HALACHIC TIMES
Ranges are THU-THU 3-10 Iyar (May 12-19)
Earliest Talit & T'filin - 4:49-4:43am
Sunrise - 5:44-5:40am
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 9:09-9:07am (8:18-8:15am)
Sof Z'man T'fila - 10:18-10:15m (9:44-9:42am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 12:35½-12:35½pm
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 1:10-1:11pm
Plag Mincha - 6:02-6:05pm
Sunset - 7:32-7:37pm (7:27-7:32pm)

*Concerning "Earliest Shacharit", the time is actually the earliest time for Tallit & T'fillin. In extenuating circumstances, one may daven earlier than T&T time, but will have to do so without T&T, until their later time. A fast begins earlier than T&T time, namely Olot HaShachar.

Candle lighting (regular and earliest) and Havdala times - Israel Summer Time (DST) - Correct for TT 667 • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) - 7:47pm
6:53pm (6:02) Jerusalem 8:09pm
7:10pm (6:05) Gush Katif 8:11pm
7:09pm (6:04) Raanana 8:11pm
7:08pm (6:03) Beit Shemesh 8:10pm
7:10pm (6:04) Netanya 8:12pm
7:09pm (6:04) Rehovot 8:11pm
6:50pm (6:04) Petach Tikva 8:11pm
7:08pm (6:03) Modi'in area 8:10pm
7:08pm (6:03) Be'er Sheva 8:09pm
7:07pm (6:02) Gush Etzion 8:08pm
7:08pm (6:03) Ginot Shomron 8:10pm
6:53pm (6:02) Maale Adumim 8:08pm
7:04pm (6:03) Tzfat 8:11pm
7:07pm (6:02) K4 & Hevron 8:09pm

Jerusalem lights candles 40 minutes before sunset. (Except for those who don’t follow that custom.) Which sunset? Important question. The standard practice is to count 40 minutes before “sunset of elevation”. Jerusalem is a little over 800m above sea level. If one could see the sun set over a horizon at sea level (which can be done from some parts of J’lem), it would set about 5 minutes later than someone watching from sea level, or seeing the sun set beyond mountains that are approx. the same height as Jerusalem is. Since the sunset on the same plane is 5 minutes earlier, and for Shabbat purposes is the sunset we would have to consider because of the strictness of Shabbat, then J’lem candle lighting time is really only 35 minutes before “the other” sunset. All other places at some height above sea level have similar problems. Tzfat lights candles 30 minutes before sunset. Official candle lighting for Petach Tikva is 40 minutes before sunset, just like Jerusalem.

Not everybody holds by that timing. Some communities calculate Shabbat out at 33 minutes after sunset. Some use the angle of the sun below the horizon to “end Shabbat” (8.5 deg). Bottom line for now: until we get the chart running smoothly, don’t rely on it exclusively. Cross-check times with calendars and charts. Please report discrepancies to us, so that we can improve our time table. Also realize that Sfardim and Ashkenazim often has differences in minhag.

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...

The molad of Iyar was Sunday evening at 19h 8m 7p. That was 7:47pm on the clock, Israel Summer Time. Earliest time for Kiddush L'vana is 3 full days later, i.e. Wednesday, May 11th at 7:47pm. Sunset that evening is 7:27pm and it will be dark enough for K.L. around 7:50-ish, so it is sufficient to say that first op is Wednesday night, without qualifying that with a time. Just be careful not to jump the gun, for two reasons: until 7:47pm, 3 full days have not passed since the molad, and before that time, the moon on that night is not yet MEI'IR LA'ARETZ, illuminating the Earth.

Many people will wait until Motza'ei Shabbat to say K.L., but if you are a strict 7-days-after-the-molad person, your first op will be Sunday evening, May ,15th. On another topic, Iyar is one of the few months with another name: ZIV.

FYI The 5th of Iyar can fall on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Shabbat. However, when the 5th of Iyar is Friday or Shabbat, the observance of Yom HaAtzmaut is pulled back to Thursday, to avoid Shabbat problems. So Yom HaAtzmaut will be Thursday (as it is this year) almost 40% of the time. It is Wed. 28.5% of the time. And Mon. (?bumped to Tue.) almost 32% of the time.

Our Holidays are called MIKRA'EI KODESH because they call and pull us towards KEDUSHA (Chidushei HaRim)

Lead Tidbit
Even Now? Especially Now!
Have you heard anyone say: With what's going on in this country (the PM's disengagement plan and more), I'm not going to say Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut this year. How about - we're not going to say T'fila Lishlom HaMedina (the Prayer for the State of Israel) anymore. It's been said and it is as vexing and disturbing as it is very difficult to understand.

When more do we need to ask for G-d's protection and for Him to send His Light and His Truth to this country's leaders, ministers, and advisors? When more do we have to ask G-d to bring Jews from all over the world to our G-d given Land and to imbue in all of us - new Olim, Old time Olim, and native Israelis, love of G-d, unity of heart, commitment to Torah and Mitzvot? When more than now do we ask for Him to send the Mashiach and the Complete Redemption. That's what we ask for in the Prayer for the State. Why would anyone who loves this Land and its People... and, yes, the State, suggest withholding the T'fila Lishlom HaMedina?

And why would anyone who has thanked G-d for years for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz Yisrael after so many long years and generations of Exile and of foreign rule over this Land, think of stopping now that they are disenchanted (to say the least) with what is being planned?

The declaration of the State included the opening of the doors to Eretz Yisrael to all Jews who want to come and live in the Homeland promised to our ancestors for their descendants for all generations. For this alone, G-d should have our eternal gratitude. There is more Torah learned today in the State of Israel than anywhere else in the world at any time since we became a nation. We have so much to thank Him for and so much to ask of Him as well. And we must work hard to make things better, to hasten the Geula.

EMOR Stats
31st of 54 sedras; 8th of 10 in Vayikra
Written on 215 lines in a Sefer Torah (rank: 20th)
17 parshiyot; 11 open, 6 closed (above avg.)
124 p'sukim, rank: 15th; 1st in Vayikra
Same as Sh'mot, but shorter in words & letters Very very close in number of lines; but number of parshiyot affects line-count
1614 words, rank: 22nd; 2nd in Vayikra
6106 letters, rank: 23rd; 2nd in Vayikra
Relatively short p'sukim account for its drop in ranking in words and letters

Mitzvot:
63 of the 613 mitzvot; 24 pos. 39 prohibitions
Only Ki Tetze (with 74) has more mitzvot than Emor. And only K'doshim and Ki Teitzei are more "Mitzva- dense". Emor averages more than one mitzva every two p'sukim. Emor has almost five times as many mitzvot than average for the Torah.

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). X:Y is the perek and pasuk from which the mitzva comes.
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma respectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha.

Kohen - First Aliya - 15 p'sukim - 21:1-15
This Aliya is particularly appropriate for a kohein

[P> 21:1 (9)] Following Parshat K'doshim, which focuses on the challenge to the individual Jew and the whole Jewish community to rise to higher levels of sanctification, Emor begins with the special sanctity of the kohein, and the even higher sanctity of the Kohein Gadol. These higher levels of k'dusha are concomitant with stricter rules of personal religious conduct.

A kohen is not to become ritually defiled due to contact with a dead body [263,L166 21:1], except for his seven closest relatives: wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and (unmarried) sister. This is more than permission; a kohen is required to participate in the funeral and burial of his close relatives, becoming "Tamei" [264,A37 21:3].

Kohanim (and all Jews) are forbidden to afflict the body in any way as a sign of grief. [This is an example, among many, of a mitzva that appears in a particular sedra, but is counted elsewhere. In other words, Emor has even more than the "official" count of 63 mitzvot.]

Mitzva Watch
The Talmud teaches that from this same source, mitzva 264, comes the requirement, incumbent upon all Jews (not just kohanim), to mourn one's seven close relatives. It is important to note that this is not a case of rabbinic extension of Torah law or rabbinic legislation sanctioned by their obligation to "protect" Torah and mitzvot. This is more. This is part of the definition of the Torah's mitzva #264, as transmitted to us by the Talmud, the Oral Law. The Sages of the Talmud present us with two categories of Law - Torah Law, which includes the Written Word AND the Oral Law, and Rabbinic law. They not only teach us both, but they (most often) clearly differentiate between the two categories for us, so that we will know what is D'ORAITA and what is D'RABANAN, thereby neither adding to nor detracting from the Torah. Our commitment to G-d at Sinai includes careful adherence to Torah and Rabbinic Law (since the Torah requires us to listen to the rulings and teachings of the Sanhedrin). But it is important for us to know the difference so that we will not have a distorted view of the Torah. (There are also practical distinctions between Biblical and Rabbinic law.) Specifically, in the case of mourning, the first day is considered Torah Law, the balance of Shiva is Rabbinic.

Rabbinic, but inspired by the Torah. But that's not the same as Torah law itself.

Kohanim must be holy and avoid desecrating His Name, because they perform sacred service. This mitzva for the kohein is also taken to refer to the prohibition of doing Temple service after purification in a mikve, but before the day has completely passed [265, L76 21:6]. (Such a person is known as a T’VUL YOM. His complete purification is lacking only time.)

A kohen may not marry a "zona" (a non-Jew and/or a Jewish women who has had relations with a man who is forbidden to her) [266,L158 21:7], a "chalala" (the daughter of a kohen from a woman to whom he is forbidden because he is a kohen) [267,L159 21:7], nor a divorcee [268,L160 21:7].

Because of the sanctity invested in the kohen by HaShem, we are commanded to honor the kohen [269,A32 21:8]. Calling him to the Torah first is one manifestation of this honor. So is having him lead Birkat HaZimun. We may not "use" a kohen to serve us.

