken care of - health, prosperity, and, in a super- natural way,
triumph over our enemies. Rambam (Hil. Teshuva 9:1) notes how this
enhanced material blessing also brings with it spiritual benefits
both in this world and in the World to Come.
In G-d's mercy, we are generally spared the seemingly unending
curses for failing to live up to our mission. Nevertheless, we have
suffered Exile, one of the prices for not observing the Sabbatical
year (Vayikra 26:43, Avot 5:9).
Exile is also both a physical and spiritual phenonenom. We suffer
the tolerance of our hosts in foreign lands (at best) and their
infliction (at worst), and we feel abandoned by Hashem. And in the
aftermath of the Crusades, Inquisitions, Pogroms and Holocaust, we
may wonder to what extent we are comforted that while in the land of
our enemies, G-d will not reject or oblit- erate us, "to annul My
covenant" (Vayikra 26:44).
Morocco, France, Argentina, Bel- gium… Where should we look next?
Let us take strength from Rabbi Akiva who yet laughed as he stood in
the ruins of the Holy Temple (Bab. Talmud, Makkot 24b), who
proclaimed that just as the prophecies of doom were fulfilled, so
will those of the Redemption similarly be fulfilled - speedily and
in our days. Amen.
Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff
SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics by Catriel
Sugarman
intended to increase the knowledge, interest,and anticipation of the
reader, thereby hasteningthe realization of our hopes and prayers
for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
"Shtei HaLechem" & "Kivsei
Atzeret"
"...Until the morrow of the seventh week shall you count, fifty
days; and you shall offer a Mincha Chadasha - a new meal offering
before G-d. From your dwelling places, you shall bring bread that
shall be waved, two loaves... they shall be fine Solet flour, they
shall be baked Chameitz, leavened, first offerings to G-d." (Vayikra
23:16,17)
The Mishna reads, "The Omer, the
barley offering brought on 16 Nisan, permitted Chadash, the new
produce, to be eaten throughout the land; Shtei HaLechem - the "Two
Loaves" brought (fifty days later) on Shavu'ot - rendered Chadash
permissible in the Mikdash."(Menachot 68b) When the Omer, from
barley, was offered in the Beit HaMikdash, the grain from the new
harvest - barley, wheat, spelt, oats and rye - was permitted to be
eaten by K'lal Yisrael but still could not to be used for Menachot,
meal offerings in the Mikdash. However, once the Shtei HaLechem,
from wheat, were brought into the Mikdash and "waved", Chadash wheat
(and new wine and olive oil) could be used in the Beit HaMikdash as
well.
Don Isaac Abravanel comments, "On
Pesach - 16 Nisan - we offered an Omer of barley which is food
suitable for animals because immediately after the Exodus, we were
still lacking Torah and culture. On Shavu'ot, we received the Torah
and great knowledge. We became people of intelligence and under-
standing. Therefore we were commanded to bring a "Mincha Chadasha" -
a 'new meal offering' - to symbolize the new spirit which G-d placed
within us. The Mincha was to be two loaves of wheat bread, food
worthy of highly developed and cultured people…"
Like most Menachot, the wheat
kernels destined to be used for the Shtei HaLechem had to be of the
highest quality. Each kernel of wheat is encapsulated by a thin
outer shell called a husk - Motz - and two inner bran layers called
Subin and Mursin. These three laminae, when they are removed,
comprise the chaff. After harvesting, the cut wheat was left to dry
in the sun and threshed (Deesha); this removed the top layer, the
Motz. Winnowing (Zeriya) allowed the wind to blow the detached husks
away. The Subin and Mursin were removed by means of Sheefa (rubbing)
and Be'eta (pounding). "All Menachot must be rubbed three hundred
times and beaten five hundred times. The rubbing and the beating
applies to the grains of wheat…" (Menachot 6:5). R. Ovadiya
Bartenura, a classic commentator on the Mishna, explains the
procedure. "Sheefa - he rubs the wheat between his hand and an
object to facilitate the removal of the K’lipa, the peel. Be'eta -
he pounds the kernels with his fist or his palm." Then, quoting the
Gemara, he continues, "he rubs (the wheat) once and pounds it twice,
then he rubs twice, and pounds three times. As a result of repeating
this process one hundred times, he has pounded (the wheat) five
hundred times and rubbed it three hundred times." The kernels were
then ground in a gristmill to strip away the loosened bran layers.
"The Omer was sifted through thirteen sieves, the Shtei Halechem was
sifted through twelve…" The Gemara comments, "It was sifted through
a fine sieve and then a coarse one and again through a fine sieve
and then a coarse one." A coarse sieve would let the flour through
and retain the bran; the fine sieve retains the flour and allows the
fine dust to filter through. Rashi notes, that, while they would
alternate sieves, only two sieves were actually used. R. Shim'on ben
Eleazar postulates that there were thirteen sieves in the Beit
HaMikdash, one on top of the other, the uppermost retained the bran
and nethermost retained the flour. But the Mishna concludes, "But
they brought flour and sifted it as much as necessary, as it is
said, 'And you shall take fine Solet flour and bake it' (Vayikra
34:5) (Menachot 76b). Then the flour was ground yet a second time in
a fine flourmill producing the Solet, the finest quality flour
required for Menachot.
The Shtei HaLechem were "kneaded
and formed" outside of the Azara - the Temple Court - but were
baked, one at a time, in a special iron stove in the Azara. "The
preparation of the Shtei HaLechem does not override Yom Tov and
certainly not Shabbat. Instead they were baked before Yom Tov, i.e.