[S> 21:10 (6)] The Kohen Gadol has even more restrictions because of his higher sanctity. He may not defile himself to any dead person (even his parents - the only exception is a body that has no one to tend to it. This is known as a MEIT MITZVA) [271,L168 21:11] nor enter under a roof with a dead body [270,L167 21:11].The Kohen Gadol's sanctity derives from the anointing oil and/or the special garments. He is to marry a previously unmarried woman [272,A38 21:13]. He may not marry a widow [273,L161 21:14] nor any of the types of women that the regular kohen is forbidden to marry. He is further forbidden to have relations with a widow [274,L162 21:15], as this would contravene his sanctity.

The Kohen Gadol should (preferably) be smarter (better educated, wiser) than his fellow kohanim, bigger (taller) in build, and wealthier.

One of the Chassidic Masters gave a different spin to the phrase HaKohein HaGadol Mei'Echav (plain meaning is the Kohein who is greater than his brothers, viz. the Kohein Gadol). He said it is the Kohein whose greatness comes from his brothers (Mei'Echav), a Kohein respected and honored by his fellow kohanim.

Levi - Second Aliya - 25 p'sukim - 21:16-22:16
[S> 21:16 (9)] A kohen with a disqualifying blemish may not serve in the Mikdash [275,L70 21:17]. The Torah next identifies many of the disqualifying blemishes.

The rule applies not just to a permanent blemish or deformity, but even to temporary blemishes [276,L71 21:21]. A disqualified kohen may eat of the sacred foods (some but not all categories), but may not even enter the Mikdash [277,L69 21:23].

Clarification: A kohen baal mum (with a disqualifying blemish) is barred from the area of the Mikdash from the (external) Altar and inward, but may enter the outer area of the courtyard of the Mikdash, and even may perform some tasks.

[P> 22:1 (16)] Furthermore, a kohen who becomes "tamei" is temporarily barred from the Mikdash [278,L75 22:2], nor may he "approach" sacred foods. He may not eat T'ruma [279, L136 22:4] or other "kodoshim" while "tamei" from any of various sources. On the day of impurity (for the 1-day type) or on the last day (for the 7-day type), the kohen immerses in a mikve and, "with stars-out", he once again is allowed to eat T'ruma.

Not only may one not eat non-kosher meat, it also renders a kohen "tamei".

A non-kohen may not eat T'ruma [280, L133 22:10] (or other sacred foods specifically designated to the kohanim). Jewish servants and laborers of a kohen may not partake of T'ruma [281,L134 22:10]. OTOH, an "eved K'naani" who is considered part of the kohen's possessions, may eat his master's T'ruma. An uncircumcised male may not eat T'ruma (even if he has valid medical reasons for being uncircumcised) [282,L135 22:10]. This rule is not expressly stated in the text, but is learned by "parallel texts" from korban Pesach. It is nonetheless one of the 613 mitzvot, noteworthy, in that it is a mitzva with no direct "chapter & verse" to point to.

A kohen's daughter (and any woman) who has relations with someone to whom she is forbidden, may no longer eat T'ruma [283,L137 22:12]. This mitzva also includes the situation of a kohen's daughter who marries a non-kohen. During her marriage, she may not eat T'ruma. If her husband dies or divorces her, she may return to her father's home and eat T'ruma - if she has not had children. With children the fear is she might feed them (her children are NOT kohanim) from the T'ruma. Hence, she too is barred.

A person who inadvertently eats T'ruma must compensate the kohen by paying the value plus an amount which equals 1/5 of the payment. Eating "tevel" (produce from which none of the required separations was taken) is forbidden for all to eat [284,L153 22:15]. Violation constitutes a disgrace of the sacred.

Shlishi - Third Aliya - 17 p'sukim - 22:17-33
[P> 22:17 (9)] Animals offered as sacrifices must be blemish-free [285, A61 22:20]. It is forbidden to consecrate a blemished animal as a korban [286,L91 22:21].

It is also forbidden to make a blemish in a korban [287, L97 22:21]. Blemishes referred to are specifically defined by the Torah & Talmud. If a blemished animal is offered, it is additionally forbidden to sprinkle its blood on the Mizbei'ach [288,L93 22:22], or to slaughter (as a korban) a defective animal [289,L92 22:22] [289,L92], nor to place any of the animal's parts on the Mizbei'ach to burn [290,L94 22:22]

Castration of animals is forbidden [291,L361 22:24]. (This is a serious halachic issue related to house pets. Consult a Rav who knows these things for details.)
A defective animal may not be offered as a korban, even if received from a non-Jew [292,L96 22:25].

[S> 22:26 (8)] From this point through chapter 23, is the Torah reading for the first day of Sukkot (second day as well, outside of Israel) and the second day of Pesach (our first day of Chol HaMoed. Second day Yom Tov in Chutz LaAretz)

A new-born animal stays with its mother for 7 days and only thereafter may be used as a korban [293,A60 22:27].

It is forbidden to slaughter (as korban or for personal use) an animal and its offspring on the same day [294,L101 22:28].

The Torah, once again reminds us that korbanot to be eaten have time limits which must not be exceeded.

Until this point in the sedra, the Torah has dealt with the sacrificer (kohein) and the sacrificee (animals). It now changes gears and we find another meaning of the word sacrifice, as in being willing to die in sanctification of G-d's Name.

We may not desecrate G-d's Name [295,L63 22:32]; we must sanctify His Name [296,A9 22:32]. These mitzvot have many facets. A Jew is required to give up his life rather than violate one of the "big three": murder, incest/adultery and idolatry. In times of "forced conversion", martyrdom is required even for the "least" violation.

MitzvaWatch
Our Sages have broadened the scope of this very significant mitzva-pair: Kiddush/Chilul HaShem. In addition to Martyrdom, one who violates any prohibition in a spiteful manner, esp. in public, is considered to be disgracing G-d's Name. Conversely, the special way in which a person can perform a mitzva, when esteem for mitzvot in the eyes of other people is enhanced, when respect for Torah and Torah-Jews is increased, then that person has not only performed a mitzva - he has sanctified G-d's Name. This same idea is extended to any facet of human behavior. The religious Jew (or the Jew who appears to be religious) has the constant potential of Kiddush (or Chilul) HaShem. Simple acts of common courtesy or discourtesy can have far-reaching ramifications, depending upon who is involved, who is watching, how things are perceived, etc.

R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 22 p'sukim - 23:1-22
[P> 23:1 (3)] Chapter 23 in Vayikra is the "Portion of the Holidays". It begins with the statement: "These are the Festivals..." Shabbat is presented as the first of the Holidays (we designate it so in Kidush on Friday night when we say that Shabbat is in commemoration of the Exodus and is the first of the "days called Holy").

[P> 23:4 (5)] On the 14th day of Nissan, the Korban Pesach is brought. On the 15th, begins the Matza Festival (which we call Pesach), “requiring” matza for 7 days.

The first is a holy day with most forms of "melacha" forbidden [297,298;A159,L323 23:7].

(In each case of a Yom Tov, there is a positive command to abstain from "melacha", and a prohibition against doing "melacha").

Korban Musaf is to be brought on the 7 days of Pesach [299,A43 23:8]. The seventh day is Yom Tov [300,301; A160,L324 23:8].

[P> 23:9 (6)] Following the 1st day of Pesach, the Omer (barley-offering) is brought [302,A44 23:10]. Special korbanot are offered on the day of the Omer. One may not eat different forms of new grains until the bringing of the Omer [303,304,305;L189,190,191 23:14].

[S> 23:15 (8)] We are to count from the day of the bringing of the Omer a period of 7 weeks - 49 days [306, A161 23:15]. The Torah says 50 days, but we understand it to mean "up to but not including" (because it also says 7 full weeks, and 50 is not divisible by 7, but 49 is).

Following the 49th day, a special offering of two loaves from the new wheat is to be offered [307,A46 23:16] [307,A46]. This is on the holiday of Shavuot which has "melacha" restrictions [308,309;A162,L325 23:21]. This Aliya ends with the reminder of the gifts of the field that must be left for poor people.

Why mention these mitzvot in the midst of the portion of the Holydays? Rashi quotes R’ Avdimi: He who gives gifts to the poor in a proper manner is considered equal to one who builds the Beit HaMikdash and offers the Festival sacrifices therein.

Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 23:23-32
[P> 23:23 (3)] The 1st day of the 7th month (Tishrei) is holy (Rosh Hashana), "melacha" being forbidden [310,311; A163,L326 23:24,25]. Special Musaf sacrifices are brought [312,A47 23:25], in addition to the Rosh Chodesh Musaf. Note that Shofar is not counted here, but in Parshat Pinchas. Here Rosh HaShana is referred to as ZICHRON T'RU'A, a remembrance of the T'ru'a. In Pinchas, the Torah tells us to have a "T'ru'a day" - that is the command to blow Shofar [405,A170].

Zichron T'ru'ah is the term we associate with RH when it falls on Shabbat and we do not blow the Shofar by rabbinic decree. It fits then that Shofar should not be counted as a mitzva here in Emor. Furthermore, one commentator suggests that the silent Shofar came first because the first Rosh HaShana after Matan Torah was a Shabbat.

[P> 23:26 (7)] The 10th of Tishrei is Yom Kippur. One must fast [313,A164 23:27]. There is a Korban Musaf to be brought on Yom Kippur [314,A48 23:27], (in addition to the Yom Kippur service described in "Achrei"). Eating or drinking (without a valid excuse) is punishable by excision (death and more, from Heaven).

Similarly, ALL "melacha" is forbidden [315,L329 23:28], as are to eat and drink on Yom Kippur [316,L196 23:29]. We must abstain from (Shabbat-like "melacha on Yom Kippur [317,A165 23:32].

"...On the ninth of the month in the evening, from evening to evening, observe your Shabbat." From here the Gemara teaches up the concept of Tosefot Shabbat and Yom Tov, which we partly observe by counting the time from sunset to stars-out as Kodesh on both ends of the day.

Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 12 p'sukim - 23:33-44
[P> 23:33 (12)] The 15th of Tishrei is Sukkot, a 7-day holiday. "Melacha", (referring to most of the Shabbat restrictions, with the well-known exceptions) is forbidden on its 1st day [318,319;A166,L327 23:35]. Musaf sacrifices are to be brought on each of the 7 days [320,A50 23:36]. The 8th day (sometimes Shmini Atzeret,a.k.a. Simchat Torah, is viewed as its own holiday; sometimes as the 8th day of Succot) is also a Yom Tov [321,322; A167,L328 23:36] with korban musaf of its own [323,A51 23:36].

These are the Holidays, besides the Shabbatot of the year and other offerings to the Beit HaMikdash. It is at the harvest time in the fall that Succot is to be celebrated.

On the 1st day we are required to take the 4 species (a lulav, etrog, hadasim, aravot) [324,A169 23:40].

During the holiday of Sukkot, we are to dwell in sukkot [325,A168 23:42]. This is in order to instruct all generations about the aftermath of the Exodus when we were privileged to Divine protection in the wilderness.

The standard understanding of the portion of the Holydays is that the “list” begins with Shabbat, as mentioned above. There is an interesting other way to understand the situation, attributed to the GR”A. Six days you shall work refers to the six holy days that some Melacha is permitted - 1 & 7 Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh HaShana, 1 & 8 Sukkot. But on the seventh (holy day), it is “Shabbat”, i.e. Yom Kippur. In other words, Shabbat is not part of this whole chapter. This novel analysis of the wording in the p'sukim helps explain why "these are Mo'adei HaShem..." is repeated. First there is a summary, then the details. On the other hand, in Friday night kiddush, we call Shabbat the beginning of the days called Holy. T'CHILA L'MIKRA'EI KODESH. And Shabbat's description as ZEICHER LITZIYAT MITZRAYIM, commemorative of the Exodus, also puts it on the list of the holidays.

Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 23 p'sukim - 24:1-23
[P> 24:1 (4)] G-d tells Moshe to command the people to prepare pure virgin olive oil for lighting the Menora, always. The lamps of the Menora burned through each and every night, right outside the dividing curtain (Parochet) between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.

SDT The juxtaposition of the Festivals and the lighting of the Menora is taken as a hint to Chanuka from the Torah. What even makes the point stronger is the Torah's stress on the concept that the lights of the Menorah are constant, eternal, always, through the generations. The Menorah of the Beit HaMikdash has not made it through the generations. The Chanuka lights have!

[P> 24:5 (5)] We are also to take fine flour and bake 12 loaves (matza rules) which are placed on the Shulchan in the Mikdash. This too was a permanent fixture in the Beit HaMikdash. The loaves were exchanged weekly, on Shabbat (having been baked on Friday, unless it was a Yom Tov - then the baking was on Erev Yom Tov). The kohanim on duty would share the loaves that were replaced by the new ones.

[S> 24:10 (3)] The Torah next tells us of the son of a Jewess and an Egyptian who "blessed" G-d's name. He was incarcerated pending word from G-d on how to punish him. The command was to stone him to death. This is to be the punishment for "blessing G-d".

The Midrash says that the Egyptian father of the blasphemer was the one that Moshe killed and hid in the sand.

So too, murder is a capital offense. Killing an animal requires compensation to the owner. Causing injury to a person requires compensation based on factors resulting from the injury.

The execution of the "curser" was carried out, as commanded by G-d through Moshe.

The three last p’sukim are repeated for the Maftir.

Haftara - 17 p'sukim - Yechezkeil 44:15-31
Yehezkel, himself a kohen whose early days were spent in the Beit HaMikdash, prophesies the rebuilding of the Mikdash and the restoration of the active kehuna. He reiterates many of the rules of the kohen, many of which are based in Parshat Emor. It is interesting to note that some of his rules are stricter than required by Torah law, but suited the conditions of his time. For example, Yechezkeil restates the marriages permitted and forbidden to a kohen. He says that a kohen cannot marry a divorcee (correct) nor a widow (this is not so according to the Torah; only the K.G. may not marry a widow). But he adds that a kohen may marry a widow of a kohen. Apparently, by not allowing a kohen of the time to marry a widow of a non-kohen, the community would take care of its widows (from kohanim) in a better way. To apply the halachic details to the future, on a permanent basis is problematic in light of the immutability of the Torah. They can be considered "for the moment" or possibly they could be "suggested" strict measures.

THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW - Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson # 283 •Laws Regarding Stealing
Beginning with this lesson and continuing for several more lessons we shall be discussing the laws of stealing and then the laws of robbery. There are many differences in halacha between stealing and robbery. Stealing is generally done without the victim’s being aware or it at the time of the theft (that is, usually done secretly); robbery usually is done openly with the victim being aware of the robbery.

The Prohibition Against Stealing
Maimonides in his introduction to The Laws Concerning Theft lists seven commandments regarding theft, two positive and five negative. (1) not to steal anyone’s property; (2) to administer the laws of theft; (3) to maintain accurate scales and measures; (4) not to act dishonestly regarding weights and measures; (5) not to possess extra [dishonest] weights and measures, even if one does not use them for buying and selling; (6) not to move a boundary line; and (7) not to abduct human beings.

The basic commandment is found in the verse, “You shall not steal, you shall not deny falsely, and you shall not lie to one another” (Vayikra 19:11) Thus if one steals anything having value of at least a p'ruta [the smallest coin] one transgresses the commandment no to steal.

There is no flogging administered for transgressing this commandment, since the part relating to the victim may be undone by making restitution.

The prohibition against stealing applies equally against stealing from a Jew or from a Gentile, from an adult or from a minor.

It is prohibited to steal anything, however small its value. It is prohibited to steal in jest or to steal an object with the intent of restoring it to its owner, or with the intention of paying for it and for paying the victim the double penalty or to distress the victim. All these things are prohibited so that a person will not get accustomed to stealing. The Torah also provides for a thief to have to pay the double penalty if there were witnesses to the theft and certain criteria were met.

The Act of Thievery
The theft commences as soon as the thief acquires the object he is stealing. An object is stolen the same way an object is acquired if purchased. If the thief lifts the object he steals it the moment he lifts the object even in the premises of the owner or in a private place. He has transgressed the prohibition not to steal.I f he steals he object by drawing it to him, the theft occurs when the object is drawn into the premises of the thief or to a side street that is not frequented by many people or premises belonging to both the thief and the victim.

If the object, such as an animal, enters upon the premises of the thief and he intends to steal it, the theft occurs immediately if the premises are guarded by a fence around it, even if he thief is not present. If the object is on his premises, such as landing there by mistake, as when someone, the owner or another drops it there, the theft occurs if the thief is present and intends to steal it.

Paying for the Theft
When the thief has to make restitution for what he stole there are differing opinions.

There is one opinion that holds that payment may be made by the thief paying in cash or in kind, or by transferring real estate of that value to the owner. These payments in kind may be made even if the thief has cash. If the payment is made by transferring real estate it must be made from the highest-quality land of the thief. There is another opinion that if the thief possesses cash or real estate, he is not permitted to pay in kind. I think that in our times the latter opinion should be followed. If the thief does not have assets to make restitution, the amount owed becomes a debt and can be collected any time without limit.

Accomplices to the Theft
If two persons steal an object, they are jointly liable for the entire value of the stolen object. Even if one has fled or has no assets to pay for the theft, the victim may collect the entire amount of the theft from either thief.

Levi, a witness, saw Reuven enter onto Shimon’s premises and steal an object. The object came into the hands of Levi. If Levi is certain that Reuven stole the object, Levi must return the object to Shimon. If Levi returns the object to Reuven, he must pay Shimon for the object. If Levi loses the object, Shimon may collect the compensation from either Reuven or Levi. However, if Levi is not certain that Reuven stole the object from Shimon, as for example, Reuven, before taking the object from Shimon’s premises, informs Levi that the object is Reuven’s and he is retrieving his own object. Then if Levi returns the object to Reuven, Shimon cannot sue Levi, since Levi was told by Reuven that the object was his and Levi does not know otherwise. Shimon must sue Reuven. But if Levi returns the object to Shimon, Reuven can sue Levi, since Levi had no right to return the object to Shimon once Reuven claims the object was his. Levi may not help Shimon at the expense of Reuven. Levi should have brought a lawsuit in Beth Din naming both Reuven and Shimon and let Beth Din decide who should get the object.

A reported case of the 13th century involved the following facts: Shimon sues Reuven for stealing books from Shimon’s library. Reuven’s defense is that the books he took belong to his cousin Shimon’s daughter-in-law Sarah, and she claims the books were hers but were too heavy for her to carry them out of Shimon’s house and she asked Reuven to help her. Reuven admits that he does not know who is the rightful owner of the books, Sarah or her father-in-law Shimon. Also Reuven pleads that he did not lift the books in the first instance, but rather Sarah did and then Reuven carried them out of the house of Shimon. It was held that Shimon can collect the value of the books from either Sarah (who now has the books in her possession) of from Reuven. Reuven’s defense that he does not know whose books they are, is not valid, since the books were in Shimon’s house and are therefore presumed to be his. Also, although the actual stealing of the books came when Sarah picked them up, since she could not have taken the books out of the house of Shimon since they were too heavy for her to carry, Reuven was an active accomplice in the theft. However, if Sarah, once she lifted the books could have carried them out by herself, Reuven is not deemed an active accomplice although he helped her, and is not liable to Shimon for the value of the books. However, if Reuven had the books in his possession, he would have to return them to Shimon.