Shavu'ot. And if the Eve of Yom Tov fell on a Shabbat, the Shtei
HaLechem were baked on the Eve of Shabbat…" and eaten on Shavu'ot. (Rambam,
Hilchot Temidin U'Musafin 8).
The Shtei HaLechem had another unique feature that differentiated
them from other Menachot; they were Chameitz. Sufficient Se'or, sour
dough, was placed into the two separate mixing bowls together with
water and Solet causing the solution to rise. Then the contents of
each bowl was kneaded separately (Lisha), rolled out, shaped into
the two loaves and then baked (Afiya). In contradistinction to most
Menachot, "The loaves were square shaped (not circular). They were
seven Tefachim long (one Tefach = 8-9.6cm, four Tefachim wide and
four Etzba'ot (four fingers high)." Rashi contends that, similar to
the preparation of the Lechem HaPanim ("Showbread" or better, "Bread
of the Presence"), the bakers placed dough on the four corners of
each loaf, thereby shaping Keranot ("horns") that projected upward
giving them a configuration reminiscent of the Mizbei'ach.
After the Korbanot Musaf of
Shavu'ot were sacrificed, a Kohein took two lambs, the Kivsei
Atzeret ("the Shavu'ot Lambs"), and together with the Shtei HaLechem,
did the first Tenufa. He lifted them forward and backward and upward
and downward. 'Forward and backwards' - i.e. in all four directions
- that is unto Him to Whom the four directions belong and to Him to
Whom heaven and earth belong. The two lambs were then slaughtered
and offered on the Mizbei'ach as Shalmei Tzibur, the only communal
peace offerings sacrificed in the Beit HaMikdash during the entire
year. Since the Kivsei Atzeret were congregational Korbanot, they
had the status of Kodshei Kodoshim, sacrifices of a higher level of
sanctity, and therefore, were slaughtered north of the Mizbei'ach.
After dismembering the lambs, a Kohein took the two chests (Chazeh)
and the two right hind legs (Shok), placed them together with the
Shtei HaLechem, lifted them up and performed a second Tenufa. Like
all Shlamim, the Kivsei Atzeret also were accompanied by Nesachim,
Solet mixed with olive oil to be burnt on the Mizbei'ach and wine
for a libation. After the Zerikat HaDam, the blood application on
the Mizbei'ach of the two Kivsei Atzeret, the Kohanim were permitted
to eat of the Shtei HaLechem. Surprisingly, no part of the Shtei
HaLechem was burnt on the Mizbei'ach; all of it was eaten by the
Kohanim. Similar to the Shtei HaLechem, the portions of the Kivsei
Atzeret allocated to the Kohanim (Chazeh and Shok), could be eaten
only in the Azara by male Kohanim, in a state of Tahara - ritual
purity - during the day of Shavu'ot until midnight.
Catriel Sugarman gives
illustrated lectures on the Beit Hamikdash and related topics. He
can be reached at (02) 652-7531 or by email at acatriel@netvision.net.il.
Catriel is in the process of writing a book entitled: The Temple of
Jerusalem, A Pilgrim's Perspective: A Guided Tour through the Temple
and the Divine Service.
Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
Column #69. Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) 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.
Let’s do more on brachot. Before
we look at some new stuff, let me review an item from two weeks ago,
via an experience I just had this evening (Tuesday night). I was at
a wedding and it was Sheva Brachot time under the chupa. Each bracha
was said by a different person. It wasn’t until the last bracha that
I noticed something. The person who said the final bracha said
BARUCH, then paused, very briefly, and then said ATA. In contrast,
none of the others had done that. And there is a difference. Maybe
it’s only in the contrast, but there was a difference. BARUCH ATA
sounds so much better than BARUCHATA or BARU CHATA. It’s not easy if
you haven’t paid attention to this before. One morning recently, I
said BIRCHOT HASHACHAR out loud in shul. Fifteen brachot in a row.
Very hard to put that little pause between BARUCH and ATA and
between HASHEM and ELOKEINU. Takes practice.
Okay, let’s look at the three
word endings of several brachot. BOREI MINEI M’ZONOT. Do we have
three separate words and no phrasing, or do any other the words pair
up? That would mean pairing the first two and then saying the third,
or saying the first and then pairing up the second and third. In
fact, it is MINEI M’ZONOT (kinds of foods) that G-d is the Creator
of, so the correct phrasing is BOREI, slight pause, MINEI M’ZONOT.
Similarly, PRI HA’ADAMA, PRI HA’EITZ, PRI HAGAFEN, etc. The verb
applies to the two-word object.
This is intuitive, but it can be
seen in some brachot because of DIKDUK rules. Take the bracha for
spices during Havdala. Because MIEI and B’SAMIM go together to mean
“kinds of spices”, the DAGESH (dot) drops out of the BET of B’SAMIM,
and the correct pronunciation of the end of the bracha is BOREI,
slight pause, MINEI V’SAMIM.
Similarly, but the opposite (can
you say that?), the DAGESH does not drop from the PEI of PRI in the
wine, fruit, and vegetable brachot, indicating that there is a
slight pause after BOREI and before PRI HAGAFEN, etc.
And besides... PRI, for example,
means fruit, but in the context of the bracha, it means the fruit
of. It is in S’MICHUT mode, connective, (possessive?) rather than
stand-alone noun. So we don’t say BOREI PRI, He Who creates fruit.
Not only is the word PRI misused,
so to speak, but the HA’ADAMA is now hanging awkwardly on its own at
the end of the bracha.
In the bracha before the SH’MA in
Maariv, He loves his nation Israel. OHEIV, slight pause, AMO YISRAEL.