The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed in volume IX chapters 348 of A Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law by E. Quint. Copies of all volumes can be purchased via email: orders@gefenpublishing.com and via website: www.israelbooks.com and at local Judaica bookstores. Questions to quint@inter.net.il

Meaning in Mitzvot
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 by Rabbi Asher Meir
Counting the Omer
From the day following Pesach until the day before Shavuot, we count the 50 days of Omer. The name Omer comes from the measure of barley offered in the Mikdash on the day after Pesach. The count continues until Shavuot, when the special two loaves are brought. Both of these offerings are unusual. The Omer offering is unusual because it is made from barley, an inferior grain usually used for animal food and thus unfit for the Temple. The only other time it is brought is for the sotah, the woman suspected of the bestial act of adultery. The two loaves are unusual because they are from chametz, leavened bread, whereas almost all other offerings are from matza. (The main exception is the todah or thanksgiving offering.)

The Omer offering coincides each year with the Pesach holiday, when all leavened matter is forbidden. Historically, this period recalls the time from the Exodus from Egypt at Pesach until the giving of the Torah at Shavuot.

One common theme tying these ideas together is the idea of first overcoming and then harnessing our material urges, symbolized by leaven or yeast.

Slavery in Egypt represents subjugation to our material urges; thus the offering brought at Pesach is animal food. We first have to overcome these desires; this is symbolized by the seven days of Pesach when all leaven is forbidden. Then we slowly learn to harness our material desires in the service of holiness; this is represented by the rest of the S'firah period when leaven is permitted and ultimately by the two loaves of Shavuot, representing the ability given to us at Mount Sinai to completely subordinate our material existence to holiness through the commandments.

Rav Natan of Breslav ties these ideas together in a somewhat different and highly instructive way. In his exposition, the key characteristic of animals is not their material nature but rather their inarticulateness - only man has the ability to speak. The progression is not from bestial involvement in the world to separation from the world and then on to sanctified involvement, but rather from bestial silence to speech and then on to sanctified silence.

At the level of the individual, the progression is as follows: the bestial silence represents a person who is so ashamed of his sinful nature that he is speechless. Afterwards a person begins to repent and overcome his shame; he obtains the gift of speech. Finally the fully righteous person reaches a level where he is able to maintain silence even in the face of insults and setbacks. This is not the silence of shame and weakness but on the contrary, the silence of perfect inner strength which is not shaken by adversity. - (Based on Likutei Halakhot Breslav, Laws of S'fira 1)

A parallel progression of lower silence-speech-higher silence, only hinted at in Rav Natan's exposition, was experienced by the nation as a whole. Chasidic literature often refers to the "exile of speech" experienced by the Jewish people in Egypt. An indication of this state in the revealed Torah is the verse, "And the children of Israel groaned from the labor, and they cried; and their plea rose to G^d because of their work" (Sh'mot 2:23). The "prayer" of the slaves was not an articulate prayer addressed to G^d, but rather an inarticulate and undirected groan or sigh which then spontaneously rose to Him.

With the exodus from Egypt, our power of speech was redeemed. In the revealed Torah we see this from the song of the Sea, which was sung by the entire people.
Finally, at the giving of the Torah we obtained a level of spiritual insight that is completely above speech, a higher vision that is completely ineffable. This level too is discernible in the written Torah. One manifestation is the slightly differing wordings of the two versions of the Ten Commandments, which were heard directly by the people. (Sh'mot 20, Devarim 5.) Our Sages explain that the "words" heard by the people were a kind of higher speech which encompassed varying wordings. (We refer to this in the Lecha Dodi hymn when we mention "shamor vezachor bedibur echad", "keep and remember [the Shabbat] in a single saying'".) An even clearer example is the statement that the people "saw the voices" (Sh'mot 20:15), indicating that our perception of these "voices" was above the level of ordinary speech.

TANACH
Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach; JOSHUA, JUDGES, SAMUEL, KINGS (Nevi'im Rishonim) by Dr. Meir Tamari
Righteousness & Kingship [9] Why on Shavuot [3]?
There is a another reason for reading Megillat Ruth on Shavuot, one that actually has nothing to do with Ruth, her personality, her Chesed, nor with the agricultural gifts to the poor nor with Bikurim. It has everything to do with the Oral Law, the Torah She'b'al Peh that we received on Shavuot from Heaven at the Revelation at Mt. Sinai, together with the Written Law of Moses. Often the term Torah She'b'al Peh that is fundamental and special to Judaism, is translated as the commentary or explanation of the Written Torah but that seems to be too limited a definition. Rather, more correctly we should see it as the means of implementing the latter; that is the purpose of halakha. It seems only right therefore that Z'man Matan Torah should be more involved with the centrality of Torah She'b'al Peh to implementing Judaism than any other Chag. During the Mishnaic times there was much controversy concerning the validity of Torah She'b'al Peh between the Sadducees who, like the early Christians, the Karaites and their modern variations, denied the authority of the Oral Law and the Pharisees, who like us today, live according to it. A number of these controversies centered on Shavuot and on Ruth, therefore it is appropriate that this Megila should be read in the synagogue on this day.

Of all the Chagim, only Shavuot in the Torah does not have a fixed date. Rather it comes 7 full and complete weeks after the offering of the Omer; only the Torah She'b'al Peh fixed the Chag on the 6th of Sivan. "And you shall count from the day after the Shabbat, from the day you brought the Omer seven full weeks..."

(Vayikra23:15). The Sadducees read this verse telling about the offering of the Omer and the counting until Shavuot as starting from the Sunday after the first day of Pesach. That meant that Shavuot, 7 weeks later, would fall every year on a different date depending on what day of the week Pesach started and not always on Vav Sivan. The Rabbis reading "the Shabbat" in the above verse according to the Oral Law understood it as referring not only to Shabbat but also in certain circumstances to the Chag, which was also a day of rest. So the Omer had to be brought on the 16 of Nissan, the day after Pesach irrespective of which day of the week that was. And then, 7 weeks later on the 6th of Sivan was Shavuot. According to the Pharisees, therefore, the Oral Law fixed the date for Shavuot every year irrespective of what day of the week Pesach fell; so we practice today.

However, there was more to this argument. According to Torah She'b'al Peh the reaping of the Omer could be on Shabbat when Pesach fell on a Friday; "Since this offering is fixed it overrides Shabbat" (Rambam 7). This being possible when the months were fixed according to witnesses and not, as today, according to a calendar which precludes such a possibility. The date of the bringing of the Omer was of paramount importance to all Israel since the grain of the new harvest only became permitted for use once the Omer was offered. In view of this it was necessary to demonstrate the validity of the Oral Law in this respect. So the Rabbis made the reaping of the Omer the occasion of a large public ceremony. "The reaper says to the crowd, "Is it dark [since the Omer has to be reaped at night even as we count Omer at night]? And the crowd answered yes. Is this a sickle? And the crowd answered yes. Is this a box [to gather the reaped barley]? And the crowd answered yes. Is it Shabbat [where appropriate]? And the crowd answered yes. Shall I reap? And the crowd answered reap" Each question was repeated 3 times and each time the crowd answered loudly 'yes'" (Rambam Hilkhot Temidim Umusafim 7:3-21).

Now this relationship between the Oral Law and Shavuot is paralleled by the teaching of Torah She'b'al Peh regarding David's ancestry and the legitimacy of Ruth's conversion and marriage. The question revolved round the possibility of accepting converts from Moav, since the Torah had written: " An Amonnite and Moabite shall not enter the congregation of Hashem, even the tenth generation shall not enter the congregation In that they did not welcome you with bread and water… And they hired Bilaam to curse you... You shall not seek their welfare nor their peace" (D'varim 23:4-7). Torah She'b'al Peh teaches that the text clearly referred only to the men and thereby this excluded the women of Moab from the restriction. In the course of the years this halakha was forgotten so that in the days of Ruth there were those like the kinsman who refused to accept even the women from Moab; the Bet Din of Boaz clarified the Din according to the Oral Law. So Ruth's conversion and her marriage were valid. Then later in the days of David, the Bet Din of Do'eg the Edomite was confronted with the same problem. The principle of Torah She'b'al Peh that a Moabite was forbidden but a Moabitess was permitted - Moavi but not Moaviya - had to be reaffirmed so the Prophet Samuel wrote Megilat Ruth to make the halakha clear by telling of David HaMelech's kosher ancestry.

"The Avnei Nezer wrote that Sefer Devarim stood midway between the Written Torah and Torah She'b'al Peh. Simcha Bunem taught that one should devote much time to its study since it was written in the human speech of Moshe. Therefore its laws, morals and recounting of Israel's wanderings are easily grasped and followed by human beings. That is true also of the Oral Law so that its halkhot, agadot, midrashim, musar and hashkafa are more accessible and understandable to us than the hidden majesty and secrets of the Words of G-d in the Written Law" (Shem Mi Shmuel).
This is the 82nd installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times”

MISC section - contents:
[1] Vebbe Rebbe
[2] Candle by Day
[3] From Aloh Naaleh
[4] MicroUlpan
[5] A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit
[6] Parsha Points to Ponder
[7] Pirkei Avot
[8] G'matriya Match plus...
[9] Torah from Nature
[10] From the desk of the director

[1] 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, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...

Q: Is it permitted to put on strips that whiten the teeth on Shabbat?

A: Let us make sure that we are referring to the same thing. Home-use, teeth-whitening strips are adhesives similar to a band-aid with an active ingredient of peroxide or another bleaching agent. One uses each one for about half an hour per day and the treatment, lasting a couple weeks, causes the teeth to be significantly whitened.

We must investigate two melachot (categories of forbidden work on Shabbat) regarding whitening teeth. One is MELABEN, which is literally, whitening. The other is TZOVEI'A, coloring.

Classic MELABEN, as found in the Mishkan, was the whitening of wool, done by removing the impurities that got on the wool while it was on the sheep. The toladot (Torah-level extension of the melacha) apply to washing different fabrics. However, MELABEN does not apply to hard objects that do not absorb (Mishna Berura 302:41),including teeth.

TZOVEI'A applies to the coloring of even hard objects. If the color lasts for a long time, there is a Torah-level prohibition, and if for a moderate amount of time, it is forbidden only rabbinically (see Rambam, Shabbat 9:13 & "The 39 Melochos", pg. 740). In any case, the teeth whitening lasts for a relatively long time.One factor that limits the applicability of TZOVEI'A here is the fact that the colored object is the human body. R. Eliezer and Rabbanan (Shabbat 95a) argue if it is forbidden from the Torah to color the human body. We accept Rabbanan's opinion that it is not a Torah prohibition (Rambam, Shabbat 22:23- see Minchat Chinuch32:16). However, there is still a rabbinic violation. Therefore, for example, it is forbid- den for women to put on many types of makeup on Shabbat.

Is whitening teeth (which is done chemically) analogous to adding a layer of color to the surface? Acharonim assume that it does not make a difference how an action causes an object's color to change. For example, the Minchat Yitzchak (V, 32) says that one may not purposely suntan on Shabbat, because it brings about an intentional coloring of the skin. Similarly, while most poskim allow going outside with photo-gray lenses (which get darker in brighter light), they do not base themselves on the fact that the change is chemical (see Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchata 18:18). A Talmudic basis for this concept exists in Rashi's under- standing of the mishna (Shabbat 94b), which is accepted as halacha by the Shulchan Aruch (OC 303:25). There it prohibits placing a type of dough on the skin that causes a red mark to develop.

One might argue that bleaching is not coloring but neutralizing "impurities" and allowing the white, which indicates the absence of elements that absorb light, to remain unhindered. However, this is apparently not a correct halachic analysis. The strips do not scrape off particles and allow a lower, white layer to be visible.Rather, they chemically alter the normal color of one's teeth to a brighter than usual shade of white. How one changes an object to any color, including white, is halachically unimportant. It is even possible that removing a layer to uncover a desired color below is TZOVEI'A (so implies "The 39 Melochos," pg. 749).

Another lenient claim is that a single application may not make a noticeable difference. It is true that it takes at least a week for the full impact. However, it seems that the user has reason to expect a given application to have some effect, perhaps even a noticeable one, as he intends. Also, the pace of progress varies based on different factors. Thus, it is hard to use this as a reliable leniency.

Therefore, we believe that one should not use the teeth-whitening strips on Shabbat, which should not be an impediment to completing the treatment. (We did not deal with the issue of using adhesives that must be removed from their base. This is similar to issues regarding diapers and band-aids (see instructions in Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchata 15:81 and 35:20-28)).
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 info@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Subscribe/English (for the English version) or Subscribe/Hebrew (for the hebrew version). Please leave the subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel

[2] Candle by Day
Some abandon a project when the reason for its having been initiated no longer exists, forgetting that there may be many other good reasons for its continuance.
From A Candle by Day by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

[3] CHIZUK and IDUD (for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively)
Parshat Emor discusses the concept of MO'ED. Usually translated as "festival," mo'ed actually means both "time" and "place." That is, Jewish holidays are the time and place we "get together" with God, to relive history, to celebrate, to lament, to recharge our spiritual identities.

The opening pasuk in this section reads: "Hashem's mo'adim that you designate and proclaim as holy assemblies - these are My mo'adim." Rav S.R. Hirsch asks: Why does the verse repeat the fact that these are mo'adim? Why not simply say: "These are the Festivals of the year," and then list them? He answers that Jewish holidays are never unilaterally imposed upon us. True, Hashem ordains these days and imbues them with holiness. But they only become real when WE become God's partner and declare them holy, when WE celebrate their particular mitzvot and minhagim. Neither God nor the Jewish People alone can create a Chag! So the pasuk quotes God as saying: "These are holy days, as far as I am concerned. And if you - Israel - will also proclaim them as such, then they will really become Festivals.

If this is true of the Chagim, it is also true of Eretz Yisrael. The Land is here eternally; it's not going anywhere. But it waits for US to come and inhabit it, work it, transform it, sanctify it. So, too, Yerushalayim shel Ma'ala is already built, just waiting until we do what it takes to "bring it down" to Yerushalayim shel Mata. Without our participation, nothing happens.

For the Jewish People - who faithfully waited 2000 years for the opportunity to reclaim Israel and usher in a new Golden Age of Judaism - this is both the time AND the place to fulfill our Divine Destiny.

Rabbi Stewart Weiss, Ra'anana

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

[4] MicroUlpan
GENERATOR, in electricity, machine used to change mechanical energy into electrical energy. And how do you say generator in Hebrew? In common usage it is GENERATOR, borrowed from English, of course, but with a hard-G (as in get) rather than the soft-G or George, and a short-A. The slang PAK-PAK is also used, taken from the sound a gasoline-generator makes at start-up. The proper word is M'CHOLEL

[5] A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit
R' Yitzchak Elchanan would go for a walk through his town on Shabbos afternoons, accompanied by his shamash. As they walked they saw a man approaching them with a lit cigarette in his mouth. As soon as the man saw them, he hurriedly got rid of his cigarette and began to saunter along casually toward them. As he came abreast of the rabbi, he addressed him and said: "Good Shabbos, rabbi." "And to you too," said R' Yitzhak Elchanan with warmth.
After the man had passed, the shamash became furious and said, "A public sinner! How dare he? He deserves to be whipped!"
"Leave him be," said R' Yitzhak Elchanan. "We should do everything in our power to draw him closer to us. After all he still has one tremendous attribute. He respects rabbis and is ashamed when meeting them. If we decided to alienate him from us, not only will he continue doing what he does now, but he will begin to deliberately flaunt all the laws."

Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series for ArtScroll: Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit; and" Wisdom and Wit" — available at your local Jewish bookstore (or should be).
Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder

[6] Parsha Points to Ponder -for EMOR:
1) The Parsha begins with the seemingly redundant phrase, SPEAK TO THE KOHANIM... AND YOU SHOULD SAY TO THEM (21:1). Rashi explains that this teaches that the Kohanim should make sure that their children do not become contaminated. Why does this specific mitzva require a special warning regarding the children?
2) The Torah instructs us to count the omer on THE DAY AFTER THE SHABBAT (23:15) which, according to Chazal, refers to the first day of Pesach. Why is the first day of Pesach called SHABBAT?
3) Why does the Torah repeat the laws of Pei'ah and Leket in this Parsha (23:22), especially since it uses precisely the same words used for these commands in last week's Parsha (19:9)?

Last week's Parsha Points to Ponder (for K'doshim)
(1) Rashi comments that the opening words of the Parsha, KEDOSHIM T'HIYU were taught at Hakhel, when the entire nation gathered together. Why was this setting necessary for this teaching?
Nesivos Shalom answers that reaching the level of Kedusha requires G-d's assistance. We can take the first steps, but ultimately, it is a super-human quality which G-d grants as a gift. However, no individual can merit such a gift. It can only come through the power of the unity of a group. That message is symbolically captured by the mitzva being presented at Hakhel.
(2) Why does the Torah say that ISH, man, must fear his parents (19:3)?
The Netziv understands that the word ISH refers to a person of great stature. Even a person who as exceeded the greatness of his parents must continue to fear them and treat them with awe.
3) Why does the Torah use the word, AMITECHA (your friend) regarding the mitzva to rebuke one who is doing something wrong (19:17)?
Rav Hirsch explains that AMITECHA, you friend, connotes the responsibility to not project a sense of superiority over the person who is being rebuked. Despite the fact that he is being rebuked, he must feel like he is an equal who, if the situation arises, can also exercise his responsibility to rebuke back, as well.
Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman of Beit Shemesh ppp@israelcenter.co.il • Answers will appear in the next issue of TT

[7] Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Tarfon's words at the end of the second perek of Avot are at the same time comforting and very frustrating. We have a lot to accomplish in life, as individuals and as part of the community. The tasks often seem overwhelming; we'd like to give up. Know that you don't have to finish the job, but you are not free to wash your hands of the job.

[8] G'matriya Match plus...
SEH TAMIM ZACHAR BEN SHANA YI-HE LACHEM MIN HA'K'VASIM U'MIN HA'IZIM TIKACHU: (Shmot 12:5)
It started with Korban Pesach and developed into a cycle of holidays that all commemorate the Exodus
ELE MOADEI HASHEM MIKRAEI KODESH ASHER TIK'R'U OTAM B'MO'ADAM: (VaYikra 23:4)
G'matriya Twins (2758)

V'AL KOL NAFSHOT MEIT LO YAVO L'AVIV U'L'IMO LO YITAMEI: (VaYikra 21:11)
Baal HaTurim points out the unusual pattern in the final letters of each word in this pasuk: They are paired off - LAMED-LAMED, TAV-TAV, ALEF-ALEF, VAV-VAV, ALEF-ALEF

[9] Torah from Nature
Mammals - There are about 4260 species of mammals, new ones being occasionally discovered. Scientists will also change their minds as to exactly which animals constitute distinct species, so the number is subject to change - but not by a lot.

The largest animal in existence, and the largest animal EVER to exist (so it is said) is the blue whale. Largest specimens measure in at over 33 meters (110 ft.) long and 190 tons. The largest land animal alive is the African elephant, weighing in at over 12 tons. That means that the blue whale weighs more than 15 bull African elephants, each of which outweighs about 150 people.