For some reason, most people say OHEIV AMO, then pause, and then say
YISRAEL, which then hangs at the end of the bracha. Listen in shul
to different BAALEI T’FILA. Listen during the week, and then on
Shabbat and Chag. The traditional nusach and tunes sometimes
interfere with the proper phrasing.
No claim is being made that this
is a major, crucial issue. But veteran readers of this column have
generally raised their standards for the davening, brachot, and
Torah reading that they do, and that they listen to. It’s sort a
song you really like, that you’ve heard many times from many
different singers. Then you hear a really great singer sing it. He’s
got the voice, the range, the feeling - everything that makes a song
great. And you hear the difference. You appreciate the difference.
Now, the song will never be the same as it was before. Your
standards of appreciation have gone up. You want to hear it right
from now on, and you want to sing it right.
All right, the analogy has its limitations. But you get the idea.
Remember, this column (and most of TT) is not just for LILMOD
purposes, but LISHMOR V’LAASOT, ULKAYEIM...<mtc>
Parsha Pix
IM B'CHUKOTAI TEILEICHU - If you follow G-d's laws... then we will
receive our rain in the proper time (hourglass) and we will have
bread to eat... and we will have peace... And 5 will be able to
repel 100 (of our enemies) and 100 will push away 10,000.
If, on the other hand, we don't
follow in G-d's ways... the skull and crossbones represents all the
negative things that we are warned about in the Tochacha.
A boy between the ages of one month and five years is "evaluated" at
five shkalim (for purposes of donations to the Beit HaMikdash).
Nine new-born lambs are counted
off as they walk single-file through an opening in the pen into
which they were gathered. The tenth on to pass "under the staff" is
sacred - MAASER B'HEIMA.
This mitzva is depicted again in
symbols - with an additional detail. There are three Zodiac symbols
in the picture - Aries, the Ram and Capricorn, the goat are added
together and then divided by 10. Sheep and goats are both called
TZON and may be combined for the mitzva of Maaser B'heima. Cows must
be treated separately, hence Taurus, the Bull divided by 10 is
separate.
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 presented
for call-in solution on Torah Tidbits Audio (Arutz-7, Thursday
night). The best solution set submitted each week (there isn't
always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or
a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal
Last issue’s (B’HAR) TTriddles:
[1] 14th for the K'tiv; 15th for the K'ri
[2] 7x in Chumash, all B'har. Her sons are sound alikes ...and
several more without a VAV (not all in B'har)
[3] ...in Lianyungang, Yancheng and Hui’an city in northern Jiangsu
province climbed sharply ...quality japonica ...1800-1820RMB per
ton. In the regional market in Yancheng, the ex-warehouse... special
1 premium quality...
[4] Plus an unasked TTriddle!
And the envelope please...
Not only were there fewer TTriddles than we’ve had lately, but there
are a few problems with them. Still, we’ve received some successful
solutions. Let’s have a look...
[1] This one is a good, solid, totally solvable TTriddle - that was
solved be a few solvers. The interesting K’RI-K’TIV in the sedra is
the word LO, written LAMED-ALEF and read LAMED-VAV. This is
interesting for two reasons (at least). First, we pronounce LO (no)
and LO (to it) the same. Second, the meaning of the two versions of
the word are complete opposites. As written, the pasuk would be
speaking about a city that has no wall around it. With the tradition
of how the word is to be read (and understood), the pasuk is talking
about a walled city. And that, by the way, is the solution to the
TTriddle. With the written meaning, Megilat Esther would be read on
the 14th of Adar. But the way we read it, Megila is on the 15th. At
least two solvers had such complicated attempts, based on the words
LO and LO and many other KRI-KTIV situations. Just look at the
phrase LO CHOMA and the solution should become obvious. Another BTW
- EB says that someone told him that there is actually a difference
in the way LAMED-ALEF and LAMED-VAV are pro- nounced. LAMED-ALEF
would be LO. LAMED-VAV would have a W-ish ending LOW. Hard to
explain. Try to imagine it. Add a slight W-ness to LO, but without
creating a new syllable.
[2] The one is a combination of two separate TTriddles. The second
part was an afterthought to make the first part more accurate. Let’s
work backwards and so how it comes out. It started with a computer
search for the word YOVEL in Tanach. First search was for
YUD-VAV-BET-LAMED. The results showed three YOVELs in B’har and
YUVAL in B’reishit. There was the beginning of a TTriddle. (Decision
was to ignore the other seven YOVELs in the rest of Tanach.) Then
the seach was broadened to include YOVELs with a lead “helper”
letter. That added four HAYOVELs. That’s why the first part of the
TTriddle said “seven times in Chumash”. The mistake is that only 6
of the 7 are in B’har; one of them is in B’chukotai. Then came a
look at YUVAL in B’reishit and the realization that TWO of ADA’s
sons were sound-alikes for YOVEL - Yuval and Yaval. But since YAVAL
is spelled YUD-VET-LAMED, a search was made for YOVEL spelled
without a VAV, too. That lead to the addition of “and several more
without a VAV...” So the only real mess up was not realizing that
one of the YOVELs (with a VAV) was from B’chukotai and not B’har.
Nonetheless, several solvers got the correct answer, which was ADA.