Think about what you've read so far. It boggles the mind.

Now let's go the other way. Thailand's bumblebee bat (a.k.a. Kitti's hognosed bat) might be the world's smallest mammal (or the Etruscan pygmy shrew might be)... about the size of a bumblebee, weigh about as much as a dime, and have the ability to hover like hummingbirds. Weighing about 2.3g, less than half a sheet of A4 paper), the blue whale would outweigh 82 million bumblebee bats. Their numbers are estimated to be around 150 individuals, making the smallest mammal one of the 12 rarest species in the world.

[10] Divrei Menachem
Parshat Emor opens with Moshe being instructed to speak to the Kohanim, the "children of Aharon" (Vayikra 21:1). The command "to speak to them" is then repeated as the Kohanim are directed to avoid contamination with the dead.

According to Ibn Ezra, the repetition of the command to speak to the Kohanim indicates that the Kohanim, as the scholars and teachers among the people, were first to draw the general lessons regarding purity derived from the previous chapters. Consequently, the Kohanim could then contemplate the laws in this category applying specifically to them, as outlined in this week's parsha.

It is instructive that Moshe speaks to the "children of Aharon" rather than to Aharon himself. The implication is that although the younger Kohanim clearly derived their status from their father, it is they who have to carry on the tradition. Moreover, our rabbis note, the apparent redundancy implies that beyond taking precautions to remove themselves from contamination, the Kohanim were also to caution their children concerning contact with the dead (See Rashi; Yevamot 114a).
Noted Rabbi Moshe Feinstein: This clearly indicates that the adult Kohanim had to set an example to their children. Unquestionably, as scholars and teachers, there could be no better way for the Kohanim to actualize themselves.
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 hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.

Lower Levels of Impurity - Tum'at Midaf
The name of this minor form of impurity, Tum'at Midaf (lit. "slight" or "indirect contact impurity"), is etymologically related to the Biblical term Nidaf employed in the expression Aleh Nidaf - a "driven leaf". The use of the term Midaf illustrates this impurity's relative "weakness" (Vayikra 26:36, Nida 4b). This little known form of Tum'ah is the second category of impurity which is unique to the Zav ("Any man who will have a discharge - abnormal seminal emissions - from his flesh…", Vayikra 15:2, 3,13-15), Zava (a woman who had abnormal Nida-like bleeding after the conclusion of her normal menstrual period, Vayikra 15:25), Nida and Yoledet. Rambam defines Tum'at Midaf as the impurity conveyed by the Zav, Zava, Nida and Yoledet to vessels and other objects which are positioned above them. While Midras-impurity (see last week's TT), is specifically ordained in the Torah, Rambam postulates that are no specific references in the written Torah to the condition of impurity which later came to be called Tum'at Midaf. It is pure Torah She'b'al Peh. Ra'avad posits that there are two discernible meanings of the term, one D'oraita, the other D'rabanan. The Gemara asks, "Where do we derive the law concerning the impurity of what is above the Zav? It is written, 'And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be impure' (Vayikra 15:10). What does 'under him' mean? Does it mean anything under the Zav is impure? No.

That is derived from "whosoever touches his bed" (Vayikra 15:5). Therefore the Pasuk must mean 'whosoever touches anything that the Zav was under, i.e. that is anything above the Zav" (Nida 32b,33a). These contaminated objects do not become "fathers of impurity" and "therefore do not render people and vessels impure", but they do become Rishonim Letum'ah - a derivative impurity of the primary grade and are capable of defiling foods and liquids (Zavim 4:6, Hil. Metam'ei Mishkav Umoshav 6:3).

Consequently Midaf-impurity is a less virulent form of impurity than Midras impurity. The Kesef Mishneh explains, "In the 4th chapter of Zavim, we learn that the Zav contaminates 'chairs and saddles' (by sitting or lying on them i.e. Tum'at Midras) which can (in turn) render people and clothing impure. But only foodstuffs and liquids are rendered impure when they come into contact with 'vessels' positioned above the Zav. …Even if there were many 'barriers'… even if there were many 'vessels' (e.g. blankets), the 'vessel' on top would still be "infected" with this minor form of impurity, a Rishon Letum'ah which is incapable of contaminating people or other vessels but still capable of rendering foodstuffs and liquids impure… There is no difference in the severity of the impurity between the clothing the Zav is wearing and clothing above the Zav lying on the top of the pile under the open sky." Therefore Rambam rules, "If one of those who render impure beds and seats - i.e. the Zav, Zava, Nida or Yoledet - was below and a stone was positioned above him/her with food, drink, vessels and a even a person above the stone, all are rendered Midaf impure. They become Rishonim Letum'ah - incapable of contaminating people or other vessels but still capable of rendering impure foodstuffs and liquids" (Hil. Metam'ei Mishkav Umoshav 6: 5). In summation, the chair and saddle upon which that the Zav sits become Avot Hatum'ah, "fathers of impurity", and therefore can ritually defile people, clothes, vessels as well as foodstuffs and liquids. Clothes, vessels and people positioned above the Zav can become only Rishonim Letum'ah and thereby in turn they can render impure only foodstuffs and liquids.

From the Mikdash Mailbag
"Bi'ah Reikanit" ("Empty Entering")
Dear Catriel, I am the wife and mother of 6 Kohanim and some questions came up at Shabbat discussions. What was the status of the Kodesh HaKodashim? Was it ever cleaned? Repaired? Checked for spiders and snakes? —(signed)

If the Heichal or Kodesh HaKodashim needed repairs or cleaning, workers entered and did the necessary work. Similarly, unclean "creeping things" were removed. The Gemara reads, "All may enter the Heichal (the Sanctuary) to build, repair or take out impurity. It is a Mitzva for Kohanim to do it. If there are no Kohanim, Leviyim may enter. If there are no Leviyim, Yisraelim may enter (Eruvin 105a). And in fact, Josephus relates that even Herod, when he refurbished Bayit Sheini, made every effort to have Kohanim repair those areas of the Mikdash which were forbidden to non-Kohanim. "(Herod) chose 10,000 of the most skillful workmen, and bought 1000 sacerdotal garments for… the priests, and taught… them the art of stonecutters and carpenters, and then began to build" (Antiquities Bk.15,ch.11). But we're getting ahead of ourselves! The Torah says, "And G-d said to Moses, 'Speak to Aaron your brother - he shall not come at all times into the holy place (into the Heichal), (or) within the curtain (Kodesh HaKodashim)… so he should not die… (Vayikra 16:2). Indeed all Kohanim were warned not to enter the Heichal or Kodesh HaKodashim at any time except when they were needed to perform Avoda (Sifra, Acharei 1:6, 7). Rambam comments, "How many times does the Kohein Gadol enter Kodesh HaKodashim during Yom Kippur (for the Avoda)? Four… but if he entered a fifth time… his punishment was death at the hand of Heaven…" (Hil. Bi'at Mikdash 2:1,4). Unnecessary entrance into the Heichal was punishable only by flogging. Unnecessary entrance into the Heichal or Kodesh HaKodashim is called Bi'ah Reikanit and its prohibition is listed in Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot, prohibition 68; so too Sefer HaChinuch. "The reason is to inculcate in the souls of those who serve (in the Mikdash) a sense of its greatness… and instill in them a feeling of awe… (S.H. Mitzva 184). Entering the Aliya, the second floor of the Bayit built directly above Kodesh HaKodashim and the Heichal, unnecessarily, was also considered Bi'ah Reikanit even though no Avodot were ever performed there. Interestingly enough, the area above Kodesh HaKodashim, and not the Kodesh HaKodashim itself, was considered the most sacred place in the entire Beit HaMikdash. The Mishna reads, "And in the upper chamber, the ends of flagstones were marked at the place of division between (the area) above the Heichal and the (area above) Kodesh HaKodashim" (Midot 4:5). Tif'eret Yisrael explains why. "Even though there were two curtains separating the area above the Heichal and the area above Kodesh HaKodashim, they made these markings (in the floor to separate these areas) because of the extreme holiness of the area above Kodesh HaKodashim, the holiness of which exceeded the Kodesh HaKodashim itself. After all, the area above Kodesh HaKodashim was entered once in seven years (while Kodesh HaKodashim itself was entered every year)(TY 47). <to be continued>
Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service

Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
(KI) ANI HASHEM ELOKEICHEM:
ANI HASHEM ELOKEICHEM appears 34 times in Tanach, sometimes with the word KI before it. Of the 34 times, 24 are at the end of a pasuk. Invariably, when the phrase is ANI HASHEM ELOKEICHEM (without KI before it), the TROP is as follows:
ANI HASHEM ELOKEICHEM (See hard copy of TT)
Because of the TIPCHA under the word ANI, we should pause after ANI and say HASHEM ELOKEICHEM as a phrase without a pause between the two words. The meaning of the whole phrase is: I (am), HaShem your G-d. It is incorrect to break the phrase as ANI HASHEM pause ELOKEICHEM.
On the other hand, with KI before the phrase, the TROP is like this:
(KI) ANI HASHEM ELOKEICHEM:
In this case, the translation based on the TROP would be, for I HaShem, am your G-d. Subtle difference, but important to follow TROP pause and no-pause rules.