[3] As long and stretched out as this TTriddle was, it was fairly
obvious. We’ve done a TTriddle with the same answer many times, so
we needed a different way to ask. Some who solved it, figured it out
(or guessed) just by looking at the wording. Others used the
internet for help. The cities and province mentioned are all in
China. That mislead some would-be solvers in the direction of SIN
(Hebrew for China) and Har Sinai. Others took it as sin, as in
violation of commandments. This they added to the agricultural
flavor of the TTriddle and came up with violations of the laws of
Sh’mita. Nice try. In fact, combining both wrong directions can
bring you to the correct answer. The keys to the solution are to
recognize China in the TTriddle, and “price” (RMB is the symbol for
the currency in China), and RICE, of which japonica is a variety.
This gives you that the TTriddle was talking about the price of rice
in China. “What does that have to do with the price of rice (some
say tea) in China?” is the English equivalent of the famous “What is
the issue of Sh’mita doing with Har Sinai?.
[4] Now for the unasked TTriddle. I thought for sure someone would
find it, ask it, and answer it. Oh well. The question is, what was
the significance of the choice the subject of the MRMH column? The
answer is that the DODO is mentioned twice in B’har - O DODO O VEN
DODO... (Vayika 25:46)
This week's TTriddles:
[1] three fifths, one half, three fifths, two thirds
[2] 100 + 100 does not equal 200
[3] Alphabetized from Efrayim to Shimon,this tribe is
text-equivalent to Maaser B’heima
[4] This TTriddle is not on Parshat HaShavua: 13.2, 28.6, 8.7
[5] My fields’ anagram is one of its results
[6] After Torah Reading and after each Shabbat Seuda
[7] Last singular, eighth plural
Around the Israel Center
Re: The Israel Center and Torah Tidbits
NOTICE: The OU Israel Center and Torah Tidbits do not necessarily
endorse the political or halachic opinions of its advertisers, nor
do we guarantee the quality of their service. Nor do we endorse any
party or candidate.
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. Yitzhak Fund, Esq. • Rabbi
Emanuel Quint Chairpersons , Ita Rochel, Administrator
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. - 10:00am - 3:00pm Ask about our
catering services on or off the Center premises -Coming soon;
Wednesday is Fleishig Day!
The Arnold Abroms Memorial Lending Library: Hours - SUN., MON & WED:
10-5, TUES: - 10-4; THURS: 1-3,MON & WED eve.: 5-8pm
Yankel Winet z”l Torah Tape Libraries including the Israel Center
Torah Tape Library and the Aish HaTorah Tape Library at the Center•
Sunday, 11:00am-1:00pm, 3:00-5:00pm; Monday - Wednesday,
10:00am-1:00pm
Join 100,000 Jews in reciting the Prayer for IDF soldiers daily and
help raise funds to benefit our Israeli soldiers. Buy Tefila
L'chayalei Tzahal cards (for yourself, family, and friends) for 5NIS
each and be a part of this mitzva! All proceeds benefit injured and
needy soldiers. Cards are available at the Israel Center - just ask
for them at the front desk
ANNOUNCEMENT • to all community organizations in Jerusalem • To help
avoid clashes of major events among different organizations, please
callIta Rochel at the Israel Center, (02) 566-7787, ext. 204
NCSY Summer 2003 Camps
IMAGINE:13 glorious days living, learning, dancing, swimming,
camping, hiking
WHO? 6-11 graders - boys/girlsSeparate campuses
WHEN? Wednesday thru Tuesday, July 2-15
WHERE? Keshet, Ramat HaGolan
WHAT? Chugim, daily Torah learning, camping, water hikes, Shabbat
NCSY ruach, sports, overnights... and more
Safety precautions and proceduresper Ministry of Education andChevra
L’Haganat HaTeva • For more information and registration,call Ahuva
02-5667787, ext. 242
Torah Tidbits are available on the internet on the OU’s website
www.ou.org/torah/tt. You can download all of it at once or whatever
sections you want. Palm version too.
The OU Israel Center on the internet! Torah Tidbits has been on the
internet for a few years. Its pages are part of the OU’s website,
and can be found at www.ou.org/torah/tt; We are pleased to announce
the newest addition to the OU website The OU Israel Center; This new
site is part of the OU’s website too.You can access them at
www.ou.org/israel/ic; Please note: You can go from the Torah Tidbits
site to the Israel Center site and vice versa. You can go from
either Israel Center site to the OU’s homepage and vice versa.
Here’s your assignment, should you choose to accept it. Check out
the OU Israel Center’s website. Check out the Torah Tidbits website.
And check out the OU’s main site (www.ou.org) where you can explore
the many facets of OU activities and programs,access dozens of Torah
shiurim and sites, Kashrut, audio, video... and much more.
If you are a member of the Israel Center...Thank you; If you were a
member and your membership lapsed...Please renew; If you’ve never
been a member...Please join
Yearly membership is 225NIS (family included); LIFE MEMBERSHIP -
$500 (payments poss.) • Membership includes lower rates for all
Israel Center programs, tiyulim, etc.and a subscription to Jewish
Action, the Orthodox Union’s popular quarterly magazine - You can
cut and send this form to us atP.O.B. 37015, Jerusalem 91370 or call
us (566-7787 ext. 204) with the details and arrange credit card
payment by phone or email to trochel@netvision.net.il; Special note
to TT readers who do not regularly participate in Israel Center
activities (or never): You actually do participate in an Israel
Center activity... called: Torah Tidbits; Many people feel that just
for Torah Tidbits alone, it’s “worth it” to become members of the
Israel Center.We hope you feel that way too.
NESTO - Native English-Speaking Teen Olim
5th-6th grader, listen up! This coming Wednesday, May 26th, you are
invited to join FRESHMAN NESTO. Please join our extended NESTO
family - bring friends and relatives! Can't wait to meet you!
Attention juniors! We would love
for all of you to sign up for our NCSY-DROR camp this summer. As you
all know, it will be taking place between the 2nd-14th of July and
many of your madrichim will be in camp as well. For more
information, call the Israel Center at: 02-5667787 ext.242.
Hey seniors. Don't feel bad, we
have a message for you too! This coming Tuesday, we will be meeting
in the old city at 19:00. Check your email on Sunday - we'll tell
you more about the activity.
This past week was extra special.
Both Senior and Junior NESTO held its activity in Gan HaPaamon. We
were extremely happy to see a lot of chanichim. We missed a week's
activity because of Yom Haatzmaut and I guess people just couldn't
stand being away from us any longer!
Senior NESTO's activity was named
a "race for unity". Both teams had to fulfill the challenge given to
them, in order to receive a puzzle piece. When all the pieces were
gathered, they revealed a picture representing peace, forgiveness,
compromise, and unity. We concluded that if we don't work together
as friends, as team- mates, as a nation, we most likely will not
succeed.
We began our junior NESTO
activity with "capture the flag". The flag represented the State of
Israel. The chanichim took the part of the Jewish nation, and the
madrichim portrayed their enemies. Each team had to fight for their
'most important asset': the State of Israel. Everyone got very into
the activity because of the idea behind "the flag". Like our
country, the flag is so small and there are so many people who want
to get their hands on it. As it turns out, the madrichim won, but we
won't talk about that.
When the chanichim were getting
tired, we all sat down and acted out the same scene from the War of
Independence. Each group had to act out the scene with a different
spin to it. One team represented the news broadcasters. One team
displayed it in a comical manner - having to act it out as rabbis.
In this week's parsha, the format
repeats itself: 'If you do so and so you will receive this
punishment or reward'. When I read the parsha I got a bit nervous.
We always have to beware and prepared. It is in our human nature not
to like when people give us rules, as though we are small children.
The question is why do we accept these rules, without a moment of
hesitation? For one, they are not gives to us by a person. They are
written in our Torah. Our guide. Second of all, if you think about
it, it comes to show how special and important we are. Non-Jews
don't have all these warnings and conditions.
Although that sounds like a
punish- ment to us, we must understand that what seem to be
boundaries and limitations are given to us because we are greater
than any other nation. We are the Chosen People, and G-d judges us
in more detail and more strictly than He does other nations.
The Gemara tells us the story
that caused Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi to suffer for 13 years. A man had
taken a calf for Sh’chita. The frightened calf escaped and hid
behind Rabbi Yehuda's coat. Rabbi Yehuda sent him away, saying: 'go!
This is what you were created for!"
Although the Torah does allow us
to slaughter animals and sacrifice them, Rabbi Yehuda showed a lack
of compassion towards Hashem's creature. For any other person this
would not be considered a sin but Hashem expected more from a man in
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's magnitude.
What this story helps us to
understand is that the greater you are, the more warnings, ,trials,
and conditions Hashem will give you.
So the next time you read through
a bunch of "hard halachot” and begin to feel discouraged - eliminate
the OOF and say: "Thank you Hashem for believing in me!"
That's all from us for now, Shabbat Shalom
The Israel Center's youth program
for Anglo-Israelis • tel. 566-7787 ext. 250 • fax: 561-7432 •
chaveabrahams@hotmail.com;
Chaim Pelzner, Director; Chave Herschberg, Coordinator; Mimi Edel,
Bat Sherut • NESTO is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for
Israel
Tiyulim and Shabbatonim
THE TRAVEL DESK for making registration and receiving info of Israel
Center tiyulim. And, to help you - whether you live in Israel or are
visiting - plan private tiyulim and make in-Israel travel
arrangements. We will be happy to assist you from 9:00am-1:00pm on
Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Call Rochel at The
Travel Desk of the Israel Center, 566-7787 ext. 249; fax: 566-7876 •
tiyul@israelcenter.co.il
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 (or less). 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 leaving your message sooner.
What’s for lunch? When a tiyul says “bring your own lunch”, you can
buy one instead from the Israel Center Cafe. Call the TRAVEL DESK or
TIYUL HOTLINE up to the day before the TIYUL and request a box
lunch. 18š will get you a delicious sandwich (specify your
preference), a refreshing drink (specify regular or diet) and a
dessert. Your box will be ready for you when you board the bus.
TIYUL POLICIES Please note: We reserve the right to charge a
cancellation fee in case of last-minute cancellations. (Please speak
to Rochel at the Travel Desk when making reservations.) Also...
Price of tiyul is based on a minimum number of participants.
Students from Abroad Are your parents planning on visiting you some
time this year? If so, you want to speak to us! (566-7787 ext. 211
or 249). We have many attractive deals for them... and you. Let us
turn an ordinary “been there, did it” visit into an unforgettable,
special one!
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.
Israel Center In-House Shabbaton • Shabbat Parshat Korach -
M’vorchim • June 27-28; 220NIS members • 240NIS non-members •
Members who register during Iyar/May, 200NIS
Tuesday, May 27 8:00am-6:00pm, Nature & Man in Jerusalem’s Backyard;
Ne’ot Kedumim: The fascinating Biblical landscape park, Note: a
special internal bus will take us around to allow us to see more of
the park.; Park Canada: Walk along the aqueducts of ancient Emmaus;
overlook the Ayalon Valley, site of battles from the time of
Yehoshua bin Nun until the Six Days War; Megilat haEsh: Monumental
sculpture whose theme is recent Jewish history, from Holocaust to
establishment of the State and unification of Yerushalayim; Pilots’
Hill: Central memorial to our fallen airmen • Guide: David Magence •
120nis (non-members add 10nis) • Bring your own lunch and drinks
BOOKED
The Israel Council of Yisrael Hatzair & the Israel Center present...Shavuot;
4 nights, 5 days at the Kibbutz Lavi HotelWednesday to Sunday, June
4-8;
TIYUL Sunday, May 25, Kever Rachel and Jewish East J’lem;
9:00am-1:00pm • Depart for Kever Rachel; then to sites in Jewish
East J’lem – incl. Har Homa, Ras al Amud, Beit Orot on Mt. Scopus,
Kever Shimon Hatzadik • $40 p.p.