Parsha Pix
Kohen Gadol (upper-right). The whole first section of the sedra deals with the sanctity of the kohanim in general, and the Kohen Gadol in particular.
The broken foot is representative of the invalidating defects of a Kohen (some permanent and some transitory).
Look closely at the lamb the foot is pointing to. It's missing an ear. That's a blemish which invalidates the animal for the Mizbei'ach. Note that blemishes that disqualify an animal for the Mizbei'ach do not necessarily make the animal a TREIFA.
In the lower-left are a mother sheep (ewe) and her newborn, which may not be taken from its mother to be used as a korban until it is at least 8 days old. AND, the sheep and lamb also represent OTO V'ET B'NO, the prohibition of slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day.
Note that the 8th day rule is specifically for korbanot while the two-generation rule applies to holy animals and to profane animals.
Upper-left is a negation circle, indicating the prohibitions of building, sewing, writing - representative of all forbidden Melacha for Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and Yom Tov.
The counting of the Omer is a mitzva from Parshat Emor.
So too are the mitzvot of dwelling in a Sukka for the seven days of Sukkot, and the taking of the Four Species on Sukkot.
And there are the Two Loaves of Shavuot.
Next we have two items that were visual TTriddles last year, and are being explained this year. The one with the Torah Tidbits who gets to read this column of ParshaPix explanations can still challenge his parents/children/guests with these items and others.
That's the beauty of the ParshaPix - there is something for everyone, without the frustration of having to wait a week for the solutions. TTriddles are meant to frustrate.
TTriddle Winner this week is YYW, with honorable mention to the M-brothers, DM for Israel and MM/Bklyn and to EB. And a kol hakavod to CGF of Argentina for his solutions.
There is a wine bottle with Y/N on the label. Y is for YES, yes have wine on Shabbat and the holidays for Kiddush and havdala. But N is for NO. No, a kohein may not drink wine when he have service to perform in the Beit HaMikdash. No one may enter the Mikdash "under the influence". Nor, may a poseik render a halachic opinion after having drunk wine.
The is a MOOSE with an arrow pointing to his nose, which is AF in Hebrew. So this friend of Bullwinke, Tuke and Rutt represents the MUSAF of each holiday, as commanded by the Torah, partly from Parshat Emor and partly from Parshat Pinchas.
And that leaves one new visual TTriddle for this year.
And don't forget the unidentified, hidden-right- under-your-nose TTriddle. It was in last week's issue and it appears again in this week's issue. Special prize for that one.

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. 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 (PESACH) TTriddles:
[1] The plane, boss, the plane!
[2] parent-child, child-parent mitzvot with two doubles in common
[3] Dining on Tuesday is problematic
[4] Bon appetit & Shishak came
[5] Square each of the first 7 primes...
[6] Fear before and after
[7] plus one visual TTriddle from the Parsha Pix
[8] and one "hidden-in-plain-sight" TTriddle

And the envelope, please...
[1] There was a TV show in the late 70s called Fantasy Island, with a character played by a 3'11" (119cm) tall (short) actor named Hervé Villechaize. His charater's name was TATTOO, thereby representing the prohibition against tattooing.
[2] All right, let's do it. This is a complicated TTriddle. The mitzva called parent-child, is the prohibition against the Molech practice of passing one's child through fire (child sacrifice?). The Torah uses the words ISH ISH, a doubling of the word ISH. The punishment is death, MOT UMAT, another double expression. The other mitzva with ISH ISH and MOT UMAT is a child-parent one, the prohibition of cursing one's parents.
[3] This refers to the eating of the meat of certain korbanot that can be eaten on the day of the offering and the following day. But on the third day (YOM SH'LISHI is also Tuesday), it may not be eaten.
[4] More food. In this case, the first three years of fruits are forbidden as ORLA, the fourth year's fruits are sacred... and the fifth year, they are to be eaten by their owners without restriction (sort of). UVASHA- NA HACHAMISHIT, and in the fifth year...There are only two other BASHANA HACHAMISHIT in Tanach, in identical contexts (in M'lachim Alef and Divrei HaYamim Bet). It refers to the fifth year of the reign of R'chav'am, that SHISHAK, king of Egypt, came to Jerusalem...
[5] First seven prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 17. Their squares are 4, 9, 25, 49, 121, 169, and 289. Add up the squares of the first seven primes and you get 666, the number of last week's issue.
[6] The answer is KEEPING SHABBAT. In a pasuk early in the sedra, we find, A person shall fear his mother and father, and My Shabbats shall be observed. Later in K'doshim, we find, My Shabbats you shall preserve and My Mikdash you shall fear. Fear before and after.
[7] The visual TTriddle is a repeat of TTriddle [1]. It is a picture of TATTOO
from Fantasy Island.
[8] There was another TTriddle in last week's issue. It appears again this week -now you can look for it.

This week's TTriddles:
[1] Shabbat, RH, YK, SUK, Shmini Atzeret, and what?
[2] Double him, them, and them - double
[3] 20 times until we see where
[4] Pasuk that contains a Purim self-contradiction
[5] one visual TTriddle in the Parsha Pix

Israel Center Miscellany
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NESTO Native English-Speaking Teen Olim
These were two very special weeks here at NESTO.
• On Yom Hashoa we were honored to have a very special guest speaker, Mrs. Rina Quint. Mrs. Quint shared her personal story with us as a young girl experiencing these terrible darkest times of the Jewish people. We were all touched and inspired by her strength and unique personality. We thank her for making our Yom Hashoa meaningful.
• Just a few days before Yom HaAtzmaut, NESTO decided to show solidarity with our soldiers who serve the country day and night. We delivered free pizza to the soldiers, thanks to Mr. David Landau. The NESTO trip visiting barriers and check points around Jerusalem exposed us to the difficult tasks the soldiers are facing and hope that our gesture showed them that we appreciate their hard work.
For more details about our upcoming events and shabbatonim call:
Juniors Talya 052/3554055
Seniors Moriah 054/8020539
Senior+ Jeremy 052/5411185

There times in our life when we have to say goodbye. We recently said goodbye to our beloved madrich Asher Meckler, who gave his last activity to Senior NESTO. At the end of his activity, Asher gave each Senior an album with a few unforgettable pictures. Asher is going in to the IDF after being a Madrich at NESTO since last year. We all love you so much and want to send you out there with some holy blessings:
Thanks for everything - B'hatzlacha - Chaim (NESTO Director)
Asher -- Mamash good luck in the new course of your life, I hope you make the best out of it! Shevi (Junior Madricha)
Much Hatzlacha all my love -Devorah (Senior Madricha)
Sarina (Juniorv Madricha)
Moriah (Senior Madricha)
IY"H you should have much hatzlacha in the army, and reach all your goals. Be safe,remember Hashem is always with you! - Avi (Senior Madrich)
...we'll miss you..Talya
NESTO says Thank you and B’hatzlacha in IDF to Asher Meckler

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Sundry
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The Shabbaton announced for May 27-28 - B'chukotai is being postponed. Watch for announcements for our next Israel Center Shabbaton

Shabbat and Shavuot with Yisrael HaTzair and the Israel Center - 5 days, 4 nights, Friday to Tuesday, June 10-14 at the Kinar Classic, Scholar-in-residence:Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Mehadrin cuisine, Rich & varied Yom Tov menu, Friday morning tiyul, Picnic lunch en route, Separate swimming & health club, Oneg Shabbat, Tikun Leil Shavuot, Simchat YomTov, 1495NIS p.p. dbl. occ., Single supplement - 730NIS, Non-members add 50NIS, Full board accommodations, Roundtrip transportation from & to the Israel Center, Reservations with payment only, For further details, call Yisrael Hatzair (02) 623-1361

The tour of the new, state-of-the-art Holocaust Memorial Site at Yad VaShem on Monday, May 16th (7 Iyar) with Rena Quint is BOOKED
We plan IY"H to do it again (a few times) Call the travel desk to be listed.(02) 566-7787 ext. 261 or 244 You will be called when new dates are scheduled

“Land of the Maccabees & Modern Modiin” - Sunday, May 29th, Check-in: 8:45am9:00am - 5:00pm (approx.), Among many sites: Chashmona'im period graves, Mitzpe Modiin, Newly found archaeological sites, Meet Deputy Mayor, Alex Weinreb, Guide: Jolie Schockett, Price: 75/85NIS, Call the Travel Desk to reserve, (02) 566-7787 ext. 261 or 244, Bring your own lunch, "Shulamit's tiyulim are always treats;Come! You'll also enjoy her delicious sweets"

The Palmach Museum Tel Aviv, Tuesday, June 7th, '05 with Nachman Kupietzky, Check-in 9:30am • Leave Center 9:45am promptly • Return 2:30pm (approx.), See the newest state-of-the-art museum vividly portraying the pre-state defense army of Israel, 70nis (80nis non-members) • must pay in advance, Call Travel Desk (ext. 261 or 244) to reserve

For reservations at the hotels listed below or any other Israeli hotels, please call the Travel Desk 566 7787, ext. 244.
Please note: Hotels are sometimes booked by the time you respond to the deals on this page. Or sometimes they make last minute changes in their deals. It is frustrating to both you & us. We ask for your understanding. We will do our best to help out.