TIYUL Monday, May 26 • 8:30am-9:00pm • Jordan Valley • Shomron •
Ezer Mizion; Travel via new Mt. Scopus Tunnel, Maale Adumim, Jericho
bypass road and Gilgal; Jordan Valley – Mifgash HaBik’a – War of
Attrition, Alon Plan; drive by Mount Saraba; Tirzeh River Valley
(entry to Eretz Yisrael); Netzach Yehuda army base at Hamra (“Nahal
Haredi”) – subject to IDF approval; Alon Highway – Ma’aleh Efraim
overlook; Trans-Shomron Highway to Har Bracha – lunch at the
Yeshivat Hesder with Rav Eliezer Melamed; Har Grizim - view of
Shechem and Kever Yosef; Itamar – family organic homestead (time
per.); Gilad Hgwy, Kedumim & Karnei Shomron to Alfei Menashe hen on
to Bnei Brak. Dinner with Ezer Mizion at the Oranit Home for
children. Late evening return to Jerusalem [$80pp]
Hold these dates!
Wednesday, June 11, 10:00am-1:30pm • Israel Museum; Golden
Experience - a great day of culture, art & fun for all of our “Young
Seniors” (We don’t know any old people!); tour some special
galleries of the museum.Join others from all over Jerusalem for
coffee and cake and altogether experience a performance you’ll
enjoyin their coffee and cake auditorium. Guided tour of special
galleries of museum, entertainment, 36NIS members 45NIS non-members
• Meet at the Israel Museum
Sunday, June 15, 8:00am-6:00pm • Tiyul guided by Era Rapaport, a
great day at Stalagmites Cave and new & exciting places
Monday, June 30 • Rosh Chodesh Tammuz luncheon, Luncheon at noon;
guest Speaker: Rabbi Emaunel Quint; Tour of Yad Vashem with Rena
Quint
Sunday-Wednesday, July 6-9 • Summer Siesta at Ha’On Guest House on
the Kineret, Mehadrin meals,tours, swimming, activities and much
more
Monday, July 21 (morning) • Bread & Tefillin in Yerushalayim; Visit
Angel’s Bakery and Oter Yisrael, Fascinating physical & spiritual
food
For reservations at the hotels listed below or any other Israeli
hotels, please call Rochel directly at the Travel Desk 566 7787,
ext. 249. She'll be happy to accommodate you with any of your
requests.
Shavuot Specials
Thursday night - Friday - Friday night - Shabbat
Prices are per couple - full board
King Solomon, Jerusalem 2200NIS
Sheraton Towers, Tel Aviv 2090NIS
Renaissance, Jerusalem 2130NIS
Jerusalem Gold, Jerusalem 1850NIS
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
The Back Page of TT569
"Regular" Israel Center classes & lectures - 20NIS for members,
25NIS for non-mem. Life members, 5NIS (except for programs of/with
other organizations). 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
FRIDAY
Please note: Until Rosh HaShana we will be having an“Early Shabbat
Minyan” (if enough people want it) • Mincha will be 15 minutes
before PLAG (please be prompt) and Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv will
be after PLAG. This week: B’chukotai (5:52pm), B’chukotai (5:52pm),
Bamidbar (5:56pm), Naso (no minyan), B'haalotcha (6:02), Shlach
(6:04)
SHABBAT DAY
Shabbat Afternoon 5:00pm • Drinks • Mincha at 6:00pm • Shiur in
Pirkei Avot by Rabbi Alan Greenspan
Motza’ei Shabbat, May 24th, 9:30pm • Redeeming Captives; Redeeming
G-d: The Pollard Affair • Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher www.geocities.com\RabbiSprecher
Sunday thru Thursday
10:00am The Weekly Mitzvot and Concepts from Minchat Chinuch by
Rabbi Dovid Zitter
resumes June 4th Wednesday & Thursday mornings (Masechet Avoda Zara),
Gemara Shiur with Rabbi Moshe Gorelik
1:20pm Mincha (this time stays the same throughout the year)
after Shavuot Daf Yomi by Rabbi Shmuel Halpern
4:30pm Shiur in Masechet Beitza by Rabbi Hillel Ruvel
The above-mentioned shiurim are in English and take place in the
Ganchrow Beit Midrash (first floor, one flight up) • For men who
want to do some serious learning...
Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday • 12:30-1:30pm; Luch and Video of an
Israel center lecture in the Library
SUNDAY
9:30am (women) • Mystical Insights into the Months of the Year with
Golda Warhaftig
10:30am (women) • Let's learn Chumash • Tonia Frohwein
N'SHEI LIBRARY 10:30-12:45
11:30am (men & women) Parshat haShavua • Shprintzee Herskovits
Sunday, May 25th, 3:30-9:30pm • Root & Branch Association (in
cooperation with the Israel Center) - Root & Branch Lectures
3:30pm: “Oh, Mother Dear, Jerusalem” by Moshe Kohn Jerusalem Post
Columnist
5:00pm: “Confucius and Moses: China Encounters The Chosen People”,
Chinese Government Policies Towards Jews and Judaism through history
with emphasis on current policy towards Kaifeng Jews
6:30pm: “The Jewish State Through Chinese Eyes: China-Israel
Relations since 1949” Both 5:00 & 6:30 lectures by Professor Xu Xin,
Visiting Israel to receive an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan
University, Xu Xin is Professor of the History of Jewish Culture and
Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Nanjing University,
Editor-in-Chief and a major contributor to the Chinese edition of
the Encyclopedia Judaica, co-author of Legends of the Chinese Jews
of Kaifeng, Anti-Semitism: How and Why, A History of Western
Culture, The Jews of Kaifeng, China: History, Culture, and Religion.
8:00pm: “One State Solution Campaign” by Helen Freedman, Executive
Director, Americans for A Safe Israel
Breaks between lectures for Q&AInfo: rb@rb.org.il • NIS25 per person
(for any and all lectures), members NIS20, students NIS10
7:30pm • Jewish Thought as it emerges from the Torah with the help
ofRamban's Commentary • Now studying: MAN & WOMAN with Rabbi Chaim
Eisen
MONDAY
9:15am • men & women • excursions into the world of nevi'im with
Mrs. Pearl Borow
N'shei Library - 10:00am - 12:30pm
10:30am • men &women • Rambam's 13 Principle with Rabbi Zev Leff
11:36am • men & women • Jewish History - Bayit Sheni period:
68-69CE: R. Jochanan Ben Zakkai -The man for the moment? with Dr.
Henry Goldblum
May 26 • 11:36am (women) Why your prayers have power from Rav Haim
of Volozhin — Discussion with Aviva Nissim
SLIM FOR LIFE Group weight-loss program for women • No obligation
for the first session • Qualified nutritional advisor on hand • NOW
on Mondays, from 11:35am • Elisheva 999-6479
Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best! Exercise class for women of all
ages at the Israel Center, Gentle exercises to improve your
flexibility, circulation, posture, etc.Breathing and relaxation
skills to use every day. Beginner’s class starting Monday, May 26,
12:45-2:00pm. Satisfaction guaranteed! (bring a blanket or mat) •
For more information call: Sura Faecher: 9932524
3:00-5:00pm • Women's Beit Midrash; Acquire study skills and
knowledge crucial to your life as a Jew - join us! Guided Chavruta
study; In-Depth study of Chumash B’reishit with Rashi- Shiur by
Rabbi David Derovan
Women's Writing Workshop: Mondays 5:30-7:30pm with Ruth Fogelman and
Mindy Aber Barad (628 7359, 643 5276)
Dr. Zornberg’s class will resume IY”H after Shavuot;see schedule for
other programs
Monday, May 26th, 8:00pm • Author's evening with Leah
Abramowitzon“Stories of Nechama”
MASK - Mothers & Fathers Aligned Saving Kids; J'lem Chapter at the
OU Israel Center • Dr. Judy Belsky, PhD - Group Facilitator, Join us
at our next bi-weekly meeting -Monday, May 26, 8:00-9:30pm
TUESDAY
N'SHEI LIBRARY - 12:00-1:00pm
9:00-10:00am • The World of Mishna; Halacha, Hashkafa, and History
with Rabbi Aharon Adler
10:15-11:15am • Parshat HaShavua with Rabbi Sholom Gold
Yad Yaakov Center for Jewish Education classes at the Israel Center,
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30am; Call 051-639-921 for further information
9:00am • In-depth study of the weekly Haftara with Dr. Hayim
Abramson
9:55am • Brit Mila with Dr. HayimAbramson
10:50am • Parshat HaShavua with Rabbi Mordechai Spiegelman
The Israel Center and the Old City Free Loan Association • 14th year
• over 3000 loans granted • Gemach - Free Loan Society to provide
interest-free loans for people in financial distress. Interviews at
the Center on Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00 • Please bring ID
TUE 11:45am • Chabad insights into Parshat HaShavua and the Actualia
of Our Time (women only) with Raizel Zisk
Mother - daughter Bat Mitzvah course with Pearl Borow, call 5667787
x 261 for info. (begins, Tuesday May 27)
Tuesday May 27, 8:00-10:00pm • Anger and hate are natural symptoms,
but why letting them control you? Why letting them take over your
self control? You can overcome this and be their boss. Anger can be
controlled and released. Do you want to see how? The opportunity is
in your hands. Come to an evening about How to overcome anger with
TAT(Tapas Acupressure Technique) at Israel Center with Eliezer
Spetter TAT, EFT trainer • 40NIS per person
WEDNESDAY
9:30am • Towards a More Meaningful Davening with Dr. Joel Luber
10:30am • Break the Fear Habit... and LIVE! with Alan Romm
9:00-10:15am • Contemporary Problems in Jewish Law with Rabbi Macy
Gordon: “Is Ruth the Ideal Convert”
10:30-11:30am • Ruth & Revelation Studying
Shavuot and the Book of Ruth with Rabbi Sholom Gold
3:00pm • Women in Tanach with Mrs. Pearl Borow (see below)
3:00-5:00 • Women's Beit Midrash • Acquire study skills and
knowledge crucial to your life as a Jew - join us! Chavruta study &
Shiur
Options in Aging and the Israel Center are proud to present a New
Lecture Series for Senior Citizens:
May 28: Eating Wisely from Middle Age and Onward with Rebecca
Goldsmith
June 11: The New Tax Law and how it Effects elderly New Immigrants
with Mark Van Gelderen
June 18: Improving Intergenerational Relationships with Leah
Abramowitz
Wednesdays at 5:30pm • 20NIS Members • 25NIS non-members • per
lecture
7:30pm • Jewish Philosophy: Road Map to the Prophets - Rambam's
Guide for the Perplexed, Now studying: Rambam’s approach to Darchei
Emori and Segula with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
8-10pm • Aliya Counseling with Miriam Bass
THURSDAY
10:30am • Into the Depths of T’hilim with Rabbi David J. Derovan
Shmooze while you fold • Divrei Torah, verbal tidbits, Q&A,
and...with Phil (Some time IY”H sometimes B”N)
The Israel Center Men & Boy's choir: Watch for details of its
resumption
Thursday, May 29, 8:00pm, Leil Yom Yerushalayim; Maariv (Tehilim
122, regular davening with a festive tune, S’firat HaOmer, other
appropriate T’hilim, Aleinu, Ps. 126), D’var Torah, reading,
refreshments • Concert: EDEN MI’QEDEM, led by Sh’muel Nahum -
“Jewish Grooves & Rhythms from East & West”; Some of the Jewish
Music scene's most prominent musicians gather together in a new
ensemble with a unique blend of Middle Eastern melodies and rhythms,
Rock, and Carlebach nigunim. 25/20NIS p.p.