Jerusalem Pearl, valid June 12-13
SHAVUOT, 1700NIS per couple, F/B

Dan, Tel Aviv, valid until June 12th
980NIS per couple, per night, B/B

Shalom Plaza, Eilat, valid June 5-9, 14-16, 19-23, 26-30
Midweek, 499NIS per couple, per night, H/B
Special offer: Either 3rd night FREE or 2 FREE IMAX tickets

Daniel Hotel, Herzliya, valid June 10-13
SHAVUOT min. 3 nights, 950NIS per couple, per night, B/B

King Solomon, Jerusalem, valid June 10-13
Shabbat & Shavuot, 3200nis per couple
Full board for Shabbat & CHag, B/B for Motza"Sh-Sunday

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 (some, not all hotels)

The Back Page of TT667

The Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults is the educational component of the Seymour J.Abrams • Orthodox Union • Jerusalem World Center and incorporates all the classes & lectures of the OU Israel Center. "Regular" classes & lectures - 20NIS members, 25NIS non- members. Life members, 5NIS (except for programs of/ with other organizations). No one will be turned away for inability to pay. Membership 250NIS couple, 180NIS single. Programs of the Center are partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel

Schedule for Erev Shabbat to Erev Shabbat (Fri-Fri), 4-11 Iyar (May 13-20)

Friday
9:00am (men & women) Overview of Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Chaim Eisen

Friday EVE
"Early Shabbat Minyan": Mincha 15 mins. before Plag; Kabbalat Shabbat after Plag, Erev Shabbat Parshat Erev Shabbat Parshat EMOR, Friday May 13th, Mincha will be 5:47pm, Plag is 6:02pm, Kabbalat Shabbat, Maariv, Mincha: B'har 5:51pm • B'chukotai 5:55pm • Bamidbar 5:58pm

Shabbat day
Shabbat Parshat Emor - May 14th, 5:00pm • Mincha at 6:00pm - Yaacov Peterseil & Co. on the sedra

Motza”Sh
Motza'ei Shabbat, May 14th, 9:30pm: Lecture, Slide & Sound Show; Secrets from the Hagada & Chumash Shmot - the key to events of today and the coming of Moshiach

SUN-Thu in the Ganchrow Beis Medrash (first floor)
10:00am Masechet Kiddushin with Rabbi Pesach (Paul) Greenman
1:20pm Mincha (this time stays the same throughout the year)
3:00pm Daf Yomi by Rabbi Shmuel Halpern
4:30pm Shiur in Masechet Sanhedrin by Rabbi Hillel Ruvel

Sunday
N'SHEI LIBRARY 10:30-12:45
9:30am (women) Mystical Insights into the Months of the Year; Counting and Encountering with Golda Warhaftig
10:30am (women) : Let's Learn Chumash with Tonia Frohwein
11:30am (M&W) Parshat HaShavua with Shprintzee Herskovits
Sundays 12:30pm (and WED 8:00pm) • Creative Life Education: This Golden Age We Live In, Alternating presenters, incl. Dr. Vivienne Damelin, Aharon Romm
Note new time: Sunday 7:45pm (men & women) Issues in Jewish Thought as they emerge from the Torah with the help of Ramban's Commentary - Now Studying: Nimrod – Good, Bad, or Ugly? Divergent Approaches to Midrash with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
Maariv at 9:00pm (Sunday)
NEW - Sundays at 8:45pm (following Rabbi Eisen's class): Nesivos Shalom on Pirkei Avot with R' Yaacov Yisroel Bar-Chaiim, IY"H we will be building a coherent picture of how this classic contemporary Chassidic sefer approaches character development • Call 052-826-8381 for further details
Monday May 15th, 8:00pm: A Sneak Preview, The Abu Mazen Watch Report (4 months in preparation) To be presented to the U.S. Congress this coming week, Presented by David Bedein Investigative Journalist

Monday
N'SHEI LIBRARY - 10:00-12:30
9:15am (men & women) excursions into the world of nevi'im with Mrs. Pearl Borow
on sale: Jewish Books for Adults and Children by Simcha Publishing • Mondays 10:00-12:00
10:30am (men & women) Rambam’s 13 Principles by Rabbi Zev Leff
Jewish History Series by Dr. Henry Goldblum: Monday, May 16th • Alexander the Great: part 2 - on the Eve.
Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best! Exercise for women of all ages, Mondays 11:35-12:35pm, Gentle exercises to improve flexibility, circulation, posture, etc. Breathing and relaxation skills to use every day.
Monday, May 16th, 12:30pm, in the Library (free), Lunch and Video "How and Why Did Rabbi Akiva's Students Die?" by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher
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 with Pearl Borow, Fine Tuning Shabbat (with text) - Phil Chernofsky
Pri Chadash Women's Writing Workshop with Ruth Fogelman (628-7359) & Mindy Aber Barad (643-5276)
MON 8:30pm • AM SEGULA “Curing the Jewish Heart” lecture series with Eli Yosef
MASK - Mothers & Fathers Aligned Saving Kids, J'lem Chapter at the OU Israel Center • www.maskjerusalem.cjb.net • 050-754-2717, NEXT MEETING: Monday, May 16th, 7:30-9:30pm
Monday, May 16th, 800pm - KISS your fears, anxieties, sadness, physical pains, and overeating/smoking... and other addiction behaviors GOODBYE! AND, IMPROVE marital communication or find your match! Also -- Registration tonight for Practitioner Training Course! Emotional Freedom Techniques demonstration by Rabbi Legomsky, AMT Licensed Trainer, dir. www.IsraelTraumaCare.org, Teaching self-usable techniques with immediate results!
A new, more in-depth program for "graduates" of our basic mentoringworkshop and experienced mentors and matchmakers, Advanced Dating Mentoring • Dealing with difficult issues, Monday, May 16th, 8:00pm, Admission 30NIS, Rosie Einhorn, L.C.S.W. and Sherry Zimmerman, Esq.
Monday, May 16th, 8:00pm: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's Insights of Parshat Emor, Guest speaker: Rabbi Aharon Ziegler

Tuesday
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 (living in the Jerusalem area). Interviews at the Center on Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00 • Please bring ID - New additional hours for theGemach- Tue. 7:00-9:00pm
9:00am: The Meaning of Mitzvot • Rabbi Aharon Adler
10:15am: Rabbi Gold: The Parsha through the Eyes of the Haftara
9:00am: Dr. Hayim Abramson: The Inner & Outer Story of the Sages
11:00am The Mashal - listen to the voice of Torah - in Hebrew
10:50am: Rabbi Spiegelman on Parshat HaShavua
11:45am (women) Review of the weekly Farbrengens of the Lubavitcher Rebbe with Raizel Zisk
Tuesday, May 17th, 12:30pm, in the Library (free), Lunch and Video "Thoughts on G-d and Man and the Omer" by Rabbi Zev Leff
The Inner Path to Sinai Tuesdays, 12:00-1:30pm, A S'firat HaOmer Workshop with Mrs. Esther Sutton freelance author, certified counselor women only
Tuesdays, 2:00pm: Logical Self Discovery with Leah Zitter B.Sc. M.A., A practical introduction that demonstrates how principles of Informal Logic and general semantics can help you think profitably, communicate effectively, and resolve conflict in all areas of your life. For details call (02) 671-6059 and/or visit www.JewishHealing.com
A class for the serious and the curious... at the Israel Center: THE LANGUAGES OF THE TENACH on Tuesday evenings, at 8:00pm - with Yoel Lerner - Explore similarities and differences between the Hebrew and the Aramaic of the Tenach • the significance of the Migdal Bavel episode • the importance of the hakhamim of Tiberias in the 7th and 8th cent. CE • Biblical Hebrew's use of sounds for which there were no separate letters in the alphabet • Biblical Hebrew's verbs which have no real tenses • Torah speckling its stories with words reflecting the linguistic background of those stories • the different Hebrew dialects spoken in different parts of the country during the days of Bayit Rishon
Tue. May 17, 7:00pm • ICVC presents: "One Day in September" Academy Award for Best Documentary of 2000... heartbreaking story of the hostage-taking and murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics...

Wednesday
Wednesdays, 9:10am: Current Issues in HalachaL Omer and the Mourning Practices with Rabbi Macy Gordon
Wednesdays, 10:30am: Rabbi Yosef Wolicki on Parshat HaShavua
Wednesdays, 10:30am (women only) • Chani Abramson: Songs from the Siddur - Meaning & Melodies
Wednesdays, 11:30am (men & women): Stories of Inspiration & Chesed, Share these stories and make a difference with Jackie Lowenstein
Wed. May 18th, 12:30pm, in the Library (free), Video - All about the Omer by Rabbi Yehoshua Freilich
3:00pm (men & women) Women in Tanach with Pearl Borow
Women's Beit Midrash MON (and WED) 3:00-5:00pm - Acquire study skills and knowledge crucial to your life as a Jew - join us! Guided Chavruta study with Pearl Borow
7:45pm (Men & Women) Jewish Philosophy: Rambam's Guide for the Perplexed - Now studying: Ta’amei Mitzvot: Understanding the Torah's Approach to Sex with Rabbi Chaim Eisen

Thursday
Dvar Torah by Menachem Persoff
time varies: Shiur while you fold. with Phil Chernofsky
Root & Branch Association in cooperation with the Israel Center
Thursday, May 19th • 19:00
Evening to Honor "Our Man in Damascus" Eli Cohen, HY"D Commemorating the 40th anniversary (May 18, 1965 - 2005) of the Syrian execution of Israel's Master Spy, Lecture and Film Presentation by Mr. Maurice CohenBrother of Eli Cohen, Former Mossad officer (supervised coded message traffic to and from Eli Cohen in Damascus and other Mossad agents worldwide), Chairman, American Friends of Eli Cohen Memorial, Inc. www.elicohen.org, Info: rb@rb.org.il • NIS25 per person, members NIS20, students NIS10
8:00pm: Legends from the Gemara with Reb Yosef Schreiber

Friday
9:00am (men & women) Overview of Pirkei Avot WITH Rabbi Chaim Eisen

"Early Shabbat Minyan": Mincha 15 mins. before Plag; Kabbalat Shabbat after Plag

UPCOMING at the Israel Center
Monday, May 23rd - 8:00pm - Pesach Sheini – Reduced Fee 10/15NIS: MARCH OF MEDICAL MEDIA OF MOADON SANHEDRIA - Second in a series of Health Lectures: A second opportunity to maintain Good health or regain it! A Leading Physician with expertise in alternative medicine, for many years,YISROEL YAFFA, M.D.director of the Ya