8:00pm • Stories from the Gemara with Reb Yosef Schreiber
8:30pm • The History of Zionism understood through the Teachings of
the Maharal; An AM SEGULA lecture series by Eli Yosef
TORAH TIDBITS AUDIO with Phil Chernofsky, Thursday nights,
10:10-11:00pm on Arutz-Sheva, 98.7FM and 1539AM, and on Arutz-7’s
website, live or archived on www.israelnationalnews.com
Friday
(May 30) 9:00am: Yom Yerushalayim: Yerushalayim:the Roots of its
Sanctity, based on the Kuzari with Rabbi Chaim Eisen • Refreshments
Upcoming at the Israel Center
Sunday, June 1st • Rosh Chodesh Sivan Luncheon; 12:30pm, Guest
Speaker: Menachem Persoff
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - June 1-3 • All seminars begin at 7:30pm •
Investment Seminars with Mark van Gelderen, Award-winning financial
educator
Sunday... The Israeli Tax reforms updated and how to legally
minimize tax exposure. A leading tax lawyer will explain and answer
the questions Olim and Tourists most commonly ask, plus strategies
for minimizing difficulties. - Mark, Eli Clark, Brent, Cina & staff
Monday... 10 Outstanding investments for difficult times; Capital
Protected investments so you have nice upside with little or no
downside. Investments with monthly (or better) liquidity that return
several times the bond rate but with lower volatility! Relatively
low risk investments that are doing 7-15% even in these hard times.
7-10% Income producing investments. - Mark, Allan, Brent, Cina &
Staff
Tuesday... Savings and investing in Israel, Banks, Bonds, the Share
market, and Real Estatefor both residential use and investing in
Israel. The best savings instruments in the Western World are right
here in Israel;and if you are not taking advantage of them you are
making life unnecessarily complicated! What is the story with the
local stock and funds market? A review of all the major issues in
buying, owning and selling a residence. The pros and cons of real
estate investing in Israel. Tabu Land as perhaps the ultimate
Israeli real estate investment. - Mark, Moshe, Deana, Brent, Cina &
Staff
Donation: 20NIS per class, all three for 40NIS • Call the Financial
Resource Network for details:(02) 622-3065 • 067-682-329 •
058-933-634 • These seminars are run by Mark van Geldren (627-4316)
and associates, at the Center.The Israel Center is not responsible
for the content or any outcome of these seminars.
Monday, June 2 8:00pm • Prof. Xu Xin from China on The Jewish
Diaspora in China
Tuesdady, June 10th, 8:30pm • An evening of inspiration and
entertainment for women by women with Tofa'ah
Shavuot Night at the Israel Center in cooperation with HaTzvi
Yisrael (Chovevei shul)
7:07 Candle lighting
7:25 Mincha
7:40 Mini-shiur
8:05 Maariv
8:30 Seudat Yom Tov (dairy) catered by Schocketino
10:30 Mini-shiur
11:00 Shiur by Rabbi David Epstein
12:00 Shiur by Rabbi Avi Weiss
1:00 Shiur
2:00 Shiur
3:00 Shiur
4:00 Get ready to walk to the Old City Walk to the Old City
Shacharit “on your own” (approx. 5:00)
or: 4:05 Mini-shiur at the Center, Walk to "Chovevei"
4:50 Megilat Ruth followed by
5:00 Shacharit k'Vatikin
Other speakers include Rabbi Eddie Abramson , Rabbi Dovid Zitter,
Phil and others
Advance reservations required for the meal; 100/110NIS, Reserve Now
Davening & Shiurim open to all.
OU ISRAEL CENTER Seymour
J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
Yitzhak Fund, President
Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Senior Vice President
Prof. Meni Koslowsky, Vice President
Harvey Tannenbaum, Secretary/Treasurer
Sandy Kestenbaum, Vaad member
Rabbi Eddie Abramson, Vaad member
Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Vaad Member
Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center
Phil Chernofsky, Educational Director and TT editor
Ita Rochel Russek, Production Assistant and Advertising Manager,
Torah Tidbits
22 Keren Ha'Yesod POB 37015 Jerusalem 91370
Phone: (02) 566 7787 Fax: (02) 561-7432
email: tt@ou.org
websites: www.ou.org/torah/tt and www.ou.org/israel/ic
Orthodox Union • National Conference of Synagogue Youth
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
Parshat B'chukotai Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]
